ICI optical data storage tape

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mclean, Robert A.; Duffy, Joseph F.

1992-01-01

Optical data storage tape is now a commercial reality. The world's first successful development of a digital optical tape system is complete. This is based on the Creo 1003 optical tape recorder with ICI 1012 write-once optical tape media. Flexible optical media offers many benefits in terms of manufacture; for a given capital investment, continuous, web-coating techniques produce more square meters of media than batch coating. The coated layers consist of a backcoat on the non-active side; on the active side there is a subbing layer, then reflector, dye/polymer, and transparent protective overcoat. All these layers have been tailored for ease of manufacture and specific functional characteristics.

Infrared Dyes For Optical Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jipson, V. B.; Jones, C. R.

1981-06-01

There is current interest in developing optical storage materials that can be written with GaAlAs lasers. Dyes which absorb strongly at those wavelengths are potential candidates for this application due to their attractive thermal properties. Through optical and thermal modelling, the properties that are necessary if they are to be writeable at energies of <=1 nJ are examined. A specific class of infrared absorbing dyes, squarylium, is discussed and preliminary data on optical characteristics, writing energy, and stability are presented.

Do puzzle pieces and autism puzzle piece logos evoke negative associations?

PubMed

Gernsbacher, Morton Ann; Raimond, Adam R; Stevenson, Jennifer L; Boston, Jilana S; Harp, Bev

2018-02-01

Puzzle pieces have become ubiquitous symbols for autism. However, puzzle-piece imagery stirs debate between those who support and those who object to its use because they believe puzzle-piece imagery evokes negative associations. Our study empirically investigated whether puzzle pieces evoke negative associations in the general public. Participants' ( N = 400) implicit negative associations were measured with an Implicit Association Task, which is a speeded categorization task, and participants' explicit associations were measured with an Explicit Association Task, which is a standard task for assessing consumers' explicit associations with brands (and images of those brands). Puzzle pieces, both those used as autism logos and those used more generically, evoked negative implicit associations ( t(399) = -5.357, p < 0.001) and negative explicit associations ( z = 4.693, p < 0.001, d = 0.491). Participants explicitly associated puzzle pieces, even generic puzzle pieces, with incompleteness, imperfection, and oddity. Our results bear public policy implications. If an organization's intention for using puzzle-piece imagery is to evoke negative associations, our results suggest the organization's use of puzzle-piece imagery is apt. However, if the organization's intention is to evoke positive associations, our results suggest that puzzle-piece imagery should probably be avoided.

Applications of ultrafast laser direct writing: from polarization control to data storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donko, A.; Gertus, T.; Brambilla, G.; Beresna, M.

2018-02-01

Ultrafast laser direct writing is a fascinating technology which emerged more than two decades from fundamental studies of material resistance to high-intensity optical fields. Its development saw the discovery of many puzzling phenomena and demonstration of useful applications. Today, ultrafast laser writing is seen as a technology with great potential and is rapidly entering the industrial environment. Whereas, less than 10 years ago, ultrafast lasers were still confined within the research labs. This talk will overview some of the unique features of ultrafast lasers and give examples of its applications in optical data storage, polarization control and optical fibers.

Do Puzzle Pieces and Autism Puzzle Piece Logos Evoke Negative Associations?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gernsbacher, Morton Ann; Raimond, Adam R.; Stevenson, Jennifer L.; Boston, Jilana S.; Harp, Bev

2018-01-01

Puzzle pieces have become ubiquitous symbols for autism. However, puzzle-piece imagery stirs debate between those who support and those who object to its use because they believe puzzle-piece imagery evokes negative associations. Our study empirically investigated whether puzzle pieces evoke negative associations in the general public.…

Optical data storage and metallization of polymers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roland, C. M.; Sonnenschein, M. F.

1991-01-01

The utilization of polymers as media for optical data storage offers many potential benefits and consequently has been widely explored. New developments in thermal imaging are described, wherein high resolution lithography is accomplished without thermal smearing. The emphasis was on the use of poly(ethylene terephthalate) film, which simultaneously serves as both the substrate and the data storage medium. Both physical and chemical changes can be induced by the application of heat and, thereby, serve as a mechanism for high resolution optical data storage in polymers. The extension of the technique to obtain high resolution selective metallization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) is also described.

Laser beam modeling in optical storage systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Treptau, J. P.; Milster, T. D.; Flagello, D. G.

1991-01-01

A computer model has been developed that simulates light propagating through an optical data storage system. A model of a laser beam that originates at a laser diode, propagates through an optical system, interacts with a optical disk, reflects back from the optical disk into the system, and propagates to data and servo detectors is discussed.

Optical Data Storage Capabilities of Bacteriorhodopsin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gary, Charles

1998-01-01

We present several measurements of the data storage capability of bacteriorhodopsin films to help establish the baseline performance of this material as a medium for holographic data storage. In particular, we examine the decrease in diffraction efficiency with the density of holograms stored at one location in the film, and we also analyze the recording schedule needed to produce a set of equal intensity holograms at a single location in the film. Using this information along with the assumptions about the performance of the optical system, we can estimate potential data storage densities in bacteriorhodopsin.

Bacteriorhodopsin films for optical signal processing and data storage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walkup, John F. (Principal Investigator); Mehrl, David J. (Principal Investigator)

1996-01-01

This report summarizes the research results obtained on NASA Ames Grant NAG 2-878 entitled 'Investigations of Bacteriorhodopsin Films for Optical Signal Processing and Data Storage.' Specifically we performed research, at Texas Tech University, on applications of Bacteriorhodopisin film to both (1) dynamic spatial filtering and (2) holographic data storage. In addition, measurements of the noise properties of an acousto-optical matrix-vestor multiplier built for NASA Ames by Photonic Systems Inc. were performed at NASA Ames' Photonics Laboratory. This research resulted in two papers presented at major optical data processing conferences and a journal paper which is to appear in APPLIED OPTICS. A new proposal for additional BR research has recently been submitted to NASA Ames Research Center.

Review of ultra-high density optical storage technologies for big data center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Ruan; Liu, Jie

2016-10-01

In big data center, optical storage technologies have many advantages, such as energy saving and long lifetime. However, how to improve the storage density of optical storage is still a huge challenge. Maybe the multilayer optical storage technology is the good candidate for big data center in the years to come. Due to the number of layers is primarily limited by transmission of each layer, the largest capacities of the multilayer disc are around 1 TB/disc and 10 TB/ cartridge. Holographic data storage (HDS) is a volumetric approach, but its storage capacity is also strictly limited by the diffractive nature of light. For a holographic disc with total thickness of 1.5mm, its potential capacities are not more than 4TB/disc and 40TB/ cartridge. In recent years, the development of super resolution optical storage technology has attracted more attentions. Super-resolution photoinduction-inhibition nanolithography (SPIN) technology with 9 nm feature size and 52nm two-line resolution was reported 3 years ago. However, turning this exciting principle into a real storage system is a huge challenge. It can be expected that in the future, the capacities of 10TB/disc and 100TB/cartridge can be achieved. More importantly, due to breaking the diffraction limit of light, SPIN technology will open the door to improve the optical storage capacity steadily to meet the need of the developing big data center.

Method and apparatus for bistable optical information storage for erasable optical disks

DOEpatents

Land, Cecil E.; McKinney, Ira D.

1990-01-01

A method and an optical device for bistable storage of optical information, together with reading and erasure of the optical information, using a photoactivated shift in a field dependent phase transition between a metastable or a bias-stabilized ferroelectric (FE) phase and a stable antiferroelectric (AFE) phase in an lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT). An optical disk contains the PLZT. Writing and erasing of optical information can be accomplished by a light beam normal to the disk. Reading of optical information can be accomplished by a light beam at an incidence angle of 15 to 60 degrees to the normal of the disk.

A new tape product for optical data storage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larsen, T. L.; Woodard, F. E.; Pace, S. J.

1993-01-01

A new tape product has been developed for optical data storage. Laser data recording is based on hole or pit formation in a low melting metallic alloy system. The media structure, sputter deposition process, and media characteristics, including write sensitivity, error rates, wear resistance, and archival storage are discussed.

Puzzles, Pastimes, Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eperson, D. B.

1987-01-01

Presents five puzzles or problems that may be used for mathematics enrichment. Ideas include magic squares, tests for divisibility, geometry, palindromic numbers, and a jigsaw puzzle. Solutions are included. (PK)

Puzzles, Pastimes, Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eperson, D. B.

1985-01-01

Presents six mathematical problems (with answers) which focus on: (1) chess moves; (2) patterned numbers; (3) quadratics with rational roots; (4) number puzzles; (5) Euclidean geometry; and (6) Carrollian word puzzles. (JN)

Method and apparatus for bistable optical information storage for erasable optical disks

DOEpatents

Land, C.E.; McKinney, I.D.

1988-05-31

A method and an optical device for bistable storage of optical information, together with reading and erasure of the optical information, using a photoactivated shift in a field dependent phase transition between a metastable or a bias-stabilized ferroelectric (FE) phase and a stable antiferroelectric (AFE) phase in a lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT). An optical disk contains the PLZT. Writing and erasing of optical information can be accomplished by a light beam normal to the disk. Reading of optical information can be accomplished by a light beam at an incidence angle of 15 to 60 degrees to the normal of the disk. 10 figs.

A Bibliography of the Literature on Optical Storage Technology. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, James R.

Compiled to serve as a working tool for those involved in optical storage research, planning, and development, this bibliography contains nearly 700 references related to the optical storage and retrieval of digital computer data. Citations are divided into two major groups covering the general and patent literatures. Each citation includes the…

Hollow optical fiber induced solar cells with optical energy storage and conversion.

PubMed

Ding, Jie; Zhao, Yuanyuan; Duan, Jialong; Duan, Yanyan; Tang, Qunwei

2017-11-09

Hollow optical fiber induced dye-sensitized solar cells are made by twisting Ti wire/N719-TiO 2 nanotube photoanodes and Ti wire/Pt (CoSe, Pt 3 Ni) counter electrodes, yielding a maximized efficiency of 0.7% and good stability. Arising from optical energy storage ability, the solar cells can generate electricity without laser illumination.

Lockean Puzzles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milligan, Tony

2007-01-01

In analytic moral philosophy it is standard to use unrealistic puzzles to set up moral dilemmas of a sort that I will call Lockean Puzzles. This paper will try to pinpoint just what is and what is not problematic about their use as a teaching tool or component part of philosophical arguments. I will try to flesh out the claim that what may be lost…

Convolution Operation of Optical Information via Quantum Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhixiang; Liu, Jianji; Fan, Hongming; Zhang, Guoquan

2017-06-01

We proposed a novel method to achieve optical convolution of two input images via quantum storage based on electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) effect. By placing an EIT media in the confocal Fourier plane of the 4f-imaging system, the optical convolution of the two input images can be achieved in the image plane.

Faithful solid state optical memory with dynamically decoupled spin wave storage.

PubMed

Lovrić, Marko; Suter, Dieter; Ferrier, Alban; Goldner, Philippe

2013-07-12

We report a high fidelity optical memory in which dynamical decoupling is used to extend the storage time. This is demonstrated in a rare-earth doped crystal in which optical coherences were transferred to nuclear spin coherences and then protected against environmental noise by dynamical decoupling, leading to storage times of up to 4.2 ms. An interference experiment shows that relative phases of input pulses are preserved through the whole storage and retrieval process with a visibility ≈1, demonstrating the usefulness of dynamical decoupling for extending the storage time of quantum memories. We also show that dynamical decoupling sequences insensitive to initial spin coherence increase retrieval efficiency.

Faithful Solid State Optical Memory with Dynamically Decoupled Spin Wave Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lovrić, Marko; Suter, Dieter; Ferrier, Alban; Goldner, Philippe

2013-07-01

We report a high fidelity optical memory in which dynamical decoupling is used to extend the storage time. This is demonstrated in a rare-earth doped crystal in which optical coherences were transferred to nuclear spin coherences and then protected against environmental noise by dynamical decoupling, leading to storage times of up to 4.2 ms. An interference experiment shows that relative phases of input pulses are preserved through the whole storage and retrieval process with a visibility ≈1, demonstrating the usefulness of dynamical decoupling for extending the storage time of quantum memories. We also show that dynamical decoupling sequences insensitive to initial spin coherence increase retrieval efficiency.

Delivery of video-on-demand services using local storages within passive optical networks.

PubMed

Abeywickrama, Sandu; Wong, Elaine

2013-01-28

At present, distributed storage systems have been widely studied to alleviate Internet traffic build-up caused by high-bandwidth, on-demand applications. Distributed storage arrays located locally within the passive optical network were previously proposed to deliver Video-on-Demand services. As an added feature, a popularity-aware caching algorithm was also proposed to dynamically maintain the most popular videos in the storage arrays of such local storages. In this paper, we present a new dynamic bandwidth allocation algorithm to improve Video-on-Demand services over passive optical networks using local storages. The algorithm exploits the use of standard control packets to reduce the time taken for the initial request communication between the customer and the central office, and to maintain the set of popular movies in the local storage. We conduct packet level simulations to perform a comparative analysis of the Quality-of-Service attributes between two passive optical networks, namely the conventional passive optical network and one that is equipped with a local storage. Results from our analysis highlight that strategic placement of a local storage inside the network enables the services to be delivered with improved Quality-of-Service to the customer. We further formulate power consumption models of both architectures to examine the trade-off between enhanced Quality-of-Service performance versus the increased power requirement from implementing a local storage within the network.

Diffused holographic information storage and retrieval using photorefractive optical materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McMillen, Deanna Kay

Holography offers a tremendous opportunity for dense information storage, theoretically one bit per cubic wavelength of material volume, with rapid retrieval, of up to thousands of pages of information simultaneously. However, many factors prevent the theoretical storage limit from being reached, including dynamic range problems and imperfections in recording materials. This research explores new ways of moving closer to practical holographic information storage and retrieval by altering the recording materials, in this case, photorefractive crystals, and by increasing the current storage capacity while improving the information retrieved. As an experimental example of the techniques developed, the information retrieved is the correlation peak from an optical recognition architecture, but the materials and methods developed are applicable to many other holographic information storage systems. Optical correlators can potentially solve any signal or image recognition problem. Military surveillance, fingerprint identification for law enforcement or employee identification, and video games are but a few examples of applications. A major obstacle keeping optical correlators from being universally accepted is the lack of a high quality, thick (high capacity) holographic recording material that operates with red or infrared wavelengths which are available from inexpensive diode lasers. This research addresses the problems from two positions: find a better material for use with diode lasers, and reduce the requirements placed on the material while maintaining an efficient and effective system. This research found that the solutions are new dopants introduced into photorefractive lithium niobate to improve wavelength sensitivities and the use of a novel inexpensive diffuser that reduces the dynamic range and optical element quality requirements (which reduces the cost) while improving performance. A uniquely doped set of 12 lithium niobate crystals was specified and

Sleep for Kids: Games and Puzzles

MedlinePlus

Games and Puzzles These games and puzzles can help you learn more about sleep! Learn about sleep with this fun crossword puzzle! Test your memory ... can't sleep? • dreams • • bring out the stars • games and puzzles • pj bear booklet • • home • about us • ...

Nano-optical information storage induced by the nonlinear saturable absorption effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Jingsong; Liu, Shuang; Geng, Yongyou; Wang, Yang; Li, Xiaoyi; Wu, Yiqun; Dun, Aihuan

2011-08-01

Nano-optical information storage is very important in meeting information technology requirements. However, obtaining nanometric optical information recording marks by the traditional optical method is difficult due to diffraction limit restrictions. In the current work, the nonlinear saturable absorption effect is used to generate a subwavelength optical spot and to induce nano-optical information recording and readout. Experimental results indicate that information marks below 100 nm are successfully recorded and read out by a high-density digital versatile disk dynamic testing system with a laser wavelength of 405 nm and a numerical aperture of 0.65. The minimum marks of 60 nm are realized, which is only about 1/12 of the diffraction-limited theoretical focusing spot. This physical scheme is very useful in promoting the development of optical information storage in the nanoscale field.

Coherent optical memory with high storage efficiency and large fractional delay.

PubMed

Chen, Yi-Hsin; Lee, Meng-Jung; Wang, I-Chung; Du, Shengwang; Chen, Yong-Fan; Chen, Ying-Cheng; Yu, Ite A

2013-02-22

A high-storage efficiency and long-lived quantum memory for photons is an essential component in long-distance quantum communication and optical quantum computation. Here, we report a 78% storage efficiency of light pulses in a cold atomic medium based on the effect of electromagnetically induced transparency. At 50% storage efficiency, we obtain a fractional delay of 74, which is the best up-to-date record. The classical fidelity of the recalled pulse is better than 90% and nearly independent of the storage time, as confirmed by the direct measurement of phase evolution of the output light pulse with a beat-note interferometer. Such excellent phase coherence between the stored and recalled light pulses suggests that the current result may be readily applied to single photon wave packets. Our work significantly advances the technology of electromagnetically induced transparency-based optical memory and may find practical applications in long-distance quantum communication and optical quantum computation.

Coherent Optical Memory with High Storage Efficiency and Large Fractional Delay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yi-Hsin; Lee, Meng-Jung; Wang, I.-Chung; Du, Shengwang; Chen, Yong-Fan; Chen, Ying-Cheng; Yu, Ite A.

2013-02-01

A high-storage efficiency and long-lived quantum memory for photons is an essential component in long-distance quantum communication and optical quantum computation. Here, we report a 78% storage efficiency of light pulses in a cold atomic medium based on the effect of electromagnetically induced transparency. At 50% storage efficiency, we obtain a fractional delay of 74, which is the best up-to-date record. The classical fidelity of the recalled pulse is better than 90% and nearly independent of the storage time, as confirmed by the direct measurement of phase evolution of the output light pulse with a beat-note interferometer. Such excellent phase coherence between the stored and recalled light pulses suggests that the current result may be readily applied to single photon wave packets. Our work significantly advances the technology of electromagnetically induced transparency-based optical memory and may find practical applications in long-distance quantum communication and optical quantum computation.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Optical Data Storage system

DOEpatents

Vo-Dinh, T.

1991-03-12

A method and apparatus for a Surface-Enhanced Raman Optical Data Storage (SERODS) System are disclosed. A medium which exhibits the Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) phenomenon has data written onto its surface of microenvironment by means of a write-on procedure which disturbs the surface or microenvironment of the medium and results in the medium having a changed SERS emission when excited. The write-on procedure is controlled by a signal that corresponds to the data to be stored so that the disturbed regions on the storage device (e.g., disk) represent the data. After the data is written onto the storage device it is read by exciting the surface of the storage device with an appropriate radiation source and detecting changes in the SERS emission to produce a detection signal. The data is then reproduced from the detection signal. 5 figures.

Surface-enhanced raman optical data storage system

DOEpatents

Vo-Dinh, Tuan

1991-01-01

A method and apparatus for a Surface-Enhanced Raman Optical Data Storage (SERODS) System is disclosed. A medium which exhibits the Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) phenomenon has data written onto its surface of microenvironment by means of a write-on procedure which disturbs the surface or microenvironment of the medium and results in the medium having a changed SERS emission when excited. The write-on procedure is controlled by a signal that corresponds to the data to be stored so that the disturbed regions on the storage device (e.g., disk) represent the data. After the data is written onto the storage device it is read by exciting the surface of the storage device with an appropriate radiation source and detecting changes in the SERS emission to produce a detection signal. The data is then reproduced from the detection signal.

Pebble Puzzles. A Source Book of Simple Puzzles and Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbs, William M.

This booklet is a collection of puzzles, games, and investigations. All that children need are some stones or shells, on some of which they must write numerals. For playing with the whole class, the game or puzzles may be marked out on the floor or in sand; in that case, larger objects such as small rocks and empty tins may be used. Children are…

Dynamic tuning of optical absorbers for accelerated solar-thermal energy storage.

PubMed

Wang, Zhongyong; Tong, Zhen; Ye, Qinxian; Hu, Hang; Nie, Xiao; Yan, Chen; Shang, Wen; Song, Chengyi; Wu, Jianbo; Wang, Jun; Bao, Hua; Tao, Peng; Deng, Tao

2017-11-14

Currently, solar-thermal energy storage within phase-change materials relies on adding high thermal-conductivity fillers to improve the thermal-diffusion-based charging rate, which often leads to limited enhancement of charging speed and sacrificed energy storage capacity. Here we report the exploration of a magnetically enhanced photon-transport-based charging approach, which enables the dynamic tuning of the distribution of optical absorbers dispersed within phase-change materials, to simultaneously achieve fast charging rates, large phase-change enthalpy, and high solar-thermal energy conversion efficiency. Compared with conventional thermal charging, the optical charging strategy improves the charging rate by more than 270% and triples the amount of overall stored thermal energy. This superior performance results from the distinct step-by-step photon-transport charging mechanism and the increased latent heat storage through magnetic manipulation of the dynamic distribution of optical absorbers.

Boggle Logic Puzzles: Minimal Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Needleman, Jonathan

2013-01-01

Boggle logic puzzles are based on the popular word game Boggle played backwards. Given a list of words, the problem is to recreate the board. We explore these puzzles on a 3 x 3 board and find the minimum number of three-letter words needed to create a puzzle with a unique solution. We conclude with a series of open questions.

A new technique for solving puzzles.

PubMed

Makridis, Michael; Papamarkos, Nikos

2010-06-01

This paper proposes a new technique for solving jigsaw puzzles. The novelty of the proposed technique is that it provides an automatic jigsaw puzzle solution without any initial restriction about the shape of pieces, the number of neighbor pieces, etc. The proposed technique uses both curve- and color-matching similarity features. A recurrent procedure is applied, which compares and merges puzzle pieces in pairs, until the original puzzle image is reformed. Geometrical and color features are extracted on the characteristic points (CPs) of the puzzle pieces. CPs, which can be considered as high curvature points, are detected by a rotationally invariant corner detection algorithm. The features which are associated with color are provided by applying a color reduction technique using the Kohonen self-organized feature map. Finally, a postprocessing stage checks and corrects the relative position between puzzle pieces to improve the quality of the resulting image. Experimental results prove the efficiency of the proposed technique, which can be further extended to deal with even more complex jigsaw puzzle problems.

Electron trapping optical data storage system and applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brower, Daniel; Earman, Allen; Chaffin, M. H.

1993-01-01

A new technology developed at Optex Corporation out-performs all other existing data storage technologies. The Electron Trapping Optical Memory (ETOM) media stores 14 gigabytes of uncompressed data on a single, double-sided 130 mm disk with a data transfer rate of up to 120 megabits per second. The disk is removable, compact, lightweight, environmentally stable, and robust. Since the Write/Read/Erase (W/R/E) processes are carried out photonically, no heating of the recording media is required. Therefore, the storage media suffers no deleterious effects from repeated W/R/E cycling. This rewritable data storage technology has been developed for use as a basis for numerous data storage products. Industries that can benefit from the ETOM data storage technologies include: satellite data and information systems, broadcasting, video distribution, image processing and enhancement, and telecommunications. Products developed for these industries are well suited for the demanding store-and-forward buffer systems, data storage, and digital video systems needed for these applications.

Sudoku Puzzles as Chemistry Learning Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crute, Thomas D.; Myers, Stephanie A.

2007-01-01

A sudoku puzzle was designed that incorporated lists of chemistry terms like polyatomic ions, organic functional groups or strong nucleophiles that students need to learn. It was found that students enjoyed solving such puzzles and also such puzzles made the boring tasks of memorizing basic chemical terms an exciting one.

A biometric access personal optical storage device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, David H.; Ray, Steve; Gurkowski, Mark; Lee, Lane

2007-01-01

A portable USB2.0 personal storage device that uses built-in encryption and allows data access through biometric scanning of a finger print is described. Biometric image derived templates are stored on the removable 32 mm write once (WO) media. The encrypted templates travel with the disc and allow access to the data providing the biometric feature (e.g. the finger itself) is present. The device also allows for export and import of the templates under secure key exchange protocols. The storage system is built around the small form factor optical engine that uses a tilt arm rotary actuator and front surface media.

Optically Addressed Nanostructures for High Density Data Storage

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-10-14

beam to sub-wavelength resolutions. X. Refereed Journal Publications I. M. D. Stenner , D. J. Gauthier, and M. A. Neifeld, "The speed of information in a...profiles for high-density optical data storage," Optics Communications, Vol.253, pp.56-69, 2005. 5. M. D. Stenner , D. J. Gauthier, and M. A. Neifeld, "Fast...causal information transmission in a medium with a slow group velocity," Physical Review Letters, Vol.94, February 2005. 6. M. D. Stenner , M. A

Optical Disks Compete with Videotape and Magnetic Storage Media: Part I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urrows, Henry; Urrows, Elizabeth

1988-01-01

Describes the latest technology in videotape cassette systems and other magnetic storage devices and their possible effects on optical data disks. Highlights include Honeywell's Very Large Data Store (VLDS); Exabyte's tape cartridge storage system; standards for tape drives; and Masstor System's videotape cartridge system. (LRW)

The Anatomy Puzzle Book.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacob, Willis H.; Carter, Robert, III

This document features review questions, crossword puzzles, and word search puzzles on human anatomy. Topics include: (1) Anatomical Terminology; (2) The Skeletal System and Joints; (3) The Muscular System; (4) The Nervous System; (5) The Eye and Ear; (6) The Circulatory System and Blood; (7) The Respiratory System; (8) The Urinary System; (9) The…

Tangrams: Puzzles of Art

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fee, Brenda

2009-01-01

Challenging one's brain is the beginning of making great art. Tangrams are a great way to keep students thinking about their latest art project long after leaving the classroom. A tangram is a Chinese puzzle. The earliest known reference to tangrams appears in a Chinese book dated 1813, but the puzzles existed long before that date. The puzzle…

Light storage in a cold atomic ensemble with a high optical depth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Kwang-Kyoon; Chough, Young-Tak; Kim, Yoon-Ho

2017-06-01

A quantum memory with a high storage efficiency and a long coherence time is an essential element in quantum information applications. Here, we report our recent development of an optical quantum memory with a rubidium-87 cold atom ensemble. By increasing the optical depth of the medium, we have achieved a storage efficiency of 65% and a coherence time of 51 μs for a weak laser pulse. The result of a numerical analysis based on the Maxwell-Bloch equations agrees well with the experimental results. Our result paves the way toward an efficient optical quantum memory and may find applications in photonic quantum information processing.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Optical Data Storage system

DOEpatents

Vo-Dinh, T.

1994-06-28

An improved Surface-Enhanced Raman Optical Data Storage System (SERODS) is disclosed. In the improved system, entities capable of existing in multiple reversible states are present on the storage device. Such entities result in changed Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) when localized state changes are effected in less than all of the entities. Therefore, by changing the state of entities in localized regions of a storage device, the SERS emissions in such regions will be changed. When a write-on device is controlled by a data signal, such a localized regions of changed SERS emissions will correspond to the data written on the device. The data may be read by illuminating the surface of the storage device with electromagnetic radiation of an appropriate frequency and detecting the corresponding SERS emissions. Data may be deleted by reversing the state changes of entities in regions where the data was initially written. In application, entities may be individual molecules which allows for the writing of data at the molecular level. A read/write/delete head utilizing near-field quantum techniques can provide for a write/read/delete device capable of effecting state changes in individual molecules, thus providing for the effective storage of data at the molecular level. 18 figures.

Surface-enhanced raman optical data storage system

DOEpatents

Vo-Dinh, Tuan

1994-01-01

An improved Surface-Enhanced Raman Optical Data Storage System (SERODS) is disclosed. In the improved system, entities capable of existing in multiple reversible states are present on the storage device. Such entities result in changed Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) when localized state changes are effected in less than all of the entities. Therefore, by changing the state of entities in localized regions of a storage device, the SERS emissions in such regions will be changed. When a write-on device is controlled by a data signal, such a localized regions of changed SERS emissions will correspond to the data written on the device. The data may be read by illuminating the surface of the storage device with electromagnetic radiation of an appropriate frequency and detecting the corresponding SERS emissions. Data may be deleted by reversing the state changes of entities in regions where the data was initially written. In application, entities may be individual molecules which allows for the writing of data at the molecular level. A read/write/delete head utilizing near-field quantum techniques can provide for a write/read/delete device capable of effecting state changes in individual molecules, thus providing for the effective storage of data at the molecular level.

Multiplexed Holographic Optical Data Storage In Thick Bacteriorhodopsin Films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Downie, John D.; Timucin, Dogan A.; Gary, Charles K.; Ozcan, Meric; Smithey, Daniel T.; Crew, Marshall

1998-01-01

The optical data storage capacity of photochromic bacteriorhodopsin films is investigated by means of theoretical calculations, numerical simulations, and experimental measurements on sequential recording of angularly multiplexed diffraction gratings inside a thick D85N BR film.

Optical Disk for Digital Storage and Retrieval Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rose, Denis A.

1983-01-01

Availability of low-cost digital optical disks will revolutionize storage and retrieval systems over next decade. Three major factors will effect this change: availability of disks and controllers at low-cost and in plentiful supply; availability of low-cost and better output means for system users; and more flexible, less expensive communication…

From the surface to volume: concepts for the next generation of optical-holographic data-storage materials.

PubMed

Bruder, Friedrich-Karl; Hagen, Rainer; Rölle, Thomas; Weiser, Marc-Stephan; Fäcke, Thomas

2011-05-09

Optical data storage has had a major impact on daily life since its introduction to the market in 1982. Compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), and Blu-ray discs (BDs) are universal data-storage formats with the advantage that the reading and writing of the digital data does not require contact and is therefore wear-free. These formats allow convenient and fast data access, high transfer rates, and electricity-free data storage with low overall archiving costs. The driving force for development in this area is the constant need for increased data-storage capacity and transfer rate. The use of holographic principles for optical data storage is an elegant way to increase the storage capacity and the transfer rate, because by this technique the data can be stored in the volume of the storage material and, moreover, it can be optically processed in parallel. This Review describes the fundamental requirements for holographic data-storage materials and compares the general concepts for the materials used. An overview of the performance of current read-write devices shows how far holographic data storage has already been developed. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

SERODS optical data storage with parallel signal transfer

DOEpatents

Vo-Dinh, Tuan

2003-09-02

Surface-enhanced Raman optical data storage (SERODS) systems having increased reading and writing speeds, that is, increased data transfer rates, are disclosed. In the various SERODS read and write systems, the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) data is written and read using a two-dimensional process called parallel signal transfer (PST). The various embodiments utilize laser light beam excitation of the SERODS medium, optical filtering, beam imaging, and two-dimensional light detection. Two- and three-dimensional SERODS media are utilized. The SERODS write systems employ either a different laser or a different level of laser power.

SERODS optical data storage with parallel signal transfer

DOEpatents

Vo-Dinh, Tuan

2003-06-24

Surface-enhanced Raman optical data storage (SERODS) systems having increased reading and writing speeds, that is, increased data transfer rates, are disclosed. In the various SERODS read and write systems, the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) data is written and read using a two-dimensional process called parallel signal transfer (PST). The various embodiments utilize laser light beam excitation of the SERODS medium, optical filtering, beam imaging, and two-dimensional light detection. Two- and three-dimensional SERODS media are utilized. The SERODS write systems employ either a different laser or a different level of laser power.

Optical system storage design with diffractive optical elements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kostuk, Raymond K.; Haggans, Charles W.

1993-01-01

Optical data storage systems are gaining widespread acceptance due to their high areal density and the ability to remove the high capacity hard disk from the system. In magneto-optical read-write systems, a small rotation of the polarization state in the return signal from the MO media is the signal which must be sensed. A typical arrangement used for detecting these signals and correcting for errors in tracking and focusing on the disk is illustrated. The components required to achieve these functions are listed. The assembly and alignment of this complex system has a direct impact on cost, and also affects the size, weight, and corresponding data access rates. As a result, integrating these optical components and improving packaging techniques is an active area of research and development. Most designs of binary optic elements have been concerned with optimizing grating efficiency. However, rigorous coupled wave models for vector field diffraction from grating surfaces can be extended to determine the phase and polarization state of the diffracted field, and the design of polarization components. A typical grating geometry and the phase and polarization angles associated with the incident and diffracted fields are shown. In our current stage of work, we are examining system configurations which cascade several polarization functions on a single substrate. In this design, the beam returning from the MO disk illuminates a cascaded grating element which first couples light into the substrate, then introduces a quarter wave retardation, then a polarization rotation, and finally separates s- and p-polarized fields through a polarization beam splitter. The input coupler and polarization beam splitter are formed in volume gratings, and the two intermediate elements are zero-order elements.

Analysis and correction of linear optics errors, and operational improvements in the Indus-2 storage ring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husain, Riyasat; Ghodke, A. D.

2017-08-01

Estimation and correction of the optics errors in an operational storage ring is always vital to achieve the design performance. To achieve this task, the most suitable and widely used technique, called linear optics from closed orbit (LOCO) is used in almost all storage ring based synchrotron radiation sources. In this technique, based on the response matrix fit, errors in the quadrupole strengths, beam position monitor (BPM) gains, orbit corrector calibration factors etc. can be obtained. For correction of the optics, suitable changes in the quadrupole strengths can be applied through the driving currents of the quadrupole power supplies to achieve the desired optics. The LOCO code has been used at the Indus-2 storage ring for the first time. The estimation of linear beam optics errors and their correction to minimize the distortion of linear beam dynamical parameters by using the installed number of quadrupole power supplies is discussed. After the optics correction, the performance of the storage ring is improved in terms of better beam injection/accumulation, reduced beam loss during energy ramping, and improvement in beam lifetime. It is also useful in controlling the leakage in the orbit bump required for machine studies or for commissioning of new beamlines.

Musings on the puzzle piece.

PubMed

Goin-Kochel, Robin P

2016-02-01

Following is a brief musing on Roy Grinker's discussion of what the puzzle piece symbolizes for autism during his presentation at the 2015 International Meeting for Autism Research. In his words, "The puzzle piece is ubiquitous." It likely holds a different meaning for each of us, and this is how one autism researcher sees it. © The Author(s) 2015.

Laser Card For Compact Optical Data Storage Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drexler, Jerome

1982-05-01

The principal thrust of the optical data storage industry to date has been the 10 billion bit optical disc system. Mass memory has been the primary objective. Another objective that is beginning to demand recognition is compact memory of 1 million to 40 million bits--on a wallet-size, laser recordable card. Drexler Technology has addressed this opportunity and has succeeded in demonstrating laser writing and readback using a 16 mm by 85 mm recording stripe mounted on a card. The write/read apparatus was developed by SRI International. With this unit, 5 micron holes have been recorded using a 10 milliwatt, 830 nanometer semiconductor-diode laser. Data is entered on an Apple II keyboard using the ASCII code. The recorded reflective surface is scanned with the same laser at lower power to generate a reflected bit stream which is converted into alphanumerics and which appear on the monitor. We are pleased to report that the combination of the DREXONTM laser recordable card ("Laser Card"), the semiconductor-diode laser, arrays of large recorded holes, and human interactive data rates are all mutually compatible and point the way forward to economically feasible, compact, data-storage systems.

Satisfiability modulo theory and binary puzzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Utomo, Putranto

2017-06-01

The binary puzzle is a sudoku-like puzzle with values in each cell taken from the set {0, 1}. We look at the mathematical theory behind it. A solved binary puzzle is an n × n binary array where n is even that satisfies the following conditions: (1) No three consecutive ones and no three consecutive zeros in each row and each column, (2) Every row and column is balanced, that is the number of ones and zeros must be equal in each row and in each column, (3) Every two rows and every two columns must be distinct. The binary puzzle had been proven to be an NP-complete problem [5]. Research concerning the satisfiability of formulas with respect to some background theory is called satisfiability modulo theory (SMT). An SMT solver is an extension of a satisfiability (SAT) solver. The notion of SMT can be used for solving various problem in mathematics and industries such as formula verification and operation research [1, 7]. In this paper we apply SMT to solve binary puzzles. In addition, we do an experiment in solving different sizes and different number of blanks. We also made comparison with two other approaches, namely by a SAT solver and exhaustive search.

Ultra-high density optical data storage in common transparent plastics.

PubMed

Kallepalli, Deepak L N; Alshehri, Ali M; Marquez, Daniela T; Andrzejewski, Lukasz; Scaiano, Juan C; Bhardwaj, Ravi

2016-05-25

The ever-increasing demand for high data storage capacity has spurred research on development of innovative technologies and new storage materials. Conventional GByte optical discs (DVDs and Bluray) can be transformed into ultrahigh capacity storage media by encoding multi-level and multiplexed information within the three dimensional volume of a recording medium. However, in most cases the recording medium had to be photosensitive requiring doping with photochromic molecules or nanoparticles in a multilayer stack or in the bulk material. Here, we show high-density data storage in commonly available plastics without any special material preparation. A pulsed laser was used to record data in micron-sized modified regions. Upon excitation by the read laser, each modified region emits fluorescence whose intensity represents 32 grey levels corresponding to 5 bits. We demonstrate up to 20 layers of embedded data. Adjusting the read laser power and detector sensitivity storage capacities up to 0.2 TBytes can be achieved in a standard 120 mm disc.

An emerging network storage management standard: Media error monitoring and reporting information (MEMRI) - to determine optical tape data integrity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Podio, Fernando; Vollrath, William; Williams, Joel; Kobler, Ben; Crouse, Don

1998-01-01

Sophisticated network storage management applications are rapidly evolving to satisfy a market demand for highly reliable data storage systems with large data storage capacities and performance requirements. To preserve a high degree of data integrity, these applications must rely on intelligent data storage devices that can provide reliable indicators of data degradation. Error correction activity generally occurs within storage devices without notification to the host. Early indicators of degradation and media error monitoring 333 and reporting (MEMR) techniques implemented in data storage devices allow network storage management applications to notify system administrators of these events and to take appropriate corrective actions before catastrophic errors occur. Although MEMR techniques have been implemented in data storage devices for many years, until 1996 no MEMR standards existed. In 1996 the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved the only known (world-wide) industry standard specifying MEMR techniques to verify stored data on optical disks. This industry standard was developed under the auspices of the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM). A recently formed AIIM Optical Tape Subcommittee initiated the development of another data integrity standard specifying a set of media error monitoring tools and media error monitoring information (MEMRI) to verify stored data on optical tape media. This paper discusses the need for intelligent storage devices that can provide data integrity metadata, the content of the existing data integrity standard for optical disks, and the content of the MEMRI standard being developed by the AIIM Optical Tape Subcommittee.

PSQP: Puzzle Solving by Quadratic Programming.

PubMed

Andalo, Fernanda A; Taubin, Gabriel; Goldenstein, Siome

2017-02-01

In this article we present the first effective method based on global optimization for the reconstruction of image puzzles comprising rectangle pieces-Puzzle Solving by Quadratic Programming (PSQP). The proposed novel mathematical formulation reduces the problem to the maximization of a constrained quadratic function, which is solved via a gradient ascent approach. The proposed method is deterministic and can deal with arbitrary identical rectangular pieces. We provide experimental results showing its effectiveness when compared to state-of-the-art approaches. Although the method was developed to solve image puzzles, we also show how to apply it to the reconstruction of simulated strip-shredded documents, broadening its applicability.

Rewritable three-dimensional holographic data storage via optical forces

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

Yetisen, Ali K., E-mail: ayetisen@mgh.harvard.edu; Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139; Montelongo, Yunuen

2016-08-08

The development of nanostructures that can be reversibly arranged and assembled into 3D patterns may enable optical tunability. However, current dynamic recording materials such as photorefractive polymers cannot be used to store information permanently while also retaining configurability. Here, we describe the synthesis and optimization of a silver nanoparticle doped poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) recording medium for reversibly recording 3D holograms. We theoretically and experimentally demonstrate organizing nanoparticles into 3D assemblies in the recording medium using optical forces produced by the gradients of standing waves. The nanoparticles in the recording medium are organized by multiple nanosecond laser pulses to produce reconfigurablemore » slanted multilayer structures. We demonstrate the capability of producing rewritable optical elements such as multilayer Bragg diffraction gratings, 1D photonic crystals, and 3D multiplexed optical gratings. We also show that 3D virtual holograms can be reversibly recorded. This recording strategy may have applications in reconfigurable optical elements, data storage devices, and dynamic holographic displays.« less

A puzzle used to teach the cardiac cycle.

PubMed

Marcondes, Fernanda K; Moura, Maria J C S; Sanches, Andrea; Costa, Rafaela; de Lima, Patricia Oliveira; Groppo, Francisco Carlos; Amaral, Maria E C; Zeni, Paula; Gaviao, Kelly Cristina; Montrezor, Luís H

2015-03-01

The aim of the present article is to describe a puzzle developed for use in teaching cardiac physiology classes. The puzzle presents figures of phases of the cardiac cycle and a table with five columns: phases of cardiac cycle, atrial state, ventricular state, state of atrioventricular valves, and pulmonary and aortic valves. Chips are provided for use to complete the table. Students are requested to discuss which is the correct sequence of figures indicating the phases of cardiac cycle. Afterward, they should complete the table with the chips. Students of biology, dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, and nursing graduation courses from seven institutions performed the puzzle evaluation. They were invited to indicate whether the puzzle had been useful for learning about the subject by filling one of four alternatives. Of the students, 4.6% answered that it was not necessary but helped them to confirm what they had learned, 64.5% reported that although they had previously understood the cardiac cycle, the puzzle helped them to solve doubts and promoted a better understanding of it, and 30.9% said that they needed the puzzle to understand the cardiac cycle, without differences among courses, institutions, and course semesters. The results of the present study suggest that a simple and inexpensive puzzle may be useful as an active learning methodology applied after the theoretical lecture, as a complementary tool for studying cardiac cycle physiology. Copyright © 2015 The American Physiological Society.

Chemistry of Art and Color Sudoku Puzzles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welsh, Michael J.

2007-01-01

Sudoku puzzle format was used to teach light science and chemistry terms to students of Chemistry of Art and Color. The puzzles were used to motivate and encourage students to learn chemistry in an easier and in friendly fashion.

Puzzling practice: a strategy for working with clinical practice issues.

PubMed

Walsh, Kenneth; Moss, Cheryle; Lawless, Jane; McKelvie, Rhonda; Duncan, Lindsay

2008-04-01

In this paper we aim to share the evolution of innovative ways to explore, 'unpack' and reframe clinical issues that exist in everyday practice. The elements of these processes, which we call 'puzzling practice', and the techniques associated with them, were delineated over a two year period by the four authors using action theory based processes. The authors have evolved several different frameworks for 'puzzling practice' which we draw on and use in our practice development work and in our research practice. This paper pays attention to a particular form of puzzling practice that we have found to be useful in assisting individual clinicians and teams to explore and find workable solutions to practice issues. The paper uses a semi-fictitious example of 'Puzzling Practice' gleaned from our experience as practice development facilitators. In this example 'puzzling practice' uses seven different elements; naming the issue; puzzling the issue; testing the puzzle exploring the heart of out practice; formulating the puzzle question; visualizing the future; and generating new strategies for action. Each of the elements is illustrated by the story and the key foundations and ideas behind each element is explored.

Early Puzzle Play: A predictor of preschoolers’ spatial transformation skill

PubMed Central

Levine, S.C.; Ratliff, K.R.; Huttenlocher, J.; Cannon, J.

2011-01-01

Individual differences in spatial skill emerge prior to kindergarten entry. However, little is known about the early experiences that may contribute to these differences. The current study examines the relation between children’s early puzzle play and their spatial skill. Children and parents (n = 53) were observed at home for 90 minutes every four months (six times) between 2 and 4 years of age (26 to 46 months). When children were 4 years 6 months old, they completed a spatial task involving mental transformations of 2D shapes. Children who were observed playing with puzzles performed better on this task than those who did not, controlling for parent education, income, and overall parent word types. Moreover, among those children who played with puzzles, frequency of puzzle play predicted performance on the spatial transformation task. Although the frequency of puzzle play did not differ for boys and girls, the quality of puzzle play (a composite of puzzle difficulty, parent engagement, and parent spatial language) was higher for boys than girls. In addition, variation in puzzle play quality predicted performance on the spatial transformation task for girls but not boys. Implications of these findings as well as future directions for research on the role of the role of puzzle play in the development of spatial skill are discussed. PMID:22040312

Early puzzle play: a predictor of preschoolers' spatial transformation skill.

PubMed

Levine, Susan C; Ratliff, Kristin R; Huttenlocher, Janellen; Cannon, Joanna

2012-03-01

Individual differences in spatial skill emerge prior to kindergarten entry. However, little is known about the early experiences that may contribute to these differences. The current study examined the relation between children's early puzzle play and their spatial skill. Children and parents (n = 53) were observed at home for 90 min every 4 months (6 times) between 2 and 4 years of age (26 to 46 months). When children were 4 years 6 months old, they completed a spatial task involving mental transformations of 2-dimensional shapes. Children who were observed playing with puzzles performed better on this task than those who did not, controlling for parent education, income, and overall parent word types. Moreover, among those children who played with puzzles, frequency of puzzle play predicted performance on the spatial transformation task. Although the frequency of puzzle play did not differ for boys and girls, the quality of puzzle play (a composite of puzzle difficulty, parent engagement, and parent spatial language) was higher for boys than for girls. In addition, variation in puzzle play quality predicted performance on the spatial transformation task for girls but not for boys. Implications of these findings as well as future directions for research on the role of puzzle play in the development of spatial skill are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Deductive Puzzling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wanko, Jeffrey J.

2010-01-01

To help fifth- through eighth-grade students develop their deductive reasoning skills, the author used a ten-week supplementary curriculum so that students could answer logic questions. The curriculum, a series of lessons built around language-independent logic puzzles, has been used in classrooms of fifth through eighth grades. In most cases,…

Nonlinear Optical Properties of Bacteriorhodopsin and Retinal Chromophores and Their Applications for Optical Information Storage and Processing.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhongping

Retinal, a conjugated polyene, plays a crucial role in biology. Both the visual pigments and the energy transducing protein, bacteriorhodopsin (BR) have a form of retinal as their chromophores. Because visual excitation and energy transduction in these systems is initiated by the promotion of retinal to an excited electronic state, information about the excited-state structure of retinal and the effect of chromophore/protein interactions on this structure are essential to understanding the functions of these systems. In this thesis, surface second harmonic (SH) generation is used to measure the light-induced dipole moment changes of a series of retinal derivatives that were designed and synthesized to model specific components of chromophore/protein interactions. In addition, we report an in situ probe of the dipole moment change of the retinal chromophore bound in BR by SH generation from oriented purple membranes. The dipole moment changes of various forms of BR, including light-adapted, dark-adapted, blue, and acid purple membrane, were measured and compared. These results, combined with the results from model compounds, elucidate the effects of the chromophore/protein interactions on light-induced charge redistribution and give insight on the fundamental nature of light excitation and energy storage in SR and rhodopsin. Furthermore, the dependence of the molecular hyperpolarizability of the conjugated molecules on donor/acceptor strength, protonation, conjugate length, planarity, and nonconjugate charges is investigated. Our study shows for the first time that nonconjugated charges have a very large effect on the nonlinear optical properties of conjugated molecules. BR has interesting photochromic characteristics, very large optical nonlinearities, and a unique optoelectrical property where the polarity of the photovoltage depends on both its photochromic state and the excitation wavelength. These unique characteristics coupled with its high stability make BR

Method of bistable optical information storage using antiferroelectric phase PLZT ceramics

DOEpatents

Land, Cecil E.

1990-01-01

A method for bistable storage of binary optical information includes an antiferroelectric (AFE) lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) layer having a stable antiferroelectric first phase and a ferroelectric (FE) second phase obtained by applying a switching electric field across the surface of the device. Optical information is stored by illuminating selected portions of the layer to photoactivate an FE to AFE transition in those portions. Erasure of the stored information is obtained by reapplying the switching field.

Method of bistable optical information storage using antiferroelectric phase PLZT ceramics

DOEpatents

Land, C.E.

1990-07-31

A method for bistable storage of binary optical information includes an antiferroelectric (AFE) lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) layer having a stable antiferroelectric first phase and a ferroelectric (FE) second phase obtained by applying a switching electric field across the surface of the device. Optical information is stored by illuminating selected portions of the layer to photoactivate an FE to AFE transition in those portions. Erasure of the stored information is obtained by reapplying the switching field. 8 figs.

