Trajectory Design for a Cislunar Cubesat Leveraging Dynamical Systems Techniques: The Lunar Icecube Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bosanac, Natasha; Cox, Andrew; Howell, Kathleen C.; Folta, David C.

2017-01-01

Lunar IceCube is a 6U CubeSat that is designed to detect and observe lunar volatiles from a highly inclined orbit. This spacecraft, equipped with a low-thrust engine, will be deployed from the upcoming Exploration Mission-1 vehicle in late 2018. However, significant uncertainty in the deployment conditions for secondary payloads impacts both the availability and geometry of transfers that deliver the spacecraft to the lunar vicinity. A framework that leverages dynamical systems techniques is applied to a recently updated set of deployment conditions and spacecraft parameter values for the Lunar IceCube mission, demonstrating the capability for rapid trajectory design.

Trajectory design for a cislunar CubeSat leveraging dynamical systems techniques: The Lunar IceCube mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bosanac, Natasha; Cox, Andrew D.; Howell, Kathleen C.; Folta, David C.

2018-03-01

Lunar IceCube is a 6U CubeSat that is designed to detect and observe lunar volatiles from a highly inclined orbit. This spacecraft, equipped with a low-thrust engine, is expected to be deployed from the upcoming Exploration Mission-1 vehicle. However, significant uncertainty in the deployment conditions for secondary payloads impacts both the availability and geometry of transfers that deliver the spacecraft to the lunar vicinity. A framework that leverages dynamical systems techniques is applied to a recently updated set of deployment conditions and spacecraft parameter values for the Lunar IceCube mission, demonstrating the capability for rapid trajectory design.

Case Studies of Ecological Integrative Information Systems: The Luquillo and Sevilleta Information Management Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

San Gil, Inigo; White, Marshall; Melendez, Eda; Vanderbilt, Kristin

The thirty-year-old United States Long Term Ecological Research Network has developed extensive metadata to document their scientific data. Standard and interoperable metadata is a core component of the data-driven analytical solutions developed by this research network Content management systems offer an affordable solution for rapid deployment of metadata centered information management systems. We developed a customized integrative metadata management system based on the Drupal content management system technology. Building on knowledge and experience with the Sevilleta and Luquillo Long Term Ecological Research sites, we successfully deployed the first two medium-scale customized prototypes. In this paper, we describe the vision behind our Drupal based information management instances, and list the features offered through these Drupal based systems. We also outline the plans to expand the information services offered through these metadata centered management systems. We will conclude with the growing list of participants deploying similar instances.

The development of expertise using an intelligent computer-aided training system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Debra Steele

1991-01-01

An initial examination was conducted of an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) developed for use in industry. The ITS, developed by NASA, simulated a satellite deployment task. More specifically, the PD (Payload Assist Module Deployment)/ICAT (Intelligent Computer Aided Training) System simulated a nominal Payload Assist Module (PAM) deployment. The development of expertise on this task was examined using three Flight Dynamics Officer (FDO) candidates who has no previous experience with this task. The results indicated that performance improved rapidly until Trial 5, followed by more gradual improvements through Trial 12. The performance dimensions measured included performance speed, actions completed, errors, help required, and display fields checked. Suggestions for further refining the software and for deciding when to expose trainees to more difficult task scenarios are discussed. Further, the results provide an initial demonstration of the effectiveness of the PD/ICAT system in training the nominal PAM deployment task and indicate the potential benefits of using ITS's for training other FDO tasks.

The development of expertise on an intelligent tutoring system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Debra Steele

1989-01-01

An initial examination was conducted of an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) developed for use in industry. The ITS, developed by NASA, simulated a satellite deployment task. More specifically, the PD (Payload Assist Module Deployment)/ICAT (Intelligent Computer Aided Training) System simulated a nominal Payload Assist Module (PAM) deployment. The development of expertise on this task was examined using three Flight Dynamics Officer (FDO) candidates who had no previous experience with this task. The results indicated that performance improved rapidly until Trial 5, followed by more gradual improvements through Trial 12. The performance dimensions measured included performance speed, actions completed, errors, help required, and display fields checked. Suggestions for further refining the software and for deciding when to expose trainees to more difficult task scenarios are discussed. Further, the results provide an initial demonstration of the effectiveness of the PD/ICAT system in training the nominal PAM deployment task and indicate the potential benefits of using ITS's for training other FDO tasks.

Next-generation wireless bridge weigh-in-motion (WIM) system integrated with nondestructive evaluation (NDE) capability for transportation infrastructure safety.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-05-01

This project seeks to develop a rapidly deployable, low-cost, and wireless system for bridge : weigh-in-motion (BWIM) and nondestructive evaluation (NDE). The system is proposed to : assist in monitoring transportation infrastructure safety, for the ...

Deploying the ODIS robot in Iraq and Afghanistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smuda, Bill; Schoenherr, Edward; Andrusz, Henry; Gerhart, Grant

2005-05-01

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have shown the importance of robotic technology as a force multiplier and a tool for moving soldiers out of harms way. Situations on the ground make soldiers performing checkpoint operations easy targets for snipers and suicide bombers. Robotics technology reduces risk to soldiers and other personnel at checkpoints. Early user involvement in innovative and aggressive development and acquisition strategies are the key to moving robotic and associated technology into the hands of the user. This paper updates activity associated with rapid development of the Omni-Directional Inspection System (ODIS) robot for under vehicle inspection and reports on our field experience with robotics in Iraq and Afghanistan. In February of 2004, two TARDEC Engineers departed for a mission to Iraq and Afghanistan with ten ODIS Robots. Six robots were deployed in the Green Zone in Baghdad. Two Robots were deployed at Kandahar Army Airfield and two were deployed at Bagram Army Airfield in Afghanistan. The TARDEC Engineers who performed this mission trained the soldiers and provided initial on site support. They also trained Exponent employees assigned to the Rapid Equipping Force in ODIS repair. We will discuss our initial deployment, lessons learned and future plans.

Satellite Sensornet Gateway Technology Infusion Through Rapid Deployments for Environmental Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benzel, T.; Silva, F.; Deschon, A.; Ye, W.; Cho, Y.

2008-12-01

The Satellite Sensornet Gateway (SSG) is an ongoing ESTO Advanced Information Systems Technology project, at the University of Southern California. The major goal of SSG is to develop a turnkey solution for building environmental observation systems based on sensor networks. Our system has been developed through an iterative series of deployment-driven design, build, test, and revise which maximizes technology infusion to the earth scientist. We have designed a robust and flexible sensor network called Sensor Processing and Acquisition Network (SPAN). Our SPAN architecture emphasizes a modular and extensible design, such that core building blocks can be reused to develop different scientific observation systems. To support rapid deployment at remote locations, we employ satellite communications as the backhaul to relay in-situ sensor data to a central database. To easily support various science applications, we have developed a unified sensor integration framework that allows streamlined integration of different sensors to the system. Our system supports heterogeneous sets of sensors, from industry-grade products to research- specific prototypes. To ensure robust operation in harsh environments, we have developed mechanisms to monitor system status and recover from potential failures along with additional remote configuration and QA/QC functions. Here we briefly describe the deployments, the key science missions of the deployments and the role that the SSG technology played in each mission. We first deployed our SSG technology at the James Reserve in February 2007. In a joint deployment with the NEON project, SDSC, and UC Riverside, we set up a meteorological station, using a diverse set of sensors, with the objective of validating our basic technology components in the field. This system is still operational and streaming live sensor data. At Stunt Ranch, a UC Reserve near Malibu, CA, we partnered with UCLA biologist Phillip Rundel in order to study the drought impact on deep and shallow rooted plants. Our system was deployed in December 2007 and monitors sap flow on various plant species, while using a satellite link for real-time data access. In April 2008, in a joint deployment with UCLA, UC Merced, and GLEON, our SSG technology was used to study the impact of agricultural run off in a series of salt lakes near Bahia Blanca, Argentina. Our system collected meteorological data that were combined with water quality measurements taken from boats and buoys. Our SSG technology was used at the PASI workshop in June 2008 at the La Selva Biological Research Station in Costa Rica. As part of a two-week curriculum, students from throughout the americas used our system to collect measurements in the rain forest and later analyzed the data. La Selva plans to install several SSG nodes throughout the reserve and make mobile nodes available for visiting researchers to use in their research. We are currently planning a deployment with environmental engineer Tom Harmon from UC Merced to build an autonomous water quality flow path and reactive transport observation system near Merced, CA. SSG technology will be deployed to monitor soil, groundwater, and surface water parameters. In China's Guizhou Province, we are collaborating with researcher Sarah Rothenberg, who is studying mercury cycling in rice paddies. Our SSG system will collect soil parameters such as pH and ORP, in addition to environmental measurements such as PAR, and UV. This presentation will describe the SSG project, the SPAN prototype and our experience with technology infusion from the deployments. class="ab'>

Rapid feedback control and stabilization of an optical tweezers with a budget microcontroller

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nino, Daniel; Wang, Haowei; Milstein, Joshua N.

2014-09-01

Laboratories ranging the scientific disciplines employ feedback control to regulate variables within their experiments, from the flow of liquids within a microfluidic device to the temperature within a cell incubator. We have built an inexpensive, yet fast and rapidly deployed, feedback control system that is straightforward and flexible to implement from a commercially available Arduino Due microcontroller. This is in comparison with the complex, time-consuming and often expensive electronics that are commonly implemented. As an example of its utility, we apply our feedback controller to the task of stabilizing the main trapping laser of an optical tweezers. The feedback controller, which is inexpensive yet fast and rapidly deployed, was implemented from hacking an open source Arduino Due microcontroller. Our microcontroller based feedback system can stabilize the laser intensity to a few tenths of a per cent at 200 kHz, which is an order of magnitude better than the laser's base specifications, illustrating the utility of these devices.

One-year outcomes after rapid-deployment aortic valve replacement.

PubMed

Young, Christopher; Laufer, Günther; Kocher, Alfred; Solinas, Marco; Alamanni, Francesco; Polvani, Gianluca; Podesser, Bruno K; Aramendi, Jose Ignacio; Arribas, Jose; Bouchot, Olivier; Livi, Ugolino; Massetti, Massimo; Terp, Kim; Giot, Christophe; Glauber, Mattia

2018-02-01

The goals of rapid-deployment aortic valve replacement include facilitation of minimally invasive surgery and reduced aortic crossclamp time. We report the short-term outcomes of a series of 493 patients undergoing rapid-deployment aortic valve replacement with the EDWARDS INTUITY valve system (Edwards Lifesciences, LLC, Irvine, Calif). Assessing Standard oF Care and Clinical Outcomes UsiNg the EDWARDS INTUITY VAlve SysTem in a European multI-center, Active, pOst-market surveillaNce Study was a prospective, multicenter (n = 26) European registry designed to evaluate the safety and performance of the valve system. During rapid-deployment aortic valve replacement, device technical success and crossclamp time were assessed. Procedural outcomes, hemodynamic performance, and various adverse events and clinical outcomes were evaluated up to 2 years. Between 2012 and 2014, 493 of 517 enrolled patients successfully received implants with the study valve (95.4% technical success). Mean crossclamp times for 163 full sternotomies, 128 mini-upper sternotomies, and 36 right anterior thoracotomies isolated aortic valve replacements were 47.3, 52.0, and 73.3 minutes, respectively. Mean follow-up was 1.8 years, with 870 total patient-years of follow-up. Mean effective orifice area increased from 0.72 (baseline) to 1.88 cm 2 , and mean pressure gradient decreased from 47.6 to 9.6 mm Hg (1 year). Mean effective orifice area index increased (0.39-1.01 cm 2 /m 2 ), and 28 of 287 patients (9.8%) exhibited severe prosthesis-patient mismatch at 1 year. After 1 year, 68.1% and 21.7% of patients were in New York Heart Association class I and II, respectively. Freedom from death, major bleeding, major perivalvular leak, reoperation, and device explant at 1 year were 0.935, 0.939, 0.976, 0.975, and 0.983, respectively. These results demonstrate commendable safety and performance of the test valve system over the short term in a broad European setting. Copyright © 2017 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Web-Enabled Systems for Student Access.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Chad S.; Herring, Tom

1999-01-01

California State University, Fullerton is developing a suite of server-based, Web-enabled applications that distribute the functionality of its student information system software to external customers without modifying the mainframe applications or databases. The cost-effective, secure, and rapidly deployable business solution involves using the…

Model Capabilities | Regional Energy Deployment System Model | Energy

Science.gov Websites

representation of those effects throughout the scenario. Because those effects are highly non-linear and other models, limited foresight, price penalties for rapid growth, and other non-linear effects

Tera-OP Reliable Intelligently Adaptive Processing System (TRIPS) Implementation

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

38 6.8 Instruction Scheduling ...39 6.8.1 Spatial Path Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 6.8.2...oblivious scheduling for rapid application prototyping and deployment, environmental adaptivity for resilience in hostile environments, and dynamic

Hybrid emergency radiation detection: a wireless sensor network application for consequence management of a radiological release

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kyker, Ronald D.; Berry, Nina; Stark, Doug; Nachtigal, Noel; Kershaw, Chris

2004-08-01

The Hybrid Emergency Radiation Detection (HERD) system is a rapidly deployable ad-hoc wireless sensor network for monitoring the radiation hazard associated with a radiation release. The system is designed for low power, small size, low cost, and rapid deployment in order to provide early notification and minimize exposure. The many design tradeoffs, decisions, and challenges in the implementation of this wireless sensor network design will be presented and compared to the commercial systems available. Our research in a scaleable modular architectural highlights the need and implementation of a system level approach that provides flexibility and adaptability for a variety of applications. This approach seeks to minimize power, provide mission specific specialization, and provide the capability to upgrade the system with the most recent technology advancements by encapsulation and modularity. The implementation of a low power, widely available Real Time Operating System (RTOS) for multitasking with an improvement in code maintenance, portability, and reuse will be presented. Finally future design enhancements technology trends affecting wireless sensor networks will be presented.

Deployment simulation of a deployable reflector for earth science application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaokai; Fang, Houfei; Cai, Bei; Ma, Xiaofei

2015-10-01

A novel mission concept namely NEXRAD-In-Space (NIS) has been developed for monitoring hurricanes, cyclones and other severe storms from a geostationary orbit. It requires a space deployable 35-meter diameter Ka-band (35 GHz) reflector. NIS can measure hurricane precipitation intensity, dynamics and its life cycle. These information is necessary for predicting the track, intensity, rain rate and hurricane-induced floods. To meet the requirements of the radar system, a Membrane Shell Reflector Segment (MSRS) reflector technology has been developed and several technologies have been evaluated. However, the deployment analysis of this large size and high-precision reflector has not been investigated. For a pre-studies, a scaled tetrahedral truss reflector with spring driving deployment system has been made and tested, deployment dynamics analysis of this scaled reflector has been performed using ADAMS to understand its deployment dynamic behaviors. Eliminating the redundant constraints in the reflector system with a large number of moving parts is a challenging issue. A primitive joint and flexible struts were introduced to the analytical model and they can effectively eliminate over constraints of the model. By using a high-speed camera and a force transducer, a deployment experiment of a single-bay tetrahedral module has been conducted. With the tested results, an optimization process has been performed by using the parameter optimization module of ADAMS to obtain the parameters of the analytical model. These parameters were incorporated to the analytical model of the whole reflector. It is observed from the analysis results that the deployment process of the reflector with a fixed boundary experiences three stages. These stages are rapid deployment stage, slow deployment stage and impact stage. The insight of the force peak distributions of the reflector can help the optimization design of the structure.

Next generation sensing platforms for extended deployments in large-scale, multidisciplinary, adaptive sampling and observational networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cross, J. N.; Meinig, C.; Mordy, C. W.; Lawrence-Slavas, N.; Cokelet, E. D.; Jenkins, R.; Tabisola, H. M.; Stabeno, P. J.

2016-12-01

New autonomous sensors have dramatically increased the resolution and accuracy of oceanographic data collection, enabling rapid sampling over extremely fine scales. Innovative new autonomous platofrms like floats, gliders, drones, and crawling moorings leverage the full potential of these new sensors by extending spatiotemporal reach across varied environments. During 2015 and 2016, The Innovative Technology for Arctic Exploration Program at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory tested several new types of fully autonomous platforms with increased speed, durability, and power and payload capacity designed to deliver cutting-edge ecosystem assessment sensors to remote or inaccessible environments. The Expendable Ice-Tracking (EXIT) gloat developed by the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) is moored near bottom during the ice-free season and released on an autonomous timer beneath the ice during the following winter. The float collects a rapid profile during ascent, and continues to collect critical, poorly-accessible under-ice data until melt, when data is transmitted via satellite. The autonomous Oculus sub-surface glider developed by the University of Washington and PMEL has a large power and payload capacity and an enhanced buoyancy engine. This 'coastal truck' is designed for the rapid water column ascent required by optical imaging systems. The Saildrone is a solar and wind powered ocean unmanned surface vessel (USV) developed by Saildrone, Inc. in partnership with PMEL. This large-payload (200 lbs), fast (1-7 kts), durable (46 kts winds) platform was equipped with 15 sensors designed for ecosystem assessment during 2016, including passive and active acoustic systems specially redesigned for autonomous vehicle deployments. The senors deployed on these platforms achieved rigorous accuracy and precision standards. These innovative platforms provide new sampling capabilities and cost efficiencies in high-resolution sensor deployment, including reconnaissance for annual fisheries and marine mammal surveys; better linkages between sustained observing platforms; and adaptive deployments that can easily target anomalies as they arise.

Lab-on-a-Drone: Toward Pinpoint Deployment of Smartphone-Enabled Nucleic Acid-Based Diagnostics for Mobile Health Care

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

We introduce a portable biochemical analysis platform for rapid field deployment of nucleic acid-based diagnostics using consumer-class quadcopter drones. This approach exploits the ability to isothermally perform the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with a single heater, enabling the system to be operated using standard 5 V USB sources that power mobile devices (via battery, solar, or hand crank action). Time-resolved fluorescence detection and quantification is achieved using a smartphone camera and integrated image analysis app. Standard sample preparation is enabled by leveraging the drone’s motors as centrifuges via 3D printed snap-on attachments. These advancements make it possible to build a complete DNA/RNA analysis system at a cost of ∼$50 ($US). Our instrument is rugged and versatile, enabling pinpoint deployment of sophisticated diagnostics to distributed field sites. This capability is demonstrated by successful in-flight replication of Staphylococcus aureus and λ-phage DNA targets in under 20 min. The ability to perform rapid in-flight assays with smartphone connectivity eliminates delays between sample collection and analysis so that test results can be delivered in minutes, suggesting new possibilities for drone-based systems to function in broader and more sophisticated roles beyond cargo transport and imaging. PMID:26898247

Lab-on-a-Drone: Toward Pinpoint Deployment of Smartphone-Enabled Nucleic Acid-Based Diagnostics for Mobile Health Care.

PubMed

Priye, Aashish; Wong, Season; Bi, Yuanpeng; Carpio, Miguel; Chang, Jamison; Coen, Mauricio; Cope, Danielle; Harris, Jacob; Johnson, James; Keller, Alexandra; Lim, Richard; Lu, Stanley; Millard, Alex; Pangelinan, Adriano; Patel, Neal; Smith, Luke; Chan, Kamfai; Ugaz, Victor M

2016-05-03

We introduce a portable biochemical analysis platform for rapid field deployment of nucleic acid-based diagnostics using consumer-class quadcopter drones. This approach exploits the ability to isothermally perform the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with a single heater, enabling the system to be operated using standard 5 V USB sources that power mobile devices (via battery, solar, or hand crank action). Time-resolved fluorescence detection and quantification is achieved using a smartphone camera and integrated image analysis app. Standard sample preparation is enabled by leveraging the drone's motors as centrifuges via 3D printed snap-on attachments. These advancements make it possible to build a complete DNA/RNA analysis system at a cost of ∼$50 ($US). Our instrument is rugged and versatile, enabling pinpoint deployment of sophisticated diagnostics to distributed field sites. This capability is demonstrated by successful in-flight replication of Staphylococcus aureus and λ-phage DNA targets in under 20 min. The ability to perform rapid in-flight assays with smartphone connectivity eliminates delays between sample collection and analysis so that test results can be delivered in minutes, suggesting new possibilities for drone-based systems to function in broader and more sophisticated roles beyond cargo transport and imaging.

A Battery Powered, 200-KW Rapid Capacitor Charger for a Portable Railgun in Burst Mode Operation At 3 RPS

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

A BATTERY POWERED, 200-KW RAPID CAPACITOR CHARGER FOR A PORTABLE RAILGUN IN BURST MODE OPERATION AT 3 RPS ∗ Raymond Allen and Jesse Neri Plasma... capacitor bank of a low velocity railgun system for countermeasure deployment from aircraft and watercraft. The goal is charge a 15-mF capacitor bank to...In order for this railgun to fire in a burst mode at 3 RPS, a rapid capacitor charger is required. The initial specifications required the rapid

Intelligent video storage of visual evidences on site in fast deployment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desurmont, Xavier; Bastide, Arnaud; Delaigle, Jean-Francois

2004-07-01

In this article we present a generic, flexible, scalable and robust approach for an intelligent real-time forensic visual system. The proposed implementation could be rapidly deployable and integrates minimum logistic support as it embeds low complexity devices (PCs and cameras) that communicate through wireless network. The goal of these advanced tools is to provide intelligent video storage of potential video evidences for fast intervention during deployment around a hazardous sector after a terrorism attack, a disaster, an air crash or before attempt of it. Advanced video analysis tools, such as segmentation and tracking are provided to support intelligent storage and annotation.

Atlanta NAVIGATOR case study. Final report, May 1996--Jun 1997

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

Amodei, R.; Bard, E.; Brong, B.

1998-11-01

The Atlanta metropolitan region was the location of one of the most ambitious Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) deployments in the United States. This deployment included several individual projects--a Central Transportation Management Center (TMC), six Traffic Control Centers (TCC), one Transit Information Center (TIC), the Travel Information Showcase (TIS), and the extension of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) rail network and the new high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on I-85 and I-75. The Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games and Paralympic Games created a focus for these projects. All of these systems were to be brought on line in time for themore » Olympic Games. This report presents the findings of the NAVIGATOR Case Study and documents the lessons learned from the Atlanta ITS deployment experience in order to improve other ITS deployments in the future. The Case Study focuses on the institutional, programmatic, and technical issues and opportunities from planning and implementing the ITS deployment in Atlanta. The Case Study collected data and information from interviews, observations, focus groups, and documentation reviews. It presents a series of lessons learned and recommendations for enabling successful ITS deployments nationwide.« less

Adaptable Deployable Entry & Placement Technology (ADEPT) for Cubesat Delivery to Mars Surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wercinski, Paul

2014-01-01

The Adaptable, Deployable Entry and Placement Technology (ADEPT), uses a mechanical skeleton to deploy a revolutionary carbon fabric system that serves as both heat shield and primary structure during atmospheric entry. The NASA ADEPT project, currently funded by the Game Changing Development Program in STMD is currently focused on 1m class hypersonic decelerators for the delivery of very small payloads ( 5 kg) to locations of interest in an effort to leverage low-cost platforms to rapidly mature the technology while simultaneously delivering high-value science. Preliminary mission design and aerothermal performance testing in arcjets have shown the ADEPT system is quite capable of safe delivery of cubesats to Mars surface. The ability of the ADEPT to transit to Mars in a stowed configuration (similar to an umbrella) provides options for integration with the Mars 2020 cruise stage, even to consider multiple ADEPTs. System-level test campaigns are underway for FY15 execution or planning for FY16. These include deployment testing, wind tunnel testing, system-level arc jet testing, and a sounding rocket flight test. The goal is system level maturation (TRL 6) at a 1m class Mars design reference mission configuration.

A low cost, high precision extreme/harsh cold environment, autonomous sensor data gathering and transmission platform.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chetty, S.; Field, L. A.

2014-12-01

SWIMS III, is a low cost, autonomous sensor data gathering platform developed specifically for extreme/harsh cold environments. Arctic ocean's continuing decrease of summer-time ice is related to rapidly diminishing multi-year ice due to the effects of climate change. Ice911 Research aims to develop environmentally inert materials that when deployed will increase the albedo, enabling the formation and/preservation of multi-year ice. SWIMS III's sophisticated autonomous sensors are designed to measure the albedo, weather, water temperature and other environmental parameters. This platform uses low cost, high accuracy/precision sensors, extreme environment command and data handling computer system using satellite and terrestrial wireless solution. The system also incorporates tilt sensors and sonar based ice thickness sensors. The system is light weight and can be deployed by hand by a single person. This presentation covers the technical, and design challenges in developing and deploying these platforms.

WiFi-Based Real-Time Calibration-Free Passive Human Motion Detection.

PubMed

Gong, Liangyi; Yang, Wu; Man, Dapeng; Dong, Guozhong; Yu, Miao; Lv, Jiguang

2015-12-21

With the rapid development of WLAN technology, wireless device-free passive human detection becomes a newly-developing technique and holds more potential to worldwide and ubiquitous smart applications. Recently, indoor fine-grained device-free passive human motion detection based on the PHY layer information is rapidly developed. Previous wireless device-free passive human detection systems either rely on deploying specialized systems with dense transmitter-receiver links or elaborate off-line training process, which blocks rapid deployment and weakens system robustness. In the paper, we explore to research a novel fine-grained real-time calibration-free device-free passive human motion via physical layer information, which is independent of indoor scenarios and needs no prior-calibration and normal profile. We investigate sensitivities of amplitude and phase to human motion, and discover that phase feature is more sensitive to human motion, especially to slow human motion. Aiming at lightweight and robust device-free passive human motion detection, we develop two novel and practical schemes: short-term averaged variance ratio (SVR) and long-term averaged variance ratio (LVR). We realize system design with commercial WiFi devices and evaluate it in typical multipath-rich indoor scenarios. As demonstrated in the experiments, our approach can achieve a high detection rate and low false positive rate.

WiFi-Based Real-Time Calibration-Free Passive Human Motion Detection †

PubMed Central

Gong, Liangyi; Yang, Wu; Man, Dapeng; Dong, Guozhong; Yu, Miao; Lv, Jiguang

2015-01-01

With the rapid development of WLAN technology, wireless device-free passive human detection becomes a newly-developing technique and holds more potential to worldwide and ubiquitous smart applications. Recently, indoor fine-grained device-free passive human motion detection based on the PHY layer information is rapidly developed. Previous wireless device-free passive human detection systems either rely on deploying specialized systems with dense transmitter-receiver links or elaborate off-line training process, which blocks rapid deployment and weakens system robustness. In the paper, we explore to research a novel fine-grained real-time calibration-free device-free passive human motion via physical layer information, which is independent of indoor scenarios and needs no prior-calibration and normal profile. We investigate sensitivities of amplitude and phase to human motion, and discover that phase feature is more sensitive to human motion, especially to slow human motion. Aiming at lightweight and robust device-free passive human motion detection, we develop two novel and practical schemes: short-term averaged variance ratio (SVR) and long-term averaged variance ratio (LVR). We realize system design with commercial WiFi devices and evaluate it in typical multipath-rich indoor scenarios. As demonstrated in the experiments, our approach can achieve a high detection rate and low false positive rate. PMID:26703612

Innovative vehicle classification strategies : using LIDAR to do more for less.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-06-23

This study examines LIDAR (light detection and ranging) based vehicle classification and classification : performance monitoring. First, we develop a portable LIDAR based vehicle classification system that can : be rapidly deployed, and then we use t...

Integrating distributed multimedia systems and interactive television networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shvartsman, Alex A.

1996-01-01

Recent advances in networks, storage and video delivery systems are about to make commercial deployment of interactive multimedia services over digital television networks a reality. The emerging components individually have the potential to satisfy the technical requirements in the near future. However, no single vendor is offering a complete end-to-end commercially-deployable and scalable interactive multimedia applications systems over digital/analog television systems. Integrating a large set of maturing sub-assemblies and interactive multimedia applications is a major task in deploying such systems. Here we deal with integration issues, requirements and trade-offs in building delivery platforms and applications for interactive television services. Such integration efforts must overcome lack of standards, and deal with unpredictable development cycles and quality problems of leading- edge technology. There are also the conflicting goals of optimizing systems for video delivery while enabling highly interactive distributed applications. It is becoming possible to deliver continuous video streams from specific sources, but it is difficult and expensive to provide the ability to rapidly switch among multiple sources of video and data. Finally, there is the ever- present challenge of integrating and deploying expensive systems whose scalability and extensibility is limited, while ensuring some resiliency in the face of inevitable changes. This proceedings version of the paper is an extended abstract.

Direct Comparison of the Edwards Intuity Elite and Sorin Perceval S Rapid Deployment Aortic Valves.

PubMed

Liakopoulos, Oliver J; Gerfer, Stephen; Weider, Simone; Rahmanian, Parwis; Zeriouh, Mohamed; Eghbalzadeh, Kaveh; Sabashnikov, Anton; Choi, Yeong-Hoon; Wippermann, Jens; Wahlers, Thorsten

2018-01-01

Rapid deployment aortic valve replacement (RDAVR) has emerged as an attractive alternative to conventional aortic valve replacement. This single-center study directly compared two commercially available rapid deployment valves with regard to clinical outcomes, valve-related complications, and hemodynamic performance. A total of consecutive 156 patients underwent RDAVR with the Intuity Elite (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA [Intuity group, n = 117] or the Perceval S (Sorin Group Italia Srl, Saluggia, Italy [Perceval group, n = 39]) between September 2012 and March 2016 at our institution. Perioperative data, including 30-day all-cause mortality, and echocardiographic measurements were assessed and retrospectively analyzed from our institutional database. Preoperative variables, including mean age (77 ± 5 years), European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (6.8 ± 2.1), and body mass index (27 ± 5 kg/m 2 ), did not differ between groups. More male patients (60% versus 15%) with a higher body surface area (1.9 ± 0.2 m 2 versus 1.7 ± 0.2 m 2 ) and body weight (78 ± 13 kg versus 71 ± 15 kg) were in the Intuity group compared with the Perceval group, respectively (p < 0.05). Implanted RDAVR size (23.3 ± 1.8 mm versus 23.4 ± 1.5 mm), concomitant coronary artery bypass graft surgery (48% versus 33%), number of grafts, cardiopulmonary bypass, and aortic clamp time were comparable between the Intuity group and the Perceval group. Thirty-day mortality (Intuity 2.6% versus Perceval 5.1%) and valve-related complications (Intuity 12.0% versus Perceval 20.5%), including postoperative pacemaker implantation (Intuity 8.5% versus Perceval 12.8%), did not differ between groups. At discharge echocardiography, indexed effective orifice area was higher in the Intuity group, but peak or mean pressure gradients were comparable between groups. Performing RDAVR with the Intuity and Perceval rapid deployment valves provides comparable good clinical outcomes and valve hemodynamics, with low valve-related complication rates. The rate of pacemaker implantation was comparable for both rapid deployment valves, ranging from 8% to 13%. Copyright © 2018 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Security Issues and Resulting Security Policies for Mobile Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

protecting it. The Army has requested that the capabilities of these devices be delivered rapidly to the battlefield. Programs like Joint Battle...Explosives (ATF) has already deployed 50 iPads, with interest in deploying 50 additional devices. Despite the desire to rapidly deploy these devices, little...come in many different forms, such as personal data assistants, smart phones, and tablets . Today, the most popular mobile devices are characterized by

An Instructional and Collaborative Learning System with Content Recommendation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zheng, Xiang-wei; Ma, Hong-wei; Li, Yan

2013-01-01

With the rapid development of Internet, e-learning has become a new teaching and learning mode. However, lots of e-learning systems deployed on Internet are just electronic learning materials with very limited interactivity and diagnostic capability. This paper presents an integrated e-learning environment named iCLSR. Firstly, iCLSR provides an…

Technology Demonstration: Acoustic Condition Assessment of Wastewater Collection Systems

EPA Science Inventory

The overall objective of this EPA-funded study was to demonstrate innovative sewer line assessment technologies that are designed for rapid deployment using portable equipment. This study focused on demonstration of technologies that are suitable for smaller diameter pipes (less ...

Demonstration of Innovative Sewer System Inspection Technology: SL-RAT

EPA Science Inventory

The overall objective of this EPA-funded study was to demonstrate innovative sewer line assessment technologies that are designed for rapid deployment using portable equipment. This study focused on demonstration of technologies that are suitable for smaller diameter pipes (less ...

Technology Demonstration: Acoustic Condition Assessment of Wastewater Collection Systems

EPA Science Inventory

The overall objective of this demonstration project was to evaluate technologies that are designed for rapid deployment using portable equipment that can result in significant cost-savings to wastewater utilities. Smaller diameter pipes (i.e., less than 12-inch diameter) are gen...

Rapid deployment of internet-connected environmental monitoring devices

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Advances in electronic sensing and monitoring systems and the growth of the communications infrastructure have enabled users to gain immediate access to information and interaction with physical devices. To facilitate the uploading, viewing, and sharing of data via the internet, while avoiding the ...

Wind Tunnel Testing of Microtabs and Microjets for Active Load Control of Wind Turbine Blades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooperman, Aubryn Murray

Increases in wind turbine size have made controlling loads on the blades an important consideration for future turbine designs. One approach that could reduce extreme loads and minimize load variation is to incorporate active control devices into the blades that are able to change the aerodynamic forces acting on the turbine. A wind tunnel model has been constructed to allow testing of different active aerodynamic load control devices. Two such devices have been tested in the UC Davis Aeronautical Wind Tunnel: microtabs and microjets. Microtabs are small surfaces oriented perpendicular to an airfoil surface that can be deployed and retracted to alter the lift coefficient of the airfoil. Microjets produce similar effects using air blown perpendicular to the airfoil surface. Results are presented here for both static and dynamic performance of the two devices. Microtabs, located at 95% chord on the lower surface and 90% chord on the upper surface, with a height of 1% chord, produce a change in the lift coefficient of 0.18, increasing lift when deployed on the lower surface and decreasing lift when deployed on the upper surface. Microjets with a momentum coefficient of 0.006 at the same locations produce a change in the lift coefficient of 0.19. The activation time for both devices is less than 0.3 s, which is rapid compared to typical gust rise times. The potential of active device to mitigate changes in loads was tested using simulated gusts. The gusts were produced in the wind tunnel by accelerating the test section air speed at rates of up to 7 ft/s 2. Open-loop control of microtabs was tested in two modes: simultaneous and sequential tab deployment. Activating all tabs along the model span simultaneously was found to produce a change in the loads that occurred more rapidly than a gust. Sequential tab deployment more closely matched the rates of change due to gusts and tab deployment. A closed-loop control system was developed for the microtabs using a simple feedback control based on lift measurements from a six-component balance. An alternative input to the control system that would be easier to implement on a turbine was also investigated: the lift force was estimated using the difference in surface pressure at 15% chord. Both control system approaches were found to decrease lift deviations by around 50% during rapid changes in the free stream air speed.

Peer-to-peer model for the area coverage and cooperative control of mobile sensor networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Jindong; Xi, Ning

2004-09-01

This paper presents a novel model and distributed algorithms for the cooperation and redeployment of mobile sensor networks. A mobile sensor network composes of a collection of wireless connected mobile robots equipped with a variety of sensors. In such a sensor network, each mobile node has sensing, computation, communication, and locomotion capabilities. The locomotion ability enhances the autonomous deployment of the system. The system can be rapidly deployed to hostile environment, inaccessible terrains or disaster relief operations. The mobile sensor network is essentially a cooperative multiple robot system. This paper first presents a peer-to-peer model to define the relationship between neighboring communicating robots. Delaunay Triangulation and Voronoi diagrams are used to define the geometrical relationship between sensor nodes. This distributed model allows formal analysis for the fusion of spatio-temporal sensory information of the network. Based on the distributed model, this paper discusses a fault tolerant algorithm for autonomous self-deployment of the mobile robots. The algorithm considers the environment constraints, the presence of obstacles and the nonholonomic constraints of the robots. The distributed algorithm enables the system to reconfigure itself such that the area covered by the system can be enlarged. Simulation results have shown the effectiveness of the distributed model and deployment algorithms.

Oscillatory Alpha-Band Suppression Mechanisms during the Rapid Attentional Shifts Required to Perform an Anti-Saccade Task

PubMed Central

Belyusar, Daniel; Snyder, Adam C.; Frey, Hans-Peter; Harwood, Mark R.; Wallman, Josh; Foxe, John J.

2015-01-01

Neuroimaging has demonstrated anatomical overlap between covert and overt attention systems, although behavioral and electrophysiological studies have suggested that the two systems do not rely on entirely identical circuits or mechanisms. In a parallel line of research, topographically-specific modulations of alpha-band power (~8-14Hz) have been consistently correlated with anticipatory states during tasks requiring covert attention shifts. These tasks, however, typically employ cue-target-interval paradigms where attentional processes are examined across relatively protracted periods of time and not at the rapid timescales implicated during overt attention tasks. The anti-saccade task, where one must first covertly attend for a peripheral target, before executing a rapid overt attention shift (i.e. a saccade) to the opposite side of space, is particularly well-suited for examining the rapid dynamics of overt attentional deployments. Here, we asked whether alpha-band oscillatory mechanisms would also be associated with these very rapid overt shifts, potentially representing a common neural mechanism across overt and covert attention systems. High-density electroencephalography in conjunction with infra-red eye-tracking was recorded while participants engaged in both pro- and anti- saccade task blocks. Alpha power, time-locked to saccade onset, showed three distinct phases of significantly lateralized topographic shifts, all occurring within a period of less than one second, closely reflecting the temporal dynamics of anti-saccade performance. Only two such phases were observed during the pro-saccade task. These data point to substantially more rapid temporal dynamics of alpha-band suppressive mechanisms than previously established, and implicate oscillatory alpha-band activity as a common mechanism across both overt and covert attentional deployments. PMID:23041338

Impacting Policy Discourse? An Analysis of Discourses and Rhetorical Devices Deployed in the Case of the Academies Commission

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francis, Becky

2015-01-01

Academisation of the English secondary school system has been extremely rapid and represents significant changes to the governance of the English school system. However, there has been a relative scarcity of attention to the rationales, rhetorics and discourses underpinning the academies programme. Seeking to address this gap, a poststructuralist…

77 FR 35962 - Utilizing Rapidly Deployable Aerial Communications Architecture in Response to an Emergency

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-15

... Aerial Communications Architecture in Response to an Emergency AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission... deployable aerial communications architecture (DACA) in facilitating emergency response by rapidly restoring... copying during normal business hours in the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street...

Demonstration of Innovative Sewer System Inspection Technology SewerBatt

EPA Science Inventory

The overall objective of this EPA-funded study was to demonstrate innovative a sewer line assessment technology that is designed for rapid deployment using portable equipment. This study focused on demonstration of a technology that is suitable for smaller diameter pipes (less th...

U.S. EPA Technology Demonstration: Acoustic Condition Assessment of Wastewater Collection Systems

EPA Science Inventory

The overall objective of this EPA-funded study was to demonstrate innovative sewer line assessment technologies that are designed for rapid deployment using portable equipment. This study focused on demonstration of technologies that are suitable for smaller diameter pipes (less ...

Deployment Ready Airway Management System (DRAMS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-24

have been developed along with rapid prototypes. The results have been excellent and DMLS Alpha one and two prototypes have been developed resulting...Contact Model Quarterly  Report               10/25/2013 DMLS FlexBlade Reusable Module B-1 Prototype

Use of Docker for deployment and testing of astronomy software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, D.; Voutsinas, S.; Hambly, N. C.; Mann, R. G.

2017-07-01

We describe preliminary investigations of using Docker for the deployment and testing of astronomy software. Docker is a relatively new containerization technology that is developing rapidly and being adopted across a range of domains. It is based upon virtualization at operating system level, which presents many advantages in comparison to the more traditional hardware virtualization that underpins most cloud computing infrastructure today. A particular strength of Docker is its simple format for describing and managing software containers, which has benefits for software developers, system administrators and end users. We report on our experiences from two projects - a simple activity to demonstrate how Docker works, and a more elaborate set of services that demonstrates more of its capabilities and what they can achieve within an astronomical context - and include an account of how we solved problems through interaction with Docker's very active open source development community, which is currently the key to the most effective use of this rapidly-changing technology.

CrossTalk: The Journal of Defense Software Engineering. Volume 20, Number 7

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

away from the current Global Command and Control System family of systems, this effort will also require a significant change in both mindset and...which complicate the already significant logistic problems in austere environ- ments. Several efforts are beginning to produce rapidly deployable...currency, and applicability to keep pace with the changing environment and address significant challenges they face. Defense Information Systems Agency

Validation of a rapid DNA process with the RapidHIT® ID system using GlobalFiler® Express chemistry, a platform optimized for decentralized testing environments.

PubMed

Salceda, Susana; Barican, Arnaldo; Buscaino, Jacklyn; Goldman, Bruce; Klevenberg, Jim; Kuhn, Melissa; Lehto, Dennis; Lin, Frank; Nguyen, Phong; Park, Charles; Pearson, Francesca; Pittaro, Rick; Salodkar, Sayali; Schueren, Robert; Smith, Corey; Troup, Charles; Tsou, Dean; Vangbo, Mattias; Wunderle, Justus; King, David

2017-05-01

The RapidHIT ® ID is a fully automated sample-to-answer system for short tandem repeat (STR)-based human identification. The RapidHIT ID has been optimized for use in decentralized environments and processes presumed single source DNA samples, generating Combined DNA Index System (CODIS)-compatible DNA profiles in less than 90min. The system is easy to use, requiring less than one minute of hands-on time. Profiles are reviewed using centralized linking software, RapidLINK™ (IntegenX, Pleasanton, CA), a software tool designed to collate DNA profiles from single or multiple RapidHIT ID systems at different geographic locations. The RapidHIT ID has been designed to employ GlobalFiler ® Express and AmpFLSTR ® NGMSElect™, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Waltham, MA) STR chemistries. The Developmental Validation studies were performed using GlobalFiler ® Express with single source reference samples according to Scientific Working Group for DNA Analysis Methods guidelines. These results show that multiple RapidHIT ID systems networked with RapidLINK software form a highly reliable system for wide-scale deployment in locations such as police booking stations and border crossings enabling real-time testing of arrestees, potential human trafficking victims, and other instances where rapid turnaround is essential. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A report on IPv6 deployment activities and issues at Sandia National Laboratories:FY2007.

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

Tolendino, Lawrence F.; Eldridge, John M.; Hu, Tan Chang

2007-06-01

Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) has been a mainstay of the both the Internet and corporate networks for delivering network packets to the desired destination. However, rapid proliferation of network appliances, evolution of corporate networks, and the expanding Internet has begun to stress the limitations of the protocol. Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is the replacement protocol that overcomes the constraints of IPv4. As the emerging Internet network protocol, SNL needs to prepare for its eventual deployment in international, national, customer, and local networks. Additionally, the United States Office of Management and Budget has mandated that IPv6 deployment in governmentmore » network backbones occurs by 2008. This paper explores the readiness of the Sandia National Laboratories network backbone to support IPv6, the issues that must be addressed before a deployment begins, and recommends the next steps to take to comply with government mandates. The paper describes a joint work effort of the Sandia National Laboratories ASC WAN project team and members of the System Analysis & Trouble Resolution, the Communication & Network Systems, and Network System Design & Implementation Departments.« less

Radiation Control Coatings Installed on Federal Buildings at Tyndall Air Force Base

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

Kaba, R.L.; Petrie, T.W.

1999-03-16

The technical objectives of this CRADA comprise technology deployment and energy conservation efforts with the radiation control coatings industry and the utility sector. The results of this collaboration include a high-level data reporting, analysis and management system to support the deployment efforts. The technical objectives include successfully install, commission, operate, maintain and document the performance of radiation control coatings on roofs at Tyndall AFB and the Buildings Technology Center at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory; determine the life cycle savings that can be achieved by using radiation control coatings on entire roofs at Tyndall AFB, based on documented installed costmore » and operating maintenance costs with and without the coatings; determine if any specific improvements are required in the coatings before they can be successfully deployed in the federal sector; determine the most effective way to facilitate the widespread and rapid deployment of radiation control coatings in the federal sector; and clearly define any barriers to deployment.« less

Development of a Rapidly Deployable Special Operations Component Command (SOCC) Core Concept for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Special Operations Headquarters (NSHQ)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

operating in their territory. NSHQ is a new and evolving organization, which was instructed to develop a rapidly deployable HQ. NSHQ receives its...single overarching concept, eliminating redundancy, and integrates new deployable operational C2 structures (notably NSHQ) agreed through the...of the command and control issue is the ability to communicate effectively both up and down the chain of command. With the new technologies

Rapid response radiation sensors for homeland security applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukhopadhyay, Sanjoy; Maurer, Richard; Guss, Paul

2014-09-01

The National Security Technologies, LLC, Remote Sensing Laboratory is developing a rapid response radiation detection system for homeland security field applications. The intelligence-driven system is deployed only when non-radiological information about the target is verifiable. The survey area is often limited, so the detection range is small; in most cases covering a distance of 10 meters or less suffices. Definitive response is required in no more than 3 seconds and should minimize false negative alarms, but can err on the side of positive false alarms. The detection system is rapidly reconfigurable in terms of size, shape, and outer appearance; it is a plug-and-play system. Multiple radiation detection components (viz., two or more sodium iodide scintillators) are used to independently "over-determine" the existence of the threat object. Rapid response electronic dose rate meters are also included in the equipment suite. Carefully studied threat signatures are the basis of the decision making. The use of Rad-Detect predictive modeling provides information on the nature of the threat object. Rad-Detect provides accurate dose rate from heavily shielded large sources; for example those lost in Mexico were Category 1 radiation sources (~3,000 Ci of 60Co), the most dangerous of five categories defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Taken out of their shielding containers, Category 1 sources can kill anyone who is exposed to them at close range for a few minutes to an hour. Whenever possible sub-second data acquisition will be attempted, and, when deployed, the system will be characterized for false alarm rates. Although the radiation detection materials selected are fast (viz., faster scintillators), their speed is secondary to sensitivity, which is of primary importance. Results from these efforts will be discussed and demonstrated.

User perspectives on the usability of a regional health information exchange

PubMed Central

Ho, Yun-Xian; Cala, Cather Marie; Blakemore, Dana; Chen, Qingxia; Frisse, Mark E; Johnson, Kevin B

2011-01-01

Objective We assessed the usability of a health information exchange (HIE) in a densely populated metropolitan region. This grant-funded HIE had been deployed rapidly to address the imminent needs of the patient population and the need to draw wider participation from regional entities. Design We conducted a cross-sectional survey of individuals given access to the HIE at participating organizations and examined some of the usability and usage factors related to the technology acceptance model. Measurements We probed user perceptions using the Questionnaire for User Interaction Satisfaction, an author-generated Trust scale, and user characteristic questions (eg, age, weekly system usage time). Results Overall, users viewed the system favorably (ratings for all usability items were greater than neutral (one-sample Wilcoxon test, p<0.0014, Bonferroni-corrected for 35 tests). System usage was regressed on usability, trust, and demographic and user characteristic factors. Three usability factors were positively predictive of system usage: overall reactions (p<0 0.01), learning (p<0.05), and system functionality (p<0.01). Although trust is an important component in collaborative relationships, we did not find that user trust of other participating healthcare entities was significantly predictive of usage. An analysis of respondents' comments revealed ways to improve the HIE. Conclusion We used a rapid deployment model to develop an HIE and found that perceptions of system usability were positive. We also found that system usage was predicted well by some aspects of usability. Results from this study suggest that a rapid development approach may serve as a viable model for developing usable HIEs serving communities with limited resources. PMID:21622933

Rapid Deployment of Optimal Control for Building HVAC Systems Using Innovative Software Tools and a Hybrid Heuristic/Model Based Control Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-21

for public release; distribution is unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES None 14. ABSTRACT ESTCP project EW-201409 aimed at demonstrating the benefits ...of innovative software technology for building HV AC systems. These benefits included reduced system energy use and cost as wetl as improved...Control Approach March 2017 This document has been cleared for public release; Distribution Statement A

Bootstrapping Development of a Cloud-Based Spoken Dialog System in the Educational Domain from Scratch Using Crowdsourced Data. Research Report. ETS RR-16-16

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramanarayanan, Vikram; Suendermann-Oeft, David; Lange, Patrick; Ivanov, Alexei V.; Evanini, Keelan; Yu, Zhou; Tsuprun, Eugene; Qian, Yao

2016-01-01

We propose a crowdsourcing-based framework to iteratively and rapidly bootstrap a dialog system from scratch for a new domain. We leverage the open-source modular HALEF dialog system to deploy dialog applications. We illustrate the usefulness of this framework using four different prototype dialog items with applications in the educational domain…

Development and Deployment of the OpenMRS-Ebola Electronic Health Record System for an Ebola Treatment Center in Sierra Leone

PubMed Central

Jazayeri, Darius; Teich, Jonathan M; Ball, Ellen; Nankubuge, Patricia Alexandra; Rwebembera, Job; Wing, Kevin; Sesay, Alieu Amara; Kanter, Andrew S; Ramos, Glauber D; Walton, David; Cummings, Rachael; Checchi, Francesco; Fraser, Hamish S

2017-01-01

Background Stringent infection control requirements at Ebola treatment centers (ETCs), which are specialized facilities for isolating and treating Ebola patients, create substantial challenges for recording and reviewing patient information. During the 2014-2016 West African Ebola epidemic, paper-based data collection systems at ETCs compromised the quality, quantity, and confidentiality of patient data. Electronic health record (EHR) systems have the potential to address such problems, with benefits for patient care, surveillance, and research. However, no suitable software was available for deployment when large-scale ETCs opened as the epidemic escalated in 2014. Objective We present our work on rapidly developing and deploying OpenMRS-Ebola, an EHR system for the Kerry Town ETC in Sierra Leone. We describe our experience, lessons learned, and recommendations for future health emergencies. Methods We used the OpenMRS platform and Agile software development approaches to build OpenMRS-Ebola. Key features of our work included daily communications between the development team and ground-based operations team, iterative processes, and phased development and implementation. We made design decisions based on the restrictions of the ETC environment and regular user feedback. To evaluate the system, we conducted predeployment user questionnaires and compared the EHR records with duplicate paper records. Results We successfully built OpenMRS-Ebola, a modular stand-alone EHR system with a tablet-based application for infectious patient wards and a desktop-based application for noninfectious areas. OpenMRS-Ebola supports patient tracking (registration, bed allocation, and discharge); recording of vital signs and symptoms; medication and intravenous fluid ordering and monitoring; laboratory results; clinician notes; and data export. It displays relevant patient information to clinicians in infectious and noninfectious zones. We implemented phase 1 (patient tracking; drug ordering and monitoring) after 2.5 months of full-time development. OpenMRS-Ebola was used for 112 patient registrations, 569 prescription orders, and 971 medication administration recordings. We were unable to fully implement phases 2 and 3 as the ETC closed because of a decrease in new Ebola cases. The phase 1 evaluation suggested that OpenMRS-Ebola worked well in the context of the rollout, and the user feedback was positive. Conclusions To our knowledge, OpenMRS-Ebola is the most comprehensive adaptable clinical EHR built for a low-resource setting health emergency. It is designed to address the main challenges of data collection in highly infectious environments that require robust infection prevention and control measures and it is interoperable with other electronic health systems. Although we built and deployed OpenMRS-Ebola more rapidly than typical software, our work highlights the challenges of having to develop an appropriate system during an emergency rather than being able to rapidly adapt an existing one. Lessons learned from this and previous emergencies should be used to ensure that a set of well-designed, easy-to-use, pretested health software is ready for quick deployment in future. PMID:28827211

Real-time magnetic resonance imaging-guided transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

PubMed

Miller, Justin G; Li, Ming; Mazilu, Dumitru; Hunt, Tim; Horvath, Keith A

2016-05-01

To demonstrate the feasibility of Real-time magnetic resonance imaging (rtMRI) guided transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with an active guidewire and an MRI compatible valve delivery catheter system in a swine model. The CoreValve system was minimally modified to be MRI-compatible by replacing the stainless steel components with fluoroplastic resin and high-density polyethylene components. Eight swine weighing 60-90 kg underwent rtMRI-guided TAVR with an active guidewire through a left subclavian approach. Two imaging planes (long-axis view and short-axis view) were used simultaneously for real-time imaging during implantation. Successful deployment was performed without rapid ventricular pacing or cardiopulmonary bypass. Postdeployment images were acquired to evaluate the final valve position in addition to valvular and cardiac function. Our results show that the CoreValve can be easily and effectively deployed through a left subclavian approach using rtMRI guidance, a minimally modified valve delivery catheter system, and an active guidewire. This method allows superior visualization before deployment, thereby allowing placement of the valve with pinpoint accuracy. rtMRI has the added benefit of the ability to perform immediate postprocedural functional assessment, while eliminating the morbidity associated with radiation exposure, rapid ventricular pacing, contrast media renal toxicity, and a more invasive procedure. Use of a commercially available device brings this rtMRI-guided approach closer to clinical reality. Copyright © 2016 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Coastal Applications of the Canopy Biomass Lidar (CBL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paynter, I.; Saenz, E.; Peri, F.; Schaaf, C.; Wang, Z.; Erb, A.; Yang, Y.; Rouhani, S.; Liu, Y.; Yang, X.; Chen, R. F.; Oktay, S.; Gontz, A. M.; Douglas, E. M.; Kim, J.; Sun, Q.; Strahler, A. H.; Li, Z.; van Aardt, J. A.; Kelbe, D.; Romanczyk, P.; Cawse-Nicholson, K.

2013-12-01

Airborne discrete and full waveform lidars have increasingly been utilized to augment multispectral and hyperspectral imaging of coastal ecosystems. While these data provide important landscape assessments of the shore and nearshore environment, they often lack the frequency that is really needed to monitor complex vegetative systems such as salt marshes and mangroves and provide rapid evaluations in the aftermath of severe storms. One solution is to augment the sparse airborne and satellite acquisitions with terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) information. However, most institutions with fine resolution discrete or full waveform TLS instruments are unwilling to risk these expensive (and often heavy) lidar in marine or estuarine environments. The Canopy Biomass Lidar (CBL) is an inexpensive, highly portable, fast-scanning, time-of-flight, TLS instrument, originally conceived by the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL) and refined by the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Two new CBLs, constructed by the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB), have been successfully deployed in deciduous and conifer forests at Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) and National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) sites in Massachusetts (Harvard Forest) and California (Sierra National Forest), and in eucalypt forests at long-term and Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) sites in Queensland, Australia. Both the UMB and RIT CBLs have also been deployed in savanna systems at the San Joaquin Rangeland (and NEON site) in California. The UMB CBLs are now being deployed in salt marsh systems in Massachusetts with plans underway to deploy them in mangrove forests later in the year. In particular, they are being used to characterize the water facing edge of saltmarsh at UMB's Nantucket Island field station and remnant salt marshes on the highly urbanized Neponset estuary draining into Boston Harbor. While CBL's 905nm nearIR wavelength is of little use in nearshore inundated systems (such as eel grass and kelp), it is excellent for characterizing 3D foliage structure via multiple scan point clouds. The system is light and the scanning is rapid enough (30seconds for a full hemispherical scan) to be deployed manually or in small watercraft. The portability also means that it can be used frequently to monitor vegetation dynamics throughout the growing season and assess marsh damage and erosion after severe storms. While airborne lidar and hyperspectral data and high resolution satellite imagery (and indeed even the more frequently available coarser resolution multispectral satellite imagery from the newly launched Landsat 8) will provide the most expansive views of such environments, tools such as the CBL can provide important ancillary information to augment the remote sensing data and provide rapid and fine scale shore level details to improve modeling and monitoring of these coastal vegetation ecosystems.

Performance Learning Roadmap A Network-Centric Approach for Engaged Learners

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

Insurance Corporation Target Corporation Unilever Corporation United Nations Development Programme University of Wisconsin (UWSA)–Madison U.S. Coast Guard...performance support services, including consulting, coaching, mentoring, rapid 14 deployment training, targeted training, analysis , facilitation, and team...services include consulting, coaching, mentoring, rapid deployment training, targeted train- ing, analysis , facilitation, and team collaboration support

Prolonged high-pressure is required for optimal stent deployment as assessed by optical coherence tomography.

PubMed

Cook, Jeffrey R; Mhatre, Ajay; Wang, Fen Wei; Uretsky, Barry F

2014-03-01

Optimizing stent deployment is important for both acute- and long-term outcomes. High-pressure balloon inflation is the standard for coronary stent implantation. However, there is no standardized inflation protocol. We hypothesized that prolonged high-pressure balloon inflation until stabilization of inflation pressure is superior to a rapid inflation/deflation sequence for both stent expansion and strut apposition. A high-pressure rapid inflation/deflation sequence was deployed followed by angiography to assure no residual stenosis. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was then performed followed by prolonged inflation until balloon pressure was stabilized for 30 sec using the same balloon at the same pressure as the rapid sequence. A second OCT run was then done. Thirteen thousand nine hundred thirteen stent struts were evaluated by OCT in 12 patients undergoing successful stenting. Stent expansion improved with prolonged (206 ± 115 sec) vs. rapid (28 ± 17 sec) inflation for both minimal stent diameter (3.0 ± 0.5 vs. 2.75 ± 0.44 mm, P < 0.0001) and area (7.83 ± 2.45 vs. 6.63 ± 1.85 mm(2) , P = 0.0003). The number of malapposed struts decreased (45 ± 41 vs. 88 ± 75, P = 0.005) as did the maximal malapposed strut distance (0.31 ± 0.2 vs. 0.43 ± 0.2 mm, P = 0.0001). Factors related to strut malapposition after rapid inflation included localized asymmetry in 67%, stent underexpansion in 75%, and stent undersizing in 67%. These data demonstrate that prolonged inflation is superior to a rapid inflation/deflation technique for both stent expansion and strut apposition. We recommend for routine stent deployment a prolonged inflation protocol as described above to optimize stent deployment. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Rapid Deployment of Optimal Control for Building HVAC Systems using Innovative Software Tools and a Hybrid Heuristic/Model Based Control Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-21

Energy and Water Projects March 21, 2017 REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of...included reduced system energy use and cost as well as improved performance driven by autonomous commissioning and optimized system control. In the end...improve system performance and reduce energy use and cost. However, implementing these solutions into the extremely heterogeneous and often

Reaching a 1.5°C target: socio-technical challenges for a rapid transition to low-carbon electricity systems.

PubMed

Eyre, Nick; Darby, Sarah J; Grünewald, Philipp; McKenna, Eoghan; Ford, Rebecca

2018-05-13

A 1.5°C global average target implies that we should no longer focus on merely incremental emissions reductions from the electricity system, but rather on fundamentally re-envisaging a system that, sooner rather than later, becomes carbon free. Many low-carbon technologies are surpassing mainstream predictions for both uptake and cost reduction. Their deployment is beginning to be disruptive within established systems. 'Smart technologies' are being developed to address emerging challenges of system integration, but their rates of future deployment remain uncertain. We argue that transition towards a system that can fully displace carbon generation sources will require expanding the focus of our efforts beyond technical solutions. Recognizing that change has social and technical dimensions, and that these interact strongly, we set out a socio-technical review that covers electricity infrastructure, citizens, business models and governance. It describes some of the socio-technical challenges that need to be addressed for the successful transition of the existing electricity systems. We conclude that a socio-technical understanding of electricity system transitions offers new and better insights into the potential and challenges for rapid decarbonization.This article is part of the theme issue 'The Paris Agreement: understanding the physical and social challenges for a warming world of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Field-Deployable Reverse Transcription-Insulated Isothermal PCR (RT-iiPCR) Assay for Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus.

