OpenLMD, multimodal monitoring and control of LMD processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Araújo, Jorge; García-Díaz, Antón

2017-02-01

This paper presents OpenLMD, a novel open-source solution for on-line multimodal monitoring of Laser Metal Deposition (LMD). The solution is also applicable to a wider range of laser-based applications that require on-line control (e.g. laser welding). OpenLMD is a middleware that enables the orchestration and virtualization of a LMD robot cell, using several open-source frameworks (e.g. ROS, OpenCV, PCL). The solution also allows reconfiguration by easy integration of multiple sensors and processing equipment. As a result, OpenLMD delivers significant advantages over existing monitoring and control approaches, such as improved scalability, and multimodal monitoring and data sharing capabilities.

Process spectroscopy in microemulsions—setup and multi-spectral approach for reaction monitoring of a homogeneous hydroformylation process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, K.; Ruiken, J.-P.; Illner, M.; Paul, A.; Müller, D.; Esche, E.; Wozny, G.; Maiwald, M.

2017-03-01

Reaction monitoring in disperse systems, such as emulsions, is of significant technical importance in various disciplines like biotechnological engineering, chemical industry, food science, and a growing number other technical fields. These systems pose several challenges when it comes to process analytics, such as heterogeneity of mixtures, changes in optical behavior, and low optical activity. Concerning this, online nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful technique for process monitoring in complex reaction mixtures due to its unique direct comparison abilities, while at the same time being non-invasive and independent of optical properties of the sample. In this study the applicability of online-spectroscopic methods on the homogeneously catalyzed hydroformylation system of 1-dodecene to tridecanal is investigated, which is operated in a mini-plant scale at Technische Universität Berlin. The design of a laboratory setup for process-like calibration experiments is presented, including a 500 MHz online NMR spectrometer, a benchtop NMR device with 43 MHz proton frequency as well as two Raman probes and a flow cell assembly for an ultraviolet and visible light (UV/VIS) spectrometer. Results of high-resolution online NMR spectroscopy are shown and technical as well as process-specific problems observed during the measurements are discussed.

State of the art in on-line techniques coupled to flow injection analysis FIA/on-line- a critical review

PubMed Central

Puchades, R.; Maquieira, A.; Atienza, J.; Herrero, M. A.

1990-01-01

Flow injection analysis (FIA) has emerged as an increasingly used laboratory tool in chemical analysis. Employment of the technique for on-line sample treatment and on-line measurement in chemical process control is a growing trend. This article reviews the recent applications of FlA. Most papers refer to on-line sample treatment. Although FIA is very well suited to continuous on-line process monitoring, few examples have been found in this areamost of them have been applied to water treatment or fermentation processes. PMID:18925271

Unattended reaction monitoring using an automated microfluidic sampler and on-line liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Patel, Darshan C; Lyu, Yaqi Fara; Gandarilla, Jorge; Doherty, Steve

2018-04-03

In-process sampling and analysis is an important aspect of monitoring kinetic profiles and impurity formation or rejection, both in development and during commercial manufacturing. In pharmaceutical process development, the technology of choice for a substantial portion of this analysis is high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Traditionally, the sample extraction and preparation for reaction characterization have been performed manually. This can be time consuming, laborious, and impractical for long processes. Depending on the complexity of the sample preparation, there can be variability introduced by different analysts, and in some cases, the integrity of the sample can be compromised during handling. While there are commercial instruments available for on-line monitoring with HPLC, they lack capabilities in many key areas. Some do not provide integration of the sampling and analysis, while others afford limited flexibility in sample preparation. The current offerings provide a limited number of unit operations available for sample processing and no option for workflow customizability. This work describes development of a microfluidic automated program (MAP) which fully automates the sample extraction, manipulation, and on-line LC analysis. The flexible system is controlled using an intuitive Microsoft Excel based user interface. The autonomous system is capable of unattended reaction monitoring that allows flexible unit operations and workflow customization to enable complex operations and on-line sample preparation. The automated system is shown to offer advantages over manual approaches in key areas while providing consistent and reproducible in-process data. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quality Indicators of Online Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirner, Leo; Kochtanek, Thomas

2012-01-01

The continued growth of online programs in higher education has resulted in concerns about how institutions monitor the quality of their online programs. These concerns indicate a need for a process by which online programs may be evaluated and compared. They provided the impetus for this study, the goals of which were to identify quality…

On-line condition monitoring applications in nuclear power plants

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

Hastiemian, H. M.; Feltus, M. A.

2006-07-01

Existing signals from process instruments in nuclear power plants can be sampled while the plant is operating and analyzed to verify the static and dynamic performance of process sensors, identify process-to-sensor problems, detect instrument anomalies such as venturi fouling, measure the vibration of the reactor vessel and its internals, or detect thermal hydraulic anomalies within the reactor coolant system. These applications are important in nuclear plants to satisfy a variety of objectives such as: 1) meeting the plant technical specification requirements; 2) complying with regulatory regulations; 3) guarding against equipment and process degradation; 4) providing a means for incipient failuremore » detection and predictive maintenance; or 5) identifying the root cause of anomalies in equipment and plant processes. The technologies that are used to achieve these objectives are collectively referred to as 'on-line condition monitoring.' This paper presents a review of key elements of these technologies, provides examples of their use in nuclear power plants, and illustrates how they can be integrated into an on-line condition monitoring system for nuclear power plants. (authors)« less

On-Line Ion Exchange Liquid Chromatography as a Process Analytical Technology for Monoclonal Antibody Characterization in Continuous Bioprocessing.

PubMed

Patel, Bhumit A; Pinto, Nuno D S; Gospodarek, Adrian; Kilgore, Bruce; Goswami, Kudrat; Napoli, William N; Desai, Jayesh; Heo, Jun H; Panzera, Dominick; Pollard, David; Richardson, Daisy; Brower, Mark; Richardson, Douglas D

2017-11-07

Combining process analytical technology (PAT) with continuous production provides a powerful tool to observe and control monoclonal antibody (mAb) fermentation and purification processes. This work demonstrates on-line liquid chromatography (on-line LC) as a PAT tool for monitoring a continuous biologics process and forced degradation studies. Specifically, this work focused on ion exchange chromatography (IEX), which is a critical separation technique to detect charge variants. Product-related impurities, including charge variants, that impact function are classified as critical quality attributes (CQAs). First, we confirmed no significant differences were observed in the charge heterogeneity profile of a mAb through both at-line and on-line sampling and that the on-line method has the ability to rapidly detect changes in protein quality over time. The robustness and versatility of the PAT methods were tested by sampling from two purification locations in a continuous mAb process. The PAT IEX methods used with on-line LC were a weak cation exchange (WCX) separation and a newly developed shorter strong cation exchange (SCX) assay. Both methods provided similar results with the distribution of percent acidic, main, and basic species remaining unchanged over a 2 week period. Second, a forced degradation study showed an increase in acidic species and a decrease in basic species when sampled on-line over 7 days. These applications further strengthen the use of on-line LC to monitor CQAs of a mAb continuously with various PAT IEX analytical methods. Implementation of on-line IEX will enable faster decision making during process development and could potentially be applied to control in biomanufacturing.

Analysis of Online Social Networks to Understand Information Sharing Behaviors Through Social Cognitive Theory.

PubMed

Yoon, Hong-Jun; Tourassi, Georgia

2014-05-01

Analyzing the contents of online social networks is an effective process for monitoring and understanding peoples' behaviors. Since the nature of conversation and information propagation is similar to traditional conversation and learning, one of the popular socio-cognitive methods, social cognitive theory was applied to online social networks to. Two major news topics about colon cancer were chosen to monitor traffic of Twitter messages. The activity of "leaders" on the issue (i.e., news companies or people will prior Twitter activity on topics related to colon cancer) was monitored. In addition, the activity of "followers", people who never discussed the topics before, but replied to the discussions was also monitored. Topics that produce tangible benefits such as positive outcomes from appropriate preventive actions received dramatically more attention and online social media traffic. Such characteristics can be explained with social cognitive theory and thus present opportunities for effective health campaigns.

On-line monitoring of methanol and methyl formate in the exhaust gas of an industrial formaldehyde production plant by a mid-IR gas sensor based on tunable Fabry-Pérot filter technology.

PubMed

Genner, Andreas; Gasser, Christoph; Moser, Harald; Ofner, Johannes; Schreiber, Josef; Lendl, Bernhard

2017-01-01

On-line monitoring of key chemicals in an industrial production plant ensures economic operation, guarantees the desired product quality, and provides additional in-depth information on the involved chemical processes. For that purpose, rapid, rugged, and flexible measurement systems at reasonable cost are required. Here, we present the application of a flexible mid-IR filtometer for industrial gas sensing. The developed prototype consists of a modulated thermal infrared source, a temperature-controlled gas cell for absorption measurement and an integrated device consisting of a Fabry-Pérot interferometer and a pyroelectric mid-IR detector. The prototype was calibrated in the research laboratory at TU Wien for measuring methanol and methyl formate in the concentration ranges from 660 to 4390 and 747 to 4610 ppmV. Subsequently, the prototype was transferred and installed at the project partner Metadynea Austria GmbH and linked to their Process Control System via a dedicated micro-controller and used for on-line monitoring of the process off-gas. Up to five process streams were sequentially monitored in a fully automated manner. The obtained readings for methanol and methyl formate concentrations provided useful information on the efficiency and correct functioning of the process plant. Of special interest for industry is the now added capability to monitor the start-up phase and process irregularities with high time resolution (5 s).

On-line identification of fermentation processes for ethanol production.

PubMed

Câmara, M M; Soares, R M; Feital, T; Naomi, P; Oki, S; Thevelein, J M; Amaral, M; Pinto, J C

2017-07-01

A strategy for monitoring fermentation processes, specifically, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of corn mash, was developed. The strategy covered the development and use of first principles, semimechanistic and unstructured process model based on major kinetic phenomena, along with mass and energy balances. The model was then used as a reference model within an identification procedure capable of running on-line. The on-line identification procedure consists on updating the reference model through the estimation of corrective parameters for certain reaction rates using the most recent process measurements. The strategy makes use of standard laboratory measurements for sugars quantification and in situ temperature and liquid level data. The model, along with the on-line identification procedure, has been tested against real industrial data and have been able to accurately predict the main variables of operational interest, i.e., state variables and its dynamics, and key process indicators. The results demonstrate that the strategy is capable of monitoring, in real time, this complex industrial biomass fermentation. This new tool provides a great support for decision-making and opens a new range of opportunities for industrial optimization.

Nitrous Oxide Production at a Fully Covered Wastewater Treatment Plant: Results of a Long-Term Online Monitoring Campaign.

PubMed

Kosonen, Heta; Heinonen, Mari; Mikola, Anna; Haimi, Henri; Mulas, Michela; Corona, Francesco; Vahala, Riku

2016-06-07

The nitrous oxide emissions of the Viikinmäki wastewater treatment plant were measured in a 12 month online monitoring campaign. The measurements, which were conducted with a continuous gas analyzer, covered all of the unit operations of the advanced wastewater-treatment process. The relation between the nitrous oxide emissions and certain process parameters, such as the wastewater temperature, influent biological oxygen demand, and ammonium nitrogen load, was investigated by applying online data obtained from the process-control system at 1 min intervals. Although seasonal variations in the measured nitrous oxide emissions were remarkable, the measurement data indicated no clear relationship between these emissions and seasonal changes in the wastewater temperature. The diurnal variations of the nitrous oxide emissions did, however, strongly correlate with the alternation of the influent biological oxygen demand and ammonium nitrogen load to the aerated zones of the activated sludge process. Overall, the annual nitrous oxide emissions of 168 g/PE/year and the emission factor of 1.9% of the influent nitrogen load are in the high range of values reported in the literature but in very good agreement with the results of other long-term online monitoring campaigns implemented at full-scale wastewater-treatment plants.

Online PH measurement technique in seawater desalination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Haibo; Wu, Kaihua; Hu, Shaopeng

2009-11-01

The measurement technology of pH is essential in seawater desalination. Glass electrode is the main pH sensor in seawater desalination. Because the internal impedance of glass electrode is high and the signal of pH sensor is easy to be disturbed, a signal processing circuit with high input impedance was designed. Because of high salinity of seawater and the characteristic of glass electrode, ultrasonic cleaning technology was used to online clean pH sensor. Temperature compensation was also designed to reduce the measurement error caused by variety of environment temperature. Additionally, the potential drift of pH sensor was analyzed and an automatic calibration method was proposed. In order to online monitor the variety of pH in seawater desalination, three operating modes were designed. The three modes are online monitoring mode, ultrasonic cleaning mode and auto-calibration mode. The current pH in seawater desalination was measured and displayed in online monitoring mode. The cleaning process of pH sensor was done in ultrasonic cleaning mode. The calibration of pH sensor was finished in auto-calibration mode. The result of experiments showed that the measurement technology of pH could meet the technical requirements for desalination. The glass electrode could be promptly and online cleaned and its service life was lengthened greatly.

An in situ probe for on-line monitoring of cell density and viability on the basis of dark field microscopy in conjunction with image processing and supervised machine learning.

PubMed

Wei, Ning; You, Jia; Friehs, Karl; Flaschel, Erwin; Nattkemper, Tim Wilhelm

2007-08-15

Fermentation industries would benefit from on-line monitoring of important parameters describing cell growth such as cell density and viability during fermentation processes. For this purpose, an in situ probe has been developed, which utilizes a dark field illumination unit to obtain high contrast images with an integrated CCD camera. To test the probe, brewer's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is chosen as the target microorganism. Images of the yeast cells in the bioreactors are captured, processed, and analyzed automatically by means of mechatronics, image processing, and machine learning. Two support vector machine based classifiers are used for separating cells from background, and for distinguishing live from dead cells afterwards. The evaluation of the in situ experiments showed strong correlation between results obtained by the probe and those by widely accepted standard methods. Thus, the in situ probe has been proved to be a feasible device for on-line monitoring of both cell density and viability with high accuracy and stability. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development of Online Spectroscopic pH Monitoring for Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Plants: Weak Acid Schemes.

PubMed

Casella, Amanda J; Ahlers, Laura R H; Campbell, Emily L; Levitskaia, Tatiana G; Peterson, James M; Smith, Frances N; Bryan, Samuel A

2015-05-19

In nuclear fuel reprocessing, separating trivalent minor actinides and lanthanide fission products is extremely challenging and often necessitates tight pH control in TALSPEAK (Trivalent Actinide-Lanthanide Separation by Phosphorus reagent Extraction from Aqueous Komplexes) separations. In TALSPEAK and similar advanced processes, aqueous pH is one of the most important factors governing the partitioning of lanthanides and actinides between an aqueous phase containing a polyaminopolycarboxylate complexing agent and a weak carboxylic acid buffer and an organic phase containing an acidic organophosphorus extractant. Real-time pH monitoring would significantly increase confidence in the separation performance. Our research is focused on developing a general method for online determination of the pH of aqueous solutions through chemometric analysis of Raman spectra. Spectroscopic process-monitoring capabilities, incorporated in a counter-current centrifugal contactor bank, provide a pathway for online, real-time measurement of solution pH. The spectroscopic techniques are process-friendly and can be easily configured for online applications, whereas classic potentiometric pH measurements require frequent calibration/maintenance and have poor long-term stability in aggressive chemical and radiation environments. Raman spectroscopy discriminates between the protonated and deprotonated forms of the carboxylic acid buffer, and the chemometric processing of the Raman spectral data with PLS (partial least-squares) regression provides a means to quantify their respective abundances and therefore determine the solution pH. Interpretive quantitative models have been developed and validated under a range of chemical composition and pH conditions using a lactic acid/lactate buffer system. The developed model was applied to new spectra obtained from online spectral measurements during a solvent extraction experiment using a counter-current centrifugal contactor bank. The model predicted the pH of this validation data set within 11% for pH > 2, thus demonstrating that this technique could provide the capability of monitoring pH online in applications such as nuclear fuel reprocessing.

Online Meta-data Collection and Monitoring Framework for the STAR Experiment at RHIC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arkhipkin, D.; Lauret, J.; Betts, W.; Van Buren, G.

2012-12-01

The STAR Experiment further exploits scalable message-oriented model principles to achieve a high level of control over online data streams. In this paper we present an AMQP-powered Message Interface and Reliable Architecture framework (MIRA), which allows STAR to orchestrate the activities of Meta-data Collection, Monitoring, Online QA and several Run-Time and Data Acquisition system components in a very efficient manner. The very nature of the reliable message bus suggests parallel usage of multiple independent storage mechanisms for our meta-data. We describe our experience with a robust data-taking setup employing MySQL- and HyperTable-based archivers for meta-data processing. In addition, MIRA has an AJAX-enabled web GUI, which allows real-time visualisation of online process flow and detector subsystem states, and doubles as a sophisticated alarm system when combined with complex event processing engines like Esper, Borealis or Cayuga. The performance data and our planned path forward are based on our experience during the 2011-2012 running of STAR.

Automated system for the on-line monitoring of powder blending processes using near-infrared spectroscopy. Part I. System development and control.

PubMed

Hailey, P A; Doherty, P; Tapsell, P; Oliver, T; Aldridge, P K

1996-03-01

An automated system for the on-line monitoring of powder blending processes is described. The system employs near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy using fibre-optics and a graphical user interface (GUI) developed in the LabVIEW environment. The complete supervisory control and data analysis (SCADA) software controls blender and spectrophotometer operation and performs statistical spectral data analysis in real time. A data analysis routine using standard deviation is described to demonstrate an approach to the real-time determination of blend homogeneity.

On-line monitoring of extraction process of Flos Lonicerae Japonicae using near infrared spectroscopy combined with synergy interval PLS and genetic algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yue; Wang, Lei; Wu, Yongjiang; Liu, Xuesong; Bi, Yuan; Xiao, Wei; Chen, Yong

2017-07-01

There is a growing need for the effective on-line process monitoring during the manufacture of traditional Chinese medicine to ensure quality consistency. In this study, the potential of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy technique to monitor the extraction process of Flos Lonicerae Japonicae was investigated. A new algorithm of synergy interval PLS with genetic algorithm (Si-GA-PLS) was proposed for modeling. Four different PLS models, namely Full-PLS, Si-PLS, GA-PLS, and Si-GA-PLS, were established, and their performances in predicting two quality parameters (viz. total acid and soluble solid contents) were compared. In conclusion, Si-GA-PLS model got the best results due to the combination of superiority of Si-PLS and GA. For Si-GA-PLS, the determination coefficient (Rp2) and root-mean-square error for the prediction set (RMSEP) were 0.9561 and 147.6544 μg/ml for total acid, 0.9062 and 0.1078% for soluble solid contents, correspondingly. The overall results demonstrated that the NIR spectroscopy technique combined with Si-GA-PLS calibration is a reliable and non-destructive alternative method for on-line monitoring of the extraction process of TCM on the production scale.

On-line IR analyzer system to monitor cephamycin C loading on ion-exchange resin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shank, Sheldon; Russ, Warren; Gravatt, Douglas; Lee, Wesley; Donahue, Steven M.

1992-08-01

An on-line infrared analyzer is being developed for monitoring cephamycin C loading on ion exchange resin. Accurate measurement of product loading offers productivity improvements with direct savings from product loss avoidance, minimized raw material cost, and reduced off-line laboratory testing. Ultrafiltered fermentation broth is fed onto ion exchange columns under conditions which adsorb the product, cephamycin C, to the resin while allowing impurities to pass unretained. Product loading is stopped when the on-line analyzer determines that resin capacity for adsorbing product is nearly exhausted. Infrared spectroscopy has been shown capable of quantifying cephamycin C in the process matrix at concentrations that support process control decisions. Process-to-analyzer interface challenges have been resolved, including sample conditioning requirements. Analyzer requirements have been defined. The sample conditioning station is under design.

Facilitating Metacognitive Processes of Academic Genre-Based Writing Using an Online Writing System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeh, Hui-Chin

2015-01-01

Few studies have investigated how metacognitive processes foster the application of genre knowledge to students' academic writing. This is largely due to its internal and unobservable characteristics. To bridge this gap, an online writing system based on metacognition, involving the stages of planning, monitoring, evaluating, and revising, was…

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Multivariate Analysis for Online Monitoring of Dibutyl Phosphate Degradation Product in Tributyl Phosphate/n-Dodecane/Nitric Acid Solvent

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

Tatiana G. Levitskaia; James M. Peterson; Emily L. Campbell

2013-12-01

In liquid–liquid extraction separation processes, accumulation of organic solvent degradation products is detrimental to the process robustness, and frequent solvent analysis is warranted. Our research explores the feasibility of online monitoring of the organic solvents relevant to used nuclear fuel reprocessing. This paper describes the first phase of developing a system for monitoring the tributyl phosphate (TBP)/n-dodecane solvent commonly used to separate used nuclear fuel. In this investigation, the effect of extraction of nitric acid from aqueous solutions of variable concentrations on the quantification of TBP and its major degradation product dibutylphosphoric acid (HDBP) was assessed. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR)more » spectroscopy was used to discriminate between HDBP and TBP in the nitric acid-containing TBP/n-dodecane solvent. Multivariate analysis of the spectral data facilitated the development of regression models for HDBP and TBP quantification in real time, enabling online implementation of the monitoring system. The predictive regression models were validated using TBP/n-dodecane solvent samples subjected to high-dose external ?-irradiation. The predictive models were translated to flow conditions using a hollow fiber FTIR probe installed in a centrifugal contactor extraction apparatus, demonstrating the applicability of the FTIR technique coupled with multivariate analysis for the online monitoring of the organic solvent degradation products.« less

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Multivariate Analysis for Online Monitoring of Dibutyl Phosphate Degradation Product in Tributyl Phosphate /n-Dodecane/Nitric Acid Solvent

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

Levitskaia, Tatiana G.; Peterson, James M.; Campbell, Emily L.

2013-11-05

In liquid-liquid extraction separation processes, accumulation of organic solvent degradation products is detrimental to the process robustness and frequent solvent analysis is warranted. Our research explores feasibility of online monitoring of the organic solvents relevant to used nuclear fuel reprocessing. This paper describes the first phase of developing a system for monitoring the tributyl phosphate (TBP)/n-dodecane solvent commonly used to separate used nuclear fuel. In this investigation, the effect of extraction of nitric acid from aqueous solutions of variable concentrations on the quantification of TBP and its major degradation product dibutyl phosphoric acid (HDBP) was assessed. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopymore » (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to discriminate between HDBP and TBP in the nitric acid-containing TBP/n-dodecane solvent. Multivariate analysis of the spectral data facilitated the development of regression models for HDBP and TBP quantification in real time, enabling online implementation of the monitoring system. The predictive regression models were validated using TBP/n-dodecane solvent samples subjected to the high dose external gamma irradiation. The predictive models were translated to flow conditions using a hollow fiber FTIR probe installed in a centrifugal contactor extraction apparatus demonstrating the applicability of the FTIR technique coupled with multivariate analysis for the online monitoring of the organic solvent degradation products.« less

On-line tool breakage monitoring of vibration tapping using spindle motor current

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Guangjun; Lu, Huimin; Liu, Gang

2008-10-01

Input current of driving motor has been employed successfully as monitoring the cutting state in manufacturing processes for more than a decade. In vibration tapping, however, the method of on-line monitoring motor electric current has not been reported. In this paper, a tap failure prediction method is proposed to monitor the vibration tapping process using the electrical current signal of the spindle motor. The process of vibration tapping is firstly described. Then the relationship between the torque of vibration tapping and the electric current of motor is investigated by theoretic deducing and experimental measurement. According to those results, a monitoring method of tool's breakage is proposed through monitoring the ratio of the current amplitudes during adjacent vibration tapping periods. Finally, a low frequency vibration tapping system with motor current monitoring is built up using a servo motor B-106B and its driver CR06. The proposed method has been demonstrated with experiment data of vibration tapping in titanic alloys. The result of experiments shows that the method, which can avoid the tool breakage and giving a few error alarms when the threshold of amplitude ratio is 1.2 and there is at least 2 times overrun among 50 adjacent periods, is feasible for tool breakage monitoring in the process of vibration tapping small thread holes.

Analysis of Online Social Networks to Understand Information Sharing Behaviors Through Social Cognitive Theory

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

Yoon, Hong-Jun; Tourassi, Georgia

Analyzing the contents of online social networks is an effective process for monitoring and understanding peoples behaviors. Since the nature of conversation and information propagation is similar to traditional conversation and learning, one of the popular socio-cognitive methods, social cognitive theory was applied to online social networks to. Two major news topics about colon cancer were chosen to monitor traffic of Twitter messages. The activity of leaders on the issue (i.e., news companies or people will prior Twitter activity on topics related to colon cancer) was monitored. In addition, the activity of followers , people who never discussed the topicsmore » before, but replied to the discussions was also monitored. Topics that produce tangible benefits such as positive outcomes from appropriate preventive actions received dramatically more attention and online social media traffic. Such characteristics can be explained with social cognitive theory and thus present opportunities for effective health campaigns.« less

An Intelligent Optical Dissolved Oxygen Measurement Method Based on a Fluorescent Quenching Mechanism.

PubMed

Li, Fengmei; Wei, Yaoguang; Chen, Yingyi; Li, Daoliang; Zhang, Xu

2015-12-09

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a key factor that influences the healthy growth of fishes in aquaculture. The DO content changes with the aquatic environment and should therefore be monitored online. However, traditional measurement methods, such as iodometry and other chemical analysis methods, are not suitable for online monitoring. The Clark method is not stable enough for extended periods of monitoring. To solve these problems, this paper proposes an intelligent DO measurement method based on the fluorescence quenching mechanism. The measurement system is composed of fluorescent quenching detection, signal conditioning, intelligent processing, and power supply modules. The optical probe adopts the fluorescent quenching mechanism to detect the DO content and solves the problem, whereas traditional chemical methods are easily influenced by the environment. The optical probe contains a thermistor and dual excitation sources to isolate visible parasitic light and execute a compensation strategy. The intelligent processing module adopts the IEEE 1451.2 standard and realizes intelligent compensation. Experimental results show that the optical measurement method is stable, accurate, and suitable for online DO monitoring in aquaculture applications.

Spectroscopic On-Line Monitoring of Cu/W Contacts Erosion in HVCBs Using Optical-Fibre Based Sensor and Chromatic Methodology

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhixiang; Jones, Gordon R.; Spencer, Joseph W.; Wang, Xiaohua; Rong, Mingzhe

2017-01-01

Contact erosion is one of the most crucial factors affecting the electrical service lifetime of high-voltage circuit breakers (HVCBs). On-line monitoring the contacts’ erosion degree is increasingly in demand for the sake of condition based maintenance to guarantee the functional operation of HVCBs. A spectroscopic monitoring system has been designed based upon a commercial 245 kV/40 kA SF6 live tank circuit breaker with copper–tungsten (28 wt % and 72 wt %) arcing contacts at atmospheric SF6 pressure. Three optical-fibre based sensors are used to capture the time-resolved spectra of arcs. A novel approach using chromatic methods to process the time-resolved spectral signal has been proposed. The processed chromatic parameters have been interpreted to show that the time variation of spectral emission from the contact material and quenching gas are closely correlated to the mass loss and surface degradation of the plug arcing contact. The feasibility of applying this method to online monitoring of contact erosion is indicated. PMID:28272295

Spectroscopic On-Line Monitoring of Cu/W Contacts Erosion in HVCBs Using Optical-Fibre Based Sensor and Chromatic Methodology.

PubMed

Wang, Zhixiang; Jones, Gordon R; Spencer, Joseph W; Wang, Xiaohua; Rong, Mingzhe

2017-03-06

Contact erosion is one of the most crucial factors affecting the electrical service lifetime of high-voltage circuit breakers (HVCBs). On-line monitoring the contacts' erosion degree is increasingly in demand for the sake of condition based maintenance to guarantee the functional operation of HVCBs. A spectroscopic monitoring system has been designed based upon a commercial 245 kV/40 kA S F 6 live tank circuit breaker with copper-tungsten (28 wt % and 72 wt %) arcing contacts at atmospheric S F 6 pressure. Three optical-fibre based sensors are used to capture the time-resolved spectra of arcs. A novel approach using chromatic methods to process the time-resolved spectral signal has been proposed. The processed chromatic parameters have been interpreted to show that the time variation of spectral emission from the contact material and quenching gas are closely correlated to the mass loss and surface degradation of the plug arcing contact. The feasibility of applying this method to online monitoring of contact erosion is indicated.

An Intelligent Optical Dissolved Oxygen Measurement Method Based on a Fluorescent Quenching Mechanism

PubMed Central

Li, Fengmei; Wei, Yaoguang; Chen, Yingyi; Li, Daoliang; Zhang, Xu

2015-01-01

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a key factor that influences the healthy growth of fishes in aquaculture. The DO content changes with the aquatic environment and should therefore be monitored online. However, traditional measurement methods, such as iodometry and other chemical analysis methods, are not suitable for online monitoring. The Clark method is not stable enough for extended periods of monitoring. To solve these problems, this paper proposes an intelligent DO measurement method based on the fluorescence quenching mechanism. The measurement system is composed of fluorescent quenching detection, signal conditioning, intelligent processing, and power supply modules. The optical probe adopts the fluorescent quenching mechanism to detect the DO content and solves the problem, whereas traditional chemical methods are easily influenced by the environment. The optical probe contains a thermistor and dual excitation sources to isolate visible parasitic light and execute a compensation strategy. The intelligent processing module adopts the IEEE 1451.2 standard and realizes intelligent compensation. Experimental results show that the optical measurement method is stable, accurate, and suitable for online DO monitoring in aquaculture applications. PMID:26690176

Online measurement of bead geometry in GMAW-based additive manufacturing using passive vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Jun; Zhang, Guangjun

2013-11-01

Additive manufacturing based on gas metal arc welding is an advanced technique for depositing fully dense components with low cost. Despite this fact, techniques to achieve accurate control and automation of the process have not yet been perfectly developed. The online measurement of the deposited bead geometry is a key problem for reliable control. In this work a passive vision-sensing system, comprising two cameras and composite filtering techniques, was proposed for real-time detection of the bead height and width through deposition of thin walls. The nozzle to the top surface distance was monitored for eliminating accumulated height errors during the multi-layer deposition process. Various image processing algorithms were applied and discussed for extracting feature parameters. A calibration procedure was presented for the monitoring system. Validation experiments confirmed the effectiveness of the online measurement system for bead geometry in layered additive manufacturing.

On-line soft sensing in upstream bioprocessing.

PubMed

Randek, Judit; Mandenius, Carl-Fredrik

2018-02-01

This review provides an overview and a critical discussion of novel possibilities of applying soft sensors for on-line monitoring and control of industrial bioprocesses. Focus is on bio-product formation in the upstream process but also the integration with other parts of the process is addressed. The term soft sensor is used for the combination of analytical hardware data (from sensors, analytical devices, instruments and actuators) with mathematical models that create new real-time information about the process. In particular, the review assesses these possibilities from an industrial perspective, including sensor performance, information value and production economy. The capabilities of existing analytical on-line techniques are scrutinized in view of their usefulness in soft sensor setups and in relation to typical needs in bioprocessing in general. The review concludes with specific recommendations for further development of soft sensors for the monitoring and control of upstream bioprocessing.

Optimization of insect cell based protein production processes - online monitoring, expression systems, scale up.

PubMed

Druzinec, Damir; Salzig, Denise; Brix, Alexander; Kraume, Matthias; Vilcinskas, Andreas; Kollewe, Christian; Czermak, Peter

2013-01-01

Due to the increasing use of insect cell based expression systems in research and industrial recombinant protein production, the development of efficient and reproducible production processes remains a challenging task. In this context, the application of online monitoring techniques is intended to ensure high and reproducible product qualities already during the early phases of process development. In the following chapter, the most common transient and stable insect cell based expression systems are briefly introduced. Novel applications of insect cell based expression systems for the production of insect derived antimicrobial peptides/proteins (AMPs) are discussed using the example of G. mellonella derived gloverin. Suitable in situ sensor techniques for insect cell culture monitoring in disposable and common bioreactor systems are outlined with respect to optical and capacitive sensor concepts. Since scale up of production processes is one of the most critical steps in process development, a conclusive overview is given about scale up aspects for industrial insect cell culture processes.

Liquid-Arc/Spark-Excitation Atomic-Emission Spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlagen, Kenneth J.

1992-01-01

Constituents of solutions identified in situ. Liquid-arc/spark-excitation atomic-emission spectroscopy (LAES) is experimental variant of atomic-emission spectroscopy in which electric arc or spark established in liquid and spectrum of light from arc or spark analyzed to identify chemical elements in liquid. Observations encourage development of LAES equipment for online monitoring of process streams in such industries as metal plating, electronics, and steel, and for online monitoring of streams affecting environment.

Online total organic carbon (TOC) monitoring for water and wastewater treatment plants processes and operations optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Assmann, Céline; Scott, Amanda; Biller, Dondra

2017-08-01

Organic measurements, such as biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were developed decades ago in order to measure organics in water. Today, these time-consuming measurements are still used as parameters to check the water treatment quality; however, the time required to generate a result, ranging from hours to days, does not allow COD or BOD to be useful process control parameters - see (1) Standard Method 5210 B; 5-day BOD Test, 1997, and (2) ASTM D1252; COD Test, 2012. Online organic carbon monitoring allows for effective process control because results are generated every few minutes. Though it does not replace BOD or COD measurements still required for compliance reporting, it allows for smart, data-driven and rapid decision-making to improve process control and optimization or meet compliances. Thanks to the smart interpretation of generated data and the capability to now take real-time actions, municipal drinking water and wastewater treatment facility operators can positively impact their OPEX (operational expenditure) efficiencies and their capabilities to meet regulatory requirements. This paper describes how three municipal wastewater and drinking water plants gained process insights, and determined optimization opportunities thanks to the implementation of online total organic carbon (TOC) monitoring.

Using a participatory evaluation design to create an online data collection and monitoring system for New Mexico's Community Health Councils.

PubMed

Andrews, M L; Sánchez, V; Carrillo, C; Allen-Ananins, B; Cruz, Y B

2014-02-01

We present the collaborative development of a web-based data collection and monitoring plan for thirty-two county councils within New Mexico's health council system. The monitoring plan, a key component in our multiyear participatory statewide evaluation process, was co-developed with the end users: representatives of the health councils. Guided by the Institute of Medicine's Community, Health Improvement Process framework, we first developed a logic model that delineated processes and intermediate systems-level outcomes in council development, planning, and community action. Through the online system, health councils reported data on intermediate outcomes, including policy changes and funds leveraged. The system captured data that were common across the health council system, yet was also flexible so that councils could report their unique accomplishments at the county level. A main benefit of the online system was that it provided the ability to assess intermediate, outcomes across the health council system. Developing the system was not without challenges, including creating processes to ensure participation across a large rural state; creating shared understanding of intermediate outcomes and indicators; and overcoming technological issues. Even through the challenges, however, the benefits of committing to using participatory processes far outweighed the challenges. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multivariate Analysis for Quantification of Plutonium(IV) in Nitric Acid Based on Absorption Spectra

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

Lines, Amanda M.; Adami, Susan R.; Sinkov, Sergey I.

Development of more effective, reliable, and fast methods for monitoring process streams is a growing opportunity for analytical applications. Many fields can benefit from on-line monitoring, including the nuclear fuel cycle where improved methods for monitoring radioactive materials will facilitate maintenance of proper safeguards and ensure safe and efficient processing of materials. On-line process monitoring with a focus on optical spectroscopy can provide a fast, non-destructive method for monitoring chemical species. However, identification and quantification of species can be hindered by the complexity of the solutions if bands overlap or show condition-dependent spectral features. Plutonium (IV) is one example ofmore » a species which displays significant spectral variation with changing nitric acid concentration. Single variate analysis (i.e. Beer’s Law) is difficult to apply to the quantification of Pu(IV) unless the nitric acid concentration is known and separate calibration curves have been made for all possible acid strengths. Multivariate, or chemometric, analysis is an approach that allows for the accurate quantification of Pu(IV) without a priori knowledge of nitric acid concentration.« less

Integrated electrochemical-biological process as an alternative mean for ammonia monitoring during anaerobic digestion of organic wastes.

PubMed

Zhao, Nannan; Li, Xiaohu; Jin, Xiangdan; Angelidaki, Irini; Zhang, Yifeng

2018-03-01

Ammonia monitoring is important to control anaerobic digestion (AD) process due to inhibition effect. Here, an electrolysis cell (EC) was integrated with a complete nitrification reactor as an alternative approach for online monitoring of ammonia during AD processes. The AD effluent was pumped into nitrification reactor to convert ammonia to nitrate, followed by the introduction of nitrate-rich effluent to EC cathode. It was first evaluated with synthetic ammonia-rich digesters and was observed that the current at 5 min were linearly corresponding to the ammonia levels (from 0 to 7.5 mM NH 4 + -N, R 2  = 0.9673). The linear relationship was always observed regardless of different wastewater pH and external voltage. Pre-removal of other electron acceptors from digestate at cathode could eliminate their disturbances to sensor performance. Finally, the accuracy of biosensor was verified with real digestate test. The simple and reliable biosensor showed great promising for online ammonia monitoring of AD processes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Towards a better control of the wastewater treatment process: excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy of dissolved organic matter as a predictive tool of soluble BOD5 in influents of six Parisian wastewater treatment plants.

PubMed

Goffin, Angélique; Guérin, Sabrina; Rocher, Vincent; Varrault, Gilles

2018-03-01

The online monitoring of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in raw sewage water is expected to better control wastewater treatment processes. Fluorescence spectroscopy offers one possibility for both the online and real-time monitoring of DOM, especially as regards the DOM biodegradability assessment. In this study, three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy combined with a parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) has been investigated as a predictive tool of the soluble biological oxygen demand in 5 days (BOD 5 ) for raw sewage water. Six PARAFAC components were highlighted in 69 raw sewage water samples: C2, C5, and C6 related to humic-like compounds, along with C1, C3, and C4 related to protein-like compounds. Since the PARAFAC methodology is not available for online monitoring, a peak-picking approach based on maximum excitation-emission (Ex-Em) localization of the PARAFAC components identified in this study has been used. A good predictive model of soluble BOD 5 using fluorescence spectroscopy parameters was obtained (r 2  = 0.846, adjusted r 2  = 0.839, p < 0.0001). This model is quite straightforward, easy to automate, and applicable to the operational field of wastewater treatment for online monitoring purposes.

On-line confidence monitoring during decision making.

PubMed

Dotan, Dror; Meyniel, Florent; Dehaene, Stanislas

2018-02-01

Humans can readily assess their degree of confidence in their decisions. Two models of confidence computation have been proposed: post hoc computation using post-decision variables and heuristics, versus online computation using continuous assessment of evidence throughout the decision-making process. Here, we arbitrate between these theories by continuously monitoring finger movements during a manual sequential decision-making task. Analysis of finger kinematics indicated that subjects kept separate online records of evidence and confidence: finger deviation continuously reflected the ongoing accumulation of evidence, whereas finger speed continuously reflected the momentary degree of confidence. Furthermore, end-of-trial finger speed predicted the post-decisional subjective confidence rating. These data indicate that confidence is computed on-line, throughout the decision process. Speed-confidence correlations were previously interpreted as a post-decision heuristics, whereby slow decisions decrease subjective confidence, but our results suggest an adaptive mechanism that involves the opposite causality: by slowing down when unconfident, participants gain time to improve their decisions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimental demonstration of the real-time online fault monitoring technique for chaos-based passive optical networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dou, Xinyu; Yin, Hongxi; Yue, Hehe; Jin, Yu; Shen, Jing; Li, Lin

2015-09-01

In this paper, a real-time online fault monitoring technique for chaos-based passive optical networks (PONs) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The fault monitoring is performed by the chaotic communication signal. The proof-of-concept experiments are demonstrated for two PON structures, i.e., wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) PON and Ethernet PON (EPON), respectively. For WDM PON, two monitoring approaches are investigated, one deploying a chaotic optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) for each transmitter, and the other using only one tunable chaotic OTDR. The experimental results show that the faults at beyond 20 km from the OLT can be detected and located. The spatial resolution of the tunable chaotic OTDR is an order of magnitude of centimeter. Meanwhile, the monitoring process can operate in parallel with the chaotic optical secure communications. The proposed technique has benefits of real-time, online, precise fault location, and simple realization, which will significantly reduce the cost of operation, administration and maintenance (OAM) of PON.

Online monitoring of P(3HB) produced from used cooking oil with near-infrared spectroscopy.

PubMed

Cruz, Madalena V; Sarraguça, Mafalda Cruz; Freitas, Filomena; Lopes, João Almeida; Reis, Maria A M

2015-01-20

Online monitoring process for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), using cooking oil (UCO) as the sole carbon source and Cupriavidus necator, was developed. A batch reactor was operated and hydroxybutyrate homopolymer was obtained. The biomass reached a maximum concentration of 11.6±1.7gL(-1) with a polymer content of 63±10.7% (w/w). The yield of product on substrate was 0.77±0.04gg(-1). Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was used for online monitoring of the fermentation, using a transflectance probe. Partial least squares regression was applied to relate NIR spectra with biomass, UCO and PHA concentrations in the broth. The NIR predictions were compared with values obtained by offline reference methods. Prediction errors to these parameters were 1.18, 2.37 and 1.58gL(-1) for biomass, UCO and PHA, respectively, which indicate the suitability of the NIR spectroscopy method for online monitoring and as a method to assist bioreactor control. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Monitoring obesity prevalence in the United States through bookmarking activities in online food portals

PubMed Central

Trattner, Christoph; Parra, Denis; Elsweiler, David

2017-01-01

Studying the impact of food consumption on people’s health is a serious matter for its implications on public policy, but it has traditionally been a slow process since it requires information gathered through expensive collection processes such as surveys, census and systematic reviews of research articles. We argue that this process could be supported and hastened using data collected via online social networks. In this work we investigate the relationships between the online traces left behind by users of a large US online food community and the prevalence of obesity in 47 states and 311 counties in the US. Using data associated with the recipes bookmarked over an 9-year period by 144,839 users of the Allrecipes.com food website residing throughout the US, several hierarchical regression models are created to (i) shed light on these relations and (ii) establish their magnitude. The results of our analysis provide strong evidence that bookmarking activities on recipes in online food communities can provide a signal allowing food and health related issues, such as obesity to be better understood and monitored. We discover that higher fat and sugar content in bookmarked recipes is associated with higher rates of obesity. The dataset is complicated, but strong temporal and geographical trends are identifiable. We show the importance of accounting for these trends in the modeling process. PMID:28636665

Application of fluorescence spectroscopy for on-line bioprocess monitoring and control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boehl, Daniela; Solle, D.; Toussaint, Hans J.; Menge, M.; Renemann, G.; Lindemann, Carsten; Hitzmann, Bernd; Scheper, Thomas-Helmut

2001-02-01

12 Modern bioprocess control requires fast data acquisition and in-time evaluation of bioprocess variables. On-line fluorescence spectroscopy for data acquisition and the use of chemometric methods accomplish these requirements. The presented investigations were performed with fluorescence spectrometers with wide ranges of excitation and emission wavelength. By detection of several biogenic fluorophors (amino acids, coenzymes and vitamins) a large amount of information about the state of the bioprocess are obtained. For the evaluation of the process variables partial least squares regression is used. This technique was applied to several bioprocesses: the production of ergotamine by Claviceps purpurea, the production of t-PA (tissue plasminogen activator) by animal cells and brewing processes. The main point of monitoring the brewing processes was to determine the process variables cell count and extract concentration.

Detection of Collapse and Crystallization of Saccharide, Protein, and Mannitol Formulations by Optical Fibers in Lyophilization

PubMed Central

Horn, Jacqueline; Friess, Wolfgang

2018-01-01

The collapse temperature (Tc) and the glass transition temperature of freeze-concentrated solutions (Tg') as well as the crystallization behavior of excipients are important physicochemical characteristics which guide the cycle development in freeze-drying. The most frequently used methods to determine these values are differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and freeze-drying microscopy (FDM). The objective of this study was to evaluate the optical fiber system (OFS) unit as alternative tool for the analysis of Tc, Tg' and crystallization events. The OFS unit was also tested as a potential online monitoring tool during freeze-drying. Freeze/thawing and freeze-drying experiments of sucrose, trehalose, stachyose, mannitol, and highly concentrated IgG1 and lysozyme solutions were carried out and monitored by the OFS. Comparative analyses were performed by DSC and FDM. OFS and FDM results correlated well. The crystallization behavior of mannitol could be monitored by the OFS during freeze/thawing as it can be done by DSC. Online monitoring of freeze-drying runs detected collapse of amorphous saccharide matrices. The OFS unit enabled the analysis of both Tc and crystallization processes, which is usually carried out by FDM and DSC. The OFS can hence be used as novel measuring device. Additionally, detection of these events during lyophilization facilitates online-monitoring. Thus the OFS is a new beneficial tool for the development and monitoring of freeze-drying processes. PMID:29435445

Detection of Collapse and Crystallization of Saccharide, Protein and Mannitol Formulations by Optical Fibers in Lyophilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horn, Jacqueline; Friess, Wolfgang

2018-01-01

The collapse temperature (Tc) and the glass transition temperature of freeze-concentrated solutions (Tg’) as well as the crystallization behavior of excipients are important physicochemical characteristics which guide the cycle development in freeze-drying. The most frequently used methods to determine these values are differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and freeze-drying microscopy (FDM). The objective of this study was to evaluate the optical fiber system (OFS) unit as alternative tool for the analysis of Tc, Tg’ and crystallization events. The OFS unit was also tested as a potential online monitoring tool during freeze-drying. Freeze/thawing and freeze-drying experiments of sucrose, trehalose, stachyose, mannitol and highly concentrated IgG1 and lysozyme solutions were carried out and monitored by the OFS. Comparative analyses were performed by DSC and FDM. OFS and FDM results correlated well. The crystallization behavior of mannitol could be monitored by the OFS during freeze/thawing as it can be done by DSC. Online monitoring of freeze-drying runs detected collapse of amorphous saccharide matrices. The OFS unit enabled the analysis of both Tc and crystallization processes, which is usually carried out by FDM and DSC. The OFS can hence be used as novel measuring device. Additionally, detection of these events during lyophilization facilitate online-monitoring. Thus the OFS is a new beneficial tool for the development and monitoring of freeze-drying processes.

Improving catchment scale water quality modelling with continuous high resolution monitoring of metals in runoff

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saari, Markus; Rossi, Pekka; Blomberg von der Geest, Kalle; Mäkinen, Ari; Postila, Heini; Marttila, Hannu

2017-04-01

High metal concentrations in natural waters is one of the key environmental and health problems globally. Continuous in-situ analysis of metals from runoff water is technically challenging but essential for the better understanding of processes which lead to pollutant transport. Currently, typical analytical methods for monitoring elements in liquids are off-line laboratory methods such as ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy) and ICP-MS (ICP combined with a mass spectrometer). Disadvantage of the both techniques is time consuming sample collection, preparation, and off-line analysis at laboratory conditions. Thus use of these techniques lack possibility for real-time monitoring of element transport. We combined a novel high resolution on-line metal concentration monitoring with catchment scale physical hydrological modelling in Mustijoki river in Southern Finland in order to study dynamics of processes and form a predictive warning system for leaching of metals. A novel on-line measurement technique based on micro plasma emission spectroscopy (MPES) is tested for on-line detection of selected elements (e.g. Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Fe, Ni, Cu, Cd and Pb) in runoff waters. The preliminary results indicate that MPES can sufficiently detect and monitor metal concentrations from river water. Water and Soil Assessment Tool (SWAT) catchment scale model was further calibrated with high resolution metal concentration data. We show that by combining high resolution monitoring and catchment scale physical based modelling, further process studies and creation of early warning systems, for example to optimization of drinking water uptake from rivers, can be achieved.

Corrosion probe. Innovative technology summary report

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

NONE

Over 253 million liters of high-level waste (HLW) generated from plutonium production is stored in mild steel tanks at the Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site. Corrosion monitoring of double-shell storage tanks (DSTs) is currently performed at Hanford using a combination of process knowledge and tank waste sampling and analysis. Available technologies for corrosion monitoring have progressed to a point where it is feasible to monitor and control corrosion by on-line monitoring of the corrosion process and direct addition of corrosion inhibitors. The electrochemical noise (EN) technique deploys EN-based corrosion monitoring probes into storage tanks. This system is specifically designedmore » to measure corrosion rates and detect changes in waste chemistry that trigger the onset of pitting and cracking. These on-line probes can determine whether additional corrosion inhibitor is required and, if so, provide information on an effective end point to the corrosion inhibitor addition procedure. This report describes the technology, its performance, its application, costs, regulatory and policy issues, and lessons learned.« less

On-line monitoring of fluid bed granulation by photometric imaging.

PubMed

Soppela, Ira; Antikainen, Osmo; Sandler, Niklas; Yliruusi, Jouko

2014-11-01

This paper introduces and discusses a photometric surface imaging approach for on-line monitoring of fluid bed granulation. Five granule batches consisting of paracetamol and varying amounts of lactose and microcrystalline cellulose were manufactured with an instrumented fluid bed granulator. Photometric images and NIR spectra were continuously captured on-line and particle size information was extracted from them. Also key process parameters were recorded. The images provided direct real-time information on the growth, attrition and packing behaviour of the batches. Moreover, decreasing image brightness in the drying phase was found to indicate granule drying. The changes observed in the image data were also linked to the moisture and temperature profiles of the processes. Combined with complementary process analytical tools, photometric imaging opens up possibilities for improved real-time evaluation fluid bed granulation. Furthermore, images can give valuable insight into the behaviour of excipients or formulations during product development. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automatic process control in anaerobic digestion technology: A critical review.

PubMed

Nguyen, Duc; Gadhamshetty, Venkataramana; Nitayavardhana, Saoharit; Khanal, Samir Kumar

2015-10-01

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a mature technology that relies upon a synergistic effort of a diverse group of microbial communities for metabolizing diverse organic substrates. However, AD is highly sensitive to process disturbances, and thus it is advantageous to use online monitoring and process control techniques to efficiently operate AD process. A range of electrochemical, chromatographic and spectroscopic devices can be deployed for on-line monitoring and control of the AD process. While complexity of the control strategy ranges from a feedback control to advanced control systems, there are some debates on implementation of advanced instrumentations or advanced control strategies. Centralized AD plants could be the answer for the applications of progressive automatic control field. This article provides a critical overview of the available automatic control technologies that can be implemented in AD processes at different scales. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Continuous welding of unidirectional fiber reinforced thermoplastic tape material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schledjewski, Ralf

2017-10-01

Continuous welding techniques like thermoplastic tape placement with in situ consolidation offer several advantages over traditional manufacturing processes like autoclave consolidation, thermoforming, etc. However, still there is a need to solve several important processing issues before it becomes a viable economic process. Intensive process analysis and optimization has been carried out in the past through experimental investigation, model definition and simulation development. Today process simulation is capable to predict resulting consolidation quality. Effects of material imperfections or process parameter variations are well known. But using this knowledge to control the process based on online process monitoring and according adaption of the process parameters is still challenging. Solving inverse problems and using methods for automated code generation allowing fast implementation of algorithms on targets are required. The paper explains the placement technique in general. Process-material-property-relationships and typical material imperfections are described. Furthermore, online monitoring techniques and how to use them for a model based process control system are presented.

On-line coupling of a miniaturized bioreactor with capillary electrophoresis, via a membrane interface, for monitoring the production of organic acids by microorganisms.

PubMed

Ehala, S; Vassiljeva, I; Kuldvee, R; Vilu, R; Kaljurand, M

2001-09-01

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) can be a valuable tool for on-line monitoring of bioprocesses. Production of organic acids by phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria and fermentation of UHT milk were monitored and controlled by use of a membrane-interfaced dialysis device and a home-made microsampler for a capillary electrophoresis unit. Use of this specially designed sampling device enabled rapid consecutive injections without interruption of the high voltage. No additional sample preparation was required. The time resolution of monitoring in this particular work was approximately 2 h, but could be reduced to 2 min. Analytes were detected at low microg mL(-1) levels with a reproducibility of approximately 10%. To demonstrate the potential of CE in processes of biotechnological interest, results from monitoring phosphate solubilization by bacteria were submitted to qualitative and quantitative analysis. Fermentation experiments on UHT milk showed that monitoring of the processes by CE can provide good resolution of complex mixtures, although for more specific, detailed characterization the identification of individual substances is needed.

Research on on-line monitoring technology for steel ball's forming process based on load signal analysis method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ying-jun; Ai, Chang-sheng; Men, Xiu-hua; Zhang, Cheng-liang; Zhang, Qi

2013-04-01

This paper presents a novel on-line monitoring technology to obtain forming quality in steel ball's forming process based on load signal analysis method, in order to reveal the bottom die's load characteristic in initial cold heading forging process of steel balls. A mechanical model of the cold header producing process is established and analyzed by using finite element method. The maximum cold heading force is calculated. The results prove that the monitoring on the cold heading process with upsetting force is reasonable and feasible. The forming defects are inflected on the three feature points of the bottom die signals, which are the initial point, infection point, and peak point. A novel PVDF piezoelectric force sensor which is simple on construction and convenient on installation is designed. The sensitivity of the PVDF force sensor is calculated. The characteristics of PVDF force sensor are analyzed by FEM. The PVDF piezoelectric force sensor is fabricated to acquire the actual load signals in the cold heading process, and calibrated by a special device. The measuring system of on-line monitoring is built. The characteristics of the actual signals recognized by learning and identification algorithm are in consistence with simulation results. Identification of actual signals shows that the timing difference values of all feature points for qualified products are not exceed ±6 ms, and amplitude difference values are less than ±3%. The calibration and application experiments show that PVDF force sensor has good static and dynamic performances, and is competent at dynamic measuring on upsetting force. It greatly improves automatic level and machining precision. Equipment capacity factor with damages identification method depends on grade of steel has been improved to 90%.

Recent progress in online ultrasonic process monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Szu-Sheng L.; Chen, Tzu-Fang; Ramos-Franca, Demartonne; Nguyen, Ky T.; Jen, Cheng-Kuei; Ihara, Ikuo; Derdouri, A.; Garcia-Rejon, Andres

1998-03-01

On-line ultrasonic monitoring of polymer co-extrusion and gas-assisted injection molding are presented. During the co- extrusion of high density polyethylene and Santoprene ultrasonic sensors consisting of piezoelectric transducers and clad ultrasonic buffer rods are used to detect the interface between these two polymers and the stability of the extrusion. The same ultrasonic sensor also measures the surface temperature of the extruded polymer. The results indicate that temperature measurements using ultrasound have a faster response time than those obtained by conventional thermocouple. In gas-assisted injection molding the polymer and gas flow front positions are monitored simultaneously. This information may be used to control the plunger movement.

An Online Risk Monitor System (ORMS) to Increase Safety and Security Levels in Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubair, M.; Rahman, Khalil Ur; Hassan, Mehmood Ul

2013-12-01

The main idea of this research is to develop an Online Risk Monitor System (ORMS) based on Living Probabilistic Safety Assessment (LPSA). The article highlights the essential features and functions of ORMS. The basic models and modules such as, Reliability Data Update Model (RDUM), running time update, redundant system unavailability update, Engineered Safety Features (ESF) unavailability update and general system update have been described in this study. ORMS not only provides quantitative analysis but also highlights qualitative aspects of risk measures. ORMS is capable of automatically updating the online risk models and reliability parameters of equipment. ORMS can support in the decision making process of operators and managers in Nuclear Power Plants.

On-line carbon balance of yeast fermentations using miniaturized optical sensors.

PubMed

Beuermann, Thomas; Egly, Dominik; Geoerg, Daniel; Klug, Kerris Isolde; Storhas, Winfried; Methner, Frank-Juergen

2012-03-01

Monitoring of microbiological processes using optical sensors and spectrometers has gained in importance over the past few years due to its advantage in enabling non-invasive on-line analysis. Near-infrared (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectrometer set-ups in combination with multivariate calibrations have already been successfully employed for the simultaneous determination of different metabolites in microbiological processes. Photometric sensors, in addition to their low price compared to spectrometer set-ups, have the advantage of being compact and are easy to calibrate and operate. In this work, the detection of ethanol and CO(2) in the exhaust gas during aerobic yeast fermentation was performed by two photometric gas analyzers, and dry yeast biomass was monitored using a fiber optic backscatter set-up. The optical sensors could be easily fitted to the bioreactor and exhibited high robustness during measuring. The ethanol content of the fermentation broth was monitored on-line by measuring the ethanol concentration in the fermentation exhaust and applying a conversion factor. The vapor/liquid equilibrium and the associated conversion factor strongly depend on the process parameter temperature but not on aeration and stirring rate. Dry yeast biomass was determined in-line by a backscattering signal applying a linear calibration. An on-line balance with a recovery rate of 95-97% for carbon was achieved with the use of three optical sensors (two infrared gas analyzers and one fiber optic backscatter set-up). Copyright © 2011 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The backend design of an environmental monitoring system upon real-time prediction of groundwater level fluctuation under the hillslope.

PubMed

Lin, Hsueh-Chun; Hong, Yao-Ming; Kan, Yao-Chiang

2012-01-01

The groundwater level represents a critical factor to evaluate hillside landslides. A monitoring system upon the real-time prediction platform with online analytical functions is important to forecast the groundwater level due to instantaneously monitored data when the heavy precipitation raises the groundwater level under the hillslope and causes instability. This study is to design the backend of an environmental monitoring system with efficient algorithms for machine learning and knowledge bank for the groundwater level fluctuation prediction. A Web-based platform upon the model-view controller-based architecture is established with technology of Web services and engineering data warehouse to support online analytical process and feedback risk assessment parameters for real-time prediction. The proposed system incorporates models of hydrological computation, machine learning, Web services, and online prediction to satisfy varieties of risk assessment requirements and approaches of hazard prevention. The rainfall data monitored from the potential landslide area at Lu-Shan, Nantou and Li-Shan, Taichung, in Taiwan, are applied to examine the system design.

Optofluidic UV-Vis spectrophotometer for online monitoring of photocatalytic reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ning; Tan, Furui; Zhao, Yu; Tsoi, Chi Chung; Fan, Xudong; Yu, Weixing; Zhang, Xuming

2016-06-01

On-chip integration of optical detection units into the microfluidic systems for online monitoring is highly desirable for many applications and is also well in line with the spirit of optofluidics technology-fusion of optics and microfluidics for advanced functionalities. This paper reports the construction of a UV-Vis spectrophotometer on a microreactor, and demonstrates the online monitoring of the photocatalytic degradations of methylene blue and methyl orange under different flow rates and different pH values by detecting the intensity change and/or the peak shift. The integrated device consists of a TiO2-coated glass substrate, a PDMS micro-sized reaction chamber and two flow cells. By comparing with the results of commercial equipment, we have found that the measuring range and the sensitivity are acceptable, especially when the transmittance is in the range of 0.01-0.9. This integrated optofluidic device can significantly cut down the test time and the sample volume, and would provide a versatile platform for real-time characterization of photochemical performance. Moreover, its online monitoring capability may enable to access the usually hidden information in biochemical reactions like intermediate products, time-dependent processes and reaction kinetics.

Optofluidic UV-Vis spectrophotometer for online monitoring of photocatalytic reactions

PubMed Central

Wang, Ning; Tan, Furui; Zhao, Yu; Tsoi, Chi Chung; Fan, Xudong; Yu, Weixing; Zhang, Xuming

2016-01-01

On-chip integration of optical detection units into the microfluidic systems for online monitoring is highly desirable for many applications and is also well in line with the spirit of optofluidics technology–fusion of optics and microfluidics for advanced functionalities. This paper reports the construction of a UV-Vis spectrophotometer on a microreactor, and demonstrates the online monitoring of the photocatalytic degradations of methylene blue and methyl orange under different flow rates and different pH values by detecting the intensity change and/or the peak shift. The integrated device consists of a TiO2-coated glass substrate, a PDMS micro-sized reaction chamber and two flow cells. By comparing with the results of commercial equipment, we have found that the measuring range and the sensitivity are acceptable, especially when the transmittance is in the range of 0.01–0.9. This integrated optofluidic device can significantly cut down the test time and the sample volume, and would provide a versatile platform for real-time characterization of photochemical performance. Moreover, its online monitoring capability may enable to access the usually hidden information in biochemical reactions like intermediate products, time-dependent processes and reaction kinetics. PMID:27352840

Optofluidic UV-Vis spectrophotometer for online monitoring of photocatalytic reactions.

PubMed

Wang, Ning; Tan, Furui; Zhao, Yu; Tsoi, Chi Chung; Fan, Xudong; Yu, Weixing; Zhang, Xuming

2016-06-29

On-chip integration of optical detection units into the microfluidic systems for online monitoring is highly desirable for many applications and is also well in line with the spirit of optofluidics technology-fusion of optics and microfluidics for advanced functionalities. This paper reports the construction of a UV-Vis spectrophotometer on a microreactor, and demonstrates the online monitoring of the photocatalytic degradations of methylene blue and methyl orange under different flow rates and different pH values by detecting the intensity change and/or the peak shift. The integrated device consists of a TiO2-coated glass substrate, a PDMS micro-sized reaction chamber and two flow cells. By comparing with the results of commercial equipment, we have found that the measuring range and the sensitivity are acceptable, especially when the transmittance is in the range of 0.01-0.9. This integrated optofluidic device can significantly cut down the test time and the sample volume, and would provide a versatile platform for real-time characterization of photochemical performance. Moreover, its online monitoring capability may enable to access the usually hidden information in biochemical reactions like intermediate products, time-dependent processes and reaction kinetics.

Examining Adolescents' Strategic Processing during Online Reading with a Question-Generating Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Byeong-Young; Woodward, Lindsay; Li, Dan; Barlow, Wendy

2017-01-01

Forty-three high school students participated in an online reading task to generate a critical question on a controversial topic. Participants' concurrent verbal reports of strategy use (i.e., information location, meaning making, source evaluation, self-monitoring) and their reading outcome (i.e., the generated question) were evaluated with…

Influence of local calibration on the quality of online wet weather discharge monitoring: feedback from five international case studies.