Puzzle Pedagogy: A Use of Riddles in Mathematics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farnell, Elin

2017-01-01

In this article, I present a collection of puzzles appropriate for use in a variety of undergraduate courses, along with suggestions for relevant discussion. Logic puzzles and riddles have long been sources of amusement for mathematicians and the general public alike. I describe the use of puzzles in a classroom setting, and argue for their use as…

Ensuring long-term reliability of the data storage on optical disc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ken; Pan, Longfa; Xu, Bin; Liu, Wei

2008-12-01

"Quality requirements and handling regulation of archival optical disc for electronic records filing" is released by The State Archives Administration of the People's Republic of China (SAAC) on its network in March 2007. This document established a complete operative managing process for optical disc data storage in archives departments. The quality requirements of the optical disc used in archives departments are stipulated. Quality check of the recorded disc before filing is considered to be necessary and the threshold of the parameter of the qualified filing disc is set down. The handling regulations for the staffs in the archives departments are described. Recommended environment conditions of the disc preservation, recording, accessing and testing are presented. The block error rate of the disc is selected as main monitoring parameter of the lifetime of the filing disc and three classes pre-alarm lines are created for marking of different quality check intervals. The strategy of monitoring the variation of the error rate curve of the filing discs and moving the data to a new disc or a new media when the error rate of the disc reaches the third class pre-alarm line will effectively guarantee the data migration before permanent loss. Only when every step of the procedure is strictly implemented, it is believed that long-term reliability of the data storage on optical disc for archives departments can be effectively ensured.

Rewritable Optical Storage with a Spiropyran Doped Liquid Crystal Polymer Film.

PubMed

Petriashvili, Gia; De Santo, Maria Penelope; Devadze, Lali; Zurabishvili, Tsisana; Sepashvili, Nino; Gary, Ramla; Barberi, Riccardo

2016-03-01

Rewritable optical storage has been obtained in a spiropyran doped liquid crystal polymer films. Pictures can be recorded on films upon irradiation with UV light passing through a grayscale mask and they can be rapidly erased using visible light. Films present improved photosensitivity and optical contrast, good resistance to photofatigue, and high spatial resolution. These photochromic films work as a multifunctional, dynamic photosensitive material with a real-time image recording feature. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Novel carbazole derivatives with quinoline ring: synthesis, electronic transition, and two-photon absorption three-dimensional optical data storage.

PubMed

Li, Liang; Wang, Ping; Hu, Yanlei; Lin, Geng; Wu, Yiqun; Huang, Wenhao; Zhao, Quanzhong

2015-03-15

We designed carbazole unit with an extended π conjugation by employing Vilsmeier formylation reaction and Knoevenagel condensation to facilitate the functional groups of quinoline from 3- or 3,6-position of carbazole. Two compounds doped with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films were prepared. To explore the electronic transition properties of these compounds, one-photon absorption properties were experimentally measured and theoretically calculated by using the time-dependent density functional theory. We surveyed these films by using an 800 nm Ti:sapphire 120-fs laser with two-photon absorption (TPA) fluorescence emission properties and TPA coefficients to obtain the TPA cross sections. A three-dimensional optical data storage experiment was conducted by using a TPA photoreaction with an 800 nm-fs laser on the film to obtain a seven-layer optical data storage. The experiment proves that these carbazole derivatives are well suited for two-photon 3D optical storage, thus laying the foundation for the research of multilayer high-density and ultra-high-density optical information storage materials. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Economics - A Puzzle: The People Power Solution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartlett, Glenda; Price, Marlene H.

A third-grade class and fifth-grade remedial reading students gained a positive attitude toward contemporary economic problems by studying economics as a puzzle in this award-winning project. The following concepts were each approached as pieces of the puzzle to be solved: money, wants and needs, income, goods and services, scarcity, consumption…

Solar System Puzzle Kit: An Activity for Earth and Space Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vogt, Gregory L.; Rosenberg, Carla B.

This Solar System Puzzle Kit for grades 5-8, allows students to create an eight-cube paper puzzle of the solar system and may be duplicated for classroom use or used as a take home activity for children and parents. By assembling the puzzle, hand-coloring the bodies of the solar system, and viewing the puzzle's 12 sides, students can reinforce…

Puzzling Ways to Learn

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Shop, 1975

1975-01-01

Four authors present crossword and wordfind puzzles developed for students in the areas of electricity, principles of hydraulics, finishing, construction, thermoplastic materials, patternmaking, wood, occupations, and drafting. (BP)

Algorithmic Puzzles: History, Taxonomies, and Applications in Human Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levitin, Anany

2017-01-01

The paper concerns an important but underappreciated genre of algorithmic puzzles, explaining what these puzzles are, reviewing milestones in their long history, and giving two different ways to classify them. Also covered are major applications of algorithmic puzzles in cognitive science research, with an emphasis on insight problem solving, and…

Eternal 5D optical data storage in glass (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazansky, Peter G.; Cerkauskaite, Ausra; Drevinskas, Rokas; Zhang, Jingyu

2016-09-01

A decade ago it has been discovered that during femtosecond laser writing self-organized subwavelength structures with record small features of 20 nm, could be created in the volume of silica glass. On the macroscopic scale the self-assembled nanostructure behaves as a uniaxial optical crystal with negative birefringence. The optical anisotropy, which results from the alignment of nano-platelets, referred to as form birefringence, is of the same order of magnitude as positive birefringence in crystalline quartz. The two independent parameters describing birefringence, the slow axis orientation (4th dimension) and the strength of retardance (5th dimension), are explored for the optical encoding of information in addition to three spatial coordinates. The slow axis orientation and the retardance are independently manipulated by the polarization and intensity of the femtosecond laser beam. The data optically encoded into five dimensions is successfully retrieved by quantitative birefringence measurements. The storage allows unprecedented parameters including hundreds of terabytes per disc data capacity and thermal stability up to 1000°. Even at elevated temperatures of 160oC, the extrapolated decay time of nanogratings is comparable with the age of the Universe - 13.8 billion years. The recording of the digital documents, which will survive the human race, including the eternal copies of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Newton's Opticks, Kings James Bible and Magna Carta, is a vital step towards an eternal archive. Additionally, a number of projects (such as Time Capsule to Mars, MoonMail, and the Google Lunar XPRIZE) could benefit from the technique's extreme durability, which fulfills a crucial requirement for storage on the Moon or Mars.

The B → π K puzzle revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaudry, Nicolas Boisvert; Datta, Alakabha; London, David; Rashed, Ahmed; Roux, Jean-Samuel

2018-01-01

For a number of years, there has been a certain inconsistency among the measurements of the branching ratios and CP asymmetries of the four B → π K decays ( B + → π+ K 0, B + → π0 K +, B d 0 → π - K +, B d 0 → π 0 K 0). In this paper, we re-examine this B → π K puzzle. We find that the key unknown parameter is | C ' /T '|, the ratio of color-suppressed and color-allowed tree amplitudes. If this ratio is large, | C ' /T '| = 0 .5, the SM can explain the data. But if it is small, | C ' /T '| = 0 .2, the SM cannot explain the B → π K puzzle —new physics (NP) is needed. The two types of NP that can contribute to B → π K at tree level are Z ' bosons and diquarks. Z ' models can explain the puzzle if the Z ' couples to right-handed uū and/or d\\overline{d} , with g R dd ≠ g R uu . Interestingly, half of the many Z ' models proposed to explain the present anomalies in b → sμ + μ - decays have the required Z ' couplings to uū and/or d\\overline{d} . Such models could potentially explain both the b → sμ + μ - anomalies and the B → π K puzzle. The addition of a color sextet diquark that couples to ud can also explain the puzzle.

An Analysis of Instructor-Created Crossword Puzzles for Student Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weisskirch, Robert S.

2006-01-01

This article evaluates the use of instructor-created crossword puzzles as a means of reviewing course material. Students completed one crossword puzzle in class to prepare for an exam, and then they had the opportunity to complete a second crossword puzzle outside of class to prepare for the second exam. Students generally rated the crossword…

Puzzles in modern biology. I. Male sterility, failure reveals design

PubMed Central

Frank, Steven A.

2016-01-01

Many human males produce dysfunctional sperm. Various plants frequently abort pollen. Hybrid matings often produce sterile males. Widespread male sterility is puzzling. Natural selection prunes reproductive failure. Puzzling failure implies something that we do not understand about how organisms are designed. Solving the puzzle reveals the hidden processes of design. PMID:28004842

Two-stage optical recording: photoinduced birefringence and surface-mediated bits storage in bisazo-containing copolymers towards ultrahigh data memory.

PubMed

Hu, Yanlei; Wu, Dong; Li, Jiawen; Huang, Wenhao; Chu, Jiaru

2016-10-03

Ultrahigh density data storage is in high demand in the current age of big data and thus motivates many innovative storage technologies. Femtosecond laser induced multi-dimensional optical data storage is an appealing method to fulfill the demand of ultrahigh storage capacity. Here we report a femtosecond laser induced two-stage optical storage in bisazobenzene copolymer films by manipulating the recording energies. Different mechanisms can be selected for specified memory use: two-photon isomerization (TPI) and laser induced surface deformation. Giant birefringence can be generated by TPI and brings about high signal-to-noise ratio (>20 dB) multi-dimensional reversible storage. Polarization-dependent surface deformation arises when increasing the recording energy, which not only facilitates the multi-level storage by black bits (dots), but also enhances the bits' readout signal and storing stability. This facile bits recording method, which enables completely different recording mechanisms in an identical storage medium, paves the way for sustainable big data storage.

Sudoku Puzzles for First-Year Organic Chemistry Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perez, Alice L.; Lamoureux, G.

2007-01-01

Sudoku puzzle was designed to teach about amino acids and functional groups to the students of undergraduate organic chemistry students. The puzzles focus on helping the student learn the name, 3-letter code and 1-letter code of common amino acids and functional groups.

Teaching the Blue-Eyed Islanders Puzzle in a Liberal Arts Mathematics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shea, Stephen

2012-01-01

The blue-eyed islanders puzzle is an old and challenging logic puzzle. This is a narrative of an experience introducing a variation of this puzzle on the first day of classes in a liberal arts mathematics course for non-majors. I describe an exercise that was used to facilitate the class's understanding of the puzzle.

More Pebble Puzzles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbs, William M.

This booklet is a collection of puzzles, investigations, and games. They are designed to be used with large objects such as tins or stones and diagrams marked on the ground. The children are to be encouraged to use an experimental, trial-and-error approach at first, and then develop methods of solution. (MNS)

Optical Storage System For Small Software Package Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wehrenberg, Paul J.

1985-04-01

This paper describes an optical mass storage system being developed for extremely low cost distribution of small software packages. The structure of the media, design of the optical playback system, and some aspects of mastering and media production are discussed. This read only system is designed solely for the purpose of down loading code in a spooling fashion from the media to the host machine. The media is configured as a plastic card with dimensions 85 mm x 12 mm x 2mm. Each data region on a card is a rectangle 1.33 mm x 59.4 mm which carries up to 64 KB of user data. Cost estimates for production are 0.06 per card for the media and 38.00 for the playback device. The mastering process for the production tooling uses photolithography techniques and can provide production tooling within a few hours of software release. The playback mechanism is rugged and small, and does not require the use of any electromechanical servos.

Three Modes of Hydrogeophysical Investigation: Puzzles, Mysteries, and Conundrums

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferre, P. A.

2011-12-01

In an article in the New Yorker in 2007, Malcolm Gladwell discussed the distinction that national security expert Gregory Treverton has made between puzzles and mysteries. Specifically, puzzles are problems that we understand and that will eventually be solved when we amass enough information. (Think crossword puzzles.) Mysteries are problems for which we have the necessary information, but it is often overwhelmed by irrelevant or misleading input. To solve a mystery, we require improved analysis. (Think find-a-word.) Gladwell goes on to explain that, in the national security realm, the Cold War was a puzzle while the current national security condition is a mystery. I will discuss the past, current, and future trajectories of hydrogeophysics in terms of puzzles and mysteries. I will also add a third class of problem: conundrums - those for which we lack sufficient information about their structure to know how to solve them. A conundrum is a mystery with an unexpected twist. I hope to make the case that the future growth of hydrogeophysics lies in our ability to address this more challenging and more interesting class of problem.

GAMES AND PUZZLES FOR THE MORE ABLE STUDENT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GOLDSMITH, JOHN

SUCH MATHEMATICAL GAMES AS DOMINOES FOR PRIMARY NUMBER RECOGNITION AND AS MILK BOTTLE TOPS FOR ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION ARE LISTED. A LIST OF SEVERAL MATH PROBLEMS, PUZZLES AND BRAIN TEASERS FOLLOW. QUIET GAMES OF PAPER CUTTING AND CROSS WORD PUZZLES FOR MATH VOCABULARY ARE INCLUDED. THE NEXT SECTION OF GAMES CONCERNS LANGUAGE. THESE INCLUDE…

A Puzzle Used to Teach the Cardiac Cycle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcondes, Fernanda K.; Moura, Maria J. C. S.; Sanches, Andrea; Costa, Rafaela; Oliveira de Lima, Patricia; Groppo, Francisco Carlos; Amaral, Maria E. C.; Zeni, Paula; Gaviao, Kelly Cristina; Montrezor, Luís H.

2015-01-01

The aim of the present article is to describe a puzzle developed for use in teaching cardiac physiology classes. The puzzle presents figures of phases of the cardiac cycle and a table with five columns: phases of cardiac cycle, atrial state, ventricular state, state of atrioventricular valves, and pulmonary and aortic valves. Chips are provided…

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: The role of standards in the emerging optical digital data disk storage systems market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bainbridge, Ross C.

1984-09-01

The Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology at the National Bureau of Standards is pleased to cooperate with the International Society for Optical Engineering and to join with the other distinguished organizations in cosponsoring this conference on applications of optical digital data disk storage systems.

Decoding Codewords: Statistical Analysis of a Newspaper Puzzle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meacock, Susan; Meacock, Geoff

2012-01-01

In recent years English newspapers have started featuring a number of puzzles other than the ubiquitous crossword. Many of the puzzles are of Japanese origin such as Sudoku, Kakuro or Hidato. However, one recent one is very English and is called variously Cross-code, Alphapuzzle or some other name. In this article, it will be known as Codeword.…

Making Peer-Assisted Content Distribution Robust to Collusion Using Bandwidth Puzzles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reiter, Michael K.; Sekar, Vyas; Spensky, Chad; Zhang, Zhenghao

Many peer-assisted content-distribution systems reward a peer based on the amount of data that this peer serves to others. However, validating that a peer did so is, to our knowledge, an open problem; e.g., a group of colluding attackers can earn rewards by claiming to have served content to one another, when they have not. We propose a puzzle mechanism to make contribution-aware peer-assisted content distribution robust to such collusion. Our construction ties solving the puzzle to possession of specific content and, by issuing puzzle challenges simultaneously to all parties claiming to have that content, our mechanism prevents one content-holder from solving many others' puzzles. We prove (in the random oracle model) the security of our scheme, describe our integration of bandwidth puzzles into a media streaming system, and demonstrate the resulting attack resilience via simulations.

Incomplete Puzzle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

15 April 2006 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a mid-summer view of a portion of the south polar residual cap of Mars. The large, relatively flat-lying, puzzle-like pieces in this scene are mesas composed largely of solid carbon dioxide.

Location near: 85.5oS, 76.8oW Image width: 3 km (1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Summer

Crossword Puzzles as Learning Tools in Introductory Soil Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbarick, K. A.

2010-01-01

Students in introductory courses generally respond favorably to novel approaches to learning. To this end, I developed and used three crossword puzzles in spring and fall 2009 semesters in Introductory Soil Science Laboratory at Colorado State University. The first hypothesis was that crossword puzzles would improve introductory soil science…

Teaching Proofs and Algorithms in Discrete Mathematics with Online Visual Logic Puzzles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cigas, John; Hsin, Wen-Jung

2005-01-01

Visual logic puzzles provide a fertile environment for teaching multiple topics in discrete mathematics. Many puzzles can be solved by the repeated application of a small, finite set of strategies. Explicitly reasoning from a strategy to a new puzzle state illustrates theorems, proofs, and logic principles. These provide valuable, concrete…

Puzzling through General Chemistry: A Light-Hearted Approach to Engaging Students with Chemistry Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, Susan L.

2007-01-01

Several puzzles are designed to be used by chemistry students as learning tools and teach them basic chemical concepts. The topics of the puzzles are based on the chapters from Chemistry, The Central Science used in general chemistry course and the puzzles are in various forms like crosswords, word searches, number searches, puzzles based on…

The Clock Is Ticking: Library Orientation as Puzzle Room

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reade, Tripp

2017-01-01

Tripp Reade is the school librarian at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. This article describes how he redesigned his school's library orientation program after learning about escape rooms and a variant known as puzzle rooms. Puzzle rooms present players with a set of challenges to solve; they require "teamwork,…

Puzzle-Based Learning in Engineering Mathematics: Students' Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klymchuk, Sergiy

2017-01-01

The article reports on the results of two case studies on the impact of the regular use of puzzles as a pedagogical strategy in the teaching and learning of engineering mathematics. The intention of using puzzles is to engage students' emotions, creativity and curiosity and also to enhance their generic thinking skills and lateral thinking…

Robust Sex Differences in Jigsaw Puzzle Solving—Are Boys Really Better in Most Visuospatial Tasks?

PubMed Central

Kocijan, Vid; Horvat, Marina; Majdic, Gregor

2017-01-01

Sex differences are consistently reported in different visuospatial tasks with men usually performing better in mental rotation tests while women are better on tests for memory of object locations. In the present study, we investigated sex differences in solving jigsaw puzzles in children. In total 22 boys and 24 girls were tested using custom build tablet application representing a jigsaw puzzle consisting of 25 pieces and featuring three different pictures. Girls outperformed boys in solving jigsaw puzzles regardless of the picture. Girls were faster than boys in solving the puzzle, made less incorrect moves with the pieces of the puzzle, and spent less time moving the pieces around the tablet. It appears that the strategy of solving the jigsaw puzzle was the main factor affecting differences in success, as girls tend to solve the puzzle more systematically while boys performed more trial and error attempts, thus having more incorrect moves with the puzzle pieces. Results of this study suggest a very robust sex difference in solving the jigsaw puzzle with girls outperforming boys by a large margin. PMID:29109682

Robust Sex Differences in Jigsaw Puzzle Solving-Are Boys Really Better in Most Visuospatial Tasks?

PubMed

Kocijan, Vid; Horvat, Marina; Majdic, Gregor

2017-01-01

Sex differences are consistently reported in different visuospatial tasks with men usually performing better in mental rotation tests while women are better on tests for memory of object locations. In the present study, we investigated sex differences in solving jigsaw puzzles in children. In total 22 boys and 24 girls were tested using custom build tablet application representing a jigsaw puzzle consisting of 25 pieces and featuring three different pictures. Girls outperformed boys in solving jigsaw puzzles regardless of the picture. Girls were faster than boys in solving the puzzle, made less incorrect moves with the pieces of the puzzle, and spent less time moving the pieces around the tablet. It appears that the strategy of solving the jigsaw puzzle was the main factor affecting differences in success, as girls tend to solve the puzzle more systematically while boys performed more trial and error attempts, thus having more incorrect moves with the puzzle pieces. Results of this study suggest a very robust sex difference in solving the jigsaw puzzle with girls outperforming boys by a large margin.

International trade network: fractal properties and globalization puzzle.

PubMed

Karpiarz, Mariusz; Fronczak, Piotr; Fronczak, Agata

2014-12-12

Globalization is one of the central concepts of our age. The common perception of the process is that, due to declining communication and transport costs, distance becomes less and less important. However, the distance coefficient in the gravity model of trade, which grows in time, indicates that the role of distance increases rather than decreases. This, in essence, captures the notion of the globalization puzzle. Here, we show that the fractality of the international trade system (ITS) provides a simple solution for the puzzle. We argue that the distance coefficient corresponds to the fractal dimension of ITS. We provide two independent methods, the box counting method and spatial choice model, which confirm this statement. Our results allow us to conclude that the previous approaches to solving the puzzle misinterpreted the meaning of the distance coefficient in the gravity model of trade.

International Trade Network: Fractal Properties and Globalization Puzzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpiarz, Mariusz; Fronczak, Piotr; Fronczak, Agata

2014-12-01

Globalization is one of the central concepts of our age. The common perception of the process is that, due to declining communication and transport costs, distance becomes less and less important. However, the distance coefficient in the gravity model of trade, which grows in time, indicates that the role of distance increases rather than decreases. This, in essence, captures the notion of the globalization puzzle. Here, we show that the fractality of the international trade system (ITS) provides a simple solution for the puzzle. We argue that the distance coefficient corresponds to the fractal dimension of ITS. We provide two independent methods, the box counting method and spatial choice model, which confirm this statement. Our results allow us to conclude that the previous approaches to solving the puzzle misinterpreted the meaning of the distance coefficient in the gravity model of trade.

Accelerating Student Learning of Technology Terms: "The Crossword Puzzle Exercise"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whisenand, Thomas G.; Dunphy, Steven M.

2010-01-01

The authors suggest using an alternative teaching methodology to impart knowledge regarding information systems phraseology and vocabulary. Specifically, a series of crossword puzzles or scrabbles are used to present information system (IS) terminology to students in an introductory business information systems course. The puzzle terms and answers…

Archive Storage Media Alternatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ranade, Sanjay

1990-01-01

Reviews requirements for a data archive system and describes storage media alternatives that are currently available. Topics discussed include data storage; data distribution; hierarchical storage architecture, including inline storage, online storage, nearline storage, and offline storage; magnetic disks; optical disks; conventional magnetic…

An optical storage cavity-based, Compton-backscatter x-ray source using the MKV free electron laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadmack, Michael R.

A compact, high-brightness x-ray source is presently under development at the University of Hawai`i Free Electron Laser Laboratory. This source utilizes Compton backscattering of an infrared laser from a relativistic electron beam to produce a narrow beam of monochromatic x-rays. The scattering efficiency is greatly increased by tightly focusing the two beams at an interaction point within a near-concentric optical storage cavity, designed with high finesse to coherently stack the incident laser pulses and greatly enhance the number of photons available for scattering with the electron beam. This dissertation describes the effort and progress to integrate and characterize the most important and challenging aspects of the design of this system. A low-power, near-concentric, visible-light storage cavity has been constructed as a tool for the exploration of the performance, alignment procedures, and diagnostics required for the operation of a high power infrared storage cavity. The use of off-axis reflective focussing elements is essential to the design of the optical storage cavity, but requires exquisite alignment to minimize astigmatism and other optical aberrations. Experiments using a stabilized HeNe laser have revealed important performance characteristics, and allowed the development of critical alignment and calibration procedures, which can be directly applied to the high power infrared storage cavity. Integration of the optical and electron beams is similarly challenging. A scanning-wire beam profiler has been constructed and tested, which allows for high resolution measurement of the size and position of the laser and electron beams at the interaction point. This apparatus has demonstrated that the electron and laser beams can be co-aligned with a precision of less than 10 microm, as required to maximize the x-ray production rate. Equally important is the stabilization of the phase of the GHz repetition rate electron pulses arriving at the interaction point

Enumerating Small Sudoku Puzzles in a First Abstract Algebra Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorch, Crystal; Lorch, John

2008-01-01

Two methods are presented for counting small "essentially different" sudoku puzzles using elementary group theory: one method (due to Jarvis and Russell) uses Burnside's counting formula, while the other employs an invariant property of sudoku puzzles. Ideas are included for incorporating this material into an introductory abstract algebra course.…

Association of Crossword Puzzle Participation with Memory Decline in Persons Who Develop Dementia

PubMed Central

Pillai, Jagan A.; Hall, Charles B.; Dickson, Dennis W.; Buschke, Herman; Lipton, Richard B.; Verghese, Joe

2013-01-01

Participation in cognitively stimulating leisure activities such as crossword puzzles may delay onset of the memory decline in the preclinical stages of dementia, possibly via its effect on improving cognitive reserve. We followed 488 initially cognitively intact community residing individuals with clinical and cognitive assessments every 12–18 months in the Bronx Aging Study. We assessed the influence of crossword puzzle participation on the onset of accelerated memory decline as measured by the Buschke Selective Reminding Test in 101 individuals who developed incident dementia using a change point model. Crossword puzzle participation at baseline delayed onset of accelerated memory decline by 2.54 years. Inclusion of education or participation in other cognitively stimulating activities did not significantly add to the fit of the model beyond the effect of puzzles. Our findings show that late life crossword puzzle participation, independent of education, was associated with delayed onset of memory decline in persons who developed dementia. Given the wide availability and accessibility of crossword puzzles, their role in preventing cognitive decline should be validated in future clinical trials. PMID:22040899

Nature's Greatest Puzzles

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

Quigg, Chris; /Fermilab

2005-02-01

It is a pleasure to be part of the SLAC Summer Institute again, not simply because it is one of the great traditions in our field, but because this is a moment of great promise for particle physics. I look forward to exploring many opportunities with you over the course of our two weeks together. My first task in talking about Nature's Greatest Puzzles, the title of this year's Summer Institute, is to deconstruct the premise a little bit.

Use of biphase-coded pulses for wideband data storage in time-domain optical memories.

PubMed

Shen, X A; Kachru, R

1993-06-10

We demonstrate that temporally long laser pulses with appropriate phase modulation can replace either temporally brief or frequency-chirped pulses in a time-domain optical memory to store and retrieve information. A 1.65-µs-long write pulse was biphase modulated according to the 13-bit Barker code for storing multiple bits of optical data into a Pr(3+):YAlO(3) crystal, and the stored information was later recalled faithfully by using a read pulse that was identical to the write pulse. Our results further show that the stored data cannot be retrieved faithfully if mismatched write and read pulses are used. This finding opens up the possibility of designing encrypted optical memories for secure data storage.

Construction-Paper Puzzle Masterpieces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vance, Shelly

2010-01-01

Creating an appreciation of art history in her junior-high students has always been one of the author's greatest challenges as an art teacher. In this article, the author describes how her eighth-grade students re-created a famous work of art--piece by piece, like a puzzle or a stained-glass window--out of construction paper. (Contains 1 resource.)

Impact of storage induced outgassing organic contamination on laser induced damage of silica optics at 351 nm.

PubMed

Bien-Aimé, K; Belin, C; Gallais, L; Grua, P; Fargin, E; Néauport, J; Tovena-Pecault, I

2009-10-12

The impact of storage conditions on laser induced damage density at 351 nm on bare fused polished silica samples has been studied. Intentionally outgassing of polypropylene pieces on silica samples was done. We evidenced an important increase of laser induced damage density on contaminated samples demonstrating that storage could limit optics lifetime performances. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Gas Chromatography -Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) have been used to identify the potential causes of this effect. It shows that a small quantity of organic contamination deposited on silica surface is responsible for this degradation. Various hypotheses are proposed to explain the damage mechanism. The more likely hypothesis is a coupling between surface defects of optics and organic contaminants.

An Alternative Evaluation: Online Puzzle as a Course-End Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Genç, Zülfü; Aydemir, Emrah

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine whether the use of online puzzles in the instructional process has an effect on student achievement and learning retention. This study examined students ' perception and experiences on use of puzzle as an alternative evaluation tool. To achieve this aim, the following hypotheses were tested: using…

Optically-controlled long-term storage and release of thermal energy in phase-change materials.

PubMed

Han, Grace G D; Li, Huashan; Grossman, Jeffrey C

2017-11-13

Thermal energy storage offers enormous potential for a wide range of energy technologies. Phase-change materials offer state-of-the-art thermal storage due to high latent heat. However, spontaneous heat loss from thermally charged phase-change materials to cooler surroundings occurs due to the absence of a significant energy barrier for the liquid-solid transition. This prevents control over the thermal storage, and developing effective methods to address this problem has remained an elusive goal. Herein, we report a combination of photo-switching dopants and organic phase-change materials as a way to introduce an activation energy barrier for phase-change materials solidification and to conserve thermal energy in the materials, allowing them to be triggered optically to release their stored latent heat. This approach enables the retention of thermal energy (about 200 J g -1 ) in the materials for at least 10 h at temperatures lower than the original crystallization point, unlocking opportunities for portable thermal energy storage systems.

Quantum storage of entangled telecom-wavelength photons in an erbium-doped optical fibre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saglamyurek, Erhan; Jin, Jeongwan; Verma, Varun B.; Shaw, Matthew D.; Marsili, Francesco; Nam, Sae Woo; Oblak, Daniel; Tittel, Wolfgang

2015-02-01

The realization of a future quantum Internet requires the processing and storage of quantum information at local nodes and interconnecting distant nodes using free-space and fibre-optic links. Quantum memories for light are key elements of such quantum networks. However, to date, neither an atomic quantum memory for non-classical states of light operating at a wavelength compatible with standard telecom fibre infrastructure, nor a fibre-based implementation of a quantum memory, has been reported. Here, we demonstrate the storage and faithful recall of the state of a 1,532 nm wavelength photon entangled with a 795 nm photon, in an ensemble of cryogenically cooled erbium ions doped into a 20-m-long silica fibre, using a photon-echo quantum memory protocol. Despite its currently limited efficiency and storage time, our broadband light-matter interface brings fibre-based quantum networks one step closer to reality.

The Puzzle of Science; Making Sense of Incomplete Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shorey, B. U.

2015-12-01

There are many topics within Earth science including evolution, historical geology, and climate change, which have gained the status of theory becuse they have overwhelming evidence, yet there is still fragmentary information which can frustrate a student from coming to solid conclusions. Using a jigsaw puzzle whose image has been hidden, and the pieces only given out sparingly, students go though the process of getting more information. How does one get more puzzle pieces and what is the interpretive process? Experience with this exercise demonstrates how students can sketch out an incredibly accurate conception of the "big picture", despite not having all the puzzle pieces. The goal of this talk is to give a complete tool kit to perform as a comprehensive lesson plan. Guiding questions and copies of lesson plans and materials are supplied for this exercise.

Puzzle-based learning in engineering mathematics: students' attitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klymchuk, Sergiy

2017-11-01

The article reports on the results of two case studies on the impact of the regular use of puzzles as a pedagogical strategy in the teaching and learning of engineering mathematics. The intention of using puzzles is to engage students' emotions, creativity and curiosity and also to enhance their generic thinking skills and lateral thinking 'outside the box'. Students' attitudes towards this pedagogical strategy are evaluated via short questionnaires with two groups of university students taking a second-year engineering mathematics course. Students' responses to the questionnaire are presented and analyzed in the paper.

Teaching Inductive Reasoning with Puzzles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wanko, Jeffrey J.

2017-01-01

Working with language-independent logic structures can help students develop both inductive and deductive reasoning skills. The Japanese publisher Nikoli (with resources available both in print and online) produces a treasure trove of language-independent logic puzzles. The Nikoli print resources are mostly in Japanese, creating the extra…

Two-Dimensional Parson's Puzzles: The Concept, Tools, and First Observations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ihantola, Petri; Karavirta, Ville

2011-01-01

Parson's programming puzzles are a family of code construction assignments where lines of code are given, and the task is to form the solution by sorting and possibly selecting the correct code lines. We introduce a novel family of Parson's puzzles where the lines of code need to be sorted in two dimensions. The vertical dimension is used to order…

The impact of memory load and perceptual cues on puzzle learning by 24-month olds.

PubMed

Barr, Rachel; Moser, Alecia; Rusnak, Sylvia; Zimmermann, Laura; Dickerson, Kelly; Lee, Herietta; Gerhardstein, Peter

2016-11-01

Early childhood is characterized by memory capacity limitations and rapid perceptual and motor development [Rovee-Collier (1996). Infant Behavior & Development, 19, 385-400]. The present study examined 2-year olds' reproduction of a sliding action to complete an abstract fish puzzle under different levels of memory load and perceptual feature support. Experimental groups were compared to baseline controls to assess spontaneous rates of production of the target actions; baseline production was low across all experiments. Memory load was manipulated in Exp. 1 by adding pieces to the puzzle, increasing sequence length from 2 to 3 items, and to 3 items plus a distractor. Although memory load did not influence how toddlers learned to manipulate the puzzle pieces, it did influence toddlers' achievement of the goal-constructing the fish. Overall, girls were better at constructing the puzzle than boys. In Exp. 2, the perceptual features of the puzzle were altered by changing shape boundaries to create a two-piece horizontally cut puzzle (displaying bilateral symmetry), and by adding a semantically supportive context to the vertically cut puzzle (iconic). Toddlers were able to achieve the goal of building the fish equally well across the 2-item puzzle types (bilateral symmetry, vertical, iconic), but how they learned to manipulate the puzzle pieces varied as a function of the perceptual features. Here, as in Exp. 1, girls showed a different pattern of performance from the boys. This study demonstrates that changes in memory capacity and perceptual processing influence both goal-directed imitation learning and motoric performance. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Computational Complexity of the Kakuro Puzzle, Revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruepp, Oliver; Holzer, Markus

We present a new proof of NP-completeness for the problem of solving instances of the Japanese pencil puzzle Kakuro (also known as Cross-Sum). While the NP-completeness of Kakuro puzzles has been shown before [T. Seta. The complexity of CROSS SUM. IPSJ SIG Notes, AL-84:51-58, 2002], there are still two interesting aspects to our proof: we show NP-completeness for a new variant of Kakuro that has not been investigated before and thus improves the aforementioned result. Moreover some parts of the proof have been generated automatically, using an interesting technique involving SAT solvers.

Optical to optical interface device

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliver, D. S.; Vohl, P.; Nisenson, P.

1972-01-01

The development, fabrication, and testing of a preliminary model of an optical-to-optical (noncoherent-to-coherent) interface device for use in coherent optical parallel processing systems are described. The developed device demonstrates a capability for accepting as an input a scene illuminated by a noncoherent radiation source and providing as an output a coherent light beam spatially modulated to represent the original noncoherent scene. The converter device developed under this contract employs a Pockels readout optical modulator (PROM). This is a photosensitive electro-optic element which can sense and electrostatically store optical images. The stored images can be simultaneously or subsequently readout optically by utilizing the electrostatic storage pattern to control an electro-optic light modulating property of the PROM. The readout process is parallel as no scanning mechanism is required. The PROM provides the functions of optical image sensing, modulation, and storage in a single active material.

Japanese Logic Puzzles and Proof

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wanko, Jeffrey J.

2009-01-01

An understanding of proof does not start in a high school geometry course. Rather, attention to logical reasoning throughout a student's school experience can help the development of proof readiness. In the spirit of problem solving, the author has begun to use some Japanese logic puzzles other than sudoku to help students develop additional…

Large Format Multifunction 2-Terabyte Optical Disk Storage System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaiser, David R.; Brucker, Charles F.; Gage, Edward C.; Hatwar, T. K.; Simmons, George O.

1996-01-01

The Kodak Digital Science OD System 2000E automated disk library (ADL) base module and write-once drive are being developed as the next generation commercial product to the currently available System 2000 ADL. Under government sponsorship with the Air Force's Rome Laboratory, Kodak is developing magneto-optic (M-O) subsystems compatible with the Kodak Digital Science ODW25 drive architecture, which will result in a multifunction (MF) drive capable of reading and writing 25 gigabyte (GB) WORM media and 15 GB erasable media. In an OD system 2000 E ADL configuration with 4 MF drives and 100 total disks with a 50% ration of WORM and M-O media, 2.0 terabytes (TB) of versatile near line mass storage is available.

Optical memory development. Volume 2: Gain-assisted holographic storage media

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gange, R. A.; Mezrich, R. S.

1972-01-01

Thin deformable films were investigated for use as the storage medium in a holographic optical memory. The research was directed toward solving the problems of material fatigue, selective heat addressing, electrical charging of the film surface and charge patterning by light. A number of solutions to these problems were found but the main conclusion to be drawn from the work is that deformable media which employ heat in the recording process are not satisfactory for use in a high-speed random-access read/write holographic memory. They are, however, a viable approach in applications where either high speed or random-access is not required.

Mass storage technology in networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishii, Katsunori; Takeda, Toru; Itao, Kiyoshi; Kaneko, Reizo

1990-08-01

Trends and features of mass storage subsystems in network are surveyed and their key technologies spotlighted. Storage subsystems are becoming increasingly important in new network systems in which communications and data processing are systematically combined. These systems require a new class of high-performance mass-information storage in order to effectively utilize their processing power. The requirements of high transfer rates, high transactional rates and large storage capacities, coupled with high functionality, fault tolerance and flexibility in configuration, are major challenges in storage subsystems. Recent progress in optical disk technology has resulted in improved performance of on-line external memories to optical disk drives, which are competing with mid-range magnetic disks. Optical disks are more effective than magnetic disks in using low-traffic random-access file storing multimedia data that requires large capacity, such as in archive use and in information distribution use by ROM disks. Finally, it demonstrates image coded document file servers for local area network use that employ 130mm rewritable magneto-optical disk subsystems.

Puzzle Imaging: Using Large-Scale Dimensionality Reduction Algorithms for Localization.

PubMed

Glaser, Joshua I; Zamft, Bradley M; Church, George M; Kording, Konrad P

2015-01-01

Current high-resolution imaging techniques require an intact sample that preserves spatial relationships. We here present a novel approach, "puzzle imaging," that allows imaging a spatially scrambled sample. This technique takes many spatially disordered samples, and then pieces them back together using local properties embedded within the sample. We show that puzzle imaging can efficiently produce high-resolution images using dimensionality reduction algorithms. We demonstrate the theoretical capabilities of puzzle imaging in three biological scenarios, showing that (1) relatively precise 3-dimensional brain imaging is possible; (2) the physical structure of a neural network can often be recovered based only on the neural connectivity matrix; and (3) a chemical map could be reproduced using bacteria with chemosensitive DNA and conjugative transfer. The ability to reconstruct scrambled images promises to enable imaging based on DNA sequencing of homogenized tissue samples.

Puzzle Imaging: Using Large-Scale Dimensionality Reduction Algorithms for Localization

PubMed Central

Glaser, Joshua I.; Zamft, Bradley M.; Church, George M.; Kording, Konrad P.

2015-01-01

Current high-resolution imaging techniques require an intact sample that preserves spatial relationships. We here present a novel approach, “puzzle imaging,” that allows imaging a spatially scrambled sample. This technique takes many spatially disordered samples, and then pieces them back together using local properties embedded within the sample. We show that puzzle imaging can efficiently produce high-resolution images using dimensionality reduction algorithms. We demonstrate the theoretical capabilities of puzzle imaging in three biological scenarios, showing that (1) relatively precise 3-dimensional brain imaging is possible; (2) the physical structure of a neural network can often be recovered based only on the neural connectivity matrix; and (3) a chemical map could be reproduced using bacteria with chemosensitive DNA and conjugative transfer. The ability to reconstruct scrambled images promises to enable imaging based on DNA sequencing of homogenized tissue samples. PMID:26192446

Puzzle based teaching versus traditional instruction in electrocardiogram interpretation for medical students--a pilot study.

PubMed

Rubinstein, Jack; Dhoble, Abhijeet; Ferenchick, Gary

2009-01-13

Most medical professionals are expected to possess basic electrocardiogram (EKG) interpretation skills. But, published data suggests that residents' and physicians' EKG interpretation skills are suboptimal. Learning styles differ among medical students; individualization of teaching methods has been shown to be viable and may result in improved learning. Puzzles have been shown to facilitate learning in a relaxed environment. The objective of this study was to assess efficacy of teaching puzzle in EKG interpretation skills among medical students. This is a reader blinded crossover trial. Third year medical students from College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University participated in this study. Two groups (n = 9) received two traditional EKG interpretation skills lectures followed by a standardized exam and two extra sessions with the teaching puzzle and a different exam. Two other groups (n = 6) received identical courses and exams with the puzzle session first followed by the traditional teaching. EKG interpretation scores on final test were used as main outcome measure. The average score after only traditional teaching was 4.07 +/- 2.08 while after only the puzzle session was 4.04 +/- 2.36 (p = 0.97). The average improvement after the traditional session was followed up with a puzzle session was 2.53 +/- 1.94 while the average improvement after the puzzle session was followed with the traditional session was 2.08 +/- 1.73 (p = 0.67). The final EKG exam score for this cohort (n = 15) was 84.1 compared to 86.6 (p = 0.22) for a comparable sample of medical students (n = 15) at a different campus. Teaching EKG interpretation with puzzles is comparable to traditional teaching and may be particularly useful for certain subgroups of students. Puzzle session are more interactive and relaxing, and warrant further investigations on larger scale.

On the dynamic readout characteristic of nonlinear super-resolution optical storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Jingsong

2013-03-01

Researchers have developed nonlinear super-resolution optical storage for the past twenty years. However, several concerns remain, including (1) the presence of readout threshold power; (2) the increase of threshold power with the reduction of the mark size, and (3) the increase of the carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR) at the initial stage and then decrease with the increase of readout laser power or laser irradiation time. The present work calculates and analyzes the super-resolution spot formed by the thin film masks and the readout threshold power characteristic according to the derived formula and based on the nonlinear saturable absorption characteristic and threshold of structural change. The obtained theoretical calculation and experimental data answer the concerns regarding the dynamic readout threshold characteristic and CNR dependence on laser power and irradiation time. The near-field optical spot scanning experiment further verifies the super-resolution spot formation produced through the nonlinear thin film masks.

Monolayer optical memory cells based on artificial trap-mediated charge storage and release

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Juwon; Pak, Sangyeon; Lee, Young-Woo; Cho, Yuljae; Hong, John; Giraud, Paul; Shin, Hyeon Suk; Morris, Stephen M.; Sohn, Jung Inn; Cha, Seungnam; Kim, Jong Min

2017-03-01

Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides are considered to be promising candidates for flexible and transparent optoelectronics applications due to their direct bandgap and strong light-matter interactions. Although several monolayer-based photodetectors have been demonstrated, single-layered optical memory devices suitable for high-quality image sensing have received little attention. Here we report a concept for monolayer MoS2 optoelectronic memory devices using artificially-structured charge trap layers through the functionalization of the monolayer/dielectric interfaces, leading to localized electronic states that serve as a basis for electrically-induced charge trapping and optically-mediated charge release. Our devices exhibit excellent photo-responsive memory characteristics with a large linear dynamic range of ~4,700 (73.4 dB) coupled with a low OFF-state current (<4 pA), and a long storage lifetime of over 104 s. In addition, the multi-level detection of up to 8 optical states is successfully demonstrated. These results represent a significant step toward the development of future monolayer optoelectronic memory devices.

Bullet-Block Science Video Puzzle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shakur, Asif

2015-01-01

A science video blog, which has gone viral, shows a wooden block shot by a vertically aimed rifle. The video shows that the block hit dead center goes exactly as high as the one shot off-center. (Fig. 1). The puzzle is that the block shot off-center carries rotational kinetic energy in addition to the gravitational potential energy. This leads a…

Research studies on advanced optical module/head designs for optical devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burke, James J.

1991-01-01

A summary is presented of research in optical data storage materials and of research at the center. The first section contains summary reports under the general headings of: (1) Magnetooptic media: modeling, design, fabrication, characterization, and testing; (2) Optical heads: holographic optical elements; and (3) Optical heads: integrated optics. The second section consist of a proposal entitled, Signal Processing Techniques for Optical Data Storage. And section three presents various publications prepared by the center.

Usefulness of Crossword Puzzles in Helping First-Year BVSc Students Learn Veterinary Terminology.

PubMed

Abuelo, Angel; Castillo, Cristina; May, Stephen A

Appropriate terminology is essential for successful communication among health professionals. However, students have traditionally been encouraged to learn terminology by rote memorization and recall, strategies that students try to avoid. The use of crossword puzzles as a learning tool has been evaluated in other education disciplines, but not for terminology related to veterinary science. Hence, the objective of this study was to test whether crossword puzzles might be an effective aid to learning veterinary terminology. Forty-two first-year students enrolled in a Bachelor of Veterinary Science program were randomly divided into two groups and their previous knowledge of veterinary terms tested. One group received a list of 30 terms with their definitions. The other group received the same list plus six specially designed puzzles incorporating these 30 terms. After 50 minutes, both groups completed a post-intervention test and the results were compared statistically. The results showed that the students using the crossword puzzles performed better in the post-intervention test, correctly retaining more terms than the students using only rote learning. In addition, qualitative data, gathered through an electronic survey and focus group discussions, revealed a positive attitude among students toward the use of crossword puzzles.

Crossword Puzzle Makes It Fun: Introduce Green Manufacturing in Wood Technology Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iley, John L.; Hague, Doug

2012-01-01

Sustainable, or "green," manufacturing and its practices are becoming more and more a part of today's industry, including wood product manufacturing. This article provides introductory information on green manufacturing in wood technology and a crossword puzzle based on green manufacturing terms. The authors use the puzzle at the college level to…

What Puzzles Teachers in Rio de janeiro, and What Keeps Them Going?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyra, Isolina; Fish, Solange; Braga, Walewska Gomes

2003-01-01

Focuses on the key mechanism of "puzzling" in Exploratory Practice (EP), a form of practitioner research, and the critical issue of sustainability in the context of volunteer teacher development work in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Investigated puzzles (concerns) of language teachers and grouped them into six categories; motivation, anxiety,…

Recent Advances in Photonic Devices for Optical Computing and the Role of Nonlinear Optics-Part II

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abdeldayem, Hossin; Frazier, Donald O.; Witherow, William K.; Banks, Curtis E.; Paley, Mark S.

2007-01-01

The twentieth century has been the era of semiconductor materials and electronic technology while this millennium is expected to be the age of photonic materials and all-optical technology. Optical technology has led to countless optical devices that have become indispensable in our daily lives in storage area networks, parallel processing, optical switches, all-optical data networks, holographic storage devices, and biometric devices at airports. This chapters intends to bring some awareness to the state-of-the-art of optical technologies, which have potential for optical computing and demonstrate the role of nonlinear optics in many of these components. Our intent, in this Chapter, is to present an overview of the current status of optical computing, and a brief evaluation of the recent advances and performance of the following key components necessary to build an optical computing system: all-optical logic gates, adders, optical processors, optical storage, holographic storage, optical interconnects, spatial light modulators and optical materials.

An Empirical Evaluation of Puzzle-Based Learning as an Interest Approach for Teaching Introductory Computer Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merrick, K. E.

2010-01-01

This correspondence describes an adaptation of puzzle-based learning to teaching an introductory computer programming course. Students from two offerings of the course--with and without the puzzle-based learning--were surveyed over a two-year period. Empirical results show that the synthesis of puzzle-based learning concepts with existing course…

A Puzzling Alcohol Dehydration Reaction Solved by GC-MS Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelter, Michael W.; Macudzinski, Rebecca M.

1999-06-01

We have adapted the dehydration of 2-methyl-2-propanol to a "puzzle" approach for use in our second-semester chemistry major organic laboratory. The reaction of 2-methyl-2-propanol with ~50% sulfuric acid at 100 °C yields isobutylene, which reacts further by a "puzzling" reaction. By coupling the GC/MS analysis of the product mixture with their knowledge of the mechanism of alcohol dehydration and alkene reactivity, students are able to identify the major products of this reaction.

Dissolving the Puzzle of Resultant Moral Luck.

PubMed

Levy, Neil

The puzzle of resultant moral luck arises when we are disposed to think that an agent who caused a harm deserves to be blamed more than an otherwise identical agent who did not. One popular (but controversial) perspective on resultant moral luck explains our dispositions to produce different judgments with regard to the agents who feature in these cases as a product not of what they genuinely deserve but of our epistemic situation. On this account, there is no genuine resultant moral luck; there is only luck in what evidence becomes available to observers. In this paper, I develop an evolutionary account of our inclination to take the results of actions as evidence for the mental states of agents, thereby explaining why the resulting intuitions are recalcitrant to correction. The account explains why the puzzle of resultant moral luck arises: because our disposition to take the harms agents cause as evidence of their mental states can produce intuitions which conflict with those that arise when we examine agents' mental states without reference to the results of their actions. The account also helps to solve the puzzle of resultant moral luck, by providing a strong reason to ignore the intuitions caused by our disposition to regard actual harms as evidence of mental states. Since these intuitions arise using an unreliable proxy for agents' mental states, they ought to be trumped by more reliable evidence.

[Educational Therapy Using Games and Puzzles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Locker, Chava

Ways in which games can be used as tools in observing, diagnosing, and providing educational therapy for learning dysfunctions are listed and described in a series of four related papers: (a) "Educational Therapy for Learning Dysfunctions"; (2) "Educational Therapy and Puzzles"; (3) "Educational Therapy and Reading Fluency"; and (4) "Spelling…

Certification of ICI 1012 optical data storage tape

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howell, J. M.

