WorldWideScience

Sample records for automatic colorimetric calibration

  1. Colorimetric calibration of wound photography with off-the-shelf devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bala, Subhankar; Sirazitdinova, Ekaterina; Deserno, Thomas M.

    2017-03-01

    Digital cameras are often used in recent days for photographic documentation in medical sciences. However, color reproducibility of same objects suffers from different illuminations and lighting conditions. This variation in color representation is problematic when the images are used for segmentation and measurements based on color thresholds. In this paper, motivated by photographic follow-up of chronic wounds, we assess the impact of (i) gamma correction, (ii) white balancing, (iii) background unification, and (iv) reference card-based color correction. Automatic gamma correction and white balancing are applied to support the calibration procedure, where gamma correction is a nonlinear color transform. For unevenly illuminated images, non- uniform illumination correction is applied. In the last step, we apply colorimetric calibration using a reference color card of 24 patches with known colors. A lattice detection algorithm is used for locating the card. The least squares algorithm is applied for affine color calibration in the RGB model. We have tested the algorithm on images with seven different types of illumination: with and without flash using three different off-the-shelf cameras including smartphones. We analyzed the spread of resulting color value of selected color patch before and after applying the calibration. Additionally, we checked the individual contribution of different steps of the whole calibration process. Using all steps, we were able to achieve a maximum of 81% reduction in standard deviation of color patch values in resulting images comparing to the original images. That supports manual as well as automatic quantitative wound assessments with off-the-shelf devices.

  2. Robot-assisted automatic ultrasound calibration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aalamifar, Fereshteh; Cheng, Alexis; Kim, Younsu; Hu, Xiao; Zhang, Haichong K; Guo, Xiaoyu; Boctor, Emad M

    2016-10-01

    Ultrasound (US) calibration is the process of determining the unknown transformation from a coordinate frame such as the robot's tooltip to the US image frame and is a necessary task for any robotic or tracked US system. US calibration requires submillimeter-range accuracy for most applications, but it is a time-consuming and repetitive task. We provide a new framework for automatic US calibration with robot assistance and without the need for temporal calibration. US calibration based on active echo (AE) phantom was previously proposed, and its superiority over conventional cross-wire phantom-based calibration was shown. In this work, we use AE to guide the robotic arm motion through the process of data collection; we combine the capability of the AE point to localize itself in the frame of the US image with the automatic motion of the robotic arm to provide a framework for calibrating the arm to the US image automatically. We demonstrated the efficacy of the automated method compared to the manual method through experiments. To highlight the necessity of frequent ultrasound calibration, it is demonstrated that the calibration precision changed from 1.67 to 3.20 mm if the data collection is not repeated after a dismounting/mounting of the probe holder. In a large data set experiment, similar reconstruction precision of automatic and manual data collection was observed, while the time was reduced by 58 %. In addition, we compared ten automatic calibrations with ten manual ones, each performed in 15 min, and showed that all the automatic ones could converge in the case of setting the initial matrix as identity, while this was not achieved by manual data sets. Given the same initial matrix, the repeatability of the automatic was [0.46, 0.34, 0.80, 0.47] versus [0.42, 0.51, 0.98, 1.15] mm in the manual case for the US image four corners. The submillimeter accuracy requirement of US calibration makes frequent data collections unavoidable. We proposed an automated

  3. A Quadratic Model with Nonpolynomial Terms for Remote Colorimetric Calibration of 3D Laser Scanner Data Based on Piecewise Cubic Hermite Polynomials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandro Danielis

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The processing of intensity data from terrestrial laser scanners has attracted considerable attention in recent years. Accurate calibrated intensity could give added value for laser scanning campaigns, for example, in producing faithful 3D colour models of real targets and classifying easier and more reliable automatic tools. In cultural heritage area, the purely geometric information provided by the vast majority of currently available scanners is not enough for most applications, where indeed accurate colorimetric data is needed. This paper presents a remote calibration method for self-registered RGB colour data provided by a 3D tristimulus laser scanner prototype. Such distinguishing colour information opens new scenarios and problems for remote colorimetry. Using piecewise cubic Hermite polynomials, a quadratic model with nonpolynomial terms for reducing inaccuracies occurring in remote colour measurement is implemented. Colorimetric data recorded by the prototype on certified diffusive targets is processed for generating a remote Lambertian model used for assessing the accuracy of the proposed algorithm. Results concerning laser scanner digitizations of artworks are reported to confirm the effectiveness of the method.

  4. Automatic calibration of gamma spectrometers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tluchor, D.; Jiranek, V.

    1989-01-01

    The principle is described of energy calibration of the spectrometric path based on the measurement of the standard of one radionuclide or a set of them. The entire computer-aided process is divided into three main steps, viz.: the insertion of the calibration standard by the operator; the start of the calibration program; energy calibration by the computer. The program was selected such that the spectrum identification should not depend on adjustment of the digital or analog elements of the gamma spectrometric measuring path. The ECL program is described for automatic energy calibration as is its control, the organization of data file ECL.DAT and the necessary hardware support. The computer-multichannel analyzer communication was provided using an interface pair of Canberra 8673V and Canberra 8573 operating in the RS-422 standard. All subroutines for communication with the multichannel analyzer were written in MACRO 11 while the main program and the other subroutines were written in FORTRAN-77. (E.J.). 1 tab., 4 refs

  5. Feature-based automatic color calibration for networked camera system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Shoji; Taki, Keisuke; Tsumura, Norimichi; Nakaguchi, Toshiya; Miyake, Yoichi

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, we have developed a feature-based automatic color calibration by using an area-based detection and adaptive nonlinear regression method. Simple color matching of chartless is achieved by using the characteristic of overlapping image area with each camera. Accurate detection of common object is achieved by the area-based detection that combines MSER with SIFT. Adaptive color calibration by using the color of detected object is calculated by nonlinear regression method. This method can indicate the contribution of object's color for color calibration, and automatic selection notification for user is performed by this function. Experimental result show that the accuracy of the calibration improves gradually. It is clear that this method can endure practical use of multi-camera color calibration if an enough sample is obtained.

  6. Automatic colorimetric determination of low concentrations of sulphate for measuring sulphur dioxide in ambient air

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Persson, G A

    1966-01-01

    An automatic colorimetric method for the determination of low concentrations of sulphate (0-10 microgram/ml) using the thoron indicator is described. Total amounts of sulphate as small as 0.3 micrograms can be determined. The sulphate is precipitated with barium perchlorate and the excess of barium is indicated with 1-(o-arsenophenylazo)-2-naphthol-3-6-disulfonic acid(thoron). The procedure is worked out primarily for the determination of sulphur dioxide in air after absorption in diluted hydrogen peroxide.

  7. Applying Hierarchical Model Calibration to Automatically Generated Items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williamson, David M.; Johnson, Matthew S.; Sinharay, Sandip; Bejar, Isaac I.

    This study explored the application of hierarchical model calibration as a means of reducing, if not eliminating, the need for pretesting of automatically generated items from a common item model prior to operational use. Ultimately the successful development of automatic item generation (AIG) systems capable of producing items with highly similar…

  8. Automatic Chessboard Detection for Intrinsic and Extrinsic Camera Parameter Calibration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jose María Armingol

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available There are increasing applications that require precise calibration of cameras to perform accurate measurements on objects located within images, and an automatic algorithm would reduce this time consuming calibration procedure. The method proposed in this article uses a pattern similar to that of a chess board, which is found automatically in each image, when no information regarding the number of rows or columns is supplied to aid its detection. This is carried out by means of a combined analysis of two Hough transforms, image corners and invariant properties of the perspective transformation. Comparative analysis with more commonly used algorithms demonstrate the viability of the algorithm proposed, as a valuable tool for camera calibration.

  9. Design and development of semi-automatic radiation test and calibration facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yadav, Ashok Kumar; Chouhan, V.K.; Narayan, Pradeep

    2008-01-01

    Semi-automatic gamma radiation test and calibration facility have been designed, developed and commissioned at Defence Laboratory Jodhpur (DLJ). The facility comprises of medium and high dose rate range setup using 30 Ci Cobalt-60 source, in a portable remotely operated Techops camera and a 15000 Ci 60 Co source in a Tele-therapy machine. The radiation instruments can be positioned at any desired position using a computer controlled positioner having three translational and one rotational motion. User friendly software helps in positioning the Device Under Test (DUT) at any desired dose rate or distance and acquire the data automatically. The servo and stepper motor controlled positioner helps in achieving the required precision and accuracy for the radiation calibration of the instruments. This paper describes the semi-automatic radiation test and calibration facility commissioned at DLJ. (author)

  10. Automatic multi-camera calibration for deployable positioning systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Axelsson, Maria; Karlsson, Mikael; Rudner, Staffan

    2012-06-01

    Surveillance with automated positioning and tracking of subjects and vehicles in 3D is desired in many defence and security applications. Camera systems with stereo or multiple cameras are often used for 3D positioning. In such systems, accurate camera calibration is needed to obtain a reliable 3D position estimate. There is also a need for automated camera calibration to facilitate fast deployment of semi-mobile multi-camera 3D positioning systems. In this paper we investigate a method for automatic calibration of the extrinsic camera parameters (relative camera pose and orientation) of a multi-camera positioning system. It is based on estimation of the essential matrix between each camera pair using the 5-point method for intrinsically calibrated cameras. The method is compared to a manual calibration method using real HD video data from a field trial with a multicamera positioning system. The method is also evaluated on simulated data from a stereo camera model. The results show that the reprojection error of the automated camera calibration method is close to or smaller than the error for the manual calibration method and that the automated calibration method can replace the manual calibration.

  11. Multiplexed Colorimetric Solid-Phase Extraction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gazda, Daniel B.; Fritz, James S.; Porter, Marc D.

    2009-01-01

    Multiplexed colorimetric solid-phase extraction (MC-SPE) is an extension of colorimetric solid-phase extraction (C-SPE) an analytical platform that combines colorimetric reagents, solid phase extraction, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to quantify trace analytes in water. In CSPE, analytes are extracted and complexed on the surface of an extraction membrane impregnated with a colorimetric reagent. The analytes are then quantified directly on the membrane surface using a handheld diffuse reflectance spectrophotometer. Importantly, the use of solid-phase extraction membranes as the matrix for impregnation of the colorimetric reagents creates a concentration factor that enables the detection of low concentrations of analytes in small sample volumes. In extending C-SPE to a multiplexed format, a filter holder that incorporates discrete analysis channels and a jig that facilitates the concurrent operation of multiple sample syringes have been designed, enabling the simultaneous determination of multiple analytes. Separate, single analyte membranes, placed in a readout cartridge create unique, analyte-specific addresses at the exit of each channel. Following sample exposure, the diffuse reflectance spectrum of each address is collected serially and the Kubelka-Munk function is used to quantify each water quality parameter via calibration curves. In a demonstration, MC-SPE was used to measure the pH of a sample and quantitate Ag(I) and Ni(II).

  12. Studies on the calibration of mammography automatic exposure mode with computed radiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Hongzhou; Shao Guoliang; Shi Lei; Liu Qing

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To realize the optimization of image quality and radiation dose by correcting mammography automatic exposure, according to automatic exposure controlled mode of mammography film-screen system. Methods: The film-screen system (28 kV) was applied to perform automatic exposure of plexiglass (40 mm) and get the standard dose of exposure, the exposure mode of CR base on LgM=2.0 was rectified, which was divided into 10 steps. Mammary glands pattern (Fluke NA18-220) were examined with CR (26, 28, and 30 kV) by the automatic exposure mode corrected. The exposure values (mAs) were recorded. CR image was diagnosed and evaluated in double blind way by 4 radiologists according to American Collage of Radiology (ACR) standard. Results: Based on the standard of CR automatic exposure with the dose higher than the traditional exposure of film-screen system, the calibration of mammography automatic exposure was accomplished. The test results of the calibrated mode was better than the scoring system of ACR. Conclusions: Comparative study showed improvement in acquiring high-quality image and reduction of radiation dose. The corrected mammography automatic exposure mode might be a better method for clinical use. (authors)

  13. Colorimetric on-line control of U

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez, J.J.; Boisde, G.; Dedaldechamp, P.; Dureault, B.

    The instrumentation developed for the automatic colorimetric control of U is presented. Two techniques are used: absorptiometry of U ions using optical probes enabling to measure in situ the solutions containing 0.5 g U(IV)/l or 1 g U(VI)/l; colorimetry of the U-DBM complexe after separation of U by TOPO (this technique is applied to the control of U at the ppm level). The automatic devices used are described. They are experimented in laboratory or in pilot-plant [fr

  14. PEST modules with regularization for the acceleration of the automatic calibration in hydrodynamic models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Polomčić Dušan M.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The calibration process of hydrodynamic model is done usually manually by 'testing' with different values of hydrogeological parameters and hydraulic characteristics of the boundary conditions. By using the PEST program, automatic calibration of models has been introduced, and it has proved to significantly reduce the subjective influence of the model creator on results. With the relatively new approach of PEST, i.e. with the introduction of so-called 'pilot points', the concept of homogeneous zones with parameter values of porous media or zones with the given boundary conditions has been outdated. However, the consequence of this kind of automatic calibration is that a significant amount of time is required to perform the calculation. The duration of calibration is measured in hours, sometimes even days. PEST contains two modules for the shortening of that process - Parallel PEST and BeoPEST. The paper presents performed experiments and analysis of different cases of PEST module usage, based on which the reduction in the time required to calibrate the model is done.

  15. Object Occlusion Detection Using Automatic Camera Calibration for a Wide-Area Video Surveillance System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaehoon Jung

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an object occlusion detection algorithm using object depth information that is estimated by automatic camera calibration. The object occlusion problem is a major factor to degrade the performance of object tracking and recognition. To detect an object occlusion, the proposed algorithm consists of three steps: (i automatic camera calibration using both moving objects and a background structure; (ii object depth estimation; and (iii detection of occluded regions. The proposed algorithm estimates the depth of the object without extra sensors but with a generic red, green and blue (RGB camera. As a result, the proposed algorithm can be applied to improve the performance of object tracking and object recognition algorithms for video surveillance systems.

  16. Colorimetric Determination of the Iron(III)-Thiocyanate Reaction Equilibrium Constant with Calibration and Equilibrium Solutions Prepared in a Cuvette by Sequential Additions of One Reagent to the Other

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyasulu, Frazier; Barlag, Rebecca

    2011-01-01

    The well-known colorimetric determination of the equilibrium constant of the iron(III-thiocyanate complex is simplified by preparing solutions in a cuvette. For the calibration plot, 0.10 mL increments of 0.00100 M KSCN are added to 4.00 mL of 0.200 M Fe(NO[subscript 3])[subscript 3], and for the equilibrium solutions, 0.50 mL increments of…

  17. PEST modules with regularization for the acceleration of the automatic calibration in hydrodynamic models

    OpenAIRE

    Polomčić, Dušan M.; Bajić, Dragoljub I.; Močević, Jelena M.

    2015-01-01

    The calibration process of hydrodynamic model is done usually manually by 'testing' with different values of hydrogeological parameters and hydraulic characteristics of the boundary conditions. By using the PEST program, automatic calibration of models has been introduced, and it has proved to significantly reduce the subjective influence of the model creator on results. With the relatively new approach of PEST, i.e. with the introduction of so-called 'pilot points', the concept of homogeneou...

  18. Impact of automatic calibration techniques on HMD life cycle costs and sustainable performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Speck, Richard P.; Herz, Norman E., Jr.

    2000-06-01

    Automatic test and calibration has become a valuable feature in many consumer products--ranging from antilock braking systems to auto-tune TVs. This paper discusses HMDs (Helmet Mounted Displays) and how similar techniques can reduce life cycle costs and increase sustainable performance if they are integrated into a program early enough. Optical ATE (Automatic Test Equipment) is already zeroing distortion in the HMDs and thereby making binocular displays a practical reality. A suitcase sized, field portable optical ATE unit could re-zero these errors in the Ready Room to cancel the effects of aging, minor damage and component replacement. Planning on this would yield large savings through relaxed component specifications and reduced logistic costs. Yet, the sustained performance would far exceed that attained with fixed calibration strategies. Major tactical benefits can come from reducing display errors, particularly in information fusion modules and virtual `beyond visual range' operations. Some versions of the ATE described are in production and examples of high resolution optical test data will be discussed.

  19. Automatic component calibration and error diagnostics for model-based accelerator control. Phase I final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carl Stern; Martin Lee

    1999-01-01

    Phase I work studied the feasibility of developing software for automatic component calibration and error correction in beamline optics models. A prototype application was developed that corrects quadrupole field strength errors in beamline models

  20. Automatic component calibration and error diagnostics for model-based accelerator control. Phase I final report

    CERN Document Server

    Carl-Stern

    1999-01-01

    Phase I work studied the feasibility of developing software for automatic component calibration and error correction in beamline optics models. A prototype application was developed that corrects quadrupole field strength errors in beamline models.

  1. A NEW AUTOMATIC SYSTEM CALIBRATION OF MULTI-CAMERAS AND LIDAR SENSORS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Hassanein

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available In the last few years, multi-cameras and LIDAR systems draw the attention of the mapping community. They have been deployed on different mobile mapping platforms. The different uses of these platforms, especially the UAVs, offered new applications and developments which require fast and accurate results. The successful calibration of such systems is a key factor to achieve accurate results and for the successful processing of the system measurements especially with the different types of measurements provided by the LIDAR and the cameras. The system calibration aims to estimate the geometric relationships between the different system components. A number of applications require the systems be ready for operation in a short time especially for disasters monitoring applications. Also, many of the present system calibration techniques are constrained with the need of special arrangements in labs for the calibration procedures. In this paper, a new technique for calibration of integrated LIDAR and multi-cameras systems is presented. The new proposed technique offers a calibration solution that overcomes the need for special labs for standard calibration procedures. In the proposed technique, 3D reconstruction of automatically detected and matched image points is used to generate a sparse images-driven point cloud then, a registration between the LIDAR generated 3D point cloud and the images-driven 3D point takes place to estimate the geometric relationships between the cameras and the LIDAR.. In the presented technique a simple 3D artificial target is used to simplify the lab requirements for the calibration procedure. The used target is composed of three intersected plates. The choice of such target geometry was to ensure enough conditions for the convergence of registration between the constructed 3D point clouds from the two systems. The achieved results of the proposed approach prove its ability to provide an adequate and fully automated

  2. Automatic calibration system of the temperature instrument display based on computer vision measuring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhihong; Li, Jinze; Bao, Changchun; Hou, Guifeng; Liu, Chunxia; Cheng, Fang; Xiao, Nianxin

    2010-07-01

    With the development of computers and the techniques of dealing with pictures and computer optical measurement, various measuring techniques are maturing gradually on the basis of optical picture processing technique and using in practice. On the bases, we make use of the many years' experience and social needs in temperature measurement and computer vision measurement to come up with the completely automatic way of the temperature measurement meter with integration of the computer vision measuring technique. It realizes synchronization collection with theory temperature value, improves calibration efficiency. based on least square fitting principle, integrate data procession and the best optimize theory, rapidly and accurately realizes automation acquisition and calibration of temperature.

  3. Automatic camera to laser calibration for high accuracy mobile mapping systems using INS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goeman, Werner; Douterloigne, Koen; Gautama, Sidharta

    2013-09-01

    A mobile mapping system (MMS) is a mobile multi-sensor platform developed by the geoinformation community to support the acquisition of huge amounts of geodata in the form of georeferenced high resolution images and dense laser clouds. Since data fusion and data integration techniques are increasingly able to combine the complementary strengths of different sensor types, the external calibration of a camera to a laser scanner is a common pre-requisite on today's mobile platforms. The methods of calibration, nevertheless, are often relatively poorly documented, are almost always time-consuming, demand expert knowledge and often require a carefully constructed calibration environment. A new methodology is studied and explored to provide a high quality external calibration for a pinhole camera to a laser scanner which is automatic, easy to perform, robust and foolproof. The method presented here, uses a portable, standard ranging pole which needs to be positioned on a known ground control point. For calibration, a well studied absolute orientation problem needs to be solved. In many cases, the camera and laser sensor are calibrated in relation to the INS system. Therefore, the transformation from camera to laser contains the cumulated error of each sensor in relation to the INS. Here, the calibration of the camera is performed in relation to the laser frame using the time synchronization between the sensors for data association. In this study, the use of the inertial relative movement will be explored to collect more useful calibration data. This results in a better intersensor calibration allowing better coloring of the clouds and a more accurate depth mask for images, especially on the edges of objects in the scene.

  4. Automatization of the Calibration Laboratory for Radiation Monitors of the IRD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cabral, Tania S.; Ramos, Manoel M.O.; Quaresma, Daniel S.

    2007-01-01

    This work will present the concluded stages and also the ones that are still in process to reach the full automation of the calibration system. Little by little the laboratory included in its installations the automatization of some of its operations, aiming the safety of the staff and their equipment. The automation makes the installation almost ideal for the radioprotection, that is, makes its exposure as low as possible and the routines more accurate, minimizing attributed the uncertainties and the doses received by the professionals who operated the system manually. Currently, on the operation table there is a control of the position car exists and its speed, the internal TV circuit (of the room, the position of the car and equipment that is going to be calibrated), the control of the registration is done by the Autolab program and the Irradiator Buchler OB85 control with the sources of 137Cs and 60Co.A next stage will be the implantation of the automation project of the positioning of the three used attenuators. (author)

  5. Multiobjective Optimal Algorithm for Automatic Calibration of Daily Streamflow Forecasting Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi Liu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Single-objection function cannot describe the characteristics of the complicated hydrologic system. Consequently, it stands to reason that multiobjective functions are needed for calibration of hydrologic model. The multiobjective algorithms based on the theory of nondominate are employed to solve this multiobjective optimal problem. In this paper, a novel multiobjective optimization method based on differential evolution with adaptive Cauchy mutation and Chaos searching (MODE-CMCS is proposed to optimize the daily streamflow forecasting model. Besides, to enhance the diversity performance of Pareto solutions, a more precise crowd distance assigner is presented in this paper. Furthermore, the traditional generalized spread metric (SP is sensitive with the size of Pareto set. A novel diversity performance metric, which is independent of Pareto set size, is put forward in this research. The efficacy of the new algorithm MODE-CMCS is compared with the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II on a daily streamflow forecasting model based on support vector machine (SVM. The results verify that the performance of MODE-CMCS is superior to the NSGA-II for automatic calibration of hydrologic model.

  6. Improved detection of chemical substances from colorimetric sensor data using probabilistic machine learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mølgaard, Lasse Lohilahti; Buus, Ole Thomsen; Larsen, Jan

    2017-01-01

    We present a data-driven machine learning approach to detect drug- and explosives-precursors using colorimetric sensor technology for air-sampling. The sensing technology has been developed in the context of the CRIM-TRACK project. At present a fully- integrated portable prototype for air sampling...... of the highly multi-variate data produced from the colorimetric chip a number of machine learning techniques are employed to provide reliable classification of target analytes from confounders found in the air streams. We demonstrate that a data-driven machine learning method using dimensionality reduction...... in combination with a probabilistic classifier makes it possible to produce informative features and a high detection rate of analytes. Furthermore, the probabilistic machine learning approach provides a means of automatically identifying unreliable measurements that could produce false predictions...

  7. A new colorimetrically-calibrated automated video-imaging protocol for day-night fish counting at the OBSEA coastal cabled observatory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    del Río, Joaquín; Aguzzi, Jacopo; Costa, Corrado; Menesatti, Paolo; Sbragaglia, Valerio; Nogueras, Marc; Sarda, Francesc; Manuèl, Antoni

    2013-10-30

    Field measurements of the swimming activity rhythms of fishes are scant due to the difficulty of counting individuals at a high frequency over a long period of time. Cabled observatory video monitoring allows such a sampling at a high frequency over unlimited periods of time. Unfortunately, automation for the extraction of biological information (i.e., animals' visual counts per unit of time) is still a major bottleneck. In this study, we describe a new automated video-imaging protocol for the 24-h continuous counting of fishes in colorimetrically calibrated time-lapse photographic outputs, taken by a shallow water (20 m depth) cabled video-platform, the OBSEA. The spectral reflectance value for each patch was measured between 400 to 700 nm and then converted into standard RGB, used as a reference for all subsequent calibrations. All the images were acquired within a standardized Region Of Interest (ROI), represented by a 2 × 2 m methacrylate panel, endowed with a 9-colour calibration chart, and calibrated using the recently implemented "3D Thin-Plate Spline" warping approach in order to numerically define color by its coordinates in n-dimensional space. That operation was repeated on a subset of images, 500 images as a training set, manually selected since acquired under optimum visibility conditions. All images plus those for the training set were ordered together through Principal Component Analysis allowing the selection of 614 images (67.6%) out of 908 as a total corresponding to 18 days (at 30 min frequency). The Roberts operator (used in image processing and computer vision for edge detection) was used to highlights regions of high spatial colour gradient corresponding to fishes' bodies. Time series in manual and visual counts were compared together for efficiency evaluation. Periodogram and waveform analysis outputs provided very similar results, although quantified parameters in relation to the strength of respective rhythms were different. Results

  8. A New Colorimetrically-Calibrated Automated Video-Imaging Protocol for Day-Night Fish Counting at the OBSEA Coastal Cabled Observatory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joaquín del Río

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Field measurements of the swimming activity rhythms of fishes are scant due to the difficulty of counting individuals at a high frequency over a long period of time. Cabled observatory video monitoring allows such a sampling at a high frequency over unlimited periods of time. Unfortunately, automation for the extraction of biological information (i.e., animals’ visual counts per unit of time is still a major bottleneck. In this study, we describe a new automated video-imaging protocol for the 24-h continuous counting of fishes in colorimetrically calibrated time-lapse photographic outputs, taken by a shallow water (20 m depth cabled video-platform, the OBSEA. The spectral reflectance value for each patch was measured between 400 to 700 nm and then converted into standard RGB, used as a reference for all subsequent calibrations. All the images were acquired within a standardized Region Of Interest (ROI, represented by a 2 × 2 m methacrylate panel, endowed with a 9-colour calibration chart, and calibrated using the recently implemented “3D Thin-Plate Spline” warping approach in order to numerically define color by its coordinates in n-dimensional space. That operation was repeated on a subset of images, 500 images as a training set, manually selected since acquired under optimum visibility conditions. All images plus those for the training set were ordered together through Principal Component Analysis allowing the selection of 614 images (67.6% out of 908 as a total corresponding to 18 days (at 30 min frequency. The Roberts operator (used in image processing and computer vision for edge detection was used to highlights regions of high spatial colour gradient corresponding to fishes’ bodies. Time series in manual and visual counts were compared together for efficiency evaluation. Periodogram and waveform analysis outputs provided very similar results, although quantified parameters in relation to the strength of respective rhythms were

  9. Phantom-Calibrated versus Automatic Coronary Artery Mass Quantification with Multidetector-Row Computed Tomography: In Vitro and In Vivo Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Serafin, Z.; Lasek, W.; Laskowska, K.

    2008-01-01

    Background: Coronary artery calcium scoring is used as a method for cardiovascular risk stratification and monitoring of coronary heart disease. Automatic software-based calcium mass calculation has been proposed to improve the performance of the procedure. Purpose: To compare two algorithms of calcium mass measurement, automatic and phantom calibrated, with respect to correlation, measurement error, and accuracy in vitro and in vivo. Material and Methods: A cardiac phantom with calcium cylinder inserts was scanned with sequential non-overlapping collimation 4x2.5 mm, at 120 kV and 165 mAs. Fifty adults (37 men; mean age 46.2 years) were examined with the same settings using prospective electrocardiographic triggering to detect and quantify coronary artery calcifications. Calculations were performed with two methods: software-based automatic calcium mass measurement (ACM) and phantom-calibrated calcium mass measurement (CCM). Results: The total phantom calcium masses measured with ACM and CCM were 175.0±13.8 mg and 163.0±4.4 mg, respectively (P<0.0001), and ACM produced a higher mean error (4.5 vs. 3.2; P<0.05). Results of ACM and CCM were strongly correlated to each other (R=0.73-0.96; P<0.0001). Mean image noise in the patient study was 8.72±1.68 HU. Results of patient calcium scoring with ACM and CCM were significantly different (median 70.3 mg and 59.7 mg, respectively; P<0.0001), with a mean systematic error of 17.5% (limit of agreement between 14.6% and 20.4%). The use of ACM resulted in an altered quartile classification for 14% of patients, as compared to CCM; all of these patients were classified into a higher category. Conclusion: Our data indicate that multidetector-row computed tomography coronary calcium mass determination based on dedicated phantom calibration shows lower measurement error than an automatic software-based calculation method. The tested automatic software does not yet seem to be a reliable option for calcium mass measurement

  10. Phantom-Calibrated versus Automatic Coronary Artery Mass Quantification with Multidetector-Row Computed Tomography: In Vitro and In Vivo Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Serafin, Z.; Lasek, W.; Laskowska, K. (Dept. of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, Nicolaus Copernicus Univ., Collegium Medicum, Bydgoszcz (Poland))

    2008-11-15

    Background: Coronary artery calcium scoring is used as a method for cardiovascular risk stratification and monitoring of coronary heart disease. Automatic software-based calcium mass calculation has been proposed to improve the performance of the procedure. Purpose: To compare two algorithms of calcium mass measurement, automatic and phantom calibrated, with respect to correlation, measurement error, and accuracy in vitro and in vivo. Material and Methods: A cardiac phantom with calcium cylinder inserts was scanned with sequential non-overlapping collimation 4x2.5 mm, at 120 kV and 165 mAs. Fifty adults (37 men; mean age 46.2 years) were examined with the same settings using prospective electrocardiographic triggering to detect and quantify coronary artery calcifications. Calculations were performed with two methods: software-based automatic calcium mass measurement (ACM) and phantom-calibrated calcium mass measurement (CCM). Results: The total phantom calcium masses measured with ACM and CCM were 175.0+-13.8 mg and 163.0+-4.4 mg, respectively (P<0.0001), and ACM produced a higher mean error (4.5 vs. 3.2; P<0.05). Results of ACM and CCM were strongly correlated to each other (R=0.73-0.96; P<0.0001). Mean image noise in the patient study was 8.72+-1.68 HU. Results of patient calcium scoring with ACM and CCM were significantly different (median 70.3 mg and 59.7 mg, respectively; P<0.0001), with a mean systematic error of 17.5% (limit of agreement between 14.6% and 20.4%). The use of ACM resulted in an altered quartile classification for 14% of patients, as compared to CCM; all of these patients were classified into a higher category. Conclusion: Our data indicate that multidetector-row computed tomography coronary calcium mass determination based on dedicated phantom calibration shows lower measurement error than an automatic software-based calculation method. The tested automatic software does not yet seem to be a reliable option for calcium mass measurement

  11. NIST display colorimeter calibration facility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Steven W.; Ohno, Yoshihiro

    2003-07-01

    A facility has been developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to provide calibration services for color-measuring instruments to address the need for improving and certifying the measurement uncertainties of this type of instrument. While NIST has active programs in photometry, flat panel display metrology, and color and appearance measurements, these are the first services offered by NIST tailored to color-measuring instruments for displays. An overview of the facility, the calibration approach, and associated uncertainties are presented. Details of a new tunable colorimetric source and the development of new transfer standard instruments are discussed.

  12. Automatic calibration and signal switching system for the particle beam fusion research data acquisition facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boyer, W.B.

    1979-09-01

    This report describes both the hardware and software components of an automatic calibration and signal system (Autocal) for the data acquisition system for the Sandia particle beam fusion research accelerators Hydra, Proto I, and Proto II. The Autocal hardware consists of off-the-shelf commercial equipment. The various hardware components, special modifications and overall system configuration are described. Special software has been developed to support the Autocal hardware. Software operation and maintenance are described.

  13. Automatic calibration and signal switching system for the particle beam fusion research data acquisition facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boyer, W.B.

    1979-09-01

    This report describes both the hardware and software components of an automatic calibration and signal system (Autocal) for the data acquisition system for the Sandia particle beam fusion research accelerators Hydra, Proto I, and Proto II. The Autocal hardware consists of off-the-shelf commercial equipment. The various hardware components, special modifications and overall system configuration are described. Special software has been developed to support the Autocal hardware. Software operation and maintenance are described

  14. A novel device for automatic withdrawal and accurate calibration of 99m-technetium radiopharmaceuticals to minimise radiation exposure to nuclear medicine staff and patient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nazififard, M.; Mahdizadeh, S.; Meigooni, A. S.; Alavi, M.; Suh, K. Y.

    2012-01-01

    A Joint Automatic Dispenser Equipment (JADE) has been designed and fabricated for automatic withdrawal and calibration of radiopharmaceutical materials. The thermoluminescent dosemeter procedures have shown a reduction in dose to the technician's hand with this novel dose dispenser system JADE when compared with the manual withdrawal of 99m Tc. This system helps to increase the precision of calibration and to minimise the radiation dose to the hands and body of the workers. This paper describes the structure of this device, its function and user-friendliness, and its efficacy. The efficacy of this device was determined by measuring the radiation dose delivered to the hands of the nuclear medicine laboratory technician. The user-friendliness of JADE has been examined. The automatic withdrawal and calibration offered by this system reduces the dose to the technician's hand to a level below the maximum permissible dose stipulated by the international protocols. This research will serve as a backbone for future study about the safe use of ionising radiation in medicine. (authors)

  15. Improved detection of chemical substances from colorimetric sensor data using probabilistic machine learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mølgaard, Lasse L.; Buus, Ole T.; Larsen, Jan; Babamoradi, Hamid; Thygesen, Ida L.; Laustsen, Milan; Munk, Jens Kristian; Dossi, Eleftheria; O'Keeffe, Caroline; Lässig, Lina; Tatlow, Sol; Sandström, Lars; Jakobsen, Mogens H.

    2017-05-01

    We present a data-driven machine learning approach to detect drug- and explosives-precursors using colorimetric sensor technology for air-sampling. The sensing technology has been developed in the context of the CRIM-TRACK project. At present a fully- integrated portable prototype for air sampling with disposable sensing chips and automated data acquisition has been developed. The prototype allows for fast, user-friendly sampling, which has made it possible to produce large datasets of colorimetric data for different target analytes in laboratory and simulated real-world application scenarios. To make use of the highly multi-variate data produced from the colorimetric chip a number of machine learning techniques are employed to provide reliable classification of target analytes from confounders found in the air streams. We demonstrate that a data-driven machine learning method using dimensionality reduction in combination with a probabilistic classifier makes it possible to produce informative features and a high detection rate of analytes. Furthermore, the probabilistic machine learning approach provides a means of automatically identifying unreliable measurements that could produce false predictions. The robustness of the colorimetric sensor has been evaluated in a series of experiments focusing on the amphetamine pre-cursor phenylacetone as well as the improvised explosives pre-cursor hydrogen peroxide. The analysis demonstrates that the system is able to detect analytes in clean air and mixed with substances that occur naturally in real-world sampling scenarios. The technology under development in CRIM-TRACK has the potential as an effective tool to control trafficking of illegal drugs, explosive detection, or in other law enforcement applications.

  16. Poster Abstract: Automatic Calibration of Device Attitude in Inertial Measurement Unit Based Traffic Probe Vehicles

    KAUST Repository

    Mousa, Mustafa

    2016-04-28

    Probe vehicles consist in mobile traffic sensor networks that evolve with the flow of vehicles, transmitting velocity and position measurements along their path, generated using GPSs. To address the urban positioning issues of GPSs, we propose to replace them with inertial measurement units onboard vehicles, to estimate vehicle location and attitude using inertial data only. While promising, this technology requires one to carefully calibrate the orientation of the device inside the vehicle to be able to process the acceleration and rate gyro data. In this article, we propose a scheme that can perform this calibration automatically by leveraging the kinematic constraints of ground vehicles, and that can be implemented on low-end computational platforms. Preliminary testing shows that the proposed scheme enables one to accurately estimate the actual accelerations and rotation rates in the vehicle coordinates. © 2016 IEEE.

  17. Cross-Calibration of Two Automatic Quality Control Systems for the CMS ECAL Crystals

    CERN Document Server

    Auffray, Etiennette; Chevenier, Guy; Lecoq, Paul; Perez-Prado, P; Schneegans, Marc; Sempere-Roldan, P

    2003-01-01

    The barrel part of the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter consists of about 60000 PWO crystals and will be assembled in two Regional Centers, nearby Rome and at CERN. Two automatic machines have been designed to check the crystal quality before assembly. The main crystal characteristics are compared to a set of specifications included in the contract with the crystal producers. The stability and intercalibration between the two is a fundamental issue, which has to be controlled during the whole construction phase. This paper describes the checks that were made in order to cross calibrate the measurements and to guarantee a proper selection of crystals for the detector.

  18. Temporal Analysis and Automatic Calibration of the Velodyne HDL-32E LiDAR System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. O. Chan

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available At the end of the first quarter of 2012, more than 600 Velodyne LiDAR systems had been sold worldwide for various robotic and high-accuracy survey applications. The ultra-compact Velodyne HDL-32E LiDAR has become a predominant sensor for many applications that require lower sensor size/weight and cost. For high accuracy applications, cost-effective calibration methods with minimal manual intervention are always desired by users. However, the calibrations are complicated by the Velodyne LiDAR's narrow vertical field of view and the very highly time-variant nature of its measurements. In the paper, the temporal stability of the HDL-32E is first analysed as the motivation for developing a new, automated calibration method. This is followed by a detailed description of the calibration method that is driven by a novel segmentation method for extracting vertical cylindrical features from the Velodyne point clouds. The proposed segmentation method utilizes the Velodyne point cloud's slice-like nature and first decomposes the point clouds into 2D layers. Then the layers are treated as 2D images and are processed with the Generalized Hough Transform which extracts the points distributed in circular patterns from the point cloud layers. Subsequently, the vertical cylindrical features can be readily extracted from the whole point clouds based on the previously extracted points. The points are passed to the calibration that estimates the cylinder parameters and the LiDAR's additional parameters simultaneously by constraining the segmented points to fit to the cylindrical geometric model in such a way the weighted sum of the adjustment residuals are minimized. The proposed calibration is highly automatic and this allows end users to obtain the time-variant additional parameters instantly and frequently whenever there are vertical cylindrical features presenting in scenes. The methods were verified with two different real datasets, and the results suggest

  19. Plasmon-Based Colorimetric Nanosensors for Ultrasensitive Molecular Diagnostics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Longhua; Li, Jinghong

    2017-07-28

    Colorimetric detection of target analytes with high specificity and sensitivity is of fundamental importance to clinical and personalized point-of-care diagnostics. Because of their extraordinary optical properties, plasmonic nanomaterials have been introduced into colorimetric sensing systems, which provide significantly improved sensitivity in various biosensing applications. Here we review the recent progress on these plasmonic nanoparticles-based colorimetric nanosensors for ultrasensitive molecular diagnostics. According to their different colorimetric signal generation mechanisms, these plasmonic nanosensors are classified into two categories: (1) interparticle distance-dependent colorimetric assay based on target-induced forming cross-linking assembly/aggregate of plasmonic nanoparticles; and (2) size/morphology-dependent colorimetric assay by target-controlled growth/etching of the plasmonic nanoparticles. The sensing fundamentals and cutting-edge applications will be provided for each of them, particularly focusing on signal generation and/or amplification mechanisms that realize ultrasensitive molecular detection. Finally, we also discuss the challenge and give our future perspective in this emerging field.

  20. Achromatic-chromatic colorimetric sensors for on-off type detection of analytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heo, Jun Hyuk; Cho, Hui Hun; Lee, Jin Woong; Lee, Jung Heon

    2014-12-21

    We report the development of achromatic colorimetric sensors; sensors changing their colors from achromatic black to other chromatic colors. An achromatic colorimetric sensor was prepared by mixing a general colorimetric indicator, whose color changes between chromatic colors, and a complementary colored dye with no reaction to the targeted analyte. As the color of an achromatic colorimetric sensor changes from black to a chromatic color, the color change could be much easily recognized than general colorimetric sensors with naked eyes. More importantly, the achromatic colorimetric sensors enable on-off type recognition of the presence of analytes, which have not been achieved from most colorimetric sensors. In addition, the color changes from some achromatic colorimetric sensors (achromatic Eriochrome Black T and achromatic Benedict's solution) could be recognized with naked eyes at much lower concentration ranges than normal chromatic colorimetric sensors. These results provide new opportunities in the use of colorimetric sensors for diverse applications, such as harsh industrial, environmental, and biological detection.

  1. Using automatic calibration method for optimizing the performance of Pedotransfer functions of saturated hydraulic conductivity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed M. Abdelbaki

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Pedotransfer functions (PTFs are an easy way to predict saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat without measurements. This study aims to auto calibrate 22 PTFs. The PTFs were divided into three groups according to its input requirements and the shuffled complex evolution algorithm was used in calibration. The results showed great modification in the performance of the functions compared to the original published functions. For group 1 PTFs, the geometric mean error ratio (GMER and the geometric standard deviation of error ratio (GSDER values were modified from range (1.27–6.09, (5.2–7.01 to (0.91–1.15, (4.88–5.85 respectively. For group 2 PTFs, the GMER and the GSDER values were modified from (0.3–1.55, (5.9–12.38 to (1.00–1.03, (5.5–5.9 respectively. For group 3 PTFs, the GMER and the GSDER values were modified from (0.11–2.06, (5.55–16.42 to (0.82–1.01, (5.1–6.17 respectively. The result showed that the automatic calibration is an efficient and accurate method to enhance the performance of the PTFs.

  2. PLEIADES ABSOLUTE CALIBRATION : INFLIGHT CALIBRATION SITES AND METHODOLOGY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Lachérade

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available In-flight calibration of space sensors once in orbit is a decisive step to be able to fulfil the mission objectives. This article presents the methods of the in-flight absolute calibration processed during the commissioning phase. Four In-flight calibration methods are used: absolute calibration, cross-calibration with reference sensors such as PARASOL or MERIS, multi-temporal monitoring and inter-bands calibration. These algorithms are based on acquisitions over natural targets such as African deserts, Antarctic sites, La Crau (Automatic calibration station and Oceans (Calibration over molecular scattering or also new extra-terrestrial sites such as the Moon and selected stars. After an overview of the instrument and a description of the calibration sites, it is pointed out how each method is able to address one or several aspects of the calibration. We focus on how these methods complete each other in their operational use, and how they help building a coherent set of information that addresses all aspects of in-orbit calibration. Finally, we present the perspectives that the high level of agility of PLEIADES offers for the improvement of its calibration and a better characterization of the calibration sites.

  3. Automatic Calibration of High Density Electric Muscle Stimulation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knibbe, Jarrod; Strohmeier, Paul; Boring, Sebastian

    2017-01-01

    . (2) EMS requires time consuming, expert calibration -- confining these interaction techniques to the lab. EMS arrays have been shown to increase stimulation resolution, but as calibration complexity increases exponentially as more electrodes are used, we require heuristics or automated procedures......Electric muscle stimulation (EMS) can enable mobile force feedback, support pedestrian navigation, or confer object affordances. To date, however, EMS is limited by two interlinked problems. (1) EMS is low resolution -- achieving only coarse movements and constraining opportunities for exploration...... for successful calibration. We explore the feasibility of using electromyography (EMG) to auto-calibrate high density EMS arrays. We determine regions of muscle activity during human-performed gestures, to inform stimulation patterns for EMS-performed gestures. We report on a study which shows that auto...

  4. Automatic calibration method of voxel size for cone-beam 3D-CT scanning system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Min; Wang Xiaolong; Wei Dongbo; Liu Yipeng; Meng Fanyong; Li Xingdong; Liu Wenli

    2014-01-01

    For a cone-beam three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) scanning system, voxel size is an important indicator to guarantee the accuracy of data analysis and feature measurement based on 3D-CT images. Meanwhile, the voxel size changes with the movement of the rotary stage along X-ray direction. In order to realize the automatic calibration of the voxel size, a new and easily-implemented method is proposed. According to this method, several projections of a spherical phantom are captured at different imaging positions and the corresponding voxel size values are calculated by non-linear least-square fitting. Through these interpolation values, a linear equation is obtained that reflects the relationship between the voxel size and the rotary stage translation distance from its nominal zero position. Finally, the linear equation is imported into the calibration module of the 3D-CT scanning system. When the rotary stage is moving along X-ray direction, the accurate value of the voxel size is dynamically exported. The experimental results prove that this method meets the requirements of the actual CT scanning system, and has virtues of easy implementation and high accuracy. (authors)

  5. RGB color calibration for quantitative image analysis: the "3D thin-plate spline" warping approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menesatti, Paolo; Angelini, Claudio; Pallottino, Federico; Antonucci, Francesca; Aguzzi, Jacopo; Costa, Corrado

    2012-01-01

    In the last years the need to numerically define color by its coordinates in n-dimensional space has increased strongly. Colorimetric calibration is fundamental in food processing and other biological disciplines to quantitatively compare samples' color during workflow with many devices. Several software programmes are available to perform standardized colorimetric procedures, but they are often too imprecise for scientific purposes. In this study, we applied the Thin-Plate Spline interpolation algorithm to calibrate colours in sRGB space (the corresponding Matlab code is reported in the Appendix). This was compared with other two approaches. The first is based on a commercial calibration system (ProfileMaker) and the second on a Partial Least Square analysis. Moreover, to explore device variability and resolution two different cameras were adopted and for each sensor, three consecutive pictures were acquired under four different light conditions. According to our results, the Thin-Plate Spline approach reported a very high efficiency of calibration allowing the possibility to create a revolution in the in-field applicative context of colour quantification not only in food sciences, but also in other biological disciplines. These results are of great importance for scientific color evaluation when lighting conditions are not controlled. Moreover, it allows the use of low cost instruments while still returning scientifically sound quantitative data.

  6. A new automated colorimetric method for measuring total oxidant status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erel, Ozcan

    2005-12-01

    To develop a new, colorimetric and automated method for measuring total oxidation status (TOS). The assay is based on the oxidation of ferrous ion to ferric ion in the presence of various oxidant species in acidic medium and the measurement of the ferric ion by xylenol orange. The oxidation reaction of the assay was enhanced and precipitation of proteins was prevented. In addition, autoxidation of ferrous ion present in the reagent was prevented during storage. The method was applied to an automated analyzer, which was calibrated with hydrogen peroxide and the analytical performance characteristics of the assay were determined. There were important correlations with hydrogen peroxide, tert-butyl hydroperoxide and cumene hydroperoxide solutions (r=0.99, Ptotal antioxidant capacity (TAC) (r=-0.66 Ptotal oxidant status.

  7. Colorimetric detection for paper-based biosensing applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brink, C.; Joubert, T.-H.

    2016-02-01

    Research on affordable point-of-care health diagnostics is rapidly advancing1. Colorimetric biosensor applications are typically qualitative, but recently the focus has been shifted to quantitative measurements2,3. Although numerous qualitative point-of-care (POC) health diagnostic devices are available, the challenge exists of developing a quantitative colorimetric array reader system that complies with the ASSURED (Affordable, Sensitive, Specific, User-friendly, Rapid and Robust, Equipment-free, Deliverable to end-users) principles of the World Health Organization4. This paper presents a battery powered 8-bit tonal resolution colorimetric sensor circuit for paper microfluidic assays using low cost photo-detection circuitry and a low-power LED light source. A colorimetric 3×3-pixel array reader was developed for rural environments where resources and personnel are limited. The device sports an ultralow-power E-ink paper display. The colorimetric device includes integrated GPS functionality and EEPROM memory to log measurements with geo-tags for possible analysis of regional trends. The device competes with colour intensity measurement techniques using smartphone cameras, but proves to be a cheaper solution, compensating for the typical performance variations between cameras of different brands of smartphones. Inexpensive methods for quantifying bacterial assays have been shown using desktop scanners, which are not portable, and cameras, which suffer severely from changes in ambient light in different environments. Promising colorimetric detection results have been demonstrated using devices such as video cameras5, digital colour analysers6, flatbed scanners7 or custom portable readers8. The major drawback of most of these methods is the need for specialized instrumentation and for image analysis on a computer.

  8. Automated intraoperative calibration for prostate cancer brachytherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuiran Chen, Thomas; Heffter, Tamas; Lasso, Andras; Pinter, Csaba; Abolmaesumi, Purang; Burdette, E. Clif; Fichtinger, Gabor

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: Prostate cancer brachytherapy relies on an accurate spatial registration between the implant needles and the TRUS image, called ''calibration''. The authors propose a new device and a fast, automatic method to calibrate the brachytherapy system in the operating room, with instant error feedback. Methods: A device was CAD-designed and precision-engineered, which mechanically couples a calibration phantom with an exact replica of the standard brachytherapy template. From real-time TRUS images acquired from the calibration device and processed by the calibration system, the coordinate transformation between the brachytherapy template and the TRUS images was computed automatically. The system instantly generated a report of the target reconstruction accuracy based on the current calibration outcome. Results: Four types of validation tests were conducted. First, 50 independent, real-time calibration trials yielded an average of 0.57 ± 0.13 mm line reconstruction error (LRE) relative to ground truth. Second, the averaged LRE was 0.37 ± 0.25 mm relative to ground truth in tests with six different commercial TRUS scanners operating at similar imaging settings. Furthermore, testing with five different commercial stepper systems yielded an average of 0.29 ± 0.16 mm LRE relative to ground truth. Finally, the system achieved an average of 0.56 ± 0.27 mm target registration error (TRE) relative to ground truth in needle insertion tests through the template in a water tank. Conclusions: The proposed automatic, intraoperative calibration system for prostate cancer brachytherapy has achieved high accuracy, precision, and robustness.

  9. Automatic collection of the rare-earths with post chromatography column detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    David, P.; Metzger, G.; Repellin, M.

    1987-01-01

    The complete separation of rare-earths (in the aim of radio-isotopes measurement) requires High Performance Liquid Chromatography with ternary elution gradient. To automatize their collection with satisfying conditions, we have realized a non polluting, reliable and easy to operate detection method. This one is based on a derivation colorimetric system with arsenazo I (3 -(2 arsophenylazo 4.5) - dihydroxy - 2.7 naphtalene disulfonic acid)

  10. Convert a low-cost sensor to a colorimeter using an improved regression method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yifeng

    2008-01-01

    Closed loop color calibration is a process to maintain consistent color reproduction for color printers. To perform closed loop color calibration, a pre-designed color target should be printed, and automatically measured by a color measuring instrument. A low cost sensor has been embedded to the printer to perform the color measurement. A series of sensor calibration and color conversion methods have been developed. The purpose is to get accurate colorimetric measurement from the data measured by the low cost sensor. In order to get high accuracy colorimetric measurement, we need carefully calibrate the sensor, and minimize all possible errors during the color conversion. After comparing several classical color conversion methods, a regression based color conversion method has been selected. The regression is a powerful method to estimate the color conversion functions. But the main difficulty to use this method is to find an appropriate function to describe the relationship between the input and the output data. In this paper, we propose to use 1D pre-linearization tables to improve the linearity between the input sensor measuring data and the output colorimetric data. Using this method, we can increase the accuracy of the regression method, so as to improve the accuracy of the color conversion.

  11. Object Detection and Tracking-Based Camera Calibration for Normalized Human Height Estimation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaehoon Jung

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a normalized human height estimation algorithm using an uncalibrated camera. To estimate the normalized human height, the proposed algorithm detects a moving object and performs tracking-based automatic camera calibration. The proposed method consists of three steps: (i moving human detection and tracking, (ii automatic camera calibration, and (iii human height estimation and error correction. The proposed method automatically calibrates camera by detecting moving humans and estimates the human height using error correction. The proposed method can be applied to object-based video surveillance systems and digital forensic.

  12. Automatic Calibration and Reconstruction for Active Vision Systems

    CERN Document Server

    Zhang, Beiwei

    2012-01-01

    In this book, the design of two new planar patterns for camera calibration of intrinsic parameters is addressed and a line-based method for distortion correction is suggested. The dynamic calibration of structured light systems, which consist of a camera and a projector is also treated. Also, the 3D Euclidean reconstruction by using the image-to-world transformation is investigated. Lastly, linear calibration algorithms for the catadioptric camera are considered, and the homographic matrix and fundamental matrix are extensively studied. In these methods, analytic solutions are provided for the computational efficiency and redundancy in the data can be easily incorporated to improve reliability of the estimations. This volume will therefore prove valuable and practical tool for researchers and practioners working in image processing and computer vision and related subjects.

  13. An investigation of automatic exposure control calibration for chest imaging with a computed radiography system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moore, C S; Wood, T J; Beavis, A W; Saunderson, J R; Avery, G; Balcam, S; Needler, L

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the use of three physical image quality metrics in the calibration of an automatic exposure control (AEC) device for chest radiography with a computed radiography (CR) imaging system. The metrics assessed were signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and mean effective noise equivalent quanta (eNEQ m ), all measured using a uniform chest phantom. Subsequent calibration curves were derived to ensure each metric was held constant across the tube voltage range. Each curve was assessed for its clinical appropriateness by generating computer simulated chest images with correct detector air kermas for each tube voltage, and grading these against reference images which were reconstructed at detector air kermas correct for the constant detector dose indicator (DDI) curve currently programmed into the AEC device. All simulated chest images contained clinically realistic projected anatomy and anatomical noise and were scored by experienced image evaluators. Constant DDI and CNR curves do not appear to provide optimized performance across the diagnostic energy range. Conversely, constant eNEQ m  and SNR do appear to provide optimized performance, with the latter being the preferred calibration metric given as it is easier to measure in practice. Medical physicists may use the SNR image quality metric described here when setting up and optimizing AEC devices for chest radiography CR systems with a degree of confidence that resulting clinical image quality will be adequate for the required clinical task. However, this must be done with close cooperation of expert image evaluators, to ensure appropriate levels of detector air kerma. (paper)

  14. An investigation of automatic exposure control calibration for chest imaging with a computed radiography system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, C S; Wood, T J; Avery, G; Balcam, S; Needler, L; Beavis, A W; Saunderson, J R

    2014-05-07

    The purpose of this study was to examine the use of three physical image quality metrics in the calibration of an automatic exposure control (AEC) device for chest radiography with a computed radiography (CR) imaging system. The metrics assessed were signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and mean effective noise equivalent quanta (eNEQm), all measured using a uniform chest phantom. Subsequent calibration curves were derived to ensure each metric was held constant across the tube voltage range. Each curve was assessed for its clinical appropriateness by generating computer simulated chest images with correct detector air kermas for each tube voltage, and grading these against reference images which were reconstructed at detector air kermas correct for the constant detector dose indicator (DDI) curve currently programmed into the AEC device. All simulated chest images contained clinically realistic projected anatomy and anatomical noise and were scored by experienced image evaluators. Constant DDI and CNR curves do not appear to provide optimized performance across the diagnostic energy range. Conversely, constant eNEQm and SNR do appear to provide optimized performance, with the latter being the preferred calibration metric given as it is easier to measure in practice. Medical physicists may use the SNR image quality metric described here when setting up and optimizing AEC devices for chest radiography CR systems with a degree of confidence that resulting clinical image quality will be adequate for the required clinical task. However, this must be done with close cooperation of expert image evaluators, to ensure appropriate levels of detector air kerma.

  15. A simple colorimetric assay for detection of amplified Mycobacterium leprae DNA

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Vliet, G. M.; de Wit, M. Y.; Klatser, P. R.

    1993-01-01

    A colorimetric assay for the detection of PCR-products is described. The assay is based on amplification of DNA in the presence of digoxigenin-dUTP. After immobilization of the PCR products to a microtitre plate, amplified DNA could be detected colorimetrically. The sensitivity of this colorimetric

  16. An introduction to automatic radioactive sample counters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1980-01-01

    The subject is covered in chapters, entitled; the detection of radiation in sample counters; nucleonic equipment; liquid scintillation counting; basic features of automatic sample counters; statistics of counting; data analysis; purchase, installation, calibration and maintenance of automatic sample counters. (U.K.)

  17. RGB Color Calibration for Quantitative Image Analysis: The “3D Thin-Plate Spline” Warping Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Corrado Costa

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available In the last years the need to numerically define color by its coordinates in n-dimensional space has increased strongly. Colorimetric calibration is fundamental in food processing and other biological disciplines to quantitatively compare samples’ color during workflow with many devices. Several software programmes are available to perform standardized colorimetric procedures, but they are often too imprecise for scientific purposes. In this study, we applied the Thin-Plate Spline interpolation algorithm to calibrate colours in sRGB space (the corresponding Matlab code is reported in the Appendix. This was compared with other two approaches. The first is based on a commercial calibration system (ProfileMaker and the second on a Partial Least Square analysis. Moreover, to explore device variability and resolution two different cameras were adopted and for each sensor, three consecutive pictures were acquired under four different light conditions. According to our results, the Thin-Plate Spline approach reported a very high efficiency of calibration allowing the possibility to create a revolution in the in-field applicative context of colour quantification not only in food sciences, but also in other biological disciplines. These results are of great importance for scientific color evaluation when lighting conditions are not controlled. Moreover, it allows the use of low cost instruments while still returning scientifically sound quantitative data.

  18. RGB Color Calibration for Quantitative Image Analysis: The “3D Thin-Plate Spline” Warping Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menesatti, Paolo; Angelini, Claudio; Pallottino, Federico; Antonucci, Francesca; Aguzzi, Jacopo; Costa, Corrado

    2012-01-01

    In the last years the need to numerically define color by its coordinates in n-dimensional space has increased strongly. Colorimetric calibration is fundamental in food processing and other biological disciplines to quantitatively compare samples' color during workflow with many devices. Several software programmes are available to perform standardized colorimetric procedures, but they are often too imprecise for scientific purposes. In this study, we applied the Thin-Plate Spline interpolation algorithm to calibrate colours in sRGB space (the corresponding Matlab code is reported in the Appendix). This was compared with other two approaches. The first is based on a commercial calibration system (ProfileMaker) and the second on a Partial Least Square analysis. Moreover, to explore device variability and resolution two different cameras were adopted and for each sensor, three consecutive pictures were acquired under four different light conditions. According to our results, the Thin-Plate Spline approach reported a very high efficiency of calibration allowing the possibility to create a revolution in the in-field applicative context of colour quantification not only in food sciences, but also in other biological disciplines. These results are of great importance for scientific color evaluation when lighting conditions are not controlled. Moreover, it allows the use of low cost instruments while still returning scientifically sound quantitative data. PMID:22969337

  19. Automatic Camera Calibration Using Multiple Sets of Pairwise Correspondences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasconcelos, Francisco; Barreto, Joao P; Boyer, Edmond

    2018-04-01

    We propose a new method to add an uncalibrated node into a network of calibrated cameras using only pairwise point correspondences. While previous methods perform this task using triple correspondences, these are often difficult to establish when there is limited overlap between different views. In such challenging cases we must rely on pairwise correspondences and our solution becomes more advantageous. Our method includes an 11-point minimal solution for the intrinsic and extrinsic calibration of a camera from pairwise correspondences with other two calibrated cameras, and a new inlier selection framework that extends the traditional RANSAC family of algorithms to sampling across multiple datasets. Our method is validated on different application scenarios where a lack of triple correspondences might occur: addition of a new node to a camera network; calibration and motion estimation of a moving camera inside a camera network; and addition of views with limited overlap to a Structure-from-Motion model.

  20. Automatic anatomy partitioning of the torso region on CT images by using multiple organ localizations with a group-wise calibration technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Xiangrong; Morita, Syoichi; Zhou, Xinxin; Chen, Huayue; Hara, Takeshi; Yokoyama, Ryujiro; Kanematsu, Masayuki; Hoshi, Hiroaki; Fujita, Hiroshi

    2015-03-01

    This paper describes an automatic approach for anatomy partitioning on three-dimensional (3D) computedtomography (CT) images that divide the human torso into several volume-of-interesting (VOI) images based on anatomical definition. The proposed approach combines several individual detections of organ-location with a groupwise organ-location calibration and correction to achieve an automatic and robust multiple-organ localization task. The essence of the proposed method is to jointly detect the 3D minimum bounding box for each type of organ shown on CT images based on intra-organ-image-textures and inter-organ-spatial-relationship in the anatomy. Machine-learning-based template matching and generalized Hough transform-based point-distribution estimation are used in the detection and calibration processes. We apply this approach to the automatic partitioning of a torso region on CT images, which are divided into 35 VOIs presenting major organ regions and tissues required by routine diagnosis in clinical medicine. A database containing 4,300 patient cases of high-resolution 3D torso CT images is used for training and performance evaluations. We confirmed that the proposed method was successful in target organ localization on more than 95% of CT cases. Only two organs (gallbladder and pancreas) showed a lower success rate: 71 and 78% respectively. In addition, we applied this approach to another database that included 287 patient cases of whole-body CT images scanned for positron emission tomography (PET) studies and used for additional performance evaluation. The experimental results showed that no significant difference between the anatomy partitioning results from those two databases except regarding the spleen. All experimental results showed that the proposed approach was efficient and useful in accomplishing localization tasks for major organs and tissues on CT images scanned using different protocols.

  1. Combined Colorimetric and Gravimetric CMUT Sensor for Detection of Phenylacetone

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mølgaard, Mathias Johannes Grøndahl; Laustsen, Milan; Thygesen, Ida Lysgaard

    2017-01-01

    The detection of phenylacetone is of interest as it is a common precursor for the synthesis of (meth)amphetamine. Resonant gravimetric sensors can be used to detect the mass and hereby the concentration of a gas while colorimetric arrays typically have an exceptional selectivity to the target...... analyte if the right colorimetric dyes are chosen. We present a sensor system consisting of a Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (CMUT) and a colorimetric array for detection of phenylacetone. The CMUT is used as a resonant gravimetric gas sensor where the resonance frequency shift due to mass...

  2. User-friendly freehand ultrasound calibration using Lego bricks and automatic registration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Yiming; Yan, Charles Xiao Bo; Drouin, Simon; De Nigris, Dante; Kochanowska, Anna; Collins, D Louis

    2016-09-01

    As an inexpensive, noninvasive, and portable clinical imaging modality, ultrasound (US) has been widely employed in many interventional procedures for monitoring potential tissue deformation, surgical tool placement, and locating surgical targets. The application requires the spatial mapping between 2D US images and 3D coordinates of the patient. Although positions of the devices (i.e., ultrasound transducer) and the patient can be easily recorded by a motion tracking system, the spatial relationship between the US image and the tracker attached to the US transducer needs to be estimated through an US calibration procedure. Previously, various calibration techniques have been proposed, where a spatial transformation is computed to match the coordinates of corresponding features in a physical phantom and those seen in the US scans. However, most of these methods are difficult to use for novel users. We proposed an ultrasound calibration method by constructing a phantom from simple Lego bricks and applying an automated multi-slice 2D-3D registration scheme without volumetric reconstruction. The method was validated for its calibration accuracy and reproducibility. Our method yields a calibration accuracy of [Formula: see text] mm and a calibration reproducibility of 1.29 mm. We have proposed a robust, inexpensive, and easy-to-use ultrasound calibration method.