PubMed

Caradot, Nicolas; Sonnenberg, Hauke; Rouault, Pascale; Gruber, Günter; Hofer, Thomas; Torres, Andres; Pesci, Maria; Bertrand-Krajewski, Jean-Luc

2015-01-01

This paper reports about experiences gathered from five online monitoring campaigns in the sewer systems of Berlin (Germany), Graz (Austria), Lyon (France) and Bogota (Colombia) using ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectrometers and turbidimeters. Online probes are useful for the measurement of highly dynamic processes, e.g. combined sewer overflows (CSO), storm events, and river impacts. The influence of local calibration on the quality of online chemical oxygen demand (COD) measurements of wet weather discharges has been assessed. Results underline the need to establish local calibration functions for both UV-VIS spectrometers and turbidimeters. It is suggested that practitioners calibrate locally their probes using at least 15-20 samples. However, these samples should be collected over several events and cover most of the natural variability of the measured concentration. For this reason, the use of automatic peristaltic samplers in parallel to online monitoring is recommended with short representative sampling campaigns during wet weather discharges. Using reliable calibration functions, COD loads of CSO and storm events can be estimated with a relative uncertainty of approximately 20%. If no local calibration is established, concentrations and loads are estimated with a high error rate, questioning the reliability and meaning of the online measurement. Similar results have been obtained for total suspended solids measurements.

Digital video system for on-line portal verification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leszczynski, Konrad W.; Shalev, Shlomo; Cosby, N. Scott

1990-07-01

A digital system has been developed for on-line acquisition, processing and display of portal images during radiation therapy treatment. A metal/phosphor screen combination is the primary detector, where the conversion from high-energy photons to visible light takes place. A mirror angled at 45 degrees reflects the primary image to a low-light-level camera, which is removed from the direct radiation beam. The image registered by the camera is digitized, processed and displayed on a CRT monitor. Advanced digital techniques for processing of on-line images have been developed and implemented to enhance image contrast and suppress the noise. Some elements of automated radiotherapy treatment verification have been introduced.

A Fully Redundant On-Line Mass Spectrometer System Used to Monitor Cryogenic Fuel Leaks on the Space Shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, Timothy P.; Naylor, Guy R.; Haskell, William D.; Breznik, Greg S.; Mizell, Carolyn A.; Helms, William R.; Voska, N. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

An on-line gas monitoring system was developed to replace the older systems used to monitor for cryogenic leaks on the Space Shuttles before launch. The system uses a mass spectrometer to monitor multiple locations in the process, which allows the system to monitor all gas constituents of interest in a nearly simultaneous manner. The system is fully redundant and meets all requirements for ground support equipment (GSE). This includes ruggedness to withstand launch on the Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP), ease of operation, and minimal operator intervention. The system can be fully automated so that an operator is notified when an unusual situation or fault is detected. User inputs are through personal computer using mouse and keyboard commands. The graphical user for detecting cryogenic leaks, many other gas constituents could be monitored using the Hazardous Gas Detection System (HGDS) 2000.

Blue Car, Red Car: Developing Efficiency in Online Interpretation of Adjective-Noun Phrases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernald, Anne; Thorpe, Kirsten; Marchman, Virginia A.

2010-01-01

Two experiments investigated the development of fluency in interpreting adjective-noun phrases in 30- and 36-month-old English-learning children. Using online processing measures, children's gaze patterns were monitored as they heard the familiar adjective-noun phrases (e.g. "blue car") in visual contexts where the adjective was either informative…

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

Casella, Amanda J.; Hylden, Laura R.; Campbell, Emily L.

Knowledge of real-time solution properties and composition is a necessity for any spent nuclear fuel reprocessing method. Metal-ligand speciation in aqueous solutions derived from the dissolved commercial spent fuel is highly dependent upon the acid concentration/pH, which influences extraction efficiency and the resulting speciation in the organic phase. Spectroscopic process monitoring capabilities, incorporated in a counter current centrifugal contactor bank, provide a pathway for on-line real-time measurement of solution pH. The spectroscopic techniques are process-friendly and can be easily configured for on-line applications, while classic potentiometric pH measurements require frequent calibration/maintenance and have poor long-term stability in aggressive chemical andmore » radiation environments. Our research is focused on developing a general method for on-line determination of pH of aqueous solutions through chemometric analysis of Raman spectra. Interpretive quantitative models have been developed and validated under the range of chemical composition and pH using a lactic acid/lactate buffer system. The developed model was applied to spectra obtained on-line during solvent extractions performed in a centrifugal contactor bank. The model predicted the pH within 11% for pH > 2, thus demonstrating that this technique could provide the capability of monitoring pH on-line in applications such as nuclear fuel reprocessing.« less

NEAR-REAL-TIME MEASUREMENT OF TRACE VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS FROM COMBUSTION PROCESSES USING AN ON-LINE GAS CHROMATOGRAPH

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. EPA's current regulatory approach for combustion and incineration sources emphasizes the use of real-time continuous emission monitors (CEMs) for particulate, Metals, and volatile, semivolatile, and of nonvolatile organic compounds to monitor source emissions. Currently...

Online high-speed NIR diffuse-reflectance imaging spectroscopy in food quality monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Driver, Richard D.; Didona, Kevin

2009-05-01

The use of hyperspectral technology in the NIR for food quality monitoring is discussed. An example of the use of hyperspectral diffuse reflectance scanning and post-processing with a chemometric model shows discrimination between four pharmaceutical samples comprising Aspirin, Acetaminophen, Vitamin C and Vitamin D.

21 CFR 870.4330 - Cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor... Cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor. (a) Identification. A cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor is a device used in conjunction with a blood gas sensor to measure the level of gases in the blood...

21 CFR 870.4330 - Cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor... Cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor. (a) Identification. A cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor is a device used in conjunction with a blood gas sensor to measure the level of gases in the blood...

21 CFR 870.4330 - Cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor... Cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor. (a) Identification. A cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor is a device used in conjunction with a blood gas sensor to measure the level of gases in the blood...

21 CFR 870.4330 - Cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor. (a) Identification. A cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor is a device used in conjunction with a blood gas sensor to measure the level of gases in the blood... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor...

21 CFR 870.4330 - Cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor. (a) Identification. A cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor is a device used in conjunction with a blood gas sensor to measure the level of gases in the blood... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Cardiopulmonary bypass on-line blood gas monitor...

Online biochemical oxygen demand monitoring for wastewater process control--full-scale studies at Los Angeles Glendale wastewater plant, California.

PubMed

Iranpour, Reza; Zermeno, Miguel

2008-04-01

The main objective of this investigation is to determine whether or not it would be feasible to use the measured values of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of wastewater obtained by an online instrument at the Los Angeles/Glendale Water Reclamation Plant (California) for controlling its activated sludge process. This investigation is part of a project to develop online BOD monitoring for process control in the City of Los Angeles wastewater treatment plants. Tests studied the Siepmann und Teutscher GmbH (ISCO-STIP Inc., Lincoln, Nebraska) BIOX-1010, which uses a bioreactor containing a culture of microbes from the wastewater to measure soluble BOD in 2 minutes. This rapid approximation to the operation of secondary treatment allows anticipation of system response. Calibration measurements allow the operators to find a conversion factor for the instrument's microprocessor to compute values of BOD that agree well with the standard 5-day BOD (BOD5) measurement, despite the differences in the details of the two testing methods. This instrument has recently been used at other wastewater treatment plants, at a number of airports in Europe and the United States to monitor runway runoff, and is also being used on waste streams at an increasing number of food processing plants. A comparison was made between the plant influent BOD values obtained by the BIOX-1010 online monitor from the end of August, 2000, to late January, 2001, and the individual and average values obtained for the same period using the standard BOD5, 20 degrees C test, to determine the effectiveness of the Biox-1010 to identify shock loads and their duration. Individual BOD estimates and averages over periods of overly high biological loads (shock loads) were compared, and the instrument readings were evaluated for their effectiveness in detecting shock loads. The results were highly satisfactory, so the instrument was used to trigger a shock-load warning alarm since late September, 2000. This allowed flow diversion and temporary storage to prevent process upsets.

An effective online data monitoring and saving strategy for large-scale climate simulations

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

Xian, Xiaochen; Archibald, Rick; Mayer, Benjamin

Large-scale climate simulation models have been developed and widely used to generate historical data and study future climate scenarios. These simulation models often have to run for a couple of months to understand the changes in the global climate over the course of decades. This long-duration simulation process creates a huge amount of data with both high temporal and spatial resolution information; however, how to effectively monitor and record the climate changes based on these large-scale simulation results that are continuously produced in real time still remains to be resolved. Due to the slow process of writing data to disk,more » the current practice is to save a snapshot of the simulation results at a constant, slow rate although the data generation process runs at a very high speed. This study proposes an effective online data monitoring and saving strategy over the temporal and spatial domains with the consideration of practical storage and memory capacity constraints. Finally, our proposed method is able to intelligently select and record the most informative extreme values in the raw data generated from real-time simulations in the context of better monitoring climate changes.« less

An effective online data monitoring and saving strategy for large-scale climate simulations

DOE PAGES

Xian, Xiaochen; Archibald, Rick; Mayer, Benjamin; ...

2018-01-22

Large-scale climate simulation models have been developed and widely used to generate historical data and study future climate scenarios. These simulation models often have to run for a couple of months to understand the changes in the global climate over the course of decades. This long-duration simulation process creates a huge amount of data with both high temporal and spatial resolution information; however, how to effectively monitor and record the climate changes based on these large-scale simulation results that are continuously produced in real time still remains to be resolved. Due to the slow process of writing data to disk,more » the current practice is to save a snapshot of the simulation results at a constant, slow rate although the data generation process runs at a very high speed. This study proposes an effective online data monitoring and saving strategy over the temporal and spatial domains with the consideration of practical storage and memory capacity constraints. Finally, our proposed method is able to intelligently select and record the most informative extreme values in the raw data generated from real-time simulations in the context of better monitoring climate changes.« less

Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Chemometric Modeling for Bioprocess Monitoring

PubMed Central

Faassen, Saskia M.; Hitzmann, Bernd

2015-01-01

On-line sensors for the detection of crucial process parameters are desirable for the monitoring, control and automation of processes in the biotechnology, food and pharma industry. Fluorescence spectroscopy as a highly developed and non-invasive technique that enables the on-line measurements of substrate and product concentrations or the identification of characteristic process states. During a cultivation process significant changes occur in the fluorescence spectra. By means of chemometric modeling, prediction models can be calculated and applied for process supervision and control to provide increased quality and the productivity of bioprocesses. A range of applications for different microorganisms and analytes has been proposed during the last years. This contribution provides an overview of different analysis methods for the measured fluorescence spectra and the model-building chemometric methods used for various microbial cultivations. Most of these processes are observed using the BioView® Sensor, thanks to its robustness and insensitivity to adverse process conditions. Beyond that, the PLS-method is the most frequently used chemometric method for the calculation of process models and prediction of process variables. PMID:25942644

On-line monitoring the extract process of Fu-fang Shuanghua oral solution using near infrared spectroscopy and different PLS algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Qian; Ru, Qingguo; Liu, Yan; Xu, Lingyan; Liu, Jia; Wang, Yifei; Zhang, Yewen; Li, Hui; Zhang, Qing; Wu, Qing

2016-01-01

An on-line near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy monitoring method with an appropriate multivariate calibration method was developed for the extraction process of Fu-fang Shuanghua oral solution (FSOS). On-line NIR spectra were collected through two fiber optic probes, which were designed to transmit NIR radiation by a 2 mm flange. Partial least squares (PLS), interval PLS (iPLS) and synergy interval PLS (siPLS) algorithms were used comparatively for building the calibration regression models. During the extraction process, the feasibility of NIR spectroscopy was employed to determine the concentrations of chlorogenic acid (CA) content, total phenolic acids contents (TPC), total flavonoids contents (TFC) and soluble solid contents (SSC). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ultraviolet spectrophotometric method (UV) and loss on drying methods were employed as reference methods. Experiment results showed that the performance of siPLS model is the best compared with PLS and iPLS. The calibration models for AC, TPC, TFC and SSC had high values of determination coefficients of (R2) (0.9948, 0.9992, 0.9950 and 0.9832) and low root mean square error of cross validation (RMSECV) (0.0113, 0.0341, 0.1787 and 1.2158), which indicate a good correlation between reference values and NIR predicted values. The overall results show that the on line detection method could be feasible in real application and would be of great value for monitoring the mixed decoction process of FSOS and other Chinese patent medicines.

Monitoring and control of the biogas process based on propionate concentration using online VFA measurement.

PubMed

Boe, Kanokwan; Steyer, Jean-Philippe; Angelidaki, Irini

2008-01-01

Simple logic control algorithms were tested for automatic control of a lab-scale CSTR manure digester. Using an online VFA monitoring system, propionate concentration in the reactor was used as parameter for control of the biogas process. The propionate concentration was kept below a threshold of 10 mM by manipulating the feed flow. Other online parameters such as pH, biogas production, total VFA, and other individual VFA were also measured to examine process performance. The experimental results showed that a simple logic control can successfully prevent the reactor from overload, but with fluctuations of the propionate level due to the nature of control approach. The fluctuation of propionate concentration could be reduced, by adding a lower feed flow limit into the control algorithm to prevent undershooting of propionate response. It was found that use of the biogas production as a main control parameter, rather than propionate can give a more stable process, since propionate was very persistent and only responded very slowly to the decrease of the feed flow which lead to high fluctuation of biogas production. Propionate, however, was still an excellent parameter to indicate process stress under gradual overload and thus recommended as an alarm in the control algorithm. Copyright IWA Publishing 2008.

Industrial application of ultrasound based in-line rheometry: From stationary to pulsating pipe flow of chocolate suspension in precrystallization process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouriev, Boris; Windhab, Erich; Braun, Peter; Birkhofer, Beat

2004-10-01

In-line visualization and on-line characterization of nontransparent fluids becomes an important subject for process development in food and nonfood industries. In our work, a noninvasive Doppler ultrasound-based technique is introduced. Such a technique is applied for investigation of nonstationary flow in the chocolate precrystallization process. Unstable flow conditions were induced by abrupt flow interruption and were followed up by strong flow pulsations in the piping system. While relying on available process information, such as absolute pressures and temperatures, no analyses of flow conditions or characterization of suspension properties could possibly be done. It is obvious that chocolate flow properties are sensitive to flow boundary conditions. Therefore, it becomes essential to perform reliable structure state monitoring and particularly in application to nonstationary flow processes. Such flow instabilities in chocolate processing can often lead to failed product quality with interruption of the mainstream production. As will be discussed, a combination of flow velocity profiles, on-line fit into flow profiles, and pressure difference measurement are sufficient for reliable analyses of fluid properties and flow boundary conditions as well as monitoring of the flow state. Analyses of the flow state and flow properties of chocolate suspension are based on on-line measurement of one-dimensional velocity profiles across the flow channel and their on-line characterization with the power-law model. Conclusions about flow boundary conditions were drawn from a calculated velocity standard mean deviation, the parameters of power-law fit into velocity profiles, and volumetric flow rate information.

Monitoring biodegradation of diesel fuel in bioventing processes using in situ respiration rate.

PubMed

Lee, T H; Byun, I G; Kim, Y O; Hwang, I S; Park, T J

2006-01-01

An in situ measuring system of respiration rate was applied for monitoring biodegradation of diesel fuel in a bioventing process for bioremediation of diesel contaminated soil. Two laboratory-scale soil columns were packed with 5 kg of soil that was artificially contaminated by diesel fuel as final TPH (total petroleum hydrocarbon) concentration of 8,000 mg/kg soil. Nutrient was added to make a relative concentration of C:N:P = 100:10:1. One soil column was operated with continuous venting mode, and the other one with intermittent (6 h venting/6 h rest) venting mode. On-line O2 and CO2 gas measuring system was applied to measure O2 utilisation and CO2 production during biodegradation of diesel for 5 months. Biodegradation rate of TPH was calculated from respiration rate measured by the on-line gas measuring system. There were no apparent differences between calculated biodegradation rates from two columns with different venting modes. The variation of biodegradation rates corresponded well with trend of the remaining TPH concentrations comparing other biodegradation indicators, such as C17/pristane and C18/phytane ratio, dehydrogenase activity, and the ratio of hydrocarbon utilising bacteria to total heterotrophic bacteria. These results suggested that the on-line measuring system of respiration rate would be applied to monitoring biodegradation rate and to determine the potential applicability of bioventing process for bioremediation of oil contaminated soil.

Online monitoring of coffee roasting by proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS): towards a real-time process control for a consistent roast profile.

PubMed

Wieland, Flurin; Gloess, Alexia N; Keller, Marco; Wetzel, Andreas; Schenker, Stefan; Yeretzian, Chahan

2012-03-01

A real-time automated process control tool for coffee roasting is presented to consistently and accurately achieve a targeted roast degree. It is based on the online monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the off-gas of a drum roaster by proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry at a high time (1 Hz) and mass resolution (5,500 m/Δm at full width at half-maximum) and high sensitivity (better than parts per billion by volume). Forty-two roasting experiments were performed with the drum roaster being operated either on a low, medium or high hot-air inlet temperature (= energy input) and the coffee (Arabica from Antigua, Guatemala) being roasted to low, medium or dark roast degrees. A principal component analysis (PCA) discriminated, for each one of the three hot-air inlet temperatures, the roast degree with a resolution of better than ±1 Colorette. The 3D space of the three first principal components was defined based on 23 mass spectral profiles of VOCs and their roast degree at the end point of roasting. This provided a very detailed picture of the evolution of the roasting process and allowed establishment of a predictive model that projects the online-monitored VOC profile of the roaster off-gas in real time onto the PCA space defined by the calibration process and, ultimately, to control the coffee roasting process so as to achieve a target roast degree and a consistent roasting.

On-line multiple component analysis for efficient quantitative bioprocess development.

PubMed

Dietzsch, Christian; Spadiut, Oliver; Herwig, Christoph

2013-02-20

On-line monitoring devices for the precise determination of a multitude of components are a prerequisite for fast bioprocess quantification. On-line measured values have to be checked for quality and consistency, in order to extract quantitative information from these data. In the present study we characterized a novel on-line sampling and analysis device comprising an automatic photometric robot. We connected this on-line device to a bioreactor and concomitantly measured six components (i.e. glucose, glycerol, ethanol, acetate, phosphate and ammonium) during different batch cultivations of Pichia pastoris. The on-line measured data did not show significant deviations from off-line taken samples and were consequently used for incremental rate and yield calculations. In this respect we highlighted the importance of data quality and discussed the phenomenon of error propagation. On-line calculated rates and yields depicted the physiological responses of the P. pastoris cells in unlimited and limited cultures. A more detailed analysis of the physiological state was possible by considering the off-line determined biomass dry weight and the calculation of specific rates. Here we present a novel device for on-line monitoring of bioprocesses, which ensures high data quality in real-time and therefore refers to a valuable tool for Process Analytical Technology (PAT). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Use of an Online Clinical Process Support System as an Aid to Identification and Management of Developmental and Mental Health Problems.

PubMed

Howard, Barbara J; Sturner, Raymond

2017-12-01

To describe benefits and problems with screening and addressing developmental and behavioral problems in primary care and using an online clinical process support system as a solution. Screening has been found to have various implementation barriers including time costs, accuracy, workflow and knowledge of tools. In addition, training of clinicians in dealing with identified issues is lacking. Patients disclose more to and prefer computerized screening. An online clinical process support system (CHADIS) shows promise in addressing these issues. Use of a comprehensive panel of online pre-visit screens; linked decision support to provide moment-of-care training; and post-visit activities and resources for patient-specific education, monitoring and care coordination is an efficient way to make the entire process of screening and follow up care feasible in primary care. CHADIS fulfills these requirements and provides Maintenance of Certification credit to physicians as well as added income for screening efforts.

On-line process control monitoring system

DOEpatents

O'Rourke, Patrick E.; Van Hare, David R.; Prather, William S.

1992-01-01

An on-line, fiber-optic based apparatus for monitoring the concentration of a chemical substance at a plurality of locations in a chemical processing system comprises a plurality of probes, each of which is at a different location in the system, a light source, optic fibers for carrying light to and from the probes, a multiplexer for switching light from the source from one probe to the next in series, a diode array spectrophotometer for producing a spectrum from the light received from the probes, and a computer programmed to analyze the spectra so produced. The probes allow the light to pass through the chemical substance so that a portion of the light is absorbed before being returned to the multiplexer. A standard and a reference cell are included for data validation and error checking.

Acquiring L2 Sentence Comprehension: A Longitudinal Study of Word Monitoring in Noise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, Georgina; Gullberg, Marianne; Hellwig, Frauke; Mitterer, Holger; Indefrey, Peter

2012-01-01

This study investigated the development of second language online auditory processing with ab initio German learners of Dutch. We assessed the influence of different levels of background noise and different levels of semantic and syntactic target word predictability on word-monitoring latencies. There was evidence of syntactic, but not…

Research progress of on-line automatic monitoring of chemical oxygen demand (COD) of water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Youfa; Fu, Xing; Gao, Xiaolu; Li, Lianyin

2018-02-01

With the increasingly stricter control of pollutant emission in China, the on-line automatic monitoring of water quality is particularly urgent. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) is a comprehensive index to measure the contamination caused by organic matters, and thus it is taken as one important index of energy-saving and emission reduction in China’s “Twelve-Five” program. So far, the COD on-line automatic monitoring instrument has played an important role in the field of sewage monitoring. This paper reviews the existing methods to achieve on-line automatic monitoring of COD, and on the basis, points out the future trend of the COD on-line automatic monitoring instruments.

Batch Statistical Process Monitoring Approach to a Cocrystallization Process.

PubMed

Sarraguça, Mafalda C; Ribeiro, Paulo R S; Dos Santos, Adenilson O; Lopes, João A

2015-12-01

Cocrystals are defined as crystalline structures composed of two or more compounds that are solid at room temperature held together by noncovalent bonds. Their main advantages are the increase of solubility, bioavailability, permeability, stability, and at the same time retaining active pharmaceutical ingredient bioactivity. The cocrystallization between furosemide and nicotinamide by solvent evaporation was monitored on-line using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as a process analytical technology tool. The near-infrared spectra were analyzed using principal component analysis. Batch statistical process monitoring was used to create control charts to perceive the process trajectory and define control limits. Normal and non-normal operating condition batches were performed and monitored with NIRS. The use of NIRS associated with batch statistical process models allowed the detection of abnormal variations in critical process parameters, like the amount of solvent or amount of initial components present in the cocrystallization. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

Continuous processing and the applications of online tools in pharmaceutical product manufacture: developments and examples.

PubMed

Ooi, Shing Ming; Sarkar, Srimanta; van Varenbergh, Griet; Schoeters, Kris; Heng, Paul Wan Sia

2013-04-01

Continuous processing and production in pharmaceutical manufacturing has received increased attention in recent years mainly due to the industries' pressing needs for more efficient, cost-effective processes and production, as well as regulatory facilitation. To achieve optimum product quality, the traditional trial-and-error method for the optimization of different process and formulation parameters is expensive and time consuming. Real-time evaluation and the control of product quality using an online process analyzer in continuous processing can provide high-quality production with very high-throughput at low unit cost. This review focuses on continuous processing and the application of different real-time monitoring tools used in the pharmaceutical industry for continuous processing from powder to tablets.

An on-line monitoring system for oil-film, pressure and temperature distributions in large-scale hydro-generator bearings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Höbel, M.; Haffner, K.

1999-05-01

Instrumentation that allows the behaviour of a hydro-generator thrust bearing to be monitored during operation is described. The measurement system was developed at the Asea Brown Boveri corporate research centre in Switzerland and was tested under realistic operating conditions at the Harbin Electric Machinery Company bearing-testing facility in the People's Republic of China. Newly developed fibre-optical proximity probes were used for the on-line monitoring of the thin oil film between the static and rotating parts of the bearing. These sensors are based on a back-reflection technique and can be used for various target materials such as Babbitt and Teflon. The monitoring system comprises about 120 temperature sensors, four pressure sensors and five optical oil-film thickness sensors. Temperature sensors are installed at specific static locations, whereas pressure and oil-film sensors are positioned in the runner and generate data during rotation. A special feature of the monitoring equipment is its on-line processing capability. Digital signal processors operating in parallel handle pressure and oil-film thickness data. Important measurement parameters such as the maximum pressure, maximum temperature and minimum oil-film thickness are displayed on-line. Detailed three-dimensional temperature information on one of the load segments can be obtained from subsequent off-line data analysis. The system also calculates two-dimensional plots of the oil-film thickness and pressure for most of the 12 load segments.

Monitoring of Batch Industrial Crystallization with Growth, Nucleation, and Agglomeration. Part 1: Modeling with Method of Characteristics.

PubMed

Porru, Marcella; Özkan, Leyla

2017-05-24

This paper develops a new simulation model for crystal size distribution dynamics in industrial batch crystallization. The work is motivated by the necessity of accurate prediction models for online monitoring purposes. The proposed numerical scheme is able to handle growth, nucleation, and agglomeration kinetics by means of the population balance equation and the method of characteristics. The former offers a detailed description of the solid phase evolution, while the latter provides an accurate and efficient numerical solution. In particular, the accuracy of the prediction of the agglomeration kinetics, which cannot be ignored in industrial crystallization, has been assessed by comparing it with solutions in the literature. The efficiency of the solution has been tested on a simulation of a seeded flash cooling batch process. Since the proposed numerical scheme can accurately simulate the system behavior more than hundred times faster than the batch duration, it is suitable for online applications such as process monitoring tools based on state estimators.

Monitoring of Batch Industrial Crystallization with Growth, Nucleation, and Agglomeration. Part 1: Modeling with Method of Characteristics

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

This paper develops a new simulation model for crystal size distribution dynamics in industrial batch crystallization. The work is motivated by the necessity of accurate prediction models for online monitoring purposes. The proposed numerical scheme is able to handle growth, nucleation, and agglomeration kinetics by means of the population balance equation and the method of characteristics. The former offers a detailed description of the solid phase evolution, while the latter provides an accurate and efficient numerical solution. In particular, the accuracy of the prediction of the agglomeration kinetics, which cannot be ignored in industrial crystallization, has been assessed by comparing it with solutions in the literature. The efficiency of the solution has been tested on a simulation of a seeded flash cooling batch process. Since the proposed numerical scheme can accurately simulate the system behavior more than hundred times faster than the batch duration, it is suitable for online applications such as process monitoring tools based on state estimators. PMID:28603342

Online monitoring of Mezcal fermentation based on redox potential measurements.

PubMed

Escalante-Minakata, P; Ibarra-Junquera, V; Rosu, H C; De León-Rodríguez, A; González-García, R

2009-01-01

We describe an algorithm for the continuous monitoring of the biomass and ethanol concentrations as well as the growth rate in the Mezcal fermentation process. The algorithm performs its task having available only the online measurements of the redox potential. The procedure combines an artificial neural network (ANN) that relates the redox potential to the ethanol and biomass concentrations with a nonlinear observer-based algorithm that uses the ANN biomass estimations to infer the growth rate of this fermentation process. The results show that the redox potential is a valuable indicator of the metabolic activity of the microorganisms during Mezcal fermentation. In addition, the estimated growth rate can be considered as a direct evidence of the presence of mixed culture growth in the process. Usually, mixtures of microorganisms could be intuitively clear in this kind of processes; however, the total biomass data do not provide definite evidence by themselves. In this paper, the detailed design of the software sensor as well as its experimental application is presented at the laboratory level.

Monitoring of Lactobacillus fermentation process by using ion chromatography with a series piezoelectric quartz crystal detector.

PubMed

Zhang, J; Xie, Y; Dai, X; Wei, W

2001-03-01

A new method monitoring Lactobacillus fermentation process, which combines ion chromatography (IC) with a series piezoelectric quartz crystal (SPQC) technique, is presented in this paper. Monitoring of the fermentation process was realized by examining the rate of production of lactic acid. An automatic membrane dialyser was used for the pretreatment of the sample in on-line monitoring. A mixture of p-hydroxybenzoic acid and N,N-diethylethanolamine was adopted as mobile phase and its flow rate was 0.8 ml/min. The effects of some fermentation conditions were also discussed in detail. Accordingly, the optimal fermentation conditions were obtained. This method is simple and convenient while the results obtained are accurate and reliable.

Relationships between Lexical Processing Speed, Language Skills, and Autistic Traits in Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abrigo, Erin

2012-01-01

According to current models of spoken word recognition listeners understand speech as it unfolds over time. Eye tracking provides a non-invasive, on-line method to monitor attention, providing insight into the processing of spoken language. In the current project a spoken lexical processing assessment (LPA) confirmed current theories of spoken…

Adaptive online monitoring for ICU patients by combining just-in-time learning and principal component analysis.

PubMed

Li, Xuejian; Wang, Youqing

2016-12-01

Offline general-type models are widely used for patients' monitoring in intensive care units (ICUs), which are developed by using past collected datasets consisting of thousands of patients. However, these models may fail to adapt to the changing states of ICU patients. Thus, to be more robust and effective, the monitoring models should be adaptable to individual patients. A novel combination of just-in-time learning (JITL) and principal component analysis (PCA), referred to learning-type PCA (L-PCA), was proposed for adaptive online monitoring of patients in ICUs. JITL was used to gather the most relevant data samples for adaptive modeling of complex physiological processes. PCA was used to build an online individual-type model and calculate monitoring statistics, and then to judge whether the patient's status is normal or not. The adaptability of L-PCA lies in the usage of individual data and the continuous updating of the training dataset. Twelve subjects were selected from the Physiobank's Multi-parameter Intelligent Monitoring for Intensive Care II (MIMIC II) database, and five vital signs of each subject were chosen. The proposed method was compared with the traditional PCA and fast moving-window PCA (Fast MWPCA). The experimental results demonstrated that the fault detection rates respectively increased by 20 % and 47 % compared with PCA and Fast MWPCA. L-PCA is first introduced into ICU patients monitoring and achieves the best monitoring performance in terms of adaptability to changes in patient status and sensitivity for abnormality detection.

Online monitoring of corrosion behavior in molten metal using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Qiang; Pan, Congyuan; Li, Chaoyang; Fei, Teng; Ding, Xiaokang; Du, Xuewei; Wang, Qiuping

2018-04-01

The corrosion behavior of structure materials in direct contact with molten metals is widespread in metallurgical industry. The corrosion of casting equipment by molten metals is detrimental to the production process, and the corroded materials can also contaminate the metals being produced. Conventional methods for studying the corrosion behavior by molten metal are offline. This work explored the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for online monitoring of the corrosion behavior of molten metal. The compositional changes of molten aluminum in crucibles made of 304 stainless steel were obtained online at 1000 °C. Several offline techniques were combined to determine the corrosion mechanism, which was highly consistent with previous studies. Results proved that LIBS was an efficient method to study the corrosion mechanism of solid materials in molten metal.

Online production validation in a HEP environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harenberg, T.; Kuhl, T.; Lang, N.; Mättig, P.; Sandhoff, M.; Schwanenberger, C.; Volkmer, F.

2017-03-01

In high energy physics (HEP) event simulations, petabytes of data are processed and stored requiring millions of CPU-years. This enormous demand for computing resources is handled by centers distributed worldwide, which form part of the LHC computing grid. The consumption of such an important amount of resources demands for an efficient production of simulation and for the early detection of potential errors. In this article we present a new monitoring framework for grid environments, which polls a measure of data quality during job execution. This online monitoring facilitates the early detection of configuration errors (specially in simulation parameters), and may thus contribute to significant savings in computing resources.

Development of on-line laser power monitoring system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Chien-Fang; Lee, Meng-Shiou; Li, Kuan-Ming

2016-03-01

Since the laser was invented, laser has been applied in many fields such as material processing, communication, measurement, biomedical engineering, defense industries and etc. Laser power is an important parameter in laser material processing, i.e. laser cutting, and laser drilling. However, the laser power is easily affected by the environment temperature, we tend to monitor the laser power status, ensuring there is an effective material processing. Besides, the response time of current laser power meters is too long, they cannot measure laser power accurately in a short time. To be more precisely, we can know the status of laser power and help us to achieve an effective material processing at the same time. To monitor the laser power, this study utilize a CMOS (Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) camera to develop an on-line laser power monitoring system. The CMOS camera captures images of incident laser beam after it is split and attenuated by beam splitter and neutral density filter. By comparing the average brightness of the beam spots and measurement results from laser power meter, laser power can be estimated. Under continuous measuring mode, the average measuring error is about 3%, and the response time is at least 3.6 second shorter than thermopile power meters; under trigger measuring mode which enables the CMOS camera to synchronize with intermittent laser output, the average measuring error is less than 3%, and the shortest response time is 20 millisecond.

Development of wireless brain computer interface with embedded multitask scheduling and its application on real-time driver's drowsiness detection and warning.

PubMed

Lin, Chin-Teng; Chen, Yu-Chieh; Huang, Teng-Yi; Chiu, Tien-Ting; Ko, Li-Wei; Liang, Sheng-Fu; Hsieh, Hung-Yi; Hsu, Shang-Hwa; Duann, Jeng-Ren

2008-05-01

Biomedical signal monitoring systems have been rapidly advanced with electronic and information technologies in recent years. However, most of the existing physiological signal monitoring systems can only record the signals without the capability of automatic analysis. In this paper, we proposed a novel brain-computer interface (BCI) system that can acquire and analyze electroencephalogram (EEG) signals in real-time to monitor human physiological as well as cognitive states, and, in turn, provide warning signals to the users when needed. The BCI system consists of a four-channel biosignal acquisition/amplification module, a wireless transmission module, a dual-core signal processing unit, and a host system for display and storage. The embedded dual-core processing system with multitask scheduling capability was proposed to acquire and process the input EEG signals in real time. In addition, the wireless transmission module, which eliminates the inconvenience of wiring, can be switched between radio frequency (RF) and Bluetooth according to the transmission distance. Finally, the real-time EEG-based drowsiness monitoring and warning algorithms were implemented and integrated into the system to close the loop of the BCI system. The practical online testing demonstrates the feasibility of using the proposed system with the ability of real-time processing, automatic analysis, and online warning feedback in real-world operation and living environments.

LOWLY CHLORINATED DIBENZODIOXINS AS TEQ INDICATORS. A COMBINED APPROACH USING SPECTROSCOPIC MEASUREMENTS WITH DLR JET-REMPI AND STATISTICAL CORRELATIONS WITH WASTE COMBUSTOR EMISSIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Continuous monitoring of trace gas species in incineration processes can serve two purposes: (i) monitoring precursors of polychlorinated dibenzodioxin and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) or other indicator species in the raw gas will enable use of their on-line signals for...

Microalgal process-monitoring based on high-selectivity spectroscopy tools: status and future perspectives.

PubMed

Podevin, Michael; Fotidis, Ioannis A; Angelidaki, Irini

2018-08-01

Microalgae are well known for their ability to accumulate lipids intracellularly, which can be used for biofuels and mitigate CO 2 emissions. However, due to economic challenges, microalgae bioprocesses have maneuvered towards the simultaneous production of food, feed, fuel, and various high-value chemicals in a biorefinery concept. On-line and in-line monitoring of macromolecules such as lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and high-value pigments will be more critical to maintain product quality and consistency for downstream processing in a biorefinery to maintain and valorize these markets. The main contribution of this review is to present current and prospective advances of on-line and in-line process analytical technology (PAT), with high-selectivity - the capability of monitoring several analytes simultaneously - in the interest of improving product quality, productivity, and process automation of a microalgal biorefinery. The high-selectivity PAT under consideration are mid-infrared (MIR), near-infrared (NIR), and Raman vibrational spectroscopies. The current review contains a critical assessment of these technologies in the context of recent advances in software and hardware in order to move microalgae production towards process automation through multivariate process control (MVPC) and software sensors trained on "big data". The paper will also include a comprehensive overview of off-line implementations of vibrational spectroscopy in microalgal research as it pertains to spectral interpretation and process automation to aid and motivate development.

Real-time on-line space research laboratory environment monitoring with off-line trend and prediction analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jules, Kenol; Lin, Paul P.

2007-06-01

With the International Space Station currently operational, a significant amount of acceleration data is being down-linked, processed and analyzed daily on the ground on a continuous basis for the space station reduced gravity environment characterization, the vehicle design requirements verification and science data collection. To help understand the impact of the unique spacecraft environment on the science data, an artificial intelligence monitoring system was developed, which detects in near real time any change in the reduced gravity environment susceptible to affect the on-going experiments. Using a dynamic graphical display, the monitoring system allows science teams, at any time and any location, to see the active vibration disturbances, such as pumps, fans, compressor, crew exercise, re-boost and extra-vehicular activities that might impact the reduced gravity environment the experiments are exposed to. The monitoring system can detect both known and unknown vibratory disturbance activities. It can also perform trend analysis and prediction by analyzing past data over many increments (an increment usually lasts 6 months) collected onboard the station for selected disturbances. This feature can be used to monitor the health of onboard mechanical systems to detect and prevent potential systems failures. The monitoring system has two operating modes: online and offline. Both near real-time on-line vibratory disturbance detection and off-line detection and trend analysis are discussed in this paper.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2014-04-01

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

Attitudes of Austrian Psychotherapists Towards Process and Outcome Monitoring.

PubMed

Kaiser, Tim; Schmutzhart, Lisa; Laireiter, Anton-Rupert

2018-03-08

While monitoring systems in psychotherapy have become more common, little is known about the attitudes that mental health practitioners have towards these systems. In an online survey among 111 Austrian psychotherapists and trainees, attitudes towards therapy monitoring were measured. A well-validated questionnaire measuring attitudes towards outcome monitoring, the Outcome Measurement Questionnaire, was used. Clinicians' theoretical orientations as well as previous knowledge and experience with monitoring systems were associated with positive attitudes towards monitoring. Possible factors that may have led to these findings, like the views of different theoretical orientations or obstacles in Austrian public health care, are discussed.

Children's On-Line Processing of Epistemic Modals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moscati, Vincenzo; Zhan, Likan; Zhou, Peng

2017-01-01

In this paper we investigated the real-time processing of epistemic modals in five-year-olds. In a simple reasoning scenario, we monitored children's eye-movements while processing a sentence with modal expressions of different force ("might/must"). Children were also asked to judge the truth-value of the target sentences at the end of…

A real-time spectroscopic sensor for monitoring laser welding processes.

PubMed

Sibillano, Teresa; Ancona, Antonio; Berardi, Vincenzo; Lugarà, Pietro Mario

2009-01-01

In this paper we report on the development of a sensor for real time monitoring of laser welding processes based on spectroscopic techniques. The system is based on the acquisition of the optical spectra emitted from the laser generated plasma plume and their use to implement an on-line algorithm for both the calculation of the plasma electron temperature and the analysis of the correlations between selected spectral lines. The sensor has been patented and it is currently available on the market.

Fed-batch control based upon the measurement of intracellular NADH

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Armiger, W. B.; Lee, J. F.; Montalvo, L. M.; Forro, J. R.

1987-01-01

A series of experiments demonstrating that on-line measurements of intracellular NADH by culture fluorescence can be used to monitor and control the fermentation process are described. A distinct advantage of intercellular NADH measurements over other monitoring techniques such as pH and dissolved oxygen is that it directly measures real time events occurring within the cell rather than changes in the environment. When coupled with other measurement parameters, it can provide a finer degree of sophistication in process control.

A conductive grating sensor for online quantitative monitoring of fatigue crack.

PubMed

Li, Peiyuan; Cheng, Li; Yan, Xiaojun; Jiao, Shengbo; Li, Yakun

2018-05-01

Online quantitative monitoring of crack damage due to fatigue is a critical challenge for structural health monitoring systems assessing structural safety. To achieve online quantitative monitoring of fatigue crack, a novel conductive grating sensor based on the principle of electrical potential difference is proposed. The sensor consists of equidistant grating channels to monitor the fatigue crack length and conductive bars to provide the circuit path. An online crack monitoring system is established to verify the sensor's capability. The experimental results prove that the sensor is suitable for online quantitative monitoring of fatigue crack. A finite element model for the sensor is also developed to optimize the sensitivity of crack monitoring, which is defined by the rate of sensor resistance change caused by the break of the first grating channel. Analysis of the model shows that the sensor sensitivity can be enhanced by reducing the number of grating channels and increasing their resistance and reducing the resistance of the conductive bar.

A conductive grating sensor for online quantitative monitoring of fatigue crack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Peiyuan; Cheng, Li; Yan, Xiaojun; Jiao, Shengbo; Li, Yakun

2018-05-01

Online quantitative monitoring of crack damage due to fatigue is a critical challenge for structural health monitoring systems assessing structural safety. To achieve online quantitative monitoring of fatigue crack, a novel conductive grating sensor based on the principle of electrical potential difference is proposed. The sensor consists of equidistant grating channels to monitor the fatigue crack length and conductive bars to provide the circuit path. An online crack monitoring system is established to verify the sensor's capability. The experimental results prove that the sensor is suitable for online quantitative monitoring of fatigue crack. A finite element model for the sensor is also developed to optimize the sensitivity of crack monitoring, which is defined by the rate of sensor resistance change caused by the break of the first grating channel. Analysis of the model shows that the sensor sensitivity can be enhanced by reducing the number of grating channels and increasing their resistance and reducing the resistance of the conductive bar.

Froth conductivity for in situ monitoring of fiber (solid) and wet rejects in flotation deinking

Treesearch

J. Y. Zhu; M. Fleischmann; R. Gleisner

2006-01-01

Reduced fiber rejection in flotation deinking is very important to reduce the cost of secondary fibers in paper recycling and to conserve natural resources. Online monitoring of fiber rejection is a prerequisite to achieving process control for the reduction of fiber rejection in flotation deinking. It also can improve understanding of the effects of various operating...

Process analytical technology (PAT) in insect and mammalian cell culture processes: dielectric spectroscopy and focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM).

PubMed

Druzinec, Damir; Weiss, Katja; Elseberg, Christiane; Salzig, Denise; Kraume, Matthias; Pörtner, Ralf; Czermak, Peter

2014-01-01

Modern bioprocesses demand for a careful definition of the critical process parameters (CPPs) already during the early stages of process development in order to ensure high-quality products and satisfactory yields. In this context, online monitoring tools can be applied to recognize unfavorable changes of CPPs during the production processes and to allow for early interventions in order to prevent losses of production batches due to quality issues. Process analytical technologies such as the dielectric spectroscopy or focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM) are possible online monitoring tools, which can be applied to monitor cell growth as well as morphological changes. Since the dielectric spectroscopy only captures cells with intact cell membranes, even information about dead cells with ruptured or leaking cell membranes can be derived. The following chapter describes the application of dielectric spectroscopy on various virus-infected and non-infected cell lines with respect to adherent as well as suspension cultures in common stirred tank reactors. The adherent mammalian cell lines Vero (African green monkey kidney cells) and hMSC-TERT (telomerase-immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells) are thereby cultured on microcarrier, which provide the required growth surface and allow the cultivation of these cells even in dynamic culture systems. In turn, the insect-derived cell lines S2 and Sf21 are used as examples for cells typically cultured in suspension. Moreover, the FBRM technology as a further monitoring tool for cell culture applications has been included in this chapter using the example of Drosophila S2 insect cells.

High titer oncolytic measles virus production process by integration of dielectric spectroscopy as online monitoring system.

PubMed

Grein, Tanja A; Loewe, Daniel; Dieken, Hauke; Salzig, Denise; Weidner, Tobias; Czermak, Peter

2018-05-01

Oncolytic viruses offer new hope to millions of patients with incurable cancer. One promising class of oncolytic viruses is Measles virus, but its broad administration to cancer patients is currently hampered by the inability to produce the large amounts of virus needed for treatment (10 10 -10 12 virus particles per dose). Measles virus is unstable, leading to very low virus titers during production. The time of infection and time of harvest are therefore critical parameters in a Measles virus production process, and their optimization requires an accurate online monitoring system. We integrated a probe based on dielectric spectroscopy (DS) into a stirred tank reactor to characterize the Measles virus production process in adherent growing Vero cells. We found that DS could be used to monitor cell adhesion on the microcarrier and that the optimal virus harvest time correlated with the global maximum permittivity signal. In 16 independent bioreactor runs, the maximum Measles virus titer was achieved approximately 40 hr after the permittivity maximum. Compared to an uncontrolled Measles virus production process, the integration of DS increased the maximum virus concentration by more than three orders of magnitude. This was sufficient to achieve an active Measles virus concentration of > 10 10 TCID 50 ml -1 . © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[A personal computer-based system for online monitoring of neurologic intensive care patients].

PubMed

Stoll, M; Hamann, G; Jost, V; Schimrigk, K

1992-03-01

In the management of neurological intensive care patients with an intracranial space-consuming process the measurement and recording of intracranial pressure together with arterial blood pressure is of special interest. These parameters can be used to monitor the treatment of brain edema and hypertension. Intracranial pressure measurement is also important in the diagnosis of the various subtypes of hydrocephalus. Not only the absolute figures, but also the recognition of specific pressure-patterns is of particular clinical and scientific interest. This new, easily installed and inexpensive system comprises a PC and a conventional monitor, which are connected by an AD-conversion card. Our software, specially developed for this system demonstrates, stores and prints the online-course and the trend of the measurements. In addition it is also possible to view the online-course of conspicuous parts of the trend curve retrospectively and to use these values for statistical analyses. Object-orientated software development techniques were used for flexible graphic output on the screen, printer or to a file. Though developed for this specific purpose, this system is also suitable for recording continuous, longer-term measurements in general.

A high sensitivity wear debris sensor using ferrite cores for online oil condition monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Xiaoliang; Zhong, Chong; Zhe, Jiang

2017-07-01

Detecting wear debris and measuring the increasing number of wear debris in lubrication oil can indicate abnormal machine wear well ahead of machine failure, and thus are indispensable for online machine health monitoring. A portable wear debris sensor with ferrite cores for online monitoring is presented. The sensor detects wear debris by measuring the inductance change of two planar coils wound around a pair of ferrite cores that make the magnetic flux denser and more uniform in the sensing channel, thereby improving the sensitivity of the sensor. Static testing results showed this wear debris sensor is capable of detecting 11 µm and 50 µm ferrous debris in 1 mm and 7 mm diameter fluidic pipes, respectively; such a high sensitivity has not been achieved before. Furthermore, a synchronized sampling method was also applied to reduce the data size and realize real-time data processing. Dynamic testing results demonstrated that the sensor is capable of detecting wear debris in real time with a high throughput of 750 ml min-1 the measured debris concentration is in good agreement with the actual concentration.

Motion-Blurred Particle Image Restoration for On-Line Wear Monitoring

PubMed Central

Peng, Yeping; Wu, Tonghai; Wang, Shuo; Kwok, Ngaiming; Peng, Zhongxiao

2015-01-01

On-line images of wear debris contain important information for real-time condition monitoring, and a dynamic imaging technique can eliminate particle overlaps commonly found in static images, for instance, acquired using ferrography. However, dynamic wear debris images captured in a running machine are unavoidably blurred because the particles in lubricant are in motion. Hence, it is difficult to acquire reliable images of wear debris with an adequate resolution for particle feature extraction. In order to obtain sharp wear particle images, an image processing approach is proposed. Blurred particles were firstly separated from the static background by utilizing a background subtraction method. Second, the point spread function was estimated using power cepstrum to determine the blur direction and length. Then, the Wiener filter algorithm was adopted to perform image restoration to improve the image quality. Finally, experiments were conducted with a large number of dynamic particle images to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method and the performance of the approach was also evaluated. This study provides a new practical approach to acquire clear images for on-line wear monitoring. PMID:25856328

Publicly Available Online Tool Facilitates Real-Time Monitoring Of Vaccine Conversations And Sentiments.

PubMed

Bahk, Chi Y; Cumming, Melissa; Paushter, Louisa; Madoff, Lawrence C; Thomson, Angus; Brownstein, John S

2016-02-01

Real-time monitoring of mainstream and social media can inform public health practitioners and policy makers about vaccine sentiment and hesitancy. We describe a publicly available platform for monitoring vaccination-related content, called the Vaccine Sentimeter. With automated data collection from 100,000 mainstream media sources and Twitter, natural-language processing for automated filtering, and manual curation to ensure accuracy, the Vaccine Sentimeter offers a global real-time view of vaccination conversations online. To assess the system's utility, we followed two events: polio vaccination in Pakistan after a news story about a Central Intelligence Agency vaccination ruse and subsequent attacks on health care workers, and a controversial episode in a television program about adverse events following human papillomavirus vaccination. For both events, increased online activity was detected and characterized. For the first event, Twitter response to the attacks on health care workers decreased drastically after the first attack, in contrast to mainstream media coverage. For the second event, the mainstream and social media response was largely positive about the HPV vaccine, but antivaccine conversations persisted longer than the provaccine reaction. Using the Vaccine Sentimeter could enable public health professionals to detect increased online activity or sudden shifts in sentiment that could affect vaccination uptake. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Industrial application of ultrasound based in-line rheometry: Visualization of steady shear pipe flow of chocolate suspension in pre-crystallization process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouriev, Boris; Windhab, Erich; Braun, Peter; Zeng, Yuantong; Birkhofer, Beat

2003-12-01

In the present work an in-line ultrasonic method for investigation of the rheological flow behavior of concentrated suspensions was created. It is based on a nondestructive rheological measuring technique for pilot plant and industrial scale applications. Elsewhere the author discusses a tremendous need for in-line rheological characterization of highly concentrated suspensions exposed to pressure driven shear flow conditions. Most existing on-line methods are based on destructive macro actuators, which are not suitable for materials with sensitive to applied deformation structure. Since the process of our basic interest influences the structure of suspension it would be difficult to separate the effects of rheometric measurement and weakly pronounced structural changes arising from a fine adjustment of the process parameters. The magnitude of these effects is usually associated with the complex flow dynamics of structured liquids and is sensitive to density or temperature fluctuations around the moving rheometric actuator. Interpretation of the results of such measurements can be hindered by process parameter influences on liquid product structure. Therefore, the author introduces an in-line noninvasive rheometric method, which is implemented in a pre-crystallization process of chocolate suspension. Use of ultrasound velocity profile pressure difference (UVP-PD) technique enabled process monitoring of the chocolate pre-crystallization process. Influence of seeded crystals on Rheology of chocolate suspension was recorded and monitored on line. It was shown that even slight velocity pulsations in chocolate mainstream can strongly influence rheological properties besides influencing flow velocity profiles. Based on calculations of power law fit in raw velocity profiles and calculation of wall shear stress from pressure difference measurement, a viscosity function was calculated and monitored on line. On-line results were found to be in a good agreement with off-line data. The results of the industrial test of the UVP-PD system brought practical knowledge and stipulated further development of a Smart UVP-PD noninventive on-line rheometer.

[Monitoring method for macroporous resin column chromatography process of salvianolic acids based on near infrared spectroscopy].

PubMed

Hou, Xiang-Mei; Zhang, Lei; Yue, Hong-Shui; Ju, Ai-Chun; Ye, Zheng-Liang

2016-07-01

To study and establish a monitoring method for macroporous resin column chromatography process of salvianolic acids by using near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) as a process analytical technology (PAT).The multivariate statistical process control (MSPC) model was developed based on 7 normal operation batches, and 2 test batches (including one normal operation batch and one abnormal operation batch) were used to verify the monitoring performance of this model. The results showed that MSPC model had a good monitoring ability for the column chromatography process. Meanwhile, NIR quantitative calibration model was established for three key quality indexes (rosmarinic acid, lithospermic acid and salvianolic acid B) by using partial least squares (PLS) algorithm. The verification results demonstrated that this model had satisfactory prediction performance. The combined application of the above two models could effectively achieve real-time monitoring for macroporous resin column chromatography process of salvianolic acids, and can be used to conduct on-line analysis of key quality indexes. This established process monitoring method could provide reference for the development of process analytical technology for traditional Chinese medicines manufacturing. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Exploring JavaScript and ROOT technologies to create Web-based ATLAS analysis and monitoring tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez Pineda, A.

2015-12-01

We explore the potential of current web applications to create online interfaces that allow the visualization, interaction and real cut-based physics analysis and monitoring of processes through a web browser. The project consists in the initial development of web- based and cloud computing services to allow students and researchers to perform fast and very useful cut-based analysis on a browser, reading and using real data and official Monte- Carlo simulations stored in ATLAS computing facilities. Several tools are considered: ROOT, JavaScript and HTML. Our study case is the current cut-based H → ZZ → llqq analysis of the ATLAS experiment. Preliminary but satisfactory results have been obtained online.

The effect of observing session duration on OPUS-RS results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dincer Dogru, A.; Ugur Sanli, D.; Hayal, Adem G.; Berber, Mustafa

2016-04-01

Online GPS positioning software has now a widespread interest among practitioners and researchers. Researchers rescently use online software to monitor natural hazards such as landslides. The fact that this software usually employs continuously operating GPS stations of the International GNSS Service (IGS) as reference stations in the processing, the community of world-wide users is growing day by day. In the monitoring of landslides, rapid static mode of a GPS surveying is usually preferred because it is possible to have wider field coverage with only a few minutes of data and low cost ground markers. Results comparable to static positioning can be obtained with careful network design and processing strategies. Some online software such as OPUS-RS developed by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) of the USA provides rapid static positioning engine that processes GPS data from sessions of only a few minutes. 15-minute is the recommended/standard observing session duration for OPUS-RS processing. In this study, using the CORS data operating in the US, we carried out some tests in which the observing session duration is changed from 8 through 118 minutes, and observed the accuracy change on the OPUS-RS solutions. Then we compared the results with the accuracy levels given for 15-min solutions by the NGS. We determined that there is the effect of changing observing session duration on the obtained results, and we report them in this study.

Understanding the process of social network evolution: Online-offline integrated analysis of social tie formation

PubMed Central

Kwak, Doyeon

2017-01-01

It is important to consider the interweaving nature of online and offline social networks when we examine social network evolution. However, it is difficult to find any research that examines the process of social tie formation from an integrated perspective. In our study, we quantitatively measure offline interactions and examine the corresponding evolution of online social network in order to understand the significance of interrelationship between online and offline social factors in generating social ties. We analyze the radio signal strength indicator sensor data from a series of social events to understand offline interactions among the participants and measure the structural attributes of their existing online Facebook social networks. By monitoring the changes in their online social networks before and after offline interactions in a series of social events, we verify that the ability to develop an offline interaction into an online friendship is tied to the number of social connections that participants previously had, while the presence of shared mutual friends between a pair of participants disrupts potential new connections within the pre-designed offline social events. Thus, while our integrative approach enables us to confirm the theory of preferential attachment in the process of network formation, the common neighbor theory is not supported. Our dual-dimensional network analysis allows us to observe the actual process of social network evolution rather than to make predictions based on the assumption of self-organizing networks. PMID:28542367

Understanding the process of social network evolution: Online-offline integrated analysis of social tie formation.

PubMed

Kwak, Doyeon; Kim, Wonjoon

2017-01-01

It is important to consider the interweaving nature of online and offline social networks when we examine social network evolution. However, it is difficult to find any research that examines the process of social tie formation from an integrated perspective. In our study, we quantitatively measure offline interactions and examine the corresponding evolution of online social network in order to understand the significance of interrelationship between online and offline social factors in generating social ties. We analyze the radio signal strength indicator sensor data from a series of social events to understand offline interactions among the participants and measure the structural attributes of their existing online Facebook social networks. By monitoring the changes in their online social networks before and after offline interactions in a series of social events, we verify that the ability to develop an offline interaction into an online friendship is tied to the number of social connections that participants previously had, while the presence of shared mutual friends between a pair of participants disrupts potential new connections within the pre-designed offline social events. Thus, while our integrative approach enables us to confirm the theory of preferential attachment in the process of network formation, the common neighbor theory is not supported. Our dual-dimensional network analysis allows us to observe the actual process of social network evolution rather than to make predictions based on the assumption of self-organizing networks.

Charge Transfer Effect on Raman and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Furfural Molecules.

PubMed

Wan, Fu; Shi, Haiyang; Chen, Weigen; Gu, Zhaoliang; Du, Lingling; Wang, Pinyi; Wang, Jianxin; Huang, Yingzhou

2017-08-02

The detection of furfural in transformer oil through surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is one of the most promising online monitoring techniques in the process of transformer aging. In this work, the Raman of individual furfural molecules and SERS of furfural-M x (M = Ag, Au, Cu) complexes are investigated through density functional theory (DFT). In the Raman spectrum of individual furfural molecules, the vibration mode of each Raman peak is figured out, and the deviation from experimental data is analyzed by surface charge distribution. In the SERS of furfural-M x complexes, the influence of atom number and species on SERS chemical enhancement factors (EFs) are studied, and are further analyzed by charge transfer effect. Our studies strengthen the understanding of charge transfer effect in the SERS of furfural molecules, which is important in the online monitoring of the transformer aging process through SERS.

Charge Transfer Effect on Raman and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Furfural Molecules

PubMed Central

Wan, Fu; Shi, Haiyang; Chen, Weigen; Gu, Zhaoliang; Du, Lingling; Wang, Pinyi; Wang, Jianxin

2017-01-01

The detection of furfural in transformer oil through surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is one of the most promising online monitoring techniques in the process of transformer aging. In this work, the Raman of individual furfural molecules and SERS of furfural-Mx (M = Ag, Au, Cu) complexes are investigated through density functional theory (DFT). In the Raman spectrum of individual furfural molecules, the vibration mode of each Raman peak is figured out, and the deviation from experimental data is analyzed by surface charge distribution. In the SERS of furfural-Mx complexes, the influence of atom number and species on SERS chemical enhancement factors (EFs) are studied, and are further analyzed by charge transfer effect. Our studies strengthen the understanding of charge transfer effect in the SERS of furfural molecules, which is important in the online monitoring of the transformer aging process through SERS. PMID:28767053

Defect Detection in Arc-Welding Processes by Means of the Line-to-Continuum Method and Feature Selection.

PubMed

Garcia-Allende, P Beatriz; Mirapeix, Jesus; Conde, Olga M; Cobo, Adolfo; Lopez-Higuera, Jose M

2009-01-01

Plasma optical spectroscopy is widely employed in on-line welding diagnostics. The determination of the plasma electron temperature, which is typically selected as the output monitoring parameter, implies the identification of the atomic emission lines. As a consequence, additional processing stages are required with a direct impact on the real time performance of the technique. The line-to-continuum method is a feasible alternative spectroscopic approach and it is particularly interesting in terms of its computational efficiency. However, the monitoring signal highly depends on the chosen emission line. In this paper, a feature selection methodology is proposed to solve the uncertainty regarding the selection of the optimum spectral band, which allows the employment of the line-to-continuum method for on-line welding diagnostics. Field test results have been conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the solution.

Estimation of tool wear during CNC milling using neural network-based sensor fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, N.; Ravi, Y. B.; Patra, A.; Mukhopadhyay, S.; Paul, S.; Mohanty, A. R.; Chattopadhyay, A. B.

2007-01-01

Cutting tool wear degrades the product quality in manufacturing processes. Monitoring tool wear value online is therefore needed to prevent degradation in machining quality. Unfortunately there is no direct way of measuring the tool wear online. Therefore one has to adopt an indirect method wherein the tool wear is estimated from several sensors measuring related process variables. In this work, a neural network-based sensor fusion model has been developed for tool condition monitoring (TCM). Features extracted from a number of machining zone signals, namely cutting forces, spindle vibration, spindle current, and sound pressure level have been fused to estimate the average flank wear of the main cutting edge. Novel strategies such as, signal level segmentation for temporal registration, feature space filtering, outlier removal, and estimation space filtering have been proposed. The proposed approach has been validated by both laboratory and industrial implementations.

Flow chemistry vs. flow analysis.

PubMed

Trojanowicz, Marek

2016-01-01

The flow mode of conducting chemical syntheses facilitates chemical processes through the use of on-line analytical monitoring of occurring reactions, the application of solid-supported reagents to minimize downstream processing and computerized control systems to perform multi-step sequences. They are exactly the same attributes as those of flow analysis, which has solid place in modern analytical chemistry in several last decades. The following review paper, based on 131 references to original papers as well as pre-selected reviews, presents basic aspects, selected instrumental achievements and developmental directions of a rapidly growing field of continuous flow chemical synthesis. Interestingly, many of them might be potentially employed in the development of new methods in flow analysis too. In this paper, examples of application of flow analytical measurements for on-line monitoring of flow syntheses have been indicated and perspectives for a wider application of real-time analytical measurements have been discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Wearable sweat detector device design for health monitoring and clinical diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Qiuchen; Zhang, Xiaodong; Tian, Bihao; Zhang, Hongyan; Yu, Yang; Wang, Ming

2017-06-01

Miniaturized sensor is necessary part for wearable detector for biomedical applications. Wearable detector device is indispensable for online health care. This paper presents a concept of an wearable digital health monitoring device design for sweat analysis. The flexible sensor is developed to quantify the amount of hydrogen ions in sweat and skin temperature in real time. The detection system includes pH sensor, temperature sensor, signal processing module, power source, microprocessor, display module and so on. The sweat monitoring device is designed for sport monitoring or clinical diagnosis.

Grammatical Processing of Spoken Language in Child and Adult Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Felser, Claudia; Clahsen, Harald

2009-01-01

This article presents a selective overview of studies that have investigated auditory language processing in children and late second-language (L2) learners using online methods such as event-related potentials (ERPs), eye-movement monitoring, or the cross-modal priming paradigm. Two grammatical phenomena are examined in detail, children's and…

Children's Processing of Reflexives and Pronouns in English: Evidence from Eye-Movements during Listening

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clackson, Kaili; Felser, Claudia; Clahsen, Harald

2011-01-01

This study examined how 6-9 year-old English-speaking children and adults establish anaphoric dependencies during auditory sentence comprehension. Using eye-movement monitoring during listening and a corresponding sentence-picture judgment task, we investigated both the ultimate interpretation and the online processing of reflexives in comparison…

Designing an in-situ ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation system for ultrasonic additive manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadimpalli, Venkata K.; Nagy, Peter B.