1993-01-01

ICI has developed a unique and novel method of certifying a Terabyte optical tape. The tape quality is guaranteed as a statistical upper limit on the probability of uncorrectable errors. This is called the Corrected Byte Error Rate or CBER. We developed this probabilistic method because of two reasons why error rate cannot be measured directly. Firstly, written data is indelible, so one cannot employ write/read tests such as used for magnetic tape. Secondly, the anticipated error rates need impractically large samples to measure accurately. For example, a rate of 1E-12 implies only one byte in error per tape. The archivability of ICI 1012 Data Storage Tape in general is well characterized and understood. Nevertheless, customers expect performance guarantees to be supported by test results on individual tapes. In particular, they need assurance that data is retrievable after decades in archive. This paper describes the mathematical basis, measurement apparatus and applicability of the certification method.

Microbial colonization and ureteral stent-associated storage lower urinary tract symptoms: the forgotten piece of the puzzle?

PubMed

Bonkat, Gernot; Rieken, Malte; Müller, Georg; Roosen, Alexander; Siegel, Fabian P; Frei, Reno; Wyler, Stephen; Gasser, Thomas; Bachmann, Alexander; Widmer, Andreas F

2013-06-01

Ureteral stents are frequently associated with side effects. Most patients suffer from storage lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Storage LUTS are commonly attributed to the irritation of the trigone, smooth muscle spasm or a combination of factors. The relationship between microbial ureteral stent colonization (MUSC) and de novo or worsening storage LUTS has not been investigated yet. Five hundred ninety-one polyurethane ureteral stents from 275 male and 153 female patients were prospectively evaluated. The removed stents were sonicated to dislodge adherent microorganisms. Urine flow cytometry was performed to detect pyuria. A standardized urinary symptom questionnaire was given to all patients. Thirty-five per cent of male and 28% of female cases showed de novo or worsened storage LUTS. MUSC was more common in patients with storage LUTS compared to patients without storage LUTS (men: 26 vs. 13%, respectively, P < 0.05; women: 63 vs. 48%, respectively, P = 0.13). Pyuria was significantly more common in patients with storage LUTS compared to patients without storage LUTS (men: 55 vs. 40%, respectively, P < 0.05; women: 70 vs. 45%, respectively, P < 0.05). No significant correlation was observed between the detected genera of microorganisms and storage LUTS. Our data show a significant association between MUSC- and stent-related de novo experienced or worsened storage LUTS in men. The incidence of MUSC is most common in both female and male patients with storage LUTS and accompanying pyuria. In these patients, a combination of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs may be regarded as treatment option.

Jigsaw Puzzles As Cognitive Enrichment (PACE) - the effect of solving jigsaw puzzles on global visuospatial cognition in adults 50 years of age and older: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Fissler, Patrick; Küster, Olivia C; Loy, Laura S; Laptinskaya, Daria; Rosenfelder, Martin J; von Arnim, Christine A F; Kolassa, Iris-Tatjana

2017-09-06

Neurocognitive disorders are an important societal challenge and the need for early prevention is increasingly recognized. Meta-analyses show beneficial effects of cognitive activities on cognition. However, high financial costs, low intrinsic motivation, logistic challenges of group-based activities, or the need to operate digital devices prevent their widespread application in clinical practice. Solving jigsaw puzzles is a cognitive activity without these hindering characteristics, but cognitive effects have not been investigated yet. With this study, we aim to evaluate the effect of solving jigsaw puzzles on visuospatial cognition, daily functioning, and psychological outcomes. The pre-posttest, assessor-blinded study will include 100 cognitively healthy adults 50 years of age or older, who will be randomly assigned to a jigsaw puzzle group or a cognitive health counseling group. Within the 5-week intervention period, participants in the jigsaw puzzle group will engage in 30 days of solving jigsaw puzzles for at least 1 h per day and additionally receive cognitive health counseling. The cognitive health counseling group will receive the same counseling intervention but no jigsaw puzzles. The primary outcome, global visuospatial cognition, will depict the average of the z-standardized performance scores in visuospatial tests of perception, constructional praxis, mental rotation, processing speed, flexibility, working memory, reasoning, and episodic memory. As secondary outcomes, we will assess the eight cognitive abilities, objective and subjective visuospatial daily functioning, psychological well-being, general self-efficacy, and perceived stress. The primary data analysis will be based on mixed-effects models in an intention-to-treat approach. Solving jigsaw puzzles is a low-cost, intrinsically motivating, cognitive leisure activity, which can be executed alone or with others and without the need to operate a digital device. In the case of positive results

Track Reconstruction and the Proton Radius Puzzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Steven; Cline, Ethan; Gilman, Ron; MUSE Collaboration

2017-09-01

In 2010, Pohl et al. measured the proton charge radius to be 0.84184(67) fm using muonic hydrogen spectroscopy. This value differs about 5 σ from the CODATA proton radius from measurements with electrons. Other experiments with muons and electrons have confirmed the difference and the discrepancy has been termed the `Proton Radius Puzzle.' Currently there are no explanations for the puzzle. The MUon proton Scattering Experiment (MUSE) will make a significant measurement of the proton radius with muon scattering for the first time. The experiment tracks elastic scattering of electrons and muons off of liquid hydrogen. Particle tracks are reconstructed with track fitting software GenFit. Using a simulation of MUSE, GenFit has been determined to be proficient at track reconstruction. This project has been supported by funding from National Science Foundation Grant PHY-1560077.

Storage Media for Microcomputers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trautman, Rodes

1983-01-01

Reviews computer storage devices designed to provide additional memory for microcomputers--chips, floppy disks, hard disks, optical disks--and describes how secondary storage is used (file transfer, formatting, ingredients of incompatibility); disk/controller/software triplet; magnetic tape backup; storage volatility; disk emulator; and…

Effect of a puzzle on the process of students' learning about cardiac physiology.

PubMed

Cardozo, Lais Tono; Miranda, Aline Soares; Moura, Maria José Costa Sampaio; Marcondes, Fernanda Klein

2016-09-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of using a puzzle to learn about cardiac physiology. Students were divided into control and game groups. In class 1, the control group had a 2-h theoretical class about cardiac physiology, including a detailed description of the phases of the cardiac cycle, whereas the game group had a 50-min theoretical class without the description of the cardiac cycle. In class 2, the control group did an assessment exercise before an activity with the cardiac puzzle and the game group answered questions after the above-mentioned activity. While solving the puzzle, the students had to describe the cardiac cycle by relating the concepts of heart morphology and physiology. To evaluate short-term learning, the number of wrong answers and grades in the assessment exercise were compared between the control and game groups. To evaluate medium-term learning, we compared the grades obtained by students of the control and game groups in questions about cardiac physiology that formed part of the academic exam. In the assessment exercise, the game group presented a lower number of errors and higher score compared with the control group. In the academic exam, applied after both groups had used the puzzle, there was no difference in the scores obtained by the control and game groups in questions about cardiac physiology. These results showed a positive effect of the puzzle on students' learning about cardiac physiology compared with those not using the puzzle. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

Emerging Network Storage Management Standards for Intelligent Data Storage Subsystems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Podio, Fernando; Vollrath, William; Williams, Joel; Kobler, Ben; Crouse, Don

1998-01-01

This paper discusses the need for intelligent storage devices and subsystems that can provide data integrity metadata, the content of the existing data integrity standard for optical disks and techniques and metadata to verify stored data on optical tapes developed by the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM) Optical Tape Committee.

New optical architecture for holographic data storage system compatible with Blu-ray Disc™ system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimada, Ken-ichi; Ide, Tatsuro; Shimano, Takeshi; Anderson, Ken; Curtis, Kevin

2014-02-01

A new optical architecture for holographic data storage system which is compatible with a Blu-ray Disc™ (BD) system is proposed. In the architecture, both signal and reference beams pass through a single objective lens with numerical aperture (NA) 0.85 for realizing angularly multiplexed recording. The geometry of the architecture brings a high affinity with an optical architecture in the BD system because the objective lens can be placed parallel to a holographic medium. Through the comparison of experimental results with theory, the validity of the optical architecture was verified and demonstrated that the conventional objective lens motion technique in the BD system is available for angularly multiplexed recording. The test-bed composed of a blue laser system and an objective lens of the NA 0.85 was designed. The feasibility of its compatibility with BD is examined through the designed test-bed.

Puzzle based teaching versus traditional instruction in electrocardiogram interpretation for medical students – a pilot study

PubMed Central

Rubinstein, Jack; Dhoble, Abhijeet; Ferenchick, Gary

2009-01-01

Background Most medical professionals are expected to possess basic electrocardiogram (EKG) interpretation skills. But, published data suggests that residents' and physicians' EKG interpretation skills are suboptimal. Learning styles differ among medical students; individualization of teaching methods has been shown to be viable and may result in improved learning. Puzzles have been shown to facilitate learning in a relaxed environment. The objective of this study was to assess efficacy of teaching puzzle in EKG interpretation skills among medical students. Methods This is a reader blinded crossover trial. Third year medical students from College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University participated in this study. Two groups (n = 9) received two traditional EKG interpretation skills lectures followed by a standardized exam and two extra sessions with the teaching puzzle and a different exam. Two other groups (n = 6) received identical courses and exams with the puzzle session first followed by the traditional teaching. EKG interpretation scores on final test were used as main outcome measure. Results The average score after only traditional teaching was 4.07 ± 2.08 while after only the puzzle session was 4.04 ± 2.36 (p = 0.97). The average improvement after the traditional session was followed up with a puzzle session was 2.53 ± 1.94 while the average improvement after the puzzle session was followed with the traditional session was 2.08 ± 1.73 (p = 0.67). The final EKG exam score for this cohort (n = 15) was 84.1 compared to 86.6 (p = 0.22) for a comparable sample of medical students (n = 15) at a different campus. Conclusion Teaching EKG interpretation with puzzles is comparable to traditional teaching and may be particularly useful for certain subgroups of students. Puzzle session are more interactive and relaxing, and warrant further investigations on larger scale. PMID:19144134

Economics, human biology and inequality: A review of "puzzles" and recent contributions from a Deatonian perspective.

PubMed

Baten, Joerg

2017-05-01

The Nobel laureate Angus Deaton concentrated his work on puzzling developments and phenomena in economics. Puzzles are exciting elements in economics, because readers feel challenged by the question of how they can be solved. Among the puzzles analyzed by Deaton are: (1) Mortality increase of white, U.S. non-Hispanic men (2000 to today); (2) Why are height and income sometimes closely correlated, but not always?; (3) Height inequality among males and females; and (4) The Indian puzzle of declining consumption of calories during overall expenditure growth. This article reviews these "puzzles" and the main insights that Deaton derived from their discussion insofar as they pertain to the biological aspects of human development. I will focus on the field of this journal, Economics and Human Biology, in which Deaton has been very active over the last two decades. I will also document some of the responses by other scholars and their contributions to these puzzles, as they relate to the field of economics and human biology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Free-style puzzle flap: the concept of recycling a perforator flap.

PubMed

Feng, Kuan-Ming; Hsieh, Ching-Hua; Jeng, Seng-Feng

2013-02-01

Theoretically, a flap can be supplied by any perforator based on the angiosome theory. In this study, the technique of free-style perforator flap dissection was used to harvest a pedicled or free skin flap from a previous free flap for a second difficult reconstruction. The authors call this a free-style puzzle flap. For the past 3 years, the authors treated 13 patients in whom 12 pedicled free-style puzzle flaps were harvested from previous redundant free flaps and recycled to reconstruct soft-tissue defects at various anatomical locations. One free-style free puzzle flap was harvested from a previous anterolateral thigh flap for buccal cancer to reconstruct a foot defect. Total flap survival was attained in 12 of 13 flaps. One transferred flap failed completely. This patient had received postoperative radiotherapy after the initial cancer ablation and free anterolateral thigh flap reconstruction. Another free flap was used to close and reconstruct the wound. All the donor sites could be closed primarily. The free-style puzzle flap, harvested from a previous redundant free flap and used as a perforator flap to reconstruct a new defect, has proven to be versatile and reliable. When indicated, it is an alternative donor site for further reconstruction of soft-tissue defects.

Family caregivers of palliative cancer patients at home: the puzzle of pain management.

PubMed

Mehta, Anita; Cohen, S Robin; Carnevale, Franco A; Ezer, Hélène; Ducharme, Francine

2010-01-01

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to understand the processes used by family caregivers to manage the pain of cancer patients at home. A total of 24 family caregivers participated. They were recruited using purposeful then theoretical sampling. The data sources were taped, transcribed (semi-structured) interviews and field notes. Data analysis was based on Strauss and Corbin's (1998) requirements for open, axial, and selective coding. The result was an explanatory model titled "the puzzle of pain management," which includes four main processes: "drawing on past experiences"; "strategizing a game plan"; "striving to respond to pain"; and "gauging the best fit," a decision-making process that joins the puzzle pieces. Understanding how family caregivers assemble their puzzle pieces can help health care professionals make decisions related to the care plans they create for pain control and help them to recognize the importance of providing information as part of resolving the puzzle of pain management.

Neutron star news and puzzles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prakash, Madappa

2014-08-01

Gerry Brown has had the most influence on my career in Physics, and my life after graduate studies. This article gives a brief account of some of the many ways in which Gerry shaped my research. Focus is placed on the significant strides on neutron star research made by the group at Stony Brook, which Gerry built from scratch. Selected puzzles about neutron stars that remain to be solved are noted.

3D satellite puzzles for young and old kids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biondi, Riccardo; Galoforo, Germana

2017-04-01

The Italian Space Agency (ASI) is active in outreach willing to increase the interest of young generations and general public toward the space activities. ASI proposes educational programmes for supporting and encouraging the development of European society based on knowledge, inspiring and motivating the young generations. One of the initiatives promoted by ASI on this regards is the 3D satellite puzzles. The idea was born in 2007 from the will to conceive an educational product for promoting and explaining to students the small all-Italian mission AGILE (Astrorivelatore Gamma ad Immagini ultra Leggero) thought as a tool for students aged 8-13. Working with this slot of students is very productive in terms of the imprints left on the kids, in fact it is useful to produce things they can use, touch and play with, with an active approach instead of a passive one. Therefore it was decided to produce something that kids could build and use at home with their parents or friends, or all together at school with teachers and mates. Other puzzles followed AGILE, one about the COSMO-SkyMED satellites about Earth Observation and also a broader one of the International Space Station. During these 10 years the puzzles were mostly used as outreach tools for school children, but they surprisingly received a great success also within older generations. So far the 3D puzzles have been printed in more than 10 thousand copies and distributed for free to students of hundreds of schools in Italy, and to the general public through science associations, planetaria and museums. Recently they have been used also during special events such as the international Geoscience Communication School (as best practice outreach tool), the EXPO 2015 and the European Researcheŕs Night at the Parlamentarium in Brussels 2016. While the students are building the puzzles, the tutor explains them the different components that they are assembling, what the importance of the satellite is and how it works

Reinforcing Geometric Properties with Shapedoku Puzzles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wanko, Jeffrey J.; Nickell, Jennifer V.

2013-01-01

Shapedoku is a new type of puzzle that combines logic and spatial reasoning with understanding of basic geometric concepts such as slope, parallelism, perpendicularity, and properties of shapes. Shapedoku can be solved by individuals and, as demonstrated here, can form the basis of a review for geometry students as they create their own. In this…

Lorentz violation in the gravity sector: The t puzzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonder, Yuri

2015-06-01

Lorentz violation is a candidate quantum-gravity signal, and the Standard-Model Extension (SME) is a widely used parametrization of such a violation. In the gravitational SME sector, there is an elusive coefficient for which no effects have been found. This is known as the t puzzle and, to date, it has no compelling explanation. This paper analyzes whether there is a fundamental explanation for the t puzzle. To tackle this question, several approaches are followed. Mainly, redefinitions of the dynamical fields are studied, showing that other SME coefficients can be moved to nongravitational sectors. It is also found that the gravity SME sector can be consistently treated à la Palatini, and that, in the presence of spacetime boundaries, it is possible to correct its action to get the desired equations of motion. Moreover, through a reformulation as a Lanczos-type tensor, some problematic features of the t term, which should arise at the phenomenological level, are revealed. The most important conclusion of the paper is that there is no evidence of a fundamental explanation for the t puzzle, suggesting that it may be linked to the approximations taken at the phenomenological level.

Children with Prader-Willi syndrome vs. Williams syndrome: indirect effects on parents during a jigsaw puzzle task.

PubMed

Ly, T M; Hodapp, R M

2005-12-01

Genetic disorders predispose individuals to exhibit characteristic behaviours, which in turn elicit particular behaviours from others. In response to the strength of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and weakness of Williams syndrome (WS) in visual-spatial tasks such as jigsaw puzzles, parents' behaviours can be affected by their child's level of puzzle ability or syndrome diagnosis. Children were asked to complete two jigsaw puzzles (one with the experimenter and the other with the parent) for 5 min each. Frequencies of parental helping and reinforcement behaviours, along with ratings of parental directiveness, were examined as parents interacted with their children on a jigsaw puzzle task. Within each aetiological group, correlates of parental behaviours with child characteristics were also examined. Compared to parents of children with PWS, parents of children with WS engaged in a more directive style of interaction, and provided more help and reinforcement. Relative to parents of children with higher puzzle abilities (from both aetiologies), parents of children with lower abilities also showed the same pattern. Both the child's aetiology and puzzle abilities were important in predicting parents' directiveness and helping and reinforcement behaviours. Within the PWS group, parents' behaviours correlated negatively with the child's puzzle abilities and general cognitive functioning; no such relations occurred in the WS group. Parents' behaviours were affected by both the child's diagnosis and actual puzzle abilities, suggesting important implications for understanding and intervening with parents and children with different genetic syndromes.

Durable High-Density Data Storage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lamartine, Bruce C.; Stutz, Roger A.

1996-01-01

The focus ion beam (FIB) micromilling process for data storage provides a new non-magnetic storage method for archiving large amounts of data. The process stores data on robust materials such as steel, silicon, and gold coated silicon. The storage process was developed to provide a method to insure the long term storage life of data. We estimate that the useful life of data written on silicon or gold-coated silicon to be on the order of a few thousand years without the need to rewrite the data every few years. The process uses an ion beam to carve material from the surface, much like stone cutters in ancient civilizations removed material from stone. The deeper the information is carved into the media, the longer the expected life of the information. The process can record information in three formats: (1) binary at densities of 23 Gbits/square inch, (2) alphanumeric at optical or non-optical density, and (3) graphical at optical and non-optical density. The formats can be mixed on the same media; and thus, it is possible to record, in a human-viewable format, instructions that can be read using an optical microscope. These instructions provide guidance on reading the remaining higher density information.

Exploring Organic Mechanistic Puzzles with Molecular Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horowitz, Gail; Schwartz, Gary

2004-01-01

The molecular modeling was used to reinforce more general skills such as deducing and drawing reaction mechanisms, analyzing reaction kinetics and thermodynamics and drawing reaction coordinate energy diagrams. This modeling was done through the design of mechanistic puzzles, involving reactions not familiar to the students.

Holographic data storage crystals for LDEF (A0044)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callen, W. R.; Gaylord, T. K.

1984-01-01

Electro-optic holographic recording systems were developed. The spaceworthiness of electro-optic crystals for use in ultrahigh capacity space data storage and retrieval systems are examined. The crystals for this experiment are included with the various electro-optical components of LDEF experiment. The effects of long-duration exposure on active optical system components is investigated. The concept of data storage in an optical-phase holographic memory is illustrated.

Formative Assessment Probes: Mountaintop Fossil: A Puzzling Phenomenon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keeley, Page

2015-01-01

This column focuses on promoting learning through assessment. This month's issue describes using formative assessment probes to uncover several ways of thinking about the puzzling discovery of a marine fossil on top of a mountain.

Particle Filter with State Permutations for Solving Image Jigsaw Puzzles

PubMed Central

Yang, Xingwei; Adluru, Nagesh; Latecki, Longin Jan

2016-01-01

We deal with an image jigsaw puzzle problem, which is defined as reconstructing an image from a set of square and non-overlapping image patches. It is known that a general instance of this problem is NP-complete, and it is also challenging for humans, since in the considered setting the original image is not given. Recently a graphical model has been proposed to solve this and related problems. The target label probability function is then maximized using loopy belief propagation. We also formulate the problem as maximizing a label probability function and use exactly the same pairwise potentials. Our main contribution is a novel inference approach in the sampling framework of Particle Filter (PF). Usually in the PF framework it is assumed that the observations arrive sequentially, e.g., the observations are naturally ordered by their time stamps in the tracking scenario. Based on this assumption, the posterior density over the corresponding hidden states is estimated. In the jigsaw puzzle problem all observations (puzzle pieces) are given at once without any particular order. Therefore, we relax the assumption of having ordered observations and extend the PF framework to estimate the posterior density by exploring different orders of observations and selecting the most informative permutations of observations. This significantly broadens the scope of applications of the PF inference. Our experimental results demonstrate that the proposed inference framework significantly outperforms the loopy belief propagation in solving the image jigsaw puzzle problem. In particular, the extended PF inference triples the accuracy of the label assignment compared to that using loopy belief propagation. PMID:27795660

Mass Storage and Retrieval at Rome Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kann, Joshua L.; Canfield, Brady W.; Jamberdino, Albert A.; Clarke, Bernard J.; Daniszewski, Ed; Sunada, Gary

1996-01-01

As the speed and power of modern digital computers continues to advance, the demands on secondary mass storage systems grow. In many cases, the limitations of existing mass storage reduce the overall effectiveness of the computing system. Image storage and retrieval is one important area where improved storage technologies are required. Three dimensional optical memories offer the advantage of large data density, on the order of 1 Tb/cm(exp 3), and faster transfer rates because of the parallel nature of optical recording. Such a system allows for the storage of multiple-Gbit sized images, which can be recorded and accessed at reasonable rates. Rome Laboratory is currently investigating several techniques to perform three-dimensional optical storage including holographic recording, two-photon recording, persistent spectral-hole burning, multi-wavelength DNA recording, and the use of bacteriorhodopsin as a recording material. In this paper, the current status of each of these on-going efforts is discussed. In particular, the potential payoffs as well as possible limitations are addressed.

The odd-even effect in Sudoku puzzles: effects of working memory, aging, and experience.

PubMed

Chang, Hye-Sang; Gibson, Janet M

2011-01-01

The odd-even effect in numerical processing has been explained as the easier processing of even numbers compared with odd numbers. We investigated this effect in Sudoku puzzles, a reasoning problem that uses numbers but does not require arithmetic operations. Specifically, we asked whether the odd-even effect occurred with Sudoku puzzles and whether individual differences in working memory (WM), aging, and experience with Sudoku modulated this effect. We manipulated the presence of odd and even numbers in Sudoku puzzles, measured WM with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and backward digit span task, tested older and younger adults, and collected Sudoku experience frequency. Performance on Sudoku was more accurate for even puzzles than odd ones. Younger, experienced, and higher-WM participants were more accurate on Sudoku, but these individual difference variables did not interact with the odd-even effect. Odd numbers may impose more cognitive load than even numbers, but future research is needed to examine how age, experience, or WM may influence the odd-even effect.

Solar optics-based active panel for solar energy storage and disinfection of greywater.

PubMed

Lee, W; Song, J; Son, J H; Gutierrez, M P; Kang, T; Kim, D; Lee, L P

2016-09-01

Smart city and innovative building strategies are becoming increasingly more necessary because advancing a sustainable building system is regarded as a promising solution to overcome the depleting water and energy. However, current sustainable building systems mainly focus on energy saving and miss a holistic integration of water regeneration and energy generation. Here, we present a theoretical study of a solar optics-based active panel (SOAP) that enables both solar energy storage and photothermal disinfection of greywater simultaneously. Solar collector efficiency of energy storage and disinfection rate of greywater have been investigated. Due to the light focusing by microlens, the solar collector efficiency is enhanced from 25% to 65%, compared to that without the microlens. The simulation of greywater sterilization shows that 100% disinfection can be accomplished by our SOAP for different types of bacteria including Escherichia coli . Numerical simulation reveals that our SOAP as a lab-on-a-wall system can resolve the water and energy problem in future sustainable building systems.

Solar optics-based active panel for solar energy storage and disinfection of greywater

PubMed Central

Lee, W.; Song, J.; Son, J. H.; Gutierrez, M. P.; Kang, T.; Kim, D.; Lee, L. P.

2016-01-01

Smart city and innovative building strategies are becoming increasingly more necessary because advancing a sustainable building system is regarded as a promising solution to overcome the depleting water and energy. However, current sustainable building systems mainly focus on energy saving and miss a holistic integration of water regeneration and energy generation. Here, we present a theoretical study of a solar optics-based active panel (SOAP) that enables both solar energy storage and photothermal disinfection of greywater simultaneously. Solar collector efficiency of energy storage and disinfection rate of greywater have been investigated. Due to the light focusing by microlens, the solar collector efficiency is enhanced from 25% to 65%, compared to that without the microlens. The simulation of greywater sterilization shows that 100% disinfection can be accomplished by our SOAP for different types of bacteria including Escherichia coli. Numerical simulation reveals that our SOAP as a lab-on-a-wall system can resolve the water and energy problem in future sustainable building systems. PMID:27822328

Piecing It Together: The Effect of Background Music on Children's Puzzle Assembly.

PubMed

Koolidge, Louis; Holmes, Robyn M

2018-04-01

This study explored the effects of background music on cognitive (puzzle assembly) task performance in young children. Participants were 87 primarily European-American children (38 boys, 49 girls; mean age = 4.77 years) enrolled in early childhood classes in the northeastern United States. Children were given one minute to complete a 12-piece puzzle task in one of three background music conditions: music with lyrics, music without lyrics, and no music. The music selection was "You're Welcome" from the Disney movie "Moana." Results revealed that children who heard the music without lyrics completed more puzzle pieces than children in either the music with lyrics or no music condition. Background music without distracting lyrics may be beneficial and superior to background music with lyrics for young children's cognitive performance even when they are engaged independently in a nonverbal task.

Variation on the similar-size disk tower of hanoi puzzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuchri, S.

2017-02-01

The famous Tower of Hanoi puzzle was invented by Edouard Lucas in 1883. This puzzle proposed three pegs, and the number of disks with different size. The puzzle starts with the disks in a neat stack in ascending order of size on one peg, the smallest at the top. The objective of the puzzle is to move the entire stack to another peg, by following these simple rules: (1) only one disk can be moved at a time; (2) Each move consists of taking the upper disk from one of the stacks and placing it on top of another stack; (2) No disk is placed on the top of a smaller disk and the minimum number of move is the goal of this puzzle. Many variations have been proposed as exercises and challenges. Some have more than three pegs and some with colours. This paper poses a new variation. There are two or more disks with similar size. The goal is to move each stack of the disk from its initial location to its final location. As usual, disk must be moved one at a time and a disk can never sit above a disk of smaller. Let n be a number of disks and there are p similar size disks. The disks are labelled from 1 to n - p + 1 in increasing order of size so the disk with similar size has the same label. If m is the label of the similar disks, so Mp(n; m) is the minimum number moves needed to move all the disks in original peg to destination peg. We have, M2(n; m) = 2n-1 + 2n-m-1 - 1 M3(n; m) = 2n-2 + 2n-m-1 - 1 The number moves needed to move if there are p1 similar size disks m1 and p2 similar size disks m2 is Mp1,p2 (n; m1, m2) = 2n-p1-p2 + 2[(p12-m1 + p22-m2 ) - (2-m1 + 2-m2 + 1] - 1

The Incomplete Glutathione Puzzle: Just Guessing at Numbers and Figures?

PubMed

Deponte, Marcel

2017-11-20

Glutathione metabolism is comparable to a jigsaw puzzle with too many pieces. It is supposed to comprise (i) the reduction of disulfides, hydroperoxides, sulfenic acids, and nitrosothiols, (ii) the detoxification of aldehydes, xenobiotics, and heavy metals, and (iii) the synthesis of eicosanoids, steroids, and iron-sulfur clusters. In addition, glutathione affects oxidative protein folding and redox signaling. Here, I try to provide an overview on the relevance of glutathione-dependent pathways with an emphasis on quantitative data. Recent Advances: Intracellular redox measurements reveal that the cytosol, the nucleus, and mitochondria contain very little glutathione disulfide and that oxidative challenges are rapidly counterbalanced. Genetic approaches suggest that iron metabolism is the centerpiece of the glutathione puzzle in yeast. Furthermore, recent biochemical studies provide novel insights on glutathione transport processes and uncoupling mechanisms. Which parts of the glutathione puzzle are most relevant? Does this explain the high intracellular concentrations of reduced glutathione? How can iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis, oxidative protein folding, or redox signaling occur at high glutathione concentrations? Answers to these questions not only seem to depend on the organism, cell type, and subcellular compartment but also on different ideologies among researchers. A rational approach to compare the relevance of glutathione-dependent pathways is to combine genetic and quantitative kinetic data. However, there are still many missing pieces and too little is known about the compartment-specific repertoire and concentration of numerous metabolites, substrates, enzymes, and transporters as well as rate constants and enzyme kinetic patterns. Gathering this information might require the development of novel tools but is crucial to address potential kinetic competitions and to decipher uncoupling mechanisms to solve the glutathione puzzle. Antioxid. Redox Signal

Food puzzles for cats: Feeding for physical and emotional wellbeing.

PubMed

Dantas, Leticia Ms; Delgado, Mikel M; Johnson, Ingrid; Buffington, Ca Tony

2016-09-01

Many pet cats are kept indoors for a variety of reasons (eg, safety, health, avoidance of wildlife predation) in conditions that are perhaps the least natural to them. Indoor housing has been associated with health issues, such as chronic lower urinary tract signs, and development of problem behaviors, which can cause weakening of the human-animal bond and lead to euthanasia of the cat. Environmental enrichment may mitigate the effects of these problems and one approach is to take advantage of cats' natural instinct to work for their food. In this article we aim to equip veterinary professionals with the tools to assist clients in the use of food puzzles for their cats as a way to support feline physical health and emotional wellbeing. We outline different types of food puzzles, and explain how to introduce them to cats and how to troubleshoot challenges with their use. The effect of food puzzles on cats is a relatively new area of study, so as well as reviewing the existing empirical evidence, we provide case studies from our veterinary and behavioral practices showing health and behavioral benefits resulting from their use. © The Author(s) 2016.

The Crossword Puzzle as a Teaching Tool.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crossman, Edward K.

1983-01-01

In courses such as the history of psychology, it is necessary to learn a variety of relationships, events, and sequences, in addition to the task of having to pair certain key concepts with related names, e.g., phrenology--Hall. One tool useful in this type of learning is the crossword puzzle. (RM)

Correction: Conceptual design of tetraazaporphyrin- and subtetraazaporphyrin-based functional nanocarbon materials: electronic structures, topologies, optical properties, and methane storage capacities.

PubMed

Belosludov, Rodion V; Rhoda, Hannah M; Zhdanov, Ravil K; Belosludov, Vladimir R; Kawazoe, Yoshiyuki; Nemykin, Victor N

2017-08-02

Correction for 'Conceptual design of tetraazaporphyrin- and subtetraazaporphyrin-based functional nanocarbon materials: electronic structures, topologies, optical properties, and methane storage capacities' by Rodion V. Belosludov et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016, 18, 13503-13518.

PACS storage technology update: holographic storage.

PubMed

Colang, John E; Johnston, James N

2006-01-01

This paper focuses on the emerging technology of holographic storage and its effect on picture archiving and communication systems (PACS). A review of the emerging technology is presented, which includes a high level description of holographic drives and the associated substrate media, the laser and optical technology, and the spatial light modulator. The potential advantages and disadvantages of holographic drive and storage technology are evaluated. PACS administrators face myriad complex and expensive storage solutions and selecting an appropriate system is time-consuming and costly. Storage technology may become obsolete quickly because of the exponential nature of the advances in digital storage media. Holographic storage may turn out to be a low cost, high speed, high volume storage solution of the future; however, data is inconclusive at this early stage of the technology lifecycle. Despite the current lack of quantitative data to support the hypothesis that holographic technology will have a significant effect on PACS and standards of practice, it seems likely from the current information that holographic technology will generate significant efficiencies. This paper assumes the reader has a fundamental understanding of PACS technology.

MeV ion-beam analysis of optical data storage films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leavitt, J. A.; Mcintyre, L. C., Jr.; Lin, Z.

1993-01-01

Our objectives are threefold: (1) to accurately characterize optical data storage films by MeV ion-beam analysis (IBA) for ODSC collaborators; (2) to develop new and/or improved analysis techniques; and (3) to expand the capabilities of the IBA facility itself. Using H-1(+), He-4(+), and N-15(++) ion beams in the 1.5 MeV to 10 MeV energy range from a 5.5 MV Van de Graaff accelerator, film thickness (in atoms/sq cm), stoichiometry, impurity concentration profiles, and crystalline structure were determined by Rutherford backscattering (RBS), high-energy backscattering, channeling, nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) and proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Most of these techniques are discussed in detail in the ODSC Annual Report (February 17, 1987), p. 74. The PIXE technique is briefly discussed in the ODSC Annual Report (March 15, 1991), p. 23.

The King and Prisoner Puzzle: A Way of Introducing the Components of Logical Structures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roh, Kyeong Hah; Lee, Yong Hah; Tanner, Austin

2016-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide issues related to student understanding of logical components that arise when solving word problems. We designed a logic problem called the King and Prisoner Puzzle--a linguistically simple, yet logically challenging problem. In this paper, we describe various student solutions to the puzzle and discuss the…

Decodoku: Quantum error rorrection as a simple puzzle game

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wootton, James

To build quantum computers, we need to detect and manage any noise that occurs. This will be done using quantum error correction. At the hardware level, QEC is a multipartite system that stores information non-locally. Certain measurements are made which do not disturb the stored information, but which do allow signatures of errors to be detected. Then there is a software problem. How to take these measurement outcomes and determine: a) The errors that caused them, and (b) how to remove their effects. For qubit error correction, the algorithms required to do this are well known. For qudits, however, current methods are far from optimal. We consider the error correction problem of qubit surface codes. At the most basic level, this is a problem that can be expressed in terms of a grid of numbers. Using this fact, we take the inherent problem at the heart of quantum error correction, remove it from its quantum context, and presented in terms of simple grid based puzzle games. We have developed three versions of these puzzle games, focussing on different aspects of the required algorithms. These have been presented and iOS and Android apps, allowing the public to try their hand at developing good algorithms to solve the puzzles. For more information, see www.decodoku.com. Funding from the NCCR QSIT.

A puzzle form of a non-verbal intelligence test gives significantly higher performance measures in children with severe intellectual disability

PubMed Central

Bello, Katrina D; Goharpey, Nahal; Crewther, Sheila G; Crewther, David P

2008-01-01

Background Assessment of 'potential intellectual ability' of children with severe intellectual disability (ID) is limited, as current tests designed for normal children do not maintain their interest. Thus a manual puzzle version of the Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) was devised to appeal to the attentional and sensory preferences and language limitations of children with ID. It was hypothesized that performance on the book and manual puzzle forms would not differ for typically developing children but that children with ID would perform better on the puzzle form. Methods The first study assessed the validity of this puzzle form of the RCPM for 76 typically developing children in a test-retest crossover design, with a 3 week interval between tests. A second study tested performance and completion rate for the puzzle form compared to the book form in a sample of 164 children with ID. Results In the first study, no significant difference was found between performance on the puzzle and book forms in typically developing children, irrespective of the order of completion. The second study demonstrated a significantly higher performance and completion rate for the puzzle form compared to the book form in the ID population. Conclusion Similar performance on book and puzzle forms of the RCPM by typically developing children suggests that both forms measure the same construct. These findings suggest that the puzzle form does not require greater cognitive ability but demands sensory-motor attention and limits distraction in children with severe ID. Thus, we suggest the puzzle form of the RCPM is a more reliable measure of the non-verbal mentation of children with severe ID than the book form. PMID:18671882

A puzzle form of a non-verbal intelligence test gives significantly higher performance measures in children with severe intellectual disability.

PubMed

Bello, Katrina D; Goharpey, Nahal; Crewther, Sheila G; Crewther, David P

2008-08-01

Assessment of 'potential intellectual ability' of children with severe intellectual disability (ID) is limited, as current tests designed for normal children do not maintain their interest. Thus a manual puzzle version of the Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) was devised to appeal to the attentional and sensory preferences and language limitations of children with ID. It was hypothesized that performance on the book and manual puzzle forms would not differ for typically developing children but that children with ID would perform better on the puzzle form. The first study assessed the validity of this puzzle form of the RCPM for 76 typically developing children in a test-retest crossover design, with a 3 week interval between tests. A second study tested performance and completion rate for the puzzle form compared to the book form in a sample of 164 children with ID. In the first study, no significant difference was found between performance on the puzzle and book forms in typically developing children, irrespective of the order of completion. The second study demonstrated a significantly higher performance and completion rate for the puzzle form compared to the book form in the ID population. Similar performance on book and puzzle forms of the RCPM by typically developing children suggests that both forms measure the same construct. These findings suggest that the puzzle form does not require greater cognitive ability but demands sensory-motor attention and limits distraction in children with severe ID. Thus, we suggest the puzzle form of the RCPM is a more reliable measure of the non-verbal mentation of children with severe ID than the book form.

Mathematical History: Activities, Puzzles, Stories, and Games.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Merle

Based on the history of mathematics, these materials have been planned to enrich the teaching of mathematics in grades four, five, and six. Puzzles and games are based on stories about topics such as famous mathematicians, numerals of ancient peoples, and numerology. The sheets are arranged by grade level and are designed for easy duplication.…

(Mis)perception of sleep in insomnia: a puzzle and a resolution.

PubMed

Harvey, Allison G; Tang, Nicole K Y

2012-01-01

Insomnia is prevalent, causing severe distress and impairment. This review focuses on illuminating the puzzling finding that many insomnia patients misperceive their sleep. They overestimate their sleep onset latency (SOL) and underestimate their total sleep time (TST), relative to objective measures. This tendency is ubiquitous (although not universal). Resolving this puzzle has clinical, theoretical, and public health importance. There are implications for assessment, definition, and treatment. Moreover, solving the puzzle creates an opportunity for real-world applications of theories from clinical, perceptual, and social psychology as well as neuroscience. Herein we evaluate 13 possible resolutions to the puzzle. Specifically, we consider the possible contribution, to misperception, of (1) features inherent to the context of sleep (e.g., darkness); (2) the definition of sleep onset, which may lack sensitivity for insomnia patients; (3) insomnia being an exaggerated sleep complaint; (4) psychological distress causing magnification; (5) a deficit in time estimation ability; (6) sleep being misperceived as wake; (7) worry and selective attention toward sleep-related threats; (8) a memory bias influenced by current symptoms and emotions, a confirmation bias/belief bias, or a recall bias linked to the intensity/recency of symptoms; (9) heightened physiological arousal; (10) elevated cortical arousal; (11) the presence of brief awakenings; (12) a fault in neuronal circuitry; and (13) there being 2 insomnia subtypes (one with and one without misperception). The best supported resolutions were misperception of sleep as wake, worry, and brief awakenings. A deficit in time estimation ability was not supported. We conclude by proposing several integrative solutions.

(Mis)Perception of Sleep in Insomnia: A puzzle and a resolution

PubMed Central

Harvey, Allison G.; Tang, Nicole

2011-01-01

Insomnia is prevalent, causing severe distress and impairment. This review focuses on illuminating the puzzling finding that many insomnia patients misperceive their sleep. They overestimate their sleep onset latency (SOL) and underestimate their total sleep time (TST), relative to objective measures. This tendency is ubiquitous (although not universal). Resolving this puzzle has clinical, theoretical, and public health importance. There are implications for assessment, definition, and treatment. Moreover, solving the puzzle creates an opportunity for "real world" applications of theories from clinical, perceptual, and social psychology as well as neuroscience. Herein we evaluate thirteen possible resolutions to the puzzle. Specifically, we consider the possible contribution, to misperception, of: (1) features inherent to the context of sleep (e.g., darkness); (2) the definition of sleep onset which may lack sensitivity for insomnia patients; (3) insomnia being an exaggerated sleep complaint; (4) psychological distress causing magnification; (5) a deficit in time estimation ability; (6) sleep being misperceived as wake; (7) worry and selective attention toward sleep-related threats; (8) a memory bias influenced by current symptoms and emotions, a confirmation bias/belief bias or a recall bias linked to the intensity/recency of symptoms; (9) heightened physiological arousal; (10) elevated cortical arousal; (11) the presence of brief awakenings; (12) a fault in neuronal circuitry; and (13) there being two insomnia subtypes (one with and one without misperception). The best supported resolutions were misperception of sleep as wake, worry, and brief awakenings. A deficit in time estimation ability was not supported. We conclude by proposing several integrative solutions. PMID:21967449

Spectroscopy of muonic atoms and the proton radius puzzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antognini, Aldo

2017-09-01

We have measured several 2 S -2 P transitions in muonic hydrogen (μp), muonic deuterium (μd) and muonic helium ions (μ3He, μ4He). From muonic hydrogen we extracted a proton charge radius 20 times more precise than obtained from electron-proton scattering and hydrogen high-precision laser spectroscopy but at a variance of 7 σ from these values. This discrepancy is nowadays referred to as the proton radius puzzle. New insight has been recently provided by the first determination of the deuteron charge radius from laser spectroscopy of μd. The status of the proton charge radius puzzle including the new insights obtained by μd spectroscopy will be discussed. Work supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation SNF-200021-165854 and the ERC CoG. #725039.

The Incomplete Glutathione Puzzle: Just Guessing at Numbers and Figures?

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Abstract Significance: Glutathione metabolism is comparable to a jigsaw puzzle with too many pieces. It is supposed to comprise (i) the reduction of disulfides, hydroperoxides, sulfenic acids, and nitrosothiols, (ii) the detoxification of aldehydes, xenobiotics, and heavy metals, and (iii) the synthesis of eicosanoids, steroids, and iron–sulfur clusters. In addition, glutathione affects oxidative protein folding and redox signaling. Here, I try to provide an overview on the relevance of glutathione-dependent pathways with an emphasis on quantitative data. Recent Advances: Intracellular redox measurements reveal that the cytosol, the nucleus, and mitochondria contain very little glutathione disulfide and that oxidative challenges are rapidly counterbalanced. Genetic approaches suggest that iron metabolism is the centerpiece of the glutathione puzzle in yeast. Furthermore, recent biochemical studies provide novel insights on glutathione transport processes and uncoupling mechanisms. Critical Issues: Which parts of the glutathione puzzle are most relevant? Does this explain the high intracellular concentrations of reduced glutathione? How can iron–sulfur cluster biogenesis, oxidative protein folding, or redox signaling occur at high glutathione concentrations? Answers to these questions not only seem to depend on the organism, cell type, and subcellular compartment but also on different ideologies among researchers. Future Directions: A rational approach to compare the relevance of glutathione-dependent pathways is to combine genetic and quantitative kinetic data. However, there are still many missing pieces and too little is known about the compartment-specific repertoire and concentration of numerous metabolites, substrates, enzymes, and transporters as well as rate constants and enzyme kinetic patterns. Gathering this information might require the development of novel tools but is crucial to address potential kinetic competitions and to decipher uncoupling

Flexible storage medium for write-once optical tape

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strandjord, Andrew J. G.; Webb, Steven P.; Perettie, Donald J.; Cipriano, Robert A.

1993-01-01

A write-once data storage media was developed which is suitable for optical tape applications. The media is manufactured using a continuous film process to deposit a ternary alloy of tin, bismuth, and copper. This laser sensitive layer is sputter deposited onto commercial plastic web as a single-layer thin film. A second layer is sequentially deposited on top of the alloy to enhance the media performance and act as an abrasion resistant hard overcoat. The media was observed to have laser write sensitivities of less than 2.0 njoules/bit, carrier-to-noise levels of greater than 50dB's, modulation depths of approximately 100 percent, read-margins of greater than 35, uniform grain sizes of less than 200 Angstroms, and a media lifetime that exceeds 10 years. Prototype tape media was produced for use in the CREO drive system. The active and overcoat materials are first sputter deposited onto three mil PET film in a single pass through the vacuum coating system, and then converted down into multiple reels of 35mm x 880m tape. One mil PET film was also coated in this manner and then slit and packaged into 3480 tape cartridges.

Geoscience Data Puzzles: Developing Students' Ability to Make Meaning from Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kastens, K. A.; Turrin, M.

2010-12-01

One of the most fundamental aspects of geoscience expertise is the ability to extract insights from observational earth data. Where an expert might see trends, patterns, processes, and candidate causal relationships, a novice could look at the same data representation and see dots, wiggles and blotches of color. The problem is compounded when the student was not personally involved in collecting the data or samples and thus has no experiential knowledge of the Earth setting that the data represent. In other words, the problem is especially severe when students tap into the vast archives of professionally-collected data that the geoscience community has worked so hard to make available for instructional use over the internet. Moreover, most high school and middle school teachers did not themselves learn Earth Science through analyzing data, and they may lack skills and/or confidence needed to scaffold students through the process of learning to interpret realistically-complex data sets. We have developed “Geoscience Data Puzzles” with the paired goals of (a) helping students learn about the earth from data, and (b) helping teachers learn to teach with data. Geoscience Data Puzzles are data-using activities that purposefully present a low barrier-to-entry for teachers and a high ratio of insight-to-effort for students. Each Puzzle uses authentic geoscience data, but the data are carefully pre-selected in order to illuminate a fundamental Earth process within tractable snippets of data. Every Puzzle offers "Aha" moments, when the connection between data and process comes clear in a rewarding burst of insight. Every Puzzle is accompanied by a Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) guide, which explicates the chain of reasoning by which the puzzle-solver can use the evidence provided by the data to construct scientific claims. Four types of reasoning are stressed: spatial reasoning, in which students make inferences from observations about location, orientation, shape

RNA-Puzzles Round III: 3D RNA structure prediction of five riboswitches and one ribozyme

PubMed Central

Biesiada, Marcin; Boniecki, Michał J.; Chou, Fang-Chieh; Ferré-D'Amaré, Adrian R.; Das, Rhiju; Dunin-Horkawicz, Stanisław; Geniesse, Caleb; Kappel, Kalli; Kladwang, Wipapat; Krokhotin, Andrey; Łach, Grzegorz E.; Major, François; Mann, Thomas H.; Pachulska-Wieczorek, Katarzyna; Patel, Dinshaw J.; Piccirilli, Joseph A.; Popenda, Mariusz; Purzycka, Katarzyna J.; Ren, Aiming; Rice, Greggory M.; Santalucia, John; Tandon, Arpit; Trausch, Jeremiah J.; Wang, Jian; Weeks, Kevin M.; Williams, Benfeard; Xiao, Yi; Zhang, Dong; Zok, Tomasz

2017-01-01

RNA-Puzzles is a collective experiment in blind 3D RNA structure prediction. We report here a third round of RNA-Puzzles. Five puzzles, 4, 8, 12, 13, 14, all structures of riboswitch aptamers and puzzle 7, a ribozyme structure, are included in this round of the experiment. The riboswitch structures include biological binding sites for small molecules (S-adenosyl methionine, cyclic diadenosine monophosphate, 5-amino 4-imidazole carboxamide riboside 5′-triphosphate, glutamine) and proteins (YbxF), and one set describes large conformational changes between ligand-free and ligand-bound states. The Varkud satellite ribozyme is the most recently solved structure of a known large ribozyme. All puzzles have established biological functions and require structural understanding to appreciate their molecular mechanisms. Through the use of fast-track experimental data, including multidimensional chemical mapping, and accurate prediction of RNA secondary structure, a large portion of the contacts in 3D have been predicted correctly leading to similar topologies for the top ranking predictions. Template-based and homology-derived predictions could predict structures to particularly high accuracies. However, achieving biological insights from de novo prediction of RNA 3D structures still depends on the size and complexity of the RNA. Blind computational predictions of RNA structures already appear to provide useful structural information in many cases. Similar to the previous RNA-Puzzles Round II experiment, the prediction of non-Watson–Crick interactions and the observed high atomic clash scores reveal a notable need for an algorithm of improvement. All prediction models and assessment results are available at http://ahsoka.u-strasbg.fr/rnapuzzles/. PMID:28138060

Strategies and Correlates of Jigsaw Puzzle and Visuospatial Performance by Persons with Prader-Willi Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verdine, Brian N.; Troseth, Georgene L.; Hodapp, Robert M.; Dykens, Elisabeth M.