  3. Colorimetric evaluation of irradiated red beet roots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nunes, Thaise C.F.; Rogovschi, Vladimir D.; Fabbri, Adriana D.T.; Sagretti, Juliana M.A.; Hirashima, Fabiana K.; Sabato, Susy F.

    2013-01-01

    The red beetroot contain antioxidant and anticancer activity and have been consumed all over the world. In order to increase the consumption of beetroot the food industry has created a practical alternative, a beetroot shaped like a small ball, minimally processed with the convenience in meal preparation. Food irradiation is in consonance with the proposal to increase the consumption of beetroot whilst maintaining quality and product safety. The aim of this study was to analyze changes in colorimetric properties in beetroot after the irradiation process. Samples of minimally processed beetroot were purchased at a local supermarket. The samples were exposed to gamma rays with doses of 1.0kG y , 2.0kG y , 3.0kG y and 4.0 kG y and were stored at 5 deg C. Colorimetric characteristics were analyzed such as L * , a * , b * , C * , h * , δE and WI. The results of the colorimetric evaluation showed no significant difference among the samples. The authors concluded that the treatment with low doses of gamma radiation keeps the quality of beetroot. (author)

  4. Novel colorimetric sensor for oral malodour

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alagirisamy, Nethaji; Hardas, Sarita S. [Hindustan Unilever Research Center, 64 Main Road, Whitefield, Bangalore 560066 (India); Jayaraman, Sujatha, E-mail: sujatha.jayaraman@unilever.com [Hindustan Unilever Research Center, 64 Main Road, Whitefield, Bangalore 560066 (India)

    2010-02-19

    Volatile sulphur compounds are the primary constituents of oral malodour. Quantitative tools for the detection of oral malodour are beneficial to evaluate the intensity of malodour, analyse its causes and monitor the effectiveness of customized treatments. We have developed an objective, cost effective, do-it-yourself colorimetric sensor for oral malodour quantification. The sensor consisted of a sensing solution, a gas sampling unit for collecting a known volume of mouth air and a photometric detector. The sensing solution was iodine and the depletion of iodine on reaction with hydrogen sulphide was detected colorimetrically using starch. The detection limit of the sensor is 0.05 {mu}g L{sup -1} of hydrogen sulphide, which is fit-for-purpose for oral malodour detection in healthy subjects as well as halitosis patients. Volatile sulphur compounds in mouth air were quantified in healthy human volunteers using this portable sensor and the detected levels were in the range of 0.2-0.4 {mu}g L{sup -1}. There was a good correlation between the VSC levels detected by the colorimetric sensor and halimeter (R{sup 2} = 0.934). The developed sensor can be easily fabricated in the laboratory, and it shows high potential to be used as a clinical evaluation tool for oral malodour assessments.

  5. Novel colorimetric sensor for oral malodour

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alagirisamy, Nethaji; Hardas, Sarita S.; Jayaraman, Sujatha

    2010-01-01

    Volatile sulphur compounds are the primary constituents of oral malodour. Quantitative tools for the detection of oral malodour are beneficial to evaluate the intensity of malodour, analyse its causes and monitor the effectiveness of customized treatments. We have developed an objective, cost effective, do-it-yourself colorimetric sensor for oral malodour quantification. The sensor consisted of a sensing solution, a gas sampling unit for collecting a known volume of mouth air and a photometric detector. The sensing solution was iodine and the depletion of iodine on reaction with hydrogen sulphide was detected colorimetrically using starch. The detection limit of the sensor is 0.05 μg L -1 of hydrogen sulphide, which is fit-for-purpose for oral malodour detection in healthy subjects as well as halitosis patients. Volatile sulphur compounds in mouth air were quantified in healthy human volunteers using this portable sensor and the detected levels were in the range of 0.2-0.4 μg L -1 . There was a good correlation between the VSC levels detected by the colorimetric sensor and halimeter (R 2 = 0.934). The developed sensor can be easily fabricated in the laboratory, and it shows high potential to be used as a clinical evaluation tool for oral malodour assessments.

  6. Improving integrity of on-line grammage measurement with traceable basic calibration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kangasrääsiö, Juha

    2010-07-01

    The automatic control of grammage (basis weight) in paper and board production is based upon on-line grammage measurement. Furthermore, the automatic control of other quality variables such as moisture, ash content and coat weight, may rely on the grammage measurement. The integrity of Kr-85 based on-line grammage measurement systems was studied, by performing basic calibrations with traceably calibrated plastic reference standards. The calibrations were performed according to the EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard, which is a requirement for calibration laboratories. The observed relative measurement errors were 3.3% in the first time calibrations at the 95% confidence level. With the traceable basic calibration method, however, these errors can be reduced to under 0.5%, thus improving the integrity of on-line grammage measurements. Also a standardised algorithm, based on the experience from the performed calibrations, is proposed to ease the adjustment of the different grammage measurement systems. The calibration technique can basically be applied to all beta-radiation based grammage measurements. 2010 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Capillarity-based preparation system for optical colorimetric sensor arrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Xiao-Gang; Yi, Xin; Bu, Xiang-Nan; Hou, Chang-Jun; Huo, Dan-Qun; Yang, Mei; Fa, Huan-Bao; Lei, Jin-Can

    2017-03-01

    In recent years, optical colorimetric sensor arrays have demonstrated beneficial features, including rapid response, high selectivity, and high specificity; as a result, it has been extensively applied in food inspection and chemical studies, among other fields. There are instruments in the current market available for the preparation of an optical colorimetric sensor array, but it lacks the corresponding research of the preparation mechanism. Therefore, in connection with the main features of this kind of sensor array such as consistency, based on the preparation method of contact spotting, combined with a capillary fluid model, Washburn equation, Laplace equation, etc., this paper develops a diffusion model of an optical colorimetric sensor array during its preparation and sets up an optical colorimetric sensor array preparation system based on this diffusion model. Finally, this paper compares and evaluates the sensor arrays prepared by the system and prepared manually in three aspects such as the quality of array point, response of array, and response result, and the results show that the performance index of the sensor array prepared by a system under this diffusion model is better than that of the sensor array of manual spotting, which meets the needs of the experiment.

  8. A semi-automatic calibration method for seismic arrays applied to an Alaskan array

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindquist, K. G.; Tibuleac, I. M.; Hansen, R. A.

    2001-12-01

    Well-calibrated, small (less than 22 km) aperture seismic arrays are of great importance for event location and characterization. We have implemented the crosscorrelation method of Tibuleac and Herrin (Seis. Res. Lett. 1997) as a semi-automatic procedure, applicable to any seismic array. With this we are able to process thousands of phases with several days of computer time on a Sun Blade 1000 workstation. Complicated geology beneath elements and elevation differences amonst the array stations made station corrections necessary. 328 core phases (including PcP, PKiKP, PKP, PKKP) were used in order to determine the static corrections. To demonstrate this application and method, we have analyzed P and PcP arrivals at the ILAR array (Eielson, Alaska) between years 1995-2000. The arrivals were picked by PIDC, for events (mb>4.0) well located by the USGS. We calculated backazimuth and horizontal velocity residuals for all events. We observed large backazimuth residuals for regional and near-regional phases. We are discussing the possibility of a dipping Moho (strike E-W, dip N) beneath the array versus other local structure that would produce the residuals.

  9. PRINCIPLE OF VALIDATION OF MULTILEVEL RGB COLORIMETRIC SYSTEMS OF REMOTE SENSING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lala Rustam Bekirova

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The possibility of development of two-level RGB colorimetric systems of remote sensing is analyzed. The principle of validation in multi-level RGB colorimetric systems taking into account the effect of metamerizm is formulated

  10. Vibration transducer calibration techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brinkley, D. J.

    1980-09-01

    Techniques for the calibration of vibration transducers used in the Aeronautical Quality Assurance Directorate of the British Ministry of Defence are presented. Following a review of the types of measurements necessary in the calibration of vibration transducers, the performance requirements of vibration transducers, which can be used to measure acceleration, velocity or vibration amplitude, are discussed, with particular attention given to the piezoelectric accelerometer. Techniques for the accurate measurement of sinusoidal vibration amplitude in reference-grade transducers are then considered, including the use of a position sensitive photocell and the use of a Michelson laser interferometer. Means of comparing the output of working-grade accelerometers with that of previously calibrated reference-grade devices are then outlined, with attention given to a method employing a capacitance bridge technique and a method to be used at temperatures between -50 and 200 C. Automatic calibration procedures developed to speed up the calibration process are outlined, and future possible extensions of system software are indicated.

  11. A Visual Servoing-Based Method for ProCam Systems Calibration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeremie Mosnier

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Projector-camera systems are currently used in a wide field of applications, such as 3D reconstruction and augmented reality, and can provide accurate measurements, depending on the configuration and calibration. Frequently, the calibration task is divided into two steps: camera calibration followed by projector calibration. The latter still poses certain problems that are not easy to solve, such as the difficulty in obtaining a set of 2D–3D points to compute the projection matrix between the projector and the world. Existing methods are either not sufficiently accurate or not flexible. We propose an easy and automatic method to calibrate such systems that consists in projecting a calibration pattern and superimposing it automatically on a known printed pattern. The projected pattern is provided by a virtual camera observing a virtual pattern in an OpenGL model. The projector displays what the virtual camera visualizes. Thus, the projected pattern can be controlled and superimposed on the printed one with the aid of visual servoing. Our experimental results compare favorably with those of other methods considering both usability and accuracy.

  12. Colorimetric evaluation of irradiated red beet roots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nunes, Thaise C.F.; Rogovschi, Vladimir D.; Fabbri, Adriana D.T.; Sagretti, Juliana M.A.; Hirashima, Fabiana K.; Sabato, Susy F., E-mail: thaisecfnunes@hotmail.com [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2013-07-01

    The red beetroot contain antioxidant and anticancer activity and have been consumed all over the world. In order to increase the consumption of beetroot the food industry has created a practical alternative, a beetroot shaped like a small ball, minimally processed with the convenience in meal preparation. Food irradiation is in consonance with the proposal to increase the consumption of beetroot whilst maintaining quality and product safety. The aim of this study was to analyze changes in colorimetric properties in beetroot after the irradiation process. Samples of minimally processed beetroot were purchased at a local supermarket. The samples were exposed to gamma rays with doses of 1.0kG{sub y}, 2.0kG{sub y}, 3.0kG{sub y} and 4.0 kG{sub y} and were stored at 5 deg C. Colorimetric characteristics were analyzed such as L{sup *}, a{sup *}, b{sup *}, C{sup *}, h{sup *}, δE and WI. The results of the colorimetric evaluation showed no significant difference among the samples. The authors concluded that the treatment with low doses of gamma radiation keeps the quality of beetroot. (author)

  13. Emergency First Responders' Experience with Colorimetric Detection Methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sandra L. Fox; Keith A. Daum; Carla J. Miller; Marnie M. Cortez

    2007-10-01

    Nationwide, first responders from state and federal support teams respond to hazardous materials incidents, industrial chemical spills, and potential weapons of mass destruction (WMD) attacks. Although first responders have sophisticated chemical, biological, radiological, and explosive detectors available for assessment of the incident scene, simple colorimetric detectors have a role in response actions. The large number of colorimetric chemical detection methods available on the market can make the selection of the proper methods difficult. Although each detector has unique aspects to provide qualitative or quantitative data about the unknown chemicals present, not all detectors provide consistent, accurate, and reliable results. Included here, in a consumer-report-style format, we provide “boots on the ground” information directly from first responders about how well colorimetric chemical detection methods meet their needs in the field and how they procure these methods.

  14. Automatic Phase Calibration for RF Cavities using Beam-Loading Signals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Edelen, J. P. [Fermilab; Chase, B. E. [Fermilab

    2017-10-01

    Precise calibration of the cavity phase signals is necessary for the operation of any particle accelerator. For many systems this requires human in the loop adjustments based on measurements of the beam parameters downstream. Some recent work has developed a scheme for the calibration of the cavity phase using beam measurements and beam-loading however this scheme is still a multi-step process that requires heavy automation or human in the loop. In this paper we analyze a new scheme that uses only RF signals reacting to beam-loading to calculate the phase of the beam relative to the cavity. This technique could be used in slow control loops to provide real-time adjustment of the cavity phase calibration without human intervention thereby increasing the stability and reliability of the accelerator.

  15. A novel iterative energy calibration method for composite germanium detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pattabiraman, N.S.; Chintalapudi, S.N.; Ghugre, S.S.

    2004-01-01

    An automatic method for energy calibration of the observed experimental spectrum has been developed. The method presented is based on an iterative algorithm and presents an efficient way to perform energy calibrations after establishing the weights of the calibration data. An application of this novel technique for data acquired using composite detectors in an in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy experiment is presented

  16. A novel iterative energy calibration method for composite germanium detectors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pattabiraman, N.S.; Chintalapudi, S.N.; Ghugre, S.S. E-mail: ssg@alpha.iuc.res.in

    2004-07-01

    An automatic method for energy calibration of the observed experimental spectrum has been developed. The method presented is based on an iterative algorithm and presents an efficient way to perform energy calibrations after establishing the weights of the calibration data. An application of this novel technique for data acquired using composite detectors in an in-beam {gamma}-ray spectroscopy experiment is presented.

  17. Photonic Crystal Structures with Tunable Structure Color as Colorimetric Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hui; Zhang, Ke-Qin

    2013-01-01

    Colorimetric sensing, which transduces environmental changes into visible color changes, provides a simple yet powerful detection mechanism that is well-suited to the development of low-cost and low-power sensors. A new approach in colorimetric sensing exploits the structural color of photonic crystals (PCs) to create environmentally-influenced color-changeable materials. PCs are composed of periodic dielectrics or metallo-dielectric nanostructures that affect the propagation of electromagnetic waves (EM) by defining the allowed and forbidden photonic bands. Simultaneously, an amazing variety of naturally occurring biological systems exhibit iridescent color due to the presence of PC structures throughout multi-dimensional space. In particular, some kinds of the structural colors in living organisms can be reversibly changed in reaction to external stimuli. Based on the lessons learned from natural photonic structures, some specific examples of PCs-based colorimetric sensors are presented in detail to demonstrate their unprecedented potential in practical applications, such as the detections of temperature, pH, ionic species, solvents, vapor, humidity, pressure and biomolecules. The combination of the nanofabrication technique, useful design methodologies inspired by biological systems and colorimetric sensing will lead to substantial developments in low-cost, miniaturized and widely deployable optical sensors. PMID:23539027

  18. Photonic Crystal Structures with Tunable Structure Color as Colorimetric Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ke-Qin Zhang

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Colorimetric sensing, which transduces environmental changes into visible color changes, provides a simple yet powerful detection mechanism that is well-suited to the development of low-cost and low-power sensors. A new approach in colorimetric sensing exploits the structural color of photonic crystals (PCs to create environmentally-influenced color-changeable materials. PCs are composed of periodic dielectrics or metallo-dielectric nanostructures that affect the propagation of electromagnetic waves (EM by defining the allowed and forbidden photonic bands. Simultaneously, an amazing variety of naturally occurring biological systems exhibit iridescent color due to the presence of PC structures throughout multi-dimensional space. In particular, some kinds of the structural colors in living organisms can be reversibly changed in reaction to external stimuli. Based on the lessons learned from natural photonic structures, some specific examples of PCs-based colorimetric sensors are presented in detail to demonstrate their unprecedented potential in practical applications, such as the detections of temperature, pH, ionic species, solvents, vapor, humidity, pressure and biomolecules. The combination of the nanofabrication technique, useful design methodologies inspired by biological systems and colorimetric sensing will lead to substantial developments in low-cost, miniaturized and widely deployable optical sensors.

  19. Research on calibration error of carrier phase against antenna arraying

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Ke; Hou, Xiaomin

    2016-11-01

    It is the technical difficulty of uplink antenna arraying that signals from various quarters can not be automatically aligned at the target in deep space. The size of the far-field power combining gain is directly determined by the accuracy of carrier phase calibration. It is necessary to analyze the entire arraying system in order to improve the accuracy of the phase calibration. This paper analyzes the factors affecting the calibration error of carrier phase of uplink antenna arraying system including the error of phase measurement and equipment, the error of the uplink channel phase shift, the position error of ground antenna, calibration receiver and target spacecraft, the error of the atmospheric turbulence disturbance. Discuss the spatial and temporal autocorrelation model of atmospheric disturbances. Each antenna of the uplink antenna arraying is no common reference signal for continuous calibration. So it must be a system of the periodic calibration. Calibration is refered to communication of one or more spacecrafts in a certain period. Because the deep space targets are not automatically aligned to multiplexing received signal. Therefore the aligned signal should be done in advance on the ground. Data is shown that the error can be controlled within the range of demand by the use of existing technology to meet the accuracy of carrier phase calibration. The total error can be controlled within a reasonable range.

  20. Plasmonic colorimetric sensors based on etching and growth of noble metal nanoparticles: Strategies and applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhiyang; Wang, Han; Chen, Zhaopeng; Wang, Xiaoyan; Choo, Jaebum; Chen, Lingxin

    2018-08-30

    Plasmonic colorimetric sensors have emerged as a powerful tool in chemical and biological sensing applications due to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) extinction in the visible range. Among the plasmonic sensors, the most famous sensing mode is the "aggregation" plasmonic colorimetric sensor which is based on plasmon coupling due to nanoparticle aggregation. Herein, this review focuses on the newly-developing plasmonic colorimetric sensing mode - the etching or the growth of metal nanoparticles induces plasmon changes, namely, "non-aggregation" plasmonic colorimetric sensor. This type of sensors has attracted increasing interest because of their exciting properties of high sensitivity, multi-color changes, and applicability to make a test strip. Of particular interest, the test strip by immobilization of nanoparticles on the substrate can avoid the influence of nanoparticle auto-aggregation and increase the simplicity in storage and use. Although there are many excellent reviews available that describe the advance of plasmonic sensors, limited attention has been paid to the plasmonic colorimetric sensors based on etching or growth of metal nanoparticles. This review highlights recent progress on strategies and application of "non-aggregation" plasmonic colorimetric sensors. We also provide some personal insights into current challenges associated with "non-aggregation" plasmonic colorimetric sensors and propose future research directions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Calibrating spectral images using penalized likelihood

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heijden, van der G.W.A.M.; Glasbey, C.

    2003-01-01

    A new method is presented for automatic correction of distortions and for spectral calibration (which band corresponds to which wavelength) of spectral images recorded by means of a spectrograph. The method consists of recording a bar-like pattern with an illumination source with spectral bands

  2. Feature extraction using distribution representation for colorimetric sensor arrays used as explosives detectors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alstrøm, Tommy Sonne; Raich, Raviv; Kostesha, Natalie

    2012-01-01

    is required. We present a new approach of extracting features from a colorimetric sensor array based on a color distribution representation. For each sensor in the array, we construct a K-nearest neighbor classifier based on the Hellinger distances between color distribution of a test compound and the color......We present a colorimetric sensor array which is able to detect explosives such as DNT, TNT, HMX, RDX and TATP and identifying volatile organic compounds in the presence of water vapor in air. To analyze colorimetric sensors with statistical methods, a suitable representation of sensory readings...

  3. An ultra-sensitive colorimetric Hg(2+)-sensing assay based on DNAzyme-modified Au NP aggregation, MNPs and an endonuclease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Chao; Dai, Peiqing; Rao, Xinyi; Shao, Lin; Cheng, Guifang; He, Pingang; Fang, Yuzhi

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports the development of an ultra-sensitive colorimetric method for the detection of trace mercury ions involving DNAzymes, Au nanoparticle aggregation, magnetic nanoparticles and an endonuclease. DNAzyme-sensing elements are conjugated to the surface of Au nanoparticle-2, which can crosslink with the T-rich strands coated on Au nanoparticle-1 to form Au nanoparticle aggregation. Other T-rich stands are immobilized on the surface of MNPs. The specific hybridization of these two T-rich strands depends on the presence of Hg(2+), resulting in the formation of a T-Hg(2+)-T structure. Added endonuclease then digests the hybridized strands, and DNAzyme-modified Au NP aggregation is released, catalysing the conversion of the colourless ABTS into a blue-green product by H2O2-mediated oxidation. The increase in the adsorption spectrum of ABTS(+) at 421 nm is related to the concentration of Hg(2+). This assay was validated by detecting mercury ion concentrations in river water. The colorimetric responses were not significantly altered in the presence of 100-fold excesses of other metal ions such as Zn(2+), Pb(2+), Cd(2+), Mn(2+), Ca(2+) and Ni(2+). The inclusion of both Au NP aggregation and an endonuclease enables the assay to eliminate interference from the magnetic nanoparticles with colorimetric detection, decrease the background and improve the detection sensitivity. The calibration curve of the assay was linear over the range of Hg(2+) concentrations from 1 to 30 nM, and the detection limit was 0.8 nM, which is far lower than the 10 nM US EPA limit for drinking water. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. The KLOE online calibration system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pasqualucci, E.; Alexander, G.; Aloisio, A.

    2001-01-01

    Based on all the features of the KLOE online software, the online calibration system performs current calibration quality checking in real time and starts automatically new calibration procedures when needed. A calibration manager process controls the system, implementing the interface to the online system, receiving information from the run control and translating its state transitions to a separate state machine. It acts as a 'calibration run controller' and performs failure recovery when requested by a set of process checkers. The core of the system is a multi-threaded OO histogram server that receives histogramming commands by remote processes and operates on local ROOT histograms. A client library and C, fortran and C++ application interface libraries allow the user to connect and define his own histogram or read histograms owned by others using an book-like interface. Several calibration processes running in parallel in a distributed, multiplatform environment can fill the same histograms, allowing fast external information check. A monitor thread allow remote browsing for visual inspection. Pre-filtered data are read in non-privileged spy mode from the data acquisition system via the Kloe Integrated Dataflow. The main characteristics of the system are presented

  5. Colorimetric analyzer based on mobile phone camera for determination of available phosphorus in soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moonrungsee, Nuntaporn; Pencharee, Somkid; Jakmunee, Jaroon

    2015-05-01

    A field deployable colorimetric analyzer based on an "Android mobile phone" was developed for the determination of available phosphorus content in soil. An inexpensive mobile phone embedded with digital camera was used for taking photograph of the chemical solution under test. The method involved a reaction of the phosphorus (orthophosphate form), ammonium molybdate and potassium antimonyl tartrate to form phosphomolybdic acid which was reduced by ascorbic acid to produce the intense colored molybdenum blue. The software program was developed to use with the phone for recording and analyzing RGB color of the picture. A light tight box with LED light to control illumination was fabricated to improve precision and accuracy of the measurement. Under the optimum conditions, the calibration graph was created by measuring blue color intensity of a series of standard phosphorus solution (0.0-1.0mgPL(-1)), then, the calibration equation obtained was retained by the program for the analysis of sample solution. The results obtained from the proposed method agreed well with the spectrophotometric method, with a detection limit of 0.01mgPL(-1) and a sample throughput about 40h(-1) was achieved. The developed system provided good accuracy (REphosphorus nutrient. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Cryogenic Thermometer Calibration Facility at CERN

    CERN Document Server

    Balle, C; Thermeau, J P

    1998-01-01

    A cryogenic thermometer calibration facility has been designed and is being commissioned in preparation for the very stringent requirements on the temperature control of the LHC superconducting magnets. The temperature is traceable in the 1.5 to 30 K range to standards maintained in a national metrological laboratory by using a set of Rhodium-Iron temperature sensors of metrological quality. The calibration facility is designed for calibrating simultaneously 60 industrial cryogenic thermometers in the 1.5 K to 300 K temperature range, a thermometer being a device that includes both a temperature sensor and the wires heat-intercept. The thermometers can be calibrated in good and degraded vacuum or immersed in the surrounding fluid and at different Joule self-heating conditions that match those imposed by signal conditioners used in large cryogenic machinery. The calibration facility can be operated in an automatic mode and all the control and safety routines are handled by a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)...

  7. Improving colorimetric assays through protein enzyme-assisted gold nanoparticle amplification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Xiaoji; Xu, Wei; Liu, Xiaogang

    2012-09-18

    The discovery of the DNA-mediated assembly of gold nanoparticles was a great moment in the history of science; this understanding and chemical control enabled the rational design of functional nanomaterials as novel probes in biodetection. In contrast with conventional probes such as organic dyes, gold nanoparticles exhibit high photostability and unique size-dependent optical properties. Because of their high extinction coefficients and strong distance dependent optical properties, these nanoparticles have emerged over the past decade as a promising platform for rapid, highly sensitive colorimetric assays that allow for the visual detection of low concentrations of metal ions, small molecules, and biomacromolecules. These discoveries have deepened our knowledge of biological phenomena and facilitated the development of many new diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Despite these many advances and continued research efforts, current nanoparticle-based colorimetric detection systems still suffer from several drawbacks, such as limited sensitivity and selectivity. This Account describes the recent development of colorimetric assays based on protein enzyme-assisted gold nanoparticle amplification. The benefits of such detection systems include significantly improved detection sensitivity and selectivity. First, we discuss the general design of enzyme-modified nanoparticle systems in colorimetric assays. We show that a quantitative understanding of the unique properties of different enzymes is paramount for effective biological assays. We then examine the assays for nucleic acid detection based on different types of enzymes, including endonucleases, ligases, and polymerases. For each of these assays, we identify the underlying principles that contribute to the enhanced detection capability of nanoparticle systems and illustrate them with selected examples. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the combination of gold nanoparticles and specific enzymes can probe enzyme dynamics

  8. Beam-based calibration system of BPM offset on BEPC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu Chunliang

    2004-01-01

    The ever-increasing demand for better performance from circular accelerators requires improved methods to calibrate beam position monitors (BPM). A beam based calibration system has been established to locate the centers of the BPM with respect to the magnetic center of quadrupole magnets. Additional windings are applied to the quadrupole magnets to make the quadrupole magnetic strength individually adjustable and the number of the power supply of all 32 additional windings is only one. Software system has been finished to automatically measure the offsets of BPMs. The effect of the beam-based calibration system shows that the calibration of BPM has been more quickly and accurately

  9. A Statistical Approach to Continuous Self-Calibrating Eye Gaze Tracking for Head-Mounted Virtual Reality Systems

    OpenAIRE

    Tripathi, Subarna; Guenter, Brian

    2016-01-01

    We present a novel, automatic eye gaze tracking scheme inspired by smooth pursuit eye motion while playing mobile games or watching virtual reality contents. Our algorithm continuously calibrates an eye tracking system for a head mounted display. This eliminates the need for an explicit calibration step and automatically compensates for small movements of the headset with respect to the head. The algorithm finds correspondences between corneal motion and screen space motion, and uses these to...

  10. Calibration of Automatically Generated Items Using Bayesian Hierarchical Modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Matthew S.; Sinharay, Sandip

    For complex educational assessments, there is an increasing use of "item families," which are groups of related items. However, calibration or scoring for such an assessment requires fitting models that take into account the dependence structure inherent among the items that belong to the same item family. C. Glas and W. van der Linden…

  11. Automatic Control Of Length Of Welding Arc

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iceland, William F.

    1991-01-01

    Nonlinear relationships among current, voltage, and length stored in electronic memory. Conceptual microprocessor-based control subsystem maintains constant length of welding arc in gas/tungsten arc-welding system, even when welding current varied. Uses feedback of current and voltage from welding arc. Directs motor to set position of torch according to previously measured relationships among current, voltage, and length of arc. Signal paths marked "calibration" or "welding" used during those processes only. Other signal paths used during both processes. Control subsystem added to existing manual or automatic welding system equipped with automatic voltage control.

  12. Development of an in situ calibration technique for combustible gas detectors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shumar, J. W.; Wynveen, R. A.; Lance, N., Jr.; Lantz, J. B.

    1977-01-01

    This paper describes the development of an in situ calibration procedure for combustible gas detectors (CGD). The CGD will be a necessary device for future space vehicles as many subsystems in the Environmental Control/Life Support System utilize or produce hydrogen (H2) gas. Existing calibration techniques are time-consuming and require support equipment such as an environmental chamber and calibration gas supply. The in situ calibration procedure involves utilization of a water vapor electrolysis cell for the automatic in situ generation of a H2/air calibration mixture within the flame arrestor of the CGD. The development effort concluded with the successful demonstration of in situ span calibrations of a CGD.

  13. Colorimetric characterization of LED luminaires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Costa, C L M; Vieira, R R; Pereira, R C; Silva, P V M; Oliveira, I A A; Sardinha, A S; Viana, D D; Barbosa, A H; Souza, L P; Alvarenga, A D

    2015-01-01

    The Optical Metrology Division of Inmetro – National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology has recently started the colorimetric characterization of lamps by implementing Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) and Color Rendering Index (CRI) measurements of incandescent lamps, followed by the CFL, and LED lamps and luminaires. Here we present the results for the verification of the color characterization of samples of SSL luminaires for public as well as indoor illumination that are sold in Brazil

  14. Line fiducial material and thickness considerations for ultrasound calibration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ameri, Golafsoun; McLeod, A. J.; Baxter, John S. H.; Chen, Elvis C. S.; Peters, Terry M.

    2015-03-01

    Ultrasound calibration is a necessary procedure in many image-guided interventions, relating the position of tools and anatomical structures in the ultrasound image to a common coordinate system. This is a necessary component of augmented reality environments in image-guided interventions as it allows for a 3D visualization where other surgical tools outside the imaging plane can be found. Accuracy of ultrasound calibration fundamentally affects the total accuracy of this interventional guidance system. Many ultrasound calibration procedures have been proposed based on a variety of phantom materials and geometries. These differences lead to differences in representation of the phantom on the ultrasound image which subsequently affect the ability to accurately and automatically segment the phantom. For example, taut wires are commonly used as line fiducials in ultrasound calibration. However, at large depths or oblique angles, the fiducials appear blurred and smeared in ultrasound images making it hard to localize their cross-section with the ultrasound image plane. Intuitively, larger diameter phantoms with lower echogenicity are more accurately segmented in ultrasound images in comparison to highly reflective thin phantoms. In this work, an evaluation of a variety of calibration phantoms with different geometrical and material properties for the phantomless calibration procedure was performed. The phantoms used in this study include braided wire, plastic straws, and polyvinyl alcohol cryogel tubes with different diameters. Conventional B-mode and synthetic aperture images of the phantoms at different positions were obtained. The phantoms were automatically segmented from the ultrasound images using an ellipse fitting algorithm, the centroid of which is subsequently used as a fiducial for calibration. Calibration accuracy was evaluated for these procedures based on the leave-one-out target registration error. It was shown that larger diameter phantoms with lower

  15. Automatic classification of blank substrate defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boettiger, Tom; Buck, Peter; Paninjath, Sankaranarayanan; Pereira, Mark; Ronald, Rob; Rost, Dan; Samir, Bhamidipati

    2014-10-01

    Mask preparation stages are crucial in mask manufacturing, since this mask is to later act as a template for considerable number of dies on wafer. Defects on the initial blank substrate, and subsequent cleaned and coated substrates, can have a profound impact on the usability of the finished mask. This emphasizes the need for early and accurate identification of blank substrate defects and the risk they pose to the patterned reticle. While Automatic Defect Classification (ADC) is a well-developed technology for inspection and analysis of defects on patterned wafers and masks in the semiconductors industry, ADC for mask blanks is still in the early stages of adoption and development. Calibre ADC is a powerful analysis tool for fast, accurate, consistent and automatic classification of defects on mask blanks. Accurate, automated classification of mask blanks leads to better usability of blanks by enabling defect avoidance technologies during mask writing. Detailed information on blank defects can help to select appropriate job-decks to be written on the mask by defect avoidance tools [1][4][5]. Smart algorithms separate critical defects from the potentially large number of non-critical defects or false defects detected at various stages during mask blank preparation. Mechanisms used by Calibre ADC to identify and characterize defects include defect location and size, signal polarity (dark, bright) in both transmitted and reflected review images, distinguishing defect signals from background noise in defect images. The Calibre ADC engine then uses a decision tree to translate this information into a defect classification code. Using this automated process improves classification accuracy, repeatability and speed, while avoiding the subjectivity of human judgment compared to the alternative of manual defect classification by trained personnel [2]. This paper focuses on the results from the evaluation of Automatic Defect Classification (ADC) product at MP Mask

  16. Colorimetric measurements as control elements in wood conservation status

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ovidia Soto-Martín

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper is a methodological proposal for the study of altarpieces on wooden supports. The process was implemented to study the altarpiece of San Antonio de Padua in Garachico, Tenerife. For this, we conducted a review of key aspects appropriate to the discipline of wood identification carried out by macroscopic examination and for the characterization of the status of deterioration by colorimetric analysis. For the evaluation of the wood conservation status, the samples were subjected for the first time to colorimetric measurement. As a result we have created an online database to provide information for conservation professionals permitting them to design a proposal for preventive conservation and intervention individually for each object.

  17. CAMAC-controlled calibration system for nuclear reactor instruments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McDowell, W.P.; Cornella, R.J.

    1977-01-01

    The hardware and the software which have been developed to implement a nuclear instrument calibration system for the Argonne National Laboratory ZPR-VI and ZPR-IX reactor complex are described. The system is implemented using an SEL-840 computer with its associated CAMAC crates and a hardware interface to generate input parameters and measure the required outputs on the instrument under test. Both linear and logarithmic instruments can be calibrated by the system and output parameters can be measured at various automatically selected values of ac line voltage. A complete report on each instrument is printed as a result of the calibration and out-of-tolerance readings are flagged. Operator interface is provided by a CAMAC-controlled Hazeltine terminal. The terminal display leads the operator through the complete calibration procedure. This computer-controlled system is a significant improvement over previously used methods of calibrating nuclear instruments since it reduces reactor downtime and allows rapid detection of long-term changes in instrument calibration

  18. Rapid colorimetric sensing of tetracycline antibiotics with in situ growth of gold nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen, Li; Chen, Jing; Li, Na; He, Pingli; Li, Zhen

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Tetracyclines directly reduce aurate into gold nanoparticles. • Gold nanoparticles showed characteristic plamson absorbance at 526 nm. • Quantitative detection of tetracyclines with the colorimetric assay. • Tetracyclines spiked urine samples can be detected with the assay. - Abstract: A colorimetric assay utilizing the formation of gold nanoparticles was developed to detect tetracycline antibiotics in fluidic samples. Tetracycline antibiotics showed the capability of directly reducing aurate salts into atomic gold which form gold nanoparticles spontaneously under proper conditions. The resulted gold nanoparticles showed characteristic plasmon absorbance at 526 nm, which can be visualized by naked eyes or with a spectrophotometer. UV–vis absorbance of the resulted gold nanoparticles is correlated directly with the concentrations of tetracycline antibiotics in the solution, allowing for quantitative colorimetric detection of tetracycline antibiotics. Reaction conditions, such as pH, temperature, reaction time, and ionic strength were optimized. Sensitivity of the colorimetric assay can be enhanced by the addition of gold nanoparticle seeds, a LOD as low as 20 ng mL −1 can be achieved with the help of seed particles. The colorimetric assay showed minimum interference from ethanol, methanol, urea, glucose, and other antibiotics such as sulfonamides, amino glycosides etc. Validity of the method was also evaluated on urine samples spiked with tetracycline antibiotics. The method provides a broad spectrum detection method for rapid and sensitive detection of reductive substances such as tetracycline antibiotics in liquid and biological samples

  19. Rapid colorimetric sensing of tetracycline antibiotics with in situ growth of gold nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shen, Li [Logistics School, Beijing Wuzi University, Beijing 101149 (China); Chen, Jing; Li, Na [Logistics School, Beijing Wuzi University, Beijing 101149 (China); He, Pingli [State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094 (China); Li, Zhen [State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193 (China)

    2014-08-11

    Highlights: • Tetracyclines directly reduce aurate into gold nanoparticles. • Gold nanoparticles showed characteristic plamson absorbance at 526 nm. • Quantitative detection of tetracyclines with the colorimetric assay. • Tetracyclines spiked urine samples can be detected with the assay. - Abstract: A colorimetric assay utilizing the formation of gold nanoparticles was developed to detect tetracycline antibiotics in fluidic samples. Tetracycline antibiotics showed the capability of directly reducing aurate salts into atomic gold which form gold nanoparticles spontaneously under proper conditions. The resulted gold nanoparticles showed characteristic plasmon absorbance at 526 nm, which can be visualized by naked eyes or with a spectrophotometer. UV–vis absorbance of the resulted gold nanoparticles is correlated directly with the concentrations of tetracycline antibiotics in the solution, allowing for quantitative colorimetric detection of tetracycline antibiotics. Reaction conditions, such as pH, temperature, reaction time, and ionic strength were optimized. Sensitivity of the colorimetric assay can be enhanced by the addition of gold nanoparticle seeds, a LOD as low as 20 ng mL{sup −1} can be achieved with the help of seed particles. The colorimetric assay showed minimum interference from ethanol, methanol, urea, glucose, and other antibiotics such as sulfonamides, amino glycosides etc. Validity of the method was also evaluated on urine samples spiked with tetracycline antibiotics. The method provides a broad spectrum detection method for rapid and sensitive detection of reductive substances such as tetracycline antibiotics in liquid and biological samples.

  20. A Novel Colorimetric Immunoassay Utilizing the Peroxidase Mimicking Activity of Magnetic Nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyun Gyu Park

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available A simple colorimetric immunoassay system, based on the peroxidase mimicking activity of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs, has been developed to detect clinically important antigenic molecules. MNPs with ca. 10 nm in diameter were synthesized and conjugated with specific antibodies against target molecules, such as rotaviruses and breast cancer cells. Conjugation of the MNPs with antibodies (MNP-Abs enabled specific recognition of the corresponding target antigenic molecules through the generation of color signals arising from the colorimetric reaction between the selected peroxidase substrate, 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB and H2O2. Based on the MNP-promoted colorimetric reaction, the target molecules were detected and quantified by measuring absorbance intensities corresponding to the oxidized form of TMB. Owing to the higher stabilities and economic feasibilities of MNPs as compared to horseradish peroxidase (HRP, the new colorimetric system employing MNP-Abs has the potential of serving as a potent immunoassay that should substitute for conventional HRP-based immunoassays. The strategy employed to develop the new methodology has the potential of being extended to the construction of simple diagnostic systems for a variety of biomolecules related to human cancers and infectious diseases, particularly in the realm of point-of-care applications.

  1. Visualizing Capsaicinoids: Colorimetric Analysis of Chili Peppers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Robert Q.; Chu, Christopher; Gent, Robin; Gould, Alexandra P.; Rios, Laura; Vertigan, Theresa M.

    2012-01-01

    A colorimetric method for total capsaicinoids in chili pepper ("Capsicum") fruit is described. The placental material of the pepper, containing 90% of the capsaicinoids, was physically separated from the colored materials in the pericarp and extracted twice with methanol, capturing 85% of the remaining capsaicinoids. The extract, evaporated and…

  2. Drift-insensitive distributed calibration of probe microscope scanner in nanometer range: Virtual mode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lapshin, Rostislav V.

    2016-08-01

    A method of distributed calibration of a probe microscope scanner is suggested. The main idea consists in a search for a net of local calibration coefficients (LCCs) in the process of automatic measurement of a standard surface, whereby each point of the movement space of the scanner can be characterized by a unique set of scale factors. Feature-oriented scanning (FOS) methodology is used as a basis for implementation of the distributed calibration permitting to exclude in situ the negative influence of thermal drift, creep and hysteresis on the obtained results. Possessing the calibration database enables correcting in one procedure all the spatial systematic distortions caused by nonlinearity, nonorthogonality and spurious crosstalk couplings of the microscope scanner piezomanipulators. To provide high precision of spatial measurements in nanometer range, the calibration is carried out using natural standards - constants of crystal lattice. One of the useful modes of the developed calibration method is a virtual mode. In the virtual mode, instead of measurement of a real surface of the standard, the calibration program makes a surface image ;measurement; of the standard, which was obtained earlier using conventional raster scanning. The application of the virtual mode permits simulation of the calibration process and detail analysis of raster distortions occurring in both conventional and counter surface scanning. Moreover, the mode allows to estimate the thermal drift and the creep velocities acting while surface scanning. Virtual calibration makes possible automatic characterization of a surface by the method of scanning probe microscopy (SPM).

  3. Comparison of macro-gravimetric and micro-colorimetric lipid determination methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inouye, Laura S; Lotufo, Guiherme R

    2006-10-15

    In order to validate a method for lipid analysis of small tissue samples, the standard macro-gravimetric method of Bligh-Dyer (1959) [E.G. Bligh, W.J. Dyer, Can. J. Biochem. Physiol. 37 (1959) 911] and a modification of the micro-colorimetric assay developed by Van Handel (1985) [E. Van Handel, J. Am. Mosq. Control Assoc. 1 (1985) 302] were compared. No significant differences were observed for wet tissues of two species of fish. However, limited analysis of wet tissue of the amphipod, Leptocheirusplumulosus, indicated that the Bligh-Dyer gravimetric method generated higher lipid values, most likely due to the inclusion of non-lipid materials. Additionally, significant differences between the methods were observed with dry tissues, with the micro-colorimetric method consistently reporting calculated lipid values greater than as reported by the gravimetric method. This was most likely due to poor extraction of dry tissue in the standard Bligh-Dyer method, as no significant differences were found when analyzing a single composite extract. The data presented supports the conclusion that the micro-colorimetric method described in this paper is accurate, rapid, and minimizes time and solvent use.

  4. EPMT: a portable transfer standard for telemetry system pressure-transducer calibration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasbrouck, R.T.

    1977-01-01

    The LLL developed electronic pressure meter (EPMT) is a portable static-pressure calibration instrument for use with the LLL telemetry transducer system at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). It is significantly more accurate and rugged than the bourdon-tube pressure gauge it replaces, and can be incorporated into a field-use, semi-automatic, pressure calibration system. The process by which a transducer is selected for EPMT use from the inventory of field-service-certified transducers and subjected to an extensive preconditioning and calibration procedure is described. By combining this unusual calibration procedure with a unique, statistically based data-reduction routine, the total uncertainty of the measuring process at each calibration point can be determined with high accuracy

  5. A single model procedure for tank calibration function estimation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    York, J.C.; Liebetrau, A.M.

    1995-01-01

    Reliable tank calibrations are a vital component of any measurement control and accountability program for bulk materials in a nuclear reprocessing facility. Tank volume calibration functions used in nuclear materials safeguards and accountability programs are typically constructed from several segments, each of which is estimated independently. Ideally, the segments correspond to structural features in the tank. In this paper the authors use an extension of the Thomas-Liebetrau model to estimate the entire calibration function in a single step. This procedure automatically takes significant run-to-run differences into account and yields an estimate of the entire calibration function in one operation. As with other procedures, the first step is to define suitable calibration segments. Next, a polynomial of low degree is specified for each segment. In contrast with the conventional practice of constructing a separate model for each segment, this information is used to set up the design matrix for a single model that encompasses all of the calibration data. Estimation of the model parameters is then done using conventional statistical methods. The method described here has several advantages over traditional methods. First, modeled run-to-run differences can be taken into account automatically at the estimation step. Second, no interpolation is required between successive segments. Third, variance estimates are based on all the data, rather than that from a single segment, with the result that discontinuities in confidence intervals at segment boundaries are eliminated. Fourth, the restrictive assumption of the Thomas-Liebetrau method, that the measured volumes be the same for all runs, is not required. Finally, the proposed methods are readily implemented using standard statistical procedures and widely-used software packages

  6. New generation in process-control colorimetric instrumentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ladson, Jack A.

    1992-08-01

    Colorimetric performance parameters (repeatability and reproducibility) of a new spectrophotometer/colorimeter manufactured by BYK-Gardner, Inc. are reported. The color- viewTM spectrophotometer (CVS) uses forty-five degree illumination and zero degree viewing geometry relative to the plane of the test specimen. The CVS is designed for the measurement of diffuse reflectance factor. It is designed to conform to national and international recommendations for Spectrophotometry and Colorimetry. Colorimetric performance was evaluated by measuring colored tiles manufactured by the British Ceramic Research Association (BCRA). Instrument repeatability was recorded after an hour, eight hours, and thirty days. Routine performance of the CVS shows that color difference repeatability over short and medium time periods is within 0.15 CIELAB color difference unit. The long term repeatability is within 0.4 unit. Reproducibility was evaluated by making color measurements on BCRA tiles with 54 instruments. Measurements made on CVS instruments indicate that its reproducibility is better than the reproducibility of product standards. Reproducibility is well within the requirement for industrial applications. Actually, the repeatability and reproducibility is comparable to that of reference instruments in national standardizing laboratories.

  7. Needle Decompression of Tension Pneumothorax with Colorimetric Capnography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naik, Nimesh D; Hernandez, Matthew C; Anderson, Jeff R; Ross, Erika K; Zielinski, Martin D; Aho, Johnathon M

    2017-11-01

    The success of needle decompression for tension pneumothorax is variable, and there are no objective measures assessing effective decompression. Colorimetric capnography, which detects carbon dioxide present within the pleural space, may serve as a simple test to assess effective needle decompression. Three swine underwent traumatically induced tension pneumothorax (standard of care, n = 15; standard of care with needle capnography, n = 15). Needle thoracostomy was performed with an 8-cm angiocatheter. Similarly, decompression was performed with the addition of colorimetric capnography. Subjective operator assessment of decompression was recorded and compared with true decompression, using thoracoscopic visualization for both techniques. Areas under receiver operating curves were calculated and pairwise comparison was performed to assess statistical significance (P pneumothorax, that is, the absence of any pathologic/space-occupying lesion, in 100% of cases (10 of 10 attempts). Standard of care needle decompression was detected by operators in 9 of 15 attempts (60%) and was detected in 3 of 10 attempts when tension pneumothorax was not present (30%). True decompression, under direct visualization with thoracoscopy, occurred 15 of 15 times (100%) with capnography, and 12 of 15 times (80%) without capnography. Areas under receiver operating curves were 0.65 for standard of care and 1.0 for needle capnography (P = .002). Needle decompression with colorimetric capnography provides a rapid, effective, and highly accurate method for eliminating operator bias for tension pneumothorax decompression. This may be useful for the treatment of this life-threatening condition. Copyright © 2017 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Colorimetric Characterization of Mobile Devices for Vision Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Fez, Dolores; Luque, Maria José; García-Domene, Maria Carmen; Camps, Vicente; Piñero, David

    2016-01-01

    Available applications for vision testing in mobile devices usually do not include detailed setup instructions, sacrificing rigor to obtain portability and ease of use. In particular, colorimetric characterization processes are generally obviated. We show that different mobile devices differ also in colorimetric profile and that those differences limit the range of applications for which they are most adequate. The color reproduction characteristics of four mobile devices, two smartphones (Samsung Galaxy S4, iPhone 4s) and two tablets (Samsung Galaxy Tab 3, iPad 4), have been evaluated using two procedures: 3D LUT (Look Up Table) and a linear model assuming primary constancy and independence of the channels. The color reproduction errors have been computed with the CIEDE2000 color difference formula. There is good constancy of primaries but large deviations of additivity. The 3D LUT characterization yields smaller reproduction errors and dispersions for the Tab 3 and iPhone 4 devices, but for the iPad 4 and S4, both models are equally good. The smallest reproduction errors occur with both Apple devices, although the iPad 4 has the highest number of outliers of all devices with both colorimetric characterizations. Even though there is good constancy of primaries, the large deviations of additivity exhibited by the devices and the larger reproduction errors make any characterization based on channel independence not recommendable. The smartphone screens show, in average, the best color reproduction performance, particularly the iPhone 4, and therefore, they are more adequate for applications requiring precise color reproduction.

  9. A smartphone colorimetric reader integrated with an ambient light sensor and a 3D printed attachment for on-site detection of zearalenone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yuan; Fu, Qiangqiang; Li, Dagang; Xie, Jun; Ke, Dongxu; Song, Qifang; Tang, Yong; Wang, Hong

    2017-11-01

    Smartphone biosensors could be cost-effective, portable instruments to be used for the readout of liquid colorimetric assays. However, current reported smartphone colorimetric readers have relied on photos of liquid assays captured using a camera, and then analyzed using software programs. This approach results in a relatively low accuracy and low generality. In this work, we reported a novel smartphone colorimetric reader that has been integrated with an ambient light sensor and a 3D printed attachment for the readout of liquid colorimetric assays. The portable and low-cost ($0.15) reader utilized a simplified electronic and light path design. Furthermore, our reported smartphone colorimetric reader can be compatible with different smartphones. As a proof of principle, the utility of this device was demonstrated using it in conjunction with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect zearalenone. Results were consistent with those obtained using a professional microplate reader. The developed smartphone colorimetric reader was capable of providing scalable, cost-effective, and accurate results for liquid colorimetric assays that related to clinical diagnoses, environment pollution, and food testing. Graphical abstract A novel smartphone colorimetric reader that has been integrated with an ambient light sensor and a 3D printed attachment for the readout of liquid colorimetric assays.

  10. Increased Automation in Stereo Camera Calibration Techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brandi House

    2006-08-01

    Full Text Available Robotic vision has become a very popular field in recent years due to the numerous promising applications it may enhance. However, errors within the cameras and in their perception of their environment can cause applications in robotics to fail. To help correct these internal and external imperfections, stereo camera calibrations are performed. There are currently many accurate methods of camera calibration available; however, most or all of them are time consuming and labor intensive. This research seeks to automate the most labor intensive aspects of a popular calibration technique developed by Jean-Yves Bouguet. His process requires manual selection of the extreme corners of a checkerboard pattern. The modified process uses embedded LEDs in the checkerboard pattern to act as active fiducials. Images are captured of the checkerboard with the LEDs on and off in rapid succession. The difference of the two images automatically highlights the location of the four extreme corners, and these corner locations take the place of the manual selections. With this modification to the calibration routine, upwards of eighty mouse clicks are eliminated per stereo calibration. Preliminary test results indicate that accuracy is not substantially affected by the modified procedure. Improved automation to camera calibration procedures may finally penetrate the barriers to the use of calibration in practice.

  11. Automatic calibration of spectrometer's tracts of installation for detecting of explosive materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lajkin, A.I.; Mozhaev, A.N.; Kozlovskij, S.A.

    2005-01-01

    Calibration of the facility, representing the spectrometer and intended for the explosive substances detection on various objects is considered. The above work is based on the method of the neutron-radiation analysis. Brief description of the operational prototype, the basic characteristics, the capturing radiation background spectrum with a sample of the nitrogen-containing substance and the example of the calibration straight line are presented. The method of control sums and advantages of its application at the facilities for the explosive substances detection are considered [ru

  12. Rapid colorimetric sensing of tetracycline antibiotics with in situ growth of gold nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Li; Chen, Jing; Li, Na; He, Pingli; Li, Zhen

    2014-08-11

    A colorimetric assay utilizing the formation of gold nanoparticles was developed to detect tetracycline antibiotics in fluidic samples. Tetracycline antibiotics showed the capability of directly reducing aurate salts into atomic gold which form gold nanoparticles spontaneously under proper conditions. The resulted gold nanoparticles showed characteristic plasmon absorbance at 526 nm, which can be visualized by naked eyes or with a spectrophotometer. UV-vis absorbance of the resulted gold nanoparticles is correlated directly with the concentrations of tetracycline antibiotics in the solution, allowing for quantitative colorimetric detection of tetracycline antibiotics. Reaction conditions, such as pH, temperature, reaction time, and ionic strength were optimized. Sensitivity of the colorimetric assay can be enhanced by the addition of gold nanoparticle seeds, a LOD as low as 20 ng mL(-1) can be achieved with the help of seed particles. The colorimetric assay showed minimum interference from ethanol, methanol, urea, glucose, and other antibiotics such as sulfonamides, amino glycosides etc. Validity of the method was also evaluated on urine samples spiked with tetracycline antibiotics. The method provides a broad spectrum detection method for rapid and sensitive detection of reductive substances such as tetracycline antibiotics in liquid and biological samples. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Photometric Calibration of Consumer Video Cameras

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suggs, Robert; Swift, Wesley, Jr.

    2007-01-01

    Equipment and techniques have been developed to implement a method of photometric calibration of consumer video cameras for imaging of objects that are sufficiently narrow or sufficiently distant to be optically equivalent to point or line sources. Heretofore, it has been difficult to calibrate consumer video cameras, especially in cases of image saturation, because they exhibit nonlinear responses with dynamic ranges much smaller than those of scientific-grade video cameras. The present method not only takes this difficulty in stride but also makes it possible to extend effective dynamic ranges to several powers of ten beyond saturation levels. The method will likely be primarily useful in astronomical photometry. There are also potential commercial applications in medical and industrial imaging of point or line sources in the presence of saturation.This development was prompted by the need to measure brightnesses of debris in amateur video images of the breakup of the Space Shuttle Columbia. The purpose of these measurements is to use the brightness values to estimate relative masses of debris objects. In most of the images, the brightness of the main body of Columbia was found to exceed the dynamic ranges of the cameras. A similar problem arose a few years ago in the analysis of video images of Leonid meteors. The present method is a refined version of the calibration method developed to solve the Leonid calibration problem. In this method, one performs an endto- end calibration of the entire imaging system, including not only the imaging optics and imaging photodetector array but also analog tape recording and playback equipment (if used) and any frame grabber or other analog-to-digital converter (if used). To automatically incorporate the effects of nonlinearity and any other distortions into the calibration, the calibration images are processed in precisely the same manner as are the images of meteors, space-shuttle debris, or other objects that one seeks to

  14. A simplified method of power calibration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, M.; Elliott, A.

    1974-01-01

    The Nuclear Reactor Facility, University of Missouri Rolla, has developed a unique method of power calibration for pool type reactors. Since water is incompressible it can be assumed that a rise in the water level of the pool while operating at power can be attributed to the heat input from the reactor core. Water level changes of a small magnitude are easily detectable. This method has proven to be less costly, less time consuming, and more reproducible than the conventional gold foil calibration, and has proven to be more accurate than a heat balance because several problems with heat flow through the walls and to the atmosphere are automatically compensated for with this method. The accuracy of this means of calibration depends upon the accuracy of the measurement of the water level and can normally be expected to be two to four percent. (author)

  15. A simplified method of power calibration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jones, M; Elliott, A [University of Missouri-Rolla (United States)

    1974-07-01

    The Nuclear Reactor Facility, University of Missouri Rolla, has developed a unique method of power calibration for pool type reactors. Since water is incompressible it can be assumed that a rise in the water level of the pool while operating at power can be attributed to the heat input from the reactor core. Water level changes of a small magnitude are easily detectable. This method has proven to be less costly, less time consuming, and more reproducible than the conventional gold foil calibration, and has proven to be more accurate than a heat balance because several problems with heat flow through the walls and to the atmosphere are automatically compensated for with this method. The accuracy of this means of calibration depends upon the accuracy of the measurement of the water level and can normally be expected to be two to four percent. (author)

  16. Colorimetric characterization of three wood species from the amazon forest

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sâmia Valéria dos Santos Barros

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to analyze wood color variability in the (radial, tangential and transversal anatomic sections of Breu-vermelho, Tauari-vermelho and Pequiarana species through quantitative colorimetry using CIELAB color system. Such species come from a forest sustainable area of Thousand Precious Woods Company, located in Itacoatiara in the Amazon region of Brazil. Five wood samples from each species were selected so as to determine the following colorimetric parameters: L*, a*, b*, C e h*. In addition, 225 measurements were carried out with Konica Minolta CM-5 spectrophotometer connected to the computer. Results pointed out to statistical differences in the colorimetric parameters and also a low saturation in a* in the analyzed species. According to the cluster gathering, Breu-vermelho wood presents olive and/or grayish pink color, Tauari-vermelho is pinkish-gray and Pequiarana is grayish-pink and/or pinkish-gray. Such species presented differences in color among the three anatomic sections cited above and were also influenced by the yellow color defined in b* parameter. To summarize, colorimetric analysis to establish wood color is a simple procedure which may be used from the sawing of the logs until their final exploitation enabling value aggregation to the final product.

  17. Automation is an Effective Way to Improve Quality of Verification (Calibration) of Measuring Instruments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golobokov, M.; Danilevich, S.

    2018-04-01

    In order to assess calibration reliability and automate such assessment, procedures for data collection and simulation study of thermal imager calibration procedure have been elaborated. The existing calibration techniques do not always provide high reliability. A new method for analyzing the existing calibration techniques and developing new efficient ones has been suggested and tested. A type of software has been studied that allows generating instrument calibration reports automatically, monitoring their proper configuration, processing measurement results and assessing instrument validity. The use of such software allows reducing man-hours spent on finalization of calibration data 2 to 5 times and eliminating a whole set of typical operator errors.

  18. Patient positioning with X-ray detector self-calibration for image guided therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Selby, B.P.; Sakas, G.; Stilla, U.; Groch, W.-D.

    2011-01-01

    Full text: Automatic alignment estimation from projection images has a range of applications, but misaligned cameras induce inaccuracies. Calibration methods for optical cameras requiring calibration bodies or detectable features have been a matter of research for years. Not so for image guided therapy, although exact patient pose recovery is crucial. To image patient anatomy, X-ray instead of optical equipment is used. Feature detection is often infeasible. Furthermore, a method not requiring a calibration body, usable during treatment, would be desirable to improve accuracy of the patient alignment. We present a novel approach not relying on image features but combining intensity based calibration with 3D pose recovery. A stereoscopic X-ray camera model is proposed, and effects of erroneous parameters on the patient alignment are evaluated. The relevant camera parameters are automatically computed by comparison of X-ray to CT images and are incorporated in the patient alignment computation. The methods were tested with ground truth data of an anatomic phantom with artificially produced misalignments and available real-patient images from a particle therapy machine. We show that our approach can compensate patient alignment errors through mis-calibration of a camera from more than 5 mm to below 0.2 mm. Usage of images with artificial noise shows that the method is robust against image degradation of 2-5%. X-ray camera sel calibration improves accuracy when cameras are misaligned. We could show that rigid body alignment was computed more accurately and that self-calibration is possible, even if detection of corresponding image features is not. (author)

  19. Development and validation of a colorimetric sensor array for fish spoilage monitoring

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Morsy, Mohamed K.; Zor, Kinga; Kostesha, Natalie

    2016-01-01

    their color changes in response to compounds present in fresh products (hexanal, 1-octane-3-ol) used as negative controls. The colorimetric sensor array was used to follow fish spoilage over time at room temperature for up to 24 h as well as at 4 °C for 9 days. Additionally, fish decay was monitored using......Given the need for non-destructive methods and sensors for food spoilage monitoring, we have evaluated sixteen chemo-sensitive compounds incorporated in an array for colorimetric detection of typical spoilage compounds (trimethylamine, dimethylamine, cadaverine, putrescine) and characterized...

  20. Colorimetric detection of ammonia using smartphones based on localized surface plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amirjani, Amirmostafa; Fatmehsari, Davoud Haghshenas

    2018-01-01

    In this work, a rapid and straightforward method was developed for colorimetric determination of ammonia using smartphones. The mechanisms is based on the manipulation of the surface plasmon band of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) via the formation of Ag (NH 3 ) 2 + complex. This complex decreases the amount of AgNPs in the solution and consequently, the color intensity of the colloidal system decreases. Not only the variation in color intensity of the solution can be tracked by a UV-vis spectrophotometer, but also a smartphone can be employed to monitor the color intensity variation by RGB analysis. Ammonia, in the concentration range of 10-1000mgL -1 , was successfully measured spectrophotometrically (UV-vis spectrophotometer) and colorimetrically (RGB measurement) with the detection limit of 180 and 200mgL -1 , respectively. Linear relationships were also developed for both methods. Also, the response time of the developed colorimetric sensor was around 20s. Both of the colorimetric and spectrophotometric methods showed a reliable performance for determination of ammonia in the real samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. A hardware-software system for the automation of verification and calibration of oil metering units secondary equipment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyarnikov, A. V.; Boyarnikova, L. V.; Kozhushko, A. A.; Sekachev, A. F.

    2017-08-01

    In the article the process of verification (calibration) of oil metering units secondary equipment is considered. The purpose of the work is to increase the reliability and reduce the complexity of this process by developing a software and hardware system that provides automated verification and calibration. The hardware part of this complex carries out the commutation of the measuring channels of the verified controller and the reference channels of the calibrator in accordance with the introduced algorithm. The developed software allows controlling the commutation of channels, setting values on the calibrator, reading the measured data from the controller, calculating errors and compiling protocols. This system can be used for checking the controllers of the secondary equipment of the oil metering units in the automatic verification mode (with the open communication protocol) or in the semi-automatic verification mode (without it). The peculiar feature of the approach used is the development of a universal signal switch operating under software control, which can be configured for various verification methods (calibration), which allows to cover the entire range of controllers of metering units secondary equipment. The use of automatic verification with the help of a hardware and software system allows to shorten the verification time by 5-10 times and to increase the reliability of measurements, excluding the influence of the human factor.

  2. Cost Effective Paper-Based Colorimetric Microfluidic Devices and Mobile Phone Camera Readers for the Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koesdjojo, Myra T.; Pengpumkiat, Sumate; Wu, Yuanyuan; Boonloed, Anukul; Huynh, Daniel; Remcho, Thomas P.; Remcho, Vincent T.

    2015-01-01

    We have developed a simple and direct method to fabricate paper-based microfluidic devices that can be used for a wide range of colorimetric assay applications. With these devices, assays can be performed within minutes to allow for quantitative colorimetric analysis by use of a widely accessible iPhone camera and an RGB color reader application…

  3. Novel real-time alignment and calibration of the LHCb detector in Run II

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Z., E-mail: zhirui.xu@epfl.ch; Tobin, M.

    2016-07-11

    An automatic real-time alignment and calibration strategy of the LHCb detector was developed for the Run II. Thanks to the online calibration, tighter event selection criteria can be used in the trigger. Furthermore, the online calibration facilitates the use of hadronic particle identification using the Ring Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detectors at the trigger level. The motivation for a real-time alignment and calibration of the LHCb detector is discussed from both the operational and physics performance points of view. Specific challenges of this novel configuration are discussed, as well as the working procedures of the framework and its performance.

  4. Novel real-time alignment and calibration of the LHCb detector in Run II

    CERN Document Server

    AUTHOR|(CDS)2086132; Tobin, Mark

    2016-01-01

    An automatic real-time alignment and calibration strategy of the LHCb detector was developed for the Run II. Thanks to the online calibration, tighter event selection criteria can be used in the trigger. Furthermore, the online calibration facilitates the use of hadronic particle identification using the Ring Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detectors at the trigger level. The motivation for a real-time alignment and calibration of the LHCb detector is discussed from both the operational and physics performance points of view. Specific challenges of this novel configuration are discussed, as well as the working procedures of the framework and its performance.