2018-04-01

Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM) is a solid-state layer by layer manufacturing process that utilizes vibration induced plastic deformation to form a metallurgical bond between a thin layer and an existing base structure. Due to the vibration based bonding mechanism, the quality of components at each layer depends on the geometry of the structure. In-situ monitoring during and between UAM manufacturing steps offers the potential for closed-loop control to optimize process parameters and to repair existing defects. One interface that is most prone to delamination is the base/build interface and often UAM component height and quality are limited by failure at the base/build interface. Low manufacturing temperatures and favorable orientation of typical interface defects in UAM make ultrasonic NDE an attractive candidate for online monitoring. Two approaches for in-situ NDE are discussed and the design of the monitoring system optimized so that the quality of UAM components is not affected by the addition of the NDE setup. Preliminary results from in-situ ultrasonic NDE indicate the potential to be utilized for online qualification, closed-loop control and offline certification of UAM components.

A Fully Redundant On-Line Mass Spectrometer System Used to Monitor Cryogenic Fuel Leaks on the Space Shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, Timothy P.; Naylor, Guy R.; Haskell, William D.; Breznik, Greg S.; Mizell, Carolyn A.; Helms, William R.; Steinrock, T. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

An on-line gas monitoring system was developed to replace the older systems used to monitor for cryogenic leaks on the Space Shuttles before launch. The system uses a mass spectrometer to monitor multiple locations in the process, which allows the system to monitor all gas constituents of interest in a nearly simultaneous manner. The system is fully redundant and meets all requirements for ground support equipment (GSE). This includes ruggedness to withstand launch on the Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP), ease of operation, and minimal operator intervention. The system can be fully automated so that an operator is notified when an unusual situation or fault is detected. User inputs are through personal computer using mouse and keyboard commands. The graphical user interface is very intuitive and easy to operate. The system has successfully supported four launches to date. It is currently being permanently installed as the primary system monitoring the Space Shuttles during ground processing and launch operations. Time and cost savings will be substantial over the current systems when it is fully implemented in the field. Tests were performed to demonstrate the performance of the system. Low limits-of-detection coupled with small drift make the system a major enhancement over the current systems. Though this system is currently optimized for detecting cryogenic leaks, many other gas constituents could be monitored using the Hazardous Gas Detection System (HGDS) 2000.

In-situ quality monitoring during laser brazing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ungers, Michael; Fecker, Daniel; Frank, Sascha; Donst, Dmitri; Märgner, Volker; Abels, Peter; Kaierle, Stefan

Laser brazing of zinc coated steel is a widely established manufacturing process in the automotive sector, where high quality requirements must be fulfilled. The strength, impermeablitiy and surface appearance of the joint are particularly important for judging its quality. The development of an on-line quality control system is highly desired by the industry. This paper presents recent works on the development of such a system, which consists of two cameras operating in different spectral ranges. For the evaluation of the system, seam imperfections are created artificially during experiments. Finally image processing algorithms for monitoring process parameters based the captured images are presented.

Design of a Sensor System for On-Line Monitoring of Contact Pressure in Chalcographic Printing.

PubMed

Jiménez, José Antonio; Meca, Francisco Javier; Santiso, Enrique; Martín, Pedro

2017-09-05

Chalcographic printer is the name given to a specific type of press which is used to transfer the printing of a metal-based engraved plate onto paper. The printing system consists of two rollers for pressing and carrying a metal plate onto which an engraved inked plate is placed. When the driving mechanism is operated, the pressure exerted by the rollers, also called contact pressure, allows the engraved image to be transferred into paper, thereby obtaining the final image. With the aim of ensuring the quality of the result, in terms of good and even transfer of ink, the contact pressure must be uniform. Nowadays, the strategies utilized to measure the pressure are implemented off-line, i.e., when the press machines are shut down for maintenance, which poses limitations. This paper proposes a novel sensor system aimed at monitoring the pressure exerted by the rollers on the engraved plate while chalcographic printer is operating, i.e., on-line. The purpose is two-fold: firstly, real-time monitoring reduces the number of breakdown repairs required, reduces machine downtime and reduces the number of low-quality engravings, which increases productivity and revenues; and secondly, the on-line monitoring and register of the process parameters allows the printing process to be reproducible even with changes in the environmental conditions or other factors such as the wear of the parts that constitute the mechanical system and a change in the dimensions of the printing materials. The proposed system consists of a strain gauge-based load cell and conditioning electronics to sense and treat the signals.

Design of a Sensor System for On-Line Monitoring of Contact Pressure in Chalcographic Printing

PubMed Central

Jiménez, José Antonio; Meca, Francisco Javier; Santiso, Enrique; Martín, Pedro

2017-01-01

Chalcographic printer is the name given to a specific type of press which is used to transfer the printing of a metal-based engraved plate onto paper. The printing system consists of two rollers for pressing and carrying a metal plate onto which an engraved inked plate is placed. When the driving mechanism is operated, the pressure exerted by the rollers, also called contact pressure, allows the engraved image to be transferred into paper, thereby obtaining the final image. With the aim of ensuring the quality of the result, in terms of good and even transfer of ink, the contact pressure must be uniform. Nowadays, the strategies utilized to measure the pressure are implemented off-line, i.e., when the press machines are shut down for maintenance, which poses limitations. This paper proposes a novel sensor system aimed at monitoring the pressure exerted by the rollers on the engraved plate while chalcographic printer is operating, i.e., on-line. The purpose is two-fold: firstly, real-time monitoring reduces the number of breakdown repairs required, reduces machine downtime and reduces the number of low-quality engravings, which increases productivity and revenues; and secondly, the on-line monitoring and register of the process parameters allows the printing process to be reproducible even with changes in the environmental conditions or other factors such as the wear of the parts that constitute the mechanical system and a change in the dimensions of the printing materials. The proposed system consists of a strain gauge-based load cell and conditioning electronics to sense and treat the signals. PMID:28872583

Development of GUI Type On-Line Condition Monitoring Program for a Turboprop Engine Using Labview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Changduk; Kim, Keonwoo

2011-12-01

Recently, an aero gas turbine health monitoring system has been developed for precaution and maintenance action against faults or performance degradations of the advanced propulsion system which occurs in severe environments such as high altitude, foreign object damage particles, hot and heavy rain and snowy atmospheric conditions. However to establish this health monitoring system, the online condition monitoring program is firstly required, and the program must monitor the engine performance trend through comparison between measured engine performance data and base performance results calculated by base engine performance model. This work aims to develop a GUI type on-line condition monitoring program for the PT6A-67 turboprop engine of a high altitude and long endurance operation UAV using LabVIEW. The base engine performance of the on-line condition monitoring program is simulated using component maps inversely generated from the limited performance deck data provided by engine manufacturer. The base engine performance simulation program is evaluated because analysis results by this program agree well with the performance deck data. The proposed on-line condition program can monitor the real engine performance as well as the trend through precise comparison between clean engine performance results calculated by the base performance simulation program and measured engine performance signals. In the development phase of this monitoring system, a signal generation module is proposed to evaluate the proposed online monitoring system. For user friendly purpose, all monitoring program are coded by LabVIEW, and monitoring examples are demonstrated using the proposed GUI type on-condition monitoring program.

Fault detection and diagnosis in an industrial fed-batch cell culture process.

PubMed

Gunther, Jon C; Conner, Jeremy S; Seborg, Dale E

2007-01-01

A flexible process monitoring method was applied to industrial pilot plant cell culture data for the purpose of fault detection and diagnosis. Data from 23 batches, 20 normal operating conditions (NOC) and three abnormal, were available. A principal component analysis (PCA) model was constructed from 19 NOC batches, and the remaining NOC batch was used for model validation. Subsequently, the model was used to successfully detect (both offline and online) abnormal process conditions and to diagnose the root causes. This research demonstrates that data from a relatively small number of batches (approximately 20) can still be used to monitor for a wide range of process faults.

The Development and Technical Adequacy of Seventh-Grade Reading Comprehension Measures in a Progress Monitoring Assessment System. Technical Report #1102

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

2011-01-01

This technical report describes the process of development and piloting of reading comprehension measures that are appropriate for seventh-grade students as part of an online progress screening and monitoring assessment system, http://easycbm.com. Each measure consists of an original fictional story of approximately 1,600 to 1,900 words with 20…

Information integration and diagnosis analysis of equipment status and production quality for machining process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zan, Tao; Wang, Min; Hu, Jianzhong

2010-12-01

Machining status monitoring technique by multi-sensors can acquire and analyze the machining process information to implement abnormity diagnosis and fault warning. Statistical quality control technique is normally used to distinguish abnormal fluctuations from normal fluctuations through statistical method. In this paper by comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods, the necessity and feasibility of integration and fusion is introduced. Then an approach that integrates multi-sensors status monitoring and statistical process control based on artificial intelligent technique, internet technique and database technique is brought forward. Based on virtual instrument technique the author developed the machining quality assurance system - MoniSysOnline, which has been used to monitoring the grinding machining process. By analyzing the quality data and AE signal information of wheel dressing process the reason of machining quality fluctuation has been obtained. The experiment result indicates that the approach is suitable for the status monitoring and analyzing of machining process.

Use telecommunications for real-time process control

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

Zilberman, I.; Bigman, J.; Sela, I.

1996-05-01

Process operators design real-time accurate information to monitor and control product streams and to optimize unit operations. The challenge is how to cost-effectively install sophisticated analytical equipment in harsh environments such as process areas and maintain system reliability. Incorporating telecommunications technology with near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy may be the bridge to help operations achieve their online control goals. Coupling communications fiber optics with NIR analyzers enables the probe and sampling system to remain in the field and crucial analytical equipment to be remotely located in a general purpose area without specialized protection provisions. The case histories show how two refineriesmore » used NIR spectroscopy online to track octane levels for reformate streams.« less

Hadoop-Based Distributed System for Online Prediction of Air Pollution Based on Support Vector Machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghaemi, Z.; Farnaghi, M.; Alimohammadi, A.

2015-12-01

The critical impact of air pollution on human health and environment in one hand and the complexity of pollutant concentration behavior in the other hand lead the scientists to look for advance techniques for monitoring and predicting the urban air quality. Additionally, recent developments in data measurement techniques have led to collection of various types of data about air quality. Such data is extremely voluminous and to be useful it must be processed at high velocity. Due to the complexity of big data analysis especially for dynamic applications, online forecasting of pollutant concentration trends within a reasonable processing time is still an open problem. The purpose of this paper is to present an online forecasting approach based on Support Vector Machine (SVM) to predict the air quality one day in advance. In order to overcome the computational requirements for large-scale data analysis, distributed computing based on the Hadoop platform has been employed to leverage the processing power of multiple processing units. The MapReduce programming model is adopted for massive parallel processing in this study. Based on the online algorithm and Hadoop framework, an online forecasting system is designed to predict the air pollution of Tehran for the next 24 hours. The results have been assessed on the basis of Processing Time and Efficiency. Quite accurate predictions of air pollutant indicator levels within an acceptable processing time prove that the presented approach is very suitable to tackle large scale air pollution prediction problems.

Aligning precisely polarization maintaining photonic crystal fiber and conventional single-mode fiber by online spectrum monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Ying; Zeng, Jie; Liang, Dakai; Ni, Xiaoyu; Luo, Wenyong

2013-06-01

The fibers aligning is very important in fusion splicing process. The core of polarization maintaining photonic crystal fiber(PM-PCF) can not be seen in the splicer due to microhole structure of its cross-section. So it is difficult to align precisely PM-PCF and conventional single-mode fiber(SMF).We demonstrate a novel method for aligning precisely PM-PCF and conventional SMF by online spectrum monitoring. Firstly, the light source of halogen lamp is connected to one end face of conventional SMF.Then align roughly one end face of PM-PCF and the other end face of conventional SMF by observing visible light in the other end face of PM-PCF. If there exists visible light, they are believed to align roughly. The other end face of PM-PCF and one end face of the other conventional SMF are aligned precisely in the other splicer by online spectrum monitoring. Now the light source of halogen lamp is changed into a broadband light source with 52nm wavelength range.The other end face of the other conventional SMF is connected to an optical spectrum analyzer.They are translationally and rotationally adjusted in the splicer by monitoring spectrum. When the transmission spectrum power is maximum, the aligning is precise.

In situ microscopy for online monitoring of cell concentration in Pichia pastoris cultivations.

PubMed

Marquard, D; Enders, A; Roth, G; Rinas, U; Scheper, T; Lindner, P

2016-09-20

In situ Microscopy (ISM) is an optical non-invasive technique to monitor cells in bioprocesses in real-time. Pichia pastoris is one of the most promising protein expression systems. This yeast combines fast growth on simple media and important eukaryotic features such as glycosylation. In this work, the ISM technology was applied to Pichia pastoris cultivations for online monitoring of the cell concentration during cultivation. Different ISM settings were tested. The acquired images were analyzed with two image processing algorithms. In seven cultivations the cell concentration was monitored by the applied algorithms and offline samples were taken to determine optical density (OD) and dry cell mass (DCM). Cell concentrations up to 74g/L dry cell mass could be analyzed via the ISM. Depending on the algorithm and the ISM settings, an accuracy between 0.3 % and 12 % was achieved. The overall results show that for a robust measurement a combination of the two described algorithms is required. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On-line Monitoring of Continuous Flow Chemical Synthesis Using a Portable, Small Footprint Mass Spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bristow, Tony W. T.; Ray, Andrew D.; O'Kearney-McMullan, Anne; Lim, Louise; McCullough, Bryan; Zammataro, Alessio

2014-10-01

For on-line monitoring of chemical reactions (batch or continuous flow), mass spectrometry (MS) can provide data to (1) determine the fate of starting materials and reagents, (2) confirm the presence of the desired product, (3) identify intermediates and impurities, (4) determine steady state conditions and point of completion, and (5) speed up process optimization. Recent developments in small footprint atmospheric pressure ionization portable mass spectrometers further enable this coupling, as the mass spectrometer can be easily positioned with the reaction system to be studied. A major issue for this combination is the transfer of a sample that is representative of the reaction and also compatible with the mass spectrometer. This is particularly challenging as high concentrations of reagents and products can be encountered in organic synthesis. The application of a portable mass spectrometer for on-line characterization of flow chemical synthesis has been evaluated by coupling a Microsaic 4000 MiD to the Future Chemistry Flow Start EVO chemistry system. Specifically, the Hofmann rearrangement has been studied using the on-line mass spectrometry approach. Sample transfer from the flow reactor is achieved using a mass rate attenuator (MRA) and a sampling make-up flow from a high pressure pump. This enables the appropriate sample dilution, transfer, and preparation for electrospray ionization. The capability of this approach to provide process understanding is described using an industrial pharmaceutical process that is currently under development. The effect of a number of key experimental parameters, such as the composition of the sampling make-up flow and the dilution factor on the mass spectrometry data, is also discussed.

Flow behavior in liquid molding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunston, D.; Phelan, F.; Parnas, R.

1992-01-01

The liquid molding (LM) process for manufacturing polymer composites with structural properties has the potential to significantly lower fabrication costs and increase production rates. LM includes both resin transfer molding and structural reaction injection molding. To achieve this potential, however, the underlying science base must be improved to facilitate effective process optimization and implementation of on-line process control. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a major program in LM that includes materials characterization, process simulation models, on-line process monitoring and control, and the fabrication of test specimens. The results of this program are applied to real parts through cooperative projects with industry. The key feature in the effort is a comprehensive and integrated approach to the processing science aspects of LM. This paper briefly outlines the NIST program and uses several examples to illustrate the work.

[Design and implementation of online statistical analysis function in information system of air pollution and health impact monitoring].

PubMed

Lü, Yiran; Hao, Shuxin; Zhang, Guoqing; Liu, Jie; Liu, Yue; Xu, Dongqun

2018-01-01

To implement the online statistical analysis function in information system of air pollution and health impact monitoring, and obtain the data analysis information real-time. Using the descriptive statistical method as well as time-series analysis and multivariate regression analysis, SQL language and visual tools to implement online statistical analysis based on database software. Generate basic statistical tables and summary tables of air pollution exposure and health impact data online; Generate tendency charts of each data part online and proceed interaction connecting to database; Generate butting sheets which can lead to R, SAS and SPSS directly online. The information system air pollution and health impact monitoring implements the statistical analysis function online, which can provide real-time analysis result to its users.

Application of Raman spectroscopy for on-line monitoring of low dose blend uniformity.

PubMed

Hausman, Debra S; Cambron, R Thomas; Sakr, Adel

2005-07-14

On-line Raman spectroscopy was used to evaluate the effect of blending time on low dose, 1%, blend uniformity of azimilide dihydrochloride. An 8 qt blender was used for the experiments and instrumented with a Raman probe through the I-bar port. The blender was slowed to 6.75 rpm to better illustrate the blending process (normal speed is 25 rpm). Uniformity was reached after 20 min of blending at 6.75 rpm (135 revolutions or 5.4 min at 25 rpm). On-line Raman analysis of blend uniformity provided more benefits than traditional thief sampling and off-line analysis. On-line Raman spectroscopy enabled generating data rich blend profiles, due to the ability to collect a large number of samples during the blending process (sampling every 20s). In addition, the Raman blend profile was rapidly generated, compared to the lengthy time to complete a blend profile with thief sampling and off-line analysis. The on-line Raman blend uniformity results were also significantly correlated (p-value < 0.05) to the HPLC uniformity results of thief samples.

Monitoring of multiple solvent induced form changes during high shear wet granulation and drying processes using online Raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

Reddy, Jay Poorna; Jones, John W; Wray, Patrick S; Dennis, Andrew B; Brown, Jonathan; Timmins, Peter

2018-04-25

Form changes during drug product processing can be a risk to the final product quality in terms of chemical stability and bioavailability. In this study, online Raman spectroscopy was used to monitor the form changes in real time during high shear wet granulation of Compound A, a highly soluble drug present at a high drug load in an extended release formulation. The effect of water content, temperature, wet massing time and drying technique on the degree of drug transformation were examined. A designed set of calibration standards were employed to develop quantitative partial least square regression models to predict the concentration of each drug form during both wet granulation and the drying process. Throughout all our experiments we observed complex changes of the drug form during granulation, manifest as conversions between the initial non-solvated form of Compound A, the hemi-hydrate form and the "apparent" amorphous form (dissolved drug). The online Raman data demonstrate that the non-solvated form converts to an "apparent" amorphous form (dissolved drug) due to drug dissolution with no appearance of the hemi-hydrate form during water addition stage. The extent of conversion of the non-solvated form was governed by the amount of water added and the rate of conversion was accelerated at higher temperatures. Interestingly, in the wet massing zone, the formation of the hemi-hydrate form was observed at a rate equivalent to the rate of depletion of the non-solvated form with no change in the level of the "apparent amorphous" form generated. The level of hemi-hydrate increased with an increase in wet massing time. The drying process had a significant effect on the proportion of each form. During tray drying, changes in drug form continued for hours. In contrast fluid bed drying appeared to lock the final proportions of drug form product attained during granulation, with comparatively small changes observed during drying. In conclusion, it was possible to simultaneously monitor the three forms in real time during wet granulation and drying using online Raman spectroscopy. The results regarding the effect of process parameters on the degree of transformation are critical for designing a robust process that ensures a consistent form in the final drug product. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quasi-continuous parallel online scattered light, fluorescence and dissolved oxygen tension measurement combined with monitoring of the oxygen transfer rate in each well of a shaken microtiter plate.

PubMed

Ladner, Tobias; Held, Markus; Flitsch, David; Beckers, Mario; Büchs, Jochen

2016-12-03

Microtiter plates (MTP) are often applied as culture vessels in high-throughput screening programs. If online measuring techniques are available, MTPs can also be applied in the first steps of process development. For such small-scale bioreactors dipping probes are usually too large; therefore, optical measurements are often used. For example, the BioLector technology allows for the online monitoring of scattered light and fluorescence in each well of a continuously orbitally shaken MTP. Although this system provides valuable data, these measurements are mainly of a semi-quantitative nature. Therefore, signal calibration is required to obtain absolute values. With the µRAMOS technology it became possible for the first time to quantify the oxygen transfer rate (OTR) separately in each well of an MTP. In this work, a device is presented that combines both techniques, to provide a hitherto unparalleled high amount of information from each single well. Because both systems (BioLector and µRAMOS) are based on optical measurements, the measurements need to be synchronized to avoid interferences with the optical signals. The new experimental setup was applied for online monitoring in cultures of Escherichia coli and Hansenula polymorpha. It has been demonstrated that the well-to-well reproducibility is very high, and that the monitored signals provide reliable and valuable information about the process. With varying filling volumes, different maximum oxygen transfer capacities (OTR max ) were adjusted in oxygen-limited cultures. The different degrees of stress during the culture due to oxygen limitation affected microbial growth and also impacted reproducibility from culture to culture. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that this new device significantly simplifies the experimental efforts: instead of parallel cultures in a shake flask and MTP, just one single experiment in MTP needs to be conducted to measure the OTR, dissolved oxygen tension (DOT), scattered light and fluorescence. The new device is a very suitable system for the online monitoring of cultures in continuously orbitally shaken MTPs. Due to the high number of parameters that can simultaneously be measured with this small-scale device, deeper insight into the investigated microbial system can be achieved. Furthermore, the experimental efforts to obtain OTR, DOT, scattered light and fluorescence signals during a culture are decreased. Ultimately, this new technology and the resulting high amount of collected data will eliminate the currently existing separation between screening and process development. Graphical abstract Picture of the combined μRAMOS and BioLector setup which allows for measurements of the oxygen transfer rate (OTR), dissolved oxygen tension (DOT), scattered light and fluorescence in each single well of an orbitally shaken microtiter plate.

Multivariate Analysis To Quantify Species in the Presence of Direct Interferents: Micro-Raman Analysis of HNO 3 in Microfluidic Devices

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

Lines, Amanda M.; Nelson, Gilbert L.; Casella, Amanda J.

Microfluidic devices are a growing field with significant potential for application to small scale processing of solutions. Much like large scale processing, fast, reliable, and cost effective means of monitoring the streams during processing are needed. Here we apply a novel Micro-Raman probe to the on-line monitoring of streams within a microfluidic device. For either macro or micro scale process monitoring via spectroscopic response, there is the danger of interfering or confounded bands obfuscating results. By utilizing chemometric analysis, a form of multivariate analysis, species can be accurately quantified in solution despite the presence of overlapping or confounded spectroscopic bands.more » This is demonstrated on solutions of HNO 3 and NaNO 3 within micro-flow and microfluidic devices.« less

The protective effects of parental monitoring and internet restriction on adolescents' risk of online harassment.

PubMed

Khurana, Atika; Bleakley, Amy; Jordan, Amy B; Romer, Daniel

2015-05-01

With many adolescents using the internet to communicate with their peers, online harassment is on the rise among youth. The purpose of this study was to understand how parental monitoring and strategies parents use to regulate children's internet use (i.e., internet restriction) can help reduce online harassment among adolescents. Online survey data were collected from a nationally representative sample of parents and their 12-17 year old adolescents (n = 629; 49 % female). Structural equation modeling was used to test direct and indirect effects of parental monitoring and internet restriction on being a victim of online harassment. Potential mediators included adolescents' frequency of use of social networking websites, time spent on computers outside of school, and internet access in the adolescent's bedroom. Age and gender differences were also explored. Adolescents' reports of parental monitoring and efforts to regulate specific forms of internet use were associated with reduced rates of online harassment. Specifically, the effect of parental monitoring was largely direct and 26 times greater than parental internet restriction. The latter was associated with lower rates of harassment only indirectly by limiting internet access in the adolescent's bedroom. These effects operated similarly for younger and older adolescents and for males and females. Adolescents' perceptions of parental monitoring and awareness can be protective against online harassment. Specific restriction strategies such as regulating internet time and content can also help reduce the risk of online harassment.

A Needs Assessment of Air Force Systems Command Buying Activity Acquisition Management Information System (AMIS) Users

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-09-01

Guidelines Generation #2 b. Electronic Submission of Commerce Business Daily ( CBD ) Notices #6 c. On-line Debarred/Suspended List #5 d. On-Line Contract...a number of years. Reality of system differs from manual. One reference - easy to follow, block by block - is needed. -Imaging and CBD electronic...milestones are tracked - and those milestones should be monitored as a natural outcome of thc process - e.g. A milestone is noted when the RFP is

Online monitoring of thermo-cycles and its correlation with microstructure in laser cladding of nickel based super alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muvvala, Gopinath; Patra Karmakar, Debapriya; Nath, Ashish Kumar

2017-01-01

Laser cladding, basically a weld deposition technique, is finding applications in many areas including surface coatings, refurbishment of worn out components and generation of functionally graded components owing to its various advantages over conventional methods like TIG, PTA etc. One of the essential requirements to adopt this technique in industrial manufacturing is to fulfil the increasing demand on product quality which could be controlled through online process monitoring and correlating the signals with the mechanical and metallurgical properties. Rapid thermo-cycle i.e. the fast heating and cooling rates involved in this process affect above properties of the deposited layer to a great extent. Therefore, the current study aims to monitor the thermo-cycles online, understand its variation with process parameters and its effect on different quality aspects of the clad layer, like microstructure, elemental segregations and mechanical properties. The effect of process parameters on clad track geometry is also studied which helps in their judicious selection to deposit a predefined thickness of coating. In this study Inconel 718, a nickel based super alloy is used as a clad material and AISI 304 austenitic steel as a substrate material. The thermo-cycles during the cladding process were recorded using a single spot monochromatic pyrometer. The heating and cooling rates were estimated from the recorded thermo-cycles and its effects on microstructures were characterised using SEM and XRD analyses. Slow thermo-cycles resulted in severe elemental segregations favouring Laves phase formation and increased γ matrix size which is found to be detrimental to the mechanical properties. Slow cooling also resulted in termination of epitaxial growth, forming equiaxed grains near the surface, which is not preferred for single crystal growth. Heat treatment is carried out and the effect of slow cooling and the increased γ matrix size on dissolution of segregated elements in metal matrix is studied.

On-line monitoring of volatile organic compounds at pptv levels by means of proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) medical applications, food control and environmental research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindinger, W.; Hansel, A.; Jordan, A.

1998-02-01

A proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) system has been developed which allows for on-line measurements of trace components with concentrations as low as a few pptv. The method is based on reactions of H3O+ ions, which perform non-dissociative proton transfer to most of the common volatile organic compounds (VOCs) but do not react with any of the components present in clean air. Medical applications by means of breath analysis allow for monitoring of metabolic processes in the human body, and examples of food research are discussed on the basis of VOC emissions from fruit, coffee and meat. Environmental applications include investigations of VOC emissions from decaying biomatter which have been found to be an important source for tropospheric acetone, methanol and ethanol. On-line monitoring of the diurnal variations of VOCs in the troposphere yield data demonstrating the present sensitivity of PTR-MS to be in the range of a few pptv. Finally, PTR-MS has proven to be an ideal tool to measure Henry's law constants and their dependencies on temperature as well as on the salt content of water.

Near Infrared Spectroscopy for On-line Monitoring of Alkali- Free Cloth/Phenolic Resin Prepreg During Manufacture

PubMed Central

Jiang, Bo; Huang, Yu Dong

2007-01-01

A NIR method was developed for the on-line monitoring of alkali-free cloth/phenolic resin prepreg during its manufacturing process. First, the sizing content of the alkali-free cloth was analyzed, and then the resin, soluble resin and volatiles content of the prepreg was analyzed simultaneously using the FT-NIR spectrometer. Partial least square (PLS) regression was used to develop the calibration models, which for the sizing content was preprocessed by 1stDER +MSC, for the volatile content by 1stDER +VN, for the soluble resin content by 1stDER +MSC and for the resin content by the VN spectral data preprocessing method. RMSEP of the prediction model for the sizing content was 0.732 %, for the resin content it was 0.605, for the soluble resin content it was 0.101 and for volatiles content it was 0.127. The results of the paired t-test revealed that there was no significant difference between the NIR method and the standard method. The NIR spectroscopy method could be used to predict the resin, soluble resin and the volatiles content of the prepreg simultaneously, as well as sizing content of alkali-free cloth. The processing parameters of the prepreg during manufacture could be adjusted quickly with the help of the NIR analysis results. The results indicated that the NIR spectroscopy method was sufficiently accurate and effective for the on-line monitoring of alkali-free cloth/phenolic resin prepreg.

Two new advanced forms of spectrometry for space and commercial applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlager, Kenneth J.

1991-01-01

Reagentless ultraviolet absorption spectrometry (UVAS) and Liquid Atomic Emission Spectrometry (LAES) represent new forms of spectrometry with extensive potential in both space and commercial applications. Originally developed under KSC sponsorship for monitoring nutrient solutions for the Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS), both UVAS and LAES have extensive analytical capabilities for both organic and inorganic chemical compounds. Both forms of instrumentation involve the use of remote fiber optic probes and real-time measurements for on-line process monitoring. Commercial applications exist primarily in environmental analysis and for process control in the chemical, pulp and paper, food processing, metal plating, and water/wastewater treatment industries.

Patterns of Success: Online Self-Monitoring in a Web-Based Behavioral Weight Control Program

PubMed Central

Krukowski, Rebecca A.; Harvey-Berino, Jean; Bursac, Zoran; Ashikaga, Taka; West, Delia Smith

2016-01-01

Objectives Online weight control technologies could reduce barriers to treatment, including increased ease and convenience of self-monitoring. Self-monitoring consistently predicts outcomes in behavioral weight loss programs; however, little is known about patterns of self-monitoring associated with success. Methods The current study examines 161 participants (93% female; 31% African-American; mean BMI=35.7±5.7) randomized to a 6-month online behavioral weight control program which offered weekly group “chat” sessions and online self-monitoring. Self-monitoring log-ins were continuously monitored electronically during treatment and examined in association with weight change and demographics. Weekend and weekday log-ins were examined separately and length of periods of continuous self-monitoring were examined. Results We found that 91% of participants logged in to the self-monitoring webpage at least once. Over 6 months, these participants monitored on an average of 28% of weekdays and 17% of weekend days, with most log-ins earlier in the program. Women were less likely to log-in, and there were trends for greater self-monitoring by older participants. Race, education and marital status were not significant predictors of self-monitoring. Both weekday and weekend log-ins were significant independent predictors of weight loss. Patterns of consistent self-monitoring emerged early for participants who went on to achieve greater than a five percent weight loss. Conclusions Patterns of online self-monitoring were strongly associated with weight loss outcomes. These results suggest a specific focus on consistent self-monitoring early in a behavioral weight control program might be beneficial for achieving clinically significant weight losses. PMID:22545978

Molecular Probes: An Innovative Technology for Monitoring Membrane Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santoro, Sergio

The ultimate objective of this study is to use molecular probes as an innovative and alternative technology contributing to the advance of membrane science by monitoring membrane processes in-situ, on-line and at sub-micron scale. An optical sensor for oxygen sensing was developed by the immobilization of tris (1,10-phenanthroline) ruthenium (II) (Ru(phen)3) in a dense polymeric membrane made of polystyrene (PS) or Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV). The emission of the probe was quenched by both the temperature and by the oxygen. Moreover, the oxygen sensitivity was affected by the oxygen permeability of the membrane. The evaluation of the oxygen concentration is prone to errors since the emission of a single probe depends on several parameters (i.e. optical path, source intensity). The correction of these artefacts was obtained by the immobilization of a second luminescent molecule non-sensitive to the oxygen, Coumarin. The potential of the luminescent ratiometric sensor for the non-invasive monitoring of oxygen in food packaging using polymeric films with different oxygen permeability was evaluated. Emphasis was given to the efficiency of the optical sensor for the on-line, in-situ and non invasive monitoring of the oxygen by comparing the experimental data with a model which takes into account the oxygen permeability of the packaging materials evaluated independently. A nano-thermometer based on silica nano-particles doped with Ru(phen)3 was developed. A systematic study shows how it is possible to control the properties of the nano-particles as well as their temperature sensitivity. The nano-thermometer was immobilized on a membrane surface by dip-coating providing information about the temperature on the membrane surface. Hydrophobic porous membrane made of Poly(vinylidene fluoride) was prepared via electrospinning and employed in a direct contact membrane distillation process. Using a designed membrane module and a membrane doped with Ru(phen)3 the on-line mapping of the temperature on the membrane's surface was evaluated. None None None None

NASA JSC water monitor system: City of Houston field demonstration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, R. E.; Jeffers, E. L.; Fricks, D. H.

1979-01-01

A water quality monitoring system with on-line and real time operation similar to the function in a spacecraft was investigated. A system with the capability to determine conformance to future high effluent quality standards and to increase the potential for reclamation and reuse of water was designed. Although all system capabilities were not verified in the initial field trial, fully automated operation over a sustained period with only routine manual adjustments was accomplished. Two major points were demonstrated: (1) the water monitor system has great potential in water monitoring and/or process control applications; and (2) the water monitor system represents a vast improvement over conventional (grab sample) water monitoring techniques.

Acquiring Data by Mining the Past: Pairing Communities with Environmental Monitoring Methods through Open Online Collaborative Replication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lippincott, M.; Lewis, E. S.; Gehrke, G. E.; Wise, A.; Pyle, S.; Sinatra, V.; Bland, G.; Bydlowski, D.; Henry, A.; Gilberts, P. A.

2016-12-01

Community groups are interested in low-cost sensors to monitor their environment. However, many new commercial sensors are unknown devices without peer-reviewed evaluations of data quality or pathways to regulatory acceptance, and the time to achieve these outcomes may be beyond a community's patience and attention. Rather than developing a device from scratch or validating a new commercial product, a workflow is presented whereby existing technologies, especially those that are out of patent, are replicated through open online collaboration between communities affected by environmental pollution, volunteers, academic institutions, and existing open hardware and open source software projects. Technology case studies will be presented, focusing primarily on a passive PM monitor based on the UNC Passive Monitor. Stages of the project will be detailed moving from identifying community needs, reviewing existing technology, partnership development, technology replication, IP review and licensing, data quality assurance (in process), and field evaluation with community partners (in process), with special attention to partnership development and technology review. We have leveraged open hardware and open source software to lower the cost and access barriers of existing technologies for PM10-2.5 and other atmospheric measures that have already been validated through peer review. Existing validation of and regulatory familiarity with a technology enables a rapid pathway towards collecting data, shortening the time it takes for communities to leverage data in environmental management decisions. Online collaboration requires rigorous documentation that aids in spreading research methods and promoting deep engagement by interested community researchers outside academia. At the same time, careful choice of technology and the use of small-scale fabrication through laser cutting, 3D printing, and open, shared repositories of plans and software enables educational engagement that broadens a project's reach.

3D printed fluidics with embedded analytic functionality for automated reaction optimisation

PubMed Central

Capel, Andrew J; Wright, Andrew; Harding, Matthew J; Weaver, George W; Li, Yuqi; Harris, Russell A; Edmondson, Steve; Goodridge, Ruth D

2017-01-01

Additive manufacturing or ‘3D printing’ is being developed as a novel manufacturing process for the production of bespoke micro- and milliscale fluidic devices. When coupled with online monitoring and optimisation software, this offers an advanced, customised method for performing automated chemical synthesis. This paper reports the use of two additive manufacturing processes, stereolithography and selective laser melting, to create multifunctional fluidic devices with embedded reaction monitoring capability. The selectively laser melted parts are the first published examples of multifunctional 3D printed metal fluidic devices. These devices allow high temperature and pressure chemistry to be performed in solvent systems destructive to the majority of devices manufactured via stereolithography, polymer jetting and fused deposition modelling processes previously utilised for this application. These devices were integrated with commercially available flow chemistry, chromatographic and spectroscopic analysis equipment, allowing automated online and inline optimisation of the reaction medium. This set-up allowed the optimisation of two reactions, a ketone functional group interconversion and a fused polycyclic heterocycle formation, via spectroscopic and chromatographic analysis. PMID:28228852

Characterizing User Groups in Online Social Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gyarmati, László; Trinh, Tuan Anh

The users’ role is crucial in the development, deployment and the success of online social networks (OSNs). Despite this fact, little is known and even less has been published about user activities in the operating OSNs. In this paper, we present a large scale measurement analysis of user behaviour, in terms of time spent online, in some popular OSNs, namely Bebo, Flixster, MySpace, and Skyrock, and characterise user groups in OSNs. We used more than 200 PlanetLab [1] nodes for our measurement, monitored more than 3000 users for three weeks by downloading repeatedly their profile pages; more than 100 million pages were processed in total. The main findings of the paper are the following. Firstly, we create a measurement framework in order to observe user activity. Secondly, we present cumulative usage statistics of the different OSNs. Thirdly, we classify the monitored users into different groups and characterise the common properties of the members. Finally, we illustrate the wide applicability of our datasets by predicting the sign out method of the OSN users.

ATLAS tile calorimeter cesium calibration control and analysis software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solovyanov, O.; Solodkov, A.; Starchenko, E.; Karyukhin, A.; Isaev, A.; Shalanda, N.

2008-07-01

An online control system to calibrate and monitor ATLAS Barrel hadronic calorimeter (TileCal) with a movable radioactive source, driven by liquid flow, is described. To read out and control the system an online software has been developed, using ATLAS TDAQ components like DVS (Diagnostic and Verification System) to verify the hardware before running, IS (Information Server) for data and status exchange between networked computers, and other components like DDC (DCS to DAQ Connection), to connect to PVSS-based slow control systems of Tile Calorimeter, high voltage and low voltage. A system of scripting facilities, based on Python language, is used to handle all the calibration and monitoring processes from hardware perspective to final data storage, including various abnormal situations. A QT based graphical user interface to display the status of the calibration system during the cesium source scan is described. The software for analysis of the detector response, using online data, is discussed. Performance of the system and first experience from the ATLAS pit are presented.

Current trends in molecular sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wlodarski, Wojtek

1992-08-01

The biosphere contains a myriad of substances which can influence or stimulate various aspects of the health and behavior of living organisms. Not surprisingly, in the last decade or so researchers have appreciated the potential of developing a range of molecular sensor technologies, designed to estimate and monitor biological and chemical substances with a view to eventually controlling the biological processes themselves. This development has been accelerated recently by the realization that molecular sensors offer considerable commercial potential. At the same time, it was quickly appreciated that such sensors could revolutionize several areas, including health care, pollution and contamination monitoring, agriculture, on-line monitoring and control of industrial chemical processing, and strategic and tactical monitoring of chemical warfare. This brief review considers the changing scene in molecular sensor research by reference to a few key examples.

An Improved Gaussian Mixture Model for Damage Propagation Monitoring of an Aircraft Wing Spar under Changing Structural Boundary Conditions.

PubMed

Qiu, Lei; Yuan, Shenfang; Mei, Hanfei; Fang, Fang

2016-02-26

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) technology is considered to be a key technology to reduce the maintenance cost and meanwhile ensure the operational safety of aircraft structures. It has gradually developed from theoretic and fundamental research to real-world engineering applications in recent decades. The problem of reliable damage monitoring under time-varying conditions is a main issue for the aerospace engineering applications of SHM technology. Among the existing SHM methods, Guided Wave (GW) and piezoelectric sensor-based SHM technique is a promising method due to its high damage sensitivity and long monitoring range. Nevertheless the reliability problem should be addressed. Several methods including environmental parameter compensation, baseline signal dependency reduction and data normalization, have been well studied but limitations remain. This paper proposes a damage propagation monitoring method based on an improved Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM). It can be used on-line without any structural mechanical model and a priori knowledge of damage and time-varying conditions. With this method, a baseline GMM is constructed first based on the GW features obtained under time-varying conditions when the structure under monitoring is in the healthy state. When a new GW feature is obtained during the on-line damage monitoring process, the GMM can be updated by an adaptive migration mechanism including dynamic learning and Gaussian components split-merge. The mixture probability distribution structure of the GMM and the number of Gaussian components can be optimized adaptively. Then an on-line GMM can be obtained. Finally, a best match based Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence is studied to measure the migration degree between the baseline GMM and the on-line GMM to reveal the weak cumulative changes of the damage propagation mixed in the time-varying influence. A wing spar of an aircraft is used to validate the proposed method. The results indicate that the crack propagation under changing structural boundary conditions can be monitored reliably. The method is not limited by the properties of the structure, and thus it is feasible to be applied to composite structure.

Statistically Qualified Neuro-Analytic system and Method for Process Monitoring

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

Vilim, Richard B.; Garcia, Humberto E.; Chen, Frederick W.

1998-11-04

An apparatus and method for monitoring a process involves development and application of a statistically qualified neuro-analytic (SQNA) model to accurately and reliably identify process change. The development of the SQNA model is accomplished in two steps: deterministic model adaption and stochastic model adaptation. Deterministic model adaption involves formulating an analytic model of the process representing known process characteristics,augmenting the analytic model with a neural network that captures unknown process characteristics, and training the resulting neuro-analytic model by adjusting the neural network weights according to a unique scaled equation emor minimization technique. Stochastic model adaptation involves qualifying any remaining uncertaintymore » in the trained neuro-analytic model by formulating a likelihood function, given an error propagation equation, for computing the probability that the neuro-analytic model generates measured process output. Preferably, the developed SQNA model is validated using known sequential probability ratio tests and applied to the process as an on-line monitoring system.« less

On-line data analysis and monitoring for H1 drift chambers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Düllmann, Dirk

1992-05-01

The on-line monitoring, slow control and calibration of the H1 central jet chamber uses a VME multiprocessor system to perform the analysis and a connected Macintosh computer as graphical interface to the operator on shift. Task of this system are: - analysis of event data including on-line track search, - on-line calibration from normal events and testpulse events, - control of the high voltage and monitoring of settings and currents, - monitoring of temperature, pressure and mixture of the chambergas. A program package is described which controls the dataflow between data aquisition, differnt VME CPUs and Macintosh. It allows to run off-line style programs for the different tasks.

Automating security monitoring and analysis for Space Station Freedom's electric power system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dolce, James L.; Sobajic, Dejan J.; Pao, Yoh-Han

1990-01-01

Operating a large, space power system requires classifying the system's status and analyzing its security. Conventional algorithms are used by terrestrial electric utilities to provide such information to their dispatchers, but their application aboard Space Station Freedom will consume too much processing time. A new approach for monitoring and analysis using adaptive pattern techniques is presented. This approach yields an on-line security monitoring and analysis algorithm that is accurate and fast; and thus, it can free the Space Station Freedom's power control computers for other tasks.

Automating security monitoring and analysis for Space Station Freedom's electric power system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dolce, James L.; Sobajic, Dejan J.; Pao, Yoh-Han

1990-01-01

Operating a large, space power system requires classifying the system's status and analyzing its security. Conventional algorithms are used by terrestrial electric utilities to provide such information to their dispatchers, but their application aboard Space Station Freedom will consume too much processing time. A novel approach for monitoring and analysis using adaptive pattern techniques is presented. This approach yields an on-line security monitoring and analysis algorithm that is accurate and fast; and thus, it can free the Space Station Freedom's power control computers for other tasks.

Brain activity patterns induced by interrupting the cognitive processes with online advertising.

PubMed

Rejer, Izabela; Jankowski, Jarosław

2017-11-01

As a result of the increasing role of online advertising and strong competition among advertisers, intrusive techniques are commonly used to attract web users' attention. Moreover, since marketing content is usually delivered to the target audience when they are performing typical online tasks, like searching for information or reading online content, its delivery interrupts the web user's current cognitive process. The question posed by many researchers in the field of online advertising is: how should we measure the influence of interruption of cognitive processes on human behavior and emotional state? Much research has been conducted in this field; however, most of this research has focused on monitoring activity in the simulated environment, or processing declarative responses given by users in prepared questionnaires. In this paper, a more direct real-time approach is taken, and the effect of the interruption on a web user is analyzed directly by studying the activity of his brain. This paper presents the results of an experiment that was conducted to find the brain activity patterns associated with interruptions of the cognitive process by showing internet advertisements during a text-reading task. Three specific aspects were addressed in the experiment: individual patterns, the consistency of these patterns across trials, and the intra-subject correlation of the individual patterns. Two main effects were observed for most subjects: a drop in activity in the frontal and prefrontal cortical areas across all frequency bands, and significant changes in the frontal/prefrontal asymmetry index.

On-line Toxicity Monitors and Their Use in an Upper Mississippi Watershed Water Quality Monitoring Network

EPA Science Inventory

A collaborative effort to monitor the upper Mississippi River watershed using On-line Toxicity Monitors (OTMs) is underway with three sites currently deployed and several more at various stages of development. Federal, State, and Local, agencies as well as utilities and Universi...

Multisensor-based real-time quality monitoring by means of feature extraction, selection and modeling for Al alloy in arc welding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhifen; Chen, Huabin; Xu, Yanling; Zhong, Jiyong; Lv, Na; Chen, Shanben

2015-08-01

Multisensory data fusion-based online welding quality monitoring has gained increasing attention in intelligent welding process. This paper mainly focuses on the automatic detection of typical welding defect for Al alloy in gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) by means of analzing arc spectrum, sound and voltage signal. Based on the developed algorithms in time and frequency domain, 41 feature parameters were successively extracted from these signals to characterize the welding process and seam quality. Then, the proposed feature selection approach, i.e., hybrid fisher-based filter and wrapper was successfully utilized to evaluate the sensitivity of each feature and reduce the feature dimensions. Finally, the optimal feature subset with 19 features was selected to obtain the highest accuracy, i.e., 94.72% using established classification model. This study provides a guideline for feature extraction, selection and dynamic modeling based on heterogeneous multisensory data to achieve a reliable online defect detection system in arc welding.

Application of laser ultrasonic method for on-line monitoring of friction stir spot welding process.

PubMed

Zhang, Kuanshuang; Zhou, Zhenggan; Zhou, Jianghua

2015-09-01

Application of a laser ultrasonic method is developed for on-line monitoring of the friction stir spot welding (FSSW) process. Based on the technology of FSSW, laser-generated ultrasonic waves in a good weld and nonweld area are simulated by a finite element method. The reflected and transmitted waves are analyzed to disclose the properties of the welded interface. The noncontact-laser ultrasonic-inspection system was established to verify the numerical results. The reflected waves in the good-weld and nonweld area can be distinguished by time-of-flight. The transmitted waves evidently attenuate in the nonweld area in contrast to signal amplitude in the good weld area because of interfacial impedance difference. Laser ultrasonic C-scan images can sufficiently evaluate the intrinsic character of the weld area in comparison with traditional water-immersion ultrasonic testing results. The research results confirm that laser ultrasonics would be an effective method to realize the characterization of FSSW defects.

Feasibility Study on the Use of On-line Multivariate Statistical Process Control for Safeguards Applications in Natural Uranium Conversion Plants

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

Ladd-Lively, Jennifer L

2014-01-01

The objective of this work was to determine the feasibility of using on-line multivariate statistical process control (MSPC) for safeguards applications in natural uranium conversion plants. Multivariate statistical process control is commonly used throughout industry for the detection of faults. For safeguards applications in uranium conversion plants, faults could include the diversion of intermediate products such as uranium dioxide, uranium tetrafluoride, and uranium hexafluoride. This study was limited to a 100 metric ton of uranium (MTU) per year natural uranium conversion plant (NUCP) using the wet solvent extraction method for the purification of uranium ore concentrate. A key component inmore » the multivariate statistical methodology is the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) approach for the analysis of data, development of the base case model, and evaluation of future operations. The PCA approach was implemented through the use of singular value decomposition of the data matrix where the data matrix represents normal operation of the plant. Component mole balances were used to model each of the process units in the NUCP. However, this approach could be applied to any data set. The monitoring framework developed in this research could be used to determine whether or not a diversion of material has occurred at an NUCP as part of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards system. This approach can be used to identify the key monitoring locations, as well as locations where monitoring is unimportant. Detection limits at the key monitoring locations can also be established using this technique. Several faulty scenarios were developed to test the monitoring framework after the base case or normal operating conditions of the PCA model were established. In all of the scenarios, the monitoring framework was able to detect the fault. Overall this study was successful at meeting the stated objective.« less

Don't forget the learner: an essential aspect for developing effective hypermedia online learning in continuing medical education.

PubMed

Sandars, John; Homer, Matthew; Walsh, Kieran; Rutherford, Alaster

2012-03-01

There is increasing use of hypermedia online learning in continuing medical education (CME) that presents the learner with a wide range of different learning resources, requiring the learner to use self-regulated learning (SRL) skills. This study is the first to apply an SRL perspective to understand how learners engage with hypermedia online learning in CME. We found that the main SRL skills used by learners were use of strategies and monitoring. The increasing use of strategies was associated with increasing interest in the topic and with increasing satisfaction with the learning experience. Further research is recommended to understand SRL processes and its impact on learning in other aspects of hypermedia online learning across the different phases of medical education. Research is also recommended to implement and evaluate the learning impact of a variety of approaches to develop the SRL skills of hypermedia online learners in CME.

Time-critical Database Condition Data Handling in the CMS Experiment During the First Data Taking Period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavallari, Francesca; de Gruttola, Michele; Di Guida, Salvatore; Govi, Giacomo; Innocente, Vincenzo; Pfeiffer, Andreas; Pierro, Antonio

2011-12-01

Automatic, synchronous and reliable population of the condition databases is critical for the correct operation of the online selection as well as of the offline reconstruction and analysis of data. In this complex infrastructure, monitoring and fast detection of errors is a very challenging task. In this paper, we describe the CMS experiment system to process and populate the Condition Databases and make condition data promptly available both online for the high-level trigger and offline for reconstruction. The data are automatically collected using centralized jobs or are "dropped" by the users in dedicated services (offline and online drop-box), which synchronize them and take care of writing them into the online database. Then they are automatically streamed to the offline database, and thus are immediately accessible offline worldwide. The condition data are managed by different users using a wide range of applications.In normal operation the database monitor is used to provide simple timing information and the history of all transactions for all database accounts, and in the case of faults it is used to return simple error messages and more complete debugging information.

Multivariate Analysis of Ladle Vibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yenus, Jaefer; Brooks, Geoffrey; Dunn, Michelle

2016-08-01

The homogeneity of composition and uniformity of temperature of the steel melt before it is transferred to the tundish are crucial in making high-quality steel product. The homogenization process is performed by stirring the melt using inert gas in ladles. Continuous monitoring of this process is important to make sure the action of stirring is constant throughout the ladle. Currently, the stirring process is monitored by process operators who largely rely on visual and acoustic phenomena from the ladle. However, due to lack of measurable signals, the accuracy and suitability of this manual monitoring are problematic. The actual flow of argon gas to the ladle may not be same as the flow gage reading due to leakage along the gas line components. As a result, the actual degree of stirring may not be correctly known. Various researchers have used one-dimensional vibration, and sound and image signals measured from the ladle to predict the degree of stirring inside. They developed online sensors which are indeed to monitor the online stirring phenomena. In this investigation, triaxial vibration signals have been measured from a cold water model which is a model of an industrial ladle. Three flow rate ranges and varying bath heights were used to collect vibration signals. The Fast Fourier Transform was applied to the dataset before it has been analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS). PCA was used to unveil the structure in the experimental data. PLS was mainly applied to predict the stirring from the vibration response. It was found that for each flow rate range considered in this study, the informative signals reside in different frequency ranges. The first latent variables in these frequency ranges explain more than 95 pct of the variation in the stirring process for the entire single layer and the double layer data collected from the cold model. PLS analysis in these identified frequency ranges demonstrated that the latent variables of the response and predictor variables are highly correlated. The predicted variable has shown linear relationship with the stirring energy and bath recirculation speed. This outcome can improve the predictability of the mixing status in ladle metallurgy and make the online control of the process easier. Industrial testing of this input will follow.

Quality assurance for online adapted treatment plans: Benchmarking and delivery monitoring simulation

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

Li, Taoran, E-mail: taoran.li.duke@gmail.com; Wu, Qiuwen; Yang, Yun

Purpose: An important challenge facing online adaptive radiation therapy is the development of feasible and efficient quality assurance (QA). This project aimed to validate the deliverability of online adapted plans and develop a proof-of-concept online delivery monitoring system for online adaptive radiation therapy QA. Methods: The first part of this project benchmarked automatically online adapted prostate treatment plans using traditional portal dosimetry IMRT QA. The portal dosimetry QA results of online adapted plans were compared to original (unadapted) plans as well as randomly selected prostate IMRT plans from our clinic. In the second part, an online delivery monitoring system wasmore » designed and validated via a simulated treatment with intentional multileaf collimator (MLC) errors. This system was based on inputs from the dynamic machine information (DMI), which continuously reports actual MLC positions and machine monitor units (MUs) at intervals of 50 ms or less during delivery. Based on the DMI, the system performed two levels of monitoring/verification during the delivery: (1) dynamic monitoring of cumulative fluence errors resulting from leaf position deviations and visualization using fluence error maps (FEMs); and (2) verification of MLC positions against the treatment plan for potential errors in MLC motion and data transfer at each control point. Validation of the online delivery monitoring system was performed by introducing intentional systematic MLC errors (ranging from 0.5 to 2 mm) to the DMI files for both leaf banks. These DMI files were analyzed by the proposed system to evaluate the system’s performance in quantifying errors and revealing the source of errors, as well as to understand patterns in the FEMs. In addition, FEMs from 210 actual prostate IMRT beams were analyzed using the proposed system to further validate its ability to catch and identify errors, as well as establish error magnitude baselines for prostate IMRT delivery. Results: Online adapted plans were found to have similar delivery accuracy in comparison to clinical IMRT plans when validated with portal dosimetry IMRT QA. FEMs for the simulated deliveries with intentional MLC errors exhibited distinct patterns for different MLC error magnitudes and directions, indicating that the proposed delivery monitoring system is highly specific in detecting the source of errors. Implementing the proposed QA system for online adapted plans revealed excellent delivery accuracy: over 99% of leaf position differences were within 0.5 mm, and >99% of pixels in the FEMs had fluence errors within 0.5 MU. Patterns present in the FEMs and MLC control point analysis for actual patient cases agreed with the error pattern analysis results, further validating the system’s ability to reveal and differentiate MLC deviations. Calculation of the fluence map based on the DMI was performed within 2 ms after receiving each DMI input. Conclusions: The proposed online delivery monitoring system requires minimal additional resources and time commitment to the current clinical workflow while still maintaining high sensitivity to leaf position errors and specificity to error types. The presented online delivery monitoring system therefore represents a promising QA system candidate for online adaptive radiation therapy.« less

Quality assurance for online adapted treatment plans: benchmarking and delivery monitoring simulation.

PubMed

Li, Taoran; Wu, Qiuwen; Yang, Yun; Rodrigues, Anna; Yin, Fang-Fang; Jackie Wu, Q

2015-01-01

An important challenge facing online adaptive radiation therapy is the development of feasible and efficient quality assurance (QA). This project aimed to validate the deliverability of online adapted plans and develop a proof-of-concept online delivery monitoring system for online adaptive radiation therapy QA. The first part of this project benchmarked automatically online adapted prostate treatment plans using traditional portal dosimetry IMRT QA. The portal dosimetry QA results of online adapted plans were compared to original (unadapted) plans as well as randomly selected prostate IMRT plans from our clinic. In the second part, an online delivery monitoring system was designed and validated via a simulated treatment with intentional multileaf collimator (MLC) errors. This system was based on inputs from the dynamic machine information (DMI), which continuously reports actual MLC positions and machine monitor units (MUs) at intervals of 50 ms or less during delivery. Based on the DMI, the system performed two levels of monitoring/verification during the delivery: (1) dynamic monitoring of cumulative fluence errors resulting from leaf position deviations and visualization using fluence error maps (FEMs); and (2) verification of MLC positions against the treatment plan for potential errors in MLC motion and data transfer at each control point. Validation of the online delivery monitoring system was performed by introducing intentional systematic MLC errors (ranging from 0.5 to 2 mm) to the DMI files for both leaf banks. These DMI files were analyzed by the proposed system to evaluate the system's performance in quantifying errors and revealing the source of errors, as well as to understand patterns in the FEMs. In addition, FEMs from 210 actual prostate IMRT beams were analyzed using the proposed system to further validate its ability to catch and identify errors, as well as establish error magnitude baselines for prostate IMRT delivery. Online adapted plans were found to have similar delivery accuracy in comparison to clinical IMRT plans when validated with portal dosimetry IMRT QA. FEMs for the simulated deliveries with intentional MLC errors exhibited distinct patterns for different MLC error magnitudes and directions, indicating that the proposed delivery monitoring system is highly specific in detecting the source of errors. Implementing the proposed QA system for online adapted plans revealed excellent delivery accuracy: over 99% of leaf position differences were within 0.5 mm, and >99% of pixels in the FEMs had fluence errors within 0.5 MU. Patterns present in the FEMs and MLC control point analysis for actual patient cases agreed with the error pattern analysis results, further validating the system's ability to reveal and differentiate MLC deviations. Calculation of the fluence map based on the DMI was performed within 2 ms after receiving each DMI input. The proposed online delivery monitoring system requires minimal additional resources and time commitment to the current clinical workflow while still maintaining high sensitivity to leaf position errors and specificity to error types. The presented online delivery monitoring system therefore represents a promising QA system candidate for online adaptive radiation therapy.

Effects of Online Note Taking Formats and Self-Monitoring Prompts on Learning from Online Text: Using Technology to Enhance Self-Regulated Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kauffman, Douglas F.; Zhao, Ruomeng; Yang, Ya-Shu

2011-01-01

This study explored conditions under which note taking methods and self-monitoring prompts are most effective for facilitating information collection and achievement in an online learning environment. In experiment 1 30 students collected notes from a website using an online conventional, outline, or matrix note taking tool. In experiment 2 119…

Coupling online effects-based monitoring with physicochemical, optical, and spectroscopy methods to assess quality at a surface water intake

EPA Science Inventory

Effects-based monitoring of water quality is a proven approach to monitoring the status of a water source. Only biological material can integrate factors which dictate toxicity. Online Toxicity Monitors (OTMs) provide a means to digitize sentinel organism responses to dynamic wa...

Increasing Psychotherapists’ Adoption and Implementation of the Evidence-based Practice of Progress Monitoring

PubMed Central

Persons, Jacqueline B.; Koerner, Kelly; Eidelman, Polina; Thomas, Cannon; Liu, Howard

2015-01-01

Evidence-based practices (EBPs) reach consumers slowly because practitioners are slow to adopt and implement them. We hypothesized that giving psychotherapists a tool + training intervention that was designed to help the therapist integrate the EBP of progress monitoring into his or her usual way of working would be associated with adoption and sustained implementation of the particular progress monitoring tool we trained them to use (the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales on our Online Progress Tracking tool) and would generalize to all types of progress monitoring measures. To test these hypotheses, we developed an online progress monitoring tool and a course that trained psychotherapists to use it, and we assessed progress monitoring behavior in 26 psychotherapists before, during, immediately after, and 12 months after they received the tool and training. Immediately after receiving the tool + training intervention, participants showed statistically significant increases in use of the online tool and of all types of progress monitoring measures. Twelve months later, participants showed sustained use of any type of progress monitoring measure but not the online tool. PMID:26618237

Increasing psychotherapists' adoption and implementation of the evidence-based practice of progress monitoring.

PubMed

Persons, Jacqueline B; Koerner, Kelly; Eidelman, Polina; Thomas, Cannon; Liu, Howard

2016-01-01

Evidence-based practices (EBPs) reach consumers slowly because practitioners are slow to adopt and implement them. We hypothesized that giving psychotherapists a tool + training intervention that was designed to help the therapist integrate the EBP of progress monitoring into his or her usual way of working would be associated with adoption and sustained implementation of the particular progress monitoring tool we trained them to use (the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales on our Online Progress Tracking tool) and would generalize to all types of progress monitoring measures. To test these hypotheses, we developed an online progress monitoring tool and a course that trained psychotherapists to use it, and we assessed progress monitoring behavior in 26 psychotherapists before, during, immediately after, and 12 months after they received the tool and training. Immediately after receiving the tool + training intervention, participants showed statistically significant increases in use of the online tool and of all types of progress monitoring measures. Twelve months later, participants showed sustained use of any type of progress monitoring measure but not the online tool. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A non-invasive online photoionization spectrometer for FLASH2.

PubMed

Braune, Markus; Brenner, Günter; Dziarzhytski, Siarhei; Juranić, Pavle; Sorokin, Andrey; Tiedtke, Kai

2016-01-01

The stochastic nature of the self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) process of free-electron lasers (FELs) effects pulse-to-pulse fluctuations of the radiation properties, such as the photon energy, which are determinative for processes of photon-matter interactions. Hence, SASE FEL sources pose a great challenge for scientific investigations, since experimenters need to obtain precise real-time feedback of these properties for each individual photon bunch for interpretation of the experimental data. Furthermore, any device developed to deliver the according information should not significantly interfere with or degrade the FEL beam. Regarding the spectral properties, a device for online monitoring of FEL wavelengths has been developed for FLASH2, which is based on photoionization of gaseous targets and the measurements of the corresponding electron and ion time-of-flight spectra. This paper presents experimental studies and cross-calibration measurements demonstrating the viability of this online photoionization spectrometer.