2008-01-01

Some individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome exhibit strengths in solving jigsaw puzzles. We compared visuospatial ability and jigsaw puzzle performance and strategies of 26 persons with Prader-Willi syndrome and 26 MA-matched typically developing controls. Individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome relied on piece shape. Those in the control group…

Optical Digital Image Storage System

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-03-18

figures courtesy of Sony Corporation x LIST OF TABLES Indexing Workstation - Ease of Learning ................................... 99 Indexing Workstation...retaining a master negative copy of the microfilm. 121 The Sony Corporation, the supplier of the optical disk media used in the ODISS projeLt, claims...disk." During the ODISS project, several CMSR files-stored on the Sony optical disks were read several thousand times with no -loss of information

Systems Issues Pertaining to Holographic Optical Data Storage in Thick Bacteriorhodopsin Films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Downie, John D.; Timucin, Dogan A.; Gary, Charles K.; Oezcan, Meric; Smithey, Daniel T.; Crew, Marshall; Lau, Sonie (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

The optical data storage capacity and raw bit-error-rate achievable with thick photochromic bacteriorhodopsin (BR) films are investigated for sequential recording and read- out of angularly- and shift-multiplexed digital holograms inside a thick blue-membrane D85N BR film. We address the determination of an exposure schedule that produces equal diffraction efficiencies among each of the multiplexed holograms. This exposure schedule is determined by numerical simulations of the holographic recording process within the BR material, and maximizes the total grating strength. We also experimentally measure the shift selectivity and compare the results to theoretical predictions. Finally, we evaluate the bit-error-rate of a single hologram, and of multiple holograms stored within the film.

Basics of Videodisc and Optical Disk Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paris, Judith

1983-01-01

Outlines basic videodisc and optical disk technology describing both optical and capacitance videodisc technology. Optical disk technology is defined as a mass digital image and data storage device and briefly compared with other information storage media including magnetic tape and microforms. The future of videodisc and optical disk is…

Pedagogy Corner: The Architect's Puzzle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovitt, Charles

2017-01-01

Some years back, the author found the following problem in a spatial puzzle book: how many ways can you put four blocks together, face to face (with no vertical rotation symmetry)? He gave each student just four blocks and they collectively tried combinations to eventually agree on the answer of 15. He used to think it was a halfway decent task,…

Using the Tower of Hanoi Puzzle to Infuse Your Mathematics Classroom with Computer Science Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marzocchi, Alison S.

2016-01-01

This article suggests that logic puzzles, such as the well-known Tower of Hanoi puzzle, can be used to introduce computer science concepts to mathematics students of all ages. Mathematics teachers introduce their students to computer science concepts that are enacted spontaneously and subconsciously throughout the solution to the Tower of Hanoi…

Puzzle maker in SmB6: accompany-type valence fluctuation state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Qi; Sun, Liling

2017-11-01

In recent years, studying the Kondo insulator SmB6, a strongly correlated electron material that has been puzzling the community for decades, has again become an attractive topic due to the discovery of its unusual metallic surface state coexisting with the bulk insulating state. Many efforts have been made to understand the microphysics in SmB6, but some puzzles that have been hotly debated and argued have not been solved. In this article, based on the latest progress made in our high-pressure studies on SmB6 and the accumulating results reported by other groups, we propose a notion named the ‘accompany-type valence fluctuation state’, which possibly coexists with the bulk Kondo insulating ground state of SmB6. We expect that this notion could be taken as a common starting point for understanding in a unified way most of the low-temperature phenomena observed by different experimental investigations on SmB6, thus promoting the deciphering of the puzzles. We also expect that this notion could attract rigorous theoretical interpretation and further experimental investigation, or stimulate better thinking on the physics in SmB6.

Using the Tower of Hanoi puzzle to infuse your mathematics classroom with computer science concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marzocchi, Alison S.

2016-07-01

This article suggests that logic puzzles, such as the well-known Tower of Hanoi puzzle, can be used to introduce computer science concepts to mathematics students of all ages. Mathematics teachers introduce their students to computer science concepts that are enacted spontaneously and subconsciously throughout the solution to the Tower of Hanoi puzzle. These concepts include, but are not limited to, conditionals, iteration, and recursion. Lessons, such as the one proposed in this article, are easily implementable in mathematics classrooms and extracurricular programmes as they are good candidates for 'drop in' lessons that do not need to fit into any particular place in the typical curriculum sequence. As an example for readers, the author describes how she used the puzzle in her own Number Sense and Logic course during the federally funded Upward Bound Math/Science summer programme for college-intending low-income high school students. The article explains each computer science term with real-life and mathematical examples, applies each term to the Tower of Hanoi puzzle solution, and describes how students connected the terms to their own solutions of the puzzle. It is timely and important to expose mathematics students to computer science concepts. Given the rate at which technology is currently advancing, and our increased dependence on technology in our daily lives, it has become more important than ever for children to be exposed to computer science. Yet, despite the importance of exposing today's children to computer science, many children are not given adequate opportunity to learn computer science in schools. In the United States, for example, most students finish high school without ever taking a computing course. Mathematics lessons, such as the one described in this article, can help to make computer science more accessible to students who may have otherwise had little opportunity to be introduced to these increasingly important concepts.

A Heuristic Bioinspired for 8-Piece Puzzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machado, M. O.; Fabres, P. A.; Melo, J. C. L.

2017-10-01

This paper investigates a mathematical model inspired by nature, and presents a Meta-Heuristic that is efficient in improving the performance of an informed search, when using strategy A * using a General Search Tree as data structure. The work hypothesis suggests that the investigated meta-heuristic is optimal in nature and may be promising in minimizing the computational resources required by an objective-based agent in solving high computational complexity problems (n-part puzzle) as well as In the optimization of objective functions for local search agents. The objective of this work is to describe qualitatively the characteristics and properties of the mathematical model investigated, correlating the main concepts of the A * function with the significant variables of the metaheuristic used. The article shows that the amount of memory required to perform this search when using the metaheuristic is less than using the A * function to evaluate the nodes of a general search tree for the eight-piece puzzle. It is concluded that the meta-heuristic must be parameterized according to the chosen heuristic and the level of the tree that contains the possible solutions to the chosen problem.

Holographic memory for high-density data storage and high-speed pattern recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Claire

2002-09-01

As computers and the internet become faster and faster, more and more information is transmitted, received, and stored everyday. The demand for high density and fast access time data storage is pushing scientists and engineers to explore all possible approaches including magnetic, mechanical, optical, etc. Optical data storage has already demonstrated its potential in the competition against other storage technologies. CD and DVD are showing their advantages in the computer and entertainment market. What motivated the use of optical waves to store and access information is the same as the motivation for optical communication. Light or an optical wave has an enormous capacity (or bandwidth) to carry information because of its short wavelength and parallel nature. In optical storage, there are two types of mechanism, namely localized and holographic memories. What gives the holographic data storage an advantage over localized bit storage is the natural ability to read the stored information in parallel, therefore, meeting the demand for fast access. Another unique feature that makes the holographic data storage attractive is that it is capable of performing associative recall at an incomparable speed. Therefore, volume holographic memory is particularly suitable for high-density data storage and high-speed pattern recognition. In this paper, we review previous works on volume holographic memories and discuss the challenges for this technology to become a reality.

Magic star puzzle for educational mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gan, Yee Siang; Fong, Wan Heng; Sarmin, Nor Haniza

2013-04-01

One of the interesting fields in recreational mathematics is the magic number arrangement. There are different kinds of arrays in the arrangement for a group of numbers. In particular, one of the arrays in magic number arrangement is called magic star. In fact, magic star involves combinatorics that contributes to geometrical analysis and number theory. Hence, magic star is suitable to be introduced as educational mathematics to cultivate interest in different area of mathematics. To obtain the solutions of normal magic stars of order six, the possible sets of numbers for every line in a magic star have been considered. Previously, the calculation for obtaining the solutions has been done manually which is time-consuming. Therefore, a programming code to generate all the fundamental solutions for normal magic star of order six without including the properties of rotation and reflection has been done. In this puzzle, a magic star puzzle is created by using Matlab software, which enables a user to verify the entries for the cells of magic star of order six. Moreover, it is also user-friendly as it provides interactive commands on the inputs given by the user, which enables the user to detect the incorrect inputs. In addition, user can also choose to view all the fundamental solutions as generated by the programming code.

A solution to B → ππ puzzle and B → KK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baek, Seungwon

2008-01-01

The large ratio of color-suppressed tree amplitude to color-allowed one in B → ππ decays is difficult to understand within the Standard Model, which is known as the " B → ππ puzzle". The two tree diagrams contain the up- and charm-quark component of penguin amplitude, Puc, which cannot be separated by measuring B → ππ decays alone. We show that the measurements of the branching ratio and direct CP asymmetry of B+ →K+K0 bar decay enable one to disentangle the Puc with two-fold ambiguity. One of the two degenerate solutions of the Puc can solve the B → ππ puzzle by giving | C / T | ∼ 0.3 which is consistent with the expectation in the Standard Model. We also show that the two solutions can be discriminated by the measurement of the indirect CP asymmetry of B0 →K0K0 bar. We point out that the corresponding puzzle in B → πK decays is not solved in this way.

A Geometric Puzzle That Leads To Fibonacci Sequences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rulf, Benjamin

1998-01-01

Illustrates how mathematicians work and do mathematical research through the use of a puzzle. Demonstrates how general rules, then theorems develop from special cases. This approach may be used as a research project in high school classrooms or math club settings with the teacher helping to formulate questions, set goals, and avoid becoming…

Jouer avec les Mots Fleches (Playing with Word Puzzles).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beltran, Roger Rodriguez

1996-01-01

Focuses on how to work crossword puzzles, such as those published in magazines or specialized publications. The article emphasizes the importance of the dictionary for this activity, which can be a pleasant cultural exercise in vocabulary development and spelling instruction. (Author/CK)

Multi-port, optically addressed RAM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, Alan R. (Inventor); Nixon, Robert H. (Inventor); Bergman, Larry A. (Inventor); Esener, Sadik (Inventor)

1989-01-01

A random access memory addressing system utilizing optical links between memory and the read/write logic circuits comprises addressing circuits including a plurality of light signal sources, a plurality of optical gates including optical detectors associated with the memory cells, and a holographic optical element adapted to reflect and direct the light signals to the desired memory cell locations. More particularly, it is a multi-port, binary computer memory for interfacing with a plurality of computers. There are a plurality of storage cells for containing bits of binary information, the storage cells being disposed at the intersections of a plurality of row conductors and a plurality of column conductors. There is interfacing logic for receiving information from the computers directing access to ones of the storage cells. There are first light sources associated with the interfacing logic for transmitting a first light beam with the access information modulated thereon. First light detectors are associated with the storage cells for receiving the first light beam, for generating an electrical signal containing the access information, and for conducting the electrical signal to the one of the storage cells to which it is directed. There are holographic optical elements for reflecting the first light beam from the first light sources to the first light detectors.

Storage-ring Electron Cooler for Relativistic Ion Beams

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

Lin, Fanglei; Derbenev, Yaroslav; Douglas, David R.

Application of electron cooling at ion energies above a few GeV has been limited due to reduction of electron cooling efficiency with energy and difficulty in producing and accelerating a high-current high-quality electron beam. A high-current storage-ring electron cooler offers a solution to both of these problems by maintaining high cooling beam quality through naturally-occurring synchrotron radiation damping of the electron beam. However, the range of ion energies where storage-ring electron cooling can be used has been limited by low electron beam damping rates at low ion energies and high equilibrium electron energy spread at high ion energies. This papermore » reports a development of a storage ring based cooler consisting of two sections with significantly different energies: the cooling and damping sections. The electron energy and other parameters in the cooling section are adjusted for optimum cooling of a stored ion beam. The beam parameters in the damping section are adjusted for optimum damping of the electron beam. The necessary energy difference is provided by an energy recovering SRF structure. A prototype linear optics of such storage-ring cooler is presented.« less

Jigsaw puzzle metasurface for multiple functions: polarization conversion, anomalous reflection and diffusion.

PubMed

Zhao, Yi; Cao, Xiangyu; Gao, Jun; Liu, Xiao; Li, Sijia

2016-05-16

We demonstrate a simple reconfigurable metasurface with multiple functions. Anisotropic tiles are investigated and manufactured as fundamental elements. Then, the tiles are combined in a certain sequence to construct a metasurface. Each of the tiles can be adjusted independently which is like a jigsaw puzzle and the whole metasurface can achieve diverse functions by different layouts. For demonstration purposes, we realize polarization conversion, anomalous reflection and diffusion by a jigsaw puzzle metasurface with 6 × 6 pieces of anisotropic tile. Simulated and measured results prove that our method offers a simple and effective strategy for metasurface design.

High-mass twins & resolution of the reconfinement, masquerade and hyperon puzzles of compact star interiors

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

Blaschke, David; Instytut Fizyki Teoretycznej, Uniwersytet Wroclawski, 50-204 Wroclaw; Alvarez-Castillo, David E.

2016-01-22

We aim at contributing to the resolution of three of the fundamental puzzles related to the still unsolved problem of the structure of the dense core of compact stars (CS): (i) the hyperon puzzle: how to reconcile pulsar masses of 2 M{sub ⊙} with the hyperon softening of the equation of state (EoS); (ii) the masquerade problem: modern EoS for cold, high density hadronic and quark matter are almost identical; and (iii) the reconfinement puzzle: what to do when after a deconfinement transition the hadronic EoS becomes favorable again? We show that taking into account the compositeness of baryons (bymore » excluded volume and/or quark Pauli blocking) on the hadronic side and confining and stiffening effects on the quark matter side results in an early phase transition to quark matter with sufficient stiffening at high densities which removes all three present-day puzzles of CS interiors. Moreover, in this new class of EoS for hybrid CS falls the interesting case of a strong first order phase transition which results in the observable high mass twin star phenomenon, an astrophysical observation of a critical endpoint in the QCD phase diagram.« less

Toward a virtual reconstruction of an antique three-dimensional marble puzzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benamar, Fatima Zahra; Fauvet, Eric; Hostein, Antony; Laligant, Olivier; Truchetet, Frederic

2017-01-01

The reconstruction of broken objects is an important field of research for many applications, such as art restoration, surgery, forensics, and solving puzzles. In archaeology, the reconstruction of broken artifacts is a very time-consuming task due to the handling of fractured objects, which are generally fragile. However, it can now be supported by three-dimensional (3-D) data acquisition devices and computer processing. Those techniques are very useful in this domain because they allow the remote handling of very accurate models of fragile parts, they permit the extensive testing of reconstruction solutions, and they provide access to the parts for the entire research community. An interesting problem has recently been proposed by archaeologists in the form of a huge puzzle composed of a thousand fragments of Pentelic marble of different sizes found in Autun (France), and all attempts to reconstruct the puzzle during the last two centuries have failed. Archaeologists are sure that some fragments are missing and that some of the ones we have come from different slabs. We propose an inexpensive transportable system for 3-D acquisition setup and a 3-D reconstruction method that is applied to this Roman inscription but is also relevant to other applications.

A highly efficient silole-containing dithienylethene with excellent thermal stability and fatigue resistance: a promising candidate for optical memory storage materials.

PubMed

Chan, Jacky Chi-Hung; Lam, Wai Han; Yam, Vivian Wing-Wah

2014-12-10

Diarylethene compounds are potential candidates for applications in optical memory storage systems and photoswitchable molecular devices; however, they usually show low photocycloreversion quantum yields, which result in ineffective erasure processes. Here, we present the first highly efficient photochromic silole-containing dithienylethene with excellent thermal stability and fatigue resistance. The photochemical quantum yields for photocyclization and photocycloreversion of the compound are found to be high and comparable to each other; the latter of which is rarely found in diarylethene compounds. These would give rise to highly efficient photoswitchable material with effective writing and erasure processes. Incorporation of the silole moiety as a photochromic dithienylethene backbone also was demonstrated to enhance the thermal stability of the closed form, in which the thermal backward reaction to the open form was found to be negligible even at 100 °C, which leads to a promising candidate for use as photoswitchable materials and optical memory storage.

Demonstration of fully enabled data center subsystem with embedded optical interconnect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pitwon, Richard; Worrall, Alex; Stevens, Paul; Miller, Allen; Wang, Kai; Schmidtke, Katharine

2014-03-01

The evolution of data storage communication protocols and corresponding in-system bandwidth densities is set to impose prohibitive cost and performance constraints on future data storage system designs, fuelling proposals for hybrid electronic and optical architectures in data centers. The migration of optical interconnect into the system enclosure itself can substantially mitigate the communications bottlenecks resulting from both the increase in data rate and internal interconnect link lengths. In order to assess the viability of embedding optical links within prevailing data storage architectures, we present the design and assembly of a fully operational data storage array platform, in which all internal high speed links have been implemented optically. This required the deployment of mid-board optical transceivers, an electro-optical midplane and proprietary pluggable optical connectors for storage devices. We present the design of a high density optical layout to accommodate the midplane interconnect requirements of a data storage enclosure with support for 24 Small Form Factor (SFF) solid state or rotating disk drives and the design of a proprietary optical connector and interface cards, enabling standard drives to be plugged into an electro-optical midplane. Crucially, we have also modified the platform to accommodate longer optical interconnect lengths up to 50 meters in order to investigate future datacenter architectures based on disaggregation of modular subsystems. The optically enabled data storage system has been fully validated for both 6 Gb/s and 12 Gb/s SAS data traffic conveyed along internal optical links.

Threshold response using modulated continuous wave illumination for multilayer 3D optical data storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saini, A.; Christenson, C. W.; Khattab, T. A.; Wang, R.; Twieg, R. J.; Singer, K. D.

2017-01-01

In order to achieve a high capacity 3D optical data storage medium, a nonlinear or threshold writing process is necessary to localize data in the axial dimension. To this end, commercial multilayer discs use thermal ablation of metal films or phase change materials to realize such a threshold process. This paper addresses a threshold writing mechanism relevant to recently reported fluorescence-based data storage in dye-doped co-extruded multilayer films. To gain understanding of the essential physics, single layer spun coat films were used so that the data is easily accessible by analytical techniques. Data were written by attenuating the fluorescence using nanosecond-range exposure times from a 488 nm continuous wave laser overlapping with the single photon absorption spectrum. The threshold writing process was studied over a range of exposure times and intensities, and with different fluorescent dyes. It was found that all of the dyes have a common temperature threshold where fluorescence begins to attenuate, and the physical nature of the thermal process was investigated.

An Easy & Fun Way to Teach about How Science "Works": Popularizing Haack's Crossword-Puzzle Analogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pavlova, Iglika V.; Lewis, Kayla C.

2013-01-01

Science is a complex process, and we must not teach our students overly simplified versions of "the" scientific method. We propose that students can uncover the complex realities of scientific thinking by exploring the similarities and differences between solving the familiar crossword puzzles and scientific "puzzles."…

A method for simultaneous linear optics and coupling correction for storage rings with turn-by-turn beam position monitor data

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

Yang, Xi; Huang, Xiaobiao

2016-08-01

We propose a method to simultaneously correct linear optics errors and linear coupling for storage rings using turn-by-turn (TbT) beam position monitor (BPM) data. The independent component analysis (ICA) method is used to isolate the betatron normal modes from the measured TbT BPM data. The betatron amplitudes and phase advances of the projections of the normal modes on the horizontal and vertical planes are then extracted, which, combined with dispersion measurement, are used to fit the lattice model. Furthermore, the fitting results are used for lattice correction. Our method has been successfully demonstrated on the NSLS-II storage ring.

A method for simultaneous linear optics and coupling correction for storage rings with turn-by-turn beam position monitor data

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

Yang, Xi; Huang, Xiaobiao

2016-08-01

We propose a method to simultaneously correct linear optics errors and linear coupling for storage rings using turn-by-turn (TbT) beam position monitor (BPM) data. The independent component analysis (ICA) method is used to isolate the betatron normal modes from the measured TbT BPM data. The betatron amplitudes and phase advances of the projections of the normal modes on the horizontal and vertical planes are then extracted, which, combined with dispersion measurement, are used to fit the lattice model. The fitting results are used for lattice correction. The method has been successfully demonstrated on the NSLS-II storage ring.

A puzzle assembly strategy for fabrication of large engineered cartilage tissue constructs.

PubMed

Nover, Adam B; Jones, Brian K; Yu, William T; Donovan, Daniel S; Podolnick, Jeremy D; Cook, James L; Ateshian, Gerard A; Hung, Clark T

2016-03-21

Engineering of large articular cartilage tissue constructs remains a challenge as tissue growth is limited by nutrient diffusion. Here, a novel strategy is investigated, generating large constructs through the assembly of individually cultured, interlocking, smaller puzzle-shaped subunits. These constructs can be engineered consistently with more desirable mechanical and biochemical properties than larger constructs (~4-fold greater Young׳s modulus). A failure testing technique was developed to evaluate the physiologic functionality of constructs, which were cultured as individual subunits for 28 days, then assembled and cultured for an additional 21-35 days. Assembled puzzle constructs withstood large deformations (40-50% compressive strain) prior to failure. Their ability to withstand physiologic loads may be enhanced by increases in subunit strength and assembled culture time. A nude mouse model was utilized to show biocompatibility and fusion of assembled puzzle pieces in vivo. Overall, the technique offers a novel, effective approach to scaling up engineered tissues and may be combined with other techniques and/or applied to the engineering of other tissues. Future studies will aim to optimize this system in an effort to engineer and integrate robust subunits to fill large defects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Puzzle Assembly Strategy for Fabrication of Large Engineered Cartilage Tissue Constructs

PubMed Central

Nover, Adam B.; Jones, Brian K.; Yu, William T.; Donovan, Daniel S.; Podolnick, Jeremy D.; Cook, James L.; Ateshian, Gerard A.; Hung, Clark T.

2016-01-01

Engineering of large articular cartilage tissue constructs remains a challenge as tissue growth is limited by nutrient diffusion. Here, a novel strategy is investigated, generating large constructs through the assembly of individually cultured, interlocking, smaller puzzle-shaped subunits. These constructs can be engineered consistently with more desirable mechanical and biochemical properties than larger constructs (~4-fold greater Young's modulus). A failure testing technique was developed to evaluate the physiologic functionality of constructs, which were cultured as individual subunits for 28 days, then assembled and cultured for an additional 21-35 days. Assembled puzzle constructs withstood large deformations (40-50% compressive strain) prior to failure. Their ability to withstand physiologic loads may be enhanced by increases in subunit strength and assembled culture time. A nude mouse model was utilized to show biocompatibility and fusion of assembled puzzle pieces in vivo. Overall, the technique offers a novel, effective approach to scaling up engineered tissues and may be combined with other techniques and/or applied to the engineering of other tissues. Future studies will aim to optimize this system in an effort to engineer and integrate robust subunits to fill large defects. PMID:26895780

Crossword Puzzles as a Learning Tool for Vocabulary Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orawiwatnakul, Wiwat

2013-01-01

Introduction: Since vocabulary is a key basis on which reading achievement depends, various vocabulary acquisition techniques have become pivotal. Among the many teaching approaches, traditional or otherwise, the use of crossword puzzles seems to offer potential and a solution for the problem of learning vocabulary. Method: This study was…

Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kobler, Ben (Editor); Hariharan, P. C. (Editor)

1993-01-01

Papers and viewgraphs from the conference are presented. Discussion topics include the IEEE Mass Storage System Reference Model, data archiving standards, high-performance storage devices, magnetic and magneto-optic storage systems, magnetic and optical recording technologies, high-performance helical scan recording systems, and low end helical scan tape drives. Additional discussion topics addressed the evolution of the identifiable unit for processing (file, granule, data set, or some similar object) as data ingestion rates increase dramatically, and the present state of the art in mass storage technology.

Action and puzzle video games prime different speed/accuracy tradeoffs.

PubMed

Nelson, Rolf A; Strachan, Ian

2009-01-01

To understand the way in which video-game play affects subsequent perception and cognitive strategy, two experiments were performed in which participants played either a fast-action game or a puzzle-solving game. Before and after video-game play, participants performed a task in which both speed and accuracy were emphasized. In experiment 1 participants engaged in a location task in which they clicked a mouse on the spot where a target had appeared, and in experiment 2 they were asked to judge which of four shapes was most similar to a target shape. In both experiments, participants were much faster but less accurate after playing the action game, while they were slower but more accurate after playing the puzzle game. Results are discussed in terms of a taxonomy of video games by their cognitive and perceptual demands.

Sequential Monte Carlo for Maximum Weight Subgraphs with Application to Solving Image Jigsaw Puzzles.

PubMed

Adluru, Nagesh; Yang, Xingwei; Latecki, Longin Jan

2015-05-01

We consider a problem of finding maximum weight subgraphs (MWS) that satisfy hard constraints in a weighted graph. The constraints specify the graph nodes that must belong to the solution as well as mutual exclusions of graph nodes, i.e., pairs of nodes that cannot belong to the same solution. Our main contribution is a novel inference approach for solving this problem in a sequential monte carlo (SMC) sampling framework. Usually in an SMC framework there is a natural ordering of the states of the samples. The order typically depends on observations about the states or on the annealing setup used. In many applications (e.g., image jigsaw puzzle problems), all observations (e.g., puzzle pieces) are given at once and it is hard to define a natural ordering. Therefore, we relax the assumption of having ordered observations about states and propose a novel SMC algorithm for obtaining maximum a posteriori estimate of a high-dimensional posterior distribution. This is achieved by exploring different orders of states and selecting the most informative permutations in each step of the sampling. Our experimental results demonstrate that the proposed inference framework significantly outperforms loopy belief propagation in solving the image jigsaw puzzle problem. In particular, our inference quadruples the accuracy of the puzzle assembly compared to that of loopy belief propagation.

Sequential Monte Carlo for Maximum Weight Subgraphs with Application to Solving Image Jigsaw Puzzles

PubMed Central

Adluru, Nagesh; Yang, Xingwei; Latecki, Longin Jan

2015-01-01

We consider a problem of finding maximum weight subgraphs (MWS) that satisfy hard constraints in a weighted graph. The constraints specify the graph nodes that must belong to the solution as well as mutual exclusions of graph nodes, i.e., pairs of nodes that cannot belong to the same solution. Our main contribution is a novel inference approach for solving this problem in a sequential monte carlo (SMC) sampling framework. Usually in an SMC framework there is a natural ordering of the states of the samples. The order typically depends on observations about the states or on the annealing setup used. In many applications (e.g., image jigsaw puzzle problems), all observations (e.g., puzzle pieces) are given at once and it is hard to define a natural ordering. Therefore, we relax the assumption of having ordered observations about states and propose a novel SMC algorithm for obtaining maximum a posteriori estimate of a high-dimensional posterior distribution. This is achieved by exploring different orders of states and selecting the most informative permutations in each step of the sampling. Our experimental results demonstrate that the proposed inference framework significantly outperforms loopy belief propagation in solving the image jigsaw puzzle problem. In particular, our inference quadruples the accuracy of the puzzle assembly compared to that of loopy belief propagation. PMID:26052182

The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS): Current Architecture and Implementation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Werdell, P. Jeremy; Fargion, Giulietta S. (Editor); McClain, Charles R. (Editor); Bailey, Sean W.

2002-01-01

Satellite ocean color missions require an abundance of high-quality in situ measurements for bio-optical and atmospheric algorithm development and post-launch product validation and sensor calibration. To facilitate the assembly of a global data set, the NASA Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view (SeaWiFS) Project developed the Seafaring Bio-optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), a local repository for in situ data regularly used in their scientific analyses. The system has since been expanded to contain data sets collected by the NASA Sensor Intercalibration and Merger for Biological and Interdisciplinary Oceanic Studies (SIMBIOS) Project, as part of NASA Research Announcements NRA-96-MTPE-04 and NRA-99-OES-99. SeaBASS is a well moderated and documented hive for bio-optical data with a simple, secure mechanism for locating and extracting data based on user inputs. Its holdings are available to the general public with the exception of the most recently collected data sets. Extensive quality assurance protocols, comprehensive data and system documentation, and the continuation of an archive and relational database management system (RDBMS) suitable for bio-optical data all contribute to the continued success of SeaBASS. This document provides an overview of the current operational SeaBASS system.

Research Studies on Advanced Optical Module/Head Designs for Optical Disk Recording Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burke, James J.; Seery, Bernard D.

1993-01-01

The Annual Report of the Optical Data Storage Center of the University of Arizona is presented. Summary reports on continuing projects are presented. Research areas include: magneto-optic media, optical heads, and signal processing.

The Puzzling Ophiuchus Stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-01-01

Dwarf galaxies or globular clusters orbiting the Milky Way can be pulled apart by tidal forces, leaving behind a trail of stars known as a stellar stream. One such trail, the Ophiuchus stream, has posed a serious dynamical puzzle since its discovery. But a recent study has identified four stars that might help resolve this streams mystery.Conflicting TimescalesThe stellar stream Ophiuchus was discovered around our galaxy in 2014. Based on its length, which appears to be 1.6 kpc, we can calculate the time that has passed since its progenitor was disrupted and the stream was created: ~250 Myr. But the stars within it are ~12 Gyr old, and the stream orbits the galaxy with a period of ~350 Myr.Given these numbers, we can assume that Ophiuchuss progenitor completed many orbits of the Milky Way in its lifetime. So why would it only have been disrupted 250 million years ago?Fanning StreamLed by Branimir Sesar (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy), a team of scientists has proposed an idea that might help solve this puzzle. If the Ophiuchus stellar stream is on a chaotic orbit common in triaxial potentials, which the Milky Ways may be then the stream ends can fan out, with stars spreading in position and velocity.The fanned part of the stream, however, would be difficult to detect because of its low surface brightness. As a result, the Ophiuchus stellar stream could actually be longer than originally measured, implying that it was disrupted longer ago than was believed.Search for Fan StarsTo test this idea, Sesar and collaborators performed a search around the ends of the stream, looking for stars thatare of the right type to match the stream,are at the predicted distance of the stream,are located near the stream ends, andhave velocities that match the stream and dont match the background halo stars.Histogram of the heliocentric velocities of the 43 target stars. Six stars have velocities matching the stream velocity. Two of these are located in the main stream; the other

Jigsaw: Because Reading Your Math Book Shouldn't Be a Puzzle.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Draper, Roni Jo

1997-01-01

Describes a jigsaw puzzle activity, a two-part cooperative learning activity useful at any level of mathematics instruction, intended to teach students to become "strategic readers" of their mathematics textbooks. (SR)

Children's Task Engagement during Challenging Puzzle Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Feihong; Algina, James; Snyder, Patricia; Cox, Martha

2017-01-01

We examined children's task engagement during a challenging puzzle task in the presence of their primary caregivers by using a representative sample of rural children from six high-poverty counties across two states. Weighted longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to identify a task engagement factor…

Optical Circuit Switched Protocol

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monacos, Steve P. (Inventor)

2000-01-01

The present invention is a system and method embodied in an optical circuit switched protocol for the transmission of data through a network. The optical circuit switched protocol is an all-optical circuit switched network and includes novel optical switching nodes for transmitting optical data packets within a network. Each optical switching node comprises a detector for receiving the header, header detection logic for translating the header into routing information and eliminating the header, and a controller for receiving the routing information and configuring an all optical path within the node. The all optical path located within the node is solely an optical path without having electronic storage of the data and without having optical delay of the data. Since electronic storage of the header is not necessary and the initial header is eliminated by the first detector of the first switching node. multiple identical headers are sent throughout the network so that subsequent switching nodes can receive and read the header for setting up an optical data path.

Halbach array type focusing actuator for small and thin optical data storage device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sung Q.; Park, Kang-Ho; Paek, Mun Chul

2004-09-01

The small form factor optical data storage devices are developing rapidly nowadays. Since it is designed for portable and compatibility with flesh memory, its components such as disk, head, focusing actuator, and spindle motor should be assembled within 5 mm. The thickness of focusing actuator is within 2 mm and the total working range is +/-100um, with the resolution of less than 1μm. Since the thickness is limited tightly, it is hard to place the yoke that closes the magnetic circuit and hard to make strong flux density without yoke. Therefore, Halbach array is adopted to increase the magnetic flux of one side without yoke. The proposed Halbach array type focusing actuator has the advantage of thin actuation structure with sacrificing less flex density than conventional magnetic array. The optical head unit is moved on the swing arm type tracking actuator. Focusing coil is attached to swing arm, and Halbach magnet array is positioned at the bottom of deck along the tracking line, and focusing actuator exerts force by the Fleming's left hand rule. The dynamics, working range, control resolution of focusing actuator are analyzed and performed.

What Is the Difference between a Puzzle and a Maths Question?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eastaway, Robert

1997-01-01

Discusses the differences between puzzles and mathematics questions. Argues that mathematics teachers need to be thoroughly grounded in the well-documented recreational side of mathematics and be encouraged to use it. (JRH)

Recording and reading of information on optical disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouwhuis, G.; Braat, J. J. M.

In the storage of information, related to video programs, in a spiral track on a disk, difficulties arise because the bandwidth for video is much greater than for audio signals. An attractive solution was found in optical storage. The optical noncontact method is free of wear, and allows for fast random access. Initial problems regarding a suitable light source could be overcome with the aid of appropriate laser devices. The basic concepts of optical storage on disks are treated insofar as they are relevant for the optical arrangement. A general description is provided of a video, a digital audio, and a data storage system. Scanning spot microscopy for recording and reading of optical disks is discussed, giving attention to recording of the signal, the readout of optical disks, the readout of digitally encoded signals, and cross talk. Tracking systems are also considered, taking into account the generation of error signals for radial tracking and the generation of focus error signals.

The RPA Atomization Energy Puzzle.

PubMed

Ruzsinszky, Adrienn; Perdew, John P; Csonka, Gábor I

2010-01-12

There is current interest in the random phase approximation (RPA), a "fifth-rung" density functional for the exchange-correlation energy. RPA has full exact exchange and constructs the correlation with the help of the unoccupied Kohn-Sham orbitals. In many cases (uniform electron gas, jellium surface, and free atom), the correction to RPA is a short-ranged effect that is captured by a local spin density approximation (LSDA) or a generalized gradient approximation (GGA). Nonempirical density functionals for the correction to RPA were constructed earlier at the LSDA and GGA levels (RPA+), but they are constructed here at the fully nonlocal level (RPA++), using the van der Waals density functional (vdW-DF) of Langreth, Lundqvist, and collaborators. While they make important and helpful corrections to RPA total and ionization energies of free atoms, they correct the RPA atomization energies of molecules by only about 1 kcal/mol. Thus, it is puzzling that RPA atomization energies are, on average, about 10 kcal/mol lower than those of accurate values from experiment. We find here that a hybrid of 50% Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof GGA with 50% RPA+ yields atomization energies much more accurate than either one does alone. This suggests a solution to the puzzle: While the proper correction to RPA is short-ranged in some systems, its contribution to the correlation hole can spread out in a molecule with multiple atomic centers, canceling part of the spread of the exact exchange hole (more so than in RPA or RPA+), making the true exchange-correlation hole more localized than in RPA or RPA+. This effect is not captured even by the vdW-DF nonlocality, but it requires the different kind of full nonlocality present in a hybrid functional.

Achievements in optical data storage and retrieval

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, R. H.; Shuman, C. A.

1977-01-01

The present paper deals with the current achievements in two technology efforts, one of which is a wideband holographic recorder which uses multichannel recording of data in the form of holograms on roll film for storage and retrieval of large unit records at hundreds of megabit per second. The second effort involves a system (termed DIGIMEN) which uses binary spot recording on photographic film in the form of microfiche to provide a mass storage capability with automatic computer-controlled random access to stored records. Some potential design improvements are noted.

Optical Disks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gale, John C.; And Others

1985-01-01

This four-article section focuses on information storage capacity of the optical disk covering the information workstation (uses microcomputer, optical disk, compact disc to provide reference information, information content, work product support); use of laser videodisc technology for dissemination of agricultural information; encoding databases…

A method for simultaneous linear optics and coupling correction for storage rings with turn-by-turn beam position monitor data

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

Yang, Xi; Huang, Xiaobiao

2016-05-13

Here, we propose a method to simultaneously correct linear optics errors and linear coupling for storage rings using turn-by-turn (TbT) beam position monitor (BPM) data. The independent component analysis (ICA) method is used to isolate the betatron normal modes from the measured TbT BPM data. The betatron amplitudes and phase advances of the projections of the normal modes on the horizontal and vertical planes are then extracted, which, combined with dispersion measurement, are used to fit the lattice model. The fitting results are used for lattice correction. Finally, the method has been successfully demonstrated on the NSLS-II storage ring.

Planning for optical disk technology with digital cartography.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Light, D.L.

1986-01-01

A major shortfall that still exists in digital systems is the need for very large mass storage capacity. The decade of the 1980s has introduced laser optical disk storage technology, which may be the breakthrough needed for mass storage. This paper addresses system concepts for digital cartography during the transition period. Emphasis will be placed on determining USGS mass storage requirements and introducing laser optical disk technology for handling storage problems for digital data in this decade.-from Author

Exfoliation syndrome: assembling the puzzle pieces.

PubMed

Pasquale, Louis R; Borrás, Terete; Fingert, John H; Wiggs, Janey L; Ritch, Robert

2016-09-01

To summarize various topics and the cutting edge approaches to refine XFS pathogenesis that were discussed at the 21st annual Glaucoma Foundation Think Tank meeting in New York City, Sept. 19-20, 2014. The highlights of three categories of talks on cutting edge research in the field were summarized. Exfoliation syndrome (XFS) is a systemic disorder with a substantial ocular burden, including high rates of cataract, cataract surgery complications, glaucoma and retinal vein occlusion. New information about XFS is akin to puzzle pieces that do not quite join together to reveal a clear picture regarding how exfoliation material (XFM) forms. Meeting participants concluded that it is unclear how the mild homocysteinemia seen in XFS might contribute to the disarrayed extracellular aggregates characteristic of this syndrome. Lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1) variants are unequivocally genetic risk factors for XFS but exactly how these variants contribute to the assembly of exfoliation material (XFM) remains unclear. Variants in a new genomic region, CACNA1A associated with XFS, may alter calcium concentrations at the cell surface and facilitate XFM formation but much more work is needed before we can place this new finding in proper context. It is hoped that various animal model and ex vivo systems will emerge that will allow for proper assembly of the puzzle pieces into a coherent picture of XFS pathogenesis. A clear understanding of XFS pathogenesis may lead to 'upstream solutions' to reduce the ocular morbidity produced by XFS. © 2015 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Optical memory system technology. Citations from the International Aerospace Abstracts data base

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zollars, G. F.

1980-01-01

Approximately 213 citations from the international literature which concern the development of the optical data storage system technology are presented. Topics covered include holographic computer storage devices, crystal, magneto, and electro-optics, imaging techniques, in addition to optical data processing and storage.

Electron trapping data storage system and applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brower, Daniel; Earman, Allen; Chaffin, M. H.

1993-01-01

The advent of digital information storage and retrieval has led to explosive growth in data transmission techniques, data compression alternatives, and the need for high capacity random access data storage. Advances in data storage technologies are limiting the utilization of digitally based systems. New storage technologies will be required which can provide higher data capacities and faster transfer rates in a more compact format. Magnetic disk/tape and current optical data storage technologies do not provide these higher performance requirements for all digital data applications. A new technology developed at the Optex Corporation out-performs all other existing data storage technologies. The Electron Trapping Optical Memory (ETOM) media is capable of storing as much as 14 gigabytes of uncompressed data on a single, double-sided 54 inch disk with a data transfer rate of up to 12 megabits per second. The disk is removable, compact, lightweight, environmentally stable, and robust. Since the Write/Read/Erase (W/R/E) processes are carried out 100 percent photonically, no heating of the recording media is required. Therefore, the storage media suffers no deleterious effects from repeated Write/Read/Erase cycling.

To Txt or Not to Txt: That's the Puzzle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goh, Tiong-Thye; Hooper, Val

2007-01-01

This paper describes the potential use of a mobile phone Short Message Service (SMS) crossword puzzle system to promote interaction through learning activities in a large classroom environment. While personal response systems (PRS) have been used in the classroom environment to foster interaction, it is not an ideal tool with respect to cost and…

Active holographic interconnects for interfacing volume storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domash, Lawrence H.; Schwartz, Jay R.; Nelson, Arthur R.; Levin, Philip S.

1992-04-01

In order to achieve the promise of terabit/cm3 data storage capacity for volume holographic optical memory, two technological challenges must be met. Satisfactory storage materials must be developed and the input/output architectures able to match their capacity with corresponding data access rates must also be designed. To date the materials problem has received more attention than devices and architectures for access and addressing. Two philosophies of parallel data access to 3-D storage have been discussed. The bit-oriented approach, represented by recent work on two-photon memories, attempts to store bits at local sites within a volume without affecting neighboring bits. High speed acousto-optic or electro- optic scanners together with dynamically focused lenses not presently available would be required. The second philosophy is that volume optical storage is essentially holographic in nature, and that each data write or read is to be distributed throughout the material volume on the basis of angle multiplexing or other schemes consistent with the principles of holography. The requirements for free space optical interconnects for digital computers and fiber optic network switching interfaces are also closely related to this class of devices. Interconnects, beamlet generators, angle multiplexers, scanners, fiber optic switches, and dynamic lenses are all devices which may be implemented by holographic or microdiffractive devices of various kinds, which we shall refer to collectively as holographic interconnect devices. At present, holographic interconnect devices are either fixed holograms or spatial light modulators. Optically or computer generated holograms (submicron resolution, 2-D or 3-D, encoding 1013 bits, nearly 100 diffraction efficiency) can implement sophisticated mathematical design principles, but of course once fabricated they cannot be changed. Spatial light modulators offer high speed programmability but have limited resolution (512 X 512 pixels

Utility of Self-Made Crossword Puzzles as an Active Learning Method to Study Biochemistry in Undergraduate Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coticone, Sulekha Rao

2013-01-01

To incorporate an active learning component in a one-semester biochemistry course, students were asked to create crossword puzzles using key concepts. Student observations on the use of self-made crossword puzzles as an active-learning instructional tool were collected using a 5-point Likert survey at the end of the semester. A majority of the…

Optical mass memory investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The MASTER 1 optical mass storage system advanced working model (AWM) was designed to demonstrate recording and playback of imagery data and to enable quantitative data to be derived as to the statistical distribution of raw errors experienced through the system. The AWM consists of two subsystems, the recorder and storage and retrieval. The recorder subsystem utilizes key technologies such as an acoustic travelling wave lens to achieve recording of digital data on fiche at a rate of 30 Mbits/sec, whereas the storage and retrieval reproducer subsystem utilizes a less complex optical system that employs an acousto-optical beam deflector to achieve data readout at a 5 Mbits/sec rate. The system has the built in capability for detecting and collecting error statistics. The recorder and storage and retrieval subsystems operate independent of one another and are each constructed in modular form with each module performing independent functions. The operation of each module and its interface to other modules is controlled by one controller for both subsystems.

The puzzling unsolved mysteries of liquid water: Some recent progress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, H. E.; Kumar, P.; Xu, L.; Yan, Z.; Mazza, M. G.; Buldyrev, S. V.; Chen, S.-H.; Mallamace, F.

2007-12-01

Water is perhaps the most ubiquitous, and the most essential, of any molecule on earth. Indeed, it defies the imagination of even the most creative science fiction writer to picture what life would be like without water. Despite decades of research, however, water's puzzling properties are not understood and 63 anomalies that distinguish water from other liquids remain unsolved. We introduce some of these unsolved mysteries, and demonstrate recent progress in solving them. We present evidence from experiments and computer simulations supporting the hypothesis that water displays a special transition point (which is not unlike the “tipping point” immortalized by Malcolm Gladwell). The general idea is that when the liquid is near this “tipping point,” it suddenly separates into two distinct liquid phases. This concept of a new critical point is finding application to other liquids as well as water, such as silicon and silica. We also discuss related puzzles, such as the mysterious behavior of water near a protein.

Quantum memory with optically trapped atoms.

PubMed

Chuu, Chih-Sung; Strassel, Thorsten; Zhao, Bo; Koch, Markus; Chen, Yu-Ao; Chen, Shuai; Yuan, Zhen-Sheng; Schmiedmayer, Jörg; Pan, Jian-Wei

2008-09-19

We report the experimental demonstration of quantum memory for collective atomic states in a far-detuned optical dipole trap. Generation of the collective atomic state is heralded by the detection of a Raman scattered photon and accompanied by storage in the ensemble of atoms. The optical dipole trap provides confinement for the atoms during the quantum storage while retaining the atomic coherence. We probe the quantum storage by cross correlation of the photon pair arising from the Raman scattering and the retrieval of the atomic state stored in the memory. Nonclassical correlations are observed for storage times up to 60 mus.

A media maniac's guide to removable mass storage media

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kempster, Linda S.

1996-01-01

This paper addresses at a high level, the many individual technologies available today in the removable storage arena including removable magnetic tapes, magnetic floppies, optical disks and optical tape. Tape recorders represented below discuss logitudinal, serpantine, logitudinal serpantine,and helical scan technologies. The magnetic floppies discussed will be used for personal electronic in-box applications.Optical disks still fill the role for dense long-term storage. The media capacities quoted are for native data. In some cases, 2 KB ASC2 pages or 50 KB document images will be referenced.

Tiny bubbles challenge giant turbines: Three Gorges puzzle.

PubMed

Li, Shengcai

2015-10-06

Since the birth of the first prototype of the modern reaction turbine, cavitation as conjectured by Euler in 1754 always presents as a challenge. Following his theory, the evolution of modern reaction (Francis and Kaplan) turbines has been completed by adding the final piece of the element 'draft-tube' that enables turbines to explore water energy at efficiencies of almost 100%. However, during the last two and a half centuries, with increasing unit capacity and specific speed, the problem of cavitation has been manifested and complicated by the draft-tube surges rather than being solved. Particularly, during the last 20 years, the fierce competition in the international market for extremely large turbines with compact design has encouraged the development of giant Francis turbines of 700-1000 MW. The first group (24 units) of such giant turbines of 700 MW each was installed in the Three Gorges project. Immediately after commission, a strange erosion phenomenon appeared on the guide vane of the machines that has puzzled professionals. From a multi-disciplinary analysis, this Three Gorges puzzle could reflect an unknown type of cavitation inception presumably triggered by turbulence production from the boundary-layer streak transitional process. It thus presents a fresh challenge not only to this old turbine industry, but also to the fundamental sciences.

Solving the BM Camelopardalis puzzle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teke, Mathias; Busby, Michael R.; Hall, Douglas S.

1989-01-01

BM Camelopardalis (=12 Cam) is a chromospherically active binary star with a relatively large orbital eccentricity. Systems with large eccentricities usually rotate pseudosynchronously. However, BM Cam has been a puzzle since its observed rotation rate is virtually equal to its orbital period indicating synchronization. All available photometry data for BM Cam have been collected and analyzed. Two models of modulated ellipticity effect are proposed, one based on equilibrium tidal deformation of the primary star and the other on a dynamical tidal effect. When the starspot variability is removed from the data, the dynamical tidal model was the better approximation to the real physical situation. The analysis indicates that BM Cam is not rotating pseudosynchronously but rotating in virtual synchronism after all.

Telemetry data storage systems technology for the Space Station Freedom era

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dalton, John T.

1989-01-01

This paper examines the requirements and functions of the telemetry-data recording and storage systems, and the data-storage-system technology projected for the Space Station, with particular attention given to the Space Optical Disk Recorder, an on-board storage subsystem based on 160 gigabit erasable optical disk units each capable of operating at 300 M bits per second. Consideration is also given to storage systems for ground transport recording, which include systems for data capture, buffering, processing, and delivery on the ground. These can be categorized as the first in-first out storage, the fast random-access storage, and the slow access with staging. Based on projected mission manifests and data rates, the worst case requirements were developed for these three storage architecture functions. The results of the analysis are presented.

Multiplexed Holographic Data Storage in Bacteriorhodopsin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mehrl, David J.; Krile, Thomas F.

1999-01-01

Biochrome photosensitive films in particular Bacteriorhodopsin exhibit features which make these materials an attractive recording medium for optical data storage and processing. Bacteriorhodopsin films find numerous applications in a wide range of optical data processing applications; however the short-term memory characteristics of BR limits their applications for holographic data storage. The life-time of the BR can be extended using cryogenic temperatures [1], although this method makes the system overly complicated and unstable. Longer life-times can be provided in one modification of BR - the "blue" membrane BR [2], however currently available films are characterized by both low diffraction efficiency and difficulties in providing photoreversible recording. In addition, as a dynamic recording material, the BR requires different wavelengths for recording and reconstructing of optical data in order to prevent the information erasure during its readout. This fact also put constraints on a BR-based Optical Memory, due to information loss in holographic memory systems employing the two-lambda technique for reading-writing thick multiplexed holograms.