  5. Dual-Modal Colorimetric/Fluorescence Molecular Probe for Ratiometric Sensing of pH and Its Application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Luling; Li, Xiaolin; Huang, Chusen; Jia, Nengqin

    2016-08-16

    As traditional pH meters cannot work well for minute regions (such as subcellular organelles) and in harsh media, molecular pH-sensitive devices for monitoring pH changes in diverse local heterogeneous environments are urgently needed. Here, we report a new dual-modal colorimetric/fluorescence merocyanine-based molecular probe (CPH) for ratiometric sensing of pH. Compared with previously reported pH probes, CPH bearing the benzyl group at the nitrogen position of the indolium group and the phenol, which is used as the acceptor for proton, could respond to pH changes immediately through both the ratiometric fluorescence signal readout and naked-eye colorimetric observation. The sensing process was highly stable and reversible. Most importantly, the suitable pKa value (6.44) allows CPH to presumably accumulate in lysosomes and become a lysosome-target fluorescent probe. By using CPH, the intralysosomal pH fluctuation stimulated by antimalaria drug chloroquine was successfully tracked in live cells through the ratiometric fluorescence images. Additionally, CPH could be immobilized on test papers, which exhibited a rapid and reversible colorimetric response to acid/base vapor through the naked-eye colorimetric analysis. This proof-of-concept study presents the potential application of CPH as a molecular tool for monitoring intralysosomal pH fluctuation in live cells, as well as paves the way for developing the economic, reusable, and fast-response optical pH meters for colorimetric sensing acid/base vapor with direct naked-eye observation.

  6. Model Calibration in Watershed Hydrology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yilmaz, Koray K.; Vrugt, Jasper A.; Gupta, Hoshin V.; Sorooshian, Soroosh

    2009-01-01

    Hydrologic models use relatively simple mathematical equations to conceptualize and aggregate the complex, spatially distributed, and highly interrelated water, energy, and vegetation processes in a watershed. A consequence of process aggregation is that the model parameters often do not represent directly measurable entities and must, therefore, be estimated using measurements of the system inputs and outputs. During this process, known as model calibration, the parameters are adjusted so that the behavior of the model approximates, as closely and consistently as possible, the observed response of the hydrologic system over some historical period of time. This Chapter reviews the current state-of-the-art of model calibration in watershed hydrology with special emphasis on our own contributions in the last few decades. We discuss the historical background that has led to current perspectives, and review different approaches for manual and automatic single- and multi-objective parameter estimation. In particular, we highlight the recent developments in the calibration of distributed hydrologic models using parameter dimensionality reduction sampling, parameter regularization and parallel computing.

  7. The microculture tetrazolium assay (MTA): another colorimetric method of testing Plasmodium falciparum chemosensitivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delhaes, L; Lazaro, J E; Gay, F; Thellier, M; Danis, M

    1999-01-01

    Malarial lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), which uses 3-acetyl pyridine adenine dinucleotide as coenzyme in a reaction leading to the formation of pyruvate from L-lactate, may be used to study the susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to a drug in vitro. Several methods to determine the activity of this enzyme are available. One, the colorimetric method of Makler and colleagues, was modified slightly, by using sodium-2,3-bis-[2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulphophenyl]-2H-tetrazolium-5 - carboxanilide (XTT) and following the reaction by measuring the optical density at 450 nm. Using two, culture-adapted strains of P. falciparum, this LDH assay was compared with the unmodified Makler's assay and with the isotopic microtest based on the incorporation of tritium-labelled hypoxanthine. Fresh, clinical P. falciparum isolates were also tested in the presence of several drugs, including chloroquine, mefloquine, quinine, halofantrine, atovaquone and qinghaosu derivatives. The results of the three assays were correlated for all the drugs tested except atovaquone. The two enzymatic assays are non-radioactive, rapid, reliable, inexpensive to perform and semi-automatic. However, they do require an initial parasitaemia of 2% with a haematocrit of 1.8%.

  8. Efficient mass calibration of magnetic sector mass spectrometers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roddick, J.C.

    1996-01-01

    Magnetic sector mass spectrometers used for automatic acquisition of precise isotopic data are usually controlled with Hall probes and software that uses polynomial equations to define and calibrate the mass-field relations required for mass focusing. This procedure requires a number of reference masses and careful tuning to define and maintain an accurate mass calibration. A simplified equation is presented and applied to several different magnetically controlled mass spectrometers. The equation accounts for nonlinearity in typical Hall probe controlled mass-field relations, reduces calibration to a linear fitting procedure, and is sufficiently accurate to permit calibration over a mass range of 2 to 200 amu with only two defining masses. Procedures developed can quickly correct for normal drift in calibrations and compensate for drift during isotopic analysis over a limited mass range such as a single element. The equation is: Field A·Mass 1/2 + B·(Mass) p where A, B, and p are constants. The power value p has a characteristic value for a Hall probe/controller and is insensitive to changing conditions, thus reducing calibration to a linear regression to determine optimum A and B. (author). 1 ref., 1 tab., 6 figs

  9. Design, fabrication, installation and shielding integrity testing of source storage container for automatic source movement system used in TLD calibration facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Subramanian, V.; Baskar, S.; Annalakshmi, O.; Jose, M.T.; Jayshree, C.P.; Choudry, Shreelatha

    2012-01-01

    A state-of-art TLD laboratory has been commissioned in January 2000 at Radiological Safety Division of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR). The laboratory provides personnel monitoring service to 2000 occupational workers from Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre facilities. The laboratory has been accredited by the Radiation Safety Systems Division (RSSD), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) since year 2002. The laboratory has exclusive facility for the calibration of the TLD cards. As apart of accreditation procedure and taking into account of geometry effect, the dose rate at the card position is determined by the accreditation authorities by using graphite chamber (secondary or national standard instrument) and often re estimated by a condenser R meter (M/s Victoreen, Germany) by our laboratory. As per the regulatory requirement, the exposure protocols should be automated. Towards this an automatic source movement system has been augmented in the calibration facility. By using the system, the source will be brought to the irradiation position by pneumatically and exposures will be terminated by counter, timer and triggering system. To accomplish this task a lead container has been designed, fabricated and mounted at the beneath of the calibration table for the storage of source. As per the automation process, a lead container for the source storage has been designed and installed beneath to the Calibration Table. The container was designed to hold a 3Ci 137 Cs source, but present activity of the source is 1.2Ci. Hence, the shielding integrity was tested with higher active source (1.7Ci 60 Co). The dose rate measured outside on the circumference of the container at the middle of the source is found to be the same as calculated using QAD CGGP calculations. The top plug is so designed to avoid inadvertent upward movement of the source. Though, the shielding was not adequate on top of the top plug, however it does

  10. Colorimetric and sensory characteristics of fermented cured sausage with Brazilian ostrich meat addition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Pasqualin Cavalheiro

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the colorimetric and sensory characteristics of a fermented cured sausage containing ostrich meat (Struthio camelus and pork meat. Four treatments were performed: one with no ostrich meat (TC and the others containing 19.08 (T1, 38.34 (T2, and 57.60% (T3 of ostrich meat and pork meat. Colorimetric analyses were measuring L*, a*, b*, C*, and hº. Sensory analysis was conducted assessing color, aroma, flavor, and texture at the end of the sausages' processing. The sausages containing ostrich meat were statistically different from the control in the instrumental colorimetric analysis. In the sensory analysis, no significant differences were observed between the treatments for aroma, flavor, and texture. However, significant differences were found in the color of the sausages due to the high myoglobin content present in the ostrich meat, which resulted in a very dark color in the treatment with the highest percentage of this type of meat.

  11. Electrospun fibre colorimetric probe based on gold nanoparticles for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2014-11-20

    Nov 20, 2014 ... pump operated at a flow rate of 0.300 mℓ/h and a high-voltage power supply with a ..... Y (2012) A simple colorimetric sensor based on anti-aggregation of ... inside polystyrene domains dispersed in an epoxy matrix. Eur.

  12. Radiometer Calibration and Characterization (RCC) User's Manual: Windows Version 4.0

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andreas, Afshin M. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Wilcox, Stephen M. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2016-02-29

    The Radiometer Calibration and Characterization (RCC) software is a data acquisition and data archival system for performing Broadband Outdoor Radiometer Calibrations (BORCAL). RCC provides a unique method of calibrating broadband atmospheric longwave and solar shortwave radiometers using techniques that reduce measurement uncertainty and better characterize a radiometer's response profile. The RCC software automatically monitors and controls many of the components that contribute to uncertainty in an instrument's responsivity. This is a user's manual and guide to the RCC software.

  13. Automatic analyzing device for chlorine ion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugibayashi, Shinji; Morikawa, Yoshitake; Fukase, Kazuo; Kashima, Hiromasa.

    1997-01-01

    The present invention provides a device of automatically analyzing a trance amount of chlorine ions contained in feedwater, condensate and reactor water of a BWR type power plant. Namely, zero-adjustment or span calibration in this device is conducted as follows. (1) A standard chlorine ion liquid is supplied from a tank to a mixer by a constant volume pump, and the liquid is diluted and mixed with purified water to form a standard liquid. (2) The pH of the standard liquid is adjusted by a pH adjuster. (3) The standard liquid is supplied to an electrode cell to conduct zero adjustment or span calibration. Chlorine ions in a specimen are measured by the device of the present invention as follows. (1) The specimen is supplied to a head tank through a line filter. (2) The pH of the specimen is adjusted by a pH adjuster. (3) The specimen is supplied to an electrode cell to electrically measure the concentration of the chlorine ions in the specimen. The device of the present invention can automatically analyze trance amount of chlorine ions at a high accuracy, thereby capable of improving the sensitivity, reducing an operator's burden and radiation exposure. (I.S.)

  14. Long Baseline Stereovision for Automatic Detection and Ranging of Moving Objects in the Night Sky

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vlad Turcu

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available As the number of objects in Earth’s atmosphere and in low Earth orbit is continuously increasing; accurate surveillance of these objects has become important. This paper presents a generic, low cost sky surveillance system based on stereovision. Two cameras are placed 37 km apart and synchronized by a GPS-controlled external signal. The intrinsic camera parameters are calibrated before setup in the observation position, the translation vectors are determined from the GPS coordinates and the rotation matrices are continuously estimated using an original automatic calibration methodology based on following known stars. The moving objects in the sky are recognized as line segments in the long exposure images, using an automatic detection and classification algorithm based on image processing. The stereo correspondence is based on the epipolar geometry and is performed automatically using the image detection results. The resulting experimental system is able to automatically detect moving objects such as planes, meteors and Low Earth Orbit satellites, and measure their 3D position in an Earth-bound coordinate system.

  15. Passive Leak Detection Using Commercial Hydrogen Colorimetric Indicator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hartmann, Kevin [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Buttner, William [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Burgess, Robert [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Rivkin, Carl [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2016-09-01

    Element One, Inc. (www.elem.com), a small business with in Boulder, CO, has been developing hydrogen detection technology based upon a highly selective colorimetric indicator. In its native state, the indicator pigment is a pale gray color, but becomes black upon exposure to hydrogen. The colorimetric change can be readily observed by the naked eye without the need for supplemental electronics or other hardware. Recently, the colorimetric indicator was integrated into a pliable, self-adhesive tape that can readily wrap around pneumatic fittings to serve as a hydrogen leak detector. A prototype version of the Element One indicator tape was tested within an NREL hydrogen system and successfully identified the unexpected presence of a small leak; a summary document for this case study is presented in Appendix 1. The tape was subsequently configured into 10-foot rolls as a product prototype that has just recently been commercialized and marketed under the tradename DetecTape(R). Figure 1 shows the commercial version of DetecTape along with an indicator sample in its native state and one that had been exposed to hydrogen. DetecTape is a self-adhesive silicone-based tape impregnated with a proprietary hydrogen-sensitive indicator based on transition metal oxides. A length of the tape can be cut from the roll and stretched by a factor of two or three times around a fitting. Due to the self-adhesive property of the tape, this provides a tight seal around the fitting. The seal is not hermetic, and is not intended to prevent the release of a leaking gas. However, a portion of the hydrogen leaking from a wrapped fitting will pass through the tape and react with the active indicator impregnated within the tape, thereby inducing blackening.

  16. A colorimetric tetrathiafulvalene-calix 4 pyrrole anion sensor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, K. A.

    2012-01-01

    The interaction and colorimetric sensing properties of a tetrathiafulvalene substituted calix[4]pyrrole sensor with anions were investigated using H-1 NMR and absorption spectroscopic techniques. Visual color changes were observed upon addition of different anions (Cl-, Br-, CN-, and Ac......O-) to a solution of the sensor. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved....

  17. Relationship between colorimetric (instrumental) evaluation and consumer-defined beef colour acceptability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holman, Benjamin W B; Mao, Yanwei; Coombs, Cassius E O; van de Ven, Remy J; Hopkins, David L

    2016-11-01

    The relationship between instrumental colorimetric values (L*, a*, b*, the ratio of reflectance at 630nm and 580nm) and consumer perception of acceptable beef colour was evaluated using a web-based survey and standardised photographs of beef m. longissimus lumborum with known colorimetrics. Only L* and b* were found to relate to average consumer opinions of beef colour acceptability. Respondent nationality was also identified as a source of variation in beef colour acceptability score. Although this is a preliminary study with the findings necessitating additional investigation, these results suggest L* and b* as candidates for developing instrumental thresholds for consumer beef colour expectations. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. The study of new calibration features in the Harshaw TLD system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo, L.Z.

    2005-01-01

    Full text: In the Harshaw TLD system, there are three key calibration procedures; the reader, the dosimeter and the algorithm. These procedures must be properly calibrated for the system to achieve the optimum results. For the conventional reader and dosimeter calibration, Harshaw recommends a pre-fade and a post-fade of 24 - 48 hours when calibrating the system. Harshaw also emphasizes that keeping the fade time consistent is important to maintain the quality of the system performance. In recent years, new calibration features have been introduced into the operating system. These new features are auto calibration, auto QC and auto blank, and they give the user the ability to set up the clear-expose-read performed automatically in a sequence for each dosimeter. This saves processing time and keeps the fade time the same. However, since the fade time is near zero, will it affect the TLD system calibration factors? What should the user expect? This paper presents a study of the effect of auto calibration / auto QC to the TLD operation. (author)

  19. Application of Chemometric Techniques to Colorimetric Data in Classifying Automobile Paint

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nur Awatif Rosli; Rozita Osman; Norashikin Saim; Mohd Zuli Jaafar

    2015-01-01

    The analysis of paint chips is of great interest to forensic investigators, particularly in the examination of hit-and run cases. This study proposes a direct and rapid method in classifying automobile paint samples based on colorimetric data sets; absorption value, reflectance value, luminosity value (L), degree of redness (a) and degree of yellowness (b) obtained from video spectral comparator (VSC) technique. A total of 42 automobile paint samples from 7 manufacturers were analysed. The colorimetric datasets obtained from VSC analysis were subjected to chemometric technique namely cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA). Based on CA, 5 clusters were generated; Cluster 1 consisted of silver color, cluster 2 consisted of white color, cluster 3 consisted of blue and black colors, cluster 4 consisted of red color and cluster 5 consisted of light blue color. PCA resulted in two latent factors explaining 95.58 % of the total variance, enabled to group the 42 automobile paints into five groups. Chemometric application on colorimetric datasets provide meaningful classification of automobile paints based on their tone colour (L, a, b) and light intensity These approaches have the potential to ease the interpretation of complex spectral data involving a large number of comparisons. (author)

  20. A highly sensitive and selective aptamer-based colorimetric sensor for the rapid detection of PCB 77.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Ruojie; Liu, Siyao; Shi, Huijie; Zhao, Guohua

    2018-01-05

    A highly sensitive, specific and simple colorimetric sensor based on aptamer was established for the detection of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB 77). The use of unmodified gold nanoparticles as a colorimetric probe for aptamer sensors enabled the highly sensitive and selective detection of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB 77). A linear range of 0.5nM to 900nM was obtained for the colorimetric assay with a minimum detection limit of 0.05nM. In addition, by the methods of circular dichroism, UV and naked eyes, we found that the 35 base fragments retained after cutting 5 bases from the 5 'end of aptamer plays the most significant role in the PCB 77 specific recognition process. We found a novel way to truncated nucleotides to optimize the detection of PCB 77, and the selected nucleotides also could achieve high affinity with PCB 77. At the same time, the efficient detection of the PCB 77 by our colorimetric sensor in the complex environmental water samples was realized, which shows a good application prospect. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Development report: Automatic System Test and Calibration (ASTAC) equipment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thoren, R. J.

    1981-01-01

    A microcomputer based automatic test system was developed for the daily performance monitoring of wind energy system time domain (WEST) analyzer. The test system consists of a microprocessor based controller and hybrid interface unit which are used for inputing prescribed test signals into all WEST subsystems and for monitoring WEST responses to these signals. Performance is compared to theoretically correct performance levels calculated off line on a large general purpose digital computer. Results are displayed on a cathode ray tube or are available from a line printer. Excessive drift and/or lack of repeatability of the high speed analog sections within WEST is easily detected and the malfunctioning hardware identified using this system.

  2. Detection of proteins using a colorimetric bio-barcode assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nam, Jwa-Min; Jang, Kyung-Jin; Groves, Jay T

    2007-01-01

    The colorimetric bio-barcode assay is a red-to-blue color change-based protein detection method with ultrahigh sensitivity. This assay is based on both the bio-barcode amplification method that allows for detecting miniscule amount of targets with attomolar sensitivity and gold nanoparticle-based colorimetric DNA detection method that allows for a simple and straightforward detection of biomolecules of interest (here we detect interleukin-2, an important biomarker (cytokine) for many immunodeficiency-related diseases and cancers). The protocol is composed of the following steps: (i) conjugation of target capture molecules and barcode DNA strands onto silica microparticles, (ii) target capture with probes, (iii) separation and release of barcode DNA strands from the separated probes, (iv) detection of released barcode DNA using DNA-modified gold nanoparticle probes and (v) red-to-blue color change analysis with a graphic software. Actual target detection and quantification steps with premade probes take approximately 3 h (whole protocol including probe preparations takes approximately 3 days).

  3. Mobile micro-colorimeter and micro-spectrometer sensor modules as enablers for the replacement of subjective inspections by objective measurements for optically clear colored liquids in-field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dittrich, Paul-Gerald; Grunert, Fred; Ehehalt, Jörg; Hofmann, Dietrich

    2015-03-01

    Aim of the paper is to show that the colorimetric characterization of optically clear colored liquids can be performed with different measurement methods and their application specific multichannel spectral sensors. The possible measurement methods are differentiated by the applied types of multichannel spectral sensors and therefore by their spectral resolution, measurement speed, measurement accuracy and measurement costs. The paper describes how different types of multichannel spectral sensors are calibrated with different types of calibration methods and how the measurement values can be used for further colorimetric calculations. The different measurement methods and the different application specific calibration methods will be explained methodically and theoretically. The paper proofs that and how different multichannel spectral sensor modules with different calibration methods can be applied with smartpads for the calculation of measurement results both in laboratory and in field. A given practical example is the application of different multichannel spectral sensors for the colorimetric characterization of petroleum oils and fuels and their colorimetric characterization by the Saybolt color scale.

  4. Manual calibration of liquid scintillation counter using the channel ratio technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moussa, H.M.; Townsend, L.; Miller, L.F.

    1999-01-01

    The objectives of this activity are to introduce students to liquid scintillation counting and to calibrate the counter using the sample channel ratio technique. This is accomplished by using quenched standards set for 14 C and tritium ( 3 H) to generate a quench correction curve for the scintillation solution. It is a good method for students to gain a detailed understanding of issues important to manual calibration of a liquid scintillation counter, and results can be compared with a built-in automatic method

  5. An integrated calibration system for liquid argon calorimetry

    CERN Document Server

    Marschalkowski, E; Mense, T; Nürnberger, H A; Schäfer, U

    1999-01-01

    A novel technical solution for an integrated version of the pulse generator of a calibration system for liquid argon calorimeters is presented. It consists of a differential amplifier with automatic offset compensation, a current mirror and a switching logic. These components are integrated on an ASIC chip in CMOS technology. The technical realisation as well as results on the performance are presented. (author)

  6. A sensitive method for determining total vanadium in water samples using colorimetric-solid-phase extraction-fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Filik, Hayati; Yanaz, Zeynep

    2009-01-01

    A selective colorimetric-solid-phase extraction (C-SPE) method for the determination of total vanadium in water samples was developed. This method introduced a new variation of C-SPE. The colour reaction is based on the reaction of vanadium(V) ternary complex formed with 1-(2-Pyridylazo)-2-naphtol (PAN) in the presence hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). In this technique, the target analytes in samples are extracted onto solid matrix loaded with a colorimetric reagent and then quantified directly on the adsorbent surface by using a miniature fiber optic reflectance spectrometer. The measurements were carried out at a wavelength of 589.4 nm since it yielded the largest divergence different in reflectance spectra before and after reaction with the vanadium. The overall time required for the C-SPE procedure was ∼20 min. The amount of concentrated V is then determined in a few seconds by using miniature reflectance spectrometer. At the optimal conditions, a calibration curve was constructed, revealing a linear range of 0.05-0.52 mg L -1 and a detection limit as low as 0.01 mg L -1 while the RSD lower than 2.8%. In order to verify the accuracy of the method, a certified reference water samples (TMDA) were analysed and the results obtained were in good agreement with the certified values. The proposed method was applied to the determination of vanadium in tap water, seawater samples with a recovery for the spiked samples in the range of 98-102%.

  7. Efficient mass calibration of magnetic sector mass spectrometers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roddick, J C

    1997-12-31

    Magnetic sector mass spectrometers used for automatic acquisition of precise isotopic data are usually controlled with Hall probes and software that uses polynomial equations to define and calibrate the mass-field relations required for mass focusing. This procedure requires a number of reference masses and careful tuning to define and maintain an accurate mass calibration. A simplified equation is presented and applied to several different magnetically controlled mass spectrometers. The equation accounts for nonlinearity in typical Hall probe controlled mass-field relations, reduces calibration to a linear fitting procedure, and is sufficiently accurate to permit calibration over a mass range of 2 to 200 amu with only two defining masses. Procedures developed can quickly correct for normal drift in calibrations and compensate for drift during isotopic analysis over a limited mass range such as a single element. The equation is: Field A{center_dot}Mass{sup 1/2} + B{center_dot}(Mass){sup p} where A, B, and p are constants. The power value p has a characteristic value for a Hall probe/controller and is insensitive to changing conditions, thus reducing calibration to a linear regression to determine optimum A and B. (author). 1 ref., 1 tab., 6 figs.

  8. Colorimetric detection of Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus using unmodified gold nanoparticles as colorimetric probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lin; Liu, Zhanmin; Xia, Xueying; Yang, Cuiyun; Huang, Junyi; Wan, Sibao

    2017-05-01

    Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV)causes a severe mosaic symptom of watermelon and cucumber, and can be transmitted via infected cucumber seeds, leaves and soil. It remains a challenge to detect this virus to prevent its introduction and infection and spread in fields. For this purpose, a simple and sensitive label-free colorimetric detection method for CGMMV has been developed with unmodified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as colorimetric probes. The method is based on the finding that the presence of RT-PCR target products of CGMMV and species-specific probes results in color change of AuNPs from red to blue after NaCl induction. Normally, species-specific probes attach to the surface of AuNPs and thereby increasing their resistance to NaCl-induced aggregation. The concentration of sodium, probes in the reaction system and evaluation of specificity and sensitivity of a novel assay, visual detection of Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus using unmodified AuNPs has been carried out with simple preparation of samples in our study. Through this assay, as low as 30pg/μL of CGMMV RNA was thus detected visually, by the naked eye, without the need for any sophisticated, expensive instrumentation and biochemical reagents. The specificity was 100% and exhibited good reproducibility in our assays. The results note that this assay is highly species-specific, simple, low-cost, and visual for easy detection of CGMMV in plant tissues. Therefore, visual assay is a potentially useful tool for middle or small-scales corporations and entry-exit inspection and quarantine bureau to detect CGMMV in cucumber seeds or plant tissues. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Self Calibrating Flow Estimation in Waste Water Pumping Stations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kallesøe, Carsten Skovmose; Knudsen, Torben

    2016-01-01

    Knowledge about where waste water is flowing in waste water networks is essential to optimize the operation of the network pumping stations. However, installation of flow sensors is expensive and requires regular maintenance. This paper proposes an alternative approach where the pumps and the waste...... water pit are used for estimating both the inflow and the pump flow of the pumping station. Due to the nature of waste water, the waste water pumps are heavily affected by wear and tear. To compensate for the wear of the pumps, the pump parameters, used for the flow estimation, are automatically...... calibrated. This calibration is done based on data batches stored at each pump cycle, hence makes the approach a self calibrating system. The approach is tested on a pumping station operating in a real waste water network....

  10. Improved colorimetric determination of serum zinc.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, D J; Djuh, Y Y; Bruton, J; Williams, H L

    1977-07-01

    We show how zinc may easily be quantified in serum by first using an optimum concentration of guanidine hydrochloride to cause release of zinc from proteins, followed by complexation of released metals with cyanide. The cyanide complex of zinc is preferentially demasked with chloral hydrate, followed by a colorimetric reaction between zinc and 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol. This is a sensitive water-soluble ligand; its complex with zinc has an absorption maximum at 497 nm. Values found by this technique compare favorably with those obtained by atomic absorption spectroscopy.

  11. PFMCal : Photonic force microscopy calibration extended for its application in high-frequency microrheology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butykai, A.; Domínguez-García, P.; Mor, F. M.; Gaál, R.; Forró, L.; Jeney, S.

    2017-11-01

    The present document is an update of the previously published MatLab code for the calibration of optical tweezers in the high-resolution detection of the Brownian motion of non-spherical probes [1]. In this instance, an alternative version of the original code, based on the same physical theory [2], but focused on the automation of the calibration of measurements using spherical probes, is outlined. The new added code is useful for high-frequency microrheology studies, where the probe radius is known but the viscosity of the surrounding fluid maybe not. This extended calibration methodology is automatic, without the need of a user's interface. A code for calibration by means of thermal noise analysis [3] is also included; this is a method that can be applied when using viscoelastic fluids if the trap stiffness is previously estimated [4]. The new code can be executed in MatLab and using GNU Octave. Program Files doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/s59f3gz729.1 Licensing provisions: GPLv3 Programming language: MatLab 2016a (MathWorks Inc.) and GNU Octave 4.0 Operating system: Linux and Windows. Supplementary material: A new document README.pdf includes basic running instructions for the new code. Journal reference of previous version: Computer Physics Communications, 196 (2015) 599 Does the new version supersede the previous version?: No. It adds alternative but compatible code while providing similar calibration factors. Nature of problem (approx. 50-250 words): The original code uses a MatLab-provided user's interface, which is not available in GNU Octave, and cannot be used outside of a proprietary software as MatLab. Besides, the process of calibration when using spherical probes needs an automatic method when calibrating big amounts of different data focused to microrheology. Solution method (approx. 50-250 words): The new code can be executed in the latest version of MatLab and using GNU Octave, a free and open-source alternative to MatLab. This code generates an

  12. A novel PET camera calibration method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yerian, K.; Hartz, R.K.; Gaeta, J.M.; Marani, S.; Wong, W.H.; Bristow, D.; Mullani, N.A.

    1985-01-01

    Reconstructed time-of-flight PET images must be corrected for differences in the sensitivity of detector pairs, variations in the TOF gain between groups of detector pairs, and for shifts in the detector-pair timing windows. These calibration values are measured for each detector-pair coincidence line using a positron emitting ring source. The quality of the measured value for a detector pair depends on its statistics. To improve statistics, algorithms are developed which derive individual detector calibration values for efficiency, TOF offsets, and TOF fwhm from the raw detector-pair measurements. For the author's current TOFPET system there are 162,000 detector pairs which are reduced to 720 individual detector values. The data for individual detectors are subsequently recombined, improving the statistical quality of the resultant detector-pair values. In addition, storage requirements are significantly reduced by saving the individual detector values. These parameters are automatically evaluated on a routine basis and problem detectors reported for adjustment or replacement. Decomposing the detector-pair measurements into individual detector values significantly improves the calibration values used to correct camera artifacts in PET imaging

  13. Automatic Setting Procedure for Exoskeleton-Assisted Overground Gait: Proof of Concept on Stroke Population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta Gandolla

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Stroke-related locomotor impairments are often associated with abnormal timing and intensity of recruitment of the affected and non-affected lower limb muscles. Restoring the proper lower limbs muscles activation is a key factor to facilitate recovery of gait capacity and performance, and to reduce maladaptive plasticity. Ekso is a wearable powered exoskeleton robot able to support over-ground gait training. The user controls the exoskeleton by triggering each single step during the gait cycle. The fine-tuning of the exoskeleton control system is crucial—it is set according to the residual functional abilities of the patient, and it needs to ensure lower limbs powered gait to be the most physiological as possible. This work focuses on the definition of an automatic calibration procedure able to detect the best Ekso setting for each patient. EMG activity has been recorded from Tibialis Anterior, Soleus, Rectus Femoris, and Semitendinosus muscles in a group of 7 healthy controls and 13 neurological patients. EMG signals have been processed so to obtain muscles activation patterns. The mean muscular activation pattern derived from the controls cohort has been set as reference. The developed automatic calibration procedure requires the patient to perform overground walking trials supported by the exoskeleton while changing parameters setting. The Gait Metric index is calculated for each trial, where the closer the performance is to the normative muscular activation pattern, in terms of both relative amplitude and timing, the higher the Gait Metric index is. The trial with the best Gait Metric index corresponds to the best parameters set. It has to be noted that the automatic computational calibration procedure is based on the same number of overground walking trials, and the same experimental set-up as in the current manual calibration procedure. The proposed approach allows supporting the rehabilitation team in the setting procedure. It has been

  14. Automatic Setting Procedure for Exoskeleton-Assisted Overground Gait: Proof of Concept on Stroke Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gandolla, Marta; Guanziroli, Eleonora; D'Angelo, Andrea; Cannaviello, Giovanni; Molteni, Franco; Pedrocchi, Alessandra

    2018-01-01

    Stroke-related locomotor impairments are often associated with abnormal timing and intensity of recruitment of the affected and non-affected lower limb muscles. Restoring the proper lower limbs muscles activation is a key factor to facilitate recovery of gait capacity and performance, and to reduce maladaptive plasticity. Ekso is a wearable powered exoskeleton robot able to support over-ground gait training. The user controls the exoskeleton by triggering each single step during the gait cycle. The fine-tuning of the exoskeleton control system is crucial-it is set according to the residual functional abilities of the patient, and it needs to ensure lower limbs powered gait to be the most physiological as possible. This work focuses on the definition of an automatic calibration procedure able to detect the best Ekso setting for each patient. EMG activity has been recorded from Tibialis Anterior, Soleus, Rectus Femoris, and Semitendinosus muscles in a group of 7 healthy controls and 13 neurological patients. EMG signals have been processed so to obtain muscles activation patterns. The mean muscular activation pattern derived from the controls cohort has been set as reference. The developed automatic calibration procedure requires the patient to perform overground walking trials supported by the exoskeleton while changing parameters setting. The Gait Metric index is calculated for each trial, where the closer the performance is to the normative muscular activation pattern, in terms of both relative amplitude and timing, the higher the Gait Metric index is. The trial with the best Gait Metric index corresponds to the best parameters set. It has to be noted that the automatic computational calibration procedure is based on the same number of overground walking trials, and the same experimental set-up as in the current manual calibration procedure. The proposed approach allows supporting the rehabilitation team in the setting procedure. It has been demonstrated to be

  15. Automatic Setting Procedure for Exoskeleton-Assisted Overground Gait: Proof of Concept on Stroke Population

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gandolla, Marta; Guanziroli, Eleonora; D'Angelo, Andrea; Cannaviello, Giovanni; Molteni, Franco; Pedrocchi, Alessandra

    2018-01-01

    Stroke-related locomotor impairments are often associated with abnormal timing and intensity of recruitment of the affected and non-affected lower limb muscles. Restoring the proper lower limbs muscles activation is a key factor to facilitate recovery of gait capacity and performance, and to reduce maladaptive plasticity. Ekso is a wearable powered exoskeleton robot able to support over-ground gait training. The user controls the exoskeleton by triggering each single step during the gait cycle. The fine-tuning of the exoskeleton control system is crucial—it is set according to the residual functional abilities of the patient, and it needs to ensure lower limbs powered gait to be the most physiological as possible. This work focuses on the definition of an automatic calibration procedure able to detect the best Ekso setting for each patient. EMG activity has been recorded from Tibialis Anterior, Soleus, Rectus Femoris, and Semitendinosus muscles in a group of 7 healthy controls and 13 neurological patients. EMG signals have been processed so to obtain muscles activation patterns. The mean muscular activation pattern derived from the controls cohort has been set as reference. The developed automatic calibration procedure requires the patient to perform overground walking trials supported by the exoskeleton while changing parameters setting. The Gait Metric index is calculated for each trial, where the closer the performance is to the normative muscular activation pattern, in terms of both relative amplitude and timing, the higher the Gait Metric index is. The trial with the best Gait Metric index corresponds to the best parameters set. It has to be noted that the automatic computational calibration procedure is based on the same number of overground walking trials, and the same experimental set-up as in the current manual calibration procedure. The proposed approach allows supporting the rehabilitation team in the setting procedure. It has been demonstrated to be

  16. Robot calibration with a photogrammetric on-line system using reseau scanning cameras

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diewald, Bernd; Godding, Robert; Henrich, Andreas

    1994-03-01

    The possibility for testing and calibration of industrial robots becomes more and more important for manufacturers and users of such systems. Exacting applications in connection with the off-line programming techniques or the use of robots as measuring machines are impossible without a preceding robot calibration. At the LPA an efficient calibration technique has been developed. Instead of modeling the kinematic behavior of a robot, the new method describes the pose deviations within a user-defined section of the robot's working space. High- precision determination of 3D coordinates of defined path positions is necessary for calibration and can be done by digital photogrammetric systems. For the calibration of a robot at the LPA a digital photogrammetric system with three Rollei Reseau Scanning Cameras was used. This system allows an automatic measurement of a large number of robot poses with high accuracy.

  17. The study of new calibration features in the Harshaw TLD system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo, L. Z.

    2007-01-01

    The Harshaw TLD system has three key calibration procedures: the Reader, the Dosemeter and the Algorithm. These functions must be properly calibrated for the system to achieve the optimum results. For the conventional reader and dosemeter calibration, Harshaw TLD recommends a pre-fade and a post-fade of 24-48 h when calibrating the system for LiF:Mg,Ti type dosemeter. It is also recommended that keeping the fade time consistent is important to maintain the quality of the system performance. In recent years, new calibration features have been introduced into the Harshaw TLD models 6600 and 8800 operating systems. These new features are Auto Calibration, Auto QC and Auto Blank, and they give the user the ability to set up the clear-expose-read process to be performed automatically in a sequence for each dosemeter. This saves processing time and keeps the fade time the same. However, since the fade time is near zero, will it affect the TLD system calibration factors? What should the user expect? This paper presents a study of the effect of Auto Calibration/Auto QC to the TLD operation. (authors)

  18. Application of heuristic and machine-learning approach to engine model calibration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Jie; Ryu, Kwang R.; Newman, C. E.; Davis, George C.

    1993-03-01

    Automation of engine model calibration procedures is a very challenging task because (1) the calibration process searches for a goal state in a huge, continuous state space, (2) calibration is often a lengthy and frustrating task because of complicated mutual interference among the target parameters, and (3) the calibration problem is heuristic by nature, and often heuristic knowledge for constraining a search cannot be easily acquired from domain experts. A combined heuristic and machine learning approach has, therefore, been adopted to improve the efficiency of model calibration. We developed an intelligent calibration program called ICALIB. It has been used on a daily basis for engine model applications, and has reduced the time required for model calibrations from many hours to a few minutes on average. In this paper, we describe the heuristic control strategies employed in ICALIB such as a hill-climbing search based on a state distance estimation function, incremental problem solution refinement by using a dynamic tolerance window, and calibration target parameter ordering for guiding the search. In addition, we present the application of a machine learning program called GID3* for automatic acquisition of heuristic rules for ordering target parameters.

  19. Developing and Demonstrating an Augmented Reality Colorimetric Titration Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tee, Nicholas Yee Kwang; Gan, Hong Seng; Li, Jonathan; Cheong, Brandon Huey-Ping; Tan, Han Yen; Liew, Oi Wah; Ng, Tuck Wah

    2018-01-01

    The handling of chemicals in the laboratory presents a challenge in instructing large class sizes and when students are relatively new to the laboratory environment. In this work, we describe and demonstrate an augmented reality colorimetric titration tool that operates out of the smartphone or tablet of students. It allows multiple students to…

  20. Robust multi-objective calibration strategies – possibilities for improving flood forecasting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. H. Schmitz

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Process-oriented rainfall-runoff models are designed to approximate the complex hydrologic processes within a specific catchment and in particular to simulate the discharge at the catchment outlet. Most of these models exhibit a high degree of complexity and require the determination of various parameters by calibration. Recently, automatic calibration methods became popular in order to identify parameter vectors with high corresponding model performance. The model performance is often assessed by a purpose-oriented objective function. Practical experience suggests that in many situations one single objective function cannot adequately describe the model's ability to represent any aspect of the catchment's behaviour. This is regardless of whether the objective is aggregated of several criteria that measure different (possibly opposite aspects of the system behaviour. One strategy to circumvent this problem is to define multiple objective functions and to apply a multi-objective optimisation algorithm to identify the set of Pareto optimal or non-dominated solutions. Nonetheless, there is a major disadvantage of automatic calibration procedures that understand the problem of model calibration just as the solution of an optimisation problem: due to the complex-shaped response surface, the estimated solution of the optimisation problem can result in different near-optimum parameter vectors that can lead to a very different performance on the validation data. Bárdossy and Singh (2008 studied this problem for single-objective calibration problems using the example of hydrological models and proposed a geometrical sampling approach called Robust Parameter Estimation (ROPE. This approach applies the concept of data depth in order to overcome the shortcomings of automatic calibration procedures and find a set of robust parameter vectors. Recent studies confirmed the effectivity of this method. However, all ROPE approaches published so far just identify

  1. A Colorimetric Method for the Determination of the Exhaustion Level of Granular Activated Carbons Used in Rum Production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harold Crespo Sariol

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Spectrophotometric measurement applied on saturated granular activated carbon (GAC is not yet explored. A colorimetric method in the visible range has been developed in order to determine the exhaustion level of GAC used in rum production. Aqueous ammonia solution has been used as an indicative agent to determine the extraction rate of taste compounds within the rum production process and the exhaustion degree of the GAC. The colorimetric results showed excellent correlation with the iodine number and the contact pH. The proposed colorimetric method opens possibilities for rum producers to improve the management and economical use of the activated carbon at the industrial scale.

  2. Calibration and study of the measurement capabilities of real-time gamma spectrometry equipment developed for the renewal of the network of stations automatic monitoring environmental radiation of the Generalitat of Catalunya

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Casanovas, R.; Prieto, E.; Salvado, M.

    2014-01-01

    The renewal of the automatic environmental radiation surveillance network of the Generalitat of Catalunya has been carried out through the development and implementation of gamma-spectrometry-based equipment. the monitors use scintillation crystals, either Na(TI) or LaBr 3 (Ce) and currently, there are 3 types of equipment water radioactivity monitors, aerosols on a particulate filter monitors and direct measurement monitors. In this paper, we expose the basic features of its operation, the details of their calibration and the minimum detectable activity concentration for some isotopes. (Author)

  3. Fully integrated low-noise readout circuit with automatic offset cancellation loop for capacitive microsensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Haryong; Park, Yunjong; Kim, Hyungseup; Cho, Dong-Il Dan; Ko, Hyoungho

    2015-10-14

    Capacitive sensing schemes are widely used for various microsensors; however, such microsensors suffer from severe parasitic capacitance problems. This paper presents a fully integrated low-noise readout circuit with automatic offset cancellation loop (AOCL) for capacitive microsensors. The output offsets of the capacitive sensing chain due to the parasitic capacitances and process variations are automatically removed using AOCL. The AOCL generates electrically equivalent offset capacitance and enables charge-domain fine calibration using a 10-bit R-2R digital-to-analog converter, charge-transfer switches, and a charge-storing capacitor. The AOCL cancels the unwanted offset by binary-search algorithm based on 10-bit successive approximation register (SAR) logic. The chip is implemented using 0.18 μm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process with an active area of 1.76 mm². The power consumption is 220 μW with 3.3 V supply. The input parasitic capacitances within the range of -250 fF to 250 fF can be cancelled out automatically, and the required calibration time is lower than 10 ms.

  4. Fully Integrated Low-Noise Readout Circuit with Automatic Offset Cancellation Loop for Capacitive Microsensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haryong Song

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Capacitive sensing schemes are widely used for various microsensors; however, such microsensors suffer from severe parasitic capacitance problems. This paper presents a fully integrated low-noise readout circuit with automatic offset cancellation loop (AOCL for capacitive microsensors. The output offsets of the capacitive sensing chain due to the parasitic capacitances and process variations are automatically removed using AOCL. The AOCL generates electrically equivalent offset capacitance and enables charge-domain fine calibration using a 10-bit R-2R digital-to-analog converter, charge-transfer switches, and a charge-storing capacitor. The AOCL cancels the unwanted offset by binary-search algorithm based on 10-bit successive approximation register (SAR logic. The chip is implemented using 0.18 μm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS process with an active area of 1.76 mm2. The power consumption is 220 μW with 3.3 V supply. The input parasitic capacitances within the range of −250 fF to 250 fF can be cancelled out automatically, and the required calibration time is lower than 10 ms.

  5. Bench calibration of INDUS-2 beam position indicators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tyagi, Y.; Banerji, Anil; Kotaiah, S.

    2005-01-01

    A third generation synchrotron radiation source of energy 2.5 GeV named INDUS-2 at Centre for Advanced Technology (C.A.T), Indore (M.P) is in the advanced stage of construction. Accurate determination and correction of beam closed orbit in INDUS-2 machine within 100 of microns is a very desirable goal. Bench based calibration of Beam Position Indicators (BPI) play a very important and useful role during initial commissioning of electron machines. To precisely measure transverse position of electron beam in the Indus-2 storage ring, 56 Beam Position Indicators (BPI) will be installed in INDUS-2 machine. Out of 56 Beam Position Indicators 40 are of individual type whereas 16 are integrated with dipole vacuum chamber. The Beam Position Indicators are required to be calibrated before they can be installed. The calibration is done to determine electrical offset with respect to defined mechanical centre, to determine displacement sensitivities as well as non linearity's of BPI. Ideally when beam passes through the geometrical center of BPI's, all electrodes should have same signal strength. However due to different capacitance of electrodes and offset and drift in electronics, the electrical centre (mechanical x, y where all electrodes shows same signal strength) differs from mechanical centre of BPI. A fully automatic calibration system has been developed to carry out the calibration of Beam Position Indicators. A calibration software has been developed which has necessary utilities to process and display calibration data and results. This paper describes the calibration results of Indus-2 BPM. (author)

  6. Next Generation Model 8800 Automatic TLD Reader

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Velbeck, K.J.; Streetz, K.L.; Rotunda, J.E.

    1999-01-01

    BICRON NE has developed an advanced version of the Model 8800 Automatic TLD Reader. Improvements in the reader include a Windows NT TM -based operating system and a Pentium microprocessor for the host controller, a servo-controlled transport, a VGA display, mouse control, and modular assembly. This high capacity reader will automatically read fourteen hundred TLD Cards in one loading. Up to four elements in a card can be heated without mechanical contact, using hot nitrogen gas. Improvements in performance include an increased throughput rate and more precise card positioning. Operation is simplified through easy-to-read Windows-type screens. Glow curves are displayed graphically along with light intensity, temperature, and channel scaling. Maintenance and diagnostic aids are included for easier troubleshooting. A click of a mouse will command actions that are displayed in easy-to-understand English words. Available options include an internal 90 Sr irradiator, automatic TLD calibration, and two different extremity monitoring modes. Results from testing include reproducibility, reader stability, linearity, detection threshold, residue, primary power supply voltage and frequency, transient voltage, drop testing, and light leakage. (author)

  7. Colorimetric detection of Cr (VI) based on the leaching of gold nanoparticles using a paper-based sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Jian-Feng; Huo, Dan-Qun; Yang, Mei; Hou, Chang-Jun; Li, Jun-Jie; Fa, Huan-Bao; Luo, Hui-Bo; Yang, Ping

    2016-12-01

    Herein, we have developed a simple, sensitive and paper-based colorimetric sensor for the selective detection of Chromium (Ⅵ) ions (Cr (VI)). Silanization-titanium dioxide modified filter paper (STCP) was used to trap bovine serum albumin capped gold nanoparticles (BSA-Au NPs), leading to the fabrication of BSA-Au NPs decorated membrane (BSA-Au NPs/STCP). The BSA-Au NPs/STCP operated on the principle that BSA-Au NPs anchored on the STCP were gradually etched by Cr (VI) as the leaching process of gold in the presence of hydrobromic acid (HBr) and hence induced a visible color change. Under optimum conditions, the paper-based colorimetric sensor showed clear color change after reaction with Cr (VI) as well as with favorable selectivity to a variety of possible interfering counterparts. The amount-dependent colorimetric response was linearly correlated with the Cr (VI) concentrations ranging from 0.5µM to 50.0µM with a detection limit down to 280nM. Moreover, the developed cost-effective colorimetric sensor has been successfully applied to real environmental samples which demonstrated the potential for field applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Calibration of the surface array of the Pierre Auger Observatory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aglietta, M.; Alision, P.S.; Arneodo, F.; Barnhill, D.; Bauleo, P.; Beatty, J.J.; Bertou, X.; Bonifazi, C.; Busca, N.; Creusot, A.; Dornic, D.; Etchegoyen, A.; Filevitch, A.; Ghia, P.L.; Grunfeld, C.M.; Lhenry-Yvon, I.; Medina, M.C.; Moreno, E.; Navarra, G.; Nitz, D.; Ohnuki, T.

    2005-01-01

    The ground array of the Pierre Auger Observatory will consist of 1600 water Cherenkov detectors, deployed over 3000 km 2 . The remoteness and large number of detectors required a simple, automatic remote calibration procedure. The primary physics calibration is based on the average charge deposited by a vertical and central throughgoing muon, determined with good precision at the detector via a novel rate-based technique and later with higher precision via charge histograms. This value is named the vertical-equivalent muon (VEM). The VEM and the other parameters needed to maintain this calibration over the full energy range and to assess the quality of the detector are measured every minute. This allows an accurate determination of the energy deposited in each detector when an atmospheric cosmic ray shower occurs

  9. Colorimetric end-tidal CO2 detector for verification of endotracheal tube placement in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayden, S R; Sciammarella, J; Viccellio, P; Thode, H; Delagi, R

    1995-06-01

    To evaluate the ability of a disposable, colorimetric end-tidal CO2 detector to verify proper endotracheal (ET) tube placement in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and to correlate semiquantitative CO2 measurements with the rate of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Prospective, observational study using a convenience sample of intubated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients. A disposable, colorimetric end-tidal CO2 detector was attached to the ET tube after intubation. In the absence of a colorimetric change, the paramedics reassessed the tube placement and could reintubate the patient. Tube placement was verified at the hospital. Paramedics were instructed to contact the base station and report the colorimetric change upon hospital arrival. ROSC was defined as restoration of a self-sustaining pulse until hospital arrival. Between December 1990 and May 1993, ET tubes were placed in 566 victims of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. 541 of the 566 intubations (95.6%) were associated with a color change. In one case with a color change and out-of-hospital clinical evidence of proper tube placement, the tube was determined to be in the esophagus at the hospital. Correct placement of the remaining 565 of 566 (99.8%) tubes was verified. Of the 566 patients who had a colorimetric change, 91 (16%) had ROSC vs one of 25 (4%) patients who did not have a color change. In one subgroup (n = 179), the degree of color change was highly associated with ROSC (p = 0.004). A disposable, colorimetric end-tidal CO2 detector appears reliable in verifying proper ET tube placement in victims of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The degree of color change correlates with the probability of ROSC.

  10. A colorimetric method for highly sensitive and accurate detection of iodide by finding the critical color in a color change process using silver triangular nanoplates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Xiu-Hua; Ling, Jian, E-mail: lingjian@ynu.edu.cn; Peng, Jun; Cao, Qiu-E., E-mail: qecao@ynu.edu.cn; Ding, Zhong-Tao; Bian, Long-Chun

    2013-10-10

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Demonstrated a new colorimetric strategy for iodide detection by silver nanoplates. •The colorimetric strategy is to find the critical color in a color change process. •The colorimetric strategy is more accurate and sensitive than common colorimetry. •Discovered a new morphological transformation phenomenon of silver nanoplates. -- Abstract: In this contribution, we demonstrated a novel colorimetric method for highly sensitive and accurate detection of iodide using citrate-stabilized silver triangular nanoplates (silver TNPs). Very lower concentration of iodide can induce an appreciable color change of silver TNPs solution from blue to yellow by fusing of silver TNPs to nanoparticles, as confirmed by UV–vis absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The principle of this colorimetric assay is not an ordinary colorimetry, but a new colorimetric strategy by finding the critical color in a color change process. With this strategy, 0.1 μM of iodide can be recognized within 30 min by naked-eyes observation, and lower concentration of iodide down to 8.8 nM can be detected using a spectrophotometer. Furthermore, this high sensitive colorimetric assay has good accuracy, stability and reproducibility comparing with other ordinary colorimetry. We believe this new colorimetric method will open up a fresh insight of simple, rapid and reliable detection of iodide and can find its future application in the biochemical analysis or clinical diagnosis.

  11. A colorimetric method for highly sensitive and accurate detection of iodide by finding the critical color in a color change process using silver triangular nanoplates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Xiu-Hua; Ling, Jian; Peng, Jun; Cao, Qiu-E.; Ding, Zhong-Tao; Bian, Long-Chun

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Demonstrated a new colorimetric strategy for iodide detection by silver nanoplates. •The colorimetric strategy is to find the critical color in a color change process. •The colorimetric strategy is more accurate and sensitive than common colorimetry. •Discovered a new morphological transformation phenomenon of silver nanoplates. -- Abstract: In this contribution, we demonstrated a novel colorimetric method for highly sensitive and accurate detection of iodide using citrate-stabilized silver triangular nanoplates (silver TNPs). Very lower concentration of iodide can induce an appreciable color change of silver TNPs solution from blue to yellow by fusing of silver TNPs to nanoparticles, as confirmed by UV–vis absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The principle of this colorimetric assay is not an ordinary colorimetry, but a new colorimetric strategy by finding the critical color in a color change process. With this strategy, 0.1 μM of iodide can be recognized within 30 min by naked-eyes observation, and lower concentration of iodide down to 8.8 nM can be detected using a spectrophotometer. Furthermore, this high sensitive colorimetric assay has good accuracy, stability and reproducibility comparing with other ordinary colorimetry. We believe this new colorimetric method will open up a fresh insight of simple, rapid and reliable detection of iodide and can find its future application in the biochemical analysis or clinical diagnosis

  12. Colorimetric sensor array for determination and identification of toxic industrial chemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Liang; Musto, Christopher J; Kemling, Jonathan W; Lim, Sung H; Zhong, Wenxuan; Suslick, Kenneth S

    2010-11-15

    A low-cost yet highly sensitive colorimetric sensor array for the detection and identification of toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) has been developed. The sensor consists of a disposable array of cross-responsive nanoporous pigments whose colors are changed by diverse chemical interactions with analytes. Clear differentiation among 20 different TICs has been easily achieved at both their IDLH (immediately dangerous to life or health) concentration within 2 min of exposure and PEL (permissible exposure limit) concentration within 5 min of exposure with no errors or misclassifications. Detection limits are generally well below the PEL (in most cases below 5% of PEL) and are typically in the low ppb range. The colorimetric sensor array is not responsive to changes in humidity or temperature over a substantial range. The printed arrays show excellent batch to batch reproducibility and long shelf life (greater than 3 months).

  13. Software System for the Calibration of X-Ray Measuring Instruments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaytan-Gallardo, E.; Tovar-Munoz, V. M.; Cruz-Estrada, P.; Vergara-Martinez, F. J.; Rivero-Gutierrez, T.

    2006-01-01

    A software system that facilities the calibration of X-ray measuring instruments used in medical applications is presented. The Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory (SSDL) of the Nuclear Research National Institute in Mexico (ININ in Spanish), supports activities concerning with ionizing radiations in medical area. One of these activities is the calibration of X-ray measuring instruments, in terms of air kerma or exposure by substitution method in an X-ray beam at a point where the rate has been determined by means of a standard ionization chamber. To automatize this process, a software system has been developed, the calibration system is composed by an X-ray unit, a Dynalizer IIIU X-ray meter by RADCAL, a commercial data acquisition card, the software system and the units to be tested and calibrated. A quality control plan has been applied in the development of the software system, ensuring that quality assurance procedures and standards are being followed

  14. Use of Balance Calibration Certificate to Calculate the Errors of Indication and Measurement Uncertainty in Mass Determinations Performed in Medical Laboratories

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriana VÂLCU

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Based on the reference document, the article proposes the way to calculate the errors of indication and associated measurement uncertainties, by resorting to the general information provided by the calibration certificate of a balance (non-automatic weighing instruments, shortly NAWI used in medical field. The paper may be also considered a useful guideline for: operators working in laboratories accredited in medical (or other various fields where the weighing operations are part of their testing activities; test houses, laboratories, or manufacturers using calibrated non-automatic weighing instruments for measurements relevant for the quality of production subject to QM requirements (e.g. ISO 9000 series, ISO 10012, ISO/IEC 17025; bodies accrediting laboratories; accredited laboratories for the calibration of NAWI. Article refers only to electronic weighing instruments having maximum capacity up to 30 kg. Starting from the results provided by a calibration certificate it is presented an example of calculation.

  15. Microtiter plate based colorimetric assay for characterization of dehalogenation activity of GAC/Fe0 composite

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hwang, Yuhoon; Salatas, Apostolos; Mines, Paul D.

    2015-01-01

    of nZVI and its composite with granular activated carbon (GAC). The assay focused on analysis of reaction products rather than its mother compounds, which gives more accurate quantification of reductive activity. The colorimetric assays were developed to quantify three reaction products, ammonia......Even though nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) has been intensively studied for the treatment of a plethora of pollutants through reductive reaction, a quantification of nZVI reactivity has not been standardized. Here, we developed series of colorimetric assays for determining reductive activity...

  16. A Dual-Range Strain Gage Weighing Transducer Employing Automatic Switching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodger A. Arola

    1968-01-01

    Describes a dual-range strain gage transducer which has proven to be an excellent weight-sensing device for weighing trees and tree-length logs; discusses basic principals of the design and operation; and shows that a single transducer having two sensitivity ranges with automatic internal switching can sense weight with good repeatability and that one calibration curve...

  17. Evaluation of the Automatic Density Compensation for Pressurizer Level Measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeong, Insoo; Min, Seohong; Ahn, Myunghoon

    2014-01-01

    When using two transmitters, it is difficult for the operators to identify the correct level of the pressurizer (PZR) upon failure of one of the two transmitters. For this reason, Korean Utility Requirements Document (KURD) requires that the operators to use three independent level indicators. Two hot calibrated transmitters and one cold calibrated transmitter compose PZR level transmitters in APR1400. In this paper, the deviation between cold calibration and hot calibration is evaluated, and the application of compensated PZR level measurement and uncompen-sated PZR level measurement during the normal operation of APR1400 are introduced. The PZR level signals for APR1400 come in three channels. To satisfy the KURD requirements for PZR level measurement, and at the same time to accomplish correction design and implementation, applicability and differences between hot calibration and cold calibration, compensated level and uncompensated level were evaluated as follows: For proper indication of PZR levels under normal operating condition, two of the three transmitters went through hot calibration and the remaining one transmitter went through cold calibration. This was to allow indicating entire regions of PZR regardless of the plant operation modes. For automatic density compensation per KURD requirements, the algorithm of the density compensated PZR level implemented in the DCS controller and PRV logic is adopted as a signal validation method

  18. Calibration and study of the measurement capabilities of real-time gamma spectrometry equipment, developed for the renewal of the network of automatic stations for environmental radiological surveillance of the Generalitat de Catalunya

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Casanovas, R.; Prieto, E.; Salvado, M.

    2013-01-01

    The renewal of the automatic environmental radiation surveillance network of the Gereralitat of Catalunya has been carried out through the development and implementation of gamma-spectrometry-based equipment. The monitors use scintillation cristals, either NaI(Tl) or LaBr 3 (Ce) and currently, there are 3 types of equipment: water radioactivity monitors, aerosols on a particulate filter monitors and direct measurement monitors. In this paper, we expose the basic features of its operation, the details of their calibration and the minimum detectable activity concentrations for some isotopes

  19. A Colorimetric Sensor for Qualitative Discrimination and Quantitative Detection of Volatile Amines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhonglin Tang

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available We have developed a novel colorimetric sensor based on a digital camera and white LED illumination. Colorimetric sensor arrays (CSAs were made from a set of six chemically responsive dyes impregnated on an inert substrate plate by solution casting. Six common amine aqueous solutions, including dimethylamine, triethylamine, diisopropyl-amine, aniline, cyclohexylamine, and pyridine vaporized at 25 °C and six health-related trimethylamine (TMA concentrations including 170 ppm, 51 ppm, 8 ppm, 2 ppm, 125 ppb and 50 ppb were analyzed by the sensor to test its ability for the qualitative discrimination and quantitative detection of volatile amines. We extracted the feature vectors of the CSA's response to the analytes from a fusional color space, which was obtained by conducting a joint search algorithm of sequential forward selection and sequential backward selection (SFS&SBS based on the linear discriminant criteria (LDC in a mixed color space composed of six common color spaces. The principle component analysis (PCA followed by the hierarchical cluser analysis (HCA were utilized to discriminate 12 analytes. Results showed that the colorimetric sensor grouped the six amine vapors and five TMA concentrations correctly, while TMA concentrations of 125 ppb and 50 ppb were indiscriminable from each other. The limitation of detection (LOD of the sensor for TMA was found to be lower than 50 ppb. The CSAs were reusable for TMA concentrations below 8 ppm.

  20. Paper-Plastic Hybrid Microfluidic Device for Smartphone-Based Colorimetric Analysis of Urine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jalal, Uddin M; Jin, Gyeong Jun; Shim, Joon S

    2017-12-19

    In this work, a disposable paper-plastic hybrid microfluidic lab-on-a-chip (LOC) has been developed and successfully applied for the colorimetric measurement of urine by the smartphone-based optical platform using a "UrineAnalysis" Android app. The developed device was cost-effectively implemented as a stand-alone hybrid LOC by incorporating the paper-based conventional reagent test strip inside the plastic-based LOC microchannel. The LOC device quantitatively investigated the small volume (40 μL) of urine analytes for the colorimetric reaction of glucose, protein, pH, and red blood cell (RBC) in integration with the finger-actuating micropump. On the basis of our experiments, the conventional urine strip showed large deviation as the reaction time goes by, because dipping the strip sensor in a bottle of urine could not control the reaction volume. By integrating the strip sensor in the LOC device for urine analysis, our device significantly improves the time-dependent inconstancy of the conventional dipstick-based urine strip, and the smartphone app used for image analysis enhances the visual assessment of the test strip, which is a major user concern for the colorimetric analysis in point-of-care (POC) applications. As a result, the user-friendly LOC, which is successfully implemented in a disposable format with the smartphone-based optical platform, may be applicable as an effective tool for rapid and qualitative POC urinalysis.

  1. Colorimetric detection with aptamer-gold nanoparticle conjugates coupled to an android-based color analysis application for use in the field.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Joshua E; Griffin, Daniel K; Leny, Juliann K; Hagen, Joshua A; Chávez, Jorge L; Kelley-Loughnane, Nancy

    2014-04-01

    The feasibility of using aptamer-gold nanoparticle conjugates (Apt-AuNPs) to design colorimetric assays for in the field detection of small molecules was investigated. An assay to detect cocaine was designed using two clones of a known cocaine-binding aptamer. The assay was based on the AuNPs difference in affinity for single-stranded DNA (non-binding) and double stranded DNA (target bound). In the first assay, a commonly used design was followed, in which the aptamer and target were incubated to allow binding followed by exposure to the AuNPs. Interactions between the non-bound analytes and the AuNPs surface resulted in a number of false positives. The assay was redesigned by incubating the AuNPs and the aptamer prior to target addition to passivate the AuNPs surface. The adsorbed aptamer was able to bind the target while preventing non-specific interactions. The assay was validated with a number of masking and cutting agents and other controlled substances showing minimal false positives. Studies to improve the assay performance in the field were performed, showing that assay activity could be preserved for up to 2 months. To facilitate the assay analysis, an android application for automatic colorimetric characterization was developed. The application was validated by challenging the assay with cocaine standards of different concentrations, and comparing the results to a conventional plate reader, showing outstanding agreement. Finally, the rapid identification of cocaine in mixtures mimicking street samples was demonstrated. This work established that Apt-AuNPs can be used to design robust assays to be used in the field. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Droplet-based microscale colorimetric biosensor for multiplexed DNA analysis via a graphene nanoprobe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiang Xia; Luo Ming; Shi Liyang; Ji Xinghu; He Zhike

    2012-01-01

    Graphical abstract: With a microvalve manipulate technique combined with droplet platform, a microscale fluorescence-based colorimetric sensor for multiplexed DNA analysis is developed via a graphene nanoprobe. Highlights: ► A quantitative detection for multiplexed DNA is first realized on droplet platform. ► The DNA detection is relied on a simple fluorescence-based colorimetric method. ► GO is served as a quencher for two different DNA fluorescent probes. ► This present work provides a rapid, sensitive, visual and convenient detection tool for droplet biosensor. - Abstract: The development of simple and inexpensive DNA detection strategy is very significant for droplet-based microfluidic system. Here, a droplet-based biosensor for multiplexed DNA analysis is developed with a common imaging device by using fluorescence-based colorimetric method and a graphene nanoprobe. With the aid of droplet manipulation technique, droplet size adjustment, droplet fusion and droplet trap are realized accurately and precisely. Due to the high quenching efficiency of graphene oxide (GO), in the absence of target DNAs, the droplet containing two single-stranded DNA probes and GO shows dark color, in which the DNA probes are labeled carboxy fluorescein (FAM) and 6-carboxy-X-rhodamine (ROX), respectively. The droplet changes from dark to bright color when the DNA probes form double helix with the specific target DNAs leading to the dyes far away from GO. This colorimetric droplet biosensor exhibits a quantitative capability for simultaneous detection of two different target DNAs with the detection limits of 9.46 and 9.67 × 10 −8 M, respectively. It is also demonstrated that this biosensor platform can become a promising detection tool in high throughput applications with low consumption of reagents. Moreover, the incorporation of graphene nanoprobe and droplet technique can drive the biosensor field one more step to some extent.