A non-invasive online photoionization spectrometer for FLASH2

PubMed Central

Braune, Markus; Brenner, Günter; Dziarzhytski, Siarhei; Juranić, Pavle; Sorokin, Andrey; Tiedtke, Kai

2016-01-01

The stochastic nature of the self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) process of free-electron lasers (FELs) effects pulse-to-pulse fluctuations of the radiation properties, such as the photon energy, which are determinative for processes of photon–matter interactions. Hence, SASE FEL sources pose a great challenge for scientific investigations, since experimenters need to obtain precise real-time feedback of these properties for each individual photon bunch for interpretation of the experimental data. Furthermore, any device developed to deliver the according information should not significantly interfere with or degrade the FEL beam. Regarding the spectral properties, a device for online monitoring of FEL wavelengths has been developed for FLASH2, which is based on photoionization of gaseous targets and the measurements of the corresponding electron and ion time-of-flight spectra. This paper presents experimental studies and cross-calibration measurements demonstrating the viability of this online photoionization spectrometer. PMID:26698040

Development of ship structure health monitoring system based on IOT technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Sujun; Shi, Lei; Chen, Demin; Dong, Yuqing; Hu, Zhenyi

2017-06-01

It is very important to monitor the ship structure, because ships are affected by all kinds of wind wave and current environment factor. At the same time, internet of things (IOT) technology plays more and more important role of in the development of industrial process. In the paper, real-time online monitoring of the ship can be realized by means of IOT technology. Ship stress, vibration and dynamic parameters are measured. Meanwhile, data is transmitted to remote monitoring system through intelligent data gateway. Timely remote support can be realized for dangerous stage of ship. Safe navigation of ships is guaranteed through application of the system.

INTERNATIONAL SOURCE WATER TOXICITY MONITORING CONSORTIUM

EPA Science Inventory

Many researchers in the field of time-relevant, on-line toxicity monitors for source water protection believe that some mechanism to guide and prioritize research in this emerging field would be beneficial. On-line toxicity monitors are tools designed to screen water quality and ...

Online Toxicity Monitors (OTM) for Distribution System Water Quality Monitoring

EPA Science Inventory

Drinking water distribution systems in the U.S. are vulnerable to episodic contamination events (both unintentional and intentional). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is conducting research to investigate the use of broad-spectrum online toxicity monitors (OTMs) in ...

Biosensor-based real-time monitoring of paracetamol photocatalytic degradation.

PubMed

Calas-Blanchard, Carole; Istamboulié, Georges; Bontoux, Margot; Plantard, Gaël; Goetz, Vincent; Noguer, Thierry

2015-07-01

This paper presents for the first time the integration of a biosensor for the on-line, real-time monitoring of a photocatalytic degradation process. Paracetamol was used as a model molecule due to its wide use and occurrence in environmental waters. The biosensor was developed based on tyrosinase immobilization in a polyvinylalcohol photocrosslinkable polymer. It was inserted in a computer-controlled flow system installed besides a photocatalytic reactor including titanium dioxide (TiO2) as photocatalyst. It was shown that the biosensor was able to accurately monitor the paracetamol degradation with time. Compared with conventional HPLC analysis, the described device provides a real-time information on the reaction advancement, allowing a better control of the photodegradation process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Arc-Welding Spectroscopic Monitoring based on Feature Selection and Neural Networks.

PubMed

Garcia-Allende, P Beatriz; Mirapeix, Jesus; Conde, Olga M; Cobo, Adolfo; Lopez-Higuera, Jose M

2008-10-21

A new spectral processing technique designed for application in the on-line detection and classification of arc-welding defects is presented in this paper. A noninvasive fiber sensor embedded within a TIG torch collects the plasma radiation originated during the welding process. The spectral information is then processed in two consecutive stages. A compression algorithm is first applied to the data, allowing real-time analysis. The selected spectral bands are then used to feed a classification algorithm, which will be demonstrated to provide an efficient weld defect detection and classification. The results obtained with the proposed technique are compared to a similar processing scheme presented in previous works, giving rise to an improvement in the performance of the monitoring system.

Possibilities in optical monitoring of laser welding process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horník, Petr; Mrňa, Libor; Pavelka, Jan

2016-11-01

Laser welding is a modern, widely used but still not really common method of welding. With increasing demands on the quality of the welds, it is usual to apply automated machine welding and with on-line monitoring of the welding process. The resulting quality of the weld is largely affected by the behavior of keyhole. However, its direct observation during the welding process is practically impossible and it is necessary to use indirect methods. At ISI we have developed optical methods of monitoring the process. Most advanced is an analysis of radiation of laser-induced plasma plume forming in the keyhole where changes in the frequency of the plasma bursts are monitored and evaluated using Fourier and autocorrelation analysis. Another solution, robust and suitable for industry, is based on the observation of the keyhole inlet opening through a coaxial camera mounted in the welding head and the subsequent image processing by computer vision methods. A high-speed camera is used to understand the dynamics of the plasma plume. Through optical spectroscopy of the plume, we can study the excitation of elements in a material. It is also beneficial to monitor the gas flow of shielding gas using schlieren method.

Modeling, Monitoring and Fault Diagnosis of Spacecraft Air Contaminants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramirez, W. Fred; Skliar, Mikhail; Narayan, Anand; Morgenthaler, George W.; Smith, Gerald J.

1996-01-01

Progress and results in the development of an integrated air quality modeling, monitoring, fault detection, and isolation system are presented. The focus was on development of distributed models of the air contaminants transport, the study of air quality monitoring techniques based on the model of transport process and on-line contaminant concentration measurements, and sensor placement. Different approaches to the modeling of spacecraft air contamination are discussed, and a three-dimensional distributed parameter air contaminant dispersion model applicable to both laminar and turbulent transport is proposed. A two-dimensional approximation of a full scale transport model is also proposed based on the spatial averaging of the three dimensional model over the least important space coordinate. A computer implementation of the transport model is considered and a detailed development of two- and three-dimensional models illustrated by contaminant transport simulation results is presented. The use of a well established Kalman filtering approach is suggested as a method for generating on-line contaminant concentration estimates based on both real time measurements and the model of contaminant transport process. It is shown that high computational requirements of the traditional Kalman filter can render difficult its real-time implementation for high-dimensional transport model and a novel implicit Kalman filtering algorithm is proposed which is shown to lead to an order of magnitude faster computer implementation in the case of air quality monitoring.

Infrared Thermography for Monitoring of Freeze-Drying Processes: Instrumental Developments and Preliminary Results

PubMed Central

Emteborg, Håkan; Zeleny, Reinhard; Charoud-Got, Jean; Martos, Gustavo; Lüddeke, Jörg; Schellin, Holger; Teipel, Katharina

2014-01-01

Coupling an infrared (IR) camera to a freeze dryer for on-line monitoring of freeze-drying cycles is described for the first time. Normally, product temperature is measured using a few invasive Pt-100 probes, resulting in poor spatial resolution. To overcome this, an IR camera was placed on a process-scale freeze dryer. Imaging took place every 120 s through a Germanium window comprising 30,000 measurement points obtained contact-free from −40°C to 25°C. Results are presented for an empty system, bulk drying of cheese slurry, and drying of 1 mL human serum in 150 vials. During freezing of the empty system, differences of more than 5°C were measured on the shelf. Adding a tray to the empty system, a difference of more than 8°C was observed. These temperature differences probably cause different ice structures affecting the drying speed during sublimation. A temperature difference of maximum 13°C was observed in bulk mode during sublimation. When drying in vials, differences of more than 10°C were observed. Gradually, the large temperature differences disappeared during secondary drying and products were transformed into uniformly dry cakes. The experimental data show that the IR camera is a highly versatile on-line monitoring tool for different kinds of freeze-drying processes. © 2014 European Union 103:2088–2097, 2014 PMID:24902839

Infrared thermography for monitoring of freeze-drying processes: instrumental developments and preliminary results.

PubMed

Emteborg, Håkan; Zeleny, Reinhard; Charoud-Got, Jean; Martos, Gustavo; Lüddeke, Jörg; Schellin, Holger; Teipel, Katharina

2014-07-01

Coupling an infrared (IR) camera to a freeze dryer for on-line monitoring of freeze-drying cycles is described for the first time. Normally, product temperature is measured using a few invasive Pt-100 probes, resulting in poor spatial resolution. To overcome this, an IR camera was placed on a process-scale freeze dryer. Imaging took place every 120 s through a Germanium window comprising 30,000 measurement points obtained contact-free from -40 °C to 25 °C. Results are presented for an empty system, bulk drying of cheese slurry, and drying of 1 mL human serum in 150 vials. During freezing of the empty system, differences of more than 5 °C were measured on the shelf. Adding a tray to the empty system, a difference of more than 8 °C was observed. These temperature differences probably cause different ice structures affecting the drying speed during sublimation. A temperature difference of maximum 13 °C was observed in bulk mode during sublimation. When drying in vials, differences of more than 10 °C were observed. Gradually, the large temperature differences disappeared during secondary drying and products were transformed into uniformly dry cakes. The experimental data show that the IR camera is a highly versatile on-line monitoring tool for different kinds of freeze-drying processes. © 2014 European Union.

An Innovative Optical Sensor for the Online Monitoring and Control of Biomass Concentration in a Membrane Bioreactor System for Lactic Acid Production

PubMed Central

Fan, Rong; Ebrahimi, Mehrdad; Quitmann, Hendrich; Aden, Matthias; Czermak, Peter

2016-01-01

Accurate real-time process control is necessary to increase process efficiency, and optical sensors offer a competitive solution because they provide diverse system information in a noninvasive manner. We used an innovative scattered light sensor for the online monitoring of biomass during lactic acid production in a membrane bioreactor system because biomass determines productivity in this type of process. The upper limit of the measurement range in fermentation broth containing Bacillus coagulans was ~2.2 g·L−1. The specific cell growth rate (µ) during the exponential phase was calculated using data representing the linear range (cell density ≤ 0.5 g·L−1). The results were consistently and reproducibly more accurate than offline measurements of optical density and cell dry weight, because more data were gathered in real-time over a shorter duration. Furthermore, µmax was measured under different filtration conditions (transmembrane pressure 0.3–1.2 bar, crossflow velocity 0.5–1.5 m·s−1), showing that energy input had no significant impact on cell growth. Cell density was monitored using the sensor during filtration and was maintained at a constant level by feeding with glucose according to the fermentation kinetics. Our novel sensor is therefore suitable for integration into control strategies for continuous fermentation in membrane bioreactor systems. PMID:27007380

Dynamic electrical impedance imaging with the interacting multiple model scheme.

PubMed

Kim, Kyung Youn; Kim, Bong Seok; Kim, Min Chan; Kim, Sin; Isaacson, David; Newell, Jonathan C

2005-04-01

In this paper, an effective dynamical EIT imaging scheme is presented for on-line monitoring of the abruptly changing resistivity distribution inside the object, based on the interacting multiple model (IMM) algorithm. The inverse problem is treated as a stochastic nonlinear state estimation problem with the time-varying resistivity (state) being estimated on-line with the aid of the IMM algorithm. In the design of the IMM algorithm multiple models with different process noise covariance are incorporated to reduce the modeling uncertainty. Simulations and phantom experiments are provided to illustrate the proposed algorithm.

Controlling Wafer Contamination Using Automated On-Line Metrology during Wet Chemical Cleaning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jason; Kingston, Skip; Han, Ye; Saini, Harmesh; McDonald, Robert; Mui, Rudy

2003-09-01

The capabilities of a trace contamination analyzer are discussed and demonstrated. This analytical tool utilizes an electrospray, time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ES-TOF-MS) for fully automated on-line monitoring of wafer cleaning solutions. The analyzer provides rich information on metallic, anionic, cationic, elemental, and organic species through its ability to provide harsh (elemental) and soft (molecular) ionization under both positive and negative modes. It is designed to meet semiconductor process control and yield management needs for the ever increasing complex new chemistries present in wafer fabrication.

Online monitoring of dissolved oxygen tension in microtiter plates based on infrared fluorescent oxygen-sensitive nanoparticles.

PubMed

Ladner, Tobias; Flitsch, David; Schlepütz, Tino; Büchs, Jochen

2015-10-09

During the past years, new high-throughput screening systems with capabilities of online monitoring turned out to be powerful tools for the characterization of microbial cell cultures. These systems are often easy to use, offer economic advantages compared to larger systems and allow to determine many important process parameters within short time. Fluorescent protein tags tremendously simplified the tracking and observation of cellular activity in vivo. Unfortunately, interferences between established fluorescence based dissolved oxygen tension (DOT) measurement techniques and fluorescence-based protein tags appeared. Therefore, the applicability of new oxygen-sensitive nanoparticles operated within the more suitable infrared wavelength region are introduced and validated for DOT measurement. The biocompatibility of the used dispersed oxygen-sensitive nanoparticles was proven via RAMOS cultivations for Hansenula polymorpha, Gluconobacter oxydans, and Escherichia coli. The applicability of the introduced DOT measurement technique for online monitoring of cultivations was demonstrated and successfully validated. The nanoparticles showed no disturbing effect on the online measurement of the fluorescence intensities of the proteins GFP, mCherry and YFP measured by a BioLector prototype. Additionally, the DOT measurement was not influenced by changing concentrations of these proteins. The kLa values for the applied cultivation conditions were successfully determined based on the measured DOT. The introduced technique appeared to be practically as well as economically advantageous for DOT online measuring in microtiter plates. The disadvantage of limited availability of microtiter plates with immobilized sensor spots (optodes) does not apply for this introduced technique. Due to the infrared wavelength range, used for the DOT measurement, no interferences with biogenic fluorescence or with expressed fluorescent proteins (e.g. YFP, GFP or mCherry) occur.

Microfluidic setup for on-line SERS monitoring using laser induced nanoparticle spots as SERS active substrate.

PubMed

Buja, Oana-M; Gordan, Ovidiu D; Leopold, Nicolae; Morschhauser, Andreas; Nestler, Jörg; Zahn, Dietrich R T

2017-01-01

A microfluidic setup which enables on-line monitoring of residues of malachite green (MG) using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is reported. The SERS active substrate was prepared via laser induced synthesis of silver or gold nanoparticles spot on the bottom of a 200 μm inner dimension glass capillary, by focusing the laser beam during a continuous flow of a mixture of silver nitrate or gold chloride and sodium citrate. The described microfluidic setup enables within a few minutes the monitoring of several processes: the synthesis of the SERS active spot, MG adsorption to the metal surface, detection of the analyte when saturation of the SERS signal is reached, and finally, the desorption of MG from the spot. Moreover, after MG complete desorption, the regeneration of the SERS active spot was achieved. The detection of MG was possible down to 10 -7 M concentration with a good reproducibility when using silver or gold spots as SERS substrate.

Online analysis of protein inclusion bodies produced in E. coli by monitoring alterations in scattered and reflected light.

PubMed

Ude, Christian; Ben-Dov, Nadav; Jochums, André; Li, Zhaopeng; Segal, Ester; Scheper, Thomas; Beutel, Sascha

2016-05-01

The online monitoring of recombinant protein aggregate inclusion bodies during microbial cultivation is an immense challenge. Measurement of scattered and reflected light offers a versatile and non-invasive measurement technique. Therefore, we investigated two methods to detect the formation of inclusion bodies and monitor their production: (1) online 180° scattered light measurement (λ = 625 nm) using a sensor platform during cultivation in shake flask and (2) online measurement of the light reflective interference using a porous Si-based optical biosensor (SiPA). It could be shown that 180° scattered light measurement allows monitoring of alterations in the optical properties of Escherichia coli BL21 cells, associated with the formation of inclusion bodies during cultivation. A reproducible linear correlation between the inclusion body concentration of the non-fluorescent protein human leukemia inhibitory factor (hLIF) carrying a thioredoxin tag and the shift ("Δamp") in scattered light signal intensity was observed. This was also observed for the glutathione-S-transferase-tagged green fluorescent protein (GFP-GST). Continuous online monitoring of reflective interference spectra reveals a significant increase in the bacterium refractive index during hLIF production in comparison to a non-induced reference that coincide with the formation of inclusion bodies. These online monitoring techniques could be applied for fast and cost-effective screening of different protein expression systems.

The Multi-Isotope Process (MIP) Monitor Project: FY13 Final Report

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

Meier, David E.; Coble, Jamie B.; Jordan, David V.

The Multi-Isotope Process (MIP) Monitor provides an efficient approach to monitoring the process conditions in reprocessing facilities in support of the goal of “… (minimization of) the risks of nuclear proliferation and terrorism.” The MIP Monitor measures the distribution of the radioactive isotopes in product and waste streams of a nuclear reprocessing facility. These isotopes are monitored online by gamma spectrometry and compared, in near-real-time, to spectral patterns representing “normal” process conditions using multivariate analysis and pattern recognition algorithms. The combination of multivariate analysis and gamma spectroscopy allows us to detect small changes in the gamma spectrum, which may indicatemore » changes in process conditions. By targeting multiple gamma-emitting indicator isotopes, the MIP Monitor approach is compatible with the use of small, portable, relatively high-resolution gamma detectors that may be easily deployed throughout an existing facility. The automated multivariate analysis can provide a level of data obscurity, giving a built-in information barrier to protect sensitive or proprietary operational data. Proof-of-concept simulations and experiments have been performed in previous years to demonstrate the validity of this tool in a laboratory setting for systems representing aqueous reprocessing facilities. However, pyroprocessing is emerging as an alternative to aqueous reprocessing techniques.« less

Development and Application of On-line Monitor for the ZLW-1 Axis Cracks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi-jun, Yang; Qian-hui, Yang; Jian-guo, Jin

2018-03-01

This article mainly introduces a method that uses acoustic emission techniques to achieve on-line monitor for the shaft cracks and crack growth. According to this method, axis crack monitor is produced by acoustic emission techniques. This instrument can apply to all the pressure vessels, pipelines and rotor machines that can bear buckling load. It has the online real-time monitoring, automatic recording, printing, sound and light alarm, collecting crack information function. After a series of tests in both laboratory and field, it shows that this instrument is very versatile and possesses broad prospects of development and application.

Dynamic Analyses of Result Quality in Energy-Aware Approximate Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

RIngenburg, Michael F.

Energy efficiency is a key concern in the design of modern computer systems. One promising approach to energy-efficient computation, approximate computing, trades off output precision for energy efficiency. However, this tradeoff can have unexpected effects on computation quality. This thesis presents dynamic analysis tools to study, debug, and monitor the quality and energy efficiency of approximate computations. We propose three styles of tools: prototyping tools that allow developers to experiment with approximation in their applications, online tools that instrument code to determine the key sources of error, and online tools that monitor the quality of deployed applications in real time. Our prototyping tool is based on an extension to the functional language OCaml. We add approximation constructs to the language, an approximation simulator to the runtime, and profiling and auto-tuning tools for studying and experimenting with energy-quality tradeoffs. We also present two online debugging tools and three online monitoring tools. The first online tool identifies correlations between output quality and the total number of executions of, and errors in, individual approximate operations. The second tracks the number of approximate operations that flow into a particular value. Our online tools comprise three low-cost approaches to dynamic quality monitoring. They are designed to monitor quality in deployed applications without spending more energy than is saved by approximation. Online monitors can be used to perform real time adjustments to energy usage in order to meet specific quality goals. We present prototype implementations of all of these tools and describe their usage with several applications. Our prototyping, profiling, and autotuning tools allow us to experiment with approximation strategies and identify new strategies, our online tools succeed in providing new insights into the effects of approximation on output quality, and our monitors succeed in controlling output quality while still maintaining significant energy efficiency gains.

Prescription Drugs

MedlinePlus

... View Online Download PDF Monitoring the Future 2017 Survey Results Published: December 12, 2017 This infographic of ... View Online Download PDF Monitoring the Future 2016 Survey Results Published: December 13, 2016 This infographic of ...

Multivariate statistical monitoring as applied to clean-in-place (CIP) and steam-in-place (SIP) operations in biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

PubMed

Roy, Kevin; Undey, Cenk; Mistretta, Thomas; Naugle, Gregory; Sodhi, Manbir

2014-01-01

Multivariate statistical process monitoring (MSPM) is becoming increasingly utilized to further enhance process monitoring in the biopharmaceutical industry. MSPM can play a critical role when there are many measurements and these measurements are highly correlated, as is typical for many biopharmaceutical operations. Specifically, for processes such as cleaning-in-place (CIP) and steaming-in-place (SIP, also known as sterilization-in-place), control systems typically oversee the execution of the cycles, and verification of the outcome is based on offline assays. These offline assays add to delays and corrective actions may require additional setup times. Moreover, this conventional approach does not take interactive effects of process variables into account and cycle optimization opportunities as well as salient trends in the process may be missed. Therefore, more proactive and holistic online continued verification approaches are desirable. This article demonstrates the application of real-time MSPM to processes such as CIP and SIP with industrial examples. The proposed approach has significant potential for facilitating enhanced continuous verification, improved process understanding, abnormal situation detection, and predictive monitoring, as applied to CIP and SIP operations. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

A platform for real-time online health analytics during spaceflight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGregor, Carolyn

Monitoring the health and wellbeing of astronauts during spaceflight is an important aspect of any manned mission. To date the monitoring has been based on a sequential set of discontinuous samplings of physiological data to support initial studies on aspects such as weightlessness, and its impact on the cardiovascular system and to perform proactive monitoring for health status. The research performed and the real-time monitoring has been hampered by the lack of a platform to enable a more continuous approach to real-time monitoring. While any spaceflight is monitored heavily by Mission Control, an important requirement within the context of any spaceflight setting and in particular where there are extended periods with a lack of communication with Mission Control, is the ability for the mission to operate in an autonomous manner. This paper presents a platform to enable real-time astronaut monitoring for prognostics and health management within space medicine using online health analytics. The platform is based on extending previous online health analytics research known as the Artemis and Artemis Cloud platforms which have demonstrated their relevance for multi-patient, multi-diagnosis and multi-stream temporal analysis in real-time for clinical management and research within Neonatal Intensive Care. Artemis and Artemis Cloud source data from a range of medical devices capable of transmission of the signal via wired or wireless connectivity and hence are well suited to process real-time data acquired from astronauts. A key benefit of this platform is its ability to monitor their health and wellbeing onboard the mission as well as enabling the astronaut's physiological data, and other clinical data, to be sent to the platform components at Mission Control at each stage when that communication is available. As a result, researchers at Mission Control would be able to simulate, deploy and tailor predictive analytics and diagnostics during the same spaceflight for - reater medical support.

Management of the water balance and quality in mining areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasanen, Antti; Krogerus, Kirsti; Mroueh, Ulla-Maija; Turunen, Kaisa; Backnäs, Soile; Vento, Tiia; Veijalainen, Noora; Hentinen, Kimmo; Korkealaakso, Juhani

2015-04-01

Although mining companies have long been conscious of water related risks they still face environmental management problems. These problems mainly emerge because mine sites' water balances have not been adequately assessed in the stage of the planning of mines. More consistent approach is required to help mining companies identify risks and opportunities related to the management of water resources in all stages of mining. This approach requires that the water cycle of a mine site is interconnected with the general hydrologic water cycle. In addition to knowledge on hydrological conditions, the control of the water balance in the mining processes require knowledge of mining processes, the ability to adjust process parameters to variable hydrological conditions, adaptation of suitable water management tools and systems, systematic monitoring of amounts and quality of water, adequate capacity in water management infrastructure to handle the variable water flows, best practices to assess the dispersion, mixing and dilution of mine water and pollutant loading to receiving water bodies, and dewatering and separation of water from tailing and precipitates. WaterSmart project aims to improve the awareness of actual quantities of water, and water balances in mine areas to improve the forecasting and the management of the water volumes. The study is executed through hydrogeological and hydrological surveys and online monitoring procedures. One of the aims is to exploit on-line water quantity and quality monitoring for the better management of the water balances. The target is to develop a practical and end-user-specific on-line input and output procedures. The second objective is to develop mathematical models to calculate combined water balances including the surface, ground and process waters. WSFS, the Hydrological Modeling and Forecasting System of SYKE is being modified for mining areas. New modelling tools are developed on spreadsheet and system dynamics platforms to systematically integrate all water balance components (groundwater, surface water, infiltration, precipitation, mine water facilities and operations etc.) into overall dynamic mine site considerations. After coupling the surface and ground water models (e.g. Feflow and WSFS) with each other, they are compared with Goldsim. The third objective is to integrate the monitoring and modelling tools into the mine management system and process control. The modelling and predictive process control can prevent flood situations, ensure water adequacy, and enable the controlled mine water treatment. The project will develop a constantly updated management system for water balance including both natural waters and process waters.

Using an Online Tool for Learning about and Implementing Algebra Progress Monitoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foegen, Anne; Stecker, Pamela M.; Genareo, Vincent R.; Lyons, Renée; Olson, Jeannette R.; Simpson, Amber; Romig, John Elwood; Jones, Rachel

2016-01-01

Research supports special educators' use of progress-monitoring data for instructional decision-making purposes as an evidence-based practice for improving student achievement. This article describes the Professional Development for Algebra Progress Monitoring (PD-APM) system. PD-APM, is an online system that includes two "hubs" that…

Monitoring copper release in drinking water distribution systems.

PubMed

d'Antonio, L; Fabbricino, M; Panico, A

2008-01-01

A new procedure, recently proposed for on-line monitoring of copper released from metal pipes in household plumbing system for drinking water distribution during the development of corrosion processes, is tested experimentally. Experiments were carried out in laboratory controlled conditions, using synthetic water and varying the water alkalinity. The possibility of using the corrosion potential as a surrogate measure of copper concentration in stagnating water is shown, verifying, in the meantime, the effect of alkalinity on the development of passivation phenomena, which tend to protect the pipe from corrosion processes. Experimental data are discussed, highlighting the potentiality of the procedure, and recognizing its limitations. Copyright IWA Publishing 2008.

Development of A Low-Cost FPGA-Based Measurement System for Real-Time Processing of Acoustic Emission Data: Proof of Concept Using Control of Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquids.

PubMed

Wirtz, Sebastian F; Cunha, Adauto P A; Labusch, Marc; Marzun, Galina; Barcikowski, Stephan; Söffker, Dirk

2018-06-01

Today, the demand for continuous monitoring of valuable or safety critical equipment is increasing in many industrial applications due to safety and economical requirements. Therefore, reliable in-situ measurement techniques are required for instance in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) as well as process monitoring and control. Here, current challenges are related to the processing of sensor data with a high data rate and low latency. In particular, measurement and analyses of Acoustic Emission (AE) are widely used for passive, in-situ inspection. Advantages of AE are related to its sensitivity to different micro-mechanical mechanisms on the material level. However, online processing of AE waveforms is computationally demanding. The related equipment is typically bulky, expensive, and not well suited for permanent installation. The contribution of this paper is the development of a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based measurement system using ZedBoard devlopment kit with Zynq-7000 system on chip for embedded implementation of suitable online processing algorithms. This platform comprises a dual-core Advanced Reduced Instruction Set Computer Machine (ARM) architecture running a Linux operating system and FPGA fabric. A FPGA-based hardware implementation of the discrete wavelet transform is realized to accelerate processing the AE measurements. Key features of the system are low cost, small form factor, and low energy consumption, which makes it suitable to serve as field-deployed measurement and control device. For verification of the functionality, a novel automatically realized adjustment of the working distance during pulsed laser ablation in liquids is established as an example. A sample rate of 5 MHz is achieved at 16 bit resolution.

Holographic digital microscopy in on-line process control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osanlou, Ardeshir

2011-09-01

This article investigates the feasibility of real-time three-dimensional imaging of microscopic objects within various emulsions while being produced in specialized production vessels. The study is particularly relevant to on-line process monitoring and control in chemical, pharmaceutical, food, cleaning, and personal hygiene industries. Such processes are often dynamic and the materials cannot be measured once removed from the production vessel. The technique reported here is applicable to three-dimensional characterization analyses on stirred fluids in small reaction vessels. Relatively expensive pulsed lasers have been avoided through the careful control of the speed of the moving fluid in relation to the speed of the camera exposure and the wavelength of the continuous wave laser used. The ultimate aim of the project is to introduce a fully robust and compact digital holographic microscope as a process control tool in a full size specialized production vessel.

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

Michelsen, H. A.; Schulz, C.; Smallwood, G. J.

The understanding of soot formation in combustion processes and the optimization of practical combustion systems require in situ measurement techniques that can provide important characteristics, such as particle concentrations and sizes, under a variety of conditions. Of equal importance are techniques suitable for characterizing soot particles produced from incomplete combustion and emitted into the environment. Also, the production of engineered nanoparticles, such as carbon blacks, may benefit from techniques that allow for online monitoring of these processes.

Natural Language Processing Of Online Propaganda As A Means Of Passively Monitoring An Adversarial Ideology

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

Warfare. 14. SUBJECT TERMS data mining, natural language processing, machine learning, algorithm design , information warfare, propaganda 15. NUMBER OF...Speech Tags. Adapted from [12]. CC Coordinating conjunction PRP$ Possessive pronoun CD Cardinal number RB Adverb DT Determiner RBR Adverb, comparative ... comparative UH Interjection JJS Adjective, superlative VB Verb, base form LS List item marker VBD Verb, past tense MD Modal VBG Verb, gerund or

Assessment of erosion and sedimentation dynamic in a combined sewer network using online turbidity monitoring.

PubMed

Bersinger, T; Le Hécho, I; Bareille, G; Pigot, T

2015-01-01

Eroded sewer sediments are a significant source of organic matter discharge by combined sewer overflows. Many authors have studied the erosion and sedimentation processes at the scale of a section of sewer pipe and over short time periods. The objective of this study was to assess these processes at the scale of an entire sewer network and over 1 month, to understand whether phenomena observed on a small scale of space and time are still valid on a larger scale. To achieve this objective the continuous monitoring of turbidity was used. First, the study of successive rain events allows observation of the reduction of the available sediment and highlights the widely different erosion resistance for the different sediment layers. Secondly, calculation of daily chemical oxygen demand (COD) fluxes during the entire month was performed showing that sediment storage in the sewer pipe after a rain period is important and stops after 5 days. Nevertheless, during rainfall events, the eroded fluxes are more important than the whole sewer sediment accumulated during a dry weather period. This means that the COD fluxes promoted by runoff are substantial. This work confirms, with online monitoring, most of the conclusions from other studies on a smaller scale.

Online neural monitoring of statistical learning

PubMed Central

Batterink, Laura J.; Paller, Ken A.

2017-01-01

The extraction of patterns in the environment plays a critical role in many types of human learning, from motor skills to language acquisition. This process is known as statistical learning. Here we propose that statistical learning has two dissociable components: (1) perceptual binding of individual stimulus units into integrated composites and (2) storing those integrated representations for later use. Statistical learning is typically assessed using post-learning tasks, such that the two components are conflated. Our goal was to characterize the online perceptual component of statistical learning. Participants were exposed to a structured stream of repeating trisyllabic nonsense words and a random syllable stream. Online learning was indexed by an EEG-based measure that quantified neural entrainment at the frequency of the repeating words relative to that of individual syllables. Statistical learning was subsequently assessed using conventional measures in an explicit rating task and a reaction-time task. In the structured stream, neural entrainment to trisyllabic words was higher than in the random stream, increased as a function of exposure to track the progression of learning, and predicted performance on the RT task. These results demonstrate that monitoring this critical component of learning via rhythmic EEG entrainment reveals a gradual acquisition of knowledge whereby novel stimulus sequences are transformed into familiar composites. This online perceptual transformation is a critical component of learning. PMID:28324696

Processing and Quality Monitoring for the ATLAS Tile Hadronic Calorimeter Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burghgrave, Blake; ATLAS Collaboration

2017-10-01

An overview is presented of Data Processing and Data Quality (DQ) Monitoring for the ATLAS Tile Hadronic Calorimeter. Calibration runs are monitored from a data quality perspective and used as a cross-check for physics runs. Data quality in physics runs is monitored extensively and continuously. Any problems are reported and immediately investigated. The DQ efficiency achieved was 99.6% in 2012 and 100% in 2015, after the detector maintenance in 2013-2014. Changes to detector status or calibrations are entered into the conditions database (DB) during a brief calibration loop between the end of a run and the beginning of bulk processing of data collected in it. Bulk processed data are reviewed and certified for the ATLAS Good Run List if no problem is detected. Experts maintain the tools used by DQ shifters and the calibration teams during normal operation, and prepare new conditions for data reprocessing and Monte Carlo (MC) production campaigns. Conditions data are stored in 3 databases: Online DB, Offline DB for data and a special DB for Monte Carlo. Database updates can be performed through a custom-made web interface.

TOPICAL REVIEW: Monitoring of polymer melt processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alig, Ingo; Steinhoff, Bernd; Lellinger, Dirk

2010-06-01

The paper reviews the state-of-the-art of in-line and on-line monitoring during polymer melt processing by compounding, extrusion and injection moulding. Different spectroscopic and scattering techniques as well as conductivity and viscosity measurements are reviewed and compared concerning their potential for different process applications. In addition to information on chemical composition and state of the process, the in situ detection of morphology, which is of specific interest for multiphase polymer systems such as polymer composites and polymer blends, is described in detail. For these systems, the product properties strongly depend on the phase or filler morphology created during processing. Examples for optical (UV/vis, NIR) and ultrasonic attenuation spectra recorded during extrusion are given, which were found to be sensitive to the chemical composition as well as to size and degree of dispersion of micro or nanofillers in the polymer matrix. By small-angle light scattering experiments, process-induced structures were detected in blends of incompatible polymers during compounding. Using conductivity measurements during extrusion, the influence of processing conditions on the electrical conductivity of polymer melts with conductive fillers (carbon black or carbon nanotubes) was monitored.

Developing a quality assurance program for online services.

PubMed Central

Humphries, A W; Naisawald, G V

1991-01-01

A quality assurance (QA) program provides not only a mechanism for establishing training and competency standards, but also a method for continuously monitoring current service practices to correct shortcomings. The typical QA cycle includes these basic steps: select subject for review, establish measurable standards, evaluate existing services using the standards, identify problems, implement solutions, and reevaluate services. The Claude Moore Health Sciences Library (CMHSL) developed a quality assurance program for online services designed to evaluate services against specific criteria identified by research studies as being important to customer satisfaction. These criteria include reliability, responsiveness, approachability, communication, and physical factors. The application of these criteria to the library's existing online services in the quality review process is discussed with specific examples of the problems identified in each service area, as well as the solutions implemented to correct deficiencies. The application of the QA cycle to an online services program serves as a model of possible interventions. The use of QA principles to enhance online service quality can be extended to other library service areas. PMID:1909197

Developing a quality assurance program for online services.

PubMed

Humphries, A W; Naisawald, G V

1991-07-01

A quality assurance (QA) program provides not only a mechanism for establishing training and competency standards, but also a method for continuously monitoring current service practices to correct shortcomings. The typical QA cycle includes these basic steps: select subject for review, establish measurable standards, evaluate existing services using the standards, identify problems, implement solutions, and reevaluate services. The Claude Moore Health Sciences Library (CMHSL) developed a quality assurance program for online services designed to evaluate services against specific criteria identified by research studies as being important to customer satisfaction. These criteria include reliability, responsiveness, approachability, communication, and physical factors. The application of these criteria to the library's existing online services in the quality review process is discussed with specific examples of the problems identified in each service area, as well as the solutions implemented to correct deficiencies. The application of the QA cycle to an online services program serves as a model of possible interventions. The use of QA principles to enhance online service quality can be extended to other library service areas.

Online Action Monitoring and Memory for Self-Performed Actions in Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grainger, Catherine; Williams, David M.; Lind, Sophie E.

2014-01-01

This study explored whether individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience difficulties with action monitoring. Two experimental tasks examined whether adults with ASD are able to monitor their own actions online, and whether they also show a typical enactment effects in memory (enhanced memory for actions they have performed compared…

Evaluation for Bearing Wear States Based on Online Oil Multi-Parameters Monitoring

PubMed Central

Hu, Hai-Feng

2018-01-01

As bearings are critical components of a mechanical system, it is important to characterize their wear states and evaluate health conditions. In this paper, a novel approach for analyzing the relationship between online oil multi-parameter monitoring samples and bearing wear states has been proposed based on an improved gray k-means clustering model (G-KCM). First, an online monitoring system with multiple sensors for bearings is established, obtaining oil multi-parameter data and vibration signals for bearings through the whole lifetime. Secondly, a gray correlation degree distance matrix is generated using a gray correlation model (GCM) to express the relationship of oil monitoring samples at different times and then a KCM is applied to cluster the matrix. Analysis and experimental results show that there is an obvious correspondence that state changing coincides basically in time between the lubricants’ multi-parameters and the bearings’ wear states. It also has shown that online oil samples with multi-parameters have early wear failure prediction ability for bearings superior to vibration signals. It is expected to realize online oil monitoring and evaluation for bearing health condition and to provide a novel approach for early identification of bearing-related failure modes. PMID:29621175

Evaluation for Bearing Wear States Based on Online Oil Multi-Parameters Monitoring.

PubMed

Wang, Si-Yuan; Yang, Ding-Xin; Hu, Hai-Feng

2018-04-05

As bearings are critical components of a mechanical system, it is important to characterize their wear states and evaluate health conditions. In this paper, a novel approach for analyzing the relationship between online oil multi-parameter monitoring samples and bearing wear states has been proposed based on an improved gray k-means clustering model (G-KCM). First, an online monitoring system with multiple sensors for bearings is established, obtaining oil multi-parameter data and vibration signals for bearings through the whole lifetime. Secondly, a gray correlation degree distance matrix is generated using a gray correlation model (GCM) to express the relationship of oil monitoring samples at different times and then a KCM is applied to cluster the matrix. Analysis and experimental results show that there is an obvious correspondence that state changing coincides basically in time between the lubricants' multi-parameters and the bearings' wear states. It also has shown that online oil samples with multi-parameters have early wear failure prediction ability for bearings superior to vibration signals. It is expected to realize online oil monitoring and evaluation for bearing health condition and to provide a novel approach for early identification of bearing-related failure modes.

L2 Willingness to Communicate (WTC) and International Posture in the Polish Educational Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mystkowska-Wiertelak, Anna; Pietrzykowska, Agnieszka

2011-01-01

Speaking, the language skill whose mastering appears to be the ultimate aim of every attempt at learning a foreign language, constitutes a formidable challenge. Apart from involving the online interaction of complex processes of conceptualization, formulation, articulation and monitoring (Levelt, 1989), it appears prone to numerous psychological…

On-line, continuous monitoring in solar cell and fuel cell manufacturing using spectral reflectance imaging

DOEpatents

Sopori, Bhushan; Rupnowski, Przemyslaw; Ulsh, Michael

2016-01-12

A monitoring system 100 comprising a material transport system 104 providing for the transportation of a substantially planar material 102, 107 through the monitoring zone 103 of the monitoring system 100. The system 100 also includes a line camera 106 positioned to obtain multiple line images across a width of the material 102, 107 as it is transported through the monitoring zone 103. The system 100 further includes an illumination source 108 providing for the illumination of the material 102, 107 transported through the monitoring zone 103 such that light reflected in a direction normal to the substantially planar surface of the material 102, 107 is detected by the line camera 106. A data processing system 110 is also provided in digital communication with the line camera 106. The data processing system 110 is configured to receive data output from the line camera 106 and further configured to calculate and provide substantially contemporaneous information relating to a quality parameter of the material 102, 107. Also disclosed are methods of monitoring a quality parameter of a material.

Cough and Cold Medicine (DXM and Codeine Syrup)

MedlinePlus

... View Online Download PDF Monitoring the Future 2017 Survey Results Published: December 12, 2017 This infographic of ... View Online Download PDF Monitoring the Future 2016 Survey Results Published: December 13, 2016 This infographic of ...

On-line Monitoring Device for High-voltage Switch Cabinet Partial Discharge Based on Pulse Current Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Y Tao, S.; Zhang, X. Z.; Cai, H. W.; Li, P.; Feng, Y.; Zhang, T. C.; Li, J.; Wang, W. S.; Zhang, X. K.

2017-12-01

The pulse current method for partial discharge detection is generally applied in type testing and other off-line tests of electrical equipment at delivery. After intensive analysis of the present situation and existing problems of partial discharge detection in switch cabinets, this paper designed the circuit principle and signal extraction method for partial discharge on-line detection based on a high-voltage presence indicating systems (VPIS), established a high voltage switch cabinet partial discharge on-line detection circuit based on the pulse current method, developed background software integrated with real-time monitoring, judging and analyzing functions, carried out a real discharge simulation test on a real-type partial discharge defect simulation platform of a 10KV switch cabinet, and verified the sensitivity and validity of the high-voltage switch cabinet partial discharge on-line monitoring device based on the pulse current method. The study presented in this paper is of great significance for switch cabinet maintenance and theoretical study on pulse current method on-line detection, and has provided a good implementation method for partial discharge on-line monitoring devices for 10KV distribution network equipment.

Simultaneous 19F-1H medium resolution NMR spectroscopy for online reaction monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zientek, Nicolai; Laurain, Clément; Meyer, Klas; Kraume, Matthias; Guthausen, Gisela; Maiwald, Michael

2014-12-01

Medium resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (MR-NMR) spectroscopy is currently a fast developing field, which has an enormous potential to become an important analytical tool for reaction monitoring, in hyphenated techniques, and for systematic investigations of complex mixtures. The recent developments of innovative MR-NMR spectrometers are therefore remarkable due to their possible applications in quality control, education, and process monitoring. MR-NMR spectroscopy can beneficially be applied for fast, non-invasive, and volume integrating analyses under rough environmental conditions. Within this study, a simple 1/16″ fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) tube with an ID of 0.04″ (1.02 mm) was used as a flow cell in combination with a 5 mm glass Dewar tube inserted into a benchtop MR-NMR spectrometer with a 1H Larmor frequency of 43.32 MHz and 40.68 MHz for 19F. For the first time, quasi-simultaneous proton and fluorine NMR spectra were recorded with a series of alternating 19F and 1H single scan spectra along the reaction time coordinate of a homogeneously catalysed esterification model reaction containing fluorinated compounds. The results were compared to quantitative NMR spectra from a hyphenated 500 MHz online NMR instrument for validation. Automation of handling, pre-processing, and analysis of NMR data becomes increasingly important for process monitoring applications of online NMR spectroscopy and for its technical and practical acceptance. Thus, NMR spectra were automatically baseline corrected and phased using the minimum entropy method. Data analysis schemes were designed such that they are based on simple direct integration or first principle line fitting, with the aim that the analysis directly revealed molar concentrations from the spectra. Finally, the performance of 1/16″ FEP tube set-up with an ID of 1.02 mm was characterised regarding the limit of detection (LOQ (1H) = 0.335 mol L-1 and LOQ (19F) = 0.130 mol L-1 for trifluoroethanol in D2O (single scan)) and maximum quantitative flow rates up to 0.3 mL min-1. Thus, a series of single scan 19F and 1H NMR spectra acquired with this simple set-up already presents a valuable basis for quantitative reaction monitoring.

Developments in hydrogenation technology for fine-chemical and pharmaceutical applications.

PubMed

Machado, R M; Heier, K R; Broekhuis, R R

2001-11-01

The continuous innovation in hydrogenation technology is testimony to its growing importance in the manufacture of specialty and fine chemicals. New developments in equipment, process intensification and catalysis represent major themes that have undergone recent advances. Developments in chiral catalysis, methods to support and fix homogeneous catalysts, novel reactor and mixing technology, high-throughput screening, supercritical processing, spectroscopic and electrochemical online process monitoring, monolithic and structured catalysts, and sonochemical activation methods illustrate the scope and breadth of evolving technology applied to hydrogenation.

Apportionment of urban aerosol sources in Chongqing (China) using synergistic on-line techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yang; Yang, Fumo

2016-04-01

The sources of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during wintertime at a background urban location in Chongqing (southwestern China) have been determined. Aerosol chemical composition analyses were performed using multiple on-line techniques, such as single particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SPAMS) for single particle chemical composition, on-line elemental carbon-organic carbon analyzer (on-line OC-EC), on-line X-ray fluorescence (XRF) for elements, and in-situ Gas and Aerosol Compositions monitor (IGAC) for water-soluble ions in PM2.5. All the datasets from these techniques have been adjusted to a 1-h time resolution for receptor model input. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) has been used for resolving aerosol sources. At least six sources, including domestic coal burning, biomass burning, dust, traffic, industrial and secondary/aged factors have been resolved and interpreted. The synergistic on-line techniques were helpful for identifying aerosol sources more clearly than when only employing the results from the individual techniques. This results are useful for better understanding of aerosol sources and atmospheric processes.

Nondestructive online testing method for friction stir welding using acoustic emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levikhina, Anastasiya

2017-12-01

The paper reviews the possibility of applying the method of acoustic emission for online monitoring of the friction stir welding process. It is shown that acoustic emission allows the detection of weld defects and their location in real time. The energy of an acoustic signal and the median frequency are suggested to be used as informative parameters. The method of calculating the median frequency with the use of a short time Fourier transform is applied for the identification of correlations between the defective weld structure and properties of the acoustic emission signals received during welding.

A successful online mentoring program for nurses.

PubMed

O'Keefe, Trish; Forrester, David Anthony Tony

2009-01-01

This article describes the successful implementation of An Online Mentoring Program for Nurses at a Magnet-designated acute care medical center, Morristown Memorial Hospital (MMH/Atlantic Health). A comprehensive approach to incorporating mentor-protégée teams into professional nurse role development has been demonstrated to (1) improve nurse employee satisfaction, retention, and recruitment outcomes; (2) change the ways nurses and others perceive nurses; (3) augment support by managers and coworkers; and (4) improve patient care outcomes. Nurses are partnered in mentor-protégée relationships and continually engage one another by evaluating the protégée's unique contributions and identifying specific strategic actions to move the protégée toward accomplishing their professional objectives. Building an online mentor-protégée collaboration: (1) maximizing potential, (2) identifying the protégée's unique contributions, and (3) strategic planning. The online mentoring process is a success and has delivered measurable results that have benefited the nurse participants and contributed to our institution's culture of nursing engagement. The online mentoring process has potential to benefit nurses and their organizations by (1) providing real-time communication, (2) facilitating strategic thinking, (3) monitoring progress, (4) "going green," and (5) improving organizational knowledge.

Development and pilot testing of an online monitoring tool of depression symptoms and side effects for young people being treated for depression.

PubMed

Hetrick, Sarah E; Dellosa, Maria Kristina; Simmons, Magenta B; Phillips, Lisa

2015-02-01

To develop and examine the feasibility of an online monitoring tool of depressive symptoms, suicidality and side effects. The online tool was developed based on guideline recommendations, and employed already validated and widely used measures. Quantitative data about its use, and qualitative information on its functionality and usefulness were collected from surveys, a focus group and individual interviews. Fifteen young people completed the tool between 1 and 12 times, and reported it was easy to use. Clinicians suggested it was too long and could be completed in the waiting room to lessen impact on session time. Overall, clients and clinicians who used the tool found it useful. Results show that an online monitoring tool is potentially useful as a systematic means for monitoring symptoms, but further research is needed including how to embed the tool within clinical practice. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy as an Analytical Process Technology for the On-Line Quantification of Water Precipitation Processes during Danhong Injection.

PubMed

Liu, Xuesong; Wu, Chunyan; Geng, Shu; Jin, Ye; Luan, Lianjun; Chen, Yong; Wu, Yongjiang

2015-01-01

This paper used near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for the on-line quantitative monitoring of water precipitation during Danhong injection. For these NIR measurements, two fiber optic probes designed to transmit NIR radiation through a 2 mm flow cell were used to collect spectra in real-time. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was developed as the preferred chemometrics quantitative analysis of the critical intermediate qualities: the danshensu (DSS, (R)-3, 4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid), protocatechuic aldehyde (PA), rosmarinic acid (RA), and salvianolic acid B (SAB) concentrations. Optimized PLSR models were successfully built and used for on-line detecting of the concentrations of DSS, PA, RA, and SAB of water precipitation during Danhong injection. Besides, the information of DSS, PA, RA, and SAB concentrations would be instantly fed back to site technical personnel for control and adjustment timely. The verification experiments determined that the predicted values agreed with the actual homologic value.

Effects of Online Synchronous Instruction with an Attention Monitoring and Alarm Mechanism on Sustained Attention and Learning Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Chih-Ming; Wang, Jung-Ying

2018-01-01

Many studies have shown that learners' sustained attention strongly affects e-learning performance, particularly during online synchronous instruction. This work thus develops a novel attention monitoring and alarm mechanism (AMAM) based on brainwave signals to improve learning performance via monitoring the attention state of individual learners…

[Assessment of SUSARs. Clinical evaluation of single cases in terms of regulatory requirements].

PubMed

Wroblewski, H; Schmickler, M

2005-04-01

In the course of implementing the European directives on pharmaceutical law, focus is set on suspected unexpected serious adverse reactions (SUSARs). SUSARs are essential for expedited reporting to authorities and ethics committees. During on-line monitoring of the study, the investigator documents all adverse events. Serious adverse events are forwarded to the sponsor in due time. The sponsor identifies SUSARs for expedited reporting. Clinical causality assessment between the investigational product and the adverse event is substantial in this process. This requires a balanced clinical assessment of all case relevant aspects and information available reflecting the complexity of the specific case, which cannot be covered by algorithms in general. In the setting of on-line monitoring, SUSARs ensure the safety of the patient and the study. In addition, SUSARs are relevant for generation of the safety profile of the substance.

Evaluation of software sensors for on-line estimation of culture conditions in an Escherichia coli cultivation expressing a recombinant protein.

PubMed

Warth, Benedikt; Rajkai, György; Mandenius, Carl-Fredrik

2010-05-03

Software sensors for monitoring and on-line estimation of critical bioprocess variables have mainly been used with standard bioreactor sensors, such as electrodes and gas analyzers, where algorithms in the software model have generated the desired state variables. In this article we propose that other on-line instruments, such as NIR probes and on-line HPLC, should be used to make more reliable and flexible software sensors. Five software sensor architectures were compared and evaluated: (1) biomass concentration from an on-line NIR probe, (2) biomass concentration from titrant addition, (3) specific growth rate from titrant addition, (4) specific growth rate from the NIR probe, and (5) specific substrate uptake rate and by-product rate from on-line HPLC and NIR probe signals. The software sensors were demonstrated on an Escherichia coli cultivation expressing a recombinant protein, green fluorescent protein (GFP), but the results could be extrapolated to other production organisms and product proteins. We conclude that well-maintained on-line instrumentation (hardware sensors) can increase the potential of software sensors. This would also strongly support the intentions with process analytical technology and quality-by-design concepts. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modelling and control for laser based welding processes: modern methods of process control to improve quality of laser-based joining methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zäh, Ralf-Kilian; Mosbach, Benedikt; Hollwich, Jan; Faupel, Benedikt

2017-02-01

To ensure the competitiveness of manufacturing companies it is indispensable to optimize their manufacturing processes. Slight variations of process parameters and machine settings have only marginally effects on the product quality. Therefore, the largest possible editing window is required. Such parameters are, for example, the movement of the laser beam across the component for the laser keyhole welding. That`s why it is necessary to keep the formation of welding seams within specified limits. Therefore, the quality of laser welding processes is ensured, by using post-process methods, like ultrasonic inspection, or special in-process methods. These in-process systems only achieve a simple evaluation which shows whether the weld seam is acceptable or not. Furthermore, in-process systems use no feedback for changing the control variables such as speed of the laser or adjustment of laser power. In this paper the research group presents current results of the research field of Online Monitoring, Online Controlling and Model predictive controlling in laser welding processes to increase the product quality. To record the characteristics of the welding process, tested online methods are used during the process. Based on the measurement data, a state space model is ascertained, which includes all the control variables of the system. Depending on simulation tools the model predictive controller (MPC) is designed for the model and integrated into an NI-Real-Time-System.

Framework for Structural Online Health Monitoring of Aging and Degradation of Secondary Systems due to some Aspects of Erosion

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

Gribok, Andrei; Patnaik, Sobhan; Williams, Christian

This report describes the current state of research related to critical aspects of erosion and selected aspects of degradation of secondary components in nuclear power plants. The report also proposes a framework for online health monitoring of aging and degradation of secondary components. The framework consists of an integrated multi-sensor modality system which can be used to monitor different piping configurations under different degradation conditions. The report analyses the currently known degradation mechanisms and available predictive models. Based on this analysis, the structural health monitoring framework is proposed. The Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program began to evaluate technologies that couldmore » be used to perform online monitoring of piping and other secondary system structural components in commercial NPPs. These online monitoring systems have the potential to identify when a more detailed inspection is needed using real-time measurements, rather than at a pre-determined inspection interval. This transition to condition-based, risk informed automated maintenance will contribute to a significant reduction of operations and maintenance costs that account for the majority of nuclear power generation costs. There is unanimous agreement between industry experts and academic researchers that identifying and prioritizing inspection locations in secondary piping systems (for example, in raw water piping or diesel piping) would eliminate many excessive in-service inspections. The proposed structural health monitoring framework takes aim at answering this challenge by combining long-range guided wave technologies with other monitoring techniques, which can significantly increase the inspection length and pinpoint the locations that degraded the most. More widely, the report suggests research efforts aimed at developing, validating, and deploying online corrosion monitoring techniques for complex geometries, which are pervasive in NPPs.« less

Initiating an Online Reputation Monitoring System with Open Source Analytics Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuhud, Mohd Ilias M.; Alwi, Najwa Hayaati Md; Halim, Azni Haslizan Abd

2018-05-01

Online reputation is an invaluable asset for modern organizations as it can help in business performance especially in sales and profit. However, if we are not aware of our reputation, it is difficult to maintain it. Thus, social media analytics is a new tool that can provide online reputation monitoring in various ways such as sentiment analysis. As a result, numerous large-scale organizations have implemented Online Reputation Monitoring (ORM) systems. However, this solution is not supposed to be exclusively for high-income organizations, as many organizations regardless sizes and types are now online. This research attempts to propose an affordable and reliable ORM system using combination of open source analytics tools for both novice practitioners and academicians. We also evaluate its prediction accuracy and we discovered that the system provides acceptable predictions (sixty percent accuracy) and demonstrate a tally prediction of major polarity by human annotation. The proposed system can help in supporting business decisions with flexible monitoring strategies especially for organization that want to initiate and administrate ORM themselves at low cost.

Research on a Lamb Wave and Particle Filter-Based On-Line Crack Propagation Prognosis Method.

PubMed

Chen, Jian; Yuan, Shenfang; Qiu, Lei; Cai, Jian; Yang, Weibo

2016-03-03

Prognostics and health management techniques have drawn widespread attention due to their ability to facilitate maintenance activities based on need. On-line prognosis of fatigue crack propagation can offer information for optimizing operation and maintenance strategies in real-time. This paper proposes a Lamb wave-particle filter (LW-PF)-based method for on-line prognosis of fatigue crack propagation which takes advantages of the possibility of on-line monitoring to evaluate the actual crack length and uses a particle filter to deal with the crack evolution and monitoring uncertainties. The piezoelectric transducers (PZTs)-based active Lamb wave method is adopted for on-line crack monitoring. The state space model relating to crack propagation is established by the data-driven and finite element methods. Fatigue experiments performed on hole-edge crack specimens have validated the advantages of the proposed method.

Individual differences in online spoken word recognition: Implications for SLI

PubMed Central

McMurray, Bob; Samelson, Vicki M.; Lee, Sung Hee; Tomblin, J. Bruce

2012-01-01

Thirty years of research has uncovered the broad principles that characterize spoken word processing across listeners. However, there have been few systematic investigations of individual differences. Such an investigation could help refine models of word recognition by indicating which processing parameters are likely to vary, and could also have important implications for work on language impairment. The present study begins to fill this gap by relating individual differences in overall language ability to variation in online word recognition processes. Using the visual world paradigm, we evaluated online spoken word recognition in adolescents who varied in both basic language abilities and non-verbal cognitive abilities. Eye movements to target, cohort and rhyme objects were monitored during spoken word recognition, as an index of lexical activation. Adolescents with poor language skills showed fewer looks to the target and more fixations to the cohort and rhyme competitors. These results were compared to a number of variants of the TRACE model (McClelland & Elman, 1986) that were constructed to test a range of theoretical approaches to language impairment: impairments at sensory and phonological levels; vocabulary size, and generalized slowing. None were strongly supported, and variation in lexical decay offered the best fit. Thus, basic word recognition processes like lexical decay may offer a new way to characterize processing differences in language impairment. PMID:19836014

Non-specific monitoring to resolve intermittent pollutant problems associated with wastewater treatment and potable supply.

PubMed

Stuetz, R M

2004-01-01

An online monitoring system based on an array of non-specific sensors was used for the detection of chemical pollutants in wastewater and water. By superimposing sensor profiles for defined sampling window, the identification of data points outside these normal sensor response patterns was used to represent potential pollution episodes or other abnormalities within the process stream. Principle component analysis supported the detection of outliers or rapid changes in the sensor responses as an indicator of chemical pollutants. A model based on the comparison of sensor relative responses to a moving average for a defined sample window was tested for detecting and identifying sudden changes in the online data over a 6-month period. These results show the technical advantages of using a non-specific based monitoring system that can respond to a range of chemical species, due to broad selectivity of the sensor compositions. The findings demonstrate how this non-invasive technique could be further developed to provide early warning systems for application at the inlet of wastewater treatment plants.

Novel microfluidic system for online monitoring of biofilm dynamics by electrical impedance spectroscopy and amperometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruchmann, Julia; Sachsenheimer, Kai; Schwartz, Thomas; Rapp, Bastian E.

2016-03-01

Biofilm formation is ubiquitous in nature where microorganisms attach to surfaces and form highly adapted and protected communities. In technical and industrial systems like drinking water supply, food production or shipping industry biofilms are a major cause of product contamination, biofouling, and biocorrosion. Therefore, understanding of biofilm formation and means of preventing biofilm formation is important to develop novel biofilm treatment strategies. A system allowing directly online detection and monitoring biofilm formation is necessary. However, until today, there are little to none technical systems featuring a non-destructive real-time characterization of biofilm formation in a highthroughput manner. This paper presents such a microfluidic system based on electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and amperomertic current measurement. The sensor consists of four modules, each housing 24 independent electrodes within 12 microfluidic channels. Attached biomass on the electrodes is monitored as increased inhibition in charge transfer by EIS and a change in metabolic activity is measured as change in produced electric current by amperometry. This modular sensor system is highly adaptable and suitable for a broad range of microbiological applications. Among others, biofilm formation processes can be characterized online, biofilm manipulation like inactivation or destabilization can be monitored in real-time and gene expression can be analyzed in parallel. The use of different electrode designs allows effective biofilm studies during all biofilm phases. The whole system was recently extended by an integrated pneumatic microfluidic pump which enables easy handling procedures. Further developments of this pumping module will allow a fully- automated computer-controlled valving and pumping.

The remote supervisory and controlling experiment system of traditional Chinese medicine production based on Fieldbus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhan, Jinliang; Lu, Pei

2006-11-01

Since the quality of traditional Chinese medicine products are affected by raw material, machining and many other factors, it is difficult for traditional Chinese medicine production process especially the extracting process to ensure the steady and homogeneous quality. At the same time, there exist some quality control blind spots due to lacking on-line quality detection means. But if infrared spectrum analysis technology was used in traditional Chinese medicine production process on the basis of off-line analysis to real-time detect the quality of semi-manufactured goods and to be assisted by advanced automatic control technique, the steady and homogeneous quality can be obtained. It can be seen that the on-line detection of extracting process plays an important role in the development of Chinese patent medicines industry. In this paper, the design and implement of a traditional Chinese medicine extracting process monitoring experiment system which is based on PROFIBUS-DP field bus, OPC, and Internet technology is introduced. The system integrates intelligence node which gathering data, superior sub-system which achieving figure configuration and remote supervisory, during the process of traditional Chinese medicine production, monitors the temperature parameter, pressure parameter, quality parameter etc. And it can be controlled by the remote nodes in the VPN (Visual Private Network). Experiment and application do have proved that the system can reach the anticipation effect fully, and with the merits of operational stability, real-time, reliable, convenient and simple manipulation and so on.

ONLINE WATER MONITORING UTILIZING AN AUTOMATED MICROARRAY BIOSENSOR INSTRUMENT - PHASE I

EPA Science Inventory

Constellation Technology Corporation (Constellation) proposes the use of an integrated recovery and detection system for online water supply monitoring.  The integrated system is designed to efficiently capture and recover pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, an...

Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy for degradation monitoring of machinery lubricants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sosnovski, Oleg; Suresh, Pooja; Dudelzak, Alexander E.; Green, Benjamin

2018-02-01

Lubrication oil is a vital component of heavy rotating machinery defining the machine's health, operational safety and effectiveness. Recently, the focus has been on developing sensors that provide real-time/online monitoring of oil condition/lubricity. Industrial practices and standards for assessing oil condition involve various analytical methods. Most these techniques are unsuitable for online applications. The paper presents the results of studying degradation of antioxidant additives in machinery lubricants using Fluorescence Excitation-Emission Matrix (EEM) Spectroscopy and Machine Learning techniques. EEM Spectroscopy is capable of rapid and even standoff sensing; it is potentially applicable to real-time online monitoring.

Implicit Memory Influences on Metamemory during Verbal Learning after Traumatic Brain Injury

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramanathan, Pradeep; Kennedy, Mary R. T.; Marsolek, Chad J.

2014-01-01

Purpose: Prior research has shown that individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be overconfident in their judgments of learning (JOLs; online measures of self-monitoring of learning and memory). JOLs had been presumed to be driven by explicit processes, but recent research has also revealed implicit memory involvement. Given that implicit…

On-line application of near-infrared spectroscopy for monitoring water levels in parts per million in a manufacturing-scale distillation process.

PubMed

Lambertus, Gordon; Shi, Zhenqi; Forbes, Robert; Kramer, Timothy T; Doherty, Steven; Hermiller, James; Scully, Norma; Wong, Sze Wing; LaPack, Mark

2014-01-01

An on-line analytical method based on transmission near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for the quantitative determination of water concentrations (in parts per million) was developed and applied to the manufacture of a pharmaceutical intermediate. Calibration models for water analysis, built at the development site and applied at the manufacturing site, were successfully demonstrated during six manufacturing runs at a 250-gallon scale. The water measurements will be used as a forward-processing control point following distillation of a toluene product solution prior to use in a Grignard reaction. The most significant impact of using this NIRS-based process analytical technology (PAT) to replace off-line measurements is the significant reduction in the risk of operator exposure through the elimination of sampling of a severely lachrymatory and mutagenic compound. The work described in this report illustrates the development effort from proof-of-concept phase to manufacturing implementation.