The optical rebrightening of GRB100814A: an interplay of forward and reverse shocks?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Pasquale, Massimiliano; Kuin, N. P. M.; Oates, S.; Schulze, S.; Cano, Z.; Guidorzi, C.; Beardmore, A.; Evans, P. A.; Uhm, Z. L.; Zhang, B.; Page, M.; Kobayashi, S.; Castro-Tirado, A.; Gorosabel, J.; Sakamoto, T.; Fatkhullin, T.; Pandey, S. B.; Im, M.; Chandra, P.; Frail, D.; Gao, H.; Kopač, D.; Jeon, Y.; Akerlof, C.; Huang, K. Y.; Pak, S.; Park, W.-K.; Gomboc, A.; Melandri, A.; Zane, S.; Mundell, C. G.; Saxton, C. J.; Holland, S. T.; Virgili, F.; Urata, Y.; Steele, I.; Bersier, D.; Tanvir, N.; Sokolov, V. V.; Moskvitin, A. S.

2015-05-01

We present a wide data set of gamma-ray, X-ray, UV/Opt/IR (UVOIR), and radio observations of the Swift GRB100814A. At the end of the slow decline phase of the X-ray and optical afterglow, this burst shows a sudden and prominent rebrightening in the optical band only, followed by a fast decay in both bands. The optical rebrightening also shows chromatic evolution. Such a puzzling behaviour cannot be explained by a single component model. We discuss other possible interpretations, and we find that a model that incorporates a long-lived reverse shock and forward shock fits the temporal and spectral properties of GRB100814 the best.

Solar Twins and the Barium Puzzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, Arumalla B. S.; Lambert, David L.

2017-08-01

Several abundance analyses of Galactic open clusters (OCs) have shown a tendency for Ba but not for other heavy elements (La-Sm) to increase sharply with decreasing age such that Ba was claimed to reach [Ba/Fe] ≃ +0.6 in the youngest clusters (ages < 100 Myr) rising from [Ba/Fe] = 0.00 dex in solar-age clusters. Within the formulation of the s-process, the difficulty to replicate higher Ba abundance and normal La-Sm abundances in young clusters is known as the barium puzzle. Here, we investigate the barium puzzle using extremely high-resolution and high signal-to-noise spectra of 24 solar twins and measured the heavy elements Ba, La, Ce, Nd, and Sm with a precision of 0.03 dex. We demonstrate that the enhanced Ba II relative to La-Sm seen among solar twins, stellar associations, and OCs at young ages (<100 Myr) is unrelated to aspects of stellar nucleosynthesis but has resulted from overestimation of Ba by standard methods of LTE abundance analysis in which the microturbulence derived from the Fe lines formed deep in the photosphere is insufficient to represent the true line broadening imposed on Ba II lines by the upper photospheric layers from where the Ba II lines emerge. Because the young stars have relatively active photospheres, Ba overabundances most likely result from the adoption of a too low value of microturbulence in the spectrum synthesis of the strong Ba II lines but the change of microturbulence in the upper photosphere has only a minor affect on La-Sm abundances measured from the weak lines.

Solar Twins and the Barium Puzzle

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

Reddy, Arumalla B. S.; Lambert, David L., E-mail: bala@astro.as.utexas.edu

Several abundance analyses of Galactic open clusters (OCs) have shown a tendency for Ba but not for other heavy elements (La−Sm) to increase sharply with decreasing age such that Ba was claimed to reach [Ba/Fe] ≃ +0.6 in the youngest clusters (ages < 100 Myr) rising from [Ba/Fe] = 0.00 dex in solar-age clusters. Within the formulation of the s -process, the difficulty to replicate higher Ba abundance and normal La−Sm abundances in young clusters is known as the barium puzzle. Here, we investigate the barium puzzle using extremely high-resolution and high signal-to-noise spectra of 24 solar twins and measuredmore » the heavy elements Ba, La, Ce, Nd, and Sm with a precision of 0.03 dex. We demonstrate that the enhanced Ba ii relative to La−Sm seen among solar twins, stellar associations, and OCs at young ages (<100 Myr) is unrelated to aspects of stellar nucleosynthesis but has resulted from overestimation of Ba by standard methods of LTE abundance analysis in which the microturbulence derived from the Fe lines formed deep in the photosphere is insufficient to represent the true line broadening imposed on Ba ii lines by the upper photospheric layers from where the Ba ii lines emerge. Because the young stars have relatively active photospheres, Ba overabundances most likely result from the adoption of a too low value of microturbulence in the spectrum synthesis of the strong Ba ii lines but the change of microturbulence in the upper photosphere has only a minor affect on La−Sm abundances measured from the weak lines.« less

X-ray versus Optical Variations in the Seyfert 1 Nucleus NGC 3516: A Puzzling Disconnectedness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maoz, Dan; Markowitz, Alex; Edelson, Rick; Nandra, Kirpal; White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

We present optical broadband (B and R) observations of the Seyfert 1 nucleus NGC 3516, obtained at Wise Observatory from March 1997 to March 2002, contemporaneously with X-ray 2-10 keV measurements with RXTE. With these data we increase the temporal baseline of this dataset to 5 years, more than triple to the coverage we have previously presented for this object. Analysis of the new data does not confirm the 100-day lag of X-ray behind optical variations, tentatively reported in our previous work. Indeed, excluding the first year's data, which drive the previous result, there is no significant correlation at any Lag between the X-ray and optical bands. We also find no correlation at any lag between optical flux and various X-ray hardness ratios. We conclude that the close relation observed between the bands during the first year of our program was either a fluke, or perhaps the result of the exceptionally bright state of NGC 3516 in 1997, to which it has yet to return. Reviewing the results of published joint X-ray and UV/optical Seyfert monitoring programs, we speculate that there are at least two components or mechanisms contributing to the X-ray continuum emission up to 10 key: a soft component that is correlated with UV/optical variations on timescales approx. greater than 1 day, and whose presence can be detected when the source is observed at low enough energies (approx. 1 keV), is unabsorbed, or is in a sufficiently bright phase; and a hard component whose variations are uncorrelated with the UV/optical.

The Potential of Crossword Puzzles in Aiding English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merkel, Warren

2016-01-01

In an academic environment, teachers utilize crossword puzzles to help students learn or remember terminology. Outside the classroom, typically in daily newspapers, crosswords aid in vocabulary development, used as a learning tool, a leisure activity, or both. However, both the content and the grid structure of the crosswords in these two…

Multiplexed Holographic Data Storage in Bacteriorhodopsin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mehrl, David J.; Krile, Thomas F.

1997-01-01

High density optical data storage, driven by the information revolution, remains at the forefront of current research areas. Much of the current research has focused on photorefractive materials (SBN and LiNbO3) and polymers, despite various problems with expense, durability, response time and retention periods. Photon echo techniques, though promising, are questionable due to the need for cryogenic conditions. Bacteriorhodopsin (BR) films are an attractive alternative recording medium. Great strides have been made in refining BR, and materials with storage lifetimes as long as 100 days have recently become available. The ability to deposit this robust polycrystalline material as high quality optical films suggests the use of BR as a recording medium for commercial optical disks. Our own recent research has demonstrated the suitability of BR films for real time spatial filtering and holography. We propose to fully investigate the feasibility of performing holographic mass data storage in BR. Important aspects of the problem to be investigated include various data multiplexing techniques (e.g. angle- amplitude- and phase-encoded multiplexing, and in particular shift-multiplexing), multilayer recording techniques, SLM selection and data readout using crossed polarizers for noise rejection. Systems evaluations of storage parameters, including access times, memory refresh constraints, erasure, signal-to-noise ratios and bit error rates, will be included in our investigations.

Holographic storage of biphoton entanglement.

PubMed

Dai, Han-Ning; Zhang, Han; Yang, Sheng-Jun; Zhao, Tian-Ming; Rui, Jun; Deng, You-Jin; Li, Li; Liu, Nai-Le; Chen, Shuai; Bao, Xiao-Hui; Jin, Xian-Min; Zhao, Bo; Pan, Jian-Wei

2012-05-25

Coherent and reversible storage of multiphoton entanglement with a multimode quantum memory is essential for scalable all-optical quantum information processing. Although a single photon has been successfully stored in different quantum systems, storage of multiphoton entanglement remains challenging because of the critical requirement for coherent control of the photonic entanglement source, multimode quantum memory, and quantum interface between them. Here we demonstrate a coherent and reversible storage of biphoton Bell-type entanglement with a holographic multimode atomic-ensemble-based quantum memory. The retrieved biphoton entanglement violates the Bell inequality for 1 μs storage time and a memory-process fidelity of 98% is demonstrated by quantum state tomography.

A Play on Words: Using Cognitive Computing as a Basis for AI Solvers in Word Puzzles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manzini, Thomas; Ellis, Simon; Hendler, James

2015-12-01

In this paper we offer a model, drawing inspiration from human cognition and based upon the pipeline developed for IBM's Watson, which solves clues in a type of word puzzle called syllacrostics. We briefly discuss its situation with respect to the greater field of artificial general intelligence (AGI) and how this process and model might be applied to other types of word puzzles. We present an overview of a system that has been developed to solve syllacrostics.

Helicity-dependent all-optical switching in hybrid metal-ferromagnet structures for ultrafast magnetic data storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Feng

The emerging Big Data era demands the rapidly increasing need for speed and capacity of storing and processing information. Standalone magnetic recording devices, such as hard disk drives (HDDs), have always been playing a central role in modern data storage and continuously advancing. Recognizing the growing capacity gap between the demand and production, industry has pushed the bit areal density in HDDs to 900 Giga-bit/square-inch, a remarkable 450-million-fold increase since the invention of the first hard disk drive in 1956. However, the further development of HDD capacity is facing a pressing challenge, the so-called superparamagnetic effect, that leads to the loss of information when a single bit becomes too small to preserve the magnetization. This requires new magnetic recording technologies that can write more stable magnetic bits into hard magnetic materials. Recent research has shown that it is possible to use ultrafast laser pulses to switch the magnetization in certain types of magnetic thin films. Surprisingly, such a process does not require an externally applied magnetic field that always exists in conventional HDDs. Furthermore, the optically induced magnetization switching is extremely fast, up to sub-picosecond (10 -12 s) level, while with traditional recording method the deterministic switching does not take place shorter than 20 ps. It's worth noting that the direction of magnetization is related to the helicity of the incident laser pulses. Namely, the right-handed polarized laser pulses will generate magnetization pointing in one direction while left-handed polarized laser pulses generate magnetization pointing in the other direction. This so-called helicity-dependent all-optical switching (HD-AOS) phenomenon can be potentially used in the next-generation of magnetic storage systems. In this thesis, I explore the HD-AOS phenomenon in hybrid metal-ferromagnet structures, which consist of gold and Co/Pt multilayers. The experiment results show

Submillisecond Optical Knife-Edge Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thurlow, P.

1983-01-01

Fast computer-controlled sampling of optical knife-edge response (KER) signal increases accuracy of optical system aberration measurement. Submicrosecond-response detectors in optical focal plane convert optical signals to electrical signals converted to digital data, sampled and feed into computer for storage and subsequent analysis. Optical data are virtually free of effects of index-of-refraction gradients.

Applicability, Indispensability, and Underdetermination: Puzzling Over Wigner's `Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelfert, Axel

2014-05-01

In his influential 1960 paper `The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences', Eugene P. Wigner raises the question of why something that was developed without concern for empirical facts—mathematics—should turn out to be so powerful in explaining facts about the natural world. Recent philosophy of science has developed `Wigner's puzzle' in two different directions: First, in relation to the supposed indispensability of mathematical facts to particular scientific explanations and, secondly, in connection with the idea that aesthetic criteria track theoretical desiderata such as empirical success. An important aspect of Wigner's article has, however, been overlooked in these debates: his worries about the underdetermination of physical theories by mathematical frameworks. The present paper argues that, by restoring this aspect of Wigner's argument to its proper place, Wigner's puzzle may become an instructive case study for the teaching of core issues in the philosophy of science and its history.

Alliteration in medicine: a puzzling profusion of p's

PubMed Central

Hayden, Gregory F

1999-01-01

Problem Puzzling, progressive profusion of alliterative “p's” in published papers. Purpose To depict this particular “p” predominance with pinpoint precision. Plan Periodic, painstaking perusal of periodicals by a professor of paediatrics. Proposal The “p” plethora is positively perplexing and potentially perturbing. Alliteration is a literary device consisting of repetition of the same starting sound in several words in a sentence.1 Consider, for example, Shakespeare's playful parody of alliteration in Peter Quince's prologue in A Midsummer Night's Dream: “Whereat with blade, with bloody blameful blade, He bravely broach'd his boiling bloody breast.” Alliteration has appeared frequently in the medical literature—for example: “Respiratory syncytial virus—from chimps with colds to conundrums and cures;”2 “The choreas: of faints, fevers, and families;”3 “Coronary artery stents—gauging, gorging, and gouging;”4 “Moschcowitz, multimers, and metalloprotease;”5 “Alagille syndrome: a nutritional niche for Notch;”6 “Theodor Billroth: success with sutures and strings.”7 Perusing the medical literature with alliteration in mind, I have become perplexed by a peculiar propensity for the letter “p” to be placed in prominent positions. Consider for a moment the alliterative content of the BMJ, a prestigious periodical also published in Pakistani, Polish, and Portuguese. Perhaps the prime example is a piece entitled “A potpourri of parasites in poetry and proverb,”8 but the journal has presented articles addressing such topics as paracetamol poisoning,9 practitioners' pressure to prescribe,10 physicians' partnerships with patients,11 partnerships for prevention in public playgrounds,12 and pregnancy outcomes which have been persistently poor.13 Other topics have included patients' priorities,14 the political process of puzzling out private versus public priorities,15 and the ponderous problem of whether the priorities in

Interactive Educational Multimedia: Coping with the Need for Increasing Data Storage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malhotra, Yogesh; Erickson, Ranel E.

1994-01-01

Discusses the storage requirements for data forms used in interactive multimedia education and presently available storage devices. Highlights include characteristics of educational multimedia; factors determining data storage requirements; storage devices for video and audio needs; laserdiscs and videodiscs; compact discs; magneto-optical drives;…

Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies, Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kobler, Ben (Editor); Hariharan, P. C. (Editor)

1993-01-01

Copies of nearly all of the technical papers and viewgraphs presented at the Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies held in Sep. 1992 are included. The conference served as an informational exchange forum for topics primarily relating to the ingestion and management of massive amounts of data and the attendant problems (data ingestion rates now approach the order of terabytes per day). Discussion topics include the IEEE Mass Storage System Reference Model, data archiving standards, high-performance storage devices, magnetic and magneto-optic storage systems, magnetic and optical recording technologies, high-performance helical scan recording systems, and low end helical scan tape drives. Additional topics addressed the evolution of the identifiable unit for processing purposes as data ingestion rates increase dramatically, and the present state of the art in mass storage technology.

Growing Cutting-edge X-ray Optics

ScienceCinema

Conley, Ray

2018-03-02

Ever imagined that an Xbox controller could help open a window into a world spanning just one billionth of a meter? Brookhaven Lab's Ray Conley grows cutting-edge optics called multilayer Laue lenses (MLL) one atomic layer at a time to focus high-energy x-rays to within a single nanometer. To achieve this focusing feat, Ray uses a massive, custom-built atomic deposition device, an array of computers, and a trusty Xbox controller. These lenses will be deployed at the Lab's National Synchrotron Light Source II, due to begin shining super-bright light on pressing scientific puzzles in 2015.

The Retrofit Puzzle Extended: Optimal Fleet Owner Behavior over Multiple Time Periods

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-08-04

In "The Retrofit Puzzle: Optimal Fleet Owner Behavior in the Context of Diesel Retrofit Incentive Programs" (1) an integer program was developed to model profit-maximizing diesel fleet owner behavior when selecting pollution reduction retrofits. Flee...

Unraveling "Braid": Puzzle Games and Storytelling in the Imperative Mood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnott, Luke

2012-01-01

"Unraveling Braid" analyzes how unconventional, non-linear narrative fiction can help explain the ways in which video games signify. Specifically, this essay looks at the links between the semiotic features of Jonathan Blow's 2008 puzzle-platform video game Braid and similar elements in Georges Perec's 1978 novel "Life A User's Manual," as well as…

Puzzling Science: Using the Rubik's Cube to Teach Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rohrig, Brian

2010-01-01

A major goal of education is to help learners store information in long-term memory and use that information on later occasions to effectively solve problems (Vockell 2010). Therefore, this author began to use the Rubik's cube to help students learn to problem solve. There is something special about this colorful three-dimensional puzzle that…

Eta Carinae: A Box of Puzzles...Some Solved, Others Await

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gull, Theodore

2010-01-01

In the l840's, Eta Carinae brightened to rival Sirius, then faded. Today we see a marginally naked-eye binary with an expanding, very dusty bipolar Homunculus. The energetics of the ejected mass (>l2 to 40 solar masses at 500-700 km/s plus outer bullets/strings up to 3000 km/s} approach that of a supernova. Extragalactic SN surveys detect near-supernovae thought to be like the Great Eruption of the 1840's. Eta Carinae presents an abundance of puzzles: rich in N, but 1/100th the solar C and O abundances; Ti, V, Sr, Sc persist in atomic states.... yet an abundance of molecules and dust exists in the Homunculus. How did molecules and dust form with low C and O? A near supernova occurred in the l840m, yet both binary companions, with total mass > 120 solar masses, survive in a very eccentric orbit. What is the near future of this system: a GRB? a SN? or just two WR stars that ultimately become two SNs? These and other puzzles will be presented

A Hybrid alldifferent-Tabu Search Algorithm for Solving Sudoku Puzzles

PubMed Central

Crawford, Broderick; Paredes, Fernando; Norero, Enrique

2015-01-01

The Sudoku problem is a well-known logic-based puzzle of combinatorial number-placement. It consists in filling a n 2 × n 2 grid, composed of n columns, n rows, and n subgrids, each one containing distinct integers from 1 to n 2. Such a puzzle belongs to the NP-complete collection of problems, to which there exist diverse exact and approximate methods able to solve it. In this paper, we propose a new hybrid algorithm that smartly combines a classic tabu search procedure with the alldifferent global constraint from the constraint programming world. The alldifferent constraint is known to be efficient for domain filtering in the presence of constraints that must be pairwise different, which are exactly the kind of constraints that Sudokus own. This ability clearly alleviates the work of the tabu search, resulting in a faster and more robust approach for solving Sudokus. We illustrate interesting experimental results where our proposed algorithm outperforms the best results previously reported by hybrids and approximate methods. PMID:26078751

A Hybrid alldifferent-Tabu Search Algorithm for Solving Sudoku Puzzles.

PubMed

Soto, Ricardo; Crawford, Broderick; Galleguillos, Cristian; Paredes, Fernando; Norero, Enrique

2015-01-01

The Sudoku problem is a well-known logic-based puzzle of combinatorial number-placement. It consists in filling a n(2) × n(2) grid, composed of n columns, n rows, and n subgrids, each one containing distinct integers from 1 to n(2). Such a puzzle belongs to the NP-complete collection of problems, to which there exist diverse exact and approximate methods able to solve it. In this paper, we propose a new hybrid algorithm that smartly combines a classic tabu search procedure with the alldifferent global constraint from the constraint programming world. The alldifferent constraint is known to be efficient for domain filtering in the presence of constraints that must be pairwise different, which are exactly the kind of constraints that Sudokus own. This ability clearly alleviates the work of the tabu search, resulting in a faster and more robust approach for solving Sudokus. We illustrate interesting experimental results where our proposed algorithm outperforms the best results previously reported by hybrids and approximate methods.

Status of international optical disk standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Di; Neumann, John

1999-11-01

Optical technology for data storage offers media removability with unsurpassed reliability. As the media are removable, data interchange between the media and drives from different sources is a major concern. The optical recording community realized, at the inception of this new storage technology development, that international standards for all optical recording disk/cartridge must be established to insure the healthy growth of this industry and for the benefit of the users. Many standards organizations took up the challenge and numerous international standards were established which are now being used world-wide. This paper provides a brief summary of the current status of the international optical disk standards.

A novel anti-piracy optical disk with photochromic diarylethene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Guodong; Cao, Guoqiang; Huang, Zhen; Wang, Shenqian; Zou, Daowen

2005-09-01

Diarylethene is one of photochromic material with many advantages and one of the most promising recording materials for huge optical data storage. Diarylethene has two forms, which can be converted to each other by laser beams of different wavelength. The material has been researched for rewritable optical disks. Volatile data storage is one of its properties, which was always considered as an obstacle to utility. Many researches have been done for combating the obstacle for a long time. In fact, volatile data storage is very useful for anti-piracy optical data storage. Piracy is a social and economical problem. One technology of anti-piracy optical data storage is to limit readout of the data recorded in the material by encryption software. By the development of computer technologies, this kind of software is more and more easily cracked. Using photochromic diarylethene as the optical recording material, the signals of the data recorded in the material are degraded when it is read, and readout of the data is limited. Because the method uses hardware to realize anti-piracy, it is impossible cracked. In this paper, we will introduce this usage of the material. Some experiments are presented for proving its feasibility.

Tiny bubbles challenge giant turbines: Three Gorges puzzle

PubMed Central

Li, Shengcai

2015-01-01

Since the birth of the first prototype of the modern reaction turbine, cavitation as conjectured by Euler in 1754 always presents as a challenge. Following his theory, the evolution of modern reaction (Francis and Kaplan) turbines has been completed by adding the final piece of the element ‘draft-tube’ that enables turbines to explore water energy at efficiencies of almost 100%. However, during the last two and a half centuries, with increasing unit capacity and specific speed, the problem of cavitation has been manifested and complicated by the draft-tube surges rather than being solved. Particularly, during the last 20 years, the fierce competition in the international market for extremely large turbines with compact design has encouraged the development of giant Francis turbines of 700–1000 MW. The first group (24 units) of such giant turbines of 700 MW each was installed in the Three Gorges project. Immediately after commission, a strange erosion phenomenon appeared on the guide vane of the machines that has puzzled professionals. From a multi-disciplinary analysis, this Three Gorges puzzle could reflect an unknown type of cavitation inception presumably triggered by turbulence production from the boundary-layer streak transitional process. It thus presents a fresh challenge not only to this old turbine industry, but also to the fundamental sciences. PMID:26442144

(Mis)perception of Sleep in Insomnia: A Puzzle and a Resolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvey, Allison G.; Tang, Nicole K. Y.

2012-01-01

Insomnia is prevalent, causing severe distress and impairment. This review focuses on illuminating the puzzling finding that many insomnia patients misperceive their sleep. They overestimate their sleep onset latency (SOL) and underestimate their total sleep time (TST), relative to objective measures. This tendency is ubiquitous (although not…

Solving the Puzzle of Metastasis: The Evolution of Cell Migration in Neoplasms

PubMed Central

Chen, Jun; Sprouffske, Kathleen; Huang, Qihong; Maley, Carlo C.

2011-01-01

Background Metastasis represents one of the most clinically important transitions in neoplastic progression. The evolution of metastasis is a puzzle because a metastatic clone is at a disadvantage in competition for space and resources with non-metastatic clones in the primary tumor. Metastatic clones waste some of their reproductive potential on emigrating cells with little chance of establishing metastases. We suggest that resource heterogeneity within primary tumors selects for cell migration, and that cell emigration is a by-product of that selection. Methods and Findings We developed an agent-based model to simulate the evolution of neoplastic cell migration. We simulated the essential dynamics of neoangiogenesis and blood vessel occlusion that lead to resource heterogeneity in neoplasms. We observed the probability and speed of cell migration that evolves with changes in parameters that control the degree of spatial and temporal resource heterogeneity. Across a broad range of realistic parameter values, increasing degrees of spatial and temporal heterogeneity select for the evolution of increased cell migration and emigration. Conclusions We showed that variability in resources within a neoplasm (e.g. oxygen and nutrients provided by angiogenesis) is sufficient to select for cells with high motility. These cells are also more likely to emigrate from the tumor, which is the first step in metastasis and the key to the puzzle of metastasis. Thus, we have identified a novel potential solution to the puzzle of metastasis. PMID:21556134

Adding a Piece to the Leaf Epidermal Cell Shape Puzzle.

PubMed

von Wangenheim, Daniel; Wells, Darren M; Bennett, Malcolm J

2017-11-06

The jigsaw puzzle-shaped pavement cells in the leaf epidermis collectively function as a load-bearing tissue that controls organ growth. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Majda et al. (2017) shed light on how the jigsaw shape can arise from localized variations in wall stiffness between adjacent epidermal cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PLANNING FOR OPTICAL DISK TECHNOLOGY WITH DIGITAL CARTOGRAPHY.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Light, Donald L.

1984-01-01

Progress in the computer field continues to suggest that the transition from traditional analog mapping systems to digital systems has become a practical possibility. A major shortfall that still exists in digital systems is the need for very large mass storage capacity. The decade of the 1980's has introduced laser optical disk storage technology, which may be the breakthrough needed for mass storage. This paper addresses system concepts for digital cartography during the transition period. Emphasis is placed on determining U. S. Geological Survey mass storage requirements and introducing laser optical disk technology for handling storage problems for digital data in this decade.

Model for multishot all-thermal all-optical switching in ferromagnets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorchon, J.; Yang, Y.; Bokor, J.

2016-07-01

All-optical magnetic switching (AOS) is a recently observed rich and puzzling phenomenon that offers promising technological applications. However, a fundamental understanding of the underlying mechanisms remains elusive. Here we present a model for multishot helicity-dependent AOS in ferromagnetic materials based on a purely heat-driven mechanism in the presence of magnetic circular dichroism (MCD). We predict that AOS should be possible with as little as 0.5% of MCD, after a minimum number of laser shots heat the sample close to the Curie temperature. Finally, we qualitatively reproduce the all-optically switched domain patterns observed experimentally by numerically simulating the result of multiple laser shots on an FePtC granular ferromagnetic film.

Optical media standards for industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hallam, Kenneth J.

1993-01-01

Optical storage is a new and growing area of technology that can serve to meet some of the mass storage needs of the computer industry. Optical storage is characterized by information being stored and retrieved by means of diode lasers. When most people refer to optical storage, they mean rotating disk media, but there are 1 or 2 products that use lasers to read and write to tape. Optical media also usually means removable media. Because of its removability, there is a recognized need for standardization, both of the media and of the recording method. Industry standards can come about in one or more different ways. An industry supported body can sanction and publish a formal standard. A company may ship enough of a product that it so dominates an application or industry that it acquires 'standard' status without an official sanction. Such de facto standards are almost always copied by other companies with varying degrees of success. A governmental body can issue a rule or law that requires conformance to a standard. The standard may have been created by the government, or adopted from among many proposed by industry. These are often known as de jure standards. Standards are either open or proprietary. If approved by a government or sanctioning body, the standard is open. A de facto standard may be either open or proprietary. Optical media is too new to have de facto standards accepted by the marketplace yet. The proliferation of non-compatible media types in the last 5 years of optical market development have convinced many of the need for recognized media standards.

Nuclear clustering and the electron screening puzzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertulani, C. A.; Spitaleri, C.

2018-01-01

Electron screening changes appreciably the magnitude of astrophysical nuclear reactions within stars. This effect is also observed in laboratory experiments on Earth, where atomic electrons are present in the nuclear targets. Theoretical models were developed over the past 30 years and experimental measurements have been carried out to study electron screening in thermonuclear reactions. None of the theoretical models were able to explain the high values of the experimentally determined screening potentials. We explore the possibility that the "electron screening puzzle" is due to nuclear clusterization and polarization e_ects in the fusion reactions. We will discuss the supporting arguments for this scenario.

Math Puzzlers: 25 Reproducible Puzzles, Games, and Activities that Boost the Math Skills and Up the Fun! Grades 2-5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimble-Ellis, Sonya

Puzzles, games, and activities provide perfect opportunities for students to work in groups, interact, communicate with each other, and discuss strategies. The activities, games, and puzzles contained in this book are designed to help students learn mathematics in a fun yet challenging way. The activities are designed to encourage students to…

Java-Library for the Access, Storage and Editing of Calibration Metadata of Optical Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Firlej, M.; Kresse, W.

2016-06-01

The standardization of the calibration of optical sensors in photogrammetry and remote sensing has been discussed for more than a decade. Projects of the German DGPF and the European EuroSDR led to the abstract International Technical Specification ISO/TS 19159-1:2014 "Calibration and validation of remote sensing imagery sensors and data - Part 1: Optical sensors". This article presents the first software interface for a read- and write-access to all metadata elements standardized in the ISO/TS 19159-1. This interface is based on an xml-schema that was automatically derived by ShapeChange from the UML-model of the Specification. The software interface serves two cases. First, the more than 300 standardized metadata elements are stored individually according to the xml-schema. Secondly, the camera manufacturers are using many administrative data that are not a part of the ISO/TS 19159-1. The new software interface provides a mechanism for input, storage, editing, and output of both types of data. Finally, an output channel towards a usual calibration protocol is provided. The interface is written in Java. The article also addresses observations made when analysing the ISO/TS 19159-1 and compiles a list of proposals for maturing the document, i.e. for an updated version of the Specification.

Having Fun and Accepting Challenges Are Natural Instincts: Jigsaw Puzzles to Challenge Students and Test Their Abilities While Having Fun!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodenbaugh, Hanna R.; Lujan, Heidi L.; Rodenbaugh, David W.; DiCarlo, Stephen E.

2014-01-01

Because jigsaw puzzles are fun, and challenging, students will endure and discover that persistence and grit are rewarded. Importantly, play and fun have a biological place just like sleep and dreams. Students also feel a sense of accomplishment when they have completed a puzzle. Importantly, the reward of mastering a challenge builds confidence…

"Pieces of a Puzzle": Seeing the Light in a Darkened Room.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lang, Frederick K.

The film "Pieces of a Puzzle" (part of the series "Writers Writing" that was coproduced by WNET and Learning Designs and televised by WNET in 1985), helped students become better writers and facilitated the discovery of material and techniques appropriate to academic writing. First, students were introduced to reader response…

General intelligence is an emerging property, not an evolutionary puzzle.

PubMed

Ramus, Franck

2017-01-01

Burkart et al. contend that general intelligence poses a major evolutionary puzzle. This assertion presupposes a reification of general intelligence - that is, assuming that it is one "thing" that must have been selected as such. However, viewing general intelligence as an emerging property of multiple cognitive abilities (each with their own selective advantage) requires no additional evolutionary explanation.

Vortex based information storage in Bose-Einstein condensates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutton, Zachary; Ruostekoski, Janne

2004-05-01

Recent demonstrations of coherent optical storage in atomic clouds [1,2] have opened up new possibilities for both classical and quantum information storage. In parallel, there have been advances in the generation of Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) modes with angular momentum (optical vortices)[3] and applications of these modes to quantum information architectures based on a alphabets larger than the traditional two-state systems. Here we theoretically consider the storage of such LG modes in atomic Rb-87 Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs). An LG mode writes its vortex phase pattern into a two-component BEC vortex state. The angular momentum information can then be stored in the BEC and then efficiently read back onto the optical field by switching a control field on. We study the fidelity of the writing, storage, and read-out processes. We also consider applying this method to to the transfer of more complicated states, such as two-component vortex lattices, between two spatially distinct BECs. 1. C. Liu, Z. Dutton, C.H. Behroozi, and L.V. Hau, Nature 409, 490 (2001). 2. D.F. Phillips, A. Fleischhauer, A. Mair, R.L. Walsworth, and M.D. Lukin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 783 (2001). 3. A. Vaziri, Gregor Weihs, and A. Zeilinger, cond-mat/0111033.

Right frontal gamma and beta band enhancement while solving a spatial puzzle with insight.

PubMed

Rosen, A; Reiner, M

2017-12-01

Solving a problem with an "a-ha" effect is known as insight. Unlike incremental problem solving, insight is sudden and unique, and the question about its distinct brain activity, intrigues many researchers. In this study, electroencephalogram signals were recorded from 12 right handed, human participants before (baseline) and while they solved a spatial puzzle known as the '10 coin puzzle' that could be solved incrementally or by insight. Participants responded as soon as they reached a solution and reported whether the process was incremental or by sudden insight. EEG activity was recorded from 19 scalp locations. We found significant differences between insight and incremental solvers in the Gamma and Beta 2 bands in frontal areas (F8) and in the alpha band in right temporal areas (T6). The right-frontal gamma indicates a process of restructuring which leads to an insight solution, in spatial problems, further suggesting a universal role of gamma in restructuring. These results further suggest that solving a spatial puzzle via insight requires exclusive brain areas and neurological-cognitive processes which may be important for meta-cognitive components of insight solutions, including attention and monitoring of the solution. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

New Light on Autism and Other Puzzling Disorders of Childhood. Science Reports.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yahraes, Herbert

The pamphlet discusses several puzzling disorders of childhood, including autism, atypical personality development (childhood psychosis), psychosocial dwarfism, and Tourette's syndrome. Psychosocial dwarfism is said to be characterized by a marked reduction in physical development and by immaturity in behavior, while Tourette's syndrome involves…

Real time monitoring of water level and temperature in storage fuel pools through optical fibre sensors.

PubMed

Rizzolo, S; Périsse, J; Boukenter, A; Ouerdane, Y; Marin, E; Macé, J-R; Cannas, M; Girard, S

2017-08-18

We present an innovative architecture of a Rayleigh-based optical fibre sensor for the monitoring of water level and temperature inside storage nuclear fuel pools. This sensor, able to withstand the harsh constraints encountered under accidental conditions such as those pointed-out during the Fukushima-Daiichi event (temperature up to 100 °C and radiation dose level up to ~20 kGy), exploits the Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry technique to remotely monitor a radiation resistant silica-based optical fibre i.e. its sensing probe. We validate the efficiency and the robustness of water level measurements, which are extrapolated from the temperature profile along the fibre length, in a dedicated test bench allowing the simulation of the environmental operating and accidental conditions. The conceived prototype ensures an easy, practical and no invasive integration into existing nuclear facilities. The obtained results represent a significant breakthrough and comfort the ability of the developed system to overcome both operating and accidental constraints providing the distributed profiles of the water level (0-to-5 m) and temperature (20-to-100 °C) with a resolution that in accidental condition is better than 3 cm and of ~0.5 °C respectively. These new sensors will be able, as safeguards, to contribute and reinforce the safety in existing and future nuclear power plants.

Changes in food intake and abnormal behavior using a puzzle feeder in newly acquired sub-adult rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta): a short term study.

PubMed

Lee, Jae-Il; Lee, Chi-Woo; Kwon, Hyouk-Sang; Kim, Young-Tae; Park, Chung-Gyu; Kim, Sang-Joon; Kang, Byeong-Cheol

2008-10-01

The majority of newly acquired nonhuman primates encounter serious problems adapting themselves to new environments or facilities. In particular, loss of appetite and abnormal behavior can occur in response to environmental stresses. These adaptation abnormalities can ultimately have an affect on the animal's growth and well-being. In this study, we evaluated the affects of a puzzle feeder on the food intake and abnormal behavior of newly acquired rhesus monkeys for a short period. The puzzle feeder was applied to 47- to 58-month-old animals that had never previously encountered one. We found that there was no difference in the change of food intake between the bucket condition and the puzzle feeder condition. In contrast, the time spent for consumption of food was three times longer in the puzzle feeder condition than in the bucket condition. Two monkeys initially exhibited stereotypic behavior. One showed a decreasing, and the other an increasing pattern of abnormal behavior after introduction of the puzzle feeder. In conclusion, this result suggests that over a short period, the puzzle feeder can only affect the time for food consumption since it failed to affect the food intake and did not consistently influence stereotypic behaviors in newly acquired rhesus monkeys.

Health inequalities and welfare state regimes: theoretical insights on a public health 'puzzle'.

PubMed

Bambra, Clare

2011-09-01

Welfare states are important determinants of health. Comparative social epidemiology has almost invariably concluded that population health is enhanced by the relatively generous and universal welfare provision of the Scandinavian countries. However, most international studies of socioeconomic inequalities in health have thrown up something of a public health 'puzzle' as the Scandinavian welfare states do not, as would generally be expected, have the smallest health inequalities. This essay outlines and interrogates this puzzle by drawing upon existing theories of health inequalities--artefact, selection, cultural--behavioural, materialist, psychosocial and life course--to generate some theoretical insights. It discusses the limits of these theories in respect to cross-national research; it questions the focus and normative paradigm underpinning contemporary comparative health inequalities research; and it considers the future of comparative social epidemiology.

In vivo automated quantification of quality of apples during storage using optical coherence tomography images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastava, Vishal; Dalal, Devjyoti; Kumar, Anuj; Prakash, Surya; Dalal, Krishna

2018-06-01

Moisture content is an important feature of fruits and vegetables. As 80% of apple content is water, so decreasing the moisture content will degrade the quality of apples (Golden Delicious). The computational and texture features of the apples were extracted from optical coherence tomography (OCT) images. A support vector machine with a Gaussian kernel model was used to perform automated classification. To evaluate the quality of wax coated apples during storage in vivo, our proposed method opens up the possibility of fully automated quantitative analysis based on the morphological features of apples. Our results demonstrate that the analysis of the computational and texture features of OCT images may be a good non-destructive method for the assessment of the quality of apples.

Freestyle multiple propeller flap reconstruction (jigsaw puzzle approach) for complicated back defects.

PubMed

Park, Sung Woo; Oh, Tae Suk; Eom, Jin Sup; Sun, Yoon Chi; Suh, Hyun Suk; Hong, Joon Pio

2015-05-01

The reconstruction of the posterior trunk remains to be a challenge as defects can be extensive, with deep dead space, and fixation devices exposed. Our goal was to achieve a tension-free closure for complex defects on the posterior trunk. From August 2006 to May 2013, 18 cases were reconstructed with multiple flaps combining perforator(s) and local skin flaps. The reconstructions were performed using freestyle approach. Starting with propeller flap(s) in single or multilobed design and sequentially in conjunction with adjacent random pattern flaps such as fitting puzzle. All defects achieved tensionless primary closure. The final appearance resembled a jigsaw puzzle-like appearance. The average size of defect was 139.6 cm(2) (range, 36-345 cm(2)). A total of 26 perforator flaps were used in addition to 19 random pattern flaps for 18 cases. In all cases, a single perforator was used for each propeller flap. The defect and the donor site all achieved tension-free closure. The reconstruction was 100% successful without flap loss. One case of late infection was noted at 12 months after surgery. Using multiple lobe designed propeller flaps in conjunction with random pattern flaps in a freestyle approach, resembling putting a jigsaw puzzle together, we can achieve a tension-free closure by distributing the tension to multiple flaps, supplying sufficient volume to obliterate dead space, and have reliable vascularity as the flaps do not need to be oversized. This can be a viable approach to reconstruct extensive defects on the posterior trunk. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

The proton radius puzzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonesini, Maurizio

2017-12-01

The FAMU (Fisica degli Atomi Muonici) experiment has the goal to measure precisely the proton Zemach radius, thus contributing to the solution of the so-called proton radius "puzzle". To this aim, it makes use of a high-intensity pulsed muon beam at RIKEN-RAL impinging on a cryogenic hydrogen target with an high-Z gas admixture and a tunable mid-IR high power laser, to measure the hyperfine (HFS) splitting of the 1S state of the muonic hydrogen. From the value of the exciting laser frequency, the energy of the HFS transition may be derived with high precision ( 10-5) and thus, via QED calculations, the Zemach radius of the proton. The experimental apparatus includes a precise fiber-SiPMT beam hodoscope and a crown of eight LaBr3 crystals and a few HPGe detectors for detection of the emitted characteristic X-rays. Preliminary runs to optimize the gas target filling and its operating conditions have been taken in 2014 and 2015-2016. The final run, with the pump laser to drive the HFS transition, is expected in 2018.

Coherent optical pulse sequencer for quantum applications.

PubMed

Hosseini, Mahdi; Sparkes, Ben M; Hétet, Gabriel; Longdell, Jevon J; Lam, Ping Koy; Buchler, Ben C

2009-09-10

The bandwidth and versatility of optical devices have revolutionized information technology systems and communication networks. Precise and arbitrary control of an optical field that preserves optical coherence is an important requisite for many proposed photonic technologies. For quantum information applications, a device that allows storage and on-demand retrieval of arbitrary quantum states of light would form an ideal quantum optical memory. Recently, significant progress has been made in implementing atomic quantum memories using electromagnetically induced transparency, photon echo spectroscopy, off-resonance Raman spectroscopy and other atom-light interaction processes. Single-photon and bright-optical-field storage with quantum states have both been successfully demonstrated. Here we present a coherent optical memory based on photon echoes induced through controlled reversible inhomogeneous broadening. Our scheme allows storage of multiple pulses of light within a chosen frequency bandwidth, and stored pulses can be recalled in arbitrary order with any chosen delay between each recalled pulse. Furthermore, pulses can be time-compressed, time-stretched or split into multiple smaller pulses and recalled in several pieces at chosen times. Although our experimental results are so far limited to classical light pulses, our technique should enable the construction of an optical random-access memory for time-bin quantum information, and have potential applications in quantum information processing.

Optical computing, optical memory, and SBIRs at Foster-Miller

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domash, Lawrence H.

1994-03-01

A desktop design and manufacturing system for binary diffractive elements, MacBEEP, was developed with the optical researcher in mind. Optical processing systems for specialized tasks such as cellular automation computation and fractal measurement were constructed. A new family of switchable holograms has enabled several applications for control of laser beams in optical memories. New spatial light modulators and optical logic elements have been demonstrated based on a more manufacturable semiconductor technology. Novel synthetic and polymeric nonlinear materials for optical storage are under development in an integrated memory architecture. SBIR programs enable creative contributions from smaller companies, both product oriented and technology oriented, and support advances that might not otherwise be developed.

Digital optical tape: Technology and standardization issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Podio, Fernando L.

1996-01-01

During the coming years, digital data storage technologies will continue an aggressive growth to satisfy the user's need for higher storage capacities, higher data transfer rates and long-term archival media properties. Digital optical tape is a promising technology to satisfy these user's needs. As any emerging data storage technology, the industry faces many technological and standardization challenges. The technological challenges are great, but feasible to overcome. Although it is too early to consider formal industry standards, the optical tape industry has decided to work together by initiating prestandardization efforts that may lead in the future to formal voluntary industry standards. This paper will discuss current industry optical tape drive developments and the types of standards that will be required for the technology. The status of current industry prestandardization efforts will also be discussed.

Storage Phosphors for Medical Imaging

PubMed Central

Leblans, Paul; Vandenbroucke, Dirk; Willems, Peter

2011-01-01

Computed radiography (CR) uses storage phosphor imaging plates for digital imaging. Absorbed X-ray energy is stored in crystal defects. In read-out the energy is set free as blue photons upon optical stimulation. In the 35 years of CR history, several storage phosphor families were investigated and developed. An explanation is given as to why some materials made it to the commercial stage, while others did not. The photo stimulated luminescence mechanism of the current commercial storage phosphors, BaFBr:Eu2+ and CsBr:Eu2+ is discussed. The relation between storage phosphor plate physical characteristics and image quality is explained. It is demonstrated that the morphology of the phosphor crystals in the CR imaging plate has a very significant impact on its performance. PMID:28879966

Biophotopol: A Sustainable Photopolymer for Holographic Data Storage Applications

PubMed Central

Ortuño, Manuel; Gallego, Sergi; Márquez, Andrés; Neipp, Cristian; Pascual, Inmaculada; Beléndez, Augusto

2012-01-01

Photopolymers have proved to be useful for different holographic applications such as holographic data storage or holographic optical elements. However, most photopolymers have certain undesirable features, such as the toxicity of some of their components or their low environmental compatibility. For this reason, the Holography and Optical Processing Group at the University of Alicante developed a new dry photopolymer with low toxicity and high thickness called biophotopol, which is very adequate for holographic data storage applications. In this paper we describe our recent studies on biophotopol and the main characteristics of this material. PMID:28817008

Biophotopol: A Sustainable Photopolymer for Holographic Data Storage Applications.

PubMed

Ortuño, Manuel; Gallego, Sergi; Márquez, Andrés; Neipp, Cristian; Pascual, Inmaculada; Beléndez, Augusto

2012-05-02

Photopolymers have proved to be useful for different holographic applications such as holographic data storage or holographic optical elements. However, most photopolymers have certain undesirable features, such as the toxicity of some of their components or their low environmental compatibility. For this reason, the Holography and Optical Processing Group at the University of Alicante developed a new dry photopolymer with low toxicity and high thickness called biophotopol, which is very adequate for holographic data storage applications. In this paper we describe our recent studies on biophotopol and the main characteristics of this material.

Data storage technology comparisons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katti, Romney R.

1990-01-01

The role of data storage and data storage technology is an integral, though conceptually often underestimated, portion of data processing technology. Data storage is important in the mass storage mode in which generated data is buffered for later use. But data storage technology is also important in the data flow mode when data are manipulated and hence required to flow between databases, datasets and processors. This latter mode is commonly associated with memory hierarchies which support computation. VLSI devices can reasonably be defined as electronic circuit devices such as channel and control electronics as well as highly integrated, solid-state devices that are fabricated using thin film deposition technology. VLSI devices in both capacities play an important role in data storage technology. In addition to random access memories (RAM), read-only memories (ROM), and other silicon-based variations such as PROM's, EPROM's, and EEPROM's, integrated devices find their way into a variety of memory technologies which offer significant performance advantages. These memory technologies include magnetic tape, magnetic disk, magneto-optic disk, and vertical Bloch line memory. In this paper, some comparison between selected technologies will be made to demonstrate why more than one memory technology exists today, based for example on access time and storage density at the active bit and system levels.

Data Encoding using Periodic Nano-Optical Features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vosoogh-Grayli, Siamack

Successful trials have been made through a designed algorithm to quantize, compress and optically encode unsigned 8 bit integer values in the form of images using Nano optical features. The periodicity of the Nano-scale features (Nano-gratings) have been designed and investigated both theoretically and experimentally to create distinct states of variation (three on states and one off state). The use of easy to manufacture and machine readable encoded data in secured authentication media has been employed previously in bar-codes for bi-state (binary) models and in color barcodes for multiple state models. This work has focused on implementing 4 states of variation for unit information through periodic Nano-optical structures that separate an incident wavelength into distinct colors (variation states) in order to create an encoding system. Compared to barcodes and magnetic stripes in secured finite length storage media the proposed system encodes and stores more data. The benefits of multiple states of variation in an encoding unit are 1) increased numerically representable range 2) increased storage density and 3) decreased number of typical set elements for any ergodic or semi-ergodic source that emits these encoding units. A thorough investigation has targeted the effects of the use of multi-varied state Nano-optical features on data storage density and consequent data transmission rates. The results show that use of Nano-optical features for encoding data yields a data storage density of circa 800 Kbits/in2 via the implementation of commercially available high resolution flatbed scanner systems for readout. Such storage density is far greater than commercial finite length secured storage media such as Barcode family with maximum practical density of 1kbits/in2 and highest density magnetic stripe cards with maximum density circa 3 Kbits/in2. The numerically representable range of the proposed encoding unit for 4 states of variation is [0 255]. The number of

A Personal Intelligent Mentor for Promoting Metacognition in Solving Logic Word Puzzles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baylor, Amy L.; Kozbe, Barcin

This paper describes a Personal Intelligent Mentor (PIM) that facilitates metacognitive development in the domain of solving logic word puzzles. Metacognition is an important aspect for critical thinking skills. High school students must develop logical and critical thinking abilities as a prerequisite for higher-level math and computer…

1984 European Conference on Optics, Optical Systems and Applications, Amsterdam, Netherlands, October 9-12, 1984, Proceedings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boelger, B.; Ferwerda, H. A.

Various papers on optics, optical systems, and their applications are presented. The general topics addressed include: laser systems, optical and electrooptical materials and devices; novel spectroscopic techniques and applications; inspection, remote sensing, velocimetry, and gauging; optical design and image formation; holography, image processing, and storage; and integrated and fiber optics. Also discussed are: nonlinear optics; nonlinear photorefractive materials; scattering and diffractions applications in materials processing, deposition, and machining; medical and biological applications; and focus on industry.