PubMed

Ambagala, A; Fisher, M; Goolia, M; Nfon, C; Furukawa-Stoffer, T; Ortega Polo, R; Lung, O

2017-10-01

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals, which can decimate the livestock industry and economy of countries previously free of this disease. Rapid detection of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is critical to containing an FMD outbreak. Availability of a rapid, highly sensitive and specific, yet simple and field-deployable assay would support local decision-making during an FMDV outbreak. Here we report validation of a novel reverse transcription-insulated isothermal PCR (RT-iiPCR) assay that can be performed on a commercially available, compact and portable POCKIT ™ analyser that automatically analyses data and displays '+' or '-' results. The FMDV RT-iiPCR assay targets the 3D region of the FMDV genome and was capable of detecting 9 copies of in vitro-transcribed RNA standard with 95% confidence. It accurately identified 63 FMDV strains belonging to all seven serotypes and showed no cross-reactivity with viruses causing similar clinical diseases in cloven-hoofed animals. The assay was able to identify FMDV RNA in multiple sample types including oral, nasal and lesion swabs, epithelial tissue suspensions, vesicular and oral fluid samples, even before the appearance of clinical signs. Clinical sensitivity of the assay was comparable or slightly higher than the laboratory-based real-time RT-PCR assay in use. The assay was able to detect FMDV RNA in vesicular fluid samples without nucleic acid extraction. For RNA extraction from more complex sample types, a commercially available taco ™ mini transportable magnetic bead-based, automated extraction system was used. This assay provides a potentially useful field-deployable diagnostic tool for rapid detection of FMDV in an outbreak in FMD-free countries or for routine diagnostics in endemic countries with less structured laboratory systems. © 2016 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada.

Wind deployment in the United States: states, resources, policy, and discourse.

PubMed

Wilson, Elizabeth J; Stephens, Jennie C

2009-12-15

A transformation in the way the United States produces and uses energy is needed to achieve greenhouse gas reduction targets for climate change mitigation. Wind power is an important low-carbon technology and the most rapidly growing renewable energy technology in the U.S. Despite recent advances in wind deployment, significant state-by-state variation in wind power distribution cannot be explained solely by wind resource patterns nor by state policy. Other factors embedded within the state-level socio-political context also contribute to wind deployment patterns. We explore this socio-political context in four U.S. states by integrating multiple research methods. Through comparative state-level analysis of the energy system, energy policy, and public discourse as represented in the media, we examine variation in the context for wind deployment in Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, and Texas. Our results demonstrate that these states have different patterns of wind deployment, are engaged in different debates about wind power, and appear to frame the risks and benefits of wind power in different ways. This comparative assessment highlights the complex variation of the state-level socio-political context and contributes depth to our understanding of energy technology deployment processes, decision-making, and outcomes.

Building the vision, a series of AZTech ITS model deployment success stories for the Phoenix metropolitan area : number eight : rapid response, improving communications between traffic management and emergency SVCS

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-01-01

Improving safety is an essential element of AZTech's mission. By extending the use of advanced communications technology and integrating individual traffic management systems, AZTech facilitates : safety on the roadways. To improve the management of ...

Rapidly Deployable Raven-class Systems SSA Support in the Field

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

valley. In this location, there was no cell - phone coverage. The nearest location where cell phone coverage was available was a 30- minute drive. There...Fig. 2, a home on several acres that was quite remote, although there was a road nearby. In this location there was cell phone coverage, but no

Rapid All-Sky Transient Discovery and Analysis with Evryscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corbett, Henry T.; Law, Nicholas; Fors, Octavi; Ratzloff, Jeff; Goeke, Erin; Howard, Ward S.

2018-01-01

The Evryscope is an array of 24 small telescopes on a common mount, capable of observing the entire visible sky down to g' ~ 16 with a two-minute cadence. Each exposure covers 8000 square degrees over 691 MPix and requires minimal readout time, providing 97% continuous coverage of the night sky. The system's large field of view and rapid cadence enable exploration of a previously inaccessible parameter space of bright and fast transients, including nearby microlensing events, supernovae, and kilonovae GW counterparts. The first instrument, located at CTIO in Chile, was deployed in mid-2015 and is currently in production creating multi-year light curves with percent-level precision. A second identical system is on track for deployment at Mount Laguna Observatory in California in early 2018. Once operational, the two sites will provide simultaneous two-color photometry over a 4000 square degree overlapping region accessible to both instruments, operating as a combined discovery and follow-up network for transient phenomena on all nearby stars and many nearby galaxies. I will present recent science results from the Evryscope and an overview of our data reduction pipeline.

Rapid Leaf Deployment Strategies in a Deciduous Savanna

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Deciduous plants avoid the costs of maintaining leaves in the unfavourable season, but carry the costs of constructing new leaves every year. Deciduousness is therefore expected in ecological situations with pronounced seasonality and low costs of leaf construction. In our study system, a seasonally dry tropical savanna, many trees are deciduous, suggesting that leaf construction costs must be low. Previous studies have, however, shown that nitrogen is limiting in this system, suggesting that leaf construction costs are high. Here we examine this conundrum using a time series of soil moisture availability, leaf phenology and nitrogen distribution in the tree canopy to illustrate how trees resorb nitrogen before leaf abscission and use stored reserves of nitrogen and carbon to construct new leaves at the onset of the growing season. Our results show that trees deployed leaves shortly before and in anticipation of the first rains with its associated pulse of nitrogen mineralisation. Our results also show that trees rapidly constructed a full canopy of leaves within two weeks of the first rains. We detected an increase in leaf nitrogen content that corresponded with the first rains and with the movement of nitrogen to more distal branches, suggesting that stored nitrogen reserves are used to construct leaves. Furthermore the stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) of these leaves suggest the use of stored carbon for leaf construction. Our findings suggest that the early deployment of leaves using stored nitrogen and carbon reserves is a strategy that is integrally linked with the onset of the first rains. This strategy may confer a competitive advantage over species that deploy leaves at or after the onset of the rains. PMID:27310398

Design and performance of an integrated ground and space sensor web for monitoring active volcanoes.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahusen, Richard; Song, Wenzhan; Kedar, Sharon; Shirazi, Behrooz; Chien, Steve; Doubleday, Joshua; Davies, Ashley; Webb, Frank; Dzurisin, Dan; Pallister, John

2010-05-01

An interdisciplinary team of computer, earth and space scientists collaborated to develop a sensor web system for rapid deployment at active volcanoes. The primary goals of this Optimized Autonomous Space In situ Sensorweb (OASIS) are to: 1) integrate complementary space and in situ (ground-based) elements into an interactive, autonomous sensor web; 2) advance sensor web power and communication resource management technology; and 3) enable scalability for seamless addition sensors and other satellites into the sensor web. This three-year project began with a rigorous multidisciplinary interchange that resulted in definition of system requirements to guide the design of the OASIS network and to achieve the stated project goals. Based on those guidelines, we have developed fully self-contained in situ nodes that integrate GPS, seismic, infrasonic and lightning (ash) detection sensors. The nodes in the wireless sensor network are linked to the ground control center through a mesh network that is highly optimized for remote geophysical monitoring. OASIS also features an autonomous bidirectional interaction between ground nodes and instruments on the EO-1 space platform through continuous analysis and messaging capabilities at the command and control center. Data from both the in situ sensors and satellite-borne hyperspectral imaging sensors stream into a common database for real-time visualization and analysis by earth scientists. We have successfully completed a field deployment of 15 nodes within the crater and on the flanks of Mount St. Helens, Washington. The demonstration that sensor web technology facilitates rapid network deployments and that we can achieve real-time continuous data acquisition. We are now optimizing component performance and improving user interaction for additional deployments at erupting volcanoes in 2010.

Information resources assessment of a healthcare integrated delivery system.

PubMed Central

Gadd, C. S.; Friedman, C. P.; Douglas, G.; Miller, D. J.

1999-01-01

While clinical healthcare systems may have lagged behind computer applications in other fields in the shift from mainframes to client-server architectures, the rapid deployment of newer applications is closing that gap. Organizations considering the transition to client-server must identify and position themselves to provide the resources necessary to implement and support the infrastructure requirements of client-server architectures and to manage the accelerated complexity at the desktop, including hardware and software deployment, training, and maintenance needs. This paper describes an information resources assessment of the recently aligned Pennsylvania regional Veterans Administration Stars and Stripes Health Network (VISN4), in anticipation of the shift from a predominantly mainframe to a client-server information systems architecture in its well-established VistA clinical information system. The multimethod assessment study is described here to demonstrate this approach and its value to regional healthcare networks undergoing organizational integration and/or significant information technology transformations. PMID:10566414

New Technology Changing The Face of Mobile Seismic Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brisbourne, A.; Denton, P.; Seis-Uk

SEIS-UK, a seismic equipment pool and data management facility run by a consortium of four UK universities (Leicester, Leeds, Cambridge and Royal Holloway, London) completed its second phase in 2001. To compliment the existing broadband equipment pool, which has been deployed to full capacity to date, the consortium undertook a tender evaluation process for low-power, lightweight sensors and recorders, for use on both controlled source and passive seismic experiments. The preferred option, selected by the consortium, was the Guralp CMG-6TD system, with 150 systems ordered. The CMG-6TD system is a new concept in temporary seismic equipment. A 30s- 100Hz force-feedback sensor, integral 24bit digitiser and 3-4Gbyte of solid-state memory are all housed in a single unit. Use of the most recent technologies has kept the power consumption to below 1W and the weight to 3.5Kg per unit. The concept of the disk-swap procedure for obtaining data from the field has been usurped by a fast data download technique using firewire technology. This allows for rapid station servicing, essential when 150 stations are in use, and also ensures the environmental integrity of the system by removing the requirement for a disk access port and envi- ronmentally exposed data disk. The system therefore meets the criteria for controlled source and passive seismic experiments: (1) the single unit concept and low-weight is designed for rapid deployment on short-term projects; (2) the low power consumption reduces the power-supply requirements facilitating deployment; (3) the low self-noise and bandwidth of the sensor make it applicable to passive experiments involving nat- ural sources. Further to this acquisition process, in collaboration with external groups, the SEIS- UK data management procedures have been streamlined with the integration of the Guralp GCF format data into the PASSCAL PDB software. This allows for rapid dissemination of field data and the production of archive-ready datasets, reducing the time between field recording and data archive. The archiving procedure for SEIS- UK datasets has been established, with data from experiments carried out with the broadband equipment already on the permanent continuous data archive at IRIS DMC.

Radiological Monitoring Equipment For Real-Time Quantification Of Area Contamination In Soils And Facility Decommissioning

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

M. V. Carpenter; Jay A. Roach; John R Giles

2005-09-01

The environmental restoration industry offers several sys¬tems that perform scan-type characterization of radiologically contaminated areas. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has developed and deployed a suite of field systems that rapidly scan, characterize, and analyse radiological contamination in surface soils. The base system consists of a detector, such as sodium iodide (NaI) spectrometers, a global positioning system (GPS), and an integrated user-friendly computer interface. This mobile concept was initially developed to provide precertifica¬tion analyses of soils contaminated with uranium, thorium, and radium at the Fernald Closure Project, near Cincinnati, Ohio. INL has expanded the functionality of this basic system tomore » create a suite of integrated field-deployable analytical systems. Using its engineering and radiation measurement expertise, aided by computer hardware and software support, INL has streamlined the data acquisition and analysis process to provide real-time information presented on wireless screens and in the form of coverage maps immediately available to field technicians. In addition, custom software offers a user-friendly interface with user-selectable alarm levels and automated data quality monitoring functions that validate the data. This system is deployed from various platforms, depending on the nature of the survey. The deployment platforms include a small all-terrain vehicle used to survey large, relatively flat areas, a hand-pushed unit for areas where manoeuvrability is important, an excavator-mounted system used to scan pits and trenches where personnel access is restricted, and backpack- mounted systems to survey rocky shoreline features and other physical settings that preclude vehicle-based deployment. Variants of the base system include sealed proportional counters for measuring actinides (i.e., plutonium-238 and americium-241) in building demolitions, soil areas, roadbeds, and process line routes at the Miamisburg Closure Project near Dayton, Ohio. In addition, INL supports decontamination operations at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.« less

Integrated remote sensing and visualization (IRSV) system for transportation infrastructure operations and management, phase two, volume 5 : aerial bridge deck imaging data collection and software revision.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-02-01

For rapid deployment of bridge scan missions, sub-inch aerial imaging using small format aerial photography : is suggested. Under-belly photography is used to generate high resolution aerial images that can be geo-referenced and : used for quantifyin...

The underestimated potential of solar energy to mitigate climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Creutzig, Felix; Agoston, Peter; Goldschmidt, Jan Christoph; Luderer, Gunnar; Nemet, Gregory; Pietzcker, Robert C.

2017-09-01

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's fifth assessment report emphasizes the importance of bioenergy and carbon capture and storage for achieving climate goals, but it does not identify solar energy as a strategically important technology option. That is surprising given the strong growth, large resource, and low environmental footprint of photovoltaics (PV). Here we explore how models have consistently underestimated PV deployment and identify the reasons for underlying bias in models. Our analysis reveals that rapid technological learning and technology-specific policy support were crucial to PV deployment in the past, but that future success will depend on adequate financing instruments and the management of system integration. We propose that with coordinated advances in multiple components of the energy system, PV could supply 30-50% of electricity in competitive markets.

Data, network, and application: technical description of the Utah RODS Winter Olympic Biosurveillance System.

PubMed Central

Tsui, Fu-Chiang; Espino, Jeremy U.; Wagner, Michael M.; Gesteland, Per; Ivanov, Oleg; Olszewski, Robert T.; Liu, Zhen; Zeng, Xiaoming; Chapman, Wendy; Wong, Weng Keen; Moore, Andrew

2002-01-01

Given the post September 11th climate of possible bioterrorist attacks and the high profile 2002 Winter Olympics in the Salt Lake City, Utah, we challenged ourselves to deploy a computer-based real-time automated biosurveillance system for Utah, the Utah Real-time Outbreak and Disease Surveillance system (Utah RODS), in six weeks using our existing Real-time Outbreak and Disease Surveillance (RODS) architecture. During the Olympics, Utah RODS received real-time HL-7 admission messages from 10 emergency departments and 20 walk-in clinics. It collected free-text chief complaints, categorized them into one of seven prodromes classes using natural language processing, and provided a web interface for real-time display of time series graphs, geographic information system output, outbreak algorithm alerts, and details of the cases. The system detected two possible outbreaks that were dismissed as the natural result of increasing rates of Influenza. Utah RODS allowed us to further understand the complexities underlying the rapid deployment of a RODS-like system. PMID:12463938

Data, network, and application: technical description of the Utah RODS Winter Olympic Biosurveillance System.

PubMed

Tsui, Fu-Chiang; Espino, Jeremy U; Wagner, Michael M; Gesteland, Per; Ivanov, Oleg; Olszewski, Robert T; Liu, Zhen; Zeng, Xiaoming; Chapman, Wendy; Wong, Weng Keen; Moore, Andrew

2002-01-01

Given the post September 11th climate of possible bioterrorist attacks and the high profile 2002 Winter Olympics in the Salt Lake City, Utah, we challenged ourselves to deploy a computer-based real-time automated biosurveillance system for Utah, the Utah Real-time Outbreak and Disease Surveillance system (Utah RODS), in six weeks using our existing Real-time Outbreak and Disease Surveillance (RODS) architecture. During the Olympics, Utah RODS received real-time HL-7 admission messages from 10 emergency departments and 20 walk-in clinics. It collected free-text chief complaints, categorized them into one of seven prodromes classes using natural language processing, and provided a web interface for real-time display of time series graphs, geographic information system output, outbreak algorithm alerts, and details of the cases. The system detected two possible outbreaks that were dismissed as the natural result of increasing rates of Influenza. Utah RODS allowed us to further understand the complexities underlying the rapid deployment of a RODS-like system.

Solid-State Cloud Radar System (CRS) Upgrade and Deployment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McLinden, Matt; Heymsfield, Gerald; Li, Lihua; Racette, Paul; Coon, Michael; Venkatesh, Vijay

2015-01-01

The recent decade has brought rapid development in solid-state power amplifier (SSPA) technology. This has enabled the use of solid-state precipitation radar in place of high-power and high-voltage systems such as those that use Klystron or Magnetron transmitters. The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has recently completed a comprehensive redesign of the 94 gigahertz Cloud Radar System (CRS) to incorporate a solid-state transmitter. It is the first cloud radar to achieve sensitivity comparable to that of a high-voltage transmitter using solid-state. The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Cloud Radar System (CRS) is a 94 gigahertz Doppler radar that flies on the NASA ER-2 high-altitude aircraft. The upgraded CRS system utilizes a state-of-the-art solid-state 94 gigahertz power amplifier with a peak transmit power of 30 watts. The modernized CRS system is detailed here with data results from its deployment during the 2014 Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment (IPHEX).

Return to contingency: developing a coherent strategy for future R2E/R3 land medical capabilities.

PubMed

Ingram, Mike; Mahan, J

2015-03-01

Key to deploying forces in the future will be the provision of a rapidly deployable Deployed Hospital Capability. Developing this capability has been the focus of 34 Field Hospital and 2nd Medical Brigade over the last 18 months and this paper describes a personal account of this development work to date. Future contingent Deployed Hospital Capability must meet the requirements of Defence; that is to be rapidly deployable delivering a hospital standard of care. The excellence seen in clinical delivery on recent operations is intensive; in personnel, equipment, infrastructure and sustainment. The challenge in developing a coherent capability has been in balancing the clinical capability and capacity against strategic load in light of recent advances in battlefield medicine. This paper explores the issues encountered and solutions found to date in reconstituting a Very High Readiness Deployed Hospital Capability. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Modeling & Testing of Inflatable Structures for Rapidly Deployable Port Infrastructures

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-01

Rapidly Deployable Port Infrastructures By: Andrew Bloxom Abel Medellin Chris Vince Dr. Solomon Yim N SW C C D -C IS D -2 01...Andrew Bloxom, Abel Medellin , Chris Vince, Dr. Solomon Yim 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING...Andrew Bloxom Abel Medellin Chris Vince Dr. Solomon Yim A special thanks to: • Ben Testerman and Dr. Pat

The Nomad Explorer assembly assist vehicle: An architecture for rapid global extraterrestrial base infrastructure establishment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thangavelu, Madhu

1994-01-01

Traditional concepts of lunar bases describe scenarios where components of the bases are landed on the lunar surface, one at a time, and then put together to form a complete stationary lunar habitat. Recently, some concepts have described the advantages of operating a mobile or 'roving' lunar base. Such a base vastly improves the exploration range from a primary lunar base. Roving bases would also allow the crew to first deploy, test, operationally certify, and then regularly maintain, service, and evolve long life-cycle facilities like observatories or other science payload platforms that are operated far apart from each other across the extraterrestrial surface. The Nomad Explorer is such a mobile lunar base. This paper describes the architectural program of the Nomad Explorer, its advantages over a stationary lunar base, and some of the embedded system concepts which help the roving base to speedily establish a global extraterrestrial infrastructure. A number of modular autonomous logistics landers will carry deployable or erectable payloads, service, and logistically resupply the Nomad Explorer at regular intercepts along the traverse. Starting with the deployment of science experiments and telecommunication networks, and the manned emplacement of a variety of remote outposts using a unique EVA Bell system that enhances manned EVA, the Nomad Explorer architecture suggests the capability for a rapid global development of the extraterrestrial body. The Moon and Mars are candidates for this 'mission oriented' strategy. The lunar case is emphasized in this paper.

Design and implementation of an inpatient physician documentation system using off-the-shelf components.

PubMed

Cucina, Russell J; Bokser, Seth J; Carter, Jonathan T; McLaren, Kevin M; Blum, Michael S

2007-10-11

We report the development and implementation of an electronic inpatient physician documentation system using off-the-shelf components, rapidly and at low cost. Within 9 months of deployment, over half of physician notes were electronic, and within 20 months, paper physician notes were eliminated. Our results suggest institutions can prioritize conversion to inpatient electronic physician documentation without waiting for development of sophisticated software packages or large capital investments.

DoD Life Cycle Management (LCM) and Product Support Manager (PSM) Rapid Deployment Training

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-01

fielding, sustainment, and disposal of a DOD system across its life cycle.” (JCIDS Operation Manual) • “The PM shall be the single point of...devote more funds to development and procurement in order to modernize weapon systems . But, in fact, growth in operating and support costs has limited the...Requirements Differently could Reduce Weapon Systems ’ Total Ownership Costs The DoD “Death Spiral” (Source: Dr. Jacques S. Gansler, USD(A&T

Rapidly Deployable Security System Final Report CRADA No. TC-2030-01

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

Kohlhepp, V.; Whiteman, B.; McKibben, M. T.

The ultimate objective of the LEADER and LLNL strategic partnership was to develop and commercialize_a security-based system product and platform for the use in protecting the substantial physical and economic assets of the government and commerce of the United States. The primary goal of this project was to integrate video surveillance hardware developed by LLNL with a security software backbone developed by LEADER. Upon completion of the project, a prototype hardware/software security system that is highly scalable was to be demonstrated.

Deployment Threats to Rapid Deployment Forces

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-01

may take two weeks. The same process occurs in people who move rapidly from a time zone in which they are well-adapted to a time zone that is hours...travel is a complex process involving change and transition. Some of these changes are small and apparently insignificant, others loom large in their... process of depart- ing is not innocuous. It must be viewed as a personsal transition that may have a significant potential for stress production

Software Considerations for Subscale Flight Testing of Experimental Control Laws

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murch, Austin M.; Cox, David E.; Cunningham, Kevin

2009-01-01

The NASA AirSTAR system has been designed to address the challenges associated with safe and efficient subscale flight testing of research control laws in adverse flight conditions. In this paper, software elements of this system are described, with an emphasis on components which allow for rapid prototyping and deployment of aircraft control laws. Through model-based design and automatic coding a common code-base is used for desktop analysis, piloted simulation and real-time flight control. The flight control system provides the ability to rapidly integrate and test multiple research control laws and to emulate component or sensor failures. Integrated integrity monitoring systems provide aircraft structural load protection, isolate the system from control algorithm failures, and monitor the health of telemetry streams. Finally, issues associated with software configuration management and code modularity are briefly discussed.

Development and evaluation of an open-source, low-cost distributed sensor network for environmental monitoring applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunawardena, N.; Pardyjak, E. R.; Stoll, R.; Khadka, A.

2018-02-01

Over the last decade there has been a proliferation of low-cost sensor networks that enable highly distributed sensor deployments in environmental applications. The technology is easily accessible and rapidly advancing due to the use of open-source microcontrollers. While this trend is extremely exciting, and the technology provides unprecedented spatial coverage, these sensors and associated microcontroller systems have not been well evaluated in the literature. Given the large number of new deployments and proposed research efforts using these technologies, it is necessary to quantify the overall instrument and microcontroller performance for specific applications. In this paper, an Arduino-based weather station system is presented in detail. These low-cost energy-budget measurement stations, or LEMS, have now been deployed for continuous measurements as part of several different field campaigns, which are described herein. The LEMS are low-cost, flexible, and simple to maintain. In addition to presenting the technical details of the LEMS, its errors are quantified in laboratory and field settings. A simple artificial neural network-based radiation-error correction scheme is also presented. Finally, challenges and possible improvements to microcontroller-based atmospheric sensing systems are discussed.

The economic value of rapid deployment aortic valve replacement via full sternotomy.

PubMed

Moore, Matt; Barnhart, Glenn R; Chitwood, W Randolph; Rizzo, John A; Gunnarsson, Candace; Palli, Swetha R; Grossi, Eugene A

2017-06-01

To compare the economic value of EDWARDS INTUITY Elite™ (EIE) valve system for rapid-deployment aortic valve replacement (RDAVR) in a full sternotomy (FS) approach (EIE-FS-RDAVR) versus FS-AVR using conventional stented bioprosthesis. A simulation model to compare each treatment's 30-day inpatient utilization and complication rates utilized: clinical end points obtained from the TRANSFORM trial patient subset (EIE-FS-RDAVR) and a best evidence review of the published literature (FS-AVR); and costs from the Premier database and published literature. EIE-FS-RDAVR costs $800 less than FS-AVR per surgery episode attributable to lowered complication rates and utilization. Combined with the lower mortality, EIE-FS-RDAVR was a superior (dominant) technology versus FS-AVR. This preliminary investigation of EIE-FS-RDAVR versus conventional FS-AVR found the EIE valve offered superior economic value over a 30-day period. Real-world analyses with additional long-term follow-up are needed to evaluate if this result can be replicated over a longer timeframe.

The Future of Additive Manufacturing in Air Force Acquisition

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-22

manufacturing data - Designing and deploying a virtual aircraft fleet for future conflict - Space-based satellite production for defense capabilities via...changing system design via lower production costs, enhanced performance possibilities, and rapid replenishment. In the Technology Maturation and Risk... manufacturing as well as major cost savings via reduction of required materials, unique tooling, specialized production plans, and segments of the

Defense Science Board Task Force Report on Next-Generation Unmanned Undersea Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

active learning occurs in an environment that extends beyondchoreographed demonstrations designed to validate pre -determined hypotheses. Finally, when...4 OPNAV N99 should coordinate a broad-based design , development, and experimental effort to bypass traditional limitations for unmanned undersea...approaches that could facilitate rapid experimentation , operational demonstration of capabilities, and deployment of initial capabilities that show

Reagent-free and portable detection of Bacillus anthracis spores using a microfluidic incubator and smartphone microscope

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

Hutchison, Janine R.; Erikson, Rebecca L.; Sheen, Allison M.

Rapid, cost-effective bacterial detection systems are needed to respond to potential biothreat events. Here we report the use of smartphone-based microscopy in combination with a simple microfluidic incubation device to detect 5000 Bacillus anthracis spores in 3 hours. This field-deployable approach is compatible with real-time PCR for secondary confirmation.

SunShot 2030 for Photovoltaics (PV): Envisioning a Low-cost PV Future

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

Cole, Wesley J.; Frew, Bethany A.; Gagnon, Pieter J.

In this report we summarize the implications, impacts, and deployment potential of reaching the SunShot 2030 targets for the electricity system in the contiguous United States. We model 25 scenarios of the U.S. power sector using the Regional Energy Deployment Systems (ReEDS) and Distributed Generation (dGen) capacity expansion models. The scenarios cover a wide range of sensitivities to capture future uncertainties relating to fuel prices, retirements, renewable energy capital costs, and load growth. We give special attention to the potential for storage costs to also rapidly decline due to its large synergies with low-cost solar. The ReEDS and dGen modelsmore » project utility- and distributed-scale power sector evolution, respectively, for the United States. Both models have been designed with special emphasis on capturing the unique traits of renewable energy, including variability and grid integration requirements. Across the suite of scenarios modeled, we find that reaching the SunShot 2030 target has the potential to lead to significant capacity additions of PV in the United States. By 2050, PV penetration levels are projected to reach 28-46 percent of total generation. If storage also sees significant reductions in cost, then the 2050 solar penetration levels could reach 41-64 percent. PV deployment is projected to occur in all of the lower 48 states, though the specific deployment level is scenario dependent. The growth in PV is projected to be dominated by utility-scale systems, but the actual mix between utility and distributed systems could ultimately vary depending on how policies, system costs, and rate structures evolve.« less

Support of EarthScope GPS Campaigns at the UNAVCO Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyce, E.; Blume, F.; Normandeau, J.

2008-12-01

In order to support portable GPS deployments funded by the NSF's EarthScope Science panel, PBO has purchased 100 campaign GPS systems. Based Topcon GB-1000 equipment, the systems have been designed for stand-alone temporary or semi-permanent deployment that will be used for densifying areas not sufficiently covered by continuous GPS, and responding to volcanic and tectonic crises. UNAVCO provides support for all aspects of these projects, including proposal and budget development, project planning, equipment design, field support, and data archiving. Ten of the 100 systems have been equipped with real-time kinematic (RTK) capability requiring additional radio and data logging equipment. RTK systems can be used to rapidly map fault traces and profile fault escarpments and collect precise position information for GIS based geologic mapping. Each portable self-contained campaign systems include 18 Ah batteries, a regulated 32 watt solar charging system, and a low-power dual frequency GPS receiver and antenna in a waterproof case with security enhancements. The receivers have redundant memory sufficient for storing over a year's worth of data as well as IP and serial communications capabilities for longer-term deployments. Monumentation options are determined on a project-by-project basis, with options including Tech2000 masts, low-profile spike mounts, and traditional tripods and optical tribrachs. Drilled-braced monuments or masts can be installed for "semi- permanent" style occupations. The systems have been used to support several projects to date, including the University of Washington's 30-unit deployment to monitor the Episodic Tremor and Slip event in November, 2005 and the ongoing Rio Grande Rift experiment, run by the Universities of Colorado, Utah State, and New Mexico, which has seen the construction of 25 permanent monuments in 2006 and 2007 and a 26-site campaign reoccupation in 2008.

Support of EarthScope GPS Campaigns at the UNAVCO Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyce, E.; Blume, F.; Normandeau, J.

2007-12-01

In order to support portable GPS deployments funded by the NSF's EarthScope Science panel, PBO has purchased 100 campaign GPS systems. Based Topcon GB-1000 equipment, the systems have been designed for stand-alone temporary or semi-permanent deployment that will be used for densifying areas not sufficiently covered by continuous GPS, and responding to volcanic and tectonic crises. UNAVCO provides support for all aspects of these projects, including proposal and budget development, project planning, equipment design, field support, and data archiving. Ten of the 100 systems will be purchased with real-time kinematic (RTK) capability requiring additional radio and data logging equipment. RTK systems can be used to rapidly map fault traces and profile fault escarpments and collect precise position information for GIS based geologic mapping. Each portable self-contained campaign systems include 18 Ah batteries, a regulated 32 watt solar charging system, and a low-power dual frequency GPS receiver and antenna in a waterproof case with security enhancements. The receivers have redundant memory sufficient for storing over a year's worth of data as well as IP and serial communications capabilities for longer-term deployments. Monumentation options are determined on a project-by-project basis, with options including Tech2000 masts, low-profile spike mounts, and traditional tripods and optical tribrachs. Drilled-braced monuments or masts can be installed for "semi-permanent" style occupations. The systems have been used to support several projects to date, including the University of Washington's 30- unit deployment to monitor the Episodic Tremor and Slip event in November, 2005 and the ongoing Rio Grande Rift experiment, run by the Universities of Colorado, Utah State, and New Mexico, which has seen the construction of 25 permanent monuments in 2006 and 2007.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Prelaunch News Conference

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-10

In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, NASA and industry leaders speak to members of the media during a prelaunch news conference for the agency’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, or CYGNSS, spacecraft. The model depicts the deployment module from which the eight micro-satellites will be deployed. In the background is Tim Dunn, NASA launch director at Kennedy. The CYGNSS satellites will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data will help scientists probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a crucial role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Efficient and universal quantum key distribution based on chaos and middleware

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Dong; Chen, Yuanyuan; Gu, Xuemei; Xie, Ling; Chen, Lijun

2017-01-01

Quantum key distribution (QKD) promises unconditionally secure communications, however, the low bit rate of QKD cannot meet the requirements of high-speed applications. Despite the many solutions that have been proposed in recent years, they are neither efficient to generate the secret keys nor compatible with other QKD systems. This paper, based on chaotic cryptography and middleware technology, proposes an efficient and universal QKD protocol that can be directly deployed on top of any existing QKD system without modifying the underlying QKD protocol and optical platform. It initially takes the bit string generated by the QKD system as input, periodically updates the chaotic system, and efficiently outputs the bit sequences. Theoretical analysis and simulation results demonstrate that our protocol can efficiently increase the bit rate of the QKD system as well as securely generate bit sequences with perfect statistical properties. Compared with the existing methods, our protocol is more efficient and universal, it can be rapidly deployed on the QKD system to increase the bit rate when the QKD system becomes the bottleneck of its communication system.

Development and Deployment of the OpenMRS-Ebola Electronic Health Record System for an Ebola Treatment Center in Sierra Leone.

PubMed

Oza, Shefali; Jazayeri, Darius; Teich, Jonathan M; Ball, Ellen; Nankubuge, Patricia Alexandra; Rwebembera, Job; Wing, Kevin; Sesay, Alieu Amara; Kanter, Andrew S; Ramos, Glauber D; Walton, David; Cummings, Rachael; Checchi, Francesco; Fraser, Hamish S

2017-08-21

Stringent infection control requirements at Ebola treatment centers (ETCs), which are specialized facilities for isolating and treating Ebola patients, create substantial challenges for recording and reviewing patient information. During the 2014-2016 West African Ebola epidemic, paper-based data collection systems at ETCs compromised the quality, quantity, and confidentiality of patient data. Electronic health record (EHR) systems have the potential to address such problems, with benefits for patient care, surveillance, and research. However, no suitable software was available for deployment when large-scale ETCs opened as the epidemic escalated in 2014. We present our work on rapidly developing and deploying OpenMRS-Ebola, an EHR system for the Kerry Town ETC in Sierra Leone. We describe our experience, lessons learned, and recommendations for future health emergencies. We used the OpenMRS platform and Agile software development approaches to build OpenMRS-Ebola. Key features of our work included daily communications between the development team and ground-based operations team, iterative processes, and phased development and implementation. We made design decisions based on the restrictions of the ETC environment and regular user feedback. To evaluate the system, we conducted predeployment user questionnaires and compared the EHR records with duplicate paper records. We successfully built OpenMRS-Ebola, a modular stand-alone EHR system with a tablet-based application for infectious patient wards and a desktop-based application for noninfectious areas. OpenMRS-Ebola supports patient tracking (registration, bed allocation, and discharge); recording of vital signs and symptoms; medication and intravenous fluid ordering and monitoring; laboratory results; clinician notes; and data export. It displays relevant patient information to clinicians in infectious and noninfectious zones. We implemented phase 1 (patient tracking; drug ordering and monitoring) after 2.5 months of full-time development. OpenMRS-Ebola was used for 112 patient registrations, 569 prescription orders, and 971 medication administration recordings. We were unable to fully implement phases 2 and 3 as the ETC closed because of a decrease in new Ebola cases. The phase 1 evaluation suggested that OpenMRS-Ebola worked well in the context of the rollout, and the user feedback was positive. To our knowledge, OpenMRS-Ebola is the most comprehensive adaptable clinical EHR built for a low-resource setting health emergency. It is designed to address the main challenges of data collection in highly infectious environments that require robust infection prevention and control measures and it is interoperable with other electronic health systems. Although we built and deployed OpenMRS-Ebola more rapidly than typical software, our work highlights the challenges of having to develop an appropriate system during an emergency rather than being able to rapidly adapt an existing one. Lessons learned from this and previous emergencies should be used to ensure that a set of well-designed, easy-to-use, pretested health software is ready for quick deployment in future. ©Shefali Oza, Darius Jazayeri, Jonathan M Teich, Ellen Ball, Patricia Alexandra Nankubuge, Job Rwebembera, Kevin Wing, Alieu Amara Sesay, Andrew S Kanter, Glauber D Ramos, David Walton, Rachael Cummings, Francesco Checchi, Hamish S Fraser. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 21.08.2017.

Recommendations of the National Mayday Readiness Initiative

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-10-23

Automobile companies are rapidly deploying millions of vehicles with increasingly advanced : abilities to detect, collect and wirelessly transmit crisis-related voice and crash data at the push of a button or the deployment of an airbag. The next gen...

A novel stent inflation protocol improves long-term outcomes compared with rapid inflation/deflation deployment method.

PubMed

Vallurupalli, Srikanth; Kasula, Srikanth; Kumar Agarwal, Shiv; Pothineni, Naga Venkata K; Abualsuod, Amjad; Hakeem, Abdul; Ahmed, Zubair; Uretsky, Barry F

2017-08-01

High-pressure inflation for coronary stent deployment is universally performed. However, the duration of inflation is variable and does not take into account differences in lesion compliance. We developed a standardized "pressure optimization protocol" (POP) using inflation pressure stability rather than an arbitrary inflation time or angiographic balloon appearance for stent deployment. Whether this approach improves long-term outcomes is unknown. 792 patients who underwent PCI using either rapid inflation/deflation (n = 376) or POP (n = 416) between January 2009 and March 2014 were included. Exclusion criteria included PCI for acute myocardial infarction, in-stent restenosis, chronic total occlusion, left main, and saphenous vein graft lesions. Primary endpoint was target vessel failure [TVF = combined end point of target vessel revascularization (TVR), myocardial infarction, and cardiac death]. Outcomes were analyzed in the entire cohort and in a propensity analysis. Stent implantation using POP with a median follow-up of 1317 days was associated with lower TVF compared with rapid inflation/deflation (10.1 vs. 17.8%, P < 0.0001). This difference was driven by a decrease in TVR (7 vs. 10.6%, P = 0.0016) and cardiac death (2.9 vs. 5.8%, P = 0.017) while there was no difference in myocardial infarction (1 vs. 1.9%, P = 0.19). In the Cox regression model, deployment using POP was the only independent predictor of reduced TVF (HR 0.43; 0.29-0.64; P < 0.0001). In the propensity analysis (330 patients per group) TVF remained lower with POP vs. rapid inflation/deflation (10 vs. 18%, P < 0.0001). Stent deployment using POP led to reduced TVF compared to rapid I/D. These results recommend this method to improve long-term outcomes. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Infectious Disease Information Collection System at the Scene of Disaster Relief Based on a Personal Digital Assistant.

PubMed

Li, Ya-Pin; Gao, Hong-Wei; Fan, Hao-Jun; Wei, Wei; Xu, Bo; Dong, Wen-Long; Li, Qing-Feng; Song, Wen-Jing; Hou, Shi-Ke

2017-12-01

The objective of this study was to build a database to collect infectious disease information at the scene of a disaster through the use of 128 epidemiological questionnaires and 47 types of options, with rapid acquisition of information regarding infectious disease and rapid questionnaire customization at the scene of disaster relief by use of a personal digital assistant (PDA). SQL Server 2005 (Microsoft Corp, Redmond, WA) was used to create the option database for the infectious disease investigation, to develop a client application for the PDA, and to deploy the application on the server side. The users accessed the server for data collection and questionnaire customization with the PDA. A database with a set of comprehensive options was created and an application system was developed for the Android operating system (Google Inc, Mountain View, CA). On this basis, an infectious disease information collection system was built for use at the scene of disaster relief. The creation of an infectious disease information collection system and rapid questionnaire customization through the use of a PDA was achieved. This system integrated computer technology and mobile communication technology to develop an infectious disease information collection system and to allow for rapid questionnaire customization at the scene of disaster relief. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:668-673).

An overview of recent end-to-end wireless medical video telemedicine systems using 3G.

PubMed

Panayides, A; Pattichis, M S; Pattichis, C S; Schizas, C N; Spanias, A; Kyriacou, E

2010-01-01

Advances in video compression, network technologies, and computer technologies have contributed to the rapid growth of mobile health (m-health) systems and services. Wide deployment of such systems and services is expected in the near future, and it's foreseen that they will soon be incorporated in daily clinical practice. This study focuses in describing the basic components of an end-to-end wireless medical video telemedicine system, providing a brief overview of the recent advances in the field, while it also highlights future trends in the design of telemedicine systems that are diagnostically driven.

Rapid and simple detection of foot-and-mouth disease virus: Evaluation of a cartridge-based molecular detection system for use in basic laboratories.

PubMed

Goller, K V; Dill, V; Madi, M; Martin, P; Van der Stede, Y; Vandenberge, V; Haas, B; Van Borm, S; Koenen, F; Kasanga, C J; Ndusilo, N; Beer, M; Liu, L; Mioulet, V; Armson, B; King, D P; Fowler, V L

2018-04-01

Highly contagious transboundary animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) are major threats to the productivity of farm animals. To limit the impact of outbreaks and to take efficient steps towards a timely control and eradication of the disease, rapid and reliable diagnostic systems are of utmost importance. Confirmatory diagnostic assays are typically performed by experienced operators in specialized laboratories, and access to this capability is often limited in the developing countries with the highest disease burden. Advances in molecular technologies allow implementation of modern and reliable techniques for quick and simple pathogen detection either in basic laboratories or even at the pen-side. Here, we report on a study to evaluate a fully automated cartridge-based real-time RT-PCR diagnostic system (Enigma MiniLab ® ) for the detection of FMD virus (FMDV). The modular system integrates both nucleic acid extraction and downstream real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR). The analytical sensitivity of this assay was determined using serially diluted culture grown FMDV, and the performance of the assay was evaluated using a selected range of FMDV positive and negative clinical samples of bovine, porcine and ovine origin. The robustness of the assay was evaluated in an international inter-laboratory proficiency test and by deployment into an African laboratory. It was demonstrated that the system is easy to use and can detect FMDV with high sensitivity and specificity, roughly on par with standard laboratory methods. This cartridge-based automated real-time RT-PCR system for the detection of FMDV represents a reliable and easy to use diagnostic tool for the early and rapid disease detection of acutely infected animals even in remote areas. This type of system could be easily deployed for routine surveillance within endemic regions such as Africa or could alternatively be used in the developed world. © 2017 The Authors. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases Published by Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Rapid deployment shelter system

DOEpatents

Bzorgi, Fariborz M.

2006-10-10

A shelter for the protection of for the protection of persons, animals, equipment, materials, property, and similar things of value from potentially damaging environmental conditions is disclosed. Various embodiments include the use of a frame structure and hinged panels which are unfolded to create the walls of the structure. Optionally flexible surfaces may be added to the ends of the shelter to at least partially close the end of the shelter.

FY02 CBNP Annual Report Input: Bioinformatics Support for CBNP Research and Deployments

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

Slezak, T; Wolinsky, M

2002-10-31

The events of FY01 dynamically reprogrammed the objectives of the CBNP bioinformatics support team, to meet rapidly-changing Homeland Defense needs and requests from other agencies for assistance: Use computational techniques to determine potential unique DNA signature candidates for microbial and viral pathogens of interest to CBNP researcher and to our collaborating partner agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Defense (DOD), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Develop effective electronic screening measures for DNA signatures to reduce the cost and time of wet-bench screening. Build a comprehensive system formore » tracking the development and testing of DNA signatures. Build a chain-of-custody sample tracking system for field deployment of the DNA signatures as part of the BASIS project. Provide computational tools for use by CBNP Biological Foundations researchers.« less

Contaminants in the coastal karst aquifer system along the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

PubMed

Metcalfe, Chris D; Beddows, Patricia A; Bouchot, Gerardo Gold; Metcalfe, Tracy L; Li, Hongxia; Van Lavieren, Hanneke

2011-04-01

Intensive land development as a result of the rapidly growing tourism industry in the "Riviera Maya" region of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico may result in contamination of groundwater resources that eventually discharge into Caribbean coastal ecosystems. We deployed two types of passive sampling devices into groundwater flowing through cave systems below two communities to evaluate concentrations of contaminants and to indicate the possible sources. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products accumulated in the samplers could only have originated from domestic sewage. PAHs indicated contamination by runoff from highways and other impermeable surfaces and chlorophenoxy herbicides accumulated in samplers deployed near a golf course indicated that pesticide applications to turf are a source of contamination. Prevention and mitigation measures are needed to ensure that expanding development does not impact the marine environment and human health, thus damaging the tourism-based economy of the region. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implementing a Commercial Rule Base as a Medication Order Safety Net

PubMed Central

Reichley, Richard M.; Seaton, Terry L.; Resetar, Ervina; Micek, Scott T.; Scott, Karen L.; Fraser, Victoria J.; Dunagan, W. Claiborne; Bailey, Thomas C.

2005-01-01

A commercial rule base (Cerner Multum) was used to identify medication orders exceeding recommended dosage limits at five hospitals within BJC HealthCare, an integrated health care system. During initial testing, clinical pharmacists determined that there was an excessive number of nuisance and clinically insignificant alerts, with an overall alert rate of 9.2%. A method for customizing the commercial rule base was implemented to increase rule specificity for problematic rules. The system was subsequently deployed at two facilities and achieved alert rates of less than 1%. Pharmacists screened these alerts and contacted ordering physicians in 21% of cases. Physicians made therapeutic changes in response to 38% of alerts presented to them. By applying simple techniques to customize rules, commercial rule bases can be used to rapidly deploy a safety net to screen drug orders for excessive dosages, while preserving the rule architecture for later implementations of more finely tuned clinical decision support. PMID:15802481

Development and deployment of a health information system in transitional countries (croatian experience).

PubMed

Stevanovic, Ranko; Pristas, Ivan; Ivicevic Uhernik, Ana; Stanic, Arsen

2005-01-01

Croatian Primary Health Care Information System pilot project, conducted between 2001 and 2003, aimed to develop and deploy a health information system based on the latest technologies which would improve the quality of primary health care and rationalise the consumption. 60 primary health care teams (physician and nurse) were equipped with PCs and connected via central server to the main national health insurer, state treasury and public health institute. Developed information system enabled rapid retrieval of documents, replacement of manual data input and a real-time insight into needed information as well as prompt interventions within the system. The project also introduced electronic smart cards for physicians and nurses, so that at each medical check-up the information system verified both the ensuree's and the physician's or nurse's status and rights.Based on the experiences from the pilot project, plan has been made for comprehensive health information system at national level which would connect primary health care teams, hospitals, laboratories, dentistries, health insurance companies, state treasury, public health institutes and electronic health records database. Its major goals are more rapid diagnostics, accuracy in prescribing therapy, standardisation of the good practice as well as better utilisation of capacities, shorter waiting times and shorter stays in hospitals, which would lead to improvement in overall health care quality and better control over the health care consumption. Estimated 5-year investment for installing such system would be 125 million EUR. However, information system could save substantially more and yield a return of investment in only two years.As information system for primary health care should be a strategic component of every health care reform and development plan, we can recommend our model, based on the results of the pilot project, to other transitional countries.

Development and Deployment of Unmanned Aircraft Instrumentation for Measuring Quantities Related to Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Boer, G.; Lawrence, D.; Elston, J.; Argrow, B. M.; Palo, S. E.; Curry, N.; Finamore, W.; Mack, J.; LoDolce, G.; Schmid, B.; Long, C. N.; Bland, G.; Maslanik, J. A.; Gao, R. S.; Telg, H.; Semmer, S.; Maclean, G.; Ivey, M.; Hock, T. F.; Bartram, B.; Bendure, A.; Stachura, M.

2015-12-01

Use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in evaluation of geophysical parameters is expanding at a rapid rate. Despite limitation imposed by necessary regulations related to operation of UAS in the federal airspace, several groups have developed and deployed a variety of UAS and the associated sensors to make measurements of the atmosphere, land surface, ocean and cryosphere. Included in this grouping is work completed at the University of Colorado - Boulder, which has an extended history of operating UAS and expanding their use in the earth sciences. Collaborative projects between the department of Aerospace Engineering, the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), the Research and Engineering Center for Unmanned Vehicles (RECUV), the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Centers for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) have resulted in deployment of UAS to a variety of environments, including the Arctic. In this presentation, I will give an overview of some recent efforts lead by the University of Colorado to develop and deploy a variety of UAS. Work presented will emphasize recent campaigns and instrument development and testing related to understanding the land-atmosphere interface. Specifically, information on systems established for evaluating surface radiation (including albedo), turbulent exchange of water vapor, heat and gasses, and aerosol processes will be presented, along with information on the use of terrestrial ecosystem sensing to provide critical measurments for the evaluation of lower atmospheric flux measurements.

Services oriented architectures and rapid deployment of ad-hoc health surveillance systems: lessons from Katrina relief efforts.

PubMed

Mirhaji, Parsa; Casscells, S Ward; Srinivasan, Arunkumar; Kunapareddy, Narendra; Byrne, Sean; Richards, David Mark; Arafat, Raouf

2006-01-01

During the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, a new city was born overnight within the City of Houston to provide accommodation and health services for thousands of evacuees deprived of food, rest, medical attention, and sanitation. The hurricane victims had been exposed to flood water, toxic materials, physical injury, and mental stress. This scenario was an invitation for a variety of public health hazards, primarily infectious disease outbreaks. Early detection and monitoring of morbidity and mortality among evacuees due to unattended health conditions was an urgent priority and called for deployment of real-time surveillance to collect and analyze data at the scene, and to enable and guide appropriate response and planning activities. The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSC) and the Houston Department of Health and Human Services (HDHHS) deployed an ad hoc surveillance system overnight by leveraging Internet-based technologies and Services Oriented Architecture (SOA). The system was post-coordinated through the orchestration of Web Services such as information integration, natural language processing, syndromic case finding, and online analytical processing (OLAP). Here we will report the use of Internet-based and distributed architectures in providing timely, novel, and customizable solutions on demand for unprecedented events such as natural disasters.

Cell-tower deployment of counter-sniper sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Storch, Michael T.

2004-09-01

Cellular telephone antenna towers are evaluated as sites for rapid, effective & efficient deployment of counter-sniper sensors, especially in urban environments. They are expected to offer a suitable density, excellent LOS, and a generally limited variety of known or readily-characterized mechanical interfaces. Their precise locations are easily mapped in advance of deployment, are easily accessible by ground and air, and are easily spotted by deployment teams in real-time. We survey issues of EMI & RFI, susceptibility to denial & ambush in military scenarios, and the impact of trends in cell tower design & construction.

Real-time access of large volume imagery through low-bandwidth links

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, James; Grohs, Karl; Brower, Bernard; Kelly, Lawrence; Carlisle, Lewis; Pellechia, Matthew

2010-04-01

Providing current, time-sensitive imagery and geospatial information to deployed tactical military forces or first responders continues to be a challenge. This challenge is compounded through rapid increases in sensor collection volumes, both with larger arrays and higher temporal capture rates. Focusing on the needs of these military forces and first responders, ITT developed a system called AGILE (Advanced Geospatial Imagery Library Enterprise) Access as an innovative approach based on standard off-the-shelf techniques to solving this problem. The AGILE Access system is based on commercial software called Image Access Solutions (IAS) and incorporates standard JPEG 2000 processing. Our solution system is implemented in an accredited, deployable form, incorporating a suite of components, including an image database, a web-based search and discovery tool, and several software tools that act in concert to process, store, and disseminate imagery from airborne systems and commercial satellites. Currently, this solution is operational within the U.S. Government tactical infrastructure and supports disadvantaged imagery users in the field. This paper presents the features and benefits of this system to disadvantaged users as demonstrated in real-world operational environments.

Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games and Paralympic Games event study, 1996. Final report, July 1996--August 1996

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

Amodei, R.; Bard, E.; Brong, B.

1998-11-01

The Atlanta metropolitan region was the location of one of the most ambitious Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) deployments in the United States. This deployment included several individual projects--a Central Transportation Management Center (TMC), six Traffic Control Centers (TCCs), one Transit Information Center (TIC), The Travel Information Showcase (TIS), and the extension of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Rail network and the new high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on I-85 and I-75. The 1996 Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games and Paralympic Games created a focus for these projects. All of these systems were to be brought on-line in time for themore » Olympic Games. This report presents the findings of the 1996 Olympic and Paralympic Games Events Study--a compilation of findings of system performance, the benefits realized, and the lessons learned during their operations over the event period. The study assessed the performance of the various Travel Demand Management (TDM) plans employed for Olympic Games traffic management.« less

The NHERI RAPID Facility: Enabling the Next-Generation of Natural Hazards Reconnaissance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wartman, J.; Berman, J.; Olsen, M. J.; Irish, J. L.; Miles, S.; Gurley, K.; Lowes, L.; Bostrom, A.

2017-12-01

The NHERI post-disaster, rapid response research (or "RAPID") facility, headquartered at the University of Washington (UW), is a collaboration between UW, Oregon State University, Virginia Tech, and the University of Florida. The RAPID facility will enable natural hazard researchers to conduct next-generation quick response research through reliable acquisition and community sharing of high-quality, post-disaster data sets that will enable characterization of civil infrastructure performance under natural hazard loads, evaluation of the effectiveness of current and previous design methodologies, understanding of socio-economic dynamics, calibration of computational models used to predict civil infrastructure component and system response, and development of solutions for resilient communities. The facility will provide investigators with the hardware, software and support services needed to collect, process and assess perishable interdisciplinary data following extreme natural hazard events. Support to the natural hazards research community will be provided through training and educational activities, field deployment services, and by promoting public engagement with science and engineering. Specifically, the RAPID facility is undertaking the following strategic activities: (1) acquiring, maintaining, and operating state-of-the-art data collection equipment; (2) developing and supporting mobile applications to support interdisciplinary field reconnaissance; (3) providing advisory services and basic logistics support for research missions; (4) facilitating the systematic archiving, processing and visualization of acquired data in DesignSafe-CI; (5) training a broad user base through workshops and other activities; and (6) engaging the public through citizen science, as well as through community outreach and education. The facility commenced operations in September 2016 and will begin field deployments beginning in September 2018. This poster will provide an overview of the vision for the RAPID facility, the equipment that will be available for use, the facility's operations, and opportunities for user training and facility use.

Automatically assessing properties of dynamic cameras for camera selection and rapid deployment of video content analysis tasks in large-scale ad-hoc networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

den Hollander, Richard J. M.; Bouma, Henri; van Rest, Jeroen H. C.; ten Hove, Johan-Martijn; ter Haar, Frank B.; Burghouts, Gertjan J.

2017-10-01

Video analytics is essential for managing large quantities of raw data that are produced by video surveillance systems (VSS) for the prevention, repression and investigation of crime and terrorism. Analytics is highly sensitive to changes in the scene, and for changes in the optical chain so a VSS with analytics needs careful configuration and prompt maintenance to avoid false alarms. However, there is a trend from static VSS consisting of fixed CCTV cameras towards more dynamic VSS deployments over public/private multi-organization networks, consisting of a wider variety of visual sensors, including pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras, body-worn cameras and cameras on moving platforms. This trend will lead to more dynamic scenes and more frequent changes in the optical chain, creating structural problems for analytics. If these problems are not adequately addressed, analytics will not be able to continue to meet end users' developing needs. In this paper, we present a three-part solution for managing the performance of complex analytics deployments. The first part is a register containing meta data describing relevant properties of the optical chain, such as intrinsic and extrinsic calibration, and parameters of the scene such as lighting conditions or measures for scene complexity (e.g. number of people). A second part frequently assesses these parameters in the deployed VSS, stores changes in the register, and signals relevant changes in the setup to the VSS administrator. A third part uses the information in the register to dynamically configure analytics tasks based on VSS operator input. In order to support the feasibility of this solution, we give an overview of related state-of-the-art technologies for autocalibration (self-calibration), scene recognition and lighting estimation in relation to person detection. The presented solution allows for rapid and robust deployment of Video Content Analysis (VCA) tasks in large scale ad-hoc networks.

Tear gas: an epidemiological and mechanistic reassessment

PubMed Central

Rothenberg, Craig; Achanta, Satyanarayana; Svendsen, Erik R.

2016-01-01

Deployments of tear gas and pepper spray have rapidly increased worldwide. Large amounts of tear gas have been used in densely populated cities, including Cairo, Istanbul, Rio de Janeiro, Manama (Bahrain), and Hong Kong. In the United States, tear gas was used extensively during recent riots in Ferguson, Missouri. Whereas tear gas deployment systems have rapidly improved—with aerial drone systems tested and requested by law enforcement—epidemiological and mechanistic research have lagged behind and have received little attention. Case studies and recent epidemiological studies revealed that tear gas agents can cause lung, cutaneous, and ocular injuries, with individuals affected by chronic morbidities at high risk for complications. Mechanistic studies identified the ion channels TRPV1 and TRPA1 as targets of capsaicin in pepper spray, and of the tear gas agents chloroacetophenone, CS, and CR. TRPV1 and TRPA1 localize to pain‐sensing peripheral sensory neurons and have been linked to acute and chronic pain, cough, asthma, lung injury, dermatitis, itch, and neurodegeneration. In animal models, transient receptor potential inhibitors show promising effects as potential countermeasures against tear gas injuries. On the basis of the available data, a reassessment of the health risks of tear gas exposures in the civilian population is advised, and development of new countermeasures is proposed. PMID:27391380

The Use, Evolution and Lessons Learnt of Deployable Static Solar Array Mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferris, Mark; Haslehurst, Andrew

2014-01-01

This paper focuses on the mechanisms incorporated into SSTL's static deployable arrays; namely the sprung-hinges and hold down and release mechanism (HDRM). Combined, the HDRM and hinges form the hold down release system (HDRS). The deployable static solar array HDRS has been successfully used on several missions, first launched upon the DMC-CFESAT spacecraft in 2007 for a U.S. customer (Figure 1), and later used on DMC-UK2 and EXACTVIEW-1 launched in 2009 and 2012, respectively. The simple, robust and low-cost solution HDRS has been evident in allowing missions to satisfy an ever increasing power demand, allowing the solar arrays to increase in size and have a preferable sun angle for increased cell efficiency. The system is now being employed on the first mission out of SSTL's U.S. office (SST-US) on the Orbital Test Bed platform. This paper shall cover details of the original design and development program, problems incurred on latter missions, and evolution of the HDRS for the present Orbital Test Bed mission. Both the original development and recent evolutions have taken place in rapid timescales, to satisfy the high-turnaround of SSTL missions.

Mobile Networked Sensors for Environmental Observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaiser, W. J.

2005-12-01

The development of the first embedded networked sensing (ENS) systems has been rapidly followed by their successful deployment for investigations in environments ranging from forest ecosystems, to rivers and lakes, and to subsurface soil observations. As ENS systems have been deployed, many technology challenges have been successfully addressed. For example, the requirements for local and remote data access and long operating life have been encountered and solved with a novel hierarchical network architecture and unique, low power platforms. This presentation will describe this progress and also the development and applications of a new ENS system addressing the most current challenges: A robotic ENS platform providing precise, reliable, and sustained observation capability with diverse sensing capabilities that may adapt to environmental dynamics. In the development of methods for autonomous observation by networked sensors, many applications have emerged requiring spatially and temporally intensive data sampling. Examples include the mapping of forest understory solar radiation, autonomous acquisition of imaging for plant phenology, and mapping of contaminant concentration in aquatic systems. Common to these applications is the need to actively and continuously configure the location and orientation of sensors for high fidelity mapping of the spatial distribution of phenomena. To address this primary environmental observation need, a new sensing platform, Networked Infomechanical Systems (NIMS) has been developed. NIMS relies on deployed aerial infrastructure (for example, cable suspension systems) in the natural environment to permit robotic devices to precisely and reliably move or remain stationary as required at elevations that may lie directly in or above the forest canopy or within a river or stream. NIMS systems are suspended to allow devices to translate a sensor node horizontally, and also to raise and lower devices. Examples of sensors that are now carried by NIMS include sensors for visible wavelength imaging, thermal infrared temperature mapping, microclimate, solar radiation, and for water quality and physical characterization of aquatic systems. NIMS devices include compact embedded computing, wireless network connectivity to surrounding static sensors, and remote Internet access. Exploiting this onboard computing allows NIMS devices to follow precise scanning protocols and self-calibration procedures. This presentation will describe permanent facility NIMS systems deployed at the James San Jacinto Mountains Reserve. Rapidly deployable NIMS permitting short term, highly mobile experiments will also be discussed. This includes the Thermal Mapper system that simultaneously samples plant physical structure (using laser position sensing and imaging) along with plant surface temperature (using high spatial resolution thermal infrared sensing). This compact system has been applied to the investigation of thermal characteristics of alpine plants in varying soil surfaces at the White Mountains Research Station. Other NIMS applications and results to be described include novel spatial mapping of nitrate concentration and other variables in flowing streams. Finally, this presentation will also address the many future applications of observatories linking investigators with remote mobile and static sensor networks. This research is supported by the NSF0331481 ITR program. Research has been performed in collaboration with R. Ambrose, K. Bible, D. Estrin, E. Graham, M. Hamilton, M. Hanson, T. Harmon, G. Pottie, P. Rundel, M. Srivastava, and G. Sukhatme

75 FR 6087 - A Comprehensive Federal Strategy on Carbon Capture and Storage

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-05

... the Office of Science and Technology Policy[, and] the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality... pollution. Rapid commercial development and deployment of clean coal technologies, particularly carbon... development of safe, affordable, and broadly deployable CCS technologies. We have made the largest Government...