  3. Colorimetric detection of endogenous hydrogen sulfide production in living cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahn, Yong Jin; Lee, Young Ju; Lee, Jaemyeon; Lee, Doyeon; Park, Hun-Kuk; Lee, Gi-Ja

    2017-04-01

    Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has received great attention as a third gaseous signal transmitter, following nitric oxide and carbon monoxide. In particular, H2S plays an important role in the regulation of cancer cell biology. Therefore, the detection of endogenous H2S concentrations within biological systems can be helpful to understand the role of gasotransmitters in pathophysiology. Although a simple and inexpensive method for the detection of H2S has been developed, its direct and precise measurement in living cells remains a challenge. In this study, we introduced a simple, facile, and inexpensive colorimetric system for selective H2S detection in living cells using a silver-embedded Nafion/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) membrane. This membrane could be easily applied onto a polystyrene microplate cover. First, we optimized the composition of the coating membrane, such as the PVP/Nafion mixing ratio and AgNO3 concentration, as well as the pH of the Na2S (H2S donor) solution and the reaction time. Next, the in vitro performance of a colorimetric detection assay utilizing the silver/Nafion/PVP membrane was evaluated utilizing a known concentration of Na2S standard solution both at room temperature and at 37 °C in a 5% CO2 incubator. As a result, the sensitivity of the colorimetric assay for H2S at 37 °C in the incubator (0.0056 Abs./μM Na2S, R2 = 0.9948) was similar to that at room temperature (0.0055 Abs./μM Na2S, R2 = 0.9967). Moreover, these assays were less sensitive to interference from compounds such as glutathione, L-cysteine (Cys), and dithiothreitol than to the H2S from Na2S. This assay based on the silver/Nafion/PVP membrane also showed excellent reproducibility (2.8% RSD). Finally, we successfully measured the endogenous H2S concentrations in live C6 glioma cells by s-(5‧-adenosyl)-L-methionine stimulation with and without Cys and L-homocysteine, utilizing the silver/Nafion/PVP membrane. In summary, colorimetric assays using silver

  4. The Automatic Test Features of the IDiPS Reactor Protection System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hur, Seop; Kim, Dong-Hoon; Hwang, In-Koo; Lee, Cheol-Kwon; Lee, Dong-Young

    2007-01-01

    The reactor protection system (RPS) is designed to minimize a propagation of abnormal or accident conditions of nuclear power plants. A digital RPS (Integrated Digital Protection System (IDiPS) RPS) is being developed in the Korea Nuclear Instrumentation and Control System (KNICS) R and D project. To make good use of the advantages of the digital technology, it is necessary to improve the reliability and availability of a system through automatic test features including an on-line testing, a self-diagnostics, an auto calibration, etc. This paper summarizes the system test strategy and the automatic test features of the IDiPS RPS

  5. Algorithm for automatic analysis of electro-oculographic data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettersson, Kati; Jagadeesan, Sharman; Lukander, Kristian; Henelius, Andreas; Haeggström, Edward; Müller, Kiti

    2013-10-25

    Large amounts of electro-oculographic (EOG) data, recorded during electroencephalographic (EEG) measurements, go underutilized. We present an automatic, auto-calibrating algorithm that allows efficient analysis of such data sets. The auto-calibration is based on automatic threshold value estimation. Amplitude threshold values for saccades and blinks are determined based on features in the recorded signal. The performance of the developed algorithm was tested by analyzing 4854 saccades and 213 blinks recorded in two different conditions: a task where the eye movements were controlled (saccade task) and a task with free viewing (multitask). The results were compared with results from a video-oculography (VOG) device and manually scored blinks. The algorithm achieved 93% detection sensitivity for blinks with 4% false positive rate. The detection sensitivity for horizontal saccades was between 98% and 100%, and for oblique saccades between 95% and 100%. The classification sensitivity for horizontal and large oblique saccades (10 deg) was larger than 89%, and for vertical saccades larger than 82%. The duration and peak velocities of the detected horizontal saccades were similar to those in the literature. In the multitask measurement the detection sensitivity for saccades was 97% with a 6% false positive rate. The developed algorithm enables reliable analysis of EOG data recorded both during EEG and as a separate metrics.

  6. Partitioning of net carbon dioxide flux measured by automatic transparent chamber

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dyukarev, EA

    2018-03-01

    Mathematical model was developed for describing carbon dioxide fluxes at open sedge-sphagnum fen during growing season. The model was calibrated using the results of observations from automatic transparent chamber and it allows us to estimate autotrophic, heterotrophic and ecosystem respiration fluxes, gross and net primary vegetation production, and the net carbon balance.

  7. A versatile calibration procedure for portable coded aperture gamma cameras and RGB-D sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paradiso, V.; Crivellaro, A.; Amgarou, K.; de Lanaute, N. Blanc; Fua, P.; Liénard, E.

    2018-04-01

    The present paper proposes a versatile procedure for the geometrical calibration of coded aperture gamma cameras and RGB-D depth sensors, using only one radioactive point source and a simple experimental set-up. Calibration data is then used for accurately aligning radiation images retrieved by means of the γ-camera with the respective depth images computed with the RGB-D sensor. The system resulting from such a combination is thus able to retrieve, automatically, the distance of radioactive hotspots by means of pixel-wise mapping between gamma and depth images. This procedure is of great interest for a wide number of applications, ranging from precise automatic estimation of the shape and distance of radioactive objects to Augmented Reality systems. Incidentally, the corresponding results validated the choice of a perspective design model for a coded aperture γ-camera.

  8. Exploiting pH-Regulated Dimer-Tetramer Transformation of Concanavalin A to Develop Colorimetric Biosensing of Bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Xiahong; Yuan, Yuwei; Hu, Guixian; Wang, Xiangyun; Qi, Peipei; Wang, Zhiwei; Wang, Qiang; Wang, Xinquan; Fu, Yingchun; Li, Yanbin; Yang, Hua

    2017-05-03

    Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) aggregation-based colorimetric biosensing remains a challenge for bacteria due to their large size. Here we propose a novel colorimetric biosensor for rapid detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) in milk samples based on pH-regulated transformation of dimer/tetramer of Concanavalin A (Con A) and the Con A-glycosyl recognition. Briefly, antibody-modified magnetic nanoparticles was used to capture and concentrate E. coli O157:H7 and then to label with Con A; pH adjusted to 5 was then applied to dissociate Con A tetramer to release dimer, which was collected and re-formed tetramer at pH of 7 to cause the aggregation of dextran-modified AuNPs. The interesting pH-dependent conformation-transformation behavior of Con A innovated the design of the release from the bacteria surface and then the reconstruction of Con A. Therefore, we realized the sensitive colorimetric biosensing of bacteria, which are much larger than AuNPs that is generally not suitable for this kind of method. The proposed biosensor exhibited a limit of detection down to 41 CFU/mL, short assay time (~95 min) and satisfactory specificity. The biosensor also worked well for the detection in milk sample, and may provide a universal concept for the design of colorimetric biosensors for bacteria and virus.

  9. Design, Certification, and Deployment of the Colorimetric Water Quality Monitoring Kit (CWQMK)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gazda, Daniel B.; Nolan, Daniel J.; Rutz, Jeff A.; Schultz, John R.; Siperko, Lorraine M.; Porter, Marc D.; Lipert, Robert J.; Flint, Stephanie M.; McCoy, J. Torin

    2010-01-01

    In August 2009, an experimental water quality monitoring kit based on Colorimetric Solid Phase Extraction (CSPE) technology was delivered to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard STS-128/17A. The kit, called the Colorimetric Water Quality Monitoring Kit (CWQMK), was flown and deployed as a Station Development Test Objective (SDTO) experiment on the ISS. The goal of the SDTO experiment is to evaluate the acceptability of CSPE technology for routine water quality monitoring on the ISS. This paper provides an overview of the SDTO experiment, as well as a detailed description of the CWQMK hardware and a summary of the testing and analysis conducted to certify the CWQMK for use on the ISS. The initial results obtained from the SDTO experiment are also reported and discussed in detail

  10. A gold nanoparticles-based colorimetric test to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms for improvement of personalized therapy of psoriasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marsella, Alessandra; Valentini, Paola; Tarantino, Paolo; Congedo, Maurizio; Pompa, Pier Paolo

    2016-04-01

    We report a simple, rapid and low-cost test, based on gold nanoparticles, for the naked-eye colorimetric detection of a signature of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) relevant for the personalized medicine of psoriasis patients. We validated the colorimetric assay on real-world DNA samples from a cohort of 30 psoriasis patients and we compared the results, in double-blind, with those obtained with two state-of-the-art instrumental techniques, namely reverse dot blotting and direct sequencing, finding 100% agreement. We demonstrated high accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of the colorimetric test that can be easily adapted for the genotypization of different SNPs, important for the pharmacogenomics of various diseases, and in other fields, such as food traceability and population structure analysis.

  11. Spectro colorimetric and GC-MS Models, Used to Determine the Changes in the Natural Compounds of the Sea Buck thorn Leaves Sterilized with Ionizing Radiations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Minea, R.; Popescu, M.I.; Sima, E.; Dumitrascu, M.; Culea, M.; Manea, St.; Mazilu, E.

    2009-01-01

    Spectro colorimetric and GC-MS methods were developed for the quantitative and quality analyze of the fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) and of some natural compounds extracted from the Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) leaves sterilized by treating them with accelerated electron beams, generated by a linear accelerator. The spectro colorimetric models describe and easy controls the color as it relies on the psycho physics of the color perception and on the simple colorimetric models. Hunter Lab, CIELAB, CIELCH simple colorimetric models are used in developing complex colorimetric models and for the calculation of simple colorimetric models expressed as the total color difference between a sample and a witness, ΔΕ * , ΔΕ C MC, ΔΕ * D IN99, ΔΕ * C IE2000. They provide qualitative data on the deterioration of the active compounds by irradiation. If they are validated by GC-MS methods, they can also provide quantitative data on the radioinduced changes caused to the Sea Buckthorn leaves. The developed GC-MS methods allow the validation of the spectro colorimetric methods for the quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the radioinduced changes in the Sea Buckthorn leaves, reducing both the analyze times and the analyze cost, respectively the random errors of the procedures for extraction and derivation applied to samples preparation

  12. Fermentation process tracking through enhanced spectral calibration modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Triadaphillou, Sophia; Martin, Elaine; Montague, Gary; Norden, Alison; Jeffkins, Paul; Stimpson, Sarah

    2007-06-15

    The FDA process analytical technology (PAT) initiative will materialize in a significant increase in the number of installations of spectroscopic instrumentation. However, to attain the greatest benefit from the data generated, there is a need for calibration procedures that extract the maximum information content. For example, in fermentation processes, the interpretation of the resulting spectra is challenging as a consequence of the large number of wavelengths recorded, the underlying correlation structure that is evident between the wavelengths and the impact of the measurement environment. Approaches to the development of calibration models have been based on the application of partial least squares (PLS) either to the full spectral signature or to a subset of wavelengths. This paper presents a new approach to calibration modeling that combines a wavelength selection procedure, spectral window selection (SWS), where windows of wavelengths are automatically selected which are subsequently used as the basis of the calibration model. However, due to the non-uniqueness of the windows selected when the algorithm is executed repeatedly, multiple models are constructed and these are then combined using stacking thereby increasing the robustness of the final calibration model. The methodology is applied to data generated during the monitoring of broth concentrations in an industrial fermentation process from on-line near-infrared (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectrometers. It is shown that the proposed calibration modeling procedure outperforms traditional calibration procedures, as well as enabling the identification of the critical regions of the spectra with regard to the fermentation process.

  13. Ultrasensitive colorimetric detection of Cu2+ ion based on catalytic oxidation of L-cysteine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Kun; Li, Bowei; Wang, Xiaochun; Zhang, Weiwei; Chen, Lingxin

    2015-02-15

    As an essential element, copper ion (Cu(2+)) plays important roles in human beings for its participation in diverse metabolic processes as a cofactor and/or a structural component of enzymes. However, excessive uptake of Cu(2+) ion gives rise to the risk of certain diseases. So, it is important to develop simple ways to monitor and detect Cu(2+) ion. In this study, a simple, facile colorimetric sensor for the ultrasensitive determination of Cu(2+) ion was developed based on the following principle: L-cysteine and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) could be conjugated to form the yellow product 2,4-dinitrophenylcysteine (DNPC), which was measurable at 355nm; however, upon addition of Cu(2+) ion, the absorbance of DNPC would be decreased owing to the Cu(2+) ion catalytic oxidation of L-cysteine to L-cystine in the presence of O2. Thus, the colorimetric detection of Cu(2+) ion could be achieved. The optimal pH, buffer, temperature and incubation time for the colorimetric sensor were obtained of pH 6.8 in 0.1M HEPES solution, 90 °C and 50 min, respectively. A good linearity within the range of 0.8-10 nM (r = 0.996) was attained, with a high detectability up to 0.5nM. Analyses of Cu(2+) ion in drinking water, lake water, seawater and biological samples were carried out and the method performances were found to agree well with that obtained by ICP-MS. The developed simple colorimetric sensor proved applicable for Cu(2+) ion determination in real samples with high sensitivity and selectivity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Visual and colorimetric methods for rapid determination of total tannins in vegetable raw materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. P. Kalinkina

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The article is dedicated to the development of rapid colorimetric method for determining the amount of tannins in aqueous extracts of vegetable raw materials. The sorption-based colorimetric test is determining sorption tannins polyurethane foam, impregnated of FeCl3, receiving on its surface painted in black and green color of the reaction products and the determination of their in sorbent matrix. Selectivity is achieved by determining the tannins specific interaction of polyphenols with iron ions (III. The conditions of sorption-colorimetric method: the concentration of ferric chloride (III, impregnated in the polyurethane foam; sorbent mass in the analytical cartridge; degree of loading his agent; the contact time of the phases. color scales have been developed for the visual determination of the amount of tannins in terms of gallic acid. Spend a digitized image obtained scales using computer program “Sorbfil TLC”, excluding a subjective assessment of the intensity of the color scale of the test. The results obtained determine the amount of tannins in aqueous extracts of vegetable raw rapid method using tablets and analytical cartridges. The results of the test determination of tannins with visual and densitometric analytical signal registration are compared to known methods. Spend a metrological evaluation of the results of determining the amount of tannins sorption rapid colorimetric methods. Time visual and densitometric rapid determination of tannins, taking into account the sample preparation is 25–30 minutes, the relative error does not exceed 28 %. The developed test methods for quantifying the content of tannins allow to exclude the use of sophisticated analytical equipment, carry out the analysis in non-laboratory conditions do not require highly skilled personnel.

  15. Chi-square spectral fitting for concentration retrieval, automatic local calibration, quality control, and water type detection

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hommersom, A.; Peters, S.W.M.; van der Woerd, H.J.; Eleveld, M.A.; de Boer, J.

    2011-01-01

    In this study, the inverse bio-optical model HYDROPT was calibrated with regional specific inherent optical properties (SIOPs) and various local SIOPs to examine the effect of these calibrations on the retrievals. The study area, the Wadden Sea, is an estuary and tidal flat area with very high

  16. Antitumor evaluation of epigallocatechin gallate by colorimetric methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baek, Soon Ok [Korean Ginseng and Tobacco Research institute, Daejon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Il Kwang; Baek, Seung Hwa; Han, Du Seok [Wonkwang Unvi., Iksan (Korea, Republic of)

    1998-08-01

    In the present study, we were evaluated cytotoxic effects of epigallocatechin gallate in human skin melanoma cells such as HTB-69. The light microscopic study showed morphological changes of the treated cells. Disruptions in cell organelles were determined by colorimetric methods; 3-(4,5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, neutral red (NR) assay and sulforhodamine B protein (SRB) as-say. These results suggest that epigallocatechin gallate retains a potential antitumor activity.

  17. Label-free colorimetric detection of Hg²⁺ based on Hg²⁺-triggered exonuclease III-assisted target recycling and DNAzyme amplification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Wang; Zhang, Ying; Huang, Wei Tao; Li, Nian Bing; Luo, Hong Qun

    2015-06-15

    This work reported a label-free colorimetric assay for sensitive detection of Hg(2+) based on Hg(2+)-triggered hairpin DNA probe (H-DNA) termini-binding and exonuclease Ш (Exo Ш)-assisted target recycling, as well as hemin/G-quadruplex (DNAzyme) signal amplification. The specific binding of free Hg(2+) with the thymine-thymine (T-T) mismatches termini of H-DNA could immediately trigger the Exo Ш digestion, and then set free G-quadruplex segments and Hg(2+). The Exo Ш impellent recycling of ultratrace Hg(2+) produced numerous G-quadruplexes. The corresponding DNAzymes catalyzed efficiently the H2O2-mediated oxidation of the ABTS(2-) to the colored product in the presence of hemin. Using the color change as the output signal, and the Exo Ш-aided Hg(2+) recycling and DNAzyme as the signal amplifier, the ultrasensitive assay system successfully achieved visual detection of Hg(2+) as low as 1.0 nM by the naked eye, and was suitable for field monitoring. The calibration curve was linear in the range of 50.0 pM to 20.0 nM for Hg(2+) (R=0.9962) with a detection limit of 10.0 pM. Moreover, this proposed strategy showed excellent selectivity, portability and low-cost, and was successfully applied to colorimetric detection of Hg(2+) in laboratory tap water and Jialing river water samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. 2 development of a simple amino-modified silica-based colorimetric

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Temechegn

    with the increase in detection times as the concentration of the ions decreased. ..... New York: Clear Thinking Communications. 2010. ... W.S. Harwood and M.M. McMahon, Effects of integrated video media on student achievement ... Q. Lin, P. Chen, J. Liu, Y. Fu, Y. Zhang and T. Wei, Colorimetric chemosensor and test kit for.

  19. Virtual colorimetric sensor array: single ionic liquid for solvent discrimination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galpothdeniya, Waduge Indika S; Regmi, Bishnu P; McCarter, Kevin S; de Rooy, Sergio L; Siraj, Noureen; Warner, Isiah M

    2015-04-21

    There is a continuing need to develop high-performance sensors for monitoring organic solvents, primarily due to the environmental impact of such compounds. In this regard, colorimetric sensors have been a subject of intense research for such applications. Herein, we report a unique virtual colorimetric sensor array based on a single ionic liquid (IL) for accurate detection and identification of similar organic solvents and mixtures of such solvents. In this study, we employ eight alcohols and seven binary mixtures of ethanol and methanol as analytes to provide a stringent test for assessing the capabilities of this array. The UV-visible spectra of alcoholic solutions of the IL used in this study show two absorption bands. Interestingly, the ratio of absorbance for these two bands is found to be extremely sensitive to alcohol polarity. A virtual sensor array is created by using four different concentrations of IL sensor, which allowed identification of these analytes with 96.4-100% accuracy. Overall, this virtual sensor array is found to be very promising for discrimination of closely related organic solvents.

  20. Development of a novel colorimetric sensor based on alginate beads for monitoring rainbow trout spoilage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majdinasab, Marjan; Hosseini, Seyed Mohammad Hashem; Sepidname, Marziyeh; Negahdarifar, Manizheh; Li, Peiwu

    2018-05-01

    Alginate is a non-toxic, renewable, and linear copolymer obtained from the brown algae Laminaria digitata that can be easily shaped into beads. Its good gel forming properties have made it useful for entrapping food and pharmaceutical ingredients. In this study, alginate beads were used in a novel application as a colorimetric sensor in food intelligent packaging. Colorimetric sensor was developed through entrapping red cabbage extract as a pH indicator in alginate beads. The pH indicator beads were used in rainbow trout packaging for monitoring fillets spoilage. Color change of beads during fish storage was measured using the CIELab method. The alginate bead colorimetric sensor is validated by measuring total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) levels and microbial populations in fish samples. Moreover, peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were evaluated during storage. Results indicated that increasing the bacterial population during storage and production of proteolytic enzymes resulted in protein degradation, accumulation of volatile amine compounds, increase in the pH and finally color change of alginate beads. The values of TVB-N, pH, PV and TBARS increased with time of storage. The results of TVB-N and microbial growth were in accordance with color change of beads and CIELab data. Therefore, the proposed system enjoys a high sensitivity to pH variations and is capable of monitoring the spoilage of fish or other protein-rich products through its wide range of color changes. The alginate beads containing the red cabbage extract can, thus, be used as a low-cost colorimetric sensor for intelligent packaging applications.

  1. Human wound photogrammetry with low-cost hardware based on automatic calibration of geometry and color

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jose, Abin; Haak, Daniel; Jonas, Stephan; Brandenburg, Vincent; Deserno, Thomas M.

    2015-03-01

    Photographic documentation and image-based wound assessment is frequently performed in medical diagnostics, patient care, and clinical research. To support quantitative assessment, photographic imaging is based on expensive and high-quality hardware and still needs appropriate registration and calibration. Using inexpensive consumer hardware such as smartphone-integrated cameras, calibration of geometry, color, and contrast is challenging. Some methods involve color calibration using a reference pattern such as a standard color card, which is located manually in the photographs. In this paper, we adopt the lattice detection algorithm by Park et al. from real world to medicine. At first, the algorithm extracts and clusters feature points according to their local intensity patterns. Groups of similar points are fed into a selection process, which tests for suitability as a lattice grid. The group which describes the largest probability of the meshes of a lattice is selected and from it a template for an initial lattice cell is extracted. Then, a Markov random field is modeled. Using the mean-shift belief propagation, the detection of the 2D lattice is solved iteratively as a spatial tracking problem. Least-squares geometric calibration of projective distortions and non-linear color calibration in RGB space is supported by 35 corner points of 24 color patches, respectively. The method is tested on 37 photographs taken from the German Calciphylaxis registry, where non-standardized photographic documentation is collected nationwide from all contributing trial sites. In all images, the reference card location is correctly identified. At least, 28 out of 35 lattice points were detected, outperforming the SIFT-based approach previously applied. Based on these coordinates, robust geometry and color registration is performed making the photographs comparable for quantitative analysis.

  2. Colorimetric gold nanoparticles-based aptasensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rezavn Yazdian-Robati

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Recognition of different agents including chemical and biological plays important role in forensic, biomedical and environmentalfield.In recent decades, nanotechnology and nano materials had a high impact on development of sensors. Using  nanomaterials in construction of biosensors can effectively improve the Sensitivity and other features of biosensors. Different type of nanostructures including nanotubes, nanodiamonds, thin films ,nanorods, nanoparticles(NP, nanofibers andvarious clusters have been explored and applied in construction of biosensors. Among nanomaterials mentioned above, gold nanoparticle (GNPas a new class of unique fluorescence quenchers, is receiving significant attention in developing of optical biosensors because of their unique physical, chemical and biological properties. In this mini review, we discussed the use of GNPs in construction of colorimetric aptasensorsas a class of optical sensors for detection of antibiotics, toxins and infection diseases.

  3. Calibration of a parsimonious distributed ecohydrological daily model in a data-scarce basin by exclusively using the spatio-temporal variation of NDVI

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz-Pérez, Guiomar; Koch, Julian; Manfreda, Salvatore; Caylor, Kelly; Francés, Félix

    2017-12-01

    Ecohydrological modeling studies in developing countries, such as sub-Saharan Africa, often face the problem of extensive parametrical requirements and limited available data. Satellite remote sensing data may be able to fill this gap, but require novel methodologies to exploit their spatio-temporal information that could potentially be incorporated into model calibration and validation frameworks. The present study tackles this problem by suggesting an automatic calibration procedure, based on the empirical orthogonal function, for distributed ecohydrological daily models. The procedure is tested with the support of remote sensing data in a data-scarce environment - the upper Ewaso Ngiro river basin in Kenya. In the present application, the TETIS-VEG model is calibrated using only NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) data derived from MODIS. The results demonstrate that (1) satellite data of vegetation dynamics can be used to calibrate and validate ecohydrological models in water-controlled and data-scarce regions, (2) the model calibrated using only satellite data is able to reproduce both the spatio-temporal vegetation dynamics and the observed discharge at the outlet and (3) the proposed automatic calibration methodology works satisfactorily and it allows for a straightforward incorporation of spatio-temporal data into the calibration and validation framework of a model.

  4. Charge Transfer Based Colorimetric Detection of Silver Ion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, Seung Choul; Kim, Kwang Seob; Choi, Soon Kyu; Oh, Jinho; Lee, Jae Wook [Dong-A Univ., Busan (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-05-15

    We have demonstrated the colorimetric chemosensor for detection of Ag{sup +} via formation of nanoparticles which is based on the intramolecular CT interaction between the electron-rich (2,6-dialkoxynaphthalene; Np) moiety and the electron-deficient (methyl viologen; MV{sup 2+}) moiety of a single sensor molecule. Under irradiation of light, Ag{sup +} was reduced to very small silver nanoparticle by CT interaction in the presence of OEGs as flexible recognition moiety of Ag{sup +} and stabilizer for Ag nanoparticles, thus Ag nanoparticles resulted to reddish brown in the color change of sensor solution, gradually. Therefore, the charge-transfer interaction between an electron-deficient and an electron-rich units existing at a sensor molecule can be regarded as a new and efficient method to construct various colorimetric chemosensors. Donor.acceptor interactions or charge transfer (CT) interactions are an important class of non-covalent interactions and have been widely exploited in self-assembling systems. Beyond molecular chemistry, supramolecular chemistry aims at constituting highly complex, functional chemical systems from components held together by intermolecular forces. Chemosensors are the molecules of abiotic origin that bind selectively and reversibly with the analyte with concomitant change in one or more properties of the system. The recognition and signaling of ionic and neutral species of varying complexity is one of the most intensively studied areas of contemporary supramolecular chemistry.

  5. Simple colorimetric detection of doxycycline and oxytetracycline using unmodified gold nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jie; Fan, Shumin; Li, Zhigang; Xie, Yuanzhe; Wang, Rui; Ge, Baoyu; Wu, Jing; Wang, Ruiyong

    2014-08-01

    The interaction between tetracycline antibiotics and gold nanoparticles was studied. With citrate-coated gold nanoparticles as colorimetric probe, a simple and rapid detection method for doxycycline and oxytetracycline has been developed. This method relies on the distance-dependent optical properties of gold nanoparticles. In weakly acidic buffer medium, doxycycline and oxytetracycline could rapidly induce the aggregation of gold nanoparticles, resulting in red-to-blue (or purple) colour change. The experimental parameters were optimized with regard to pH, the concentration of the gold nanoparticles and the reaction time. Under optimal experimental conditions, the linear range of the colorimetric sensor for doxycycline/oxytetracycline was 0.06-0.66 and 0.59-8.85 μg mL-1, respectively. The corresponding limit of detection for doxycycline and oxytetracycline was 0.0086 and 0.0838 μg mL-1, respectively. This assay was sensitive, selective, simple and readily used to detect tetracycline antibiotics in food products.

  6. Comparison of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and colorimetric determination of total and extractable phosphorus in soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivanov, Krasimir; Zaprjanova, Penka; Petkova, Milena; Stefanova, Violeta; Kmetov, Veselin; Georgieva, Deyana; Angelova, Violina

    2012-01-01

    The most widely used method for determination of total phosphorus in soils is perchloric acid digestion, followed by a colorimetric assay to measure the concentration of P in solution. The first part of this study compares an alternative digestion method, using aqua regia (ISO 11466 and EPA Method 3052), with perchloric acid digestion procedure, and also compares inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) with colorimetry for the measurement of P on the basis of five internationally certified standard soils and 20 real-life soils with widely different extractability of phosphorus. The phosphorus concentration was determined by means of the reduced phosphomolybdenum blue and ICP-MS. The relationship between methods has been examined statistically. Good agreement of the results from colorimetry and ICP-MS was established for all certified soils. The microwave-assisted digestion with aqua regia was comparable, both in precision and accuracy, with the hot plate aqua regia method. The phosphorus concentration found with the HF + HClO 4 digestion method was in good agreement with the certified mean values, while the superiority in extracting phosphorus, when compared to other methods, was obvious. Soil testing for plant-available phosphorus in Bulgaria and many European countries is most commonly conducted using acid Ca-lactate extraction (Egner–Riehm test) and alkaline sodium bicarbonate extraction (BDS ISO 11263:2002), based on Olsen test, followed by a colorimetric assay to measure the concentration of P in solution. The second part of this study reports the differences between Egner–Riehm test and BDS ISO 11263:2002 measured colorimetrically and by ICP-MS. Fifty soils were selected from South Bulgaria to represent a wide range of soil properties. It was established that ICP-MS consistently yielded significantly higher P concentrations than the colorimetric method in both extraction tests, and the relative differences were greatest in soils with lower P

  7. Comparison of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and colorimetric determination of total and extractable phosphorus in soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ivanov, Krasimir, E-mail: kivanov1@abv.bg [Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture, Plovdiv (Bulgaria); Zaprjanova, Penka [Tobacco and Tobacco Products Institute, Plovdiv (Bulgaria); Petkova, Milena [Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture, Plovdiv (Bulgaria); Stefanova, Violeta; Kmetov, Veselin; Georgieva, Deyana [Department of Analytical Chemistry, Plovdiv University ' Paisii Hilendarski,' Plovdiv (Bulgaria); Angelova, Violina [Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture, Plovdiv (Bulgaria)

    2012-05-15

    The most widely used method for determination of total phosphorus in soils is perchloric acid digestion, followed by a colorimetric assay to measure the concentration of P in solution. The first part of this study compares an alternative digestion method, using aqua regia (ISO 11466 and EPA Method 3052), with perchloric acid digestion procedure, and also compares inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) with colorimetry for the measurement of P on the basis of five internationally certified standard soils and 20 real-life soils with widely different extractability of phosphorus. The phosphorus concentration was determined by means of the reduced phosphomolybdenum blue and ICP-MS. The relationship between methods has been examined statistically. Good agreement of the results from colorimetry and ICP-MS was established for all certified soils. The microwave-assisted digestion with aqua regia was comparable, both in precision and accuracy, with the hot plate aqua regia method. The phosphorus concentration found with the HF + HClO{sub 4} digestion method was in good agreement with the certified mean values, while the superiority in extracting phosphorus, when compared to other methods, was obvious. Soil testing for plant-available phosphorus in Bulgaria and many European countries is most commonly conducted using acid Ca-lactate extraction (Egner-Riehm test) and alkaline sodium bicarbonate extraction (BDS ISO 11263:2002), based on Olsen test, followed by a colorimetric assay to measure the concentration of P in solution. The second part of this study reports the differences between Egner-Riehm test and BDS ISO 11263:2002 measured colorimetrically and by ICP-MS. Fifty soils were selected from South Bulgaria to represent a wide range of soil properties. It was established that ICP-MS consistently yielded significantly higher P concentrations than the colorimetric method in both extraction tests, and the relative differences were greatest in soils with lower

  8. Dosimetry and Calibration Section

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Otto, T.

    1999-01-01

    The Dosimetry and Calibration Section fulfils two tasks within CERN's Radiation Protection Group: the Individual Dosimetry Service monitors more than 5000 persons potentially exposed to ionizing radiation on the CERN sites, and the Calibration Laboratory verifies throughout the year, at regular intervals, over 1000 instruments, monitors, and electronic dosimeters used by RP Group. The establishment of a Quality Assurance System for the Individual Dosimetry Service, a requirement of the new Swiss Ordinance for personal dosimetry, put a considerable workload on the section. Together with an external consultant it was decided to identify and then describe the different 'processes' of the routine work performed in the dosimetry service. The resulting Quality Manual was submitted to the Federal Office for Public Health in Bern in autumn. The CERN Individual Dosimetry Service will eventually be officially endorsed after a successful technical test in March 1999. On the technical side, the introduction of an automatic development machine for gamma films was very successful. It processes the dosimetric films without an operator being present, and its built-in regeneration mechanism keeps the concentration of the processing chemicals at a constant level

  9. Dynamic photogrammetric calibration of industrial robots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maas, Hans-Gerd

    1997-07-01

    Today's developments in industrial robots focus on aims like gain of flexibility, improvement of the interaction between robots and reduction of down-times. A very important method to achieve these goals are off-line programming techniques. In contrast to conventional teach-in-robot programming techniques, where sequences of actions are defined step-by- step via remote control on the real object, off-line programming techniques design complete robot (inter-)action programs in a CAD/CAM environment. This poses high requirements to the geometric accuracy of a robot. While the repeatability of robot poses in the teach-in mode is often better than 0.1 mm, the absolute pose accuracy potential of industrial robots is usually much worse due to tolerances, eccentricities, elasticities, play, wear-out, load, temperature and insufficient knowledge of model parameters for the transformation from poses into robot axis angles. This fact necessitates robot calibration techniques, including the formulation of a robot model describing kinematics and dynamics of the robot, and a measurement technique to provide reference data. Digital photogrammetry as an accurate, economic technique with realtime potential offers itself for this purpose. The paper analyzes the requirements posed to a measurement technique by industrial robot calibration tasks. After an overview on measurement techniques used for robot calibration purposes in the past, a photogrammetric robot calibration system based on off-the- shelf lowcost hardware components will be shown and results of pilot studies will be discussed. Besides aspects of accuracy, reliability and self-calibration in a fully automatic dynamic photogrammetric system, realtime capabilities are discussed. In the pilot studies, standard deviations of 0.05 - 0.25 mm in the three coordinate directions could be achieved over a robot work range of 1.7 X 1.5 X 1.0 m3. The realtime capabilities of the technique allow to go beyond kinematic robot

  10. Electrospun nanofiber based colorimetric probe for rapid detection of Fe{sup 2+} in water

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ondigo, D.A. [Department of Chemistry, Rhodes University, P.O. Box 94, Grahamstown 6140 (South Africa); Tshentu, Z.R. [Department of Chemistry, Rhodes University, P.O. Box 94, Grahamstown 6140 (South Africa); Department of Chemistry, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth, 6031 (South Africa); Torto, N., E-mail: N.Torto@ru.ac.za [Department of Chemistry, Rhodes University, P.O. Box 94, Grahamstown 6140 (South Africa)

    2013-12-04

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Colorimetric probe for the detection of Fe{sup 2+} was developed. •Polymeric electrospun nanofibers were used as host for the signaling reagent. •The functionalized electrospun nanofibers exhibited a selective color change in the presence of Fe{sup 2+}. •The mechanism was based on spin crossover (SCO) from high spin Fe{sup 2+} to low spin Fe{sup 2+} upon interaction with the embedded ligand. -- Abstract: An imidazole derivative, 2-(2′-pyridyl)imidazole (PIMH), was developed as a colorimetric probe for the qualitative analysis of Fe{sup 2+} in aqueous solution. PIMH was then used to post-functionalize poly(vinylbenzyl chloride) (PVBC) nanofibers after electrospinning so as to afford a solid state colorimetric probe. Upon treatment with Fe{sup 2+} the probe displayed a distinctive color change both in liquid and solid platforms. The linear dynamic range for the colorimetric determination of Fe{sup 2+} was 0.0988–3.5 μg mL{sup −1}. The ligand showed a high chromogenic selectivity for Fe{sup 2+} over other cations with a detection limit of 0.102 μg mL{sup −1} in solution (lower than the WHO drinking water guideline limit of 2 mg L{sup −1}), and 2 μg mL{sup −1} in the solid state. The concentration of Fe{sup 2+} in a certified reference material (Iron, Ferrous, 1072) was found to be 2.39 ± 0.01 mg L{sup −1}, which was comparable with the certified value of 2.44 ± 0.12 mg L{sup −1}. Application of the probe to real samples spiked with Fe{sup 2+} achieved recoveries of over 97% confirming accuracy of the method and its potential for on-site monitoring.

  11. Analysis of DNA Hydroxymethylation Using Colorimetric Assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golubov, Andrey; Kovalchuk, Igor

    2017-01-01

    Hydroxymethylcytosine (hmC or 5-hmC) is a nitrogen base occurring as a result of cytosine methylation followed by replacing a methyl group with a hydroxyl group through active oxidation. 5-hmC is considered to be one of the forms of epigenetic modification and is suggested as an intermediate step in a semi-active loss of DNA methylation mark. 5-hmC plays an important role in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression in animals, although its role in plants remains controversial. Here, we present a colorimetric method of quantification of 5-hmC using Brassica rapa DNA.

  12. Discovering the enzyme mimetic activity of metal-organic framework (MOF) for label-free and colorimetric sensing of biomolecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ying; Zhu, Yingjing; Binyam, Atsebeha; Liu, Misha; Wu, Yinan; Li, Fengting

    2016-12-15

    A label-free sensing strategy based on the enzyme-mimicking activity of MOF was demonstrated for colorimetric detection of biomolecules. Firstly obvious blue color was observed due to the high efficiency of peroxidase-like catalytic activity of Fe-MIL-88A (an ion-based MOF material) toward 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). Then in the presence of target biomolecule and corresponding aptamer, the mimetic activity of Fe-MIL-88A can be strongly inhibited and used directly to realize the colorimetric detection. On the basis of the interesting findings, we designed a straightforward, label-free and sensitive colorimetric method for biomolecule detection by using the enzyme mimetic property of MOF coupling with molecular recognition element. Compared with the existed publications, our work breaks the routine way by setting up an inorganic-organic MOF-aptamer hybrid platform for colorimetric determination of biomolecules, expanding the targets scope from H2O2 or glucose to biomolecules. As a proof of concept, thrombin and thrombin aptamer was used as a model analyte. The limit of detection of 10nM can be achieved with naked eyes and ultrahigh selectivity of thrombin toward numerous interfering substances with 10-fold concentration was demonstrated significantly. Of note, the method was further applied for the detection of thrombin in human serum samples, showing the results in agreement with those values obtained in an immobilization buffer by the colorimetric method. This inorganic-organic MOF-aptamer sensing strategy may in principle be universally applicable for the detection of a range of environmental or biomedical molecules of interests. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Label-free aptamer-based colorimetric detection of mercury ions in aqueous media using unmodified gold nanoparticles as colorimetric probe

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Li; Li, Baoxin; Qi, Yingying; Jin, Yan [Shaanxi Normal University, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science of Shaanxi Province, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Xi' an (China)

    2009-04-15

    We report a simple and sensitive aptamer-based colorimetric detection of mercury ions (Hg{sup 2+}) using unmodified gold nanoparticles as colorimetric probe. It is based on the fact that bare gold nanoparticles interact differently with short single-strand DNA and double-stranded DNA. The anti-Hg{sup 2+} aptamer is rich in thymine (T) and readily forms T-Hg{sup 2+}-T configuration in the presence of Hg{sup 2+}. By measuring color change or adsorption ratio, the bare gold nanoparticles can effectively differentiate the Hg{sup 2+}-induced conformational change of the aptamer in the presence of a given salt with high concentration. The assay shows a linear response toward Hg{sup 2+} concentration through a five-decade range of 1 x 10{sup -4} mol L{sup -1} to 1 x 10{sup -9} mol L{sup -1}. Even with the naked eye, we could identify micromolar Hg{sup 2+} concentrations within minutes. By using the spectrometric method, the detection limit was improved to the nanomolar range (0.6 nM). The assay shows excellent selectivity for Hg{sup 2+} over other metal cations including K{sup +}, Ba{sup 2+}, Ni{sup 2+}, Pb{sup 2+}, Cu{sup 2+}, Cd{sup 2+}, Mg{sup 2+}, Ca{sup 2+}, Zn{sup 2+}, Al{sup 3+}, and Fe{sup 3+}. The major advantages of this Hg{sup 2+} assay are its water-solubility, simplicity, low cost, visual colorimetry, and high sensitivity. This method provides a potentially useful tool for the Hg{sup 2+} detection. (orig.)

  14. A low jitter supply regulated charge pump PLL with self-calibration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Min; Li Zhichao; Xiao Jingbo; Chen Jie; Liu Yuntao

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes a ring oscillator based low jitter charge pump PLL with supply regulation and digital calibration. In order to combat power supply noise, a low drop output voltage regulator is implemented. The VCO gain is tunable by using the 4 bit control self-calibration technique. So that the optimal VCO gain is automatically selected and the process/temperature variation is compensated. Fabricated in the 0.13 μm CMOS process, the PLL achieves a frequency range of 100–400 MHz and occupies a 190 × 200 μm 2 area. The measured RMS jitter is 5.36 ps at a 400 MHz operating frequency. (paper)

  15. Localized surface plasmon resonance of gold nanoparticles as colorimetric probes for determination of Isoniazid in pharmacological formulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zargar, Behrooz; Hatamie, Amir

    2013-04-01

    Isoniazid is an important antibiotic, which is widely used to treat tuberculosis. This study presents a colorimetric method for the determination of Isoniazid based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) property of gold nanoparticles. An LSPR band is produced by reducing gold ions in solution using Isoniazid as the reducing agent. Influences of the following relevant variables were examined and optimized in the experiment, formation time of gold nanoparticles, pH, buffer and stabilizer. These tests demonstrated that under optimum conditions the absorbance of Au nanoparticles at 530 nm related linearly to the concentration of Isoniazid in the range of 1.0-8.0 μg mL-1 with a detection limit of 0.98 μg mL-1. This colorimetric method has been successfully applied to the determine Isoniazid in tablets and spiked serum samples. The proposed colorimetric assay exhibits good reproducibility and accuracy, providing a simple and rapid method for analysis of Isoniazid.

  16. Application of an automatic approach to calibrate the NEMURO nutrient-phytoplankton-zooplankton food web model in the Oyashio region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, Shin-ichi; Yoshie, Naoki; Okunishi, Takeshi; Ono, Tsuneo; Okazaki, Yuji; Kuwata, Akira; Hashioka, Taketo; Rose, Kenneth A.; Megrey, Bernard A.; Kishi, Michio J.; Nakamachi, Miwa; Shimizu, Yugo; Kakehi, Shigeho; Saito, Hiroaki; Takahashi, Kazutaka; Tadokoro, Kazuaki; Kusaka, Akira; Kasai, Hiromi

    2010-10-01

    The Oyashio region in the western North Pacific supports high biological productivity and has been well monitored. We applied the NEMURO (North Pacific Ecosystem Model for Understanding Regional Oceanography) model to simulate the nutrients, phytoplankton, and zooplankton dynamics. Determination of parameters values is very important, yet ad hoc calibration methods are often used. We used the automatic calibration software PEST (model-independent Parameter ESTimation), which has been used previously with NEMURO but in a system without ontogenetic vertical migration of the large zooplankton functional group. Determining the performance of PEST with vertical migration, and obtaining a set of realistic parameter values for the Oyashio, will likely be useful in future applications of NEMURO. Five identical twin simulation experiments were performed with the one-box version of NEMURO. The experiments differed in whether monthly snapshot or averaged state variables were used, in whether state variables were model functional groups or were aggregated (total phytoplankton, small plus large zooplankton), and in whether vertical migration of large zooplankton was included or not. We then applied NEMURO to monthly climatological field data covering 1 year for the Oyashio, and compared model fits and parameter values between PEST-determined estimates and values used in previous applications to the Oyashio region that relied on ad hoc calibration. We substituted the PEST and ad hoc calibrated parameter values into a 3-D version of NEMURO for the western North Pacific, and compared the two sets of spatial maps of chlorophyll- a with satellite-derived data. The identical twin experiments demonstrated that PEST could recover the known model parameter values when vertical migration was included, and that over-fitting can occur as a result of slight differences in the values of the state variables. PEST recovered known parameter values when using monthly snapshots of aggregated

  17. A Universal Fast Colorimetric Method for DNA Signal Detection with DNA Strand Displacement and Gold Nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xin Li

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available DNA or gene signal detection is of great significance in many fields including medical examination, intracellular molecular monitoring, and gene disease signal diagnosis, but detection of DNA or gene signals in a low concentration with instant visual results remains a challenge. In this work, a universal fast and visual colorimetric detection method for DNA signals is proposed. Specifically, a DNA signal amplification “circuit” based on DNA strand displacement is firstly designed to amplify the target DNA signals, and then thiol modified hairpin DNA strands and gold nanoparticles are used to make signal detection results visualized in a colorimetric manner. If the target DNA signal exists, the gold nanoparticles aggregate and settle down with color changing from dark red to grey quickly; otherwise, the gold nanoparticles’ colloids remain stable in dark red. The proposed method provides a novel way to detect quickly DNA or gene signals in low concentrations with instant visual results. When applied in real-life, it may provide a universal colorimetric method for gene disease signal diagnosis.

  18. Camera Calibration of Stereo Photogrammetric System with One-Dimensional Optical Reference Bar

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Q Y; Ye, D; Che, R S; Qi, X; Huang, Y

    2006-01-01

    To carry out the precise measurement of large-scale complex workpieces, accurately calibration of the stereo photogrammetric system has becoming more and more important. This paper proposed a flexible and reliable camera calibration of stereo photogrammetric system based on quaternion with one-dimensional optical reference bar, which has three small collinear infrared LED marks and the lengths between these marks have been precisely calibration. By moving the optical reference bar at a number of locations/orientations over the measurement volume, we calibrate the stereo photogrammetric systems with the geometric constraint of the optical reference bar. The extrinsic parameters calibration process consists of linear parameters estimation based on quaternion and nonlinear refinement based on the maximum likelihood criterion. Firstly, we linear estimate the extrinsic parameters of the stereo photogrameetric systems based on quaternion. Then with the quaternion results as the initial values, we refine the extrinsic parameters through maximum likelihood criterion with the Levenberg-Marquardt Algorithm. In the calibration process, we can automatically control the light intensity and optimize the exposure time to get uniform intensity profile of the image points at different distance and obtain higher S/N ratio. The experiment result proves that the calibration method proposed is flexible, valid and obtains good results in the application

  19. POLCAL - POLARIMETRIC RADAR CALIBRATION

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanzyl, J.

    1994-01-01

    Calibration of polarimetric radar systems is a field of research in which great progress has been made over the last few years. POLCAL (Polarimetric Radar Calibration) is a software tool intended to assist in the calibration of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems. In particular, POLCAL calibrates Stokes matrix format data produced as the standard product by the NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) airborne imaging synthetic aperture radar (AIRSAR). POLCAL was designed to be used in conjunction with data collected by the NASA/JPL AIRSAR system. AIRSAR is a multifrequency (6 cm, 24 cm, and 68 cm wavelength), fully polarimetric SAR system which produces 12 x 12 km imagery at 10 m resolution. AIRSTAR was designed as a testbed for NASA's Spaceborne Imaging Radar program. While the images produced after 1991 are thought to be calibrated (phase calibrated, cross-talk removed, channel imbalance removed, and absolutely calibrated), POLCAL can and should still be used to check the accuracy of the calibration and to correct it if necessary. Version 4.0 of POLCAL is an upgrade of POLCAL version 2.0 released to AIRSAR investigators in June, 1990. New options in version 4.0 include automatic absolute calibration of 89/90 data, distributed target analysis, calibration of nearby scenes with calibration parameters from a scene with corner reflectors, altitude or roll angle corrections, and calibration of errors introduced by known topography. Many sources of error can lead to false conclusions about the nature of scatterers on the surface. Errors in the phase relationship between polarization channels result in incorrect synthesis of polarization states. Cross-talk, caused by imperfections in the radar antenna itself, can also lead to error. POLCAL reduces cross-talk and corrects phase calibration without the use of ground calibration equipment. Removing the antenna patterns during SAR processing also forms a very important part of the calibration of SAR data. Errors in the

  20. The calibration procedures in the Studsvik standardized personnel dosimetry system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Widell, C.O.

    1978-01-01

    Every large nuclear installation in Sweden reads its own personnel TLDs. In order to supervise this decentralized reading of dose meters, the TLD readers are connected by telephone lines to a central computer for dose registration. This computer is used both for registering the personnel doses and for checking the TLD readers. This checking is performed by the use of pre-irradiated calibration dose meters which are always used when a batch of personnel dose meters are read. The pre-irradiated dose meters are either irradiated using 137 Cs to various doses up to 100mSv(10000mrem) or using a 90 Sr source in a reference dose irradiator to a dose equal to 3mSv(300mrem) from a 137 Cs source. The results from the reading of the pre-irradiated dose meters are processed by the computer and a calibration factor is calculated. The calibration factor is automatically used to calculate the doses to the personnel TLD's. However, if the calibration factor deviates by more than 10% from the previously used factor, this fact is shown to the operator - who then has to decide what calibration factor is going to be used. This calibration and supervisory procedure together with the safety interlocks in the TLD readers has resulted in a very reliable and accurate dosimetry system. (author)

  1. Development and performance of a calibration system for a large calorimeter array

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arenton, M.; Dawson, J.; Ditzler, W.R.

    1982-01-01

    Experiment 609 at Fermilab is a study of the properties of high-p/sub t/ collisions using a large segmented hadron calorimeter. The calibration and monitoring of such a large calorimeter array is a difficult undertaking. This paper describes the systems developed by E609 for automatic monitoring of the phototube gains and performance of the associated electronics

  2. Comparison of Performance between Genetic Algorithm and SCE-UA for Calibration of SCS-CN Surface Runoff Simulation

    OpenAIRE

    Jeon, Ji-Hong; Park, Chan-Gi; Engel, Bernard

    2014-01-01

    Global optimization methods linked with simulation models are widely used for automated calibration and serve as useful tools for searching for cost-effective alternatives for environmental management. A genetic algorithm (GA) and shuffled complex evolution (SCE-UA) algorithm were linked with the Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment (L-THIA) model, which employs the curve number (SCS-CN) method. The performance of the two optimization methods was compared by automatically calibrating L-THI...

  3. [Colorimetric detection of HPV6 and HPV16 by loop mediated isothermal amplification].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Chun-bin; Luo, Le; Yang, Meng-jie; Nie, Kai; Wang, Miao; Ma, Xue-Jun

    2011-01-01

    A simple, rapid and sensitive colorimetric loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method was established to detect HPV6 and HPV 16 respectively. The method employed a set of four specially designed primers that recognized six distinct sequences of HPV6-E6 or HPV16-E7 for amplification of nucleic acid under isothermal conditions at 63 degrees C for one hour. The amplification process of LAMP was monitored by the addition of HNB (hydroxy naphthol blue) dye prior to amplification. A positive reaction was indicated by a color change from violet to sky blue and confirmed by real-time turbidimeter and agarose electrophoresis. Thirteen cervical swab samples having single infection with 13 different HPV genotypes were examined to evaluate the specificity. A serial dilution of a cloned plasmid containing HPV-E6 or HPV-E7 gene was examined to evaluate the sensitivity. The results showed that no cross-reaction with other HPV genotypes was observed. The colorimetric LAMP assay could achieve a sensitivity of 1000 copies, 10-20 times lower than that of real-time PCR. The assay was further evaluated with 62 clinical specimens and consistent results were obtained compared with the detection using Kai Pu HPV Genotyping Kit. We concluded that this colorimetric LAMP assay had potential usefulness for the rapid screening of the HPV6 or HPV16 infection in the laboratories and hospitals of provincial and municipal region in China.

  4. Silver nanoparticles-based colorimetric array for the detection of Thiophanate-methyl

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Mingda; Wang, Yingying; Wang, Chenge; Wei, Wei; Ma, Shuang; Sun, Xiaohan; He, Jiang

    2018-06-01

    A simple and selective colorimetric sensor based on citrate capped silver nanoparticles (Cit-AgNPs) is proposed for the detection of Thiophanate-methyl (TM) with high sensitivity and selectivity. The method based on the color change of Cit-AgNPs from yellow to cherry red with the addition of TM to Cit-AgNPs that caused a red-shift on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band from 394 nm to 525 nm due to the hydrogen-bonding and substitution. The density functional theory (DFT) method was also calculated the interactions between the TM and citrate ions. Under the optimized conditions, a linear relationship between the absorption ratio (A525nm/A394nm) and TM concentration was found in the range of 2-100 μM with correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.988. The detection limit of TM was 0.12 μM by UV-vis spectrometer. Moreover, the applicability of colorimetric sensor is successfully verified by the detection of TM in environmental samples with good recoveries.

  5. Development of the smartphone-based colorimetry for multi-analyte sensing arrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Jong Il; Chang, Byoung-Yong

    2014-05-21

    Here we report development of a smartphone app (application) that digitizes the colours of a colorimetric sensor array. A conventional colorimetric sensor array consists of multiple paper-based sensors, and reports the detection results in terms of colour change. Evaluation of the colour changes is normally done by the naked eye, which may cause uncertainties due to personal subjectivity and the surrounding conditions. Solutions have been particularly sought in smartphones as they are capable of spectrometric functions. Our report specifically focuses on development of a practical app for immediate point-of-care (POC) multi-analyte sensing without additional devices. First, the individual positions of the sensors are automatically identified by the smartphone; second, the colours measured at each sensor are digitized based on a correction algorithm; and third, the corrected colours are converted to concentration values by pre-loaded calibration curves. All through these sequential processes, the sensor array taken in a smartphone snapshot undergoes laboratory-level spectrometry. The advantages of inexpensive and convenient paper-based colorimetry and the ubiquitous smartphone are tied to achieve a ready-to-go POC diagnosis.

  6. The Breakthrough Listen Search for Intelligent Life: Data Calibration using Pulsars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brinkman-Traverse, Casey Lynn; Gajjar, Vishal; BSRC

    2018-01-01

    The ability to distinguish ET signals requires a deep understanding of the radio telescopes with which we search; therefore, before we observe stars of interest, the Breathrough Listen scientists at Berkeley SETI Research Center first observe a Pulsar with well-documented flux and polarization properties. The process of calibrating the flux and polarization is a lengthy process by hand, so we produced a pipeline code that will automatically calibrate the pulsar in under an hour. Using PSRCHIVE the code coherently dedisperses the pulsed radio signals, and then calibrates the flux using observation files with a noise diode turning on and off. The code was developed using PSR B1937+ 21 and is primarily used on PSR B0329+54. This will expedite the process of assessing the quality of data collected from the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia and will allow us to more efficiently find life beyond Planet Earth. Additionally, the stability of the B0329+54 calibration data will allow us to analyze data taken on FRB's with confidence of its cosmic origin.

  7. Influence of rainfall observation network on model calibration and application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Bárdossy

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective in this study is to investigate the influence of the spatial resolution of the rainfall input on the model calibration and application. The analysis is carried out by varying the distribution of the raingauge network. A meso-scale catchment located in southwest Germany has been selected for this study. First, the semi-distributed HBV model is calibrated with the precipitation interpolated from the available observed rainfall of the different raingauge networks. An automatic calibration method based on the combinatorial optimization algorithm simulated annealing is applied. The performance of the hydrological model is analyzed as a function of the raingauge density. Secondly, the calibrated model is validated using interpolated precipitation from the same raingauge density used for the calibration as well as interpolated precipitation based on networks of reduced and increased raingauge density. Lastly, the effect of missing rainfall data is investigated by using a multiple linear regression approach for filling in the missing measurements. The model, calibrated with the complete set of observed data, is then run in the validation period using the above described precipitation field. The simulated hydrographs obtained in the above described three sets of experiments are analyzed through the comparisons of the computed Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient and several goodness-of-fit indexes. The results show that the model using different raingauge networks might need re-calibration of the model parameters, specifically model calibrated on relatively sparse precipitation information might perform well on dense precipitation information while model calibrated on dense precipitation information fails on sparse precipitation information. Also, the model calibrated with the complete set of observed precipitation and run with incomplete observed data associated with the data estimated using multiple linear regressions, at the locations treated as

  8. Calibration factor or calibration coefficient?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meghzifene, A.; Shortt, K.R.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: The IAEA/WHO network of SSDLs was set up in order to establish links between SSDL members and the international measurement system. At the end of 2001, there were 73 network members in 63 Member States. The SSDL network members provide calibration services to end-users at the national or regional level. The results of the calibrations are summarized in a document called calibration report or calibration certificate. The IAEA has been using the term calibration certificate and will continue using the same terminology. The most important information in a calibration certificate is a list of calibration factors and their related uncertainties that apply to the calibrated instrument for the well-defined irradiation and ambient conditions. The IAEA has recently decided to change the term calibration factor to calibration coefficient, to be fully in line with ISO [ISO 31-0], which recommends the use of the term coefficient when it links two quantities A and B (equation 1) that have different dimensions. The term factor should only be used for k when it is used to link the terms A and B that have the same dimensions A=k.B. However, in a typical calibration, an ion chamber is calibrated in terms of a physical quantity such as air kerma, dose to water, ambient dose equivalent, etc. If the chamber is calibrated together with its electrometer, then the calibration refers to the physical quantity to be measured per electrometer unit reading. In this case, the terms referred have different dimensions. The adoption by the Agency of the term coefficient to express the results of calibrations is consistent with the 'International vocabulary of basic and general terms in metrology' prepared jointly by the BIPM, IEC, ISO, OIML and other organizations. The BIPM has changed from factor to coefficient. The authors believe that this is more than just a matter of semantics and recommend that the SSDL network members adopt this change in terminology. (author)

  9. Enzyme-free colorimetric detection systems based on the DNA strand displacement competition reaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Z.; Birkedal, V.; Gothelf, K. V.

    2016-05-01

    The strand displacement competition assay is based on the dynamic equilibrium of the competitive hybridization of two oligonucleotides (A and B) to a third oligonucleotide (S). In the presence of an analyte that binds to a specific affinity-moiety conjugated to strand B, the equilibrium shifts, which can be detected by a shift in the fluorescence resonance energy transfer signal between dyes attached to the DNA strands. In the present study we have integrated an ATP aptamer in the strand B and demonstrated the optical detection of ATP. Furthermore we explore a new readout method using a split G-quadruplex DNAzyme for colorimetric readout of the detection of streptavidin by the naked eye. Finally, we integrate the whole G-quadruplex DNAzyme system in a single DNA strand and show that it is applicable to colorimetric detection.

  10. Enzyme-free colorimetric detection systems based on the DNA strand displacement competition reaction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Zhao; Birkedal, Victoria; Gothelf, Kurt Vesterager

    2016-01-01

    The strand displacement competition assay is based on the dynamic equilibrium of the competitive hybridization of two oligonucleotides (A and B) to a third oligonucleotide (S). In the presence of an analyte that binds to a specific affinity-moiety conjugated to strand B, the equilibrium shifts, w...... G-quadruplex DNAzyme for colorimetric readout of the detection of streptavidin by the naked eye. Finally, we integrate the whole G-quadruplex DNAzyme system in a single DNA strand and show that it is applicable to colorimetric detection......., which can be detected by a shift in the fluorescence resonance energy transfer signal between dyes attached to the DNA strands. In the present study we have integrated an ATP aptamer in the strand B and demonstrated the optical detection of ATP. Furthermore we explore a new readout method using a split...

  11. UNIVERSAL AUTO-CALIBRATION FOR A RAPID BATTERY IMPEDANCE SPECTRUM MEASUREMENT DEVICE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jon P. Christophersen; John L. Morrison; William H. Morrison

    2014-03-01

    Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy has been shown to be a valuable tool for diagnostics and prognostics of energy storage devices such as batteries and ultra-capacitors. Although measurements have been typically confined to laboratory environments, rapid impedance spectrum measurement techniques have been developed for on-line, embedded applications as well. The prototype hardware for the rapid technique has been validated using lithium-ion batteries, but issues with calibration had also been identified. A new, universal automatic calibration technique was developed to address the identified issues while also enabling a more simplified approach. A single, broad-frequency range is used to calibrate the system and then scaled to the actual range and conditions used when measuring a device under test. The range used for calibration must be broad relative to the expected measurement conditions for the scaling to be successful. Validation studies were performed by comparing the universal calibration approach with data acquired from targeted calibration ranges based on the expected range of performance for the device under test. First, a mid-level shunt range was used for calibration and used to measure devices with lower and higher impedance. Next, a high excitation current level was used for calibration, followed by measurements using lower currents. Finally, calibration was performed over a wide frequency range and used to measure test articles with a lower set of frequencies. In all cases, the universal calibration approach compared very well with results acquired following a targeted calibration. Additionally, the shunts used for the automated calibration technique were successfully characterized such that the rapid impedance measurements compare very well with laboratory-scale measurements. These data indicate that the universal approach can be successfully used for onboard rapid impedance spectra measurements for a broad set of test devices and range of

  12. The New Approach to Camera Calibration – GCPs or TLS Data?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Markiewicz

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Camera calibration is one of the basic photogrammetric tasks responsible for the quality of processed products. The majority of calibration is performed with a specially designed test field or during the self-calibration process. The research presented in this paper aims to answer the question of whether it is necessary to use control points designed in the standard way for determination of camera interior orientation parameters. Data from close-range laser scanning can be used as an alternative. The experiments shown in this work demonstrate the potential of laser measurements, since the number of points that may be involved in the calculation is much larger than that of commonly used ground control points. The problem which still exists is the correct and automatic identification of object details in the image, taken with a tested camera, as well as in the data set registered with the laser scanner.

  13. Self-calibration method for rotating laser positioning system using interscanning technology and ultrasonic ranging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jun; Yu, Zhijing; Zhuge, Jingchang

    2016-04-01

    A rotating laser positioning system (RLPS) is an efficient measurement method for large-scale metrology. Due to multiple transmitter stations, which consist of a measurement network, the position relationship of these stations must be first calibrated. However, with such auxiliary devices such as a laser tracker, scale bar, and complex calibration process, the traditional calibration methods greatly reduce the measurement efficiency. This paper proposes a self-calibration method for RLPS, which can automatically obtain the position relationship. The method is implemented through interscanning technology by using a calibration bar mounted on the transmitter station. Each bar is composed of three RLPS receivers and one ultrasonic sensor whose coordinates are known in advance. The calibration algorithm is mainly based on multiplane and distance constraints and is introduced in detail through a two-station mathematical model. The repeated experiments demonstrate that the coordinate measurement uncertainty of spatial points by using this method is about 0.1 mm, and the accuracy experiments show that the average coordinate measurement deviation is about 0.3 mm compared with a laser tracker. The accuracy can meet the requirements of most applications, while the calibration efficiency is significantly improved.

  14. Automatic generation of groundwater model hydrostratigraphy from AEM resistivity and boreholes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marker, Pernille Aabye; Foged, N.; Christiansen, A. V.