The Puzzle of a Marble in a Spinning Pipe

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

MAY 2015 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2015 to 00-00-2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE The Puzzle of a Marble in a Spinning Pipe 5a. CONTRACT...Approved for public release; distribution unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT What trajectory does a marble follow if it is held...298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 Physics Education 50 (3) 279 1. Problem statement A marble is placed one-third of the length along a

Generating Sudoku puzzles and its applications in teaching mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Ryan; Lindner, Brett; Shi, Yixun

2011-07-01

This article presents a few methods for generating Sudoku puzzles. These methods are developed based on the concepts of matrix, permutation, and modular functions, and therefore can be used to form application examples or student projects when teaching various mathematics courses. Mathematical properties of these methods are studied, connections between the methods are investigated, and student projects are suggested. Since most students tend to enjoy games, studies like this may help raising students' interests and enhance their problem-solving skills.

Trade-off study of data storage technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kadyszewski, R. V.

1977-01-01

The need to store and retrieve large quantities of data at modest cost has generated the need for an economical, compact, archival mass storage system. Very significant improvements in the state-of-the-art of mass storage systems have been accomplished through the development of a number of magnetic, electro-optical, and other related devices. This study was conducted in order to do a trade-off between these data storage devices and the related technologies in order to determine an optimum approach for an archival mass data storage system based upon a comparison of the projected capabilities and characteristics of these devices to yield operational systems in the early 1980's.

The Puzzle of Male Chronophilias.

PubMed

Seto, Michael C

2017-01-01

In this article, I return to the idea that pedophilia, a sexual interest in prepubescent children, can be considered a sexual orientation for age, in conjunction with the much more widely acknowledged and discussed sexual orientation for gender. Here, I broaden the scope to consider other chronophilias, referring to paraphilias for age/maturity categories other than young sexually mature adults. The puzzle of chronophilias includes questions about etiology and course, how chronophilias are related to each other, and what they can tell us about how human (male) sexuality is organized. In this article, I briefly review research on nepiophilia (infant/toddlers), pedophilia (prepubescent children), hebephilia (pubescent children), ephebophilia (postpubescent, sexually maturing adolescents), teleiophilia (young sexually mature adults, typically 20s and 30s), mesophilia (middle-aged adults, typically 40s and 50s), and gerontophilia (elderly adults, typically 60s and older) in the context of a multidimensional sexual orientations framework. Relevant research, limitations, and testable hypotheses for future work are identified.

Robust holographic storage system design.

PubMed

Watanabe, Takahiro; Watanabe, Minoru

2011-11-21

Demand is increasing daily for large data storage systems that are useful for applications in spacecraft, space satellites, and space robots, which are all exposed to radiation-rich space environment. As candidates for use in space embedded systems, holographic storage systems are promising because they can easily provided the demanded large-storage capability. Particularly, holographic storage systems, which have no rotation mechanism, are demanded because they are virtually maintenance-free. Although a holographic memory itself is an extremely robust device even in a space radiation environment, its associated lasers and drive circuit devices are vulnerable. Such vulnerabilities sometimes engendered severe problems that prevent reading of all contents of the holographic memory, which is a turn-off failure mode of a laser array. This paper therefore presents a proposal for a recovery method for the turn-off failure mode of a laser array on a holographic storage system, and describes results of an experimental demonstration. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Effects of age and type of picture on visuospatial working memory assessed with a computerized jigsaw-puzzle task.

PubMed

Toril, Pilar; Reales, José M; Mayas, Julia; Ballesteros, Soledad

2017-09-15

We investigated the effect of age and color in a computerized version of the jigsaw-puzzle task. In Experiment 1, young and older adults were presented with puzzles in color and black-and-white line drawings, varying in difficulty from 4 to 9 pieces. Older adults performed the task better with the black-and-white stimuli and younger adults performed better with the color ones. In Experiment 2, new older and young adults identified the same fragmented pictures as fast and accurately as possible. The older group identified the black-and-white stimuli faster than those presented in color, while the younger adults identified both similarly. In Experiment 3A, new older and young groups performed the puzzle task with the same color pictures and their monochrome versions. In Experiment 3B, participants performed a speeded identification task with the two sets. The findings of these experiments showed that older adults have a memory not a perceptual difficulty.

Nanophase change for data storage applications.

PubMed

Shi, L P; Chong, T C

2007-01-01

Phase change materials are widely used for date storage. The most widespread and important applications are rewritable optical disc and Phase Change Random Access Memory (PCRAM), which utilizes the light and electric induced phase change respectively. For decades, miniaturization has been the major driving force to increase the density. Now the working unit area of the current data storage media is in the order of nano-scale. On the nano-scale, extreme dimensional and nano-structural constraints and the large proportion of interfaces will cause the deviation of the phase change behavior from that of bulk. Hence an in-depth understanding of nanophase change and the related issues has become more and more important. Nanophase change can be defined as: phase change at the scale within nano range of 100 nm, which is size-dependent, interface-dominated and surrounding materials related. Nanophase change can be classified into two groups, thin film related and structure related. Film thickness and clapping materials are key factors for thin film type, while structure shape, size and surrounding materials are critical parameters for structure type. In this paper, the recent development of nanophase change is reviewed, including crystallization of small element at nano size, thickness dependence of crystallization, effect of clapping layer on the phase change of phase change thin film and so on. The applications of nanophase change technology on data storage is introduced, including optical recording such as super lattice like optical disc, initialization free disc, near field, super-RENS, dual layer, multi level, probe storage, and PCRAM including, superlattice-like structure, side edge structure, and line type structure. Future key research issues of nanophase change are also discussed.

Development of a software interface for optical disk archival storage for a new life sciences flight experiments computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bartram, Peter N.

1989-01-01

The current Life Sciences Laboratory Equipment (LSLE) microcomputer for life sciences experiment data acquisition is now obsolete. Among the weaknesses of the current microcomputer are small memory size, relatively slow analog data sampling rates, and the lack of a bulk data storage device. While life science investigators normally prefer data to be transmitted to Earth as it is taken, this is not always possible. No down-link exists for experiments performed in the Shuttle middeck region. One important aspect of a replacement microcomputer is provision for in-flight storage of experimental data. The Write Once, Read Many (WORM) optical disk was studied because of its high storage density, data integrity, and the availability of a space-qualified unit. In keeping with the goals for a replacement microcomputer based upon commercially available components and standard interfaces, the system studied includes a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) for interfacing the WORM drive. The system itself is designed around the STD bus, using readily available boards. Configurations examined were: (1) master processor board and slave processor board with the SCSI interface; (2) master processor with SCSI interface; (3) master processor with SCSI and Direct Memory Access (DMA); (4) master processor controlling a separate STD bus SCSI board; and (5) master processor controlling a separate STD bus SCSI board with DMA.

Tetsuo Nozoe's Autograph Books: poems, puzzles and playfulness.

PubMed

Seeman, Jeffrey I

2015-02-01

The Nozoe Autograph Books contain entries from, literally, around the world of organic chemistry. Many of the inscriptions showed the poetic or even musical side of their signees. This Essay presents a diverse selection of the poetic entries of the autograph books, starting with a musical puzzle. This Essay and the interactive website that accompanies the Nozoe Autograph Book project are available free-access for at least a three-year period at http://www.tcr.wiley-vch.de/nozoe. Copyright © 2015 The Chemical Society of Japan and Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Converged photonic data storage and switch platform for exascale disaggregated data centers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pitwon, R.; Wang, K.; Worrall, A.

2017-02-01

We report on a converged optically enabled Ethernet storage, switch and compute platform, which could support future disaggregated data center architectures. The platform includes optically enabled Ethernet switch controllers, an advanced electro-optical midplane and optically interchangeable generic end node devices. We demonstrate system level performance using optically enabled Ethernet disk drives and micro-servers across optical links of varied lengths.

Jigsaw Puzzles and River Banks: Two Ways of Picturing Our Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kretchmar, R. Scott

2005-01-01

The papers presented at the 2004 Academy meetings can be thought of as pieces from jigsaw puzzles. While the employment of this metaphor over the years has been useful, we may be ready for a new image, one that is both more accurate and inspiring. We can picture ourselves working at different locations along a river bank. Some of us work upstream,…

Engaging Students in a Large Lecture: An Experiment Using Sudoku Puzzles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brophy, Caroline; Hahn, Lukas

2014-01-01

In this paper, we describe an in-class experiment that is easy to implement with large groups of students. The experiment takes approximately 15-20 minutes to run and involves each student completing one of four types of Sudoku puzzles and recording the time it takes to completion. The resulting data set can be used as a teaching tool at an…

Kodak Optical Disk and Microfilm Technologies Carve Niches in Specific Applications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallenberger, John; Batterton, John

1989-01-01

Describes the Eastman Kodak Company's microfilm and optical disk technologies and their applications. Topics discussed include WORM technology; retrieval needs and cost effective archival storage needs; engineering applications; jukeboxes; optical storage options; systems for use with mainframes and microcomputers; and possible future…

SPECIAL ISSUE ON OPTICAL PROCESSING OF INFORMATION: Optimal configuration of optical systems with spatial light modulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedorov, Yu V.

1995-10-01

A description is given of a novel optical system for optical information processing. An analysis is given of ways of increasing optoenergetic characteristics of optical information processing systems in which use is made of spatial light modulators with phase-relief (in thermoplastic materials) and polarisation (in crystalline structures of the DKDP type) information storage.

Digital imaging technology assessment: Digital document storage project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

An ongoing technical assessment and requirements definition project is examining the potential role of digital imaging technology at NASA's STI facility. The focus is on the basic components of imaging technology in today's marketplace as well as the components anticipated in the near future. Presented is a requirement specification for a prototype project, an initial examination of current image processing at the STI facility, and an initial summary of image processing projects at other sites. Operational imaging systems incorporate scanners, optical storage, high resolution monitors, processing nodes, magnetic storage, jukeboxes, specialized boards, optical character recognition gear, pixel addressable printers, communications, and complex software processes.

Crosstalk eliminating and low-density parity-check codes for photochromic dual-wavelength storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Meicong; Xiong, Jianping; Jian, Jiqi; Jia, Huibo

2005-01-01

Multi-wavelength storage is an approach to increase the memory density with the problem of crosstalk to be deal with. We apply Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes as error-correcting codes in photochromic dual-wavelength optical storage based on the investigation of LDPC codes in optical data storage. A proper method is applied to reduce the crosstalk and simulation results show that this operation is useful to improve Bit Error Rate (BER) performance. At the same time we can conclude that LDPC codes outperform RS codes in crosstalk channel.

The birth order puzzle.

PubMed

Zajonc, R B; Markus, H; Markus, G B

1979-08-01

Studies relating intellectual performance to birth order report conflicting results, some finding intellectual scores to increase, others to decrease with birth order. In contrast, the relationship between intellectual performance and family size is stable and consistently replicable. Why do these two highly related variables generate such divergent results? This birth order puzzle is resolved by means of the confluence model that quantifies the influences upon intellectual growth arising within the family context. At the time of a new birth, two opposing influences act upon intellectual growth of the elder sibling: (a) his or her intellectual environment is "diluted" and (b) he or she loses the "last-born's handicap" and begins serving as an intellectual resource to the younger sibling. Since these opposite effects are not equal in magnitude, the differences in intellectual performance among birth ranks are shown to be age dependent. While elder children may surpass their younger siblings in intellectual performance at some ages, they may be overtaken by them at others. Thus when age is taken into consideration, the birth order literature loses its chaotic character and an orderly pattern of results emerges.

Micro-optic lens for data storage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milster, T. D.; Trusty, R. M.; Wang, M. S.; Froehlich, F. F.; Erwin, J. Kevin

1991-01-01

A new type of microlens for data storage applications that has improved off-axis performance is described. The lens consists of a micro Fresnel pattern on a curved substrate. The radius of the substrate is equal to the focal length of the lens. If the pattern and substrate are thin, the combination satisfies the Abbe sine condition. Therefore, the lens is free of coma. We analyze a 0.5 numerical aperture, 0.50 mm focal length lens in detail. A 0.16 numerical aperture lens was fabricated holographically, and results are presented.

Highly Efficient Coherent Optical Memory Based on Electromagnetically Induced Transparency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsiao, Ya-Fen; Tsai, Pin-Ju; Chen, Hung-Shiue; Lin, Sheng-Xiang; Hung, Chih-Chiao; Lee, Chih-Hsi; Chen, Yi-Hsin; Chen, Yong-Fan; Yu, Ite A.; Chen, Ying-Cheng

2018-05-01

Quantum memory is an important component in the long-distance quantum communication based on the quantum repeater protocol. To outperform the direct transmission of photons with quantum repeaters, it is crucial to develop quantum memories with high fidelity, high efficiency and a long storage time. Here, we achieve a storage efficiency of 92.0 (1.5)% for a coherent optical memory based on the electromagnetically induced transparency scheme in optically dense cold atomic media. We also obtain a useful time-bandwidth product of 1200, considering only storage where the retrieval efficiency remains above 50%. Both are the best record to date in all kinds of schemes for the realization of optical memory. Our work significantly advances the pursuit of a high-performance optical memory and should have important applications in quantum information science.

Highly Efficient Coherent Optical Memory Based on Electromagnetically Induced Transparency.

PubMed

Hsiao, Ya-Fen; Tsai, Pin-Ju; Chen, Hung-Shiue; Lin, Sheng-Xiang; Hung, Chih-Chiao; Lee, Chih-Hsi; Chen, Yi-Hsin; Chen, Yong-Fan; Yu, Ite A; Chen, Ying-Cheng

2018-05-04

Quantum memory is an important component in the long-distance quantum communication based on the quantum repeater protocol. To outperform the direct transmission of photons with quantum repeaters, it is crucial to develop quantum memories with high fidelity, high efficiency and a long storage time. Here, we achieve a storage efficiency of 92.0 (1.5)% for a coherent optical memory based on the electromagnetically induced transparency scheme in optically dense cold atomic media. We also obtain a useful time-bandwidth product of 1200, considering only storage where the retrieval efficiency remains above 50%. Both are the best record to date in all kinds of schemes for the realization of optical memory. Our work significantly advances the pursuit of a high-performance optical memory and should have important applications in quantum information science.

Influence of technology on magnetic tape storage device characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gniewek, John J.; Vogel, Stephen M.

1994-01-01

There are available today many data storage devices that serve the diverse application requirements of the consumer, professional entertainment, and computer data processing industries. Storage technologies include semiconductors, several varieties of optical disk, optical tape, magnetic disk, and many varieties of magnetic tape. In some cases, devices are developed with specific characteristics to meet specification requirements. In other cases, an existing storage device is modified and adapted to a different application. For magnetic tape storage devices, examples of the former case are 3480/3490 and QIC device types developed for the high end and low end segments of the data processing industry respectively, VHS, Beta, and 8 mm formats developed for consumer video applications, and D-1, D-2, D-3 formats developed for professional video applications. Examples of modified and adapted devices include 4 mm, 8 mm, 12.7 mm and 19 mm computer data storage devices derived from consumer and professional audio and video applications. With the conversion of the consumer and professional entertainment industries from analog to digital storage and signal processing, there have been increasing references to the 'convergence' of the computer data processing and entertainment industry technologies. There has yet to be seen, however, any evidence of convergence of data storage device types. There are several reasons for this. The diversity of application requirements results in varying degrees of importance for each of the tape storage characteristics.

Striped tertiary storage arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drapeau, Ann L.

1993-01-01

Data stripping is a technique for increasing the throughput and reducing the response time of large access to a storage system. In striped magnetic or optical disk arrays, a single file is striped or interleaved across several disks; in a striped tape system, files are interleaved across tape cartridges. Because a striped file can be accessed by several disk drives or tape recorders in parallel, the sustained bandwidth to the file is greater than in non-striped systems, where access to the file are restricted to a single device. It is argued that applying striping to tertiary storage systems will provide needed performance and reliability benefits. The performance benefits of striping for applications using large tertiary storage systems is discussed. It will introduce commonly available tape drives and libraries, and discuss their performance limitations, especially focusing on the long latency of tape accesses. This section will also describe an event-driven tertiary storage array simulator that is being used to understand the best ways of configuring these storage arrays. The reliability problems of magnetic tape devices are discussed, and plans for modeling the overall reliability of striped tertiary storage arrays to identify the amount of error correction required are described. Finally, work being done by other members of the Sequoia group to address latency of accesses, optimizing tertiary storage arrays that perform mostly writes, and compression is discussed.

Hubble Gazes Into a Black Hole of Puzzling Light

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

The beautiful spiral galaxy visible in the center of the image is known as RX J1140.1+0307, a galaxy in the Virgo constellation imaged by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, and it presents an interesting puzzle. At first glance, this galaxy appears to be a normal spiral galaxy, much like the Milky Way, but first appearances can be deceptive! The Milky Way galaxy, like most large galaxies, has a supermassive black hole at its center, but some galaxies are centered on lighter, intermediate-mass black holes. RX J1140.1+0307 is such a galaxy — in fact, it is centered on one of the lowest black hole masses known in any luminous galactic core. What puzzles scientists about this particular galaxy is that the calculations don’t add up. With such a relatively low mass for the central black hole, models for the emission from the object cannot explain the observed spectrum. There must be other mechanisms at play in the interactions between the inner and outer parts of the accretion disk surrounding the black hole. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Studies in Mathematics, Volume XVIII: Puzzle Problems and Games Project. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dilworth, R. P.; And Others

This is a self-contained manual for use by teachers in preparation for classroom presentations. One of the goals of the report is to show how games and puzzles can provide effective means for developing mathematical understanding and skills. The authors indicate that this type of activity is well adapted for discovery teaching techniques. The…

The Retention Puzzle Reconsidered: Second Year Student Attitudes and Experiences with Advising

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Michael Edward

2013-01-01

College student retention has been described as a puzzle because retention rates have stagnated, and in some cases declined, despite over seventy years of research into the problem. The magnitude of the problem is that 50 percent of college students will leave their institution before obtaining a degree (Braxton, Hirschy, & McClendon, 2011).…

New Nuclear Magnetic Moment of ^{209}Bi: Resolving the Bismuth Hyperfine Puzzle.

PubMed

Skripnikov, Leonid V; Schmidt, Stefan; Ullmann, Johannes; Geppert, Christopher; Kraus, Florian; Kresse, Benjamin; Nörtershäuser, Wilfried; Privalov, Alexei F; Scheibe, Benjamin; Shabaev, Vladimir M; Vogel, Michael; Volotka, Andrey V

2018-03-02

A recent measurement of the hyperfine splitting in the ground state of Li-like ^{208}Bi^{80+} has established a "hyperfine puzzle"-the experimental result exhibits a 7σ deviation from the theoretical prediction [J. Ullmann et al., Nat. Commun. 8, 15484 (2017)NCAOBW2041-172310.1038/ncomms15484; J. P. Karr, Nat. Phys. 13, 533 (2017)NPAHAX1745-247310.1038/nphys4159]. We provide evidence that the discrepancy is caused by an inaccurate value of the tabulated nuclear magnetic moment (μ_{I}) of ^{209}Bi. We perform relativistic density functional theory and relativistic coupled cluster calculations of the shielding constant that should be used to extract the value of μ_{I}(^{209}Bi) and combine it with nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of Bi(NO_{3})_{3} in nitric acid solutions and of the hexafluoridobismuthate(V) BiF_{6}^{-} ion in acetonitrile. The result clearly reveals that μ_{I}(^{209}Bi) is much smaller than the tabulated value used previously. Applying the new magnetic moment shifts the theoretical prediction into agreement with experiment and resolves the hyperfine puzzle.

New Nuclear Magnetic Moment of 209Bi: Resolving the Bismuth Hyperfine Puzzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skripnikov, Leonid V.; Schmidt, Stefan; Ullmann, Johannes; Geppert, Christopher; Kraus, Florian; Kresse, Benjamin; Nörtershäuser, Wilfried; Privalov, Alexei F.; Scheibe, Benjamin; Shabaev, Vladimir M.; Vogel, Michael; Volotka, Andrey V.

2018-03-01

A recent measurement of the hyperfine splitting in the ground state of Li-like 80+208Bi has established a "hyperfine puzzle"—the experimental result exhibits a 7 σ deviation from the theoretical prediction [J. Ullmann et al., Nat. Commun. 8, 15484 (2017), 10.1038/ncomms15484; J. P. Karr, Nat. Phys. 13, 533 (2017), 10.1038/nphys4159]. We provide evidence that the discrepancy is caused by an inaccurate value of the tabulated nuclear magnetic moment (μI) of 209Bi. We perform relativistic density functional theory and relativistic coupled cluster calculations of the shielding constant that should be used to extract the value of μI(209ipts>) and combine it with nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of Bi (NO3 )3 in nitric acid solutions and of the hexafluoridobismuthate(V) BiF6- ion in acetonitrile. The result clearly reveals that μI(209Bi) is much smaller than the tabulated value used previously. Applying the new magnetic moment shifts the theoretical prediction into agreement with experiment and resolves the hyperfine puzzle.

Chinese American and Caucasian American Family Interaction Patterns in Spatial Rotation Puzzle Solutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutsinger, Carol S.; Jose, Paul E.

1995-01-01

Examined sociocultural influences on mathematics achievement. First generation Chinese American and Caucasian American mother-father-daughter triads were audiotaped as the fifth- and sixth-grade girls solved a spatial puzzle. Chinese American triads were quieter, more respectful, more serious, and more orderly, whereas Caucasian American triads…

Puzzle of magnetic moments of Ni clusters revisited using quantum Monte Carlo method.

PubMed

Lee, Hung-Wen; Chang, Chun-Ming; Hsing, Cheng-Rong

2017-02-28

The puzzle of the magnetic moments of small nickel clusters arises from the discrepancy between values predicted using density functional theory (DFT) and experimental measurements. Traditional DFT approaches underestimate the magnetic moments of nickel clusters. Two fundamental problems are associated with this puzzle, namely, calculating the exchange-correlation interaction accurately and determining the global minimum structures of the clusters. Theoretically, the two problems can be solved using quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) calculations and the ab initio random structure searching (AIRSS) method correspondingly. Therefore, we combined the fixed-moment AIRSS and QMC methods to investigate the magnetic properties of Ni n (n = 5-9) clusters. The spin moments of the diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) ground states are higher than those of the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof ground states and, in the case of Ni 8-9 , two new ground-state structures have been discovered using the DMC calculations. The predicted results are closer to the experimental findings, unlike the results predicted in previous standard DFT studies.

Heavy flavor puzzle at LHC: a serendipitous interplay of jet suppression and fragmentation.

PubMed

Djordjevic, Magdalena

2014-01-31

Both charged hadrons and D mesons are considered to be excellent probes of QCD matter created in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions. Surprisingly, recent experimental observations at LHC show the same jet suppression for these two probes, which--contrary to pQCD expectations--may suggest similar energy losses for light quarks and gluons in the QCD medium. We here use our recently developed energy loss formalism in a finite-size dynamical QCD medium to analyze this phenomenon that we denote as the "heavy flavor puzzle at LHC." We show that this puzzle is a consequence of an unusual combination of the suppression and fragmentation patterns and, in fact, does not require invoking the same energy loss for light partons. Furthermore, we show that this combination leads to a simple relationship between the suppressions of charged hadrons and D mesons and the corresponding bare quark suppressions. Consequently, a coincidental matching of jet suppression and fragmentation allows considerably simplifying the interpretation of the corresponding experimental data.

Hot luminescence from gold nanoflowers and its application in high-density optical data storage.

PubMed

Zheng, Yunbao; Liu, Haiying; Xiang, Jin; Dai, Qiaofeng; Ouyang, Min; Tie, Shaolong; Lan, Sheng

2017-04-17

Gold nanoflowers with feature sizes ranging from several tenths to several hundred nanometers were synthesized by using the one-pot method. They were formed by the self-organization of gold nanoparticles of several nanometers and exhibited broad extinction spectra in the near infrared spectral range. Randomly distributed hot spots originating from the strongly localized modes were generated in gold nanoflowers and their appearances exhibited strong dependences on both the polarization and wavelength of the excitation light. Under the excitation of femtosecond laser pulses, such hot spots emitted efficient hot luminescence spanning the visible to near infrared spectral range. Distinct from the hot luminescence of single hot spots formed on rough gold and silver surfaces, the hot luminescence from gold nanoflowers composed of a large number of hot spots exhibited excitation-intensity dependence quite similar to the emission spectrum. It was demonstrated that the polarization- and wavelength-dependent hot luminescence of gold nanoflowers can be utilized to realize optical data storage with high density and low energy.

First Detection of a Strong Magnetic Field on a Bursty Brown Dwarf: Puzzle Solved

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berdyugina, S. V.; Harrington, D. M.; Kuzmychov, O.; Kuhn, J. R.; Hallinan, G.; Kowalski, A. F.; Hawley, S. L.

2017-09-01

We report the first direct detection of a strong, 5 kG magnetic field on the surface of an active brown dwarf. LSR J1835+3259 is an M8.5 dwarf exhibiting transient radio and optical emission bursts modulated by fast rotation. We have detected the surface magnetic field as circularly polarized signatures in the 819 nm sodium lines when an active emission region faced the Earth. Modeling Stokes profiles of these lines reveals the effective temperature of 2800 K and log gravity acceleration of 4.5. These parameters place LSR J1835+3259 on evolutionary tracks as a young brown dwarf with the mass of 55+/- 4{M}{{J}} and age of 22 ± 4 Myr. Its magnetic field is at least 5.1 kG and covers at least 11% of the visible hemisphere. The active region topology recovered using line profile inversions comprises hot plasma loops with a vertical stratification of optical and radio emission sources. These loops rotate with the dwarf in and out of view causing periodic emission bursts. The magnetic field is detected at the base of the loops. This is the first time that we can quantitatively associate brown dwarf non-thermal bursts with a strong, 5 kG surface magnetic field and solve the puzzle of their driving mechanism. This is also the coolest known dwarf with such a strong surface magnetic field. The young age of LSR J1835+3259 implies that it may still maintain a disk, which may facilitate bursts via magnetospheric accretion, like in higher-mass T Tau-type stars. Our results pave a path toward magnetic studies of brown dwarfs and hot Jupiters.

Resolution to the B→πK puzzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hsiang-Nan; Mishima, Satoshi; Sanda, A. I.

2005-12-01

We calculate the important next-to-leading-order contributions to the B→πK, ππ decays from the vertex corrections, the quark loops, and the magnetic penguins in the perturbative QCD approach. It is found that the latter two reduce the leading-order penguin amplitudes by about 10% and modify only the B→πK branching ratios. The main effect of the vertex corrections is to increase the small color-suppressed tree amplitude by a factor of 3, which then resolves the large difference between the direct CP asymmetries of the B0→π∓K± and B±→π0K± modes. The puzzle from the large B0→π0π0 branching ratio still remains.

CuInS2/ZnS QD-ferroelectric liquid crystal mixtures for faster electro-optical devices and their energy storage aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Dharmendra Pratap; Vimal, Tripti; Mange, Yatin J.; Varia, Mahesh C.; Nann, Thomas; Pandey, K. K.; Manohar, Rajiv; Douali, Redouane

2018-01-01

CuInS2/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (CIS/ZnS QDs) dispersed ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) mixtures have been characterized for their application in electro-optical devices, energy storage, and solar cells. Physical properties of the CIS/ZnS QD-FLC (ferroelectric liquid crystal) mixtures have also been investigated with varying QD concentrations in order to optimize the critical concentration of QDs in mixtures. The presence of QDs breaks the geometrical symmetry in the FLC matrix, which results in a change in the physical properties of the mixtures. We observed the reduced values of primary and secondary order parameters (tilt angle and spontaneous polarization, respectively) for mixtures, which also depend on the concentration of QDs. The reduction of spontaneous polarization in QDs-FLC mixtures is attributed to the adverse role of flexoelectric contribution in the mixtures. The 92% faster electro-optic response and enhanced capacitance indicate the possible application of these mixtures in electro-optical devices and solar cells. Photoluminescence emission of pure FLC and QDs-FLC mixtures has been thermally tailored, which is explained by suitable models.

Cavity-enhanced eigenmode and angular hybrid multiplexing in holographic data storage systems.

PubMed

Miller, Bo E; Takashima, Yuzuru

2016-12-26

Resonant optical cavities have been demonstrated to improve energy efficiencies in Holographic Data Storage Systems (HDSS). The orthogonal reference beams supported as cavity eigenmodes can provide another multiplexing degree of freedom to push storage densities toward the limit of 3D optical data storage. While keeping the increased energy efficiency of a cavity enhanced reference arm, image bearing holograms are multiplexed by orthogonal phase code multiplexing via Hermite-Gaussian eigenmodes in a Fe:LiNbO₃ medium with a 532 nm laser at two Bragg angles. We experimentally confirmed write rates are enhanced by an average factor of 1.1, and page crosstalk is about 2.5%. This hybrid multiplexing opens up a pathway to increase storage density while minimizing modification of current angular multiplexing HDSS.

ACCELERATORS: Preliminary application of turn-by-turn data analysis to the SSRF storage ring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jian-Hui; Zhao, Zhen-Tang

2009-07-01

There is growing interest in utilizing the beam position monitor turn-by-turn (TBT) data to debug accelerators. TBT data can be used to determine the linear optics, coupled optics and nonlinear behaviors of the storage ring lattice. This is not only a useful complement to other methods of determining the linear optics such as LOCO, but also provides a possibility to uncover more hidden phenomena. In this paper, a preliminary application of a β function measurement to the SSRF storage ring is presented.

Long-term data storage in diamond

PubMed Central

Dhomkar, Siddharth; Henshaw, Jacob; Jayakumar, Harishankar; Meriles, Carlos A.

2016-01-01

The negatively charged nitrogen vacancy (NV−) center in diamond is the focus of widespread attention for applications ranging from quantum information processing to nanoscale metrology. Although most work so far has focused on the NV− optical and spin properties, control of the charge state promises complementary opportunities. One intriguing possibility is the long-term storage of information, a notion we hereby introduce using NV-rich, type 1b diamond. As a proof of principle, we use multicolor optical microscopy to read, write, and reset arbitrary data sets with two-dimensional (2D) binary bit density comparable to present digital-video-disk (DVD) technology. Leveraging on the singular dynamics of NV− ionization, we encode information on different planes of the diamond crystal with no cross-talk, hence extending the storage capacity to three dimensions. Furthermore, we correlate the center’s charge state and the nuclear spin polarization of the nitrogen host and show that the latter is robust to a cycle of NV− ionization and recharge. In combination with super-resolution microscopy techniques, these observations provide a route toward subdiffraction NV charge control, a regime where the storage capacity could exceed present technologies. PMID:27819045

Long-term data storage in diamond.

PubMed

Dhomkar, Siddharth; Henshaw, Jacob; Jayakumar, Harishankar; Meriles, Carlos A

2016-10-01

The negatively charged nitrogen vacancy (NV - ) center in diamond is the focus of widespread attention for applications ranging from quantum information processing to nanoscale metrology. Although most work so far has focused on the NV - optical and spin properties, control of the charge state promises complementary opportunities. One intriguing possibility is the long-term storage of information, a notion we hereby introduce using NV-rich, type 1b diamond. As a proof of principle, we use multicolor optical microscopy to read, write, and reset arbitrary data sets with two-dimensional (2D) binary bit density comparable to present digital-video-disk (DVD) technology. Leveraging on the singular dynamics of NV - ionization, we encode information on different planes of the diamond crystal with no cross-talk, hence extending the storage capacity to three dimensions. Furthermore, we correlate the center's charge state and the nuclear spin polarization of the nitrogen host and show that the latter is robust to a cycle of NV - ionization and recharge. In combination with super-resolution microscopy techniques, these observations provide a route toward subdiffraction NV charge control, a regime where the storage capacity could exceed present technologies.

Digital optical processing of optical communications: towards an Optical Turing Machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Touch, Joe; Cao, Yinwen; Ziyadi, Morteza; Almaiman, Ahmed; Mohajerin-Ariaei, Amirhossein; Willner, Alan E.

2017-01-01

Optical computing is needed to support Tb/s in-network processing in a way that unifies communication and computation using a single data representation that supports in-transit network packet processing, security, and big data filtering. Support for optical computation of this sort requires leveraging the native properties of optical wave mixing to enable computation and switching for programmability. As a consequence, data must be encoded digitally as phase (M-PSK), semantics-preserving regeneration is the key to high-order computation, and data processing at Tb/s rates requires mixing. Experiments have demonstrated viable approaches to phase squeezing and power restoration. This work led our team to develop the first serial, optical Internet hop-count decrement, and to design and simulate optical circuits for calculating the Internet checksum and multiplexing Internet packets. The current exploration focuses on limited-lookback computational models to reduce the need for permanent storage and hybrid nanophotonic circuits that combine phase-aligned comb sources, non-linear mixing, and switching on the same substrate to avoid the macroscopic effects that hamper benchtop prototypes.

"It's like a puzzle": Pregnant women's perceptions of professional support in midwifery care.

PubMed

Bäckström, Caroline A; Mårtensson, Lena B; Golsäter, Marie H; Thorstensson, Stina A

2016-12-01

Pregnant women are not always satisfied with the professional support they receive during their midwifery care. More knowledge is needed to understand what professional support pregnant women need for childbirth and parenting. Childbearing and the transition to becoming a parent is a sensitive period in one's life during which one should have the opportunity to receive professional support. Professional support does not always correspond to pregnant women's needs. To understand pregnant women's needs for professional support within midwifery care, it is crucial to further illuminate women's experiences of this support. To explore pregnant women's perceptions of professional support in midwifery care. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Fifteen women were interviewed during gestational weeks 36-38. Data was analysed using phenomenography. The women perceived professional support in midwifery care to be reassuring and emotional, to consist of reliable information, and to be mediated with pedagogical creativity. The professional support facilitated new social contacts, partner involvement and contributed to mental preparedness. The findings of the study were presented in six categories and the category Professional support contributes to mental preparedness was influenced by the five other categories. Pregnant women prepare for childbirth and parenting by using several different types of professional support in midwifery care: a strategy that could be described as piecing together a puzzle. When the women put the puzzle together, each type of professional support works as a valuable piece in the whole puzzle. Through this, professional support could contribute to women's mental preparedness for childbirth and parenting. Copyright © 2016 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Holographic data storage crystals for the LDEF. [long duration exposure facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callen, W. Russell; Gaylord, Thomas K.

1992-01-01

Lithium niobate is a significant electro-optic material, with potential applications in ultra high capacity storage and processing systems. Lithium niobate is the material of choice for many integrated optical devices and holographic mass memory systems. For crystals of lithium niobate were passively exposed to the space environment of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). Three of these crystals contained volume holograms. Although the crystals suffered the surface damage characteristics of most of the other optical components on the Georgia Tech tray, the crystals were recovered intact. The holograms were severely degraded because of the lengthy exposure, but the bulk properties are being investigated to determine the spaceworthiness for space data storage and retrieval systems.

A high-speed, large-capacity, 'jukebox' optical disk system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ammon, G. J.; Calabria, J. A.; Thomas, D. T.

1985-01-01

Two optical disk 'jukebox' mass storage systems which provide access to any data in a store of 10 to the 13th bits (1250G bytes) within six seconds have been developed. The optical disk jukebox system is divided into two units, including a hardware/software controller and a disk drive. The controller provides flexibility and adaptability, through a ROM-based microcode-driven data processor and a ROM-based software-driven control processor. The cartridge storage module contains 125 optical disks housed in protective cartridges. Attention is given to a conceptual view of the disk drive unit, the NASA optical disk system, the NASA database management system configuration, the NASA optical disk system interface, and an open systems interconnect reference model.

A resolution of the inclusive flavor-breaking τ |Vus| puzzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudspith, Renwick J.; Lewis, Randy; Maltman, Kim; Zanotti, James

2018-06-01

We revisit the puzzle of |Vus | values obtained from the conventional implementation of hadronic-τ- decay-based flavor-breaking finite-energy sum rules lying > 3 σ below the expectations of three-family unitarity. Significant unphysical dependences of |Vus | on the choice of weight, w, and upper limit, s0, of the experimental spectral integrals entering the analysis are confirmed, and a breakdown of assumptions made in estimating higher dimension, D > 4, OPE contributions identified as the main source of these problems. A combination of continuum and lattice results is shown to suggest a new implementation of the flavor-breaking sum rule approach in which not only |Vus |, but also D > 4 effective condensates, are fit to data. Lattice results are also used to clarify how to reliably treat the slowly converging D = 2 OPE series. The new sum rule implementation is shown to cure the problems of the unphysical w- and s0-dependence of |Vus | and to produce results ∼0.0020 higher than those of the conventional implementation employing the same data. With B-factory input, and using, in addition, dispersively constrained results for the Kπ branching fractions, we find |Vus | = 0.2231(27)exp(4)th, in excellent agreement with the result from Kℓ3, and compatible within errors with the expectations of three-family unitarity, thus resolving the long-standing inclusive τ |Vus | puzzle.

Optical recording materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savant, Gajendra D.; Jannson, Joanna L.

1991-07-01

The increased emphasis on speed of operation, wavelength selectivity, compactness, and ruggedization has focused a great deal of attention on the solutions offered by all-optic devices and by hybrid electro-optic systems. In fact, many photonic devices are being considered for use as partial replacements for electronic systems. Optical components, which include modulators, switches, 3-D memory storage devices, wavelength division multiplexers, holographic optical elements, and others, are examples of such devices. The success or failure of these modern optical devices depends, to a great extent, on the performance and survivability of the optical materials used. This is particularly true for volume holographic filters, organic memory media, second- and third-order nonlinear material-based processors and neural networks. Due to the critical importance of these materials and their lack of availability, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) undertook a global advanced optical materials program which has enabled it to introduce several optical devices, based on the new and improved materials which will be described in this article.

High-performance mass storage system for workstations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chiang, T.; Tang, Y.; Gupta, L.; Cooperman, S.

1993-01-01

Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) workstations and Personnel Computers (PC) are very popular tools for office automation, command and control, scientific analysis, database management, and many other applications. However, when using Input/Output (I/O) intensive applications, the RISC workstations and PC's are often overburdened with the tasks of collecting, staging, storing, and distributing data. Also, by using standard high-performance peripherals and storage devices, the I/O function can still be a common bottleneck process. Therefore, the high-performance mass storage system, developed by Loral AeroSys' Independent Research and Development (IR&D) engineers, can offload a RISC workstation of I/O related functions and provide high-performance I/O functions and external interfaces. The high-performance mass storage system has the capabilities to ingest high-speed real-time data, perform signal or image processing, and stage, archive, and distribute the data. This mass storage system uses a hierarchical storage structure, thus reducing the total data storage cost, while maintaining high-I/O performance. The high-performance mass storage system is a network of low-cost parallel processors and storage devices. The nodes in the network have special I/O functions such as: SCSI controller, Ethernet controller, gateway controller, RS232 controller, IEEE488 controller, and digital/analog converter. The nodes are interconnected through high-speed direct memory access links to form a network. The topology of the network is easily reconfigurable to maximize system throughput for various applications. This high-performance mass storage system takes advantage of a 'busless' architecture for maximum expandability. The mass storage system consists of magnetic disks, a WORM optical disk jukebox, and an 8mm helical scan tape to form a hierarchical storage structure. Commonly used files are kept in the magnetic disk for fast retrieval. The optical disks are used as archive

A light Z' for the R K puzzle and nonstandard neutrino interactions

DOE PAGES

Datta, Alakabha; Liao, Jiajun; Marfatia, Danny

2017-03-01

We show that the R K puzzle in LHCb data and the discrepancy in the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon can be simultaneously explained if a 10 MeV mass Z' boson couples to the muon but not the electron, and that clear evidence of the nonstandard matter interactions of neutrinos induced by this coupling may be found at DUNE.

Robo-line storage: Low latency, high capacity storage systems over geographically distributed networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katz, Randy H.; Anderson, Thomas E.; Ousterhout, John K.; Patterson, David A.

1991-01-01

Rapid advances in high performance computing are making possible more complete and accurate computer-based modeling of complex physical phenomena, such as weather front interactions, dynamics of chemical reactions, numerical aerodynamic analysis of airframes, and ocean-land-atmosphere interactions. Many of these 'grand challenge' applications are as demanding of the underlying storage system, in terms of their capacity and bandwidth requirements, as they are on the computational power of the processor. A global view of the Earth's ocean chlorophyll and land vegetation requires over 2 terabytes of raw satellite image data. In this paper, we describe our planned research program in high capacity, high bandwidth storage systems. The project has four overall goals. First, we will examine new methods for high capacity storage systems, made possible by low cost, small form factor magnetic and optical tape systems. Second, access to the storage system will be low latency and high bandwidth. To achieve this, we must interleave data transfer at all levels of the storage system, including devices, controllers, servers, and communications links. Latency will be reduced by extensive caching throughout the storage hierarchy. Third, we will provide effective management of a storage hierarchy, extending the techniques already developed for the Log Structured File System. Finally, we will construct a protototype high capacity file server, suitable for use on the National Research and Education Network (NREN). Such research must be a Cornerstone of any coherent program in high performance computing and communications.

Document Indexing for Image-Based Optical Information Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thiel, Thomas J.; And Others

1991-01-01

Discussion of image-based information retrieval systems focuses on indexing. Highlights include computerized information retrieval; multimedia optical systems; optical mass storage and personal computers; and a case study that describes an optical disk system which was developed to preserve, access, and disseminate military documents. (19…

The Puzzles of the Vela Pulsar-Wind Nebula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kargaltsev, Oleg; Pavlov, G. G.

2008-03-01

Very few pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) can be studied at the level of detail comparable to that achieved for the Crab PWN. The nearby Vela PWN is the best candidate for such an in-depth study. Using Chandra ACIS observations of 2000-2002, we produced a "movie" which shows that not only the NW outer jet, reported by Pavlov et al. (2003), but also the entire bright Vela PWN is remarkably variable. The most dramatic changes occur in the outer arc, the SE inner jet, and the bright knots in the SE part of the inner PWN. On a time scale of 1-3 weeks, the outer arc changes its brightness, shape, and spectrum, the knots move, disappear and appear again, while the SE inner jet changes its brightness and size. In contrast with the Crab PWN, we see no moving "wisps". The observed changes can be attributed to instabilities in the pulsar wind and to varying density/pressure in the ambient medium. Deep combined images show that the inner arc is part of a ring, but the pulsar is offset from its plane. The large width of the SE outer "jet" suggests either an intrinsic asymmetry of the SE and NW polar outflows or that the SE jet broadens in a low-pressure cavity behind the moving pulsar. We also found a puzzling "bar" at the base of the inner SE jet, possibly a shock in a polar outflow. An adaptively binned spectral map demonstrates that the inner PWN elements have extremely hard spectra (significantly harder than those of the Crab inner PWN), incompatible with those predicted by the shock acceleration models. Overall, the Vela PWN shows a wealth of puzzling features, different from the Crab; their nature can be understood in a specially designed series of Chandra ACIS observations.

Photoelectrochemical information storage using an azobenzene derivative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Z. F.; Hashimoto, K.; Fujishima, A.

1990-10-01

HIGH-DENSITY information storage is becoming an increasingly important technological objective. The 'heat-mode' storage techniques (in which only the thermal energy of laser light is used in the recording process and hence information usually stored as a physical change of the storage media) that are used in current optical memories are limited by the diffraction properties of light1, and the alternative 'photon-mode' (in which information is stored as a photon-induced chemical change of the storage media) has attracted attention recently for high-density storage. The most promising candidates for realizing this mode seem to be photochro-ism and photochemical hole burning; but these have some intrinsic drawbacks1,2. Here we present a novel 'photon-mode' technique that uses the photoelectrochemical properties of a Langmuir-Blodgett film of an azobenzene derivative. The system can be interconverted photochemically or electrochemically between three chemical states, and this three-state system is shown to provide a potential storage process that allows for ultra-high storage density, multi-function memory and non-destructive information readout.

Gardner's Two Children Problems and Variations: Puzzles with Conditional Probability and Sample Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Wendy; Stacey, Kaye

2014-01-01

This article presents "The Two Children Problem," published by Martin Gardner, who wrote a famous and widely-read math puzzle column in the magazine "Scientific American," and a problem presented by puzzler Gary Foshee. This paper explains the paradox of Problems 2 and 3 and many other variations of the theme. Then the authors…

Cathodochromic storage device

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bosomworth, D. R.; Moles, W. H.

1969-01-01

A memory and display device has been developed by combing a fast phosphor layer with a cathodochromic layer in a cathode ray tube. Images are stored as patterns of electron beam induced optical density in the cathodo-chromic material. The stored information is recovered by exciting the backing, fast phosphor layer with a constant current electron beam and detecting the emitted radiation which is modulated by absorption in the cathodochromic layer. The storage can be accomplished in one or more TV frames (1/30 sec each). More than 500 TV line resolution and close to 2:1 contrast ratio are possible. The information storage time in a dark environment is approximately 24 hours. A reconstituted (readout) electronic video signal can be generated continuously for times in excess of 10 minutes or periodically for several hours.

The fundamentals and futures of removable mass storage alternatives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kempster, Linda

1993-01-01

This article reflects my view of how the storage products have been introduced into the marketplace, where they came from, and where others will continue to come from in the future. My corporate goal is to be a resource for those searching for removable solutions to mass storage problems. My introduction to optical storage occurred a few months before signing a non-disclosure agreement with FileNet on 8 Aug. 1983. By 87 or 88, as the optical craze was getting more popular, I started looking for similar or complementary storage technologies. I am still looking and my research is constantly turning up new entrants into this field. Due to the scope of the coverage in this field, this article does not dwell on any single technology. The goal is to provide information that is not compiled in any other single source and focus on facts that are not commonly known. I have provided a few baseline assumptions to ensure the mathematical calculations remain consistent: (1) hard-copy 8.5 in x 11 in documents which are scanned at 200 dots per inch (dpi) and compressed at a ratio of 10:1 result in a document image which requires an average of 50 Kilobytes (KB) of storage; (2) an average ASCII page requires 2 KB of storage; (3) an average flle cabinet drawer can hold 2500 pieces of paper; (4) one GB of storage can hold an average of 20,000 document images (a reel of 6250 tape holds 180 Megabytes (MB)).

Review of Random Phase Encoding in Volume Holographic Storage

PubMed Central

Su, Wei-Chia; Sun, Ching-Cherng

2012-01-01

Random phase encoding is a unique technique for volume hologram which can be applied to various applications such as holographic multiplexing storage, image encryption, and optical sensing. In this review article, we first review and discuss diffraction selectivity of random phase encoding in volume holograms, which is the most important parameter related to multiplexing capacity of volume holographic storage. We then review an image encryption system based on random phase encoding. The alignment of phase key for decryption of the encoded image stored in holographic memory is analyzed and discussed. In the latter part of the review, an all-optical sensing system implemented by random phase encoding and holographic interconnection is presented.

Opto-electronic oscillators having optical resonators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yao, Xiaotian Steve (Inventor); Maleki, Lutfollah (Inventor); Ilchenko, Vladimir (Inventor)

2003-01-01

Systems and techniques of incorporating an optical resonator in an optical part of a feedback loop in opto-electronic oscillators. This optical resonator provides a sufficiently long energy storage time and hence to produce an oscillation of a narrow linewidth and low phase noise. Certain mode matching conditions are required. For example, the mode spacing of the optical resonator is equal to one mode spacing, or a multiplicity of the mode spacing, of an opto-electronic feedback loop that receives a modulated optical signal and to produce an electrical oscillating signal.