Short non-coding RNAs as bacteria species identifiers detected by surface plasmon resonance enhanced common path interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greef, Charles; Petropavlovskikh, Viatcheslav; Nilsen, Oyvind; Khattatov, Boris; Plam, Mikhail; Gardner, Patrick; Hall, John

2008-04-01

Small non-coding RNA sequences have recently been discovered as unique identifiers of certain bacterial species, raising the possibility that they can be used as highly specific Biowarfare Agent detection markers in automated field deployable integrated detection systems. Because they are present in high abundance they could allow genomic based bacterial species identification without the need for pre-assay amplification. Further, a direct detection method would obviate the need for chemical labeling, enabling a rapid, efficient, high sensitivity mechanism for bacterial detection. Surface Plasmon Resonance enhanced Common Path Interferometry (SPR-CPI) is a potentially market disruptive, high sensitivity dual technology that allows real-time direct multiplex measurement of biomolecule interactions, including small molecules, nucleic acids, proteins, and microbes. SPR-CPI measures differences in phase shift of reflected S and P polarized light under Total Internal Reflection (TIR) conditions at a surface, caused by changes in refractive index induced by biomolecular interactions within the evanescent field at the TIR interface. The measurement is performed on a microarray of discrete 2-dimensional areas functionalized with biomolecule capture reagents, allowing simultaneous measurement of up to 100 separate analytes. The optical beam encompasses the entire microarray, allowing a solid state detector system with no scanning requirement. Output consists of simultaneous voltage measurements proportional to the phase differences resulting from the refractive index changes from each microarray feature, and is automatically processed and displayed graphically or delivered to a decision making algorithm, enabling a fully automatic detection system capable of rapid detection and quantification of small nucleic acids at extremely sensitive levels. Proof-of-concept experiments on model systems and cell culture samples have demonstrated utility of the system, and efforts are in progress for full development and deployment of the device. The technology has broad applicability as a universal detection platform for BWA detection, medical diagnostics, and drug discovery research, and represents a new class of instrumentation as a rapid, high sensitivity, label-free methodology.

Multiyear ice transport and small scale sea ice deformation near the Alaska coast measured by air-deployable Ice Trackers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahoney, A. R.; Kasper, J.; Winsor, P.

2015-12-01

Highly complex patterns of ice motion and deformation were captured by fifteen satellite-telemetered GPS buoys (known as Ice Trackers) deployed near Barrow, Alaska, in spring 2015. Two pentagonal clusters of buoys were deployed on pack ice by helicopter in the Beaufort Sea between 20 and 80 km offshore. During deployment, ice motion in the study region was effectively zero, but two days later the buoys captured a rapid transport event in which multiyear ice from the Beaufort Sea was flushed into the Chukchi Sea. During this event, westward ice motion began in the Chukchi Sea and propagated eastward. This created new openings in the ice and led to rapid elongation of the clusters as the westernmost buoys accelerated away from their neighbors to the east. The buoys tracked ice velocities of over 1.5 ms-1, with fastest motion occurring closest to the coast indicating strong current shear. Three days later, ice motion reversed and the two clusters became intermingled, rendering divergence calculations based on the area enclosed by clusters invalid. The data show no detectable difference in velocity between first year and multiyear ice floes, but Lagrangian timeseries of SAR imagery centered on each buoy show that first year ice underwent significant small-scale deformation during the event. The five remaining buoys were deployed by local residents on prominent ridges embedded in the landfast ice within 16 km of Barrow in order to track the fate of such features after they detached from the coast. Break-up of the landfast ice took place over a period of several days and, although the buoys each initially followed a similar eastward trajectory around Point Barrow into the Beaufort Sea, they rapidly dispersed over an area more than 50 km across. With rapid environmental and socio-economic change in the Arctic, understanding the complexity of nearshore ice motion is increasingly important for predict future changes in the ice and the tracking ice-related hazards contaminants entrained in the ice. This work demonstrates the ability of low-cost easily-deployable Ice Trackers to generate to generate data of both scientific and operational value.

Wireline system for multiple direct push tool usage

DOEpatents

Bratton, Wesley L.; Farrington, Stephen P.; Shinn, II, James D.; Nolet, Darren C.

2003-11-11

A tool latching and retrieval system allows the deployment and retrieval of a variety of direct push subsurface characterization tools through an embedded rod string during a single penetration without requiring withdrawal of the string from the ground. This enables the in situ interchange of different tools, as well as the rapid retrieval of soil core samples from multiple depths during a single direct push penetration. The system includes specialized rods that make up the rod string, a tool housing which is integral to the rod string, a lock assembly, and several tools which mate to the lock assembly.

Internal validation of the RapidHIT® ID system.

PubMed

Wiley, Rachel; Sage, Kelly; LaRue, Bobby; Budowle, Bruce

2017-11-01

Traditionally, forensic DNA analysis has required highly skilled forensic geneticists in a dedicated laboratory to generate short tandem repeat (STR) profiles. STR profiles are routinely used either to associate or exclude potential donors of forensic biological evidence. The typing of forensic reference samples has become more demanding, especially with the requirement in some jurisdictions to DNA profile arrestees. The Rapid DNA (RDNA) platform, the RapidHIT ® ID (IntegenX ® , Pleasanton, CA), is a fully automated system capable of processing reference samples in approximately 90min with minimal human intervention. Thus, the RapidHIT ID instrument can be deployed to non-laboratory environments (e.g., booking stations) and run by trained atypical personnel such as law enforcement. In order to implement the RapidHIT ID platform, validation studies are needed to define the performance and limitations of the system. Internal validation studies were undertaken with four early-production RapidHIT ID units. Reliable and concordant STR profiles were obtained from reference buccal swabs. Throughout the study, no contamination was observed. The overall first-pass success rate with an "expert-like system" was 72%, which is comparable to another current RDNA platform commercially available. The system's second-pass success rate (involving manual interpretation on first-pass inconclusive results) increased to 90%. Inhibitors (i.e., coffee, smoking tobacco, and chewing tobacco) did not appear to affect typing by the instrument system; however, substrate (i.e., swab type) did impact typing success. Additionally, one desirable feature not available with other Rapid systems is that in the event of a system failed run, a swab can be recovered and subsequently re-analyzed in a new sample cartridge. Therefore, rarely should additional sampling or swab consumption be necessary. The RapidHIT ID system is a robust and reliable tool capable of generating complete STR profiles within the forensic DNA typing laboratory or with proper training in decentralized environments by non-laboratory personnel. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Metrics required for Power System Resilient Operations and Protection

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

Eshghi, K.; Johnson, B. K.; Rieger, C. G.

Today’s complex grid involves many interdependent systems. Various layers of hierarchical control and communication systems are coordinated, both spatially and temporally to achieve gird reliability. As new communication network based control system technologies are being deployed, the interconnected nature of these systems is becoming more complex. Deployment of smart grid concepts promises effective integration of renewable resources, especially if combined with energy storage. However, without a philosophical focus on resilience, a smart grid will potentially lead to higher magnitude and/or duration of disruptive events. The effectiveness of a resilient infrastructure depends upon its ability to anticipate, absorb, adapt to, and/ormore » rapidly recover from a potentially catastrophic event. Future system operations can be enhanced with a resilient philosophy through architecting the complexity with state awareness metrics that recognize changing system conditions and provide for an agile and adaptive response. The starting point for metrics lies in first understanding the attributes of performance that will be qualified. In this paper, we will overview those attributes and describe how they will be characterized by designing a distributed agent that can be applied to the power grid.« less

A sediment ecotoxicity assessment platform for in situ measures of chemistry, bioaccumulation and toxicity. Part 1: System description and proof of concept.

PubMed

Burton, G Allen; Rosen, Gunther; Chadwick, D Bart; Greenberg, Marc S; Taulbee, W Keith; Lotufo, Guilherme R; Reible, Danny D

2012-03-01

In situ-based testing using aquatic organisms has been widely reported, but is often limited in scope and practical usefulness in making decisions on ecological risk and remediation. To provide this capability, an integrated deployment system, the Sediment Ecotoxicity Assessment (SEA) Ring was developed, which incorporates rapid in situ hydrological, chemical, bioaccumulation, and toxicological Lines-of-Evidence (LoE) for assessing sediment and overlying water contamination. The SEA Ring system allows for diver-assisted, or diverless, deployment of multiple species of ecologically relevant and indigenous organisms in three different exposures (overlying water, sediment-water interface, and bulk sediment) for periods ranging from two days to three weeks, in a range of water systems. Measured endpoints were both sublethal and lethal effects as well as bioaccumulation. In addition, integrated passive sampling devices for detecting nonpolar organics (solid phase micro-extraction fibers) and metals (diffusive gradients in thin films) provided gradient measures in overlying waters and surficial sediments. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

About Regional Energy Deployment System Model-ReEDS | Regional Energy

Science.gov Websites

Deployment System Model | Energy Analysis | NREL About Regional Energy Deployment System Model -ReEDS About Regional Energy Deployment System Model-ReEDS The Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS ) is a long-term, capacity-expansion model for the deployment of electric power generation technologies

Industrial application experiment series

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bluhm, S. A.

1981-01-01

Two procurements within the Industrial Application Experiment Series of the Thermal Power Systems Project are discussed. The first procurement, initiated in April 1980, resulted in an award to the Applied Concepts Corporation for the Capital Concrete Experiment: two Fresnel concentrating collectors will be evaluated in single-unit installations at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Parabolic Dish Test Site and at Capitol Concrete Products, Topeka, Kansas. The second procurement, initiated in March 1981, is titled, "Thermal System Engineering Experiment B." The objective of the procurement is the rapid deployment of developed parabolic dish collectors.

A Rapidly Deployable Bridge System

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-15

17 - 4PH SS H1150 Hinge Pins 30x106 psi (2) 143 ksi (4) 157 ksi (4) - 104.7 ksi SS T316 Cables 30x106 psi - 116 ksi - 77.3 ksi The stress...CLASSIFICATION OF: 17 . LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT Public Release 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 12 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON a. REPORT unclassified b...an MLC30/12m configuration. The MLC50/20m system uses 17 modules in a 9/8 configuration. The connection of the modules to each other is by means of

Decentralized operating procedures for orchestrating data and behavior across distributed military systems and assets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peach, Nicholas

2011-06-01

In this paper, we present a method for a highly decentralized yet structured and flexible approach to achieve systems interoperability by orchestrating data and behavior across distributed military systems and assets with security considerations addressed from the beginning. We describe an architecture of a tool-based design of business processes called Decentralized Operating Procedures (DOP) and the deployment of DOPs onto run time nodes, supporting the parallel execution of each DOP at multiple implementation nodes (fixed locations, vehicles, sensors and soldiers) throughout a battlefield to achieve flexible and reliable interoperability. The described method allows the architecture to; a) provide fine grain control of the collection and delivery of data between systems; b) allow the definition of a DOP at a strategic (or doctrine) level by defining required system behavior through process syntax at an abstract level, agnostic of implementation details; c) deploy a DOP into heterogeneous environments by the nomination of actual system interfaces and roles at a tactical level; d) rapidly deploy new DOPs in support of new tactics and systems; e) support multiple instances of a DOP in support of multiple missions; f) dynamically add or remove run-time nodes from a specific DOP instance as missions requirements change; g) model the passage of, and business reasons for the transmission of each data message to a specific DOP instance to support accreditation; h) run on low powered computers with lightweight tactical messaging. This approach is designed to extend the capabilities of existing standards, such as the Generic Vehicle Architecture (GVA).

Private Peer-to-Peer Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogers, Michael; Bhatti, Saleem

This chapter offers a survey of the emerging field of private peer-to-peer networks, which can be defined as internet overlays in which the resources and infrastructure are provided by the users, and which new users may only join by personal invitation. The last few years have seen rapid developments in this field. We describe deployed systems, classify them architecturally, and identify some technical and social tradeoffs in the design of private peer-to-peer networks.

Real-time earthquake monitoring: Early warning and rapid response

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

A panel was established to investigate the subject of real-time earthquake monitoring (RTEM) and suggest recommendations on the feasibility of using a real-time earthquake warning system to mitigate earthquake damage in regions of the United States. The findings of the investigation and the related recommendations are described in this report. A brief review of existing real-time seismic systems is presented with particular emphasis given to the current California seismic networks. Specific applications of a real-time monitoring system are discussed along with issues related to system deployment and technical feasibility. In addition, several non-technical considerations are addressed including cost-benefit analysis, public perceptions, safety, and liability.

Fission Meter Information Barrier Attribute Measurement System: Task 1 Report: Document existing Fission Meter neutron IB system

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

Kerr, P. L.

An SNM attribute Information Barrier (IB) system was developed for a 2011 US/UK Exercise. The system was modified and extensively tested in a 2013-2014 US-UK Measurement Campaign. This work demonstrated rapid deployment of an IB system for potential treaty use. The system utilizes an Ortec Fission Meter neutron multiplicity counter and custom computer code. The system demonstrates a proof-of-principle automated Pu-240 mass determination with an information barrier. After a software start command is issued, the system automatically acquires and downloads data, performs an analysis, and displays the results. This system conveys the results of a Pu mass threshold measurements inmore » a way the does not reveal sensitive information. In full IB mode, only red/green ‘lights’ are displayed in the software. In test mode, more detailed information is displayed. The code can also read in, analyze, and display results from previously acquired or simulated data. Because the equipment is commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), the system demonstrates a low-cost short-lead-time technology for treaty SNM attribute measurements. A deployed system will likely require integration of additional authentication and tamper-indicating technologies. This will be discussed for the project in this and future progress reports.« less

Explosive destruction system for disposal of chemical munitions

DOEpatents

Tschritter, Kenneth L [Livermore, CA; Haroldsen, Brent L [Manteca, CA; Shepodd, Timothy J [Livermore, CA; Stofleth, Jerome H [Albuquerque, NM; DiBerardo, Raymond A [Baltimore, MD

2005-04-19

An explosive destruction system and method for safely destroying explosively configured chemical munitions. The system comprises a sealable, gas-tight explosive containment vessel, a fragment suppression system positioned in said vessel, and shaped charge means for accessing the interior of the munition when the munition is placed within the vessel and fragment suppression system. Also provided is a means for treatment and neutralization of the munition's chemical fills, and means for heating and agitating the contents of the vessel. The system is portable, rapidly deployable and provides the capability of explosively destroying and detoxifying chemical munitions within a gas-tight enclosure so that there is no venting of toxic or hazardous chemicals during detonation.

Development of field-deployable instrumentation based on “antigen–antibody” reactions for detection of hemorrhagic disease in ruminants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Development of field-deployable methodology utilizing antigen–antibody reactions and the surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) effect to provide a rapid diagnostic test for recognition of the blue tongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhage disease virus (EHDV) in wild and domestic ruminants is reported. ...

European Adaptation to Expeditionary Warfare: Implications for the U.S. Army

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-11-01

than any other recent operation, highlighted Europe’s inability to deploy ground forces rapidly. General Sir Michael Jackson was only able to deploy...Security, Vol. 9, No. 4, Winter 2000, pp. 31-44. 48. Lieutenant-General Sir Michael Jackson , “KFOR: The Inside Story,” The RUSI Journal, Vol. 145, No

Middle East Security Issues: In the Shadow of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-12-01

same t ime, Iran’s confrontation with Afghanistan pits a Shi’ite religious regime against a much more extreme Tal i- ban reg ime in Afghanistan...I ran has increasingly suppl ied arms and aid to the opposi t ion to the Tal iban, and deployed several hundred thousand t roops for exercises...rapidly deploy a few combat strength bat tal ions to defend i ts terr i tory, and Saudi Arabia would take days to deploy even one heavy brigade into

Solar Weather Ice Monitoring Station (SWIMS). A low cost, extreme/harsh environment, solar powered, autonomous sensor data gathering and transmission system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chetty, S.; Field, L. A.

2013-12-01

The Arctic ocean's continuing decrease of summer-time ice is related to rapidly diminishing multi-year ice due to the effects of climate change. Ice911 Research aims to develop environmentally respectful materials that when deployed will increase the albedo, enhancing the formation and/preservation of multi-year ice. Small scale deployments using various materials have been done in Canada, California's Sierra Nevada Mountains and a pond in Minnesota to test the albedo performance and environmental characteristics of these materials. SWIMS is a sophisticated autonomous sensor system being developed to measure the albedo, weather, water temperature and other environmental parameters. The system (SWIMS) employs low cost, high accuracy/precision sensors, high resolution cameras, and an extreme environment command and data handling computer system using satellite and terrestrial wireless communication. The entire system is solar powered with redundant battery backup on a floating buoy platform engineered for low temperature (-40C) and high wind conditions. The system also incorporates tilt sensors, sonar based ice thickness sensors and a weather station. To keep the costs low, each SWIMS unit measures incoming and reflected radiation from the four quadrants around the buoy. This allows data from four sets of sensors, cameras, weather station, water temperature probe to be collected and transmitted by a single on-board solar powered computer. This presentation covers the technical, logistical and cost challenges in designing, developing and deploying these stations in remote, extreme environments. Image captured by camera #3 of setting sun on the SWIMS station One of the images captured by SWIMS Camera #4

Automated Support for Rapid Coordination of Joint UUV Operation

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

automata , dead-reckoning, static plan, nmtime plan, rapid deployment, GPS 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF REPORT Unclassified 18. SECURITY...STATE MACHINES, MOORE AUTOMATA ..........................................9 A. MOORE AUTOMATA ...9 B. UUV PLANS AS MOORE AUTOMATA ...................................................11 C. SAMPLING RATE

A scope of the problem: Post-deployment reintegration challenges in a National Guard Unit.

PubMed

Wilcox, Sherrie L; Oh, Hyunsung; Redmond, Sarah A; Chicas, Joseph; Hassan, Anthony M; Lee, Pey-Jiuan; Ell, Kathleen

2015-01-01

More Reserve and Guard members have been activated in the past few years than in any other time in history. In addition to the high rates of psychological and behavioral challenges among military personnel, there are other equally important post-deployment reintegration challenges. Post-deployment reintegration challenges are particularly important to Reserve and Guard members, who transition rapidly from civilian-military-civilian. This study aims to describe the scope of challenges that a battalion of National Guard members (NGM) report experiencing after returning from a one-year deployment to Iraq. This article reports data from a sample of 126 NGM who recently returned from a one-year deployment to Iraq. The scope of post-deployment problems at baseline, 3- and 6-month post-deployment are presented. Overall, the rates of post-deployment psychological and behavioral problems were elevated upon returning from deployment and remained fairly constant for up to 6 months post-deployment. Approximately 30% of respondents were unsatisfied with their relationship and upwards of 30% reported family reintegration challenges. Comparisons with similar research and implications for prevention and improvement of post-deployment quality of life are addressed.

Level II Documentation of Launch Complex 31/32, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

a mobile launcher tied down on the concrete pad, with a concrete flame bucket descending off one side of the surface area (Figure...pedestal (Figure 9). The complex’s Launch Pad 10 was a hex- agonal reinforced concrete surface with tie down points and a concrete flame bucket at its...fuel propel- lant.126 This allowed for rapid deployment, and for a more effective and less expensive weapon system . Technological advancements

A report on FY06 IPv6 deployment activities and issues at Sandia National Laboratories.

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

Tolendino, Lawrence F.; Eldridge, John M.; Hu, Tan Chang

2006-06-01

Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) has been a mainstay of the both the Internet and corporate networks for delivering network packets to the desired destination. However, rapid proliferation of network appliances, evolution of corporate networks, and the expanding Internet has begun to stress the limitations of the protocol. Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is the replacement protocol that overcomes the constraints of IPv4. IPv6 deployment in government network backbones has been mandated to occur by 2008. This paper explores the readiness of the Sandia National Laboratories' network backbone to support IPv6, the issues that must be addressed before a deploymentmore » begins, and recommends the next steps to take to comply with government mandates. The paper describes a joint, work effort of the Sandia National Laboratories ASC WAN project team and members of the System Analysis & Trouble Resolution and Network System Design & Implementation Departments.« less

Fuel-Conservation Guidance System for Powered-Lift Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erzberger, Heinz; McLean, John D.

1981-01-01

A technique is described for the design of fuel-conservative guidance systems and is applied to a system that was flight tested on board NASA's sugmentor wing jet STOL research aircraft. An important operational feature of the system is its ability to rapidly synthesize fuel-efficient trajectories for a large set of initial aircraft positions, altitudes, and headings. This feature allows the aircraft to be flown efficiently under conditions of changing winds and air traffic control vectors. Rapid synthesis of fuel-efficient trajectories is accomplished in the airborne computer by fast-time trajectory integration using a simplified dynamic performance model of the aircraft. This technique also ensures optimum flap deployment and, for powered-lift STOL aircraft, optimum transition to low-speed flight. Also included in the design is accurate prediction of touchdown time for use in four-dimensional guidance applications. Flight test results have demonstrated that the automatically synthesized trajectories produce significant fuel savings relative to manually flown conventional approaches.

Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN and C) Design Overview and Flight Test Results from NASA's Max Launch Abort System (MLAS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dennehy, Cornelius J.; Lanzi, Raymond J.; Ward, Philip R.

2010-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Engineering and Safety Center designed, developed and flew the alternative Max Launch Abort System (MLAS) as risk mitigation for the baseline Orion spacecraft launch abort system already in development. The NESC was tasked with both formulating a conceptual objective system design of this alternative MLAS as well as demonstrating this concept with a simulated pad abort flight test. Less than 2 years after Project start the MLAS simulated pad abort flight test was successfully conducted from Wallops Island on July 8, 2009. The entire flight test duration was 88 seconds during which time multiple staging events were performed and nine separate critically timed parachute deployments occurred as scheduled. This paper provides an overview of the guidance navigation and control technical approaches employed on this rapid prototyping activity; describes the methodology used to design the MLAS flight test vehicle; and lessons that were learned during this rapid prototyping project are also summarized.

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

Raymond, David W.; Gaither, Katherine N.; Polsky, Yarom

Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) has a long history in developing compact, mobile, very high-speed drilling systems and this technology could be applied to increasing the rate at which boreholes are drilled during a mine accident response. The present study reviews current technical approaches, primarily based on technology developed under other programs, analyzes mine rescue specific requirements to develop a conceptual mine rescue drilling approach, and finally, proposes development of a phased mine rescue drilling system (MRDS) that accomplishes (1) development of rapid drilling MRDS equipment; (2) structuring improved web communication through the Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) web site;more » (3) development of an improved protocol for employment of existing drilling technology in emergencies; (4) deployment of advanced technologies to complement mine rescue drilling operations during emergency events; and (5) preliminary discussion of potential future technology development of specialized MRDS equipment. This phased approach allows for rapid fielding of a basic system for improved rescue drilling, with the ability to improve the system over time at a reasonable cost.« less

A Survey on Wireless Body Area Networks for eHealthcare Systems in Residential Environments

PubMed Central

Ghamari, Mohammad; Janko, Balazs; Sherratt, R. Simon; Harwin, William; Piechockic, Robert; Soltanpur, Cinna

2016-01-01

Current progress in wearable and implanted health monitoring technologies has strong potential to alter the future of healthcare services by enabling ubiquitous monitoring of patients. A typical health monitoring system consists of a network of wearable or implanted sensors that constantly monitor physiological parameters. Collected data are relayed using existing wireless communication protocols to a base station for additional processing. This article provides researchers with information to compare the existing low-power communication technologies that can potentially support the rapid development and deployment of WBAN systems, and mainly focuses on remote monitoring of elderly or chronically ill patients in residential environments. PMID:27338377

A Survey on Wireless Body Area Networks for eHealthcare Systems in Residential Environments.

PubMed

Ghamari, Mohammad; Janko, Balazs; Sherratt, R Simon; Harwin, William; Piechockic, Robert; Soltanpur, Cinna

2016-06-07

Current progress in wearable and implanted health monitoring technologies has strong potential to alter the future of healthcare services by enabling ubiquitous monitoring of patients. A typical health monitoring system consists of a network of wearable or implanted sensors that constantly monitor physiological parameters. Collected data are relayed using existing wireless communication protocols to a base station for additional processing. This article provides researchers with information to compare the existing low-power communication technologies that can potentially support the rapid development and deployment of WBAN systems, and mainly focuses on remote monitoring of elderly or chronically ill patients in residential environments.

European Adaptation To Expeditionary Warfare: Implications for the U.S. Army

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-11-01

Europe’s inability to deploy ground forces rapidly. General Sir Michael Jackson was only able to deploy nine battalion units on the first day of...31-44. 48. Lieutenant-General Sir Michael Jackson , “KFOR: The Inside Story,” The RUSI Journal, Vol. 145, No. 1, February 2000, p. 15. 31 49. 2308

Real-time visual communication to aid disaster recovery in a multi-segment hybrid wireless networking system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al Hadhrami, Tawfik; Wang, Qi; Grecos, Christos

2012-06-01

When natural disasters or other large-scale incidents occur, obtaining accurate and timely information on the developing situation is vital to effective disaster recovery operations. High-quality video streams and high-resolution images, if available in real time, would provide an invaluable source of current situation reports to the incident management team. Meanwhile, a disaster often causes significant damage to the communications infrastructure. Therefore, another essential requirement for disaster management is the ability to rapidly deploy a flexible incident area communication network. Such a network would facilitate the transmission of real-time video streams and still images from the disrupted area to remote command and control locations. In this paper, a comprehensive end-to-end video/image transmission system between an incident area and a remote control centre is proposed and implemented, and its performance is experimentally investigated. In this study a hybrid multi-segment communication network is designed that seamlessly integrates terrestrial wireless mesh networks (WMNs), distributed wireless visual sensor networks, an airborne platform with video camera balloons, and a Digital Video Broadcasting- Satellite (DVB-S) system. By carefully integrating all of these rapidly deployable, interworking and collaborative networking technologies, we can fully exploit the joint benefits provided by WMNs, WSNs, balloon camera networks and DVB-S for real-time video streaming and image delivery in emergency situations among the disaster hit area, the remote control centre and the rescue teams in the field. The whole proposed system is implemented in a proven simulator. Through extensive simulations, the real-time visual communication performance of this integrated system has been numerically evaluated, towards a more in-depth understanding in supporting high-quality visual communications in such a demanding context.

A large volume particulate and water multi-sampler with in situ preservation for microbial and biogeochemical studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breier, J. A.; Sheik, C. S.; Gomez-Ibanez, D.; Sayre-McCord, R. T.; Sanger, R.; Rauch, C.; Coleman, M.; Bennett, S. A.; Cron, B. R.; Li, M.; German, C. R.; Toner, B. M.; Dick, G. J.

2014-12-01

A new tool was developed for large volume sampling to facilitate marine microbiology and biogeochemical studies. It was developed for remotely operated vehicle and hydrocast deployments, and allows for rapid collection of multiple sample types from the water column and dynamic, variable environments such as rising hydrothermal plumes. It was used successfully during a cruise to the hydrothermal vent systems of the Mid-Cayman Rise. The Suspended Particulate Rosette V2 large volume multi-sampling system allows for the collection of 14 sample sets per deployment. Each sample set can include filtered material, whole (unfiltered) water, and filtrate. Suspended particulate can be collected on filters up to 142 mm in diameter and pore sizes down to 0.2 μm. Filtration is typically at flowrates of 2 L min-1. For particulate material, filtered volume is constrained only by sampling time and filter capacity, with all sample volumes recorded by digital flowmeter. The suspended particulate filter holders can be filled with preservative and sealed immediately after sample collection. Up to 2 L of whole water, filtrate, or a combination of the two, can be collected as part of each sample set. The system is constructed of plastics with titanium fasteners and nickel alloy spring loaded seals. There are no ferrous alloys in the sampling system. Individual sample lines are prefilled with filtered, deionized water prior to deployment and remain sealed unless a sample is actively being collected. This system is intended to facilitate studies concerning the relationship between marine microbiology and ocean biogeochemistry.

Pivoting the Plant Immune System from Dissection to Deployment

PubMed Central

Dangl, Jeffery L.; Horvath, Diana M.; Staskawicz, Brian J.

2013-01-01

Diverse and rapidly evolving pathogens cause plant diseases and epidemics that threaten crop yield and food security around the world. Research over the last 25 years has led to an increasingly clear conceptual understanding of the molecular components of the plant immune system. Combined with ever-cheaper DNA-sequencing technology and the rich diversity of germ plasm manipulated for over a century by plant breeders, we now have the means to begin development of durable (long-lasting) disease resistance beyond the limits imposed by conventional breeding and in a manner that will replace costly and unsustainable chemical controls. PMID:23950531

Stakeholder Alignment for Requirements in GEOValue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cutcher-Gershenfeld, J.; King, J. L.

2016-12-01

Observation systems that collect information on environmental parameters relevant to biological and physical earth resources provide value. This has been demonstrated so many times in so many ways that it is not worth deliberating. Earlier projects for research (whether it is possible to do this or that), or for "dual use," typically involving defense, have been successful. Wealthy parties have built their own systems. Less wealthy parties seek to sustain the systems they have built. The history of systems suggests that "requirements" will be the next step. The objective is to maximize the "return" on the substantial investment required for construction, deployment, maintenance and renewal of observation systems. Stakeholders and their interests are assessed to construct the requirements from which specifications are built. Specifications drive procurement, and procurement produces built systems. Complicated (e.g. space-based) systems have long times between requirements analysis and deployment. It all depends on getting the requirements right, which depends on understanding stakeholders and requirements. And this is where things get complicated. Stakeholders and interests change, sometimes rapidly, as what is possible is altered. It becomes increasingly difficult to achieve stakeholder alignment required for effective management of constituent politics at the heart of any expensive endeavor. This paper presents results from a major study of stakeholder alignment in the Earth Sciences, focused especially on EarthCube.

Max Launch Abort System (MLAS) Landing Parachute Demonstrator (LPD) Drop Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shreves, Christopher M.

2011-01-01

The Landing Parachute Demonstrator (LPD) was conceived as a low-cost, rapidly-developed means of providing soft landing for the Max Launch Abort System (MLAS) crew module (CM). Its experimental main parachute cluster deployment technique and off-the-shelf hardware necessitated a full-scale drop test prior to the MLAS mission in order to reduce overall mission risk. This test was successfully conducted at Wallops Flight Facility on March 6, 2009, with all vehicle and parachute systems functioning as planned. The results of the drop test successfully qualified the LPD system for the MLAS flight test. This document captures the design, concept of operations and results of the drop test.

Mobile Aerial Tracking and Imaging System (MATRIS) for Aeronautical Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Daniel W.; Blanchard, R. C.; Miller, G. M.

2004-01-01

A mobile, rapidly deployable ground-based system to track and image targets of aeronautical interest has been developed. Targets include reentering reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) as well as atmospheric and transatmospheric vehicles. The optics were designed to image targets in the visible and infrared wavelengths. To minimize acquisition cost and development time, the system uses commercially available hardware and software where possible. The conception and initial funding of this system originated with a study of ground-based imaging of global aerothermal characteristics of RLV configurations. During that study NASA teamed with the Missile Defense Agency/Innovative Science and Technology Experimentation Facility (MDA/ISTEF) to test techniques and analysis on two Space Shuttle flights.

Towards an integrated defense system for cyber security situation awareness experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hanlin; Wei, Sixiao; Ge, Linqiang; Shen, Dan; Yu, Wei; Blasch, Erik P.; Pham, Khanh D.; Chen, Genshe

2015-05-01

In this paper, an implemented defense system is demonstrated to carry out cyber security situation awareness. The developed system consists of distributed passive and active network sensors designed to effectively capture suspicious information associated with cyber threats, effective detection schemes to accurately distinguish attacks, and network actors to rapidly mitigate attacks. Based on the collected data from network sensors, image-based and signals-based detection schemes are implemented to detect attacks. To further mitigate attacks, deployed dynamic firewalls on hosts dynamically update detection information reported from the detection schemes and block attacks. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed system. A future plan to design an effective defense system is also discussed based on system theory.

Optimized Autonomous Space - In-situ Sensorweb: A new Tool for Monitoring Restless Volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahusen, R. G.; Kedar, S.; Song, W.; Chien, S.; Shirazi, B.; Davies, A.; Tran, D.; Pieri, D.

2007-12-01

An interagency team of earth scientists, space scientists and computer scientists are collaborating to develop a real-time monitoring system optimized for rapid deployment at restless volcanoes. The primary goals of this Optimized Autonomous Space In-situ Sensorweb (OASIS) are: 1) integrate complementary space and in-situ (ground-based) elements into an interactive, autonomous sensorweb; 2) advance sensorweb power and communication resource management technology; and 3) enable scalability for seamless infusion of future space and in-situ assets into the sensorweb. A prototype system will be deployed on Mount St. Helens by December 2009. Each node will include GPS, seismic, infrasonic and lightning (for ash plume detection) sensors plus autonomous decision making capabilities and interaction with EO-1 multi-spectral satellite. This three year project is jointly funded by NASA AIST program and USGS Volcano Hazards Program. Work has begun with a rigorous multi-disciplinary discussion and resulted in a system requirements document aimed to guide the design of OASIS and future networks and to achieve the project's stated goals. In this presentation we will highlight the key OASIS system requirements, their rationale and the physical and technical challenges they pose. Preliminary design decisions will be presented.

Instrumentation for optical ocean remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Esaias, W. E.

1991-01-01

Instruments used in ocean color remote sensing algorithm development, validation, and data acquisition which have the potential for further commercial development and marketing are discussed. The Ocean Data Acquisition System (ODAS) is an aircraft-borne radiometer system suitable for light aircraft, which has applications for rapid measurement of chlorophyll pigment concentrations along the flight line. The instrument package includes a three channel radiometer system for upwelling radiance, an infrared temperature sensor, a three-channel downwelling irradiance sensor, and Loran-C navigation. Data are stored on a PC and processed to transects or interpolated 'images' on the ground. The instrument has been in operational use for two and one half years. The accuracy of pigment concentrations from the instrument is quite good, even in complex Chesapeake Bay waters. To help meet the requirement for validation of future satellite missions, a prototype air-deployable drifting buoy for measurement of near-surface upwelled radiance in multiple channnels is undergoing test deployment. The optical drifter burst samples radiance, stores and processes the data, and uses the Argos system as a data link. Studies are underway to explore the limits to useful lifetime with respect to power and fouling.

Applications of wireless sensor networks in marine environment monitoring: a survey.

PubMed

Xu, Guobao; Shen, Weiming; Wang, Xianbin

2014-09-11

With the rapid development of society and the economy, an increasing number of human activities have gradually destroyed the marine environment. Marine environment monitoring is a vital problem and has increasingly attracted a great deal of research and development attention. During the past decade, various marine environment monitoring systems have been developed. The traditional marine environment monitoring system using an oceanographic research vessel is expensive and time-consuming and has a low resolution both in time and space. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have recently been considered as potentially promising alternatives for monitoring marine environments since they have a number of advantages such as unmanned operation, easy deployment, real-time monitoring, and relatively low cost. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art technologies in the field of marine environment monitoring using wireless sensor networks. It first describes application areas, a common architecture of WSN-based oceanographic monitoring systems, a general architecture of an oceanographic sensor node, sensing parameters and sensors, and wireless communication technologies. Then, it presents a detailed review of some related projects, systems, techniques, approaches and algorithms. It also discusses challenges and opportunities in the research, development, and deployment of wireless sensor networks for marine environment monitoring.

Review of the Applications of Formosat-2 on Rapidly Responding to Global Disasters and Monitoring Earth Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, C.

2009-12-01

Formosat-2 is the first satellite with high-spatial-resolution sensor deployed in a daily-revisit orbit in the world. Together with its agility of pointing ±45 degree both across and along track, we are able to observe each accessible scene from the same angle under the similar illumination conditions. These characteristics make Formosat-2 an ideal satellite for site surveillance. We developed a Formosat-2 automatic image processing system (F-2 AIPS) that can accurately and rapidly process a large amount of Formosat-2 images to produce the higher levels of products, including rigorous band-to-band coregistration, automatic orthorectification, multi-temporal image coregistration and radiance normalization, and pan-sharpening. This system has been successfully employed to rapidly respond to many international disaster events in the past five years, including flood caused by Typhoon Mindulle (2004), landslide caused by Typhoon Aere (2004), South Asia earthquake and tsunami (2004), Hurricane Katrina (2005), California wildfire (2007), Sichuan Earthquake (2008), Typhoon Kalmaegi (2008), Typhoon Sinlaku (2008), Mountain Ali wildfire (2009), Victoria bushfire in Australia (2009), Honduras earthquake (2009), Typhoon Morakot (2009). This paper reviews the applications of Formosat-2 on rapidly responding to global disasters and monitoring earth environment.

RAPID POST-FIRE HYDROLOGIC WATERSHED ASSESSMENT USING THE AGWA GIS-BASED HYDROLOGIC MODELING TOOL

EPA Science Inventory

Rapid post-fire watershed assessment to identify potential trouble spots for erosion and flooding can potentially aid land managers and Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) teams in deploying mitigation and rehabilitation resources.

These decisions are inherently co...

Distributed video data fusion and mining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Edward Y.; Wang, Yuan-Fang; Rodoplu, Volkan

2004-09-01

This paper presents an event sensing paradigm for intelligent event-analysis in a wireless, ad hoc, multi-camera, video surveillance system. In particilar, we present statistical methods that we have developed to support three aspects of event sensing: 1) energy-efficient, resource-conserving, and robust sensor data fusion and analysis, 2) intelligent event modeling and recognition, and 3) rapid deployment, dynamic configuration, and continuous operation of the camera networks. We outline our preliminary results, and discuss future directions that research might take.

Citizen earthquake alert using near real time PGA estimation from a local array combining a variety of accelerometric instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melis, Nikolaos S.; Konstantinou, Konstantinos; Kalogeras, Ioannis; Sokos, Efthimios; Tselentis, G.-Akis

2017-04-01

It is of a great importance to assess rapidly the intensity of a felt event in a highly populated environment. Rapid and reliable information plays a key role to decision making responses, by performing correctly the first steps after a felt ground shaking. Thus, it is important to accurately respond to urgent societal demand using reliable information. A strong motion array is under deployment and trial operation in the area of Patras, Greece. It combines: (a) standard accelerometric stations operated by the National Observatory of Athens, Institute of Geodynamics (NOA), (b) QCN-type USB MEMS acceleration sensors deployed in schools and (c) P-alert MEMS acceleration devices deployed in public sector buildings as well as in private dwellings. The array intends to cover the whole city of Patras and the populated suburbs. All instruments are operating in near real time and they are linked to a combined Earthworm - SeisComP3 server at NOA, Athens. Rapid intensity estimation can be also performed by the P-alert accelerometers locally, but the performance of a near real time intensity estimation system is under operation at NOA. The procedure is based on observing the maximum PGA value at each instrument and empirically estimate the corresponding intensity. The values are also fed to a SeisComP3 based ShakeMap procedure that is served at NOA and uses the scwfparam module of SeisComP3. Earthquake activity has been recorded so far from the western Corinth Gulf, the Ionian Islands and Achaia-Elia area, western Peloponnesus. The first phase involves correlation tests of collocated instruments and assessment of their performance to low intensity as well as to strongly felt events in the Patras city area. Steps of expanding the array are also under consideration, in order to cover the wider area of northwestern Peloponnesus and Ionian islands.

Computational Modeling of Interventions and Protective Thresholds to Prevent Disease Transmission in Deploying Populations

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Military personnel are deployed abroad for missions ranging from humanitarian relief efforts to combat actions; delay or interruption in these activities due to disease transmission can cause operational disruptions, significant economic loss, and stressed or exceeded military medical resources. Deployed troops function in environments favorable to the rapid and efficient transmission of many viruses particularly when levels of protection are suboptimal. When immunity among deployed military populations is low, the risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks increases, impacting troop readiness and achievement of mission objectives. However, targeted vaccination and the optimization of preexisting immunity among deployed populations can decrease the threat of outbreaks among deployed troops. Here we describe methods for the computational modeling of disease transmission to explore how preexisting immunity compares with vaccination at the time of deployment as a means of preventing outbreaks and protecting troops and mission objectives during extended military deployment actions. These methods are illustrated with five modeling case studies for separate diseases common in many parts of the world, to show different approaches required in varying epidemiological settings. PMID:25009579

Computational modeling of interventions and protective thresholds to prevent disease transmission in deploying populations.

PubMed

Burgess, Colleen; Peace, Angela; Everett, Rebecca; Allegri, Buena; Garman, Patrick

2014-01-01

Military personnel are deployed abroad for missions ranging from humanitarian relief efforts to combat actions; delay or interruption in these activities due to disease transmission can cause operational disruptions, significant economic loss, and stressed or exceeded military medical resources. Deployed troops function in environments favorable to the rapid and efficient transmission of many viruses particularly when levels of protection are suboptimal. When immunity among deployed military populations is low, the risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks increases, impacting troop readiness and achievement of mission objectives. However, targeted vaccination and the optimization of preexisting immunity among deployed populations can decrease the threat of outbreaks among deployed troops. Here we describe methods for the computational modeling of disease transmission to explore how preexisting immunity compares with vaccination at the time of deployment as a means of preventing outbreaks and protecting troops and mission objectives during extended military deployment actions. These methods are illustrated with five modeling case studies for separate diseases common in many parts of the world, to show different approaches required in varying epidemiological settings.

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

Franzese, Oscar; Zhang, Li; Mahmoud, Anas M.

There are many instances in which it is possible to plan ahead for an emergency evacuation (e.g., an explosion at a chemical processing facility). For those cases, if an accident (or an attack) were to happen, then the best evacuation plan for the prevailing network and weather conditions would be deployed. In other cases (e.g., the derailment of a train transporting hazardous materials), there may not be any previously developed plan to be implemented and decisions must be made ad-hoc on how to proceed with an emergency evacuation. In both situations, the availability of real-time traffic information plays a criticalmore » role in the management of the evacuation operations. To improve public safety during a vehicular emergency evacuation it is necessary to detect losses of road capacity (due to incidents, for example) as early as possible. Once these bottlenecks are identified, re-routing strategies must be determined in real-time and deployed in the field to help dissipate the congestion and increase the efficiency of the evacuation. Due to cost constraints, only large urban areas have traffic sensor deployments that permit access to some sort of real-time traffic information; any evacuation taking place in any other areas of the country would have to proceed without real-time traffic information. The latter was the focus of this SERRI/DHS (Southeast Region Research Initiative/Department of Homeland Security) sponsored project. That is, the main objective on the project was to improve the operations during a vehicular emergency evacuation anywhere by using newly developed real-time traffic-information-gathering technologies to assess traffic conditions and therefore to potentially detect incidents on the main evacuation routes. Phase A of the project consisted in the development and testing of a prototype system composed of sensors that are engineered in such a way that they can be rapidly deployed in the field where and when they are needed. Each one of these sensors is also equipped with their own power supply and a GPS (Global Positioning System) device to auto-determine its spatial location on the transportation network under surveillance. The system is capable of assessing traffic parameters by identifying and re-identifying vehicles in the traffic stream as those vehicles pass over the sensors. The system of sensors transmits, through wireless communication, real-time traffic information (travel time and other parameters) to a command and control center via an NTCIP (National Transportation Communication for ITS Protocol) -compatible interface. As an alternative, an existing NTCIP-compatible system accepts the real-time traffic information mentioned and broadcasts the traffic information to emergency managers, the media and the public via the existing channels. A series of tests, both in a controlled environment and on the field, were conducted to study the feasibility of rapidly deploying the system of traffic sensors and to assess its ability to provide real-time traffic information during an emergency evacuation. The results of these tests indicated that the prototype sensors are reliable and accurate for the type of application that is the focus of this project.« less

Characterization of ambient aerosols at the San Francisco International Airport using BioAerosol Mass Spectrometry

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

Steele, P T; McJimpsey, E L; Coffee, K R

2006-03-16

The BioAerosol Mass Spectrometry (BAMS) system is a rapidly fieldable, fully autonomous instrument that can perform correlated measurements of multiple orthogonal properties of individual aerosol particles. The BAMS front end uses optical techniques to nondestructively measure a particle's aerodynamic diameter and fluorescence properties. Fluorescence can be excited at 266nm or 355nm and is detected in two broad wavelength bands. Individual particles with appropriate size and fluorescence properties can then be analyzed more thoroughly in a dual-polarity time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Over the course of two deployments to the San Francisco International Airport, more than 6.5 million individual aerosol particles were fullymore » analyzed by the system. Analysis of the resulting data has provided a number of important insights relevant to rapid bioaerosol detection, which are described here.« less

Energy scavenging for long-term deployable wireless sensor networks.

PubMed

Mathúna, Cian O; O'Donnell, Terence; Martinez-Catala, Rafael V; Rohan, James; O'Flynn, Brendan

2008-05-15

The coming decade will see the rapid emergence of low cost, intelligent, wireless sensors and their widespread deployment throughout our environment. While wearable systems will operate over communications ranges of less than a meter, building management systems will operate with inter-node communications ranges of the order of meters to tens of meters and remote environmental monitoring systems will require communications systems and associated energy systems that will allow reliable operation over kilometers. Autonomous power should allow wireless sensor nodes to operate in a "deploy and forget" mode. The use of rechargeable battery technology is problematic due to battery lifetime issues related to node power budget, battery self-discharge, number of recharge cycles and long-term environmental impact. Duty cycling of wireless sensor nodes with long "SLEEP" times minimises energy usage. A case study of a multi-sensor, wireless, building management system operating using the Zigbee protocol demonstrates that, even with a 1 min cycle time for an 864 ms "ACTIVE" mode, the sensor module is already in SLEEP mode for almost 99% of the time. For a 20-min cycle time, the energy utilisation in SLEEP mode exceeds the ACTIVE mode energy by almost a factor of three and thus dominates the module energy utilisation thereby providing the ultimate limit to the power system lifetime. Energy harvesting techniques can deliver energy densities of 7.5 mW/cm(2) from outdoor solar, 100 microW/cm(2) from indoor lighting, 100 microW/cm(3) from vibrational energy and 60 microW/cm(2) from thermal energy typically found in a building environment. A truly autonomous, "deploy and forget" battery-less system can be achieved by scaling the energy harvesting system to provide all the system energy needs. In the building management case study discussed, for duty cycles of less than 0.07% (i.e. in ACTIVE mode for 0.864 s every 20 min), energy harvester device dimensions of approximately 2 cm on a side would be sufficient to supply the complete wireless sensor node energy. Key research challenges to be addressed to deliver future, remote, wireless, chemo-biosensing systems include the development of low cost, low-power sensors, miniaturised fluidic transport systems, anti-bio-fouling sensor surfaces, sensor calibration, reliable and robust system packaging, as well as associated energy delivery systems and energy budget management.

New computer and communications environments for light armored vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rapanotti, John L.; Palmarini, Marc; Dumont, Marc

2002-08-01

Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) are being developed to meet the modern requirements of rapid deployment and operations other than war. To achieve these requirements, passive armour is minimized and survivability depends more on sensors, computers and countermeasures to detect and avoid threats. The performance, reliability, and ultimately the cost of these components, will be determined by the trends in computing and communications. These trends and the potential impact on DAS (Defensive Aids Suite) development were investigated and are reported in this paper. Vehicle performance is affected by communication with other vehicles and other ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) battlefield assets. This investigation includes the networking technology Jini developed by SUN Microsystems, which can be used to interface the vehicle to the ISTAR network. VxWorks by Wind River Systems, is a real time operating system designed for military systems and compatible with Jini. Other technologies affecting computer hardware development include, dynamic reconfiguration, hot swap, alternate pathing, CompactPCI, and Fiber Channel serial communication. To achieve the necessary performance at reasonable cost, and over the long service life of the vehicle, a DAS should have two essential features. A fitted for, but not fitted with approach will provide the necessary rapid deployment without a need to equip the entire fleet. With an expected vehicle service life of 50 years, 5-year technology upgrades can be used to maintain vehicle performance over the entire service life. A federation of modules instead of integrated fused sensors will provide the capability for incremental upgrades and mission configurability. A plug and play capability can be used for both hardware and expendables.

Micrometeoroid and Lunar Secondary Ejecta Flux Measurements: Comparison of Three Acoustic Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corsaro, R. D.; Giovane, F.; Liou, Jer-Chyi; Burtchell, M.; Pisacane, V.; Lagakos, N.; Williams, E.; Stansbery, E.

2010-01-01

This report examines the inherent capability of three large-area acoustic sensor systems and their applicability for micrometeoroids (MM) and lunar secondary ejecta (SE) detection and characterization for future lunar exploration activities. Discussion is limited to instruments that can be fabricated and deployed with low resource requirements. Previously deployed impact detection probes typically have instrumented capture areas less than 0.2 square meters. Since the particle flux decreases rapidly with increased particle size, such small-area sensors rarely encounter particles in the size range above 50 microns, and even their sampling the population above 10 microns is typically limited. Characterizing the sparse dust population in the size range above 50 microns requires a very large-area capture instrument. However it is also important that such an instrument simultaneously measures the population of the smaller particles, so as to provide a complete instantaneous snapshot of the population. For lunar or planetary surface studies, the system constraints are significant. The instrument must be as large as possible to sample the population of the largest MM. This is needed to reliably assess the particle impact risks and to develop cost-effective shielding designs for habitats, astronauts, and critical instrument. The instrument should also have very high sensitivity to measure the flux of small and slow SE particles. is the SE environment is currently poorly characterized, and possess a contamination risk to machinery and personnel involved in exploration. Deployment also requires that the instrument add very little additional mass to the spacecraft. Three acoustic systems are being explored for this application.

Improving oversight of the graduate medical education enterprise: one institution's strategies and tools.

PubMed

Afrin, Lawrence B; Arana, George W; Medio, Franklin J; Ybarra, Angela F N; Clarke, Harry S

2006-05-01

Accreditation organizations, financial stakeholders, legal systems, and regulatory agencies have increased the need for accountability in educational processes and curricular outcomes of graduate medical education. This demand for greater programmatic monitoring has placed pressure on institutions with graduate medical education (GME) programs to develop greater oversight of these programs. Meeting these challenges requires development of new GME management strategies and tools for institutional GME administrators to scrutinize programs, while still allowing these programs the autonomy to develop and implement educational methods to meet their unique training needs. At the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), senior administrators in the college of medicine felt electronic information management was a critical strategy for success and thus proceeded to carefully select an electronic residency management system (ERMS) to provide functionality for both individual programs and the GME enterprise as a whole. Initial plans in 2002 for a phased deployment had to be changed to a much more rapid deployment due to regulatory issues. Extensive communication and cooperation among MUSC's GME leaders resulted in a successful deployment in 2003. Evaluation completion rates have substantially improved, duty hours are carefully monitored, patient safety has improved through more careful oversight of residents' procedural privileges, regulators have been pleased, and central GME administrative visibility of program performance has dramatically improved. The system is now being expanded to MUSC's medical school and other health professions colleges. The authors discuss lessons learned and opportunities and challenges ahead, which include improving tracking of development of procedural competency, establishing and monitoring program performance standards, and integrating the ERMS with GME reimbursement systems.

Contamination Control of Freeze Shoe Coring System for Collection of Aquifer Sands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Homola, K.; van Geen, A.; Spivack, A. J.; Grzybowski, B.; Schlottenmier, D.

2017-12-01

We have developed and tested an original device, the freeze-shoe coring system, designed to recover undisturbed samples of water contained in sand-dominated aquifers. Aquifer sands are notoriously difficult to collect together with porewater from coincident depths, as high hydraulic permeability leads to water drainage and mixing during retrieval. Two existing corer designs were reconfigured to incorporate the freeze-shoe system; a Hydraulic Piston (HPC) and a Rotary (RC) Corer. Once deployed, liquid CO­2 contained in an interior tank is channeled to coils at the core head where it changes phase, rapidly cooling the deepest portion of the core. The resulting frozen core material impedes water loss during recovery. We conducted contamination tests to examine the integrity of cores retrieved during a March 2017 yard test deployment. Perfluorocarbon tracer (PFC) was added to the drill fluid and recovered cores were subsampled to capture the distribution of PFC throughout the core length and interior. Samples were collected from two HPC and one RC core and analyzed for PFC concentrations. The lowest porewater contamination, around 0.01% invasive fluid, occurs in the center of both HPC cores. The greatest contamination (up to 10%) occurs at the disturbed edges where core material contacts drill fluid. There was lower contamination in the core interior than top, bottom, and edges, as well as significantly lower contamination in HPC cores that those recovered with the RC. These results confirm that the freeze-shoe system, proposed for field test deployments in West Bengal, India, can successfully collect intact porewater and sediment material with minimal if any contamination from drill fluid.

2D wireless sensor network deployment based on Centroidal Voronoi Tessellation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iliodromitis, Athanasios; Pantazis, George; Vescoukis, Vasileios

2017-06-01

In recent years, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have rapidly evolved and now comprise a powerful tool in monitoring and observation of the natural environment, among other fields. The use of WSNs is critical in early warning systems, which are of high importance today. In fact, WSNs are adopted more and more in various applications, e.g. for fire or deformation detection. The optimum deployment of sensors is a multi-dimensional problem, which has two main components; network and positioning approach. Although lots of work has dealt with the issue, most of it emphasizes on mere network approach (communication, energy consumption) and not on the topography (positioning) of the sensors in achieving ideal geometry. In some cases, it is hard or even impossible to achieve perfect geometry in nodes' deployment. The ideal and desirable scenario of nodes arranged in square or hexagonal grid would raise extremely the cost of the network, especially in unfriendly or hostile environments. In such environments the positions of the sensors have to be chosen among a list of possible points, which in most cases are randomly distributed. This constraint has to be taken under consideration during the WSN planning. Full geographical coverage is in some applications of the same, if not of greater, importance than the network coverage. Cost is a crucial factor at network planning and given that resources are often limited, what matters, is to cover the whole area with the minimum number of sensors. This paper suggests a deployment method for nodes, in large scale and high density WSNs, based on Centroidal Voronoi Tessellation (CVT). It approximates the solution through the geometry of the random points and proposes a deployment plan, for the given characteristics of the study area, in order to achieve a deployment as near as possible to the ideal one.

Rapid Technology Assessment via Unified Deployment of Global Optical and Virtual Diagnostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, Jeffrey D.; Watkins, A. Neal; Fleming, Gary A.; Leighty, Bradley D.; Schwartz, Richard J.; Ingram, JoAnne L.; Grinstead, Keith D., Jr.; Oglesby, Donald M.; Tyler, Charles

2003-01-01

This paper discusses recent developments in rapid technology assessment resulting from an active collaboration between researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) and the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). This program targets the unified development and deployment of global measurement technologies coupled with a virtual diagnostic interface to enable the comparative evaluation of experimental and computational results. Continuing efforts focus on the development of seamless data translation methods to enable integration of data sets of disparate file format in a common platform. Results from a successful low-speed wind tunnel test at WPAFB in which global surface pressure distributions were acquired simultaneously with model deformation and geometry measurements are discussed and comparatively evaluated with numerical simulations. Intensity- and lifetime-based pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) and projection moire interferometry (PMI) results are presented within the context of rapid technology assessment to enable simulation-based R&D.

DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY OF TEMPORAL AND GEOSPATIAL PATTERNS OF DISEASE TRANSMISSION: WEST NILE VIRUS IN MARYLAND

EPA Science Inventory

The necessity of rapid response to a developing disease outbreak often precludes systematic investigation of the mechanisms and patterns (temporal and geospatial) of spread. In order to deploy the most rapid response possible, we must exploit existing data to its maximum extent....

Development and Deployment of NASA's Budget Execution Dashboard

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Putz, Peter

2009-01-01

This paper discusses the successful implementation of a highly visible company-wide management system and its potential to change managerial and accounting policies, processes and practices in support of organizational goals. Applying the conceptual framework of innovation in organizations, this paper describes the development and deployment process of the NASA Budget Execution Dashboard and the first two fiscal years of its use. It discusses the positive organizational changes triggered by the dashboard, like higher visibility of financial goals and variances between plans and actuals, increased involvement of all management levels in tracking and correcting of plan deviations, establishing comparable data standards across a strongly diversified organization, and enhanced communication between line organizations (NASA Centers) and product organizations (Mission Directorates). The paper also discusses the critical success factors experienced in this project: Strong leadership and division of management roles, rapid and responsive technology development, and frequent communication among stakeholders.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-11

Inside Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians and engineers install one of eight NASA Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) spacecraft on its deployment module. Processing activities will prepare the spacecraft for launch aboard an Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket. When preparations are competed at Vandenberg, the rocket will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft with in its payload fairing. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-11

Inside Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, one of eight NASA Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) spacecraft is installed on its deployment module. Processing activities will prepare the spacecraft for launch aboard an Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket. When preparations are competed at Vandenberg, the rocket will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft with in its payload fairing. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-11

Technicians with Orbital ATK prepare to install the micro satellites on the deployment module for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-12

A technician with Orbital ATK prepares to install another micro satellite on the deployment module for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-11

Technicians with Orbital ATK install the first two sets of micro satellites on the deployment module for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Design Report Final - CUB Inc.

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

Armijo, Kenneth Miguel; Monda, Mark J.; Brunson, Gregory Paul

CUB (Critical Utility Base), Fig. 1.0, are individual portable energy and utility units utilizing renewable energy technologies integrated with high efficient conventional components to provide electricity, battery storage, heat, potable water, waste water treatment, cooling, liquid fuels, to name some of the primary utilities. Typically, these units were designed to provide power / utilities to any remote location or facility like forward operating bases, disaster relief centers, and Native American communities or to energize African villages. Although some CUB models have already been designed to date, the main unit, the CUB-E (electricity), lacks a critical component included in its design.more » It is the integral portion that automates solar electric panel racking deployment and retraction. This racking system will enable the CUB-E to rapidly deploy its utility within minutes, a feature not available in any form currently on the market.« less

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Solar Panel Deployment and Illumination Test

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-02

Inside Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, solar panels for one of eight NASA's Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) spacecraft has been deployed for illumination testing. Processing activities will prepare the spacecraft for launch aboard an Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket. When preparations are completed at Vandenberg, the rocket will be transported to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft within its payload fairing. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Chip-based quantum key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sibson, P.; Erven, C.; Godfrey, M.; Miki, S.; Yamashita, T.; Fujiwara, M.; Sasaki, M.; Terai, H.; Tanner, M. G.; Natarajan, C. M.; Hadfield, R. H.; O'Brien, J. L.; Thompson, M. G.