    2014-01-01

    distribution govern groundwater flow. The coupling between hydrological and geophysical parameters is managed using a translator function with spatially variable parameters followed by a 3D zonation. The translator function translates geophysical resistivities into clay fractions and is calibrated...... with observed lithological data. Principal components are computed for the translated clay fractions and geophysical resistivities. Zonation is carried out by k-means clustering on the principal components. The hydraulic parameters of the zones are determined in a hydrological model calibration using head...... and discharge observations. The method was applied to field data collected at a Danish field site. Our results show that a competitive hydrological model can be constructed from the AEM dataset using the automatic procedure outlined above....

  15. Determination of trace amounts of hydroperoxides by column liquid chromatography and colorimetric detection

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Deelder, R.S.; Kroll, M.; van den Berg, J.H.M.

    1976-01-01

    The sensitive and selective determination of separated compounds in effluents from liquid chromatographic columns can be carried out by continuously adding a suitable colorimetric agent to the column effluent and continuously monitoring the absorbance of the reaction mixture. However, a considerable

  16. Development of Automatic Control of Bayer Plant Digestion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riffaud, J. P.

    Supervisory computer control has been achieved in Alcan's Bayer Plants at Arvida, Quebec, Canada. The purpose of the automatic control system is to stabilize and consequently increase, the alumina/caustic ratio within the digester train and in the blow-off liquor. Measurements of the electrical conductivity of the liquor are obtained from electrodeless conductivity meters. These signals, along with several others are scanned by the computer and converted to engineering units, using specific relationships which are updated periodically for calibration purposes. On regular time intervals, values of ratio are compared to target values and adjustments are made to the bauxite flow entering the digesters. Dead time compensation included in the control algorithm enables a faster rate for corrections. Modification of production rate is achieved through careful timing of various flow changes. Calibration of the conductivity meters is achieved by sampling at intervals the liquor flowing through them, and analysing it with a thermometric titrator. Calibration of the thermometric titrator is done at intervals with a standard solution. Calculations for both calibrations are performed by computer from data entered by the analyst. The computer was used for on-line data collection, modelling of the digester system, calculation of disturbances and simulation of control strategies before implementing the most successful strategy in the Plant. Control of ratio has been improved by the integrated system, resulting in increased Plant productivity.

  17. A fast, sensitive and easy colorimetric assay for chitinase and cellulase activity detection.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ferrari, Alessandro; Gaber, Yasser; Fraaije, Marco

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Most of the current colorimetric methods for detection of chitinase or cellulase activities on the insoluble natural polymers chitin and cellulose depend on a chemical redox reaction. The reaction involves the reducing ends of the hydrolytic products. The Schales' procedure and the

  18. A rapid colorimetric assay for mold spore germination using XTT tetrazolium salt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carol A. Clausen; Vina W. Yang

    2011-01-01

    Current laboratory test methods to measure efficacy of new mold inhibitors are time consuming, some require specialized test equipment and ratings are subjective. Rapid, simple quantitative assays to measure the efficacy of mold inhibitors are needed. A quantitative, colorimetric microassay was developed using XTT tetrazolium salt to metabolically assess mold spore...

  19. Colorimetric Recognition of Aldehydes and Ketones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zheng; Fang, Ming; LaGasse, Maria K; Askim, Jon R; Suslick, Kenneth S

    2017-08-07

    A colorimetric sensor array has been designed for the identification of and discrimination among aldehydes and ketones in vapor phase. Due to rapid chemical reactions between the solid-state sensor elements and gaseous analytes, distinct color difference patterns were produced and digitally imaged for chemometric analysis. The sensor array was developed from classical spot tests using aniline and phenylhydrazine dyes that enable molecular recognition of a wide variety of aliphatic or aromatic aldehydes and ketones, as demonstrated by hierarchical cluster, principal component, and support vector machine analyses. The aldehyde/ketone-specific sensors were further employed for differentiation among and identification of ten liquor samples (whiskies, brandy, vodka) and ethanol controls, showing its potential applications in the beverage industry. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Development of Web Tools for the automatic Upload of Calibration Data into the CMS Condition Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    di Guida, Salvatore; Innocente, Vincenzo; Pierro, Antonio

    2010-04-01

    This article explains the recent evolution of Condition Database Application Service. The Condition Database Application Service is part of the condition database system of the CMS experiment, and it is used for handling and monitoring the CMS detector condition data, and the corresponding computing resources like Oracle Databases, storage service and network devices. We deployed a service, the offline Dropbox service, that will be used by Alignment and Calibration Group in order to upload from the offline network (GPN) the calibration constants produced by running offline analysis.

  1. Discrimination of honeys using colorimetric sensor arrays, sensory analysis and gas chromatography techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tahir, Haroon Elrasheid; Xiaobo, Zou; Xiaowei, Huang; Jiyong, Shi; Mariod, Abdalbasit Adam

    2016-09-01

    Aroma profiles of six honey varieties of different botanical origins were investigated using colorimetric sensor array, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and descriptive sensory analysis. Fifty-eight aroma compounds were identified, including 2 norisoprenoids, 5 hydrocarbons, 4 terpenes, 6 phenols, 7 ketones, 9 acids, 12 aldehydes and 13 alcohols. Twenty abundant or active compounds were chosen as key compounds to characterize honey aroma. Discrimination of the honeys was subsequently implemented using multivariate analysis, including hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA). Honeys of the same botanical origin were grouped together in the PCA score plot and HCA dendrogram. SPME-GC/MS and colorimetric sensor array were able to discriminate the honeys effectively with the advantages of being rapid, simple and low-cost. Moreover, partial least squares regression (PLSR) was applied to indicate the relationship between sensory descriptors and aroma compounds. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Evaluating Statistical Process Control (SPC) techniques and computing the uncertainty of force calibrations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navard, Sharon E.

    1989-01-01

    In recent years there has been a push within NASA to use statistical techniques to improve the quality of production. Two areas where statistics are used are in establishing product and process quality control of flight hardware and in evaluating the uncertainty of calibration of instruments. The Flight Systems Quality Engineering branch is responsible for developing and assuring the quality of all flight hardware; the statistical process control methods employed are reviewed and evaluated. The Measurement Standards and Calibration Laboratory performs the calibration of all instruments used on-site at JSC as well as those used by all off-site contractors. These calibrations must be performed in such a way as to be traceable to national standards maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and they must meet a four-to-one ratio of the instrument specifications to calibrating standard uncertainty. In some instances this ratio is not met, and in these cases it is desirable to compute the exact uncertainty of the calibration and determine ways of reducing it. A particular example where this problem is encountered is with a machine which does automatic calibrations of force. The process of force calibration using the United Force Machine is described in detail. The sources of error are identified and quantified when possible. Suggestions for improvement are made.

  3. A rapid colorimetric screening method for vanillic acid and vanillin-producing bacterial strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zamzuri, N A; Abd-Aziz, S; Rahim, R A; Phang, L Y; Alitheen, N B; Maeda, T

    2014-04-01

    To isolate a bacterial strain capable of biotransforming ferulic acid, a major component of lignin, into vanillin and vanillic acid by a rapid colorimetric screening method. For the production of vanillin, a natural aroma compound, we attempted to isolate a potential strain using a simple screening method based on pH change resulting from the degradation of ferulic acid. The strain Pseudomonas sp. AZ10 UPM exhibited a significant result because of colour changes observed on the assay plate on day 1 with a high intensity of yellow colour. The biotransformation of ferulic acid into vanillic acid by the AZ10 strain provided the yield (Yp/s ) and productivity (Pr ) of 1·08 mg mg(-1) and 53·1 mg L(-1) h(-1) , respectively. In fact, new investigations regarding lignin degradation revealed that the strain was not able to produce vanillin and vanillic acid directly from lignin; however, partially digested lignin by mixed enzymatic treatment allowed the strain to produce 30·7 mg l(-1) and 1·94 mg l(-1) of vanillic acid and biovanillin, respectively. (i) The rapid colorimetric screening method allowed the isolation of a biovanillin producer using ferulic acid as the sole carbon source. (ii) Enzymatic treatment partially digested lignin, which could then be utilized by the strain to produce biovanillin and vanillic acid. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the use of a rapid colorimetric screening method for bacterial strains producing vanillin and vanillic acid from ferulic acid. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  4. Calibration and automatic counting in a neutrons dosimeter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tavera-Davila, M.L.

    1991-01-01

    Over the past decade, the majority of improvements in spectrometry have not come from improved detectors but from better computing facilities, in Folding codes, and nuclear data. However several types of passive neutron detectors have the potential for development into crude, low resolution spectrometers, to be worn by individuals, making them attractive to be subject of more time of investigation. This thesis contributes to the understanding of the properties of solid state nuclear tracks (SSNTD) in order to use them in neutron dosimetry and spectrometry. In the first chapter the basic principles on neutron interaction with matter and some relevant considerations about detection and dosimetry are presented. The third chapter deals with detection properties of solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD). Calibration methods are presented for three different applications, detection of heavy ions, radon and neutrons. In chapter 4, some equations are derived which predict the whole efficiency formation of thin plastic detectors as a function of range, angle, and type of inciding particle as well as residual thickness. Using experimental data on proton registration properties in thin plastic detectors and the former derived equations, mathematical expressions are developed to predict the sparking counting efficiency for recoll protons and trions produced by neutrons in SSNTD. Chapter five deals with the comparison between experimental results and theoretical results of chapter 4. In chapter 6 experimental optimum parameters for electrochemical etching of thin plastic detectors are presented. The electrochemical etching efficiency is compared with the spark countering efficiency obtained in chapter 5. In chapter 7, general comments on applications to neutron dosimetry are presented. (Author)

  5. Application of single-image camera calibration for ultrasound augmented laparoscopic visualization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xinyang; Su, He; Kang, Sukryool; Kane, Timothy D; Shekhar, Raj

    2015-03-01

    Accurate calibration of laparoscopic cameras is essential for enabling many surgical visualization and navigation technologies such as the ultrasound-augmented visualization system that we have developed for laparoscopic surgery. In addition to accuracy and robustness, there is a practical need for a fast and easy camera calibration method that can be performed on demand in the operating room (OR). Conventional camera calibration methods are not suitable for the OR use because they are lengthy and tedious. They require acquisition of multiple images of a target pattern in its entirety to produce satisfactory result. In this work, we evaluated the performance of a single-image camera calibration tool ( rdCalib ; Percieve3D, Coimbra, Portugal) featuring automatic detection of corner points in the image, whether partial or complete, of a custom target pattern. Intrinsic camera parameters of a 5-mm and a 10-mm standard Stryker ® laparoscopes obtained using rdCalib and the well-accepted OpenCV camera calibration method were compared. Target registration error (TRE) as a measure of camera calibration accuracy for our optical tracking-based AR system was also compared between the two calibration methods. Based on our experiments, the single-image camera calibration yields consistent and accurate results (mean TRE = 1.18 ± 0.35 mm for the 5-mm scope and mean TRE = 1.13 ± 0.32 mm for the 10-mm scope), which are comparable to the results obtained using the OpenCV method with 30 images. The new single-image camera calibration method is promising to be applied to our augmented reality visualization system for laparoscopic surgery.

  6. Application of single-image camera calibration for ultrasound augmented laparoscopic visualization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xinyang; Su, He; Kang, Sukryool; Kane, Timothy D.; Shekhar, Raj

    2015-03-01

    Accurate calibration of laparoscopic cameras is essential for enabling many surgical visualization and navigation technologies such as the ultrasound-augmented visualization system that we have developed for laparoscopic surgery. In addition to accuracy and robustness, there is a practical need for a fast and easy camera calibration method that can be performed on demand in the operating room (OR). Conventional camera calibration methods are not suitable for the OR use because they are lengthy and tedious. They require acquisition of multiple images of a target pattern in its entirety to produce satisfactory result. In this work, we evaluated the performance of a single-image camera calibration tool (rdCalib; Percieve3D, Coimbra, Portugal) featuring automatic detection of corner points in the image, whether partial or complete, of a custom target pattern. Intrinsic camera parameters of a 5-mm and a 10-mm standard Stryker® laparoscopes obtained using rdCalib and the well-accepted OpenCV camera calibration method were compared. Target registration error (TRE) as a measure of camera calibration accuracy for our optical tracking-based AR system was also compared between the two calibration methods. Based on our experiments, the single-image camera calibration yields consistent and accurate results (mean TRE = 1.18 ± 0.35 mm for the 5-mm scope and mean TRE = 1.13 ± 0.32 mm for the 10-mm scope), which are comparable to the results obtained using the OpenCV method with 30 images. The new single-image camera calibration method is promising to be applied to our augmented reality visualization system for laparoscopic surgery.

  7. All-in-One Wafer-Level Solution for MMIC Automatic Testing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xu Ding

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we present an all-in-one wafer-level solution for MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit automatic testing. The OSL (open short load two tier de-embedding, the calibration verification model, the accurate PAE (power added efficiency testing, and the optimized vector cold source NF (noise figure measurement techniques are integrated in this solution to improve the measurement accuracy. A dual-core topology formed by an IPC (industrial personal computer and a VNA (vector network analyzer, and an automatic test software based on a three-level driver architecture, are applied to enhance the test efficiency. The benefit from this solution is that all the data of a MMIC can be achieved in only one contact, which shows state-of-the-art accuracy and efficiency.

  8. A fully automated calibration method for an optical see-through head-mounted operating microscope with variable zoom and focus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Figl, Michael; Ede, Christopher; Hummel, Johann; Wanschitz, Felix; Ewers, Rolf; Bergmann, Helmar; Birkfellner, Wolfgang

    2005-11-01

    Ever since the development of the first applications in image-guided therapy (IGT), the use of head-mounted displays (HMDs) was considered an important extension of existing IGT technologies. Several approaches to utilizing HMDs and modified medical devices for augmented reality (AR) visualization were implemented. These approaches include video-see through systems, semitransparent mirrors, modified endoscopes, and modified operating microscopes. Common to all these devices is the fact that a precise calibration between the display and three-dimensional coordinates in the patient's frame of reference is compulsory. In optical see-through devices based on complex optical systems such as operating microscopes or operating binoculars-as in the case of the system presented in this paper-this procedure can become increasingly difficult since precise camera calibration for every focus and zoom position is required. We present a method for fully automatic calibration of the operating binocular Varioscope M5 AR for the full range of zoom and focus settings available. Our method uses a special calibration pattern, a linear guide driven by a stepping motor, and special calibration software. The overlay error in the calibration plane was found to be 0.14-0.91 mm, which is less than 1% of the field of view. Using the motorized calibration rig as presented in the paper, we were also able to assess the dynamic latency when viewing augmentation graphics on a mobile target; spatial displacement due to latency was found to be in the range of 1.1-2.8 mm maximum, the disparity between the true object and its computed overlay represented latency of 0.1 s. We conclude that the automatic calibration method presented in this paper is sufficient in terms of accuracy and time requirements for standard uses of optical see-through systems in a clinical environment.

  9. First full dynamic range calibration of the JUNGFRAU photon detector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redford, S.; Andrä, M.; Barten, R.; Bergamaschi, A.; Brückner, M.; Dinapoli, R.; Fröjdh, E.; Greiffenberg, D.; Lopez-Cuenca, C.; Mezza, D.; Mozzanica, A.; Ramilli, M.; Ruat, M.; Ruder, C.; Schmitt, B.; Shi, X.; Thattil, D.; Tinti, G.; Vetter, S.; Zhang, J.

    2018-01-01

    The JUNGFRAU detector is a charge integrating hybrid silicon pixel detector developed at the Paul Scherrer Institut for photon science applications, in particular for the upcoming free electron laser SwissFEL. With a high dynamic range, analogue readout, low noise and three automatically switching gains, JUNGFRAU promises excellent performance not only at XFELs but also at synchrotrons in areas such as protein crystallography, ptychography, pump-probe and time resolved measurements. To achieve its full potential, the detector must be calibrated on a pixel-by-pixel basis. This contribution presents the current status of the JUNGFRAU calibration project, in which a variety of input charge sources are used to parametrise the energy response of the detector across four orders of magnitude of dynamic range. Building on preliminary studies, the first full calibration procedure of a JUNGFRAU 0.5 Mpixel module is described. The calibration is validated using alternative sources of charge deposition, including laboratory experiments and measurements at ESRF and LCLS. The findings from these measurements are presented. Calibrated modules have already been used in proof-of-principle style protein crystallography experiments at the SLS. A first look at selected results is shown. Aspects such as the conversion of charge to number of photons, treatment of multi-size pixels and the origin of non-linear response are also discussed.

  10. Multi-projector auto-calibration and placement optimization for non-planar surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Dong; Xie, Jinghui; Zhao, Lu; Zhou, Lijing; Weng, Dongdong

    2015-10-01

    Non-planar projection has been widely applied in virtual reality and digital entertainment and exhibitions because of its flexible layout and immersive display effects. Compared with planar projection, a non-planar projection is more difficult to achieve because projector calibration and image distortion correction are difficult processes. This paper uses a cylindrical screen as an example to present a new method for automatically calibrating a multi-projector system in a non-planar environment without using 3D reconstruction. This method corrects the geometric calibration error caused by the screen's manufactured imperfections, such as an undulating surface or a slant in the vertical plane. In addition, based on actual projection demand, this paper presents the overall performance evaluation criteria for the multi-projector system. According to these criteria, we determined the optimal placement for the projectors. This method also extends to surfaces that can be parameterized, such as spheres, ellipsoids, and paraboloids, and demonstrates a broad applicability.

  11. Optical sensing of sulfate by polymethinium salt receptors: colorimetric sensor for heparin

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bříza, T.; Kejík, Z.; Císařová, I.; Králová, Jarmila; Martásek, P.; Král, V.

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 16, - (2008), s. 1901-1903 ISSN 1359-7345 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KAN200200651; GA ČR(CZ) GA203/06/1038 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Keywords : colorimetric sensor * heparin * polymethinium salt Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 5.340, year: 2008

  12. Multi-colorimetric sensor array for detection of illegal materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kostesha, Natalie; Boisen, Anja; Jakobsen, Mogens Havsteen

    2012-01-01

    The detection of low pressure illegal compounds is an important analytical problem which requires reliable, selective and sensitive detection methods which provide the highest level of confidence in the result. Therefore, to contribute in the successful development of the recognition technology...... and signal processing enhancements to sensing methods, recognition ability, data acquisition time and data processing algorithms are necessary. In this research we work towards the development of a rapid, easy in use, highly sensitive, specific (minimal false positives) sensor based on a colorimetric sensing...

  13. When to Make Mountains out of Molehills: The Pros and Cons of Simple and Complex Model Calibration Procedures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, K. A.; Barker, L. J.; Harrigan, S.; Prudhomme, C.; Hannaford, J.; Tanguy, M.; Parry, S.

    2017-12-01

    Earth and environmental models are relied upon to investigate system responses that cannot otherwise be examined. In simulating physical processes, models have adjustable parameters which may, or may not, have a physical meaning. Determining the values to assign to these model parameters is an enduring challenge for earth and environmental modellers. Selecting different error metrics by which the models results are compared to observations will lead to different sets of calibrated model parameters, and thus different model results. Furthermore, models may exhibit `equifinal' behaviour, where multiple combinations of model parameters lead to equally acceptable model performance against observations. These decisions in model calibration introduce uncertainty that must be considered when model results are used to inform environmental decision-making. This presentation focusses on the uncertainties that derive from the calibration of a four parameter lumped catchment hydrological model (GR4J). The GR models contain an inbuilt automatic calibration algorithm that can satisfactorily calibrate against four error metrics in only a few seconds. However, a single, deterministic model result does not provide information on parameter uncertainty. Furthermore, a modeller interested in extreme events, such as droughts, may wish to calibrate against more low flows specific error metrics. In a comprehensive assessment, the GR4J model has been run with 500,000 Latin Hypercube Sampled parameter sets across 303 catchments in the United Kingdom. These parameter sets have been assessed against six error metrics, including two drought specific metrics. This presentation compares the two approaches, and demonstrates that the inbuilt automatic calibration can outperform the Latin Hypercube experiment approach in single metric assessed performance. However, it is also shown that there are many merits of the more comprehensive assessment, which allows for probabilistic model results, multi

  14. Urinary Colorimetric Sensor Array and Algorithm to Distinguish Kawasaki Disease from Other Febrile Illnesses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhen Li

    Full Text Available Kawasaki disease (KD is an acute pediatric vasculitis of infants and young children with unknown etiology and no specific laboratory-based test to identify. A specific molecular diagnostic test is urgently needed to support the clinical decision of proper medical intervention, preventing subsequent complications of coronary artery aneurysms. We used a simple and low-cost colorimetric sensor array to address the lack of a specific diagnostic test to differentiate KD from febrile control (FC patients with similar rash/fever illnesses.Demographic and clinical data were prospectively collected for subjects with KD and FCs under standard protocol. After screening using a genetic algorithm, eleven compounds including metalloporphyrins, pH indicators, redox indicators and solvatochromic dye categories, were selected from our chromatic compound library (n = 190 to construct a colorimetric sensor array for diagnosing KD. Quantitative color difference analysis led to a decision-tree-based KD diagnostic algorithm.This KD sensing array allowed the identification of 94% of KD subjects (receiver operating characteristic [ROC] area under the curve [AUC] 0.981 in the training set (33 KD, 33 FC and 94% of KD subjects (ROC AUC: 0.873 in the testing set (16 KD, 17 FC. Color difference maps reconstructed from the digital images of the sensing compounds demonstrated distinctive patterns differentiating KD from FC patients.The colorimetric sensor array, composed of common used chemical compounds, is an easily accessible, low-cost method to realize the discrimination of subjects with KD from other febrile illness.

  15. Development of a calibration methodology and tests of kerma area product meters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Costa, Nathalia Almeida

    2013-01-01

    The quantity kerma area product (PKA) is important to establish reference levels in diagnostic radiology exams. This quantity can be obtained using a PKA meter. The use of such meters is essential to evaluate the radiation dose in radiological procedures and is a good indicator to make sure that the dose limit to the patient's skin doesn't exceed. Sometimes, these meters come fixed to X radiation equipment, which makes its calibration difficult. In this work, it was developed a methodology for calibration of PKA meters. The instrument used for this purpose was the Patient Dose Calibrator (PDC). It was developed to be used as a reference to check the calibration of PKA and air kerma meters that are used for dosimetry in patients and to verify the consistency and behavior of systems of automatic exposure control. Because it is a new equipment, which, in Brazil, is not yet used as reference equipment for calibration, it was also performed the quality control of this equipment with characterization tests, the calibration and an evaluation of the energy dependence. After the tests, it was proved that the PDC can be used as a reference instrument and that the calibration must be performed in situ, so that the characteristics of each X-ray equipment, where the PKA meters are used, are considered. The calibration was then performed with portable PKA meters and in an interventional radiology equipment that has a PKA meter fixed. The results were good and it was proved the need for calibration of these meters and the importance of in situ calibration with a reference meter. (author)

  16. An effective colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe for bisulfite in aqueous solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dai, Xi; Zhang, Tao; Du, Zhi-Fang; Cao, Xiang-Jian; Chen, Ming-Yu; Hu, Sheng-Wen; Miao, Jun-Ying; Zhao, Bao-Xiang

    2015-01-01

    We have developed the first two-photon colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe, BICO, for the detection of bisulfite (HSO 3 − ) in aqueous solution. The probe contains coumarin and benzimidazole moieties and can detect HSO 3 − based on the Michael addition reaction with a limit of detection 5.3 × 10 −8  M in phosphate-buffered saline solution. The probe was used to detect bisulfite in tap water, sugar and dry white wine. Moreover, test strips were made and used easily. We successfully applied the probe to image living cells, using one-photon fluorescence imaging. BICO overcomes the limitations in sensitivity of previously reported probes and the solvation effect of bisulfite, which demonstrates its excellent value in practical application. - Highlights: • A colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe was developed. • The probe could detect bisulfite in PBS buffer solution and real samples. • Bisulfite test paper was made to naked-eye detect bisulfite. • This probe successfully used to living cell imaging in ratiometric manner

  17. An effective colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe for bisulfite in aqueous solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dai, Xi [Institute of Organic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Zhang, Tao [Institute of Developmental Biology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Du, Zhi-Fang; Cao, Xiang-Jian; Chen, Ming-Yu [Institute of Organic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Taishan College, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Hu, Sheng-Wen [Institute of Organic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Miao, Jun-Ying, E-mail: miaojy@sdu.edu.cn [Institute of Developmental Biology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Zhao, Bao-Xiang, E-mail: bxzhao@sdu.edu.cn [Institute of Organic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China)

    2015-08-12

    We have developed the first two-photon colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe, BICO, for the detection of bisulfite (HSO{sub 3}{sup −}) in aqueous solution. The probe contains coumarin and benzimidazole moieties and can detect HSO{sub 3}{sup −} based on the Michael addition reaction with a limit of detection 5.3 × 10{sup −8} M in phosphate-buffered saline solution. The probe was used to detect bisulfite in tap water, sugar and dry white wine. Moreover, test strips were made and used easily. We successfully applied the probe to image living cells, using one-photon fluorescence imaging. BICO overcomes the limitations in sensitivity of previously reported probes and the solvation effect of bisulfite, which demonstrates its excellent value in practical application. - Highlights: • A colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe was developed. • The probe could detect bisulfite in PBS buffer solution and real samples. • Bisulfite test paper was made to naked-eye detect bisulfite. • This probe successfully used to living cell imaging in ratiometric manner.

  18. Colorimetric detection of riboflavin by silver nanoparticles capped with β-cyclodextrin-grafted citrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Qi; Song, Jinping; Zhang, Sufang; Wang, Meifang; Guo, Yong; Dong, Chuan

    2016-12-01

    β-Cyclodextrin-grafted citrate was used for the first time as a stabilizer and reducer to prepare silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The as-synthesized AgNPs were further characterized by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the presence of riboflavin caused severe aggregation of the nanoparticles, thereby inducing a colour change from yellow to red. 1 H NMR further verified the formation of non-inclusion complexes between riboflavin and β-cyclodextrin-grafted citrate. Hydrogen bond was considered the main driving force of the interaction between the riboflavin and external rim of β-cyclodextrin. Based on these observations, the as-synthesized AgNPs were utilized to develop a novel colorimetric sensor for riboflavin detection. This colorimetric probe showed excellent selectivity and high sensitivity for riboflavin with a detection limit of 167nM. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Multi-colorimetric sensor array for detection of explosives in gas and liquid phase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kostesha, Natalie; Alstrøm, Tommy Sonne; Johnsen, C.

    2011-01-01

    In the framework of the research project "Xsense" at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) we are developing a simple colorimetric sensor array which can be useful in detection of explosives like DNT, TATP, HMX, RDX and identification of reagents needed for making homemade explosives. The tec......In the framework of the research project "Xsense" at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) we are developing a simple colorimetric sensor array which can be useful in detection of explosives like DNT, TATP, HMX, RDX and identification of reagents needed for making homemade explosives...... to the analytes creates a color difference map which gives a unique fingerprint for each explosive and VOCs. Such sensing technology can be used for screening relevant explosives in a complex background as well as to distinguish mixtures of volatile organic compounds distributed in gas and liquid phases....... This sensor array is inexpensive, and can potentially be produced as single use disposable....

  20. An imaging-based photometric and colorimetric measurement method for characterizing OLED panels for lighting applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Yiting; Narendran, Nadarajah; Tan, Jianchuan; Mou, Xi

    2014-09-01

    The organic light-emitting diode (OLED) has demonstrated its novelty in displays and certain lighting applications. Similar to white light-emitting diode (LED) technology, it also holds the promise of saving energy. Even though the luminous efficacy values of OLED products have been steadily growing, their longevity is still not well understood. Furthermore, currently there is no industry standard for photometric and colorimetric testing, short and long term, of OLEDs. Each OLED manufacturer tests its OLED panels under different electrical and thermal conditions using different measurement methods. In this study, an imaging-based photometric and colorimetric measurement method for OLED panels was investigated. Unlike an LED that can be considered as a point source, the OLED is a large form area source. Therefore, for an area source to satisfy lighting application needs, it is important that it maintains uniform light level and color properties across the emitting surface of the panel over a long period. This study intended to develop a measurement procedure that can be used to test long-term photometric and colorimetric properties of OLED panels. The objective was to better understand how test parameters such as drive current or luminance and temperature affect the degradation rate. In addition, this study investigated whether data interpolation could allow for determination of degradation and lifetime, L70, at application conditions based on the degradation rates measured at different operating conditions.

  1. Experimental Investigations of a Precision Sensor for an Automatic Weapons Stabilizer System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Igor Korobiichuk

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the results of experimental investigations of a precision sensor for an automatic weapons stabilizer system. It also describes the experimental equipment used and the structure of the developed sensor. A weapons stabilizer is designed for automatic guidance of an armament unit in the horizontal and vertical planes when firing at ground and air targets that are quickly maneuvering, and at lower speeds when firing anti-tank missiles, as well as the bypass of construction elements by the armament unit, and the automatic tracking of moving targets when interacting with a fire control system. The results of experimental investigations have shown that the error of the precision sensor developed on the basis of a piezoelectric element is 6 × 10−10 m/s2 under quasi-static conditions, and ~10−5 m/s2 for mobile use. This paper defines metrological and calibration properties of the developed sensor.

  2. Fluorescent and Colorimetric Molecular Recognition Probe for Hydrogen Bond Acceptors

    OpenAIRE

    Pike, Sarah Jane; Hunter, Christopher Alexander

    2018-01-01

    The association constants for formation of 1 : 1 complexes between a H-bond donor, 1-naphthol, and a diverse range of charged and neutral H-bond acceptors have been measured using UV/vis absorption and fluorescence emission titrations. The performance of 1-naphthol as a dual colorimetric and fluorescent molecular recognition probe for determining the H-bond acceptor (HBA) parameters of charged and neutral solutes has been investigated in three solvents. The data were employed to establish sel...

  3. A colorimetric sensor array for identification of toxic gases below permissible exposure limits†

    OpenAIRE

    Feng, Liang; Musto, Christopher J.; Kemling, Jonathan W.; Lim, Sung H.; Suslick, Kenneth S.

    2010-01-01

    A colorimetric sensor array has been developed for the rapid and sensitive detection of 20 toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) at their PELs (permissible exposure limits). The color changes in an array of chemically responsive nanoporous pigments provide facile identification of the TICs with an error rate below 0.7%.

  4. Rapid Colorimetric Detection of Cartap Residues by AgNP Sensor with Magnetic Molecularly Imprinted Microspheres as Recognition Elements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mao Wu

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The overuse of cartap in tea tree leads to hazardous residues threatening human health. A colorimetric determination was established to detect cartap residues in tea beverages by silver nanoparticles (AgNP sensor with magnetic molecularly imprinted polymeric microspheres (Fe3O4@mSiO2@MIPs as recognition elements. Using Fe3O4 as supporting core, mesoporous SiO2 as intermediate shell, methylacrylic acid as functional monomer, and cartap as template, Fe3O4@mSiO2@MIPs were prepared to selectively and magnetically separate cartap from tea solution before colorimetric determination by AgNP sensors. The core-shell Fe3O4@mSiO2@MIPs were also characterized by FT-IR, TEM, VSM, and experimental adsorption. The Fe3O4@mSiO2@MIPs could be rapidly separated by an external magnet in 10 s with good reusability (maintained 95.2% through 10 cycles. The adsorption process of cartap on Fe3O4@mSiO2@MIPs conformed to Langmuir adsorption isotherm with maximum adsorption capacity at 0.257 mmol/g and short equilibrium time of 30 min at 298 K. The AgNP colorimetric method semi-quantified cartap ≥5 mg/L by naked eye and quantified cartap 0.1–5 mg/L with LOD 0.01 mg/L by UV-vis spectroscopy. The AgNP colorimetric detection after pretreatment with Fe3O4@mSiO2@MIPs could be successfully utilized to recognize and detect cartap residues in tea beverages.

  5. Poster Abstract: Automatic Calibration of Device Attitude in Inertial Measurement Unit Based Traffic Probe Vehicles

    KAUST Repository

    Mousa, Mustafa; Sharma, Kapil; Claudel, Christian

    2016-01-01

    to replace them with inertial measurement units onboard vehicles, to estimate vehicle location and attitude using inertial data only. While promising, this technology requires one to carefully calibrate the orientation of the device inside the vehicle

  6. Colorimetric microwell plate reverse-hybridization assay for Mycobacterium tuberculosis detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Candice Tosi Michelon

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Direct smear examination using Ziehl-Neelsen staining for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB diagnosis is inexpensive and easy to use, but has the major limitation of low sensitivity. Rapid molecular methods are becoming more widely available in centralized laboratories, but they depend on timely reporting of results and strict quality assurance obtainable only from costly commercial kits available in high burden nations. This study describes a pre-commercial colorimetric method, Detect-TB, for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in which an oligonucleotide probe is fixed onto wells of microwell plates and hybridized with biotinylated polymerase chain reaction amplification products derived from clinical samples. The probe is capable of hybridising with the IS6110 insertion element and was used to specifically recognise the M. tuberculosis complex. When combined with an improved silica-based DNA extraction method, the sensitivity of the test was 50 colony-forming units of the M. tuberculosis reference strain H37Rv. The results that were in agreement with reference detection methods were observed in 95.2% (453/476 of samples included in the analysis. Sensitivity and specificity for 301 induced sputum samples and 175 spontaneous sputum samples were 85% and 98%, and 94% and 100%, respectively. This colorimetric method showed similar specificity to that described for commercially available kits and may provide an important contribution for PTB diagnosis.

  7. Nested sampling algorithm for subsurface flow model selection, uncertainty quantification, and nonlinear calibration

    KAUST Repository

    Elsheikh, A. H.

    2013-12-01

    Calibration of subsurface flow models is an essential step for managing ground water aquifers, designing of contaminant remediation plans, and maximizing recovery from hydrocarbon reservoirs. We investigate an efficient sampling algorithm known as nested sampling (NS), which can simultaneously sample the posterior distribution for uncertainty quantification, and estimate the Bayesian evidence for model selection. Model selection statistics, such as the Bayesian evidence, are needed to choose or assign different weights to different models of different levels of complexities. In this work, we report the first successful application of nested sampling for calibration of several nonlinear subsurface flow problems. The estimated Bayesian evidence by the NS algorithm is used to weight different parameterizations of the subsurface flow models (prior model selection). The results of the numerical evaluation implicitly enforced Occam\\'s razor where simpler models with fewer number of parameters are favored over complex models. The proper level of model complexity was automatically determined based on the information content of the calibration data and the data mismatch of the calibrated model.

  8. Development of electronics and data acquisition system for independent calibration of electron cyclotron emission radiometer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumari, Praveena, E-mail: praveena@ipr.res.in; Raulji, Vismaysinh; Mandaliya, Hitesh; Patel, Jignesh; Siju, Varsha; Pathak, S.K.; Rajpal, Rachana; Jha, R.

    2016-11-15

    Highlights: • Indigenous development of an electronics and data acquisition system to digitize signals for a desired time and automatization of calibration process. • 16 bit DAQ board with form factor of 90 × 89 mm. • VHDL Codes written for generating control signals for PC104 Bus, ADC and RAM. • Averaging process is done in two ways single point averaging and additive averaging. - Abstract: Signal conditioning units (SCU) along with Multichannel Data acquisition system (DAS) are developed and installed for automatization and frequent requirement of absolute calibration of ECE radiometer system. The DAS is an indigenously developed economical system which is based on Single Board Computer (SBC). The onboard RAM memory of 64 K for each channel enables the DAS for simultaneous and continuous acquisition. A Labview based graphical user interface provides commands locally or remotely to acquire, process, plot and finally save the data in binary format. The microscopic signals received from radiometer are strengthened, filtered by SCU and acquired through DAS for the set time and at set sampling frequency. Stored data are processed and analyzed offline with Labview utility. The calibration process has been performed for two hours continuously at different sampling frequency (100 Hz to 1 KHz) at two set of temperature like hot body and the room temperature. The detailed hardware and software design and testing results are explained in the paper.

  9. Research on auto-calibration technology of the image plane's center of 360-degree and all round looking camera

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Shaojun; Xu, Xiping

    2015-10-01

    The 360-degree and all round looking camera, as its characteristics of suitable for automatic analysis and judgment on the ambient environment of the carrier by image recognition algorithm, is usually applied to opto-electronic radar of robots and smart cars. In order to ensure the stability and consistency of image processing results of mass production, it is necessary to make sure the centers of image planes of different cameras are coincident, which requires to calibrate the position of the image plane's center. The traditional mechanical calibration method and electronic adjusting mode of inputting the offsets manually, both exist the problem of relying on human eyes, inefficiency and large range of error distribution. In this paper, an approach of auto- calibration of the image plane of this camera is presented. The imaging of the 360-degree and all round looking camera is a ring-shaped image consisting of two concentric circles, the center of the image is a smaller circle and the outside is a bigger circle. The realization of the technology is just to exploit the above characteristics. Recognizing the two circles through HOUGH TRANSFORM algorithm and calculating the center position, we can get the accurate center of image, that the deviation of the central location of the optic axis and image sensor. The program will set up the image sensor chip through I2C bus automatically, we can adjusting the center of the image plane automatically and accurately. The technique has been applied to practice, promotes productivity and guarantees the consistent quality of products.

  10. Towards A Colorimetric Digital Image Archive For The Visual Arts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, Kirk; Hamber, Anthony

    1989-04-01

    The aim of this project is to produce a high-resolution, colorimetric and permanent digital archive of images taken directly from works of art. The proposed system is designed for use in education, research, galleries and museums. Tentative user requirements are examined with particular reference to resolution, image access and colorimetry. Existing technology and projects are considered. Some 3000x3000 pel images of paintings are used to illustrate the interrelationship between dimensions of the original, its inherent detail, scan resolution and display.

  11. Calibration and application of an automated seepage meter for monitoring water flow across the sediment-water interface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Tengyi; Fu, Dafang; Jenkinson, Byron; Jafvert, Chad T

    2015-04-01

    The advective flow of sediment pore water is an important parameter for understanding natural geochemical processes within lake, river, wetland, and marine sediments and also for properly designing permeable remedial sediment caps placed over contaminated sediments. Automated heat pulse seepage meters can be used to measure the vertical component of sediment pore water flow (i.e., vertical Darcy velocity); however, little information on meter calibration as a function of ambient water temperature exists in the literature. As a result, a method with associated equations for calibrating a heat pulse seepage meter as a function of ambient water temperature is fully described in this paper. Results of meter calibration over the temperature range 7.5 to 21.2 °C indicate that errors in accuracy are significant if proper temperature-dependence calibration is not performed. The proposed calibration method allows for temperature corrections to be made automatically in the field at any ambient water temperature. The significance of these corrections is discussed.

  12. Analytical properties of some commercially available nitrate reductase enzymes evaluated as replacements for cadmium in automated, semiautomated, and manual colorimetric methods for determination of nitrate plus nitrite in water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patton, Charles J.; Kryskalla, Jennifer R.

    2013-01-01

    -water and groundwater samples that were analyzed in parallel by CFA-CdR and CFA enzyme-reduction methods. Finally, (3) demonstration of a semiautomated batch procedure in which 2-milliliter analyzer cups or disposable spectrophotometer cuvettes serve as reaction vessels for enzymatic reduction of nitrate to nitrite prior to analytical determinations. After the reduction step, analyzer cups are loaded onto CFA, flow injection, or discrete analyzers for simple, rapid, automatic nitrite determinations. In the case of manual determinations, analysts dispense colorimetric reagents into cuvettes containing post-reduction samples, allow time for color to develop, insert cuvettes individually into a spectrophotometer, and record percent transmittance or absorbance in relation to a reagent blank. Data presented here demonstrate equivalent analytical performance of enzymatic reduction NOx methods in these various formats to that of benchmark CFA-CdR NOx methods.

  13. Aggregation of Individual Sensing Units for Signal Accumulation: Conversion of Liquid-Phase Colorimetric Assay into Enhanced Surface-Tethered Electrochemical Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Tianxiang; Dong, Tingting; Wang, Zhaoyin; Bao, Jianchun; Tu, Wenwen; Dai, Zhihui

    2015-07-22

    A novel concept is proposed for converting liquid-phase colorimetric assay into enhanced surface-tethered electrochemical analysis, which is based on the analyte-induced formation of a network architecture of metal nanoparticles (MNs). In a proof-of-concept trial, thymine-functionalized silver nanoparticle (Ag-T) is designed as the sensing unit for Hg(2+) determination. Through a specific T-Hg(2+)-T coordination, the validation system based on functionalized sensing units not only can perform well in a colorimetric Hg(2+) assay, but also can be developed into a more sensitive and stable electrochemical Hg(2+) sensor. In electrochemical analysis, the simple principle of analyte-induced aggregation of MNs can be used as a dual signal amplification strategy for significantly improving the detection sensitivity. More importantly, those numerous and diverse colorimetric assays that rely on the target-induced aggregation of MNs can be augmented to satisfy the ambitious demands of sensitive analysis by converting them into electrochemical assays via this approach.

  14. Calibration of 1 ohm standard resistor in National Metrology Institute of Malaysia (NMIM)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishak, Nirul Irwani; Ibarahim, Zahari

    2018-04-01

    This paper describes the calibration of the National Standard of Resistance using an Automatic Direct Current Comparator Bridge (DCC Bridge). We will also discuss the various sources of uncertainty in the measurements and their estimations based on Type A and Type B evaluations. Furthermore, we discuss the uncertainty budget and report the results at k = 2 for the coverage probability of approximately 95% for a normal distribution.

  15. Simple colorimetric assay for dehalogenation reactivity of nanoscale zero-valent iron using 4-chlorophenol

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hwang, Yuhoon; Mines, Paul D.; Jakobsen, Mogens Havsteen

    2015-01-01

    Despite the wide application of nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) for the treatment of a plethora of pollutants through reductive reactions, reactivity evaluation of nZVI towards dehalogenation has not been standardized. In this light, it was desired to develop a simple colorimetric assay...

  16. Automatic counting of fission fragments tracks using the gas permeation technique

    CERN Document Server

    Yamazaki, I M

    1999-01-01

    An automatic counting system for fission tracks induced in a polycarbonate plastic Makrofol KG (10 mu m thickness) is described. The method is based on the gas transport mechanism proposed by Knudsen, where the gas permeability for a porous membrane is expected to be directly related to its track density. In this work, nitrogen permeabilities for several Makrofol films, with different fission track densities, have been measured using an adequate gas permeation system. The fission tracks were produced by irradiating Makrofol foils with a 252Cf calibrated source in a 2 pi geometry. A calibration curve fission track number versus nitrogen permeability has been obtained, for track densities higher than 1000/cm sup 2 , where the spark gap technique and the visual methods employing a microscope, are not appropriate for track counting.

  17. Colorimetric determination of sildenafil citrate (Viagra) through ion-associate complex formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amin, Alaa S; Moustafa, Moustafa E; El-Dosoky, Reham

    2009-01-01

    A simple, quick, accurate, and sensitive colorimetric method is described for the determination of sildenafil citrate (SLD). The method is based on the reaction of SLD with Congo Red, Sudan II, and Gentian Violet in buffered aqueous solutions at pH 2.5, 6.5, and 11.0, respectively, to give highly colored soluble ion-associate complex species; the colored products are quantitated colorimetrically at 523, 554, and 569 nm, respectively. The various experimental conditions were optimized. The stoichiometric ratio was found to be 1:1 for all ion associates; the calculated logarithmic stability constants were 8.51, 7.79, and 5.58, respectively. Beer's law was obeyed over the concentration range of 0.2-7.0 microg/mL, whereas the Ringbom optimum concentration range was 0.4-6.5 microg/mL. Values for molar absorptivity, Sandell sensitivity, and detection and quantification limits were also calculated. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of SLD in Viagra tablets and in serum samples by using the technique of standard additions with mean accuracy values of 100.06 +/- 1.14, 99.87 +/- 0.70, and 99.86 +/- 0.97% for Viagra tablets and 99.88 +/- 0.60, 99.90 +/- 0.90, and 100.24 +/- 0.80% for serum samples, respectively.

  18. An accurate on-site calibration system for electronic voltage transformers using a standard capacitor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Chen; Chen, Mian-zhou; Li, Hong-bin; Zhang, Zhu; Jiao, Yang; Shao, Haiming

    2018-05-01

    Ordinarily electronic voltage transformers (EVTs) are calibrated off-line and the calibration procedure requires complex switching operations, which will influence the reliability of the power grid and induce large economic losses. To overcome this problem, this paper investigates a 110 kV on-site calibration system for EVTs, including a standard channel, a calibrated channel and a PC equipped with the LabView environment. The standard channel employs a standard capacitor and an analogue integrating circuit to reconstruct the primary voltage signal. Moreover, an adaptive full-phase discrete Fourier transform (DFT) algorithm is proposed to extract electrical parameters. The algorithm involves the process of extracting the frequency of the grid, adjusting the operation points, and calculating the results using DFT. In addition, an insulated automatic lifting device is designed to realize the live connection of the standard capacitor, which is driven by a wireless remote controller. A performance test of the capacitor verifies the accurateness of the standard capacitor. A system calibration test shows that the system ratio error is less than 0.04% and the phase error is below 2‧, which meets the requirement of the 0.2 accuracy class. Finally, the developed calibration system was used in a substation, and the field test data validates the availability of the system.

  19. Evaluation of tetrazolium-based semiautomatic colorimetric assay for measurement of human antitumor cytotoxicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heo, D.S.; Park, J.G.; Hata, K.; Day, R.; Herberman, R.B.; Whiteside, T.L.

    1990-01-01

    A 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT)-based colorimetric assay was developed and compared with 51Cr release from different adherent tumor cell targets (human squamous cell carcinoma lines of the head and neck established in our laboratory, melanoma, and colorectal carcinoma) using 5-7-day human lymphokine-activated killer cells and monocyte-depleted peripheral blood lymphocytes as effectors. With adherent tumor cell targets, MTT colorimetry was more sensitive than the 51Cr release assay in measuring the antitumor activity of effectors: median, 4385 (range, 988-8144) versus median, 1061 (range, 582-7294) lytic units (the number of effector cells required to lyse 20% of 5 x 10(3) targets)/10(7) effectors (P less than 0.01). Background effects (without effector cells) were comparable in 4-h assays (9% versus 10%) between MTT colorimetry and 51Cr release. In 24-h assays, MTT colorimetry showed higher antitumor activity (70-100% versus 40-60% lysis at 1:1 effector:target cell ratio) but lower background effects (6% versus 38%) than 51Cr release assay. Thus, MTT colorimetry was more sensitive, did not use radiolabeled targets, required fewer effector cells, and was easier, less expensive, and better adaptable to serial monitoring of effector cell function in cancer patients. This colorimetric assay is especially well suited to adherent tumor cell targets. The use of adherent tumor cell monolayers, as opposed to trypsinized single cell suspensions, provides an opportunity to measure interactions of effector cells with enzymatically unaltered solid tumor targets. Because of the greater sensitivity of the colorimetric assay, the transformation of MTT data into lytic units, as commonly used for 51Cr release assays, required an adjustment to avoid the extrapolation based on the exponential fit equation

  20. Aptamer-mediated colorimetric method for rapid and sensitive detection of chloramphenicol in food.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Chao; Zhang, Jing; Yao, Li; Xue, Feng; Lu, Jianfeng; Li, Baoguang; Chen, Wei

    2018-09-15

    We report an aptamer-mediated colorimetric method for sensitive detection of chloramphenicol (CAP). The aptamer of CAP is immobilized by the hybridization with pre-immobilized capture probe in the microtiter plate. The horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is covalently attached to the aptamer by the biotin-streptavidin system for signal production. CAP will preferably bind with aptamer due to the high binding affinity, which attributes to the release of aptamer and HRP and thus, affects the optical signal intensity. Quantitative determination of CAP is successfully achieved in the wide range from 0.001 to 1000 ng/mL with detection limit of 0.0031 ng/mL, which is more sensitive than traditional immunoassays. This method is further validated by measuring the recovery of CAP spiked in two different food matrices (honey and fish). The aptamer-mediated colorimetric method can be a useful protocol for rapid and sensitive screening of CAP, and may be used as an alternative means for traditional immunoassays. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Beetroot-pigment-derived colorimetric sensor for detection of calcium dipicolinate in bacterial spores.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Letícia Christina Pires Gonçalves

    Full Text Available In this proof-of-concept study, we describe the use of the main red beet pigment betanin for the quantification of calcium dipicolinate in bacterial spores, including Bacillus anthracis. In the presence of europium(III ions, betanin is converted to a water-soluble, non-luminescent orange 1∶1 complex with a stability constant of 1.4 × 10(5 L mol(-1. The addition of calcium dipicolinate, largely found in bacterial spores, changes the color of the aqueous solution of [Eu(Bn(+] from orange to magenta. The limit of detection (LOD of calcium dipicolinate is around 2.0 × 10(-6 mol L(-1 and the LOD determined for both spores, B. cereus and B. anthracis, is (1.1 ± 0.3× 10(6 spores mL(-1. This simple, green, fast and low cost colorimetric assay was selective for calcium dipicolinate when compared to several analogous compounds. The importance of this work relies on the potential use of betalains, raw natural pigments, as colorimetric sensors for biological applications.

  2. Direct quantification of carotenoids in low fat babyfoods via laser photoacoustics and colorimetric index a

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Doka, O.; Ajtony, Z.; Bicanic, D.D.; Valinger, D.; Vegvari, G.

    2014-01-01

    Carotenoids are important antioxidants found in various foods including those for nutrition of infants. In this investigation, the total carotenoid content (TCC) of nine different commercially available baby foods was quantified using colorimetric index a * obtained via reflectance colorimetry (RC)

  3. ACTIV - a program for automatic processing of gamma-ray spectra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zlokazov, V.B.

    1982-01-01

    Program ACTIV is intended for precise analysis of γ-rays and X-ray spectra and allows the user to carry out the full cycle of automatic processing of a series of spectra, i.e. calibration, automatic peak search, determination of peak positions and areas, identification of the radioisotopes and the transformation of the areas found into masses of isotopes in the irradiated sample. ACTIV uses a complex mathematical technique and is oriented mainly to large computers, but using overlaid loading, it can be run also on small computers like the PDP 11/70. Compared with other similar programs, ACTIV has some advantages in accuracy of peak shape description and in the reliability of the peak search and its least-square analysis. The program can be used for the purpose of activation analysis. The program can analyze spectra with poor statistics and with broad and narrow peaks. (orig.)

  4. Experiences in Automated Calibration of a Nickel Equation of State

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carpenter, John H.

    2017-06-01

    Wide availability of large computers has led to increasing incorporation of computational data, such as from density functional theory molecular dynamics, in the development of equation of state (EOS) models. Once a grid of computational data is available, it is usually left to an expert modeler to model the EOS using traditional techniques. One can envision the possibility of using the increasing computing resources to perform black-box calibration of EOS models, with the goal of reducing the workload on the modeler or enabling non-experts to generate good EOSs with such a tool. Progress towards building such a black-box calibration tool will be explored in the context of developing a new, wide-range EOS for nickel. While some details of the model and data will be shared, the focus will be on what was learned by automatically calibrating the model in a black-box method. Model choices and ensuring physicality will also be discussed. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-mission laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

  5. Silver nanoplates-based colorimetric iodide recognition and sensing using sodium thiosulfate as a sensitizer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hou, Xinyan; Chen, Shu, E-mail: chenshumail@gmail.com; Tang, Jian; Xiong, Yuan; Long, Yunfei, E-mail: l_yunfei927@163.com

    2014-05-01

    Highlights: • A new colorimetric iodide detection strategy based on triangular Ag nanoplate. • Sodium thiosulfate performed as a sensitizer. • Formation of insoluble AgI on the surface of Ag nanoplate. • This method has the advantages of good selectivity and high sensitivity. Abstract: A colorimetric method for the recognition and sensing of iodide ions (I⁻) has been developed by utilizing the reactions between triangular silver nanoplates (TAg-NPs) and I⁻ in the presence of sodium thiosulfate (Na₂S₂O₃). Specifically, I⁻ together with Na₂S₂O₃ can induce protection of TAg-NPs owing to the formation of insoluble AgI, as confirmed by the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). In the absence of Na₂S₂O₃, the etching reactions on TAg-NPs were observed not only by I⁻ but also other halides ions. The Na₂S₂O₃ plays as a sensitizer in this system, which improved the selectivity and sensitivity. The desired colorimetric detection can be achieved by measuring the change of the absorption peak wavelength corresponding to localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) with UV–vis spectrophotometer or recognized by naked eye observation. The results show that the shift of the maximum absorption wavelength (Δλ) of the TAg-NPs/Na₂S₂O₃/I⁻ mixture was proportional to the concentration of I⁻ in the range 1.0 × 10⁻⁹–1.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹. Moreover, no other ions besides I⁻ can induce an eye discernible color change as low as 1.0 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹. Finally, this method was successfully applied for I⁻ determination in kelp samples.

  6. Automated magnification calibration in transmission electron microscopy using Fourier analysis of replica images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laak, Jeroen A.W.M. van der; Dijkman, Henry B.P.M.; Pahlplatz, Martin M.M.

    2006-01-01

    The magnification factor in transmission electron microscopy is not very precise, hampering for instance quantitative analysis of specimens. Calibration of the magnification is usually performed interactively using replica specimens, containing line or grating patterns with known spacing. In the present study, a procedure is described for automated magnification calibration using digital images of a line replica. This procedure is based on analysis of the power spectrum of Fourier transformed replica images, and is compared to interactive measurement in the same images. Images were used with magnification ranging from 1,000x to 200,000x. The automated procedure deviated on average 0.10% from interactive measurements. Especially for catalase replicas, the coefficient of variation of automated measurement was considerably smaller (average 0.28%) compared to that of interactive measurement (average 3.5%). In conclusion, calibration of the magnification in digital images from transmission electron microscopy may be performed automatically, using the procedure presented here, with high precision and accuracy

  7. Calibration technique and study on metrological characteristics of a high-voltage inverse square-law function generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Popov, V.P.; Semenov, A.L.

    1987-01-01

    The calibration technique is described, and the metrological characteristics of a high-voltage generator of the inverse-quadratic function (HGF), being a functional unit of the diagnostic system of an electrodynamic analyser of a ionic component of a laser plasma, is analysed. The results of HGF testing in the range of time constants of the τ=(5-25)μs function are given. Analysis of metrologic and experimental characteristics shows, that HGF with automatic calibration has quite high accurate parameters. The high accuracy of function generation is provided with the possibility of calibration and adjustment conduction under experimental working conditions. Increase of the generated pulse amplitude to several tens of kilovelts is possible. Besides, the possibility of timely function adjustment to the necessary parameter (τ) increases essentially the HGF functional possibilities

  8. Colorimetric Solid Phase Extraction (CSPE): Using Color to Monitor Spacecraft Water Quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gazda, Daniel B.; Nolan, Daniel J.; Rutz, Jeffrey A.; Schultz, John R.; Siperko, Lorraine M.; Porter, Marc D.; Lipert, Robert J.; Flint, Stephanie M.; McCoy, J. Torin

    2010-01-01

    In August 2009, an experimental water quality monitoring kit based on Colorimetric Solid Phase Extraction (CSPE) technology was delivered to the International Space Station (ISS). The kit, called the Colorimetric Water Quality Monitoring Kit (CWQMK), was launched as a Station Development Test Objective (SDTO) experiment to evaluate the suitability of CSPE technology for routine use monitoring water quality on the ISS. CSPE is a sorption-spectrophotometric technique that combines colorimetric reagents, solid-phase extraction, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to quantify trace analytes in water samples. In CSPE, a known volume of sample is metered through a membrane disk that has been impregnated with an analyte-specific colorimetric reagent and any additives required to optimize the formation of the analyte-reagent complex. As the sample flows through the membrane disk, the target analyte is selectively extracted, concentrated, and complexed. Formation of the analyte-reagent complex causes a detectable change in the color of the membrane disk that is proportional to the amount of analyte present in the sample. The analyte is then quantified by measuring the color of the membrane disk surface using a hand-held diffuse reflectance spectrophotometer (DRS). The CWQMK provides the capability to measure the ionic silver (Ag +) and molecular iodine (I2) in water samples on-orbit. These analytes were selected for the evaluation of CSPE technology because they are the biocides used in the potable water storage and distribution systems on the ISS. Biocides are added to the potable water systems on spacecraft to inhibit microbial growth. On the United States (US) segment of the ISS molecular iodine serves as the biocide, while the Russian space agency utilizes silver as a biocide in their systems. In both cases, the biocides must be maintained at a level sufficient to control bacterial growth, but low enough to avoid any negative effects on crew health. For example, the

  9. Bio-functionalized silver nanoparticles for selective colorimetric sensing of toxic metal ions and antimicrobial studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinod Kumar, V.; Anbarasan, S.; Christena, Lawrence Rene; SaiSubramanian, Nagarajan; Philip Anthony, Savarimuthu

    2014-08-01

    Hibiscus Sabdariffa (Gongura) plant extracts (leaves (HL) and stem (HS) were used for the first time in the green synthesis of bio-functionalized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The bio-functionality of AgNPs has been successfully utilized for selective colorimetric sensing of potentially health and environmentally hazardous Hg2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+ metal ions at ppm level in aqueous solution. Importantly, clearly distinguishable colour for all three metal ions was observed. The influence of extract preparation condition and pH were also explored on the formation of AgNPs. Both selectivity and sensitivity differed for AgNPs synthesized from different parts of the plant. Direct correlation between the stability of green synthesized AgNPs at different pH and its antibacterial effects has been established. The selective colorimetric sensing of toxic metal ions and antimicrobial effect of green synthesized AgNPs demonstrated the multifunctional applications of green nanotechnology.

  10. Colorimetric detection of trace copper ions based on catalytic leaching of silver-coated gold nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lou, Tingting; Chen, Lingxin; Chen, Zhaopeng; Wang, Yunqing; Chen, Ling; Li, Jinhua

    2011-11-01

    A colorimetric, label-free, and nonaggregation-based silver coated gold nanoparticles (Ag/Au NPs) probe has been developed for detection of trace Cu(2+) in aqueous solution, based on the fact that Cu(2+) can accelerate the leaching rate of Ag/Au NPs by thiosulfate (S(2)O(3)(2-)). The leaching of Ag/Au NPs would lead to dramatic decrease in the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption as the size of Ag/Au NPs decreased. This colorimetric strategy based on size-dependence of nanoparticles during their leaching process provided a highly sensitive (1.0 nM) and selective detection toward Cu(2+), with a wide linear detection range (5-800 nM) over nearly 3 orders of magnitude. The cost-effective probe allows rapid and sensitive detection of trace Cu(2+) ions in water samples, indicating its potential applicability for the determination of copper in real samples.

  11. Aggregation-based colorimetric sensor for determination of prothioconazole fungicide using colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivrigh, Zahra Jafar-Nezhad; Fahimi-Kashani, Nafiseh; Hormozi-Nezhad, M. Reza

    2017-12-01

    There is a growing interest in developing high-performance sensors monitoring fungicides, due to their broadly usage and their adverse effects on humans and wildlife. In the present study, a colorimetric probe has been proposed for detection of prothioconazole based on aggregation of unmodified silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Under optimized condition, linear relationships between the concentration of prothioconazole and the absorbance ratio of A500/A395 were found over the range of 0.01 μg·mL- 1 to 0.4 μg·mL- 1 with quantification limit as low as 1.7 ng·mL- 1. Furthermore, AgNPs color change from yellow to pink-orange in presence of prothioconazole, indicates highly sensitive naked-eye colorimetric assay for quantifying prothioconazole in real applications. The proposed approach was successfully used for the determination of prothioconazole in wheat flour and paddy water sample.

  12. Crystal timing offset calibration method for time of flight PET scanners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Jinghan; Song, Xiyun

    2016-03-01

    In time-of-flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET), precise calibration of the timing offset of each crystal of a PET scanner is essential. Conventionally this calibration requires a specially designed tool just for this purpose. In this study a method that uses a planar source to measure the crystal timing offsets (CTO) is developed. The method uses list mode acquisitions of a planar source placed at multiple orientations inside the PET scanner field-of-view (FOV). The placement of the planar source in each acquisition is automatically figured out from the measured data, so that a fixture for exactly placing the source is not required. The expected coincidence time difference for each detected list mode event can be found from the planar source placement and the detector geometry. A deviation of the measured time difference from the expected one is due to CTO of the two crystals. The least squared solution of the CTO is found iteratively using the list mode events. The effectiveness of the crystal timing calibration method is evidenced using phantom images generated by placing back each list mode event into the image space with the timing offset applied to each event. The zigzagged outlines of the phantoms in the images become smooth after the crystal timing calibration is applied. In conclusion, a crystal timing calibration method is developed. The method uses multiple list mode acquisitions of a planar source to find the least squared solution of crystal timing offsets.

  13. Automatic real-time control of suspended sediment based upon high frequency in situ measurements of nephelometric turbidity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jack Lewis; Rand Eads

    1998-01-01

    Abstract - For estimating suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in rivers, turbidity is potentially a much better predictor than water discharge. Since about 1990, it has been feasible to automatically collect high frequency turbidity data at remote sites using battery-powered turbidity probes that are properly mounted in the river or stream. With sensors calibrated...

  14. Method for estimating effects of unknown correlations in spectral irradiance data on uncertainties of spectrally integrated colorimetric quantities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kärhä, Petri; Vaskuri, Anna; Mäntynen, Henrik; Mikkonen, Nikke; Ikonen, Erkki

    2017-08-01

    Spectral irradiance data are often used to calculate colorimetric properties, such as color coordinates and color temperatures of light sources by integration. The spectral data may contain unknown correlations that should be accounted for in the uncertainty estimation. We propose a new method for estimating uncertainties in such cases. The method goes through all possible scenarios of deviations using Monte Carlo analysis. Varying spectral error functions are produced by combining spectral base functions, and the distorted spectra are used to calculate the colorimetric quantities. Standard deviations of the colorimetric quantities at different scenarios give uncertainties assuming no correlations, uncertainties assuming full correlation, and uncertainties for an unfavorable case of unknown correlations, which turn out to be a significant source of uncertainty. With 1% standard uncertainty in spectral irradiance, the expanded uncertainty of the correlated color temperature of a source corresponding to the CIE Standard Illuminant A may reach as high as 37.2 K in unfavorable conditions, when calculations assuming full correlation give zero uncertainty, and calculations assuming no correlations yield the expanded uncertainties of 5.6 K and 12.1 K, with wavelength steps of 1 nm and 5 nm used in spectral integrations, respectively. We also show that there is an absolute limit of 60.2 K in the error of the correlated color temperature for Standard Illuminant A when assuming 1% standard uncertainty in the spectral irradiance. A comparison of our uncorrelated uncertainties with those obtained using analytical methods by other research groups shows good agreement. We re-estimated the uncertainties for the colorimetric properties of our 1 kW photometric standard lamps using the new method. The revised uncertainty of color temperature is a factor of 2.5 higher than the uncertainty assuming no correlations.