On-line photolithography modeling using spectrophotometry and Prolith/2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engstrom, Herbert L.; Beacham, Jeanne E.

1994-05-01

Spectrophotometry has been applied to optimizing photolithography processes in semiconductor manufacturing. For many years thin film measurement systems have been used in manufacturing for controlling film deposition processes. The combination of film thickness mapping with photolithography modeling has expanded the applications of this technology. Experimental measurements of dose-to-clear, the minimum light exposure dose required to fully develop a photoresist, are described. It is shown how dose-to-clear and photoresist contrast may be determined rapidly and conveniently from measurements of a dose exposure matrix on a monitor wafer. Such experimental measurements may underestimate the dose-to- clear because of thickness variations of the photoresist and underlying layers on the product wafer. Online modeling of the photolithographic process together with film thickness maps of the entire wafer can overcome this problem. Such modeling also provides maps of dose-to- clear and resist linewidth that can be used to estimate and optimize yield.

Monitoring the metering performance of an electronic voltage transformer on-line based on cyber-physics correlation analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhu; Li, Hongbin; Tang, Dengping; Hu, Chen; Jiao, Yang

2017-10-01

Metering performance is the key parameter of an electronic voltage transformer (EVT), and it requires high accuracy. The conventional off-line calibration method using a standard voltage transformer is not suitable for the key equipment in a smart substation, which needs on-line monitoring. In this article, we propose a method for monitoring the metering performance of an EVT on-line based on cyber-physics correlation analysis. By the electrical and physical properties of a substation running in three-phase symmetry, the principal component analysis method is used to separate the metering deviation caused by the primary fluctuation and the EVT anomaly. The characteristic statistics of the measured data during operation are extracted, and the metering performance of the EVT is evaluated by analyzing the change in statistics. The experimental results show that the method successfully monitors the metering deviation of a Class 0.2 EVT accurately. The method demonstrates the accurate evaluation of on-line monitoring of the metering performance on an EVT without a standard voltage transformer.

Online neural monitoring of statistical learning.

PubMed

Batterink, Laura J; Paller, Ken A

2017-05-01

The extraction of patterns in the environment plays a critical role in many types of human learning, from motor skills to language acquisition. This process is known as statistical learning. Here we propose that statistical learning has two dissociable components: (1) perceptual binding of individual stimulus units into integrated composites and (2) storing those integrated representations for later use. Statistical learning is typically assessed using post-learning tasks, such that the two components are conflated. Our goal was to characterize the online perceptual component of statistical learning. Participants were exposed to a structured stream of repeating trisyllabic nonsense words and a random syllable stream. Online learning was indexed by an EEG-based measure that quantified neural entrainment at the frequency of the repeating words relative to that of individual syllables. Statistical learning was subsequently assessed using conventional measures in an explicit rating task and a reaction-time task. In the structured stream, neural entrainment to trisyllabic words was higher than in the random stream, increased as a function of exposure to track the progression of learning, and predicted performance on the reaction time (RT) task. These results demonstrate that monitoring this critical component of learning via rhythmic EEG entrainment reveals a gradual acquisition of knowledge whereby novel stimulus sequences are transformed into familiar composites. This online perceptual transformation is a critical component of learning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

artdaq: DAQ software development made simple

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biery, Kurt; Flumerfelt, Eric; Freeman, John; Ketchum, Wesley; Lukhanin, Gennadiy; Rechenmacher, Ron

2017-10-01

For a few years now, the artdaq data acquisition software toolkit has provided numerous experiments with ready-to-use components which allow for rapid development and deployment of DAQ systems. Developed within the Fermilab Scientific Computing Division, artdaq provides data transfer, event building, run control, and event analysis functionality. This latter feature includes built-in support for the art event analysis framework, allowing experiments to run art modules for real-time filtering, compression, disk writing and online monitoring. As art, also developed at Fermilab, is also used for offline analysis, a major advantage of artdaq is that it allows developers to easily switch between developing online and offline software. artdaq continues to be improved. Support for an alternate mode of running whereby data from some subdetector components are only streamed if requested has been added; this option will reduce unnecessary DAQ throughput. Real-time reporting of DAQ metrics has been implemented, along with the flexibility to choose the format through which experiments receive the reports; these formats include the Ganglia, Graphite and syslog software packages, along with flat ASCII files. Additionally, work has been performed investigating more flexible modes of online monitoring, including the capability to run multiple online monitoring processes on different hosts, each running its own set of art modules. Finally, a web-based GUI interface through which users can configure details of their DAQ system has been implemented, increasing the ease of use of the system. Already successfully deployed on the LArlAT, DarkSide-50, DUNE 35ton and Mu2e experiments, artdaq will be employed for SBND and is a strong candidate for use on ICARUS and protoDUNE. With each experiment comes new ideas for how artdaq can be made more flexible and powerful. The above improvements will be described, along with potential ideas for the future.

Response of Vibrio fischeri to repeated exposures over time in an Online Toxicity Monitor

EPA Science Inventory

Online Toxicity Monitors have been developed to provide continuous, time-relevant information regarding water quality. These systems measure a physiological or behavioral response of a sentinel organism to changes water quality. One such system, the Microlan Toxcontrol, is base...

ON-LINE TOXICITY MONITORS AND WATERSHED EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

A Water Quality Early Warning System using On-line Toxicity Monitors (OTMs) has been deployed in the East Fork of the Little Miami River, Clermont County, OH. Living organisms have long been used to determine the toxicity of environmental samples. With advancements in electronic ...

Instantaneous angular speed monitoring of gearboxes under non-cyclic stationary load conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stander, C. J.; Heyns, P. S.

2005-07-01

Recent developments in the condition monitoring and asset management market have led to the commercialisation of online vibration-monitoring systems. These systems are primarily utilised to monitor large mineral mining equipment such as draglines, continuous miners and hydraulic shovels. Online monitoring systems make diagnostic information continuously available for asset management, production outsourcing and maintenance alliances with equipment manufacturers. However, most online vibration-monitoring systems are based on conventional vibration-monitoring technologies, which are prone to giving false equipment deterioration warnings on gears that operate under fluctuating load conditions. A simplified mathematical model of a gear system was developed to illustrate the feasibility of monitoring the instantaneous angular speed (IAS) as a means of monitoring the condition of gears that are subjected to fluctuating load conditions. A distinction is made between cyclic stationary load modulation and non-cyclic stationary load modulation. It is shown that rotation domain averaging will suppress the modulation caused by non-cyclic stationary load conditions but will not suppress the modulation caused by cyclic stationary load conditions. An experimental investigation on a test rig indicated that the IAS of a gear shaft could be monitored with a conventional shaft encoder to indicate a deteriorating gear fault condition.

Hybrid online sensor error detection and functional redundancy for systems with time-varying parameters.

PubMed

Feng, Jianyuan; Turksoy, Kamuran; Samadi, Sediqeh; Hajizadeh, Iman; Littlejohn, Elizabeth; Cinar, Ali

2017-12-01

Supervision and control systems rely on signals from sensors to receive information to monitor the operation of a system and adjust manipulated variables to achieve the control objective. However, sensor performance is often limited by their working conditions and sensors may also be subjected to interference by other devices. Many different types of sensor errors such as outliers, missing values, drifts and corruption with noise may occur during process operation. A hybrid online sensor error detection and functional redundancy system is developed to detect errors in online signals, and replace erroneous or missing values detected with model-based estimates. The proposed hybrid system relies on two techniques, an outlier-robust Kalman filter (ORKF) and a locally-weighted partial least squares (LW-PLS) regression model, which leverage the advantages of automatic measurement error elimination with ORKF and data-driven prediction with LW-PLS. The system includes a nominal angle analysis (NAA) method to distinguish between signal faults and large changes in sensor values caused by real dynamic changes in process operation. The performance of the system is illustrated with clinical data continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensors from people with type 1 diabetes. More than 50,000 CGM sensor errors were added to original CGM signals from 25 clinical experiments, then the performance of error detection and functional redundancy algorithms were analyzed. The results indicate that the proposed system can successfully detect most of the erroneous signals and substitute them with reasonable estimated values computed by functional redundancy system.

Status and Needs Research for On-line Monitoring of VOCs Emissions from Stationary Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Gang; Wang, Qiang; Zhong, Qi; Zhao, Jinbao; Yang, Kai

2018-01-01

Based on atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs) pollution control requirements during the twelfth-five year plan and the current status of monitoring and management at home and abroad, instrumental architecture and technical characteristics of continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMS) for VOCs emission from stationary sources are investigated and researched. Technological development needs of VOCs emission on-line monitoring techniques for stationary sources in china are proposed from the system sampling pretreatment technology and analytical measurement techniques.

On-line detection of key radionuclides for fuel-rod failure in a pressurized water reactor.

PubMed

Qin, Guoxiu; Chen, Xilin; Guo, Xiaoqing; Ni, Ning

2016-08-01

For early on-line detection of fuel rod failure, the key radionuclides useful in monitoring must leak easily from failing rods. Yield, half-life, and mass share of fission products that enter the primary coolant also need to be considered in on-line analyses. From all the nuclides that enter the primary coolant during fuel-rod failure, (135)Xe and (88)Kr were ultimately chosen as crucial for on-line monitoring of fuel-rod failure. A monitoring system for fuel-rod failure detection for pressurized water reactor (PWR) based on the LaBr3(Ce) detector was assembled and tested. The samples of coolant from the PWR were measured using the system as well as a HPGe γ-ray spectrometer. A comparison showed the method was feasible. Finally, the γ-ray spectra of primary coolant were measured under normal operations and during fuel-rod failure. The two peaks of (135)Xe (249.8keV) and (88)Kr (2392.1keV) were visible, confirming that the method is capable of monitoring fuel-rod failure on-line. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low cost composite manufacturing utilizing intelligent pultrusion and resin transfer molding (IPRTM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradley, James E.; Wysocki, Tadeusz S., Jr.

1993-02-01

This article describes an innovative method for the economical manufacturing of large, intricately-shaped tubular composite parts. Proprietary intelligent process control techniques are combined with standard pultrusion and RTM methodologies to provide high part throughput, performance, and quality while substantially reducing scrap, rework costs, and labor requirements. On-line process monitoring and control is achieved through a smart tooling interface consisting of modular zone tiles installed on part-specific die assemblies. Real-time archiving of process run parameters provides enhanced SPC and SQC capabilities.

Online Monitoring System of Air Distribution in Pulverized Coal-Fired Boiler Based on Numerical Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Żymełka, Piotr; Nabagło, Daniel; Janda, Tomasz; Madejski, Paweł

2017-12-01

Balanced distribution of air in coal-fired boiler is one of the most important factors in the combustion process and is strongly connected to the overall system efficiency. Reliable and continuous information about combustion airflow and fuel rate is essential for achieving optimal stoichiometric ratio as well as efficient and safe operation of a boiler. Imbalances in air distribution result in reduced boiler efficiency, increased gas pollutant emission and operating problems, such as corrosion, slagging or fouling. Monitoring of air flow trends in boiler is an effective method for further analysis and can help to appoint important dependences and start optimization actions. Accurate real-time monitoring of the air distribution in boiler can bring economical, environmental and operational benefits. The paper presents a novel concept for online monitoring system of air distribution in coal-fired boiler based on real-time numerical calculations. The proposed mathematical model allows for identification of mass flow rates of secondary air to individual burners and to overfire air (OFA) nozzles. Numerical models of air and flue gas system were developed using software for power plant simulation. The correctness of the developed model was verified and validated with the reference measurement values. The presented numerical model for real-time monitoring of air distribution is capable of giving continuous determination of the complete air flows based on available digital communication system (DCS) data.

Process spectroscopy in microemulsions—Raman spectroscopy for online monitoring of a homogeneous hydroformylation process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, Andrea; Meyer, Klas; Ruiken, Jan-Paul; Illner, Markus; Müller, David-Nicolas; Esche, Erik; Wozny, Günther; Westad, Frank; Maiwald, Michael

2017-03-01

A major industrial reaction based on homogeneous catalysis is hydroformylation for the production of aldehydes from alkenes and syngas. Hydroformylation in microemulsions, which is currently under investigation at Technische Universität Berlin on a mini-plant scale, was identified as a cost efficient approach which also enhances product selectivity. Herein, we present the application of online Raman spectroscopy on the reaction of 1-dodecene to 1-tridecanal within a microemulsion. To achieve a good representation of the operation range in the mini-plant with regard to concentrations of the reactants a design of experiments was used. Based on initial Raman spectra partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were calibrated for the prediction of 1-dodecene and 1-tridecanal. Limits of predictions arise from nonlinear correlations between Raman intensity and mass fractions of compounds in the microemulsion system. Furthermore, the prediction power of PLSR models becomes limited due to unexpected by-product formation. Application of the lab-scale derived calibration spectra and PLSR models on online spectra from a mini-plant operation yielded promising estimations of 1-tridecanal and acceptable predictions of 1-dodecene mass fractions suggesting Raman spectroscopy as a suitable technique for process analytics in microemulsions.

Development of monitoring and control system for a mine main fan based on frequency converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y. C.; Zhang, R. W.; Kong, X. Z.; Y Gong, J.; Chen, Q. G.

2013-12-01

In the process of mine exploitation, the requirement of air flow rate often changes. The procedure of traditional control mode of the fan is complex and it is hard to meet the worksite requirement for air. This system is based on Principal Computer (PC) monitoring system and high performance PLC control system. In this system, the frequency converter is adapted to adjust the fan speed and the air of worksite can be regulated steplessly. The function of the monitoring and control system contains on-line monitoring and centralized control. The system can monitor the parameters of fan in real-time, control the operation of frequency converter, as well as, control the fan and its accessory equipments. At the same time, the automation level of the system is highly, the field equipments can be monitored and controlled automatically. So, the system is an important safeguard for mine production.

Transformer partial discharge monitoring based on optical fiber sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Kun; Tong, Xinglin; Zhu, Xiaolong

2014-06-01

The power transformer is the most important equipment of the high voltage power grid, however, some traditional methods of online partial discharge monitoring have some limitations. Based on many advantages of the optical fiber sensing technology, we have done some research on fiber optics Fabry-Perot (FP) sensing which can be useful for the transformer on online partial discharge monitoring. This research aimed at improving the reliability of power system safety monitoring. We have done some work as follows: designing a set for fiber optics FP sensor preparation, according to the fabrication procedure strictly making out the sensors, building a reasonable signal demodulation system for fiber optics FP sensing, doing a preliminary analysis about online partial discharge signal monitoring, including the research on different discharge intensities with the same measuring distance and different measuring distances with the same discharge intensity, and then making a detailed analysis of the experimental results.

Magnetic field effects on spectrally resolved lifetime of on-line oxygen monitoring using magneto-optic probes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mermut, O.; Gallant, P.; Le Bouch, N.; Leclair, S.; Noiseux, I.; Vernon, M.; Morin, J.-F.; Diamond, K.; Patterson, M. S.; Samkoe, K.; Pogue, B.

2009-02-01

Multimodal agents that serve as both probes for contrast and light-activated effectors of cellular processes in diseased tissue were developed. These agents were introduced into multicellular tumor spheroids (3D tissue models) and in the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of a chicken embryo. The luminescence decay was examined using a novel technique involving a spectrally-resolved fluorescence lifetime apparatus integrated with a weak electromagnet. A spectrallyresolved lifetime setup was used to identify magneto-optic species sensitive to magnetic field effects and distinguish from background emissions. We demonstrate that the applied magnetic fields can alter reaction rates and product distribution of some dyes detected by time- and spectrally-resolved luminescence changes. We will discuss the use of exogenous magneto-optical probes taken up in tumors to both induce phototoxicity, a process that is governed by complex and dynamically evolving mechanisms involving reactive oxygen species, and monitor treatment progress. The magnetic field enhancement, measured over a range of weak fields (0-300 mT) is correlated to oxygenation and may be used to monitor dynamic changes occurring due to oxygen consumption over the course of photodynamic therapy. Such online measurements provide the possibility to derive real-time information about response to treatment via monitoring magnetic field enhancement/suppression of the time-resolved, spectrally-resolved luminescence of the probe at the site of the treatment directly. Magnetic perturbation of lifetime can serve as a status reporter, providing optical feedback of oxygen-mediated treatments in situ and allowing for real-time adjustment of a phototherapy treatment plan.

[State Recognition of Solid Fermentation Process Based on Near Infrared Spectroscopy with Adaboost and Spectral Regression Discriminant Analysis].

PubMed

Yu, Shuang; Liu, Guo-hai; Xia, Rong-sheng; Jiang, Hui

2016-01-01

In order to achieve the rapid monitoring of process state of solid state fermentation (SSF), this study attempted to qualitative identification of process state of SSF of feed protein by use of Fourier transform near infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy analysis technique. Even more specifically, the FT-NIR spectroscopy combined with Adaboost-SRDA-NN integrated learning algorithm as an ideal analysis tool was used to accurately and rapidly monitor chemical and physical changes in SSF of feed protein without the need for chemical analysis. Firstly, the raw spectra of all the 140 fermentation samples obtained were collected by use of Fourier transform near infrared spectrometer (Antaris II), and the raw spectra obtained were preprocessed by use of standard normal variate transformation (SNV) spectral preprocessing algorithm. Thereafter, the characteristic information of the preprocessed spectra was extracted by use of spectral regression discriminant analysis (SRDA). Finally, nearest neighbors (NN) algorithm as a basic classifier was selected and building state recognition model to identify different fermentation samples in the validation set. Experimental results showed as follows: the SRDA-NN model revealed its superior performance by compared with other two different NN models, which were developed by use of the feature information form principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and the correct recognition rate of SRDA-NN model achieved 94.28% in the validation set. In this work, in order to further improve the recognition accuracy of the final model, Adaboost-SRDA-NN ensemble learning algorithm was proposed by integrated the Adaboost and SRDA-NN methods, and the presented algorithm was used to construct the online monitoring model of process state of SSF of feed protein. Experimental results showed as follows: the prediction performance of SRDA-NN model has been further enhanced by use of Adaboost lifting algorithm, and the correct recognition rate of the Adaboost-SRDA-NN model achieved 100% in the validation set. The overall results demonstrate that SRDA algorithm can effectively achieve the spectral feature information extraction to the spectral dimension reduction in model calibration process of qualitative analysis of NIR spectroscopy. In addition, the Adaboost lifting algorithm can improve the classification accuracy of the final model. The results obtained in this work can provide research foundation for developing online monitoring instruments for the monitoring of SSF process.

Using Friends as Sensors to Detect Global-Scale Contagious Outbreaks

PubMed Central

Garcia-Herranz, Manuel; Moro, Esteban; Cebrian, Manuel; Christakis, Nicholas A.; Fowler, James H.

2014-01-01

Recent research has focused on the monitoring of global–scale online data for improved detection of epidemics, mood patterns, movements in the stock market political revolutions, box-office revenues, consumer behaviour and many other important phenomena. However, privacy considerations and the sheer scale of data available online are quickly making global monitoring infeasible, and existing methods do not take full advantage of local network structure to identify key nodes for monitoring. Here, we develop a model of the contagious spread of information in a global-scale, publicly-articulated social network and show that a simple method can yield not just early detection, but advance warning of contagious outbreaks. In this method, we randomly choose a small fraction of nodes in the network and then we randomly choose a friend of each node to include in a group for local monitoring. Using six months of data from most of the full Twittersphere, we show that this friend group is more central in the network and it helps us to detect viral outbreaks of the use of novel hashtags about 7 days earlier than we could with an equal-sized randomly chosen group. Moreover, the method actually works better than expected due to network structure alone because highly central actors are both more active and exhibit increased diversity in the information they transmit to others. These results suggest that local monitoring is not just more efficient, but also more effective, and it may be applied to monitor contagious processes in global–scale networks. PMID:24718030

Using friends as sensors to detect global-scale contagious outbreaks.

PubMed

Garcia-Herranz, Manuel; Moro, Esteban; Cebrian, Manuel; Christakis, Nicholas A; Fowler, James H

2014-01-01

Recent research has focused on the monitoring of global-scale online data for improved detection of epidemics, mood patterns, movements in the stock market political revolutions, box-office revenues, consumer behaviour and many other important phenomena. However, privacy considerations and the sheer scale of data available online are quickly making global monitoring infeasible, and existing methods do not take full advantage of local network structure to identify key nodes for monitoring. Here, we develop a model of the contagious spread of information in a global-scale, publicly-articulated social network and show that a simple method can yield not just early detection, but advance warning of contagious outbreaks. In this method, we randomly choose a small fraction of nodes in the network and then we randomly choose a friend of each node to include in a group for local monitoring. Using six months of data from most of the full Twittersphere, we show that this friend group is more central in the network and it helps us to detect viral outbreaks of the use of novel hashtags about 7 days earlier than we could with an equal-sized randomly chosen group. Moreover, the method actually works better than expected due to network structure alone because highly central actors are both more active and exhibit increased diversity in the information they transmit to others. These results suggest that local monitoring is not just more efficient, but also more effective, and it may be applied to monitor contagious processes in global-scale networks.

Concept of Complex Environmental Monitoring Network - Vardzia Rock Cut City Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elashvili, Mikheil; Vacheishvili, Nikoloz; Margottini, Claudio; Basilaia, Giorgi; Chkhaidze, Davit; Kvavadze, Davit; Spizzichino, Daniele; Boscagli, Franceso; Kirkitadze, Giorgi; Adikashvili, Luka; Navrozashvili, Levan

2016-04-01

Vardzia represents an unique cultural heritage monument - rock cut city, which unites architectural monument and Natural-Geological complex. Such monuments are particularly vulnerable and their restoration and conservation requires complex approach. It is curved in various layers of volcanic tuffs and covers several hectares of area, with chronologically different segments of construction. This monument, as many similar monuments worldwide, is subjected to slow but permanent process of destruction, expressed in following factors: surface weathering of rock, active tectonics (aseismic displacement along the active faults and earthquakes), interaction between lithologically different rock layers, existence of major cracks and associated complex block structure, surface rainwater runoff and infiltrated ground water, temperature variations, etc. During its lifetime, Vardzia was heavily damaged by Historical Earthquake of 1283 and only partly restored afterwards. The technological progress together with the increased knowledge about ongoing environmental processes, established the common understanding that the complex monitoring of the environment represents the essential component for resolving such a principal issues, as: Proper management and prevention of natural disasters; Modeling of environmental processes, their short and long term prognosis; Monitoring of macro and micro climate; Safe functioning and preservation of important constructions. Research Center of Cultural Heritage and Environment of Ilia State University in cooperation with Experts from ISPRA, with the funding from the State agency of Cultural Heritage, has developed a concept of Vardzia complex monitoring network. Concept of the network includes: monitoring local meteorological conditions (meteorological station), monitoring microclimate in caves (temperature and humidity in the air and rock), monitoring microtremors and ambient seismic noise in Vardzia (local strong motion network), monitoring displacement and deformation of Vardzia cliff by means of Ground-based SAR (GBSAR) interferometry, continuous photo fixation of ongoing destruction. Works were started in 2014 from the development of network concept and at the end of year 2015 installation of all major components were accomplished. Special Wi-Fi network was installed, using 5.8 GHz frequency to online connect all the station to the central data center in Tbilisi and the same time avoiding complex network of wires on cultural monument. Acquired Data and network status can be seen online on Vardzia.IliaUni.edu.ge. For the management of considerable data flow special Internet Of Thing (IOT) server was developed. First streams of data are already collected and processing started, initial results already obtained and given in current presentation. It should be outlined that Vardzia complex monitoring network does not represent unitary technical or conceptual solution, but it is a constantly developing model to be farther extended by adding more monitoring points and/or increasing monitored parameters. It is extremely important to test and validate given approach in reality, enabling use of these technologies in the study and conservation projects of other, similar monuments.

Effect of Friction Stir Process Parameters on the Mechanical and Thermal Behavior of 5754-H111 Aluminum Plates.

PubMed

Serio, Livia Maria; Palumbo, Davide; De Filippis, Luigi Alberto Ciro; Galietti, Umberto; Ludovico, Antonio Domenico

2016-02-23

A study of the Friction Stir Welding (FSW) process was carried out in order to evaluate the influence of process parameters on the mechanical properties of aluminum plates (AA5754-H111). The process was monitored during each test by means of infrared cameras in order to correlate temperature information with eventual changes of the mechanical properties of joints. In particular, two process parameters were considered for tests: the welding tool rotation speed and the welding tool traverse speed. The quality of joints was evaluated by means of destructive and non-destructive tests. In this regard, the presence of defects and the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) were investigated for each combination of the process parameters. A statistical analysis was carried out to assess the correlation between the thermal behavior of joints and the process parameters, also proving the capability of Infrared Thermography for on-line monitoring of the quality of joints.

Effect of Friction Stir Process Parameters on the Mechanical and Thermal Behavior of 5754-H111 Aluminum Plates

PubMed Central

Serio, Livia Maria; Palumbo, Davide; De Filippis, Luigi Alberto Ciro; Galietti, Umberto; Ludovico, Antonio Domenico

2016-01-01

A study of the Friction Stir Welding (FSW) process was carried out in order to evaluate the influence of process parameters on the mechanical properties of aluminum plates (AA5754-H111). The process was monitored during each test by means of infrared cameras in order to correlate temperature information with eventual changes of the mechanical properties of joints. In particular, two process parameters were considered for tests: the welding tool rotation speed and the welding tool traverse speed. The quality of joints was evaluated by means of destructive and non-destructive tests. In this regard, the presence of defects and the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) were investigated for each combination of the process parameters. A statistical analysis was carried out to assess the correlation between the thermal behavior of joints and the process parameters, also proving the capability of Infrared Thermography for on-line monitoring of the quality of joints. PMID:28773246

"Any girls want to chat press 911": partner selection in monitored and unmonitored teen chat rooms.

PubMed

Smahel, David; Subrahmanyam, Kaveri

2007-06-01

We examined the search for partners by participants in two teen chat services having different ecologies. Over 12,000 utterances from monitored and unmonitored chat rooms were analyzed to assess online partner selection attempts and to see how such attempts may be influenced by the presence of an adult monitor. We found that the search for partners is ubiquitous in adolescents' online haunts, just as it is in their offline lives, and approximately two requests for a partner occur each minute. Although partner selection appears to be an important activity in online teen chat rooms, there are differences in frequency and format (e.g., the use of numerals, sexualized requests) as a function of participants' age and gender, and chat room ecology (monitored vs. unmonitored).

The impact of teachers' approaches to teaching and students' learning styles on students' approaches to learning in college online biology courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Yuh-Fong

With the rapid growth of online courses in higher education institutions, research on quality of learning for online courses is needed. However, there is a notable lack of research in the cited literature providing evidence that online distance education promotes the quality of independent learning to which it aspires. Previous studies focused on academic outcomes and technology applications which do not monitor students' learning processes, such as their approaches to learning. Understanding students' learning processes and factors influencing quality of learning will provide valuable information for instructors and institutions in providing quality online courses and programs. The purpose of this study was to identify and investigate college biology teachers' approaches to teaching and students' learning styles, and to examine the impact of approaches to teaching and learning styles on students' approaches to learning via online instruction. Data collection included eighty-seven participants from five online biology courses at a community college in the southern area of Texas. Data analysis showed the following results. First, there were significant differences in approaches to learning among students with different learning styles. Second, there was a significant difference in students' approaches to learning between classes using different approaches to teaching. Three, the impact of learning styles on students' approaches to learning was not influenced by instructors' approaches to teaching. Two conclusions were obtained from the results. First, individuals with the ability to perceive information abstractly might be more likely to adopt deep approaches to learning than those preferring to perceive information through concrete experience in online learning environments. Second, Teaching Approach Inventory might not be suitable to measure approaches to teaching for online biology courses due to online instructional design and technology limitations. Based on the findings and conclusions of this study, implications for distance education and future research are described.

Vibration Sensor Monitoring of Nickel-Titanium Alloy Turning for Machinability Evaluation.

PubMed

Segreto, Tiziana; Caggiano, Alessandra; Karam, Sara; Teti, Roberto

2017-12-12

Nickel-Titanium (Ni-Ti) alloys are very difficult-to-machine materials causing notable manufacturing problems due to their unique mechanical properties, including superelasticity, high ductility, and severe strain-hardening. In this framework, the aim of this paper is to assess the machinability of Ni-Ti alloys with reference to turning processes in order to realize a reliable and robust in-process identification of machinability conditions. An on-line sensor monitoring procedure based on the acquisition of vibration signals was implemented during the experimental turning tests. The detected vibration sensorial data were processed through an advanced signal processing method in time-frequency domain based on wavelet packet transform (WPT). The extracted sensorial features were used to construct WPT pattern feature vectors to send as input to suitably configured neural networks (NNs) for cognitive pattern recognition in order to evaluate the correlation between input sensorial information and output machinability conditions.

Vibration Sensor Monitoring of Nickel-Titanium Alloy Turning for Machinability Evaluation

PubMed Central

Segreto, Tiziana; Karam, Sara; Teti, Roberto

2017-01-01

Nickel-Titanium (Ni-Ti) alloys are very difficult-to-machine materials causing notable manufacturing problems due to their unique mechanical properties, including superelasticity, high ductility, and severe strain-hardening. In this framework, the aim of this paper is to assess the machinability of Ni-Ti alloys with reference to turning processes in order to realize a reliable and robust in-process identification of machinability conditions. An on-line sensor monitoring procedure based on the acquisition of vibration signals was implemented during the experimental turning tests. The detected vibration sensorial data were processed through an advanced signal processing method in time-frequency domain based on wavelet packet transform (WPT). The extracted sensorial features were used to construct WPT pattern feature vectors to send as input to suitably configured neural networks (NNs) for cognitive pattern recognition in order to evaluate the correlation between input sensorial information and output machinability conditions. PMID:29231864

Laser-induced incandescence: Particulate diagnostics for combustion, atmospheric, and industrial applications

DOE PAGES

Michelsen, H. A.; Schulz, C.; Smallwood, G. J.; ...

2015-09-09

The understanding of soot formation in combustion processes and the optimization of practical combustion systems require in situ measurement techniques that can provide important characteristics, such as particle concentrations and sizes, under a variety of conditions. Of equal importance are techniques suitable for characterizing soot particles produced from incomplete combustion and emitted into the environment. Also, the production of engineered nanoparticles, such as carbon blacks, may benefit from techniques that allow for online monitoring of these processes.

A Field Programmable Gate Array-Based Reconfigurable Smart-Sensor Network for Wireless Monitoring of New Generation Computer Numerically Controlled Machines

PubMed Central

Moreno-Tapia, Sandra Veronica; Vera-Salas, Luis Alberto; Osornio-Rios, Roque Alfredo; Dominguez-Gonzalez, Aurelio; Stiharu, Ion; de Jesus Romero-Troncoso, Rene

2010-01-01

Computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines have evolved to adapt to increasing technological and industrial requirements. To cover these needs, new generation machines have to perform monitoring strategies by incorporating multiple sensors. Since in most of applications the online Processing of the variables is essential, the use of smart sensors is necessary. The contribution of this work is the development of a wireless network platform of reconfigurable smart sensors for CNC machine applications complying with the measurement requirements of new generation CNC machines. Four different smart sensors are put under test in the network and their corresponding signal processing techniques are implemented in a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based sensor node. PMID:22163602

A field programmable gate array-based reconfigurable smart-sensor network for wireless monitoring of new generation computer numerically controlled machines.

PubMed

Moreno-Tapia, Sandra Veronica; Vera-Salas, Luis Alberto; Osornio-Rios, Roque Alfredo; Dominguez-Gonzalez, Aurelio; Stiharu, Ion; Romero-Troncoso, Rene de Jesus

2010-01-01

Computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines have evolved to adapt to increasing technological and industrial requirements. To cover these needs, new generation machines have to perform monitoring strategies by incorporating multiple sensors. Since in most of applications the online Processing of the variables is essential, the use of smart sensors is necessary. The contribution of this work is the development of a wireless network platform of reconfigurable smart sensors for CNC machine applications complying with the measurement requirements of new generation CNC machines. Four different smart sensors are put under test in the network and their corresponding signal processing techniques are implemented in a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based sensor node.

Information Parents Must Know about Online Privacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markell, Ginny

2000-01-01

Presents four tips to help parents monitor whether website operators are complying with the 1988 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act: look for privacy policies on children's websites; determine if they ask for parental consent to collect personal information; regularly monitor information being sent to children; and determine if web operators…

Accurate Heart Rate Monitoring During Physical Exercises Using PPG.

PubMed

Temko, Andriy

2017-09-01

The challenging task of heart rate (HR) estimation from the photoplethysmographic (PPG) signal, during intensive physical exercises, is tackled in this paper. The study presents a detailed analysis of a novel algorithm (WFPV) that exploits a Wiener filter to attenuate the motion artifacts, a phase vocoder to refine the HR estimate and user-adaptive post-processing to track the subject physiology. Additionally, an offline version of the HR estimation algorithm that uses Viterbi decoding is designed for scenarios that do not require online HR monitoring (WFPV+VD). The performance of the HR estimation systems is rigorously compared with existing algorithms on the publically available database of 23 PPG recordings. On the whole dataset of 23 PPG recordings, the algorithms result in average absolute errors of 1.97 and 1.37 BPM in the online and offline modes, respectively. On the test dataset of 10 PPG recordings which were most corrupted with motion artifacts, WFPV has an error of 2.95 BPM on its own and 2.32 BPM in an ensemble with two existing algorithms. The error rate is significantly reduced when compared with the state-of-the art PPG-based HR estimation methods. The proposed system is shown to be accurate in the presence of strong motion artifacts and in contrast to existing alternatives has very few free parameters to tune. The algorithm has a low computational cost and can be used for fitness tracking and health monitoring in wearable devices. The MATLAB implementation of the algorithm is provided online.

Determination of 15 N-nitrosodimethylamine precursors in different water matrices by automated on-line solid-phase extraction ultra-high-performance-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Farré, Maria José; Insa, Sara; Mamo, Julian; Barceló, Damià

2016-08-05

A new methodology based on on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) ultra-high-performance-liquid chromatography coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (UHPLC-MS-MS) for the determination of 15 individual anthropogenic N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) precursors was developed. On-line SPE was performed by passing 2mL of the water sample through a Hypersil GOLD aQ column and chromatographic separation was done using a Kinetex Biphenyl column using methanol and 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution as a mobile phase. For unequivocal identification and confirmation, two selected reaction monitoring (SRM) transitions were monitored per compound. Quantification was performed by internal standard approach and matrix match calibration. The main advantages of the developed method are high sensitivity (limits of detection in the sub ng/L range), selectivity due to the use of tandem mass spectrometry, precision and minimum sample manipulation as well as fast analytical response. Process efficiency and recovery were also evaluated for all the target compounds. As part of the validation procedure, the method was applied in a sampling campaign for the analysis of influent and secondary effluent of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Girona, Spain. Additionally, the effluent from a nanofiltration (NF) membrane system used for water recycling was monitored. The percentage of NDMA formation explained by the measured precursors was also quantified. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In Situ Monitoring of Particle Consolidation During Low Pressure Cold Spray by Ultrasonic Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maev, R. Gr.; Titov, S.; Leshchynsky, V.; Dzhurinskiy, D.; Lubrick, M.

2011-06-01

This study attempts to test the viability of the examination of the cold spray process using acoustic methods, specifically in situ testing during the actual spray process itself. Multiple composites studied by flat and multi-channel transducers as well as the results of actual online measurements are presented. It is shown that the final thickness as well as the dynamics of buildup can be evaluated (including plotting rates of buildup). Cross sections of the coating thickness are also easy to obtain and show true profiles of the coating. The data can also be used to generate real estimates for nozzle speed and spray diameter. Finally, comparisons of real thickness and acoustically estimated thickness show a close linear relationship. The data clearly show that online acoustic measurement is a viable method for estimating thickness buildup.

The extent of use of online pharmacies in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Abanmy, Norah

2017-09-01

Online pharmacies sell medicine over the Internet and deliver them by mail. The main objective of this study is to explore the extent of use of online pharmacies in Saudi Arabia which will be useful for the scientific community and regulators. An Arabic survey questionnaire was developed for this study. The questionnaire was distributed via email and social media. Four sections were created to cover the objectives: experience with online shopping in general, demographics, awareness of the existence and customer experiences of buying medicine online, and reasons for buying/not buying medicine online. A total of 633 responses were collected. Around 69% (437) of them were female and the majority (256, 40.4%) was in the age range 26-40. Only 23.1% (146) were aware of the existence of online pharmacies where 2.7% (17) of them had bought a medicine over the Internet and 15 (88.2%) respondents out of the 17 was satisfied with the process. Lack of awareness of the availability of such services was the main reason for not buying medicines online. Many respondents (263, 42.7%) were willing to try an online pharmacy, although majorities (243, 45.9%) were unable to differentiate between legal and illegal online pharmacies. The largest categories of products respondents were willing to buy them online were nonprescription medicines and cosmetics. The popularity of purchasing medicines over the Internet is still low in Saudi Arabia. However, because the majority of respondents are willing to purchase medicines online, efforts should be made by the Saudi FDA to set regulations and monitor this activity.

Adaptive hidden Markov model-based online learning framework for bearing faulty detection and performance degradation monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Jianbo

2017-01-01

This study proposes an adaptive-learning-based method for machine faulty detection and health degradation monitoring. The kernel of the proposed method is an "evolving" model that uses an unsupervised online learning scheme, in which an adaptive hidden Markov model (AHMM) is used for online learning the dynamic health changes of machines in their full life. A statistical index is developed for recognizing the new health states in the machines. Those new health states are then described online by adding of new hidden states in AHMM. Furthermore, the health degradations in machines are quantified online by an AHMM-based health index (HI) that measures the similarity between two density distributions that describe the historic and current health states, respectively. When necessary, the proposed method characterizes the distinct operating modes of the machine and can learn online both abrupt as well as gradual health changes. Our method overcomes some drawbacks of the HIs (e.g., relatively low comprehensibility and applicability) based on fixed monitoring models constructed in the offline phase. Results from its application in a bearing life test reveal that the proposed method is effective in online detection and adaptive assessment of machine health degradation. This study provides a useful guide for developing a condition-based maintenance (CBM) system that uses an online learning method without considerable human intervention.

Robust Online Monitoring for Calibration Assessment of Transmitters and Instrumentation

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

Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Coble, Jamie B.; Shumaker, Brent

Robust online monitoring (OLM) technologies are expected to enable the extension or elimination of periodic sensor calibration intervals in operating and new reactors. These advances in OLM technologies will improve the safety and reliability of current and planned nuclear power systems through improved accuracy and increased reliability of sensors used to monitor key parameters. In this article, we discuss an overview of research being performed within the Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET)/Advanced Sensors and Instrumentation (ASI) program, for the development of OLM algorithms to use sensor outputs and, in combination with other available information, 1) determine whether one or moremore » sensors are out of calibration or failing and 2) replace a failing sensor with reliable, accurate sensor outputs. Algorithm development is focused on the following OLM functions: • Signal validation • Virtual sensing • Sensor response-time assessment These algorithms incorporate, at their base, a Gaussian Process-based uncertainty quantification (UQ) method. Various plant models (using kernel regression, GP, or hierarchical models) may be used to predict sensor responses under various plant conditions. These predicted responses can then be applied in fault detection (sensor output and response time) and in computing the correct value (virtual sensing) of a failing physical sensor. The methods being evaluated in this work can compute confidence levels along with the predicted sensor responses, and as a result, may have the potential for compensating for sensor drift in real-time (online recalibration). Evaluation was conducted using data from multiple sources (laboratory flow loops and plant data). Ongoing research in this project is focused on further evaluation of the algorithms, optimization for accuracy and computational efficiency, and integration into a suite of tools for robust OLM that are applicable to monitoring sensor calibration state in nuclear power plants.« less

Implementation of quality by design toward processing of food products.

PubMed

Rathore, Anurag S; Kapoor, Gautam

2017-05-28

Quality by design (QbD) is a systematic approach that begins with predefined objectives and emphasizes product and process understanding and process control. It is an approach based on principles of sound science and quality risk management. As the food processing industry continues to embrace the idea of in-line, online, and/or at-line sensors and real-time characterization for process monitoring and control, the existing gaps with regard to our ability to monitor multiple parameters/variables associated with the manufacturing process will be alleviated over time. Investments made for development of tools and approaches that facilitate high-throughput analytical and process development, process analytical technology, design of experiments, risk analysis, knowledge management, and enhancement of process/product understanding would pave way for operational and economic benefits later in the commercialization process and across other product pipelines. This article aims to achieve two major objectives. First, to review the progress that has been made in the recent years on the topic of QbD implementation in processing of food products and second, present a case study that illustrates benefits of such QbD implementation.

Romantic Partner Monitoring After Breakups: Attachment, Dependence, Distress, and Post-Dissolution Online Surveillance via Social Networking Sites.

PubMed

Fox, Jesse; Tokunaga, Robert S

2015-09-01

Romantic relationship dissolution can be stressful, and social networking sites make it difficult to separate from a romantic partner online as well as offline. An online survey (N = 431) tested a model synthesizing attachment, investment model variables, and post-dissolution emotional distress as predictors of interpersonal surveillance (i.e., "Facebook stalking") of one's ex-partner on Facebook after a breakup. Results indicated that anxious attachment predicted relational investment but also seeking relationship alternatives; avoidant attachment was negatively related to investment but positively related to seeking alternatives. Investment predicted commitment, whereas seeking alternatives was negatively related to commitment. Commitment predicted emotional distress after the breakup. Distress predicted partner monitoring immediately following the breakup, particularly for those who did not initiate the breakup, as well as current partner monitoring. Given their affordances, social media are discussed as potentially unhealthy enablers for online surveillance after relationship termination.

Fleet-Wide Prognostic and Health Management Suite: Asset Fault Signature Database

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

Vivek Agarwal; Nancy J. Lybeck; Randall Bickford

Proactive online monitoring in the nuclear industry is being explored using the Electric Power Research Institute’s Fleet-Wide Prognostic and Health Management (FW-PHM) Suite software. The FW-PHM Suite is a set of web-based diagnostic and prognostic tools and databases that serves as an integrated health monitoring architecture. The FW-PHM Suite has four main modules: (1) Diagnostic Advisor, (2) Asset Fault Signature (AFS) Database, (3) Remaining Useful Life Advisor, and (4) Remaining Useful Life Database. The paper focuses on the AFS Database of the FW-PHM Suite, which is used to catalog asset fault signatures. A fault signature is a structured representation ofmore » the information that an expert would use to first detect and then verify the occurrence of a specific type of fault. The fault signatures developed to assess the health status of generator step-up transformers are described in the paper. The developed fault signatures capture this knowledge and implement it in a standardized approach, thereby streamlining the diagnostic and prognostic process. This will support the automation of proactive online monitoring techniques in nuclear power plants to diagnose incipient faults, perform proactive maintenance, and estimate the remaining useful life of assets.« less

Tracing Acetylene Dissolved in Transformer Oil by Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectrum.

PubMed

Ma, Guo-Ming; Zhao, Shu-Jing; Jiang, Jun; Song, Hong-Tu; Li, Cheng-Rong; Luo, Ying-Ting; Wu, Hao

2017-11-02

Dissolved gas analysis (DGA) is widely used in monitoring and diagnosing of power transformer, since the insulation material in the power transformer decomposes gases under abnormal operation condition. Among the gases, acetylene, as a symbol of low energy spark discharge and high energy electrical faults (arc discharge) of power transformer, is an important monitoring parameter. The current gas detection method used by the online DGA equipment suffers from problems such as cross sensitivity, electromagnetic compatibility and reliability. In this paper, an optical gas detection system based on TDLAS technology is proposed to detect acetylene dissolved in transformer oil. We selected a 1530.370 nm laser in the near infrared wavelength range to correspond to the absorption peak of acetylene, while using the wavelength modulation strategy and Herriott cell to improve the detection precision. Results show that the limit of detection reaches 0.49 ppm. The detection system responds quickly to changes of gas concentration and is easily to maintenance while has no electromagnetic interference, cross-sensitivity, or carrier gas. In addition, a complete detection process of the system takes only 8 minutes, implying a practical prospect of online monitoring technology.

Effects of Online Self-Regulation Activitieson Physical Activity among Pregnant and Early Postpartum Women

PubMed Central

Niederdeppe, Jeff; Graham, Meredith; Olson, Christine; Gay, Geri

2015-01-01

Physical and psychological changes that occur during pregnancy present a unique challenge for women’s physical activity. Using a theory-based prospective design, this study examines effects of pregnant women’s (1) physical activity cognitions (self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, and safety beliefs) and (2) online self-regulation activities (goal-setting and self-monitoring) on subsequent changes in their physical activity intentions and behavior during pregnancy and immediately postpartum. We used data from three panel surveys administered to pregnant women enrolled in a web-based intervention to promote healthy pregnancy and postpartum weight, as well as log data on their use of self-regulatory features on the intervention website. Perceived self-efficacy and perceived safety of physical activity in pregnancy enhanced subsequent intentions to be physically active. Repeated goal-setting and monitoring of those goals helped to maintain positive intentions during pregnancy, but only repeated self-monitoring transferred positive intentions into actual behavior. Theoretically, this study offers a better understanding of the roles of self-regulation activities in the processes of goal-striving. We also discuss practical implications for encouraging physical activity among pregnant and early postpartum women. PMID:26132887

Effects of Online Self-Regulation Activities on Physical Activity Among Pregnant and Early Postpartum Women.

PubMed

Kim, Hye Kyung; Niederdeppe, Jeff; Graham, Meredith; Olson, Christine; Gay, Geri

2015-01-01

Physical and psychological changes that occur during pregnancy present a unique challenge for women's physical activity. Using a theory-based prospective design, this study examines the effects of pregnant women's (a) physical activity cognitions (self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, and safety beliefs) and (b) online self-regulation activities (goal-setting and self-monitoring) on subsequent changes in their physical activity intentions and behavior during pregnancy and immediately postpartum. The authors used data from three panel surveys administered to pregnant women enrolled in a web-based intervention to promote healthy pregnancy and postpartum weight, as well as log data on their use of self-regulatory features on the intervention website. Perceived self-efficacy and perceived safety of physical activity in pregnancy enhanced subsequent intentions to be physically active. Repeated goal-setting and monitoring of those goals helped to maintain positive intentions during pregnancy, but only repeated self-monitoring transferred positive intentions into actual behavior. Theoretically, this study offers a better understanding of the roles of self-regulation activities in the processes of goal-striving. The authors also discuss practical implications for encouraging physical activity among pregnant and early postpartum women.

Online Structural-Health Monitoring of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastics Using Different Carbon Allotropes in the Interphase.

PubMed

Müller, Michael Thomas; Pötzsch, Hendrik Florian; Gohs, Uwe; Heinrich, Gert

2018-06-25

An electromechanical response behavior is realized by nanostructuring the glass fiber interphase with different highly electrically conductive carbon allotropes like carbon nanotubes (CNT), graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), or conductive carbon black (CB). The operational capability of these multifunctional glass fibers for an online structural-health monitoring is demonstrated in endless glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene. The electromechanical response behavior, during a static or dynamic three-point bending test of various carbon modifications, shows qualitative differences in the signal quality and sensitivity due to the different aspect ratios of the nanoparticles and the associated electrically conductive network densities in the interphase. Depending on the embedding position within the glass fiber-reinforced composite compression, shear and tension loadings of the fibers can be distinguished by different characteristics of the corresponding electrical signal. The occurrence of irreversible signal changes during the dynamic loading can be attributed to filler reorientation processes caused by polymer creeping or by destruction of electrically conductive paths by cracks in the glass fiber interphase.

Teaching Citizen Science Skills Online: Implications for Invasive Species Training Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Greg; Crall, Alycia; Laituri, Melinda; Graham, Jim; Stohlgren, Tom; Moore, John C.; Kodrich, Kris; Holfelder, Kirstin A.

2010-01-01

Citizen science programs are emerging as an efficient way to increase data collection and help monitor invasive species. Effective invasive species monitoring requires rigid data quality assurances if expensive control efforts are to be guided by volunteer data. To achieve data quality, effective online training is needed to improve field skills…

Source Water Quality Monitoring

EPA Science Inventory

Presentation will provide background information on continuous source water monitoring using online toxicity monitors and cover various tools available. Conceptual and practical aspects of source water quality monitoring will be discussed.

Adaptive on-line calibration for around-view monitoring system using between-camera homography estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Sungsoo; Lee, Seohyung; Kim, Jun-geon; Lee, Daeho

2018-01-01

The around-view monitoring (AVM) system is one of the major applications of advanced driver assistance systems and intelligent transportation systems. We propose an on-line calibration method, which can compensate misalignments for AVM systems. Most AVM systems use fisheye undistortion, inverse perspective transformation, and geometrical registration methods. To perform these procedures, the parameters for each process must be known; the procedure by which the parameters are estimated is referred to as the initial calibration. However, when only using the initial calibration data, we cannot compensate misalignments, caused by changing equilibria of cars. Moreover, even small changes such as tire pressure levels, passenger weight, or road conditions can affect a car's equilibrium. Therefore, to compensate for this misalignment, additional techniques are necessary, specifically an on-line calibration method. On-line calibration can recalculate homographies, which can correct any degree of misalignment using the unique features of ordinary parking lanes. To extract features from the parking lanes, this method uses corner detection and a pattern matching algorithm. From the extracted features, homographies are estimated using random sample consensus and parameter estimation. Finally, the misaligned epipolar geographies are compensated via the estimated homographies. Thus, the proposed method can render image planes parallel to the ground. This method does not require any designated patterns and can be used whenever cars are placed in a parking lot. The experimental results show the robustness and efficiency of the method.

Distributed condition monitoring techniques of optical fiber composite power cable in smart grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Zhihui; Liu, Yuan; Wang, Chang; Liu, Tongyu

2011-11-01

Optical fiber composite power cable such as optical phase conductor (OPPC) is significant for the development of smart grid. This paper discusses the distributed cable condition monitoring techniques of the OPPC, which adopts embedded single-mode fiber as the sensing medium. By applying optical time domain reflection and laser Raman scattering, high-resolution spatial positioning and high-precision distributed temperature measurement is executed. And the OPPC cable condition parameters including temperature and its location, current carrying capacity, and location of fracture and loss can be monitored online. OPPC cable distributed condition monitoring experimental system is set up, and the main parts including pulsed fiber laser, weak Raman signal reception, high speed acquisition and cumulative average processing, temperature demodulation and current carrying capacity analysis are introduced. The distributed cable condition monitoring techniques of the OPPC is significant for power transmission management and security.

Demonstration of FBRM as process analytical technology tool for dewatering processes via CST correlation.

PubMed

Cobbledick, Jeffrey; Nguyen, Alexander; Latulippe, David R

2014-07-01

The current challenges associated with the design and operation of net-energy positive wastewater treatment plants demand sophisticated approaches for the monitoring of polymer-induced flocculation. In anaerobic digestion (AD) processes, the dewaterability of the sludge is typically assessed from off-line lab-bench tests - the capillary suction time (CST) test is one of the most common. Focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM) is a promising technique for real-time monitoring of critical performance attributes in large scale processes and is ideally suited for dewatering applications. The flocculation performance of twenty-four cationic polymers, that spanned a range of polymer size and charge properties, was measured using both the FBRM and CST tests. Analysis of the data revealed a decreasing monotonic trend; the samples that had the highest percent removal of particles less than 50 microns in size as determined by FBRM had the lowest CST values. A subset of the best performing polymers was used to evaluate the effects of dosage amount and digestate sources on dewatering performance. The results from this work show that FBRM is a powerful tool that can be used for optimization and on-line monitoring of dewatering processes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

LHCb Online event processing and filtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alessio, F.; Barandela, C.; Brarda, L.; Frank, M.; Franek, B.; Galli, D.; Gaspar, C.; Herwijnen, E. v.; Jacobsson, R.; Jost, B.; Köstner, S.; Moine, G.; Neufeld, N.; Somogyi, P.; Stoica, R.; Suman, S.

2008-07-01

The first level trigger of LHCb accepts one million events per second. After preprocessing in custom FPGA-based boards these events are distributed to a large farm of PC-servers using a high-speed Gigabit Ethernet network. Synchronisation and event management is achieved by the Timing and Trigger system of LHCb. Due to the complex nature of the selection of B-events, which are the main interest of LHCb, a full event-readout is required. Event processing on the servers is parallelised on an event basis. The reduction factor is typically 1/500. The remaining events are forwarded to a formatting layer, where the raw data files are formed and temporarily stored. A small part of the events is also forwarded to a dedicated farm for calibration and monitoring. The files are subsequently shipped to the CERN Tier0 facility for permanent storage and from there to the various Tier1 sites for reconstruction. In parallel files are used by various monitoring and calibration processes running within the LHCb Online system. The entire data-flow is controlled and configured by means of a SCADA system and several databases. After an overview of the LHCb data acquisition and its design principles this paper will emphasize the LHCb event filter system, which is now implemented using the final hardware and will be ready for data-taking for the LHC startup. Control, configuration and security aspects will also be discussed.

On-line adaptive battery impedance parameter and state estimation considering physical principles in reduced order equivalent circuit battery models. Part 1. Requirements, critical review of methods and modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleischer, Christian; Waag, Wladislaw; Heyn, Hans-Martin; Sauer, Dirk Uwe

2014-08-01

Lithium-ion battery systems employed in high power demanding systems such as electric vehicles require a sophisticated monitoring system to ensure safe and reliable operation. Three major states of the battery are of special interest and need to be constantly monitored, these include: battery state of charge (SoC), battery state of health (capcity fade determination, SoH), and state of function (power fade determination, SoF). In a series of two papers, we propose a system of algorithms based on a weighted recursive least quadratic squares parameter estimator, that is able to determine the battery impedance and diffusion parameters for accurate state estimation. The functionality was proven on different battery chemistries with different aging conditions. The first paper investigates the general requirements on BMS for HEV/EV applications. In parallel, the commonly used methods for battery monitoring are reviewed to elaborate their strength and weaknesses in terms of the identified requirements for on-line applications. Special emphasis will be placed on real-time capability and memory optimized code for cost-sensitive industrial or automotive applications in which low-cost microcontrollers must be used. Therefore, a battery model is presented which includes the influence of the Butler-Volmer kinetics on the charge-transfer process. Lastly, the mass transport process inside the battery is modeled in a novel state-space representation.

Imaging Ultrasound Guidance and on-line Estimation of Thermal Behavior in HIFU Exposed Targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chauhan, Sunita; Haryanto, Amir

2006-05-01

Elevated temperatures have been used for many years to combat several diseases including treatment of certain types of cancers/tumors. High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) has emerged as a potential non-invasive modality for trackless targeting of deep-seated cancers of human body. For the procedures which require thermal elevation such as hyperthermia and tissue ablation, temperature becomes a parameter of vital importance in order to monitor the treatment on-line. Also, embedding invasive temperature probes for this purpose beats the supremacy of the non-invasive ablating modality. In this paper, we describe the use of a non-invasive and inexpensive conventional imaging ultrasound modality for lesion positioning and estimation of thermal behavior of the tissue on exposure to HIFU. Representative results of our online lesion tracking algorithm for discerning lesioning behavior using image capture, processing and phase-shift measurements are presented.

On-line monitoring of in-vitro oral bioaccessibility tests as front-end to liquid chromatography for determination of chlorogenic acid isomers in dietary supplements.

PubMed

Kremr, Daniel; Cocovi-Solberg, David J; Bajerová, Petra; Ventura, Karel; Miró, Manuel

2017-05-01

A novel fully automated in-vitro oral dissolution test assay as a front-end to liquid chromatography has been developed and validated for on-line chemical profiling and monitoring of temporal release profiles of three caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) isomers, namely, 3-CQA,4-CQA and 5-CQA, known as chlorogenic acids, in dietary supplements. Tangential-flow filtration is harnessed as a sample processing approach for on-line handling of CQA containing extracts of hard gelatin capsules and introduction of protein-free samples into the liquid chromatograph. Oral bioaccessibility/dissolution test assays were performed at 37.0±0.5°C as per US Pharmacopeia recommendations using pepsin with activity of ca. 749,000 USP units/L in 0.1mol/L HCl as the extraction medium and a paddle apparatus stirred at 50rpm. CQA release rates and steady-state dissolution conditions were determined accurately by fitting the chromatographic datasets, namely, the average cumulative concentrations of bioaccessible pools of every individual isomer monitored during 200min, with temporal resolutions of ≥10min, to a first-order dissolution kinetic model. Distinct solid-to-liquid phase ratios in the mimicry of physiological extraction conditions were assessed. Relative standard deviations for intra-day repeatability and inter-day intermediate precision of 5-CQA within the 5-40µg/mL concentration range were <3.4% and <5.5%, respectively. Trueness of the automatic flow method for determination of 5-CQA released from dietary supplements in gastric fluid surrogate was demonstrated by spike recoveries, spanning from 91.5-104.0%, upon completion of the dissolution process. The proposed hyphenated setup was resorted for evaluating potential differences in dissolution profiles and content of the three most abundant chlorogenic acid isomers in dietary supplements from varied manufacturers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Source water monitoring and biomonitoring systems

EPA Science Inventory

Presentation will provide background information on continuous source water monitoring using online toxicity monitors and cover various tools available. Conceptual and practical aspects of source water quality monitoring will be discussed.

Application of Motion Induced Remote-Field Eddy-Current effect to online inspection and quality examination of rolling metallic strips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yushi; Udpa, Satish; Lord, William; Udpa, Lalita; Ouyang, Tianhe

2001-04-01

The Motion Induced Remote-Field Eddy-Current (MIRFEC) effect was first observed in 1994. The effect was first exploited for detecting pipeline stress corrosion cracks as a part of a research project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation. This paper presents a new application of the MIRFEC effect for online inspection of rolling metallic strips. Currently, rolled metallic strips and sheets are inspected off-line, which is costly, time consuming and not ideal for quality control. A well-designed online diagnostic and control system for metal rolling process may be able to reduce cost, improve quality, and hence enhance competitiveness of the product. The overall objective of this paper is to demonstrate the feasibility of a new nondestructive measurement system for on-line diagnostics and control of metallic rolling process using the MIRFEC effect. The system can be used to monitor, in real time, metallic strips/sheets for possible anomalies, inclusions, voids, bubbles, lamination, as well as variations in its magnetic and other properties. The potential advantages of the MIRFEC system include simplicity, robustness, low cost, high reliability, quick and accurate signal classification and characterization. Such systems can be used for real-time process control, or off-line data analysis. The technique also allows operation at high temperatures, tolerates large lift-off and vibration, and high rolling speed. Results of finite element modeling of the MIRFEC effect and experimental measurement data obtained from a prototype system are presented.

Review of Portable and Low-Cost Sensors for the Ambient Air Monitoring of Benzene and Other Volatile Organic Compounds

PubMed Central

Kok, Gertjan; Persijn, Stefan; Sauerwald, Tilman

2017-01-01

This article presents a literature review of sensors for the monitoring of benzene in ambient air and other volatile organic compounds. Combined with information provided by stakeholders, manufacturers and literature, the review considers commercially available sensors, including PID-based sensors, semiconductor (resistive gas sensors) and portable on-line measuring devices as for example sensor arrays. The bibliographic collection includes the following topics: sensor description, field of application at fixed sites, indoor and ambient air monitoring, range of concentration levels and limit of detection in air, model descriptions of the phenomena involved in the sensor detection process, gaseous interference selectivity of sensors in complex VOC matrix, validation data in lab experiments and under field conditions. PMID:28657595

Review of Portable and Low-Cost Sensors for the Ambient Air Monitoring of Benzene and Other Volatile Organic Compounds.

PubMed

Spinelle, Laurent; Gerboles, Michel; Kok, Gertjan; Persijn, Stefan; Sauerwald, Tilman

2017-06-28

This article presents a literature review of sensors for the monitoring of benzene in ambient air and other volatile organic compounds. Combined with information provided by stakeholders, manufacturers and literature, the review considers commercially available sensors, including PID-based sensors, semiconductor (resistive gas sensors) and portable on-line measuring devices as for example sensor arrays. The bibliographic collection includes the following topics: sensor description, field of application at fixed sites, indoor and ambient air monitoring, range of concentration levels and limit of detection in air, model descriptions of the phenomena involved in the sensor detection process, gaseous interference selectivity of sensors in complex VOC matrix, validation data in lab experiments and under field conditions.

Online data monitoring in the LHCb experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Callot, O.; Cherukuwada, S.; Frank, M.; Gaspar, C.; Graziani, G.; Herwijnen, E. v.; Jost, B.; Neufeld, N.; P-Altarelli, M.; Somogyi, P.; Stoica, R.

2008-07-01

The High Level Trigger and Data Acquisition system selects about 2 kHz of events out of the 40 MHz of beam crossings. The selected events are sent to permanent storage for subsequent analysis. In order to ensure the quality of the collected data, identify possible malfunctions of the detector and perform calibration and alignment checks, a small fraction of the accepted events is sent to a monitoring farm, which consists of a few tens of general purpose processors. This contribution introduces the architecture of the data stream splitting mechanism from the storage system to the monitoring farm, where the raw data are analyzed by dedicated tasks. It describes the collaborating software components that are all based on the Gaudi event processing framework.

A fiber optic sensor for on-line non-touch monitoring of roll shape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Yuan; Qu, Weijian; Yuan, Qi

2009-07-01

Basing on the principle of reflective displacement fibre-optic sensor, a high accuracy non-touch on-line optical fibre sensor for detecting roll shape is presented. The principle and composition of the detection system and the operation process are expatiated also. By using a novel probe of three optical fibres in equal transverse space, the effects of fluctuations in the light source, reflective changing of target surface and the intensity losses in the fibre lines are automatically compensated. Meantime, an optical fibre sensor model of correcting static error based on BP artificial neural network (ANN) is set up. Also by using interpolation method and value filtering to process the signals, effectively reduce the influence of random noise and the vibration of the roll bearing. So the accuracy and resolution were enhanced remarkably. Experiment proves that the resolution is 1μm and the precision can reach to 0.1%. So the system reaches to the demand of practical production process.