2017-02-01

Improvement in secure transmission of information is an urgent need for governments, corporations and individuals. Quantum key distribution (QKD) promises security based on the laws of physics and has rapidly grown from proof-of-concept to robust demonstrations and deployment of commercial systems. Despite these advances, QKD has not been widely adopted, and large-scale deployment will likely require chip-based devices for improved performance, miniaturization and enhanced functionality. Here we report low error rate, GHz clocked QKD operation of an indium phosphide transmitter chip and a silicon oxynitride receiver chip--monolithically integrated devices using components and manufacturing processes from the telecommunications industry. We use the reconfigurability of these devices to demonstrate three prominent QKD protocols--BB84, Coherent One Way and Differential Phase Shift--with performance comparable to state-of-the-art. These devices, when combined with integrated single photon detectors, pave the way for successfully integrating QKD into future telecommunications networks.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-11

A technician with Orbital ATK prepares the deployment module for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) for micro satellites installation in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-11

A technician with Orbital ATK checks out the micro satellites deployment module for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-13

All of the micro satellites have been fully installed on the deployment module by Orbital ATK for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Payload Adapter Installation to Deployment Mod

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-17

Technicians with Orbital ATK install the payload adapter to the deployment module that contains the micro satellites for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-11

Technicians with Orbital ATK prepare the micro satellites for installation on the deployment module for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-12

Technicians with Orbital ATK continue to install the micro satellites on the deployment module for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-12

Technicians with Orbital ATK continue to install micro satellites on the deployment module for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-11

A technician with Orbital ATK assembles the micro satellites deployment module for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-11

Technicians with Orbital ATK check assemble the micro satellites deployment module for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-11

Technicians with Orbital ATK prepare a set of micro satellites for installation on the deployment module for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-11

Technicians with Orbital ATK check out the micro satellites deployment module for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-11

Technicians with Orbital ATK prepare to install micro satellites on the deployment module for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-12

A technician with Orbital ATK checks the installation of the micro satellites on the deployment module for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-11

Technicians with Orbital ATK install the first set of micro satellites on the deployment module for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-11

A technician with Orbital ATK prepares a set of micro satellites for installation on the deployment module for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is being prepared at Vandenberg, and then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Chip-based quantum key distribution

PubMed Central

Sibson, P.; Erven, C.; Godfrey, M.; Miki, S.; Yamashita, T.; Fujiwara, M.; Sasaki, M.; Terai, H.; Tanner, M. G.; Natarajan, C. M.; Hadfield, R. H.; O'Brien, J. L.; Thompson, M. G.

2017-01-01

Improvement in secure transmission of information is an urgent need for governments, corporations and individuals. Quantum key distribution (QKD) promises security based on the laws of physics and has rapidly grown from proof-of-concept to robust demonstrations and deployment of commercial systems. Despite these advances, QKD has not been widely adopted, and large-scale deployment will likely require chip-based devices for improved performance, miniaturization and enhanced functionality. Here we report low error rate, GHz clocked QKD operation of an indium phosphide transmitter chip and a silicon oxynitride receiver chip—monolithically integrated devices using components and manufacturing processes from the telecommunications industry. We use the reconfigurability of these devices to demonstrate three prominent QKD protocols—BB84, Coherent One Way and Differential Phase Shift—with performance comparable to state-of-the-art. These devices, when combined with integrated single photon detectors, pave the way for successfully integrating QKD into future telecommunications networks. PMID:28181489

The production deployment of IPv6 on WLCG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernier, J.; Campana, S.; Chadwick, K.; Chudoba, J.; Dewhurst, A.; Eliáš, M.; Fayer, S.; Finnern, T.; Grigoras, C.; Hartmann, T.; Hoeft, B.; Idiculla, T.; Kelsey, D. P.; López Muñoz, F.; Macmahon, E.; Martelli, E.; Millar, A. P.; Nandakumar, R.; Ohrenberg, K.; Prelz, F.; Rand, D.; Sciabà, A.; Tigerstedt, U.; Voicu, R.; Walker, C. J.; Wildish, T.

2015-12-01

The world is rapidly running out of IPv4 addresses; the number of IPv6 end systems connected to the internet is increasing; WLCG and the LHC experiments may soon have access to worker nodes and/or virtual machines (VMs) possessing only an IPv6 routable address. The HEPiX IPv6 Working Group has been investigating, testing and planning for dual-stack services on WLCG for several years. Following feedback from our working group, many of the storage technologies in use on WLCG have recently been made IPv6-capable. This paper presents the IPv6 requirements, tests and plans of the LHC experiments together with the tests performed on the group's IPv6 test-bed. This is primarily aimed at IPv6-only worker nodes or VMs accessing several different implementations of a global dual-stack federated storage service. Finally the plans for deployment of production dual-stack WLCG services are presented.

Novel data visualizations of X-ray data for aviation security applications using the Open Threat Assessment Platform (OTAP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gittinger, Jaxon M.; Jimenez, Edward S.; Holswade, Erica A.; Nunna, Rahul S.

2017-02-01

This work will demonstrate the implementation of a traditional and non-traditional visualization of x-ray images for aviation security applications that will be feasible with open system architecture initiatives such as the Open Threat Assessment Platform (OTAP). Anomalies of interest to aviation security are fluid, where characteristic signals of anomalies of interest can evolve rapidly. OTAP is a limited scope open architecture baggage screening prototype that intends to allow 3rd-party vendors to develop and easily implement, integrate, and deploy detection algorithms and specialized hardware on a field deployable screening technology [13]. In this study, stereoscopic images were created using an unmodified, field-deployed system and rendered on the Oculus Rift, a commercial virtual reality video gaming headset. The example described in this work is not dependent on the Oculus Rift, and is possible using any comparable hardware configuration capable of rendering stereoscopic images. The depth information provided from viewing the images will aid in the detection of characteristic signals from anomalies of interest. If successful, OTAP has the potential to allow for aviation security to become more fluid in its adaptation to the evolution of anomalies of interest. This work demonstrates one example that is easily implemented using the OTAP platform, that could lead to the future generation of ATR algorithms and data visualization approaches.

Uplink Scheduling and Adjacent-Channel Coupling Loss Analysis for TD-LTE Deployment

PubMed Central

Yeo, Woon-Young; Moon, Sung Ho

2014-01-01

TD-LTE, one of the two duplexing modes in LTE, operates in unpaired spectrum and has the advantages of TDD-based technologies. It is expected that TD-LTE will be more rapidly deployed in near future and most of WiMax operators will upgrade their networks to TD-LTE gradually. Before completely upgrading to TD-LTE, WiMax may coexist with TD-LTE in an adjacent frequency band. In addition, multiple TD-LTE operators may deploy their networks in adjacent bands. When more than one TDD network operates in adjacent frequency bands, severe interference may happen due to adjacent channel interference (ACI) and unsynchronized operations. In this paper, coexistence issues between TD-LTE and other systems are analyzed and coexistence requirements are provided. This paper has three research objectives. First, frame synchronization between TD-LTE and WiMax is discussed by investigating possible combinations of TD-LTE and WiMax configurations. Second, an uplink scheduling algorithm is proposed to utilize a leakage pattern of ACI in synchronized operations. Third, minimum requirements for coexistence in unsynchronized operations are analyzed by introducing a concept of adjacent-channel coupling loss. From the analysis and simulation results, we can see that coexistence of TD-LTE with other TDD systems is feasible if the two networks are synchronized. For the unsynchronized case, some special cell-site engineering techniques may be required to reduce the ACI. PMID:24707214

Uplink scheduling and adjacent-channel coupling loss analysis for TD-LTE deployment.

PubMed

Yeo, Woon-Young; Moon, Sung Ho; Kim, Jae-Hoon

2014-01-01

TD-LTE, one of the two duplexing modes in LTE, operates in unpaired spectrum and has the advantages of TDD-based technologies. It is expected that TD-LTE will be more rapidly deployed in near future and most of WiMax operators will upgrade their networks to TD-LTE gradually. Before completely upgrading to TD-LTE, WiMax may coexist with TD-LTE in an adjacent frequency band. In addition, multiple TD-LTE operators may deploy their networks in adjacent bands. When more than one TDD network operates in adjacent frequency bands, severe interference may happen due to adjacent channel interference (ACI) and unsynchronized operations. In this paper, coexistence issues between TD-LTE and other systems are analyzed and coexistence requirements are provided. This paper has three research objectives. First, frame synchronization between TD-LTE and WiMax is discussed by investigating possible combinations of TD-LTE and WiMax configurations. Second, an uplink scheduling algorithm is proposed to utilize a leakage pattern of ACI in synchronized operations. Third, minimum requirements for coexistence in unsynchronized operations are analyzed by introducing a concept of adjacent-channel coupling loss. From the analysis and simulation results, we can see that coexistence of TD-LTE with other TDD systems is feasible if the two networks are synchronized. For the unsynchronized case, some special cell-site engineering techniques may be required to reduce the ACI.

GPM Solar Array Gravity Negated Deployment Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Penn, Jonathan; Johnson, Chris; Lewis, Jesse; Dear, Trevin; Stewart, Alphonso

2014-01-01

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) successfully developed a g-negation support system for use on the solar arrays of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Satellite. This system provides full deployment capability at the subsystem and observatory levels. In addition, the system provides capability for deployed configuration first mode frequency verification testing. The system consists of air pads, a support structure, an air supply, and support tables. The g-negation support system was used to support all deployment activities for flight solar array deployment testing.

Deployable Crew Quarters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Izenson, Michael G.; Chen, Weibo

2008-01-01

The deployable crew quarters (DCQ) have been designed for the International Space Station (ISS). Each DCQ would be a relatively inexpensive, deployable boxlike structure that is designed to fit in a rack bay. It is to be occupied by one crewmember to provide privacy and sleeping functions for the crew. A DCQ comprises mostly hard panels, made of a lightweight honeycomb or matrix/fiber material, attached to each other by cloth hinges. Both faces of each panel are covered with a layer of Nomex cloth and noise-suppression material to provide noise isolation from ISS. On Earth, the unit is folded flat and attached to a rigid pallet for transport to the ISS. On the ISS, crewmembers unfold the unit and install it in place, attaching it to ISS structural members by use of soft cords (which also help to isolate noise and vibration). A few hard pieces of equipment (principally, a ventilator and a smoke detector) are shipped separately and installed in the DCQ unit by use of a system of holes, slots, and quarter-turn fasteners. Full-scale tests showed that the time required to install a DCQ unit amounts to tens of minutes. The basic DCQ design could be adapted to terrestrial applications to satisfy requirements for rapid deployable emergency shelters that would be lightweight, portable, and quickly erected. The Temporary Early Sleep Station (TeSS) currently on-orbit is a spin-off of the DCQ.

Design of Mechanisms for Deployable, Optical Instruments: Guidelines for Reducing Hysteresis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lake, Mark S.; Hachkowski, M. Roman

2000-01-01

This paper is intended to facilitate the development of deployable, optical instruments by providing a rational approach for the design, testing, and qualification of high-precision (i.e., low-hysteresis) deployment mechanisms for these instruments. Many of the guidelines included herein come directly from the field of optomechanical engineering, and are, therefore, neither newly developed guidelines, nor are they uniquely applicable to the design of high-precision deployment mechanisms. This paper is to be regarded as a guide to design and not a set of NASA requirements, except as may be defined in formal project specifications. Furthermore, due to the rapid pace of advancement in the field of precision deployment, this paper should be regarded as a preliminary set of guidelines. However, it is expected that this paper, with revisions as experience may indicate to be desirable, might eventually form the basis for a set of uniform design requirements for high-precision deployment mechanisms on future NASA space-based science instruments.

Mobile Aerial Tracking and Imaging System (MATrIS) for Aeronautical Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Daniel W.; Blanchard, Robert C.; Miller, Geoffrey M.

2004-01-01

A mobile, rapidly deployable ground-based system to track and image targets of aeronautical interest has been developed. Targets include reentering reusable launch vehicles as well as atmospheric and transatmospheric vehicles. The optics were designed to image targets in the visible and infrared wavelengths. To minimize acquisition cost and development time, the system uses commercially available hardware and software where possible. The conception and initial funding of this system originated with a study of ground-based imaging of global aerothermal characteristics of reusable launch vehicle configurations. During that study the National Aeronautics and Space Administration teamed with the Missile Defense Agency/Innovative Science and Technology Experimentation Facility to test techniques and analysis on two Space Shuttle flights.

Economic evaluations of point of care testing strategies for active tuberculosis.

PubMed

Zwerling, Alice; Dowdy, David

2013-06-01

Point of care (POC) diagnostics are often hailed as having the potential to transform tuberculosis (TB) control efforts. However, POC testing is better conceptualized as a system of diagnosis and treatment, not simply a test that can provide rapid, deployable results. Economic evaluations may help decision makers allocate scarce resources for TB control, but evaluations of POC testing face unique challenges that include evaluating the full diagnostic system, incorporating implementation costs, translating diagnostic results into health and accounting for downstream treatment costs. For economic evaluations to reach their full potential as decision-making tools for POC testing in TB, these challenges must be understood and addressed.

A Real-Time Telemetry Simulator of the IUS Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drews, Michael E.; Forman, Douglas A.; Baker, Damon M.; Khazoyan, Louis B.; Viazzo, Danilo

1998-01-01

A real-time telemetry simulator of the IUS spacecraft has recently entered operation to train Flight Control Teams for the launch of the AXAF telescope from the Shuttle. The simulator has proven to be a successful higher fidelity implementation of its predecessor, while affirming the rapid development methodology used in its design. Although composed of COTS hardware and software, the system simulates the full breadth of the mission: Launch, Pre-Deployment-Checkout, Burn Sequence, and AXAF/IUS separation. Realism is increased through patching the system into the operations facility to simulate IUS telemetry, Shuttle telemetry, and the Tracking Station link (commands and status message).

Electronic Health Records: An Enhanced Security Paradigm to Preserve Patient's Privacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slamanig, Daniel; Stingl, Christian

In recent years, demographic change and increasing treatment costs demand the adoption of more cost efficient, highly qualitative and integrated health care processes. The rapid growth and availability of the Internet facilitate the development of eHealth services and especially of electronic health records (EHRs) which are promising solutions to meet the aforementioned requirements. Considering actual web-based EHR systems, patient-centric and patient moderated approaches are widely deployed. Besides, there is an emerging market of so called personal health record platforms, e.g. Google Health. Both concepts provide a central and web-based access to highly sensitive medical data. Additionally, the fact that these systems may be hosted by not fully trustworthy providers necessitates to thoroughly consider privacy issues. In this paper we define security and privacy objectives that play an important role in context of web-based EHRs. Furthermore, we discuss deployed solutions as well as concepts proposed in the literature with respect to this objectives and point out several weaknesses. Finally, we introduce a system which overcomes the drawbacks of existing solutions by considering an holistic approach to preserve patient's privacy and discuss the applied methods.

Orbital Winch for High-Strength, Space-Survivable Tethers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoyt, Robert; Barnes, Ian; Slostad, Jeffrey; Frank, Scott

2010-01-01

An Orbital Winch mechanism enables high-load, multi-line tethers to be deployed and retracted without rotating the spool on which the tether is wound. To minimize damage to the tether and the wound package during retraction or deployment under load, it can incorporate a Tension Management Module that reduces the infeed tension by a factor of 15 through the use of a powered capstan with guide rollers. This design eliminates the need for rotating high-voltage electrical connections in tether systems that use propellantless electro-dynamic propulsion. It can also eliminate the need for rotating optical connections in applications where the tether contains optical fibers. This winch design was developed to deploy a 15-km-long, 15-kg high-strength Hoytether structure incorporating conductive wires as part of the MXER-1 demonstration mission concept. Two slewing rings that orbit around the tether spool, combined with translation of one of the slewing rings back and forth along the spool axis to traverse the wind point, enables the winch to wind the tether. Variations of the traverse motion of the slewing ring can accomplish level winds and conical pirn winds. By removing the non-traversing slewing ring, and adding an actuated guide arm, the winch can manage rapid, low-drag deployment of a tether off the end of a pirn-wound spool, followed by controlled retraction and rewinding, in a manner very similar to a spin-casting reel. The winch requires at least two motor driver controller units to coordinate the action of two stepper motors to accomplish tether deployment or retraction.

Multi-Site Simultaneous Time-Resolved Photometry with a Low Cost Electro-Optics System †

PubMed Central

Gasdia, Forrest; Barjatya, Aroh; Bilardi, Sergei

2017-01-01

Sunlight reflected off of resident space objects can be used as an optical signal for astrometric orbit determination and for deducing geometric information about the object. With the increasing population of small satellites and debris in low Earth orbit, photometry is a powerful tool in operational support of space missions, whether for anomaly resolution or object identification. To accurately determine size, shape, spin rate, status of deployables, or attitude information of an unresolved resident space object, multi-hertz sample rate photometry is required to capture the relatively rapid changes in brightness that these objects can exhibit. OSCOM, which stands for Optical tracking and Spectral characterization of CubeSats for Operational Missions, is a low cost and portable telescope system capable of time-resolved small satellite photometry, and is field deployable on short notice for simultaneous observation from multiple sites. We present the electro-optical design principles behind OSCOM and light curves of the 1.5 U DICE-2 CubeSat and simultaneous observations of the main body of the ASTRO-H satellite after its fragmentation event. PMID:28556802

Enabling Remote Health-Caring Utilizing IoT Concept over LTE-Femtocell Networks.

PubMed

Hindia, M N; Rahman, T A; Ojukwu, H; Hanafi, E B; Fattouh, A

2016-01-01

As the enterprise of the "Internet of Things" is rapidly gaining widespread acceptance, sensors are being deployed in an unrestrained manner around the world to make efficient use of this new technological evolution. A recent survey has shown that sensor deployments over the past decade have increased significantly and has predicted an upsurge in the future growth rate. In health-care services, for instance, sensors are used as a key technology to enable Internet of Things oriented health-care monitoring systems. In this paper, we have proposed a two-stage fundamental approach to facilitate the implementation of such a system. In the first stage, sensors promptly gather together the particle measurements of an android application. Then, in the second stage, the collected data are sent over a Femto-LTE network following a new scheduling technique. The proposed scheduling strategy is used to send the data according to the application's priority. The efficiency of the proposed technique is demonstrated by comparing it with that of well-known algorithms, namely, proportional fairness and exponential proportional fairness.

Enabling Remote Health-Caring Utilizing IoT Concept over LTE-Femtocell Networks

PubMed Central

Hindia, M. N.; Rahman, T. A.; Ojukwu, H.; Hanafi, E. B.; Fattouh, A.

2016-01-01

As the enterprise of the “Internet of Things” is rapidly gaining widespread acceptance, sensors are being deployed in an unrestrained manner around the world to make efficient use of this new technological evolution. A recent survey has shown that sensor deployments over the past decade have increased significantly and has predicted an upsurge in the future growth rate. In health-care services, for instance, sensors are used as a key technology to enable Internet of Things oriented health-care monitoring systems. In this paper, we have proposed a two-stage fundamental approach to facilitate the implementation of such a system. In the first stage, sensors promptly gather together the particle measurements of an android application. Then, in the second stage, the collected data are sent over a Femto-LTE network following a new scheduling technique. The proposed scheduling strategy is used to send the data according to the application’s priority. The efficiency of the proposed technique is demonstrated by comparing it with that of well-known algorithms, namely, proportional fairness and exponential proportional fairness. PMID:27152423

Multi-Site Simultaneous Time-Resolved Photometry with a Low Cost Electro-Optics System.

PubMed

Gasdia, Forrest; Barjatya, Aroh; Bilardi, Sergei

2017-05-30

Sunlight reflected off of resident space objects can be used as an optical signal for astrometric orbit determination and for deducing geometric information about the object. With the increasing population of small satellites and debris in low Earth orbit, photometry is a powerful tool in operational support of space missions, whether for anomaly resolution or object identification. To accurately determine size, shape, spin rate, status of deployables, or attitude information of an unresolved resident space object, multi-hertz sample rate photometry is required to capture the relatively rapid changes in brightness that these objects can exhibit. OSCOM, which stands for Optical tracking and Spectral characterization of CubeSats for Operational Missions, is a low cost and portable telescope system capable of time-resolved small satellite photometry, and is field deployable on short notice for simultaneous observation from multiple sites. We present the electro-optical design principles behind OSCOM and light curves of the 1.5 U DICE-2 CubeSat and simultaneous observations of the main body of the ASTRO-H satellite after its fragmentation event.

Deployable antenna kinematics using tensegrity structure design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knight, Byron Franklin

With vast changes in spacecraft development over the last decade, a new, cheaper approach was needed for deployable kinematic systems such as parabolic antenna reflectors. Historically, these mesh-surface reflectors have resembled folded umbrellas, with incremental redesigns utilized to save packaging size. These systems are typically over-constrained designs, the assumption being that high reliability necessary for space operations requires this level of conservatism. But with the rapid commercialization of space, smaller launch platforms and satellite buses have demanded much higher efficiency from all space equipment than can be achieved through this incremental approach. This work applies an approach called tensegrity to deployable antenna development. Kenneth Snelson, a student of R. Buckminster Fuller, invented Tensegrity structures in 1948. Such structures use a minimum number of compression members (struts); stability is maintain using tension members (ties). The novelty introduced in this work is that the ties are elastic, allowing the struts to extend or contract, and in this way changing the surface of the antenna. Previously, the University of Florida developed an approach to quantify the stability and motion of parallel manipulators. This approach was applied to deployable, tensegrity, antenna structures. Based on the kinematic analyses for the 3-3 (octahedron) and 4-4 (square anti-prism) structures, the 6-6 (hexagonal anti-prism) analysis was completed which establishes usable structural parameters. The primary objective for this work was to prove the stability of this class of deployable structures, and their potential application to space structures. The secondary objective is to define special motions for tensegrity antennas, to meet the subsystem design requirements, such as addressing multiple antenna-feed locations. This work combines the historical experiences of the artist (Snelson), the mathematician (Ball), and the space systems engineer (Wertz) to develop a new, practical design approach. This kinematic analysis of tensegrity structures blends these differences to provide the design community with a new approach to lightweight, robust, adaptive structures with the high reliability that space demands. Additionally, by applying Screw Theory, a tensegrity structure antenna can be commanded to move along a screw axis, and therefore meeting the requirement to address multiple feed locations.

A rapid-exchange monorail stent system for salvage of failing femoropopliteal bypass grafts.

PubMed

Jahnke, Thomas; Brossmann, Joachim; Walluscheck, Knut; Heller, Martin; Müller-Hülsbeck, Stefan

2003-08-01

To analyze the safety and effectiveness of a new monorail stent system for the treatment of failing femoropopliteal bypass grafts. Acute distal occlusions or stenoses of femoropopliteal bypass grafts were treated with balloon-expandable stents (13 or 18-mm diameter) pre-mounted on a monorail balloon catheter system. The delivery system was assessed subjectively for (1). compatibility with the sheath, (2). lesion crossing potential, (3). radiopacity, (4). flexibility of the catheter, (5). adequacy of stent expansion, and (5). balloon refolding. In 8 failing bypass grafts with distal lesions, the delivery system successfully deployed the stent at the desired location. Sheath compatibility, catheter flexibility, lesion crossing, and stent expansion were rated "excellent" by all examiners for the 18-mm device. Radiopacity of the mounted stent was graded "good" before and during positioning, but only "sufficient" following expansion. For this type of lesion, the investigators rated the overall performance of the device superior to conventional "over-the-wire" systems. The monorail balloon-expandable stent delivery system provides rapid introduction of the device over the guidewire, and its low profile facilitates the use of small sheaths to minimize access-site complications.

UAV Deployment Exercise for Mapping Purposes: Evaluation of Emergency Response Applications.

PubMed

Boccardo, Piero; Chiabrando, Filiberto; Dutto, Furio; Tonolo, Fabio Giulio; Lingua, Andrea

2015-07-02

Exploiting the decrease of costs related to UAV technology, the humanitarian community started piloting the use of similar systems in humanitarian crises several years ago in different application fields, i.e., disaster mapping and information gathering, community capacity building, logistics and even transportation of goods. Part of the author's group, composed of researchers in the field of applied geomatics, has been piloting the use of UAVs since 2006, with a specific focus on disaster management application. In the framework of such activities, a UAV deployment exercise was jointly organized with the Regional Civil Protection authority, mainly aimed at assessing the operational procedures to deploy UAVs for mapping purposes and the usability of the acquired data in an emergency response context. In the paper the technical features of the UAV platforms will be described, comparing the main advantages/disadvantages of fixed-wing versus rotor platforms. The main phases of the adopted operational procedure will be discussed and assessed especially in terms of time required to carry out each step, highlighting potential bottlenecks and in view of the national regulation framework, which is rapidly evolving. Different methodologies for the processing of the acquired data will be described and discussed, evaluating the fitness for emergency response applications.

Building a better sticky trap: description of an easy-to-use trap and pole mount for quantifying the abundance of adult aquatic insects

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Joshua T.; Kennedy, Theodore A.; Muehlbauer, Jeffrey D.

2014-01-01

Insect emergence is a fundamental process in freshwaters. It is a critical life-history stage for aquatic insects and provides an important prey resource for terrestrial and aquatic consumers. Sticky traps are increasingly being used to sample these insects. The most common design consists of an acetate sheet coated with a nondrying adhesive that is attached to a wire frame or cylinder. These traps must be prepared at the deployment site, a process that can be time consuming and difficult given the vagaries of field conditions. Our goals were to develop a sturdy, low-cost sticky trap that could be prepared in advance, rapidly deployed and recovered in the field, and used to estimate the flight direction of insects. We used 150-mm Petri dishes with lids. The dishes can be coated cleanly and consistently with Tangle-Trap® adhesive. Deploying traps is simple and requires only a pole set near the body of water being sampled. Four dishes can be attached to the pole using Velcro and aligned in 4 different directions to enable quantification of insect flight direction. After sampling, Petri dishes can be taped closed, packed in boxes, and stored indefinitely. Petri traps are comparable in price to standard acetate sheet traps at ∼US$0.50/directional deployment, but they require more space for storage than acetate sheet traps. However, a major benefit of Petri traps is that field deployment times are ⅓ those of acetate traps. Our study demonstrated that large Petri dishes are an ideal platform for sampling postemergent adult aquatic insects, particularly when the study design involves estimating flight direction and when rapid deployment and recovery of traps is critical.

Optimizing Force Deployment and Force Structure for the Rapid Deployment Force

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-03-01

Analysis . . . . .. .. ... ... 97 Experimental Design . . . . . .. .. .. ... 99 IX. Use of a Flexible Response Surface ........ 10.2 Selection of a...setS . ere designe . arun, programming methodology , where the require: s.stem re..r is input and the model optimizes the num=er. :::pe, cargo. an...to obtain new computer outputs" (Ref 38:23). The methodology can be used with any decision model, linear or nonlinear. Experimental Desion Since the

Deployment dynamics and control of large-scale flexible solar array system with deployable mast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hai-Quan; Liu, Xiao-Feng; Guo, Shao-Jing; Cai, Guo-Ping

2016-10-01

In this paper, deployment dynamics and control of large-scale flexible solar array system with deployable mast are investigated. The adopted solar array system is introduced firstly, including system configuration, deployable mast and solar arrays with several mechanisms. Then dynamic equation of the solar array system is established by the Jourdain velocity variation principle and a method for dynamics with topology changes is introduced. In addition, a PD controller with disturbance estimation is designed to eliminate the drift of spacecraft mainbody. Finally the validity of the dynamic model is verified through a comparison with ADAMS software and the deployment process and dynamic behavior of the system are studied in detail. Simulation results indicate that the proposed model is effective to describe the deployment dynamics of the large-scale flexible solar arrays and the proposed controller is practical to eliminate the drift of spacecraft mainbody.

Early Warning/Track-and-Trigger Systems to Detect Deterioration and Improve Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients.

PubMed

Shiloh, Ariel L; Lominadze, George; Gong, Michelle N; Savel, Richard H

2016-02-01

As a global effort toward improving patient safety, a specific area of focus has been the early recognition and rapid intervention in deteriorating ward patients. This focus on "failure to rescue" has led to the construction of early warning/track-and-trigger systems. In this review article, we present a description of the data behind the creation and implementation of such systems, including multiple algorithms and strategies for deployment. Additionally, the strengths and weaknesses of the various systems and their evaluation in the literature are emphasized. Despite the limitations of the current literature, the potential benefit of these early warning/track-and-trigger systems to improve patient outcomes remains significant. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Economically Sustainable Scaling of Photovoltaics to Meet Climate Targets

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

Needleman, David Berney; Poindexter, Jeremy R.; Kurchin, Rachel C.

To meet climate goals, photovoltaics (PV) deployment will have to grow rapidly over the next fifteen years. We identify two barriers to this growth: scale-up of manufacturing capacity and the cost of PV module production. We explore several technoeconomic approaches to overcoming these barriers and identify deep reductions in the capital intensity (capex) of PV module manufacturing and large increases in module efficiency as the most promising routes to rapid deployment. Given the lag inherent in rolling out new technology, we explore an approach where growth is fueled by debt or subsidies in the short-term and technological advances in themore » medium term. Finally, we analyze the current capex structure of crystalline silicon PV module manufacturing to identify potential savings.« less

Remote Advanced Payload Test Rig (RAPTR) Portable Payload Test System for the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

De La Cruz, Melinda; Henderson, Steve

2016-01-01

The RAPTR was developed to test ISS payloads for NASA. RAPTR is a simulation of the Command and Data Handling (C&DH) interfaces of the ISS (MIL-STD1553B, Ethernet and TAXI) and is designed for rapid testing and deployment of payload experiments to the ISS. The ISS's goal is to reduce the amount of time it takes for a payload developer to build, test and fly a payload, including payload software. The RAPTR meets this need with its user oriented, visually rich interface.

Test and Evaluation of Field-Deployable Infectious Disease Diagnostic Assays in Support of the Joint Biological Agent Identification and Diagnosis System (JBAIDS): Malaria (Plasmodium/JBAIDS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-31

plasmid and P . falciparum plasmid. The assay was 100% (17/17) concordant in testing using a diverse panel ofPiasmodium species and strains prepared...AFMSA O&M FY10 ‘Plasmodium Project’, existing Plasmodium genus, P . falciparum , and P . vivax TaqMan assays were proposed for transfer to the RAPID...using P . vivax plasmid and P . falciparum plasmid. The assay was 100% (17/17) concordant in testing using a diverse panel of Plasmodium species and

SSA Building Blocks - Transforming Your Data and Applications into Operational Capability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buell, D.; Hawthorne, Shayn, L.; Higgins, J.

The Electronic System Center's 850 Electronic Systems Group (ELSG) is currently using a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) to rapidly create net-centric experimental prototypes. This SOA has been utilized effectively across diverse mission areas, such as global air operations and rapid sensor tasking for improved space event management. The 850 ELSG has deployed a working, accredited, SOA on the SIPRNET and provided real-time space information to five separate distributed operations centers. The 850 ELSG has learned first-hand the power of SOAs for integrating DoD and non-DoD SSA data in a rapid and agile manner, allowing capabilities to be fielded and sensors to be integrated in weeks instead of months. This opens a world of opportunity to integrate University data and experimental or proof-of-concept data with sensitive sensors and sources to support developing an array of SSA products for approved users in and outside of the space community. This paper will identify how new capabilities can be proactively developed to rapidly answer critical needs when SOA methodologies are employed and identifies the operational utility and the far-reaching benefits realized by implementing a service-oriented architecture. We offer a new paradigm for how data and application producer's contributions are presented for the rest of the community to leverage.

Equipment compatibility and logistics assessment for containment foam deployment.

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

McRoberts, Vincent M.; Martell, Mary-Alena; Jones, Joseph A.

2005-09-01

The deployment of the Joint Technical Operations Team (JTOT) is evolving toward a lean and mobile response team. As a result, opportunities to support more rapid mobilization are being investigated. This study investigates three specific opportunities including: (1) the potential of using standard firefighting equipment to support deployment of the aqueous foam concentrate (AFC-380); (2) determining the feasibility and needs for regional staging of equipment to reduce the inventory currently mobilized during a JTOT response; and (3) determining the feasibility and needs for development of the next generation AFC-380 to reduce the volume of foam concentrate required for a response.more » This study supports the need to ensure that requirements for alternative deployment schemes are understood and in place to support improved response activities.« less

Supporting Knowledge Transfer in IS Deployment Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schönström, Mikael

To deploy new information systems is an expensive and complex task, and does seldom result in successful usage where the system adds strategic value to the firm (e.g. Sharma et al. 2003). It has been argued that innovation diffusion is a knowledge integration problem (Newell et al. 2000). Knowledge about business processes, deployment processes, information systems and technology are needed in a large-scale deployment of a corporate IS. These deployments can therefore to a large extent be argued to be a knowledge management (KM) problem. An effective deployment requires that knowledge about the system is effectively transferred to the target organization (Ko et al. 2005).

A field-deployable mobile molecular diagnostic system for malaria at the point of need.

PubMed

Choi, Gihoon; Song, Daniel; Shrestha, Sony; Miao, Jun; Cui, Liwang; Guan, Weihua

2016-11-01

In response to the urgent need of a field-deployable and highly sensitive malaria diagnosis, we developed a standalone, "sample-in-answer-out" molecular diagnostic system (AnyMDx) to enable quantitative molecular analysis of blood-borne malaria in low resource areas. The system consists of a durable battery-powered analyzer and a disposable microfluidic compact disc loaded with reagents ready for use. A low power thermal module and a novel fluorescence-sensing module are integrated into the analyzer for real-time monitoring of loop-mediated isothermal nucleic acid amplification (LAMP) of target parasite DNA. With 10 μL of raw blood sample, the AnyMDx system automates the nucleic acid sample preparation and subsequent LAMP and real-time detection. Under laboratory conditions with whole-blood samples spiked with cultured Plasmodium falciparum, we achieved a detection limit of ∼0.6 parasite per μL, much lower than those for the conventional microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (∼50-100 parasites per μL). The turnaround time from sample to answer is less than 40 minutes. The AnyMDx is user-friendly requiring minimal technological training. The analyzer and the disposable reagent compact discs are cost-effective, making AnyMDx a potential tool for malaria molecular diagnosis under field settings for malaria elimination.

Applications of Wireless Sensor Networks in Marine Environment Monitoring: A Survey

PubMed Central

Xu, Guobao; Shen, Weiming; Wang, Xianbin

2014-01-01

With the rapid development of society and the economy, an increasing number of human activities have gradually destroyed the marine environment. Marine environment monitoring is a vital problem and has increasingly attracted a great deal of research and development attention. During the past decade, various marine environment monitoring systems have been developed. The traditional marine environment monitoring system using an oceanographic research vessel is expensive and time-consuming and has a low resolution both in time and space. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have recently been considered as potentially promising alternatives for monitoring marine environments since they have a number of advantages such as unmanned operation, easy deployment, real-time monitoring, and relatively low cost. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art technologies in the field of marine environment monitoring using wireless sensor networks. It first describes application areas, a common architecture of WSN-based oceanographic monitoring systems, a general architecture of an oceanographic sensor node, sensing parameters and sensors, and wireless communication technologies. Then, it presents a detailed review of some related projects, systems, techniques, approaches and algorithms. It also discusses challenges and opportunities in the research, development, and deployment of wireless sensor networks for marine environment monitoring. PMID:25215942

High Gain Antenna System Deployment Mechanism Integration, Characterization, and Lessons Learned

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parong, Fil; Russell, Blair; Garcen, Walter; Rose, Chris; Johnson, Chris; Huber, Craig

2014-01-01

The integration and deployment testing of the High Gain Antenna System (HGAS) for the Global Precipitation Measurement mission is summarized. The HGAS deployment mechanism is described. The gravity negation system configuration and its influence on vertical, ground-based deployment tests are presented with test data and model predictions. A focus is made on the late discovery and resolution of a potentially mission-degrading deployment interference condition. The interaction of the flight deployment mechanism, gravity-negation mechanism, and use of dynamic modeling is described and lessons learned presented

High Gain Antenna System Deployment Mechanism Integration, Characterization, and Lessons Learned

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parong, Fil; Russell, Blair; Garcen, Walter; Rose, Chris; Johnson, Chris; Huber, Craig

2014-01-01

The integration and deployment testing of the High Gain Antenna System for the Global Precipitation Measurement mission is summarized. The HGAS deployment mechanism is described. The gravity negation system configuration and its influence on vertical, ground-based, deployment tests are presented with test data and model predictions. A focus is made on the late discovery and resolution of a potentially mission degrading deployment interference condition. The interaction of the flight deployment mechanism, gravity negation mechanism, and use of dynamic modeling is described and lessons learned presented.

Proposed Use of the NASA Ames Nebula Cloud Computing Platform for Numerical Weather Prediction and the Distribution of High Resolution Satellite Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Limaye, Ashutosh S.; Molthan, Andrew L.; Srikishen, Jayanthi

2010-01-01

The development of the Nebula Cloud Computing Platform at NASA Ames Research Center provides an open-source solution for the deployment of scalable computing and storage capabilities relevant to the execution of real-time weather forecasts and the distribution of high resolution satellite data to the operational weather community. Two projects at Marshall Space Flight Center may benefit from use of the Nebula system. The NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center facilitates the use of unique NASA satellite data and research capabilities in the operational weather community by providing datasets relevant to numerical weather prediction, and satellite data sets useful in weather analysis. SERVIR provides satellite data products for decision support, emphasizing environmental threats such as wildfires, floods, landslides, and other hazards, with interests in numerical weather prediction in support of disaster response. The Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model Environmental Modeling System (WRF-EMS) has been configured for Nebula cloud computing use via the creation of a disk image and deployment of repeated instances. Given the available infrastructure within Nebula and the "infrastructure as a service" concept, the system appears well-suited for the rapid deployment of additional forecast models over different domains, in response to real-time research applications or disaster response. Future investigations into Nebula capabilities will focus on the development of a web mapping server and load balancing configuration to support the distribution of high resolution satellite data sets to users within the National Weather Service and international partners of SERVIR.

Cyber-Physical System Security of Smart Grids

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

Dagle, Jeffery E.

2012-01-31

Abstract—This panel presentation will provide perspectives of cyber-physical system security of smart grids. As smart grid technologies are deployed, the interconnected nature of these systems is becoming more prevalent and more complex, and the cyber component of this cyber-physical system is increasing in importance. Studying system behavior in the face of failures (e.g., cyber attacks) allows a characterization of the systems’ response to failure scenarios, loss of communications, and other changes in system environment (such as the need for emergent updates and rapid reconfiguration). The impact of such failures on the availability of the system can be assessed and mitigationmore » strategies considered. Scenarios associated with confidentiality, integrity, and availability are considered. The cyber security implications associated with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in the United States are discussed.« less

An innovative deployable solar panel system for Cubesats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santoni, Fabio; Piergentili, Fabrizio; Donati, Serena; Perelli, Massimo; Negri, Andrea; Marino, Michele

2014-02-01

One of the main Cubesat bus limitations is the available on-board power. The maximum power obtained using body mounted solar panels and advanced triple junction solar cells on a triple unit Cubesat is typically less than 10 W. The Cubesat performance and the mission scenario opened to these small satellite systems could be greatly enhanced by an increase of the available power. This paper describes the design and realization of a modular deployable solar panel system for Cubesats, consisting of a modular hinge and spring system that can be potentially used on-board single (1U), double(2U), triple (3U) and six units (6U) Cubesats. The size of each solar panels is the size of a lateral Cubesat surface. The system developed is the basis for a SADA (Solar Array Drive Assembly), in which a maneuvering capability is added to the deployed solar array in order to follow the apparent motion of the sun. The system design trade-off is discussed, comparing different deployment concepts and architectures, leading to the final selection for the modular design. A prototype of the system has been realized for a 3U Cubesat, consisting of two deployable solar panel systems, made of three solar panels each, for a total of six deployed solar panels. The deployment system is based on a plastic fiber wire and thermal cutters, guaranteeing a suitable level of reliability. A test-bed for the solar panel deployment testing has been developed, supporting the solar array during deployment reproducing the dynamical situation in orbit. The results of the deployment system testing are discussed, including the design and realization of the test-bed, the mechanical stress given to the solar cells by the deployment accelerations and the overall system performance. The maximum power delivered by the system is about 50.4 W BOL, greatly enhancing the present Cubesat solar array performance.

Engaging older adults in the visualization of sensor data facilitated by an open platform for connected devices.

PubMed

Bock, Christian; Demiris, George; Choi, Yong; Le, Thai; Thompson, Hilaire J; Samuel, Arjmand; Huang, Danny

2016-03-11

The use of smart home sensor systems is growing primarily due to the appeal of unobtrusively monitoring older adult health and wellness. However, integrating large-scale sensor systems within residential settings can be challenging when deployment takes place across multiple environments, requiring customization of applications, connection across various devices and effective visualization of complex longitudinal data. The objective of the study was to demonstrate the implementation of a smart home system using an open, extensible platform in a real-world setting and develop an application to visualize data real time. We deployed the open source Lab of Things platform in a house of 11 residents as a demonstration of feasibility over the course of 3 months. The system consisted of Aeon Labs Z-wave Door/Window sensors and an Aeon Labs Multi-sensor that collected data on motion, temperature, luminosity, and humidity. We applied a Rapid Iterative Testing and Evaluation approach towards designing a visualization interface engaging gerontological experts. We then conducted a survey with 19 older adult and caregiver stakeholders to inform further design revisions. Our initial visualization mockups consisted of a bar chart representing activity level over time. Family members felt comfortable using the application. Older adults however, indicated it would be difficult to learn to use the application, and had trouble identifying utility. A key for older adults was ensuring that the data collected could be utilized by their family members, physicians, or caregivers. The approach described in this work is generalizable towards future smart home deployments and can be a valuable guide for researchers to scale a study across multiple homes and connected devices, and to create personalized interfaces for end users.

Smashing the Stovepipe: Leveraging the GMSEC Open Architecture and Advanced IT Automation to Rapidly Prototype, Develop and Deploy Next-Generation Multi-Mission Ground Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swenson, Paul

2017-01-01

Satellite/Payload Ground Systems - Typically highly-customized to a specific mission's use cases - Utilize hundreds (or thousands!) of specialized point-to-point interfaces for data flows / file transfers Documentation and tracking of these complex interfaces requires extensive time to develop and extremely high staffing costs Implementation and testing of these interfaces are even more cost-prohibitive, and documentation often lags behind implementation resulting in inconsistencies down the road With expanding threat vectors, IT Security, Information Assurance and Operational Security have become key Ground System architecture drivers New Federal security-related directives are generated on a daily basis, imposing new requirements on current / existing ground systems - These mandated activities and data calls typically carry little or no additional funding for implementation As a result, Ground System Sustaining Engineering groups and Information Technology staff continually struggle to keep up with the rolling tide of security Advancing security concerns and shrinking budgets are pushing these large stove-piped ground systems to begin sharing resources - I.e. Operational / SysAdmin staff, IT security baselines, architecture decisions or even networks / hosting infrastructure Refactoring these existing ground systems into multi-mission assets proves extremely challenging due to what is typically very tight coupling between legacy components As a result, many "Multi-Mission" ops. environments end up simply sharing compute resources and networks due to the difficulty of refactoring into true multi-mission systems Utilizing continuous integration / rapid system deployment technologies in conjunction with an open architecture messaging approach allows System Engineers and Architects to worry less about the low-level details of interfaces between components and configuration of systems GMSEC messaging is inherently designed to support multi-mission requirements, and allows components to aggregate data across multiple homogeneous or heterogeneous satellites or payloads - The highly-successful Goddard Science and Planetary Operations Control Center (SPOCC) utilizes GMSEC as the hub for it's automation and situational awareness capability Shifts focus towards getting GS to a final configuration-managed baseline, as well as multi-mission / big-picture capabilities that help increase situational awareness, promote cross-mission sharing and establish enhanced fleet management capabilities across all levels of the enterprise.

Quantifying Vegetation Structure with Lightweight, Rapid-Scanning Terrestrial Lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paynter, I.; Genest, D.; Saenz, E. J.; Strahler, A. H.; Li, Z.; Peri, F.; Schaaf, C.

2016-12-01

Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) is proving a competent technology for observing vegetation structure. Terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) are ground-based instruments which utilize hundreds of thousands to millions of lidar observations to provide detailed structural and reflective information of their surroundings. TLS has enjoyed initial success as a validation tool for satellite and airborne estimates of vegetation structure, and are producing independent estimates with increasing accuracy. Reconstruction techniques for TLS observations of vegetation have also improved rapidly, especially for trees. However, uncertainties and challenges still remain in TLS modelling of vegetation structure, especially in geometrically complex ecosystems such as tropical forests (where observation extent and density is hampered by occlusion) and highly temporally dynamic coastal ecosystems (such as saltmarshes and mangroves), where observations may be restricted to narrow microstates. Some of these uncertainties can be mitigated, and challenges met, through the use of lidar instruments optimized for favorable deployment logistics through low weight, rapid scanning, and improved durability. We have conducted studies of vegetation structure in temperate and tropical forests, saltmarshes and mangroves, utilizing a highly portable TLS with considerable deployment flexibility, the Compact Biomass Lidar (CBL). We show results from studies in the temperate Long Term Ecological Research site of Harvard Forest (MA, USA); the tropical forested long-term Carbono sites of La Selva Biological Station (Sarapiqui, Costa Rica); and the saltmarsh LTER of Plum Island (MA, USA). These results demonstrate the improvements to observations in these ecosystems which are facilitated by the specifications of the CBL (and similar TLS) which are optimized for favorable deployment logistics and flexibility. We show the benefits of increased numbers of scanning positions, and specialized deployment platforms to meet ecosystem challenges.

Flight qualification of mortar-actuated parachute deployment systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pleasants, J. E.

1975-01-01

A brief discussion outlines background of mortar use in parachute deployment systems. A description of the system operation is presented. Effects of the environment on performance are discussed as well as the instrumentation needed to assess this performance. Power unit qualification and lot qualification for shear pins and cartridges is delineated. Functional mortar system tests are described. Finally, bridle deployment and parachute deployment are discussed.

Rover deployment system for lunar landing mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutoh, Masataku; Hoshino, Takeshi; Wakabayashi, Sachiko

2017-09-01

For lunar surface exploration, a deployment system is necessary to allow a rover to leave the lander. The system should be as lightweight as possible and stored retracted when launched. In this paper, two types of retractable deployment systems for lunar landing missions, telescopic- and fold-type ramps, are discussed. In the telescopic-type system, a ramp is stored with the sections overlapping and slides out during deployment. In the fold-type system, it is stored folded and unfolds for the deployment. For the development of these ramps, a design concept study and structural analysis were conducted first. Subsequently, ramp deployment and rover release tests were performed using the developed ramp prototypes. Through these tests, the validity of their design concepts and functions have been confirmed. In the rover release test, it was observed that the developed lightweight ramp was sufficiently strong for a 50-kg rover to descend. This result suggests that this ramp system is suitable for the deployment of a 300-kg-class rover on the Moon, where the gravity is about one-sixth that on Earth. The lightweight and sturdy ramp developed in this study will contribute to both safe rover deployment and increase of lander/rover payload.

Experiences with a generator tool for building clinical application modules.

PubMed

Kuhn, K A; Lenz, R; Elstner, T; Siegele, H; Moll, R

2003-01-01

To elaborate main system characteristics and relevant deployment experiences for the health information system (HIS) Orbis/OpenMed, which is in widespread use in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In a deployment phase of 3 years in a 1.200 bed university hospital, where the system underwent significant improvements, the system's functionality and its software design have been analyzed in detail. We focus on an integrated CASE tool for generating embedded clinical applications and for incremental system evolution. We present a participatory and iterative software engineering process developed for efficient utilization of such a tool. The system's functionality is comparable to other commercial products' functionality; its components are embedded in a vendor-specific application framework, and standard interfaces are being used for connecting subsystems. The integrated generator tool is a remarkable feature; it became a key factor of our project. Tool generated applications are workflow enabled and embedded into the overall data base schema. Rapid prototyping and iterative refinement are supported, so application modules can be adapted to the users' work practice. We consider tools supporting an iterative and participatory software engineering process highly relevant for health information system architects. The potential of a system to continuously evolve and to be effectively adapted to changing needs may be more important than sophisticated but hard-coded HIS functionality. More work will focus on HIS software design and on software engineering. Methods and tools are needed for quick and robust adaptation of systems to health care processes and changing requirements.

NASA's Electric Sail Propulsion System Investigations over the Past Three Years

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiegmann, Bruce M.

2017-01-01

Personnel from NASA's MSFC have been investigating the feasibility of an advanced propulsion system known as the Electric Sail for future scientific missions of exploration. This team initially won a NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) Phase I NASA Innovative Advanced Concept (NIAC) award and then a two year follow-on Phase II NIAC award. This paper documents the findings from this three year investigation. An Electric sail propulsion system is a propellant-less and extremely fast propulsion system that takes advantage of the ions that are present in the solar wind to provide very rapid transit speeds whether to deep space or to the inner solar system. Scientific spacecraft could arrive to Pluto in 5 years, to the boundary of the solar system in ten to twelve years vs. thirty five plus years it took the Voyager spacecraft. The team's recent focused activities are: 1) Developing a Particle in Cell (PIC) numeric engineering model from the experimental data collected at MSFC's Solar Wind Facility on the interaction between simulated solar wind interaction with a charged bare wire that can be applied to a variety of missions, 2) The development of the necessary tether deployers/tethers to enable successful deployment of multiple, multi km length bare tethers, 3) Determining the different missions that can be captured from this revolutionary propulsion system 4) Conceptual designs of spacecraft to reach various destinations whether to the edge of the solar system, or as Heliophysics sentinels around the sun, or to trips to examine a multitude of asteroids These above activities, once demonstrated analytically, will require a technology demonstration mission (2021 to 2023) to demonstrate that all systems work together seamlessly before a Heliophysics Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS) could be given the go-ahead. The proposed demonstration mission will require that a small spacecraft must first travel to cis-lunar space as the Electric Sail must be outside of Earth's Magnetic fields to produce thrust. The paper will outline what was done over the past three years from performing various plasma chamber tests to obtain data for the PIC model development, investigation of tether material trades, and conceptual designs of proposed spacecraft.

Nanopore Sequencing as a Rapidly Deployable Ebola Outbreak Tool.

PubMed

Hoenen, Thomas; Groseth, Allison; Rosenke, Kyle; Fischer, Robert J; Hoenen, Andreas; Judson, Seth D; Martellaro, Cynthia; Falzarano, Darryl; Marzi, Andrea; Squires, R Burke; Wollenberg, Kurt R; de Wit, Emmie; Prescott, Joseph; Safronetz, David; van Doremalen, Neeltje; Bushmaker, Trenton; Feldmann, Friederike; McNally, Kristin; Bolay, Fatorma K; Fields, Barry; Sealy, Tara; Rayfield, Mark; Nichol, Stuart T; Zoon, Kathryn C; Massaquoi, Moses; Munster, Vincent J; Feldmann, Heinz

2016-02-01

Rapid sequencing of RNA/DNA from pathogen samples obtained during disease outbreaks provides critical scientific and public health information. However, challenges exist for exporting samples to laboratories or establishing conventional sequencers in remote outbreak regions. We successfully used a novel, pocket-sized nanopore sequencer at a field diagnostic laboratory in Liberia during the current Ebola virus outbreak.

Center for Cancer Research plays key role in first FDA-approved drug for treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

The Center for Cancer Research’s ability to rapidly deploy integrated basic and clinical research teams at a single site facilitated the rapid FDA approval of the immunotherapy drug avelumab for metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare, aggressive form of skin cancer. Learn more...  

A rapid method for identifying and characterizing structural impacts using distributed sensors: An application for automotive pedestrian protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Andrew C.

This research is motivated by recent activity to improve automotive safety, especially for pedestrians. In many parts of the world today, injuries and fatalities from road accidents are a significant problem. Safety features such as seat restraints and air bags provide considerable levels of protection for car occupants; however, no such protective measures currently exist for pedestrians. Drawing upon the success and effectiveness of occupant air bag systems, current research aims to develop similar devices for pedestrians. These active pedestrian protection systems deploy a safety feature such as an external air bag when a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle. Contact with the front bumper induces a body rotation that may result in a violent head collision. The deployable safety device provides a cushioning surface for the vulnerable pedestrian during impact. The challenge of such a system is an effective sensory unit that can rapidly and correctly discriminate pedestrian impacts from non-pedestrian ones. The fast kinematics of the automobile-pedestrian impact leaves a minimal amount of time for signal processing and computation. This research study focuses on a discrimination scheme that satisfies both the time and accuracy requirements for a proposed sensory system for pedestrian protection. A unique methodology was developed to identify structural impacts using dominant frequency features extracted from sensory data. Contact sensors mounted on the front bumper of an automobile measure the strain response from an impact event. The dominant frequencies obtained from these sensor signals are greatly influenced by the impact object's properties and can be used to discriminate between different objects. Extensive tests were conducted to gather sensor data and validate the proposed methodology and impact discrimination algorithm. Results of the impact tests indicate that the approach is sound, and the sensory system effectively identifies "pedestrian" impacts within a short period of time.

Letter to the Editor : Rapidly-deployed small tent hospitals: lessons from the earthquake in Haiti.

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

Rosen, Y.; Gurman , P.; Verna, E.

2012-06-01

The damage to medical facilities resulting form the January 2010 earthquake in haiti necessitated the establishment of field tent hospitals. Much of the local medical infrastructure was destroyed or limited operationally when the Fast Israel Rescue and Search Team (FIRST) arrived in Haiti shortly after the January 2010 earthquake. The FIRST deployed small tent hospitals in Port-au-Prince and in 11 remote areas outside of the city. Each tent was set up in less than a half hour. The tents were staffed with an orthopedic surgeon, gynecologists, primary care and emergency care physicians, a physician with previous experience in tropical medicine,more » nurses, paramedics, medics, and psychologists. The rapidly deployable and temporary nature of the effort allowed the team to treat and educate, as well as provide supplies for, thousands of refugees throughout Haiti. In addition, a local Haitian physician and his team created a small tent hospital to serve the Petion Refugee Camp and its environs. FIRST personnel also took shifts at this hospital.« less

Qualification of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Solar Array Deployment System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawrence, Jon

1998-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) solar arrays are placed into orbital configuration by a complex deployment system. Its two wings each comprise twin seven square solar panels located by a twelve foot articulated boom. The four spring-driven hinge lines per wing are rate-limited by viscous dampers. The wings are stowed against the spacecraft kinematically, and released by five pyrotechnically-actuated mechanisms. Since deployment failure would be catastrophic, a total of 17 deployment tests were completed to qualify the system for the worst cast launch environment. This successful testing culminated in the flawless deployment of the solar arrays on orbit, 15 minutes after launch in November 1997. The custom gravity negation system used to perform deployment testing is modular to allow its setup in several locations, including the launch site in Japan. Both platform and height can be varied, to meet the requirements of the test configuration and the test facility. Its air pad floatation system meets tight packaging requirements, allowing installation while stowed against the spacecraft without breaking any flight interfaces, and avoiding interference during motion. This system was designed concurrently with the deployment system, to facilitate its installation, to aid in the integration of the flight system to the spacecraft, while demonstrating deployment capabilities. Critical parameters for successful testing were alignment of deployment axes and tables to gravity, alignment of table seams to minimize discontinuities, and minimizing pressure drops in the air supply system. Orbital performance was similar to that predicted by ground testing.

77 FR 15019 - Groundfish Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska and Pacific Halibut Fisheries...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-14

.... The new funding and deployment system would allow NMFS to determine when and where to deploy observers... requirements for vessels and processing plants at 50 CFR 679.50. The new funding and deployment system would... funding and deployment system. The proposed amendments would divide the existing Observer Program into two...

Deployer Performance Results for the TSS-1 Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, Leland S.; Geiger, Ronald V.

1995-01-01

Performance of the Tethered Satellite System (TSS) Deployer during the STS-46 mission (July and August 1992) is analyzed in terms of hardware operation at the component and system level. Although only a limited deployment of the satellite was achieved (256 meters vs 20 kilometers planned), the mission served to verify the basic capability of the Deployer to release, control and retrieve a tethered satellite. - Deployer operational flexibility that was demonstrated during the flight is also addressed. Martin Marietta was the prime contractor for the development of the Deployer, under management of the NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The satellite was provided by Alenia, Torino, Italy under contract to the Agencia Spaziale Italiana (ASI). Proper operation of the avionics components and the majority of mechanisms was observed during the flight. System operations driven by control laws for the deployment and retrieval of the satellite were also successful for the limited deployment distance. Anomalies included separation problems for one of the two umbilical connectors between the Deployer and satellite, tether jamming (at initial Satellite fly-away and at a deployment distance of 224 meters), and a mechanical interference which prevented tether deployment beyond 256 meters. The Deployer was used in several off-nominal conditions to respond to these anomalies, which ultimately enabled a successful satellite retrieval and preservation of hardware integrity for a future re-flight. The paper begins with an introduction defining the significance of the TSS-1 mission. The body of the paper is divided into four major sections: (1) Description of Deployer System and Components, (2) Deployer Components/Systems Demonstrating Successful Operation, (3) Hardware Anomalies and Operational Responses, and (4) Design Modifications for the TSS-1R Re-flight Mission. Conclusions from the TSS-1 mission, including lessons learned are presented at the end of the manuscript.

Technologies for security, military police and professional policing organizations, the Department of Energy perspective

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

Steele, B.J.

1996-12-31

There are many technologies emerging from this decade that can be used to help the law enforcement community protect the public as well as public and private facilities against ever increasing threats to this country and its resources. These technologies include sensors, closed circuit television (CCTV), access control, contraband detection, communications, control and display, barriers, and various component and system modeling techniques. This paper will introduce some of the various technologies that have been examined for the Department of Energy that could be applied to various law enforcement applications. They include: (1) scannerless laser radar; (2) next generation security systems;more » (3) response force video information helmet system; (4) access delay technologies; (5) rapidly deployable intrusion detection systems; and (6) cost risk benefit analysis.« less

Precise positioning with current multi-constellation Global Navigation Satellite Systems: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou.

PubMed

Li, Xingxing; Zhang, Xiaohong; Ren, Xiaodong; Fritsche, Mathias; Wickert, Jens; Schuh, Harald

2015-02-09

The world of satellite navigation is undergoing dramatic changes with the rapid development of multi-constellation Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs). At the moment more than 70 satellites are already in view, and about 120 satellites will be available once all four systems (BeiDou + Galileo + GLONASS + GPS) are fully deployed in the next few years. This will bring great opportunities and challenges for both scientific and engineering applications. In this paper we develop a four-system positioning model to make full use of all available observations from different GNSSs. The significant improvement of satellite visibility, spatial geometry, dilution of precision, convergence, accuracy, continuity and reliability that a combining utilization of multi-GNSS brings to precise positioning are carefully analyzed and evaluated, especially in constrained environments.