  15. Calibration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greacen, E.L.; Correll, R.L.; Cunningham, R.B.; Johns, G.G.; Nicolls, K.D.

    1981-01-01

    Procedures common to different methods of calibration of neutron moisture meters are outlined and laboratory and field calibration methods compared. Gross errors which arise from faulty calibration techniques are described. The count rate can be affected by the dry bulk density of the soil, the volumetric content of constitutional hydrogen and other chemical components of the soil and soil solution. Calibration is further complicated by the fact that the neutron meter responds more strongly to the soil properties close to the detector and source. The differences in slope of calibration curves for different soils can be as much as 40%

  16. The design and manufacture of the automatic distance position-fixing system in 60Co γ-ray calibrator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qian Defeng; Guo Pingwen; Jiang Shan; Zhang Lei; Yang Lijun; Xiong Chuansheng; Liu Deheng; Chen Weijie; He Biao; Wang Wei

    1999-01-01

    The author introduces the design principle and technical index of the automatic position-fixing system. This system consists of the PC computer control, loading vehicle and track. The authors used Pentium PC and Intel 8089 as an intelligent card to drive the stepping motor and to power the vehicle by rack, so as to realize the function of the automatic position control, demonstration and output online. The fixed position of the track vehicle has a basic point. In used scope (it is 0.5-6.2 m distant from 60 Co source), the maximum deviation of the fixed position point is 0.5 mm , and the deviation of the fixed position point which is 1 m distant from 60 Co source is 0.05%

  17. Determination of water-soluble vitamins using a colorimetric microbial viability assay based on the reduction of water-soluble tetrazolium salts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsukatani, Tadayuki; Suenaga, Hikaru; Ishiyama, Munetaka; Ezoe, Takatoshi; Matsumoto, Kiyoshi

    2011-07-15

    A method for the determination of water-soluble vitamins using a colorimetric microbial viability assay based on the reduction of the tetrazolium salt {2-(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, monosodium salt (WST-8)} via 2-methyl-1,4-napthoquinone (NQ) was developed. Measurement conditions were optimized for the microbiological determination of water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin B(6), biotin, folic acid, niacin, and pantothenic acid, using microorganisms that have a water-soluble vitamin requirement. A linear relationship between absorbance and water-soluble vitamin concentration was obtained. The proposed method was applied to determine the concentration of vitamin B(6) in various foodstuffs. There was good agreement between vitamin B(6) concentrations determined after 24h using the WST-8 colorimetric method and those obtained after 48h using a conventional method. The results suggest that the WST-8 colorimetric assay is a useful method for the rapid determination of water-soluble vitamins in a 96-well microtiter plate. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Low-cost automatic station for compost temperature monitoring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo D. L. Jordão

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Temperature monitoring is an important procedure to control the composting process. Due to cost limitation, temperature monitoring is manual and with daily sampling resolution. The objective of this study was to develop an automatic station with US$ 150 dollars, able to monitor air temperature at two different points in a compost pile, with a 5-min time resolution. In the calibration test, the sensors showed an estimated uncertainty from ± 1 to ± 1.9 ºC. In the field validation test, the station guaranteed secure autonomy for seven days and endured high humidity and extreme temperature (> 70 °C.

  19. All-automatic swimmer tracking system based on an optimized scaled composite JTC technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benarab, D.; Napoléon, T.; Alfalou, A.; Verney, A.; Hellard, P.

    2016-04-01

    In this paper, an all-automatic optimized JTC based swimmer tracking system is proposed and evaluated on real video database outcome from national and international swimming competitions (French National Championship, Limoges 2015, FINA World Championships, Barcelona 2013 and Kazan 2015). First, we proposed to calibrate the swimming pool using the DLT algorithm (Direct Linear Transformation). DLT calculates the homography matrix given a sufficient set of correspondence points between pixels and metric coordinates: i.e. DLT takes into account the dimensions of the swimming pool and the type of the swim. Once the swimming pool is calibrated, we extract the lane. Then we apply a motion detection approach to detect globally the swimmer in this lane. Next, we apply our optimized Scaled Composite JTC which consists of creating an adapted input plane that contains the predicted region and the head reference image. This latter is generated using a composite filter of fin images chosen from the database. The dimension of this reference will be scaled according to the ratio between the head's dimension and the width of the swimming lane. Finally, applying the proposed approach improves the performances of our previous tracking method by adding a detection module in order to achieve an all-automatic swimmer tracking system.

  20. Radiation dosimetry by automatic image analysis of dicentric chromosomes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bayley, R.; Carothers, A.; Farrow, S.; Gordon, J.; Ji, L.; Piper, J.; Rutovitz, D.; Stark, M.; Chen, X.; Wald, N.; Pittsburgh Univ., PA

    1991-01-01

    A system for scoring dicentric chromosomes by image analysis comprised fully automatic location of mitotic cells, automatic retrieval, focus and digitisation at high resolution, automatic rejection of nuclei and debris and detection and segmentation of chromosome clusters, automatic centromere location, and subsequent rapid interactive visual review of potential dicentric chromosomes to confirm positives and reject false positives. A calibration set of about 15000 cells was used to establish the quadratic dose response for 60 Co γ-irradiation. The dose-response function parameters were established by a maximum likelihood technique, and confidence limits in the dose response and in the corresponding inverse curve, of estimated dose for observed dicentric frequency, were established by Monte Carlo techniques. The system was validated in a blind trial by analysing a test comprising a total of about 8000 cells irradiated to 1 of 10 dose levels, and estimating the doses from the observed dicentric frequency. There was a close correspondence between the estimated and true doses. The overall sensitivity of the system in terms of the proportion of the total population of dicentrics present in the cells analysed that were detected by the system was measured to be about 40%. This implies that about 2.5 times more cells must be analysed by machine than by visual analysis. Taking this factor into account, the measured review time and false positive rates imply that analysis by the system of sufficient cells to provide the equivalent of a visual analysis of 500 cells would require about 1 h for operator review. (author). 20 refs.; 4 figs.; 5 tabs

  1. Colorimetric assay of copper ions based on the inhibition of peroxidase-like activity of MoS2 nanosheets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Huan; Li, Zhihong; Liu, Xueting; Zhong, Jianhai; Lin, Tianran; Guo, Liangqia; Fu, Fengfu

    2017-10-01

    The peroxidase-like catalytic activity of MoS2 nanomaterials has been utilized for colorimetric bioassays and medical diagnostics. However, the application of peroxidase-like catalytic activity of MoS2 nanomaterials in environmental analysis was seldom explored. Herein, copper ions were found to inhibit the peroxidase-like catalytic activity of MoS2 nanosheets, which can catalyze the oxidation of 3, 3‧, 5, 5‧-tetramethylbenzidine by H2O2 to produce a colorimetric product. Based on this finding, a simple sensitive colorimetric method for the detection of copper ions was developed. In the presence of copper ions, the absorbance and color of the solution decreased with the increasing concentration of copper ions. The color of the solution can be used to semi-quantitative on-site assay of copper ions by naked eyes. A linear relationship between the absorbance and the concentration of copper ions was observed in the range of 0.4-4.0 μmol L- 1 with a detection limit of 92 nmol L- 1, which was much lower than the maximum contaminant level of copper in drinking water legislated by the Environmental Protection Agency of USA and the World Health Organization. The method was applied to detect copper ions in environmental water samples with satisfactory results.

  2. Investigation of the transferability of hydrological models and a method to improve model calibration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Hartmann

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to find a model parameterization such that the hydrological model performs well even under different conditions, appropriate model performance measures have to be determined. A common performance measure is the Nash Sutcliffe efficiency. Usually it is calculated comparing observed and modelled daily values. In this paper a modified version is suggested in order to calibrate a model on different time scales simultaneously (days up to years. A spatially distributed hydrological model based on HBV concept was used. The modelling was applied on the Upper Neckar catchment, a mesoscale river in south western Germany with a basin size of about 4000 km2. The observation period 1961-1990 was divided into four different climatic periods, referred to as "warm", "cold", "wet" and "dry". These sub periods were used to assess the transferability of the model calibration and of the measure of performance. In a first step, the hydrological model was calibrated on a certain period and afterwards applied on the same period. Then, a validation was performed on the climatologically opposite period than the calibration, e.g. the model calibrated on the cold period was applied on the warm period. Optimal parameter sets were identified by an automatic calibration procedure based on Simulated Annealing. The results show, that calibrating a hydrological model that is supposed to handle short as well as long term signals becomes an important task. Especially the objective function has to be chosen very carefully.

  3. Monitoring of the infrastructure and services used to handle and automatically produce Alignment and Calibration conditions at CMS

    CERN Document Server

    Sipos, Roland; Franzoni, Giovanni; Di Guida, Salvatore; Pfeiffer, Andreas

    2017-01-01

    The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment makes a vast use of alignment and calibration measurements in several crucial workflows in the event selection at the High Level Trigger (HLT), in the processing of the recorded collisions and in the production of simulated events.A suite of services addresses the key requirements for the handling of the alignment and calibration conditions such as recording the status of the experiment and of the ongoing data taking, accepting conditions data updates provided by the detector experts, aggregating and navigating the calibration scenarios, and distributing conditions for consumption by the collaborators. Since a large fraction of such services is critical for the data taking and event filtering in the HLT, a comprehensive monitoring and alarm generating system had to be developed. Such monitoring system has been developed based on the open source industry standard for monitoring and alerting services (Nagios) to monitor the database back-end, the hosting nodes and k...

  4. A semi-automatic image-based close range 3D modeling pipeline using a multi-camera configuration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rau, Jiann-Yeou; Yeh, Po-Chia

    2012-01-01

    The generation of photo-realistic 3D models is an important task for digital recording of cultural heritage objects. This study proposes an image-based 3D modeling pipeline which takes advantage of a multi-camera configuration and multi-image matching technique that does not require any markers on or around the object. Multiple digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras are adopted and fixed with invariant relative orientations. Instead of photo-triangulation after image acquisition, calibration is performed to estimate the exterior orientation parameters of the multi-camera configuration which can be processed fully automatically using coded targets. The calibrated orientation parameters of all cameras are applied to images taken using the same camera configuration. This means that when performing multi-image matching for surface point cloud generation, the orientation parameters will remain the same as the calibrated results, even when the target has changed. Base on this invariant character, the whole 3D modeling pipeline can be performed completely automatically, once the whole system has been calibrated and the software was seamlessly integrated. Several experiments were conducted to prove the feasibility of the proposed system. Images observed include that of a human being, eight Buddhist statues, and a stone sculpture. The results for the stone sculpture, obtained with several multi-camera configurations were compared with a reference model acquired by an ATOS-I 2M active scanner. The best result has an absolute accuracy of 0.26 mm and a relative accuracy of 1:17,333. It demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed low-cost image-based 3D modeling pipeline and its applicability to a large quantity of antiques stored in a museum.

  5. Results of the 1973 NASA/JPL balloon flight solar cell calibration program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yasui, R. K.; Greenwood, R. F.

    1975-01-01

    High altitude balloon flights carried 37 standard solar cells for calibration above 99.5 percent of the earth's atmosphere. The cells were assembled into standard modules with appropriate resistors to load each cell at short circuit current. Each standardized module was mounted at the apex of the balloon on a sun tracker which automatically maintained normal incidence to the sun within 1.0 deg. The balloons were launched to reach a float altitude of approximately 36.6 km two hours before solar noon and remain at float altitude for two hours beyond solar noon. Telemetered calibration data on each standard solar cell was collected and recorded on magnetic tape. At the end of each float period the solar cell payload was separated from the balloon by radio command and descended via parachute to a ground recovery crew. Standard solar cells calibrated and recovered in this manner are used as primary intensity reference standards in solar simulators and in terrestrial sunlight for evaluating the performance of other solar cells and solar arrays with similar spectral response characteristics.

  6. Image-guided small animal radiation research platform: calibration of treatment beam alignment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matinfar, Mohammad; Iordachita, Iulian; Kazanzides, Peter; Ford, Eric; Wong, John

    2009-01-01

    Small animal research allows detailed study of biological processes, disease progression and response to therapy with the potential to provide a natural bridge to the clinical environment. The small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) is a portable system for precision irradiation with beam sizes down to approximately 0.5 mm and optimally planned radiation with on-board cone-beam CT (CBCT) guidance. This paper focuses on the geometric calibration of the system for high-precision irradiation. A novel technique for the calibration of the treatment beam is presented, which employs an x-ray camera whose precise positioning need not be known. Using the camera system we acquired a digitally reconstructed 3D 'star shot' for gantry calibration and then developed a technique to align each beam to a common isocenter with the robotic animal positioning stages. The calibration incorporates localization by cone-beam CT guidance. Uncorrected offsets of the beams with respect to the calibration origin ranged from 0.4 mm to 5.2 mm. With corrections, these alignment errors can be reduced to the sub-millimeter range. The calibration technique was used to deliver a stereotactic-like arc treatment to a phantom constructed with EBT Gafchromic films. All beams were shown to intersect at a common isocenter with a measured beam (FWHM) of approximately 1.07 mm using the 0.5 mm collimated beam. The desired positioning accuracy of the SARRP is 0.25 mm and the results indicate an accuracy of 0.2 mm. To fully realize the radiation localization capabilities of the SARRP, precise geometric calibration is required, as with any such system. The x-ray camera-based technique presented here provides a straightforward and semi-automatic method for system calibration.

  7. Reflector automatic acquisition and pointing based on auto-collimation theodolite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Jun; Wang, Zhiqian; Wen, Zhuoman; Li, Mingzhu; Liu, Shaojin; Shen, Chengwu

    2018-01-01

    An auto-collimation theodolite (ACT) for reflector automatic acquisition and pointing is designed based on the principle of autocollimators and theodolites. First, the principle of auto-collimation and theodolites is reviewed, and then the coaxial ACT structure is developed. Subsequently, the acquisition and pointing strategies for reflector measurements are presented, which first quickly acquires the target over a wide range and then points the laser spot to the charge coupled device zero position. Finally, experiments are conducted to verify the acquisition and pointing performance, including the calibration of the ACT, the comparison of the acquisition mode and pointing mode, and the accuracy measurement in horizontal and vertical directions. In both directions, a measurement accuracy of ±3″ is achieved. The presented ACT is suitable for automatic pointing and monitoring the reflector over a small scanning area and can be used in a wide range of applications such as bridge structure monitoring and cooperative target aiming.

  8. A Rapid Colorimetric Method Reveals Fraudulent Substitutions in Sea Urchin Roe Marketed in Sardinia (Italy).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meloni, Domenico; Spina, Antonio; Satta, Gianluca; Chessa, Vittorio

    2016-06-25

    In recent years, besides the consumption of fresh sea urchin specimens, the demand of minimally-processed roe has grown considerably. This product has made frequent consumption in restaurants possible and frauds are becoming widespread with the partial replacement of sea urchin roe with surrogates that are similar in colour. One of the main factors that determines the quality of the roe is its colour and small differences in colour scale cannot be easily discerned by the consumers. In this study we have applied a rapid colorimetric method for reveal the fraudulent partial substitution of semi-solid sea urchin roe with liquid egg yolk. Objective assessment of whiteness (L*), redness (a*), yellowness (b*), hue (h*), and chroma (C*) was carried out with a digital spectrophotometer using the CIE L*a*b* colour measurement system. The colorimetric method highlighted statistically significant differences among sea urchin roe and liquid egg yolk that could be easily discerned quantitatively.

  9. A high-throughput colorimetric assay for glucose detection based on glucose oxidase-catalyzed enlargement of gold nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Yanmei; Zhang, Yuyan; Rong, Pengfei; Yang, Jie; Wang, Wei; Liu, Dingbin

    2015-09-01

    We developed a simple high-throughput colorimetric assay to detect glucose based on the glucose oxidase (GOx)-catalysed enlargement of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Compared with the currently available glucose kit method, the AuNP-based assay provides higher clinical sensitivity at lower cost, indicating its great potential to be a powerful tool for clinical screening of glucose.We developed a simple high-throughput colorimetric assay to detect glucose based on the glucose oxidase (GOx)-catalysed enlargement of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Compared with the currently available glucose kit method, the AuNP-based assay provides higher clinical sensitivity at lower cost, indicating its great potential to be a powerful tool for clinical screening of glucose. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental section and additional figures. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr03758a

  10. Comparison of colorimetric assays with quantitative amino acid analysis for protein quantification of Generalized Modules for Membrane Antigens (GMMA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossi, Omar; Maggiore, Luana; Necchi, Francesca; Koeberling, Oliver; MacLennan, Calman A; Saul, Allan; Gerke, Christiane

    2015-01-01

    Genetically induced outer membrane particles from Gram-negative bacteria, called Generalized Modules for Membrane Antigens (GMMA), are being investigated as vaccines. Rapid methods are required for estimating the protein content for in-process assays during production. Since GMMA are complex biological structures containing lipid and polysaccharide as well as protein, protein determinations are not necessarily straightforward. We compared protein quantification by Bradford, Lowry, and Non-Interfering assays using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as standard with quantitative amino acid (AA) analysis, the most accurate currently available method for protein quantification. The Lowry assay has the lowest inter- and intra-assay variation and gives the best linearity between protein amount and absorbance. In all three assays, the color yield (optical density per mass of protein) of GMMA was markedly different from that of BSA with a ratio of approximately 4 for the Bradford assay, and highly variable between different GMMA; and approximately 0.7 for the Lowry and Non-Interfering assays, highlighting the need for calibrating the standard used in the colorimetric assay against GMMA quantified by AA analysis. In terms of a combination of ease, reproducibility, and proportionality of protein measurement, and comparability between samples, the Lowry assay was superior to Bradford and Non-Interfering assays for GMMA quantification.

  11. Concentrations of arsenic in brackish lake water : Application of tristimulus colorimetric determination

    OpenAIRE

    Rahman, Md. Mustafizur; Seike, Yasushi; Okumura, Minoru

    2006-01-01

    The evaluation of a simple and rapid tristimulus colorimetric method for the determination of arsenic in brackish waters and its application to brackish water samples taken from brackish Lake Nakaumi are described. The determinations of arsenic in brackish water samples were made satisfactorily independent of sample salinity. By applying this method to lake water samples, the distributions and behaviors of arsenic in the lake and their controlling factors were clarified, such as seasonal vari...

  12. Colorimetric Analysis on Flocculation of Bioinspired Au Self-Assembly for Biophotonic Application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wan-Joong Kim

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Gold nanoparticles exhibited strong surface plasmon absorption and couplings between neighboring particles within bioactivated self-assembly modified their optical properties. Colorimetric analysis on the optical modification of surface plasmon resoanance (SPR shift and flocculation parameter functionalized bioinspired gold assembly for biophotonic application. The physical origin of bioinspired gold aggregation-induced shifting, decreasing, or broadening of the plasmon absorption spectra could be explained in terms of dynamic depolarization, collisional damping, and shadowing effects.

  13. Comparison of Performance between Genetic Algorithm and SCE-UA for Calibration of SCS-CN Surface Runoff Simulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji-Hong Jeon

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Global optimization methods linked with simulation models are widely used for automated calibration and serve as useful tools for searching for cost-effective alternatives for environmental management. A genetic algorithm (GA and shuffled complex evolution (SCE-UA algorithm were linked with the Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment (L-THIA model, which employs the curve number (SCS-CN method. The performance of the two optimization methods was compared by automatically calibrating L-THIA for monthly runoff from 10 watersheds in Indiana. The selected watershed areas ranged from 32.7 to 5844.1 km2. The SCS-CN values and total five-day rainfall for adjustment were optimized, and the objective function used was the Nash-Sutcliffe value (NS value. The GA method rapidly reached the optimal space until the 10th generating population (generation, and after the 10th generation solutions increased dispersion around the optimal space, called a cross hair pattern, because of mutation rate increase. The number of looping executions influenced the performance of model calibration for the SCE-UA and GA method. The GA method performed better for the case of fewer loop executions than the SCE-UA method. For most watersheds, calibration performance using GA was better than for SCE-UA until the 50th generation when the number of model loop executions was around 5150 (one generation has 100 individuals. However, after the 50th generation of the GA method, the SCE-UA method performed better for calibrating monthly runoff compared to the GA method. Optimized SCS-CN values for primary land use types were nearly the same for the two methods, but those for minor land use types and total five-day rainfall for AMC adjustment were somewhat different because those parameters did not significantly influence calculation of the objective function. The GA method is recommended for cases when model simulation takes a long time and the model user does not have sufficient time

  14. The design philosophy for an automatic TLD system to meet current international specifications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haaslahti, J.

    1986-01-01

    The object of this paper is to describe the elements of a new automatic TLD system intended to meet draft IEC/ISO proposals and ANSI requirements in the USA. Dosemeter badge design is based on ICRU recommendations. The basic intent has been to produce a standard system that can measure and file raw data that can be adapted to specific user requirements with software. The system consists of a programmable automatic reader, an automatic irradiator, a computer, and dosemeters for environmental, whole body, extremity, and clinical applications. The reader uses hot nitrogen heating and photon counting, and measurement conditions may be chosen with complete freedom. The reader can produce a real-time glow curve to assist in checking performance. The irradiator has a 90 Sr- 90 Y source to permit programmed irradiation for calibration and material sensitivity checks. Cassettes are used to hold TLD cards during processing. Cassette coding both identifies samples and calls measurement parameters into use from memory. The system can be preprogrammed to measure all common materials and all common dosemeter elements (both square and round). (author)

  15. Studies on dosimetric tests applying source irradiation force of Cs-137 for using in chambers for calibration and TLD type dosimeters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ribeiro, Laila Lorena X.; Barbosa, Rugles Cesar; Correa, Rosangela S.

    2011-01-01

    The West Central region of Brazil does not have a basic infrastructure for research, development, training programs, and personnel dosimetry education. All of them applied to environmental, industrial and medical uses. Service deployment for irradiance of TLD, via 137 Cs irradiator J. L. SHEPHERD model 28-8A (444 activity GBq) in CRCN-CO, it is necessary to introduce procedures for calibration of the radiator and other procedures related to dosimetry and calibration. Such procedures should be repeated periodically, as necessary to introduce techniques that make the service of the CRCN-CO a template, and that meet all standards requirements for radioprotection and operation of dosimetry and calibration. The objective of this work was to evaluate the radiation field of Cs-137, and the automatic system which systematizes the calibration procedures attached to a system control target for the radiator/calibration of monitors, and portable dosimeters. (author)

  16. Polycaprolactone-Polydiacetylene Electrospun Fibers for Colorimetric Detection of Fake Gasoline

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shamshad Ali

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available PCDA (Pentacosadiynoic Acid monomers were successfully embedded in PCL (Poly ?-Caprolactone polymer matrix by electrospinning process for the first time. The resultant EFM (Electrospun Fibers Mat was photo-polymerized under 254 nm UV light that enables colorimetric detection of fake gasoline. Results revealed that the fake gasoline develops a red color mat within 5 sec. FE-SEM images showed that the fake gasoline treatment dissolved the PCL EFM that give access to interact with PDA polymer. The proposed litmus-type sensor based on PCL-PDA EFM is highly sensitive to fake gasoline and can be fabricated easily

  17. The Elixir System: Data Characterization and Calibration at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magnier, E. A.; Cuillandre, J.-C.

    2004-05-01

    The Elixir System at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope performs data characterization and calibration for all data from the wide-field mosaic imagers CFH12K and MegaPrime. The project has several related goals, including monitoring data quality, providing high-quality master detrend images, determining the photometric and astrometric calibrations, and automatic preprocessing of images for queued service observing (QSO). The Elixir system has been used for all data obtained with CFH12K since the QSO project began in 2001 January. In addition, it has been used to process archival data from the CFH12K and all MegaPrime observations beginning in 2002 December. The Elixir system has been extremely successful in providing well-characterized data to the end observers, who may otherwise be overwhelmed by data-processing concerns.

  18. Augmented Reality for Real-Time Detection and Interpretation of Colorimetric Signals Generated by Paper-Based Biosensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russell, Steven M; Doménech-Sánchez, Antonio; de la Rica, Roberto

    2017-06-23

    Colorimetric tests are becoming increasingly popular in point-of-need analyses due to the possibility of detecting the signal with the naked eye, which eliminates the utilization of bulky and costly instruments only available in laboratories. However, colorimetric tests may be interpreted incorrectly by nonspecialists due to disparities in color perception or a lack of training. Here we solve this issue with a method that not only detects colorimetric signals but also interprets them so that the test outcome is understandable for anyone. It consists of an augmented reality (AR) app that uses a camera to detect the colored signals generated by a nanoparticle-based immunoassay, and that yields a warning symbol or message when the concentration of analyte is higher than a certain threshold. The proposed method detected the model analyte mouse IgG with a limit of detection of 0.3 μg mL -1 , which was comparable to the limit of detection afforded by classical densitometry performed with a nonportable device. When adapted to the detection of E. coli, the app always yielded a "hazard" warning symbol when the concentration of E. coli in the sample was above the infective dose (10 6 cfu mL -1 or higher). The proposed method could help nonspecialists make a decision about drinking from a potentially contaminated water source by yielding an unambiguous message that is easily understood by anyone. The widespread availability of smartphones along with the inexpensive paper test that requires no enzymes to generate the signal makes the proposed assay promising for analyses in remote locations and developing countries.

  19. Target recycling amplification for label-free and sensitive colorimetric detection of adenosine triphosphate based on un-modified aptamers and DNAzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Xue; Li, Jinfu; Zhou, Wenjiao; Xiang, Yun; Yuan, Ruo; Chai, Yaqin

    2014-05-30

    Based on target recycling amplification, the development of a new label-free, simple and sensitive colorimetric detection method for ATP by using un-modified aptamers and DNAzymes is described. The association of the model target molecules (ATP) with the corresponding aptamers of the dsDNA probes leads to the release of the G-quadruplex sequences. The ATP-bound aptamers can be further degraded by Exonuclease III to release ATP, which can again bind the aptamers of the dsDNA probes to initiate the target recycling amplification process. Due to this target recycling amplification, the amount of the released G-quadruplex sequences is significantly enhanced. Subsequently, these G-quadruplex sequences bind hemin to form numerous peroxidase mimicking DNAzymes, which cause substantially intensified color change of the probe solution for highly sensitive colorimetric detection of ATP down to the sub-nanomolar (0.33nM) level. Our method is highly selective toward ATP against other control molecules and can be performed in one single homogeneous solution, which makes our sensing approach hold great potential for sensitive colorimetric detection of other small molecules and proteins. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. New turn-on fluorescent and colorimetric probe for cyanide detection based on BODIPY-salicylaldehyde and its application in cell imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sukato, Rangsarit [Program of Petrochemistry and Polymer Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Sangpetch, Nuanphan; Palaga, Tanapat [Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Jantra, Suthikorn; Vchirawongkwin, Viwat; Jongwohan, Chanantida [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Sukwattanasinitt, Mongkol [Nanotec-CU Center of Excellence on Food and Agriculture, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Wacharasindhu, Sumrit, E-mail: sumrit.w@chula.ac.th [Nanotec-CU Center of Excellence on Food and Agriculture, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand)

    2016-08-15

    Highlights: • A novel salicylaldehyde-BODIPY fluorescent sensor is prepared. • The sensor shows dual colorimetric & turn-on fluorescence response to cyanide ion. • Detection limit is 0.88 μM (below WHO standard for drinking water). • It is effective for cyanide detection an in vitro cellular system. - Abstract: Development of cyanide sensor is important as the anion is harmful to human health and the environment. Herein, a new colorimetric and fluorescent probe GSB based on boron dipyrrole-methene (BODIPY) containing salicylaldehyde group for cyanide detection has been reported. GSB undergoes exclusive colorimetric change from orange to colorless and exhibits selective fluorescence turn-on at 504 nm upon the addition of cyanide. Other 13 anions give almost no interference under physiological condition. Detection limit of the new cyanide-sensing GSB is 0.88 μM, which is below World Health Organization (WHO) recommended level in drinking water. A calculation by density functional theory (DFT) shows suppression of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanism along with the interruption of π-conjugation between salicylaldehyde and BODIPY core by cyanide anion. Cell imaging studies demonstrated that GSB is compatible and capable of sensing cyanide anion in living cells.

  1. New turn-on fluorescent and colorimetric probe for cyanide detection based on BODIPY-salicylaldehyde and its application in cell imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sukato, Rangsarit; Sangpetch, Nuanphan; Palaga, Tanapat; Jantra, Suthikorn; Vchirawongkwin, Viwat; Jongwohan, Chanantida; Sukwattanasinitt, Mongkol; Wacharasindhu, Sumrit

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A novel salicylaldehyde-BODIPY fluorescent sensor is prepared. • The sensor shows dual colorimetric & turn-on fluorescence response to cyanide ion. • Detection limit is 0.88 μM (below WHO standard for drinking water). • It is effective for cyanide detection an in vitro cellular system. - Abstract: Development of cyanide sensor is important as the anion is harmful to human health and the environment. Herein, a new colorimetric and fluorescent probe GSB based on boron dipyrrole-methene (BODIPY) containing salicylaldehyde group for cyanide detection has been reported. GSB undergoes exclusive colorimetric change from orange to colorless and exhibits selective fluorescence turn-on at 504 nm upon the addition of cyanide. Other 13 anions give almost no interference under physiological condition. Detection limit of the new cyanide-sensing GSB is 0.88 μM, which is below World Health Organization (WHO) recommended level in drinking water. A calculation by density functional theory (DFT) shows suppression of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanism along with the interruption of π-conjugation between salicylaldehyde and BODIPY core by cyanide anion. Cell imaging studies demonstrated that GSB is compatible and capable of sensing cyanide anion in living cells.

  2. Silver nanoparticles deposited on amine-functionalized silica spheres and their amalgamation-based spectral and colorimetric detection of Hg(II) ions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rameshkumar, Perumal; Manivannan, Shanmugam; Ramaraj, Ramasamy, E-mail: ramarajr@yahoo.com [Madurai Kamaraj University, Centre for Photoelectrochemistry, School of Chemistry (India)

    2013-05-15

    A facile synthetic method to decorate amine-functionalized silica spheres (SiO{sub 2}) by silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) is reported. The transmission electron microscopic (TEM) images showed that spherical Ag NPs with an average particle size of 14 nm were deposited on 250 nm-sized SiO{sub 2} spheres (SiO{sub 2}/Ag NPs). The spectral and colorimetric detection of Hg(II) ions were carried out using the synthesized SiO{sub 2}/Ag NPs with an experimental detection limit of 5 {mu}M. It was found that the addition of Hg(II) ions (150 {mu}M) into the solution of SiO{sub 2}/Ag NPs completely quenched the SPR band of the Ag NPs due to the formation of anisotropic Ag amalgam crystals (AgHg). The selective detection of Hg(II) ions by SiO{sub 2}/Ag NPs in the presence of other environmentally relevant metal ions was also demonstrated using spectral and colorimetric methods.Graphical abstractAmine-functionalized silica spheres are decorated by in situ formation of silver nanoparticles and their spectral and colorimetric detection of Hg(II) ions is reported.

  3. Paper-based tuberculosis diagnostic devices with colorimetric gold nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsai, Tsung-Ting; Shen, Shu-Wei; Chen, Chien-Fu; Cheng, Chao-Min

    2013-01-01

    A colorimetric sensing strategy employing gold nanoparticles and a paper assay platform has been developed for tuberculosis diagnosis. Unmodified gold nanoparticles and single-stranded detection oligonucleotides are used to achieve rapid diagnosis without complicated and time-consuming thiolated or other surface-modified probe preparation processes. To eliminate the use of sophisticated equipment for data analysis, the color variance for multiple detection results was simultaneously collected and concentrated on cellulose paper with the data readout transmitted for cloud computing via a smartphone. The results show that the 2.6 nM tuberculosis mycobacterium target sequences extracted from patients can easily be detected, and the turnaround time after the human DNA is extracted from clinical samples was approximately 1 h. (paper)

  4. Combined enzymatic and colorimetric method for determining the uronic acid and methylester content of pectin: Application to tomato products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anthon, Gordon E; Barrett, Diane M

    2008-09-01

    A simple procedure for determining the galacturonic acid and methanol contents of soluble and insoluble pectins, relying on enzymatic pectin hydrolysis and colorimetric quantification, is described. Pectin samples are incubated with a commercial pectinase preparation, Viscozyme, then the galacturonic acid content of the hydrolyzed pectin is quantified colorimetrically using a modification of the Cu reduction procedure originally described by Avigad and Milner. This modification, substituting the commonly used Folin-Ciocalteau reagent for the arsenic containing Nelson reagent, gives a response that is linear, sensitive, and selective for uronic acids over neutral sugars. This method also avoids the use of concentrated acids needed for the commonly used m-phenylphenol method. Methanol, released by the action of the pectin methylesterase found in the Viscozyme, is quantified using alcohol oxidase and Purpald. This combined enzymatic and colorimetric procedure correctly determined the galacturonic acid and methanol content of purified, soluble citrus pectin. Application of the procedure to water insoluble pectins was evaluated with water insoluble material from apples and oranges. In both cases good agreement was obtained between this method and commonly used methods based on chemical pectin hydrolysis. Good agreement between these procedures was also found in the analysis of both soluble and insoluble pectins from several tomato products. Copyright © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Haussdorff and hellinger for colorimetric sensor array classification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alstrøm, Tommy Sonne; Jensen, Bjørn Sand; Schmidt, Mikkel Nørgaard

    2012-01-01

    Development of sensors and systems for detection of chemical compounds is an important challenge with applications in areas such as anti-terrorism, demining, and environmental monitoring. A newly developed colorimetric sensor array is able to detect explosives and volatile organic compounds......; however, each sensor reading consists of hundreds of pixel values, and methods for combining these readings from multiple sensors must be developed to make a classification system. In this work we examine two distance based classification methods, K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and Gaussian process (GP......) classification, which both rely on a suitable distance metric. We evaluate a range of different distance measures and propose a method for sensor fusion in the GP classifier. Our results indicate that the best choice of distance measure depends on the sensor and the chemical of interest....

  6. Automated calibration of TECAN genesis liquid handling workstation utilizing an online balance and density meter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Iris H; Wang, Michael H; Carpenter, Richard; Wu, Henry Y

    2004-02-01

    With robotics widely used in bioanalytical assays, accurate system performance is essential to ensure the quality and productivity of the robotics. In our lab, an automated calibration procedure has been developed to evaluate the precision and accuracy of the TECAN (Research Triangle Park, NC, U.S.A.) Genesis liquid handling system in a bioanalytical laboratory setting. The calibrations were performed by transferring and weighing the solvents automatically on a microbalance controlled by a Gemini program. From the data acquired, calibration reports were generated using a template. The novel aspect of this approach is the use of an on-line balance and a density meter, both of which combine to make the calibration process simple, efficient, and precise. For quantitative bioanalysis, a variety of solvents, including methanol, water, mixed solvents, and plasma, are typically used to prepare standards and unknown samples. Density information is usually unknown for the mixed solvents, and the density of plasma can vary from species to species. However, with the use of a universal density meter, the density could be obtained in seconds. The issue of solvent evaporation during the calibration process was also addressed. Calibration curves were set up for various liquid classes. Pipetting volumes ranged from 10 microL to 900 microL. Precision and accuracy results obtained from the semiannual performance evaluations showed this procedure to be reliable and user-friendly. Using the automated calibration procedure, the calibration and performance evaluation of the robotic system is considerably more efficient, and the incidence of unacceptable precision and accuracy is greatly reduced.

  7. Highly sensitive colorimetric detection of glucose in a serum based on DNA-embeded Au@Ag core–shell nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Fei; Xu, Kun; Hou, Xiangshu

    2015-01-01

    Glucose is a key energy substance in diverse biology and closely related to the life activities of the organism. To develop a simple and sensitive method for glucose detection is extremely urgent but still remains a key challenge. Herein, we report a colorimetric glucose sensor in a homogeneous system based on DNA-embedded core–shell Au@Ag nanoparticles. In this assay, a glucose substrate was first catalytically oxidized by glucose oxidase to produce H 2 O 2 which would further oxidize and gradually etch the outer silver shell of Au@Ag nanoparticles. Afterwards, the solution color changed from yellow to red and the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band of Au@Ag nanoparticles declined and red-shifted from 430 to 516 nm. Compared with previous silver-based glucose colorimetric detection strategies, the distinctive SPR band change is superior to the color variation, which is critical to the high sensitivity of this assay. Benefiting from the outstanding optical property, robust stability and well-dispersion of the core–shell Au@AgNPs hybrid, this colorimetric assay obtained a detection limit of glucose as low as 10 nM, which is at least a 10-fold improvement over other AgNPs-based procedures. Moreover, this optical biosensor was successfully employed to the determination of glucose in fetal bovine serum. (paper)

  8. Histogram analysis for smartphone-based rapid hematocrit determination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jalal, Uddin M.; Kim, Sang C.; Shim, Joon S.

    2017-01-01

    A novel and rapid analysis technique using histogram has been proposed for the colorimetric quantification of blood hematocrits. A smartphone-based “Histogram” app for the detection of hematocrits has been developed integrating the smartphone embedded camera with a microfluidic chip via a custom-made optical platform. The developed histogram analysis shows its effectiveness in the automatic detection of sample channel including auto-calibration and can analyze the single-channel as well as multi-channel images. Furthermore, the analyzing method is advantageous to the quantification of blood-hematocrit both in the equal and varying optical conditions. The rapid determination of blood hematocrits carries enormous information regarding physiological disorders, and the use of such reproducible, cost-effective, and standard techniques may effectively help with the diagnosis and prevention of a number of human diseases. PMID:28717569

  9. Designing a Signal Conditioning System with Software Calibration for Resistor-feedback Patch Clamp Amplifier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Gang; Zhu, Quanhui; Qu, Anlian

    2005-01-01

    In this paper, a programmable signal conditioning system based on software calibration for resistor-feedback patch clamp amplifier (PCA) has been described, this system is mainly composed of frequency correction, programmable gain and filter whose parameters are configured by software automatically to minimize the errors, A lab-designed data acquisition system (DAQ) is used to implement data collections and communications with PC. The laboratory test results show good agreement with design specifications.

  10. Design and Realization of a Radon Gas Calibration System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boussek, Amal

    2013-01-01

    Our project consists on the automatization of a Radon calibration room. The first step was the development of several electronic cards collecting outside data coming to our device (pressure and temperature). Using ISIS software, we have designed these electronic cards: pressure, temperature, power supply, PIC interface and control card. In the second part, we have programmed the PIC 16F877 using the PCW compiler to display data on an LCD screen and sent them through the RS232 serial to the hyper-terminal and to control the motor and the fan. The last part aims to develop an interface using LabVIEW to command our device.

  11. A new spectroscopic calibration to determine Teff and [Fe/H] of FGK dwarfs and giants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Teixeira G. D. C.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available We present a new spectroscopic calibration for a fast estimate of Teff and [Fe/H] for FGK dwarfs and GK giant stars. We used spectra from a joint sample of 708 stars, composed by 451 FGK dwarfs and 257 GK-giant stars with homogeneously determined spectroscopic stellar parameters. We have derived 322 EW line-ratios and 100 FeI lines that can be used to compute Teff and [Fe/H], respectively. We show that these calibrations are effective for FGK dwarfs and GK-giant stars in the following ranges: 4500 K < Teff < 6500 K, 2.5 < log g < 4.9 dex, and –0.8 < [Fe/H] < 0:5 dex. The new calibration has a standard deviation of 74 K for Teff and 0.07 dex for [Fe/H]. We use four independent samples of stars to test and verify the new calibration, a sample of giant stars, a sample composed of Gaia FGK benchmark stars, a sample of GK-giant stars from the DR1 of the Gaia-ESO survey, and a sample of FGK-dwarf stars. We present a new computer code, GeTCal, for automatically producing new calibration files based on any new sample of stars.

  12. Automatic Imitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heyes, Cecilia

    2011-01-01

    "Automatic imitation" is a type of stimulus-response compatibility effect in which the topographical features of task-irrelevant action stimuli facilitate similar, and interfere with dissimilar, responses. This article reviews behavioral, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging research on automatic imitation, asking in what sense it is "automatic"…

  13. Palindromic Molecule Beacon-Based Cascade Amplification for Colorimetric Detection of Cancer Genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Zhi-Fa; Li, Feng; Jiang, Yi-Fan; Chen, Chang; Xu, Huo; Li, Cong-Cong; Yang, Zhe; Wu, Zai-Sheng

    2018-03-06

    A highly sensitive and selective colorimetric assay based on a multifunctional molecular beacon with palindromic tail (PMB) was proposed for the detection of target p53 gene. The PMB probe can serve as recognition element, primer, and polymerization template and contains a nicking site and a C-rich region complementary to a DNAzyme. In the presence of target DNA, the hairpin of PMB is opened, and the released palindromic tails intermolecularly hybridize with each other, triggering the autonomous polymerization/nicking/displacement cycles. Although only one type of probe is involved, the system can execute triple and continuous polymerization strand displacement amplifications, generating large amounts of G-quadruplex fragments. These G-rich fragments can bind to hemin and form the DNAzymes that possess the catalytic activity similar to horseradish peroxidase, catalyzing the oxidation of ABTS by H 2 O 2 and producing the colorimetric signal. Utilizing the newly proposed sensing system, target DNA can be detected down to 10 pM with a linear response range from 10 pM to 200 nM, and mutant target DNAs are able to be distinguished even by the naked eye. The desirable detection sensitivity, high specificity, and operation convenience without any separation step and chemical modification demonstrate that the palindromic molecular beacon holds the potential for detecting and monitoring a variety of nucleic acid-related biomarkers.

  14. A New Coumarin-Based Colorimetric and Fluorometric Sensor for Cu{sup 2+}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    An, Kyounglyong; Jun, Kun [Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Park, Koon Ha [Chungnam National Univ., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-07-15

    We have developed a new colorimetric and fluorescent 'turn-off' sensor for Cu{sup 2+} based on coumarin Shiff base of hydroxycinnamaldehyde. It displays a 50 nm red-shift of maximum absorption band with color change from colorless to greenish-yellow upon addition of Cu{sup 2+} in 10 mM tris-HCl buffer solution (acetonitrile/water = 9:1, pH = 7.01). And also remarkable fluorescence quenching was observed upon the addition of Cu{sup 2+}. The 1:2 stoichiometry of sensor complex (sensor A + Cu{sup 2+}) was confirmed by Job's plot based on absorption titration. Chemosensors, small chemical compounds that sense the presence of analytes or energy, typically consist of two components: a receptor moiety that interacts with the target analytes and a read-out system that signals binding. And one of the most utilized research tool for the study of chemosensors employs a colorimetric and fluorometric spectroscopic techniques. So far successful reports on metal ion sensors have been documented including our recent result. Many different kinds of optical or fluorescent sensors have several advantages (such as high sensitivity and selectivity, non-destructive analysis, low cost and real-time monitoring), which allow naked-eye detection of color and fluorescent emission change upon metal ion binding without the use of any expensive spectroscopic equipment.

  15. Investigation of the Effects of Rosemary Extract on Barrier and Colorimetric Properties of Mungbean Starch Films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Safari Maznabi

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Barrier properties are one of the most important factors in the edible film. In this study, edible mungbean films were prepared containing (0%, 15%, 30%, 45% concentrations of rosemary aqueous extract. Then the effect of rosemary was investigated on colorimetric and barrier properties (water vapor permeability, oxygen permeability. Rosemary extract increased the absorption of color in the visible region, which in turn led to increase of the parameters a (index color tends toward green and b (index color tends towards yellow. The results showed that increasing concentrations of rosemary extract have a significant effect( p <0.05 to reduce the amount of oxygen and water vapor permeability.  Also turbidity of mungbean starch was increased with increasing concentrations of rosemary in the film. Improving barrier properties and the colorimetric properties were showed by rosemary extract compounds that these materials can use as the safety of food and pharmaceutical packaging industry.

  16. Smartphone-Based VOC Sensor Using Colorimetric Polydiacetylenes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Dong-Hoon; Heo, Jung-Moo; Jeong, Woomin; Yoo, Young Hyuk; Park, Bum Jun; Kim, Jong-Man

    2018-02-07

    Owing to a unique colorimetric (typically blue-to-red) feature upon environmental stimulation, polydiacetylenes (PDAs) have been actively employed in chemosensor systems. We developed a highly accurate and simple volatile organic compound (VOC) sensor system that can be operated using a conventional smartphone. The procedure begins with forming an array of four different PDAs on conventional paper using inkjet printing of four corresponding diacetylenes followed by photopolymerization. A database of color changes (i.e., red and hue values) is then constructed on the basis of different solvatochromic responses of the 4 PDAs to 11 organic solvents. Exposure of the PDA array to an unknown solvent promotes color changes, which are imaged using a smartphone camera and analyzed using the app. A comparison of the color changes to the database promoted by the 11 solvents enables the smartphone app to identify the unknown solvent with 100% accuracy. Additionally, it was demonstrated that the PDA array sensor was sufficiently sensitive to accurately detect the 11 VOC gases.

  17. Calibration and energy response of the Bitt RM10/RS02 gamma radiation detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dijk, E. van; Aalbers, A.H.L.

    1990-03-01

    A radiation monitoring network with automatic warning capabilities (LMR) has been established in the Netherlands. For the detection of gamma radiation exposure-rate-meters manufactured by Bitt Technologies are used. These meters consist of a proportional counter tube (type RS 02) and a read-out unit (type RM 10E). The photon energy response of 6 counter tubes was tested at the National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection. The measurements were performed with heavy filtered X-rays in the range of 50-250 keV (ISO narrow spectrum series) and with gamma ray beams from cesium-137 (662 keV) and cobalt-60 (1,25 MeV). To determine the energy response, the detector reading was referred to air kerma by means of a transfer ionization chamber. This transfer chamber was directly calibrated against the standard for X-rays. By applying these measurement procedures of a set of calibration factors (N k ) as a function of photon energy was determined. These calibration factors, expressed as the ratio air kerma to reading were converted to ambient dose equivalent calibration factors using appropriate conversion factors taken from Grosswend et al., 1988. From the measurement data an average ambient dose equivalent calibration factor of 10.8 mSv.roentgen -1 was calculated. (author). 5 refs.; 6 figs.; 5 tabs

  18. The effect of watershed scale on HEC-HMS calibrated parameters: a case study in the Clear Creek watershed in Iowa, US

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. L. Zhang

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we use the Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS to simulate two flood events to investigate the effect of watershed subdivision in terms of performance, the calibrated parameter values, the description of hydrologic processes, and the subsequent interpretation of water balance components. We use Stage IV hourly NEXRAD precipitation as the meteorological input for ten model configurations with variable sub-basin sizes. Model parameters are automatically optimized to fit the observed data. The strategy is implemented in Clear Creek Watershed (CCW, which is located in the upper Mississippi River basin. Results show that most of the calibrated parameter values are sensitive to the basin partition scheme and that the relative relevance of physical processes, described by the model, change depending on watershed subdivision. In particular, our results show that parameters derived from different model implementations attribute losses in the system to completely different physical phenomena without a notable effect on the model's performance. Our work adds to the body of evidence demonstrating that automatically calibrated parameters in hydrological models can lead to an incorrect prescription of the internal dynamics of runoff production and transport. Furthermore, it demonstrates that model implementation adds a new dimension to the problem of non-uniqueness in hydrological models.

  19. Blue emitting copper nanoclusters as colorimetric and fluorescent probe for the selective detection of bilirubin

    Science.gov (United States)

    R. S., Aparna; J. S., Anjali Devi; John, Nebu; Abha, K.; S. S., Syamchand; George, Sony

    2018-06-01

    Hurdles to develop point of care diagnostic methods restrict the translation of progress in the health care sector from bench side to bedside. In this article a simple, cost effective fluorescent as well as colorimetric nanosensor was developed for the early and easy detection of hyperbilirubinemia. A stable, water soluble bovine serum albumin stabilised copper nanocluster (BSA CuNC) was used as the fluorescent probe which exhibited strong blue emission (404 nm) upon 330 nm excitation. The fluorescence of the BSA CuNC can be effectively quenched by the addition of bilirubin by the formation of copper-bilirubin complex. Meanwhile the copper-bilirubin complex resulted in an observable colour change from pale violet to green facilitating colorimetric detection. The prepared sensor displayed good selectivity and sensitivity over other co-existing molecules, and can be used for quantifying bilirubin with a detection limit down to 257 fM. Additionally, the as-prepared probe was coated on a paper strip to develop a portable paper strip sensor of bilirubin. Moreover, the method was successfully applied in real sample analysis and obtained promising result.

  20. A simple and selective colorimetric mercury (II) sensing system based on chitosan stabilized gold nanoparticles and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tian, Kun; Siegel, Gene; Tiwari, Ashutosh

    2017-01-01

    The development of simple and cost-effective methods for the detection and treatment of Hg 2+ in the environment is an important area of research due to the serious health risk that Hg 2+ poses to humans. Colorimetric sensing based on the induced aggregation of nanoparticles is of great interest since it offers a low cost, simple, and relatively rapid procedure, making it perfect for on-site analysis. Herein we report the development of a simple colorimetric sensor for the selective detection and estimation of mercury ions in water, based on chitosan stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (PDA). In the presence of Hg 2+ , PDA induces the aggregation of AuNPs, causing the solution to change colors varying from red to blue, depending on the concentration of Hg 2+ . The formation of aggregated AuNPs in the presence of Hg 2+ was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The method exhibits linearity in the range of 300 nM to 5 μM and shows excellent selectivity towards Hg 2+ among seventeen different metal ions and was successfully applied for the detection of Hg 2+ in spiked river water samples. The developed technique is simple and superior to the existing techniques in that it allows detection of Hg 2+ using the naked eye and simple and rapid colorimetric analysis, which eliminates the need for sophisticated instruments and sample preparation methods. - Highlights: • A simple colorimetric method for detection of Hg 2+ in water was proposed. • Au nanoparticles and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid were used for sensing Hg 2+ . • Sensing mechanisms were demonstrated by TEM and UV–Visible measurements. • It showed the solution color changes from red to blue upon addition of Hg 2+ . • The method selectively detected Hg 2+ among seventeen different metal ions.

  1. Single Gold Nanoparticle-Based Colorimetric Detection of Picomolar Mercury Ion with Dark-Field Microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xiaojun; Wu, Zhangjian; Zhang, Qingquan; Zhao, Wenfeng; Zong, Chenghua; Gai, Hongwei

    2016-02-16

    Mercury severely damages the environment and human health, particularly when it accumulates in the food chain. Methods for the colorimetric detection of Hg(2+) have increasingly been developed over the past decade because of the progress in nanotechnology. However, the limits of detection (LODs) of these methods are mostly either comparable to or higher than the allowable maximum level (10 nM) in drinking water set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. In this study, we report a single Au nanoparticle (AuNP)-based colorimetric assay for Hg(2+) detection in solution. AuNPs modified with oligonucleotides were fixed on the slide. The fixed AuNPs bound to free AuNPs in the solution in the presence of Hg(2+) because of oligonucleotide hybridization. This process was accompanied by a color change from green to yellow as observed under an optical microscope. The ratio of changed color spots corresponded with Hg(2+) concentration. The LOD was determined as 1.4 pM, which may help guard against mercury accumulation. The proposed approach was applied to environmental samples with recoveries of 98.3 ± 7.7% and 110.0 ± 8.8% for Yuquan River and industrial wastewater, respectively.

  2. MOESHA: A genetic algorithm for automatic calibration and estimation of parameter uncertainty and sensitivity of hydrologic models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Characterization of uncertainty and sensitivity of model parameters is an essential and often overlooked facet of hydrological modeling. This paper introduces an algorithm called MOESHA that combines input parameter sensitivity analyses with a genetic algorithm calibration routin...

  3. Colorimetric Models Used for Establishing the Optimal Dose for Sterilizing the Sea Buck thorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) Leaves Powder with Ionizing Radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Minea, R.; Popescu, M.I.; Dumitrascu, M.; Sima, E.; Mitru, E.; Manea, St.; Mazilu, S.

    2009-01-01

    The current work intends to promote the development of the methods for establishing the degree of sterilization with ionizing radiations of the herbs in order to use them for obtaining food supplements, but also to obtaining medicines and cosmetic products. Obtaining the raw material, Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) leaves, at a high level of sterilization without influencing the quality of active principles, is a desideratum of the economic agents in the area. The employed colorimetric methods have practically no impact on the studied herbs and, in the same time, they provide complex information on the effect of the ionizing radiations. The colorimetric methods allow to develop some models to be used both in the indirect evaluation of the microbial charge, before and after the treatment with ionizing radiations and for establishing the optimal necessary dose. The trials were made on Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) leaves powder supplied by S.C. HOFIGAL EXPORT-IMPORT S.A. from Bucharest. The validation of the obtained colorimetric model was made through some spectrometric setups from the UV-Vis area, on the contents in: polyphenol carboxylic acids, flavones derivates, redox enzymes of superoxide dismutase type, and in the antioxidant activity

  4. Algorithms for spectral calibration of energy-resolving small-pixel detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scuffham, J; Veale, M C; Wilson, M D; Seller, P

    2013-01-01

    Small pixel Cd(Zn)Te detectors often suffer from inter-pixel variations in gain, resulting in shifts in the individual energy spectra. These gain variations are mainly caused by inclusions and defects within the crystal structure, which affect the charge transport within the material causing a decrease in the signal pulse height. In imaging applications, spectra are commonly integrated over a particular peak of interest. This means that the individual pixels must be accurately calibrated to ensure that the same portion of the spectrum is integrated in every pixel. The development of large-area detectors with fine pixel pitch necessitates automated algorithms for this spectral calibration, due to the very large number of pixels. Algorithms for automatic spectral calibration require accurate determination of characteristic x-ray or photopeak positions on a pixelwise basis. In this study, we compare two peak searching spectral calibration algorithms for a small-pixel CdTe detector in gamma spectroscopic imaging. The first algorithm uses rigid search ranges to identify peaks in each pixel spectrum, based on the average peak positions across all pixels. The second algorithm scales the search ranges on the basis of the position of the highest-energy peak relative to the average across all pixels. In test spectra acquired with Tc-99m, we found that the rigid search algorithm failed to correctly identify the target calibraton peaks in up to 4% of pixels. In contrast, the scaled search algorithm failed in only 0.16% of pixels. Failures in the scaled search algorithm were attributed to the presence of noise events above the main photopeak, and possible non-linearities in the spectral response in a small number of pixels. We conclude that a peak searching algorithm based on scaling known peak spacings is simple to implement and performs well for the spectral calibration of pixellated radiation detectors

  5. Colorimetric Detection of Some Highly Hydrophobic Flavonoids Using Polydiacetylene Liposomes Containing Pentacosa-10,12-diynoyl Succinoglycan Monomers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yun, Deokgyu; Jeong, Daham; Cho, Eunae; Jung, Seunho

    2015-01-01

    Flavonoids are a group of plant secondary metabolites including polyphenolic molecules, and they are well known for antioxidant, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral propertied. In general, flavonoids are detected with various non-colorimetric detection methods such as column liquid chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, and electrochemical analysis. For the first time, we developed a straightforward colorimetric detection system allowing recognition of some highly hydrophobic flavonoids such as alpha-naphthoflavone and beta-naphthoflavone, visually using 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PCDA) derivatized with succinoglycan monomers isolated from Sinorhizobium meliloti. Besides changes in visible spectrum, we also demonstrate fluorescence changes using our detection system in the presence of those flavonoids. The succinoglycan monomers attached to PCDA molecules may function as an unstructured molecular capturer for some highly hydrophobic flavonoids by hydrophobic interactions, and transmit their molecular interactions as a color change throughout the PCDA liposome. PMID:26600071

  6. Evaluation of Colorimetric Assays for Analyzing Reductively Methylated Proteins: Biases and Mechanistic Insights

    OpenAIRE

    Brady, Pamlea N.; Macnaughtan, Megan A.

    2015-01-01

    Colorimetric protein assays, such as the Coomassie blue G-250 dye-binding (Bradford) and bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assays, are commonly used to quantify protein concentration. The accuracy of these assays depends on the amino acid composition. Because of the extensive use of reductive methylation in the study of proteins and the importance of biological methylation, it is necessary to evaluate the impact of lysyl methylation on the Bradford and BCA assays. Unmodified and reductively methylated...

  7. Color digital halftoning taking colorimetric color reproduction into account

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haneishi, Hideaki; Suzuki, Toshiaki; Shimoyama, Nobukatsu; Miyake, Yoichi

    1996-01-01

    Taking colorimetric color reproduction into account, the conventional error diffusion method is modified for color digital half-toning. Assuming that the input to a bilevel color printer is given in CIE-XYZ tristimulus values or CIE-LAB values instead of the more conventional RGB or YMC values, two modified versions based on vector operation in (1) the XYZ color space and (2) the LAB color space were tested. Experimental results show that the modified methods, especially the method using the LAB color space, resulted in better color reproduction performance than the conventional methods. Spatial artifacts that appear in the modified methods are presented and analyzed. It is also shown that the modified method (2) with a thresholding technique achieves a good spatial image quality.

  8. Smart phone-based Chemistry Instrumentation: Digitization of Colorimetric Measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Byoung Yong

    2012-01-01

    This report presents a mobile instrumentation platform based on a smart phone using its built-in functions for colorimetric diagnosis. The color change as a result of detection is taken as a picture through a CCD camera built in the smart phone, and is evaluated in the form of the hue value to give the well-defined relationship between the color and the concentration. To prove the concept in the present work, proton concentration measurements were conducted on pH paper coupled with a smart phone for demonstration. This report is believed to show the possibility of adapting a smart phone to a mobile analytical transducer, and more applications for bioanalysis are expected to be developed using other built-in functions of the smart phone

  9. Automatic Parking Based on a Bird's Eye View Vision System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chunxiang Wang

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims at realizing an automatic parking method through a bird's eye view vision system. With this method, vehicles can make robust and real-time detection and recognition of parking spaces. During parking process, the omnidirectional information of the environment can be obtained by using four on-board fisheye cameras around the vehicle, which are the main part of the bird's eye view vision system. In order to achieve this purpose, a polynomial fisheye distortion model is firstly used for camera calibration. An image mosaicking method based on the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm is used to combine four individual images from fisheye cameras into one omnidirectional bird's eye view image. Secondly, features of the parking spaces are extracted with a Radon transform based method. Finally, double circular trajectory planning and a preview control strategy are utilized to realize autonomous parking. Through experimental analysis, we can see that the proposed method can get effective and robust real-time results in both parking space recognition and automatic parking.

  10. Another look at volume self-calibration: calibration and self-calibration within a pinhole model of Scheimpflug cameras

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cornic, Philippe; Le Besnerais, Guy; Champagnat, Frédéric; Illoul, Cédric; Cheminet, Adam; Le Sant, Yves; Leclaire, Benjamin

    2016-01-01

    We address calibration and self-calibration of tomographic PIV experiments within a pinhole model of cameras. A complete and explicit pinhole model of a camera equipped with a 2-tilt angles Scheimpflug adapter is presented. It is then used in a calibration procedure based on a freely moving calibration plate. While the resulting calibrations are accurate enough for Tomo-PIV, we confirm, through a simple experiment, that they are not stable in time, and illustrate how the pinhole framework can be used to provide a quantitative evaluation of geometrical drifts in the setup. We propose an original self-calibration method based on global optimization of the extrinsic parameters of the pinhole model. These methods are successfully applied to the tomographic PIV of an air jet experiment. An unexpected by-product of our work is to show that volume self-calibration induces a change in the world frame coordinates. Provided the calibration drift is small, as generally observed in PIV, the bias on the estimated velocity field is negligible but the absolute location cannot be accurately recovered using standard calibration data. (paper)

  11. A label-free colorimetric sensor for Pb2+ detection based on the acceleration of gold leaching by graphene oxide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Xinhao; Gu, Wei; Zhang, Cuiling; Zhao, Longyun; Peng, Weidong; Xian, Yuezhong

    2015-03-14

    In this work, we developed a novel, label-free, colorimetric sensor for Pb(2+) detection based on the acceleration of gold leaching by graphene oxide (GO) at room temperature. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can be dissolved in a thiosulfate (S2O3(2-)) aqueous environment in the presence of oxygen; however, the leaching rate is very slow due to the high activation energy (27.99 kJ mol(-1)). In order to enhance the reaction rate, some accelerators should be added. In comparison with the traditional accelerators (metal ions or middle ligands), we found that GO could efficiently accelerate the gold leaching reaction. Kinetic data demonstrate that the dissolution rate of gold in the Pb(2+)-S2O3(2-)-GO system is 5 times faster than that without GO at room temperature. In addition, the effects of surface modification and the nanoparticle size on the etching of AuNPs were investigated. Based on the GO-accelerated concentration-dependent colour changes of AuNPs, a colorimetric sensor for Pb(2+) detection was developed with a linear range from 0.1 to 20 μM and the limit of detection (LOD) was evaluated to be 0.05 μM. This colorimetric assay is simple, low-cost, label-free, and has numerous potential applications in the field of environmental chemistry.

  12. L-cysteine protected copper nanoparticles as colorimetric sensor for mercuric ions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soomro, Razium A; Nafady, Ayman; Sirajuddin; Memon, Najma; Sherazi, Tufail H; Kalwar, Nazar H

    2014-12-01

    This report demonstrates a novel, simple and efficient protocol for the synthesis of copper nanoparticles in aqueous solution using L-cysteine as capping or protecting agent. UV-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy was employed to monitor the LSPR band of L-cysteine functionalized copper nanoparticles (Cyst-Cu NPs) based on optimizing various reaction parameters. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy provided information about the surface interaction between L-cysteine and Cu NPs. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) confirmed the formation of fine spherical, uniformly distributed Cyst-Cu NPs with average size of 34 ± 2.1 nm. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) illustrated the formation of pure metallic phase crystalline Cyst-Cu NPs. As prepared Cyst-Cu NPs were tested as colorimetric sensor for determining mercuric (Hg(2+)) ions in an aqueous system. Cyst-Cu NPs demonstrated very sensitive and selective colorimetric detection of Hg(2+) ions in the range of 0.5 × 10(-6)-3.5 × 10(-6) mol L(-1) based on decrease in LSPR intensity as monitored by a UV-vis spectrophotometer. The developed sensor is simple, economic compared to those based on precious metal nanoparticles and sensitive to detect Hg(2+) ions with detection limit down to 4.3 × 10(-8) mol L(-1). The sensor developed in this work has a high potential for rapid and on-site detection of Hg(2+) ions. The sensor was successfully applied for assessment of Hg(2+) ions in real water samples collected from various locations of the Sindh River. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. A colorimetric DET technique for the high-resolution measurement of two-dimensional alkalinity distributions in sediment porewaters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bennett, William W.; Welsh, David T.; Serriere, Antoine

    2015-01-01

    Measurements of porewater alkalinity are fundamental to the study of organic matter mineralization in sediments, which plays an essential role in the global cycles of carbon and nutrients. A new colorimetric diffusive equilibration in thin film (DET) technique is described for measuring two-dimen...