Optical Fiber On-Line Detection System for Non-Touch Monitoring Roller Shape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Y.; Wang, Y. T.

2006-10-01

Basing on the principle of reflective displacement fiber-optic sensor, a high accuracy non-touch on-line optical fiber measurement system for roller shape is presented. The principle and composition of the detection system and the operation process are expatiated also. By using a novel probe of three optical fibers in equal transverse space, the effects of fluctuations in the light source, reflective changing of target surface and the intensity losses in the fiber lines are automatically compensated. Meantime, an optical fiber sensor model of correcting static error based on BP artificial neural network (ANN) is set up. Also by using interpolation method and value filtering to process the signals, effectively reduce the influence of random noise and the vibration of the roller bearing. So enhance the accuracy and resolution remarkably. Experiment proves that the accuracy of the system reach to the demand of practical production process, it provides a new method for the high speed, accurate and automatic on line detection of the mill roller shape.

Computerized procedures system

DOEpatents

Lipner, Melvin H.; Mundy, Roger A.; Franusich, Michael D.

2010-10-12

An online data driven computerized procedures system that guides an operator through a complex process facility's operating procedures. The system monitors plant data, processes the data and then, based upon this processing, presents the status of the current procedure step and/or substep to the operator. The system supports multiple users and a single procedure definition supports several interface formats that can be tailored to the individual user. Layered security controls access privileges and revisions are version controlled. The procedures run on a server that is platform independent of the user workstations that the server interfaces with and the user interface supports diverse procedural views.

Ontological Model of Business Process Management Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manoilov, G.; Deliiska, B.

2008-10-01

The activities which constitute business process management (BPM) can be grouped into five categories: design, modeling, execution, monitoring and optimization. Dedicated software packets for business process management system (BPMS) are available on the market. But the efficiency of its exploitation depends on used ontological model in the development time and run time of the system. In the article an ontological model of BPMS in area of software industry is investigated. The model building is preceded by conceptualization of the domain and taxonomy of BPMS development. On the base of the taxonomy an simple online thesaurus is created.

Process monitoring of additive manufacturing by using optical tomography

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

Zenzinger, Guenter, E-mail: guenter.zenzinger@mtu.de, E-mail: alexander.ladewig@mtu.de; Bamberg, Joachim, E-mail: guenter.zenzinger@mtu.de, E-mail: alexander.ladewig@mtu.de; Ladewig, Alexander, E-mail: guenter.zenzinger@mtu.de, E-mail: alexander.ladewig@mtu.de

2015-03-31

Parts fabricated by means of additive manufacturing are usually of complex shape and owing to the fabrication procedure by using selective laser melting (SLM), potential defects and inaccuracies are often very small in lateral size. Therefore, an adequate quality inspection of such parts is rather challenging, while non-destructive-techniques (NDT) are difficult to realize, but considerable efforts are necessary in order to ensure the quality of SLM-parts especially used for aerospace components. Thus, MTU Aero Engines is currently focusing on the development of an Online Process Control system which monitors and documents the complete welding process during the SLM fabrication procedure.more » A high-resolution camera system is used to obtain images, from which tomographic data for a 3dim analysis of SLM-parts are processed. From the analysis, structural irregularities and structural disorder resulting from any possible erroneous melting process become visible and may be allocated anywhere within the 3dim structure. Results of our optical tomography (OT) method as obtained on real defects are presented.« less

Grounding explanations in evolving, diagnostic situations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johannesen, Leila J.; Cook, Richard I.; Woods, David D.

1994-01-01

Certain fields of practice involve the management and control of complex dynamic systems. These include flight deck operations in commercial aviation, control of space systems, anesthetic management during surgery or chemical or nuclear process control. Fault diagnosis of these dynamic systems generally must occur with the monitored process on-line and in conjunction with maintaining system integrity.This research seeks to understand in more detail what it means for an intelligent system to function cooperatively, or as a 'team player' in complex, dynamic environments. The approach taken was to study human practitioners engaged in the management of a complex, dynamic process: anesthesiologists during neurosurgical operations. The investigation focused on understanding how team members cooperate in management and fault diagnosis and comparing this interaction to the situation with an Artificial Intelligence(AI) system that provides diagnoses and explanations. Of particular concern was to study the ways in which practitioners support one another in keeping aware of relevant information concerning the state of the monitored process and of the problem solving process.

An innovative online VFA monitoring system for the anerobic process, based on headspace gas chromatography.

PubMed

Boe, Kanokwan; Batstone, Damien John; Angelidaki, Irini

2007-03-01

A new method for online measurement of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in anerobic digesters has been developed based on headspace gas chromatography (HSGC). The method applies ex situ VFA stripping with variable headspace volume and gas analysis by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). In each extraction, digester sample was acidified with H(3)PO(4) and NaHSO(4), then heated to strip the VFA into the gas phase. The gas was sampled in a low friction glass syringe before injected into the GC for measurement. The system has been tested for online monitoring of a lab-scale CSTR reactor treating manure for more than 6 months and has shown good agreement with off-line analysis. The system is capable of measuring individual VFA components. This is of advantage since specific VFA components such as propionic and butyric acid can give extra information about the process status. Another important advantage of this sensor is that there is no filtration, which makes possible application in high solids environments. The system can thus be easily applied in a full-scale biogas reactor by connecting the system to the liquid circulation loop to obtain fresh sample from the reactor. Local calibration is needed but automatic calibration is also possible using standard addition method. Sampling duration is 25-40 min, depending on the washing duration, and sensor response is 10 min. This is appropriate for full-scale reactors, since dynamics within most biogas reactors are of the order of several hours.

Informing Drought Preparedness and Response with the South Asia Land Data Assimilation System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaitchik, B. F.; Ghatak, D.; Matin, M. A.; Qamer, F. M.; Adhikary, B.; Bajracharya, B.; Nelson, J.; Pulla, S. T.; Ellenburg, W. L.

2017-12-01

Decision-relevant drought monitoring in South Asia is a challenge from both a scientific and an institutional perspective. Scientifically, climatic diversity, inconsistent in situ monitoring, complex hydrology, and incomplete knowledge of atmospheric processes mean that monitoring and prediction are fraught with uncertainty. Institutionally, drought monitoring efforts need to align with the information needs and decision-making processes of relevant agencies at national and subnational levels. Here we present first results from an emerging operational drought monitoring and forecast system developed and supported by the NASA SERVIR Hindu-Kush Himalaya hub. The system has been designed in consultation with end users from multiple sectors in South Asian countries to maximize decision-relevant information content in the monitoring and forecast products. Monitoring of meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological drought is accomplished using the South Asia Land Data Assimilation System, a platform that supports multiple land surface models and meteorological forcing datasets to characterize uncertainty, and subseasonal to seasonal hydrological forecasts are produced by driving South Asia LDAS with downscaled meteorological fields drawn from an ensemble of global dynamically-based forecast systems. Results are disseminated to end users through a Tethys online visualization platform and custom communications that provide user oriented, easily accessible, timely, and decision-relevant scientific information.

The Features of Effective Online Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ascetta, Kate Elisabeth

2017-01-01

The purpose of this current study was to examine the effect of a preschool teacher intervention around the use self-monitoring and the online learning modules. The interventions were delivered online using: online learning modules that provided exemplars of the operationally defined instructional language supports. The study included 12 Head Start…

A review of microdialysis coupled to microchip electrophoresis for monitoring biological events

PubMed Central

Saylor, Rachel A.; Lunte, Susan M.

2015-01-01

Microdialysis is a powerful sampling technique that enables monitoring of dynamic processes in vitro and in vivo. The combination of microdialysis with chromatographic or electrophoretic methods yields along with selective detection methods yields a “separation-based sensor” capable of monitoring multiple analytes in near real time. Analysis of microdialysis samples requires techniques that are fast (<1 min), have low volume requirements (nL–pL), and, ideally, can be employed on-line. Microchip electrophoresis fulfills these requirements and also permits the possibility of integrating sample preparation and manipulation with detection strategies directly on-chip. Microdialysis coupled to microchip electrophoresis has been employed for monitoring biological events in vivo and in vitro. This review discusses technical considerations for coupling microdialysis sampling and microchip electrophoresis, including various interface designs, and current applications in the field. PMID:25637011

An approach to online network monitoring using clustered patterns

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

Kim, Jinoh; Sim, Alex; Suh, Sang C.

Network traffic monitoring is a core element in network operations and management for various purposes such as anomaly detection, change detection, and fault/failure detection. In this study, we introduce a new approach to online monitoring using a pattern-based representation of the network traffic. Unlike the past online techniques limited to a single variable to summarize (e.g., sketch), the focus of this study is on capturing the network state from the multivariate attributes under consideration. To this end, we employ clustering with its benefit of the aggregation of multidimensional variables. The clustered result represents the state of the network with regardmore » to the monitored variables, which can also be compared with the previously observed patterns visually and quantitatively. Finally, we demonstrate the proposed method with two popular use cases, one for estimating state changes and the other for identifying anomalous states, to confirm its feasibility.« less

Prediction of Fatigue Crack Growth in Gas Turbine Engine Blades Using Acoustic Emission

PubMed Central

Zhang, Zhiheng; Yang, Guoan; Hu, Kun

2018-01-01

Fatigue failure is the main type of failure that occurs in gas turbine engine blades and an online monitoring method for detecting fatigue cracks in blades is urgently needed. Therefore, in this present study, we propose the use of acoustic emission (AE) monitoring for the online identification of the blade status. Experiments on fatigue crack propagation based on the AE monitoring of gas turbine engine blades and TC11 titanium alloy plates were conducted. The relationship between the cumulative AE hits and the fatigue crack length was established, before a method of using the AE parameters to determine the crack propagation stage was proposed. A method for predicting the degree of crack propagation and residual fatigue life based on the AE energy was obtained. The results provide a new method for the online monitoring of cracks in the gas turbine engine blade. PMID:29693556

Prediction of Fatigue Crack Growth in Gas Turbine Engine Blades Using Acoustic Emission.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhiheng; Yang, Guoan; Hu, Kun

2018-04-25

Fatigue failure is the main type of failure that occurs in gas turbine engine blades and an online monitoring method for detecting fatigue cracks in blades is urgently needed. Therefore, in this present study, we propose the use of acoustic emission (AE) monitoring for the online identification of the blade status. Experiments on fatigue crack propagation based on the AE monitoring of gas turbine engine blades and TC11 titanium alloy plates were conducted. The relationship between the cumulative AE hits and the fatigue crack length was established, before a method of using the AE parameters to determine the crack propagation stage was proposed. A method for predicting the degree of crack propagation and residual fatigue life based on the AE energy was obtained. The results provide a new method for the online monitoring of cracks in the gas turbine engine blade.

Smart storage technologies applied to fresh foods: A review.

PubMed

Wang, Jingyu; Zhang, Min; Gao, Zhongxue; Adhikari, Benu

2017-06-30

Fresh foods are perishable, seasonal and regional in nature and their storage, transportation, and preservation of freshness are quite challenging. Smart storage technologies can online detection and monitor the changes of quality parameters and storage environment of fresh foods during storage, so that operators can make timely adjustments to reduce the loss. This article reviews the smart storage technologies from two aspects: online detection technologies and smartly monitoring technologies for fresh foods. Online detection technologies include electronic nose, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), hyperspectral imaging and computer vision. Smartly monitoring technologies mainly include some intelligent indicators for monitoring the change of storage environment. Smart storage technologies applied to fresh foods need to be highly efficient and nondestructive and need to be competitively priced. In this work, we have critically reviewed the principles, applications, and development trends of smart storage technologies.

An approach to online network monitoring using clustered patterns

DOE PAGES

Kim, Jinoh; Sim, Alex; Suh, Sang C.; ...

2017-03-13

Network traffic monitoring is a core element in network operations and management for various purposes such as anomaly detection, change detection, and fault/failure detection. In this study, we introduce a new approach to online monitoring using a pattern-based representation of the network traffic. Unlike the past online techniques limited to a single variable to summarize (e.g., sketch), the focus of this study is on capturing the network state from the multivariate attributes under consideration. To this end, we employ clustering with its benefit of the aggregation of multidimensional variables. The clustered result represents the state of the network with regardmore » to the monitored variables, which can also be compared with the previously observed patterns visually and quantitatively. Finally, we demonstrate the proposed method with two popular use cases, one for estimating state changes and the other for identifying anomalous states, to confirm its feasibility.« less

Virtual-Instrument-Based Online Monitoring System for Hands-on Laboratory Experiment of Partial Discharges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karmakar, Subrata

2017-01-01

Online monitoring of high-voltage (HV) equipment is a vital tool for early detection of insulation failure. Most insulation failures are caused by partial discharges (PDs) inside the HV equipment. Because of the very high cost of establishing HV equipment facility and the limitations of electromagnetic interference-screened laboratories, only a…

Comparing Elicited Imitation and Word Monitoring as Measures of Implicit Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suzuki, Yuichi; DeKeyser, Robert

2015-01-01

The present study challenges the validity of elicited imitation (EI) as a measure for implicit knowledge, investigating to what extent online error detection and subsequent sentence repetition draw on implicit knowledge. To assess online detection during listening, a word monitoring component was built into an EI task. Advanced-level Japanese L2…

Development and Multi-laboratory Verification of US EPA Method 543 for the Analysis of Drinking Water Contaminants by Online Solid Phase Extraction-LC–MS-MS

EPA Science Inventory

A drinking water method for seven pesticides and pesticide degradates is presented that addresses the occurrence monitoring needs of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a future Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (UCMR). The method employs online solid pha...

NIR technology for on-line determination of superficial a(w) and moisture content during the drying process of fermented sausages.

PubMed

Collell, Carles; Gou, Pere; Arnau, Jacint; Muñoz, Israel; Comaposada, Josep

2012-12-01

Three different NIR equipment were evaluated based on their ability to predict superficial water activity (a(w)) and moisture content in two types of fermented sausages (with and without moulds on surface), using partial least squares (PLS) regression models. The instruments differed mainly in wavelength range, resolution and measurement configuration. The most accurate equipment was used in a new experiment to achieve robust models in sausages with different salt contents and submitted to different drying conditions. The models developed showed determination coefficients (R(2)(P)) values of 0.990, 0.910 and 0.984, and RMSEP values of 1.560%, 0.220% and 0.007% for moisture, salt and a(w) respectively. It was demonstrated that NIR spectroscopy could be a suitable non-destructive method for on-line monitoring and control of the drying process in fermented sausages. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Opportunities for adaptive online collaboration to enhance rural land management.

PubMed

Baumber, Alex; Metternicht, Graciela; Ampt, Peter; Cross, Rebecca; Berry, Emily

2018-08-01

Cross-property cooperation has the potential to enhance the effectiveness of environmental management actions that cut across property boundaries. Online tools can facilitate this and overcome barriers to landholder engagement in collaborative management. However, collaborative online tools need to be designed and tailored to users' needs and values, and landholder participation in the development process is critical to ensuring uptake and long-term use. This article presents a case study from the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia, where landholders have been involved in participatory development of a new online collaboration tool. The case study results highlight the significance of issues such as internet access, privacy, technical proficiency and differing stakeholder objectives. A landholder survey identified mapping and the uploading of monitoring data as important functions for the online tool, but these were not rated as highly as functions relating to data security, sharing settings and key term searches. Consequently, we recommend that a future online collaboration tool for the region is not framed specifically as a mapping or citizen science tool, but rather as an adaptive collaboration and communication tool that can incorporate a variety of data types and formats and be modified over time in line with changing landholder needs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Web design and development for centralize area radiation monitoring system in Malaysian Nuclear Agency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, Maslina Mohd; Yussup, Nolida; Haris, Mohd Fauzi; Soh @ Shaari, Syirrazie Che; Azman, Azraf; Razalim, Faizal Azrin B. Abdul; Yapp, Raymond; Hasim, Harzawardi; Aslan, Mohd Dzul Aiman

2017-01-01

One of the applications for radiation detector is area monitoring which is crucial for safety especially at a place where radiation source is involved. An environmental radiation monitoring system is a professional system that combines flexibility and ease of use for data collection and monitoring. Nowadays, with the growth of technology, devices and equipment can be connected to the network and Internet to enable online data acquisition. This technology enables data from the area monitoring devices to be transmitted to any place and location directly and faster. In Nuclear Malaysia, area radiation monitor devices are located at several selective locations such as laboratories and radiation facility. This system utilizes an Ethernet as a communication media for data acquisition of the area radiation levels from radiation detectors and stores the data at a server for recording and analysis. This paper discusses on the design and development of website that enable all user in Nuclear Malaysia to access and monitor the radiation level for each radiation detectors at real time online. The web design also included a query feature for history data from various locations online. The communication between the server's software and web server is discussed in detail in this paper.

System Developed for Real-Time Blade-Flutter Monitoring in the Wind Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kurkov, Anatole P.; Dhadwal, Harbans S.; Radzikowski, mark; Strukov, Dmitri

2005-01-01

A real-time system has been developed to monitor flutter vibrations in turbomachinery. The system is designed for continuous processing of blade tip timing data at a rate of 10 MB/sec. A USB 2.0 interface provides uninterrupted real-time processing of the data, and the blade-tip arrival times are measured with a 50-MHz oscillator and a 24-bit pipelined architecture counter. The input stage includes a glitch catcher, which reduces the probability of detecting a ghost blade to negligible levels. A graphical user interface provides online interrogation of any blade tip from any light probe sensor. Alternatively, data from all blades and all sensors can be superimposed into a single composite scatter plot displaying the vibration amplitude of each blade.

A New Test Method of Circuit Breaker Spring Telescopic Characteristics Based Image Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Huimin; Wang, Feifeng; Lu, Yufeng; Xia, Xiaofei; Su, Yi

2018-06-01

This paper applied computer vision technology to the fatigue condition monitoring of springs, and a new telescopic characteristics test method is proposed for circuit breaker operating mechanism spring based on image processing technology. High-speed camera is utilized to capture spring movement image sequences when high voltage circuit breaker operated. Then the image-matching method is used to obtain the deformation-time curve and speed-time curve, and the spring expansion and deformation parameters are extracted from it, which will lay a foundation for subsequent spring force analysis and matching state evaluation. After performing simulation tests at the experimental site, this image analyzing method could solve the complex problems of traditional mechanical sensor installation and monitoring online, status assessment of the circuit breaker spring.

The Massive Online Needs Assessment (MONA) to inform the development of an emergency haematology educational blog series.

PubMed

Chan, Teresa M; Jo, David; Shih, Andrew W; Bhagirath, Vinai C; Castellucci, Lana A; Yeh, Calvin; Thoma, Brent; Tseng, Eric K; de Wit, Kerstin

2018-06-01

Online educational resources are criticized as being teacher-centred, failing to address learner's needs. Needs assessments are an important precursor to inform curriculum development, but these are often overlooked or skipped by developers of online educational resources due to cumbersome measurement tools. Novel methods are required to identify perceived and unperceived learning needs to allow targeted development of learner-centred curricula. To evaluate the feasibility of performing a novel technique dubbed the Massive Online Needs Assessment (MONA) for the purpose of emergency haematology online educational curricular planning, within an online learning community (affiliated with the Free Open Access Medical education movement). An online survey was launched on CanadiEM.org using an embedded Google Forms survey. Participants were recruited using the study website and a social media campaign (utilizing Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, and a poster) targeting a specific online community. Web analytics were used to monitor participation rates in addition to survey responses. The survey was open from 20 September to 10 December 2016 and received 198 complete responses representing 6 medical specialties from 21 countries. Most survey respondents identified themselves as staff physicians (n = 109) and medical trainees (n = 75). We identified 17 high-priority perceived needs, 17 prompted needs, and 10 topics with unperceived needs through our MONA process. A MONA is a feasible, novel method for collecting data on perceived, prompted, and unperceived learning needs to inform an online emergency haematology educational blog. This methodology could be useful to the developers of other online education resources.

On-line near infrared spectroscopy as a Process Analytical Technology (PAT) tool to control an industrial seeded API crystallization.

PubMed

Schaefer, C; Lecomte, C; Clicq, D; Merschaert, A; Norrant, E; Fotiadu, F

2013-09-01

The final step of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing synthesis process consists of a crystallization during which the API and residual solvent contents have to be quantified precisely in order to reach a predefined seeding point. A feasibility study was conducted to demonstrate the suitability of on-line NIR spectroscopy to control this step in line with new version of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) guideline [1]. A quantitative method was developed at laboratory scale using statistical design of experiments (DOE) and multivariate data analysis such as principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) regression. NIR models were built to quantify the API in the range of 9-12% (w/w) and to quantify the residual methanol in the range of 0-3% (w/w). To improve the predictive ability of the models, the development procedure encompassed: outliers elimination, optimum model rank definition, spectral range and spectral pre-treatment selection. Conventional criteria such as, number of PLS factors, R(2), root mean square errors of calibration, cross-validation and prediction (RMSEC, RMSECV, RMSEP) enabled the selection of three model candidates. These models were tested in the industrial pilot plant during three technical campaigns. Results of the most suitable models were evaluated against to the chromatographic reference methods. Maximum relative bias of 2.88% was obtained about API target content. Absolute bias of 0.01 and 0.02% (w/w) respectively were achieved at methanol content levels of 0.10 and 0.13% (w/w). The repeatability was assessed as sufficient for the on-line monitoring of the 2 analytes. The present feasibility study confirmed the possibility to use on-line NIR spectroscopy as a PAT tool to monitor in real-time both the API and the residual methanol contents, in order to control the seeding of an API crystallization at industrial scale. Furthermore, the successful scale-up of the method proved its capability to be implemented in the manufacturing plant with the launch of the new API process. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Validation of the solidifying soil process using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Zhao-Xiang; Liu, Lin-Mei; Liu, Lu-Wen

2016-09-01

Although an Ionic Soil Stabilizer (ISS) has been widely used in landslide control, it is desirable to effectively monitor the stabilization process. With the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), the ion contents of K, Ca, Na, Mg, Al, and Si in the permeable fluid are detected after the solidified soil samples have been permeated. The processes of the Ca ion exchange are analyzed at pressures of 2 and 3 atm, and it was determined that the cation exchanged faster as the pressure increased. The Ca ion exchanges were monitored for different stabilizer mixtures, and it was found that a ratio of 1:200 of ISS to soil is most effective. The investigated plasticity and liquidity indexes also showed that the 1:200 ratio delivers the best performance. The research work indicates that it is possible to evaluate the engineering performances of soil solidified by ISS in real time and online by LIBS.

Virtual sensors for on-line wheel wear and part roughness measurement in the grinding process.

PubMed

Arriandiaga, Ander; Portillo, Eva; Sánchez, Jose A; Cabanes, Itziar; Pombo, Iñigo

2014-05-19

Grinding is an advanced machining process for the manufacturing of valuable complex and accurate parts for high added value sectors such as aerospace, wind generation, etc. Due to the extremely severe conditions inside grinding machines, critical process variables such as part surface finish or grinding wheel wear cannot be easily and cheaply measured on-line. In this paper a virtual sensor for on-line monitoring of those variables is presented. The sensor is based on the modelling ability of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) for stochastic and non-linear processes such as grinding; the selected architecture is the Layer-Recurrent neural network. The sensor makes use of the relation between the variables to be measured and power consumption in the wheel spindle, which can be easily measured. A sensor calibration methodology is presented, and the levels of error that can be expected are discussed. Validation of the new sensor is carried out by comparing the sensor's results with actual measurements carried out in an industrial grinding machine. Results show excellent estimation performance for both wheel wear and surface roughness. In the case of wheel wear, the absolute error is within the range of microns (average value 32 μm). In the case of surface finish, the absolute error is well below Ra 1 μm (average value 0.32 μm). The present approach can be easily generalized to other grinding operations.

Development of on-line monitoring system for Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) using neuro-expert, noise analysis, and modified neural networks

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

Subekti, M.; Center for Development of Reactor Safety Technology, National Nuclear Energy Agency of Indonesia, Puspiptek Complex BO.80, Serpong-Tangerang, 15340; Ohno, T.

2006-07-01

The neuro-expert has been utilized in previous monitoring-system research of Pressure Water Reactor (PWR). The research improved the monitoring system by utilizing neuro-expert, conventional noise analysis and modified neural networks for capability extension. The parallel method applications required distributed architecture of computer-network for performing real-time tasks. The research aimed to improve the previous monitoring system, which could detect sensor degradation, and to perform the monitoring demonstration in High Temperature Engineering Tested Reactor (HTTR). The developing monitoring system based on some methods that have been tested using the data from online PWR simulator, as well as RSG-GAS (30 MW research reactormore » in Indonesia), will be applied in HTTR for more complex monitoring. (authors)« less

FRAMEWORK FOR STRUCTURAL ONLINE HEALTH MONITORING OF AGING AND DEGRADATION OF SECONDARY PIPING SYSTEMS DUE TO SOME ASPECTS OF EROSION

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

Gribok, Andrei V.; Agarwal, Vivek

This paper describes the current state of research related to critical aspects of erosion and selected aspects of degradation of secondary components in nuclear power plants (NPPs). The paper also proposes a framework for online health monitoring of aging and degradation of secondary components. The framework consists of an integrated multi-sensor modality system, which can be used to monitor different piping configurations under different degradation conditions. The report analyses the currently known degradation mechanisms and available predictive models. Based on this analysis, the structural health monitoring framework is proposed. The Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program began to evaluate technologies thatmore » could be used to perform online monitoring of piping and other secondary system structural components in commercial NPPs. These online monitoring systems have the potential to identify when a more detailed inspection is needed using real time measurements, rather than at a pre-determined inspection interval. This transition to condition-based, risk-informed automated maintenance will contribute to a significant reduction of operations and maintenance costs that account for the majority of nuclear power generation costs. Furthermore, of the operations and maintenance costs in U.S. plants, approximately 80% are labor costs. To address the issue of rising operating costs and economic viability, in 2017, companies that operate the national nuclear energy fleet started the Delivering the Nuclear Promise Initiative, which is a 3 year program aimed at maintaining operational focus, increasing value, and improving efficiency. There is unanimous agreement between industry experts and academic researchers that identifying and prioritizing inspection locations in secondary piping systems (for example, in raw water piping or diesel piping) would eliminate many excessive in-service inspections. The proposed structural health monitoring framework takes aim at answering this challenge by combining long range guided wave technologies with other monitoring techniques, which can significantly increase the inspection length and pinpoint the locations that degraded the most. More widely, the report suggests research efforts aimed at developing, validating, and deploying online corrosion monitoring techniques for complex geometries, which are pervasive in NPPs.« less

The study of doping market: How to produce intelligence from Internet forums.

PubMed

Pineau, Thomas; Schopfer, Adrien; Grossrieder, Lionel; Broséus, Julian; Esseiva, Pierre; Rossy, Quentin

2016-11-01

Despite the predominant role played by Internet in the distribution of doping substances, little is currently known about the online offer of doping products. Therefore, the study focuses on the detection of doping substances and suppliers discussed in Internet forums. It aims at having a comprehensive understanding of products and sellers to lead an operational monitoring of the online doping market. Thirteen community forums on the Internet were investigated and one million topics were extracted with source code scrappers. Then, a semantic analysis was conducted with a semi-automatic process to classify the relevant words according to doping matters. Additionally, the ranking of doping products, active substances and suppliers in regards to the number of contributors to the forums were established and analyzed over time. Finally, promotion methods of suppliers were evaluated. The results show that anabolic androgenic steroids, used to enhance body image and performance, are the most discussed type of products. A temporal analysis illustrates the stability of the most popular products as well as the emergence of new products such as peptides (e.g. CJC-1295). 327 suppliers were detected, mostly with dedicated websites or direct sales by e-mail as selling methods. Globally, the implemented methodology shows its ability to detect products and suppliers as well as to follow their temporal trends. The intelligence will serve the definition of online monitoring strategies (e.g. the selection of appropriate keywords). Additionally, it also allows the adjustment of customs inspection strategies and anti-doping analysis by monitoring the popular and emerging substances. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality by control: Towards model predictive control of mammalian cell culture bioprocesses.

PubMed

Sommeregger, Wolfgang; Sissolak, Bernhard; Kandra, Kulwant; von Stosch, Moritz; Mayer, Martin; Striedner, Gerald

2017-07-01

The industrial production of complex biopharmaceuticals using recombinant mammalian cell lines is still mainly built on a quality by testing approach, which is represented by fixed process conditions and extensive testing of the end-product. In 2004 the FDA launched the process analytical technology initiative, aiming to guide the industry towards advanced process monitoring and better understanding of how critical process parameters affect the critical quality attributes. Implementation of process analytical technology into the bio-production process enables moving from the quality by testing to a more flexible quality by design approach. The application of advanced sensor systems in combination with mathematical modelling techniques offers enhanced process understanding, allows on-line prediction of critical quality attributes and subsequently real-time product quality control. In this review opportunities and unsolved issues on the road to a successful quality by design and dynamic control implementation are discussed. A major focus is directed on the preconditions for the application of model predictive control for mammalian cell culture bioprocesses. Design of experiments providing information about the process dynamics upon parameter change, dynamic process models, on-line process state predictions and powerful software environments seem to be a prerequisite for quality by control realization. © 2017 The Authors. Biotechnology Journal published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

EFFECTS OF LASER RADIATION ON MATTER. LASER PLASMA: Doppler backscattered-signal diagnostics of laser-induced surface hydrodynamic processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordienko, Vyacheslav M.; Kurochkin, Nikolay N.; Markov, V. N.; Panchenko, Vladislav Ya; Pogosov, G. A.; Chastukhin, E. M.

1995-02-01

A method is proposed for on-line monitoring of laser industrial processing. The method is based on optical heterodyne measurements of the Doppler backscattering signal generated in the interaction zone. Qualitative and quantitative information on hydrodynamic flows in the interaction zone can be obtained. A report is given of measurements, carried out at cw CO2 laser radiation intensities up to 1 kW cm-2, on the surfaces of a number of condensed materials irradiated in the monostatic interaction configuration.

Intelligent composting assisted by a wireless sensing network.

PubMed

López, Marga; Martinez-Farre, Xavier; Casas, Oscar; Quilez, Marcos; Polo, Jose; Lopez, Oscar; Hornero, Gemma; Pinilla, Mirta R; Rovira, Carlos; Ramos, Pedro M; Borges, Beatriz; Marques, Hugo; Girão, Pedro Silva

2014-04-01

Monitoring of the moisture and temperature of composting process is a key factor to obtain a quality product beyond the quality of raw materials. Current methodologies for monitoring these two parameters are time consuming for workers, sometimes not sufficiently reliable to help decision-making and thus are ignored in some cases. This article describes an advance on monitoring of composting process through a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) that allows measurement of temperature and moisture in real time in multiple points of the composting material, the Compo-ball system. To implement such measurement capabilities on-line, a WSN composed of multiple sensor nodes was designed and implemented to provide the staff with an efficient monitoring composting management tool. After framing the problem, the objectives and characteristics of the WSN are briefly discussed and a short description of the hardware and software of the network's components are presented. Presentation and discussion of practical issues and results obtained with the WSN during a demonstration stage that took place in several composting sites concludes the paper. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Space weather monitoring by ground-based means carried out in Polar Geophysical Center at Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janzhura, Alexander

A real-time information on geophysical processes in polar regions is very important for goals of Space Weather monitoring by the ground-based means. The modern communication systems and computer technology makes it possible to collect and process the data from remote sites without significant delays. A new acquisition equipment based on microprocessor modules and reliable in hush climatic conditions was deployed at the Roshydromet networks of geophysical observations in Arctic and is deployed at observatories in Antarctic. A contemporary system for on-line collecting and transmitting the geophysical data from the Arctic and Antarctic stations to AARI has been realized and the Polar Geophysical Center (PGC) arranged at AARI ensures the near-real time processing and analyzing the geophysical information from 11 stations in Arctic and 5 stations in Antarctic. The space weather monitoring by the ground based means is one of the main tasks standing before the Polar Geophysical Center. As studies by Troshichev and Janzhura, [2012] showed, the PC index characterizing the polar cap magnetic activity appeared to be an adequate indicator of the solar wind energy that entered into the magnetosphere and the energy that is accumulating in the magnetosphere. A great advantage of the PC index application over other methods based on satellite data is a permanent on-line availability of information about magnetic activity in both northern and southern polar caps. A special procedure agreed between Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) and Space Institute of the Danish Technical University (DTUSpace) ensures calculation of the unified PC index in quasi-real time by magnetic data from the Thule and Vostok stations (see public site: http://pc-index.org). The method for estimation of AL and Dst indices (as indicators of state of the disturbed magnetosphere) based on data on foregoing PC indices has been elaborated and testified in the Polar Geophysical Center. It is demonstrated that the PC index can be successfully used to monitor the state of the magnetosphere (space weather monitoring) and the readiness of the magnetosphere to producing substorm or storm (space weather nowcasting).

How social network analysis can be used to monitor online collaborative learning and guide an informed intervention

PubMed Central

Fors, Uno; Tedre, Matti; Nouri, Jalal

2018-01-01

To ensure online collaborative learning meets the intended pedagogical goals (is actually collaborative and stimulates learning), mechanisms are needed for monitoring the efficiency of online collaboration. Various studies have indicated that social network analysis can be particularly effective in studying students’ interactions in online collaboration. However, research in education has only focused on the theoretical potential of using SNA, not on the actual benefits they achieved. This study investigated how social network analysis can be used to monitor online collaborative learning, find aspects in need of improvement, guide an informed intervention, and assess the efficacy of intervention using an experimental, observational repeated-measurement design in three courses over a full-term duration. Using a combination of SNA-based visual and quantitative analysis, we monitored three SNA constructs for each participant: the level of interactivity, the role, and position in information exchange, and the role played by each participant in the collaboration. On the group level, we monitored interactivity and group cohesion indicators. Our monitoring uncovered a non-collaborative teacher-centered pattern of interactions in the three studied courses as well as very few interactions among students, limited information exchange or negotiation, and very limited student networks dominated by the teacher. An intervention based on SNA-generated insights was designed. The intervention was structured into five actions: increasing awareness, promoting collaboration, improving the content, preparing teachers, and finally practicing with feedback. Evaluation of the intervention revealed that it has significantly enhanced student-student interactions and teacher-student interactions, as well as produced a collaborative pattern of interactions among most students and teachers. Since efficient and communicative activities are essential prerequisites for successful content discussion and for realizing the goals of collaboration, we suggest that our SNA-based approach will positively affect teaching and learning in many educational domains. Our study offers a proof-of-concept of what SNA can add to the current tools for monitoring and supporting teaching and learning in higher education. PMID:29566058

How social network analysis can be used to monitor online collaborative learning and guide an informed intervention.

PubMed

Saqr, Mohammed; Fors, Uno; Tedre, Matti; Nouri, Jalal

2018-01-01

To ensure online collaborative learning meets the intended pedagogical goals (is actually collaborative and stimulates learning), mechanisms are needed for monitoring the efficiency of online collaboration. Various studies have indicated that social network analysis can be particularly effective in studying students' interactions in online collaboration. However, research in education has only focused on the theoretical potential of using SNA, not on the actual benefits they achieved. This study investigated how social network analysis can be used to monitor online collaborative learning, find aspects in need of improvement, guide an informed intervention, and assess the efficacy of intervention using an experimental, observational repeated-measurement design in three courses over a full-term duration. Using a combination of SNA-based visual and quantitative analysis, we monitored three SNA constructs for each participant: the level of interactivity, the role, and position in information exchange, and the role played by each participant in the collaboration. On the group level, we monitored interactivity and group cohesion indicators. Our monitoring uncovered a non-collaborative teacher-centered pattern of interactions in the three studied courses as well as very few interactions among students, limited information exchange or negotiation, and very limited student networks dominated by the teacher. An intervention based on SNA-generated insights was designed. The intervention was structured into five actions: increasing awareness, promoting collaboration, improving the content, preparing teachers, and finally practicing with feedback. Evaluation of the intervention revealed that it has significantly enhanced student-student interactions and teacher-student interactions, as well as produced a collaborative pattern of interactions among most students and teachers. Since efficient and communicative activities are essential prerequisites for successful content discussion and for realizing the goals of collaboration, we suggest that our SNA-based approach will positively affect teaching and learning in many educational domains. Our study offers a proof-of-concept of what SNA can add to the current tools for monitoring and supporting teaching and learning in higher education.

Statistically qualified neuro-analytic failure detection method and system

DOEpatents

Vilim, Richard B.; Garcia, Humberto E.; Chen, Frederick W.

2002-03-02

An apparatus and method for monitoring a process involve development and application of a statistically qualified neuro-analytic (SQNA) model to accurately and reliably identify process change. The development of the SQNA model is accomplished in two stages: deterministic model adaption and stochastic model modification of the deterministic model adaptation. Deterministic model adaption involves formulating an analytic model of the process representing known process characteristics, augmenting the analytic model with a neural network that captures unknown process characteristics, and training the resulting neuro-analytic model by adjusting the neural network weights according to a unique scaled equation error minimization technique. Stochastic model modification involves qualifying any remaining uncertainty in the trained neuro-analytic model by formulating a likelihood function, given an error propagation equation, for computing the probability that the neuro-analytic model generates measured process output. Preferably, the developed SQNA model is validated using known sequential probability ratio tests and applied to the process as an on-line monitoring system. Illustrative of the method and apparatus, the method is applied to a peristaltic pump system.

Audio signal analysis for tool wear monitoring in sheet metal stamping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ubhayaratne, Indivarie; Pereira, Michael P.; Xiang, Yong; Rolfe, Bernard F.

2017-02-01

Stamping tool wear can significantly degrade product quality, and hence, online tool condition monitoring is a timely need in many manufacturing industries. Even though a large amount of research has been conducted employing different sensor signals, there is still an unmet demand for a low-cost easy to set up condition monitoring system. Audio signal analysis is a simple method that has the potential to meet this demand, but has not been previously used for stamping process monitoring. Hence, this paper studies the existence and the significance of the correlation between emitted sound signals and the wear state of sheet metal stamping tools. The corrupting sources generated by the tooling of the stamping press and surrounding machinery have higher amplitudes compared to that of the sound emitted by the stamping operation itself. Therefore, a newly developed semi-blind signal extraction technique was employed as a pre-processing technique to mitigate the contribution of these corrupting sources. The spectral analysis results of the raw and extracted signals demonstrate a significant qualitative relationship between wear progression and the emitted sound signature. This study lays the basis for employing low-cost audio signal analysis in the development of a real-time industrial tool condition monitoring system.

Final Technical Report - Advanced Optical Sensors to Minimize Energy Consumption in Polymer Extrusion Processes

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

Susan J. Foulk

Project Objective: The objectives of this study are to develop an accurate and stable on-line sensor system to monitor color and composition on-line in polymer melts, to develop a scheme for using the output to control extruders to eliminate the energy, material and operational costs of off-specification product, and to combine or eliminate some extrusion processes. Background: Polymer extrusion processes are difficult to control because the quality achieved in the final product is complexly affected by the properties of the extruder screw, speed of extrusion, temperature, polymer composition, strength and dispersion properties of additives, and feeder system properties. Extruder systemsmore » are engineered to be highly reproducible so that when the correct settings to produce a particular product are found, that product can be reliably produced time after time. However market conditions often require changes in the final product, different products or grades may be processed in the same equipment, and feed materials vary from lot to lot. All of these changes require empirical adjustment of extruder settings to produce a product meeting specifications. Optical sensor systems that can continuously monitor the composition and color of the extruded polymer could detect process upsets, drift, blending oscillations, and changes in dispersion of additives. Development of an effective control algorithm using the output of the monitor would enable rapid corrections for changes in materials and operating conditions, thereby eliminating most of the scrap and recycle of current processing. This information could be used to identify extruder systems issues, diagnose problem sources, and suggest corrective actions in real-time to help keep extruder system settings within the optimum control region. Using these advanced optical sensor systems would give extruder operators real-time feedback from their process. They could reduce the amount of off-spec product produced and significantly reduce energy consumption. Also, because blending and dispersion of additives and components in the final product could be continuously verified, we believe that, in many cases, intermediate compounding steps could be eliminated (saving even more time and energy).« less

Development of an Eye-Safe Micro-Pulse Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) for Carbon Dioxide Profilings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, W.; Repasky, K. S.; Nehrir, A. R.; Carlsten, J.

2011-12-01

A differential absorption lidar (DIAL) for monitoring carbon dioxide (CO2) is under development at Montana State University using commercially available parts. Two distributed feedback (DFB) lasers, one at the on-line wavelength and one at the off-line wavelength are used to injection seed a fiber amplifier. The DIAL operates in the 1.57 micron carbon dioxide absorption band at an on-line wavelength of 1.5714060 microns. The laser transmitter produces 40 μJ pulses with a pulse duration of 1 μs and a pulse repetition frequency of 20 kHz. The scattered light from the laser transmitter is collected using a 28 cm diameter Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. The light collected by the telescope is collimated and then filtered using a 0.8 nm FWHM narrowband interference filter. After the optical filter, the light is coupled into a multimode optical fiber with a 1000 μm core diameter. The output from the optical fiber is coupled into a photomultiplier tube (PMT) used to monitor the return signal. The analog output from the PMT is next incident on a discriminator producing TTL logic pulses for photon counting. The output from the PMT and discriminator is monitored using a multichannel scalar card allowing the counting of the TTL pulses as a function of range. Data from the DIAL instrument is collected in the following manner. The fiber amplifier is injection seeded first with the on-line DFB laser. The return signal as a function of range is integrated using the multichannel scalar for a user defined time, typically set at 6 s. The off-line DFB laser is then used to injection seed the fiber amplifier and the process is repeated. This process is repeated for a user defined period. The CO2 concentration as a function of range is calculated using the on-line and off-line return signals with the DIAL equation. A comparison of the CO2 concentration measured using the DIAL instrument at 1.5 km and a Li-Cor LI-820 in situ sensor located at 1.5 km from the DIAL over a 2.5 hour period indicate that the CO2 DIAL has an accuracy of ±20 parts per million (PPM).

Regulated bioluminescence as a tool for bioremediation process monitoring and control of bacterial cultures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burlage, Robert S.; Heitzer, Armin; Digrazia, Philip M.

1991-01-01

An effective on-line monitoring technique for toxic waste bioremediation using bioluminescent microorganisms has shown great potential for the description and optimization of biological processes. The lux genes of the bacterium Vibrio fischeri are used by this species to produce visible light. The lux genes can be genetically fused to the control region of a catabolic gene, with the result that bioluminescence is produced whenever the catabolic gene is induced. Thus the detection of light from a sample indicates that genetic expression from a specific gene is occurring. This technique was used to monitor biodegradation of specific contaminants from waste sites. For these studies, fusions between the lux genes and the operons for naphthalene and toluene/xylene degradation were constructed. Strains carrying one of these fusions respond sensitively and specifically to target substrates. Bioluminescence from these cultures can be rapidly measured in a nondestructive and noninvasive manner. The potential for this technique in this and other biological systems is discussed.

A Data Filter for Identifying Steady-State Operating Points in Engine Flight Data for Condition Monitoring Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, Donald L.; Litt, Jonathan S.

2010-01-01

This paper presents an algorithm that automatically identifies and extracts steady-state engine operating points from engine flight data. It calculates the mean and standard deviation of select parameters contained in the incoming flight data stream. If the standard deviation of the data falls below defined constraints, the engine is assumed to be at a steady-state operating point, and the mean measurement data at that point are archived for subsequent condition monitoring purposes. The fundamental design of the steady-state data filter is completely generic and applicable for any dynamic system. Additional domain-specific logic constraints are applied to reduce data outliers and variance within the collected steady-state data. The filter is designed for on-line real-time processing of streaming data as opposed to post-processing of the data in batch mode. Results of applying the steady-state data filter to recorded helicopter engine flight data are shown, demonstrating its utility for engine condition monitoring applications.

Real-time monitoring of capacity loss for vanadium redox flow battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Zhongbao; Bhattarai, Arjun; Zou, Changfu; Meng, Shujuan; Lim, Tuti Mariana; Skyllas-Kazacos, Maria

2018-06-01

The long-term operation of the vanadium redox flow battery is accompanied by ion diffusion across the separator and side reactions, which can lead to electrolyte imbalance and capacity loss. The accurate online monitoring of capacity loss is therefore valuable for the reliable and efficient operation of vanadium redox flow battery system. In this paper, a model-based online monitoring method is proposed to detect capacity loss in the vanadium redox flow battery in real time. A first-order equivalent circuit model is built to capture the dynamics of the vanadium redox flow battery. The model parameters are online identified from the onboard measureable signals with the recursive least squares, in seeking to keep a high modeling accuracy and robustness under a wide range of working scenarios. Based on the online adapted model, an observer is designed with the extended Kalman Filter to keep tracking both the capacity and state of charge of the battery in real time. Experiments are conducted on a lab-scale battery system. Results suggest that the online adapted model is able to simulate the battery behavior with high accuracy. The capacity loss as well as the state of charge can be estimated accurately in a real-time manner.

19 CFR 360.102 - Online registration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Online registration. 360.102 Section 360.102 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE STEEL IMPORT MONITORING AND ANALYSIS SYSTEM § 360.102 Online registration. (a) In general. (1) Any importer, importing company, customs...

19 CFR 360.102 - Online registration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Online registration. 360.102 Section 360.102 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE STEEL IMPORT MONITORING AND ANALYSIS SYSTEM § 360.102 Online registration. (a) In general. (1) Any importer, importing company, customs...

19 CFR 360.102 - Online registration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Online registration. 360.102 Section 360.102 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE STEEL IMPORT MONITORING AND ANALYSIS SYSTEM § 360.102 Online registration. (a) In general. (1) Any importer, importing company, customs...

19 CFR 360.102 - Online registration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Online registration. 360.102 Section 360.102 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE STEEL IMPORT MONITORING AND ANALYSIS SYSTEM § 360.102 Online registration. (a) In general. (1) Any importer, importing company, customs...

19 CFR 360.102 - Online registration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Online registration. 360.102 Section 360.102 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE STEEL IMPORT MONITORING AND ANALYSIS SYSTEM § 360.102 Online registration. (a) In general. (1) Any importer, importing company, customs...

Distributed Research Center for Analysis of Regional Climatic Changes and Their Impacts on Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiklomanov, A. I.; Okladnikov, I.; Gordov, E. P.; Proussevitch, A. A.; Titov, A. G.

2016-12-01

Presented is a collaborative project carrying out by joint team of researchers from the Institute of Monitoring of Climatic and Ecological Systems, Russia and Earth Systems Research Center, University of New Hampshire, USA. Its main objective is development of a hardware and software prototype of Distributed Research Center (DRC) for monitoring and projecting of regional climatic and and their impacts on the environment over the Northern extratropical areas. In the framework of the project new approaches to "cloud" processing and analysis of large geospatial datasets (big geospatial data) are being developed. It will be deployed on technical platforms of both institutions and applied in research of climate change and its consequences. Datasets available at NCEI and IMCES include multidimensional arrays of climatic, environmental, demographic, and socio-economic characteristics. The project is aimed at solving several major research and engineering tasks: 1) structure analysis of huge heterogeneous climate and environmental geospatial datasets used in the project, their preprocessing and unification; 2) development of a new distributed storage and processing model based on a "shared nothing" paradigm; 3) development of a dedicated database of metadata describing geospatial datasets used in the project; 4) development of a dedicated geoportal and a high-end graphical frontend providing intuitive user interface, internet-accessible online tools for analysis of geospatial data and web services for interoperability with other geoprocessing software packages. DRC will operate as a single access point to distributed archives of spatial data and online tools for their processing. Flexible modular computational engine running verified data processing routines will provide solid results of geospatial data analysis. "Cloud" data analysis and visualization approach will guarantee access to the DRC online tools and data from all over the world. Additionally, exporting of data processing results through WMS and WFS services will be used to provide their interoperability. Financial support of this activity by the RF Ministry of Education and Science under Agreement 14.613.21.0037 (RFMEFI61315X0037) and by the Iola Hubbard Climate Change Endowment is acknowledged.

Perspectives for on-line analysis of bauxite by neutron irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beurton, Gabriel; Ledru, Bertrand; Letourneur, Philippe

1995-03-01

The interest in bauxite as a major source of alumina results in a strong demand for on-line instrumentation suitable for sorting, blending, and processing operations at the bauxite mine and for monitoring instrumentation in the Bayer process. The results of laboratory experiments based on neutron interactions with bauxite are described. The technique was chosen in order to overcome the problem of spatial heterogeneity in bulk mineral analysis. The evaluated elements contributed to approximately 99.5% of the sample weight. In addition, the measurements provide valuable information on physical parameters such as density, hygrometry, and material flow. Using a pulsed generator, the analysis system offers potential for on-line measurements (borehole logging or conveyor belt). An overall description of the experimental set-up is given. The experimental data include measurements of natural radioactivity, delayed radioactivity induced by activation, and prompt gamma rays following neutron reaction. In situ applications of neutron interactions provide continuous analysis and produce results which are more statistically significant. The key factors contributing to advances in industrial applications are the development of high count rate gamma spectroscopy and computational tools to design measurement systems and interpret their results.

Automated monitoring of recovered water quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Misselhorn, J. E.; Hartung, W. H.; Witz, S. W.

1974-01-01

Laboratory prototype water quality monitoring system provides automatic system for online monitoring of chemical, physical, and bacteriological properties of recovered water and for signaling malfunction in water recovery system. Monitor incorporates whenever possible commercially available sensors suitably modified.

Optimizing the deposition of hydrogen evolution sites on suspended semiconductor particles using on-line photocatalytic reforming of aqueous methanol solutions.

PubMed

Busser, G Wilma; Mei, Bastian; Muhler, Martin

2012-11-01

The deposition of hydrogen evolution sites on photocatalysts is a crucial step in the multistep process of synthesizing a catalyst that is active for overall photocatalytic water splitting. An alternative approach to conventional photodeposition was developed, applying the photocatalytic reforming of aqueous methanol solutions to deposit metal particles on semiconductor materials such as Ga₂O₃ and (Ga₀.₆ Zn₀.₄)(N₀.₆O₀.₄). The method allows optimizing the loading of the co-catalysts based on the stepwise addition of their precursors and the continuous online monitoring of the evolved hydrogen. Moreover, a synergetic effect between different co-catalysts can be directly established. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

No evidence that a range of artificial monitoring cues influence online donations to charity in an MTurk sample.

PubMed

Saunders, Timothy J; Taylor, Alex H; Atkinson, Quentin D

2016-10-01

Monitoring cues, such as an image of a face or pair of eyes, have been found to increase prosocial behaviour in several studies. However, other studies have found little or no support for this effect. Here, we examined whether monitoring cues affect online donations to charity while manipulating the emotion displayed, the number of watchers and the cue type. We also include as statistical controls a range of likely covariates of prosocial behaviour. Using the crowdsourcing Internet marketplace, Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), 1535 participants completed our survey and were given the opportunity to donate to charity while being shown an image prime. None of the monitoring primes we tested had a significant effect on charitable giving. By contrast, the control variables of culture, age, sex and previous charity giving frequency did predict donations. This work supports the importance of cultural differences and enduring individual differences in prosocial behaviour and shows that a range of artificial monitoring cues do not reliably boost online charity donation on MTurk.

No evidence that a range of artificial monitoring cues influence online donations to charity in an MTurk sample

PubMed Central

Saunders, Timothy J.; Atkinson, Quentin D.

2016-01-01

Monitoring cues, such as an image of a face or pair of eyes, have been found to increase prosocial behaviour in several studies. However, other studies have found little or no support for this effect. Here, we examined whether monitoring cues affect online donations to charity while manipulating the emotion displayed, the number of watchers and the cue type. We also include as statistical controls a range of likely covariates of prosocial behaviour. Using the crowdsourcing Internet marketplace, Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), 1535 participants completed our survey and were given the opportunity to donate to charity while being shown an image prime. None of the monitoring primes we tested had a significant effect on charitable giving. By contrast, the control variables of culture, age, sex and previous charity giving frequency did predict donations. This work supports the importance of cultural differences and enduring individual differences in prosocial behaviour and shows that a range of artificial monitoring cues do not reliably boost online charity donation on MTurk. PMID:27853533

Quantitative monitoring of an activated sludge reactor using on-line UV-visible and near-infrared spectroscopy.

PubMed

Sarraguça, Mafalda C; Paulo, Ana; Alves, Madalena M; Dias, Ana M A; Lopes, João A; Ferreira, Eugénio C

2009-10-01

The performance of an activated sludge reactor can be significantly enhanced through use of continuous and real-time process-state monitoring, which avoids the need to sample for off-line analysis and to use chemicals. Despite the complexity associated with wastewater treatment systems, spectroscopic methods coupled with chemometric tools have been shown to be powerful tools for bioprocess monitoring and control. Once implemented and optimized, these methods are fast, nondestructive, user friendly, and most importantly, they can be implemented in situ, permitting rapid inference of the process state at any moment. In this work, UV-visible and NIR spectroscopy were used to monitor an activated sludge reactor using in situ immersion probes connected to the respective analyzers by optical fibers. During the monitoring period, disturbances to the biological system were induced to test the ability of each spectroscopic method to detect the changes in the system. Calibration models based on partial least squares (PLS) regression were developed for three key process parameters, namely chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrate concentration (N-NO(3)(-)), and total suspended solids (TSS). For NIR, the best results were achieved for TSS, with a relative error of 14.1% and a correlation coefficient of 0.91. The UV-visible technique gave similar results for the three parameters: an error of approximately 25% and correlation coefficients of approximately 0.82 for COD and TSS and 0.87 for N-NO(3)(-) . The results obtained demonstrate that both techniques are suitable for consideration as alternative methods for monitoring and controlling wastewater treatment processes, presenting clear advantages when compared with the reference methods for wastewater treatment process qualification.

Continuous on-line steam quality monitoring system of the Bacman Geothermal Production Field, Philippines

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

Solis, R.P.; Chavez, F.C.; Garcia, S.E.

1997-12-31

In any operating geothermal power plant, steam quality is one of the most important parameters being monitored. In the Bacon-Manito Geothermal Production Field (BGPF), an online steam quality monitoring system have been installed in two operating power plants which provides an accurate, efficient and continuous real-time data which is more responsive to the various requirements of the field operation. The system utilizes sodium as an indicator of steam purity. Sodium concentration is read by the flame photometer located at the interface after aspirating a sample of the condensed steam through a continuous condensate sampler. The condensate has been degassed throughmore » a condensate-NCG separator. The flame photometer analog signal is then converted by a voltage-to-current converter/transmitter and relayed to the processor which is located at the control center through electrical cable to give a digital sodium concentration read-out at the control panel. The system features a high and high-high sodium level alarm, a continuous strip-chart recorder and a central computer for data capture, retrieval, and processing for further interpretation. Safety devices, such as the flame-off indicator at the control center and the automatic fuel cut-off device along the fuel line, are incorporated in the system.« less

Laboratory and field based evaluation of chromatography ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Monitor for AeRosols and GAses in ambient air (MARGA) is an on-line ion-chromatography-based instrument designed for speciation of the inorganic gas and aerosol ammonium-nitrate-sulfate system. Previous work to characterize the performance of the MARGA has been primarily based on field comparison to other measurement methods to evaluate accuracy. While such studies are useful, the underlying reasons for disagreement among methods are not always clear. This study examines aspects of MARGA accuracy and precision specifically related to automated chromatography analysis. Using laboratory standards, analytical accuracy, precision, and method detection limits derived from the MARGA chromatography software are compared to an alternative software package (Chromeleon, Thermo Scientific Dionex). Field measurements are used to further evaluate instrument performance, including the MARGA’s use of an internal LiBr standard to control accuracy. Using gas/aerosol ratios and aerosol neutralization state as a case study, the impact of chromatography on measurement error is assessed. The new generation of on-line chromatography-based gas and particle measurement systems have many advantages, including simultaneous analysis of multiple pollutants. The Monitor for Aerosols and Gases in Ambient Air (MARGA) is such an instrument that is used in North America, Europe, and Asia for atmospheric process studies as well as routine monitoring. While the instrument has been evaluat

Monitoring the CMS strip tracker readout system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mersi, S.; Bainbridge, R.; Baulieu, G.; Bel, S.; Cole, J.; Cripps, N.; Delaere, C.; Drouhin, F.; Fulcher, J.; Giassi, A.; Gross, L.; Hahn, K.; Mirabito, L.; Nikolic, M.; Tkaczyk, S.; Wingham, M.

2008-07-01

The CMS Silicon Strip Tracker at the LHC comprises a sensitive area of approximately 200 m2 and 10 million readout channels. Its data acquisition system is based around a custom analogue front-end chip. Both the control and the readout of the front-end electronics are performed by off-detector VME boards in the counting room, which digitise the raw event data and perform zero-suppression and formatting. The data acquisition system uses the CMS online software framework to configure, control and monitor the hardware components and steer the data acquisition. The first data analysis is performed online within the official CMS reconstruction framework, which provides many services, such as distributed analysis, access to geometry and conditions data, and a Data Quality Monitoring tool based on the online physics reconstruction. The data acquisition monitoring of the Strip Tracker uses both the data acquisition and the reconstruction software frameworks in order to provide real-time feedback to shifters on the operational state of the detector, archiving for later analysis and possibly trigger automatic recovery actions in case of errors. Here we review the proposed architecture of the monitoring system and we describe its software components, which are already in place, the various monitoring streams available, and our experiences of operating and monitoring a large-scale system.

Online Normalization Algorithm for Engine Turbofan Monitoring

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-02

Online Normalization Algorithm for Engine Turbofan Monitoring Jérôme Lacaille 1 , Anastasios Bellas 2 1 Snecma, 77550 Moissy-Cramayel, France...understand the behavior of a turbofan engine, one first needs to deal with the variety of data acquisition contexts. Each time a set of measurements is...it auto-adapts itself with piecewise linear models. 1. INTRODUCTION Turbofan engine abnormality diagnosis uses three steps: reduction of

Online Sources of Competitive Intelligence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagers, Robert

1986-01-01

Presents an approach to using online sources of information for competitor intelligence (i.e., monitoring industry and tracking activities of competitors); identifies principal sources; and suggests some ways of making use of online databases. Types and sources of information and sources and database charts are appended. Eight references are…

Online Islamic Organizations and Measuring Web Effectiveness

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-12-01

Internet Research 13 (2003) : 17-26. Retrived from ProQuest online database on 15 May 2004. Lee, Jae-Kwan. “A model for monitoring public sector...Web site strategy.” Internet Research : Electronic Networking Applications and Policy 13 (2003) : 259-266. Retrieved from Emerad online database on

Online process monitoring at quasi-simultaneous laser transmission welding using a 3D-scanner with integrated pyrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmailzl, A.; Steger, S.; Dostalek, M.; Hierl, S.

2016-03-01

Quasi-simultaneous laser transmission welding is a well-known joining technique for thermoplastics and mainly used in the automotive as well as in the medical industry. For process control usually the so called set-path monitoring is used, where the weld is specified as "good" if the irradiation time is inside a defined confidence interval. However, the detection of small-sized gaps or thermal damaged zones is not possible with this technique. The analyzation of the weld seam temperature during welding offers the possibility to overcome this problem. In this approach a 3D-scanner is used instead of a scanner with flat-field optic. By using a pyrometer in combination with a 3D-scanner no color-corrected optic is needed in order to provide that laser- and detection-spot are concentric. Experimental studies on polyethylene T-joints have shown that the quality of the signal is adequate, despite the use of an optical setup with a long working distance and a small optical aperture. The effects on temperature are studied for defects like a gap in the joining zone. Therefore a notch was milled into the absorbent polymer. In case of producing housings for electronic parts the effect of an electrical wire between the joining partners is also investigated. Both defects can be identified by a local temperature deviation even at a feed rate of four meters per second. Furthermore a strategy for signal-processing is demonstrated. By this, remaining defects can be identified. Consequently an online detection of local defects is possible, which makes a dynamic process control feasible.

Direct Monitoring of Trace Atmospheric Species via Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palmer, P. T.; Pearson, Richard; Saimonson, Jay D.; Wong, Carla M.; Lawless, James G. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

There is an ever-increasing emphasis on the part of government agencies, academia, and industry on enhancing our understanding of atmospheric processes and assessing the impact of human activities on these processes. While issues such as the ozone hole and rising levels of greenhouse gases have received major attention. relatively little is known about the types, concentrations, sources, and sinks of hydrocarbons in the troposphere and stratosphere. Such information would be of tremendous utility in assessing the roles of various anthropogenic and biogenic processes on global carbon cycles. An ion trap mass spectrometer has been developed for monitoring trace levels of hydrocarbons in the atmosphere on NASA's DC-8 "flying laboratory". This aircraft is used to provide measurements in support of a number of "Mission to Planet Earth" activities and tropospheric chemistry experiments. In past missions, specific compounds have been monitored via highly specialized instrumentation, fast GO, or collection of whole air samples for subsequent ground-based analysis. The ion trap has several features. including small size. excellent sensitivity, and broad applicability, which make it highly atttrat:ive for atmospheric monitoring. The design of this instrument, its air sampling interface. and the various complications associated with aircraft-deployment will be described. Data showing the sensitivity of the instrument for detecting hydrocarbons at mixing ratios below one part-per-billion, and the use of MS/MS for direct, on-line, real-time monitoring will be presented.

Analysis of cutting force signals by wavelet packet transform for surface roughness monitoring in CNC turning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García Plaza, E.; Núñez López, P. J.