Deploying advanced public transportation systems in Birmingham

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-08-01

Advanced Public Transportation Systems (APTS) technologies have been deployed by many urban transit systems in order to improve efficiency, reduce operating costs, and improve service quality. The majority of : these deployments, however, have been i...

Developing a Nuclear Global Health Workforce Amid the Increasing Threat of a Nuclear Crisis.

PubMed

Burkle, Frederick M; Dallas, Cham E

2016-02-01

This study argues that any nuclear weapon exchange or major nuclear plant meltdown, in the categories of human systems failure and conflict-based crises, will immediately provoke an unprecedented public health emergency of international concern. Notwithstanding nuclear triage and management plans and technical monitoring standards within the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Health Organization (WHO), the capacity to rapidly deploy a robust professional workforce with the internal coordination and collaboration capabilities required for large-scale nuclear crises is profoundly lacking. A similar dilemma, evident in the early stages of the Ebola epidemic, was eventually managed by using worldwide infectious disease experts from the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network and multiple multidisciplinary WHO-supported foreign medical teams. This success has led the WHO to propose the development of a Global Health Workforce. A strategic format is proposed for nuclear preparedness and response that builds and expands on the current model for infectious disease outbreak currently under consideration. This study proposes the inclusion of a nuclear global health workforce under the technical expertise of the International Atomic Energy Agency and WHO's Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance Network leadership and supported by the International Health Regulations Treaty. Rationales are set forth for the development, structure, and function of a nuclear workforce based on health outcomes research that define the unique health, health systems, and public health challenges of a nuclear crisis. Recent research supports that life-saving opportunities are possible, but only if a rapidly deployed and robust multidisciplinary response component exists.

Infection prevention and control in deployed military medical treatment facilities.

PubMed

Hospenthal, Duane R; Green, Andrew D; Crouch, Helen K; English, Judith F; Pool, Jane; Yun, Heather C; Murray, Clinton K

2011-08-01

Infections have complicated the care of combat casualties throughout history and were at one time considered part of the natural history of combat trauma. Personnel who survived to reach medical care were expected to develop and possibly succumb to infections during their care in military hospitals. Initial care of war wounds continues to focus on rapid surgical care with debridement and irrigation, aimed at preventing local infection and sepsis with bacteria from the environment (e.g., clostridial gangrene) or the casualty's own flora. Over the past 150 years, with the revelation that pathogens can be spread from patient to patient and from healthcare providers to patients (including via unwashed hands of healthcare workers, the hospital environment and fomites), a focus on infection prevention and control aimed at decreasing transmission of pathogens and prevention of these infections has developed. Infections associated with combat-related injuries in the recent operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have predominantly been secondary to multidrug-resistant pathogens, likely acquired within the military healthcare system. These healthcare-associated infections seem to originate throughout the system, from deployed medical treatment facilities through the chain of care outside of the combat zone. Emphasis on infection prevention and control, including hand hygiene, isolation, cohorting, and antibiotic control measures, in deployed medical treatment facilities is essential to reducing these healthcare-associated infections. This review was produced to support the Guidelines for the Prevention of Infections Associated With Combat-Related Injuries: 2011 Update contained in this supplement of Journal of Trauma.

Rapid Field Response to a Cluster of Illnesses and Deaths - Sinoe County, Liberia, April-May, 2017.

PubMed

Doedeh, John; Frimpong, Joseph Asamoah; Yealue, Kwuakuan D M; Wilson, Himiede W; Konway, Youhn; Wiah, Samson Q; Doedeh, Vivian; Bao, Umaru; Seneh, George; Gorwor, Lawrence; Toe, Sylvester; Ghartey, Emmanuel; Larway, Lawrence; Gweh, Dedesco; Gonotee, Philemon; Paasewe, Thomas; Tamatai, George; Yarkeh, James; Smith, Samuel; Brima-Davis, Annette; Dauda, George; Monger, Thomas; Gornor-Pewu, Leleh W; Lombeh, Siafa; Naiene, Jeremias; Dovillie, Nathaniel; Korvayan, Mark; George, Geraldine; Kerwillain, Garrison; Jetoh, Ralph; Friesen, Suzanne; Kinkade, Carl; Katawera, Victoria; Amo-Addae, Maame; George, Roseline N; Gbanya, Miatta Z; Dokubo, E Kainne

2017-10-27

On April 25, 2017, the Sinoe County Health Team (CHT) notified the Liberia Ministry of Health (MoH) and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia of an unknown illness among 14 persons that resulted in eight deaths in Sinoe County. On April 26, the National Rapid Response Team and epidemiologists from CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) in Liberia were deployed to support the county-led response. Measures were immediately implemented to identify all cases, ascertain the cause of illness, and control the outbreak. Illness was associated with attendance at a funeral event, and laboratory testing confirmed Neisseria meningitidis in biologic specimens from cases. The 2014-2015 Ebola virus disease (Ebola) outbreak in West Africa devastated Liberia's already fragile health system, and it took many months for the country to mount an effective response to control the outbreak. Substantial efforts have been made to strengthen Liberia's health system to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats. The rapid and efficient field response to this outbreak of N. meningitidis resulted in implementation of appropriate steps to prevent a widespread outbreak and reflects improved public health and outbreak response capacity in Liberia.

An insulated isothermal PCR method on a field-deployable device for rapid and sensitive detection of canine parvovirus type 2 at points of need.

PubMed

Wilkes, Rebecca P; Lee, Pei-Yu A; Tsai, Yun-Long; Tsai, Chuan-Fu; Chang, Hsiu-Hui; Chang, Hsiao-Fen G; Wang, Hwa-Tang T

2015-08-01

Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2), including subtypes 2a, 2b and 2c, causes an acute enteric disease in both domestic and wild animals. Rapid and sensitive diagnosis aids effective disease management at points of need (PON). A commercially available, field-deployable and user-friendly system, designed with insulated isothermal PCR (iiPCR) technology, displays excellent sensitivity and specificity for nucleic acid detection. An iiPCR method was developed for on-site detection of all circulating CPV-2 strains. Limit of detection was determined using plasmid DNA. CPV-2a, 2b and 2c strains, a feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) strain, and nine canine pathogens were tested to evaluate assay specificity. Reaction sensitivity and performance were compared with an in-house real-time PCR using serial dilutions of a CPV-2b strain and 100 canine fecal clinical samples collected from 2010 to 2014, respectively. The 95% limit of detection of the iiPCR method was 13 copies of standard DNA and detection limits for CPV-2b DNA were equivalent for iiPCR and real-time PCR. The iiPCR reaction detected CPV-2a, 2b and 2c and FPV. Non-targeted pathogens were not detected. Test results of real-time PCR and iiPCR from 99 fecal samples agreed with each other, while one real-time PCR-positive sample tested negative by iiPCR. Therefore, excellent agreement (k = 0.98) with sensitivity of 98.41% and specificity of 100% in detecting CPV-2 in feces was found between the two methods. In conclusion, the iiPCR system has potential to serve as a useful tool for rapid and accurate PON, molecular detection of CPV-2. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Deployable System for Crash-Load Attenuation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kellas, Sotiris; Jackson, Karen E.

2007-01-01

An externally deployable honeycomb structure is investigated with respect to crash energy management for light aircraft. The new concept utilizes an expandable honeycomb-like structure to absorb impact energy by crushing. Distinguished by flexible hinges between cell wall junctions that enable effortless deployment, the new energy absorber offers most of the desirable features of an external airbag system without the limitations of poor shear stability, system complexity, and timing sensitivity. Like conventional honeycomb, once expanded, the energy absorber is transformed into a crush efficient and stable cellular structure. Other advantages, afforded by the flexible hinge feature, include a variety of deployment options such as linear, radial, and/or hybrid deployment methods. Radial deployment is utilized when omnidirectional cushioning is required. Linear deployment offers better efficiency, which is preferred when the impact orientation is known in advance. Several energy absorbers utilizing different deployment modes could also be combined to optimize overall performance and/or improve system reliability as outlined in the paper. Results from a series of component and full scale demonstration tests are presented as well as typical deployment techniques and mechanisms. LS-DYNA analytical simulations of selected tests are also presented.

VOLTTRON™: Tech-to-Market Best-Practices Guide for Small- and Medium-Sized Commercial Buildings

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

Cort, Katherine A.; Haack, Jereme N.; Katipamula, Srinivas

VOLTTRON™ is an open-source distributed control and sensing platform developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy. It was developed to be used by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to support transactive controls research and deployment activities. VOLTTRON is designed to be an overarching integration platform that could be used to bring together vendors, users, and developers and enable rapid application development and testing. The platform is designed to support modern control strategies, including the use of agent- and transaction-based controls. It also is designed to support the management of a wide rangemore » of applications, including heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems; electric vehicles; and distributed-energy and whole-building loads. This report was completed as part of the Building Technologies Office’s Technology-to-Market Initiative for VOLTTRON’s Market Validation and Business Case Development efforts. The report provides technology-to-market guidance and best practices related to VOLTTRON platform deployments and commercialization activities for use by entities serving small- and medium-sized commercial buildings. The report characterizes the platform ecosystem within the small- and medium-sized commercial building market and articulates the value proposition of VOLTTRON for three core participants in this ecosystem: 1) platform owners/adopters, 2) app developers, and 3) end-users. The report also identifies key market drivers and opportunities for open platform deployments in the small- and medium-sized commercial building market. Possible pathways to the market are described—laboratory testing to market adoption to commercialization. We also identify and address various technical and market barriers that could hinder deployment of VOLTTRON. Finally, we provide “best practice” tech-to-market guidance for building energy-related deployment efforts serving small- and medium-sized commercial buildings.« less

Underwater microscope for measuring spatial and temporal changes in bed-sediment grain size

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rubin, David M.; Chezar, Henry; Harney, Jodi N.; Topping, David J.; Melis, Theodore S.; Sherwood, Christopher R.

2007-01-01

For more than a century, studies of sedimentology and sediment transport have measured bed-sediment grain size by collecting samples and transporting them back to the laboratory for grain-size analysis. This process is slow and expensive. Moreover, most sampling systems are not selective enough to sample only the surficial grains that interact with the flow; samples typically include sediment from at least a few centimeters beneath the bed surface. New hardware and software are available for in situ measurement of grain size. The new technology permits rapid measurement of surficial bed sediment. Here we describe several systems we have deployed by boat, by hand, and by tripod in rivers, oceans, and on beaches.

Underwater Microscope for Measuring Spatial and Temporal Changes in Bed-Sediment Grain Size

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rubin, David M.; Chezar, Henry; Harney, Jodi N.; Topping, David J.; Melis, Theodore S.; Sherwood, Christopher R.

2006-01-01

For more than a century, studies of sedimentology and sediment transport have measured bed-sediment grain size by collecting samples and transporting them back to the lab for grain-size analysis. This process is slow and expensive. Moreover, most sampling systems are not selective enough to sample only the surficial grains that interact with the flow; samples typically include sediment from at least a few centimeters beneath the bed surface. New hardware and software are available for in-situ measurement of grain size. The new technology permits rapid measurement of surficial bed sediment. Here we describe several systems we have deployed by boat, by hand, and by tripod in rivers, oceans, and on beaches.

RIVETS: A Mechanical System for In Vivo and In Vitro Electrophysiology and Imaging

PubMed Central

Osborne, Jason E.; Dudman, Joshua T.

2014-01-01

A number of recent studies have provided compelling demonstrations that both mice and rats can be trained to perform a variety of behavioral tasks while restrained by mechanical elements mounted to the skull. The independent development of this technique by a number of laboratories has led to diverse solutions. We found that these solutions often used expensive materials and impeded future development and modification in the absence of engineering support. In order to address these issues, here we report on the development of a flexible single hardware design for electrophysiology and imaging both in brain tissue in vitro. Our hardware facilitates the rapid conversion of a single preparation between physiology and imaging system and the conversion of a given system between preparations. In addition, our use of rapid prototyping machines (“3D printers”) allows for the deployment of new designs within a day. Here, we present specifications for design and manufacturing as well as some data from our lab demonstrating the suitability of the design for physiology in behaving animals and imaging in vitro and in vivo. PMID:24551206

Development of deployable structures for large space platform systems, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Generic deployable spacecraft configurations and deployable platform systems concepts were identified. Sizing, building block concepts, orbiter packaging, thermal analysis, cost analysis, and mass properties analysis as related to platform systems integration are considered. Technology needs are examined and the major criteria used in concept selection are delineated. Requirements for deployable habitat modules, tunnels, and OTV hangars are considered.

Solidifying Small Satellite Access to Orbit via the International Space Station (ISS): Cyclops' Deployment of the Lonestar SmallSat from the ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hershey, Matthew P.; Newswander, Daniel R.; Evernden, Brent A.

2016-01-01

On January 29, 2016, the Space Station Integrated Kinetic Launcher for Orbital Payload Systems (SSIKLOPS), known as "Cyclops" to the International Space Station (ISS) community, deployed Lonestar from the ISS. The deployment of Lonestar, a collaboration between Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin, continued to showcase the simplicity and reliability of the Cyclops deployment system. Cyclops, a NASA-developed, dedicated 10-100 kg class ISS SmallSat deployment system, utilizes the Japanese airlock and robotic systems to seamlessly insert SmallSats into orbit. This paper will illustrate Cyclops' successful deployment of Lonestar from the ISS as well as outline its concept of operations, interfaces, requirements, and processes.

Communication interference/jamming and propagation analysis system and its application to radio location

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzucu, H.

1992-11-01

Modern defense systems depend on comprehensive surveillance capability. The ability to detect and locate the radio signals is a major element of a surveillance system. With the increasing need for more mobile surveillance systems in conjunction with the rapid deployment of forces and the advent of technology allowing more enhanced use of small aperture systems, tactical direction finding (DF) and radiolocation systems will have to be operated in diverse operational conditions. A quick assessment of the error levels expected and the evaluation of the reliability of the fixes on the targeted areas bears crucial importance to the effectiveness of the missions relying on DF data. This paper presents a sophisticated, graphics workstation based computer tool developed for the system level analysis of radio communication systems and describes its use in radiolocation applications for realizing such accurate and realistic assessments with substantial money and time savings.

A space release/deployment system actuated by shape memory wires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fragnito, Marino; Vetrella and, Sergio

2002-11-01

In this paper, the design of an innovative hold down/release and deployment device actuated by shape memory wires, to be used for the first time for the S MA RT microsatellite solar wings is shown. The release and deployment mechanisms are actuated by a Shape Memory wire (Nitinol), which allows a complete symmetrical and synchronous release, in a very short time, of the four wings in pairs. The hold down kinematic mechanism is preloaded to avoid vibration nonlinearities and unwanted deployment at launch. The deployment mechanism is a simple pulley system. The stiffness of the deployed panel-hinge system needs to be dimensioned in order to meet the on-orbit requirement for attitude control. One-way roller clutches are used to keep the panel at the desired angle during the mission. An ad hoc software has been developed to simulate both the release and deployment operations, coupling the SMA wire behavior with the system mechanics.

Commercial vehicle information systems and networks (CVISN) deployment program : benefits of CVISN level 1 deployment

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-09-05

In Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), Congress established a goal to complete Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN) deployment in a majority of states by September 30, 2003. Through the CVISN Deployment Pro...

Feasibility Assessment of ITS Deployment Analysis System (IDAS) for ITS Evaluation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-12-01

This study investigated the feasibility of utilizing the ITS Deployment Analysis System (IDAS) program version 2.2 as a tool for evaluating Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) deployment plans. Firstly, an online survey was conducted among metro...

Deployment Mechanism for Thermal Pointing System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koski, Kraig

2014-01-01

The Deployment Mechanism for the Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS) is responsible for bringing the Thermal Pointing System (TPS) from its stowed, launch locked position to the on-orbit deployed, operational position. The Deployment Mechanism also provides structural support for the TSIS optical bench and two-axis gimbal. An engineering model of the Deployment Mechanism has been environmentally qualified and life tested. This paper will give an overview of the TSIS mission and then describe the development, design, and testing of the Deployment Mechanism.

Nanopore Sequencing as a Rapidly Deployable Ebola Outbreak Tool

PubMed Central

Groseth, Allison; Rosenke, Kyle; Fischer, Robert J.; Hoenen, Andreas; Judson, Seth D.; Martellaro, Cynthia; Falzarano, Darryl; Marzi, Andrea; Squires, R. Burke; Wollenberg, Kurt R.; de Wit, Emmie; Prescott, Joseph; Safronetz, David; van Doremalen, Neeltje; Bushmaker, Trenton; Feldmann, Friederike; McNally, Kristin; Bolay, Fatorma K.; Fields, Barry; Sealy, Tara; Rayfield, Mark; Nichol, Stuart T.; Zoon, Kathryn C.; Massaquoi, Moses; Munster, Vincent J.; Feldmann, Heinz

2016-01-01

Rapid sequencing of RNA/DNA from pathogen samples obtained during disease outbreaks provides critical scientific and public health information. However, challenges exist for exporting samples to laboratories or establishing conventional sequencers in remote outbreak regions. We successfully used a novel, pocket-sized nanopore sequencer at a field diagnostic laboratory in Liberia during the current Ebola virus outbreak. PMID:26812583

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Microsats Installation on Deployment Module

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-11

Inside Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) deployment module is inspected prior to installation of eight spacecraft that will be part of the program’s constellation of spacecraft. Processing activities will prepare the spacecraft for launch aboard an Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket. When preparations are competed at Vandenberg, the rocket will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft with in its payload fairing. CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Development of 10B-Based 3He Replacement Neutron Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Michael J.; Gozani, Tsahi; Hilliard, Donald B.

2011-12-01

Radiation portal monitors (RPM) are currently deployed at United States border crossings to passively inspect vehicles and persons for any emission of neutrons and/or gamma rays, which may indicate the presence of unshielded nuclear materials. The RPM module contains an organic scintillator with 3He proportional counters to detect gamma rays and thermalized neutrons, respectively. The supply of 3He is rapidly dwindling, requiring alternative detectors to provide the same function and performance. Our alternative approach is one consisting of a thinly-coated 10B flat-panel ionization chamber neutron detector that can be deployed as a direct drop-in replacement for current RPM 3He detectors. The uniqueness of our approach in providing a large-area detector is in the simplicity of construction, scalability of the unit cell detector, ease of adaptability to a variety of applications and low cost. Currently, Rapiscan Laboratories and Helicon Thin Film Systems have designed and developed an operational 100 cm2 multi-layer prototype 10BB-based ionization chamber.

Logic-centered architecture for ubiquitous health monitoring.

PubMed

Lewandowski, Jacek; Arochena, Hisbel E; Naguib, Raouf N G; Chao, Kuo-Ming; Garcia-Perez, Alexeis

2014-09-01

One of the key points to maintain and boost research and development in the area of smart wearable systems (SWS) is the development of integrated architectures for intelligent services, as well as wearable systems and devices for health and wellness management. This paper presents such a generic architecture for multiparametric, intelligent and ubiquitous wireless sensing platforms. It is a transparent, smartphone-based sensing framework with customizable wireless interfaces and plug'n'play capability to easily interconnect third party sensor devices. It caters to wireless body, personal, and near-me area networks. A pivotal part of the platform is the integrated inference engine/runtime environment that allows the mobile device to serve as a user-adaptable personal health assistant. The novelty of this system lays in a rapid visual development and remote deployment model. The complementary visual Inference Engine Editor that comes with the package enables artificial intelligence specialists, alongside with medical experts, to build data processing models by assembling different components and instantly deploying them (remotely) on patient mobile devices. In this paper, the new logic-centered software architecture for ubiquitous health monitoring applications is described, followed by a discussion as to how it helps to shift focus from software and hardware development, to medical and health process-centered design of new SWS applications.

A Workflow-based Intelligent Network Data Movement Advisor with End-to-end Performance Optimization

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

Zhu, Michelle M.; Wu, Chase Q.

2013-11-07

Next-generation eScience applications often generate large amounts of simulation, experimental, or observational data that must be shared and managed by collaborative organizations. Advanced networking technologies and services have been rapidly developed and deployed to facilitate such massive data transfer. However, these technologies and services have not been fully utilized mainly because their use typically requires significant domain knowledge and in many cases application users are even not aware of their existence. By leveraging the functionalities of an existing Network-Aware Data Movement Advisor (NADMA) utility, we propose a new Workflow-based Intelligent Network Data Movement Advisor (WINDMA) with end-to-end performance optimization formore » this DOE funded project. This WINDMA system integrates three major components: resource discovery, data movement, and status monitoring, and supports the sharing of common data movement workflows through account and database management. This system provides a web interface and interacts with existing data/space management and discovery services such as Storage Resource Management, transport methods such as GridFTP and GlobusOnline, and network resource provisioning brokers such as ION and OSCARS. We demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed transport-support workflow system in several use cases based on its implementation and deployment in DOE wide-area networks.« less

Feasibility determination for use of polymerase chain reaction in the U.S. Air Force air-transportable hospital field environment: lessons learned.

PubMed

Niemeyer, D M; Jaffe, R I; Wiggins, L B

2000-11-01

At present, the use of molecular probes and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the identification of microorganisms in body fluids or tissues is becoming more commonplace. There is an added advantage when serological or culture methods are difficult, expensive, or unavailable. Slow-growing or fastidious microorganisms, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, spirochetes, viruses, and the dimorphic fungi, can be detected rapidly using these techniques. The presence of different chromosomal or plasmid-mediated antibiotic-resistant markers can also be determined. PCR is an extremely powerful tool that has been applied to research, and more recently it has been used to augment standard clinical applications. It is a very simple process that can amplify nucleic acid sequences, both DNA and RNA, a million times over. The sensitivity, rapidity, broad applicability, and compactness of this technology make it an ideal candidate for use in the military arena. We recently established a molecular biology laboratory at a Deployable Medical System at the Camp Parks Army Reserve Training Facility in Dublin, California. This article will briefly summarize the use of PCR and its applicability in the air-transportable hospital field environment. Proper handling, processing, and testing as well as the requirements for setting up a molecular biology laboratory will be discussed. Finally, the benefits and disadvantages of using PCR-based techniques in the deployed field environment will be considered.

UAV Deployment Exercise for Mapping Purposes: Evaluation of Emergency Response Applications

PubMed Central

Boccardo, Piero; Chiabrando, Filiberto; Dutto, Furio; Giulio Tonolo, Fabio; Lingua, Andrea

2015-01-01

Exploiting the decrease of costs related to UAV technology, the humanitarian community started piloting the use of similar systems in humanitarian crises several years ago in different application fields, i.e., disaster mapping and information gathering, community capacity building, logistics and even transportation of goods. Part of the author’s group, composed of researchers in the field of applied geomatics, has been piloting the use of UAVs since 2006, with a specific focus on disaster management application. In the framework of such activities, a UAV deployment exercise was jointly organized with the Regional Civil Protection authority, mainly aimed at assessing the operational procedures to deploy UAVs for mapping purposes and the usability of the acquired data in an emergency response context. In the paper the technical features of the UAV platforms will be described, comparing the main advantages/disadvantages of fixed-wing versus rotor platforms. The main phases of the adopted operational procedure will be discussed and assessed especially in terms of time required to carry out each step, highlighting potential bottlenecks and in view of the national regulation framework, which is rapidly evolving. Different methodologies for the processing of the acquired data will be described and discussed, evaluating the fitness for emergency response applications. PMID:26147728

Fission Meter Information Barrier Attribute Measurement System - NA-243 FNI/UKC FY2017 Task 1-2 Report

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

Kerr, P. L.; Decman, D.; Prasad, M.

An SNM attribute Information Barrier (IB) system was developed for a 2011 US/UK Exercise. The system was modified and extensively tested in a 2013-2014 US-UK Measurement Campaign. This work demonstrated rapid deployment of an IB system for potential treaty use. The system utilizes an Ortec Fission Meter neutron multiplicity counter and custom computer code. The system demonstrates a proof-of-principle automated Pu-240 mass determination with an information barrier. After a software start command is issued, the system automatically acquires and downloads data, performs an analysis, and displays the results. This system conveys the results of a Pu mass threshold measurements inmore » a way the does not reveal sensitive information. In full IB mode, only the pass/fail result is displayed as a “Mass <= Threshold Amount” or “Mass >= Threshold Amount” as shown in Figure 4. This can easily be adapted to a red/green “lights” display similar to the Detective IB system for Pu isotopics as shown in Figure 6. In test mode, more detailed information is displayed. The code can also read in, analyze, and display results from previously acquired or simulated data. Because the equipment is commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), the system demonstrates a low-cost short-lead-time technology for treaty SNM attribute measurements. A deployed system will likely require integration of additional authentication and tamper-indicating technologies. This will be discussed for the project in this and future progress reports.« less

The Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS) Design, Trades, and Analyses Performed in the First Year of a Two Year Investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiegmann, Bruce M.

2016-01-01

The Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS)1 was one of the seven total Phase II NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) that was down-selected in 2015 for continued funding and research. In Phase I we learned that a spacecraft propelled by an Electric Sail (E-Sail) can travel great astronomical distances, such as to the Heliopause region of the solar system (approx.100 to 120 AU) in approximately one quarter of the time (10 years) versus the time it took the Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977 (36 years). The current work within the Phase II NIAC effort builds upon the work that was done in the Phase I NIAC and is focused on: 1) Testing of plasma interaction with a charged wire in a unique MSFC test chamber, 2) Development of a Particle-in-Cell (PIC) models that are validated in the plasma testing and used to extrapolate to the E-Sail propulsion system design. 3) Further down select of a wire deployment and control approach from those narrowed down in the Phase I effort. This paper will document the findings to date (June, 2016) of the above focused areas.

Architecture and Initial Development of a Knowledge-as-a-Service Activator for Computable Knowledge Objects for Health.

PubMed

Flynn, Allen J; Boisvert, Peter; Gittlen, Nate; Gross, Colin; Iott, Brad; Lagoze, Carl; Meng, George; Friedman, Charles P

2018-01-01

The Knowledge Grid (KGrid) is a research and development program toward infrastructure capable of greatly decreasing latency between the publication of new biomedical knowledge and its widespread uptake into practice. KGrid comprises digital knowledge objects, an online Library to store them, and an Activator that uses them to provide Knowledge-as-a-Service (KaaS). KGrid's Activator enables computable biomedical knowledge, held in knowledge objects, to be rapidly deployed at Internet-scale in cloud computing environments for improved health. Here we present the Activator, its system architecture and primary functions.

NASA's Participation in Joint SatOPS Compatibility Efforts 2009-2010

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Danford

2010-01-01

Many U.S. government organizations build or fly space systems: a) NASA, NOAA, Navy, Air Force, NRO, ORS. Others? b) Through the Joint SatOps Compatibility Committee (JSCC) we have increased the grass-roots interaction between many of these organizations. c) We all deal with many of the same challenges: More rapid deployments, lower budgets; Advancing technologies - frameworks, clouds, virtualization; Evolving concepts - automation, situational awareness, enterprise mngt. Standardization - formal or by common use. There is an inherently governmental role in creating the business case for contractors and commercial product vendors to move in directions beneficial to multiple government space organizations.

An Historical Analysis of the Development of RED HORSE (Rapid Engineer Deployable, Heavy Operation Repair Squadron, Engineering)

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-09-01

BBiC FILE Copy- 00 ~OF AN HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF RED HORSE THESIS Jon A. Wheeler Captain, USAF AFIT/GEM/LSR/87S-26 T C Wrgh-atero...Air~ Forc BaEe, Ohi7 j~~pploved I ni8ie D~dmwdl AFIT/GEM/LSR/87S-26 AN HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF RED HORSE THESIS Jon A. Wheeler...DEVELOPMENT OF RED HORSE THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the School of Systems and Logistics of the Air Force Institute of Technology Air University

Introducing new diagnostics into STI control programmes: the importance of programme science.

PubMed

Peeling, Rosanna W; Mabey, David; Ballard, Ronald C

2013-03-01

Many innovative diagnostic technologies will become commercially available over the next 5-10 years. These tests can potentially transform the diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections but their introduction into control programmes can be hampered by health system constraints, and political, cultural, socioeconomic and behavioural factors. We used the introduction of syphilis rapid tests to illustrate the importance of programme science to address the gap between accruing evidence of acceptable test performance and the complexity of programme design, implementation and evaluation of test deployment to address public health needs and improve patient-important outcomes.

Providing care for America's Army.

PubMed

Webb, Joseph G; von Gonten, Ann Sue; Luciano, W John

2003-01-01

The Army Dental Corps' three-part mission is to maintain soldiers fit for combat, promote health, and ensure the Dental Corps ability deploy and deliver in the field. Consistent with this mission, the corps is developing innovative dental delivery systems and promoting tobacco cessation, sealants, mouth guard use, cancer detection, and identification of child, elder, and other abuse. The corps' training programs include options and benefits at the dental student, postdoctoral residency, and specialty levels. Recent technology innovations include light-weight field equipment, an integrated computer database to manage treatment, rapid ordering and delivery of supplies, and distance education.

A new type of tri-axial accelerometers with high dynamic range MEMS for earthquake early warning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Chaoyong; Chen, Yang; Chen, Quansheng; Yang, Jiansi; Wang, Hongti; Zhu, Xiaoyi; Xu, Zhiqiang; Zheng, Yu

2017-03-01

Earthquake Early Warning System (EEWS) has shown its efficiency for earthquake damage mitigation. As the progress of low-cost Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS), many types of MEMS-based accelerometers have been developed and widely used in deploying large-scale, dense seismic networks for EEWS. However, the noise performance of these commercially available MEMS is still insufficient for weak seismic signals, leading to the large scatter of early-warning parameters estimation. In this study, we developed a new type of tri-axial accelerometer based on high dynamic range MEMS with low noise level using for EEWS. It is a MEMS-integrated data logger with built-in seismological processing. The device is built on a custom-tailored Linux 2.6.27 operating system and the method for automatic detecting seismic events is STA/LTA algorithms. When a seismic event is detected, peak ground parameters of all data components will be calculated at an interval of 1 s, and τc-Pd values will be evaluated using the initial 3 s of P wave. These values will then be organized as a trigger packet actively sent to the processing center for event combining detection. The output data of all three components are calibrated to sensitivity 500 counts/cm/s2. Several tests and a real field test deployment were performed to obtain the performances of this device. The results show that the dynamic range can reach 98 dB for the vertical component and 99 dB for the horizontal components, and majority of bias temperature coefficients are lower than 200 μg/°C. In addition, the results of event detection and real field deployment have shown its capabilities for EEWS and rapid intensity reporting.

Boosting Manufacturing through Modular Chemical Process Intensification

ScienceCinema

None

2018-06-12

Manufacturing USA's Rapid Advancement in Process Intensification Deployment Institute will focus on developing breakthrough technologies to boost domestic energy productivity and energy efficiency by 20 percent in five years through manufacturing processes.

Boosting Manufacturing through Modular Chemical Process Intensification

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

None

2016-12-09

Manufacturing USA's Rapid Advancement in Process Intensification Deployment Institute will focus on developing breakthrough technologies to boost domestic energy productivity and energy efficiency by 20 percent in five years through manufacturing processes.

The Experiences of U.S. Army Primary Care Providers Meeting Sexual Health Care Needs During Post-Vietnam Deployments

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

of the U.S. Army includes a strong and continuous presence in regions with high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and STI prevalence makes disease...changes on their pap smears. As we now understand, the human papilloma virus is sexually transmitted. We had to send them out to Germany to get... Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Education and HIV Risk Behavior: A Survey of Rapid Deployment Troops. Military Medicine, 163, 672-675. Parse, R

Supporting Ecological Research With a Flexible Satellite Sensornet Gateway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, F.; Rundel, P. W.; Graham, E. A.; Falk, A.; Ye, W.; Pradkin, Y.; Deschon, A.; Bhatt, S.; McHenry, T.

2007-12-01

Wireless sensor networks are a promising technology for ecological research due to their capability to make continuous and in-situ measurements. However, there are some challenges for the wide adoption of this technology by scientists, who may have various research focuses. First, the observation system needs to be rapidly and easily deployable at different remote locations. Second, the system needs to be flexible enough to meet the requirements of different applications and easily reconfigurable by scientists, who may not always be technology experts. To address these challenges, we designed and implemented a flexible satellite gateway for using sensor networks. Our first prototype is being deployed at Stunt Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains to support biological research at UCLA. In this joint USC/ISI-UCLA deployment, scientists are interested in a long-term investigation of the influence of the 2006-07 southern California drought conditions on the water relations of important chaparral shrub and tree species that differ in their depth of rooting. Rainfall over this past hydrologic year in southern California has been less than 25% of normal, making it the driest year on record. In addition to core measurements of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, solar irradiance, rainfall, and soil moisture, we use constant-heating sap flow sensors to continuously monitor the flow of water through the xylem of replicated stems of four species to compare their access to soil moisture with plant water stress. Our gateway consists of a front-end data acquisition system and a back-end data storage system, connected by a long-haul satellite communication link. At the front-end, all environmental sensors are connected to a Compact RIO, a rugged data acquisition platform developed by National Instruments. Sap flow sensors are deployed in several locations that are 20 to 50 meters away from the Compact RIO. At each plant, a Hobo datalogger is used to collect sap flow sensor readings. A Crossbow mote interfaces with the Hobo datalogger to collect data from it and send the data to the Compact RIO through wireless communication. The Compact RIO relays the sensor data to the back- end system over the satellite link. The back-end system stores the data in a database and provides interfaces for easy data retrieval and system reconfiguration. We have developed data exchange and management protocols for reliable data transfer and storage. We have also developed tools to support remote operation, such as system health monitoring and user reconfiguration. Our design emphasizes a modular software architecture that is flexible, to support various scientific applications. This poster illustrates our system design and describes our first deployment at Stunt Ranch. Stunt Ranch is a 310-acre reserve in the Santa Monica Mountains, located within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area of the National Park Service. The reserve includes mixed communities of chaparral, live oak woodland, and riparian habitats. Stunt Ranch is managed by UCLA as part of the University of California Natural Reserve System.

Deployable wing model considering structural flexibility and aerodynamic unsteadiness for deployment system design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otsuka, Keisuke; Wang, Yinan; Makihara, Kanjuro

2017-11-01

In future, wings will be deployed in the span direction during flight. The deployment system improves flight ability and saves storage space in the airplane. For the safe design of the wing, the deployment motion needs to be simulated. In the simulation, the structural flexibility and aerodynamic unsteadiness should be considered because they may lead to undesirable phenomena such as a residual vibration after the deployment or a flutter during the deployment. In this study, the deployment motion is simulated in the time domain by using a nonlinear folding wing model based on multibody dynamics, absolute nodal coordinate formulation, and two-dimensional aerodynamics with strip theory. We investigate the effect of the structural flexibility and aerodynamic unsteadiness on the time-domain deployment simulation.

A Low-Cost Energy-Efficient Cableless Geophone Unit for Passive Surface Wave Surveys.

PubMed

Dai, Kaoshan; Li, Xiaofeng; Lu, Chuan; You, Qingyu; Huang, Zhenhua; Wu, H Felix

2015-09-25

The passive surface wave survey is a practical, non-invasive seismic exploration method that has increasingly been used in geotechnical engineering. However, in situ deployment of traditional wired geophones is labor intensive for a dense sensor array. Alternatively, stand-alone seismometers can be used, but they are bulky, heavy, and expensive because they are usually designed for long-term monitoring. To better facilitate field applications of the passive surface wave survey, a low-cost energy-efficient geophone system was developed in this study. The hardware design is presented in this paper. To validate the system's functionality, both laboratory and field experiments were conducted. The unique feature of this newly-developed cableless geophone system allows for rapid field applications of the passive surface wave survey with dense array measurements.

On Efficient Deployment of Wireless Sensors for Coverage and Connectivity in Constrained 3D Space.

PubMed

Wu, Chase Q; Wang, Li

2017-10-10

Sensor networks have been used in a rapidly increasing number of applications in many fields. This work generalizes a sensor deployment problem to place a minimum set of wireless sensors at candidate locations in constrained 3D space to k -cover a given set of target objects. By exhausting the combinations of discreteness/continuousness constraints on either sensor locations or target objects, we formulate four classes of sensor deployment problems in 3D space: deploy sensors at Discrete/Continuous Locations (D/CL) to cover Discrete/Continuous Targets (D/CT). We begin with the design of an approximate algorithm for DLDT and then reduce DLCT, CLDT, and CLCT to DLDT by discretizing continuous sensor locations or target objects into a set of divisions without sacrificing sensing precision. Furthermore, we consider a connected version of each problem where the deployed sensors must form a connected network, and design an approximation algorithm to minimize the number of deployed sensors with connectivity guarantee. For performance comparison, we design and implement an optimal solution and a genetic algorithm (GA)-based approach. Extensive simulation results show that the proposed deployment algorithms consistently outperform the GA-based heuristic and achieve a close-to-optimal performance in small-scale problem instances and a significantly superior overall performance than the theoretical upper bound.

Development of the NASA High-Altitude Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Lihua; Heymsfield, Gerald; Carswell, James; Schaubert, Dan; McLinden, Matthew; Vega, Manuel; Perrine, Martin

2011-01-01

The scope of this paper is the development and recent field deployments of the High-Altitude Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (HIWRAP), which was funded under the NASA Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) [1]. HIWRAP is a dual-frequency (Ka- and Ku-band), dual-beam (300 and 400 incidence angles), conical scanning, Doppler radar system designed for operation on the NASA high-altitude (65,000 ft) Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). It utilizes solid state transmitters along with a novel pulse compression scheme that results in a system with compact size, light weight, less power consumption, and low cost compared to radars currently in use for precipitation and Doppler wind measurements. By combining measurements at Ku- and Ka-band, HIWRAP is able to image winds through measuring volume backscattering from clouds and precipitation. In addition, HIWRAP is also capable of measuring surface winds in an approach similar to SeaWinds on QuikScat. To this end, HIWRAP hardware and software development has been completed. It was installed on the NASA WB57 for instrument test flights in March, 2010 and then deployed on the NASA Global Hawk for supporting the Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) field campaign in August-September, 2010. This paper describes the scientific motivations of the development of HIWRAP as well as system hardware, aircraft integration and flight missions. Preliminary data from GRIP science flights is also presented.

From Programs to Systems: Deploying Implementation Science and Practice for Sustained Real World Effectiveness in Services for Children and Families.

PubMed

Ghate, Deborah

2016-01-01

The transfer of knowledge of effective practice, especially into "usual care" settings, remains challenging. This article argues that to close this gap we need to recognize the particular challenges of whole-system improvement. We need to move beyond a limited focus on individual programs and experimental research on their effectiveness. The rapidly developing field of implementation science and practice (ISP) provides a particular lens and a set of important constructs that can helpfully accelerate progress. A review of selected key constructs and distinctive features of ISP, including recognizing invisible system infrastructure, co-construction involving active collaboration between stakeholders, and attention to active implementation, supports for providers beyond education and training. Key aspects of an implementation lens likely to be most helpful in sustaining effectiveness include assisting innovators to identify and accommodate the architecture of existing systems, understand the implementation process as a series of distinct but nonlinear stages, identify implementation outcomes as prerequisites for treatment outcomes, and analyse implementation challenges using frameworks of implementation drivers. In complex adaptive systems, how services are implemented may matter more than their specific content, and how services align and adapt to local context may determine their sustained usefulness. To improve implementation-relevant research, we need better process evaluation and cannot rely on experimental methods that do not capture complex systemic contexts. Deployment of an implementation lens may perhaps help to avoid future "rigor mortis," enabling more productively flexible and integrative approaches to both program design and evaluation.

Impact of Eclipse of 21 August 2017 ON the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knupp, K.

2017-12-01

The (total) solar eclipse of 21 August 2017 presents a prodigious opportunity to improve our understanding of the physical response of decreases in turbulence within the ABL produced by a rapid reduction in solar radiation, since the transition in this eclipse case, close to local solar noon, is more rapid than at natural sunset. A mesoscale network of three UAH atmospheric profiling systems will be set up around Clarksville, TN, and Hopkinsville, KY, to document the details of the physical response of the ABL to the rapid decrease in solar radiation. The region offers a heterogeneous surface, including expansive agricultural and forested regions. Data from the following mobile systems will be examined: Mobile Integrated Profiling System (MIPS) with a 915 MHz Doppler wind profiler, X-band Profiling Radar (XPR), Microwave Profiling Radiometer (MPR), lidar ceilometer, and Doppler mini-sodar, Rapidly Deployable Atmospheric Profiling System (RaDAPS) with a 915 MHz Doppler wind profiler, MPR, lidar ceilometer, Doppler mini-sodar, Mobile Doppler Lidar and Sounding system (MoDLS) with a Doppler Wind Lidar and MPR. A tethered balloon will provide high temporal and vertical resolution in situ sampling of the surface layer temperature and humidity vertical profiles over the lowest 120 m AGL. Two of the profiling systems (MIPS and MoDLS) will include 20 Hz sonic anemometer measurements for documentation of velocity component (u, v, w) variance, buoyancy flux, and momentum flux. The Mobile Alabama X-band (MAX) dual polarization radar will be paired with the Ft. Campbell WSR-88D radar, located 29 km east of the MAX, to provide dual Doppler radar coverage of flow within the ABL over the profiler domain. The measurements during this eclipse will also provide information on the response of insects to rapidly changing lighting conditions. During the natural afternoon-to-evening transition, daytime insect concentrations decrease rapidly, and stronger-flying nighttime flyers emerge rapidly following sunset. We hypothesize that a similar transition will occur on a limited basis: nighttime flyers will emerge, but the daytime flyers will not rapidly disappear due to the short time scale of the darkness. This insect transition will be measured with the radar wind profilers and the MAX and WSR-88D dual polarization radars.

Design of Measure and Control System for Precision Pesticide Deploying Dynamic Simulating Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Yong; Liu, Pingzeng; Wang, Lu; Liu, Jiping; Wang, Lang; Han, Lei; Yang, Xinxin

A measure and control system for precision deploying pesticide simulating equipment is designed in order to study pesticide deployment technology. The system can simulate every state of practical pesticide deployment, and carry through precise, simultaneous measure to every factor affecting pesticide deployment effects. The hardware and software incorporates a structural design of modularization. The system is divided into many different function modules of hardware and software, and exploder corresponding modules. The modules’ interfaces are uniformly defined, which is convenient for module connection, enhancement of system’s universality, explodes efficiency and systemic reliability, and make the program’s characteristics easily extended and easy maintained. Some relevant hardware and software modules can be adapted to other measures and control systems easily. The paper introduces the design of special numeric control system, the main module of information acquisition system and the speed acquisition module in order to explain the design process of the module.

Advanced Deployable Structural Systems for Small Satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belvin, W. Keith; Straubel, Marco; Wilkie, W. Keats; Zander, Martin E.; Fernandez, Juan M.; Hillebrandt, Martin F.

2016-01-01

One of the key challenges for small satellites is packaging and reliable deployment of structural booms and arrays used for power, communication, and scientific instruments. The lack of reliable and efficient boom and membrane deployment concepts for small satellites is addressed in this work through a collaborative project between NASA and DLR. The paper provides a state of the art overview on existing spacecraft deployable appendages, the special requirements for small satellites, and initial concepts for deployable booms and arrays needed for various small satellite applications. The goal is to enhance deployable boom predictability and ground testability, develop designs that are tolerant of manufacturing imperfections, and incorporate simple and reliable deployment systems.

A Versatile Time-Lapse Camera System Developed by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory for Use at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orr, Tim R.; Hoblitt, Richard P.

2008-01-01

Volcanoes can be difficult to study up close. Because it may be days, weeks, or even years between important events, direct observation is often impractical. In addition, volcanoes are often inaccessible due to their remote location and (or) harsh environmental conditions. An eruption adds another level of complexity to what already may be a difficult and dangerous situation. For these reasons, scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) have, for years, built camera systems to act as surrogate eyes. With the recent advances in digital-camera technology, these eyes are rapidly improving. One type of photographic monitoring involves the use of near-real-time network-enabled cameras installed at permanent sites (Hoblitt and others, in press). Time-lapse camera-systems, on the other hand, provide an inexpensive, easily transportable monitoring option that offers more versatility in site location. While time-lapse systems lack near-real-time capability, they provide higher image resolution and can be rapidly deployed in areas where the use of sophisticated telemetry required by the networked cameras systems is not practical. This report describes the latest generation (as of 2008) time-lapse camera system used by HVO for photograph acquisition in remote and hazardous sites on Kilauea Volcano.

Visualizing Java uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knight, Claire; Munro, Malcolm

2001-07-01

Distributed component based systems seem to be the immediate future for software development. The use of such techniques, object oriented languages, and the combination with ever more powerful higher-level frameworks has led to the rapid creation and deployment of such systems to cater for the demand of internet and service driven business systems. This diversity of solution through both components utilised and the physical/virtual locations of those components can provide powerful resolutions to the new demand. The problem lies in the comprehension and maintenance of such systems because they then have inherent uncertainty. The components combined at any given time for a solution may differ, the messages generated, sent, and/or received may differ, and the physical/virtual locations cannot be guaranteed. Trying to account for this uncertainty and to build in into analysis and comprehension tools is important for both development and maintenance activities.

The construction of a highly transportable laser ranging station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The technology of the transportable Laser Ranging Station (TLRS) used in crustal dynamics studies was examined. The TLRS used a single photoelectron beam of limited energy density returned from the Laser Geodynamic Satellite (LAGEOS). Calibration was accomplished by the diversion of a small portion of the outgoing beam attenuated to the same level as the satellite return. Timing for the system was based on a self calibrating Ortec TD811, 100 picosec time interval device. The system was contained in a modified, single chassis recreational vehicle that allowed rapid deployment. The TLRS system was only airmobile on the largest transport aircraft. A 30 cm simple plano/concave transfer lens telescope aided in beam direction. The TLRS system fulfills the need for an accurate method of obtaining range measurements to the LAGEOS satellite incorporated in a mobile, air transportable, and economical configuration.

Precise positioning with current multi-constellation Global Navigation Satellite Systems: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou

PubMed Central

Li, Xingxing; Zhang, Xiaohong; Ren, Xiaodong; Fritsche, Mathias; Wickert, Jens; Schuh, Harald

2015-01-01

The world of satellite navigation is undergoing dramatic changes with the rapid development of multi-constellation Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs). At the moment more than 70 satellites are already in view, and about 120 satellites will be available once all four systems (BeiDou + Galileo + GLONASS + GPS) are fully deployed in the next few years. This will bring great opportunities and challenges for both scientific and engineering applications. In this paper we develop a four-system positioning model to make full use of all available observations from different GNSSs. The significant improvement of satellite visibility, spatial geometry, dilution of precision, convergence, accuracy, continuity and reliability that a combining utilization of multi-GNSS brings to precise positioning are carefully analyzed and evaluated, especially in constrained environments. PMID:25659949

Enhanced Reliability and Accuracy for Field Deployable Bioforensic Detection and Discrimination of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca, Causal Agent of Citrus Variegated Chlorosis Using Razor Ex Technology and TaqMan Quantitative PCR

PubMed Central

Fletcher, Jacqueline; Melcher, Ulrich; Ochoa Corona, Francisco Manuel

2013-01-01

A reliable, accurate and rapid multigene-based assay combining real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and a Razor Ex BioDetection System (Razor Ex) was validated for detection of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca (Xfp, a xylem-limited bacterium that causes citrus variegated chlorosis [CVC]). CVC, which is exotic to the United States, has spread through South and Central America and could significantly impact U.S. citrus if it arrives. A method for early, accurate and sensitive detection of Xfp in plant tissues is needed by plant health officials for inspection of products from quarantined locations, and by extension specialists for detection, identification and management of disease outbreaks and reservoir hosts. Two sets of specific PCR primers and probes, targeting Xfp genes for fimbrillin and the periplasmic iron-binding protein were designed. A third pair of primers targeting the conserved cobalamin synthesis protein gene was designed to detect all possible X. fastidiosa (Xf) strains. All three primer sets detected as little as 1 fg of plasmid DNA carrying X. fastidiosa target sequences and genomic DNA of Xfp at as little as 1 - 10 fg. The use of Razor Ex facilitates a rapid (about 30 min) in-field assay capability for detection of all Xf strains, and for specific detection of Xfp. Combined use of three primer sets targeting different genes increased the assay accuracy and broadened the range of detection. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a field-deployable rapid and reliable bioforensic detection and discrimination method for a bacterial phytopathogen based on multigene targets. PMID:24312333

Enhanced reliability and accuracy for field deployable bioforensic detection and discrimination of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca, causal agent of citrus variegated chlorosis using razor ex technology and TaqMan quantitative PCR.

PubMed

Ouyang, Ping; Arif, Mohammad; Fletcher, Jacqueline; Melcher, Ulrich; Ochoa Corona, Francisco Manuel

2013-01-01

A reliable, accurate and rapid multigene-based assay combining real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and a Razor Ex BioDetection System (Razor Ex) was validated for detection of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca (Xfp, a xylem-limited bacterium that causes citrus variegated chlorosis [CVC]). CVC, which is exotic to the United States, has spread through South and Central America and could significantly impact U.S. citrus if it arrives. A method for early, accurate and sensitive detection of Xfp in plant tissues is needed by plant health officials for inspection of products from quarantined locations, and by extension specialists for detection, identification and management of disease outbreaks and reservoir hosts. Two sets of specific PCR primers and probes, targeting Xfp genes for fimbrillin and the periplasmic iron-binding protein were designed. A third pair of primers targeting the conserved cobalamin synthesis protein gene was designed to detect all possible X. fastidiosa (Xf) strains. All three primer sets detected as little as 1 fg of plasmid DNA carrying X. fastidiosa target sequences and genomic DNA of Xfp at as little as 1 - 10 fg. The use of Razor Ex facilitates a rapid (about 30 min) in-field assay capability for detection of all Xf strains, and for specific detection of Xfp. Combined use of three primer sets targeting different genes increased the assay accuracy and broadened the range of detection. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a field-deployable rapid and reliable bioforensic detection and discrimination method for a bacterial phytopathogen based on multigene targets.

The Propulsive Small Expendable Deployer System (ProSEDS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lorenzini, Enrico C.

2002-01-01

This Annual Report covers the following main topics: 1) Updated Reference Mission. The reference ProSEDS (Propulsive Small Expendable Deployer System) mission is evaluated for an updated launch date in the Summer of 2002 and for the new 80-s current operating cycle. Simulations are run for nominal solar activity condition at the time of launch and for extreme conditions of dynamic forcing. Simulations include the dynamics of the system, the electrodynamics of the bare tether, the neutral atmosphere and the thermal response of the tether. 2) Evaluation of power delivered by the tether system. The power delivered by the tethered system during the battery charging mode is computed under the assumption of minimum solar activity for the new launch date. 3) Updated Deployment Control Profiles and Simulations. A number of new deployment profiles were derived based on the latest results of the deployment ground tests. The flight profile is then derived based on the friction characteristics obtained from the deployment tests of the F-1 tether. 4) Analysis/estimation of deployment flight data. A process was developed to estimate the deployment trajectory of the endmass with respect to the Delta and the final libration amplitude from the data of the deployer turn counters. This software was tested successfully during the ProSEDS mission simulation at MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center) EDAC (Environments Data Analysis Center).

Small Nuclear Reactors for Military Installations: Capabilities, Costs, and Technological Implications

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-01

almost entirely dependent on the national transmission grid . . . [which] is fragile, vulnerable, near its capacity limit, and outside of DOD control...has returned. A major factor in this resurgence has come from developing countries, where expressed and pro- jected demands for electricity are...rapidly growing and limited infrastructural and investment capacity generates interest in reactors that can be deployed rapidly and in- crementally.14

Development of deployable structures for large space platforms. Volume 2: Design development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenberg, H. S.

1983-01-01

Design evolution, test article design, test article mass properties, and structural analysis of deployable platform systems are discussed. Orbit transfer vehicle (OTV) hangar development, OTV hangar concept selection, and manned module development are discussed. Deployable platform systems requirements, material data base, technology development needs, concept selection and deployable volume enclosures are also discussed.

Paving the Way for Small Satellite Access to Orbit: Cyclops' Deployment of SpinSat, the Largest Satellite Ever Deployed from the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hershey, Matthew P.; Newswander, Daniel R.; Smith, James P.; Lamb, Craig R.; Ballard, Perry G.

2015-01-01

The Space Station Integrated Kinetic Launcher for Orbital Payload Systems (SSIKLOPS), known as "Cyclops" to the International Space Station (ISS) community, successfully deployed the largest satellite ever (SpinSat) from the ISS on November 28, 2014. Cyclops, a collaboration between the NASA ISS Program, NASA Johnson Space Center Engineering, and Department of Defense Space Test Program (DoD STP) communities, is a dedicated 10-100 kg class ISS small satellite deployment system. This paper will showcase the successful deployment of SpinSat from the ISS. It will also outline the concept of operations, interfaces, requirements, and processes for satellites to utilize the Cyclops satellite deployment system.

Bioinformatics Pipelines for Targeted Resequencing and Whole-Exome Sequencing of Human and Mouse Genomes: A Virtual Appliance Approach for Instant Deployment

PubMed Central

Saeed, Isaam; Wong, Stephen Q.; Mar, Victoria; Goode, David L.; Caramia, Franco; Doig, Ken; Ryland, Georgina L.; Thompson, Ella R.; Hunter, Sally M.; Halgamuge, Saman K.; Ellul, Jason; Dobrovic, Alexander; Campbell, Ian G.; Papenfuss, Anthony T.; McArthur, Grant A.; Tothill, Richard W.

2014-01-01

Targeted resequencing by massively parallel sequencing has become an effective and affordable way to survey small to large portions of the genome for genetic variation. Despite the rapid development in open source software for analysis of such data, the practical implementation of these tools through construction of sequencing analysis pipelines still remains a challenging and laborious activity, and a major hurdle for many small research and clinical laboratories. We developed TREVA (Targeted REsequencing Virtual Appliance), making pre-built pipelines immediately available as a virtual appliance. Based on virtual machine technologies, TREVA is a solution for rapid and efficient deployment of complex bioinformatics pipelines to laboratories of all sizes, enabling reproducible results. The analyses that are supported in TREVA include: somatic and germline single-nucleotide and insertion/deletion variant calling, copy number analysis, and cohort-based analyses such as pathway and significantly mutated genes analyses. TREVA is flexible and easy to use, and can be customised by Linux-based extensions if required. TREVA can also be deployed on the cloud (cloud computing), enabling instant access without investment overheads for additional hardware. TREVA is available at http://bioinformatics.petermac.org/treva/. PMID:24752294

Successful approaches to deploying a Metropolitan Intelligent Transportation System.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-03-01

To identify and evaluate the institutional structures and working relationships associated with the deployment and integration of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) products and services at the Model Deployment Initiatives (MDIs), the Volpe Cen...

Deployment/retraction mechanism for solar maximum mission high gain antenna system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, N.; Preiswerk, P.

1979-01-01

A mechanism called a deployment/retraction assembly (DRA) which provides not only a stable, but a deployable platform for the high gain antenna system (HGAS) aboard the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) spacecraft is described. The DRA also has the capability to retract the system upon command.

NEON's Mobile Deployment Platform: A Resource for Community Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanclements, M.

2015-12-01

Here we provide an update on construction and validation of the NEON Mobile Deployment Platforms (MDPs) as well as a description of the infrastructure and sensors available to researchers in the future. The MDPs will provide the means to observe stochastic or spatially important events, gradients, or quantities that cannot be reliably observed using fixed location sampling (e.g. fires and floods). Due to the transient temporal and spatial nature of such events, the MDPs will be designed to accommodate rapid deployment for time periods up to ~ 1 year. Broadly, the MDPs will be comprised of infrastructure and instrumentation capable of functioning individually or in conjunction with one another to support observations of ecological change, as well as education, training and outreach.

The deployable, inflatable wing technology demonstrator experiment aircraft looks good during a flig

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

The deployable, inflatable wing technology demonstrator experiment aircraft looks good during a flight conducted by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The inflatable wing project represented a basic flight research effort by Dryden personnel. Three successful flights of the I2000 inflatable wing aircraft occurred. During the flights, the team air-launched the radio-controlled (R/C) I2000 from an R/C utility airplane at an altitude of 800-1000 feet. As the I2000 separated from the carrier aircraft, its inflatable wings 'popped-out,' deploying rapidly via an on-board nitrogen bottle. The aircraft remained stable as it transitioned from wingless to winged flight. The unpowered I2000 glided down to a smooth landing under complete control.

Mixed Methods Approach to Assessing an Informal Buddy Support System for Canadian Forces Reservists

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-01

implemented, perceptions regarding the effectiveness of the system, changes recommended as well as benefits and drawbacks of the system. In order to...families, and provide a better understanding of the system in general, including variations in how it is implemented, perceptions regarding the...Participant perceptions of the system Pre deployment experiences During deployment Post deployment experiences Recommendations made by

Creating a Clinical Video-Conferencing Facility in a Security-Constrained Environment Using Open-Source AccessGrid Software and Consumer Hardware

PubMed Central

Terrazas, Enrique; Hamill, Timothy R.; Wang, Ye; Channing Rodgers, R. P.

2007-01-01

The Department of Laboratory Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has been split into widely separated facilities, leading to much time being spent traveling between facilities for meetings. We installed an open-source AccessGrid multi-media-conferencing system using (largely) consumer-grade equipment, connecting 6 sites at 5 separate facilities. The system was accepted rapidly and enthusiastically, and was inexpensive compared to alternative approaches. Security was addressed by aspects of the AG software and by local network administrative practices. The chief obstacles to deployment arose from security restrictions imposed by multiple independent network administration regimes, requiring a drastically reduced list of network ports employed by AG components. PMID:18693930

Creating a clinical video-conferencing facility in a security-constrained environment using open-source AccessGrid software and consumer hardware.

PubMed

Terrazas, Enrique; Hamill, Timothy R; Wang, Ye; Channing Rodgers, R P

2007-10-11

The Department of Laboratory Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has been split into widely separated facilities, leading to much time being spent traveling between facilities for meetings. We installed an open-source AccessGrid multi-media-conferencing system using (largely) consumer-grade equipment, connecting 6 sites at 5 separate facilities. The system was accepted rapidly and enthusiastically, and was inexpensive compared to alternative approaches. Security was addressed by aspects of the AG software and by local network administrative practices. The chief obstacles to deployment arose from security restrictions imposed by multiple independent network administration regimes, requiring a drastically reduced list of network ports employed by AG components.