  14. Desenvolvimento e calibração de um tensiômetro eletrônico de leitura automática Development and calibration of an electronic tensiometer for automatic reading

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adunias S. Teixeira

    2005-08-01

    Full Text Available O presente trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento e calibração de tensiômetro de leitura automática, sendo o tensiômetro de mercúrio utilizado como padrão de comparação. Os ensaios foram conduzidos no Laboratório de Mecânica e Eletrônica do Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola da UFC. Esse equipamento difere do tensiômetro tradicional por substituir o manômetro de mercúrio por sensor de pressão. Tal dispositivo gera uma saída com valor de até no máximo 4,5 volts. O tensiômetro eletrônico é conectado a uma placa de aquisição de dados (DAQ contendo um microprocessador, conversor analógico/digital (ADC e saída serial, sendo tal placa ligada a um microcomputador. A bancada de ensaio constituiu-se de três caixas plásticas preenchidas com solo de textura franco- arenosa. Os dados foram coletados durante um mês e as equações geradas foram do tipo Count = offset + apsim, em que psim representa o potencial matricial fornecido pelo tensiômetro de mercúrio (kPa e count a saída digial do ADC, com valores adimensionais de 0 a 4.095. Foram obtidos os valores máximo e mínimo de offset de 348,572 e 261,026, e de coeficiente angular de 36,675 kPa-1 e 34,421 kPa-1. Os resultados da regressão linear simples indicaram a existência de regressão a menos de 0,1% de significância e valores de coeficientes de correlação nunca inferiores a 0,9994.This paper presents the development and calibration of a tensiometer for automatic reading where mercury has been replaced by an electronic pressure sensor called the electronic tensiometer. The conventional mercury tensiometer was used as a standard for calibration. Calibration trials were conducted at the Mechanics and Electronics Laboratory of the Department of Agricultural Engineering at Ceará Federal University, Brazil. The electronic tensiometer outputs a maximum 4.5 volts and is connected to a data acquisition system (DAQ composed of a microprocessor, a 12-bit analog to digital

  15. Calibration uncertainty

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heydorn, Kaj; Anglov, Thomas

    2002-01-01

    Methods recommended by the International Standardization Organisation and Eurachem are not satisfactory for the correct estimation of calibration uncertainty. A novel approach is introduced and tested on actual calibration data for the determination of Pb by ICP-AES. The improved calibration...

  16. Electrochemical and colorimetric assessment on the influence of target metals on wine color

    OpenAIRE

    Esparza, I. (Irene); Santamaria, C. (Carolina); Garcia-Mina, J.M. (José María); Fernandez, J.M. (José María)

    2006-01-01

    Presentado en Book of abstracts of the11th International Conference on Electroanalysis ESEAC, 2006; P2-081. Three year old samples of Vitis vinifera origin-controlled red wine samples were spiked with adequate amounts of metals and subsequent colorimetric parameters evolution and complexing capacity behaviour were checked. The used approach consisted in the study of the complexing capacity of natural occurring ligands on wine with respect to Zn and Cu by means of stripping voltammetry in ...

  17. Colorimetric and ratiometric aggregation assay for streptomycin using gold nanoparticles and a new and highly specific aptamer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soheili, Vahid; Taghdisi, Seyed Mohammad; Khayyat, Mohammad Hassanzadeh; Abnous, Khalil; Bazzaz, BiBi Sedigheh Fazly; Ramezani, Mohammad

    2016-01-01

    Aptamers specific for the antibiotic streptomycin were identified by a modified SELEX procedure that employs magnetic beads. After eight rounds of selection, twenty-six aptamers were identified and clustered into seven groups according to similarities in their sequences. The binding constant of three sequences from different groups were determined by colorimetric assays using unmodified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). These most suitable aptamers were then truncated, and finally a 23-base sequence was identified that has the highest affinity (K_d = 132.3 nM) and selectivity. The assay was employed to analyze streptomycin residue in raw milk samples by ratiometric spectrophotometry at 520 and 660 nm, respectively. The analytical range extends from 180 to 1000 nM, and the LOD is 47.2 nM which is better than that of HPLC (4 μM). The interaction between aptamer and streptomycin was studied by molecular modeling. In our perception, this colorimetric assay provides a viable method for fast analysis of streptomycin in raw milk. (author)

  18. Development of a generic auto-calibration package for regional ecological modeling and application in the Central Plains of the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yiping; Liu, Shuguang; Li, Zhengpeng; Dahal, Devendra; Young, Claudia J.; Schmidt, Gail L.; Liu, Jinxun; Davis, Brian; Sohl, Terry L.; Werner, Jeremy M.; Oeding, Jennifer

    2014-01-01

    Process-oriented ecological models are frequently used for predicting potential impacts of global changes such as climate and land-cover changes, which can be useful for policy making. It is critical but challenging to automatically derive optimal parameter values at different scales, especially at regional scale, and validate the model performance. In this study, we developed an automatic calibration (auto-calibration) function for a well-established biogeochemical model—the General Ensemble Biogeochemical Modeling System (GEMS)-Erosion Deposition Carbon Model (EDCM)—using data assimilation technique: the Shuffled Complex Evolution algorithm and a model-inversion R package—Flexible Modeling Environment (FME). The new functionality can support multi-parameter and multi-objective auto-calibration of EDCM at the both pixel and regional levels. We also developed a post-processing procedure for GEMS to provide options to save the pixel-based or aggregated county-land cover specific parameter values for subsequent simulations. In our case study, we successfully applied the updated model (EDCM-Auto) for a single crop pixel with a corn–wheat rotation and a large ecological region (Level II)—Central USA Plains. The evaluation results indicate that EDCM-Auto is applicable at multiple scales and is capable to handle land cover changes (e.g., crop rotations). The model also performs well in capturing the spatial pattern of grain yield production for crops and net primary production (NPP) for other ecosystems across the region, which is a good example for implementing calibration and validation of ecological models with readily available survey data (grain yield) and remote sensing data (NPP) at regional and national levels. The developed platform for auto-calibration can be readily expanded to incorporate other model inversion algorithms and potential R packages, and also be applied to other ecological models.

  19. Integration of paper-based microarray and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) for parallel detection and quantification of molecules in multiple samples automatically.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Kuo-Jui; Chen, Po-Chun; You, Yun-Wen; Chang, Hsun-Yun; Kao, Wei-Lun; Chu, Yi-Hsuan; Wu, Chen-Yi; Shyue, Jing-Jong

    2018-04-16

    With its low-cost fabrication and ease of modification, paper-based analytical devices have developed rapidly in recent years. Microarrays allow automatic analysis of multiple samples or multiple reactions with minimal sample consumption. While cellulose paper is generally used, its high backgrounds in spectrometry outside of the visible range has limited its application to be mostly colorimetric analysis. In this work, glass-microfiber paper is used as the substrate for a microarray. The glass-microfiber is essentially chemically inert SiO x , and the lower background from this inorganic microfiber can avoid interference from organic analytes in various spectrometers. However, generally used wax printing fails to wet glass microfibers to form hydrophobic barriers. Therefore, to prepare the hydrophobic-hydrophilic pattern, the glass-microfiber paper was first modified with an octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) to make the paper hydrophobic. A hydrophilic microarray was then prepared using a CO 2 laser scriber that selectively removed the OTS layer with a designed pattern. One microliter of aqueous drops of peptides at various concentrations were then dispensed inside the round patterns where OTS SAM was removed while the surrounding area with OTS layer served as a barrier to separate each drop. The resulting specimen of multiple spots was automatically analyzed with a time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometer (ToF-SIMS), and all of the secondary ions were collected. Among the various cluster ions that have developed over the past decade, pulsed C 60 + was selected as the primary ion because of its high secondary ion intensity in the high mass region, its minimal alteration of the surface when operating within the static-limit and spatial resolution at the ∼μm level. In the resulting spectra, parent ions of various peptides (in the forms [M+H] + and [M+Na] + ) were readily identified for parallel detection of molecules in a mixture

  20. Colorimetric test-systems for creatinine detection based on composite molecularly imprinted polymer membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sergeyeva, T A; Gorbach, L A; Piletska, E V; Piletsky, S A; Brovko, O O; Honcharova, L A; Lutsyk, O D; Sergeeva, L M; Zinchenko, O A; El'skaya, A V

    2013-04-03

    An easy-to-use colorimetric test-system for the efficient detection of creatinine in aqueous samples was developed. The test-system is based on composite molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) membranes with artificial receptor sites capable of creatinine recognition. A thin MIP layer was created on the surface of microfiltration polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes using method of photo-initiated grafting polymerization. The MIP layer was obtained by co-polymerization of a functional monomer (e.g. 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid, itaconic acid or methacrylic acid) with N, N'-methylenebisacrylamide as a cross-linker. The choice of the functional monomer was based on the results of computational modeling. The creatinine-selective composite MIP membranes were used for measuring creatinine in aqueous samples. Creatinine molecules were selectively adsorbed by the MIP membranes and quantified using color reaction with picrates. The intensity of MIP membranes staining was proportional to creatinine concentration in an analyzed sample. The colorimetric test-system based on the composite MIP membranes was characterized with 0.25 mM detection limit and 0.25-2.5mM linear dynamic range. Storage stability of the MIP membranes was estimated as at least 1 year at room temperature. As compared to the traditional methods of creatinine detection the developed test-system is characterized by simplicity of operation, small size and low cost. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Sensitive paper-based analytical device for fast colorimetric detection of nitrite with smartphone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiu-Xiu; Song, Yi-Zhen; Fang, Fang; Wu, Zhi-Yong

    2018-04-01

    On-site rapid monitoring of nitrite as an assessment indicator of the environment, food, and physiological systems has drawn extensive attention. Here, electrokinetic stacking (ES) was combined with colorimetric reaction on a paper-based device (PAD) to achieve colorless nitrite detection with smartphone. In this paper, nitrite was stacked on the paper fluidic channel as a narrow band by electrokinetic stacking. Then, Griess reagent was introduced to visualize the stacking band. Under optimal conditions, the sensitivity of nitrite was 160-fold increased within 5 min. A linear response in the range of 0.075 to 1.0 μg mL -1 (R 2  = 0.99) and a limit of detection (LOD) of 73 ng mL -1 (0.86 μM) were obtained. The LOD was 10 times lower than the reported PAD, and close to that achieved by a desktop spectrophotometer. The applicability was demonstrated by nitrite detection from saliva and water with good selectivity, adding 100 times more concentrated co-ions. High recovery (91.0~108.7%) and reasonable intra-day and inter-day reproducibility (RSD work shows that the sensitivity of colorless analyte detection-based colorimetric reaction can be effectively enhanced by integration of ES on a PAD. Graphical abstract Schematic of the experimental setups (left) and the corresponding images (right) of the actual portable device.

  2. An automatic gain matching method for {gamma}-ray spectra obtained with a multi-detector array

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pattabiraman, N.S.; Chintalapudi, S.N.; Ghugre, S.S. E-mail: ssg@alpha.iuc.res.in

    2004-07-01

    The increasing size of data sets from large multi-detector arrays makes the traditional approach to the pre-evaluation of the data difficult and time consuming. The pre-sorting involves detection and correction of the observed on-line drifts followed by calibration of the raw data. A new method for automatic detection and correction of these instrumental drifts is presented. An application of this method to the data acquired using a multi-Clover array is discussed.

  3. An automatic gain matching method for γ-ray spectra obtained with a multi-detector array

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pattabiraman, N.S.; Chintalapudi, S.N.; Ghugre, S.S.

    2004-01-01

    The increasing size of data sets from large multi-detector arrays makes the traditional approach to the pre-evaluation of the data difficult and time consuming. The pre-sorting involves detection and correction of the observed on-line drifts followed by calibration of the raw data. A new method for automatic detection and correction of these instrumental drifts is presented. An application of this method to the data acquired using a multi-Clover array is discussed

  4. A Simple Assay for Ultrasensitive Colorimetric Detection of Ag⁺ at Picomolar Levels Using Platinum Nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yi-Wei; Wang, Meili; Wang, Lixing; Xu, Hui; Tang, Shurong; Yang, Huang-Hao; Zhang, Lan; Song, Hongbo

    2017-11-02

    In this work, uniformly-dispersed platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) were synthesized by a simple chemical reduction method, in which citric acid and sodium borohydride acted as a stabilizer and reducer, respectively. An ultrasensitive colorimetric sensor for the facile and rapid detection of Ag⁺ ions was constructed based on the peroxidase mimetic activities of the obtained PtNPs, which can catalyze the oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by H₂O₂ to produce colored products. The introduced Ag⁺ would be reduced to Ag⁰ by the capped citric acid, and the deposition of Ag⁰ on the PtNPs surface, can effectively inhibit the peroxidase-mimetic activity of PtNPs. Through measuring the maximum absorption signal of oxidized TMB at 652 nm, ultra-low detection limits (7.8 pM) of Ag⁺ can be reached. In addition to such high sensitivity, the colorimetric assay also displays excellent selectivity for other ions of interest and shows great potential for the detection of Ag⁺ in real water samples.

  5. A water-soluble and retrievable ruthenium-based probe for colorimetric recognition of Hg(II) and Cys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Yali; Hao, Yuanqiang; Zhang, Yintang; Liu, Baoxia; Zhu, Xu; Qu, Peng; Li, Deliang; Xu, Maotian

    2016-08-05

    A new ruthenium-based complex 1 [(bis(4,4'-dimethylphosphonic-2,2'-bipyridine) dithiocyanato ruthenium (II))] was developed as a colorimetric probe for the detection of Hg(II) and Cys (Cysteine). The obtained compound 1 can give interconversional color changes upon the alternating addition of Hg(II) and Cys in 100% aqueous solution. The specific coordination between NCS groups with Hg(II) can lead to the formation of 1-Hg(2+) complex, which can induce a remarkable spectral changes of probe 1. Afterwards the formed 1-Hg(2+) complex can act as effective colorimetric sensor for Cys. Owing to the stronger binding affinity of sulfhydryl group to Hg(2+), Cys can extract Hg(2+) from 1-Hg(2+) complex resulting in the release of 1 and the revival of absorption profile of the probe 1. By introducing the hydrophilic phosphonic acid groups, the proposed probe exhibited excellent water solubility. The limits of detection (LODs) of the assay for Hg(2+) and Cys are calculated to be 15nM and 200nM, respectively. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. Rapid colorimetric sensing of gadolinium by EGCG-derived AgNPs: the development of a nanohybrid bioimaging probe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Rohit Kumar; Mishra, Sourav; Jena, Satyapriya; Panigrahi, Bijayananda; Das, Bhaskar; Jayabalan, Rasu; Parhi, Pankaj Kumar; Mandal, Dindyal

    2018-04-17

    Polyphenol functionalized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been developed and demonstrated as colorimetric sensors for the selective detection of gadolinium. The newly obtained AgNP-Gd3+ conjugates exhibit high aqueous dispersibility and excitation dependent fluorescence emission. The conjugates offer multicolor bioimaging potential owing to their excellent luminescence properties.

  7. Colorimetric DNAzyme Biosensor for Convenience Detection of Enterotoxin B Harboring Staphylococcus aureus from Food Samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mondal, Bhairab; N, Bhavanashri; Ramlal, Shylaja; Kingston, Joseph

    2018-02-14

    In the present study, a colorimetric DNAzymes biosensor strategy was devised in combination with immunomagnetic separation for rapid and easy detection of enterotoxin B harboring Staphylococcus aureus from food and clinical samples. The method employs immunocapture of S. aureus and amplification of seb gene by DNAzyme complementary sequence integrated forward primer and with specific reverse primer. The DNAzyme sequence integrated dsDNA PCR products when treated with hemin and TMB (3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine) in the presence of H 2 O 2 produce colorimetric signal. A linear relationship of optical signal with the initial template of seb was obtained which could be monitored by visually or spectrophotrometrically for qualitative and quantitative detection. The limit of detection for the assay was approximately 10 2 CFU/mL of seb gene harboring target. This method is convenient compared to gel based and ELISA systems. Further, spiking studies and analysis on natural samples emphasized the robustness and applicability of developed method. Altogether, the established assay could be a reliable alternative, low-cost, viable detection tool for the routine investigation of seb from food and clinical sources.

  8. Colorimetric method for enzymatic screening assay of ATP using Fe(III)-xylenol orange complex formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishida, Akihiko; Yamada, Yasuko; Kamidate, Tamio

    2008-11-01

    In hygiene management, recently there has been a significant need for screening methods for microbial contamination by visual observation or with commonly used colorimetric apparatus. The amount of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) can serve as the index of a microorganism. This paper describes the development of a colorimetric method for the assay of ATP, using enzymatic cycling and Fe(III)-xylenol orange (XO) complex formation. The color characteristics of the Fe(III)-XO complexes, which show a distinct color change from yellow to purple, assist the visual observation in screening work. In this method, a trace amount of ATP was converted to pyruvate, which was further amplified exponentially with coupled enzymatic reactions. Eventually, pyruvate was converted to the Fe(III)-XO complexes through pyruvate oxidase reaction and Fe(II) oxidation. As the assay result, yellow or purple color was observed: A yellow color indicates that the ATP concentration is lower than the criterion of the test, and a purple color indicates that the ATP concentration is higher than the criterion. The method was applied to the assay of ATP extracted from Escherichia coli cells added to cow milk.

  9. Exposure-rate calibration using large-area calibration pads

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Novak, E.F.

    1988-09-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Remedial Action and Waste Technology established the Technical Measurements Center (TMC) at the DOE Grand Junction Projects Office (GJPO) in Grand Junction, Colorado, to standardize, calibrate, and compare measurements made in support of DOE remedial action programs. A set of large-area, radioelement-enriched concrete pads was constructed by the DOE in 1978 at the Walker Field Airport in Grand Junction for use as calibration standards for airborne gamma-ray spectrometer systems. The use of these pads was investigated by the TMC as potential calibration standards for portable scintillometers employed in measuring gamma-ray exposure rates at Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) project sites. Data acquired on the pads using a pressurized ionization chamber (PIC) and three scintillometers are presented as an illustration of an instrumental calibration. Conclusions and recommended calibration procedures are discussed, based on the results of these data

  10. Permanent automatic recalibration system for scintillation camera

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Auphan, Michel.

    1974-01-01

    A permanent automatic recalibration system for a scintillation camera, of the type consisting chiefly of a collimator if necessary, a scintillator, a light guide and a network of n photomultipliers coupled to a display system, is described. It uses a device to form a single reference light signal common to all the photomultiplication lines, integrated to these latter and associated with a periodic calibration control generator. By means of associated circuits governed by the control generator the gain in each line is brought to and/or maintained at a value between fixed upper and lower limits. Steps are taken so that any gain variation in a given line is adjusted with respect to the reference light signal common to all the lines. The light signal falls preferably in the same part of the spectrum as the scintillations formed in the scintillator [fr

  11. Design and development of an ultrasound calibration phantom and system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Alexis; Ackerman, Martin K.; Chirikjian, Gregory S.; Boctor, Emad M.

    2014-03-01

    Image-guided surgery systems are often used to provide surgeons with informational support. Due to several unique advantages such as ease of use, real-time image acquisition, and no ionizing radiation, ultrasound is a common medical imaging modality used in image-guided surgery systems. To perform advanced forms of guidance with ultrasound, such as virtual image overlays or automated robotic actuation, an ultrasound calibration process must be performed. This process recovers the rigid body transformation between a tracked marker attached to the ultrasound transducer and the ultrasound image. A phantom or model with known geometry is also required. In this work, we design and test an ultrasound calibration phantom and software. The two main considerations in this work are utilizing our knowledge of ultrasound physics to design the phantom and delivering an easy to use calibration process to the user. We explore the use of a three-dimensional printer to create the phantom in its entirety without need for user assembly. We have also developed software to automatically segment the three-dimensional printed rods from the ultrasound image by leveraging knowledge about the shape and scale of the phantom. In this work, we present preliminary results from using this phantom to perform ultrasound calibration. To test the efficacy of our method, we match the projection of the points segmented from the image to the known model and calculate a sum squared difference between each point for several combinations of motion generation and filtering methods. The best performing combination of motion and filtering techniques had an error of 1.56 mm and a standard deviation of 1.02 mm.

  12. A colorimetric determination of boron in biological sample for boron neutron capture therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Camilo, M.A.P.; Tomac Junior, U.

    1989-01-01

    The boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) has shown better prognosis in the treatment of gliomas and glioblastomas grade III and IV than other therapies. During the treatment of levels of Na 2 10 B 12 H 11 S H must be known in several compartments of the organism and with this purpose the method of colorimetric determination of boron using curcumin was established. This method is simples, reproducible and has adequate sensitivity for this control. (author). 7 refs, 3 figs, 1 tab

  13. Colorimetric Sensor Array for White Wine Tasting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soo Chung

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available A colorimetric sensor array was developed to characterize and quantify the taste of white wines. A charge-coupled device (CCD camera captured images of the sensor array from 23 different white wine samples, and the change in the R, G, B color components from the control were analyzed by principal component analysis. Additionally, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC was used to analyze the chemical components of each wine sample responsible for its taste. A two-dimensional score plot was created with 23 data points. It revealed clusters created from the same type of grape, and trends of sweetness, sourness, and astringency were mapped. An artificial neural network model was developed to predict the degree of sweetness, sourness, and astringency of the white wines. The coefficients of determination (R2 for the HPLC results and the sweetness, sourness, and astringency were 0.96, 0.95, and 0.83, respectively. This research could provide a simple and low-cost but sensitive taste prediction system, and, by helping consumer selection, will be able to have a positive effect on the wine industry.

  14. Colorimetric Sensor Array for White Wine Tasting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Soo; Park, Tu San; Park, Soo Hyun; Kim, Joon Yong; Park, Seongmin; Son, Daesik; Bae, Young Min; Cho, Seong In

    2015-07-24

    A colorimetric sensor array was developed to characterize and quantify the taste of white wines. A charge-coupled device (CCD) camera captured images of the sensor array from 23 different white wine samples, and the change in the R, G, B color components from the control were analyzed by principal component analysis. Additionally, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to analyze the chemical components of each wine sample responsible for its taste. A two-dimensional score plot was created with 23 data points. It revealed clusters created from the same type of grape, and trends of sweetness, sourness, and astringency were mapped. An artificial neural network model was developed to predict the degree of sweetness, sourness, and astringency of the white wines. The coefficients of determination (R2) for the HPLC results and the sweetness, sourness, and astringency were 0.96, 0.95, and 0.83, respectively. This research could provide a simple and low-cost but sensitive taste prediction system, and, by helping consumer selection, will be able to have a positive effect on the wine industry.

  15. Folic acid functionalized silver nanoparticles with sensitivity and selectivity colorimetric and fluorescent detection for Hg2+ and efficient catalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Dongyue; Yang, Xin; Xia, Qingdong; Zhang, Qi; Chai, Fang; Wang, Chungang; Qu, Fengyu

    2014-09-05

    In this research, folic acid functionalized silver nanoparticles (FA-AgNPs) were selected as a colorimetric and a 'turn on' fluorescent sensor for detecting Hg(2+). After being added into Hg(2+), AgNPs can emit stable fluorescence at 440 nm when the excitation wavelength is selected at 275 nm. The absorbance and fluorescence of the FA-AgNPs could reflect the concentration of the Hg(2+) ions. Thus, we developed a simple, sensitive analytical method to detect Hg(2+) based on the colorimetric and fluorescence enhancement of FA-AgNPs. The sensor exhibits two linear response ranges between absorbance and fluorescence intensity with Hg(2+) concentration, respectively. Meanwhile, a detection limit of 1 nM is estimated based on the linear relationship between responses with a concentration of Hg(2+). The high specificity of Hg(2+) with FA-AgNPs interactions provided the excellent selectivity towards detecting Hg(2+) over other metal ions (Pb(2+), Mg(2+), Zn(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), Co(2+), Ca(2+), Mn(2+), Fe(2+), Cd(2+), Ba(2+), Cr(6+) and Cr(3+)). This will provide a simple, effective and multifunctional colorimetric and fluorescent sensor for on-site and real-time Hg(2+) ion detection. The proposed method can be applied to the analysis of trace Hg(2+) in lake water. Additionally, the FA-AgNPs can be used as efficient catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol and potassium hexacyanoferrate (III).

  16. A colorimetric determination of boron in biological sample for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Camillo, M.A.P.; Tomac Junior, U.

    1990-01-01

    The boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) has shown better prognosis in the treatment of glyemas and gluoblastomas grade III and IV than other therapies. During the treatment the levels of Na 2 10 B 12 H 11 SH must be known in several compartiments of the organism and with this purpose the method of colorimetric determination of boron using curcumine was established. This method is simple, reprodutible and adequate sensitivity for this control. (author) [pt

  17. Automatic inference of geometric camera parameters and inter-camera topology in uncalibrated disjoint surveillance cameras

    Science.gov (United States)

    den Hollander, Richard J. M.; Bouma, Henri; Baan, Jan; Eendebak, Pieter T.; van Rest, Jeroen H. C.

    2015-10-01

    Person tracking across non-overlapping cameras and other types of video analytics benefit from spatial calibration information that allows an estimation of the distance between cameras and a relation between pixel coordinates and world coordinates within a camera. In a large environment with many cameras, or for frequent ad-hoc deployments of cameras, the cost of this calibration is high. This creates a barrier for the use of video analytics. Automating the calibration allows for a short configuration time, and the use of video analytics in a wider range of scenarios, including ad-hoc crisis situations and large scale surveillance systems. We show an autocalibration method entirely based on pedestrian detections in surveillance video in multiple non-overlapping cameras. In this paper, we show the two main components of automatic calibration. The first shows the intra-camera geometry estimation that leads to an estimate of the tilt angle, focal length and camera height, which is important for the conversion from pixels to meters and vice versa. The second component shows the inter-camera topology inference that leads to an estimate of the distance between cameras, which is important for spatio-temporal analysis of multi-camera tracking. This paper describes each of these methods and provides results on realistic video data.

  18. A simple and selective colorimetric mercury (II) sensing system based on chitosan stabilized gold nanoparticles and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tian, Kun; Siegel, Gene; Tiwari, Ashutosh, E-mail: tiwari@eng.utah.edu

    2017-02-01

    The development of simple and cost-effective methods for the detection and treatment of Hg{sup 2+} in the environment is an important area of research due to the serious health risk that Hg{sup 2+} poses to humans. Colorimetric sensing based on the induced aggregation of nanoparticles is of great interest since it offers a low cost, simple, and relatively rapid procedure, making it perfect for on-site analysis. Herein we report the development of a simple colorimetric sensor for the selective detection and estimation of mercury ions in water, based on chitosan stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (PDA). In the presence of Hg{sup 2+}, PDA induces the aggregation of AuNPs, causing the solution to change colors varying from red to blue, depending on the concentration of Hg{sup 2+}. The formation of aggregated AuNPs in the presence of Hg{sup 2+} was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The method exhibits linearity in the range of 300 nM to 5 μM and shows excellent selectivity towards Hg{sup 2+} among seventeen different metal ions and was successfully applied for the detection of Hg{sup 2+} in spiked river water samples. The developed technique is simple and superior to the existing techniques in that it allows detection of Hg{sup 2+} using the naked eye and simple and rapid colorimetric analysis, which eliminates the need for sophisticated instruments and sample preparation methods. - Highlights: • A simple colorimetric method for detection of Hg{sup 2+} in water was proposed. • Au nanoparticles and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid were used for sensing Hg{sup 2+}. • Sensing mechanisms were demonstrated by TEM and UV–Visible measurements. • It showed the solution color changes from red to blue upon addition of Hg{sup 2+}. • The method selectively detected Hg{sup 2+} among seventeen different metal ions.

  19. Some dosimetric properties of the LiF:Mg,Ti evaluated by the automatic 6600 thermoluminescent reader

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ben-Shachar, B; Weinstein, M; German, U [Israel Atomic Energy Commission, Beersheba (Israel). Nuclear Research Center-Negev

    1996-12-01

    Some dosimetric properties of the new LiF:Mg,Ti TLD cards were checked, when evaluated by the new automatic 6600 TLD reader. The cards were calibrated to a dose of 1.0 mGy by five identical irradiations, and the TL-dose response was measured for a range of 75 - 1100 mGy. A very high accuracy was found for the three kind of chips measured (TLD-100, TLD-700 and TLD-600) and a low minimum measurable dose (MMD) was found, too. There is a good fit between the analytical evaluation and the theoretical calculation of the MMD. The results obtained are much better than those of the LiF:Mg,Ti cards evaluated by the older automatic 2271 reader used in the last two decades (authors).

  20. Automatic Detection and Reproduction of Natural Head Position in Stereo-Photogrammetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsung, Tai-Chiu; Lo, John; Li, Tik-Shun; Cheung, Lim-Kwong

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to develop an automatic orientation calibration and reproduction method for recording the natural head position (NHP) in stereo-photogrammetry (SP). A board was used as the physical reference carrier for true verticals and NHP alignment mirror orientation. Orientation axes were detected and saved from the digital mesh model of the board. They were used for correcting the pitch, roll and yaw angles of the subsequent captures of patients' facial surfaces, which were obtained without any markings or sensors attached onto the patient. We tested the proposed method on two commercial active (3dMD) and passive (DI3D) SP devices. The reliability of the pitch, roll and yaw for the board placement were within ±0.039904°, ±0.081623°, and ±0.062320°; where standard deviations were 0.020234°, 0.045645° and 0.027211° respectively. Orientation-calibrated stereo-photogrammetry is the most accurate method (angulation deviation within ±0.1°) reported for complete NHP recording with insignificant clinical error.

  1. a Novel Approach to Camera Calibration Method for Smart Phones Under Road Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Bijun; Zhou, Jian; Ye, Maosheng; Guo, Yuan

    2016-06-01

    Monocular vision-based lane departure warning system has been increasingly used in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). By the use of the lane mark detection and identification, we proposed an automatic and efficient camera calibration method for smart phones. At first, we can detect the lane marker feature in a perspective space and calculate edges of lane markers in image sequences. Second, because of the width of lane marker and road lane is fixed under the standard structural road environment, we can automatically build a transformation matrix between perspective space and 3D space and get a local map in vehicle coordinate system. In order to verify the validity of this method, we installed a smart phone in the `Tuzhi' self-driving car of Wuhan University and recorded more than 100km image data on the road in Wuhan. According to the result, we can calculate the positions of lane markers which are accurate enough for the self-driving car to run smoothly on the road.

  2. Gold nanoparticles-based colorimetric and visual creatinine assay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He, Yi; Zhang, Xianhui; Yu, Haili

    2015-01-01

    We demonstrate a selective and sensitive method for determination of creatinine using citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as a colorimetric probe. It is based on a direct cross-linking reaction that occurs between creatinine and AuNPs that causes aggregation of AuNPs and results in a color change from wine red to blue. The absorption peak is shifted from 520 to 670 nm. Under the optimized conditions, the shift in the absorption peak is related the logarithm of the creatinine concentration in the 0.1 to 20 mM range, and the instrumental detection limit (LOD) is 80 μM. This LOD is about one order of magnitude better than that that of the Jaffé method (720 μM). The assay displays good selectivity over interfering substances including various inorganic ions, organic small compounds, proteins, and biothiols. It was successfully employed to the determination of creatinine in spiked human urine. (author)

  3. Automatic differentiation bibliography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Corliss, G.F. [comp.

    1992-07-01

    This is a bibliography of work related to automatic differentiation. Automatic differentiation is a technique for the fast, accurate propagation of derivative values using the chain rule. It is neither symbolic nor numeric. Automatic differentiation is a fundamental tool for scientific computation, with applications in optimization, nonlinear equations, nonlinear least squares approximation, stiff ordinary differential equation, partial differential equations, continuation methods, and sensitivity analysis. This report is an updated version of the bibliography which originally appeared in Automatic Differentiation of Algorithms: Theory, Implementation, and Application.

  4. Styrene and Azo-Styrene Based Colorimetric Sensors for Highly Selective Detection of Cyanide

    OpenAIRE

    Prestiani, Agustina Eka; Purwono, Bambang

    2017-01-01

    A novel styrene (1) and azo-styrene (2) based chemosensor from vanillin has been successfully synthesized. Sensor 1 was obtained by one step Knoevenagel condensation of Ultrasound method and sensor 2 by coupling diazo and Knoevenagel condensation reaction. Both of sensors showed high sensitivity and selectivity to detect CN- in aqueous media, even the presence of other anions, such as F-, Cl-, Br-, I-, CO32-, SO42-, H2PO4-, and AcO-. Colorimetric sensing of sensor 1 is inclined to be deproton...

  5. Real-time monitoring of enzyme-free strand displacement cascades by colorimetric assays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Ruixue; Wang, Boya; Hong, Fan; Zhang, Tianchi; Jia, Yongmei; Huang, Jiayu; Hakeem, Abdul; Liu, Nannan; Lou, Xiaoding; Xia, Fan

    2015-03-01

    The enzyme-free toehold-mediated strand displacement reaction has shown potential for building programmable DNA circuits, biosensors, molecular machines and chemical reaction networks. Here we report a simple colorimetric method using gold nanoparticles as signal generators for the real-time detection of the product of the strand displacement cascade. During the process the assembled gold nanoparticles can be separated, resulting in a color change of the solution. This assay can also be applied in complex mixtures, fetal bovine serum, and to detect single-base mismatches. These results suggest that this method could be of general utility to monitor more complex enzyme-free strand displacement reaction-based programmable systems or for further low-cost diagnostic applications.The enzyme-free toehold-mediated strand displacement reaction has shown potential for building programmable DNA circuits, biosensors, molecular machines and chemical reaction networks. Here we report a simple colorimetric method using gold nanoparticles as signal generators for the real-time detection of the product of the strand displacement cascade. During the process the assembled gold nanoparticles can be separated, resulting in a color change of the solution. This assay can also be applied in complex mixtures, fetal bovine serum, and to detect single-base mismatches. These results suggest that this method could be of general utility to monitor more complex enzyme-free strand displacement reaction-based programmable systems or for further low-cost diagnostic applications. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental procedures and analytical data are provided. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr00697j

  6. Intercomparison and calibration of dose calibrators used in nuclear medicine facilities

    CERN Document Server

    Costa, A M D

    2003-01-01

    The aim of this work was to establish a working standard for intercomparison and calibration of dose calibrators used in most of nuclear medicine facilities for the determination of the activity of radionuclides administered to patients in specific examinations or therapeutic procedures. A commercial dose calibrator, a set of standard radioactive sources, and syringes, vials and ampoules with radionuclide solutions used in nuclear medicine were utilized in this work. The commercial dose calibrator was calibrated for radionuclide solutions used in nuclear medicine. Simple instrument tests, such as linearity response and variation response with the source volume at a constant source activity concentration were performed. This instrument may be used as a reference system for intercomparison and calibration of other activity meters, as a method of quality control of dose calibrators utilized in nuclear medicine facilities.

  7. A novel colorimetric assay for rapid detection of cysteine and Hg²⁺ based on gold clusters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yi-Wei; Tang, Shurong; Yang, Huang-Hao; Song, Hongbo

    2016-01-01

    Inhibition and recovery of the catalytic activity of bovine serum albumin-capped gold nanoclusters (BSA-AuNCs) is observed for the first time by introduction of cysteine and Hg(2+). The prepared BSA-AuNCs possess highly intrinsic peroxidase-like activity. It can catalyze the oxidation of 3, 3, 5, 5-tetramethylbenzidine by H2O2 to produce a blue colored product. Based on this phenomenon, a new colorimetric assay for rapid, selective and sensitive detection of cysteine and Hg(2+) in aqueous solution has been demonstrated. The interaction process between target molecule and BSA-AuNCs is very fast, so that the whole test can be completed within ten minutes. Moreover, the fabricated colorimetric sensor is simple and cost-effective, without the need of nucleic acid based recognition element and complicated washing, separation and labeling process, thus holds great promise for routine analysis of cysteine and Hg(2+) in real samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Hybrid nanosensor for colorimetric and ultrasensitive detection of nuclease contaminations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cecere, Paola; Valentini, Paola; Pompa, Pier Paolo

    2016-04-01

    Nucleases are ubiquitous enzymes that degrade DNA or RNA, thus they can prejudice the good outcome of molecular biology experiments involving nucleic acids. We propose a colorimetric test for the naked-eye detection of nuclease contaminations. The system uses an hybrid nanosensor, based on gold nanoparticles functionalized with DNA probes. Our assay is rapid, instrument-free, simple and low-cost. Moreover, it reaches sensitivity equal or better than those of commercial kits, and presents a lot of advantageous aspects. Therefore, it is very competitive, with a real market potential. This test will be relevant in routine process monitoring in scientific laboratories, and in quality control in clinical laboratories and industrial processes, allowing the simultaneous detection of nucleases with different substrate specificities and large-scale screening.

  9. Matrix Factorisation-based Calibration For Air Quality Crowd-sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorffer, Clement; Puigt, Matthieu; Delmaire, Gilles; Roussel, Gilles; Rouvoy, Romain; Sagnier, Isabelle

    2017-04-01

    Internet of Things (IoT) is extending internet to physical objects and places. The internet-enabled objects are thus able to communicate with each other and with their users. One main interest of IoT is the ease of production of huge masses of data (Big Data) using distributed networks of connected objects, thus making possible a fine-grained yet accurate analysis of physical phenomena. Mobile crowdsensing is a way to collect data using IoT. It basically consists of acquiring geolocalized data from the sensors (from or connected to the mobile devices, e.g., smartphones) of a crowd of volunteers. The sensed data are then collectively shared using wireless connection—such as GSM or WiFi—and stored on a dedicated server to be processed. One major application of mobile crowdsensing is environment monitoring. Indeed, with the proliferation of miniaturized yet sensitive sensors on one hand and, on the other hand, of low-cost microcontrollers/single-card PCs, it is easy to extend the sensing abilities of smartphones. Alongside the conventional, regulated, bulky and expensive instruments used in authoritative air quality stations, it is then possible to create a large-scale mobile sensor network providing insightful information about air quality. In particular, the finer spatial sampling rate due to such a dense network should allow air quality models to take into account local effects such as street canyons. However, one key issue with low-cost air quality sensors is the lack of trust in the sensed data. In most crowdsensing scenarios, the sensors (i) cannot be calibrated in a laboratory before or during their deployment and (ii) might be sparsely or continuously faulty (thus providing outliers in the data). Such issues should be automatically handled from the sensor readings. Indeed, due to the masses of generated data, solving the above issues cannot be performed by experts but requires specific data processing techniques. In this work, we assume that some mobile

  10. Applying modern psychometric techniques to melodic discrimination testing: Item response theory, computerised adaptive testing, and automatic item generation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, Peter M C; Collins, Tom; Müllensiefen, Daniel

    2017-06-15

    Modern psychometric theory provides many useful tools for ability testing, such as item response theory, computerised adaptive testing, and automatic item generation. However, these techniques have yet to be integrated into mainstream psychological practice. This is unfortunate, because modern psychometric techniques can bring many benefits, including sophisticated reliability measures, improved construct validity, avoidance of exposure effects, and improved efficiency. In the present research we therefore use these techniques to develop a new test of a well-studied psychological capacity: melodic discrimination, the ability to detect differences between melodies. We calibrate and validate this test in a series of studies. Studies 1 and 2 respectively calibrate and validate an initial test version, while Studies 3 and 4 calibrate and validate an updated test version incorporating additional easy items. The results support the new test's viability, with evidence for strong reliability and construct validity. We discuss how these modern psychometric techniques may also be profitably applied to other areas of music psychology and psychological science in general.

  11. A biodegradable colorimetric film for rapid low-cost field determination of formaldehyde contamination by digital image colorimetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wongniramaikul, Worawit; Limsakul, Wadcharawadee; Choodum, Aree

    2018-05-30

    A biodegradable colorimetric film was fabricated on the lid of portable tube for in-tube formaldehyde detection. Based on the entrapment of colorimetric reagents within a thin film of tapioca starch, the yellow reaction product was observed with formaldehyde. Intensity of the blue channel from the digital image of yellow product showed a linear relationship in the range of 0-25 mg L -1 with low detection limit of 0.7 ± 0.1 mg L -1 . Inter-day precision of 0.61-3.10%RSD were obtained with less than 4.2% relative error from control samples. The developed method was applied for various food samples in Phuket and formaldehyde concentration range was non-detectable to 1.413 mg kg -1 . The quantified concentrations of formaldehyde in fish and squid samples provided relative errors of -7.7% and +10.8% compared to spectrophotometry. This low cost sensor (∼0.04 USD/test) with digital image colorimetry was thus an effective alternative for formaldehyde detection in food sample. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Auto-calibrated scanning-angle prism-type total internal reflection microscopy for nanometer-precision axial position determination and optional variable-illumination-depth pseudo total internal reflection microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Ning; Sun, Wei

    2015-04-21

    A method, apparatus, and system for improved VA-TIRFM microscopy. The method comprises automatically controlled calibration of one or more laser sources by precise control of presentation of each laser relative a sample for small incremental changes of incident angle over a range of critical TIR angles. The calibration then allows precise scanning of the sample for any of those calibrated angles for higher and more accurate resolution, and better reconstruction of the scans for super resolution reconstruction of the sample. Optionally the system can be controlled for incident angles of the excitation laser at sub-critical angles for pseudo TIRFM. Optionally both above-critical angle and sub critical angle measurements can be accomplished with the same system.

  13. Validation of a densimeter calibration procedure for a secondary calibration laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alpizar Herrera, Juan Carlos

    2014-01-01

    A survey was conducted to quantify the need for calibration of a density measurement instrument at the research units at the Sede Rodrigo Facio of the Universidad de Costa Rica. A calibration procedure was documented for the instrument that presented the highest demand in the survey by the calibration service. A study of INTE-ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 and specifically in section 5.4 of this standard was done, to document the procedure for calibrating densimeters. Densimeter calibration procedures and standards were sought from different national and international sources. The method of hydrostatic weighing or Cuckow method was the basis of the defined procedure. Documenting the calibration procedure and creating other documents was performed for data acquisition log, intermediate calculation log and calibration certificate copy. A veracity test was performed using as reference laboratory a laboratory of calibration secondary national as part of the validation process of the documented procedure. The results of the E_n statistic of 0.41; 0.34 and 0.46 for the calibration points 90%, 50% and 10% were obtained for the densimeter scale respectively. A reproducibility analysis of the method was performed with satisfactory results. Different suppliers were contacted to estimate the economic costs of the equipment and materials, needed to develop the documented method of densimeter calibration. The acquisition of an analytical balance was recommended, instead of a precision scale, in order to improve the results obtained with the documented method [es

  14. Rapid recognition of volatile organic compounds with colorimetric sensor arrays for lung cancer screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Xianhua; Li, Dan; Du, Wei; Yan, Mengqiu; Wang, You; Huo, Danqun; Hou, Changjun

    2018-06-01

    Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in breath can be used as biomarkers to identify early stages of lung cancer. Herein, we report a disposable colorimetric array that has been constructed from diverse chemo-responsive colorants. Distinguishable difference maps were plotted within 4 min for specifically targeted VOCs. Through the consideration of various chemical interactions with VOCs, the arrays successfully discriminate between 20 different volatile organic compounds in breath that are related to lung cancer. VOCs were identified either with the visualized difference maps or through pattern recognition with an accuracy of at least 90%. No uncertainties or errors were observed in the hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). Finally, good reproducibility and stability of the array was achieved against changes in humidity. Generally, this work provides fundamental support for construction of simple and rapid VOC sensors. More importantly, this approach provides a hypothesis-free array method for breath testing via VOC profiling. Therefore, this small, rapid, non-invasive, inexpensive, and visualized sensor array is a powerful and promising tool for early screening of lung cancer. Graphical abstract A disposable colorimetric array has been developed with broadly chemo-responsive dyes to incorporate various chemical interactions, through which the arrays successfully discriminate 20 VOCs that are related to lung cancer via difference maps alone or chemometrics within 4 min. The hydrophobic porous matrix provides good stability against changes in humidity.

  15. Computer aided method for colour calibration and analysis of digital rock photographs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matic Potočnik

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The methods used in geology to determine colour and colour coverage are expensive, time consuming, and/ or subjective. Estimates of colour coverage can only be approximate since they are based on rough comparisonbased measuring etalons and subjective estimation, which is dependent upon the skill and experience of the person performing the estimation. We present a method which accelerates, simplifis, and objectifis these tasks using a computer application. It automatically calibrates the colours of a digital photo, and enables the user to read colour values and coverage, even after returning from fild work. Colour identifiation is based on the Munsell colour system. For the purposes of colour calibration we use the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport colour chart placed onto the photographed scene. Our computer application detects the ColorChecker colour chart, and fids a colour space transformation to calibrate the colour in the photo. The user can then use the application to read colours within selected points or regions of the photo. The results of the computerised colour calibration were compared to the reference values of the ColorChecker chart. The values slightly deviate from the exact values, but the deviation is around the limit of human capability for visual comparison. We have devised an experiment, which compares the precision of the computerised colour analysis and manual colour analysis performed on a variety of rock samples with the help of geology students using Munsell Rock-color Chart. The analysis showed that the precision of manual comparative identifiation on multicoloured samples is somewhat problematic, since the choice of representative colours and observation points for a certain part of a sample are subjective. The computer based method has the edge in verifibility and repeatability of the analysis since the application the original photo to be saved with colour calibration, and tagging of colouranalysed points and regions.

  16. Cyclic voltammetry, square wave voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and colorimetric method for hydrogen peroxide detection based on chitosan/silver nanocomposite

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hoang V. Tran

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we demonstrate a promising method to fabricate a non-enzymatic stable, highly sensitive and selective hydrogen peroxide sensor based on a chitosan/silver nanoparticles (CS/AgNPs hybrid. Using this composite, we elaborated both electrochemical and colorimetric sensors for hydrogen peroxide detection. The colorimetric sensor is based on a homogenous reaction which fades the color of CS/AgNPs solutions from red-orange to colorless depending on hydrogen peroxide concentration. For the electrochemical sensor, CS/AgNPs were immobilized on glassy carbon electrodes and hydrogen peroxide was measured using cyclic voltammetry, square wave voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The response time is less than 10 s and the detection limit is 5 μM. Keywords: Spectrophotometric detection, Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Square wave voltammetry, Cyclic voltammetry, Chitosan/silver nanoparticles (CS/AgNPs hybrid, Hydrogen peroxide

  17. Colorimetric determination of nitrate plus nitrite in water by enzymatic reduction, automated discrete analyzer methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patton, Charles J.; Kryskalla, Jennifer R.

    2011-01-01

    This report documents work at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) to validate enzymatic reduction, colorimetric determinative methods for nitrate + nitrite in filtered water by automated discrete analysis. In these standard- and low-level methods (USGS I-2547-11 and I-2548-11), nitrate is reduced to nitrite with nontoxic, soluble nitrate reductase rather than toxic, granular, copperized cadmium used in the longstanding USGS automated continuous-flow analyzer methods I-2545-90 (NWQL laboratory code 1975) and I-2546-91 (NWQL laboratory code 1979). Colorimetric reagents used to determine resulting nitrite in aforementioned enzymatic- and cadmium-reduction methods are identical. The enzyme used in these discrete analyzer methods, designated AtNaR2 by its manufacturer, is produced by recombinant expression of the nitrate reductase gene from wall cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) in the yeast Pichia pastoris. Unlike other commercially available nitrate reductases we evaluated, AtNaR2 maintains high activity at 37°C and is not inhibited by high-phenolic-content humic acids at reaction temperatures in the range of 20°C to 37°C. These previously unrecognized AtNaR2 characteristics are essential for successful performance of discrete analyzer nitrate + nitrite assays (henceforth, DA-AtNaR2) described here.

  18. Color dependence with horizontal-viewing angle and colorimetric characterization of two displays using different backlighting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro, José J.; Pozo, Antonio M.; Rubiño, Manuel

    2013-11-01

    In this work we studied the color dependence with a horizontal-viewing angle and colorimetric characterization of two liquid-crystal displays (LCD) using two different backlighting: Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFLs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The LCDs studied had identical resolution, size, and technology (TFT - thin film transistor). The colorimetric measurements were made with the spectroradiometer SpectraScan PR-650 following the procedure recommended in the European guideline EN 61747-6. For each display, we measured at the centre of the screen the chromaticity coordinates at horizontal viewing angles of 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 degrees for the achromatic (A), red (R), green (G) and blue (B) channels. Results showed a greater color-gamut area for the display with LED backlight, compared with the CCFL backlight, showing a greater range of colors perceptible by human vision. This color-gamut area diminished with viewing angle for both displays. Higher differences between trends for viewing angles were observed in the LED-backlight, especially for the R- and G-channels, demonstrating a higher variability of the chromaticity coordinates with viewing angle. The best additivity was reached by the LED-backlight display (a lower error percentage). LED-backlight display provided better color performance of visualization.

  19. Inertial Measurement Units-Based Probe Vehicles: Automatic Calibration, Trajectory Estimation, and Context Detection

    KAUST Repository

    Mousa, Mustafa

    2017-12-06

    Most probe vehicle data is generated using satellite navigation systems, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), Globalnaya navigatsionnaya sputnikovaya Sistema (GLONASS), or Galileo systems. However, because of their high cost, relatively high position uncertainty in cities, and low sampling rate, a large quantity of satellite positioning data is required to estimate traffic conditions accurately. To address this issue, we introduce a new type of traffic monitoring system based on inexpensive inertial measurement units (IMUs) as probe sensors. IMUs as traffic probes pose unique challenges in that they need to be precisely calibrated, do not generate absolute position measurements, and their position estimates are subject to accumulating errors. In this paper, we address each of these challenges and demonstrate that the IMUs can reliably be used as traffic probes. After discussing the sensing technique, we present an implementation of this system using a custom-designed hardware platform, and validate the system with experimental data.

  20. Inertial Measurement Units-Based Probe Vehicles: Automatic Calibration, Trajectory Estimation, and Context Detection

    KAUST Repository

    Mousa, Mustafa; Sharma, Kapil; Claudel, Christian G.

    2017-01-01

    Most probe vehicle data is generated using satellite navigation systems, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), Globalnaya navigatsionnaya sputnikovaya Sistema (GLONASS), or Galileo systems. However, because of their high cost, relatively high position uncertainty in cities, and low sampling rate, a large quantity of satellite positioning data is required to estimate traffic conditions accurately. To address this issue, we introduce a new type of traffic monitoring system based on inexpensive inertial measurement units (IMUs) as probe sensors. IMUs as traffic probes pose unique challenges in that they need to be precisely calibrated, do not generate absolute position measurements, and their position estimates are subject to accumulating errors. In this paper, we address each of these challenges and demonstrate that the IMUs can reliably be used as traffic probes. After discussing the sensing technique, we present an implementation of this system using a custom-designed hardware platform, and validate the system with experimental data.

  1. Effect of Steaming on the Colorimetric Properties of Eucalyptus saligna Wood

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reinaldo Calçada Guina Luís

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study aimed to homogenize the color of Eucalyptus saligna wood by means of steaming and compare the resulting color with that of Cariniana legalis wood, a species of high commercial value. To this end, two steaming curves were tested: 100% relative humidity for 12 (T1 and 24 (T2 hours at 90 °C followed by drying in a pilot-scale conventional kiln. The colorimetric parameters L*, a*, b*, C*, and h were determined according to the CIE L*a*b* color measurement system after drying. Results showed that steaming can be used for color homogenization between heartwood and sapwood. The treatment conducted for 24 hours (T2 presented the best results.

  2. Organic conjugated small molecule materials based optical probe for rapid, colorimetric and UV-vis spectral detection of phosphorylated protein in placental tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yanfang; Yang, Na; Liu, Yi

    2018-04-05

    A novel organic small molecule with D-Pi-A structure was prepared, which was found to be a promising colorimetric and ratiometric UV-vis spetral probe for detection of phosphorylated proteins with the help of tetravalent zirconium ion. Such optical probe based on chromophore WYF-1 shows a rapid response (within 10s) and high selectivity and sensitivity for phosphorylated proteins, giving distinct colorimetric and ratiometric UV-vis changes at 720 and 560nm. The detection limit for phosphorylated proteins was estimated to be 100nM. In addition, detection of phosphorylated proteins in placental tissue samples with this probe was successfully applied, which indicates that this probe holds great potential for phosphorylated proteins detection. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. A colorimetric chiral sensor based on chiral crown ether for the recognition of the two enantiomers of primary amino alcohols and amines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Eun Na Rae; Li, Yinan; Kim, Hee Jin; Hyun, Myung Ho

    2011-04-01

    A new colorimetric chiral sensor material consisting of three different functional sites such as chromophore (2,4-dinitrophenylazophenol dye), binding site (crown ether), and chiral barrier (3,3'-diphenyl-1,1'-binaphthyl group) was prepared and applied to the recognition of the two enantiomers of primary amino alcohols and amines. Among five primary amino alcohols and two primary amines tested, the two enantiomers of phenylalaninol show the highest difference in the absorption maximum wavelength (Δλ(max)=43.5 nm) and in the association constants (K(S)/K(R)=2.51) upon complexation with the colorimetric chiral sensor material and, consequently, the two enantiomers of phenylalaninol were clearly distinguished from each other by the color difference. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-01-01

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

  5. [Colorimetric investigation of normal tongue and lip colors from 516 healthy adults by visible reflection spectrum].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Chang-chun; Yang, Li; Xu, Ying; Liu, Pei-pei; Guo, Shi-jun; Liu, Song-hao

    2011-09-01

    Using the data from normal tongue and lip colors of normal people which were collected by the visible reflection spectrum, we analyzed the colorimetric parameters of tongue and lip colors. In this study, 516 healthy students aging from 19 to 26 from the colleges and universities of Guangdong Province of China were taken as research subjects. After collecting the data of tongue and lip colors of the 516 subjects using visible reflectance spectroscopy, CIE XYZ tristimulus values as defined by the International Commission on Illumination in 1964 were calculated, and the colorimetric parameters of the normal tongue and lip colors were obtained, such as the CIE 1964 chromaticity coordinate, brightness, dominant wavelength and excitation purity. The results of CIE 1964 chromaticity diagram calculated on the visible reflection spectrum showed that the normal tongue color chromaticity coordinate x(10) was 0.341 3±0.008 5 and y(10) was 0.332 6±0.005 1, and the normal lip color chromaticity coordinate x(10) was 0.357 7±0.009 2 and y(10) was 0.338 3±0.005 7; the brightness Y values of the normal tongue color and lip colors were 17.96±3.78 and 19.78±3.72, the dominant wavelength values of the normal tongue color and lip color were (626.3±51.6) nm and (600.4±18.2) nm, and the excitation purity values of the normal tongue color and lip color were 0.083±0.031 and 0.144±0.036, respectively. Application of the visible reflection spectrum is a standard way to collect colorimetric data for inspection of the complexion. The investigation of chromaticity coordinates, brightness, dominant wavelength and excitation purity of the normal tongue and lip colors may offer the basic reference for diagnosing morbid complexion on the tongue and lip colors in traditional Chinese medicine.

  6. Automatic registration method for multisensor datasets adopted for dimensional measurements on cutting tools

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shaw, L; Mehari, F; Weckenmann, A; Ettl, S; Häusler, G

    2013-01-01

    Multisensor systems with optical 3D sensors are frequently employed to capture complete surface information by measuring workpieces from different views. During coarse and fine registration the resulting datasets are afterward transformed into one common coordinate system. Automatic fine registration methods are well established in dimensional metrology, whereas there is a deficit in automatic coarse registration methods. The advantage of a fully automatic registration procedure is twofold: it enables a fast and contact-free alignment and further a flexible application to datasets of any kind of optical 3D sensor. In this paper, an algorithm adapted for a robust automatic coarse registration is presented. The method was originally developed for the field of object reconstruction or localization. It is based on a segmentation of planes in the datasets to calculate the transformation parameters. The rotation is defined by the normals of three corresponding segmented planes of two overlapping datasets, while the translation is calculated via the intersection point of the segmented planes. First results have shown that the translation is strongly shape dependent: 3D data of objects with non-orthogonal planar flanks cannot be registered with the current method. In the novel supplement for the algorithm, the translation is additionally calculated via the distance between centroids of corresponding segmented planes, which results in more than one option for the transformation. A newly introduced measure considering the distance between the datasets after coarse registration evaluates the best possible transformation. Results of the robust automatic registration method are presented on the example of datasets taken from a cutting tool with a fringe-projection system and a focus-variation system. The successful application in dimensional metrology is proven with evaluations of shape parameters based on the registered datasets of a calibrated workpiece. (paper)

  7. Auto-Calibration Methods of Kinematic Parameters and Magnetometer Offset for the Localization of a Tracked Mobile Robot

    OpenAIRE

    Luciano Cantelli; Samuel Ligama; Giovanni Muscato; Davide Spina

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes an automatic calibration procedure adopted to improve the localization of an outdoor mobile robot. The proposed algorithm estimates, by using an extended Kalman filter, the main kinematic parameters of the vehicles, such as the wheel radii and the wheelbase as well as the magnetometer offset. Several trials have been performed to validate the proposed strategy on a tracked electrical mobile robot. The mobile robot is aimed to be adopted as a tool to help humanitarian demi...

  8. ORNL calibrations facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berger, C.D.; Gupton, E.D.; Lane, B.H.; Miller, J.H.; Nichols, S.W.

    1982-08-01

    The ORNL Calibrations Facility is operated by the Instrumentation Group of the Industrial Safety and Applied Health Physics Division. Its primary purpose is to maintain radiation calibration standards for calibration of ORNL health physics instruments and personnel dosimeters. This report includes a discussion of the radioactive sources and ancillary equipment in use and a step-by-step procedure for calibration of those survey instruments and personnel dosimeters in routine use at ORNL

  9. THE FUTURE SPACEBORNE HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGER ENMAP: ITS IN-FLIGHT RADIOMETRIC AND GEOMETRIC CALIBRATION CONCEPT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Schneider

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available The German Aerospace Center DLR – namely the Earth Observation Center EOC and the German Space Operations Center GSOC – is responsible for the establishment of the ground segment of the future German hyperspectral satellite mission EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program. The Earth Observation Center has long lasting experiences with air- and spaceborne acquisition, processing, and analysis of hyperspectral image data. In the first part of this paper, an overview of the radiometric in-flight calibration concept including dark value measurements, deep space measurements, internal lamps measurements and sun measurements is presented. Complemented by pre-launch calibration and characterization these analyses will deliver a detailed and quantitative assessment of possible changes of spectral and radiometric characteristics of the hyperspectral instrument, e.g. due to degradation of single elements. A geometric accuracy of 100 m, which will be improved to 30 m with respect to a used reference image, if it exists, will be achieved by ground processing. Therfore, and for the required co-registration accuracy between SWIR and VNIR channels, additional to the radiometric calibration, also a geometric calibration is necessary. In the second part of this paper, the concept of the geometric calibration is presented in detail. The geometric processing of EnMAP scenes will be based on laboratory calibration results. During repeated passes over selected calibration areas images will be acquired. The update of geometric camera model parameters will be done by an adjustment using ground control points, which will be extracted by automatic image matching. In the adjustment, the improvements of the attitude angles (boresight angles, the improvements of the interior orientation (view vector and the improvements of the position data are estimated. In this paper, the improvement of the boresight angles is presented in detail as an example. The other

  10. The Future Spaceborne Hyperspectral Imager Enmap: its In-Flight Radiometric and Geometric Calibration Concept

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, M.; Müller, R.; Krawzcyk, H.; Bachmann, M.; Storch, T.; Mogulsky, V.; Hofer, S.

    2012-07-01

    The German Aerospace Center DLR - namely the Earth Observation Center EOC and the German Space Operations Center GSOC - is responsible for the establishment of the ground segment of the future German hyperspectral satellite mission EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program). The Earth Observation Center has long lasting experiences with air- and spaceborne acquisition, processing, and analysis of hyperspectral image data. In the first part of this paper, an overview of the radiometric in-flight calibration concept including dark value measurements, deep space measurements, internal lamps measurements and sun measurements is presented. Complemented by pre-launch calibration and characterization these analyses will deliver a detailed and quantitative assessment of possible changes of spectral and radiometric characteristics of the hyperspectral instrument, e.g. due to degradation of single elements. A geometric accuracy of 100 m, which will be improved to 30 m with respect to a used reference image, if it exists, will be achieved by ground processing. Therfore, and for the required co-registration accuracy between SWIR and VNIR channels, additional to the radiometric calibration, also a geometric calibration is necessary. In the second part of this paper, the concept of the geometric calibration is presented in detail. The geometric processing of EnMAP scenes will be based on laboratory calibration results. During repeated passes over selected calibration areas images will be acquired. The update of geometric camera model parameters will be done by an adjustment using ground control points, which will be extracted by automatic image matching. In the adjustment, the improvements of the attitude angles (boresight angles), the improvements of the interior orientation (view vector) and the improvements of the position data are estimated. In this paper, the improvement of the boresight angles is presented in detail as an example. The other values and combinations

  11. Comparison of different strategies for using fossil calibrations to generate the time prior in Bayesian molecular clock dating.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barba-Montoya, Jose; Dos Reis, Mario; Yang, Ziheng

    2017-09-01

    Fossil calibrations are the utmost source of information for resolving the distances between molecular sequences into estimates of absolute times and absolute rates in molecular clock dating analysis. The quality of calibrations is thus expected to have a major impact on divergence time estimates even if a huge amount of molecular data is available. In Bayesian molecular clock dating, fossil calibration information is incorporated in the analysis through the prior on divergence times (the time prior). Here, we evaluate three strategies for converting fossil calibrations (in the form of minimum- and maximum-age bounds) into the prior on times, which differ according to whether they borrow information from the maximum age of ancestral nodes and minimum age of descendent nodes to form constraints for any given node on the phylogeny. We study a simple example that is analytically tractable, and analyze two real datasets (one of 10 primate species and another of 48 seed plant species) using three Bayesian dating programs: MCMCTree, MrBayes and BEAST2. We examine how different calibration strategies, the birth-death process, and automatic truncation (to enforce the constraint that ancestral nodes are older than descendent nodes) interact to determine the time prior. In general, truncation has a great impact on calibrations so that the effective priors on the calibration node ages after the truncation can be very different from the user-specified calibration densities. The different strategies for generating the effective prior also had considerable impact, leading to very different marginal effective priors. Arbitrary parameters used to implement minimum-bound calibrations were found to have a strong impact upon the prior and posterior of the divergence times. Our results highlight the importance of inspecting the joint time prior used by the dating program before any Bayesian dating analysis. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. SCIAMACHY Level 1 data: calibration concept and in-flight calibration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lichtenberg, G.; Kleipool, Q.; Krijger, J. M.; van Soest, G.; van Hees, R.; Tilstra, L. G.; Acarreta, J. R.; Aben, I.; Ahlers, B.; Bovensmann, H.; Chance, K.; Gloudemans, A. M. S.; Hoogeveen, R. W. M.; Jongma, R. T. N.; Noël, S.; Piters, A.; Schrijver, H.; Schrijvers, C.; Sioris, C. E.; Skupin, J.; Slijkhuis, S.; Stammes, P.; Wuttke, M.