The Quark Puzzle: A Novel Approach to Visualizing the Color Symmetries of Quarks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gettrust, Eric

2010-01-01

This paper describes a simple hands-on and visual-method designed to introduce physics students of many age groups to the topic of quarks and their role in forming composite particles (baryons and mesons). A set of puzzle pieces representing individual quarks that fit together in ways consistent with known restrictions of flavor, color, and charge…

Study of Storage Ring Free-Electron Laser Using Experimental and Simulation Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Botao

2011-12-01

The Duke electron storage ring, first commissioned in November of 1994, has been developed as a dedicated driver for storage ring free-electron lasers (SRFELs) operating in a wide wavelength range from infrared, to visible, to ultraviolet (UV) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV). The storage ring has a long straight section for various insertion devices and can be operated in a wide energy range (0.25 GeV to 1.15 GeV). Commissioned in 1995, the first free-electron laser (FEL) on the Duke storage ring was the OK-4 FEL, an optical klystron with two planar undulators sandwiching a buncher magnet. In 2005, the OK-5 FEL with two helical undulators was commissioned. Operating four undulators---two OK-4 and two OK-5 undulators, the world's first distributed optical klystron FEL was brought to operation in 2005. Via Compton scattering of FEL photons and electrons in the storage ring, the Duke FEL drives the world's most powerful, nearly monochromatic, and polarized Compton gamma-ray source, the High Intensity Gamma-ray Source (HIgammaS). Today, a variety of configurations of the storage ring FELs at Duke have been used in a wide range of research areas from nuclear physics to biophysics, from chemical and medical research to industrial applications. The capability of accurately measuring the storage ring electron beam energy spread is crucial for understanding the longitudinal beam dynamics and the dynamics of the storage ring FEL. In this dissertation, we have successfully developed a noninvasive, versatile, and accurate method to measure the energy spread using optical klystron radiation. Novel numerical methods based upon the Gauss-Hermite expansion have been developed to treat both spectral broadening and modulation on an equal footing. Through properly configuring the optical klystron, this energy spread measurement method has a large dynamic range. In addition, a model-based scheme has been developed for correcting the electron beam emittance related inhomogeneous spectral

A Solar Cycle Prediction Puzzle's PossibleExplanation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luhmann, Janet

2007-05-01

A long-standing and intriguing puzzle of the last few decades has been Joan Feynman's (1982) discovery that the solar cycle (sunspot number) maximum trends follow the level of geomagnetic activity during the prior minimum phase. Recently Hathaway (GRL 33, 2006) used this relationship to make a prediction of the size of the next solar maximum. But the physical reason why this should work at all remains a matter of speculation. Although it has been suggested that geomagnetic activity around solar minimum is determined by the terrestrial magnetosphere's response to high speed solar wind streams which seem to often characterize the declining phase of the cycle, why should the occurrence of these streams portend the new solar maximum? Our improving understanding of solar wind sources may hold the key, and also tell us something useful about the solar dynamo.

The electron screening puzzle and nuclear clustering

DOE PAGES

Spitaleri, C.; Bertulani, C. A.; Fortunato, L.; ...

2016-02-12

Accurate measurements of nuclear reactions of astrophysical interest within, or close to, the Gamow peak show evidence of an unexpected effect attributed to the presence of atomic electrons in the target. The experiments need to include an effective "screening" potential to explain the enhancement of the cross sections at the lowest measurable energies. Despite various theoretical studies conducted over the past 20 years and numerous experimental measurements, a theory has not yet been found that can explain the cause of the exceedingly high values of the screening potential needed to explain the data. Furthermore, in this letter we show thatmore » instead of an atomic physics solution of the "electron screening puzzle", the reason for the large screening potential values is in fact due to clusterization effects in nuclear reactions, in particular for reaction involving light nuclei.« less

Eighth Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies in Cooperation with the Seventeenth IEEE Symposium on Mass Storage Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kobler, Benjamin (Editor); Hariharan, P. C. (Editor)

2000-01-01

This document contains copies of those technical papers received in time for publication prior to the Eighth Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies which is being held in cooperation with the Seventeenth IEEE Symposium on Mass Storage Systems at the University of Maryland University College Inn and Conference Center March 27-30, 2000. As one of an ongoing series, this Conference continues to provide a forum for discussion of issues relevant to the management of large volumes of data. The Conference encourages all interested organizations to discuss long term mass storage requirements and experiences in fielding solutions. Emphasis is on current and future practical solutions addressing issues in data management, storage systems and media, data acquisition, long term retention of data, and data distribution. This year's discussion topics include architecture, future of current technology, new technology with a special emphasis on holographic storage, performance, standards, site reports, vendor solutions. Tutorials will be available on stability of optical media, disk subsystem performance evaluation, I/O and storage tuning, functionality and performance evaluation of file systems for storage area networks.

Laser-induced phase transitions of Ge2Sb2Te5 thin films used in optical and electronic data storage and in thermal lithography.

PubMed

Chu, Cheng Hung; Shiue, Chiun Da; Cheng, Hsuen Wei; Tseng, Ming Lun; Chiang, Hai-Pang; Mansuripur, Masud; Tsai, Din Ping

2010-08-16

Amorphous thin films of Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5), sputter-deposited on a ZnS-SiO(2) dielectric layer, are investigated for the purpose of understanding the structural phase-transitions that occur under the influence of tightly-focused laser beams. Selective chemical etching of recorded marks in conjunction with optical, atomic force, and electron microscopy as well as local electron diffraction analysis are used to discern the complex structural features created under a broad range of laser powers and pulse durations. Clarifying the nature of phase transitions associated with laser-recorded marks in chalcogenide Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5) thin films provides useful information for reversible optical and electronic data storage, as well as for phase-change (thermal) lithography.

The Role of Inhibitory Control in Children's Cooperative Behaviors during a Structured Puzzle Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giannotta, Fabrizia; Burk, William J.; Ciairano, Silvia

2011-01-01

This study examined the role of inhibitory control (measured by Stroop interference) in children's cooperative behaviors during a structured puzzle task. The sample consisted of 250 8-, 10-, and 12-year-olds (117 girls and 133 boys) attending classrooms in three primary schools in Northern Italy. Children individually completed an elaborated…

A Public-Key Based Authentication and Key Establishment Protocol Coupled with a Client Puzzle.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, M. C.; Fung, Chun-Kan

2003-01-01

Discusses network denial-of-service attacks which have become a security threat to the Internet community and suggests the need for reliable authentication protocols in client-server applications. Presents a public-key based authentication and key establishment protocol coupled with a client puzzle protocol and validates it through formal logic…

Coherence rephasing combined with spin-wave storage using chirped control pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demeter, Gabor

2014-06-01

Photon-echo based optical quantum memory schemes often employ intermediate steps to transform optical coherences to spin coherences for longer storage times. We analyze a scheme that uses three identical chirped control pulses for coherence rephasing in an inhomogeneously broadened ensemble of three-level Λ systems. The pulses induce a cyclic permutation of the atomic populations in the adiabatic regime. Optical coherences created by a signal pulse are stored as spin coherences at an intermediate time interval, and are rephased for echo emission when the ensemble is returned to the initial state. Echo emission during a possible partial rephasing when the medium is inverted can be suppressed with an appropriate choice of control pulse wave vectors. We demonstrate that the scheme works in an optically dense ensemble, despite control pulse distortions during propagation. It integrates conveniently the spin-wave storage step into memory schemes based on a second rephasing of the atomic coherences.

SeaWiFS technical report series. Volume 20: The SeaWiFS bio-optical archive and storage system (SeaBASS), part 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooker, Stanford B. (Editor); Mcclain, Charles R.; Firestone, James K.; Westphal, Todd L.; Yeh, Eueng-Nan; Ge, Yuntao; Firestone, Elaine R.

1994-01-01

This document provides an overview of the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), which will serve as a repository for numerous data sets of interest to the SeaWiFS Science Team and other approved investigators in the oceanographic community. The data collected will be those data sets suitable for the development and evaluation of bio-optical algorithms which include results from SeaWiFS Intercalibration Round-Robin Experiments (SIRREXs), prelaunch characterization of the SeaWiFS instrument by its manufacturer -- Hughes/Santa Barbara Research Center (SBRC), Marine Optical Characterization Experiment (MOCE) cruises, Marine Optical Buoy (MOBY) deployments and refurbishments, and field studies of other scientists outside of NASA. The primary goal of the data system is to provide a simple mechanism for querying the available archive and requesting specific items, while assuring that the data is made available only to authorized users. The design, construction, and maintenance of SeaBASS is the responsibility of the SeaWiFS Calibration and Validation Team (CVT). This report is concerned with documenting the execution of this task by the CVT and consists of a series of chapters detailing the various data sets involved. The topics presented are as follows: 1) overview of the SeaBASS file architecture, 2) the bio-optical data system, 3) the historical pigment database, 4) the SIRREX database, and 5) the SBRC database.

Multiple sclerosis pathogenesis: missing pieces of an old puzzle.

PubMed

Rahmanzadeh, Reza; Brück, Wolfgang; Minagar, Alireza; Sahraian, Mohammad Ali

2018-06-08

Traditionally, multiple sclerosis (MS) was considered to be a CD4 T cell-mediated CNS autoimmunity, compatible with experimental autoimmune encephalitis model, which can be characterized by focal lesions in the white matter. However, studies of recent decades revealed several missing pieces of MS puzzle and showed that MS pathogenesis is more complex than the traditional view and may include the following: a primary degenerative process (e.g. oligodendroglial pathology), generalized abnormality of normal-appearing brain tissue, pronounced gray matter pathology, involvement of innate immunity, and CD8 T cells and B cells. Here, we review these findings and discuss their implications in MS pathogenesis.

Ambiguity aversion and household portfolio choice puzzles: Empirical evidence*

PubMed Central

Dimmock, Stephen G.; Kouwenberg, Roy; Mitchell, Olivia S.; Peijnenburg, Kim

2017-01-01

We test the relation between ambiguity aversion and five household portfolio choice puzzles: nonparticipation in equities, low allocations to equity, home-bias, own-company stock ownership, and portfolio under-diversification. In a representative US household survey, we measure ambiguity preferences using custom-designed questions based on Ellsberg urns. As theory predicts, ambiguity aversion is negatively associated with stock market participation, the fraction of financial assets in stocks, and foreign stock ownership, but it is positively related to own-company stock ownership. Conditional on stock ownership, ambiguity aversion is related to portfolio under-diversification, and during the financial crisis, ambiguity-averse respondents were more likely to sell stocks. PMID:28458446

Ambiguity aversion and household portfolio choice puzzles: Empirical evidence.

PubMed

Dimmock, Stephen G; Kouwenberg, Roy; Mitchell, Olivia S; Peijnenburg, Kim

2016-03-01

We test the relation between ambiguity aversion and five household portfolio choice puzzles: nonparticipation in equities, low allocations to equity, home-bias, own-company stock ownership, and portfolio under-diversification. In a representative US household survey, we measure ambiguity preferences using custom-designed questions based on Ellsberg urns. As theory predicts, ambiguity aversion is negatively associated with stock market participation, the fraction of financial assets in stocks, and foreign stock ownership, but it is positively related to own-company stock ownership. Conditional on stock ownership, ambiguity aversion is related to portfolio under-diversification, and during the financial crisis, ambiguity-averse respondents were more likely to sell stocks.

Synthesis of novel fluorene-based two-photon absorbing molecules and their applications in optical data storage, microfabrication, and stimulated emission depletion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanez, Ciceron

2009-12-01

Two-photon absorption (2PA) has been used for a number of scientific and technological applications, exploiting the fact that the 2PA probability is directly proportional to the square of the incident light intensity (while one-photon absorption bears a linear relation to the incident light intensity). This intrinsic property of 2PA leads to 3D spatial localization, important in fields such as optical data storage, fluorescence microscopy, and 3D microfabrication. The spatial confinement that 2PA enables has been used to induce photochemical and photophysical events in increasingly smaller volumes and allowed nonlinear, 2PA-based, technologies to reach sub-diffraction limit resolutions. The primary focus of this dissertation is the development of novel, efficient 2PA, fluorene-based molecules to be used either as photoacid generators (PAGs) or fluorophores. A second aim is to develop more effective methods of synthesizing these compounds. As a third and final objective, the new molecules were used to develop a write-once-read many (WORM) optical data storage system, and stimulated emission depletion probes for bioimaging. In Chapter I, the microwave-assisted synthesis of triarylsulfonium salt photoacid generators (PAGs) from their diphenyliodonium counterparts is reported. The microwave-assisted synthesis of these novel sulfonium salts afforded reaction times 90 to 420 times faster than conventional thermal conditions, with photoacid quantum yields of new sulfonium PAGs ranging from 0.01 to 0.4. These PAGs were used to develop a fluorescence readout-based, nonlinear three-dimensional (3D) optical data storage system (Chapter II). In this system, writing was achieved by acid generation upon two-photon absorption (2PA) of a PAG (at 710 or 730 nm). Readout was then performed by interrogating two-photon absorbing dyes, after protonation, at 860 nm. Two-photon recording and readout of voxels was demonstrated in five and eight consecutive, crosstalk-free layers within a

Gaia's view of the λ Boo star puzzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Simon J.; Paunzen, Ernst

2017-04-01

The evolutionary status of the chemically peculiar class of λ Boo stars has been intensely debated. It is now agreed that the λ Boo phenomenon affects A stars of all ages, from star formation to the terminal age main sequence, but the cause of the chemical peculiarity is still a puzzle. We revisit the debate of their ages and temperatures in order to shed light on the phenomenon, using the new parallaxes in Gaia Data Release 1 with existing Hipparcos parallaxes and multicolour photometry. We find that no single formation mechanism is able to explain all the observations, and suggest that there are multiple channels producing λ Boo spectra. The relative importance of these channels varies with age, temperature and environment.

Schooling, Cognitive Skills, and the Latin American Growth Puzzle. NBER Working Paper No. 15066

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanushek, Eric A.; Woessmann, Ludger

2009-01-01

Economic development in Latin America has trailed most other world regions over the past four decades despite its relatively high initial development and school attainment levels. This puzzle can be resolved by considering the actual learning as expressed in tests of cognitive skills, on which Latin American countries consistently perform at the…

Puzzle-based versus traditional lecture: comparing the effects of pedagogy on academic performance in an undergraduate human anatomy and physiology II lab.

PubMed

Stetzik, Lucas; Deeter, Anthony; Parker, Jamie; Yukech, Christine

2015-06-23

A traditional lecture-based pedagogy conveys information and content while lacking sufficient development of critical thinking skills and problem solving. A puzzle-based pedagogy creates a broader contextual framework, and fosters critical thinking as well as logical reasoning skills that can then be used to improve a student's performance on content specific assessments. This paper describes a pedagogical comparison of traditional lecture-based teaching and puzzle-based teaching in a Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab. Using a single subject/cross-over design half of the students from seven sections of the course were taught using one type of pedagogy for the first half of the semester, and then taught with a different pedagogy for the second half of the semester. The other half of the students were taught the same material but with the order of the pedagogies reversed. Students' performance on quizzes and exams specific to the course, and in-class assignments specific to this study were assessed for: learning outcomes (the ability to form the correct conclusion or recall specific information), and authentic academic performance as described by (Am J Educ 104:280-312, 1996). Our findings suggest a significant improvement in students' performance on standard course specific assessments using a puzzle-based pedagogy versus a traditional lecture-based teaching style. Quiz and test scores for students improved by 2.1 and 0.4% respectively in the puzzle-based pedagogy, versus the traditional lecture-based teaching. Additionally, the assessments of authentic academic performance may only effectively measure a broader conceptual understanding in a limited set of contexts, and not in the context of a Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab. In conclusion, a puzzle-based pedagogy, when compared to traditional lecture-based teaching, can effectively enhance the performance of students on standard course specific assessments, even when the assessments only test a limited

Multiplexed image storage by electromagnetically induced transparency in a solid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinze, G.; Rentzsch, N.; Halfmann, T.

2012-11-01

We report on frequency- and angle-multiplexed image storage by electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a Pr3+:Y2SiO5 crystal. Frequency multiplexing by EIT relies on simultaneous storage of light pulses in atomic coherences, driven in different frequency ensembles of the inhomogeneously broadened solid medium. Angular multiplexing by EIT relies on phase matching of the driving laser beams, which permits simultaneous storage of light pulses propagating under different angles into the crystal. We apply the multiplexing techniques to increase the storage capacity of the EIT-driven optical memory, in particular to implement multiplexed storage of larger two-dimensional amounts of data (images). We demonstrate selective storage and readout of images by frequency-multiplexed EIT and angular-multiplexed EIT, as well as the potential to combine both multiplexing approaches towards further enhanced storage capacities.

Interference between a fast-paced spatial puzzle task and verbal memory demands.

PubMed

Epling, Samantha L; Blakely, Megan J; Russell, Paul N; Helton, William S

2017-06-01

Research continues to provide evidence that people are poor multi-taskers. Cognitive resource theory is a common explanation for the inability to efficiently perform multiple tasks at the same time. This theory proposes that one's limited supply of cognitive resources can be utilized faster than it is replenished, which results in a performance decline, particularly when these limited resources must be allocated among multiple tasks. Researchers have proposed both domain-specific, for example, spatial versus verbal processing resources, and domain general cognitive resources. In the present research, we investigated whether a spatial puzzle task performed simultaneously with a verbal recall task would impair performance in either task or both tasks, compared to performance on the tasks individually. As hypothesized, a reduction in word recall was found when dual-tasking, though performance on the puzzle task did not significantly differ between the single- and dual-task conditions. This is consistent, in part, with both a general resource theory and a Multiple Resource Theory, but further work is required to better understand the cognitive processing system. The employment of the recall task in the dual-task paradigm with a variety of secondary tasks will help to continue mapping out the specificity (or lack thereof) of cognitive resources utilized in various mental and physical tasks.

Electronic-To-Optical-To-Electronic Packet-Data Conversion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monacos, Steve

1996-01-01

Space-time multiplexer (STM) cell-based communication system designed to take advantage of both high throughput attainable in optical transmission links and flexibility and functionality of electronic processing, storage, and switching. Long packets segmented and transmitted optically by wavelength-division multiplexing. Performs optoelectronic and protocol conversion between electronic "store-and-forward" protocols and optical "hot-potato" protocols.

Nonlinear optical polymers for electro-optic signal processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindsay, Geoffrey A.

1991-01-01

Photonics is an emerging technology, slated for rapid growth in communications systems, sensors, imagers, and computers. Its growth is driven by the need for speed, reliability, and low cost. New nonlinear polymeric materials will be a key technology in the new wave of photonics devices. Electron-conjubated polymeric materials offer large electro-optic figures of merit, ease of processing into films and fibers, ruggedness, low cost, and a plethora of design options. Several new broad classes of second-order nonlinear optical polymers were developed at the Navy's Michelson Laboratory at China Lake, California. Polar alignment in thin film waveguides was achieved by electric-field poling and Langmuir-Blodgett processing. Our polymers have high softening temperatures and good aging properties. While most of the films can be photobleached with ultraviolet (UV) light, some have excellent stability in the 500-1600 nm range, and UV stability in the 290-310 nm range. The optical nonlinear response of these polymers is subpicosecond. Electro-optic switches, frequency doublers, light modulators, and optical data storage media are some of the device applications anticipated for these polymers.

A Computational/Experimental Platform for Investigating Three-Dimensional Puzzle Solving of Comminuted Articular Fractures

PubMed Central

Thomas, Thaddeus P.; Anderson, Donald D.; Willis, Andrew R.; Liu, Pengcheng; Frank, Matthew C.; Marsh, J. Lawrence; Brown, Thomas D.

2011-01-01

Reconstructing highly comminuted articular fractures poses a difficult surgical challenge, akin to solving a complicated three-dimensional (3D) puzzle. Pre-operative planning using CT is critically important, given the desirability of less invasive surgical approaches. The goal of this work is to advance 3D puzzle solving methods toward use as a pre-operative tool for reconstructing these complex fractures. Methodology for generating typical fragmentation/dispersal patterns was developed. Five identical replicas of human distal tibia anatomy, were machined from blocks of high-density polyetherurethane foam (bone fragmentation surrogate), and were fractured using an instrumented drop tower. Pre- and post-fracture geometries were obtained using laser scans and CT. A semi-automatic virtual reconstruction computer program aligned fragment native (non-fracture) surfaces to a pre-fracture template. The tibias were precisely reconstructed with alignment accuracies ranging from 0.03-0.4mm. This novel technology has potential to significantly enhance surgical techniques for reconstructing comminuted intra-articular fractures, as illustrated for a representative clinical case. PMID:20924863

Laser Optical Disk: The Coming Revolution in On-Line Storage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fujitani, Larry

1984-01-01

Review of similarities and differences between magnetic-based and optical disk drives includes a discussion of the electronics necessary for their operation; describes benefits, possible applications, and future trends in development of laser-based drives; and lists manufacturers of laser optical disk drives. (MBR)

Enhanced electrochromic and energy storage performance in mesoporous WO3 film and its application in a bi-functional smart window.

PubMed

Wang, Wei-Qi; Wang, Xiu-Li; Xia, Xin-Hui; Yao, Zhu-Jun; Zhong, Yu; Tu, Jiang-Ping

2018-05-03

Construction of multifunctional photoelectrochemical energy devices is of great importance to energy saving. In this study, we have successfully prepared a mesoporous WO3 film on FTO glass via a facile dip-coating sol-gel method; the designed mesoporous WO3 film exhibited advantages including high transparency, good adhesion and high porosity. Also, multifunctional integrated energy storage and optical modulation ability are simultaneously achieved by the mesoporous WO3 film. Impressively, the mesoporous WO3 film exhibits a noticeable electrochromic energy storage performance with a large optical modulation up to 75.6% at 633 nm, accompanied by energy storage with a specific capacity of 75.3 mA h g-1. Furthermore, a full electrochromic energy storage window assembled with the mesoporous WO3 anode and PANI nanoparticle cathode is demonstrated with large optical modulation and good long-term stability. Our research provides a new route to realize the coincident utilization of optical-electrochemical energy.

Archival storage solutions for PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chunn, Timothy

1997-05-01

While they are many, one of the inhibitors to the wide spread diffusion of PACS systems has been robust, cost effective digital archive storage solutions. Moreover, an automated Nearline solution is key to a central, sharable data repository, enabling many applications such as PACS, telemedicine and teleradiology, and information warehousing and data mining for research such as patient outcome analysis. Selecting the right solution depends on a number of factors: capacity requirements, write and retrieval performance requirements, scaleability in capacity and performance, configuration architecture and flexibility, subsystem availability and reliability, security requirements, system cost, achievable benefits and cost savings, investment protection, strategic fit and more.This paper addresses many of these issues. It compares and positions optical disk and magnetic tape technologies, which are the predominant archive mediums today. Price and performance comparisons will be made at different archive capacities, plus the effect of file size on storage system throughput will be analyzed. The concept of automated migration of images from high performance, high cost storage devices to high capacity, low cost storage devices will be introduced as a viable way to minimize overall storage costs for an archive. The concept of access density will also be introduced and applied to the selection of the most cost effective archive solution.

Storage of RF photons in minimal conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cromières, J.-P.; Chanelière, T.

2018-02-01

We investigate the minimal conditions to store coherently a RF pulse in a material medium. We choose a commercial quartz as a memory support because it is a widely available component with a high Q-factor. Pulse storage is obtained by varying dynamically the light-matter coupling with an analog switch. This parametric driving of the quartz dynamics can be alternatively interpreted as a stopped-light experiment. We obtain an efficiency of 26%, a storage time of 209 μs and a time-to-bandwidth product of 98 by optimizing the pulse temporal shape. The coherent character of the storage is demonstrated. Our goal is to connect different types of memories in the RF and optical domain for quantum information processing. Our motivation is essentially fundamental.

An Interactive 3D Virtual Anatomy Puzzle for Learning and Simulation - Initial Demonstration and Evaluation.

PubMed

Messier, Erik; Wilcox, Jascha; Dawson-Elli, Alexander; Diaz, Gabriel; Linte, Cristian A

2016-01-01

To inspire young students (grades 6-12) to become medical practitioners and biomedical engineers, it is necessary to expose them to key concepts of the field in a way that is both exciting and informative. Recent advances in medical image acquisition, manipulation, processing, visualization, and display have revolutionized the approach in which the human body and internal anatomy can be seen and studied. It is now possible to collect 3D, 4D, and 5D medical images of patient specific data, and display that data to the end user using consumer level 3D stereoscopic display technology. Despite such advancements, traditional 2D modes of content presentation such as textbooks and slides are still the standard didactic equipment used to teach young students anatomy. More sophisticated methods of display can help to elucidate the complex 3D relationships between structures that are so often missed when viewing only 2D media, and can instill in students an appreciation for the interconnection between medicine and technology. Here we describe the design, implementation, and preliminary evaluation of a 3D virtual anatomy puzzle dedicated to helping users learn the anatomy of various organs and systems by manipulating 3D virtual data. The puzzle currently comprises several components of the human anatomy and can be easily extended to include additional organs and systems. The 3D virtual anatomy puzzle game was implemented and piloted using three display paradigms - a traditional 2D monitor, a 3D TV with active shutter glass, and the DK2 version Oculus Rift, as well as two different user interaction devices - a space mouse and traditional keyboard controls.

Software for Optical Archive and Retrieval (SOAR) user's guide, version 4.2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Charles

1991-01-01

The optical disk is an emerging technology. Because it is not a magnetic medium, it offers a number of distinct advantages over the established form of storage, advantages that make it extremely attractive. They are as follows: (1) the ability to store much more data within the same space; (2) the random access characteristics of the Write Once Read Many optical disk; (3) a much longer life than that of traditional storage media; and (4) much greater data access rate. Software for Optical Archive and Retrieval (SOAR) user's guide is presented.

Identifying Au-based Te alloys for optical data storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wamwangi, D.; Detemple, R.; Woeltgens, H.-W.; Wuttig, M.; Zhang, X.

2004-06-01

Au18Sb23Te59 and Au19In26Te55 have been investigated to determine their suitability as phase change recording alloys. Recrystallization experiments identify Au18Sb23Te59 as a suitable phase change material with a recrystallization time of 110 ns and high optical contrast. Coupled to the high optical contrast is a considerable density increase of 4% upon crystallization which allows phase change recording for the Au18Sb23Te59 alloy. On the other hand no recrystallization has been observed optically for Au19In26Te55 due to its low optical contrast of less than 1%. This is related to a lower density contrast of 2%. The crystallization for the Au18Sb23Te59 and Au19In26Te55 alloys observed from temperature-dependent sheet resistance measurements have yielded transition temperatures of 113 and 175 °C, and activation barriers of 1.61±0.01 eV and 2.42±0.02 eV, respectively. We report a cubic structure (a=2.99±0.002 Å) for the Au18Sb23Te59 alloy and a chalcopyrite structure (a=6.50±0.018 Å and 12.27±0.025 Å) for the Au19In26Te55 material. These results confirm that suitable phase change alloys possess cubic structures rather than the chalcopyrite structure typical for sp3 bonded semiconductors.

Coherent Spin Control at the Quantum Level in an Ensemble-Based Optical Memory.

PubMed

Jobez, Pierre; Laplane, Cyril; Timoney, Nuala; Gisin, Nicolas; Ferrier, Alban; Goldner, Philippe; Afzelius, Mikael

2015-06-12

Long-lived quantum memories are essential components of a long-standing goal of remote distribution of entanglement in quantum networks. These can be realized by storing the quantum states of light as single-spin excitations in atomic ensembles. However, spin states are often subjected to different dephasing processes that limit the storage time, which in principle could be overcome using spin-echo techniques. Theoretical studies suggest this to be challenging due to unavoidable spontaneous emission noise in ensemble-based quantum memories. Here, we demonstrate spin-echo manipulation of a mean spin excitation of 1 in a large solid-state ensemble, generated through storage of a weak optical pulse. After a storage time of about 1 ms we optically read-out the spin excitation with a high signal-to-noise ratio. Our results pave the way for long-duration optical quantum storage using spin-echo techniques for any ensemble-based memory.

Enhancing the Understanding of Government and Nonprofit Accounting with THE PUZZLE GAME: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elson, Raymond J.; Ostapski, S. Andrew; O'Callaghan, Susanne; Walker, John P.

2012-01-01

Nontraditional teaching aids such as crossword puzzles have been successfully used in the classroom to enhance student learning. Government and nonprofit accounting is a confusing course for students since it has strange terminologies and contradicts the accounting concepts learned in other courses. As such, it is an ideal course for a…

Many-electron effects in the optical properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spataru, Catalin D.; Ismail-Beigi, Sohrab; Capaz, Rodrigo B.; Louie, Steven G.

2005-03-01

Recent optical measurements on single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) showed anomalous behaviors that are indicative of strong many-electron effects. To understand these data, we performed ab initio calculation of self-energy and electron-hole interaction (excitonic) effects on the optical spectra of several SWCNTs. We employed a many-electron Green's function approach that determines both the quasiparticle and optical excitations from first principles. We found important many-electron effects that explain many of the puzzling experimental findings in the optical spectrum of these quasi-one dimensional systems, and are in excellent quantitative agreement with measurements. We have also calculated the radiative lifetime of the bright excitons in these tubes. Taking into account temperature effects and the existence of dark excitons, our results explain the radiative lifetime of excited nanotubes measured in time- resolved fluorescence experiments. This work was supported by the NSF under Grant No. DMR04-39768, and the U.S. DOE under Contract No. DE-AC03-76SF00098. Computational resources have been provided by NERSC and NPACI. RBC acknowledges financial support from the Guggenheim Foundation and Brazilian funding agencies CNPq, CAPES, FAPERJ, Instituto de Nanociências, FUJB-UFRJ and PRONEX-MCT.

RNA-Puzzles Round II: assessment of RNA structure prediction programs applied to three large RNA structures

PubMed Central

Miao, Zhichao; Adamiak, Ryszard W.; Blanchet, Marc-Frédérick; Boniecki, Michal; Bujnicki, Janusz M.; Chen, Shi-Jie; Cheng, Clarence; Chojnowski, Grzegorz; Chou, Fang-Chieh; Cordero, Pablo; Cruz, José Almeida; Ferré-D'Amaré, Adrian R.; Das, Rhiju; Ding, Feng; Dokholyan, Nikolay V.; Dunin-Horkawicz, Stanislaw; Kladwang, Wipapat; Krokhotin, Andrey; Lach, Grzegorz; Magnus, Marcin; Major, François; Mann, Thomas H.; Masquida, Benoît; Matelska, Dorota; Meyer, Mélanie; Peselis, Alla; Popenda, Mariusz; Purzycka, Katarzyna J.; Serganov, Alexander; Stasiewicz, Juliusz; Szachniuk, Marta; Tandon, Arpit; Tian, Siqi; Wang, Jian; Xiao, Yi; Xu, Xiaojun; Zhang, Jinwei; Zhao, Peinan; Zok, Tomasz; Westhof, Eric

2015-01-01

This paper is a report of a second round of RNA-Puzzles, a collective and blind experiment in three-dimensional (3D) RNA structure prediction. Three puzzles, Puzzles 5, 6, and 10, represented sequences of three large RNA structures with limited or no homology with previously solved RNA molecules. A lariat-capping ribozyme, as well as riboswitches complexed to adenosylcobalamin and tRNA, were predicted by seven groups using RNAComposer, ModeRNA/SimRNA, Vfold, Rosetta, DMD, MC-Fold, 3dRNA, and AMBER refinement. Some groups derived models using data from state-of-the-art chemical-mapping methods (SHAPE, DMS, CMCT, and mutate-and-map). The comparisons between the predictions and the three subsequently released crystallographic structures, solved at diffraction resolutions of 2.5–3.2 Å, were carried out automatically using various sets of quality indicators. The comparisons clearly demonstrate the state of present-day de novo prediction abilities as well as the limitations of these state-of-the-art methods. All of the best prediction models have similar topologies to the native structures, which suggests that computational methods for RNA structure prediction can already provide useful structural information for biological problems. However, the prediction accuracy for non-Watson–Crick interactions, key to proper folding of RNAs, is low and some predicted models had high Clash Scores. These two difficulties point to some of the continuing bottlenecks in RNA structure prediction. All submitted models are available for download at http://ahsoka.u-strasbg.fr/rnapuzzles/. PMID:25883046

Solving the puzzle of discrepant quasar variability on monthly time-scales implied by SDSS and CRTS data sets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suberlak, Krzysztof; Ivezić, Željko; MacLeod, Chelsea L.; Graham, Matthew; Sesar, Branimir

2017-12-01

We present an improved photometric error analysis for the 7 100 CRTS (Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey) optical light curves for quasars from the SDSS (Sloan Digital Sky Survey) Stripe 82 catalogue. The SDSS imaging survey has provided a time-resolved photometric data set, which greatly improved our understanding of the quasar optical continuum variability: Data for monthly and longer time-scales are consistent with a damped random walk (DRW). Recently, newer data obtained by CRTS provided puzzling evidence for enhanced variability, compared to SDSS results, on monthly time-scales. Quantitatively, SDSS results predict about 0.06 mag root-mean-square (rms) variability for monthly time-scales, while CRTS data show about a factor of 2 larger rms, for spectroscopically confirmed SDSS quasars. Our analysis has successfully resolved this discrepancy as due to slightly underestimated photometric uncertainties from the CRTS image processing pipelines. As a result, the correction for observational noise is too small and the implied quasar variability is too large. The CRTS photometric error correction factors, derived from detailed analysis of non-variable SDSS standard stars that were re-observed by CRTS, are about 20-30 per cent, and result in reconciling quasar variability behaviour implied by the CRTS data with earlier SDSS results. An additional analysis based on independent light curve data for the same objects obtained by the Palomar Transient Factory provides further support for this conclusion. In summary, the quasar variability constraints on weekly and monthly time-scales from SDSS, CRTS and PTF surveys are mutually compatible, as well as consistent with DRW model.

Optoenergy storage and random walks assisted broadband amplification in Er3+-doped (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3 disordered ceramics.

PubMed

Xu, Long; Zhao, Hua; Xu, Caixia; Zhang, Siqi; Zou, Yingyin K; Zhang, Jingwen

2014-02-01

A broadband optical amplification was observed and investigated in Er3+-doped electrostrictive ceramics of lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate under a corona atmosphere. The ceramic structure change caused by UV light, electric field, and random walks originated from the diffusive process in intrinsically disordered materials may all contribute to the optical amplification and the associated energy storage. Discussion based on optical energy storage and diffusive equations was given to explain the findings. Those experiments performed made it possible to study random walks and optical amplification in transparent ceramics materials.

Set selection dynamical system neural networks with partial memories, with applications to Sudoku and KenKen puzzles.

PubMed

Boreland, B; Clement, G; Kunze, H

2015-08-01

After reviewing set selection and memory model dynamical system neural networks, we introduce a neural network model that combines set selection with partial memories (stored memories on subsets of states in the network). We establish that feasible equilibria with all states equal to ± 1 correspond to answers to a particular set theoretic problem. We show that KenKen puzzles can be formulated as a particular case of this set theoretic problem and use the neural network model to solve them; in addition, we use a similar approach to solve Sudoku. We illustrate the approach in examples. As a heuristic experiment, we use online or print resources to identify the difficulty of the puzzles and compare these difficulties to the number of iterations used by the appropriate neural network solver, finding a strong relationship. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Third NASA Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kobler, Benjamin (Editor); Hariharan, P. C. (Editor)

1993-01-01

This report contains copies of nearly all of the technical papers and viewgraphs presented at the Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies held in October 1993. The conference served as an informational exchange forum for topics primarily relating to the ingestion and management of massive amounts of data and the attendant problems involved. Discussion topics include the necessary use of computers in the solution of today's infinitely complex problems, the need for greatly increased storage densities in both optical and magnetic recording media, currently popular storage media and magnetic media storage risk factors, data archiving standards including a talk on the current status of the IEEE Storage Systems Reference Model (RM). Additional topics addressed System performance, data storage system concepts, communications technologies, data distribution systems, data compression, and error detection and correction.

Embedded system of image storage based on fiber channel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiaodong; Su, Wanxin; Xing, Zhongbao; Wang, Hualong

2008-03-01

In domains of aerospace, aviation, aiming, and optic measure etc., the embedded system of imaging, processing and recording is absolutely necessary, which has small volume, high processing speed and high resolution. But the embedded storage technology becomes system bottleneck because of developing slowly. It is used to use RAID to promote storage speed, but it is unsuitable for the embedded system because of its big volume. Fiber channel (FC) technology offers a new method to develop the high-speed, portable storage system. In order to make storage subsystem meet the needs of high storage rate, make use of powerful Virtex-4 FPGA and high speed fiber channel, advance a project of embedded system of digital image storage based on Xilinx Fiber Channel Arbitrated Loop LogiCORE. This project utilizes Virtex- 4 RocketIO MGT transceivers to transmit the data serially, and connects many Fiber Channel hard drivers by using of Arbitrated Loop optionally. It can achieve 400MBps storage rate, breaks through the bottleneck of PCI interface, and has excellences of high-speed, real-time, portable and massive capacity.

Genome puzzle master (GPM): an integrated pipeline for building and editing pseudomolecules from fragmented sequences.

PubMed

Zhang, Jianwei; Kudrna, Dave; Mu, Ting; Li, Weiming; Copetti, Dario; Yu, Yeisoo; Goicoechea, Jose Luis; Lei, Yang; Wing, Rod A

2016-10-15

Next generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized our ability to rapidly and affordably generate vast quantities of sequence data. Once generated, raw sequences are assembled into contigs or scaffolds. However, these assemblies are mostly fragmented and inaccurate at the whole genome scale, largely due to the inability to integrate additional informative datasets (e.g. physical, optical and genetic maps). To address this problem, we developed a semi-automated software tool-Genome Puzzle Master (GPM)-that enables the integration of additional genomic signposts to edit and build 'new-gen-assemblies' that result in high-quality 'annotation-ready' pseudomolecules. With GPM, loaded datasets can be connected to each other via their logical relationships which accomplishes tasks to 'group,' 'merge,' 'order and orient' sequences in a draft assembly. Manual editing can also be performed with a user-friendly graphical interface. Final pseudomolecules reflect a user's total data package and are available for long-term project management. GPM is a web-based pipeline and an important part of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) which can be easily deployed on local servers for any genome research laboratory. The GPM (with LIMS) package is available at https://github.com/Jianwei-Zhang/LIMS CONTACTS: jzhang@mail.hzau.edu.cn or rwing@mail.arizona.eduSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Instructional Media Production for Early Childhood Education: A. B. C. Jig-Saw Puzzle, a Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yusuf, Mudashiru Olalere; Olanrewaju, Olatayo Solomon; Soetan, Aderonke K.

2015-01-01

In this paper, a. b. c. jig-saw puzzle was produced for early childhood education using local materials. This study was a production based type of research, to serve as a supplemental or total learning resource. Its production followed four phases of development referred to as information, design, production and evaluation. The storyboard cards,…

Large-Scale Wireless Temperature Monitoring System for Liquefied Petroleum Gas Storage Tanks

PubMed Central

Fan, Guangwen; Shen, Yu; Hao, Xiaowei; Yuan, Zongming; Zhou, Zhi

2015-01-01

Temperature distribution is a critical indicator of the health condition for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage tanks. In this paper, we present a large-scale wireless temperature monitoring system to evaluate the safety of LPG storage tanks. The system includes wireless sensors networks, high temperature fiber-optic sensors, and monitoring software. Finally, a case study on real-world LPG storage tanks proves the feasibility of the system. The unique features of wireless transmission, automatic data acquisition and management, local and remote access make the developed system a good alternative for temperature monitoring of LPG storage tanks in practical applications. PMID:26393596

Large-Scale Wireless Temperature Monitoring System for Liquefied Petroleum Gas Storage Tanks.

PubMed

Fan, Guangwen; Shen, Yu; Hao, Xiaowei; Yuan, Zongming; Zhou, Zhi

2015-09-18

Temperature distribution is a critical indicator of the health condition for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage tanks. In this paper, we present a large-scale wireless temperature monitoring system to evaluate the safety of LPG storage tanks. The system includes wireless sensors networks, high temperature fiber-optic sensors, and monitoring software. Finally, a case study on real-world LPG storage tanks proves the feasibility of the system. The unique features of wireless transmission, automatic data acquisition and management, local and remote access make the developed system a good alternative for temperature monitoring of LPG storage tanks in practical applications.

Multichannel optical sensing device

DOEpatents

Selkowitz, S.E.

1985-08-16

A multichannel optical sensing device is disclosed, for measuring the outdoor sky luminance or illuminance or the luminance or illuminance distribution in a room, comprising a plurality of light receptors, an optical shutter matrix including a plurality of liquid crystal optical shutter elements operable by electrical control signals between light transmitting and light stopping conditions, fiber optical elements connected between the receptors and the shutter elements, a microprocessor based programmable control unit for selectively supplying control signals to the optical shutter elements in a programmable sequence, a photodetector including an optical integrating spherical chamber having an input port for receiving the light from the shutter matrix and at least one detector element in the spherical chamber for producing output signals corresponding to the light, and output units for utilizing the output signals including a storage unit having a control connection to the microprocessor based programmable control unit for storing the output signals under the sequence control of the programmable control unit.

Multichannel optical sensing device

DOEpatents

Selkowitz, Stephen E.

1990-01-01

A multichannel optical sensing device is disclosed, for measuring the outr sky luminance or illuminance or the luminance or illuminance distribution in a room, comprising a plurality of light receptors, an optical shutter matrix including a plurality of liquid crystal optical shutter elements operable by electrical control signals between light transmitting and light stopping conditions, fiber optic elements connected between the receptors and the shutter elements, a microprocessor based programmable control unit for selectively supplying control signals to the optical shutter elements in a programmable sequence, a photodetector including an optical integrating spherical chamber having an input port for receiving the light from the shutter matrix and at least one detector element in the spherical chamber for producing output signals corresponding to the light, and output units for utilizing the output signals including a storage unit having a control connection to the microprocessor based programmable control unit for storing the output signals under the sequence control of the programmable control unit.

Optical bistability and optical response of an infrared quantum dot hybridized to VO2 nanoparticle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zamani, Naser; Hatef, Ali; Nadgaran, Hamid; Keshavarz, Alireza

2017-08-01

In this work, we theoretically investigate optical bistability and optical response of a hybrid system consisting of semiconductor quantum dot (SQD) coupled with a vanadium dioxide nanoparticle (VO2NP) in the infrared (IR) regime. The VO2 material exists in semiconductor and metallic phases below and above the critical temperature, respectively where the particle optical properties dramatically change during this phase transition. In our calculations a filling fraction factor controls the VO2NP phase transition when the hybrid system interacts with a laser field. We demonstrate that the switch-up threshold for optical bistability is strongly controlled by filling fraction without changing the structure of the hybrid system. Also, it is shown that, the threshold of optical bistability increases when the VO2NP phases changes from semiconductor to metallic phase. The presented results have the potential to be applied in designing optical switching and optical storage.

The puzzle box as a simple and efficient behavioral test for exploring impairments of general cognition and executive functions in mouse models of schizophrenia.

PubMed

Ben Abdallah, Nada M-B; Fuss, Johannes; Trusel, Massimo; Galsworthy, Michael J; Bobsin, Kristin; Colacicco, Giovanni; Deacon, Robert M J; Riva, Marco A; Kellendonk, Christoph; Sprengel, Rolf; Lipp, Hans-Peter; Gass, Peter

2011-01-01

Deficits in executive functions are key features of schizophrenia. Rodent behavioral paradigms used so far to find animal correlates of such deficits require extensive effort and time. The puzzle box is a problem-solving test in which mice are required to complete escape tasks of increasing difficulty within a limited amount of time. Previous data have indicated that it is a quick but highly reliable test of higher-order cognitive functioning. We evaluated the use of the puzzle box to explore executive functioning in five different mouse models of schizophrenia: mice with prefrontal cortex and hippocampus lesions, mice treated sub-chronically with the NMDA-receptor antagonist MK-801, mice constitutively lacking the GluA1 subunit of AMPA-receptors, and mice over-expressing dopamine D2 receptors in the striatum. All mice displayed altered executive functions in the puzzle box, although the nature and extent of the deficits varied between the different models. Deficits were strongest in hippocampus-lesioned and GluA1 knockout mice, while more subtle deficits but specific to problem solving were found in the medial prefrontal-lesioned mice, MK-801-treated mice, and in mice with striatal overexpression of D2 receptors. Data from this study demonstrate the utility of the puzzle box as an effective screening tool for executive functions in general and for schizophrenia mouse models in particular. Published by Elsevier Inc.

New infrared-sensitive photopolymer materials for information storage and processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagtegaele, Patrice; Galstian, Tigran V.

2001-11-01

In response to the increasing demand of information systems, we need new materials with high performance for storage and processing applications. Available on the market optical storage materials present very useful characteristics but are still limited in the visible spectrum and are expansive. Recently, we have developed holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (H-PDLC) materials sensitive in the near infrared region (800 nm to 850 nm). These compounds are based on acrylate monomers and different liquid crystals (LC) and allow highly efficient in-situ recording of holographic optical elements using infra red lasers. Diffraction efficiency above 95% is demonstrated. Photosensitivity of the material, its dark ­development and photochemical stability of recorded gratings are investigated. The angular and spectral selectivities of gratings, recorded in these films are examined for recovering the refractive index modulation profile.

Mass storage at NSA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shields, Michael F.

1993-01-01

The need to manage large amounts of data on robotically controlled devices has been critical to the mission of this Agency for many years. In many respects this Agency has helped pioneer, with their industry counterparts, the development of a number of products long before these systems became commercially available. Numerous attempts have been made to field both robotically controlled tape and optical disk technology and systems to satisfy our tertiary storage needs. Custom developed products were architected, designed, and developed without vendor partners over the past two decades to field workable systems to handle our ever increasing storage requirements. Many of the attendees of this symposium are familiar with some of the older products, such as: the Braegen Automated Tape Libraries (ATL's), the IBM 3850, the Ampex TeraStore, just to name a few. In addition, we embarked on an in-house development of a shared disk input/output support processor to manage our every increasing tape storage needs. For all intents and purposes, this system was a file server by current definitions which used CDC Cyber computers as the control processors. It served us well and was just recently removed from production usage.

Children with Praderwilli Syndrome Vs. Williams Syndrome: Indirect Effects on Parents during a Jigsaw Puzzle Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ly, T. M.; Hodapp, R. M.

2005-01-01

Background: Genetic disorders predispose individuals to exhibit characteristic behaviours, which in turn elicit particular behaviours from others. In response to the strength of Prader?Willi syndrome (PWS) and weakness of Williams syndrome (WS) in visual-spatial tasks such as jigsaw puzzles, parents' behaviours can be affected by their child's…

Fabry-Perot confocal resonator optical associative memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burns, Thomas J.; Rogers, Steven K.; Vogel, George A.

1993-03-01

A unique optical associative memory architecture is presented that combines the optical processing environment of a Fabry-Perot confocal resonator with the dynamic storage and recall properties of volume holograms. The confocal resonator reduces the size and complexity of previous associative memory architectures by folding a large number of discrete optical components into an integrated, compact optical processing environment. Experimental results demonstrate the system is capable of recalling a complete object from memory when presented with partial information about the object. A Fourier optics model of the system's operation shows it implements a spatially continuous version of a discrete, binary Hopfield neural network associative memory.

Stimulated electronic transition concept for an erasable optical memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Albin, Sacharia; Satira, James D.; Livingston, David L.; Shull, Thomas A.

1992-01-01

A new concept for an erasable optical memory is demonstrated using stimulated electronic transition (SET). Large bandgap semiconductors are suitable materials for the SET medium. The properties of MgS:Eu,Sm and SrS:Eu,Sm as possible media for the SET process are investigated. Quantum storage is achieved in the form of charges in deep levels in the medium and stimulated radiative recombination is used as the reading process. Unlike magneto-optic (M-O) and phase change (PC) processes, optical writing, reading and erasing are achieved without localized heating. The SET process will have an inherently faster data transfer rate and a higher storage density, and the medium will be more durable than the M-O and PC media. A possible application of the SET process in neural networks is also discussed.

Measuring gas temperature during spin-exchange optical pumping process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Normand, E.; Jiang, C. Y.; Brown, D. R.; Robertson, L.; Crow, L.; Tong, X.

2016-04-01

The gas temperature inside a Spin-Exchange Optical Pumping (SEOP) laser-pumping polarized 3He cell has long been a mystery. Different experimental methods were employed to measure this temperature but all were based on either modelling or indirect measurement. To date there has not been any direct experimental measurement of this quantity. Here we present the first direct measurement using neutron transmission to accurately determine the number density of 3He, the temperature is obtained using the ideal gas law. Our result showed a surprisingly high gas temperature of 380°C, compared to the 245°C of the 3He cell wall temperature and 178°C of the optical pumping oven temperature. This experiment result may be used to further investigate the unsolved puzzle of the "X-factor" in the SEOP process which places an upper bound to the 3He polarization that can be achieved. Additional spin relaxation mechanisms might exist due to the high gas temperature, which could explain the origin of the X-factor.

Selected Conference Proceedings from the 1985 Videodisc, Optical Disk, and CD-ROM Conference and Exposition (Philadelphia, PA, December 10-12, 1985).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cerva, John R.; And Others

1986-01-01

Eight papers cover: optical storage technology; cross-cultural videodisc design; optical disk technology use at the Library of Congress Research Service and National Library of Medicine; Internal Revenue Service image storage and retrieval system; solving business problems with CD-ROM; a laser disk operating system; and an optical disk for…

Status of emerging standards for removable computer storage media and related contributions of NIST

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Podio, Fernando L.