Grid flexibility: The quiet revolution

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

Hsieh, Eric; Anderson, Robert

The concept of flexibility describes the capability of the power system to maintain balance between generation and load under uncertainty. While the grid has historically incorporated flexibility-specific resources such as pumped hydro to complement nuclear generators, modern trends and the increased deployment of variable energy resources (VERs) are increasing the need for a transparent market value of flexibility. A review of analyses, docket filings, tariffs, and business practice manuals from the past several years finds substantial flexibility-related activity. These activities are categorized as market and financial structures; incorporation of new operations or technology; and legal or procedural reforms. The cumulativemore » outcome of these incremental changes will be a major transformation to power systems that can rapidly adapt to new needs, technologies, and conditions.« less

Grid flexibility: The quiet revolution

DOE PAGES

Hsieh, Eric; Anderson, Robert

2017-02-16

The concept of flexibility describes the capability of the power system to maintain balance between generation and load under uncertainty. While the grid has historically incorporated flexibility-specific resources such as pumped hydro to complement nuclear generators, modern trends and the increased deployment of variable energy resources (VERs) are increasing the need for a transparent market value of flexibility. A review of analyses, docket filings, tariffs, and business practice manuals from the past several years finds substantial flexibility-related activity. These activities are categorized as market and financial structures; incorporation of new operations or technology; and legal or procedural reforms. The cumulativemore » outcome of these incremental changes will be a major transformation to power systems that can rapidly adapt to new needs, technologies, and conditions.« less

Towards a Single Sensor Passive Solution for Automated Fall Detection

PubMed Central

Belshaw, Michael; Taati, Babak; Snoek, Jasper; Mihailidis, Alex

2012-01-01

Falling in the home is one of the major challenges to independent living among older adults. The associated costs, coupled with a rapidly growing elderly population, are placing a burden on healthcare systems worldwide that will swiftly become unbearable. To facilitate expeditious emergency care, we have developed an artificially intelligent camera-based system that automatically detects if a person within the field-of-view has fallen. The system addresses concerns raised in earlier work and the requirements of a widely deployable in-home solution. The presented prototype utilizes a consumer-grade camera modified with a wide-angle lens. Machine learning techniques applied to carefully engineered features allow the system to classify falls at high accuracy while maintaining invariance to lighting, environment and the presence of multiple moving objects. This paper describes the system, outlines the algorithms used and presents empirical validation of its effectiveness. PMID:22254671

Deployment of field hospitals to disaster regions: Insights from ten medical relief operations spanning three decades.

PubMed

Naor, Michael; Heyman, Samuel N; Bader, Tarif; Merin, Ofer

2017-01-01

The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) Medical Corps developed a model of airborne field hospital. This model was structured to deal with disaster settings, requiring self-sufficiency, innovation and flexible operative mode in the setup of large margins of uncertainty regarding the disaster environment. The current study is aimed to critically analyze the experience, gathered in ten such missions worldwide. Interviews with physicians who actively participated in the missions from 1988 until 2015 as chief medical officers combined with literature review of principal medical and auxiliary publications in order to assess and integrate information about the assembly of these missions. A body of knowledge was accumulated over the years by the IDF Medical Corps from deploying numerous relief missions to both natural (earthquake, typhoon, and tsunami), and man-made disasters, occurring in nine countries (Armenia, Rwanda, Kosovo, Turkey, India, Haiti, Japan, Philippines, and Nepal). This study shows an evolutionary pattern with improvements implemented from one mission to the other, with special adaptations (creativity and improvisation) to accommodate logistics barriers. The principals and operative function for deploying medical relief system, proposed over 20 years ago, were challenged and validated in the subsequent missions of IDF outlined in the current study. These principals, with the advantage of the military infrastructure and the expertise of drafted civilian medical professionals enable the rapid assembly and allocation of highly competent medical facilities in disaster settings. This structure model is to large extent self-sufficient with a substantial operative flexibility that permits early deployment upon request while the disaster assessment and definition of needs are preliminary.

Synthesis of Automated Vehicle Legislation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-10-01

This report provides a synthesis of issues addressed by state legislation regarding automated vehicles (AV); AV technologies are rapidly evolving and many states have developed legislation to govern AV testing and deployment and to assure safety on p...

Removing a barrier to computer-based outbreak and disease surveillance--the RODS Open Source Project.

PubMed

Espino, Jeremy U; Wagner, M; Szczepaniak, C; Tsui, F C; Su, H; Olszewski, R; Liu, Z; Chapman, W; Zeng, X; Ma, L; Lu, Z; Dara, J

2004-09-24

Computer-based outbreak and disease surveillance requires high-quality software that is well-supported and affordable. Developing software in an open-source framework, which entails free distribution and use of software and continuous, community-based software development, can produce software with such characteristics, and can do so rapidly. The objective of the Real-Time Outbreak and Disease Surveillance (RODS) Open Source Project is to accelerate the deployment of computer-based outbreak and disease surveillance systems by writing software and catalyzing the formation of a community of users, developers, consultants, and scientists who support its use. The University of Pittsburgh seeded the Open Source Project by releasing the RODS software under the GNU General Public License. An infrastructure was created, consisting of a website, mailing lists for developers and users, designated software developers, and shared code-development tools. These resources are intended to encourage growth of the Open Source Project community. Progress is measured by assessing website usage, number of software downloads, number of inquiries, number of system deployments, and number of new features or modules added to the code base. During September--November 2003, users generated 5,370 page views of the project website, 59 software downloads, 20 inquiries, one new deployment, and addition of four features. Thus far, health departments and companies have been more interested in using the software as is than in customizing or developing new features. The RODS laboratory anticipates that after initial installation has been completed, health departments and companies will begin to customize the software and contribute their enhancements to the public code base.

Verification and Validation Testing of the Parachute Decelerator System Prior to the First Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test for the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallon, John C.; Witkowski, Allen

2015-01-01

The Parachute Decelerator System (PDS) is comprised of all components associated with the supersonic parachute and its associated deployment. During the Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test (SFDT), for the Low Density Supersonic Decelerators Program, the PDS was required to deploy the supersonic parachute in a defined fashion. The PDS hardware includes three major subsystems that must function together. The first subsystem is the Parachute Deployment Device (PDD), which acts as a modified pilot deployment system. It is comprised of a pyrotechnic mortar, a Kevlar ballute, a lanyard actuated pyrotechnic inflation aid, and rigging with its associated thermal protection material (TPS). The second subsystem is the supersonic parachute deployment hardware. This includes all of the parachute specific rigging that includes the parachute stowage can and the rigging including TPS and bridle stiffeners for bridle management during deployment. The third subsystem is the Supersonic Parachute itself, which includes the main parachute and deployment bags. This paper summarizes the verification and validation of the deployment process, from the initialization of the PDS system through parachute bag strip that was done prior to the first SFDT.

Decades of transition for the US reserves: changing demands on reserve identity and mental well-being.

PubMed

Griffith, James

2011-04-01

The US strategic defence policy has undergone dramatic changes in the last two decades, with more recent changes having placed increased demands on members of the reserve components. Rapid and often unexpected call-ups of reserves for operational missions, both domestic and international, required meeting standards for mobilization and deployment. Standards were in place but not necessarily met. Mobilizations pointed to several areas of unpreparedness; at first, obvious areas, such as members being physically unfit, inadequately trained and improperly equipped and less than competent unit leaders; and later, less obvious areas, in particular, emergent personal adjustment problems. During these mobilizations, unique consequences of stressors on individual reservists were evident, including worries about family and civilian job during deployment, adjustments to returning and reintegration, post-deployment post-traumatic stress disorder and related symptoms, and now suicide. Some have explained these findings, though lacking is a broad explanatory framework. Reserve identity is offered as a preliminary concept to interpret reservists' deployment experiences, post-deployment adjustment, and associated mental health needs, providing a basis for preventive intervention strategies.

A microcontroller platform for the rapid prototyping of functional electrical stimulation-based gait neuroprostheses.

PubMed

Luzio de Melo, Paulo; da Silva, Miguel Tavares; Martins, Jorge; Newman, Dava

2015-05-01

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) has been used over the last decades as a method to rehabilitate lost motor functions of individuals with spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and post-stroke hemiparesis. Within this field, researchers in need of developing FES-based control solutions for specific disabilities often have to choose between either the acquisition and integration of high-performance industry-level systems, which are rather expensive and hardly portable, or develop custom-made portable solutions, which despite their lower cost, usually require expert-level electronic skills. Here, a flexible low-cost microcontroller-based platform for rapid prototyping of FES neuroprostheses is presented, designed for reduced execution complexity, development time, and production cost. For this reason, the Arduino open-source microcontroller platform was used, together with off-the-shelf components whenever possible. The developed system enables the rapid deployment of portable FES-based gait neuroprostheses, being flexible enough to allow simple open-loop strategies but also more complex closed-loop solutions. The system is based on a modular architecture that allows the development of optimized solutions depending on the desired FES applications, even though the design and testing of the platform were focused toward drop foot correction. The flexibility of the system was demonstrated using two algorithms targeting drop foot condition within different experimental setups. Successful bench testing of the device in healthy subjects demonstrated these neuroprosthesis platform capabilities to correct drop foot. Copyright © 2015 International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Relatchable launch restraint mechanism for deployable booms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warden, Robert M.

1990-01-01

A new Relatchable Launch Mechanism was developed which enables a deployable system to be restrained and released repeatedly rather than the normal one shot release systems of the past. The deployable systems are of the self extending type which rely on a lanyard attached to a drive motor to control the deployment and retraction. The Relatch Mechanism uses the existing drive motor to also actuate the latch. The design and kinematics of the Relatch Mechanism as used on two flight programs are described.

NASA/DOD Control/Structures Interaction Technology, 1986

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, Robert L. (Compiler)

1986-01-01

Control/structures interactions, deployment dynamics and system performance of large flexible spacecraft are discussed. Spacecraft active controls, deployable truss structures, deployable antennas, solar power systems for space stations, pointing control systems for space station gimballed payloads, computer-aided design for large space structures, and passive damping for flexible structures are among the topics covered.

Enabling rapid behavioral ecotoxicity studies using an integrated lab-on-a-chip systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yushi; Nugegoda, Dayanthi; Wlodkowic, Donald

2015-12-01

Behavioral ecotoxicity tests are gaining an increasing recognition in environmental toxicology. Behavior of sensitive bioindicator species can change rapidly in response to an acute exposure to contaminants and thus has a much higher sensitivity as compared to conventional LC50 mortality tests. Furthermore, behavioral endpoints seems to be very good candidates to develop early-warning biomonitoring systems needed for rapid chemical risk assessment. Behavioral tests are non-invasive, fast, do not harm indicator organisms (behavioural changes are very rapid) and are thus fully compatible with 3R (Replacement - Reduction - Refinement) principle encouraging alternatives to conventional animal testing. These characteristics are essential when designing improved ecotoxicity tests for chemical risk assessment. In this work, we present a pilot development of miniaturized Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) devices for studying toxin avoidance behaviors of small aquatic crustaceans. As an investigative tool, LOCs represent a new direction that may miniaturize and revolutionize behavioral ecotoxicology. Specifically our innovative microfluidic prototype: (i) enables convening "caging" of specimens for real-time videomicroscopy; (ii) eliminates the evaporative water loss thus providing an opportunity for long-term behavioral studies; (iii) exploits laminar fluid flow under low Reynolds numbers to generate discrete domains and gradients enabling for the first time toxin avoidance studies on small aquatic crustaceans; (iv) integrates off-the-chip mechatronic interfaces and video analysis algorithms for single animal movement analysis. We provide evidence that by merging innovative bioelectronic and biomicrofluidic technologies we can deploy inexpensive and reliable systems for culture, electronic tracking and complex computational analysis of behavior of bioindicator organisms.

Self Test Kit: Rapid Diagnosis of Urogenital Infections in Military Women

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-09-01

asymptomatic bacteriuria and symptoms from their cervical/vaginal infection. In many cases treatment of their cervical/vaginal infection would also...technology required for rapid diagnosis and treatment of these conditions may not always be readily available to deployed military women especially while...6 In another study of 476 asymptomatic active duty army women presenting for routine pap smears, 39(8.2%) tested positive for chlamydia. This is a

An Outbreak of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in U.S. Marines Deployed to Liberia

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

rapid diagnosis of malaria in an outbreak setting, the NOW ICT Malaria P.f/P.v test (Binax, Inc...kits offer speed and accuracy when compared with traditional microscopy, these tests are critical in making a timely diagnosis of malaria in resource...Providers should use rapid diagnostic tests (e.g., NOW ICT test ) and have a low threshold to initiate empiric treatment of malaria when evaluating

Organizational Culture and the Deployment of Agile Methods: The Competing Values Model View

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iivari, Juhani; Iivari, Netta

A number of researchers have identified organizational culture as a factor that potentially affects the deployment of agile systems development methods. Inspired by the study of Iivari and Huisman (2007), which focused on the deployment of traditional systems development methods, the present paper proposes a number of hypotheses about the influence of organizational culture on the deployment of agile methods.

Harvest: an open platform for developing web-based biomedical data discovery and reporting applications.

PubMed

Pennington, Jeffrey W; Ruth, Byron; Italia, Michael J; Miller, Jeffrey; Wrazien, Stacey; Loutrel, Jennifer G; Crenshaw, E Bryan; White, Peter S

2014-01-01

Biomedical researchers share a common challenge of making complex data understandable and accessible as they seek inherent relationships between attributes in disparate data types. Data discovery in this context is limited by a lack of query systems that efficiently show relationships between individual variables, but without the need to navigate underlying data models. We have addressed this need by developing Harvest, an open-source framework of modular components, and using it for the rapid development and deployment of custom data discovery software applications. Harvest incorporates visualizations of highly dimensional data in a web-based interface that promotes rapid exploration and export of any type of biomedical information, without exposing researchers to underlying data models. We evaluated Harvest with two cases: clinical data from pediatric cardiology and demonstration data from the OpenMRS project. Harvest's architecture and public open-source code offer a set of rapid application development tools to build data discovery applications for domain-specific biomedical data repositories. All resources, including the OpenMRS demonstration, can be found at http://harvest.research.chop.edu.

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

Hoke, Anderson; Shirazi, Mariko; Chakraborty, Sudipta

As deployment of power electronic coupled generation such as photovoltaic (PV) systems increases, grid operators have shown increasing interest in calling on inverter-coupled generation to help mitigate frequency contingency events by rapidly surging active power into the grid. When responding to contingency events, the faster the active power is provided, the more effective it may be for arresting the frequency event. This paper proposes a predictive PV inverter control method for very fast and accurate control of active power. This rapid active power control method will increase the effectiveness of various higher-level controls designed to mitigate grid frequency contingency events,more » including fast power-frequency droop, inertia emulation, and fast frequency response, without the need for energy storage. The rapid active power control method, coupled with a maximum power point estimation method, is implemented in a prototype PV inverter connected to a PV array. The prototype inverter's response to various frequency events is experimentally confirmed to be fast (beginning within 2 line cycles and completing within 4.5 line cycles of a severe test event) and accurate (below 2% steady-state error).« less

Harvest: an open platform for developing web-based biomedical data discovery and reporting applications

PubMed Central

Pennington, Jeffrey W; Ruth, Byron; Italia, Michael J; Miller, Jeffrey; Wrazien, Stacey; Loutrel, Jennifer G; Crenshaw, E Bryan; White, Peter S

2014-01-01

Biomedical researchers share a common challenge of making complex data understandable and accessible as they seek inherent relationships between attributes in disparate data types. Data discovery in this context is limited by a lack of query systems that efficiently show relationships between individual variables, but without the need to navigate underlying data models. We have addressed this need by developing Harvest, an open-source framework of modular components, and using it for the rapid development and deployment of custom data discovery software applications. Harvest incorporates visualizations of highly dimensional data in a web-based interface that promotes rapid exploration and export of any type of biomedical information, without exposing researchers to underlying data models. We evaluated Harvest with two cases: clinical data from pediatric cardiology and demonstration data from the OpenMRS project. Harvest's architecture and public open-source code offer a set of rapid application development tools to build data discovery applications for domain-specific biomedical data repositories. All resources, including the OpenMRS demonstration, can be found at http://harvest.research.chop.edu PMID:24131510

The Propulsive Small Expendable Deployer System (ProSEDS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lorenzini, Enrico C.; Cosmo, Mario L.; Estes, Robert D.; Sanmartin, Juan; Pelaez, Jesus; Ruiz, Manuel

2003-01-01

This Final Report covers the following main topics: 1) Brief Description of ProSEDS; 2) Mission Analysis; 3) Dynamics Reference Mission; 4) Dynamics Stability; 5) Deployment Control; 6) Updated System Performance; 7) Updated Mission Analysis; 8) Updated Dynamics Reference Mission; 9) Updated Deployment Control Profiles and Simulations; 10) Updated Reference Mission; 11) Evaluation of Power Delivered by the Tether; 12) Deployment Control Profile Ref. #78 and Simulations; 13) Kalman Filters for Mission Estimation; 14) Analysis/Estimation of Deployment Flight Data; 15) Comparison of ED Tethers and Electrical Thrusters; 16) Dynamics Analysis for Mission Starting at a Lower Altitude; 17) Deployment Performance at a Lower Altitude; 18) Satellite Orbit after a Tether Cut; 19) Deployment with Shorter Dyneema Tether Length; 20) Interactive Software for ED Tethers.

Dissemination of family-centered prevention for military and veteran families: adaptations and adoption within community and military systems of care.

PubMed

Beardslee, William R; Klosinski, Lee E; Saltzman, William; Mogil, Catherine; Pangelinan, Susan; McKnight, Carl P; Lester, Patricia

2013-12-01

In response to the needs of military families confronting the challenges of prolonged war, we developed Families OverComing Under Stress (FOCUS), a multi-session intervention for families facing multiple deployments and combat stress injuries adapted from existing evidence-based family prevention interventions (Lester et al. in Mil Med 176(1): 19-25, 2011). In an implementation of this intervention contracted by the US Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED), FOCUS teams were deployed to military bases in the United States and the Pacific Rim to deliver a suite of family-centered preventive services based on the FOCUS model (Beardslee et al. in Prev Sci 12(4): 339-348, 2011). Given the number of families affected by wartime service and the changing circumstances they faced in active duty and veteran settings, it rapidly became evident that adaptations of this approach for families in other contexts were needed. We identified the core elements of FOCUS that are essential across all adaptations: (1) Family Psychological Health Check-in; (2) family-specific psychoeducation; (3) family narrative timeline; and (4) family-level resilience skills (e.g., problem solving). In this report, we describe the iterative process of adapting the intervention for different groups of families: wounded, ill, and injured warriors, families with young children, couples, and parents. We also describe the process of adopting this intervention for use in different ecological contexts to serve National Guard, Reserve and veterans, and utilization of technology-enhanced platforms to reach geographically dispersed families. We highlight the lessons learned when faced with the need to rapidly deploy interventions, adapt them to the changing, growing needs of families under real-world circumstances, and conduct rigorous evaluation procedures when long-term, randomized trial designs are not feasible to meet an emergent public health need.

Observations of rapid-fire event tremor at Lascar volcano, Chile

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asch, Guenter; Wylegalla, K.; Hellweg, M.; Seidl, D.; Rademacher, H.

1996-01-01

During the Proyecto de Investigacio??n Sismolo??gica de la Cordillera Occidental (PISCO '94) in the Atacama desert of Northern Chile, a continuously recording broadband seismic station was installed to the NW of the currently active volcano, Lascar. For the month of April, 1994, an additional network of three, short period, three-component stations was deployed around the volcano to help discriminate its seismic signals from other local seismicity. During the deployment, the volcanic activity at Lascar appeared to be limited mainly to the emission of steam and SO2. Tremor from Lascar is a random, ??rapid-fire?? series of events with a wide range of amplitudes and a quasi-fractal structure. The tremor is generated by an ensemble of independent elementary sources clustered in the volcanic edifice. In the short-term, the excitation of the sources fluctuates strongly, while the long-term power spectrum is very stationary.

Small Projects Rapid Integration and Test Environment (SPRITE): Application for Increasing Robutness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Ashley; Rakoczy, John; Heather, Daniel; Sanders, Devon

2013-01-01

Over the past few years interest in the development and use of small satellites has rapidly gained momentum with universities, commercial, and government organizations. In a few years we may see networked clusters of dozens or even hundreds of small, cheap, easily replaceable satellites working together in place of the large, expensive and difficult-to-replace satellites now in orbit. Standards based satellite buses and deployment mechanisms, such as the CubeSat and Poly Pico-satellite Orbital Deployer (P-POD), have stimulated growth in this area. The use of small satellites is also proving to be a cost effective capability in many areas traditionally dominated by large satellites, though many challenges remain. Currently many of these small satellites undergo very little testing prior to flight. As these small satellites move from technology demonstration and student projects toward more complex operational assets, it is expected that the standards for verification and validation will increase.

Management of a multinational mass fatality incident in Kaprun, Austria: a forensic medical perspective.

PubMed

Labovich, Marc H; Duke, Jim B; Ingwersen, Kathleen M; Roath, David B

2003-01-01

The Armed Forces Regional Medical Examiner in Europe is responsible for medico-legal death investigations for the U.S. military in 89 countries in Europe, Southwest Asia, and Africa. The Disaster Mortuary Affairs Response Team (DMART) is a rapidly deployable, experienced, multidisciplinary team patterned after the regional U.S. civilian Disaster Mortuary Response Teams. One of the first major challenges since the DMART's inception occurred on November 11, 2000. A fire in a funicular servicing a ski resort claimed 155 victims in a mountain tunnel in Kaprun, Austria. The DMART deployed to assist the Austrian authorities in the rapid recovery, examination, identification, and return of the remains. The DMART's considerable forensic expertise and inherent spirit of cooperation were instrumental in the successful management of the disaster, resulting in the positive identification and release of all 155 remains within 2 weeks of the incident.

A spin-recovery parachute system for light general-aviation airplanes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bradshaw, C.

1980-01-01

A tail mounted spin recovery parachute system was designed and developed for use on light general aviation airplanes. The system was designed for use on typical airplane configurations, including low wing, high wing, single engine and twin engine designs. A mechanically triggered pyrotechnic slug gun is used to forcibly deploy a pilot parachute which extracts a bag that deploys a ring slot spin recovery parachute. The total system weighs 8.2 kg. System design factors included airplane wake effects on parachute deployment, prevention of premature parachute deployment, positive parachute jettison, compact size, low weight, system reliability, and pilot and ground crew safety. Extensive ground tests were conducted to qualify the system. The recovery parachute was used successfully in flight 17 times.

Expanding CubeSat Capabilities with a Low Cost Transceiver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palo, Scott; O'Connor, Darren; DeVito, Elizabeth; Kohnert, Rick; Schaire, Scott H.; Bundick, Steve; Crum, Gary; Altunc, Serhat; Winkert, Thomas

2014-01-01

CubeSats have developed rapidly over the past decade with the advent of a containerized deployer system and ever increasing launch opportunities. These satellites have moved from an educational tool to teach students about engineering challenges associated with satellite design, to systems that are conducting cutting edge earth, space and solar science. Early variants of the CubeSat had limited functionality and lacked sophisticated attitude control, deployable solar arrays and propulsion. This is no longer the case and as CubeSats mature, such systems are becoming commercially available. The result is a small satellite with sufficient power and pointing capabilities to support a high rate communication system. Communications systems have matured along with other CubeSat subsystems. Originally developed from amateur radio systems, CubeSats have generally operated in the VHF and UHF bands at data rates below 10 kbps (kilobits per second). More recently higher rate UHF systems have been developed, however these systems require a large collecting area on the ground to close the communications link at 3 Mbps (megabits per second). Efforts to develop systems that operate with similar throughput at S-Band (2-4 GHz (gigaherz)) and C-Band (4-8 GHz (gigaherz)) have also recently evolved. In this paper we outline an effort to develop a high rate CubeSat communication system that is compatible with the NASA Near Earth Network and can be accommodated by a CubeSat. The system will include a 200 kbps (kilobits per second) S-Band receiver and a 12.5 Mbps (megabits per second).X-Band transmitter. This paper will focus on our design approach and initial results associated with the 12.5 Mbps (megabits per second) X-band transmitter.

THE RABIT: A RAPID AUTOMATED BIODOSIMETRY TOOL FOR RADIOLOGICAL TRIAGE

PubMed Central

Garty, Guy; Chen, Youhua; Salerno, Alessio; Turner, Helen; Zhang, Jian; Lyulko, Oleksandra; Bertucci, Antonella; Xu, Yanping; Wang, Hongliang; Simaan, Nabil; Randers-Pehrson, Gerhard; Yao, Y. Lawrence; Amundson, Sally A.; Brenner, David J.

2010-01-01

In response to the recognized need for high throughput biodosimetry methods for use after large scale radiological events, a logical approach is complete automation of standard biodosimetric assays that are currently performed manually. We describe progress to date on the RABIT (Rapid Automated BIodosimetry Tool), designed to score micronuclei or γ-H2AX fluorescence in lymphocytes derived from a single drop of blood from a fingerstick. The RABIT system is designed to be completely automated, from the input of the capillary blood sample into the machine, to the output of a dose estimate. Improvements in throughput are achieved through use of a single drop of blood, optimization of the biological protocols for in-situ analysis in multi-well plates, implementation of robotic plate and liquid handling, and new developments in high-speed imaging. Automating well-established bioassays represents a promising approach to high-throughput radiation biodosimetry, both because high throughputs can be achieved, but also because the time to deployment is potentially much shorter than for a new biological assay. Here we describe the development of each of the individual modules of the RABIT system, and show preliminary data from key modules. Ongoing is system integration, followed by calibration and validation. PMID:20065685

Subliminal Salience Search Illustrated: EEG Identity and Deception Detection on the Fringe of Awareness

PubMed Central

Bowman, Howard; Filetti, Marco; Janssen, Dirk; Su, Li; Alsufyani, Abdulmajeed; Wyble, Brad

2013-01-01

We propose a novel deception detection system based on Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP). One motivation for the new method is to present stimuli on the fringe of awareness, such that it is more difficult for deceivers to confound the deception test using countermeasures. The proposed system is able to detect identity deception (by using the first names of participants) with a 100% hit rate (at an alpha level of 0.05). To achieve this, we extended the classic Event-Related Potential (ERP) techniques (such as peak-to-peak) by applying Randomisation, a form of Monte Carlo resampling, which we used to detect deception at an individual level. In order to make the deployment of the system simple and rapid, we utilised data from three electrodes only: Fz, Cz and Pz. We then combined data from the three electrodes using Fisher's method so that each participant was assigned a single p-value, which represents the combined probability that a specific participant was being deceptive. We also present subliminal salience search as a general method to determine what participants find salient by detecting breakthrough into conscious awareness using EEG. PMID:23372697

Ground Deployment Demonstration and Material Testing for Solar Sail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Xiaoqi; Cheng, Zhengai; Liu, Yufei; Wang, Li

2016-07-01

Solar Sail is a kind of spacecraft that can achieve extremely high velocity by light pressure instead of chemical fuel. The great accelerate rely on its high area-to-mass ratio. So solar sail is always designed in huge size and it use ultra thin and light weight materials. For 100-meter class solar sail, two key points must be considered in the design process. They are fold-deployment method, and material property change in space environment. To test and verify the fold-deployment technology, a 8*8m principle prototype was developed. Sail membrane folding in method of IKAROS, Nanosail-D , and new proposed L-shape folding pattern were tested on this prototype. Their deployment properties were investigated in detail, and comparisons were made between them. Also, the space environment suitability of ultra thin polyimide films as candidate solar sail material was analyzed. The preliminary test results showed that membrane by all the folding method could deploy well. Moreover, sail membrane folding by L-shape pattern deployed more rapidly and more organized among the three folding pattern tested. The mechanical properties of the polyimide had no significant change after electron irradiation. As the preliminary research on the key technology of solar sail spacecraft, in this paper, the results of the study would provide important basis on large-scale solar sail membrane select and fold-deploying method design.

Connecting the snowpack to the internet of things: an IPv6 architecture for providing real-time measurements of hydrologic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerkez, B.; Zhang, Z.; Oroza, C.; Glaser, S. D.; Bales, R. C.

2012-12-01

We describe our improved, robust, and scalable architecture by which to rapidly instrument large-scale watersheds, while providing the resulting data in real-time. Our system consists of more than twenty wireless sensor networks and thousands of sensors, which will be deployed in the American River basin (5000 sq. km) of California. The core component of our system is known as a mote, a tiny, ultra-low-power, embedded wireless computer that can be used for any number of sensing applications. Our new generation of motes is equipped with IPv6 functionality, effectively giving each sensor in the field its own unique IP address, thus permitting users to remotely interact with the devices without going through intermediary services. Thirty to fifty motes will be deployed across 1-2 square kilometer regions to form a mesh-based wireless sensor network. Redundancy of local wireless links will ensure that data will always be able to traverse the network, even if hash wintertime conditions adversely affect some network nodes. These networks will be used to develop spatial estimates of a number of hydrologic parameters, focusing especially on snowpack. Each wireless sensor network has one main network controller, which is responsible with interacting with an embedded Linux computer to relay information across higher-powered, long-range wireless links (cell modems, satellite, WiFi) to neighboring networks and remote, offsite servers. The network manager is also responsible for providing an Internet connection to each mote. Data collected by the sensors can either be read directly by remote hosts, or stored on centralized servers for future access. With 20 such networks deployed in the American River, our system will comprise an unprecedented cyber-physical architecture for measuring hydrologic parameters in large-scale basins. The spatiotemporal density and real-time nature of the data is also expected to significantly improve operational hydrology and water resource management in the basin.

Second generation registry framework.

PubMed

Bellgard, Matthew I; Render, Lee; Radochonski, Maciej; Hunter, Adam

2014-01-01

Information management systems are essential to capture data be it for public health and human disease, sustainable agriculture, or plant and animal biosecurity. In public health, the term patient registry is often used to describe information management systems that are used to record and track phenotypic data of patients. Appropriate design, implementation and deployment of patient registries enables rapid decision making and ongoing data mining ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes. A major bottleneck encountered is the static nature of these registries. That is, software developers are required to work with stakeholders to determine requirements, design the system, implement the required data fields and functionality for each patient registry. Additionally, software developer time is required for ongoing maintenance and customisation. It is desirable to deploy a sophisticated registry framework that can allow scientists and registry curators possessing standard computing skills to dynamically construct a complete patient registry from scratch and customise it for their specific needs with little or no need to engage a software developer at any stage. This paper introduces our second generation open source registry framework which builds on our previous rare disease registry framework (RDRF). This second generation RDRF is a new approach as it empowers registry administrators to construct one or more patient registries without software developer effort. New data elements for a diverse range of phenotypic and genotypic measurements can be defined at any time. Defined data elements can then be utilised in any of the created registries. Fine grained, multi-level user and workgroup access can be applied to each data element to ensure appropriate access and data privacy. We introduce the concept of derived data elements to assist the data element standards communities on how they might be best categorised. We introduce the second generation RDRF that enables the user-driven dynamic creation of patient registries. We believe this second generation RDRF is a novel approach to patient registry design, implementation and deployment and a significant advance on existing registry systems.

Second generation registry framework

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Information management systems are essential to capture data be it for public health and human disease, sustainable agriculture, or plant and animal biosecurity. In public health, the term patient registry is often used to describe information management systems that are used to record and track phenotypic data of patients. Appropriate design, implementation and deployment of patient registries enables rapid decision making and ongoing data mining ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes. A major bottleneck encountered is the static nature of these registries. That is, software developers are required to work with stakeholders to determine requirements, design the system, implement the required data fields and functionality for each patient registry. Additionally, software developer time is required for ongoing maintenance and customisation. It is desirable to deploy a sophisticated registry framework that can allow scientists and registry curators possessing standard computing skills to dynamically construct a complete patient registry from scratch and customise it for their specific needs with little or no need to engage a software developer at any stage. Results This paper introduces our second generation open source registry framework which builds on our previous rare disease registry framework (RDRF). This second generation RDRF is a new approach as it empowers registry administrators to construct one or more patient registries without software developer effort. New data elements for a diverse range of phenotypic and genotypic measurements can be defined at any time. Defined data elements can then be utilised in any of the created registries. Fine grained, multi-level user and workgroup access can be applied to each data element to ensure appropriate access and data privacy. We introduce the concept of derived data elements to assist the data element standards communities on how they might be best categorised. Conclusions We introduce the second generation RDRF that enables the user-driven dynamic creation of patient registries. We believe this second generation RDRF is a novel approach to patient registry design, implementation and deployment and a significant advance on existing registry systems. PMID:24982690

Qualification Testing Versus Quantitative Reliability Testing of PV - Gaining Confidence in a Rapidly Changing Technology: Preprint

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

Kurtz, Sarah; Repins, Ingrid L; Hacke, Peter L

Continued growth of PV system deployment would be enhanced by quantitative, low-uncertainty predictions of the degradation and failure rates of PV modules and systems. The intended product lifetime (decades) far exceeds the product development cycle (months), limiting our ability to reduce the uncertainty of the predictions for this rapidly changing technology. Yet, business decisions (setting insurance rates, analyzing return on investment, etc.) require quantitative risk assessment. Moving toward more quantitative assessments requires consideration of many factors, including the intended application, consequence of a possible failure, variability in the manufacturing, installation, and operation, as well as uncertainty in the measured accelerationmore » factors, which provide the basis for predictions based on accelerated tests. As the industry matures, it is useful to periodically assess the overall strategy for standards development and prioritization of research to provide a technical basis both for the standards and the analysis related to the application of those. To this end, this paper suggests a tiered approach to creating risk assessments. Recent and planned potential improvements in international standards are also summarized.« less

Local evaluation for the Cumberland gap tunnel regional ITS deployment.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-12-01

This report is the local evaluation of an Intelligent Transportation System deployment for the Cumberland Gap Tunnel and U.S. 25E corridor in Tennessee and Kentucky. This report examines the planning for the deployment and the systems and components ...

Cable-catenary large antenna concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akle, W.

1985-01-01

Deployable to very large diameters (over 1000 ft), while still remaining compatible with a complete satellite system launch by STS, the cable-catenary antenna comprises: 8 radial deployable boom masts; a deployable hub and feed support center mast; balanced front and back, radial and circumferential catenary cabling for highly accurate (mm) surface control; no interfering cabling in the antenna field; and an RF reflecting mesh supported on the front catenaries. Illustrations show the antenna-satellite system deployed and stowed configurations; the antenna deployment sequence; the design analysis logic; the sizing analysis output, and typical parametric design data.

Space station structures development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teller, V. B.

1986-01-01

A study of three interrelated tasks focusing on deployable Space Station truss structures is discussed. Task 1, the development of an alternate deployment system for linear truss, resulted in the preliminary design of an in-space reloadable linear motor deployer. Task 2, advanced composites deployable truss development, resulted in the testing and evaluation of composite materials for struts used in a deployable linear truss. Task 3, assembly of structures in space/erectable structures, resulted in the preliminary design of Space Station pressurized module support structures. An independent, redundant support system was developed for the common United States modules.

The Science and technology Behind Galileo - Europes GPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saaj, C.; Underwood, C. I.; Noakes, C.; Park, D. W. G.; Moore, T.

Over recent years, the public has become increasingly aware of the existence of global satellite positioning systems, such as the American Global Positioning System (GPS), for which the generic term is Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). This is primarily due to high-profile use in various military conflicts, the acceptance of the technology by the leisure market (hill walking, yachting, etc) and the rapid development of mass-market applications (such as in-vehicle navigation). However, the public is still largely unaware of how GNSS is currently being utilized by researchers across a wide range of scientific applications. The aim of this paper is to provide answers to public's basic questions on GNSS and thereby raise public awareness on the science and technology behind the nascent Galileo project; a European initiative to design, build and deploy a global satellite positioning system similar to the GPS.

Detecting Bioaerosols When Time Is of the Essence

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

Hazi, A

About seven years ago, Livermore researchers received seed funding from the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program to develop an instrument that counters bioterrorism by providing a rapid early warning system for pathogens, such as anthrax. (See S&TR, January/February 2002, pp. 24-26.) That instrument, the Autonomous Pathogen Detection System (APDS), is now ready for deployment to better protect the public from a bioaerosol attack, and the development team has been honored with a 2004 R&D 100 Award. The lectern-size APDS can be placed in airports, office buildings, performing arts centers, mass transit systems, sporting arenas--anywhere an attack might be launched.more » APDS was designed to get results fast and get them right, without false positives. Biological scientist Richard Langlois, who spearheaded the APDS development effort, explains, ''The system provides results on the spot. Faster results allow a faster emergency response, which in the end means saving lives.''« less

Near Earth Asteroid Scout Solar Sail Engineering Development Unit Test Suite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lockett, Tiffany Russell; Few, Alexander; Wilson, Richard

2017-01-01

The Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout project is a 6U reconnaissance mission to investigate a near Earth asteroid utilizing an 86m(sub 2) solar sail as the primary propulsion system. This will be the largest solar sail NASA has launched to date. NEA Scout is currently manifested on the maiden voyage of the Space Launch System in 2018. In development of the solar sail subsystem, design challenges were identified and investigated for packaging within a 6U form factor and deployment in cis-lunar space. Analysis was able to capture understanding of thermal, stress, and dynamics of the stowed system as well as mature an integrated sail membrane model for deployed flight dynamics. Full scale system testing on the ground is the optimal way to demonstrate system robustness, repeatability, and overall performance on a compressed flight schedule. To physically test the system, the team developed a flight sized engineering development unit with design features as close to flight as possible. The test suite included ascent vent, random vibration, functional deployments, thermal vacuum, and full sail deployments. All of these tests contributed towards development of the final flight unit. This paper will address several of the design challenges and lessons learned from the NEA Scout solar sail subsystem engineering development unit. Testing on the component level all the way to the integrated subsystem level. From optical properties of the sail material to fold and spooling the single sail, the team has developed a robust deployment system for the solar sail. The team completed several deployments of the sail system in preparation for flight at half scale (4m) and full scale (6.8m): boom only, half scale sail deployment, and full scale sail deployment. This paper will also address expected and received test results from ascent vent, random vibration, and deployment tests.

White Paper on Dish Stirling Technology: Path Toward Commercial Deployment

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

Andraka, Charles E.; Stechel, Ellen; Becker, Peter

2016-07-01

Dish Stirling energy systems have been developed for distributed and large-scale utility deployment. This report summarizes the state of the technology in a joint project between Stirling Energy Systems, Sandia National Laboratories, and the Department of Energy in 2011. It then lays out a feasible path to large scale deployment, including development needs and anticipated cost reduction paths that will make a viable deployment product.

Test Frame for Gravity Offload Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murray, Alexander R.

2005-01-01

Advances in space telescope and aperture technology have created a need to launch larger structures into space. Traditional truss structures will be too heavy and bulky to be effectively used in the next generation of space-based structures. Large deployable structures are a possible solution. By packaging deployable trusses, the cargo volume of these large structures greatly decreases. The ultimate goal is to three dimensionally measure a boom's deployment in simulated microgravity. This project outlines the construction of the test frame that supports a gravity offload system. The test frame is stable enough to hold the gravity offload system and does not interfere with deployment of, or vibrations in, the deployable test boom. The natural frequencies and stability of the frame were engineered in FEMAP. The test frame was developed to have natural frequencies that would not match the first two modes of the deployable beam. The frame was then modeled in Solidworks and constructed. The test frame constructed is a stable base to perform studies on deployable structures.

Arctic Glass: Innovative Consumer Technology in Support of Arctic Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruthkoski, T.

2015-12-01

The advancement of cyberinfrastructure on the North Slope of Alaska is drastically limited by location-specific conditions, including: unique geophysical features, remoteness of location, and harsh climate. The associated cost of maintaining this unique cyberinfrastructure also becomes a limiting factor. As a result, field experiments conducted in this region have historically been at a technological disadvantage. The Arctic Glass project explored a variety of scenarios where innovative consumer-grade technology was leveraged as a lightweight, rapidly deployable, sustainable, alternatives to traditional large-scale Arctic cyberinfrastructure installations. Google Glass, cloud computing services, Internet of Things (IoT) microcontrollers, miniature LIDAR, co2 sensors designed for HVAC systems, and portable network kits are several of the components field-tested at the Toolik Field Station as part of this project. Region-specific software was also developed, including a multi featured, voice controlled Google Glass application named "Arctic Glass". Additionally, real-time sensor monitoring and remote control capability was evaluated through the deployment of a small cluster of microcontroller devices. Network robustness was analyzed as the devices delivered streams of abiotic data to a web-based dashboard monitoring service in near real time. The same data was also uploaded synchronously by the devices to Amazon Web Services. A detailed overview of solutions deployed during the 2015 field season, results from experiments utilizing consumer sensors, and potential roles consumer technology could play in support of Arctic science will be discussed.

Harnessing collaborative technology to accelerate achievement of chronic disease management objectives for Canada.

PubMed

Thompson, Leslee J; Healey, Lindsay; Falk, Will

2007-01-01

Morgan and colleagues put forth a call to action for the transformation of the Canadian healthcare system through the adoption of a national chronic disease prevention and management (CDPM) strategy. They offer examples of best practices and national solutions including investment in clinical information technologies to help support improved care and outcomes. Although we acknowledge that the authors propose CDPM solutions that are headed in the right direction, more rapid deployment of solutions that harness the potential of advanced collaborative technologies is required. We provide examples of how technologies that exist today can help to accelerate the achievement of some key CDPM objectives.

Flexible robotic entry device for a nuclear materials production reactor

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

Heckendorn, F.M. II

1988-01-01

The Savannah River Laboratory has developed and is implementing a flexible robotic entry device (FRED) for the nuclear materials production reactors now operating at the Savannah River Plant (SRP). FRED is designed for rapid deployment into confinement areas of operating reactors to assess unknown conditions. A unique smart tether method has been incorporated into FRED for simultaneous bidirectional transmission of multiple video/audio/control/power signals over a single coaxial cable. This system makes it possible to use FRED under all operating and standby conditions, including those where radio/microwave transmissions are not possible or permitted, and increases the quantity of data available.

Innovative Approaches to Space-Based Manufacturing and Rapid Prototyping of Composite Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, Charles S.

2012-01-01

The ability to deploy large habitable structures, construct, and service exploration vehicles in low earth orbit will be an enabling capability for continued human exploration of the solar system. It is evident that advanced manufacturing methods to fabricate replacement parts and re-utilize launch vehicle structural mass by converting it to different uses will be necessary to minimize costs and allow flexibility to remote crews engaged in space travel. Recent conceptual developments and the combination of inter-related approaches to low-cost manufacturing of composite materials and structures are described in context leading to the possibility of on-orbit and space-based manufacturing.

Dish systems for CSP

DOE PAGES

Coventry, Joe; Andraka, Charles

2017-03-22

Parabolic dish technology, for concentrating solar power (CSP) applications, has been continuously modified and improved since the pioneering work in the 1970s. Best practice dishes now have features such as lightweight structure, balanced design, high-quality, low-cost mirror panels, and can be deployed rapidly with little in-field labour. This review focuses on the evolution of dish design, by examining features such as mode of tracking, structure and mirror design, for a wide selection of CSP dish examples. Finally, the review includes a brief summary of power generation options – both on-dish and central plant – as well as a discussion aboutmore » options for storage and hybridisation.« less

Level-2 Milestone 6007: Sierra Early Delivery System Deployed to Secret Restricted Network

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

Bertsch, A. D.

This report documents the delivery and installation of Shark, a CORAL Sierra early delivery system deployed on the LLNL SRD network. Early ASC program users have run codes on the machine in support of application porting for the final Sierra system which will be deployed at LLNL in CY2018. In addition to the SRD resource, Shark, unclassified resources, Rzmanta and Ray, have been deployed on the LLNL Restricted Zone and Collaboration Zone networks in support of application readiness for the Sierra platform.

Experience, use, and performance measurement of the Hadoop File System in a typical nuclear physics analysis workflow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sangaline, E.; Lauret, J.

2014-06-01

The quantity of information produced in Nuclear and Particle Physics (NPP) experiments necessitates the transmission and storage of data across diverse collections of computing resources. Robust solutions such as XRootD have been used in NPP, but as the usage of cloud resources grows, the difficulties in the dynamic configuration of these systems become a concern. Hadoop File System (HDFS) exists as a possible cloud storage solution with a proven track record in dynamic environments. Though currently not extensively used in NPP, HDFS is an attractive solution offering both elastic storage and rapid deployment. We will present the performance of HDFS in both canonical I/O tests and for a typical data analysis pattern within the RHIC/STAR experimental framework. These tests explore the scaling with different levels of redundancy and numbers of clients. Additionally, the performance of FUSE and NFS interfaces to HDFS were evaluated as a way to allow existing software to function without modification. Unfortunately, the complicated data structures in NPP are non-trivial to integrate with Hadoop and so many of the benefits of the MapReduce paradigm could not be directly realized. Despite this, our results indicate that using HDFS as a distributed filesystem offers reasonable performance and scalability and that it excels in its ease of configuration and deployment in a cloud environment.

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in Texas: Deployment Summary and Case Study of Deployment Methodologies

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-06-01

The state of the intelligent transportation systems (ITS) program in Texas is summarized and analyzed. The report first reviews the types of ITS deployments within each Texas Department of Transportation district. The methods used to plan, design, co...

Tethered Satellite System (TSS-1R)-Post Flight (STS-75) Engineering Performance Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lavoie, Anthony R.

1996-01-01

The first mission of the Tethered Satellite deployer was flown onboard Atlantis in 1992 during the Space Transportation System (STS) flight STS-46. Due to a mechanical interference with the level wind mechanism the satellite was only Deployed to 256 m rather than the planned 20,000 m. Other problems were also experienced during the STS-46 flight and several modifications were made to the Deployer and Satellite. STS-75 was a reflight of the Tethered Satellite System 1 (TSS-1) designated as Tethered Satellite System 1 Reflight (TSS-1 R) onboard Columbia. As on STS-46, the TSS payload consisted of the Deployer, the Satellite, 3 cargo bay mounted experiments: Shuttle Electrodynamic Tether System (SETS), Shuttle Potential and Return Electron Experiment (SPREE), Deployer Core Equipment (DCORE) 4 Satellite mounted experiments: Research on Electrodynamics Tether Effects (RETE), Research on Orbital Plasma Electrodynamics (ROPE), Satellite Core Instruments (SCORE), Tether Magnetic Field Experiment (TEMAG) and an aft flight deck camera: Tether Optical Phenomena Experiment (TOP). Following successful pre-launch, launch and pre-deployment orbital operations, the Deployer deployed the Tethered Satellite to 19,695 m at which point the tether broke within the Satellite Deployment Boom (SDB). The planned length for On-Station I (OST1) was 20,700 m The Satellite flew away from the Orbiter with the tether attached. The satellite was "safed" and placed in a limited power mode via the RF link. The Satellite was contacted periodically during overflights of ground stations. Cargo bay science activities continued for the period of time allocated to TSS-1 R operations.

Engineers Jim Murray and Joe Pahle prepare a deployable, inflatable wing technology demonstrator exp

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

Engineers Jim Murray and Joe Pahle prepare a deployable, inflatable wing technology demonstrator experiment flown by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The inflatable wing project represented a basic flight research effort by Dryden personnel. Three successful flights of the I2000 inflatable wing aircraft occurred. During the flights, the team air-launched the radio-controlled (R/C) I2000 from an R/C utility airplane at an altitude of 800-1000 feet. As the I2000 separated from the carrier aircraft, its inflatable wings 'popped-out,' deploying rapidly via an on-board nitrogen bottle. The aircraft remained stable as it transitioned from wingless to winged flight. The unpowered I2000 glided down to a smooth landing under complete control.

Use of application containers and workflows for genomic data analysis.

PubMed

Schulz, Wade L; Durant, Thomas J S; Siddon, Alexa J; Torres, Richard

2016-01-01

The rapid acquisition of biological data and development of computationally intensive analyses has led to a need for novel approaches to software deployment. In particular, the complexity of common analytic tools for genomics makes them difficult to deploy and decreases the reproducibility of computational experiments. Recent technologies that allow for application virtualization, such as Docker, allow developers and bioinformaticians to isolate these applications and deploy secure, scalable platforms that have the potential to dramatically increase the efficiency of big data processing. While limitations exist, this study demonstrates a successful implementation of a pipeline with several discrete software applications for the analysis of next-generation sequencing (NGS) data. With this approach, we significantly reduced the amount of time needed to perform clonal analysis from NGS data in acute myeloid leukemia.

The I2000, a deployable, inflatable wing technology demonstrator experiment aircraft, leaves the gro

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

The deployable, inflatable wing technology demonstrator experiment aircraft leaves the ground during a flight conducted by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The inflatable wing project represented a basic flight research effort by Dryden personnel. Three successful flights of the I2000 inflatable wing aircraft occurred. During the flights, the team air-launched the radio-controlled (R/C) I2000 from an R/C utility airplane at an altitude of 800-1000 feet. As the I2000 separated from the carrier aircraft, its inflatable wings 'popped-out,' deploying rapidly via an on-board nitrogen bottle. The aircraft remained stable as it transitioned from wingless to winged flight. The unpowered I2000 glided down to a smooth landing under complete control.

Photovoltaic Power System and Power Distribution Demonstration for the Desert RATS Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colozza, Anthony; Jakupca, Ian; Mintz, Toby; Herlacher, Mike; Hussey, Sam

2012-01-01

A stand alone, mobile photovoltaic power system along with a cable deployment system was designed and constructed to take part in the Desert Research And Technology Studies (RATS) lunar surface human interaction evaluation program at Cinder Lake, Arizona. The power system consisted of a photovoltaic array/battery system. It is capable of providing 1 kW of electrical power. The system outputs were 48 V DC, 110 V AC, and 220 V AC. A cable reel with 200 m of power cable was used to provide power from the trailer to a remote location. The cable reel was installed on a small trailer. The reel was powered to provide low to no tension deployment of the cable. The cable was connected to the 220 V AC output of the power system trailer. The power was then converted back to 110 V AC on the cable deployment trailer for use at the remote site. The Scout lunar rover demonstration vehicle was used to tow the cable trailer and deploy the power cable. This deployment was performed under a number of operational scenarios, manned operation, remote operation and tele-robotically. Once deployed, the cable was used to provide power, from the power system trailer, to run various operational tasks at the remote location.

Identification of Classified Information in Unclassified DoD Systems During the Audit of Internal Controls and Data Reliability in the Deployable Disbursing System

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-17

Identification of Classified Information in Unclassified DoD Systems During the Audit of Internal Controls and Data Reliability in the Deployable...TITLE AND SUBTITLE Identification of Classified Information in Unclassified DoD Systems During the Audit of Internal Controls and Data Reliability...Systems During the Audit ofInternal Controls and Data Reliability in the Deployable Disbursing System (Report No. D-2009-054) Weare providing this

Design Validation Methodology Development for an Aircraft Sensor Deployment System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wowczuk, Zenovy S.

The OCULUS 1.0 Sensor Deployment concept design, was developed in 2004 at West Virginia University (WVU), outlined the general concept of a deployment system to be used on a C-130 aircraft. As a sequel, a new system, OCULUS 1.1, has been developed and designed. The new system transfers the concept system design to a safety of flight design, and also enhanced to a pre-production system to be used as the test bed to gain full military certification approval. The OCULUS 1.1 system has an implemented standard deployment system/procedure to go along with a design suited for military certification and implementation. This design process included analysis of the system's critical components and the generation of a critical component holistic model to be used as an analysis tool for future payload modification made to the system. Following the completion of the OCULUS 1.1 design, preparations and procedures for obtaining military airworthiness certification are described. The airworthiness process includes working with the agency overseeing all modifications to the normal operating procedures made to military C-130 aircraft and preparing the system for an experimental flight test. The critical steps in his process include developing a complete documentation package that details the analysis performed on the OCULUS 1.1 system and also the design of experiment flight test plan to analyze the system. Following the approval of the documentation and design of experiment an experimental flight test of the OCULUS 1.1 system was performed to verify the safety and airworthiness of the system. This test proved successfully that the OCULUS 1.1 system design was airworthy and approved for military use. The OCULUS 1.1 deployment system offers an open architecture design that is ideal for use as a sensor testing platform for developmental airborne sensors. The system's patented deployment methodology presents a simplistic approach to reaching the systems final operating position which offers the most robust field of view area of rear ramp deployment systems.

Design and Experimental Verification of Deployable/Inflatable Ultra-Lightweight Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pai, P. Frank

2004-01-01

Because launch cost of a space structural system is often proportional to the launch volume and mass and there is no significant gravity in space, NASA's space exploration programs and various science missions have stimulated extensive use of ultra-lightweight deployable/inflatable structures. These structures are named here as Highly Flexible Structures (HFSs) because they are designed to undergo large displacements, rotations, and/or buckling without plastic deformation under normal operation conditions. Except recent applications to space structural systems, HFSs have been used in many mechanical systems, civil structures, aerospace vehicles, home appliances, and medical devices to satisfy space limitations, provide special mechanisms, and/or reduce structural weight. The extensive use of HFSs in today's structural engineering reveals the need of a design and analysis software and a database system with design guidelines for practicing engineers to perform computer-aided design and rapid prototyping of HFSs. Also to prepare engineering students for future structural engineering requires a new and easy-to- understand method of presenting the complex mathematics of the modeling and analysis of HFSs. However, because of the high flexibility of HFSs, many unique challenging problems in the modeling, design and analysis of HFSs need to be studied. The current state of research on HFSs needs advances in the following areas: (1) modeling of large rotations using appropriate strain measures, (2) modeling of cross-section warpings of structures, (3) how to account for both large rotations and cross- section warpings in 2D (two-dimensional) and 1D structural theories, (4) modeling of thickness thinning of membranes due to inflation pressure, pretension, and temperature change, (5) prediction of inflated shapes and wrinkles of inflatable structures, (6) development of efficient numerical methods for nonlinear static and dynamic analyses, and (7) filling the gap between geometrically exact elastic analysis and elastoplastic analysis. The objectives of this research project were: (1) to study the modeling, design, and analysis of deployable/inflatable ultra-lightweight structures, (2) to perform numerical and experimental studies on the static and dynamic characteristics and deployability of HFSs, (3) to derive guidelines for designing HFSs, (4) to develop a MATLAB toolbox for the design, analysis, and dynamic animation of HFSs, and (5) to perform experiments and establish an adequate database of post-buckling characteristics of HFSs.

IRIS Arrays: Observing Wavefields at Multiple Scales and Frequencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sumy, D. F.; Woodward, R.; Frassetto, A.

2014-12-01

The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) provides instruments for creating and operating seismic arrays at a wide range of scales. As an example, for over thirty years the IRIS PASSCAL program has provided instruments to individual Principal Investigators to deploy arrays of all shapes and sizes on every continent. These arrays have ranged from just a few sensors to hundreds or even thousands of sensors, covering areas with dimensions of meters to thousands of kilometers. IRIS also operates arrays directly, such as the USArray Transportable Array (TA) as part of the EarthScope program. Since 2004, the TA has rolled across North America, at any given time spanning a swath of approximately 800 km by 2,500 km, and thus far sampling 2% of the Earth's surface. This achievement includes all of the lower-48 U.S., southernmost Canada, and now parts of Alaska. IRIS has also facilitated specialized arrays in polar environments and on the seafloor. In all cases, the data from these arrays are freely available to the scientific community. As the community of scientists who use IRIS facilities and data look to the future they have identified a clear need for new array capabilities. In particular, as part of its Wavefields Initiative, IRIS is exploring new technologies that can enable large, dense array deployments to record unaliased wavefields at a wide range of frequencies. Large-scale arrays might utilize multiple sensor technologies to best achieve observing objectives and optimize equipment and logistical costs. Improvements in packaging and power systems can provide equipment with reduced size, weight, and power that will reduce logistical constraints for large experiments, and can make a critical difference for deployments in harsh environments or other situations where rapid deployment is required. We will review the range of existing IRIS array capabilities with an overview of previous and current deployments and examples of data and results. We will review existing IRIS projects that explore new array capabilities and highlight future directions for IRIS instrumentation facilities.

Rapid topographic and bathymetric reconnaissance using airborne LiDAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Axelsson, Andreas

2010-10-01

Today airborne LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) systems has gained acceptance as a powerful tool to rapidly collect invaluable information to assess the impact from either natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes and flooding, or human inflicted disasters such as terrorist/enemy activities. Where satellite based imagery provides an excellent tool to remotely detect changes in the environment, the LiDAR systems, being active remote sensors, provide an unsurpassed method to quantify these changes. The strength of the active laser based systems is especially evident in areas covered by occluding vegetation or in the shallow coastal zone as the laser can penetrate the vegetation or water body to unveil what is below. The purpose of this paper is to address the task to survey complex areas with help of the state-of-the-art airborne LiDAR systems and also discuss scenarios where the method is used today and where it may be used tomorrow. Regardless if it is a post-hurricane survey or a preparation stage for a landing operation in unchartered waters, it is today possible to collect, process and present a dense 3D model of the area of interest within just a few hours from deployment. By utilizing the advancement in processing power and wireless network capabilities real-time presentation would be feasible.

GN and C Design Overview and Flight Test Results from NASA's Max Launch Abort System (MLAS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dennehy, Cornelius J.; Lanzi, Ryamond J.; Ward, Philip R.

2010-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) designed, developed and flew the alternative Max Launch Abort System (MLAS) as risk mitigation for the baseline Orion spacecraft launch abort system (LAS) already in development. The NESC was tasked with both formulating a conceptual objective system (OS) design of this alternative MLAS as well as demonstrating this concept with a simulated pad abort flight test. The goal was to obtain sufficient flight test data to assess performance, validate models/tools, and to reduce the design and development risks for a MLAS OS. Less than 2 years after Project start the MLAS simulated pad abort flight test was successfully conducted from Wallops Island on July 8, 2009. The entire flight test duration was 88 seconds during which time multiple staging events were performed and nine separate critically timed parachute deployments occurred as scheduled. Overall, the as-flown flight performance was as predicted prior to launch. This paper provides an overview of the guidance navigation and control (GN&C) technical approaches employed on this rapid prototyping activity. This paper describes the methodology used to design the MLAS flight test vehicle (FTV). Lessons that were learned during this rapid prototyping project are also summarized.

Gossamer-1: Mission concept and technology for a controlled deployment of gossamer spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seefeldt, Patric; Spietz, Peter; Sproewitz, Tom; Grundmann, Jan Thimo; Hillebrandt, Martin; Hobbie, Catherin; Ruffer, Michael; Straubel, Marco; Tóth, Norbert; Zander, Martin

2017-01-01

Gossamer structures for innovative space applications, such as solar sails, require technology that allows their controlled and thereby safe deployment. Before employing such technology for a dedicated science mission, it is desirable, if not necessary, to demonstrate its reliability with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of six or higher. The aim of the work presented here is to provide reliable technology that enables the controlled deployment and verification of its functionality with various laboratory tests, thereby qualifying the hardware for a first demonstration in low Earth orbit (LEO). The development was made in the Gossamer-1 project of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). This paper provides an overview of the Gossamer-1 mission and hardware development. The system is designed based on the requirements of a technology demonstration mission. The design rests on a crossed boom configuration with triangular sail segments. Employing engineering models, all aspects of the deployment were tested under ambient environment. Several components were also subjected to environmental qualification testing. An innovative stowing and deployment strategy for a controlled deployment, as well as the designs of the bus system, mechanisms and electronics are described. The tests conducted provide insights into the deployment process and allow a mechanical characterization of that deployment process, in particular the measurement of the deployment forces. Deployment on system level could be successfully demonstrated to be robust and controllable. The deployment technology is on TRL four approaching level five, with a qualification model for environmental testing currently being built.

Small expendable deployer system measurement analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carrington, Connie K.

1988-01-01

The first on-orbit experiment of the Small Expendable Deployer System (SEDS) for tethered satellites will collect telemetry data for tether length, rate of deployment, and tether tension. The post-flight analysis will use this data to reconstruct the deployment history and determine dynamic characteristics such as tether shape and payload position. Linearized observability analysis has determined that these measurements are adequate to define states for a two-mass tether model, and two state estimators were written.