2018-01-01

On-line monitoring of surface finish in machining processes has proven to be a substantial advancement over traditional post-process quality control techniques by reducing inspection times and costs and by avoiding the manufacture of defective products. This study applied techniques for processing cutting force signals based on the wavelet packet transform (WPT) method for the monitoring of surface finish in computer numerical control (CNC) turning operations. The behaviour of 40 mother wavelets was analysed using three techniques: global packet analysis (G-WPT), and the application of two packet reduction criteria: maximum energy (E-WPT) and maximum entropy (SE-WPT). The optimum signal decomposition level (Lj) was determined to eliminate noise and to obtain information correlated to surface finish. The results obtained with the G-WPT method provided an in-depth analysis of cutting force signals, and frequency ranges and signal characteristics were correlated to surface finish with excellent results in the accuracy and reliability of the predictive models. The radial and tangential cutting force components at low frequency provided most of the information for the monitoring of surface finish. The E-WPT and SE-WPT packet reduction criteria substantially reduced signal processing time, but at the expense of discarding packets with relevant information, which impoverished the results. The G-WPT method was observed to be an ideal procedure for processing cutting force signals applied to the real-time monitoring of surface finish, and was estimated to be highly accurate and reliable at a low analytical-computational cost.

Real-Time Mass Spectrometry Monitoring of Oak Wood Toasting: Elucidating Aroma Development Relevant to Oak-aged Wine Quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farrell, Ross R.; Wellinger, Marco; Gloess, Alexia N.; Nichols, David S.; Breadmore, Michael C.; Shellie, Robert A.; Yeretzian, Chahan

2015-11-01

We introduce a real-time method to monitor the evolution of oak aromas during the oak toasting process. French and American oak wood boards were toasted in an oven at three different temperatures, while the process-gas was continuously transferred to the inlet of a proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer for online monitoring. Oak wood aroma compounds important for their sensory contribution to oak-aged wine were tentatively identified based on soft ionization and molecular mass. The time-intensity profiles revealed toasting process dynamics illustrating in real-time how different compounds evolve from the oak wood during toasting. Sufficient sensitivity was achieved to observe spikes in volatile concentrations related to cracking phenomena on the oak wood surface. The polysaccharide-derived compounds exhibited similar profiles; whilst for lignin-derived compounds eugenol formation differed from that of vanillin and guaiacol at lower toasting temperatures. Significant generation of oak lactone from precursors was evident at 225 oC. Statistical processing of the real-time aroma data showed similarities and differences between individual oak boards and oak wood sourced from the different origins. This study enriches our understanding of the oak toasting process and demonstrates a new analytical approach for research on wood volatiles.

Noninvasive Real-Time Assessment of Cell Viability in a Three-Dimensional Tissue.

PubMed

Mahfouzi, Seyed Hossein; Amoabediny, Ghassem; Doryab, Ali; Safiabadi-Tali, Seyed Hamid; Ghanei, Mostafa

2018-04-01

Maintaining cell viability within 3D tissue engineering scaffolds is an essential step toward a functional tissue or organ. Assessment of cell viability in 3D scaffolds is necessary to control and optimize tissue culture process. Monitoring systems based on respiration activity of cells (e.g., oxygen consumption) have been used in various cell cultures. In this research, an online monitoring system based on respiration activity was developed to monitor cell viability within acellular lung scaffolds. First, acellular lung scaffolds were recellularized with human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells, and then, cell viability was monitored during a 5-day period. The real-time monitoring system generated a cell growth profile representing invaluable information on cell viability and proliferative states during the culture period. The cell growth profile obtained by the monitoring system was consistent with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide analysis and glucose consumption measurement. This system provided a means for noninvasive, real-time, and repetitive investigation of cell viability. Also, we showed the applicability of this monitoring system by introducing shaking as an operating parameter in a long-term culture.

Non-Contact Surface Roughness Measurement by Implementation of a Spatial Light Modulator

PubMed Central

Aulbach, Laura; Salazar Bloise, Félix; Lu, Min; Koch, Alexander W.

2017-01-01

The surface structure, especially the roughness, has a significant influence on numerous parameters, such as friction and wear, and therefore estimates the quality of technical systems. In the last decades, a broad variety of surface roughness measurement methods were developed. A destructive measurement procedure or the lack of feasibility of online monitoring are the crucial drawbacks of most of these methods. This article proposes a new non-contact method for measuring the surface roughness that is straightforward to implement and easy to extend to online monitoring processes. The key element is a liquid-crystal-based spatial light modulator, integrated in an interferometric setup. By varying the imprinted phase of the modulator, a correlation between the imprinted phase and the fringe visibility of an interferogram is measured, and the surface roughness can be derived. This paper presents the theoretical approach of the method and first simulation and experimental results for a set of surface roughnesses. The experimental results are compared with values obtained by an atomic force microscope and a stylus profiler. PMID:28294990

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for in-line monitoring of polymer extrusion processes.

PubMed

Rohe, T; Becker, W; Kölle, S; Eisenreich, N; Eyerer, P

1999-09-13

In recent years, near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has become an analytical tool frequently used in many chemical production processes. In particular, on-line measurements are of interest to increase process stability and to document constant product quality. Application to polymer processing e.g. polymer extrusion, could even increase product quality. Interesting parameters are composition of the processed polymer, moisture, or reaction status in reactive extrusion. For this issue a transmission sensor was developed for application of NIR spectroscopy to extrusion processes. This sensor includes fibre optic probes and a measuring cell to be adapted to various extruders for in-line measurements. In contrast to infrared sensors, it only uses optical quartz components. Extrusion processes at temperatures up to 300 degrees C and pressures up to 37 MPa have been investigated. Application of multivariate data analysis (e.g. partial least squares, PLS) demonstrated the performance of the system with respect to process monitoring: in the case of polymer blending, deviations between predicted and actual polymer composition were quite low (in the range of +/-0.25%). So the complete system is suitable for harsh industrial environments and could lead to improved polymer extrusion processes.

User Centric Job Monitoring - a redesign and novel approach in the STAR experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arkhipkin, D.; Lauret, J.; Zulkarneeva, Y.

2014-06-01

User Centric Monitoring (or UCM) has been a long awaited feature in STAR, whereas programs, workflows and system "events" could be logged, broadcast and later analyzed. UCM allows to collect and filter available job monitoring information from various resources and present it to users in a user-centric view rather than an administrative-centric point of view. The first attempt and implementation of "a" UCM approach was made in STAR 2004 using a log4cxx plug-in back-end and then further evolved with an attempt to push toward a scalable database back-end (2006) and finally using a Web-Service approach (2010, CSW4DB SBIR). The latest showed to be incomplete and not addressing the evolving needs of the experiment where streamlined messages for online (data acquisition) purposes as well as the continuous support for the data mining needs and event analysis need to coexists and unified in a seamless approach. The code also revealed to be hardly maintainable. This paper presents the next evolutionary step of the UCM toolkit, a redesign and redirection of our latest attempt acknowledging and integrating recent technologies and a simpler, maintainable and yet scalable manner. The extended version of the job logging package is built upon three-tier approach based on Task, Job and Event, and features a Web-Service based logging API, a responsive AJAX-powered user interface, and a database back-end relying on MongoDB, which is uniquely suited for STAR needs. In addition, we present details of integration of this logging package with the STAR offline and online software frameworks. Leveraging on the reported experience and work from the ATLAS and CMS experience on using the ESPER engine, we discuss and show how such approach has been implemented in STAR for meta-data event triggering stream processing and filtering. An ESPER based solution seems to fit well into the online data acquisition system where many systems are monitored.

Power system distributed oscilation detection based on Synchrophasor data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ning, Jiawei

Along with increasing demand for electricity, integration of renewable energy and deregulation of power market, power industry is facing unprecedented challenges nowadays. Within the last couple of decades, several serious blackouts have been taking place in United States. As an effective approach to prevent that, power system small signal stability monitoring has been drawing more interests and attentions from researchers. With wide-spread implementation of Synchrophasors around the world in the last decade, power systems real-time online monitoring becomes much more feasible. Comparing with planning study analysis, real-time online monitoring would benefit control room operators immediately and directly. Among all online monitoring methods, Oscillation Modal Analysis (OMA), a modal identification method based on routine measurement data where the input is unmeasured ambient excitation, is a great tool to evaluate and monitor power system small signal stability. Indeed, high sampling Synchrophasor data around power system is fitted perfectly as inputs to OMA. Existing methods in OMA for power systems are all based on centralized algorithms applying at control centers only; however, with rapid growing number of online Synchrophasors the computation burden at control centers is and will be continually exponentially expanded. The increasing computation time at control center compromises the real-time feature of online monitoring. The communication efforts between substation and control center will also be out of reach. Meanwhile, it is difficult or even impossible for centralized algorithms to detect some poorly damped local modes. In order to avert previous shortcomings of centralized OMA methods and embrace the new changes in the power systems, two new distributed oscillation detection methods with two new decentralized structures are presented in this dissertation. Since the new schemes brought substations into the big oscillation detection picture, the proposed methods could achieve faster and more reliable results. Subsequently, this claim is tested and approved by test results of IEEE Two-area simulation test system and real power system historian synchrophasor data case studies.

Virtual Sensors for On-line Wheel Wear and Part Roughness Measurement in the Grinding Process

PubMed Central

Arriandiaga, Ander; Portillo, Eva; Sánchez, Jose A.; Cabanes, Itziar; Pombo, Iñigo

2014-01-01

Grinding is an advanced machining process for the manufacturing of valuable complex and accurate parts for high added value sectors such as aerospace, wind generation, etc. Due to the extremely severe conditions inside grinding machines, critical process variables such as part surface finish or grinding wheel wear cannot be easily and cheaply measured on-line. In this paper a virtual sensor for on-line monitoring of those variables is presented. The sensor is based on the modelling ability of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) for stochastic and non-linear processes such as grinding; the selected architecture is the Layer-Recurrent neural network. The sensor makes use of the relation between the variables to be measured and power consumption in the wheel spindle, which can be easily measured. A sensor calibration methodology is presented, and the levels of error that can be expected are discussed. Validation of the new sensor is carried out by comparing the sensor's results with actual measurements carried out in an industrial grinding machine. Results show excellent estimation performance for both wheel wear and surface roughness. In the case of wheel wear, the absolute error is within the range of microns (average value 32 μm). In the case of surface finish, the absolute error is well below Ra 1 μm (average value 0.32 μm). The present approach can be easily generalized to other grinding operations. PMID:24854055

Implementation of in-line infrared monitor in full-scale anaerobic digestion process.

PubMed

Spanjers, H; Bouvier, J C; Steenweg, P; Bisschops, I; van Gils, W; Versprille, B

2006-01-01

During start up but also during normal operation, anaerobic reactor systems should be run and monitored carefully to secure trouble-free operation, because the process is vulnerable to disturbances such as temporary overloading, biomass wash out and influent toxicity. The present method of monitoring is usually by manual sampling and subsequent laboratory analysis. Data collection, processing and feedback to system operation is manual and ad hoc, and involves high-level operator skills and attention. As a result, systems tend to be designed at relatively conservative design loading rates resulting in significant over-sizing of reactors and thus increased systems cost. It is therefore desirable to have on-line and continuous access to performance data on influent and effluent quality. Relevant variables to indicate process performance include VFA, COD, alkalinity, sulphate, and, if aerobic post-treatment is considered, total nitrogen, ammonia and nitrate. Recently, mid-IR spectrometry was demonstrated on a pilot scale to be suitable for in-line simultaneous measurement of these variables. This paper describes a full-scale application of the technique to test its ability to monitor continuously and without human intervention the above variables simultaneously in two process streams. For VFA, COD, sulphate, ammonium and TKN good agreement was obtained between in-line and manual measurements. During a period of six months the in-line measurements had to be interrupted several times because of clogging. It appeared that the sample pre-treatment unit was not able to cope with high solids concentrations all the time.

Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy-based tomography system for on-line monitoring of two-dimensional distributions of temperature and H2O mole fraction.

PubMed

Xu, Lijun; Liu, Chang; Jing, Wenyang; Cao, Zhang; Xue, Xin; Lin, Yuzhen

2016-01-01

To monitor two-dimensional (2D) distributions of temperature and H2O mole fraction, an on-line tomography system based on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) was developed. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report on a multi-view TDLAS-based system for simultaneous tomographic visualization of temperature and H2O mole fraction in real time. The system consists of two distributed feedback (DFB) laser diodes, a tomographic sensor, electronic circuits, and a computer. The central frequencies of the two DFB laser diodes are at 7444.36 cm(-1) (1343.3 nm) and 7185.6 cm(-1) (1391.67 nm), respectively. The tomographic sensor is used to generate fan-beam illumination from five views and to produce 60 ray measurements. The electronic circuits not only provide stable temperature and precise current controlling signals for the laser diodes but also can accurately sample the transmitted laser intensities and extract integrated absorbances in real time. Finally, the integrated absorbances are transferred to the computer, in which the 2D distributions of temperature and H2O mole fraction are reconstructed by using a modified Landweber algorithm. In the experiments, the TDLAS-based tomography system was validated by using asymmetric premixed flames with fixed and time-varying equivalent ratios, respectively. The results demonstrate that the system is able to reconstruct the profiles of the 2D distributions of temperature and H2O mole fraction of the flame and effectively capture the dynamics of the combustion process, which exhibits good potential for flame monitoring and on-line combustion diagnosis.

Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy-based tomography system for on-line monitoring of two-dimensional distributions of temperature and H2O mole fraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Lijun; Liu, Chang; Jing, Wenyang; Cao, Zhang; Xue, Xin; Lin, Yuzhen

2016-01-01

To monitor two-dimensional (2D) distributions of temperature and H2O mole fraction, an on-line tomography system based on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) was developed. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report on a multi-view TDLAS-based system for simultaneous tomographic visualization of temperature and H2O mole fraction in real time. The system consists of two distributed feedback (DFB) laser diodes, a tomographic sensor, electronic circuits, and a computer. The central frequencies of the two DFB laser diodes are at 7444.36 cm-1 (1343.3 nm) and 7185.6 cm-1 (1391.67 nm), respectively. The tomographic sensor is used to generate fan-beam illumination from five views and to produce 60 ray measurements. The electronic circuits not only provide stable temperature and precise current controlling signals for the laser diodes but also can accurately sample the transmitted laser intensities and extract integrated absorbances in real time. Finally, the integrated absorbances are transferred to the computer, in which the 2D distributions of temperature and H2O mole fraction are reconstructed by using a modified Landweber algorithm. In the experiments, the TDLAS-based tomography system was validated by using asymmetric premixed flames with fixed and time-varying equivalent ratios, respectively. The results demonstrate that the system is able to reconstruct the profiles of the 2D distributions of temperature and H2O mole fraction of the flame and effectively capture the dynamics of the combustion process, which exhibits good potential for flame monitoring and on-line combustion diagnosis.

Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy-based tomography system for on-line monitoring of two-dimensional distributions of temperature and H{sub 2}O mole fraction

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

Xu, Lijun, E-mail: lijunxu@buaa.edu.cn; Liu, Chang; Jing, Wenyang

2016-01-15

To monitor two-dimensional (2D) distributions of temperature and H{sub 2}O mole fraction, an on-line tomography system based on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) was developed. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report on a multi-view TDLAS-based system for simultaneous tomographic visualization of temperature and H{sub 2}O mole fraction in real time. The system consists of two distributed feedback (DFB) laser diodes, a tomographic sensor, electronic circuits, and a computer. The central frequencies of the two DFB laser diodes are at 7444.36 cm{sup −1} (1343.3 nm) and 7185.6 cm{sup −1} (1391.67 nm), respectively. The tomographicmore » sensor is used to generate fan-beam illumination from five views and to produce 60 ray measurements. The electronic circuits not only provide stable temperature and precise current controlling signals for the laser diodes but also can accurately sample the transmitted laser intensities and extract integrated absorbances in real time. Finally, the integrated absorbances are transferred to the computer, in which the 2D distributions of temperature and H{sub 2}O mole fraction are reconstructed by using a modified Landweber algorithm. In the experiments, the TDLAS-based tomography system was validated by using asymmetric premixed flames with fixed and time-varying equivalent ratios, respectively. The results demonstrate that the system is able to reconstruct the profiles of the 2D distributions of temperature and H{sub 2}O mole fraction of the flame and effectively capture the dynamics of the combustion process, which exhibits good potential for flame monitoring and on-line combustion diagnosis.« less

Design and implementation of new control room system in Damavand tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasouli, H.; Zamanian, H.; Gheidi, M.; Kheiri-Fard, M.; Kouhi, A.

2017-07-01

The aim of this paper is design and implementation of an up-to-date control room. The previous control room had a lot of constraints and it was not apposite to the sophisticated diagnostic systems as well as to the modern control and multivariable systems. Although it provided the best output for the considered experiments and implementing offline algorithms among all similar plants, it needed to be developed to provide more capability for complex algorithm mechanisms and this work introduces our efforts in this area. Accordingly, four leading systems were designed and implemented, including real-time control system, online Data Acquisition System (DAS), offline DAS, monitoring and data transmission system. In the control system, three real-time control modules were established based on Digital Signal Processor (DSP). Thanks to them, implementation of the classic and linear and nonlinear intelligent controllers was possible to control the plasma position and its elongation. Also, online DAS was constructed in two modules. Using them, voltages and currents of charge for the capacitor banks and pressure of different parts in vacuum vessel were measured and monitored. Likewise, by real-time processing of the online data, the safety protocol of plant performance was accomplished. In addition, the offline DAS was organized in 13 modules based on Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). This system can be used for gathering all diagnostic, control, and performance data in 156 channels. Data transmission system and storing mechanism in the server was provided by data transmitting network and MDSplus standard protocol. Moreover, monitoring software was designed so that it could display the required plots for physical analyses. Taking everything into account, this new platform can improve the quality and quantity of research activities in plasma physics for Damavand tokamak.

Pyrame 3, an online framework for Calice SiW-Ecal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magniette, F.; Irles, A.

2018-03-01

Pyrame 3 is the new version of the Pyrame framework [1], with emphasize on the online data treatment and the complex tasks scripting. A new mechanism has been implemented to allow any module to treat and publish data in real time. Those data are made available to any requesting module. A circular buffer mechanism allows to break the real-time constraint and to serve the slower programs in a generic subsampling way. On the other side, a programming facility called event-loop has been provided in C/C++ language to ease the development of monitoring programs. On the SiW-Ecal prototype, the acquisition chain launches a bunch of online decoders that makes available raw data plus some basic reconstruction data (true coordinate, true time, data quality tags\\ldots). With the event-loop, it is now really very easy to implement new online monitoring programs. On the other side, the scripting mechanism has been enhanced to provide complete control of the detector to the scripts. This way, we are able to script and monitor complex behaviours like position or energy scanning, calibrations or data driven reconfigurations.

Measuring the absolute carrier-envelope phase of many-cycle laser fields

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

Tzallas, P.; Skantzakis, E.; Charalambidis, D.

2010-12-15

The carrier-envelope phase (CEP) of high-peak-power, many-cycle laser fields becomes a crucial parameter when such fields are used, in conjunction with polarization gating techniques, in isolated attosecond (asec) pulse generation. However, its measurement has not been achieved so far. We demonstrate a physical process sensitive to the CEP value of such fields and describe a method for its online shot-to-shot monitoring. This work paves the way for the exploitation of energetic isolated asec pulses in studies of nonlinear extreme ultraviolet (XUV) processes and XUV-pump-XUV-probe experiments with asec resolutions.

Weak Defect Identification for Centrifugal Compressor Blade Crack Based on Pressure Sensors and Genetic Algorithm.

PubMed

Li, Hongkun; He, Changbo; Malekian, Reza; Li, Zhixiong

2018-04-19

The Centrifugal compressor is a piece of key equipment for petrochemical factories. As the core component of a compressor, the blades suffer periodic vibration and flow induced excitation mechanism, which will lead to the occurrence of crack defect. Moreover, the induced blade defect usually has a serious impact on the normal operation of compressors and the safety of operators. Therefore, an effective blade crack identification method is particularly important for the reliable operation of compressors. Conventional non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) methods can detect the blade defect effectively, however, the compressors should shut down during the testing process which is time-consuming and costly. In addition, it can be known these methods are not suitable for the long-term on-line condition monitoring and cannot identify the blade defect in time. Therefore, the effective on-line condition monitoring and weak defect identification method should be further studied and proposed. Considering the blade vibration information is difficult to measure directly, pressure sensors mounted on the casing are used to sample airflow pressure pulsation signal on-line near the rotating impeller for the purpose of monitoring the blade condition indirectly in this paper. A big problem is that the blade abnormal vibration amplitude induced by the crack is always small and this feature information will be much weaker in the pressure signal. Therefore, it is usually difficult to identify blade defect characteristic frequency embedded in pressure pulsation signal by general signal processing methods due to the weakness of the feature information and the interference of strong noise. In this paper, continuous wavelet transform (CWT) is used to pre-process the sampled signal first. Then, the method of bistable stochastic resonance (SR) based on Woods-Saxon and Gaussian (WSG) potential is applied to enhance the weak characteristic frequency contained in the pressure pulsation signal. Genetic algorithm (GA) is used to obtain optimal parameters for this SR system to improve its feature enhancement performance. The analysis result of experimental signal shows the validity of the proposed method for the enhancement and identification of weak defect characteristic. In the end, strain test is carried out to further verify the accuracy and reliability of the analysis result obtained by pressure pulsation signal.

Weak Defect Identification for Centrifugal Compressor Blade Crack Based on Pressure Sensors and Genetic Algorithm

PubMed Central

Li, Hongkun; He, Changbo

2018-01-01

The Centrifugal compressor is a piece of key equipment for petrochemical factories. As the core component of a compressor, the blades suffer periodic vibration and flow induced excitation mechanism, which will lead to the occurrence of crack defect. Moreover, the induced blade defect usually has a serious impact on the normal operation of compressors and the safety of operators. Therefore, an effective blade crack identification method is particularly important for the reliable operation of compressors. Conventional non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) methods can detect the blade defect effectively, however, the compressors should shut down during the testing process which is time-consuming and costly. In addition, it can be known these methods are not suitable for the long-term on-line condition monitoring and cannot identify the blade defect in time. Therefore, the effective on-line condition monitoring and weak defect identification method should be further studied and proposed. Considering the blade vibration information is difficult to measure directly, pressure sensors mounted on the casing are used to sample airflow pressure pulsation signal on-line near the rotating impeller for the purpose of monitoring the blade condition indirectly in this paper. A big problem is that the blade abnormal vibration amplitude induced by the crack is always small and this feature information will be much weaker in the pressure signal. Therefore, it is usually difficult to identify blade defect characteristic frequency embedded in pressure pulsation signal by general signal processing methods due to the weakness of the feature information and the interference of strong noise. In this paper, continuous wavelet transform (CWT) is used to pre-process the sampled signal first. Then, the method of bistable stochastic resonance (SR) based on Woods-Saxon and Gaussian (WSG) potential is applied to enhance the weak characteristic frequency contained in the pressure pulsation signal. Genetic algorithm (GA) is used to obtain optimal parameters for this SR system to improve its feature enhancement performance. The analysis result of experimental signal shows the validity of the proposed method for the enhancement and identification of weak defect characteristic. In the end, strain test is carried out to further verify the accuracy and reliability of the analysis result obtained by pressure pulsation signal. PMID:29671821

[Open-path online monitoring of ambient atmospheric CO2 based on laser absorption spectrum].

PubMed

He, Ying; Zhang, Yu-Jun; Kan, Rui-Feng; Xia, Hui; Geng, Hui; Ruan, Jun; Wang, Min; Cui, Xiao-Juan; Liu, Wen-Qing

2009-01-01

With the conjunction of tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy technology (TDLAS) and the open long optical path technology, the system designing scheme of CO2 on-line monitoring based on near infrared tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy technology was discussed in detail, and the instrument for large-range measurement was set up. By choosing the infrared absorption line of CO2 at 1.57 microm whose line strength is strong and suitable for measurement, the ambient atmospheric CO2 was measured continuously with a 30 s temporal resolution at an suburb site in the autumn of 2007. The diurnal atmospheric variations of CO2 and continuous monitoring results were presented. The results show that the variation in CO2 concentration has an obvious diurnal periodicity in suburb where the air is free of interference and contamination. The general characteristic of diurnal variation is that the concentration is low in the daytime and high at night, so it matches the photosynthesis trend. The instrument can detect gas concentration online with high resolution, high sensitivity, high precision, short response time and many other advantages, the monitoring requires no gas sampling, the calibration is easy, and the detection limit is about 4.2 x 10(-7). It has been proved that the system and measurement project are feasible, so it is an effective method for gas flux continuous online monitoring of large range in ecosystem based on TDLAS technology.

Online-based interventions for sexual health among individuals with cancer: a systematic review.

PubMed

Kang, Hee Sun; Kim, Hyun-Kyung; Park, Seong Man; Kim, Jung-Hee

2018-03-07

Online interventions have the advantages of being widely available, accessible, comfortable, cost effective, and they can provide tailored information and support. Despite these benefits, the effects of specifically devised online intervention programs for cancer patients' sexual problems are somewhat unclear. The aim of this review is to describe online-based interventions and to assess their effects on sexual health among cancer survivors and/or their partners. We investigated the effects of online sexual interventions among individuals with cancer or their partners. Among these, we considered 4 eligible articles. Despite the diversity of contents of the interventions, the identified modes of delivery among most of the interventions were as follows: education, interactive methods, cognitive behavior therapy, tailored information, and self-monitoring. Methods of monitoring the interventions, including the utilization of the web site and post-treatment program rating, were reported. All the online intervention programs incorporated a focus on physical, psychological, cognitive, and social aspects of sexual health. Significant effects on patient sexual function and interest and the psychological aspect of sexual problems were reported. This study provides evidence that online-based interventions would be effective in improving the psycho-sexual problems of cancer survivors and their partners.

Monitoring Student Immunization, Screening, and Training Records for Clinical Compliance: An Innovative Use of the Institutional Learning Management System.

PubMed

Elting, Julie Kientz

2017-12-13

Clinical compliance for nursing students is a complex process mandating them to meet facility employee occupational health requirements for immunization, screening, and training prior to patient contact. Nursing programs monitor clinical compliance with in-house management of student records, either paper or electronic, or by contracting with a vendor specializing in online record tracking. Regardless of method, the nursing program remains fully accountable for student preparation and bears the consequences of errors. This article describes how the institution's own learning management system can be used as an accurate, cost-neutral, user-friendly, and Federal Educational Rights Protection Act-compliant clinical compliance system.

Elizabeth City State University: Elizabeth City, North Carolina (Data)

DOE Data Explorer

Stoffel, T.; Andreas, A.

1985-09-25

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Solar Radiation Monitoring Network operated from July 1985 through December 1996. Funded by DOE, the six-station network provided 5-minute averaged measurements of direct normal, global, and diffuse horizontal solar irradiance. The data were processed at NREL to improve the assessment of the solar radiation resources in the southeastern United States. Historical HBCU data available online include quality assessed 5-min data, monthly reports, and plots. In January 1997 the HBCU sites became part of the CONFRRM solar monitoring network and data from the two remaining active stations, Bluefield State College and Elizabeth City State University, are collected by the NREL Measurement & Instrumentation Data Center (MIDC).

Bluefield State College: Bluefield, West Virginia (Data)

DOE Data Explorer

Stoffel, T.; Andreas, A.

1985-11-06

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Solar Radiation Monitoring Network operated from July 1985 through December 1996. Funded by DOE, the six-station network provided 5-minute averaged measurements of direct normal, global, and diffuse horizontal solar irradiance. The data were processed at NREL to improve the assessment of the solar radiation resources in the southeastern United States. Historical HBCU data available online include quality assessed 5-min data, monthly reports, and plots. In January 1997 the HBCU sites became part of the CONFRRM solar monitoring network and data from the two remaining active stations, Bluefield State College and Elizabeth City State University, are collected by the NREL Measurement & Instrumentation Data Center (MIDC).

Computer-Mediated Social Support for Physical Activity: A Content Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stragier, Jeroen; Mechant, Peter; De Marez, Lieven; Cardon, Greet

2018-01-01

Purpose: Online fitness communities are a recent phenomenon experiencing growing user bases. They can be considered as online social networks in which recording, monitoring, and sharing of physical activity (PA) are the most prevalent practices. They have added a new dimension to the social experience of PA in which online peers function as…

Evaluating Technology to Prevent Academic Integrity Violations in Online Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Victoria

2018-01-01

Protection of academic integrity in online environments can be challenging. Understanding how the technology works and concerns about each of the methods for monitoring online interactions can assist in the selection of the best proctoring tools. Depending on the content, the type of assessment and the comfort level with the technology, a…

Intraoperative cerebral blood flow imaging of rodents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hangdao; Li, Yao; Yuan, Lu; Wu, Caihong; Lu, Hongyang; Tong, Shanbao

2014-09-01

Intraoperative monitoring of cerebral blood flow (CBF) is of interest to neuroscience researchers, which offers the assessment of hemodynamic responses throughout the process of neurosurgery and provides an early biomarker for surgical guidance. However, intraoperative CBF imaging has been challenging due to animal's motion and position change during the surgery. In this paper, we presented a design of an operation bench integrated with laser speckle contrast imager which enables monitoring of the CBF intraoperatively. With a specially designed stereotaxic frame and imager, we were able to monitor the CBF changes in both hemispheres during the rodent surgery. The rotatable design of the operation plate and implementation of online image registration allow the technician to move the animal without disturbing the CBF imaging during surgery. The performance of the system was tested by middle cerebral artery occlusion model of rats.

Development of Field Information Monitoring System Based on the Internet of Things

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Ken; Liang, Xiaoying; Wang, Keqiang

With the rapid development and wide application of electronics, communication and embedded system technologies, the global agriculture is changing from traditional agriculture that is to improve the production relying on the increase of labor, agricultural inputs to the new stage of modern agriculture with low yields, high efficiency, real-time and accuracy. On the other hand the research and development of the Internet of Things, which is an information network to connect objects, with the full capacity to perceive objects, and having the capabilities of reliable transmission and intelligence processing for information, allows us to obtain real-time information of anything. The application of the Internet of Things in field information online monitoring is an effective solution for present wired sensor monitoring system, which has much more disadvantages, such as high cost, the problems of laying lines and so on. In this paper, a novel field information monitoring system based on the Internet of Things is proposed. It can satisfy the requirements of multi-point measurement, mobility, convenience in the field information monitoring process. The whole structure of system is given and the key designs of system design are described in the hardware and software aspect. The studies have expanded current field information measurement methods and strengthen the application of the Internet of Things.

Sensory-based expert monitoring and control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yen, Gary G.

1999-03-01

Field operators use their eyes, ears, and nose to detect process behavior and to trigger corrective control actions. For instance: in daily practice, the experienced operator in sulfuric acid treatment of phosphate rock may observe froth color or bubble character to control process material in-flow. Or, similarly, (s)he may use acoustic sound of cavitation or boiling/flashing to increase or decrease material flow rates in tank levels. By contrast, process control computers continue to be limited to taking action on P, T, F, and A signals. Yet, there is sufficient evidence from the fields that visual and acoustic information can be used for control and identification. Smart in-situ sensors have facilitated potential mechanism for factory automation with promising industry applicability. In respond to these critical needs, a generic, structured health monitoring approach is proposed. The system assumes a given sensor suite will act as an on-line health usage monitor and at best provide the real-time control autonomy. The sensor suite can incorporate various types of sensory devices, from vibration accelerometers, directional microphones, machine vision CCDs, pressure gauges to temperature indicators. The decision can be shown in a visual on-board display or fed to the control block to invoke controller reconfigurration.

Equipment for linking the AutoAnalyzer on-line to a computer

PubMed Central

Simpson, D.; Sims, G. E.; Harrison, M. I.; Whitby, L. G.

1971-01-01

An Elliott 903 computer with 8K central core store and magnetic tape backing store has been operated for approximately 20 months in a clinical chemistry laboratory. Details of the equipment designed for linking AutoAnalyzers on-line to the computer are described, and data presented concerning the time required by the computer for different processes. The reliability of the various components in daily operation is discussed. Limitations in the system's capabilities have been defined, and ways of overcoming these are delineated. At present, routine operations include the preparation of worksheets for a limited range of tests (five channels), monitoring of up to 11 AutoAnalyzer channels at a time on a seven-day week basis (with process control and automatic calculation of results), and the provision of quality control data. Cumulative reports can be printed out on those analyses for which computer-prepared worksheets are provided but the system will require extension before these can be issued sufficiently rapidly for routine use. PMID:5551384

Identification and on-line monitoring of reduced sulphur species (RSS) by voltammetry in oxic waters.

PubMed

Superville, Pierre-Jean; Pižeta, Ivanka; Omanović, Dario; Billon, Gabriel

2013-08-15

Based on automatic on-line measurements on the Deûle River that showed daily variation of a peak around -0.56V (vs Ag|AgCl 3M), identification of Reduced Sulphur Species (RSS) in oxic waters was performed applying cathodic stripping voltammetry (CSV) with the hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). Pseudopolarographic studies accompanied with increasing concentrations of copper revealed the presence of elemental sulphur S(0), thioacetamide (TA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) as the main sulphur compounds in the Deûle River. In order to resolve these three species, a simple procedure was developed and integrated in an automatic on-line monitoring system. During one week monitoring with hourly measurements, GSH and S(0) exhibited daily cycles whereas no consequential pattern was observed for TA. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A novel, optical, on-line bacteria sensor for monitoring drinking water quality

PubMed Central

Højris, Bo; Christensen, Sarah Christine Boesgaard; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jørgen; Smith, Christian; Dahlqvist, Mathis

2016-01-01

Today, microbial drinking water quality is monitored through either time-consuming laboratory methods or indirect on-line measurements. Results are thus either delayed or insufficient to support proactive action. A novel, optical, on-line bacteria sensor with a 10-minute time resolution has been developed. The sensor is based on 3D image recognition, and the obtained pictures are analyzed with algorithms considering 59 quantified image parameters. The sensor counts individual suspended particles and classifies them as either bacteria or abiotic particles. The technology is capable of distinguishing and quantifying bacteria and particles in pure and mixed suspensions, and the quantification correlates with total bacterial counts. Several field applications have demonstrated that the technology can monitor changes in the concentration of bacteria, and is thus well suited for rapid detection of critical conditions such as pollution events in drinking water. PMID:27040142

A novel, optical, on-line bacteria sensor for monitoring drinking water quality.

PubMed

Højris, Bo; Christensen, Sarah Christine Boesgaard; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jørgen; Smith, Christian; Dahlqvist, Mathis

2016-04-04

Today, microbial drinking water quality is monitored through either time-consuming laboratory methods or indirect on-line measurements. Results are thus either delayed or insufficient to support proactive action. A novel, optical, on-line bacteria sensor with a 10-minute time resolution has been developed. The sensor is based on 3D image recognition, and the obtained pictures are analyzed with algorithms considering 59 quantified image parameters. The sensor counts individual suspended particles and classifies them as either bacteria or abiotic particles. The technology is capable of distinguishing and quantifying bacteria and particles in pure and mixed suspensions, and the quantification correlates with total bacterial counts. Several field applications have demonstrated that the technology can monitor changes in the concentration of bacteria, and is thus well suited for rapid detection of critical conditions such as pollution events in drinking water.

A Self-Reporting Photocatalyst for Online Fluorescence Monitoring of High Throughput RAFT Polymerization.

PubMed

Yeow, Jonathan; Joshi, Sanket; Chapman, Robert; Boyer, Cyrille Andre Jean Marie

2018-04-25

Translating controlled/living radical polymerization (CLRP) from batch to the high throughput production of polymer libraries presents several challenges in terms of both polymer synthesis and characterization. Although recently there have been significant advances in the field of low volume, high throughput CLRP, techniques able to simultaneously monitor multiple polymerizations in an "online" manner have not yet been developed. Here, we report our discovery that 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphine zinc (ZnTPP) is a self-reporting photocatalyst that can mediate PET-RAFT polymerization as well as report on monomer conversion via changes in its fluorescence properties. This enables the use of a microplate reader to conduct high throughput "online" monitoring of PET-RAFT polymerizations performed directly in 384-well, low volume microtiter plates. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

ATR-FTIR membrane-based sensor for the simultaneous determination of surfactant and oil total indices in industrial degreasing baths.

PubMed

Lucena, Rafael; Cárdenas, Soledad; Gallego, Mercedes; Valcárcel, Miguel

2006-03-01

Monitoring the exhaustion of alkaline degreasing baths is one of the main aspects in metal mechanizing industrial process control. The global level of surfactant, and mainly grease, can be used as ageing indicators. In this paper, an attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) membrane-based sensor is presented for the determination of these parameters. The system is based on a micro-liquid-liquid extraction of the analytes through a polymeric membrane from the aqueous to the organic solvent layer which is in close contact with the internal reflection element and continuously monitored. Samples are automatically processed using a simple, robust sequential injection analysis (SIA) configuration, on-line coupled to the instrument. The global signal obtained for both families of compounds are processed via a multivariate calibration technique (partial least squares, PLS). Excellent correlation was obtained for the values given by the proposed method compared to those of the gravimetric reference one with very low error values for both calibration and validation.

Monitoring the quality of welding based on welding current and ste analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazlan, Afidatusshimah; Daniyal, Hamdan; Izzani Mohamed, Amir; Ishak, Mahadzir; Hadi, Amran Abdul

2017-10-01

Qualities of welding play an important part in industry especially in manufacturing field. Post-welding non-destructive test is one of the importance process to ensure the quality of welding but it is time consuming and costly. To reduce the chance of defects, online monitoring had been utilized by continuously sense some of welding parameters and predict welding quality. One of the parameters is welding current, which is rich of information but lack of study focus on extract them at signal analysis level. This paper presents the analysis of welding current using Short Time Energy (STE) signal processing to quantify the pattern of the current. GMAW set with carbon steel specimens are used in this experimental study with high-bandwidth and high sampling rate oscilloscope capturing the welding current. The results indicate welding current as signatures have high correlation with the welding process. Continue with STE analysis, the value below 5000 is declare as good welding, meanwhile the STE value more than 6000 is contained defect.

Model Based Optimal Sensor Network Design for Condition Monitoring in an IGCC Plant

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

Kumar, Rajeeva; Kumar, Aditya; Dai, Dan

2012-12-31

This report summarizes the achievements and final results of this program. The objective of this program is to develop a general model-based sensor network design methodology and tools to address key issues in the design of an optimal sensor network configuration: the type, location and number of sensors used in a network, for online condition monitoring. In particular, the focus in this work is to develop software tools for optimal sensor placement (OSP) and use these tools to design optimal sensor network configuration for online condition monitoring of gasifier refractory wear and radiant syngas cooler (RSC) fouling. The methodology developedmore » will be applicable to sensing system design for online condition monitoring for broad range of applications. The overall approach consists of (i) defining condition monitoring requirement in terms of OSP and mapping these requirements in mathematical terms for OSP algorithm, (ii) analyzing trade-off of alternate OSP algorithms, down selecting the most relevant ones and developing them for IGCC applications (iii) enhancing the gasifier and RSC models as required by OSP algorithms, (iv) applying the developed OSP algorithm to design the optimal sensor network required for the condition monitoring of an IGCC gasifier refractory and RSC fouling. Two key requirements for OSP for condition monitoring are desired precision for the monitoring variables (e.g. refractory wear) and reliability of the proposed sensor network in the presence of expected sensor failures. The OSP problem is naturally posed within a Kalman filtering approach as an integer programming problem where the key requirements of precision and reliability are imposed as constraints. The optimization is performed over the overall network cost. Based on extensive literature survey two formulations were identified as being relevant to OSP for condition monitoring; one based on LMI formulation and the other being standard INLP formulation. Various algorithms to solve these two formulations were developed and validated. For a given OSP problem the computation efficiency largely depends on the “size” of the problem. Initially a simplified 1-D gasifier model assuming axial and azimuthal symmetry was used to test out various OSP algorithms. Finally these algorithms were used to design the optimal sensor network for condition monitoring of IGCC gasifier refractory wear and RSC fouling. The sensors type and locations obtained as solution to the OSP problem were validated using model based sensing approach. The OSP algorithm has been developed in a modular form and has been packaged as a software tool for OSP design where a designer can explore various OSP design algorithm is a user friendly way. The OSP software tool is implemented in Matlab/Simulink© in-house. The tool also uses few optimization routines that are freely available on World Wide Web. In addition a modular Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) block has also been developed in Matlab/Simulink© which can be utilized for model based sensing of important process variables that are not directly measured through combining the online sensors with model based estimation once the hardware sensor and their locations has been finalized. The OSP algorithm details and the results of applying these algorithms to obtain optimal sensor location for condition monitoring of gasifier refractory wear and RSC fouling profile are summarized in this final report.« less

Phenotyping the quality of complex medium components by simple online-monitored shake flask experiments.

PubMed

Diederichs, Sylvia; Korona, Anna; Staaden, Antje; Kroutil, Wolfgang; Honda, Kohsuke; Ohtake, Hisao; Büchs, Jochen

2014-11-07

Media containing yeast extracts and other complex raw materials are widely used for the cultivation of microorganisms. However, variations in the specific nutrient composition can occur, due to differences in the complex raw material ingredients and in the production of these components. These lot-to-lot variations can affect growth rate, product yield and product quality in laboratory investigations and biopharmaceutical production processes. In the FDA's Process Analytical Technology (PAT) initiative, the control and assessment of the quality of critical raw materials is one key aspect to maintain product quality and consistency. In this study, the Respiration Activity Monitoring System (RAMOS) was used to evaluate the impact of different yeast extracts and commercial complex auto-induction medium lots on metabolic activity and product yield of four recombinant Escherichia coli variants encoding different enzymes. Under non-induced conditions, the oxygen transfer rate (OTR) of E. coli was not affected by a variation of the supplemented yeast extract lot. The comparison of E. coli cultivations under induced conditions exhibited tremendous differences in OTR profiles and volumetric activity for all investigated yeast extract lots of different suppliers as well as lots of the same supplier independent of the E. coli variant. Cultivation in the commercial auto-induction medium lots revealed the same reproducible variations. In cultivations with parallel offline analysis, the highest volumetric activity was found at different cultivation times. Only by online monitoring of the cultures, a distinct cultivation phase (e.g. glycerol depletion) could be detected and chosen for comparable and reproducible offline analysis of the yield of functional product. This work proves that cultivations conducted in complex media may be prone to significant variation in final product quality and quantity if the quality of the raw material for medium preparation is not thoroughly checked. In this study, the RAMOS technique enabled a reliable and reproducible screening and phenotyping of complex raw material lots by online measurement of the respiration activity. Consequently, complex raw material lots can efficiently be assessed if the distinct effects on culture behavior and final product quality and quantity are visualized.

Development and outcomes of an online-onsite hybrid dental admissions enhancement pilot program.

PubMed

Hanson, Carrie L; Van Ness, Chris; Gadbury-Amyot, Cynthia C; Crain, Geralyn

2014-10-01

The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Dentistry has piloted two years of an Admissions Enhancement Program (AEP) with students from underrepresented minority groups and/or economically disadvantaged areas of Missouri interested in applying to dental school. The AEP utilizes an innovative online-onsite hybrid format to elevate students' foundational knowledge in biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and quantitative reasoning. The online component includes interaction with UMKC instructors using tablet technology and Wimba virtual classroom sessions. The onsite component engages students in academic and professional development, enrichment activities targeting skills training, experience in dental labs and clinics, and mentoring in preparing the dental school application, essay writing, and interviewing. Results to date indicate overall program satisfaction among AEP participants and a dental school acceptance rate of 73.7 percent (14/19 students). Participants reported the mock interviews and essay-writing portions contributed to their becoming competitive candidates for the admission process, and the online material enhanced their preparation for the Dental Admission Test (DAT). Pre- and post-AEP data show participant DAT Academic Average scores increased by two points. The school will continue to monitor program participants in subsequent years.

Real-time Adaptive EEG Source Separation using Online Recursive Independent Component Analysis

PubMed Central

Hsu, Sheng-Hsiou; Mullen, Tim; Jung, Tzyy-Ping; Cauwenberghs, Gert

2016-01-01

Independent Component Analysis (ICA) has been widely applied to electroencephalographic (EEG) biosignal processing and brain-computer interfaces. The practical use of ICA, however, is limited by its computational complexity, data requirements for convergence, and assumption of data stationarity, especially for high-density data. Here we study and validate an optimized online recursive ICA algorithm (ORICA) with online recursive least squares (RLS) whitening for blind source separation of high-density EEG data, which offers instantaneous incremental convergence upon presentation of new data. Empirical results of this study demonstrate the algorithm's: (a) suitability for accurate and efficient source identification in high-density (64-channel) realistically-simulated EEG data; (b) capability to detect and adapt to non-stationarity in 64-ch simulated EEG data; and (c) utility for rapidly extracting principal brain and artifact sources in real 61-channel EEG data recorded by a dry and wearable EEG system in a cognitive experiment. ORICA was implemented as functions in BCILAB and EEGLAB and was integrated in an open-source Real-time EEG Source-mapping Toolbox (REST), supporting applications in ICA-based online artifact rejection, feature extraction for real-time biosignal monitoring in clinical environments, and adaptable classifications in brain-computer interfaces. PMID:26685257

WE-D-BRA-04: Online 3D EPID-Based Dose Verification for Optimum Patient Safety

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

Spreeuw, H; Rozendaal, R; Olaciregui-Ruiz, I

2015-06-15

Purpose: To develop an online 3D dose verification tool based on EPID transit dosimetry to ensure optimum patient safety in radiotherapy treatments. Methods: A new software package was developed which processes EPID portal images online using a back-projection algorithm for the 3D dose reconstruction. The package processes portal images faster than the acquisition rate of the portal imager (∼ 2.5 fps). After a portal image is acquired, the software seeks for “hot spots” in the reconstructed 3D dose distribution. A hot spot is in this study defined as a 4 cm{sup 3} cube where the average cumulative reconstructed dose exceedsmore » the average total planned dose by at least 20% and 50 cGy. If a hot spot is detected, an alert is generated resulting in a linac halt. The software has been tested by irradiating an Alderson phantom after introducing various types of serious delivery errors. Results: In our first experiment the Alderson phantom was irradiated with two arcs from a 6 MV VMAT H&N treatment having a large leaf position error or a large monitor unit error. For both arcs and both errors the linac was halted before dose delivery was completed. When no error was introduced, the linac was not halted. The complete processing of a single portal frame, including hot spot detection, takes about 220 ms on a dual hexacore Intel Xeon 25 X5650 CPU at 2.66 GHz. Conclusion: A prototype online 3D dose verification tool using portal imaging has been developed and successfully tested for various kinds of gross delivery errors. The detection of hot spots was proven to be effective for the timely detection of these errors. Current work is focused on hot spot detection criteria for various treatment sites and the introduction of a clinical pilot program with online verification of hypo-fractionated (lung) treatments.« less

General-Purpose Monitoring during Speech Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ries, Stephanie; Janssen, Niels; Dufau, Stephane; Alario, F.-Xavier; Burle, Boris

2011-01-01

The concept of "monitoring" refers to our ability to control our actions on-line. Monitoring involved in speech production is often described in psycholinguistic models as an inherent part of the language system. We probed the specificity of speech monitoring in two psycholinguistic experiments where electroencephalographic activities were…

Process Analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

The ChemScan UV-6100 is a spectrometry system originally developed by Biotronics Technologies, Inc. under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract. It is marketed to the water and wastewater treatment industries, replacing "grab sampling" with on-line data collection. It analyzes the light absorbance characteristics of a water sample, simultaneously detects hundreds of individual wavelengths absorbed by chemical substances in a process solution, and quantifies the information. Spectral data is then processed by ChemScan analyzer and compared with calibration files in the system's memory in order to calculate concentrations of chemical substances that cause UV light absorbance in specific patterns. Monitored substances can be analyzed for quality and quantity. Applications include detection of a variety of substances, and the information provided enables an operator to control a process more efficiently.

Extending Prior Posts in Dyadic Online Text Chat

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tudini, Vincenza

2015-01-01

This study explores whether chat users are able to extend prior, apparently completed posts in the dyadic online text chat context. Dyadic text chat has a unique turn-taking system, and most chat softwares do not permit users to monitor one another's written messages-in-progress. This is likely to impact on their use of online extensions as an…

Parents, Teens, and Online Privacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madden, Mary; Cortesi, Sandra; Gasser, Urs; Lenhart, Amanda; Duggan, Maeve

2012-01-01

Most parents of teenagers are concerned about what their teenage children do online and how their behavior could be monitored by others. Some parents are taking steps to observe, discuss, and check up on their children's digital footprints. A new survey of 802 parents and their teens shows that: (1) 81% of parents of online teens say they are…

The influence of the immediate visual context on incremental thematic role-assignment: evidence from eye-movements in depicted events.

PubMed

Knoeferle, Pia; Crocker, Matthew W; Scheepers, Christoph; Pickering, Martin J

2005-02-01

Studies monitoring eye-movements in scenes containing entities have provided robust evidence for incremental reference resolution processes. This paper addresses the less studied question of whether depicted event scenes can affect processes of incremental thematic role-assignment. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants inspected agent-action-patient events while listening to German verb-second sentences with initial structural and role ambiguity. The experiments investigated the time course with which listeners could resolve this ambiguity by relating the verb to the depicted events. Such verb-mediated visual event information allowed early disambiguation on-line, as evidenced by anticipatory eye-movements to the appropriate agent/patient role filler. We replicated this finding while investigating the effects of intonation. Experiment 3 demonstrated that when the verb was sentence-final and thus did not establish early reference to the depicted events, linguistic cues alone enabled disambiguation before people encountered the verb. Our results reveal the on-line influence of depicted events on incremental thematic role-assignment and disambiguation of local structural and role ambiguity. In consequence, our findings require a notion of reference that includes actions and events in addition to entities (e.g. Semantics and Cognition, 1983), and argue for a theory of on-line sentence comprehension that exploits a rich inventory of semantic categories.

Tar analysis from biomass gasification by means of online fluorescence spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumhakl, Christoph; Karellas, Sotirios

2011-07-01

Optical methods in gas analysis are very valuable mainly due to their non-intrusive character. That gives the possibility to use them for in-situ or online measurements with only optical intervention in the measurement volume. In processes like the gasification of biomass, it is of high importance to monitor the gas quality in order to use the product gas in proper machines for energy production following the restrictions in the gas composition but also improving its quality, which leads to high efficient systems. One of the main problems in the biomass gasification process is the formation of tars. These higher hydrocarbons can lead to problems in the operation of the energy system. Up to date, the state of the art method used widely for the determination of tars is a standardized offline measurement system, the so-called "Tar Protocol". The aim of this work is to describe an innovative, online, optical method for determining the tar content of the product gas by means of fluorescence spectroscopy. This method uses optical sources and detectors that can be found in the market at low cost and therefore it is very attractive, especially for industrial applications where cost efficiency followed by medium to high precision are of high importance.

Laser metrology in food-related systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendoza-Sanchez, Patricia; Lopez, Daniel; Kongraksawech, Teepakorn; Vazquez, Pedro; Torres, J. Antonio; Ramirez, Jose A.; Huerta-Ruelas, Jorge

2005-02-01

An optical system was developed using a low-cost semiconductor laser and commercial optical and electronic components, to monitor food processes by measuring changes in optical rotation (OR) of chiral compounds. The OR signal as a function of processing time and sample temperature were collected and recorded using a computer data acquisition system. System has been tested during two different processes: sugar-protein interaction and, beer fermentation process. To study sugar-protein interaction, the following sugars were used: sorbitol, trehalose and sucrose, and in the place of Protein, Serum Albumin Bovine (BSA, A-7906 Sigma-Aldrich). In some food processes, different sugars are added to protect damage of proteins during their processing, storage and/or distribution. Different sugar/protein solutions were prepared and heated above critical temperature of protein denaturation. OR measurements were performed during heating process and effect of different sugars in protein denaturation was measured. Higher sensitivity of these measurements was found compared with Differential Scanning Calorimetry, which needs higher protein concentration to study these interactions. The brewing fermentation process was monitored in-situ using this OR system and validated by correlation with specific density measurements and gas chromatography. This instrument can be implemented to monitor fermentation on-line, thereby determining end of process and optimizing process conditions in an industrial setting. The high sensitivity of developed OR system has no mobile parts and is more flexible than commercial polarimeters providing the capability of implementation in harsh environments, signifying the potential of this method as an in-line technique for quality control in food processing and for experimentation with optically active solutions.

Growth monitoring and control in complex medium: a case study employing fed-batch penicillin fermentation and computer-aided on-line mass balancing.

PubMed

Mou, D G; Cooney, C L

1983-01-01

To broaden the practicality of on-line growth monitoring and control, its application in fedbatch penicillin fermentation using high corn steep liquor (CSL) concentration (53 g/L) is demonstrated. By employing a calculation method that considers the vagaries of CSL consumption, overall and instantaneous carbon-balancing equations are successfully used to calculate, on-line, the cell concentration and instantaneous specific growth rate in the penicillin production phase. As a consequence, these equations, together with a feedback control strategy, enable the computer control of glucose feed and maintenance of the preselected production-phase growth rate with error less than 0.002 h(-1).

The design and implementation of on-line monitoring system for UHV compact shunt capacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Weiliang; Ni, Xuefeng; Lin, Hao; Jiang, Shengbao

2017-08-01

Because of the large capacity and compact structure of the UHV compact shunt capacitor, it is difficult to take effective measures to detect and prevent the faults. If the fault capacitor fails to take timely maintenance, it will pose a threat to the safe operation of the system and the life safety of the maintenance personnel. The development of UHV compact shunt capacitor on-line monitoring system can detect and record the on-line operation information of UHV compact shunt capacitors, analyze and evaluate the early fault warning signs, find out the fault capacitor or the capacitor with fault symptom, to ensure safe and reliable operation of the system.

Development of practice and consensus-based strategies including a treat-to-target approach for the management of moderate and severe juvenile dermatomyositis in Germany and Austria.

PubMed

Hinze, Claas H; Oommen, Prasad T; Dressler, Frank; Urban, Andreas; Weller-Heinemann, Frank; Speth, Fabian; Lainka, Elke; Brunner, Jürgen; Fesq, Heike; Foell, Dirk; Müller-Felber, Wolfgang; Neudorf, Ulrich; Rietschel, Christoph; Schwarz, Tobias; Schara, Ulrike; Haas, Johannes-Peter

2018-06-25

Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is the most common inflammatory myopathy in childhood and a major cause of morbidity among children with pediatric rheumatic diseases. The management of JDM is very heterogeneous. The JDM working group of the Society for Pediatric Rheumatology (GKJR) aims to define consensus- and practice-based strategies in order to harmonize diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of JDM. The JDM working group was established in 2015 consisting of 23 pediatric rheumatologists, pediatric neurologists and dermatologists with expertise in the management of JDM. Current practice patterns of management in JDM had previously been identified via an online survey among pediatric rheumatologists and neurologists. Using a consensus process consisting of online surveys and a face-to-face consensus conference statements were defined regarding the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of JDM. During the conference consensus was achieved via nominal group technique. Voting took place using an electronic audience response system, and at least 80% consensus was required for individual statements. Overall 10 individual statements were developed, finally reaching a consensus of 92 to 100% regarding (1) establishing a diagnosis, (2) case definitions for the application of the strategies (moderate and severe JDM), (3) initial diagnostic testing, (4) monitoring and documentation, (5) treatment targets within the context of a treat-to-target strategy, (6) supportive therapies, (7) explicit definition of a treat-to-target strategy, (8) various glucocorticoid regimens, including intermittent intravenous methylprednisolone pulse and high-dose oral glucocorticoid therapies with tapering, (9) initial glucocorticoid-sparing therapy and (10) management of refractory disease. Using a consensus process among JDM experts, statements regarding the management of JDM were defined. These statements and the strategies aid in the management of patients with moderate and severe JDM.

A Fully Redundant On-Line Mass Spectrometer System Used to Monitor Cryogenic Fuel Leaks on the Space Shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, T. P.; Naylor, G. R.; Haskell, W. D.; Breznik, G. S.; Mizell, C. A.; Steinrock, Todd (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This paper presents an on-line mass spectrometer designed to monitor for cryogenic leaks on the Space Shuttle. The topics include: 1) Hazardous Gas Detection Lab; 2) LASRE Test Support; 3) Background; 4) Location of Systems; 5) Sample Lines for Gas Detection; 6) Problems with Current Systems; 7) Requirements for New System (Nitrogen and Helium Background); and 8) HGDS 2000. This paper is in viewgraph form.

Continuing education: online monitoring of haemodialysis dose.

PubMed

Vartia, Aarne

2018-01-25

Kt/V urea reflects the efficacy of haemodialysis scaled to patient size (urea distribution volume). The guidelines recommend monthly Kt/V measurements based on blood samples. Modern haemodialysis machines are equipped with accessories monitoring the dose online at every session without extra costs, blood samples and computers. To describe the principles, devices, benefits and shortcomings of online monitoring of haemodialysis dose. A critical literature overview and discussion. UV absorbance methods measure Kt/V, ionic dialysance Kt (product of clearance and treatment time; cleared volume without scaling). Both are easy and useful methods, but comparison is difficult due to problems in scaling of the dialysis dose to the patient's size. The best dose estimation method is the one which predicts the quality of life and survival most accurately. There is some evidence on the predictive value of ionic dialysance Kt, but more documentation is required on the UV method. Online monitoring is a useful tool in everyday quality assurance, but blood samples are still required for more accurate kinetic modelling. After reading this article the reader should be able to: Understand the elements of the Kt/V equation for dialysis dose. Compare and contrast different methods of measurement of dialysis dose. Reflect on the importance of adequate dialysis dose for patient survival and life quality. © 2018 European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association.

Development and Multi-laboratory Verification of US EPA ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A drinking water method for seven pesticides and pesticide degradates is presented that addresses the occurrence monitoring needs of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a future Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (UCMR). The method employs online solid phase extraction-liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-LC–MS-MS). Online SPE-LC–MS-MS has the potential to offer cost-effective, faster, more sensitive and more rugged methods than the traditional offline SPE approach due to complete automation of the SPE process, as well as seamless integration with the LC–MS-MS system. The method uses 2-chloroacetamide, ascorbic acid and Trizma to preserve the drinking water samples for up to 28 days. The mean recoveries in drinking water (from a surface water source) fortified with method analytes are 87.1–112% with relative standard deviations of <14%. Single laboratory lowest concentration minimum reporting levels of 0.27–1.7 ng/L are demonstrated with this methodology. Multi-laboratory data are presented that demonstrate method ruggedness and transferability. The final method meets all of the EPA's UCMR survey requirements for sample collection and storage, precision, accuracy, and sensitivity. The journal article describes the development of drinking water Method 543 for analysis of selected CCL 3 chemicals. It is anticipated this method may be used in a future Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation to gather nationw

Online Vibration Monitoring of a Water Pump Machine to Detect Its Malfunction Components Based on Artificial Neural Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmawati, P.; Prajitno, P.

2018-04-01

Vibration monitoring is a measurement instrument used to identify, predict, and prevent failures in machine instruments[6]. This is very needed in the industrial applications, cause any problem with the equipment or plant translates into economical loss and they are mostly monitored component off-line[2]. In this research, a system has been developed to detect the malfunction of the components of Shimizu PS-128BT water pump machine, such as capacitor, bearing and impeller by online measurements. The malfunction components are detected by taking vibration data using a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System(MEMS)-based accelerometer that are acquired by using Raspberry Pi microcomputer and then the data are converted into the form of Relative Power Ratio(RPR). In this form the signal acquired from different components conditions have different patterns. The collected RPR used as the base of classification process for recognizing the damage components of the water pump that are conducted by Artificial Neural Network(ANN). Finally, the damage test result will be sent via text message using GSM module that are connected to Raspberry Pi microcomputer. The results, with several measurement readings, with each reading in 10 minutes duration for each different component conditions, all cases yield 100% of accuracies while in the case of defective capacitor yields 90% of accuracy.

Time-Resolved Quantum Cascade Laser Absorption Spectroscopy of Pulsed Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition Processes Containing BCl3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, Norbert; Hempel, Frank; Strämke, Siegfried; Röpcke, Jürgen

2011-08-01

In situ measurements are reported giving insight into the plasma chemical conversion of the precursor BCl3 in industrial applications of boriding plasmas. For the online monitoring of its ground state concentration, quantum cascade laser absorption spectroscopy (QCLAS) in the mid-infrared spectral range was applied in a plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD) reactor. A compact quantum cascade laser measurement and control system (Q-MACS) was developed to allow a flexible and completely dust-sealed optical coupling to the reactor chamber of an industrial plasma surface modification system. The process under the study was a pulsed DC plasma with periodically injected BCl3 at 200 Pa. A synchronization of the Q-MACS with the process control unit enabled an insight into individual process cycles with a sensitivity of 10-6 cm-1·Hz-1/2. Different fragmentation rates of the precursor were found during an individual process cycle. The detected BCl3 concentrations were in the order of 1014 molecules·cm-3. The reported results of in situ monitoring with QCLAS demonstrate the potential for effective optimization procedures in industrial PACVD processes.

Implementation of an Online Climate Science Course at San Antonio College

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyes, R.; Strybos, J.

2016-12-01

San Antonio College (SAC) plans to incorporate an online climate science class into the curriculum with a focus on local weather conditions and data. SAC is part of a network of five community colleges based around San Antonio, Texas, has over 20,000 students enrolled, and its student population reflects the diversity in ethnicity, age and gender of the San Antonio community. The college understands the importance of educating San Antonio residents on climate science and its complexities. San Antonio residents are familiar with weather changes and extreme conditions. The region has experienced an extreme drought, including water rationing in the city. Then, this year's El Niño intensified expected annual rainfalls and flash floods. The proposed climate science course will uniquely prepare students to understand weather data and the evidence of climate change impacting San Antonio at a local level. This paper will discuss the importance and challenges of introducing the new climate science course into the curriculum, and the desired class format that will increase the course's success. Two of the most significant challenges are informing students about the value of this class and identifying the best teaching format. Additionally, measuring and monitoring enrollment will be essential to determine the course performance and success. At the same time, Alamo Colleges is modifying the process of teaching online classes and is officially working to establish an online college. Around 23% of students enrolled in SAC offered courses are currently enrolled in online courses only, representing an opportunity to incorporate the climate science class as an online course. Since the proposed course will be using electronic textbooks and online applications to access hyperlocal weather data, the class is uniquely suited for online students.