1992-01-01

Standards for removable computer storage media are needed so that users may reliably interchange data both within and among various computer installations. Furthermore, media interchange standards support competition in industry and prevent sole-source lock-in. NIST participates in magnetic tape and optical disk standards development through Technical Committees X3B5, Digital Magnetic Tapes, X3B11, Optical Digital Data Disk, and the Joint Technical Commission on Data Permanence. NIST also participates in other relevant national and international standards committees for removable computer storage media. Industry standards for digital magnetic tapes require the use of Standard Reference Materials (SRM's) developed and maintained by NIST. In addition, NIST has been studying care and handling procedures required for digital magnetic tapes. NIST has developed a methodology for determining the life expectancy of optical disks. NIST is developing care and handling procedures for optical digital data disks and is involved in a program to investigate error reporting capabilities of optical disk drives. This presentation reflects the status of emerging magnetic tape and optical disk standards, as well as NIST's contributions in support of these standards.

A page from "the drawer": how Roland Shack opened the door to the aberration theory of freeform optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Kevin P.; Rolland, Jannick P.

2014-09-01

Roland Shack is credited with a number of what appear to be spontaneous inventions in the 1970s, including the Shack- Hartmann wavefront sensor, the Shack Cube interferometer, and the subject of this talk, an entirely new and revealing approach to the aberration fields of imaging optical systems that has come to be called Nodal Aberration Theory and recently emerged as the aberration of rotationally nonsymmetric imaging optical systems with freeform surfaces. Prof. Shack's original impetus for considering a new approach to aberration theory was a puzzling through-focus star field photograph brought to him by astronomers in 1976 taken with the first large telescope made at the Optical Sciences Center, the 90" Bok Telescope. By 1977, he had developed the key mathematical moves needed to send aberration theory into an entirely new direction. He transferred this insight on one piece of engineering pad paper and moved on to other projects.

Integrated Optical and SAR Imagery with DEM to Quantify Glacier Water Storage Change in Upper Mekong River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, G. T.; Chen, J. B.; Le, T. S.; Chang, C. P.; Shum, C. K.; Tseng, K. H.

2015-12-01

In the past few decades, regional increase in air temperature has accelerated the ice melting in polar, sub-polar, and major land glacial areas. The glaciers in Tibetan Plateau, the largest glaciers outside Polar Regions and the sources of several trans-boundary major rivers, are now showing aggravated terminus retreat and thinning. The variation of freshwater availability is crucial for the economic development in Mainland Southeast Asia, especially in hydroelectric generation and agriculture irrigation. These rives, including the Mekong River, is also subject to upstream-downstream conflict and transboundary issues. In this study, we propose to estimate the remaining glacier water storage in Mekong River basin, and further analyze the impact of glacier retreat on these dams/reservoirs for the next decade. By calculating the Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI), the water surface area (WSA) can thus be extracted from optical satellite images. On the other hand, the ice surface area (ISA) can be derived from the Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (POLSAR) images. With different polarization states of electromagnetic wave reflected by earth surface, POLSAR image can effectively identify glacier/ice from snow. Combined WSA and ISA information with digital elevation model (DEM), the change of freshwater storage in glaciers can be estimated. In the end, the influence on dams/reservoirs in the Mekong River caused by glacier retreat can be forecasted. The result can also be applied to hydrology, water allocation, and economy/agriculture policy determination.

Probabilistic interpretation of Peelle's pertinent puzzle and its resolution

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

Hanson, Kenneth M.; Kawano, T.; Talou, P.

2004-01-01

Peelle's Pertinent Puzzle (PPP) states a seemingly plausible set of measurements with their covariance matrix, which produce an implausible answer. To answer the PPP question, we describe a reasonable experimental situation that is consistent with the PPP solution. The confusion surrounding the PPP arises in part because of its imprecise statement, which permits to a variety of interpretations and resulting answers, some of which seem implausible. We emphasize the importance of basing the analysis on an unambiguous probabilistic model that reflects the experimental situation. We present several different models of how the measurements quoted in the PPP problem could bemore » obtained, and interpret their solution in terms of a detailed probabilistic analysis. We suggest a probabilistic approach to handling uncertainties about which model to use.« less

Probabilistic Interpretation of Peelle's Pertinent Puzzle and its Resolution

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

Hanson, Kenneth M.; Kawano, Toshihiko; Talou, Patrick

2005-05-24

Peelle's Pertinent Puzzle (PPP) states a seemingly plausible set of measurements with their covariance matrix, which produce an implausible answer. To answer the PPP question, we describe a reasonable experimental situation that is consistent with the PPP solution. The confusion surrounding the PPP arises in part because of its imprecise statement, which permits to a variety of interpretations and resulting answers, some of which seem implausible. We emphasize the importance of basing the analysis on an unambiguous probabilistic model that reflects the experimental situation. We present several different models of how the measurements quoted in the PPP problem could bemore » obtained, and interpret their solution in terms of a detailed probabilistic analysis. We suggest a probabilistic approach to handling uncertainties about which model to use.« less

Precision spectral manipulation of optical pulses using a coherent photon echo memory.

PubMed

Buchler, B C; Hosseini, M; Hétet, G; Sparkes, B M; Lam, P K

2010-04-01

Photon echo schemes are excellent candidates for high efficiency coherent optical memory. They are capable of high-bandwidth multipulse storage, pulse resequencing and have been shown theoretically to be compatible with quantum information applications. One particular photon echo scheme is the gradient echo memory (GEM). In this system, an atomic frequency gradient is induced in the direction of light propagation leading to a Fourier decomposition of the optical spectrum along the length of the storage medium. This Fourier encoding allows precision spectral manipulation of the stored light. In this Letter, we show frequency shifting, spectral compression, spectral splitting, and fine dispersion control of optical pulses using GEM.

Sirtuin Activation: A Role for Plasma Membrane in the Cell Growth Puzzle

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

For more than 20 years, the observation that impermeable oxidants can stimulate cell growth has not been satisfactorily explained. The discovery of sirtuins provides a logical answer to the puzzle. The NADH-dependent transplasma membrane electron transport system, which is stimulated by growth factors and interventions such as calorie restriction, can transfer electrons to external acceptors and protect against stress-induced apoptosis. We hypothesize that the activation of plasma membrane electron transport contributes to the cytosolic NAD+ pool required for sirtuin to activate transcription factors necessary for cell growth and survival. PMID:23033342

Sirtuin activation: a role for plasma membrane in the cell growth puzzle.

PubMed

Crane, Frederick L; Navas, Plácido; Low, Hans; Sun, Iris L; de Cabo, Rafael

2013-04-01

For more than 20 years, the observation that impermeable oxidants can stimulate cell growth has not been satisfactorily explained. The discovery of sirtuins provides a logical answer to the puzzle. The NADH-dependent transplasma membrane electron transport system, which is stimulated by growth factors and interventions such as calorie restriction, can transfer electrons to external acceptors and protect against stress-induced apoptosis. We hypothesize that the activation of plasma membrane electron transport contributes to the cytosolic NAD(+) pool required for sirtuin to activate transcription factors necessary for cell growth and survival.

Puzzling Two-Proton Decay of 67Kr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, S. M.; Nazarewicz, W.

2018-05-01

Ground-state two-proton (2 p ) radioactivity is a rare decay mode found in a few very proton-rich isotopes. The 2 p decay lifetime and properties of emitted protons carry invaluable information on nuclear structure in the presence of a low-lying proton continuum. The recently measured 2 p decay of 67Kr turned out to be unexpectedly fast. Since 67Kr is expected to be a deformed system, we investigate the impact of deformation effects on the 2 p radioactivity. We apply the recently developed Gamow coupled-channel framework, which allows for a precise description of three-body systems in the presence of rotational and vibrational couplings. This is the first application of a three-body approach to a two-nucleon decay from a deformed nucleus. We show that deformation couplings significantly increase the 2 p decay width of 67Kr; this finding explains the puzzling experimental data. The calculated angular proton-proton correlations reflect a competition between 1 p and 2 p decay modes in this nucleus.

Solvent-free optical recording of structural colours on pre-imprinted photocrosslinkable nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Hao; Rezaei, Mohamad; Abdolahi, Mahssa; Kaminska, Bozena

2017-09-01

Optical digital information storage media, despite their ever-increasing storage capacity and data transfer rate, are vulnerable to the potential risk of turning inaccessible. For this reason, long-term eye-readable full-colour optical archival storage is in high demand for preserving valuable information from cultural, intellectual, and scholarly resources. However, the concurrent requirements in recording colours inexpensively and precisely, and preserving colours for the very long term (for at least 100 years), have not yet been met by existing storage techniques. Structural colours hold the promise to overcome such challenges. However, there is still the lack of an inexpensive, rapid, reliable, and solvent-free optical patterning technique for recording structural colours. In this paper, we introduce an enabling technique based on optical and thermal patterning of nanoimprinted SU-8 nanocone arrays. Using photocrosslinking and thermoplastic flow of SU-8, diffractive structural colours of nanocone arrays are recorded using ultra-violet (UV) exposure followed by the thermal development and reshaping of nanocones. Different thermal treatment procedures in reshaping nanocones are investigated and compared, and two-step progressive baking is found to allow the controllable reshaping of nanocones. The height of the nanocones and brightness of diffractive colours are modulated by varying the UV exposure dose to enable grey-scale patterning. An example of recorded full-colour image through half-tone patterning is also demonstrated. The presented technique requires only low-power continuous-wave UV light and is very promising to be adopted for professional and consumer archival storage applications.

A study of mass data storage technology for rocket engine data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ready, John F.; Benser, Earl T.; Fritz, Bernard S.; Nelson, Scott A.; Stauffer, Donald R.; Volna, William M.

1990-01-01

The results of a nine month study program on mass data storage technology for rocket engine (especially the Space Shuttle Main Engine) health monitoring and control are summarized. The program had the objective of recommending a candidate mass data storage technology development for rocket engine health monitoring and control and of formulating a project plan and specification for that technology development. The work was divided into three major technical tasks: (1) development of requirements; (2) survey of mass data storage technologies; and (3) definition of a project plan and specification for technology development. The first of these tasks reviewed current data storage technology and developed a prioritized set of requirements for the health monitoring and control applications. The second task included a survey of state-of-the-art and newly developing technologies and a matrix-based ranking of the technologies. It culminated in a recommendation of optical disk technology as the best candidate for technology development. The final task defined a proof-of-concept demonstration, including tasks required to develop, test, analyze, and demonstrate the technology advancement, plus an estimate of the level of effort required. The recommended demonstration emphasizes development of an optical disk system which incorporates an order-of-magnitude increase in writing speed above the current state of the art.

Characterization of magneto-optical media

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hajjar, Roger A.; Wu, Te-Ho; Mansuripur, M.

1991-01-01

Amorphous rare earth-transition metal (RE-TM) alloys and compositionally modulated TM/TM films were characterized in terms of their magnetic, magneto-optic, and galvanomagnetic properties. The loop tracer, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and Rutherford Backscattering (RBS) facility were used to characterize and analyze the various properties of these magneto-optical storage media. Kerr effect, ellipticity, coercivity, and anisotropy at various temperatures, magnetoresistance, and resistivity are among the properties measured in Co/Pt films, Co/Pd films, and TbFeCo films.

The Photorefractive Effect and its Application in Optical Computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Guo

This Ph.D dissertation includes the fanning effect and the temperature dependence of the diffraction efficiency and response time using different addressing configurations, and evaluation of the limitations and capacity of a holographic storage in BaTiO_3 crystals. Also, we designed a digital holographic optical disk and made an associate memory. The beam fanning effect in a BaTiO_3 crystal was investigated in detail. The effect depends on the crystal faces illuminated. In particular, for the +c face of illumination we found that the fanning effect strongly depends on angle of incidence, polarization and wavelength of the incident light, crystal temperature, laser beam profile, but only weakly depends on input laser power. In the case of the -c face and a-face illumination dependence of the ring angle on wavelength and input power was observed. We found that the intensity of the reflected beam in NDFWM, the intensity of self phase conjugate beam and the response time of the fanning effect decrease with temperature exponentially and there being a major change around 60 ^circ-80^circ C. A random bistability and oscillation of the SPPC occur around 80^circC. We also present a theoretical analysis for the dependence of the photorefractive effect on temperature. We experimentally evaluate the capacity and limitation of optical storage in BaTiO_3 crystals using self-pumped phase conjugation (SPPC) and two-wave mixing. The storage capacity is different with different face of illumination, polarization, beam profile and input power. We demonstrate that using two wave mixing, three dimensional volume holograms can be stored. The information -bearing beam diameter for storage and recall can be about 0.25mm or less. By these techniques we demonstrate that at least 10^5 holograms can be stored in a 3.5 inch photorefractive disk. We evaluate an optimal optical architecture for exploiting the photorefractive effect for digital holographic disk storage. An image with many pixels

Piecing together the puzzle: Improving event content coverage for real-time sub-event detection using adaptive microblog crawling

PubMed Central

Tokarchuk, Laurissa; Wang, Xinyue; Poslad, Stefan

2017-01-01

In an age when people are predisposed to report real-world events through their social media accounts, many researchers value the benefits of mining user generated content from social media. Compared with the traditional news media, social media services, such as Twitter, can provide more complete and timely information about the real-world events. However events are often like a puzzle and in order to solve the puzzle/understand the event, we must identify all the sub-events or pieces. Existing Twitter event monitoring systems for sub-event detection and summarization currently typically analyse events based on partial data as conventional data collection methodologies are unable to collect comprehensive event data. This results in existing systems often being unable to report sub-events in real-time and often in completely missing sub-events or pieces in the broader event puzzle. This paper proposes a Sub-event detection by real-TIme Microblog monitoring (STRIM) framework that leverages the temporal feature of an expanded set of news-worthy event content. In order to more comprehensively and accurately identify sub-events this framework first proposes the use of adaptive microblog crawling. Our adaptive microblog crawler is capable of increasing the coverage of events while minimizing the amount of non-relevant content. We then propose a stream division methodology that can be accomplished in real time so that the temporal features of the expanded event streams can be analysed by a burst detection algorithm. In the final steps of the framework, the content features are extracted from each divided stream and recombined to provide a final summarization of the sub-events. The proposed framework is evaluated against traditional event detection using event recall and event precision metrics. Results show that improving the quality and coverage of event contents contribute to better event detection by identifying additional valid sub-events. The novel combination of

Piecing together the puzzle: Improving event content coverage for real-time sub-event detection using adaptive microblog crawling.

PubMed

Tokarchuk, Laurissa; Wang, Xinyue; Poslad, Stefan

2017-01-01

In an age when people are predisposed to report real-world events through their social media accounts, many researchers value the benefits of mining user generated content from social media. Compared with the traditional news media, social media services, such as Twitter, can provide more complete and timely information about the real-world events. However events are often like a puzzle and in order to solve the puzzle/understand the event, we must identify all the sub-events or pieces. Existing Twitter event monitoring systems for sub-event detection and summarization currently typically analyse events based on partial data as conventional data collection methodologies are unable to collect comprehensive event data. This results in existing systems often being unable to report sub-events in real-time and often in completely missing sub-events or pieces in the broader event puzzle. This paper proposes a Sub-event detection by real-TIme Microblog monitoring (STRIM) framework that leverages the temporal feature of an expanded set of news-worthy event content. In order to more comprehensively and accurately identify sub-events this framework first proposes the use of adaptive microblog crawling. Our adaptive microblog crawler is capable of increasing the coverage of events while minimizing the amount of non-relevant content. We then propose a stream division methodology that can be accomplished in real time so that the temporal features of the expanded event streams can be analysed by a burst detection algorithm. In the final steps of the framework, the content features are extracted from each divided stream and recombined to provide a final summarization of the sub-events. The proposed framework is evaluated against traditional event detection using event recall and event precision metrics. Results show that improving the quality and coverage of event contents contribute to better event detection by identifying additional valid sub-events. The novel combination of

Design of all-optical memory cell using EIT and lasing without inversion phenomena in optical micro ring resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasyar, N.; Yadipour, R.; Baghban, H.

2017-07-01

The proposed design of the optical memory unit cell contains dual micro ring resonators in which the effect of lasing without inversion (LWI) in three-level nano particles doped over the optical resonators or integrators as the gain segment is used for loss compensation. Also, an on/off phase shifter based on electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in three-level quantum dots (QDs) has been used for data reading at requested time. Device minimizing for integrated purposes and high speed data storage are the main advantages of the optical integrator based memory.

Moore's law realities for recording systems and memory storage components: HDD, tape, NAND, and optical

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fontana, Robert E.; Decad, Gary M.

2018-05-01

This paper describes trends in the storage technologies associated with Linear Tape Open (LTO) Tape cartridges, hard disk drives (HDD), and NAND Flash based storage devices including solid-state drives (SSD). This technology discussion centers on the relationship between cost/bit and bit density and, specifically on how the Moore's Law perception that areal density doubling and cost/bit halving every two years is no longer being achieved for storage based components. This observation and a Moore's Law Discussion are demonstrated with data from 9-year storage technology trends, assembled from publically available industry reporting sources.

Research on volume metrology method of large vertical energy storage tank based on internal electro-optical distance-ranging method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Huadong; Shi, Haolei; Yi, Pengju; Liu, Ying; Li, Cunjun; Li, Shuguang

2018-01-01

A Volume Metrology method based on Internal Electro-optical Distance-ranging method is established for large vertical energy storage tank. After analyzing the vertical tank volume calculation mathematical model, the key processing algorithms, such as gross error elimination, filtering, streamline, and radius calculation are studied for the point cloud data. The corresponding volume values are automatically calculated in the different liquids by calculating the cross-sectional area along the horizontal direction and integrating from vertical direction. To design the comparison system, a vertical tank which the nominal capacity is 20,000 m3 is selected as the research object, and there are shown that the method has good repeatability and reproducibility. Through using the conventional capacity measurement method as reference, the relative deviation of calculated volume is less than 0.1%, meeting the measurement requirements. And the feasibility and effectiveness are demonstrated.

KnowledgePuzzle: A Browsing Tool to Adapt the Web Navigation Process to the Learner's Mental Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AlAgha, Iyad

2012-01-01

This article presents KnowledgePuzzle, a browsing tool for knowledge construction from the web. It aims to adapt the structure of web content to the learner's information needs regardless of how the web content is originally delivered. Learners are provided with a meta-cognitive space (e.g., a concept mapping tool) that enables them to plan…

Peelle's pertinent puzzle using the Monte Carlo technique

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

Kawano, Toshihiko; Talou, Patrick; Burr, Thomas

2009-01-01

We try to understand the long-standing problem of the Peelle's Pertinent Puzzle (PPP) using the Monte Carlo technique. We allow the probability density functions to be any kind of form to assume the impact of distribution, and obtain the least-squares solution directly from numerical simulations. We found that the standard least squares method gives the correct answer if a weighting function is properly provided. Results from numerical simulations show that the correct answer of PPP is 1.1 {+-} 0.25 if the common error is multiplicative. The thought-provoking answer of 0.88 is also correct, if the common error is additive, andmore » if the error is proportional to the measured values. The least squares method correctly gives us the most probable case, where the additive component has a negative value. Finally, the standard method fails for PPP due to a distorted (non Gaussian) joint distribution.« less

What cognitive strategies do orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) use to solve a trial-unique puzzle-tube task incorporating multiple obstacles?

PubMed

Tecwyn, Emma C; Thorpe, Susannah K S; Chappell, Jackie

2012-01-01

Apparently sophisticated behaviour during problem-solving is often the product of simple underlying mechanisms, such as associative learning or the use of procedural rules. These and other more parsimonious explanations need to be eliminated before higher-level cognitive processes such as causal reasoning or planning can be inferred. We presented three Bornean orangutans with 64 trial-unique configurations of a puzzle-tube to investigate whether they were able to consider multiple obstacles in two alternative paths, and subsequently choose the correct direction in which to move a reward in order to retrieve it. We were particularly interested in how subjects attempted to solve the task, namely which behavioural strategies they could have been using, as this is how we may begin to elucidate the cognitive mechanisms underpinning their choices. To explore this, we simulated performance outcomes across the 64 trials for various procedural rules and rule combinations that subjects may have been using based on the configuration of different obstacles. Two of the three subjects solved the task, suggesting that they were able to consider at least some of the obstacles in the puzzle-tube before executing action to retrieve the reward. This is impressive compared with the past performances of great apes on similar, arguably less complex tasks. Successful subjects may have been using a heuristic rule combination based on what they deemed to be the most relevant cue (the configuration of the puzzle-tube ends), which may be a cognitively economical strategy.

Genome puzzle master (GPM): an integrated pipeline for building and editing pseudomolecules from fragmented sequences

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jianwei; Kudrna, Dave; Mu, Ting; Li, Weiming; Copetti, Dario; Yu, Yeisoo; Goicoechea, Jose Luis; Lei, Yang; Wing, Rod A.

2016-01-01

Abstract Motivation: Next generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized our ability to rapidly and affordably generate vast quantities of sequence data. Once generated, raw sequences are assembled into contigs or scaffolds. However, these assemblies are mostly fragmented and inaccurate at the whole genome scale, largely due to the inability to integrate additional informative datasets (e.g. physical, optical and genetic maps). To address this problem, we developed a semi-automated software tool—Genome Puzzle Master (GPM)—that enables the integration of additional genomic signposts to edit and build ‘new-gen-assemblies’ that result in high-quality ‘annotation-ready’ pseudomolecules. Results: With GPM, loaded datasets can be connected to each other via their logical relationships which accomplishes tasks to ‘group,’ ‘merge,’ ‘order and orient’ sequences in a draft assembly. Manual editing can also be performed with a user-friendly graphical interface. Final pseudomolecules reflect a user’s total data package and are available for long-term project management. GPM is a web-based pipeline and an important part of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) which can be easily deployed on local servers for any genome research laboratory. Availability and Implementation: The GPM (with LIMS) package is available at https://github.com/Jianwei-Zhang/LIMS Contacts: jzhang@mail.hzau.edu.cn or rwing@mail.arizona.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:27318200

Residential solar-heating system uses pyramidal optics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

Report describes reflective panels which optimize annual solar energy collection in attic installation. Subunits include collection, storage, distribution, and 4-mode control systems. Pyramid optical system heats single-family and multi-family dwellings.

Spectroscopic Feedback for High Density Data Storage and Micromachining

DOEpatents

Carr, Christopher W.; Demos, Stavros; Feit, Michael D.; Rubenchik, Alexander M.

2008-09-16

Optical breakdown by predetermined laser pulses in transparent dielectrics produces an ionized region of dense plasma confined within the bulk of the material. Such an ionized region is responsible for broadband radiation that accompanies a desired breakdown process. Spectroscopic monitoring of the accompanying light in real-time is utilized to ascertain the morphology of the radiated interaction volume. Such a method and apparatus as presented herein, provides commercial realization of rapid prototyping of optoelectronic devices, optical three-dimensional data storage devices, and waveguide writing.

Double-image storage optimized by cross-phase modulation in a cold atomic system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Tianhui; Xie, Min

2017-09-01

A tripod-type cold atomic system driven by double-probe fields and a coupling field is explored to store double images based on the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). During the storage time, an intensity-dependent signal field is applied further to extend the system with the fifth level involved, then the cross-phase modulation is introduced for coherently manipulating the stored images. Both analytical analysis and numerical simulation clearly demonstrate a tunable phase shift with low nonlinear absorption can be imprinted on the stored images, which effectively can improve the visibility of the reconstructed images. The phase shift and the energy retrieving rate of the probe fields are immune to the coupling intensity and the atomic optical density. The proposed scheme can easily be extended to the simultaneous storage of multiple images. This work may be exploited toward the end of EIT-based multiple-image storage devices for all-optical classical and quantum information processings.

Storage and retrieval of time-entangled soliton trains in a three-level atom system coupled to an optical cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welakuh, Davis D. M.; Dikandé, Alain M.

2017-11-01

The storage and subsequent retrieval of coherent pulse trains in the quantum memory (i.e. cavity-dark state) of three-level Λ atoms, are considered for an optical medium in which adiabatic photon transfer occurs under the condition of quantum impedance matching. The underlying mechanism is based on intracavity Electromagnetically-Induced Transparency, by which properties of a cavity filled with three-level Λ-type atoms are manipulated by an external control field. Under the impedance matching condition, we derive analytic expressions that suggest a complete transfer of an input field into the cavity-dark state by varying the mixing angle in a specific way, and its subsequent retrieval at a desired time. We illustrate the scheme by demonstrating the complete transfer and retrieval of a Gaussian, a single hyperbolic-secant and a periodic train of time-entangled hyperbolic-secant input photon pulses in the atom-cavity system. For the time-entangled hyperbolic-secant input field, a total controllability of the periodic evolution of the dark state population is made possible by changing the Rabi frequency of the classical driving field, thus allowing to alternately store and retrieve high-intensity photons from the optically dense Electromagnetically-Induced transparent medium. Such multiplexed photon states, which are expected to allow sharing quantum information among many users, are currently of very high demand for applications in long-distance and multiplexed quantum communication.

Reconfigurable optical assembly of nanostructures

PubMed Central

Montelongo, Yunuen; Yetisen, Ali K.; Butt, Haider; Yun, Seok-Hyun

2016-01-01

Arrangements of nanostructures in well-defined patterns are the basis of photonic crystals, metamaterials and holograms. Furthermore, rewritable optical materials can be achieved by dynamically manipulating nanoassemblies. Here we demonstrate a mechanism to configure plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) in polymer media using nanosecond laser pulses. The mechanism relies on optical forces produced by the interference of laser beams, which allow NPs to migrate to lower-energy configurations. The resulting NP arrangements are stable without any external energy source, but erasable and rewritable by additional recording pulses. We demonstrate reconfigurable optical elements including multilayer Bragg diffraction gratings, volumetric photonic crystals and lenses, as well as dynamic holograms of three-dimensional virtual objects. We aim to expand the applications of optical forces, which have been mostly restricted to optical tweezers. Holographic assemblies of nanoparticles will allow a new generation of programmable composites for tunable metamaterials, data storage devices, sensors and displays. PMID:27337216

Body Temperature Controlled Optical and Thermal Information Storage Light Scattering Display with Fluorescence Effect and High Mechanical Strength.

PubMed

Chen, Si; Tong, Xiaoqian; He, Huiwen; Ma, Meng; Shi, Yanqin; Wang, Xu

2017-04-05

A kind of body temperature controlled optical and thermal information storage light scattering display based on super strong liquid crystalline physical gel with special "loofah-like gel network" was successfully prepared. Such liquid crystal (LC) gel was obtained by mixing a dendritic gelator (POSS-G1-BOC), an azobenzene compound (2Azo2), and a phosphor tethered liquid crystalline host (5CB), which could show its best contrast ratio at around human body temperature under UV light because of the phosphor's fluorescence effect. The gel also has quite strong mechanical strength, which could be used in wearable device field especially under sunlight, even under the forcing conditions as harsh as being centrifuged for 10 min at the speed of 2000 r/min. The whole production process of such a display is quite simple and could lead to displays at any size through noncontact writing. We believe it will have wide applications in the future.

System for generating shaped optical pulses and measuring optical pulses using spectral beam deflection (SBD)

DOEpatents

Skupsky, Stanley; Kessler, Terrance J.; Letzring, Samuel A.

1993-01-01

A temporally shaped or modified optical output pulse is generated from a bandwidth-encoded optical input pulse in a system in which the input pulse is in the form of a beam which is spectrally spread into components contained within the bandwidth, followed by deflection of the spectrally spread beam (SBD) thereby spatially mapping the components in correspondence with the temporal input pulse profile in the focal plane of a lens, and by spatially selective attenuation of selected components in that focal plane. The shaped or modified optical output pulse is then reconstructed from the attenuated spectral components. The pulse-shaping system is particularly useful for generating optical pulses of selected temporal shape over a wide range of pulse duration, such pulses finding application in the fields of optical communication, optical recording and data storage, atomic and molecular spectroscopy and laser fusion. An optical streak camera is also provided which uses SBD to display the beam intensity in the focal plane as a function of time during the input pulse.

System for generating shaped optical pulses and measuring optical pulses using spectral beam deflection (SBD)

DOEpatents

Skupsky, S.; Kessler, T.J.; Letzring, S.A.

1993-11-16

A temporally shaped or modified optical output pulse is generated from a bandwidth-encoded optical input pulse in a system in which the input pulse is in the form of a beam which is spectrally spread into components contained within the bandwidth, followed by deflection of the spectrally spread beam (SBD) thereby spatially mapping the components in correspondence with the temporal input pulse profile in the focal plane of a lens, and by spatially selective attenuation of selected components in that focal plane. The shaped or modified optical output pulse is then reconstructed from the attenuated spectral components. The pulse-shaping system is particularly useful for generating optical pulses of selected temporal shape over a wide range of pulse duration, such pulses finding application in the fields of optical communication, optical recording and data storage, atomic and molecular spectroscopy and laser fusion. An optical streak camera is also provided which uses SBD to display the beam intensity in the focal plane as a function of time during the input pulse. 10 figures.

Optical Disc Applications in Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andre, Pamela Q. J.

1989-01-01

Discusses a variety of library applications of optical disc storage technology, including CD-ROM, digital videodisc, and WORM. Research and development projects at the Library of Congress, National Library of Medicine, and National Agricultural Library are described, products offered by library networks are reviewed, and activities in academic and…

Hydrogen storage in lithium hydride: A theoretical approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banger, Suman; Nayak, Vikas; Verma, U. P.

2018-04-01

First principles calculations have been carried out to analyze structural stability of lithium hydride (LiH) in NaCl phase using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method within the framework of density functional theory (DFT). Calculations have been extended to physiosorbed H-atom compounds LiH·H2, LiH·3H2 and LiH·4H2. The obtained results are discussed in the paper. The results for LiH are in excellent agreement with earlier reported data. The obtained direct energy band gap of LiH is 3.0 eV which is in excellent agreement with earlier reported theoretical band gap. The electronic band structure plots of the hydrogen adsorbed compounds show metallic behavior. The elastic constants, anisotropy factor, shear modulus, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio and cohesive energies of all the compounds are calculated. Calculation of the optical spectra such as the real and imaginary parts of dielectric function, optical reflectivity, absorption coefficient, optical conductivity, refractive index, extinction coefficient and electron energy loss are performed for the energy range 0-15 eV. The obtained results for LiH·H2, LiH·3H2 and LiH·4H2, are reported for the first time. This study has been made in search of materials for hydrogen storage. It is concluded that LiH is a promising material for hydrogen storage.

Method of developing all-optical trinary JK, D-type, and T-type flip-flops using semiconductor optical amplifiers.

PubMed

Garai, Sisir Kumar

2012-04-10

To meet the demand of very fast and agile optical networks, the optical processors in a network system should have a very fast execution rate, large information handling, and large information storage capacities. Multivalued logic operations and multistate optical flip-flops are the basic building blocks for such fast running optical computing and data processing systems. In the past two decades, many methods of implementing all-optical flip-flops have been proposed. Most of these suffer from speed limitations because of the low switching response of active devices. The frequency encoding technique has been used because of its many advantages. It can preserve its identity throughout data communication irrespective of loss of light energy due to reflection, refraction, attenuation, etc. The action of polarization-rotation-based very fast switching of semiconductor optical amplifiers increases processing speed. At the same time, tristate optical flip-flops increase information handling capacity.

NSSDC Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies for Space and Earth Science Applications, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kobler, Benjamin (Editor); Hariharan, P. C. (Editor); Blasso, L. G. (Editor)

1992-01-01

Papers and viewgraphs from the conference are presented. This conference served as a broad forum for the discussion of a number of important issues in the field of mass storage systems. Topics include magnetic disk and tape technologies, optical disks and tape, software storage and file management systems, and experiences with the use of a large, distributed storage system. The technical presentations describe, among other things, integrated mass storage systems that are expected to be available commercially. Also included is a series of presentations from Federal Government organizations and research institutions covering their mass storage requirements for the 1990's.

Demonstration of a memory for tightly guided light in an optical nanofiber.

PubMed

Gouraud, B; Maxein, D; Nicolas, A; Morin, O; Laurat, J

2015-05-08

We report the experimental observation of slow-light and coherent storage in a setting where light is tightly confined in the transverse directions. By interfacing a tapered optical nanofiber with a cold atomic ensemble, electromagnetically induced transparency is observed and light pulses at the single-photon level are stored in and retrieved from the atomic medium. The decay of efficiency with storage time is also measured and related to concurrent decoherence mechanisms. Collapses and revivals can be additionally controlled by an applied magnetic field. Our results based on subdiffraction-limited optical mode interacting with atoms via the strong evanescent field demonstrate an alternative to free-space focusing and a novel capability for information storage in an all-fibered quantum network.

Parallel Optical Random Access Memory (PORAM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alphonse, G. A.

1989-01-01

It is shown that the need to minimize component count, power and size, and to maximize packing density require a parallel optical random access memory to be designed in a two-level hierarchy: a modular level and an interconnect level. Three module designs are proposed, in the order of research and development requirements. The first uses state-of-the-art components, including individually addressed laser diode arrays, acousto-optic (AO) deflectors and magneto-optic (MO) storage medium, aimed at moderate size, moderate power, and high packing density. The next design level uses an electron-trapping (ET) medium to reduce optical power requirements. The third design uses a beam-steering grating surface emitter (GSE) array to reduce size further and minimize the number of components.

Correlated fast X-ray and optical variability in the black-hole candidate XTE J1118+480.

PubMed

Kanbach, G; Straubmeier, C; Spruit, H C; Belloni, T

2001-11-08

Black holes become visible when they accrete gas, a common source of which is a close stellar companion. The standard theory for this process (invoking a 'thin accretion disk') does not explain some spectacular phenomena associated with these systems, such as their X-ray variability and relativistic outflows, indicating some lack of understanding of the actual physical conditions. Simultaneous observations at multiple wavelengths can provide strong constraints on these conditions. Here we report simultaneous high-time-resolution X-ray and optical observations of the transient source XTE J1118+480, which show a strong but puzzling correlation between the emissions. The optical emission rises suddenly following an increase in the X-ray output, but with a dip 2-5 seconds in advance of the X-rays. This result is not easy to understand within the simplest model of the optical emission, where the light comes from reprocessed X-rays. It is probably more consistent with an earlier suggestion that the optical light is cyclosynchrotron emission that originates in a region about 20,000 km from the black hole. We propose that the time dependence is evidence for a relatively slow (<0.1c), magnetically controlled outflow.

High Storage Efficiency and Large Fractional Delay of EIT-Based Memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yi-Hsin; Lee, Meng-Jung; Wang, I.-Chung; Du, Shengwang; Chen, Yong-Fan; Chen, Ying-Cheng; Yu, Ite

2013-05-01

In long-distance quantum communication and optical quantum computation, an efficient and long-lived quantum memory is an important component. We first experimentally demonstrated that a time-space-reversing method plus the optimum pulse shape can improve the storage efficiency (SE) of light pulses to 78% in cold media based on the effect of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). We obtain a large fractional delay of 74 at 50% SE, which is the best record so far. The measured classical fidelity of the recalled pulse is higher than 90% and nearly independent of the storage time, implying that the optical memory maintains excellent phase coherence. Our results suggest the current result may be readily applied to single-photon quantum states due to quantum nature of the EIT light-matter inference. This study advances the EIT-based quantum memory in practical quantum information applications.

Visual Puzzles, Figure Weights, and Cancellation: Some Preliminary Hypotheses on the Functional and Neural Substrates of These Three New WAIS-IV Subtests

PubMed Central

McCrea, Simon M.; Robinson, Thomas P.

2011-01-01

In this study, five consecutive patients with focal strokes and/or cortical excisions were examined with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and Wechsler Memory Scale—Fourth Editions along with a comprehensive battery of other neuropsychological tasks. All five of the lesions were large and typically involved frontal, temporal, and/or parietal lobes and were lateralized to one hemisphere. The clinical case method was used to determine the cognitive neuropsychological correlates of mental rotation (Visual Puzzles), Piagetian balance beam (Figure Weights), and visual search (Cancellation) tasks. The pattern of results on Visual Puzzles and Figure Weights suggested that both subtests involve predominately right frontoparietal networks involved in visual working memory. It appeared that Visual Puzzles could also critically rely on the integrity of the left temporoparietal junction. The left temporoparietal junction could be involved in temporal ordering and integration of local elements into a nonverbal gestalt. In contrast, the Figure Weights task appears to critically involve the right temporoparietal junction involved in numerical magnitude estimation. Cancellation was sensitive to left frontotemporal lesions and not right posterior parietal lesions typical of other visual search tasks. In addition, the Cancellation subtest was sensitive to verbal search strategies and perhaps object-based attention demands, thereby constituting a unique task in comparison with previous visual search tasks. PMID:22389807

Carbon nanomaterials for advanced energy conversion and storage.

PubMed

Dai, Liming; Chang, Dong Wook; Baek, Jong-Beom; Lu, Wen

2012-04-23

It is estimated that the world will need to double its energy supply by 2050. Nanotechnology has opened up new frontiers in materials science and engineering to meet this challenge by creating new materials, particularly carbon nanomaterials, for efficient energy conversion and storage. Comparing to conventional energy materials, carbon nanomaterials possess unique size-/surface-dependent (e.g., morphological, electrical, optical, and mechanical) properties useful for enhancing the energy-conversion and storage performances. During the past 25 years or so, therefore, considerable efforts have been made to utilize the unique properties of carbon nanomaterials, including fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene, as energy materials, and tremendous progress has been achieved in developing high-performance energy conversion (e.g., solar cells and fuel cells) and storage (e.g., supercapacitors and batteries) devices. This article reviews progress in the research and development of carbon nanomaterials during the past twenty years or so for advanced energy conversion and storage, along with some discussions on challenges and perspectives in this exciting field. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nanocomposite polymeric materials for high density optical storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Criante, L.; Castagna, R.; Vita, F.; Lucchetta, D. E.; Simoni, F.

2009-02-01

We report the results of an extended investigation performed on composite polymeric materials with the aim of obtaining compounds suitable for holographic recording. In order to investigate the material properties a characterization of holographic reflection gratings at different writing wavelength (514.5, 457 and 405 nm) has been performed. The volume grating presents high diffraction efficiency (>60%), high sensitivity (>103 cm J-1) and refractive index modulation Δn≈0.01 even for writing wavelength in the blue range. We show that following a strategy of two basic components leading to phase separation during the photopolymerization process, most of the requirements for holographic data storage are achieved. The one that needs further improvement concerns long term mechanical stability.

Solving the puzzle of pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte maturation: piece by piece.

PubMed

Lundy, David J; Lee, Desy S; Hsieh, Patrick C H

2017-03-01

There is a growing need for in vitro models which can serve as platforms for drug screening and basic research. Human adult cardiomyocytes cannot be readily obtained or cultured, and so pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes appear to be an attractive option. Unfortunately, these cells are structurally and functionally immature-more comparable to foetal cardiomyocytes than adult. A recent study by Ruan et al ., provides new insights into accelerating the maturation process and takes us a step closer to solving the puzzle of pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte maturation.

Shift-invariant optical associative memories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Psaltis, Demetri; Hong, John

1987-01-01

Shift invariance in the context of associative memories is discussed. Two optical systems that exhibit shift invariance are described in detail with attention given to the analysis of storage capacities. It is shown that full shift invariance cannot be achieved with systems that employ only linear interconnections to store the associations.

Coherent and dynamic beam splitting based on light storage in cold atoms

PubMed Central

Park, Kwang-Kyoon; Zhao, Tian-Ming; Lee, Jong-Chan; Chough, Young-Tak; Kim, Yoon-Ho

2016-01-01

We demonstrate a coherent and dynamic beam splitter based on light storage in cold atoms. An input weak laser pulse is first stored in a cold atom ensemble via electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT). A set of counter-propagating control fields, applied at a later time, retrieves the stored pulse into two output spatial modes. The high visibility interference between the two output pulses clearly demonstrates that the beam splitting process is coherent. Furthermore, by manipulating the control lasers, it is possible to dynamically control the storage time, the power splitting ratio, the relative phase, and the optical frequencies of the output pulses. With further improvements, the active beam splitter demonstrated in this work might have applications in photonic photonic quantum information and in all-optical information processing. PMID:27677457

Fiber optic-based biosensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ligler, Frances S.

1991-01-01

The NRL fiber optic biosensor is a device which measures the formation of a fluorescent complex at the surface of an optical fiber. Antibodies and DNA binding proteins provide the mechanism for recognizing an analyze and immobilizing a fluorescent complex on the fiber surface. The fiber optic biosensor is fast, sensitive, and permits analysis of hazardous materials remote from the instrumentation. The fiber optic biosensor is described in terms of the device configuration, chemistry for protein immobilization, and assay development. A lab version is being used for assay development and performance characterization while a portable device is under development. Antibodies coated on the fiber are stable for up to two years of storage prior to use. The fiber optic biosensor was used to measure concentration of toxins in the parts per billion (ng/ml) range in under a minute. Immunoassays for small molecules and whole bacteria are under development. Assays using DNA probes as the detection element can also be used with the fiber optic sensor, which is currently being developed to detect biological warfare agents, explosives, pathogens, and toxic materials which pollute the environment.

Sentinel 2 MMFU: The first European Mass Memory System Based on NAND-Flash Storage Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staehle, M.; Cassel, M.; Lonsdorfer, U.; Gliem, F.; Walter, D.; Fichna, T.

2011-08-01

Sentinel-2 is the multispectral optical mission of the EU-ESA GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) program, currently under development by Astrium-GmbH in Friedrichshafen (Germany) for a launch in 2013. The mission features a 490 Mbit/s optical sensor operating at high duty cycles, requiring in turn a large 2.4 Tbit on-board storage capacity.The required storage capacity motivated the selection of the NAND-Flash technology which was already secured by a lengthy period (2004-2009) of detailed testing, analysis and qualification by Astrium GmbH, IDA and ESTEC. The mass memory system is currently being realized by Astrium GmbH.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for storage, transfer and/or control of information via matter wave dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vestergaard Hau, Lene (Inventor)

2012-01-01

Methods, systems and apparatus for generating atomic traps, and for storing, controlling and transferring information between first and second spatially separated phase-coherent objects, or using a single phase-coherent object. For plural objects, both phase-coherent objects have a macroscopic occupation of a particular quantum state by identical bosons or identical BCS-paired fermions. The information may be optical information, and the phase-coherent object(s) may be Bose-Einstein condensates, superfluids, or superconductors. The information is stored in the first phase-coherent object at a first storage time and recovered from the second phase-coherent object, or the same first phase-coherent object, at a second revival time. In one example, an integrated silicon wafer-based optical buffer includes an electrolytic atom source to provide the phase-coherent object(s), a nanoscale atomic trap for the phase-coherent object(s), and semiconductor-based optical sources to cool the phase-coherent object(s) and provide coupling fields for storage and transfer of optical information.

Role of magnetic and diamagnetic interactions in molecular optics and scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forbes, Kayn A.

2018-05-01

This paper aims to explicitly clarify the role and interpretation of diamagnetic interactions between molecules and light in quantum electrodynamics. In contrast to their electric and magnetic counterparts, the diamagnetic couplings between light and matter have received relatively little interest in the field of molecular optics. This intriguing disregard of an interaction term is puzzling. The diamagnetic couplings possess unique physical properties that warrant their inclusion in any multiphoton process, and the lack of gauge invariance for paramagnetic and diamagnetic susceptibilities necessitates their inclusion. Their role and importance within nonrelativistic molecular quantum electrodynamics in the Coulomb gauge is illuminated, and it is highlighted how for any multiphoton process their inclusion should be implicit. As an indicative example of the theory presented, the diamagnetic contributions to both forward and nonforward Rayleigh scattering are derived and put into context alongside the electric and magnetic molecular responses. The work represents clarification of diamagnetic couplings in molecular quantum electrodynamics, which subsequently should proffer the study of diamagnetic interactions in molecular optics due to their unique physical attributes and necessary inclusion in multiphoton processes.

Electro-optical processing of phased array data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Casasent, D.

1973-01-01

An on-line spatial light modulator for application as the input transducer for a real-time optical data processing system is described. The use of such a device in the analysis and processing of radar data in real time is reported. An interface from the optical processor to a control digital computer was designed, constructed, and tested. The input transducer, optical system, and computer interface have been operated in real time with real time radar data with the input data returns recorded on the input crystal, processed by the optical system, and the output plane pattern digitized, thresholded, and outputted to a display and storage in the computer memory. The correlation of theoretical and experimental results is discussed.

DIGIMEN, optical mass memory investigations, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

The DIGIMEM phase of the Optical Mass Memory Investigation Program addressed problems related to the analysis, design, and implementation of a direct digital optical recorder/reproducer. Effort was placed on developing an operational archival mass storage system to support one or more key NASA missions. The primary activity of the DIGIMEM program phase was the design, fabrication, and test and evaluation of a breadboard digital optical recorder/reproducer. Starting with technology and subsystem perfected during the HOLOMEM program phase, a fully operational optical spot recording breadboard that met or exceeded all program goals was evaluated. A thorough evaluation of several high resolution electrophotographic recording films was performed and a preliminary data base management/end user requirements survey was completed.

Evaluation of Optical Disk Jukebox Software.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ranade, Sanjay; Yee, Fonald

1989-01-01

Discusses software that is used to drive and access optical disk jukeboxes, which are used for data storage. Categories of the software are described, user categories are explained, the design of implementation approaches is discussed, and representative software products are reviewed. (eight references) (LRW)

Disc origin of broad optical emission lines of the TDE candidate PTF09djl

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, F. K.; Zhou, Z. Q.; Cao, R.; Ho, L. C.; Komossa, S.

2017-11-01

An otherwise dormant supermassive black hole (SMBH) in a galactic nucleus flares up when it tidally disrupts a star passing by. Most of the tidal disruption events (TDEs) and candidates discovered in the optical/UV have broad optical emission lines with complex and diverse profiles of puzzling origin. In this Letter, we show that the double-peaked broad H α line of the TDE candidate PTF09djl can be well modelled with a relativistic elliptical accretion disc and the peculiar substructures with one peak at the line rest wavelength and the other redshifted to about 3.5 × 104 km s-1 are mainly due to the orbital motion of the emitting matter within the disc plane of large inclination 88° and pericentre orientation nearly vertical to the observer. The accretion disc has an extreme eccentricity 0.966 and semimajor axis of 340 BH Schwarzschild radii. The viewing angle effects of large disc inclination lead to significant attenuation of He emission lines originally produced at large electron scattering optical depth and to the absence/weakness of He emission lines in the spectra of PTF09djl. Our results suggest that the diversities of line intensity ratios among the line species in optical TDEs are probably due to the differences of disc inclinations.

The puzzle of Muslim advantage in child survival in India.

PubMed

Bhalotra, Sonia; Valente, Christine; van Soest, Arthur

2010-03-01

The socioeconomic status of Indian Muslims is, on average, considerably lower than that of upper-caste Hindus. Muslims nevertheless exhibit substantially higher child survival rates, and have done for decades. This paper analyses this seeming puzzle. A decomposition of the survival differential confirms that some compositional effects favour Muslims but that, overall, differences in characteristics and especially the Muslim deficit in parental education predict a Muslim disadvantage. The results of this study contribute to a recent literature that debates the importance of socioeconomic status (SES) in determining health and survival. They augment a growing literature on the role of religion or culture as encapsulating important unobservable behaviours or endowments that influence health, indeed, enough to reverse the SES gradient that is commonly observed. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Data Exchange Standard for Optical (Visible/IR) Interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pauls, T. A.; Young, J. S.; Cotton, W. D.; Monnier, J. D.

2005-11-01

This paper describes the OI (Optical Interferometry) Exchange Format, a standard for exchanging calibrated data from optical (visible/infrared) stellar interferometers. The standard is based on the Flexible Image Transport System (FITS) and supports the storage of optical interferometric observables, including squared visibility and closure phase-data products not included in radio interferometry standards such as UV-FITS. The format has already gained the support of most currently operating optical interferometer projects, including COAST, NPOI, IOTA, CHARA, VLTI, PTI, and the Keck Interferometer, and is endorsed by the IAU Working Group on Optical Interferometry. Software is available for reading, writing, and the merging of OI Exchange Format files.