Ice911 Research: Preserving and Rebuilding Multi-Year Ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Field, L. A.; Chetty, S.; Manzara, A.

2013-12-01

A localized surface albedo modification technique is being developed that shows promise as a method to increase multi-year ice using reflective floating materials, chosen so as to have low subsidiary environmental impact. Multi-year ice has diminished rapidly in the Arctic over the past 3 decades (Riihela et al, Nature Climate Change, August 4, 2013) and this plays a part in the continuing rapid decrease of summer-time ice. As summer-time ice disappears, the Arctic is losing its ability to act as the earth's refrigeration system, and this has widespread climatic effects, as well as a direct effect on sea level rise, as oceans heat, and once-land-based ice melts into the sea. We have tested the albedo modification technique on a small scale over five Winter/Spring seasons at sites including California's Sierra Nevada Mountains, a Canadian lake, and a small man-made lake in Minnesota, using various materials and an evolving array of instrumentation. The materials can float and can be made to minimize effects on marine habitat and species. The instrumentation is designed to be deployed in harsh and remote locations. Localized snow and ice preservation, and reductions in water heating, have been quantified in small-scale testing. Climate modeling is underway to analyze the effects of this method of surface albedo modification in key areas on the rate of oceanic and atmospheric temperature rise. We are also evaluating the effects of snow and ice preservation for protection of infrastructure and habitat stabilization. This paper will also discuss a possible reduction of sea level rise with an eye to quantification of cost/benefit. The most recent season's experimentation on a man-made private lake in Minnesota saw further evolution in the material and deployment approach. The materials were successfully deployed to shield underlying snow and ice from melting; applications of granular materials remained stable in the face of local wind and storms. Localized albedo modification options such as the one being studied in this work may act to preserve ice, glaciers, permafrost and seasonal snow areas, and perhaps aid natural ice formation processes. If this method could be deployed on a large enough scale, it could conceivably bring about a reduction in the Ice-Albedo Feedback Effect, possibly slowing one of the key effects and factors in climate change. Test site at man-made lake in Minnesota 2013

Thinking on Sichuan-Chongqing gas pipeline transportation system reform under market-oriented conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Yanzhi

2017-01-01

The gas pipeline networks in Sichuan and Chongqing (Sichuan-Chongqing) region have formed a fully-fledged gas pipeline transportation system in China, which supports and promotes the rapid development of gas market in Sichuan-Chongqing region. In the circumstances of further developed market-oriented economy, it is necessary to carry out further the pipeline system reform in the areas of investment/financing system, operation system and pricing system to lay a solid foundation for improving future gas production and marketing capability and adapting itself to the national gas system reform, and to achieve the objectives of multiparty participated pipeline construction, improved pipeline transportation efficiency and fair and rational pipeline transportation prices. In this article, main thinking on reform in the three areas and major deployment are addressed, and corresponding measures on developing shared pipeline economy, providing financial support to pipeline construction, setting up independent regulatory agency to enhance the industrial supervision for gas pipeline transportation, and promoting the construction of regional gas trade market are recommended.

Snorkel: Rapid Training Data Creation with Weak Supervision.

PubMed

Ratner, Alexander; Bach, Stephen H; Ehrenberg, Henry; Fries, Jason; Wu, Sen; Ré, Christopher

2017-11-01

Labeling training data is increasingly the largest bottleneck in deploying machine learning systems. We present Snorkel, a first-of-its-kind system that enables users to train state-of- the-art models without hand labeling any training data. Instead, users write labeling functions that express arbitrary heuristics, which can have unknown accuracies and correlations. Snorkel denoises their outputs without access to ground truth by incorporating the first end-to-end implementation of our recently proposed machine learning paradigm, data programming. We present a flexible interface layer for writing labeling functions based on our experience over the past year collaborating with companies, agencies, and research labs. In a user study, subject matter experts build models 2.8× faster and increase predictive performance an average 45.5% versus seven hours of hand labeling. We study the modeling tradeoffs in this new setting and propose an optimizer for automating tradeoff decisions that gives up to 1.8× speedup per pipeline execution. In two collaborations, with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and on four open-source text and image data sets representative of other deployments, Snorkel provides 132% average improvements to predictive performance over prior heuristic approaches and comes within an average 3.60% of the predictive performance of large hand-curated training sets.

Development and Application of a Next Generation Air Sensor Network for the Hong Kong Marathon 2015 Air Quality Monitoring.

PubMed

Sun, Li; Wong, Ka Chun; Wei, Peng; Ye, Sheng; Huang, Hao; Yang, Fenhuan; Westerdahl, Dane; Louie, Peter K K; Luk, Connie W Y; Ning, Zhi

2016-02-05

This study presents the development and evaluation of a next generation air monitoring system with both laboratory and field tests. A multi-parameter algorithm was used to correct for the impact of environmental conditions on the electrochemical sensors for carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollutants. The field evaluation in an urban roadside environment in comparison to designated monitors showed good agreement with measurement error within 5% of the pollutant concentrations. Multiple sets of the developed system were then deployed in the Hong Kong Marathon 2015 forming a sensor-based network along the marathon route. Real-time air pollution concentration data were wirelessly transmitted and the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) for the Green Marathon was calculated, which were broadcast to the public on an hourly basis. The route-specific sensor network showed somewhat different pollutant patterns than routine air monitoring, indicating the immediate impact of traffic control during the marathon on the roadside air quality. The study is one of the first applications of a next generation sensor network in international sport events, and it demonstrated the usefulness of the emerging sensor-based air monitoring technology in rapid network deployment to supplement existing air monitoring.

Twenty years of barrel-stave flextensional transducer technology in Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Dennis F.

2005-04-01

The barrel-stave flextensional transducer, a compact underwater sound source, was conceived at DRDC Atlantic in 1986 [G. W. McMahon and D. F. Jones, U.S. Patent No. 4,922,470 (1 May 1990); Canadian Patent No. 1,285,646 (2 July 1991)]. Over the years, five barrel-stave designs belonging to three flextensional classes were built and tested at DRDC Atlantic. Three Class I transducers with operating frequencies ranging from 800 to 1600 Hz were integrated into submarine communications buoys, low frequency active horizontal projector arrays, and a broadband sonar towbody. A high-power Class II and broadband (1-7 kHz) Class III transducer were deployed under the ice in the Lincoln Sea for research related to rapidly deployable surveillance systems. These barrel-stave flextensional transducers have also supported a variety of marine mammal studies including vocal mimicry in long-finned pilot whales, coda dialects in sperm whales, and the R&D of acoustic detection and tracking systems for endangered northern right whales. In August 2004 a barrel-stave transducer was used to lure a trapped juvenile humpback whale to the sluice gates of a tidal generating station on the Annapolis River in Nova Scotia by transmitting humpback whale calls underwater. The acoustic performance parameters for all 5 transducers will be presented.

Get the Power You Need, When and Where You Need It Aboard the International Space Station (ISS) Using the ISS Plug-In Plan (IPiP) Requirement Request Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Kevin D.

2017-01-01

Trying to get your experiment aboard ISS? You likely will need power. Many enditem providers do. ISS Plug-In Plan (IPiP) supports power and data for science, Payloads (or Utilization), vehicle systems, and daily operations through the Electrical Power System (EPS) Secondary Power/Data Subsystem. Yet limited resources and increasing requirements continue to influence decisions on deployment of ISS end items. Given the fluid launch schedule and the rapidly- increasing number of end item providers requiring power support, the focus of the Plug-In Plan has evolved from a simple FIFO recommendation to provide power to end item users, to anticipating future requirements by judicious development and delivery of support equipment (cables, power supplies, power strips, and alternating current (AC) power inverters), employing innovative deployment strategies, and collaborating on end item development. This paper describes the evolution of the ISS Program Office, Engineering Directorate, Flight Operations Directorate (FOD), International Partners and the end item provider relationship and how collaboration successfully leverages unique requirements with limited on- board equipment and resources, tools and processes which result in more agile integration, and describes the process designed for the new ISS end item provider to assure that their power requirements will be met.

Development and Application of a Next Generation Air Sensor Network for the Hong Kong Marathon 2015 Air Quality Monitoring

PubMed Central

Sun, Li; Wong, Ka Chun; Wei, Peng; Ye, Sheng; Huang, Hao; Yang, Fenhuan; Westerdahl, Dane; Louie, Peter K.K.; Luk, Connie W.Y.; Ning, Zhi

2016-01-01

This study presents the development and evaluation of a next generation air monitoring system with both laboratory and field tests. A multi-parameter algorithm was used to correct for the impact of environmental conditions on the electrochemical sensors for carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollutants. The field evaluation in an urban roadside environment in comparison to designated monitors showed good agreement with measurement error within 5% of the pollutant concentrations. Multiple sets of the developed system were then deployed in the Hong Kong Marathon 2015 forming a sensor-based network along the marathon route. Real-time air pollution concentration data were wirelessly transmitted and the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) for the Green Marathon was calculated, which were broadcast to the public on an hourly basis. The route-specific sensor network showed somewhat different pollutant patterns than routine air monitoring, indicating the immediate impact of traffic control during the marathon on the roadside air quality. The study is one of the first applications of a next generation sensor network in international sport events, and it demonstrated the usefulness of the emerging sensor-based air monitoring technology in rapid network deployment to supplement existing air monitoring. PMID:26861336

Synthetic aperture lidar as a future tool for earth observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turbide, Simon; Marchese, Linda; Terroux, Marc; Bergeron, Alain

2017-11-01

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a tool of prime importance for Earth observation; it provides day and night capabilities in various weather conditions. State-of-the-art satellite SAR systems are a few meters in height and width and achieve resolutions of less than 1 m with revisit times on the order of days. Today's Earth observation needs demand higher resolution imaging together with timelier data collection within a compact low power consumption payload. Such needs are seen in Earth Observation applications such as disaster management of earthquakes, landslides, forest fires, floods and others. In these applications the availability of timely reliable information is critical to assess the extent of the disaster and to rapidly and safely deploy rescue teams. Synthetic aperture lidar (SAL) is based on the same basic principles as SAR. Both rely on the acquisition of multiple electromagnetic echoes to emulate a large antenna aperture providing the ability to produce high resolution images. However, in SAL, much shorter optical wavelengths (1.5 μm) are used instead of radar ones (wavelengths around 3 cm). Resolution being related to the wavelength, multiple orders of magnitude of improvement could be theoretically expected. Also, the sources, the detector, and the components are much smaller in optical domain than those for radar. The resulting system can thus be made compact opening the door to deployment onboard small satellites, airborne platforms and unmanned air vehicles. This has a strong impact on the time required to develop, deploy and use a payload. Moreover, in combination with airborne deployment, revisit times can be made much smaller and accessibility to the information can become almost in real-time. Over the last decades, studies from different groups have been done to validate the feasibility of a SAL system for 2D imagery and more recently for 3D static target imagery. In this paper, an overview of the advantages of this emerging technology will be presented. As well, simulations and laboratory demonstrations of deformation mapping using a tabletop synthetic aperture lidar system operated at 1.5 μm are reviewed. The transmitter and receptor of the fiber-based system are mounted on a translation stage which move at a constant speed relatively to the target (sand) located 25 cm away. The change in the 3D profile of the target is thereafter monitored with sub-millimeter precision using the multiple-pass SAL system. Results obtained with a SAL laboratory prototype are reviewed along with the potential applications for Earth observation.

Development of a smart home simulator for use as a heuristic tool for management of sensor distribution.

PubMed

Poland, Michael P; Nugent, Chris D; Wang, Hui; Chen, Liming

2009-01-01

Smart Homes offer potential solutions for various forms of independent living for the elderly. The assistive and protective environment afforded by smart homes offer a safe, relatively inexpensive, dependable and viable alternative to vulnerable inhabitants. Nevertheless, the success of a smart home rests upon the quality of information its decision support system receives and this in turn places great importance on the issue of correct sensor deployment. In this article we present a software tool that has been developed to address the elusive issue of sensor distribution within smart homes. Details of the tool will be presented and it will be shown how it can be used to emulate any real world environment whereby virtual sensor distributions can be rapidly implemented and assessed without the requirement for physical deployment for evaluation. As such, this approach offers the potential of tailoring sensor distributions to the specific needs of a patient in a non-evasive manner. The heuristics based tool presented here has been developed as the first part of a three stage project.

Electricity Capacity Expansion Modeling, Analysis, and Visualization. A Summary of High-Renewable Modeling Experience for China

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

Blair, Nate; Zhou, Ella; Getman, Dan

2015-10-01

Mathematical and computational models are widely used for the analysis and design of both physical and financial systems. Modeling the electric grid is of particular importance to China for three reasons. First, power-sector assets are expensive and long-lived, and they are critical to any country's development. China's electric load, transmission, and other energy-related infrastructure are expected to continue to grow rapidly; therefore it is crucial to understand and help plan for the future in which those assets will operate (NDRC ERI 2015). Second, China has dramatically increased its deployment of renewable energy (RE), and is likely to continue further acceleratingmore » such deployment over the coming decades. Careful planning and assessment of the various aspects (technical, economic, social, and political) of integrating a large amount of renewables on the grid is required. Third, companies need the tools to develop a strategy for their own involvement in the power market China is now developing, and to enable a possible transition to an efficient and high RE future.« less

Technical support package: Large, easily deployable structures. NASA Tech Briefs, Fall 1982, volume 7, no. 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Design and test data for packaging, deploying, and assembling structures for near term space platform systems, were provided by testing light type hardware in the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator. An optimum or near optimum structural configuration for varying degrees of deployment utilizing different levels of EVA and RMS was achieved. The design of joints and connectors and their lock/release mechanisms were refined to improve performance and operational convenience. The incorporation of utilities into structural modules to determine their effects on packaging and deployment was evaluated. By simulation tests, data was obtained for stowage, deployment, and assembly of the final structural system design to determine construction timelines, and evaluate system functioning and techniques.

Effect of transcatheter aortic valve implantation on intraoperative left ventricular end-diastolic pressure.

PubMed

Toyota, Kosaku; Ota, Takashi; Nagamine, Katsutoshi; Koide, Yasuhiro; Nomura, Takeshi; Yamanaka, Futoshi; Shishido, Koki; Tanaka, Masashi; Saito, Shigeru

2016-12-01

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for patients with aortic stenosis is a less invasive alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement. Despite this, careful anesthetic management, especially strict control of blood pressure and fluid management, is necessary. During TAVI, normalization of left ventricular afterload due to aortic balloon valvuloplasty and prosthetic valve deployment is expected to result in rapid improvement of systolic function and consequent improvement in diastolic function. However, the early effect of TAVI on left ventricular diastolic function is less clear. We hypothesized that TAVI induces a rapid decrease in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) after valve deployment. This retrospective observational study included 71 patients who had undergone TAVI using the transfemoral approach with a balloon-expandable valve under general anesthesia. Intraoperative LVEDP was measured using an intracardiac catheter. The severity of residual aortic regurgitation (AR) was assessed using the Sellers criteria. The mean (SD) LVEDP was 17.8 (5.3) mmHg just before TAVI and increased significantly to 27.3 (8.2) mmHg immediately after prosthetic valve deployment (p < 0.0001). The change in LVEDP was 8.7 (8.6) mmHg in patients with low residual AR (Sellers ≤1) and 11.0 (7.1) mmHg in those with high residual AR (Sellers ≥2); however, this difference was not significant. No correlation was found between the LVEDP change and intraoperative fluid balance. In conclusion, LVEDP increased significantly in the early period after valve deployment during TAVI, regardless of residual AR severity. It was suggested that the tolerability of fluid load could be reduced at that time.

The Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS) Design, Trades, and Analyses Performed in a Two Year NASA Investigation of Electric Sail Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiegmann, Bruce M.

2017-01-01

The Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS) was one of the seven total Phase II NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) that was down-selected in 2015 for continued funding and research. In Phase I our team learned that a spacecraft propelled by an Electric Sail (E-Sail) can travel great astronomical distances, such as to the Heliopause region of the solar system (approx. 100 to 120 AU) in approximately one quarter of the time (10 years) versus the time it took the Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977 (36 years). The completed work within the Phase II NIAC funded effort builds upon the work that was done in the Phase I NIAC and is focused on: 1) Testing of plasma interaction with a charged wire in a MSFC simulated solar environment vacuum test chamber. 2) Development of a Particle-in-Cell (PIC) models that are validated in the plasma testing and used to extrapolate to the E-Sail propulsion system design. 3) Conceptual design of a Technology Demonstration Mission (TDM) spacecraft developed to showcase E-Sail propulsion systems. 4) Down selection of both: a) Materials for a multi km length conductor and, b) Best configuration of the proposed conductor deployment subsystem. This paper will document the findings to date (June, 2017) of the above focused areas.

Efficient structures for geosynchronous spacecraft solar arrays. Phase 1, 2 and 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, L. R.; Hedgepeth, J. M.

1981-09-01

Structural concepts for deploying and supporting lightweight solar-array blankets for geosynchronous electrical power are evaluated. It is recommended that the STACBEAM solar-array system should be the object of further study and detailed evaluation. The STACBEAM system provides high stiffness at low mass, and with the use of a low mass deployment mechanism, full structural properties can be maintained throughout deployment. The stowed volume of the STACBEAM is acceptably small, and its linear deployment characteristic allows periodic attachments to the solar-array blanket to be established in the stowed configuration and maintained during deployment.

Efficient structures for geosynchronous spacecraft solar arrays. Phase 1, 2 and 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, L. R.; Hedgepeth, J. M.

1981-01-01

Structural concepts for deploying and supporting lightweight solar-array blankets for geosynchronous electrical power are evaluated. It is recommended that the STACBEAM solar-array system should be the object of further study and detailed evaluation. The STACBEAM system provides high stiffness at low mass, and with the use of a low mass deployment mechanism, full structural properties can be maintained throughout deployment. The stowed volume of the STACBEAM is acceptably small, and its linear deployment characteristic allows periodic attachments to the solar-array blanket to be established in the stowed configuration and maintained during deployment.

Diurnal evolution of wind structure and data availability measured by the DOE prototype radar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirth, Brian D.; Schroeder, John L.; Guynes, Jerry G.

2017-11-01

A new Doppler radar prototype has been developed and deployed at Texas Tech University with a focus on enhancing the technologies’ capability to contribute to wind plant relevant complex flow measurements. In particular, improvements in data availability, total data coverage, and autonomous operation were targeted to enable contributions to a wider range of wind energy applications. Doppler radar offers rapid scan speeds, extended maximum range and excellent along-beam range resolution allowing for the simultaneous measurement of various wind phenomena ranging from regional and wind plant scales to inflow and wake flow assessment for an individual turbine. Data examples and performance improvements relative to a previous edition of the technology are presented, including insights into the influence of diurnal atmospheric stability evolution of wind structure and system performance.

Software architecture and engineering for patient records: current and future.

PubMed

Weng, Chunhua; Levine, Betty A; Mun, Seong K

2009-05-01

During the "The National Forum on the Future of the Defense Health Information System," a track focusing on "Systems Architecture and Software Engineering" included eight presenters. These presenters identified three key areas of interest in this field, which include the need for open enterprise architecture and a federated database design, net centrality based on service-oriented architecture, and the need for focus on software usability and reusability. The eight panelists provided recommendations related to the suitability of service-oriented architecture and the enabling technologies of grid computing and Web 2.0 for building health services research centers and federated data warehouses to facilitate large-scale collaborative health care and research. Finally, they discussed the need to leverage industry best practices for software engineering to facilitate rapid software development, testing, and deployment.

On the Path to SunShot. Utility Regulatory and Business Model Reforms for Addressing the Financial Impacts of Distributed Solar on Utilities

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

Barbose, Galen; Miller, John; Sigrin, Ben

Net-energy metering (NEM) has helped drive the rapid growth of distributed PV (DPV) but has raised concerns about electricity cost shifts, utility financial losses, and inefficient resource allocation. These concerns have motivated real and proposed reforms to utility regulatory and business models. This report explores the challenges and opportunities associated with such reforms in the context of the U.S. Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative. Most of the reforms to date address NEM concerns by reducing the benefits provided to DPV customers and thus constraining DPV deployment. Eliminating NEM nationwide, by compensating exports of PV electricity at wholesale rather than retailmore » rates, could cut cumulative DPV deployment by 20% in 2050 compared with a continuation of current policies. This would slow the PV cost reductions that arise from larger scale and market certainty. It could also thwart achievement of the SunShot deployment goals even if the initiative's cost targets are achieved. This undesirable prospect is stimulating the development of alternative reform strategies that address concerns about distributed PV compensation without inordinately harming PV economics and growth. These alternatives fall into the categories of facilitating higher-value DPV deployment, broadening customer access to solar, and aligning utility profits and earnings with DPV. Specific strategies include utility ownership and financing of DPV, community solar, distribution network operators, services-driven utilities, performance-based incentives, enhanced utility system planning, pricing structures that incentivize high-value DPV configurations, and decoupling and other ratemaking reforms that reduce regulatory lag. These approaches represent near- and long-term solutions for preserving the legacy of the SunShot Initiative.« less

AGWA DESIGN DOCUMENTATION: MIGRATING TO ARCGIS AND THE INTERNET

EPA Science Inventory

Rapid post-fire watershed assessment to identify potential trouble spots for erosion and flooding can potentially aid land managers and Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) teams in deploying mitigation and rehabilitation resources.

These decisions are inherently co...

Strategic deployment plan : intelligent transportation system (ITS) : early deployment study, Kansas City metropolitan bi-state area

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-01-01

Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) are systems that utilize advanced technologies, including computer, communications and process control technologies, to improve the efficiency and safety of the transportation system. These systems encompass a...

An organized, comprehensive, and security-enabled strategic response to the Haiti earthquake: a description of pre-deployment readiness preparation and preliminary experience from an academic anesthesiology department with no preexisting international disaster response program.

PubMed

McCunn, Maureen; Ashburn, Michael A; Floyd, Thomas F; Schwab, C William; Harrington, Paul; Hanson, C William; Sarani, Babak; Mehta, Samir; Speck, Rebecca M; Fleisher, Lee A

2010-12-01

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 16:53 local time, a magnitude 7.0 M(w) earthquake struck Haiti. The global humanitarian attempt to respond was swift, but poor infrastructure and emergency preparedness limited many efforts. Rapid, successful deployment of emergency medical care teams was accomplished by organizations with experience in mass disaster casualty response. Well-intentioned, but unprepared, medical teams also responded. In this report, we describe the preparation and planning process used at an academic university department of anesthesiology with no preexisting international disaster response program, after a call from an American-based nongovernmental organization operating in Haiti requested medical support. The focus of this article is the pre-deployment readiness process, and is not a post-deployment report describing the medical care provided in Haiti. A real-time qualitative assessment and systematic review of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania's communications and actions relevant to the Haiti earthquake were performed. Team meetings, conference calls, and electronic mail communication pertaining to planning, decision support, equipment procurement, and actions and steps up to the day of deployment were reviewed and abstracted. Timing of key events was compiled and a response timeline for this process was developed. Interviews with returning anesthesiology members were conducted. Four days after the Haiti earthquake, Partners in Health, a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, with >20 years of experience providing medical care in Haiti contacted the University of Pennsylvania Health System to request medical team support. The departments of anesthesiology, surgery, orthopedics, and nursing responded to this request with a volunteer selection process, vaccination program, and systematic development of equipment lists. World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control guidelines, the American Society of Anesthesiology Committee on Trauma and Emergency Preparedness, published articles, and in-country contacts were used to guide the preparatory process. An organized strategic response to medical needs after an international natural disaster emergency can be accomplished safely and effectively within 6 to 12 days by an academic anesthesiology department, with medical system support, in a center with no previously established response system. The value and timeliness of this response will be determined with further study. Institutions with limited experience in putting an emergency medical team into the field may be able to quickly do so when such efforts are executed in a systematic manner in coordination with a health care organization that already has support infrastructure at the site of the disaster.

Lateral Flow Rapid Test for Accurate and Early Diagnosis of Scrub Typhus: A Febrile Illness of Historically Military Importance in the Pacific Rim.

PubMed

Chao, Chien-Chung; Zhangm, Zhiwen; Weissenberger, Giulia; Chen, Hua-Wei; Ching, Wei-Mei

2017-03-01

Scrub typhus (ST) is an infection caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi. Historically, ST was ranked as the second most important arthropod-borne medical problem only behind malaria during World War II and the Vietnam War. The disease occurs mainly in Southeast Asia and has been shown to emerge and reemerge in new areas, implying the increased risk for U.S. military and civilian personnel deployed to these regions. ST can effectively be treated by doxycycline provided the diagnosis is made early, before the development of severe complications. Scrub Typhus Detect is a lateral flow rapid test based on a mixture of recombinant 56-kDa antigens with broad reactivity. The performance of this prototype product was evaluated against indirect immunofluorescence assay, the serological gold standard. Using 249 prospectively collected samples from Thailand, the sensitivity and specificity for IgM was found to be 100% and 92%, respectively, suggesting a high potential of this product for clinical use. This product will provide a user friendly, rapid, and accurate diagnosis of ST for clinicians to provide timely and accurate treatments of deployed personnel. Reprint & Copyright © 2017 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

A Cross-Layer, Anomaly-Based IDS for WSN and MANET

PubMed Central

Amouri, Amar; Manthena, Raju

2018-01-01

Intrusion detection system (IDS) design for mobile adhoc networks (MANET) is a crucial component for maintaining the integrity of the network. The need for rapid deployment of IDS capability with minimal data availability for training and testing is an important requirement of such systems, especially for MANETs deployed in highly dynamic scenarios, such as battlefields. This work proposes a two-level detection scheme for detecting malicious nodes in MANETs. The first level deploys dedicated sniffers working in promiscuous mode. Each sniffer utilizes a decision-tree-based classifier that generates quantities which we refer to as correctly classified instances (CCIs) every reporting time. In the second level, the CCIs are sent to an algorithmically run supernode that calculates quantities, which we refer to as the accumulated measure of fluctuation (AMoF) of the received CCIs for each node under test (NUT). A key concept that is used in this work is that the variability of the smaller size population which represents the number of malicious nodes in the network is greater than the variance of the larger size population which represents the number of normal nodes in the network. A linear regression process is then performed in parallel with the calculation of the AMoF for fitting purposes and to set a proper threshold based on the slope of the fitted lines. As a result, the malicious nodes are efficiently and effectively separated from the normal nodes. The proposed scheme is tested for various node velocities and power levels and shows promising detection performance even at low-power levels. The results presented also apply to wireless sensor networks (WSN) and represent a novel IDS scheme for such networks. PMID:29470446

Can the deployment of community health workers for the delivery of HIV services represent an effective and sustainable response to health workforce shortages? Results of a multicountry study.

PubMed

Celletti, Francesca; Wright, Anna; Palen, John; Frehywot, Seble; Markus, Anne; Greenberg, Alan; de Aguiar, Rafael Augusto Teixeira; Campos, Francisco; Buch, Eric; Samb, Badara

2010-01-01

In countries severely affected by HIV/AIDS, shortages of health workers present a major obstacle to scaling up HIV services. Adopting a task shifting approach for the deployment of community health workers (CHWs) represents one strategy for rapid expansion of the health workforce. This study aimed to evaluate the contribution of CHWs with a focus on identifying the critical elements of an enabling environment that can ensure they provide quality services in a manner that is sustainable. The method of work included a collection of primary data in five countries: Brazil, Ethiopia, Malawi, Namibia, and Uganda. The findings show that delegation of specific tasks to cadres of CHWs with limited training can increase access to HIV services, particularly in rural areas and among underserved communities, and can improve the quality of care for HIV. There is also evidence that CHWs can make a significant contribution to the delivery of a wide range of other health services. The findings also show that certain conditions must be observed if CHWs are to contribute to well-functioning and sustainable service delivery. These conditions involve adequate systems integration with significant attention to: political will and commitment; collaborative planning; definition of scope of practice; selection and educational requirements; registration, licensure and certification; recruitment and deployment; adequate and sustainable remuneration; mentoring and supervision including referral system; career path and continuous education; performance evaluation; supply of equipment and commodities. The study concludes that, where there is the necessary support, the potential contribution of CHWs can be optimized and represents a valuable addition to the urgent expansion of human resources for health, and to universal coverage of HIV services.

A Cross-Layer, Anomaly-Based IDS for WSN and MANET.

PubMed

Amouri, Amar; Morgera, Salvatore D; Bencherif, Mohamed A; Manthena, Raju

2018-02-22

Intrusion detection system (IDS) design for mobile adhoc networks (MANET) is a crucial component for maintaining the integrity of the network. The need for rapid deployment of IDS capability with minimal data availability for training and testing is an important requirement of such systems, especially for MANETs deployed in highly dynamic scenarios, such as battlefields. This work proposes a two-level detection scheme for detecting malicious nodes in MANETs. The first level deploys dedicated sniffers working in promiscuous mode. Each sniffer utilizes a decision-tree-based classifier that generates quantities which we refer to as correctly classified instances (CCIs) every reporting time. In the second level, the CCIs are sent to an algorithmically run supernode that calculates quantities, which we refer to as the accumulated measure of fluctuation (AMoF) of the received CCIs for each node under test (NUT). A key concept that is used in this work is that the variability of the smaller size population which represents the number of malicious nodes in the network is greater than the variance of the larger size population which represents the number of normal nodes in the network. A linear regression process is then performed in parallel with the calculation of the AMoF for fitting purposes and to set a proper threshold based on the slope of the fitted lines. As a result, the malicious nodes are efficiently and effectively separated from the normal nodes. The proposed scheme is tested for various node velocities and power levels and shows promising detection performance even at low-power levels. The results presented also apply to wireless sensor networks (WSN) and represent a novel IDS scheme for such networks.

A Cabled, High Bandwidth Instrument Platform for Continuous Scanning of the Upper Ocean Water Column

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McRae, E.; Delaney, J. R.; Kelly, D.; Daly, K. L.; Luther, D. S.; Harkins, G.; Harrington, M.; McGuire, C.; Tilley, J.; Dosher, J.; Waite, P.; Cram, G.; Kawka, O. E.

2016-02-01

The Cabled Array portion of the National Science Foundation funded Ocean Observatories Initiative is a large scale, high bandwidth and high power subsea science network designed by the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory. Part of that system is a set of winched profilers which continuously scan the upper 200m of the ocean at their deployment sites. The custom built profilers leverage the Cabled Array's technology for interfacing collections of science instruments and add the ability to run predefined missions and to switch missions or mission parameters on the fly via command from shore. The profilers were designed to operate continuously for up to two years after deployment after which certain wearing components must be replaced. The data from the profiler's science and engineering sensors are streamed to shore via the seafloor network in real time. Data channel capacity from the profilers exceeds 40 Mbps. For profiler safety, mission execution is controlled within the platform. Inputs such as 3D gyro, pressure depth and deployed cable calculations are monitored to assure safe operation during any sea state. The profilers never surface but are designed to approach within 5m of the surface if conditions allow. Substantial engineering effort was focused on reliable cable handling under all ocean conditions. The profilers are currently operated from subsea moorings which also contain sets of fixed science and engineering sensors. The profilers and their associated mooring instrument assemblies are designed for rapid replacement using ROVs. We have operated this system for two years, including one annual maintenance turn and information relative to that experience will be included in the paper.[Image Caption] Cabled Array Shallow Profiler shown in its parking position.

Economic and policy implications of the cumulative carbon budget

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, M. R.; Otto, F. E. L.; Otto, A.; Hepburn, C.

2014-12-01

The importance of cumulative carbon emissions in determining long-term risks of climate change presents considerable challenges to policy makers. The traditional notion of "total CO2-equivalent emissions", which forms the backbone of agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol and the European Emissions Trading System, is fundamentally flawed. Measures to reduce short-lived climate pollutants benefit the current generation, while measures to reduce long-lived climate pollutants benefit future generations, so there is no sense in which they can ever be considered equivalent. Debates over the correct metric used to compute CO2-equivalence are thus entirely moot: both long-lived and short-lived emissions will need to be addressed if all generations are to be protected from dangerous climate change. As far as long-lived climate pollutants are concerned, the latest IPCC report highlights the overwhelming importance of carbon capture and storage in determining the cost of meeting the goal of limiting anthropogenic warming to two degrees. We will show that this importance arises directly from the cumulative carbon budget and the role of CCS as the technology of last resort before economic activity needs to be restricted to meet ambitious climate targets. It highlights the need to increase the rate of CCS deployment by orders of magnitude if the option of avoiding two degrees is to be retained. The difficulty of achieving this speed of deployment through conventional incentives and carbon-pricing mechanisms suggests a need for a much more direct mandatory approach. Despite their theoretical economic inefficiency, the success of recent regulatory measures in achieving greenhouse gas emissions reductions in jurisdictions such as the United States suggests an extension of the regulatory approach could be a more effective and politically acceptable means of achieving adequately rapid CCS deployment than conventional carbon taxes or cap-and-trade systems.

AMF 1 Site Science

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

Miller, Mark Alan

This report documents progress on DOE Grant# DE-FG02-08ER64531 funded by the Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Systems Research (ASR) program covering the period between its inception in 2008 and its conclusion in 2014. The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program’s Mobile Facility #1 (AMF#1) is a collection of state-of-the art atmospheric sensing systems including remote and in situ instrumentation designed to characterize the atmospheric column above and in the immediate vicinity of the deployment location. The grant discussed in this report funded the activities of the AMF#1 Site Scientist Team. Broad responsibilities of this team included examining new deployment sites and recommendingmore » instrument deployment configurations; data quality control during the early stages of deployments and for certain instruments through the course of the deployment; scientific outreach in the host country or location (particularly international deployments); scientific research oriented toward basic questions about cloud physics and radiation transfer in the deployment region; and training of Ph.D. students to conduct future research relevant to the Atmospheric Systems Research (ASR) program.« less

Tethered Satellite System Project Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laue, J. H.

1985-01-01

The Skyhook concept is reviewed and the use of a tethered satellite system (TSS) to enable scientific investigations from the shuttle using a closed loop control system is examined. The tethered satellite system has capabilities for deployment toward or away from Earth, for multiple round trip missions, and for deployment at distances up to 100 KN from the orbiter. The deployer, which consists of an entendable boom, a reel for the tether, and the tether itself, permits deployment and retrieval at a safe distance, allows alignment of the force vector of the tether through the center of gravity of the shuttle, and gives some initial gravity gradient separation to aid in deployment and ultimate retrieval of the tethered satellite. Charts show TSS activities in terms of systems studies, key guidelines, Italian and U.S. responsibilities, user activities, and major science and applications accommodation features. Scientific objectives for TSS-1 and TSS-2 verification missions and the current status of the project are also given.

Improvement of malaria diagnostic system based on acridine orange staining.

PubMed

Kimura, Masatsugu; Teramoto, Isao; Chan, Chim W; Idris, Zulkarnain Md; Kongere, James; Kagaya, Wataru; Kawamoto, Fumihiko; Asada, Ryoko; Isozumi, Rie; Kaneko, Akira

2018-02-07

Rapid diagnosis of malaria using acridine orange (AO) staining and a light microscope with a halogen lamp and interference filter was deployed in some malaria-endemic countries. However, it has not been widely adopted because: (1) the lamp was weak as an excitation light and the set-up did not work well under unstable power supply; and, (2) the staining of samples was frequently inconsistent. The halogen lamp was replaced by a low-cost, blue light-emitting diode (LED) lamp. Using a reformulated AO solution, the staining protocol was revised to make use of a concentration gradient instead of uniform staining. To evaluate this new AO diagnostic system, a pilot field study was conducted in the Lake Victoria basin in Kenya. Without staining failure, malaria infection status of about 100 samples was determined on-site per one microscopist per day, using the improved AO diagnostic system. The improved AO diagnosis had both higher overall sensitivity (46.1 vs 38.9%: p = 0.08) and specificity (99.0 vs 96.3%) than the Giemsa method (N = 1018), using PCR diagnosis as the standard. Consistent AO staining of thin blood films and rapid evaluation of malaria parasitaemia with the revised protocol produced superior results relative to the Giemsa method. This AO diagnostic system can be set up easily at low cost using an ordinary light microscope. It may supplement rapid diagnostic tests currently used in clinical settings in malaria-endemic countries, and may be considered as an inexpensive tool for case surveillance in malaria-eliminating countries.

Deployable Mini-Payload Missions Enabled by Small Radioisotope Power Systems (RPSs)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abelson, Robert D.; Satter, Celeste M.

2005-01-01

Deployable mini-payloads are envisioned as small, simple, standalone instruments that could be deployed from a mother vehicle such as a rover or the proposed Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter to key points of interest within the solar system. Used in conjunction with a small radioisotope power system (RPS), these payloads could potentially be used for long-duration science missions or as positional beacons for rovers or other spacecraft. The RPS power source would be suitable for deployable mini-payload missions that would take place anywhere there is limited, intermittent, or no solar insolation. This paper introduces two such concepts: (1) a seismic monitoring station deployed by a rover or aerobot, and (2) a passive fields and particles station delivered by a mother spacecraft to Jupiter.

The Rapid Disaster Evaluation System (RaDES): A Plan to Improve Global Disaster Response by Privatizing the Assessment Component.

PubMed

Iserson, Kenneth V

2017-09-01

Emergency medicine personnel frequently respond to major disasters. They expect to have an effective and efficient management system to elegantly allocate available resources. Despite claims to the contrary, experience demonstrates this rarely occurs. This article describes privatizing disaster assessment using a single-purposed, accountable, and well-trained organization. The goal is to achieve elegant disaster assessment, rather than repeatedly exhorting existing groups to do it. The Rapid Disaster Evaluation System (RaDES) would quickly and efficiently assess a postdisaster population's needs. It would use an accountable nongovernmental agency's teams with maximal training, mobility, and flexibility. Designed to augment the Inter-Agency Standing Committee's 2015 Emergency Response Preparedness Plan, RaDES would provide the initial information needed to avoid haphazard and overlapping disaster responses. Rapidly deployed teams would gather information from multiple sources and continually communicate those findings to their base, which would then disseminate them to disaster coordinators in a concise, coherent, and transparent way. The RaDES concept represents an elegant, minimally bureaucratic, and effective rapid response to major disasters. However, its implementation faces logistical, funding, and political obstacles. Developing and maintaining RaDES would require significant funding and political commitment to coordinate the numerous agencies that claim to be performing the same tasks. Although simulations can demonstrate efficacy and deficiencies, only field tests will demonstrate RaDES' power to improve interagency coordination and decrease the cost of major disaster response. At the least, the RaDES concept should serve as a model for discussing how to practicably improve our current chaotic disaster responses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Deployable antenna phase A study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schultz, J.; Bernstein, J.; Fischer, G.; Jacobson, G.; Kadar, I.; Marshall, R.; Pflugel, G.; Valentine, J.

1979-01-01

Applications for large deployable antennas were re-examined, flight demonstration objectives were defined, the flight article (antenna) was preliminarily designed, and the flight program and ground development program, including the support equipment, were defined for a proposed space transportation system flight experiment to demonstrate a large (50 to 200 meter) deployable antenna system. Tasks described include: (1) performance requirements analysis; (2) system design and definition; (3) orbital operations analysis; and (4) programmatic analysis.

Women in war: operational issues of menstruation and unintended pregnancy.

PubMed

Christopher, Leslie A; Miller, Leslie

2007-01-01

With rapid and frequent deployments around the world, the current high level of military operations demands combat readiness of every military member. In the U.S. Armed Forces, women represent 15% of active duty troops and 17% of reserve and Guard troops and are a critical component for mission accomplishment. The operational issues of menstruation and unintended pregnancy, unique to this population, can decrease a female member's military readiness and affect her ability to deploy. Strategies to mitigate and even eliminate these concerns include the optional use of hormonal medications to induce reversible menstrual cycle suppression. These medications, traditionally indicated for contraception, should be considered essential for female troops during training and deployment. This article, tailored specifically for military women, provides valuable information regarding the risks and benefits, as well as the various options available for menstrual cycle suppression.

Use of application containers and workflows for genomic data analysis

PubMed Central

Schulz, Wade L.; Durant, Thomas J. S.; Siddon, Alexa J.; Torres, Richard

2016-01-01

Background: The rapid acquisition of biological data and development of computationally intensive analyses has led to a need for novel approaches to software deployment. In particular, the complexity of common analytic tools for genomics makes them difficult to deploy and decreases the reproducibility of computational experiments. Methods: Recent technologies that allow for application virtualization, such as Docker, allow developers and bioinformaticians to isolate these applications and deploy secure, scalable platforms that have the potential to dramatically increase the efficiency of big data processing. Results: While limitations exist, this study demonstrates a successful implementation of a pipeline with several discrete software applications for the analysis of next-generation sequencing (NGS) data. Conclusions: With this approach, we significantly reduced the amount of time needed to perform clonal analysis from NGS data in acute myeloid leukemia. PMID:28163975

Emergency deployment of genetically engineered veterinary vaccines in Europe.

PubMed

Ramezanpour, Bahar; de Foucauld, Jean; Kortekaas, Jeroen

2016-06-24

On the 9th of November 2015, preceding the World Veterinary Vaccine Congress, a workshop was held to discuss how veterinary vaccines can be deployed more rapidly to appropriately respond to future epizootics in Europe. Considering their potential and unprecedented suitability for surge production, the workshop focussed on vaccines based on genetically engineered viruses and replicon particles. The workshop was attended by academics and representatives from leading pharmaceutical companies, regulatory experts, the European Medicines Agency and the European Commission. We here outline the present regulatory pathways for genetically engineered vaccines in Europe and describe the incentive for the organization of the pre-congress workshop. The participants agreed that existing European regulations on the deliberate release of genetically engineered vaccines into the environment should be updated to facilitate quick deployment of these vaccines in emergency situations. Copyright © 2016.

Advanced protection technology for ground combat vehicles.

PubMed

Bosse, Timothy G

2012-01-01

Just as highway drivers use radar detectors to attempt to stay ahead of police armed with the latest radar technology, the Armed Forces are locked in a spiral to protect combat vehicles and their crews against the latest threats in both the contemporary operating environment and the anticipated operating environment (ie, beyond 2020). In response to bigger, heavier, or better-protected vehicles, adversaries build and deploy larger explosive devices or bombs. However, making improvements to combat vehicles is much more expensive than deploying larger explosives. In addition, demand is increasing for lighter-weight vehicles capable of rapid deployment. Together, these two facts give the threat a clear advantage in the future. To protect vehicles and crews, technologies focusing on detection and hit avoidance, denial of penetration, and crew survivability must be combined synergistically to provide the best chance of survival on the modern battlefield.

Rotating flexible drag mill

DOEpatents

Pepper, W.B.

1984-05-09

A rotating parachute for decelerating objects travelling through atmosphere at subsonic or supersonic deployment speeds includes a circular canopy having a plurality of circumferentially arranged flexible panels projecting radially from a solid central disk. A slot extends radially between adjacent panels to the outer periphery of the canopy. Upon deployment, the solid disk diverts air radially to rapidly inflate the panels into a position of maximum diameter. Air impinging on the panels adjacent the panel slots rotates the parachute during its descent. Centrifugal force flattens the canopy into a constant maximum diameter during terminal descent for maximum drag and deceleration.

Integrated corridor management analysis, modeling, and simulation for the I–15 corridor in San Diego, California—post-deployment analysis plan.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-11-01

Post-Deployment Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) activities focus on identifying impacts and benefits of the as-deployed Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) system. The as-deployed ICM strategies may differ from as-planned ...

Integrated corridor management : analysis, modeling, and simulation for the U.S.-15 corridor in Dallas, Texas—post-deployment analysis plan.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-10-01

Post-Deployment Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) activities focus on identifying impacts and benefits of the as-deployed Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) system. The as-deployed ICM strategies may differ from as-planned ...

Automated Information System (AIS) Support for FMF Units When Deployed or in Combat (1985-1995).

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-04-13

1995 ) MAJOR T. J. DUNN DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR DEVELOPMENTAL COORDINATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER MARINE CORPS DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION COMMAND...Support for FMF Units When Deployed or in Combat (1985- 1995 ) (Deployed AIS-88) Study (SCN: 60-81-02) 1. The objectives of the study were: a. To...S. TYPE OF REPORT 6 PERIOD COVERED Automated Information System (AIS) Support for Final Report FMF Units When Deployed or in Combat (1985- 1995 ) 6

ITS enhanced bus rapid transit. Research and deployment program. [Draft for comment

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-02-01

The purpose of this guide is to provide a resource on worldwide transportation libraries and information centers for domestic and international professionals in the highway transportation field. This guide, Volume 1, is part of a multi-volume set of ...

Titan Aerial Daughtercraft (TAD) for Surface Studies from a Lander or Balloon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthies, L.; Tokumaru, P.; Sherrit, S.; Beauchamp, P.

2014-06-01

Recent rapid progress on autonomous navigation of micro air vehicles for terrestrial applications opens new possibilities for a small aerial vehicle that could deploy from a Titan lander or balloon to acquire samples for analysis on the mothership.

An Overview of Facilities and Capabilities to Support the Development of Nuclear Thermal Propulsion

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

James Werner; Sam Bhattacharyya; Mike Houts

Abstract. The future of American space exploration depends on the ability to rapidly and economically access locations of interest throughout the solar system. There is a large body of work (both in the US and the Former Soviet Union) that show that Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) is the most technically mature, advanced propulsion system that can enable this rapid and economical access by its ability to provide a step increase above what is a feasible using a traditional chemical rocket system. For an NTP system to be deployed, the earlier measurements and recent predictions of the performance of the fuelmore » and the reactor system need to be confirmed experimentally prior to launch. Major fuel and reactor system issues to be addressed include fuel performance at temperature, hydrogen compatibility, fission product retention, and restart capability. The prime issue to be addressed for reactor system performance testing involves finding an affordable and environmentally acceptable method to test a range of engine sizes using a combination of nuclear and non-nuclear test facilities. This paper provides an assessment of some of the capabilities and facilities that are available or will be needed to develop and test the nuclear fuel, and reactor components. It will also address briefly options to take advantage of the greatly improvement in computation/simulation and materials processing capabilities that would contribute to making the development of an NTP system more affordable. Keywords: Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP), Fuel fabrication, nuclear testing, test facilities.« less

Toward sensor modular autonomy for persistent land intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Paul A.; Marshall, Gillian; Faulkner, David; Kent, Philip; Page, Scott; Islip, Simon; Oldfield, James; Breckon, Toby P.; Kundegorski, Mikolaj E.; Clark, David J.; Styles, Tim

2016-05-01

Currently, most land Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets (e.g. EO/IR cameras) are simply data collectors. Understanding, decision making and sensor control are performed by the human operators, involving high cognitive load. Any automation in the system has traditionally involved bespoke design of centralised systems that are highly specific for the assets/targets/environment under consideration, resulting in complex, non-flexible systems that exhibit poor interoperability. We address a concept of Autonomous Sensor Modules (ASMs) for land ISR, where these modules have the ability to make low-level decisions on their own in order to fulfil a higher-level objective, and plug in, with the minimum of preconfiguration, to a High Level Decision Making Module (HLDMM) through a middleware integration layer. The dual requisites of autonomy and interoperability create challenges around information fusion and asset management in an autonomous hierarchical system, which are addressed in this work. This paper presents the results of a demonstration system, known as Sensing for Asset Protection with Integrated Electronic Networked Technology (SAPIENT), which was shown in realistic base protection scenarios with live sensors and targets. The SAPIENT system performed sensor cueing, intelligent fusion, sensor tasking, target hand-off and compensation for compromised sensors, without human control, and enabled rapid integration of ISR assets at the time of system deployment, rather than at design-time. Potential benefits include rapid interoperability for coalition operations, situation understanding with low operator cognitive burden and autonomous sensor management in heterogenous sensor systems.

Simulation of Lunar Surface Communications Network Exploration Scenarios

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Linsky, Thomas W.; Bhasin, Kul B.; White, Alex; Palangala, Srihari

2006-01-01

Simulations and modeling of surface-based communications networks provides a rapid and cost effective means of requirement analysis, protocol assessments, and tradeoff studies. Robust testing in especially important for exploration systems, where the cost of deployment is high and systems cannot be easily replaced or repaired. However, simulation of the envisioned exploration networks cannot be achieved using commercial off the shelf network simulation software. Models for the nonstandard, non-COTS protocols used aboard space systems are not readily available. This paper will address the simulation of realistic scenarios representative of the activities which will take place on the surface of the Moon, including selection of candidate network architectures, and the development of an integrated simulation tool using OPNET modeler capable of faithfully modeling those communications scenarios in the variable delay, dynamic surface environments. Scenarios for exploration missions, OPNET development, limitations, and simulations results will be provided and discussed.

Microtechnology management considering test and cost aspects for stacked 3D ICs with MEMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahn, K.; Wahl, M.; Busch, R.; Grünewald, A.; Brück, R.

2018-01-01

Innovative automotive systems require complex semiconductor devices currently only available in consumer grade quality. The European project TRACE will develop and demonstrate methods, processes, and tools to facilitate usage of Consumer Electronics (CE) components to be deployable more rapidly in the life-critical automotive domain. Consumer electronics increasingly use heterogeneous system integration methods and "More than Moore" technologies, which are capable to combine different circuit domains (Analog, Digital, RF, MEMS) and which are integrated within SiP or 3D stacks. Making these technologies or at least some of the process steps available under automotive electronics requirements is an important goal to keep pace with the growing demand for information processing within cars. The approach presented in this paper aims at a technology management and recommendation system that covers technology data, functional and non-functional constraints, and application scenarios, and that will comprehend test planning and cost consideration capabilities.

ebb® Complete Tamponade System: effective hemostasis for postpartum hemorrhage

PubMed Central

McQuivey, Ross W; Block, Jon E; Massaro, Robert A

2018-01-01

As a leading cause of maternal death, postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) remains a worldwide obstetrical problem. However, in most cases, mortality and morbidity can be averted if efforts are immediately undertaken to achieve hemostasis. Uterine balloon tamponade has been shown to provide effective control of PPH and avoid more invasive surgical procedures and even the emergency peripartum hysterectomy. Recent clinical recommendation suggests that balloon tamponade should be considered earlier in the treatment cascade in conjunction with uterotonic agents to ensure hemostasis in the most timely fashion and maximize clinical outcomes. This paper profiles the ebb® Complete Tamponade System, a unique dual-balloon single-use device that was developed specifically for hemostatic management of PPH. The ebb system combines a uterine conforming balloon that can be rapidly deployed with a vaginal balloon that eliminates the need for vaginal packing. The description, indications for use, procedural steps, and clinical characterization of this device are presented. PMID:29535559

Performance modeling and techno-economic analysis of a modular concentrated solar power tower with latent heat storage

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

Rea, Jonathan E.; Oshman, Christopher J.; Olsen, Michele L.

In this paper, we present performance simulations and techno-economic analysis of a modular dispatchable solar power tower. Using a heliostat field and power block three orders of magnitude smaller than conventional solar power towers, our unique configuration locates thermal storage and a power block directly on a tower receiver. To make the system dispatchable, a valved thermosyphon controls heat flow from a latent heat thermal storage tank to a Stirling engine. The modular design results in minimal balance of system costs and enables high deployment rates with a rapid realization of economies of scale. In this new analysis, we combinemore » performance simulations with techno-economic analysis to evaluate levelized cost of electricity, and find that the system has potential for cost-competitiveness with natural gas peaking plants and alternative dispatchable renewables.« less

Development and Implementation of a Hardware In-the-Loop Test Bed for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Control Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nyangweso, Emmanuel; Bole, Brian

2014-01-01

Successful prediction and management of battery life using prognostic algorithms through ground and flight tests is important for performance evaluation of electrical systems. This paper details the design of test beds suitable for replicating loading profiles that would be encountered in deployed electrical systems. The test bed data will be used to develop and validate prognostic algorithms for predicting battery discharge time and battery failure time. Online battery prognostic algorithms will enable health management strategies. The platform used for algorithm demonstration is the EDGE 540T electric unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The fully designed test beds developed and detailed in this paper can be used to conduct battery life tests by controlling current and recording voltage and temperature to develop a model that makes a prediction of end-of-charge and end-of-life of the system based on rapid state of health (SOH) assessment.

ebb® Complete Tamponade System: effective hemostasis for postpartum hemorrhage.

PubMed

McQuivey, Ross W; Block, Jon E; Massaro, Robert A

2018-01-01

As a leading cause of maternal death, postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) remains a worldwide obstetrical problem. However, in most cases, mortality and morbidity can be averted if efforts are immediately undertaken to achieve hemostasis. Uterine balloon tamponade has been shown to provide effective control of PPH and avoid more invasive surgical procedures and even the emergency peripartum hysterectomy. Recent clinical recommendation suggests that balloon tamponade should be considered earlier in the treatment cascade in conjunction with uterotonic agents to ensure hemostasis in the most timely fashion and maximize clinical outcomes. This paper profiles the ebb ® Complete Tamponade System, a unique dual-balloon single-use device that was developed specifically for hemostatic management of PPH. The ebb system combines a uterine conforming balloon that can be rapidly deployed with a vaginal balloon that eliminates the need for vaginal packing. The description, indications for use, procedural steps, and clinical characterization of this device are presented.

Cloud-Based Computational Tools for Earth Science Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arendt, A. A.; Fatland, R.; Howe, B.

2015-12-01

Earth scientists are increasingly required to think across disciplines and utilize a wide range of datasets in order to solve complex environmental challenges. Although significant progress has been made in distributing data, researchers must still invest heavily in developing computational tools to accommodate their specific domain. Here we document our development of lightweight computational data systems aimed at enabling rapid data distribution, analytics and problem solving tools for Earth science applications. Our goal is for these systems to be easily deployable, scalable and flexible to accommodate new research directions. As an example we describe "Ice2Ocean", a software system aimed at predicting runoff from snow and ice in the Gulf of Alaska region. Our backend components include relational database software to handle tabular and vector datasets, Python tools (NumPy, pandas and xray) for rapid querying of gridded climate data, and an energy and mass balance hydrological simulation model (SnowModel). These components are hosted in a cloud environment for direct access across research teams, and can also be accessed via API web services using a REST interface. This API is a vital component of our system architecture, as it enables quick integration of our analytical tools across disciplines, and can be accessed by any existing data distribution centers. We will showcase several data integration and visualization examples to illustrate how our system has expanded our ability to conduct cross-disciplinary research.

Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM) Systems Integration Strategy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gill, Tracy; Merbitz, Jerad; Kennedy, Kriss; Tri, Terry; Toups, Larry; Howe, A. Scott

2011-01-01

The Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) project team constructed an analog prototype lunar surface laboratory called the Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM). The prototype unit subsystems were integrated in a short amount of time, utilizing a rapid prototyping approach that brought together over 20 habitation-related technologies from a variety of NASA centers. This paper describes the system integration strategies and lessons learned, that allowed the PEM to be brought from paper design to working field prototype using a multi-center team. The system integration process was based on a rapid prototyping approach. Tailored design review and test and integration processes facilitated that approach. The use of collaboration tools including electronic tools as well as documentation enabled a geographically distributed team take a paper concept to an operational prototype in approximately one year. One of the major tools used in the integration strategy was a coordinated effort to accurately model all the subsystems using computer aided design (CAD), so conflicts were identified before physical components came together. A deliberate effort was made following the deployment of the HDU PEM for field operations to collect lessons learned to facilitate process improvement and inform the design of future flight or analog versions of habitat systems. Significant items within those lessons learned were limitations with the CAD integration approach and the impact of shell design on flexibility of placing systems within the HDU shell.

Strategic deployment. Two decades of experience provide important lessons on how to deploy emergency resources.

PubMed

Fitch, Jay

2002-02-01

When it comes to deployment, one size (approach) doesn't fit all. Progressive public safety and EMS systems will recognize that a successful plan can thoughtfully balance system performance and human needs. Inventive people who learned how to do things better, cheaper and faster built America. Providing optimum system coverage, improved response times and quality care for patients fits the same mold. Sophisticated and accountable EMS systems readily accept this as part of their mandate.

Marine Seismic System At-Sea-Test Deployment Operation

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-10-09

ton crane can handle deck loads. An early version Deloo type ASK ( Automatic Stationkeeping) system is used to maintain position over a deployed short...b --- 00 - Ir RPT 006-007EV "A 126283 [ I iMIIE SEISMIC SYSTEM I AT-SEA-TEST DEP OYiN OFERATION I GLOBAL MARINE DEVELOPMENT INC 2302 Martin Street...Seismic System At-Sea-Test Deployment Operation 6. PERFORNING *o. REPORT NUMOER IPT 006-007 7. AUTNMORI) O. CONTRACT Ol GRANT NUMOERIa iR. Wallerstedt

On the Path to SunShot. Emerging Issues and Challenges in Integrating Solar with the Distribution System

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

Palmintier, Bryan; Broderick, Robert; Mather, Barry

2016-05-01

This report analyzes distribution-integration challenges, solutions, and research needs in the context of distributed generation from PV (DGPV) deployment to date and the much higher levels of deployment expected with achievement of the U.S. Department of Energy's SunShot targets. Recent analyses have improved estimates of the DGPV hosting capacities of distribution systems. This report uses these results to statistically estimate the minimum DGPV hosting capacity for the contiguous United States using traditional inverters of approximately 170 GW without distribution system modifications. This hosting capacity roughly doubles if advanced inverters are used to manage local voltage and additional minor, low-cost changesmore » could further increase these levels substantially. Key to achieving these deployment levels at minimum cost is siting DGPV based on local hosting capacities, suggesting opportunities for regulatory, incentive, and interconnection innovation. Already, pre-computed hosting capacity is beginning to expedite DGPV interconnection requests and installations in select regions; however, realizing SunShot-scale deployment will require further improvements to DGPV interconnection processes, standards and codes, and compensation mechanisms so they embrace the contributions of DGPV to system-wide operations. SunShot-scale DGPV deployment will also require unprecedented coordination of the distribution and transmission systems. This includes harnessing DGPV's ability to relieve congestion and reduce system losses by generating closer to loads; minimizing system operating costs and reserve deployments through improved DGPV visibility; developing communication and control architectures that incorporate DGPV into system operations; providing frequency response, transient stability, and synthesized inertia with DGPV in the event of large-scale system disturbances; and potentially managing reactive power requirements due to large-scale deployment of advanced inverter functions. Finally, additional local and system-level value could be provided by integrating DGPV with energy storage and 'virtual storage,' which exploits improved management of electric vehicle charging, building energy systems, and other large loads. Together, continued innovation across this rich distribution landscape can enable the very-high deployment levels envisioned by SunShot.« less

Robotics for Nuclear Material Handling at LANL:Capabilities and Needs

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

Harden, Troy A; Lloyd, Jane A; Turner, Cameron J

Nuclear material processing operations present numerous challenges for effective automation. Confined spaces, hazardous materials and processes, particulate contamination, radiation sources, and corrosive chemical operations are but a few of the significant hazards. However, automated systems represent a significant safety advance when deployed in place of manual tasks performed by human workers. The replacement of manual operations with automated systems has been desirable for nearly 40 years, yet only recently are automated systems becoming increasingly common for nuclear materials handling applications. This paper reviews several automation systems which are deployed or about to be deployed at Los Alamos National Laboratory formore » nuclear material handling operations. Highlighted are the current social and technological challenges faced in deploying automated systems into hazardous material handling environments and the opportunities for future innovations.« less

Remote Systems Design & Deployment

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

Bailey, Sharon A.; Baker, Carl P.; Valdez, Patrick LJ

2009-08-28

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was tasked by Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS) to provide information and lessons learned relating to the design, development and deployment of remote systems, particularly remote arm/manipulator systems. This report reflects PNNL’s experience with remote systems and lays out the most important activities that need to be completed to successfully design, build, deploy and operate remote systems in radioactive and chemically contaminated environments. It also contains lessons learned from PNNL’s work experiences, and the work of others in the national laboratory complex.