On-line detection of Escherichia coli intrusion in a pilot-scale drinking water distribution system.

PubMed

Ikonen, Jenni; Pitkänen, Tarja; Kosse, Pascal; Ciszek, Robert; Kolehmainen, Mikko; Miettinen, Ilkka T

2017-08-01

Improvements in microbial drinking water quality monitoring are needed for the better control of drinking water distribution systems and for public health protection. Conventional water quality monitoring programmes are not always able to detect a microbial contamination of drinking water. In the drinking water production chain, in addition to the vulnerability of source waters, the distribution networks are prone to contamination. In this study, a pilot-scale drinking-water distribution network with an on-line monitoring system was utilized for detecting bacterial intrusion. During the experimental Escherichia coli intrusions, the contaminant was measured by applying a set of on-line sensors for electric conductivity (EC), pH, temperature (T), turbidity, UV-absorbance at 254 nm (UVAS SC) and with a device for particle counting. Monitored parameters were compared with the measured E. coli counts using the integral calculations of the detected peaks. EC measurement gave the strongest signal compared with the measured baseline during the E. coli intrusion. Integral calculations showed that the peaks in the EC, pH, T, turbidity and UVAS SC data were detected corresponding to the time predicted. However, the pH and temperature peaks detected were barely above the measured baseline and could easily be mixed with the background noise. The results indicate that on-line monitoring can be utilized for the rapid detection of microbial contaminants in the drinking water distribution system although the peak interpretation has to be performed carefully to avoid being mixed up with normal variations in the measurement data. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An on-line monitoring system for navigation equipment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Bo; Yang, Ping; Liu, Jing; Yang, Zhengbo; Liang, Fei

2017-10-01

Civil air navigation equipment is the most important infrastructure of Civil Aviation, which is closely related to flight safety. In addition to regular flight inspection, navigation equipment's patrol measuring, maintenance measuring, running measuring under special weather conditions are the important means of ensuring aviation flight safety. According to the safety maintenance requirements of Civil Aviation Air Traffic Control navigation equipment, this paper developed one on-line monitoring system with independent intellectual property rights for navigation equipment, the system breakthroughs the key technologies of measuring navigation equipment on-line including Instrument Landing System (ILS) and VHF Omni-directional Range (VOR), which also meets the requirements of navigation equipment ground measurement set by the ICAO DOC 8071, it provides technical means of the ground on-line measurement for navigation equipment, improves the safety of navigation equipment operation, and reduces the impact of measuring navigation equipment on airport operation.

Online Soft Sensor of Humidity in PEM Fuel Cell Based on Dynamic Partial Least Squares

PubMed Central

Long, Rong; Chen, Qihong; Zhang, Liyan; Ma, Longhua; Quan, Shuhai

2013-01-01

Online monitoring humidity in the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is an important issue in maintaining proper membrane humidity. The cost and size of existing sensors for monitoring humidity are prohibitive for online measurements. Online prediction of humidity using readily available measured data would be beneficial to water management. In this paper, a novel soft sensor method based on dynamic partial least squares (DPLS) regression is proposed and applied to humidity prediction in PEM fuel cell. In order to obtain data of humidity and test the feasibility of the proposed DPLS-based soft sensor a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test system is constructed. The time lag of the DPLS-based soft sensor is selected as 30 by comparing the root-mean-square error in different time lag. The performance of the proposed DPLS-based soft sensor is demonstrated by experimental results. PMID:24453923

A Machine Vision Quality Control System for Industrial Acrylic Fibre Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heleno, Paulo; Davies, Roger; Correia, Bento A. Brázio; Dinis, João

2002-12-01

This paper describes the implementation of INFIBRA, a machine vision system used in the quality control of acrylic fibre production. The system was developed by INETI under a contract with a leading industrial manufacturer of acrylic fibres. It monitors several parameters of the acrylic production process. This paper presents, after a brief overview of the system, a detailed description of the machine vision algorithms developed to perform the inspection tasks unique to this system. Some of the results of online operation are also presented.

Calculus removal on a root cement surface by ultrashort laser pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraft, Johan F.; Vestentoft, Kasper; Christensen, Bjarke H.; Løvschall, Henrik; Balling, Peter

2008-01-01

Ultrashort-pulse-laser ablation of dental calculus (tartar) and cement is performed on root surfaces. The investigation shows that the threshold fluence for ablation of calculus is a factor of two to three times smaller than that of a healthy root cement surface. This indicates that ultrashort laser pulses may provide an appropriate tool for selective removal of calculus with minimal damage to the underlying root cement. Future application of an in situ profiling technique allows convenient on-line monitoring of the ablation process.

Equipment Health Monitoring with Non-Parametric Statistics for Online Early Detection and Scoring of Degradation

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-02

defined by Eqs. (3)–(4) (Greenwell & Finch , 2004) (Kar & Mohanty, 2006). The p value provides the metric for novelty scoring. p = QKS(z) = 2 ∞∑ j=1 (−1...provides early detection of degradation and ability to score its significance in order to inform maintenance planning and consequently reduce disruption ...actionable information, sig- nals are typically processed from raw measurements into a reduced dimension novelty summary value that may be more easily

Controlling groundwater pumping online.

PubMed

Zekri, Slim

2009-08-01

Groundwater over-pumping is a major problem in several countries around the globe. Since controlling groundwater pumping through water flow meters is hardly feasible, the surrogate is to control electricity usage. This paper presents a framework to restrict groundwater pumping by implementing an annual individual electricity quota without interfering with the electricity pricing policy. The system could be monitored online through prepaid electricity meters. This provides low transaction costs of individual monitoring of users compared to the prohibitive costs of water flow metering and monitoring. The public groundwater managers' intervention is thus required to determine the water and electricity quota and watch the electricity use online. The proposed framework opens the door to the establishment of formal groundwater markets among users at very low transaction costs. A cost-benefit analysis over a 25-year period is used to evaluate the cost of non-action and compare it to the prepaid electricity quota framework in the Batinah coastal area of Oman. Results show that the damage cost to the community, if no active policy is implemented, amounts to (-$288) million. On the other hand, the implementation of a prepaid electricity quota with an online management system would result in a net present benefit of $199 million.

Using Supervised Machine Learning to Classify Real Alerts and Artifact in Online Multi-signal Vital Sign Monitoring Data

PubMed Central

Chen, Lujie; Dubrawski, Artur; Wang, Donghan; Fiterau, Madalina; Guillame-Bert, Mathieu; Bose, Eliezer; Kaynar, Ata M.; Wallace, David J.; Guttendorf, Jane; Clermont, Gilles; Pinsky, Michael R.; Hravnak, Marilyn

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE Use machine-learning (ML) algorithms to classify alerts as real or artifacts in online noninvasive vital sign (VS) data streams to reduce alarm fatigue and missed true instability. METHODS Using a 24-bed trauma step-down unit’s non-invasive VS monitoring data (heart rate [HR], respiratory rate [RR], peripheral oximetry [SpO2]) recorded at 1/20Hz, and noninvasive oscillometric blood pressure [BP] less frequently, we partitioned data into training/validation (294 admissions; 22,980 monitoring hours) and test sets (2,057 admissions; 156,177 monitoring hours). Alerts were VS deviations beyond stability thresholds. A four-member expert committee annotated a subset of alerts (576 in training/validation set, 397 in test set) as real or artifact selected by active learning, upon which we trained ML algorithms. The best model was evaluated on alerts in the test set to enact online alert classification as signals evolve over time. MAIN RESULTS The Random Forest model discriminated between real and artifact as the alerts evolved online in the test set with area under the curve (AUC) performance of 0.79 (95% CI 0.67-0.93) for SpO2 at the instant the VS first crossed threshold and increased to 0.87 (95% CI 0.71-0.95) at 3 minutes into the alerting period. BP AUC started at 0.77 (95%CI 0.64-0.95) and increased to 0.87 (95% CI 0.71-0.98), while RR AUC started at 0.85 (95%CI 0.77-0.95) and increased to 0.97 (95% CI 0.94–1.00). HR alerts were too few for model development. CONCLUSIONS ML models can discern clinically relevant SpO2, BP and RR alerts from artifacts in an online monitoring dataset (AUC>0.87). PMID:26992068

Using Supervised Machine Learning to Classify Real Alerts and Artifact in Online Multisignal Vital Sign Monitoring Data.

PubMed

Chen, Lujie; Dubrawski, Artur; Wang, Donghan; Fiterau, Madalina; Guillame-Bert, Mathieu; Bose, Eliezer; Kaynar, Ata M; Wallace, David J; Guttendorf, Jane; Clermont, Gilles; Pinsky, Michael R; Hravnak, Marilyn

2016-07-01

The use of machine-learning algorithms to classify alerts as real or artifacts in online noninvasive vital sign data streams to reduce alarm fatigue and missed true instability. Observational cohort study. Twenty-four-bed trauma step-down unit. Two thousand one hundred fifty-three patients. Noninvasive vital sign monitoring data (heart rate, respiratory rate, peripheral oximetry) recorded on all admissions at 1/20 Hz, and noninvasive blood pressure less frequently, and partitioned data into training/validation (294 admissions; 22,980 monitoring hours) and test sets (2,057 admissions; 156,177 monitoring hours). Alerts were vital sign deviations beyond stability thresholds. A four-member expert committee annotated a subset of alerts (576 in training/validation set, 397 in test set) as real or artifact selected by active learning, upon which we trained machine-learning algorithms. The best model was evaluated on test set alerts to enact online alert classification over time. The Random Forest model discriminated between real and artifact as the alerts evolved online in the test set with area under the curve performance of 0.79 (95% CI, 0.67-0.93) for peripheral oximetry at the instant the vital sign first crossed threshold and increased to 0.87 (95% CI, 0.71-0.95) at 3 minutes into the alerting period. Blood pressure area under the curve started at 0.77 (95% CI, 0.64-0.95) and increased to 0.87 (95% CI, 0.71-0.98), whereas respiratory rate area under the curve started at 0.85 (95% CI, 0.77-0.95) and increased to 0.97 (95% CI, 0.94-1.00). Heart rate alerts were too few for model development. Machine-learning models can discern clinically relevant peripheral oximetry, blood pressure, and respiratory rate alerts from artifacts in an online monitoring dataset (area under the curve > 0.87).

The ALICE data quality monitoring system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Haller, B.; Telesca, A.; Chapeland, S.; Carena, F.; Carena, W.; Chibante Barroso, V.; Costa, F.; Denes, E.; Divià, R.; Fuchs, U.; Simonetti, G.; Soós, C.; Vande Vyvre, P.; ALICE Collaboration

2011-12-01

ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) is the heavy-ion detector designed to study the physics of strongly interacting matter and the quark-gluon plasma at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The online Data Quality Monitoring (DQM) is a key element of the Data Acquisition's software chain. It provide shifters with precise and complete information to quickly identify and overcome problems, and as a consequence to ensure acquisition of high quality data. DQM typically involves the online gathering, the analysis by user-defined algorithms and the visualization of monitored data. This paper describes the final design of ALICE'S DQM framework called AMORE (Automatic MOnitoRing Environment), as well as its latest and coming features like the integration with the offline analysis and reconstruction framework, a better use of multi-core processors by a parallelization effort, and its interface with the eLogBook. The concurrent collection and analysis of data in an online environment requires the framework to be highly efficient, robust and scalable. We will describe what has been implemented to achieve these goals and the procedures we follow to ensure appropriate robustness and performance. We finally review the wide range of usages people make of this framework, from the basic monitoring of a single sub-detector to the most complex ones within the High Level Trigger farm or using the Prompt Reconstruction and we describe the various ways of accessing the monitoring results. We conclude with our experience, before and after the LHC startup, when monitoring the data quality in a challenging environment.

The Effect of an Adaptive Online Learning Support in an Undergraduate Computer Course: An Exploration of Self-Regulation in Blended Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ko, Chia-Yin

2013-01-01

In accordance with Zimmerman's self-regulated learning model, the proposed online learning tool in the current study was designed to support students in learning a challenging subject. The Self-Check List, Formative Self-Assessment, and Structured Online Discussion served goal-setting, self-monitoring, and self-reflective purposes. The…

Using Learning Analytics to Enhance Student Learning in Online Courses Based on Quality Matters Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Florence; Ndoye, Abdou; Wilkins, Patricia

2016-01-01

Quality Matters is recognized as a rigorous set of standards that guide the designer or instructor to design quality online courses. We explore how Quality Matters standards guide the identification and analysis of learning analytics data to monitor and improve online learning. Descriptive data were collected for frequency of use, time spent, and…

Developing a Cloud-Based Online Geospatial Information Sharing and Geoprocessing Platform to Facilitate Collaborative Education and Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Z. L.; Cao, J.; Hu, K.; Gui, Z. P.; Wu, H. Y.; You, L.

2016-06-01

Efficient online discovering and applying geospatial information resources (GIRs) is critical in Earth Science domain as while for cross-disciplinary applications. However, to achieve it is challenging due to the heterogeneity, complexity and privacy of online GIRs. In this article, GeoSquare, a collaborative online geospatial information sharing and geoprocessing platform, was developed to tackle this problem. Specifically, (1) GIRs registration and multi-view query functions allow users to publish and discover GIRs more effectively. (2) Online geoprocessing and real-time execution status checking help users process data and conduct analysis without pre-installation of cumbersome professional tools on their own machines. (3) A service chain orchestration function enables domain experts to contribute and share their domain knowledge with community members through workflow modeling. (4) User inventory management allows registered users to collect and manage their own GIRs, monitor their execution status, and track their own geoprocessing histories. Besides, to enhance the flexibility and capacity of GeoSquare, distributed storage and cloud computing technologies are employed. To support interactive teaching and training, GeoSquare adopts the rich internet application (RIA) technology to create user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI). Results show that GeoSquare can integrate and foster collaboration between dispersed GIRs, computing resources and people. Subsequently, educators and researchers can share and exchange resources in an efficient and harmonious way.

On-line Monitoring of Actinide Concentrations in Molten Salt Electrolyte

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

Curtis W. Johnson; Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar; Shelly X. Li

2006-11-01

Pyroprocessing, a treatment method for spent nuclear fuel (SNF), is currently being studied at the Idaho National Laboratory. The key operation of pyroprocessing which takes place in an electrorefiner is the electrochemical separation of actinides from other constituents in spent fuel. Efficient operation of the electrorefiner requires online monitoring of actinide concentrations in the molten salt electrolyte. Square-wave voltammetry (SWV) and normal pulse voltammetry (NPV) are being investigated to assess their applicability to the measurement of actinide concentrations in the electrorefiner.

On-line monitoring of H2 generation and the HTF degradation in parabolic trough solar thermal power plants: Development of an optical sensor based on an innovative approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pagola, Iñigo; Funcia, Ibai; Sánchez, Marcelino; Gil, Javier; González-Vallejo, Victoria; Bedoya, Maxi; Orellana, Guillermo

2017-06-01

The work presented in this paper offers a robust, effective and economically competitive method for online detection and monitoring of the presence of molecular hydrogen in the heat transfer fluids of parabolic trough collector plants. The novel method is based on a specific fluorescent sensor according to the ES2425002 patent ("Method for the detection and quantification of hydrogen in a heat transfer fluid").

Femtosecond laser-inscribed fiber Bragg gratings for strain monitoring in power cables of offshore wind turbines.

PubMed

Burgmeier, Jörg; Schippers, Wolfgang; Emde, Nico; Funken, Peter; Schade, Wolfgang

2011-05-01

A fiber Bragg grating sensor system used for monitoring the effects of strain on the power cable of an offshore wind turbine is presented. The Bragg grating structure was inscribed into coated nonphotosensitive standard telecommunication fibers using an IR femtosecond laser and the point-by-point writing technique. Because of the presence of the protective coating of the fiber, the mechanical stability of the resultant sensor device is better than that of a sensor consisting of a bare fiber. A system containing this sensing element was to our knowledge for the first time successfully installed and tested in an offshore wind turbine prototype (REpower 6M, REpower Systems, AG, Germany) in February 2010, near Ellhöft (Germany). The fabrication process of the fiber Bragg gratings, measurement results of the online monitoring, and a comparison between the sensor signal and commonly used sensing techniques are presented.

Scaling-up vaccine production: implementation aspects of a biomass growth observer and controller.

PubMed

Soons, Zita I T A; van den IJssel, Jan; van der Pol, Leo A; van Straten, Gerrit; van Boxtel, Anton J B

2009-04-01

This study considers two aspects of the implementation of a biomass growth observer and specific growth rate controller in scale-up from small- to pilot-scale bioreactors towards a feasible bulk production process for whole-cell vaccine against whooping cough. The first is the calculation of the oxygen uptake rate, the starting point for online monitoring and control of biomass growth, taking into account the dynamics in the gas-phase. Mixing effects and delays are caused by amongst others the headspace and tubing to the analyzer. These gas phase dynamics are modelled using knowledge of the system in order to reconstruct oxygen consumption. The second aspect is to evaluate performance of the monitoring and control system with the required modifications of the oxygen consumption calculation on pilot-scale. In pilot-scale fed-batch cultivation good monitoring and control performance is obtained enabling a doubled concentration of bulk vaccine compared to standard batch production.

An intelligent service matching method for mechanical equipment condition monitoring using the fibre Bragg grating sensor network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Fan; Zhou, Zude; Liu, Quan; Xu, Wenjun

2017-02-01

Due to the advantages of being able to function under harsh environmental conditions and serving as a distributed condition information source in a networked monitoring system, the fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensor network has attracted considerable attention for equipment online condition monitoring. To provide an overall conditional view of the mechanical equipment operation, a networked service-oriented condition monitoring framework based on FBG sensing is proposed, together with an intelligent matching method for supporting monitoring service management. In the novel framework, three classes of progressive service matching approaches, including service-chain knowledge database service matching, multi-objective constrained service matching and workflow-driven human-interactive service matching, are developed and integrated with an enhanced particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm as well as a workflow-driven mechanism. Moreover, the manufacturing domain ontology, FBG sensor network structure and monitoring object are considered to facilitate the automatic matching of condition monitoring services to overcome the limitations of traditional service processing methods. The experimental results demonstrate that FBG monitoring services can be selected intelligently, and the developed condition monitoring system can be re-built rapidly as new equipment joins the framework. The effectiveness of the service matching method is also verified by implementing a prototype system together with its performance analysis.

Factors Associated with Younger Adolescents’ Exposure to Online Alcohol Advertising

PubMed Central

D’Amico, Elizabeth J.; Martino, Steven C.; Collins, Rebecca L.; Shadel, William G.; Tolpadi, Anagha; Kovalchik, Stephanie; Becker, Kirsten M.

2016-01-01

Little is known about the extent and nature of youth exposure to online alcohol advertising, or factors that may be associated with exposure. The current study recruited middle school students who completed a paper survey and then logged each alcohol advertisement that they encountered over a two-week period using cell phones as part of an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) design. We examined the percentage of youth who reported exposure to online alcohol advertising in the past two weeks, average weekly rate of exposure, types of online alcohol advertisements youth reported seeing, and factors that increased youths’ risk of exposure to online alcohol advertising. Analyses are based on 485 participants (47% female; 25% Hispanic, 25% white, 27% black; 6% Asian, 16% other). Youth logged exposures to a total of 3,966 (16,018 weighted for under-reporting) alcohol advertisements across the monitoring period; 154 (568 weighted) or 3.6% were online ads. Seventeen percent of youth reported seeing any online alcohol ad; the majority of online ads seen were video commercials (44.8%) and banner/side ads (26.6%). Factors associated with greater ad exposure were being older, rebellious, and Black race; greater parental monitoring and more hours spent on social media were associated with less exposure. Findings provide important information about adolescents’ exposure to online alcohol advertising and what might contribute to a greater likelihood of exposure. Given that online ad exposure is linked to drinking behavior, prevention programming for younger adolescents should continue to address this issue to help youth make healthy choices regarding alcohol use. PMID:27819430

Factors associated with younger adolescents' exposure to online alcohol advertising.

PubMed

D'Amico, Elizabeth J; Martino, Steven C; Collins, Rebecca L; Shadel, William G; Tolpadi, Anagha; Kovalchik, Stephanie; Becker, Kirsten M

2017-03-01

Little is known about the extent and nature of youth exposure to online alcohol advertising, or factors that may be associated with exposure. The current study recruited middle school students who completed a paper survey and then logged each alcohol advertisement that they encountered over a 2-week period using cell phones as part of an ecological momentary assessment design. We examined the percentage of youth who reported exposure to online alcohol advertising in the past 2 weeks, average weekly rate of exposure, types of online alcohol advertisements youth reported seeing, and factors that increased youths' risk of exposure to online alcohol advertising. Analyses are based on 485 participants (47% female; 25% Hispanic, 25% White, 27% Black; 6% Asian, 16% other). Youth logged exposures to a total of 3,966 (16,018 weighted for underreporting) alcohol advertisements across the monitoring period; 154 (568 weighted) or 3.6% were online ads. Seventeen percent of youth reported seeing any online alcohol ad; the majority of online ads seen were video commercials (44.8%) and banner/side ads (26.6%). Factors associated with greater ad exposure were being older, rebellious, and Black race; greater parental monitoring and more hours spent on social media were associated with less exposure. Findings provide important information about adolescents' exposure to online alcohol advertising and what might contribute to a greater likelihood of exposure. Given that online ad exposure is linked to drinking behavior, prevention programming for younger adolescents should continue to address this issue to help youth make healthy choices regarding alcohol use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Spray Inlet Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (SI-PTR-MS) for Rapid and Sensitive Online Monitoring of Benzene in Water.

PubMed

Zou, Xue; Kang, Meng; Li, Aiyue; Shen, Chengyin; Chu, Yannan

2016-03-15

Rapid and sensitive monitoring of benzene in water is very important to the health of people and for environmental protection. A novel and online detection method of spray inlet proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (SI-PTR-MS) was introduced for rapid and sensitive monitoring of trace benzene in water. A spraying extraction system was coupled with the self-developed PTR-MS. The benzene was extracted from the water sample in the spraying extraction system and continuously detected with PTR-MS. The flow of carrier gas and salt concentration in water were optimized to be 50 sccm and 20% (w/v), respectively. The response time and the limit of detection of the SI-PTR-MS for detection of benzene in water were 55 s and 0.14 μg/L at 10 s integration time, respectively. The repeatability of the SI-PTR-MS was evaluated, and the relative standard deviation of five replicate determinations was 4.3%. The SI-PTR-MS system was employed for monitoring benzene in different water matrices, such as tap water, lake water, and wastewater. The results indicated that the online SI-PTR-MS can be used for rapid and sensitive monitoring of trace benzene in water.

Database usage and performance for the Fermilab Run II experiments

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

Bonham, D.; Box, D.; Gallas, E.

2004-12-01

The Run II experiments at Fermilab, CDF and D0, have extensive database needs covering many areas of their online and offline operations. Delivering data to users and processing farms worldwide has represented major challenges to both experiments. The range of applications employing databases includes, calibration (conditions), trigger information, run configuration, run quality, luminosity, data management, and others. Oracle is the primary database product being used for these applications at Fermilab and some of its advanced features have been employed, such as table partitioning and replication. There is also experience with open source database products such as MySQL for secondary databasesmore » used, for example, in monitoring. Tools employed for monitoring the operation and diagnosing problems are also described.« less

Tevatron beam position monitor upgrade

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

Wolbers, Stephen; Banerjee, B.; Barker, B.

2005-05-01

The Tevatron Beam Position Monitor (BPM) readout electronics and software have been upgraded to improve measurement precision, functionality and reliability. The original system, designed and built in the early 1980's, became inadequate for current and future operations of the Tevatron. The upgraded system consists of 960 channels of new electronics to process analog signals from 240 BPMs, new front-end software, new online and controls software, and modified applications to take advantage of the improved measurements and support the new functionality. The new system reads signals from both ends of the existing directional stripline pickups to provide simultaneous proton and antiprotonmore » position measurements. Measurements using the new system are presented that demonstrate its improved resolution and overall performance.« less

Fault detection using a two-model test for changes in the parameters of an autoregressive time series

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scholtz, P.; Smyth, P.

1992-01-01

This article describes an investigation of a statistical hypothesis testing method for detecting changes in the characteristics of an observed time series. The work is motivated by the need for practical automated methods for on-line monitoring of Deep Space Network (DSN) equipment to detect failures and changes in behavior. In particular, on-line monitoring of the motor current in a DSN 34-m beam waveguide (BWG) antenna is used as an example. The algorithm is based on a measure of the information theoretic distance between two autoregressive models: one estimated with data from a dynamic reference window and one estimated with data from a sliding reference window. The Hinkley cumulative sum stopping rule is utilized to detect a change in the mean of this distance measure, corresponding to the detection of a change in the underlying process. The basic theory behind this two-model test is presented, and the problem of practical implementation is addressed, examining windowing methods, model estimation, and detection parameter assignment. Results from the five fault-transition simulations are presented to show the possible limitations of the detection method, and suggestions for future implementation are given.

ON-LINE MONITORING OF I&C TRANSMITTERS AND SENSORS FOR CALIBRATION VERIFICATION AND RESPONSE TIME TESTING WAS SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED AT ATR

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

Erickson, Phillip A.; O'Hagan, Ryan; Shumaker, Brent

The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) has always had a comprehensive procedure to verify the performance of its critical transmitters and sensors, including RTDs, and pressure, level, and flow transmitters. These transmitters and sensors have been periodically tested for response time and calibration verification to ensure accuracy. With implementation of online monitoring techniques at ATR, the calibration verification and response time testing of these transmitters and sensors are verified remotely, automatically, hands off, include more portions of the system, and can be performed at almost any time during process operations. The work was done under a DOE funded SBIR project carriedmore » out by AMS. As a result, ATR is now able to save the manpower that has been spent over the years on manual calibration verification and response time testing of its temperature and pressure sensors and refocus those resources towards more equipment reliability needs. More importantly, implementation of OLM will help enhance the overall availability, safety, and efficiency. Together with equipment reliability programs of ATR, the integration of OLM will also help with I&C aging management goals of the Department of Energy and long-time operation of ATR.« less

Monitoring industrial wastewater by online GC-MS with direct aqueous injection.

PubMed

Wortberg, M; Ziemer, W; Kugel, M; Müller, H; Neu, H-J

2006-03-01

An online GC-MS-system for automated monitoring of crude wastewater at a complex chemical production site is presented. The modular system is, in principal, based on commercial equipment, but utilizes a special, two-stage injector, which consists of a splitless vaporization chamber on top of a PTV injector filled with Tenax. This set-up enables direct injection of wastewater. Almost 140 volatile and semi-volatile compounds are calibrated down to 1 mg L(-1), which is sufficient for analysis of the influent of the wastewater-treatment plant. Two instruments analyze alternately, every 20 min, and the instrument cycle time is 40 min. The quantitative results are transferred to a database which is connected to a process-control system. Depending on the nature and concentration of a compound, an alarm can be generated and the wastewater stream can be diverted into an "off spec tank" if necessary. The GC-MS-system operates quasi-continuously with a system availability >98%. Data quality is automatically controlled in each run and by daily analysis of a quality-control sample. The development of a novel stacked PTV-PTV injector design to expand the range of analytes to selected basic compounds is described.

Designing Online Courses To Discourage Dishonesty.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christe, Barbara

2003-01-01

Presents techniques used within one university's Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology department to develop online courses that discourage student dishonesty, focusing on: academic dishonesty; course design focus area (syllabus design, content presentation, student-teacher relationship, assessment design, and monitoring tools); and…

Training in Innovative Technologies for Close-Range Sensing in Alpine Terrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutzinger, M.; Bremer, M.; Höfle, B.; Hämmerle, M.; Lindenbergh, R.; Oude Elberink, S.; Pirotti, F.; Scaioni, M.; Wujanz, D.; Zieher, T.

2018-05-01

The 2nd international summer school "Close-range sensing techniques in Alpine terrain" was held in July 2017 in Obergurgl, Austria. Participants were trained in selected close-range sensing methods, such as photogrammetry, laser scanning and thermography. The program included keynotes, lectures and hands-on assignments combining field project planning, data acquisition, processing, quality assessment and interpretation. Close-range sensing was applied for different research questions of environmental monitoring in high mountain environments, such as geomorphologic process quantification, natural hazard management and vegetation mapping. The participants completed an online questionnaire evaluating the summer school, its content and organisation, which helps to improve future summer schools.

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

A. Alfonsi; C. Rabiti; D. Mandelli

The Reactor Analysis and Virtual control ENviroment (RAVEN) code is a software tool that acts as the control logic driver and post-processing engine for the newly developed Thermal-Hydraulic code RELAP-7. RAVEN is now a multi-purpose Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) software framework that allows dispatching different functionalities: Derive and actuate the control logic required to simulate the plant control system and operator actions (guided procedures), allowing on-line monitoring/controlling in the Phase Space Perform both Monte-Carlo sampling of random distributed events and Dynamic Event Tree based analysis Facilitate the input/output handling through a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and a post-processing data miningmore » module« less

Systemic Case Formulation, Individualized Process Monitoring, and State Dynamics in a Case of Dissociative Identity Disorder.

PubMed

Schiepek, Günter K; Stöger-Schmidinger, Barbara; Aichhorn, Wolfgang; Schöller, Helmut; Aas, Benjamin

2016-01-01

Objective: The aim of this case report is to demonstrate the feasibility of a systemic procedure (synergetic process management) including modeling of the idiographic psychological system and continuous high-frequency monitoring of change dynamics in a case of dissociative identity disorder. The psychotherapy was realized in a day treatment center with a female client diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and dissociative identity disorder. Methods: A three hour long co-creative session at the beginning of the treatment period allowed for modeling the systemic network of the client's dynamics of cognitions, emotions, and behavior. The components (variables) of this idiographic system model (ISM) were used to create items for an individualized process questionnaire for the client. The questionnaire was administered daily through an internet-based monitoring tool (Synergetic Navigation System, SNS), to capture the client's individual change process continuously throughout the therapy and after-care period. The resulting time series were reflected by therapist and client in therapeutic feedback sessions. Results: For the client it was important to see how the personality states dominating her daily life were represented by her idiographic system model and how the transitions between each state could be explained and understood by the activating and inhibiting relations between the cognitive-emotional components of that system. Continuous monitoring of her cognitions, emotions, and behavior via SNS allowed for identification of important triggers, dynamic patterns, and psychological mechanisms behind seemingly erratic state fluctuations. These insights enabled a change in management of the dynamics and an intensified trauma-focused therapy. Conclusion: By making use of the systemic case formulation technique and subsequent daily online monitoring, client and therapist continuously refer to detailed visualizations of the mental and behavioral network and its dynamics (e.g., order transitions). Effects on self-related information processing, on identity development, and toward a more pronounced autonomy in life (instead of feeling helpless against the chaoticity of state dynamics) were evident in the presented case and documented by the monitoring system.

Monitoring Biological Activity at Geothermal Power Plants

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

Peter Pryfogle

2005-09-01

The economic impact of microbial growth in geothermal power plants has been estimated to be as high as $500,000 annually for a 100 MWe plant. Many methods are available to monitor biological activity at these facilities; however, very few plants have any on-line monitoring program in place. Metal coupon, selective culturing (MPN), total organic carbon (TOC), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), respirometry, phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA), and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) characterizations have been conducted using water samples collected from geothermal plants located in California and Utah. In addition, the on-line performance of a commercial electrochemical monitor, the BIoGEORGE?, has beenmore » evaluated during extended deployments at geothermal facilities. This report provides a review of these techniques, presents data on their application from laboratory and field studies, and discusses their value in characterizing and monitoring biological activities at geothermal power plants.« less

Smoking cessation: Exploration of perceived technology-related information value.

PubMed

Reychav, Iris; McHaney, Roger; Hirak, Eyal; Merker, Ben

2018-01-01

This study describes a unique approach to information transfer affecting the perceived value of this information and related impact on smoker behavior. Data were collected via survey, sampling approximately 120 participants. An online survey tool was used for the survey creation, data collection and monitoring. Another online tool was used by participants to create short animation videos as a means of increasing their engagement with information in an experiential fashion. Study findings included that the process experienced by the test group was influential and facilitated participants' change of mind regarding enrollment in a smoking cessation workshop. This was partly attributable to the IKEA effect. The study provides evidence that a change in habits crucial to improve health and enhance positive lifestyle choices can be stimulated through active engagement with artifact creation in a technology-mediated environment.

Pyrolysis process for the treatment of scrap tyres: preliminary experimental results.

PubMed

Galvagno, S; Casu, S; Casabianca, T; Calabrese, A; Cornacchia, G

2002-01-01

The aim of this work is the evaluation, on a pilot scale, of scrap tyre pyrolysis process performance and the characteristics of the products under different process parameters, such as temperature, residence time, pressure, etc. In this frame, a series of tests were carried out at varying process temperatures between 550 and 680 degrees C, other parameters being equal. Pyrolysis plant process data are collected by an acquisition system; scrap tyre samples used for the treatment, solid and liquid by-products and produced syngas were analysed through both on-line monitoring (for gas) and laboratory analyses. Results show that process temperature, in the explored range, does not seem to seriously influence the volatilisation reaction yield, at least from a quantitative point of view, while it observably influences the distribution of the volatile fraction (liquid and gas) and by-products characteristics.

Can airborne ultrasound monitor bubble size in chocolate?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, N.; Hazlehurst, T.; Povey, M.; Vieira, J.; Sundara, R.; Sandoz, J.-P.

2014-04-01

Aerated chocolate products consist of solid chocolate with the inclusion of bubbles and are a popular consumer product in many countries. The volume fraction and size distribution of the bubbles has an effect on their sensory properties and manufacturing cost. For these reasons it is important to have an online real time process monitoring system capable of measuring their bubble size distribution. As these products are eaten by consumers it is desirable that the monitoring system is non contact to avoid food contaminations. In this work we assess the feasibility of using an airborne ultrasound system to monitor the bubble size distribution in aerated chocolate bars. The experimental results from the airborne acoustic experiments were compared with theoretical results for known bubble size distributions using COMSOL Multiphysics. This combined experimental and theoretical approach is used to develop a greater understanding of how ultrasound propagates through aerated chocolate and to assess the feasibility of using airborne ultrasound to monitor bubble size distribution in these systems. The results indicated that a smaller bubble size distribution would result in an increase in attenuation through the product.

Association of Implementation of Practice Standards for Electrocardiographic Monitoring With Nurses' Knowledge, Quality of Care, and Patient Outcomes: Findings From the Practical Use of the Latest Standards of Electrocardiography (PULSE) Trial.

PubMed

Funk, Marjorie; Fennie, Kristopher P; Stephens, Kimberly E; May, Jeanine L; Winkler, Catherine G; Drew, Barbara J

2017-02-01

Although continuous electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring is ubiquitous in hospitals, monitoring practices are inconsistent. We evaluated implementation of American Heart Association practice standards for ECG monitoring on nurses' knowledge, quality of care, and patient outcomes. The PULSE (Practical Use of the Latest Standards of Electrocardiography) Trial was a 6-year multisite randomized clinical trial with crossover that took place in 65 cardiac units in 17 hospitals. We measured outcomes at baseline, time 2 after group 1 hospitals received the intervention, and time 3 after group 2 hospitals received the intervention. Measurement periods were 15 months apart. The 2-part intervention consisted of an online ECG monitoring education program and strategies to implement and sustain change in practice. Nurses' knowledge (N=3013 nurses) was measured by a validated 20-item online test, quality of care related to ECG monitoring (N=4587 patients) by on-site observation, and patient outcomes (mortality, in-hospital myocardial infarction, and not surviving a cardiac arrest; N=95 884 hospital admissions) by review of administrative, laboratory, and medical record data. Nurses' knowledge improved significantly immediately after the intervention in both groups but was not sustained 15 months later. For most measures of quality of care (accurate electrode placement, accurate rhythm interpretation, appropriate monitoring, and ST-segment monitoring when indicated), the intervention was associated with significant improvement, which was sustained 15 months later. Of the 3 patient outcomes, only in-hospital myocardial infarction declined significantly after the intervention and was sustained. Online ECG monitoring education and strategies to change practice can lead to improved nurses' knowledge, quality of care, and patient outcomes. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01269736. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Association of Implementation of Practice Standards for Electrocardiographic Monitoring with Nurses’ Knowledge, Quality of Care, and Patient Outcomes: Findings from the Practical Use of the Latest Standards of Electrocardiography (PULSE) Trial

PubMed Central

Funk, Marjorie; Fennie, Kristopher P.; Stephens, Kimberly E.; May, Jeanine L.; Winkler, Catherine G.; Drew, Barbara J.

2017-01-01

Background Although continuous electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring is ubiquitous in hospitals, monitoring practices are inconsistent. We evaluated implementation of American Heart Association practice standards for ECG monitoring on nurses’ knowledge, quality of care, and patient outcomes. Methods and Results The PULSE Trial was a 6-year multi-site randomized clinical trial with crossover that took place in 65 cardiac units in 17 hospitals. We measured outcomes at baseline, Time 2 after Group 1 hospitals received the intervention, and Time 3 after Group 2 hospitals received the intervention. Measurement periods were 15 months apart. The 2-part intervention consisted of an online ECG monitoring education program and strategies to implement and sustain change in practice. Nurses’ knowledge (N=3,013 nurses) was measured by a validated 20-item online test, quality of care related to ECG monitoring (N=4,587 patients) by on-site observation, and patient outcomes (mortality, in-hospital myocardial infarction, and not surviving a cardiac arrest) (N=95,884 hospital admissions) by review of administrative, laboratory, and medical record data. Nurses’ knowledge improved significantly immediately following the intervention in both groups, but was not sustained 15 months later. For most measures of quality of care (accurate electrode placement, accurate rhythm interpretation, appropriate monitoring, and ST-segment monitoring when indicated), the intervention was associated with significant improvement, which was sustained 15 months later. Of the 3 patient outcomes, only in-hospital myocardial infarction declined significantly after the intervention, and was sustained. Conclusions Online ECG monitoring education and strategies to change practice can lead to improved nurses’ knowledge, quality of care, and patient outcomes. PMID:28174175

Heroin

MedlinePlus

... View Online Download PDF Monitoring the Future 2015 Survey Results Published: December 16, 2015 NIH’s 2015 Monitoring ... the National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week logo design are registered marks of the U.S. Department of ...

Inhalants

MedlinePlus

... View Online Download PDF Monitoring the Future 2015 Survey Results Published: December 16, 2015 NIH’s 2015 Monitoring ... the National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week logo design are registered marks of the U.S. Department of ...

Enhancement of Self-Monitoring in a Web-Based Weight Loss Program by Extra Individualized Feedback and Reminders: Randomized Trial

PubMed Central

Hutchesson, Melinda Jane; Tan, Chor Yin; Morgan, Philip; Callister, Robin

2016-01-01

Background Self-monitoring is an essential behavioral strategy for effective weight loss programs. Traditionally, self-monitoring has been achieved using paper-based records. However, technology is now more frequently used to deliver treatment programs to overweight and obese adults. Information technologies, such as the Internet and mobile phones, allow innovative intervention features to be incorporated into treatment that may facilitate greater adherence to self-monitoring processes, provide motivation for behavior change, and ultimately lead to greater weight loss success. Objective The objective of our study was to determine whether the consistency of self-monitoring differed between participants randomly assigned to a basic or an enhanced 12-week commercial Web-based weight loss program. Methods We randomly assigned a sample of 301 adults (mean age 42.3 years; body mass index 31.3 kg/m2; female 176/301, 58.5%) to the basic or enhanced group. The basic program included tools for self-monitoring (online food and exercise diary, and a weekly weigh-in log) with some feedback and reminders to weigh in (by text or email). The enhanced program included the basic components, as well as extra individualized feedback on self-monitoring entries and reminders (by text, email, or telephone) to engage with self-monitoring tools. We evaluated the level of self-monitoring by examining the consistency of self-monitoring of food, exercise, and weight during the 12 weeks. Consistency was defined as the number of weeks during which participants completed a criterion number of entries (ie, ≥3 days of online food or exercise diary records per week and ≥1 weigh-in per week). Results The enhanced group’s consistency of use of self-monitoring tools was significantly greater than that of the basic group throughout the 12 weeks (median consistency for food 8 vs 3 weeks, respectively, P<.001; for exercise 2.5 vs 1 weeks, respectively, P=.003). Conclusions Enhanced features, including additional individualized feedback and reminders, are effective in enhancing self-monitoring behaviors in a Web-based weight loss program. ClinicalTrial Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12610000197033; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=335159 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6gCQdj21G) PMID:27072817

On Line Enrichment Monitor (OLEM) UF 6 Tests for 1.5" Sch40 SS Pipe, Revision 1

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

March-Leuba, José A.; Garner, Jim; Younkin, Jim

As global uranium enrichment capacity under international safeguards expands, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is challenged to develop effective safeguards approaches at gaseous centrifuge enrichment plants while working within budgetary constraints. The “Model Safeguards Approach for Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plants” (GCEPs) developed by the IAEA Division of Concepts and Planning in June 2006, defines the three primary Safeguards objectives to be the timely detection of: 1) diversion of significant quantities of natural (NU), depleted (DU) or low-enriched uranium (LEU) from declared plant flow, 2) facility misuse to produce undeclared LEU product from undeclared feed, and 3) facility misuse tomore » produce enrichments higher than the declared maximum, in particular, highly enriched uranium (HEU). The ability to continuously and independently (i.e. with a minimum of information from the facility operator) monitor not only the uranium mass balance but also the 235U mass balance in the facility could help support all three verification objectives described above. Two key capabilities required to achieve an independent and accurate material balance are 1) continuous, unattended monitoring of in-process UF 6 and 2) monitoring of cylinders entering and leaving the facility. The continuous monitoring of in-process UF 6 would rely on a combination of load-cell monitoring of the cylinders at the feed and withdrawal stations, online monitoring of gas enrichment, and a high-accuracy net weight measurement of the cylinder contents. The Online Enrichment Monitor (OLEM) is the instrument that would continuously measure the time-dependent relative uranium enrichment, E(t), in weight percent 235U, of the gas filling or being withdrawn from the cylinders. The OLEM design concept combines gamma-ray spectrometry using a collimated NaI(Tl) detector with gas pressure and temperature data to calculate the enrichment of the UF 6 gas within the unit header pipe as a function of time. The OLEM components have been tested on ORNL UF 6 flow loop. Data were collected at five different enrichment levels (0.71%, 2.97%, 4.62%, 6.0%, and 93.7%) at several pressure conditions. The test data were collected in the standard OLEM N.4242 file format for each of the conditions with a 10-minute sampling period and then averaged over the span of constant pressures. Analysis of the collected data has provided enrichment constants that can be used for 1.5” stainless steel schedule 40 pipe measurement sites. The enrichment constant is consistent among all the wide range of enrichment levels and pressures used.« less

Remote online monitoring and measuring system for civil engineering structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kujawińska, Malgorzata; Sitnik, Robert; Dymny, Grzegorz; Karaszewski, Maciej; Michoński, Kuba; Krzesłowski, Jakub; Mularczyk, Krzysztof; Bolewicki, Paweł

2009-06-01

In this paper a distributed intelligent system for civil engineering structures on-line measurement, remote monitoring, and data archiving is presented. The system consists of a set of optical, full-field displacement sensors connected to a controlling server. The server conducts measurements according to a list of scheduled tasks and stores the primary data or initial results in a remote centralized database. Simultaneously the server performs checks, ordered by the operator, which may in turn result with an alert or a specific action. The structure of whole system is analyzed along with the discussion on possible fields of application and the ways to provide a relevant security during data transport. Finally, a working implementation consisting of a fringe projection, geometrical moiré, digital image correlation and grating interferometry sensors and Oracle XE database is presented. The results from database utilized for on-line monitoring of a threshold value of strain for an exemplary area of interest at the engineering structure are presented and discussed.

Online monitoring of seismic damage in water distribution systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Jianwen; Xiao, Di; Zhao, Xinhua; Zhang, Hongwei

2004-07-01

It is shown that water distribution systems can be damaged by earthquakes, and the seismic damages cannot easily be located, especially immediately after the events. Earthquake experiences show that accurate and quick location of seismic damage is critical to emergency response of water distribution systems. This paper develops a methodology to locate seismic damage -- multiple breaks in a water distribution system by monitoring water pressure online at limited positions in the water distribution system. For the purpose of online monitoring, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) technology can well be used. A neural network-based inverse analysis method is constructed for locating the seismic damage based on the variation of water pressure. The neural network is trained by using analytically simulated data from the water distribution system, and validated by using a set of data that have never been used in the training. It is found that the methodology provides an effective and practical way in which seismic damage in a water distribution system can be accurately and quickly located.

Temperature Resistant Fiber Bragg Gratings for On-Line and Structural Health Monitoring of the Next-Generation of Nuclear Reactors.

PubMed

Laffont, Guillaume; Cotillard, Romain; Roussel, Nicolas; Desmarchelier, Rudy; Rougeault, Stéphane

2018-06-02

The harsh environment associated with the next generation of nuclear reactors is a great challenge facing all new sensing technologies to be deployed for on-line monitoring purposes and for the implantation of SHM methods. Sensors able to resist sustained periods at very high temperatures continuously as is the case within sodium-cooled fast reactors require specific developments and evaluations. Among the diversity of optical fiber sensing technologies, temperature resistant fiber Bragg gratings are increasingly being considered for the instrumentation of future nuclear power plants, especially for components exposed to high temperature and high radiation levels. Research programs are supporting the developments of optical fiber sensors under mixed high temperature and radiative environments leading to significant increase in term of maturity. This paper details the development of temperature-resistant wavelength-multiplexed fiber Bragg gratings for temperature and strain measurements and their characterization for on-line monitoring into the liquid sodium used as a coolant for the next generation of fast reactors.

Patient Participation and the Use of Ehealth Tools for Pharmacoviligance.

PubMed

Berrewaerts, Joëlle; Delbecque, Laure; Orban, Pierre; Desseilles, Martin

2016-01-01

In recent years, pharmacovigilance has undergone some major changes. First, the patient's active role in identifying and describing adverse drug reactions (ADRs) has gained recognition. Second, pharmacovigilance has increasingly incorporated information and communications technology (ICT). Patients can now upload their own reports of ADRs online. Data on intensive medication monitoring are now collected via the Internet and smartphones. Worldwide collection of AEs using smart phones might become the leading technique in Low and Middle Income Countries where broad mobile phone service can be managed cheaper than Internet communication. At the same time, researchers are exploring the potential for data sharing via online forums and Internet search engines. In particular we synthetize the Pros and cons of the various methods for gathering pharmacovigilance data (i.e., Web-based spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions; Intensive drug monitoring studies; Analysis of online forum postings; Use of mobile phone systems to monitor drug effects). This article describes these advances and highlights their respective contributions.

Patient Participation and the Use of Ehealth Tools for Pharmacoviligance

PubMed Central

Berrewaerts, Joëlle; Delbecque, Laure; Orban, Pierre; Desseilles, Martin

2016-01-01

In recent years, pharmacovigilance has undergone some major changes. First, the patient’s active role in identifying and describing adverse drug reactions (ADRs) has gained recognition. Second, pharmacovigilance has increasingly incorporated information and communications technology (ICT). Patients can now upload their own reports of ADRs online. Data on intensive medication monitoring are now collected via the Internet and smartphones. Worldwide collection of AEs using smart phones might become the leading technique in Low and Middle Income Countries where broad mobile phone service can be managed cheaper than Internet communication. At the same time, researchers are exploring the potential for data sharing via online forums and Internet search engines. In particular we synthetize the Pros and cons of the various methods for gathering pharmacovigilance data (i.e., Web-based spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions; Intensive drug monitoring studies; Analysis of online forum postings; Use of mobile phone systems to monitor drug effects). This article describes these advances and highlights their respective contributions. PMID:27148052

Workload Reduction in Online Courses: Getting Some Shuteye

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunlap, Joanna C.

2005-01-01

Instructors are a key component of any successful facilitated, asynchronous online course. They are tasked with providing the infrastructure for learning; modeling effective participation, collaboration, and learning strategies; monitoring and assessing learning and providing feedback, remediation, and grades; troubleshooting and resolving…

Investigation into the use of microwave sensors to monitor particulate manufacturing processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Austin, John Samuel, III

Knowledge of a material's properties in-line during manufacture is of critical importance to many industries, including the pharmaceutical industry, and can be used for either process or quality control. Different microwave sensor configurations were tested to determine both the moisture content and the bulk density in pharmaceutical powders during processing on-line. Although these parameters can significantly affect a material's flowability, compressibility, and cohesivity, in the presence of blends, the picture is incomplete. Due to the ease with which particulate blends tend to segregate, blend uniformity and chemical composition are two critical parameters in nearly all solids manufacturing industries. The prevailing wisdom has been that microwave sensors are not capable of or sensitive enough to measure the relative concentrations of components in a blend. Consequently, it is common to turn to near infrared sensing to determine material composition on-line. In this study, a novel microwave sensor was designed and utilized to determine, separately, the concentrations of different components in a blend of pharmaceutical powders. This custom microwave sensor was shown to have comparable accuracy to the state-of-the-art for both chemical composition and moisture content determination.

Methamphetamine (Meth)

MedlinePlus

... View Online Download PDF Monitoring the Future 2015 Survey Results Published: December 16, 2015 NIH’s 2015 Monitoring ... the National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week logo design are registered marks of the U.S. Department of ...

Online Course Use in Iowa and Wisconsin Public High Schools: The Results of Two Statewide Surveys. REL 2015-065

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clements, Margaret; Stafford, Erin; Pazzaglia, Angela M.; Jacobs, Pamela

2015-01-01

As the use of online courses in high schools increases rapidly across the United States, schools are using courses from a multitude of sources to achieve a variety of educational goals. Policies and practices for monitoring student progress and success in online courses are also diverse. Yet few states formally track or report student…

Multi-Sensor Distributive On-Line Processing, Visualization, and Analysis Infrastructure for an Agricultural Information System at the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teng, William; Berrick, Steve; Leptuokh, Gregory; Liu, Zhong; Rui, Hualan; Pham, Long; Shen, Suhung; Zhu, Tong

2004-01-01

The Goddard Space Flight Center Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) Distributed Active Center (DAAC) is developing an Agricultural Information System (AIS), evolved from an existing TRMM On-line Visualization and Analysis System precipitation and other satellite data products and services. AIS outputs will be ,integrated into existing operational decision support system for global crop monitoring, such as that of the U.N. World Food Program. The ability to use the raw data stored in the GES DAAC archives is highly dependent on having a detailed understanding of the data's internal structure and physical implementation. To gain this understanding is a time-consuming process and not a productive investment of the user's time. This is an especially difficult challenge when users need to deal with multi-sensor data that usually are of different structures and resolutions. The AIS has taken a major step towards meeting this challenge by incorporating an underlying infrastructure, called the GES-DISC Interactive Online Visualization and Analysis Infrastructure or "Giovanni," that integrates various components to support web interfaces that ,allow users to perform interactive analysis on-line without downloading any data. Several instances of the Giovanni-based interface have been or are being created to serve users of TRMM precipitation, MODIS aerosol, and SeaWiFS ocean color data, as well as agricultural applications users. Giovanni-based interfaces are simple to use but powerful. The user selects geophysical ,parameters, area of interest, and time period; and the system generates an output ,on screen in a matter of seconds.

Online fault diagnostics and testing of area gamma radiation monitor using wireless network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, Padi Srinivas; Kumar, R. Amudhu Ramesh; Mathews, M. Geo; Amarendra, G.

2017-07-01

Periodical surveillance, checking, testing, and calibration of the installed Area Gamma Radiation Monitors (AGRM) in the nuclear plants are mandatory. The functionality of AGRM counting electronics and Geiger-Muller (GM) tube is to be monitored periodically. The present paper describes the development of online electronic calibration and testing of the GM tube from the control room. Two electronic circuits were developed, one for AGRM electronic test and another for AGRM detector test. A dedicated radiation data acquisition system was developed using an open platform communication server and data acquisition software. The Modbus RTU protocol on ZigBee based wireless communication was used for online monitoring and testing. The AGRM electronic test helps to carry out the three-point electronic calibration and verification of accuracy. The AGRM detector test is used to verify the GM threshold voltage and the plateau slope of the GM tube in-situ. The real-time trend graphs generated during these tests clearly identified the state of health of AGRM electronics and GM tube on go/no-go basis. This method reduces the radiation exposures received by the maintenance crew and facilitates quick testing with minimum downtime of the instrument.

Laser beam welding quality monitoring system based in high-speed (10 kHz) uncooled MWIR imaging sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linares, Rodrigo; Vergara, German; Gutiérrez, Raúl; Fernández, Carlos; Villamayor, Víctor; Gómez, Luis; González-Camino, Maria; Baldasano, Arturo; Castro, G.; Arias, R.; Lapido, Y.; Rodríguez, J.; Romero, Pablo

2015-05-01

The combination of flexibility, productivity, precision and zero-defect manufacturing in future laser-based equipment are a major challenge that faces this enabling technology. New sensors for online monitoring and real-time control of laserbased processes are necessary for improving products quality and increasing manufacture yields. New approaches to fully automate processes towards zero-defect manufacturing demand smarter heads where lasers, optics, actuators, sensors and electronics will be integrated in a unique compact and affordable device. Many defects arising in laser-based manufacturing processes come from instabilities in the dynamics of the laser process. Temperature and heat dynamics are key parameters to be monitored. Low cost infrared imagers with high-speed of response will constitute the next generation of sensors to be implemented in future monitoring and control systems for laser-based processes, capable to provide simultaneous information about heat dynamics and spatial distribution. This work describes the result of using an innovative low-cost high-speed infrared imager based on the first quantum infrared imager monolithically integrated with Si-CMOS ROIC of the market. The sensor is able to provide low resolution images at frame rates up to 10 KHz in uncooled operation at the same cost as traditional infrared spot detectors. In order to demonstrate the capabilities of the new sensor technology, a low-cost camera was assembled on a standard production laser welding head, allowing to register melting pool images at frame rates of 10 kHz. In addition, a specific software was developed for defect detection and classification. Multiple laser welding processes were recorded with the aim to study the performance of the system and its application to the real-time monitoring of laser welding processes. During the experiments, different types of defects were produced and monitored. The classifier was fed with the experimental images obtained. Self-learning strategies were implemented with very promising results, demonstrating the feasibility of using low-cost high-speed infrared imagers in advancing towards a real-time / in-line zero-defect production systems.

Subunit mass analysis for monitoring antibody oxidation.

PubMed

Sokolowska, Izabela; Mo, Jingjie; Dong, Jia; Lewis, Michael J; Hu, Ping

2017-04-01

Methionine oxidation is a common posttranslational modification (PTM) of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Oxidation can reduce the in-vivo half-life, efficacy and stability of the product. Peptide mapping is commonly used to monitor the levels of oxidation, but this is a relatively time-consuming method. A high-throughput, automated subunit mass analysis method was developed to monitor antibody methionine oxidation. In this method, samples were treated with IdeS, EndoS and dithiothreitol to generate three individual IgG subunits (light chain, Fd' and single chain Fc). These subunits were analyzed by reversed phase-ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with an online quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer and the levels of oxidation on each subunit were quantitated based on the deconvoluted mass spectra using the UNIFI software. The oxidation results obtained by subunit mass analysis correlated well with the results obtained by peptide mapping. Method qualification demonstrated that this subunit method had excellent repeatability and intermediate precision. In addition, UNIFI software used in this application allows automated data acquisition and processing, which makes this method suitable for high-throughput process monitoring and product characterization. Finally, subunit mass analysis revealed the different patterns of Fc methionine oxidation induced by chemical and photo stress, which makes it attractive for investigating the root cause of oxidation.

Processing Control Information in a Nominal Control Construction: An Eye-Tracking Study.

PubMed

Kwon, Nayoung; Sturt, Patrick

2016-08-01

In an eye-tracking experiment, we examined the processing of the nominal control construction. Participants' eye-movements were monitored while they read sentences that included either giver control nominals (e.g. promise in Luke's promise to Sophia to photograph himself) or recipient control nominals (e.g. plea in Luke's plea to Sophia to photograph herself). In order to examine both the initial access of control information, and its later use in on-line processing, we combined a manipulation of nominal control with a gender match/mismatch paradigm. Results showed that there was evidence of processing difficulty for giver control sentences (relative to recipient control sentences) at the point where the control dependency was initially created, suggesting that control information was accessed during the early parsing stages. This effect is attributed to a recency preference in the formation of control dependencies; the parser prefers to assign a recent antecedent to PRO. In addition, readers slowed down after reading a reflexive pronoun that mismatched with the gender of the antecedent indicated by the control nominal (e.g. Luke's promise to Sophia to photograph herself). The mismatch cost suggests that control information of the nominal control construction was used to constrain dependency formation involving a controller, PRO and a reflexive, confirming the use of control information in on-line interpretation.

What Is Spice?

MedlinePlus

... View Online Download PDF Monitoring the Future 2015 Survey Results Published: December 16, 2015 NIH’s 2015 Monitoring ... the National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week logo design are registered marks of the U.S. Department of ...

What Is Salvia?

MedlinePlus

... View Online Download PDF Monitoring the Future 2015 Survey Results Published: December 16, 2015 NIH’s 2015 Monitoring ... the National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week logo design are registered marks of the U.S. Department of ...

AgriSense-STARS: Advancing Methods of Agricultural Monitoring for Food Security in Smallholder Regions - the Case for Tanzania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dempewolf, J.; Becker-Reshef, I.; Nakalembe, C. L.; Tumbo, S.; Maurice, S.; Mbilinyi, B.; Ntikha, O.; Hansen, M.; Justice, C. J.; Adusei, B.; Kongo, V.

2015-12-01

In-season monitoring of crop conditions provides critical information for agricultural policy and decision making and most importantly for food security planning and management. Nationwide agricultural monitoring in countries dominated by smallholder farming systems, generally relies on extensive networks of field data collectors. In Tanzania, extension agents make up this network and report on conditions across the country, approaching a "near-census". Data is collected on paper which is resource and time intensive, as well as prone to errors. Data quality is ambiguous and there is a general lack of clear and functional feedback loops between farmers, extension agents, analysts and decision makers. Moreover, the data are not spatially explicit, limiting the usefulness for analysis and quality of policy outcomes. Despite significant advances in remote sensing and information communication technologies (ICT) for monitoring agriculture, the full potential of these new tools is yet to be realized in Tanzania. Their use is constrained by the lack of resources, skills and infrastructure to access and process these data. The use of ICT technologies for data collection, processing and analysis is equally limited. The AgriSense-STARS project is developing and testing a system for national-scale in-season monitoring of smallholder agriculture using a combination of three main tools, 1) GLAM-East Africa, an automated MODIS satellite image processing system, 2) field data collection using GeoODK and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and 3) the Tanzania Crop Monitor, a collaborative online portal for data management and reporting. These tools are developed and applied in Tanzania through the National Food Security Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives (MAFC) within a statistically representative sampling framework (area frame) that ensures data quality, representability and resource efficiency.

Application of the wavelet packet transform to vibration signals for surface roughness monitoring in CNC turning operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García Plaza, E.; Núñez López, P. J.

2018-01-01

The wavelet packet transform method decomposes a time signal into several independent time-frequency signals called packets. This enables the temporary location of transient events occurring during the monitoring of the cutting processes, which is advantageous in monitoring condition and fault diagnosis. This paper proposes the monitoring of surface roughness using a single low cost sensor that is easily implemented in numerical control machine tools in order to make on-line decisions on workpiece surface finish quality. Packet feature extraction in vibration signals was applied to correlate the sensor signals to measured surface roughness. For the successful application of the WPT method, mother wavelets, packet decomposition level, and appropriate packet selection methods should be considered, but are poorly understood aspects in the literature. In this novel contribution, forty mother wavelets, optimal decomposition level, and packet reduction methods were analysed, as well as identifying the effective frequency range providing the best packet feature extraction for monitoring surface finish. The results show that mother wavelet biorthogonal 4.4 in decomposition level L3 with the fusion of the orthogonal vibration components (ax + ay + az) were the best option in the vibration signal and surface roughness correlation. The best packets were found in the medium-high frequency DDA (6250-9375 Hz) and high frequency ADA (9375-12500 Hz) ranges, and the feed acceleration component ay was the primary source of information. The packet reduction methods forfeited packets with relevant features to the signal, leading to poor results for the prediction of surface roughness. WPT is a robust vibration signal processing method for the monitoring of surface roughness using a single sensor without other information sources, satisfactory results were obtained in comparison to other processing methods with a low computational cost.

A review of electrostatic monitoring technology: The state of the art and future research directions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Zhenhua; Hou, Junxing; Atkin, Jason

2017-10-01

Electrostatic monitoring technology is a useful tool for monitoring and detecting component faults and degradation, which is necessary for system health management. It encompasses three key research areas: sensor technology; signal detection, processing and feature extraction; and verification experimentation. It has received considerable recent attention for condition monitoring due to its ability to provide warning information and non-obstructive measurements on-line. A number of papers in recent years have covered specific aspects of the technology, including sensor design optimization, sensor characteristic analysis, signal de-noising and practical applications of the technology. This paper provides a review of the recent research and of the development of electrostatic monitoring technology, with a primary emphasis on its application for the aero-engine gas path. The paper also presents a summary of some of the current applications of electrostatic monitoring technology in other industries, before concluding with a brief discussion of the current research situation and possible future challenges and research gaps in this field. The aim of this paper is to promote further research into this promising technology by increasing awareness of both the potential benefits of the technology and the current research gaps.