The metazoan protein disaggregase and amyloid depolymerase system: Hsp110, Hsp70, Hsp40, and small heat shock proteins.

PubMed

Torrente, Mariana P; Shorter, James

2013-01-01

A baffling aspect of metazoan proteostasis is the lack of an Hsp104 ortholog that rapidly disaggregates and reactivates misfolded polypeptides trapped in stress induced disordered aggregates, preamyloid oligomers, or amyloid fibrils. By contrast, in bacteria, protozoa, chromista, fungi, and plants, Hsp104 orthologs are highly conserved and confer huge selective advantages in stress tolerance. Moreover, in fungi, the amyloid remodeling activity of Hsp104 has enabled deployment of prions for various beneficial modalities. Thus, a longstanding conundrum has remained unanswered: how do metazoan cells renature aggregated proteins or resolve amyloid fibrils without Hsp104? Here, we highlight recent advances that unveil the metazoan protein-disaggregase machinery, comprising Hsp110, Hsp70, and Hsp40, which synergize to dissolve disordered aggregates, but are unable to rapidly solubilize stable amyloid fibrils. However, Hsp110, Hsp70, and Hsp40 exploit the slow monomer exchange dynamics of amyloid, and can slowly depolymerize amyloid fibrils from their ends in a manner that is stimulated by small heat shock proteins. Upregulation of this system could have key therapeutic applications in various protein-misfolding disorders. Intriguingly, yeast Hsp104 can interface with metazoan Hsp110, Hsp70, and Hsp40 to rapidly eliminate disease associated amyloid. Thus, metazoan proteostasis is receptive to augmentation with exogenous disaggregases, which opens a number of therapeutic opportunities.

A roadmap for nuclear energy technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sofu, Tanju

2018-01-01

The prospects for the future use of nuclear energy worldwide can best be understood within the context of global population growth, urbanization, rising energy need and associated pollution concerns. As the world continues to urbanize, sustainable development challenges are expected to be concentrated in cities of the lower-middle-income countries where the pace of urbanization is fastest. As these countries continue their trajectory of economic development, their energy need will also outpace their population growth adding to the increased demand for electricity. OECD IEA's energy system deployment pathway foresees doubling of the current global nuclear capacity by 2050 to reduce the impact of rapid urbanization. The pending "retirement cliff" of the existing U.S. nuclear fleet, representing over 60 percent of the nation's emission-free electricity, also poses a large economic and environmental challenge. To meet the challenge, the U.S. DOE has developed the vision and strategy for development and deployment of advanced reactors. As part of that vision, the U.S. government pursues programs that aim to expand the use of nuclear power by supporting sustainability of the existing nuclear fleet, deploying new water-cooled large and small modular reactors to enable nuclear energy to help meet the energy security and climate change goals, conducting R&D for advanced reactor technologies with alternative coolants, and developing sustainable nuclear fuel cycle strategies. Since the current path relying heavily on water-cooled reactors and "once-through" fuel cycle is not sustainable, next generation nuclear energy systems under consideration aim for significant advances over existing and evolutionary water-cooled reactors. Among the spectrum of advanced reactor options, closed-fuel-cycle systems using reactors with fast-neutron spectrum to meet the sustainability goals offer the most attractive alternatives. However, unless the new public-private partnership models emerge to tackle the licensing and demonstration challenges for these advanced reactor concepts, realization of their enormous potential is not likely, at least in the U.S.

Validation of the Pockit Dengue Virus Reagent Set for Rapid Detection of Dengue Virus in Human Serum on a Field-Deployable PCR System.

PubMed

Tsai, Jih-Jin; Liu, Li-Teh; Lin, Ping-Chang; Tsai, Ching-Yi; Chou, Pin-Hsing; Tsai, Yun-Long; Chang, Hsiao-Fen Grace; Lee, Pei-Yu Alison

2018-05-01

Dengue virus (DENV) infection, a mosquito-borne disease, is a major public health problem in tropical countries. Point-of-care DENV detection with good sensitivity and specificity enables timely early diagnosis of DENV infection, facilitating effective disease management and control, particularly in regions of low resources. The Pockit dengue virus reagent set (GeneReach Biotech), a reverse transcription insulated isothermal PCR (RT-iiPCR), is available to detect all four serotypes of DENV on the field-deployable Pockit system, which is ready for on-site applications. In this study, analytical and clinical performances of the assay were evaluated. The index assay did not react with 14 non-DENV human viruses, indicating good specificity. Compared to the U.S. CDC DENV-1-4 real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) assay, testing with serial dilutions of virus-spiked human sera demonstrated that the index assay had detection endpoints that were separately comparable with the 4 serotypes. Excellent reproducibility was observed among repeat tests done by six operators at three sites. In clinical performance, 195 clinical sera collected around Kaohsiung city in 2012 and 21 DENV-4-spiked sera were tested with the RT-iiPCR and qRT-PCR assays in parallel. The 121 (11 DENV-1, 78 DENV-2, 11 DENV-3, and 21 DENV-4) qRT-PCR-positive and 95 qRT-PCR-negative samples were all positive and negative by the RT-iiPCR reagent results, respectively, demonstrating high (100%) interrater agreement (95% confidence interval [CI 95% ], ∼98.81% to 100%; κ = 1). With analytical and clinical performance equivalent to those of the reference qRT-PCR assay, the index PCR assay on the field-deployable system can serve as a highly sensitive and specific on-site tool for DENV detection. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Global Deployment Anaylsis System Algorithm Description (With Updates)

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-09-01

Global Deployment Analysis System Algorithm Description (with Updates) By Noetics , Inc. For U.S. Army Concepts Analysis Agency Contract...t "O -Q £5.3 Q 20000224 107 aQU’no-bi-o^f r This Algorithm Description for the Global Deployment Analysis System (GDAS) was prepared by Noetics ...support for Paradox Runtime will be provided by the GDAS developers, CAA and Noetics Inc., and not by Borland International. GDAS for Windows has

Self-Deployable Membrane Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sokolowski, Witold M.; Willis, Paul B.; Tan, Seng C.

2010-01-01

Currently existing approaches for deployment of large, ultra-lightweight gossamer structures in space rely typically upon electromechanical mechanisms and mechanically expandable or inflatable booms for deployment and to maintain them in a fully deployed, operational configuration. These support structures, with the associated deployment mechanisms, launch restraints, inflation systems, and controls, can comprise more than 90 percent of the total mass budget. In addition, they significantly increase the stowage volume, cost, and complexity. A CHEM (cold hibernated elastic memory) membrane structure without any deployable mechanism and support booms/structure is deployed by using shape memory and elastic recovery. The use of CHEM micro-foams reinforced with carbon nanotubes is considered for thin-membrane structure applications. In this advanced structural concept, the CHEM membrane structure is warmed up to allow packaging and stowing prior to launch, and then cooled to induce hibernation of the internal restoring forces. In space, the membrane remembers its original shape and size when warmed up. After the internal restoring forces deploy the structure, it is then cooled to achieve rigidization. For this type of structure, the solar radiation could be utilized as the heat energy used for deployment and space ambient temperature for rigidization. The overall simplicity of the CHEM self-deployable membrane is one of its greatest assets. In present approaches to space-deployable structures, the stow age and deployment are difficult and challenging, and introduce a significant risk, heavy mass, and high cost. Simple procedures provided by CHEM membrane greatly simplify the overall end-to-end process for designing, fabricating, deploying, and rigidizing large structures. The CHEM membrane avoids the complexities associated with other methods for deploying and rigidizing structures by eliminating deployable booms, deployment mechanisms, and inflation and control systems that can use up the majority of the mass budget

Airport Surface Traffic Control Systems Deployment Analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-01-01

The report summarizes the findings of an analysis of ASTC (Airport Surface Traffic Control) system requirements and develops estimates of the deployment potential of proposed system alternatives. The tower control problem areas were investigated by a...

Airport Surface Control Systems Development Analysis Expanded

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1990-01-01

A previous MITRE Technical Report, Airport Surface Traffic Control Systems Deployment Analysis, FAA-RD-74-6, presented an analysis of ASTC (Airport Surface Traffic Control) system requirements and developed estimates of the deployment potential of pr...

Parental Deployment and Youth in Military Families: Exploring Uncertainty and Ambiguous Loss

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huebner, Angela J.; Mancini, Jay A.; Wilcox, Ryan M.; Grass, Saralyn R.; Grass, Gabriel A.

2007-01-01

Parental deployment has substantial effects on the family system, among them ambiguity and uncertainty. Youth in military families are especially affected by parental deployment because their coping repertoire is only just developing; the requirements of deployment become additive to normal adolescent developmental demands. Focus groups were used…

An Evaluation of Protocols for UAV Science Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ivancic, William D.; Stewart, David E.; Sullivan, Donald V.; Finch, Patrick E.

2012-01-01

This paper identifies data transport needs for current and future science payloads deployed on the NASA Global Hawk Unmanned Aeronautical Vehicle (UAV). The NASA Global Hawk communication system and operational constrains are presented. The Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) mission is used to provide the baseline communication requirements as a variety of payloads were utilized in this mission. User needs and desires are addressed. Protocols are matched to the payload needs and an evaluation of various techniques and tradeoffs are presented. Such techniques include utilization rate-base selective negative acknowledgement protocols and possible use of protocol enhancing proxies. Tradeoffs of communication architectures that address ease-of-use and security considerations are also presented.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION: BIOMASS CO-FIRING IN INDUSTRIAL BOILERS--MINNESOTA POWER'S RAPIDS ENERGY CENTER

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. EPA operates the Environmental and Sustainable Technology Evaluation (ESTE) program to facilitate the deployment of innovative technologies through performance verification and information dissemination. This ESTE project involved evaluation of co-firing common woody bio...

Telecommunications Act of 1996. Public Law 104-104.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC.

This document provides the text of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, legislation enacted "to promote competition and reduce regulation in order to secure lower prices and higher quality services for American telecommunications consumers and encourage the rapid deployment of new telecommunications technologies." The legislation contains…

Small Project Rapid Integration and Test Environment (SPRITE) An Innovation Space for Small Projects Design, Development, Integration, and Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Ashley; Rackoczy, John; Heater, Daniel; Sanders, Devon; Tashakkor, Scott

2013-01-01

Over the past few years interest in the development and use of small satellites has rapidly gained momentum with universities, commercial, and government organizations. In a few years we may see networked clusters of dozens or even hundreds of small, cheap, easily replaceable satellites working together in place of the large, expensive and difficult-to-replace satellites now in orbit. Standards based satellite buses and deployment mechanisms, such as the CubeSat and Poly Pico-satellite Orbital Deployer (P-POD), have stimulated growth in this area. The use of small satellites is also proving to be a cost effective capability in many areas traditionally dominated by large satellites, though many challenges remain. Currently many of these small satellites undergo very little testing prior to flight. As these small satellites move from technology demonstration and student projects toward more complex operational assets, it is expected that the standards for verification and validation will increase.

Online Classrooms: Powerful Tools for Rapid-Iteration Pedagogical Improvements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horodyskyj, L.; Semken, S.; Anbar, A.; Buxner, S.

2015-11-01

Online education offers the opportunity to reach a variety of students including non-traditional and geographically diverse students. Research has shown that online courses modeled after traditional lecture-exam courses are ineffective. Over the past three years, Arizona State University developed and offered Habitable Worlds, an online-only astrobiology lab course featuring active learning tools. The course is offered in an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) that records a wealth of student data. In analyzing data from the Fall 2013 offering of the course, we were able to identify pre-post quiz results that were suboptimal and where in the lesson and how precisely students were missing concepts. The problem areas were redesigned, and the improved lessons were deployed a few months later. We saw significant improvements in our pre-post quiz results due to the implemented changes. This demonstrates the effectiveness of using robust ITS not only to present content online, but to provide instantaneous data for rapid iteration and improvement of existing content.

UMTS rapid response real-time seismic networks: implementation and strategies at INGV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Govoni, Aladino; Margheriti, Lucia; Moretti, Milena; Lauciani, Valentino; Sensale, Gianpaolo; Bucci, Augusto; Criscuoli, Fabio

2015-04-01

The benefits of portable real-time seismic networks are several and well known. During the management of a temporary experiment from the real-time data it is possible to detect and fix rapidly problems with power supply, time synchronization, disk failures and, most important, seismic signal quality degradation due to unexpected noise sources or sensor alignment/tampering. This usually minimizes field maintenance trips and maximizes both the quantity and the quality of the acquired data. When the area of the temporary experiment is not well monitored by the local permanent network, the real-time data from the temporary experiment can be fed to the permanent network monitoring system improving greatly both the real-time hypocentral locations and the final revised bulletin. All these benefits apply also in case of seismic crises when rapid deployment stations can significantly contribute to the aftershock analysis. Nowadays data transmission using meshed radio networks or satellite systems is not a big technological problem for a permanent seismic network where each site is optimized for the device power consumption and is usually installed by properly specialized technicians that can configure transmission devices and align antennas. This is not usually practical for temporary networks and especially for rapid response networks where the installation time is the main concern. These difficulties are substantially lowered using the now widespread UMTS technology for data transmission. A small (but sometimes power hungry) properly configured device with an omnidirectional antenna must be added to the station assembly. All setups are usually configured before deployment and this allows for an easy installation also by untrained personnel. We describe here the implementation of a UMTS based portable seismic network for both temporary experiments and rapid response applications developed at INGV. The first field experimentation of this approach dates back to the 2009 L'Aquila aftershock sequence and since then it has been customized and refined to overcome most reliability and security issues using an industry standard VPN architecture that allows to avoid UMTS provider firewall problems and does not expose to the Internet the usually weak and attack prone data acquisition ports. With this approach all the devices are protected inside a local network and the only exposed port is the VPN server one. This solution improves both the security and the bandwidth available to data transmission. While most of the experimentation has been carried out using the RefTek units of the INGV Mobile Network this solution applies equally well to most seismic data loggers available on the market. Overall the UMTS data transmission has been used in most temporary seismic experiments and in all seismic emergencies happened in Italy since 2010 and has proved to be a very cost effective approach with real-time data acquisition rates usually greater than 97% and all the benefits that result from the fast integration of the temporary data in the National Network monitoring system and in the EIDA data bank.

Rapid detection of economic adulterants in fresh milk by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Abernethy, Grant; Higgs, Kerianne

2013-05-03

A method to aid in the detection of the economically driven adulteration of fresh milk with a range of small, nitrogen containing compounds, including melamine, ammeline, ammelide, cyanuric acid, allantoin, thiourea, urea, biuret, triuret, semicarbazide, aminotriazine, 3- and 4-aminotriazole, cyanamide, dicyandiamide, guanidine, choline, hydroxyproline, nitrate, and a range of amino acids, has been developed. (15)N2-Urea is used as an internal standard. The adulteration of milk with exogenous urea has previously been difficult to detect because of the variation in the naturally occurring levels of urea in milk. However, by monitoring the contaminants biuret and triuret, which comprise up to 1% of synthetic urea, the adulteration of milk with urea-based fertilizer can be detected. We estimate that to be economically viable, adulteration of the order of 90-4000ppm of the above adulterants would need to be added to fresh milk. For most of the compounds, an arbitrary detection threshold of 2ppm is therefore more than sufficient. For biuret, a lower detection threshold, better than 0.5ppm, is desirable and the sensitivity for biuret and triuret can be improved by the post-column addition of lithium to create lithium adducts under electrospray ionisation. Sample handling involves a two-step solvent precipitation method that is deployed in a 96-well plate format, and the hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography uses a rapid gradient (1.2min). Three separate injections, to detect the positively charged compounds, the negatively charged compounds and amino acids and finally the lithium adducts, are used. This rapid and qualitative survey method may be deployed as a second tier screening method to quickly reduce sample numbers indicated as irregular by an FTIR based screening system, and to direct analysis to appropriate quantification methods. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The U-tube: A novel system for acquiring borehole fluid samples from a deep geologic CO2 sequestration experiment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Freifeild, Barry M.; Trautz, Robert C.; Kharaka, Yousif K.; Phelps, Tommy J.; Myer, Larry R.; Hovorka, Susan D.; Collins, Daniel J.

2005-01-01

A novel system has been deployed to obtain geochemical samples of water and gas, at in situ pressure, during a geologic CO2 sequestration experiment conducted in the Frio brine aquifer in Liberty County, Texas. Project goals required high-frequency recovery of representative and uncontaminated aliquots of a rapidly changing two-phase fluid (supercritical CO2 and brine) fluid from 1.5 km depth. The data sets collected, using both the liquid and gas portions of the downhole samples, provide insights into the coupled hydrogeochemical issues affecting CO2sequestration in brine-filled formations. While the basic premise underlying the U-tube sampler is not new, the system is unique because careful consideration was given to the processing of the recovered two-phase fluids. In particular, strain gauges mounted beneath the high-pressure surface sample cylinders measured the ratio of recovered brine to supercritical CO2. A quadrupole mass spectrometer provided real-time gas analysis for perfluorocarbon and noble gas tracers that were injected along with the CO2. The U-tube successfully acquired frequent samples, facilitating accurate delineation of the arrival of the CO2 plume, and on-site analysis revealed rapid changes in geochemical conditions.

The U-tube: A novel system for acquiring borehole fluid samples from a deep geologic CO2 sequestration experiment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Freifeild, Barry M.; Trautz, Robert C.; Kharaka, Yousif K.; Phelps, Tommy J.; Myer, Larry R.; Hovorka, Susan D.; Collins, Daniel J.

2005-01-01

A novel system has been deployed to obtain geochemical samples of water and gas, at in situ pressure, during a geologic CO2 sequestration experiment conducted in the Frio brine aquifer in Liberty County, Texas. Project goals required high-frequency recovery of representative and uncontaminated aliquots of a rapidly changing two-phase fluid (supercritical CO2 and brine) fluid from 1.5 km depth. The data sets collected, using both the liquid and gas portions of the downhole samples, provide insights into the coupled hydrogeochemical issues affecting CO2 sequestration in brine-filled formations. While the basic premise underlying the U-tube sampler is not new, the system is unique because careful consideration was given to the processing of the recovered two-phase fluids. In particular, strain gauges mounted beneath the high-pressure surface sample cylinders measured the ratio of recovered brine to supercritical CO2. A quadrupole mass spectrometer provided real-time gas analysis for perfluorocarbon and noble gas tracers that were injected along with the CO2. The U-tube successfully acquired frequent samples, facilitating accurate delineation of the arrival of the CO2 plume, and on-site analysis revealed rapid changes in geochemical conditions.

The U-tube: A novel system for acquiring borehole fluid samples from a deep geologic CO2 sequestration experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freifeld, Barry M.; Trautz, Robert C.; Kharaka, Yousif K.; Phelps, Tommy J.; Myer, Larry R.; Hovorka, Susan D.; Collins, Daniel J.

2005-10-01

A novel system has been deployed to obtain geochemical samples of water and gas, at in situ pressure, during a geologic CO2 sequestration experiment conducted in the Frio brine aquifer in Liberty County, Texas. Project goals required high-frequency recovery of representative and uncontaminated aliquots of a rapidly changing two-phase fluid (supercritical CO2 and brine) fluid from 1.5 km depth. The data sets collected, using both the liquid and gas portions of the downhole samples, provide insights into the coupled hydrogeochemical issues affecting CO2 sequestration in brine-filled formations. While the basic premise underlying the U-tube sampler is not new, the system is unique because careful consideration was given to the processing of the recovered two-phase fluids. In particular, strain gauges mounted beneath the high-pressure surface sample cylinders measured the ratio of recovered brine to supercritical CO2. A quadrupole mass spectrometer provided real-time gas analysis for perfluorocarbon and noble gas tracers that were injected along with the CO2. The U-tube successfully acquired frequent samples, facilitating accurate delineation of the arrival of the CO2 plume, and on-site analysis revealed rapid changes in geochemical conditions.

Lessons Learned in the Development of Gamma-Rover (GRover) Inspection Device

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

Valdez, Patrick LJ; Alzheimer, James M.; Catalan, Michael A.

2006-02-11

The Gamma-Rover (GRover) is an electrically powered crawler designed to visually inspect and characterize the radiological conditions within the B-Cell and D-Cell ventilation ducting in support of the Hanford Site’s 324 Building Stabilization/Deactivation Project. Due to the bid opening of the Department of Energy’s River Corridor Project prior to deployment, GRover has not yet been deployed. The delay in deployment has allowed the designers to develop lessons learned from the original development in order to propose improvements when the system is deployed in the future. Gamma field information is detected with a pair of Eberline DA1-8/RMS systems. One system ismore » mounted directly on the crawler, while the second is mounted on the deployment platform. Four web cameras on a pair of CAT-5e/USB channels provide video feedback from both the crawler and the deployment platform. The drive system was designed to overcome a potentially difficult path of the duct, which included three ninety-degree bends. Mockups of the duct bends yielded high friction on the tether, and a drive system to overcome this friction was especially difficult to design into such a small package. Deployment was to be performed during a routine air filter change-out. As such, a specialized deployment platform was designed to pass through the existing filter housing. GRover would be required to be staged within the hot cell prior to the filter change-out and could therefore be dosed in excess of 8 hours. Thus, the platform also had to protect the electronics from radiation damage for an extended period of time.« less

Remotely deployable aerial inspection using tactile sensors

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

MacLeod, C. N.; Cao, J.; Pierce, S. G.

For structural monitoring applications, the use of remotely deployable Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) inspection platforms offer many advantages, including improved accessibility, greater safety and reduced cost, when compared to traditional manual inspection techniques. The use of such platforms, previously reported by researchers at the University Strathclyde facilitates the potential for rapid scanning of large areas and volumes in hazardous locations. A common problem for both manual and remote deployment approaches lies in the intrinsic stand-off and surface coupling issues of typical NDE probes. The associated complications of these requirements are obviously significantly exacerbated when considering aerial based remote inspection and deployment,more » resulting in simple visual techniques being the preferred sensor payload. Researchers at Bristol Robotics Laboratory have developed biomimetic tactile sensors modelled on the facial whiskers (vibrissae) of animals such as rats and mice, with the latest sensors actively sweeping their tips across the surface in a back and forth motion. The current work reports on the design and performance of an aerial inspection platform and the suitability of tactile whisking sensors to aerial based surface monitoring applications.« less

Unified Framework for Development, Deployment and Robust Testing of Neuroimaging Algorithms

PubMed Central

Joshi, Alark; Scheinost, Dustin; Okuda, Hirohito; Belhachemi, Dominique; Murphy, Isabella; Staib, Lawrence H.; Papademetris, Xenophon

2011-01-01

Developing both graphical and command-line user interfaces for neuroimaging algorithms requires considerable effort. Neuroimaging algorithms can meet their potential only if they can be easily and frequently used by their intended users. Deployment of a large suite of such algorithms on multiple platforms requires consistency of user interface controls, consistent results across various platforms and thorough testing. We present the design and implementation of a novel object-oriented framework that allows for rapid development of complex image analysis algorithms with many reusable components and the ability to easily add graphical user interface controls. Our framework also allows for simplified yet robust nightly testing of the algorithms to ensure stability and cross platform interoperability. All of the functionality is encapsulated into a software object requiring no separate source code for user interfaces, testing or deployment. This formulation makes our framework ideal for developing novel, stable and easy-to-use algorithms for medical image analysis and computer assisted interventions. The framework has been both deployed at Yale and released for public use in the open source multi-platform image analysis software—BioImage Suite (bioimagesuite.org). PMID:21249532

Analytical investigation of the dynamics of tethered constellations in Earth orbit (phase 2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lorenzini, E.; Arnold, D. A.; Grossi, M. D.; Gullahorn, G. E.

1985-01-01

The deployment maneuver of three axis vertical constellations with elastic tethers is analyzed. The deployment strategy devised previously was improved. Dampers were added to the system. Effective algorithms for damping out the fundamental vibrational modes of the system were implemented. Simulations of a complete deployment and a subsequent station keeping phase of a three mass constellation is shown.

Review of deployment technology for tethered satellite systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, B. S.; Wen, H.; Jin, D. P.

2018-03-01

Tethered satellite systems (TSSs) have attracted significant attention due to their potential and valuable applications for scientific research. With the development of various launched on-orbit missions, the deployment of tethers is considered a crucial technology for operation of a TSS. Both past orbiting experiments and numerical results have shown that oscillations of the deployed tether due to the Coriolis force and environmental perturbations are inevitable and that the impact between the space tether and end-body at the end of the deployment process leads to complicated nonlinear phenomena. Hence, a set of suitable control methods plays a fundamental role in tether deployment. This review article summarizes previous work on aspects of the dynamics, control, and ground-based experiments of tether deployment. The relevant basic principles, analytical expressions, simulation cases, and experimental results are presented as well.

A Low-Cost Energy-Efficient Cableless Geophone Unit for Passive Surface Wave Surveys

PubMed Central

Dai, Kaoshan; Li, Xiaofeng; Lu, Chuan; You, Qingyu; Huang, Zhenhua; Wu, H. Felix

2015-01-01

The passive surface wave survey is a practical, non-invasive seismic exploration method that has increasingly been used in geotechnical engineering. However, in situ deployment of traditional wired geophones is labor intensive for a dense sensor array. Alternatively, stand-alone seismometers can be used, but they are bulky, heavy, and expensive because they are usually designed for long-term monitoring. To better facilitate field applications of the passive surface wave survey, a low-cost energy-efficient geophone system was developed in this study. The hardware design is presented in this paper. To validate the system’s functionality, both laboratory and field experiments were conducted. The unique feature of this newly-developed cableless geophone system allows for rapid field applications of the passive surface wave survey with dense array measurements. PMID:26404270

Research on the Wireless Sensor Networks Applied in the Battlefield Situation Awareness System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hua, Guan; Li, Yan-Xiao; Yan, Xiao-Mei

In the modern warfare information is the crucial key of winning. Battlefield situation awareness contributes to grasping and retaining the intelligence predominance. Due to its own special characteristics Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) have been widely used to realize reconnaissance and surveillance in the joint operations and provide simultaneous, comprehensive, accurate data to multiechelon commanders and the combatant personnel for decision making and rapid response. Military sensors have drawn great attention in the ongoing projects which have satisfied the initial design or research purpose. As the interface of the "Internet of Things" which will have an eye on every corner of the battlespace WSNs play the necessary role in the incorporated situation awareness system. WSNs, radar, infrared ray or other means work together to acquire awareness intelligence for the deployed functional units to enhance the fighting effect.

Diabetes in Kyrgyzstan: changes between 2002 and 2009.

PubMed

Beran, David; Abdraimova, Aida; Akkazieva, Baktygul; McKee, Martin; Balabanova, Dina; Yudkin, John S

2013-01-01

Health system reform in Kyrgyzstan is seen as a relative success story in central Asia. Initially, most attention focused on structural changes, and it is only since 2006 that the delivery of care and the experience of health service users have risen on the agenda. One exception from the earlier period was a rapid appraisal of the management of diabetes, undertaken in 2002. Using that study as a baseline, we describe the findings of a new evaluation of diabetes management, undertaken in 2009, using the Rapid Assessment Protocol for Insulin Access, now implemented in seven countries. Access to care has improved through the creation of the Family Medical Centres and the deployment of endocrinologists to them. Another improvement is the access to insulin and related medicines, although assessment of the procurement system reveals that the government is getting very poor value for money. Looking ahead, there are grounds for optimism that the passage of the law on diabetes may progressively have a greater impact. Although the law is not yet fully implemented, it has enabled the diabetes associations to defend the rights of their members. This increased capacity is credited with some improvements in diabetes care. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Public Health Surveillance via Template Management in Electronic Health Records: Tri-Service Workflow's Rapid Response to an Infectious Disease Crisis.

PubMed

Berkley, Holly; Barnes, Matthew; Carnahan, David; Hayhurst, Janet; Bockhorst, Archie; Neville, James

2017-03-01

To describe the use of template-based screening for risk of infectious disease exposure of patients presenting to primary care medical facilities during the 2014 West African Ebola virus outbreak. The Military Health System implemented an Ebola risk-screening tool in primary care settings in order to create early notifications and early responses to potentially infected persons. Three time-sensitive, evidence-based screening questions were developed and posted to Tri-Service Workflow (TSWF) AHLTA templates in conjunction with appropriate training. Data were collected in January 2015, to assess the adoption of the TSWF-based Ebola risk-screening tool. Among encounters documented using TSWF templates, 41% of all encounters showed use of the TSWF-based Ebola risk-screening questions by the fourth day. The screening rate increased over the next 3 weeks, and reached a plateau at approximately 50%. This report demonstrates the MHS capability to deploy a standardized, globally applicable decision support aid that could be seen the same day by all primary care clinics across the military health direct care system, potentially improving rapid compliance with screening directives. Reprint & Copyright © 2017 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Development of Bonded Joint Technology for a Rigidizable-Inflatable Deployable Truss

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smeltzer, Stanley S., III

2006-01-01

Microwave and Synthetic Aperture Radar antenna systems have been developed as instrument systems using truss structures as their primary support and deployment mechanism for over a decade. NASA Langley Research Center has been investigating fabrication, modular assembly, and deployment methods of lightweight rigidizable/inflatable linear truss structures during that time for large spacecraft systems. The primary goal of the research at Langley Research Center is to advance these existing state-of-the-art joining and deployment concepts to achieve prototype system performance in a relevant space environment. During 2005, the development, fabrication, and testing of a 6.7 meter multi-bay, deployable linear truss was conducted at Langley Research Center to demonstrate functional and precision metrics of a rigidizable/inflatable truss structure. The present paper is intended to summarize aspects of bonded joint technology developed for the 6.7 meter deployable linear truss structure while providing a brief overview of the entire truss fabrication, assembly, and deployment methodology. A description of the basic joint design, surface preparation investigations, and experimental joint testing of component joint test articles will be described. Specifically, the performance of two room temperature adhesives were investigated to obtain qualitative data related to tube folding testing and quantitative data related to tensile shear strength testing. It was determined from the testing that a polyurethane-based adhesive best met the rigidizable/inflatable truss project requirements.

Ridership impacts of South Florida's EASY smart card.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-07-01

Smart card-based Automated Fare Collection Systems (AFCS) are being increasingly deployed in transit systems across the US. Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) has recently deployed such a system branded as the EASY Card. The South Florida Regional Transportati...

Front air bag nondeployments in frontal crashes fatal to drivers or right-front passengers.

PubMed

Braver, Elisa R; McCartt, Anne T; Sherwood, Christopher P; Zuby, David S; Blanar, Laura; Scerbo, Marge

2010-04-01

Public concern has arisen about the reliability of front air bags because Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data indicate many nondeployed air bags in fatal frontal crashes. However, the accuracy of air bag deployment, the variable in question, is uncertain. This study aimed to provide more certain estimates of nondeployment incidence in fatal frontal crashes. Fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers and right-front passengers in frontal crashes were identified in two U.S. databases for calendar years 1998-2006 and model years 1994-2006: FARS, a census of police-reported fatal crashes on public roads, and National Automotive Sampling System/Crashworthiness Data System (NASS/CDS), a probability sample of tow-away crashes. NASS/CDS contains subsets of fatal crashes in FARS and collects detailed data using crash investigators. Front air bag deployment coding for front-seat occupant fatalities was compared in FARS and NASS/CDS, and case reviews were conducted. Among FARS frontal deaths with available deployment status (N = 43,169), front air bags were coded as not deployed for 18 percent of front occupants. In comparison, NASS/CDS (N = 628) reported 9 percent (weighted estimate) nondeployment among front occupants killed. Among crashes common to both databases, NASS/CDS reported deployments for 45 percent of front occupant deaths for which FARS had coded nondeployments. Detailed case reviews of NASS/CDS crashes indicated highly accurate coding for deployment status. Based on this case review, 8 percent (weighted estimate) of front occupant deaths in frontal crashes appeared to involve air bag nondeployments; 1-2 percent of front occupant deaths represented potential system failures where deployments would have been expected. Air bag deployments appeared unwarranted in most nondeployments based on crash characteristics. FARS data overstate the magnitude of the problem of air bag deployment failures; steps should be taken to improve coding. There are inherent uncertainties in judgments about whether or not air bags would be expected to deploy in some crashes. Continued monitoring of air bag performance is warranted.

Going with the Technology Flow

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patton, Madeline

2017-01-01

In the age of ubiquitous and constantly evolving technologies, decisions about what to buy, when and how to deploy digital innovations work best when community colleges use systematic, team approaches. In this article, digital education leaders of Walters State Community College (Morristown, Tennessee), Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids,…

On the dense water cascading in the Southern Adriatic Sea during 2012: Setup of a Rapid Environmental Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langone, Leonardo

2013-04-01

In the North Adriatic, Dense Shelf Water (DSW) forms during cold and dry winters by cooling and evaporation. DSW spreads southward along the western shelf reaching the southern Adriatic basin (1200 m deep) after 1-2 months, where sinks through cascading events. In February 2012, a large Siberian High caused blocking of the Atlantic flow and a westward flow of dry and cold air masses from eastern Russia toward Europe. The North Adriatic experienced a cold spell with large decrease of surface temperature (3° -6° C) associated to severe cold and dry Bora wind. The result was the formation of extremely dense shelf water, further made possible by the very limited discharge of the Po river in the preceding autumn. As contribution to the Italian research programme RITMARE (Italian Research for the Sea), CNR-ISMAR set up a Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA) experiment to study the occurrence, amount, timing and properties of the newly formed DSW. Setting up REA strategies is crucial for several scientific and practical reasons: (i) capturing extreme events to improve our understanding of natural systems in a global-change scenario; (ii) to evaluate their impact on marine systems and the biota; (iii) to address issues related to fluctuating fish stocks as well as (iv) C export and sequestration in the deep sea. The experiment was designed with an integrated approach, including modeling simulations, mooring deployments and quick-response oceanographic cruises. Based on numerical model ensemble, the arrival time of the DSW at the Gargano Cape was forecasted likely starting after March 15, 2012, thus moorings were deployed few days before. Five moorings were deployed in sites selected on the basis of modelling predictions and geology-driven inferences defining areas where the passage of dense shelf water is most likely to occur. Moorings were equipped with down-looking ADCPs, automatic sediment traps, temperature loggers, recorders of temperature, conductivity and turbidity, and single point current-meters. Two rapid-response cruises were carried out by RV's MinervaUno and Urania in late-March and mid-April, respectively, in order to perform CTD profiles with LADCP, XBT transects and water sampling (TSM, dissolved and particulate matter, plankton, Bacteria and Archaea, etc.). Overall, the observations matched real-time modelling simulations. The DSW veins were located in the open slope off Gargano, and impacted a 100-km slope stretch all the way to Bari canyon. Speed and direction of currents at the bottom were consistent with the bedform distribution, also in the deepest part of the basin. Cascading was recorded to occur with multiple pulses (variability at daily scale), reaching speeds of 70 cm s-1. Several open questions on the cascading process can now be addressed based on the newly acquired data. As part of the research programme RITMARE, CNR-ISMAR is now engaged in the design and prolonged deployment of moorings to study the interannual variability in timing of initiation of the cascading process, which takes place every spring, its variability in intensity and duration and the ultimate impact of the dense water on the deep sea. Through this experiment we plan to gain elements to improve our understanding of future evolution of the process and the related possible regime shifts in a likely scenario of surface-water temperature increase over the entire Mediterranean.

Recent developments in deployment analysis simulation using a multi-body computer code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Housner, Jerrold M.

1989-01-01

Deployment is a candidate mode for construction of structural space systems components. By its very nature, deployment is a dynamic event, often involving large angle unfolding of flexible beam members. Validation of proposed designs and conceptual deployment mechanisms is enhanced through analysis. Analysis may be used to determine member loads thus helping to establish deployment rates and deployment control requirements for a given concept. Futhermore, member flexibility, joint free-play, manufacturing tolerances, and imperfections can affect the reliability of deployment. Analyses which include these effects can aid in reducing risks associated with a particular concept. Ground tests which can play a similar role to that of analyses are difficult and expensive to perform. Suspension systems just for vibration ground tests of large space structures in a 1 g environment present many challenges. Suspension of a structure which spatially expands is even more challenging. Analysis validation through experimental confirmation on relatively small simple models would permit analytical extrapolation to larger more complex space structures.

iFlorida model deployment final evaluation report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-01-01

This document is the final report for the evaluation of the USDOT-sponsored Surface Transportation Security and Reliability Information System Model Deployment, or iFlorida Model Deployment. This report discusses findings in the following areas: ITS ...

iFlorida model deployment final evaluation report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-01-01

This document is the final report for the evaluation of the USDOT-sponsored Surface Transportation Security and Reliability Information System Model Deployment, or iFlorida Model Deployment. This report discusses findings in the following areas: ITS ...

ITS strategic deployment plan : executive summary

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-02-27

The Salt Lake Valley ITS Early Deployment Planning Study-Phase II prepared the framework to deploy candidate Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) projects that address Salt Lake Valleys transportation needs. A planning process was used that inc...

The Now-or-Never bottleneck: A fundamental constraint on language.

PubMed

Christiansen, Morten H; Chater, Nick

2016-01-01

Memory is fleeting. New material rapidly obliterates previous material. How, then, can the brain deal successfully with the continual deluge of linguistic input? We argue that, to deal with this "Now-or-Never" bottleneck, the brain must compress and recode linguistic input as rapidly as possible. This observation has strong implications for the nature of language processing: (1) the language system must "eagerly" recode and compress linguistic input; (2) as the bottleneck recurs at each new representational level, the language system must build a multilevel linguistic representation; and (3) the language system must deploy all available information predictively to ensure that local linguistic ambiguities are dealt with "Right-First-Time"; once the original input is lost, there is no way for the language system to recover. This is "Chunk-and-Pass" processing. Similarly, language learning must also occur in the here and now, which implies that language acquisition is learning to process, rather than inducing, a grammar. Moreover, this perspective provides a cognitive foundation for grammaticalization and other aspects of language change. Chunk-and-Pass processing also helps explain a variety of core properties of language, including its multilevel representational structure and duality of patterning. This approach promises to create a direct relationship between psycholinguistics and linguistic theory. More generally, we outline a framework within which to integrate often disconnected inquiries into language processing, language acquisition, and language change and evolution.

The Propulsive Small Expendable Deployer System (ProSEDS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lorenzini, Enrico C.; Estes, Robert D.; Cosmo, Mario L.

2001-01-01

This is the Annual Report #2 entitled "The Propulsive Small Expendable Deployer System (ProSEDS)" prepared by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory for NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. This report covers the period of activity from 1 August 2000 through 30 July 2001. The topics include: 1) Updated System Performance; 2) Mission Analysis; 3) Updated Dynamics Reference Mission; 4) Updated Deployment Control Profiles and Simulations; 5) Comparison of ED tethers and electrical thrusters; 6) Kalman filters for mission estimation; and 7) Delivery of interactive software for ED tethers.

Report on Initial Direct Soil Leaching Experiments Using Post-Detonation Debris

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

Gostic, R.; Knight, K. B.; Borg, L.

2011-08-01

A key challenge of nuclear forensics is reducing the time and manpower effort required to measure nuclear debris compositions. The overall motivation for this work is to explore development of a robust, automated system that can be used to concurrently analyze several elements/isotopes associated with the forensic signature of nuclear materials. The primary focus of this research has been to methodically investigate if rapid partial leaching of post-detonation debris can yield usable elemental and isotopic information for interpretation. The unique requirements of post-detonation nuclear forensics have not been fully adapted to or fully incorporated contemporary chemical separation techniques. Challenges includemore » addressing the range of material matrices or mixed fission product and actinide compositions and concentrations that might be encountered. These include, but are not limited to, puddle melt glass, urban debris, seawater, air filters, iron-rich urban debris, asphalt, and silica sand. Separation of these elements and their subsequent measurement is a key element of related laboratory analysis activity. Existing practices at LLNL rely on proven but time-consuming and labor intensive processes. Significant time and labor savings are possible in chemical separations, however, if rapid processing methods can be adapted to post-detonation debris. Development of a simple and reliable leaching technique could shorten analytical times and would be useful as a field deployable method for the preliminary characterization of actinide isotopic ratios in soils. Measurement of isotopic ratios in the field using modern mass spectrometry capabilities such as Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) is desirable, taking advantage of the extended range of isotopic systems measureable using such instruments. Sample introduction to these types of mass spectrometry instruments requires partial leaching or full dissolution of a sample to remove isobaric (same mass) interferences, and, in some cases, to concentrate the elements(s) of interest. To develop a field-deployable mass spectrometry capability, therefore, automated and robust leaching of likely debris samples (ranging from silicates and oxides to metals and urban materials such as concrete and asphalt), followed by separation/purification through cation exchange column chemistry is necessary. In a post-detonation environment, analysis of melt glasses via rapid leaching and ICP-MS could be a viable route to the same goal. This report presents initial leaching experiments on ‘uncontaminated’ soils, as well as data from melt glass from a single nuclear weapons test. Samples were characterized by gamma spectrometry, then aliquoted for rapid leaching experiments. Experiments were conducted using two different rapid acid treatments to leach the soils. Following leaching, the leachate solutions were analyzed by ICP-MS to determine if U isotopic composition. We present these data to address the question as to whether or not rapid (~1 hr) leaching techniques have the potential to yield meaningful U isotopic compositions, without the need for a complete (time consuming) sample dissolution and separation.« less

Image-Based Environmental Monitoring Sensor Application Using an Embedded Wireless Sensor Network

PubMed Central

Paek, Jeongyeup; Hicks, John; Coe, Sharon; Govindan, Ramesh

2014-01-01

This article discusses the experiences from the development and deployment of two image-based environmental monitoring sensor applications using an embedded wireless sensor network. Our system uses low-power image sensors and the Tenet general purpose sensing system for tiered embedded wireless sensor networks. It leverages Tenet's built-in support for reliable delivery of high rate sensing data, scalability and its flexible scripting language, which enables mote-side image compression and the ease of deployment. Our first deployment of a pitfall trap monitoring application at the James San Jacinto Mountain Reserve provided us with insights and lessons learned into the deployment of and compression schemes for these embedded wireless imaging systems. Our three month-long deployment of a bird nest monitoring application resulted in over 100,000 images collected from a 19-camera node network deployed over an area of 0.05 square miles, despite highly variable environmental conditions. Our biologists found the on-line, near-real-time access to images to be useful for obtaining data on answering their biological questions. PMID:25171121

Image-based environmental monitoring sensor application using an embedded wireless sensor network.

PubMed

Paek, Jeongyeup; Hicks, John; Coe, Sharon; Govindan, Ramesh

2014-08-28

This article discusses the experiences from the development and deployment of two image-based environmental monitoring sensor applications using an embedded wireless sensor network. Our system uses low-power image sensors and the Tenet general purpose sensing system for tiered embedded wireless sensor networks. It leverages Tenet's built-in support for reliable delivery of high rate sensing data, scalability and its flexible scripting language, which enables mote-side image compression and the ease of deployment. Our first deployment of a pitfall trap monitoring application at the James San Cannot Mountain Reserve provided us with insights and lessons learned into the deployment of and compression schemes for these embedded wireless imaging systems. Our three month-long deployment of a bird nest monitoring application resulted in over 100,000 images collected from a 19-camera node network deployed over an area of 0.05 square miles, despite highly variable environmental conditions. Our biologists found the on-line, near-real-time access to images to be useful for obtaining data on answering their biological questions.

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

Reynolds, Adam F.; Steinfeldt, Bradley Alexander; Lafleur, Jarret Marshall

The U.S. nuclear stockpile hedge is an inventory of non-deployed nuclear warheads and a force structure capable of deploying those warheads. Current guidance is to retain this hedge to mitigate the risk associated with the technical failure of any single warhead type or adverse geopolitical developments that could require augmentation of the force. The necessary size of the hedge depends on the composition of the nuclear stockpile and assumed constraints. Knowing the theoretical minimum hedge given certain constraints is useful when considering future weapons policy. HedgeHOGS, an Excel-based tool, was developed to enable rapid calculation of the minimum hedge sizemore » associated with varying active stockpile composition and hedging strategies.« less

The lab without walls: a deployable approach to tropical infectious diseases.

PubMed

Inglis, Timothy J J

2013-04-01

The Laboratory Without Walls is a modular field application of molecular biology that provides clinical laboratory support in resource-limited, remote locations. The current repertoire arose from early attempts to deliver clinical pathology and public health investigative services in remote parts of tropical Australia, to address the shortcomings of conventional methods when faced with emerging infectious diseases. Advances in equipment platforms and reagent chemistry have enabling rapid progress, but also ensure the Laboratory Without Walls is subject to continual improvement. Although new molecular biology methods may lead to more easily deployable clinical laboratory capability, logistic and technical governance issues continue to act as important constraints on wider implementation.

Greater Portland intelligent transportation systems (ITS) early deployment plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-03-01

The Greater Portland Intelligent Transportation Systems Early Deployment Plan is a strategic vision of how smart technology can be applied to help improve mobility in Maines largest metropolitan area.

Robotic-assisted real-time MRI-guided TAVR: from system deployment to in vivo experiment in swine model.

PubMed

Chan, Joshua L; Mazilu, Dumitru; Miller, Justin G; Hunt, Timothy; Horvath, Keith A; Li, Ming

2016-10-01

Real-time magnetic resonance imaging (rtMRI) guidance provides significant advantages during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) as it provides superior real-time visualization and accurate device delivery tracking. However, performing a TAVR within an MRI scanner remains difficult due to a constrained procedural environment. To address these concerns, a magnetic resonance (MR)-compatible robotic system to assist in TAVR deployments was developed. This study evaluates the technical design and interface considerations of an MR-compatible robotic-assisted TAVR system with the purpose of demonstrating that such a system can be developed and executed safely and precisely in a preclinical model. An MR-compatible robotic surgical assistant system was built for TAVR deployment. This system integrates a 5-degrees of freedom (DoF) robotic arm with a 3-DoF robotic valve delivery module. A user interface system was designed for procedural planning and real-time intraoperative manipulation of the robot. The robotic device was constructed of plastic materials, pneumatic actuators, and fiber-optical encoders. The mechanical profile and MR compatibility of the robotic system were evaluated. The system-level error based on a phantom model was 1.14 ± 0.33 mm. A self-expanding prosthesis was successfully deployed in eight Yorkshire swine under rtMRI guidance. Post-deployment imaging and necropsy confirmed placement of the stent within 3 mm of the aortic valve annulus. These phantom and in vivo studies demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of robotic-assisted TAVR under rtMRI guidance. This robotic system increases the precision of valve deployments, diminishes environmental constraints, and improves the overall success of TAVR.

Evaluation of simple deployment mechanism of multiple rovers by microgravity experiments using a drop tower

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshimitsu, Tetsuo; Yano, Hajime; Kubota, Takashi; Adachi, Tadashi; Ishigami, Genya

2012-07-01

Introduction, Japan has announced the official development of ``Hayabusa-2'', the second sample return mission to a Near-Earth asteroid. When the development is made smoothly, Hayabusa-2 will be launched in 2014. The predecessor spacecraft ``Hayabusa'' made a great success when it returned to the Earth in June 2010 with a capsule containing some particles obtained from S-type asteroid ``Itokawa.'' Rover system, The authors installed a tiny hopping rover called ``MINERVA'' into Hayabusa spacecraft. MINERVA weights only 591[g] but has an autonomous exploration capability on the microgravity environment on the small solar system bodies. MINERVA was successfully deployed from the mother spacecraft on 12 Nov 2005 at the vicinity of the target asteroid. But unfortunately it became a solar orbiting satellite since the relative position and the speed of the mother spacecraft around the target asteroid were worst. Nevertheless it worked well, demonstrating an autnomous capability and had survived until the comunication link was lost. The authors plan to install some rovers also into Hayabusa-2. The total concept is the same but this time multiple rovers are considered. Deployment mechanism, Two rovers are installed in one container and are developed at the same time. The maximum allowed weight for the container including two rovers is 2.5[kg] and we have to seek for a simple and a light-weighted deployment system. We developed a new deployment system drastically sophisticated from the one used for MINERVA in Hayabusa mission. Both the cover and the rovers are pushed by the springs after the tightly winded wire has been cut by the deployment trigger form the spacecraft. The new deployment system enables the following things. The cover and the rovers are deployed in different directions in one action. The uncertainty of the deployment speed is decreased. Microgravity experiment, Thanks to the courtesy of DLR (German Aerospace Center) based on the international cooperation between Germany and Japan on the development of Hayabusa-2 spacecraft, we had an opprotunity to evaluate the performance of the above mentioned deployment system by using the drop tower in Bremen. We made six drops in January 2012 to look at the speed and the direction of the cover and the rovers using various parameters, which were all performed successfully. This paper reports the result of the microgravity experiments.

Metabolic fate of polyphenols in the human superorganism

PubMed Central

van Duynhoven, John; Vaughan, Elaine E.; Jacobs, Doris M.; Kemperman, Robèr A.; van Velzen, Ewoud J. J.; Gross, Gabriele; Roger, Laure C.; Possemiers, Sam; Smilde, Age K.; Doré, Joël; Westerhuis, Johan A.; Van de Wiele, Tom

2011-01-01

Dietary polyphenols are components of many foods such as tea, fruit, and vegetables and are associated with several beneficial health effects although, so far, largely based on epidemiological studies. The intact forms of complex dietary polyphenols have limited bioavailability, with low circulating levels in plasma. A major part of the polyphenols persists in the colon, where the resident microbiota produce metabolites that can undergo further metabolism upon entering systemic circulation. Unraveling the complex metabolic fate of polyphenols in this human superorganism requires joint deployment of in vitro and humanized mouse models and human intervention trials. Within these systems, the variation in diversity and functionality of the colonic microbiota can increasingly be captured by rapidly developing microbiomics and metabolomics technologies. Furthermore, metabolomics is coming to grips with the large biological variation superimposed on relatively subtle effects of dietary interventions. In particular when metabolomics is deployed in conjunction with a longitudinal study design, quantitative nutrikinetic signatures can be obtained. These signatures can be used to define nutritional phenotypes with different kinetic characteristics for the bioconversion capacity for polyphenols. Bottom-up as well as top-down approaches need to be pursued to link gut microbial diversity to functionality in nutritional phenotypes and, ultimately, to bioactivity of polyphenols. This approach will pave the way for personalization of nutrition based on gut microbial functionality of individuals or populations. PMID:20615997

The Risk of Termination Shock From Solar Geoengineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Andy; Irvine, Peter J.

2018-03-01

If solar geoengineering were to be deployed so as to mask a high level of global warming, and then stopped suddenly, there would be a rapid and damaging rise in temperatures. This effect is often referred to as termination shock, and it is an influential concept. Based on studies of its potential impacts, commentators often cite termination shock as one of the greatest risks of solar geoengineering. However, there has been little consideration of the likelihood of termination shock, so that conclusions about its risk are premature. This paper explores the physical characteristics of termination shock, then uses simple scenario analysis to plot out the pathways by which different driver events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters, or political action) could lead to termination. It then considers where timely policies could intervene to avert termination shock. We conclude that some relatively simple policies could protect a solar geoengineering system against most of the plausible drivers. If backup deployment hardware were maintained and if solar geoengineering were implemented by agreement among just a few powerful countries, then the system should be resilient against all but the most extreme catastrophes. If this analysis is correct, then termination shock should be much less likely, and therefore much less of a risk, than has previously been assumed. Much more sophisticated scenario analysis—going beyond simulations purely of worst-case scenarios—will be needed to allow for more insightful policy conclusions.

A small, cheap, and portable reconnaissance robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kenyon, Samuel H.; Creary, D.; Thi, Dan; Maynard, Jeffrey

2005-05-01

While there is much interest in human-carriable mobile robots for defense/security applications, existing examples are still too large/heavy, and there are not many successful small human-deployable mobile ground robots, especially ones that can survive being thrown/dropped. We have developed a prototype small short-range teleoperated indoor reconnaissance/surveillance robot that is semi-autonomous. It is self-powered, self-propelled, spherical, and meant to be carried and thrown by humans into indoor, yet relatively unstructured, dynamic environments. The robot uses multiple channels for wireless control and feedback, with the potential for inter-robot communication, swarm behavior, or distributed sensor network capabilities. The primary reconnaissance sensor for this prototype is visible-spectrum video. This paper focuses more on the software issues, both the onboard intelligent real time control system and the remote user interface. The communications, sensor fusion, intelligent real time controller, etc. are implemented with onboard microcontrollers. We based the autonomous and teleoperation controls on a simple finite state machine scripting layer. Minimal localization and autonomous routines were designed to best assist the operator, execute whatever mission the robot may have, and promote its own survival. We also discuss the advantages and pitfalls of an inexpensive, rapidly-developed semi-autonomous robotic system, especially one that is spherical, and the importance of human-robot interaction as considered for the human-deployment and remote user interface.

Snorkel: Rapid Training Data Creation with Weak Supervision

PubMed Central

Ratner, Alexander; Bach, Stephen H.; Ehrenberg, Henry; Fries, Jason; Wu, Sen; Ré, Christopher

2018-01-01

Labeling training data is increasingly the largest bottleneck in deploying machine learning systems. We present Snorkel, a first-of-its-kind system that enables users to train state-of- the-art models without hand labeling any training data. Instead, users write labeling functions that express arbitrary heuristics, which can have unknown accuracies and correlations. Snorkel denoises their outputs without access to ground truth by incorporating the first end-to-end implementation of our recently proposed machine learning paradigm, data programming. We present a flexible interface layer for writing labeling functions based on our experience over the past year collaborating with companies, agencies, and research labs. In a user study, subject matter experts build models 2.8× faster and increase predictive performance an average 45.5% versus seven hours of hand labeling. We study the modeling tradeoffs in this new setting and propose an optimizer for automating tradeoff decisions that gives up to 1.8× speedup per pipeline execution. In two collaborations, with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and on four open-source text and image data sets representative of other deployments, Snorkel provides 132% average improvements to predictive performance over prior heuristic approaches and comes within an average 3.60% of the predictive performance of large hand-curated training sets. PMID:29770249

An experiment to detect and locate lightning associated with eruptions of Redoubt Volcano

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoblitt, R.P.

1994-01-01

A commercially-available lightning-detection system was temporarily deployed near Cook Inlet, Alaska in an attempt to remotely monitor volcanogenic lightning associated with eruptions of Redoubt Volcano. The system became operational on February 14, 1990; lightning was detected in 11 and located in 9 of the 13 subsequent eruptions. The lightning was generated by ash clouds rising from pyroclastic density currents produced by collapse of a lava dome emplaced near Redoubt's summit. Lightning discharge (flash) location was controlled by topography, which channeled the density currents, and by wind direction. In individual eruptions, early flashes tended to have a negative polarity (negative charge is lowered to ground) while late flashes tended to have a positive polarity (positive charge is lowered to ground), perhaps because the charge-separation process caused coarse, rapid-settling particles to be negatively charged and fine, slow-settling particles to be positively charged. Results indicate that lightning detection and location is a useful adjunct to seismic volcano monitoring, particularly when poor weather or darkness prevents visual observation. The simultaneity of seismicity and lightning near a volcano provides the virtual certainty that an ash cloud is present. This information is crucial for aircraft safety and to warn threatened communities of impending tephra falls. The Alaska Volcano Observatory has now deployed a permanent lightning-detection network around Cook Inlet. ?? 1994.

Multi-Element Airfoil System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, Travis L. (Inventor); Khorrami, Mehdi R. (Inventor); Lockard, David P. (Inventor); McKenney, Martin J. (Inventor); Atherley, Raymond D. (Inventor); Kidd, Reggie T. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A multi-element airfoil system includes an airfoil element having a leading edge region and a skin element coupled to the airfoil element. A slat deployment system is coupled to the slat and the skin element, and is capable of deploying and retracting the slat and the skin element. The skin element substantially fills the lateral gap formed between the slat and the airfoil element when the slat is deployed. The system further includes an uncoupling device and a sensor to remove the skin element from the gap based on a critical angle-of-attack of the airfoil element. The system can alternatively comprise a trailing edge flap, where a skin element substantially fills the lateral gap between the flap and the trailing edge region of the airfoil element. In each case, the skin element fills a gap between the airfoil element and the deployed flap or slat to reduce airframe noise.

Enhancing the management response to oil spills in the Tuscany Archipelago through operational modelling.

PubMed

Janeiro, João; Zacharioudaki, Anna; Sarhadi, Ehsan; Neves, Augusto; Martins, Flávio

2014-08-30

A new approach towards the management of oil pollution accidents in marine sensitive areas is presented in this work. A set of nested models in a downscaling philosophy was implemented, externally forced by existing regional operational products. The 3D hydrodynamics, turbulence and the oil transport/weathering models are all linked in the same system, sharing the same code, exchanging information in real time and improving its ability to correctly reproduce the spill. A wind-generated wave model is also implemented using the same downscaling philosophy. Observations from several sources validated the numerical components of the system. The results obtained highlight the good performance of the system and its ability to be applied for oil spill forecasts in the region. The success of the methodology described in this paper was underline during the Costa Concordia accident, where a high resolution domain was rapidly created and deployed inside the system covering the accident site. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Real-Time Patient Survey Data During Routine Clinical Activities for Rapid-Cycle Quality Improvement

PubMed Central

Jones, Robert E

2015-01-01

Background Surveying patients is increasingly important for evaluating and improving health care delivery, but practical survey strategies during routine care activities have not been available. Objective We examined the feasibility of conducting routine patient surveys in a primary care clinic using commercially available technology (Web-based survey creation, deployment on tablet computers, cloud-based management of survey data) to expedite and enhance several steps in data collection and management for rapid quality improvement cycles. Methods We used a Web-based data management tool (survey creation, deployment on tablet computers, real-time data accumulation and display of survey results) to conduct four patient surveys during routine clinic sessions over a one-month period. Each survey consisted of three questions and focused on a specific patient care domain (dental care, waiting room experience, care access/continuity, Internet connectivity). Results Of the 727 available patients during clinic survey days, 316 patients (43.4%) attempted the survey, and 293 (40.3%) completed the survey. For the four 3-question surveys, the average time per survey was overall 40.4 seconds, with a range of 5.4 to 20.3 seconds for individual questions. Yes/No questions took less time than multiple choice questions (average 9.6 seconds versus 14.0). Average response time showed no clear pattern by order of questions or by proctor strategy, but monotonically increased with number of words in the question (<20 words, 21-30 words, >30 words)—8.0, 11.8, 16.8, seconds, respectively. Conclusions This technology-enabled data management system helped capture patient opinions, accelerate turnaround of survey data, with minimal impact on a busy primary care clinic. This new model of patient survey data management is feasible and sustainable in a busy office setting, supports and engages clinicians in the quality improvement process, and harmonizes with the vision of a learning health care system. PMID:25768807