    2006-11-01

    The calibration of SCIAMACHY was thoroughly checked since the instrument was launched on-board ENVISAT in February 2002. While SCIAMACHY's functional performance is excellent since launch, a number of technical difficulties have appeared, that required adjustments to the calibration. The problems can be separated into three types: (1) Those caused by the instrument and/or platform environment. Among these are the high water content in the satellite structure and/or MLI layer. This results in the deposition of ice on the detectors in channels 7 and 8 which seriously affects the retrievals in the IR, mostly because of the continuous change of the slit function caused by scattering of the light through the ice layer. Additionally a light leak in channel 7 severely hampers any retrieval from this channel. (2) Problems due to errors in the on-ground calibration and/or data processing affecting for example the radiometric calibration. A new approach based on a mixture of on-ground and in-flight data is shortly described here. (3) Problems caused by principal limitations of the calibration concept, e.g. the possible appearance of spectral structures after the polarisation correction due to unavoidable errors in the determination of atmospheric polarisation. In this paper we give a complete overview of the calibration and problems that still have to be solved. We will also give an indication of the effect of calibration problems on retrievals where possible. Since the operational processing chain is currently being updated and no newly processed data are available at this point in time, for some calibration issues only a rough estimate of the effect on Level 2 products can be given. However, it is the intention of this paper to serve as a future reference for detailed studies into specific calibration issues.

  13. Installation and calibration of a grating spectrometer for electron cyclotron emission measurements using circular waveguide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lohr, J.; Johns, G.; Moeller, C.; Prater, R.

    1986-01-01

    The grating spectrometer installation on the DIII-D tokamak is discussed. It uses fundamental circular waveguide propagating the TE 11 lowest order mode followed by oversized circular guide carrying the low loss TE 01 mode. The short section of fundamental guide permits use of an electronic chopper operating at 50 kHz for both calibration and plasma operation. By using a.c.-coupled amplifiers tuned to the chopping frequency, the background signal generated in the InSb detectors by neutrons and x-rays is automatically subtracted and the system noise bandwidth is reduced. Compared with a quasi-optical system, the much smaller fundamental horn and front end waveguide allow the entire waveguide system to be located outside a gate valve. With this configuration the entire waveguide run, including the actual horn and vacuum window used during plasma operations, can be included in the calibration set-up

  14. Automatic Fiscal Stabilizers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Narcis Eduard Mitu

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Policies or institutions (built into an economic system that automatically tend to dampen economic cycle fluctuations in income, employment, etc., without direct government intervention. For example, in boom times, progressive income tax automatically reduces money supply as incomes and spendings rise. Similarly, in recessionary times, payment of unemployment benefits injects more money in the system and stimulates demand. Also called automatic stabilizers or built-in stabilizers.

  15. Accelerating the peroxidase-like activity of gold nanoclusters at neutral pH for colorimetric detection of heparin and heparinase activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Lianzhe; Liao, Hong; Feng, Lingyan; Wang, Min; Fu, Wensheng

    2018-04-26

    The peroxidase-like catalytic activity of gold nanoclusters (NCs) is quite low around physiological pH, which greatly limits their biological applications. Herein, we found heparin can greatly accelerate the peroxidase-like activity of Au-NCs at neutral pH. The catalytic activity of Au-NCs toward the peroxidase substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) oxidation by H2O2 was 25-fold increased in the presence of heparin at pH 7. The addition of heparin not only accelerated the initial catalytic rate of Au-NCs, but also prevented the Au-NCs from catalyst deactivation. This allows the sensitive colorimetric detection of heparin at neutral pH. In the presence of heparinase, heparin was hydrolyzed into small fragments, weakening the enhancement effect of catalytic activity. Based on this phenomenon, the sensitive colorimetric determination of heparinase in biological samples was also developed.

  16. Larger Optics and Improved Calibration Techniques for Small Satellite Observations with the ERAU OSCOM System

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    OSCOM, Optical tracking and Spectral characterization of CubeSats for Operational Missions, is a system capable of providing time-resolved satellite photometry using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and custom tracking and analysis software. This system has acquired photometry of objects as small as CubeSats using a Celestron 11” RASA and an inexpensive CMOS machine vision camera. For satellites with known shapes, these light curves can be used to verify a satellite’s attitude and the state of its deployed solar panels or antennae. While the OSCOM system can successfully track satellites and produce light curves, there is ongoing improvement towards increasing its automation while supporting additional mounts and telescopes. A newly acquired Celestron 14” Edge HD can be used with a Starizona Hyperstar to increase the SNR for small objects as well as extend beyond the limiting magnitude of the 11” RASA. OSCOM currently corrects instrumental brightness measurements for satellite range and observatory site average atmospheric extinction, but calibrated absolute brightness is required to determine information about satellites other than their spin rate, such as surface albedo. A calibration method that automatically detects and identifies background stars can use their catalog magnitudes to calibrate the brightness of the satellite in the image. We present a photometric light curve from both the 14” Edge HD and 11” RASA optical systems as well as plans for a calibration method that will perform background star photometry to efficiently determine calibrated satellite brightness in each frame.

  17. Ultrasensitive colorimetric immunoassay for hCG detection based on dual catalysis of Au@Pt core-shell nanoparticle functionalized by horseradish peroxidase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Weiguo; Zou, Yake; Yan, Jinwu; Liu, Jing; Chen, Huixiong; Li, Shan; Zhang, Lei

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, an ultrasensitive colorimetric biosensor for human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) detection was designed from bottom-up method based on the dual catalysis of the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and Au@Pt nanoparticles (NPs) relative to H2O2-TEM system. HRP and monoclonal mouse anti-hCG antibody (β-submit, mAb1) were co-immobilized onto the Au@Pt NP surface to improve catalytic efficiency and specificity, which formed a dual functionalized Au@Pt-HRP probe with the mean size of 42.8 nm (D50). The colorimetric immunoassay was developed for the hCG detection, and the Au@Pt-HRP probe featured a higher sensitivity in the concentration range of 0.4-12.8 IU L- 1 with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.1 IU L- 1 compared with the LODs of 0.8 IU L- 1 for BA-ELISA and of 2.0 IU L- 1 for Au@Pt, which indicated that the Au@Pt-HRP probe possessed higher catalytic efficiency with 2.8-fold increase over Au@Pt and 33.8-fold increase over HRP. Also, the Au@Pt-HRP probe exhibited good precision and reproducibility, high specificity and acceptable accuracy with CV being less than 15%. The dual functionalized Au@Pt-HRP probe as a type of signal amplified method was firstly applied in the colorimetric immunoassay for the hCG detection.

  18. Calibration of sea ice dynamic parameters in an ocean-sea ice model using an ensemble Kalman filter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massonnet, F.; Goosse, H.; Fichefet, T.; Counillon, F.

    2014-07-01

    The choice of parameter values is crucial in the course of sea ice model development, since parameters largely affect the modeled mean sea ice state. Manual tuning of parameters will soon become impractical, as sea ice models will likely include more parameters to calibrate, leading to an exponential increase of the number of possible combinations to test. Objective and automatic methods for parameter calibration are thus progressively called on to replace the traditional heuristic, "trial-and-error" recipes. Here a method for calibration of parameters based on the ensemble Kalman filter is implemented, tested and validated in the ocean-sea ice model NEMO-LIM3. Three dynamic parameters are calibrated: the ice strength parameter P*, the ocean-sea ice drag parameter Cw, and the atmosphere-sea ice drag parameter Ca. In twin, perfect-model experiments, the default parameter values are retrieved within 1 year of simulation. Using 2007-2012 real sea ice drift data, the calibration of the ice strength parameter P* and the oceanic drag parameter Cw improves clearly the Arctic sea ice drift properties. It is found that the estimation of the atmospheric drag Ca is not necessary if P* and Cw are already estimated. The large reduction in the sea ice speed bias with calibrated parameters comes with a slight overestimation of the winter sea ice areal export through Fram Strait and a slight improvement in the sea ice thickness distribution. Overall, the estimation of parameters with the ensemble Kalman filter represents an encouraging alternative to manual tuning for ocean-sea ice models.

  19. Label-free colorimetric detection of mercury via Hg2+ ions-accelerated structural transformation of nanoscale metal-oxo clusters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Kun; She, Shan; Zhang, Jiangwei; Bayaguud, Aruuhan; Wei, Yongge

    2015-11-01

    Mercury and its compounds are known to be extremely toxic but widely distributed in environment. Although many works have been reported to efficiently detect mercury, development of simple and convenient sensors is still longed for quick analyzing mercury in water. In this work, a nanoscale metal-oxo cluster, (n-Bu4N)2[Mo5NaO13(OCH3)4(NO)], (MLPOM), organically-derivatized from monolacunary Lindqvist-type polyoxomolybdate, is found to specifically react with Hg2+ in methanol/water via structural transformation. The MLPOM methanol solution displays a color change from purple to brown within seconds after being mixed with an aqueous solution containing Hg2+. By comparing the structure of polyoxomolybdate before and after reaction, the color change is revealed to be the essentially structural transformation of MLPOM accelerated by Hg2+. Based on this discovery, MLPOM could be utilized as a colorimetric sensor to sense the existence of Hg2+, and a simple and label-free method is developed to selectively detect aqueous Hg2+. Furthermore, the colorimetric sensor has been applied to indicating mercury contamination in industrial sewage.

  20. Adaptations of the Saker-Solomons test: simple, reliable colorimetric field assays for chloroquine and its metabolites in urine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mount, D L; Nahlen, B L; Patchen, L C; Churchill, F C

    1989-01-01

    Two field-adapted colorimetric methods for measuring the antimalarial drug chloroquine in urine are described. Both are modifications of the method of Saker and Solomons for screening urine for phencyclidine and other drugs of abuse, using the colour reagent tetrabromophenolphthalein ethyl ester. One method is semiquantitative, detecting the presence of chloroquine (Cq) and its metabolites in urine with a 1 microgram/ml detection limit; it is more sensitive and reliable than the commonly used Dill-Glazko method and is as easy to apply in the field. The second method uses a hand-held, battery-operated filter photometer to quantify Cq and its metabolites with a 2 microgram/ml detection limit and a linear range up to 8 micrograms/ml. The first method was validated in the field using a published quantitative colorimetric method and samples from a malaria study in Nigeria. The second method was validated in the laboratory against high-performance liquid chromatographic results on paired samples from the Nigerian study. Both methods may be used in remote locations where malaria is endemic and no electricity is available.

  1. A sensitive colorimetric aptasensor based on trivalent peroxidase-mimic DNAzyme and magnetic nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Shuwen; Xu, Naihan; Tan, Chunyan; Fang, Wei; Tan, Ying; Jiang, Yuyang

    2018-08-14

    In this study, a novel colorimetric aptasensor was prepared by coupling trivalent peroxidase-mimic DNAzyme and magnetic nanoparticles for highly sensitive and selective detection of target proteins. A three G-quadruplex (G4) DNA-hemin complex was employed as the trivalent peroxidase-mimic DNAzyme, in which hemin assisted the G4-DNA to fold into a catalytic conformation and act as an enzyme. The design of the aptasensor includes magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), complementary DNA (cDNA) modified with biotin, and a label-free single strand DNA (ssDNA) including the aptamer and trivalent peroxidase-mimic DNAzyme. The trivalent DNAzyme, which has the highest catalytic activity among multivalent DNAzymes, catalyzed the H 2 O 2 -mediated oxidation of ABTS. The colorless ABTS was oxidized to produce a blue-green product that can be clearly distinguished by the naked eye. The aptamer and trivalent peroxidase-mimic DNAzyme promote the specificity and sensitivity of this detection method, which can be generalized for other targets by simply replacing the corresponding aptamers. To demonstrate the feasible use of the aptasensor for target detection, a well-known tumor biomarker MUC1 was evaluated as the model target. The limits of detection were determined to be 5.08 and 5.60 nM in a linear range of 50-1000 nM in a buffer solution and 10% serum system, respectively. This colorimetric and label-free aptasensor with excellent sensitivity and strong anti-interference ability has potential application in disease diagnoses, prognosis tracking, and therapeutic evaluation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Spitzer/JWST Cross Calibration: IRAC Observations of Potential Calibrators for JWST

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carey, Sean J.; Gordon, Karl D.; Lowrance, Patrick; Ingalls, James G.; Glaccum, William J.; Grillmair, Carl J.; E Krick, Jessica; Laine, Seppo J.; Fazio, Giovanni G.; Hora, Joseph L.; Bohlin, Ralph

    2017-06-01

    We present observations at 3.6 and 4.5 microns using IRAC on the Spitzer Space Telescope of a set of main sequence A stars and white dwarfs that are potential calibrators across the JWST instrument suite. The stars range from brightnesses of 4.4 to 15 mag in K band. The calibration observations use a similar redundancy to the observing strategy for the IRAC primary calibrators (Reach et al. 2005) and the photometry is obtained using identical methods and instrumental photometric corrections as those applied to the IRAC primary calibrators (Carey et al. 2009). The resulting photometry is then compared to the predictions based on spectra from the CALSPEC Calibration Database (http://www.stsci.edu/hst/observatory/crds/calspec.html) and the IRAC bandpasses. These observations are part of an ongoing collaboration between IPAC and STScI investigating absolute calibration in the infrared.

  3. Recyclable colorimetric sensor of Cr3 + and Pb2 + ions simultaneously using a zwitterionic amino acid modified gold nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sang, Fuming; Li, Xin; Zhang, Zhizhou; Liu, Jia; Chen, Guofu

    2018-03-01

    In this work, a rapid, simple and sensitive colorimetric sensor for simultaneous (or respective) detection of Cr3 + and Pb2 + using tyrosine functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPsTyr) has been developed. Tyrosine, a natural and zwitterionic amino acid, could be as a reducing and capping agent to synthesise AuNPs and allow for the simultaneous and selective detection of Cr3 + and Pb2 +. Upon the addition of Cr3 + or Pb2 + (a combination of them), the color of AuNPsTyr solution changes from red to blue grey and the characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band is red-shifted to 580 nm due to the aggregation of AuNPs. Interestingly, the aggregated AuNPsTyr can be regnerated and recycled by removing Pb2 + and Cr3 +. Even after 3 rounds, AuNPsTyr show almost the same A580 nm / A520 nm value for the assays of Pb2 + and Cr3 +, indicating the good recyclability of the colorimetric sensor. The responding time (within 1 min) and sensitivity of the colorimetric sensor are largely improved after the addition of 0.1 M NaCl. Moreover, the AuNPsTyr aggregated by Cr3 + or Pb2 + (a combination of them) show excellent selectivity compared to other metal ions (Cr3 +, Pb2 +, Fe2 +,Cu2 +,Zn2 +,Cr6 +,Ni2 +,Co2 +,Hg2 +,Mn2 +,Mg2 +,Ca2 +,Cd2 +). More importantly, the developed sensor manifests good stability at room temperature for 3 months, which has been successfully used to determine Cr3 + and Pb2 + in the real water samples with a high sensitivity.

  4. Colorimetric detection of genetically modified organisms based on exonuclease III-assisted target recycling and hemin/G-quadruplex DNAzyme amplification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Decai; Wang, Weijia; Dong, Qian; Huang, Yunxiu; Wen, Dongmei; Mu, Yuejing; Yuan, Yong

    2017-12-21

    An isothermal colorimetric method is described for amplified detection of the CaMV 35S promoter sequence in genetically modified organism (GMO). It is based on (a) target DNA-triggered unlabeled molecular beacon (UMB) termini binding, and (b) exonuclease III (Exo III)-assisted target recycling, and (c) hemin/G-quadruplex (DNAzyme) based signal amplification. The specific binding of target to the G-quadruplex sequence-locked UMB triggers the digestion of Exo III. This, in turn, releases an active G-quadruplex segment and target DNA for successive hybridization and cleavage. The Exo III impellent recycling of targets produces numerous G-quadruplex sequences. These further associate with hemin to form DNAzymes and hence will catalyze H 2 O 2 -mediated oxidation of the chromogenic enzyme substrate ABTS 2- causing the formation of a green colored product. This finding enables a sensitive colorimetric determination of GMO DNA (at an analytical wavelength of 420 nm) at concentrations as low as 0.23 nM. By taking advantage of isothermal incubation, this method does not require sophisticated equipment or complicated syntheses. Analyses can be performed within 90 min. The method also discriminates single base mismatches. In our perception, it has a wide scope in that it may be applied to the detection of many other GMOs. Graphical abstract An isothermal and sensitive colorimetric method is described for amplified detection of CaMV 35S promoter sequence in genetically modified organism (GMO). It is based on target DNA-triggered molecular beacon (UMB) termini-binding and exonuclease III assisted target recycling, and on hemin/G-quadruplex (DNAzyme) signal amplification.

  5. Calibration of HEC-Ras hydrodynamic model using gauged discharge data and flood inundation maps

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Rui; Komma, Jürgen

    2017-04-01

    The estimation of flood is essential for disaster alleviation. Hydrodynamic models are implemented to predict the occurrence and variance of flood in different scales. In practice, the calibration of hydrodynamic models aims to search the best possible parameters for the representation the natural flow resistance. Recent years have seen the calibration of hydrodynamic models being more actual and faster following the advance of earth observation products and computer based optimization techniques. In this study, the Hydrologic Engineering River Analysis System (HEC-Ras) model was set up with high-resolution digital elevation model from Laser scanner for the river Inn in Tyrol, Austria. 10 largest flood events from 19 hourly discharge gauges and flood inundation maps were selected to calibrate the HEC-Ras model. Manning roughness values and lateral inflow factors as parameters were automatically optimized with the Shuffled complex with Principal component analysis (SP-UCI) algorithm developed from the Shuffled Complex Evolution (SCE-UA). Different objective functions (Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient, the timing of peak, peak value and Root-mean-square deviation) were used in single or multiple way. It was found that the lateral inflow factor was the most sensitive parameter. SP-UCI algorithm could avoid the local optimal and achieve efficient and effective parameters in the calibration of HEC-Ras model using flood extension images. As results showed, calibration by means of gauged discharge data and flood inundation maps, together with objective function of Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient, was very robust to obtain more reliable flood simulation, and also to catch up with the peak value and the timing of peak.

  6. Simultaneous calibration phantom commission and geometry calibration in cone beam CT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Yuan; Yang, Shuai; Ma, Jianhui; Li, Bin; Wu, Shuyu; Qi, Hongliang; Zhou, Linghong

    2017-09-01

    Geometry calibration is a vital step for describing the geometry of a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) system and is a prerequisite for CBCT reconstruction. In current methods, calibration phantom commission and geometry calibration are divided into two independent tasks. Small errors in ball-bearing (BB) positioning in the phantom-making step will severely degrade the quality of phantom calibration. To solve this problem, we propose an integrated method to simultaneously realize geometry phantom commission and geometry calibration. Instead of assuming the accuracy of the geometry phantom, the integrated method considers BB centers in the phantom as an optimized parameter in the workflow. Specifically, an evaluation phantom and the corresponding evaluation contrast index are used to evaluate geometry artifacts for optimizing the BB coordinates in the geometry phantom. After utilizing particle swarm optimization, the CBCT geometry and BB coordinates in the geometry phantom are calibrated accurately and are then directly used for the next geometry calibration task in other CBCT systems. To evaluate the proposed method, both qualitative and quantitative studies were performed on simulated and realistic CBCT data. The spatial resolution of reconstructed images using dental CBCT can reach up to 15 line pair cm-1. The proposed method is also superior to the Wiesent method in experiments. This paper shows that the proposed method is attractive for simultaneous and accurate geometry phantom commission and geometry calibration.

  7. SPRT Calibration Uncertainties and Internal Quality Control at a Commercial SPRT Calibration Facility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiandt, T. J.

    2008-06-01

    The Hart Scientific Division of the Fluke Corporation operates two accredited standard platinum resistance thermometer (SPRT) calibration facilities, one at the Hart Scientific factory in Utah, USA, and the other at a service facility in Norwich, UK. The US facility is accredited through National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP), and the UK facility is accredited through UKAS. Both provide SPRT calibrations using similar equipment and procedures, and at similar levels of uncertainty. These uncertainties are among the lowest available commercially. To achieve and maintain low uncertainties, it is required that the calibration procedures be thorough and optimized. However, to minimize customer downtime, it is also important that the instruments be calibrated in a timely manner and returned to the customer. Consequently, subjecting the instrument to repeated calibrations or extensive repeated measurements is not a viable approach. Additionally, these laboratories provide SPRT calibration services involving a wide variety of SPRT designs. These designs behave differently, yet predictably, when subjected to calibration measurements. To this end, an evaluation strategy involving both statistical process control and internal consistency measures is utilized to provide confidence in both the instrument calibration and the calibration process. This article describes the calibration facilities, procedure, uncertainty analysis, and internal quality assurance measures employed in the calibration of SPRTs. Data will be reviewed and generalities will be presented. Finally, challenges and considerations for future improvements will be discussed.

  8. Highly Sensitive and Fast Response Colorimetric Humidity Sensors Based on Graphene Oxides Film.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chi, Hong; Liu, Yan Jun; Wang, FuKe; He, Chaobin

    2015-09-16

    Uniform graphene oxide (GO) film for optical humidity sensing was fabricated by dip-coating technique. The resulting GO thin film shows linear optical shifts in the visible range with increase of humidity in the whole relative humidity range (from dry state to 98%). Moreover, GO films exhibit ultrafast sensing to moisture within 250 ms because of the unique atomic thinness and superpermeability of GO sheets. The humidity sensing mechanism was investigated using XRD and computer simulation. The ultrasensitive humidity colorimetric properties of GOs film may enable many potential applications such as disposable humidity sensors for packaging, health, and environmental monitoring.

  9. Colorimetric determination of TOPO during synthesis process by complexation with thiocyanate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Achache, A.; Meddour, L.; Azzouz, A.

    1990-09-01

    We have shown up a method which permits to dose tri-n-octyl phosphine oxid (TOPO) dissolved into the cyclohexan by colorimetric technique. This leads to find out a method capable to follow the evolution of the process of the synthesis for the tri-n-octyl phosphine oxid. This method consists in mixing up TOTO-cyclohexan with thiocyanate salts, and the formation of a complex of red colour occurs. Further, the complex amount was determined by spectrophotometry U.V. under the following conditions: =487nm; the concentration of the TOPO into the cyclohexan varies in range 1 to 5 10 -4 M/L. This method previously tested on the commercial TOPO (Flukz) was further used for the titration of synthetizied TOPO

  10. Colorimetric sensing of iodide based on triazole-acetamide functionalized gold nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, I-Lin; Sung, Yi-Ming; Wu, Shu-Pao; Wu, Chien-Hou

    2014-01-01

    We have modified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with triazole acetamide to obtain a material for the sensitive and selective colorimetric determination of iodide. The functionalized AuNPs were prepared by a reductive single chemical step using a Cu(I)-catalyzed click reaction. The presence of iodide ions induces the aggregation of these AuNPs and results in a color change from wine-red to purple. The iodide-induced aggregation can be detected visually with bare eyes, but also by photometry. The detection limit is as low as 15 nM. The method displays excellent selectivity for iodide over other anions due to the selective interaction with the amido groups of the triazole. The method was applied to the determination of iodide in spiked lake waters. (author)

  11. Auto-Calibration Methods of Kinematic Parameters and Magnetometer Offset for the Localization of a Tracked Mobile Robot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luciano Cantelli

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes an automatic calibration procedure adopted to improve the localization of an outdoor mobile robot. The proposed algorithm estimates, by using an extended Kalman filter, the main kinematic parameters of the vehicles, such as the wheel radii and the wheelbase as well as the magnetometer offset. Several trials have been performed to validate the proposed strategy on a tracked electrical mobile robot. The mobile robot is aimed to be adopted as a tool to help humanitarian demining operations.

  12. Calibration and intercomparison methods of dose calibrators used in nuclear medicine facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Costa, Alessandro Martins da

    1999-01-01

    Dose calibrators are used in most of the nuclear medicine facilities to determine the amount of radioactivity administered to a patient in a particular investigation or therapeutic procedure. It is therefore of vital importance that the equipment used presents good performance and is regular;y calibrated at a authorized laboratory. This occurs of adequate quality assurance procedures are carried out. Such quality control tests should be performed daily, other biannually or yearly, testing, for example, its accuracy and precision, the reproducibility and response linearity. In this work a commercial dose calibrator was calibrated with solution of radionuclides used in nuclear medicine. Simple instrument tests, such as response linearity and the response variation of the source volume increase at a constant source activity concentration, were performed. This instrument can now be used as a working standard for calibration of other dose calibrators/ An intercomparison procedure was proposed as a method of quality control of dose calibrators used in nuclear medicine facilities. (author)

  13. Colorimetric determination of reducing normality in the Purex process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baumann, E.W.

    1983-07-01

    Adjustment of the valence state of plutonium from extractable Pu(IV) to nonextractable Pu(III) in the Purex process is accomplished by addition of reductants such as Fe(II), hydroxylamine nitrate (HAN), or U(IV). To implement on-line monitoring of this reduction step for improved process control at the Savannah River Plant, a simple colorimetric method for determining excess reductant (reducing normality) was developed. The method is based on formation of a colored complex of Fe(II) with FerroZine (Hach Chemical Company). The concentration of Fe(II) is determined directly. The concentration of HAN or U(IV), in addition to Fe(II), is determined indirectly as Fe(II), produced through reduction of Fe(III). Experimental conditions for a HAN-Fe(III) reaction of known stoichiometry were established. The effect of hydrazine, which stabilizes U(IV), was also determined. Real-time measurements of color development were made that simulated on-line performance. A laboratory analytical procedure is included. 5 references, 8 figures

  14. Fluorescent and Colorimetric Electrospun Nanofibers for Heavy-Metal Sensing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Idelma A. A. Terra

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The accumulation of heavy metals in the human body and/or in the environment can be highly deleterious for mankind, and currently, considerable efforts have been made to develop reliable and sensitive techniques for their detection. Among the detection methods, chemical sensors appear as a promising technology, with emphasis on systems employing optically active nanofibers. Such nanofibers can be obtained by the electrospinning technique, and further functionalized with optically active chromophores such as dyes, conjugated polymers, carbon-based nanomaterials and nanoparticles, in order to produce fluorescent and colorimetric nanofibers. In this review we survey recent investigations reporting the use of optically active electrospun nanofibers in sensors aiming at the specific detection of heavy metals using colorimetry and fluorescence methods. The examples given in this review article provide sufficient evidence of the potential of optically electrospun nanofibers as a valid approach to fabricate highly selective and sensitive optical sensors for fast and low-cost detection of heavy metals.

  15. A NOVEL APPROACH TO CAMERA CALIBRATION METHOD FOR SMART PHONES UNDER ROAD ENVIRONMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Lee

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Monocular vision-based lane departure warning system has been increasingly used in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS. By the use of the lane mark detection and identification, we proposed an automatic and efficient camera calibration method for smart phones. At first, we can detect the lane marker feature in a perspective space and calculate edges of lane markers in image sequences. Second, because of the width of lane marker and road lane is fixed under the standard structural road environment, we can automatically build a transformation matrix between perspective space and 3D space and get a local map in vehicle coordinate system. In order to verify the validity of this method, we installed a smart phone in the ‘Tuzhi’ self-driving car of Wuhan University and recorded more than 100km image data on the road in Wuhan. According to the result, we can calculate the positions of lane markers which are accurate enough for the self-driving car to run smoothly on the road.

  16. A novel colorimetric sensor based on BODIPY-coumarin dye for simultaneous detection of cyanide and fluoride

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, Yanhua, E-mail: hpyyh@aliyun.com [Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056 (China); Shu, Tingting; Fu, Cheng; Yu, Bingjie; Zhang, Dongdong; Luo, Huixiu; Chen, Junjie [Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056 (China); Dong, Changzhi [Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056 (China); University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, ITODYS, UMR CNRS 7086, 15 rue J-A de Baïf, 75205 Paris Cedex 13 (France)

    2017-06-15

    A novel colorimetric and fluorescent sensor 6 for fluoride and cyanide was developed based on BODIPY-coumarin platform and its anions sensing properties were investigated in the mixture of acetonitrile and Tris–HCl buffer (v/v = 95:5, pH = 7.5). Probe 6 could simultaneously detect F{sup –} and CN{sup –} through colorimetric method over the other competitive anions, such as Cl{sup –}, Br{sup –}, I{sup –}, NO{sub 3}{sup –}, ClO{sub 4}{sup –}, HSO{sub 4}{sup –}, S{sup 2–} and H{sub 2}PO{sub 4}{sup –}. It exhibited a distinct color change from red to green upon addition of F{sup –} through deprotection of tert-butyldiphenylsilyl group of coumarin. Moreover, it displayed an obvious color change from red to yellow through deprotection process firstly, then with a nucleophilic displacement mechanism. Therefore, the sensor 6 provides a novel method to simultaneously detect F{sup −} and CN{sup −} with different color change in the same solvent environment. The detection limit of sensor 6 toward F{sup –} and CN{sup –} ion was determined to be 0.43 μM and 1.9 μM respectively,.

  17. Mechanics of log calibration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waller, W.C.; Cram, M.E.; Hall, J.E.

    1975-01-01

    For any measurement to have meaning, it must be related to generally accepted standard units by a valid and specified system of comparison. To calibrate well-logging tools, sensing systems are designed which produce consistent and repeatable indications over the range for which the tool was intended. The basics of calibration theory, procedures, and calibration record presentations are reviewed. Calibrations for induction, electrical, radioactivity, and sonic logging tools will be discussed. The authors' intent is to provide an understanding of the sources of errors, of the way errors are minimized in the calibration process, and of the significance of changes in recorded calibration data

  18. Colorimetric determination of the fluoride ion - application to uranium metal and to uranous fluoride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hering, H.; Hure, J.; Legrand, S.

    1949-12-01

    In the determination described for fluoride in U metal, the U is brought into H 2 SO 4 solution by anodic oxidation, the fluo-silicic acid is distilled by entrainment in water vapor, and the F ion is determined in the distillate by using the fact that it complexes Zr and thus prevents the formation of the Zr-alizarin S lake. For F ion in UF 4 , the compound is dissolved in a Na 2 CO 3 -H 2 O 2 mixture, and F is determined in the solution by the colorimetric method described. (author)

  19. Calibration process of highly parameterized semi-distributed hydrological model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vidmar, Andrej; Brilly, Mitja

    2017-04-01

    . Third step is to set appropriate bounds to parameters in their range of realistic values. Fourth step is to use of singular value decomposition (SVD) ensures that PEST maintains numerical stability, regardless of how ill-posed is the inverse problem Fifth step is to run PWTADJ1. This creates a new PEST control file in which weights are adjusted such that the contribution made to the total objective function by each observation group is the same. This prevents the information content of any group from being invisible to the inversion process. Sixth step is to add Tikhonov regularization to the PEST control file by running the ADDREG1 utility (Doherty, J, 2013). In adding regularization to the PEST control file ADDREG1 automatically provides a prior information equation for each parameter in which the preferred value of that parameter is equated to its initial value. Last step is to run PEST. We run BeoPEST which a parallel version of PEST and can be run on multiple computers in parallel in same time on TCP communications and this speedup process of calibrations. The case study with results of calibration and validation of the model will be presented.

  20. How does higher frequency monitoring data affect the calibration of a process-based water quality model?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson-Blake, Leah; Helliwell, Rachel

    2015-04-01

    Process-based catchment water quality models are increasingly used as tools to inform land management. However, for such models to be reliable they need to be well calibrated and shown to reproduce key catchment processes. Calibration can be challenging for process-based models, which tend to be complex and highly parameterised. Calibrating a large number of parameters generally requires a large amount of monitoring data, spanning all hydrochemical conditions. However, regulatory agencies and research organisations generally only sample at a fortnightly or monthly frequency, even in well-studied catchments, often missing peak flow events. The primary aim of this study was therefore to investigate how the quality and uncertainty of model simulations produced by a process-based, semi-distributed catchment model, INCA-P (the INtegrated CAtchment model of Phosphorus dynamics), were improved by calibration to higher frequency water chemistry data. Two model calibrations were carried out for a small rural Scottish catchment: one using 18 months of daily total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) concentration data, another using a fortnightly dataset derived from the daily data. To aid comparability, calibrations were carried out automatically using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo - DiffeRential Evolution Adaptive Metropolis (MCMC-DREAM) algorithm. Calibration to daily data resulted in improved simulation of peak TDP concentrations and improved model performance statistics. Parameter-related uncertainty in simulated TDP was large when fortnightly data was used for calibration, with a 95% credible interval of 26 μg/l. This uncertainty is comparable in size to the difference between Water Framework Directive (WFD) chemical status classes, and would therefore make it difficult to use this calibration to predict shifts in WFD status. The 95% credible interval reduced markedly with the higher frequency monitoring data, to 6 μg/l. The number of parameters that could be reliably auto-calibrated

  1. Scanner calibration revisited

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pozhitkov Alexander E

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Calibration of a microarray scanner is critical for accurate interpretation of microarray results. Shi et al. (BMC Bioinformatics, 2005, 6, Art. No. S11 Suppl. 2. reported usage of a Full Moon BioSystems slide for calibration. Inspired by the Shi et al. work, we have calibrated microarray scanners in our previous research. We were puzzled however, that most of the signal intensities from a biological sample fell below the sensitivity threshold level determined by the calibration slide. This conundrum led us to re-investigate the quality of calibration provided by the Full Moon BioSystems slide as well as the accuracy of the analysis performed by Shi et al. Methods Signal intensities were recorded on three different microarray scanners at various photomultiplier gain levels using the same calibration slide from Full Moon BioSystems. Data analysis was conducted on raw signal intensities without normalization or transformation of any kind. Weighted least-squares method was used to fit the data. Results We found that initial analysis performed by Shi et al. did not take into account autofluorescence of the Full Moon BioSystems slide, which led to a grossly distorted microarray scanner response. Our analysis revealed that a power-law function, which is explicitly accounting for the slide autofluorescence, perfectly described a relationship between signal intensities and fluorophore quantities. Conclusions Microarray scanners respond in a much less distorted fashion than was reported by Shi et al. Full Moon BioSystems calibration slides are inadequate for performing calibration. We recommend against using these slides.

  2. Comparison of different multi-objective calibration criteria using a conceptual rainfall-runoff model of flood events

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Moussa

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available A conceptual lumped rainfall-runoff flood event model was developed and applied on the Gardon catchment located in Southern France and various single-objective and multi-objective functions were used for its calibration. The model was calibrated on 15 events and validated on 14 others. The results of both the calibration and validation phases are compared on the basis of their performance with regards to six criteria, three global criteria and three relative criteria representing volume, peakflow, and the root mean square error. The first type of criteria gives more weight to large events whereas the second considers all events to be of equal weight. The results show that the calibrated parameter values are dependent on the type of criteria used. Significant trade-offs are observed between the different objectives: no unique set of parameters is able to satisfy all objectives simultaneously. Instead, the solution to the calibration problem is given by a set of Pareto optimal solutions. From this set of optimal solutions, a balanced aggregated objective function is proposed, as a compromise between up to three objective functions. The single-objective and multi-objective calibration strategies are compared both in terms of parameter variation bounds and simulation quality. The results of this study indicate that two well chosen and non-redundant objective functions are sufficient to calibrate the model and that the use of three objective functions does not necessarily yield different results. The problems of non-uniqueness in model calibration, and the choice of the adequate objective functions for flood event models, emphasise the importance of the modeller's intervention. The recent advances in automatic optimisation techniques do not minimise the user's responsibility, who has to choose multiple criteria based on the aims of the study, his appreciation on the errors induced by data and model structure and his knowledge of the

  3. Development and implantation of a control and data acquisition program for the calibration of instruments for diagnostic radiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Betti, Flavio

    2007-01-01

    Design techniques of an automatic control system implementing corrected kerma determination and shutter command in the calibration laboratory at IPEN are shown, as well as the periodic calibration program developed for a monitor chamber for several X-ray beam qualities used for diagnostic radiology and radiation protection instruments. Two reference electrometers, a multichannel secondary standard thermometer, and an absolute pressure barometer were connected to the Rs-232 interface from a PC computer equipped with a National Instruments multi function analog and digital I/O card. LabVIEW MR was chosen as programming tool, which allowed for the development of a suite of programs for both controlling the shutter timing cycles and the calibration of the monitor chamber against a reference standard. A detailed description of the methods used for troubleshooting, fine tuning of parameters and evaluation of program results is followed by an analysis showing that considerable advantages regarding reduction of time and precision improvements during the calibrations could be achieved by the use of the developed programs, particularly under adverse conditions like those found during short expositions, or instead during long irradiation intervals where fluctuation of parameters like kerma rate or room conditions (temperature or pressure) can be found. (author)

  4. The monitoring and calibration Web system of the ATLAS hadronic calorimeter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maidantchik, Carmen; Gomes, Andressa Andrea Sivollela; Marroquim, Fernando [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil)

    2011-07-01

    Full text: The scintillator tiles hadronic calorimeter (TileCal) of the ATLAS detector measures the energy of resultant particles in a collision. The calorimetry system was designed to absorb the energy of the particles that crosses the detector and is composed by three barrels, each one equally divided into 64 modules. The ionizing particles that cross the tiles induce the production of light, which intensity is proportional to the energy deposited by the fragment. The produced light propagates through the tiles towards the edges, where it is absorbed and displaced until reaching the photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), also known as electronic reading channels. Each module combines till 45 PMTs. For each run, the reconstruction process starts with a data analysis that can comprises different levels of information granularity till arriving to the PMTs level. Following this phase, the Data Quality Monitoring Framework (DQMF) system automatically generates quality indicators associated to the channels. Depending on the configuration that is registered in the DQMF, the channel status can be automatically defined as good, affected or bad. The status of each module is defined by the percentage of existing good, affected or bad channels. At this point, the analysis of modules allows the identification of the ones that are problematic by the examination of graphics that are automatically generated during the data reconstruction stage. Then, an analysis of a module performance by a time period that encompasses different types of runs is performed. In this last step, the list of problematic channels can be modified through the insertion or exclusion of PTMs, as in the case when a channel is substituted. Additionally, during the whole calorimeter operation, it is fundamental to identify the electronic channels that are active, dead (nor working), noisy and the ones that presents saturation in the signal digitalisation process. The Monitoring and Calibration Web System (MCWS) was

  5. The monitoring and calibration Web system of the ATLAS hadronic calorimeter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maidantchik, Carmen; Gomes, Andressa Andrea Sivollela; Marroquim, Fernando

    2011-01-01

    Full text: The scintillator tiles hadronic calorimeter (TileCal) of the ATLAS detector measures the energy of resultant particles in a collision. The calorimetry system was designed to absorb the energy of the particles that crosses the detector and is composed by three barrels, each one equally divided into 64 modules. The ionizing particles that cross the tiles induce the production of light, which intensity is proportional to the energy deposited by the fragment. The produced light propagates through the tiles towards the edges, where it is absorbed and displaced until reaching the photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), also known as electronic reading channels. Each module combines till 45 PMTs. For each run, the reconstruction process starts with a data analysis that can comprises different levels of information granularity till arriving to the PMTs level. Following this phase, the Data Quality Monitoring Framework (DQMF) system automatically generates quality indicators associated to the channels. Depending on the configuration that is registered in the DQMF, the channel status can be automatically defined as good, affected or bad. The status of each module is defined by the percentage of existing good, affected or bad channels. At this point, the analysis of modules allows the identification of the ones that are problematic by the examination of graphics that are automatically generated during the data reconstruction stage. Then, an analysis of a module performance by a time period that encompasses different types of runs is performed. In this last step, the list of problematic channels can be modified through the insertion or exclusion of PTMs, as in the case when a channel is substituted. Additionally, during the whole calorimeter operation, it is fundamental to identify the electronic channels that are active, dead (nor working), noisy and the ones that presents saturation in the signal digitalisation process. The Monitoring and Calibration Web System (MCWS) was

  6. Absolute radiometric calibration of Landsat using a pseudo invariant calibration site

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helder, D.; Thome, K.J.; Mishra, N.; Chander, G.; Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Angal, A.; Choi, Tae-young

    2013-01-01

    Pseudo invariant calibration sites (PICS) have been used for on-orbit radiometric trending of optical satellite systems for more than 15 years. This approach to vicarious calibration has demonstrated a high degree of reliability and repeatability at the level of 1-3% depending on the site, spectral channel, and imaging geometries. A variety of sensors have used this approach for trending because it is broadly applicable and easy to implement. Models to describe the surface reflectance properties, as well as the intervening atmosphere have also been developed to improve the precision of the method. However, one limiting factor of using PICS is that an absolute calibration capability has not yet been fully developed. Because of this, PICS are primarily limited to providing only long term trending information for individual sensors or cross-calibration opportunities between two sensors. This paper builds an argument that PICS can be used more extensively for absolute calibration. To illustrate this, a simple empirical model is developed for the well-known Libya 4 PICS based on observations by Terra MODIS and EO-1 Hyperion. The model is validated by comparing model predicted top-of-atmosphere reflectance values to actual measurements made by the Landsat ETM+ sensor reflective bands. Following this, an outline is presented to develop a more comprehensive and accurate PICS absolute calibration model that can be Système international d'unités (SI) traceable. These initial concepts suggest that absolute calibration using PICS is possible on a broad scale and can lead to improved on-orbit calibration capabilities for optical satellite sensors.

  7. Finding weak points automatically

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Archinger, P.; Wassenberg, M.

    1999-01-01

    Operators of nuclear power stations have to carry out material tests at selected components by regular intervalls. Therefore a full automaticated test, which achieves a clearly higher reproducibility, compared to part automaticated variations, would provide a solution. In addition the full automaticated test reduces the dose of radiation for the test person. (orig.) [de

  8. A dual-responsive colorimetric and fluorescent chemosensor based on diketopyrrolopyrrole derivative for naked-eye detection of Fe3 + and its practical application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Shanshan; Sun, Tao; Xiao, Dejun; Yuan, Fang; Li, Tianduo; Wang, Enhua; Liu, Haixia; Niu, Qingfen

    2018-01-01

    A novel dual-responsive colorimetric and fluorescent chemosensor L based on diketopyrrolopyrrole derivative for Fe3 + detection was designed and synthesized. In presence of Fe3 +, sensor L displayed strong colorimetric response as amaranth to rose pink and significant fluorescence enhancement and chromogenic change, which served as a naked-eye indicator by an obvious color change from purple to red. The binding constant for L-Fe3 + complex was found as 2.4 × 104 with the lower detection limit of 14.3 nM. The sensing mechanism was investigated in detail by fluorescence measurements, IR and 1H NMR spectra. Sensor L for Fe3 + detection also exhibited high anti-interference performance, good reversibility, wide pH response range and instantaneous response time. Furthermore, the sensor L has been used to quantify Fe3 + ions in practical water samples with good recovery.

  9. Roles of head group architecture and side chain length on colorimetric response of polydiacetylene vesicles to temperature, ethanol and pH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charoenthai, Nipaphat; Pattanatornchai, Thanutpon; Wacharasindhu, Sumrit; Sukwattanasinitt, Mongkol; Traiphol, Rakchart

    2011-08-15

    In this contribution, we report the relationship between molecular structures of polydiacetylene (PDA) vesicles, fabricated by using three monomers, 10,12-tricosadiynoic acid (TCDA), 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PCDA) and N-(2-aminoethyl)pentacosa-10,12-diynamide (AEPCDA), and their color-transition behaviors. The modification of side chain length and head group of the PDA vesicles strongly affects the colorimetric response to temperature, ethanol and pH. A shorter side chain of poly(TCDA) yields weaker inter- and intra-chain dispersion interactions in the bilayers compared to the system of poly(PCDA), which in turn results in a faster color transition upon exposure to all stimuli. A change of head group in poly(AEPCDA) slightly reduces the transition temperature. Interestingly, the colorimetric response of poly(AEPCDA) vesicles to the addition of ethanol is found to occur in a two-step fashion while the response of poly(PCDA) vesicles takes place in a one-step process. The amount of ethanol required for inducing complete color-transition of poly(AEPCDA) vesicles is also much higher, about 87% v/v. The increase of pH to ~9 and ~10 causes a color-transition of poly(TCDA) and poly(PCDA) vesicles, respectively. The poly(AEPCDA) vesicles, on the other hand, change color upon decreasing pH to ~0. The colorimetric response also occurs in a multi-step fashion. These discrepancies are attributed to the architecture of surface layers of poly(AEPCDA), constituting amine and amide groups separated by ethyl linkers. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. The automatic component of habit in health behavior: habit as cue-contingent automaticity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orbell, Sheina; Verplanken, Bas

    2010-07-01

    Habit might be usefully characterized as a form of automaticity that involves the association of a cue and a response. Three studies examined habitual automaticity in regard to different aspects of the cue-response relationship characteristic of unhealthy and healthy habits. In each study, habitual automaticity was assessed by the Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI). In Study 1 SRHI scores correlated with attentional bias to smoking cues in a Stroop task. Study 2 examined the ability of a habit cue to elicit an unwanted habit response. In a prospective field study, habitual automaticity in relation to smoking when drinking alcohol in a licensed public house (pub) predicted the likelihood of cigarette-related action slips 2 months later after smoking in pubs had become illegal. In Study 3 experimental group participants formed an implementation intention to floss in response to a specified situational cue. Habitual automaticity of dental flossing was rapidly enhanced compared to controls. The studies provided three different demonstrations of the importance of cues in the automatic operation of habits. Habitual automaticity assessed by the SRHI captured aspects of a habit that go beyond mere frequency or consistency of the behavior. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

  11. Novel colorimetric method overcoming phosphorus interference during trace arsenic analysis in soil solution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makris, Konstantinos C; Punamiya, Pravin; Sarkar, Dibyendu; Datta, Rupali

    2008-02-01

    A sensitive (method detection limit, 2.0 microg As L(-1)) colorimetric determination of trace As(v) and As(iii) concentrations in the presence of soluble phosphorus (P) concentrations in soil/water extracts is presented. The proposed method modifies the malachite green method (MG) originally developed for P in soil and water. Our method relies upon the finding that As(iii) and As(v) do not develop the green color during P analysis using the MG method. When an optimum concentration of ascorbic acid (AA) is added to a sample containing up to 15 times P > As (microM) concentrations, the final sample absorbance due to P will be equal to that of As(v) molecules. The soluble As concentration can then be quantified by the concentration difference between the mixed oxyanion (As + P) absorbance (proposed method) and the MG method absorbance that measures only P. Our method is miniaturized using a 96-well microplate UV-VIS reader that utilizes minute reagent and sample volumes (120 and 200 microL sample(-1), respectively), thus, minimizing waste and offering flexibility in the field. Our method was tested in a suite of As-contaminated soils that successfully measured both As and P in soil water extracts and total digests. Mean% As recoveries ranged between 84 and 117%, corroborating data obtained with high-resolution inductively-coupled plasma mass-spectrometry. The performance of the proposed colorimetric As method was unaffected by the presence of Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Fe, Al, Si, and Cr in both neutral and highly-acidic (ca. pH 2) soil extracts. Data from this study provide the proof of concept towards creating a field-deployable, portable As kit.

  12. Disulfide-induced self-assembled targets : A novel strategy for the label free colorimetric detection of DNAs/RNAs via unmodified gold nanoparticles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Shokri, Ehsan; Hosseini, Morteza; Davari, Mehdi D.; Ganjali, Mohammad R.; Peppelenbosch, Maikel P.; Rezaee, Farhad

    2017-01-01

    A modified non-cross-linking gold-nanoparticles (Au-NPs) aggregation strategy has been developed for the label free colorimetric detection of DNAs/RNAs based on self-assembling target species in the presence of thiolated probes. Two complementary thiol-modified probes, each of which specifically

  13. Disulfide-induced self-assembled targets: A novel strategy for the label free colorimetric detection of DNAs/RNAs via unmodified gold nanoparticles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Shokri, E. (Ehsan); M. Hosseini (Morteza); Davari, M.D. (Mehdi D.); Ganjali, M.R. (Mohammad R.); M.P. Peppelenbosch (Maikel); F. Rezaee (Farhad)

    2017-01-01

    textabstractA modified non-cross-linking gold-nanoparticles (Au-NPs) aggregation strategy has been developed for the label free colorimetric detection of DNAs/RNAs based on self-assembling target species in the presence of thiolated probes. Two complementary thiol- modified probes, each of which

  14. Simple colorimetric methods for determination of sub-milligram amounts of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene wear particles

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Veselý, F.; Zolotarevova, E.; Špundová, M.; Kaftan, Filip; Šlouf, Miroslav; Entlicher, G.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 8, č. 5 (2012), s. 1935-1938 ISSN 1742-7061 R&D Projects: GA MŠk 2B06096; GA MZd NT12229 Grant - others:GA ČR(CZ) GAP503/11/0163 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506; CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : joint replacement * polyethylene wear particles * wear particles determination * colorimetric methods Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 5.093, year: 2012

  15. Calibrated Full-Waveform Airborne Laser Scanning for 3D Object Segmentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fanar M. Abed

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Segmentation of urban features is considered a major research challenge in the fields of photogrammetry and remote sensing. However, the dense datasets now readily available through airborne laser scanning (ALS offer increased potential for 3D object segmentation. Such potential is further augmented by the availability of full-waveform (FWF ALS data. FWF ALS has demonstrated enhanced performance in segmentation and classification through the additional physical observables which can be provided alongside standard geometric information. However, use of FWF information is not recommended without prior radiometric calibration, taking into account all parameters affecting the backscatter energy. This paper reports the implementation of a radiometric calibration workflow for FWF ALS data, and demonstrates how the resultant FWF information can be used to improve segmentation of an urban area. The developed segmentation algorithm presents a novel approach which uses the calibrated backscatter cross-section as a weighting function to estimate the segmentation similarity measure. The normal vector and the local Euclidian distance are used as criteria to segment the point clouds through a region growing approach. The paper demonstrates the potential to enhance 3D object segmentation in urban areas by integrating the FWF physical backscattered energy alongside geometric information. The method is demonstrated through application to an interest area sampled from a relatively dense FWF ALS dataset. The results are assessed through comparison to those delivered from utilising only geometric information. Validation against a manual segmentation demonstrates a successful automatic implementation, achieving a segmentation accuracy of 82%, and out-performs a purely geometric approach.

  16. Calibration-on-the-spot”: How to calibrate an EMCCD camera from its images

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mortensen, Kim; Flyvbjerg, Henrik

    2016-01-01

    In order to count photons with a camera, the camera must be calibrated. Photon counting is necessary, e.g., to determine the precision of localization-based super-resolution microscopy. Here we present a protocol that calibrates an EMCCD camera from information contained in isolated, diffraction-......-limited spots in any image taken by the camera, thus making dedicated calibration procedures redundant by enabling calibration post festum, from images filed without calibration information....

  17. Colorimetric Sensor Arrays for the Detection and Identification of Chemical Weapons and Explosives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kangas, Michael J; Burks, Raychelle M; Atwater, Jordyn; Lukowicz, Rachel M; Williams, Pat; Holmes, Andrea E

    2017-03-04

    There is a significant demand for devices that can rapidly detect chemical-biological-explosive (CBE) threats on-site and allow for immediate responders to mitigate spread, risk, and loss. The key to an effective reconnaissance mission is a unified detection technology that analyzes potential threats in real time. In addition to reviewing the current state of the art in the field, this review illustrates the practicality of colorimetric arrays composed of sensors that change colors in the presence of analytes. This review also describes an outlook toward future technologies, and describes how they could possibly be used in areas such as war zones to detect and identify hazardous substances.

  18. Calibration of reference KAP-meters at SSDL and cross calibration of clinical KAP-meters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hetland, Per O.; Friberg, Eva G.; Oevreboe, Kirsti M.; Bjerke, Hans H.

    2009-01-01

    In the summer of 2007 the secondary standard dosimetry laboratory (SSDL) in Norway established a calibration service for reference air-kerma product meter (KAP-meter). The air-kerma area product, PKA, is a dosimetric quantity that can be directly related to the patient dose and used for risk assessment associated with different x-ray examinations. The calibration of reference KAP-meters at the SSDL gives important information on parameters influencing the calibration factor for different types of KAP-meters. The use of reference KAP-meters calibrated at the SSDL is an easy and reliable way to calibrate or verify the PKA indicated by the x-ray equipment out in the clinics. Material and methods. Twelve KAP-meters were calibrated at the SSDL by use of the substitution method at five diagnostic radiation qualities (RQRs). Results. The calibration factors varied from 0.94 to 1.18. The energy response of the individual KAP-meters varied by a total of 20% between the different RQRs and the typical chamber transmission factors ranged from 0.78 to 0.91. Discussion. It is important to use a calibrated reference KAP-meter and a harmonised calibration method in the PKA calibration in hospitals. The obtained uncertainty in the PKA readings is comparable with other calibration methods if the information in the calibration certificate is correct used, corrections are made and proper positioning of the KAP-chamber is performed. This will ensure a reliable estimate of the patient dose and a proper optimisation of conventional x-ray examinations and interventional procedures

  19. Development and calibration automatic equipment's measuring in real time of the environmental radioactivity by gamma spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Casanovas, R.; Morant, J. J.; Salvado, M.

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, we describe the general aspects of the implementation of gamma spectrometry in water, as well as the development of two measuring devices based on this technique: aerosol monitor (RARM-F) and a monitor direct measurement (RARMD2) , both patent applications. Furthermore, they described in detail the aspects of calibration of equipment, which has been made by combining experimental measurements with Monte Carlo simulations. (Author)

  20. Development of calibration facility for radon and its progenies at NIM (China)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang, J.C.; Liu, H.R.; Zhang, M.; Zheng, P.H.; Guo, Q.J.; Yang, Z.J.; Li, Z.S.; Zhang, L.

    2015-01-01

    Accurate measurement of radon and its progenies is the basis to control the radon dose and reduce the risk of lung cancer caused. The precise calibration of measuring instrument is an important part of the quality control of measurements of the concentration of radon and radon progenies. To establish Chinese national standards and realise reliable calibrations of measuring instrument for radon and its progenies, a radon chamber with regulation capability of environmental parameters, aerosol and radon concentrations was designed and constructed at National Institute of Metrology (NIM). The chamber has a total volume of ∼20 m 3 including an exposure volume of 12.44 m 3 . The radon concentration can be controlled from 12 Bq m -3 to the maximum of 232 kBq m -3 . The regulation range of temperature, relative humidity and aerosol are 0.66-44.39 deg. C, 16.4-95 %RH and 10 2 -10 6 cm -3 , respectively. The main advantages of the NIM radon chamber with respect to maintaining a stable concentration and equilibrium factor of radon progenies in a wide range through automatic regulation and control of radon and aerosol are described. (authors)

  1. Investigation of the influence of design details on short implant biomechanics using colorimetric photoelastic analysis: a pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João César Zielak

    Full Text Available Introduction : The clinical survival of a dental implant is directly related to its biomechanical behavior. Since short implants present lower bone/implant contact area, their design may be more critical to stress distribution to surrounding tissues. Photoelastic analysis is a biomechanical method that uses either simple qualitative results or complex calculations for the acquisition of quantitative data. In order to simplify data acquisition, we performed a pilot study to demonstrate the investigation of biomechanics via correlation of the findings of colorimetric photoelastic analysis (stress transition areas; STAs of design details between two types of short dental implants under axial loads. Methods Implants were embedded in a soft photoelastic resin and axially loaded with 10 and 20 N of force. Implant design features were correlated with the STAs (mm2 of the colored fringes of colorimetric photoelastic analysis. Results Under a 10 N load, the surface area of the implants was directly related to STA, whereas under a 20 N load, the surface area and thread height were inversely related to STA. Conclusion A smaller external thread height seemed to improve the biomechanical performance of the short implants investigated.

  2. Comparison of thiaminase activity in fish using the radiometric and 4-nitrothiophenol colorimetric methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honeyfield, D.C.; Hanes, J.W.; Brown, L.; Kraft, C.E.; Begley, T.P.

    2010-01-01

    Thiaminase induced thiamine deficiency occurs in fish, humans, livestock and wild animals. A non-radioactive thiaminase assay was described in 2007, but a direct comparison with the radioactive 14C-thiamine method which has been in use for more than 30years has not been reported. The objective was to measure thiaminase activity in forage fish (alewife Alosa pseudoharengus, rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax, and slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus) consumed by predators that manifest thiamine deficiency using both methods. Modifications were made to the colorimetric assay to improve repeatability. Modification included a change in assay pH, enhanced sample clean-up, constant assay temperature (37??C), increase in the concentration of 4-nitrothiophenol (4NTP) and use of a spectrophotometer fitted with a 0.2cm cell. A strong relationship between the two assays was found for 51 alewife (R2=0.85), 36 smelt (R2=0.87) and 20 sculpin (R2=0.82). Thiaminase activity in the colorimetric assay was about 1000 times higher than activity measured by the radioactive method. Application of the assay to fish species from which no thiaminase activity has previously been reported resulted in no 4NTP thiaminase activity being found in bloater Coregonus hoyi, lake trout Salvelinus namaycusch, steelhead trout Oncorhynchus mykiss or Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. In species previously reported to contain thiaminase, 4NTP thiaminase activity was measured in bacteria Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus, gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum, bracken fern Pteridium aquilinum, quagga mussel Dreissena bugensis and zebra mussels D. polymorpha. ?? 2010.

  3. An aptamer-based biosensor for colorimetric detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenhe Wu

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: An aptamer based biosensor (aptasensor was developed and evaluated for rapid colorimetric detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli O157:H7. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The aptasensor was assembled by modifying the truncated lipopolysaccharides (LPS-binding aptamer on the surface of nanoscale polydiacetylene (PDA vesicle using peptide bonding between the carboxyl group of the vesicle and the amine group of the aptamer. Molecular recognition between E. coli O157:H7 and aptamer at the interface of the vesicle lead to blue-red transition of PDA which was readily visible to the naked eyes and could be quantified by colorimetric responses (CR. Confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM was used to confirm the specific interactions between the truncated aptamer and E. coli O157:H7. The aptasensor could detect cellular concentrations in a range of 10(4~ 10(8 colony-forming units (CFU/ml within 2 hours and its specificity was 100% for detection of E. coli O157:H7. Compared with the standard culture method, the correspondent rate was 98.5% for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 on 203 clinical fecal specimens with our aptasensor. CONCLUSIONS: The new aptasensor represents a significant advancement in detection capabilities based on the combination of nucleic acid aptamer with PDA vesicle, and offers a specific and convenient screening method for the detection of pathogenic bacteria. This technic could also be applied in areas from clinical analysis to biological terrorism defense, especially in low-resource settings.

  4. Microprocessor controlled system for automatic and semi-automatic syntheses of radiopharmaceuticals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruth, T.J.; Adam, M.J.; Morris, D.; Jivan, S.

    1986-01-01

    A computer based system has been constructed to control the automatic synthesis of 2-deoxy-2-( 18 F)fluoro-D-glucose and is also being used in the development of an automatic synthesis of L-6-( 18 F)fluorodopa. (author)

  5. Quercetin as colorimetric reagent for determination of zirconium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grimaldi, F.S.; White, C.E.

    1953-01-01

    Methods described in the literature for the determination of zirconium are generally designed for relatively large amounts of this element. A good procedure using colorimetric reagent for the determination of trace amounts is desirable. Quercetin has been found to yield a sensitive color reaction with zirconium suitable for the determination of from 0.1 to 50?? of zirconium dioxide. The procedure developed involves the separation of zirconium from interfering elements by precipitation with p-dimethylaminoazophenylarsonic acid prior to its estimation with quercetin. The quercetin reaction is carried out in 0.5N hydrochloric acid solution. Under the operating conditions it is indicated that quercetin forms a 2 to 1 complex with zirconium; however, a 2 to 1 and a 1 to 1 complex can coexist under special conditions. Approximate values for the equilibrium constants of the complexes are K1 = 0.33 ?? 10-5 and K2 = 1.3 ?? 10-9. Seven Bureau of Standards samples of glass sands and refractories were analyzed with excellent results. The method described should find considerable application in the analysis of minerals and other materials for macro as well as micro amounts of zirconium.

  6. Gain and offset calibration reduces variation in exposure-dependent SNR among systems with identical digital flat-panel detectors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willis, Charles E; Vinogradskiy, Yevgeniy Y; Lofton, Brad K; White, R Allen

    2011-07-01

    The conditions under which vendor performance criteria for digital radiography systems are obtained do not adequately simulate the conditions of actual clinical imaging with respect to radiographic technique factors, scatter production, and scatter control. Therefore, the relationship between performance under ideal conditions and performance in clinical practice remains unclear. Using data from a large complement of systems in clinical use, the authors sought to develop a method to establish expected performance criteria for digital flat-panel radiography systems with respect to signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) versus detector exposure under clinical conditions for thoracic imaging. The authors made radiographic exposures of a patient-equivalent chest phantom at 125 kVp and 180 cm source-to-image distance. The mAs value was modified to produce exposures above and below the mAs delivered by automatic exposure control. Exposures measured free-in-air were corrected to the imaging plane by the inverse square law, by the attenuation factor of the phantom, and by the Bucky factor of the grid for the phantom, geometry, and kilovolt peak. SNR was evaluated as the ratio of the mean to the standard deviation (SD) of a region of interest automatically selected in the center of each unprocessed image. Data were acquired from 18 systems, 14 of which were tested both before and after gain and offset calibration. SNR as a function of detector exposure was interpolated using a double logarithmic function to stratify the data into groups of 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 5.0 mR exposure (1.8, 4.5, 9.0, 18, and 45 microGy air KERMA) to the detector. The mean SNR at each exposure interval after calibration exhibited linear dependence on the mean SNR before calibration (r2=0.9999). The dependence was greater than unity (m = 1.101 +/- 0.006), and the difference from unity was statistically significant (p grid replacement. The nonconformant behavior of the other system was corrected by replacing

  7. Automatic Camera Control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Burelli, Paolo; Preuss, Mike

    2014-01-01

    Automatically generating computer animations is a challenging and complex problem with applications in games and film production. In this paper, we investigate howto translate a shot list for a virtual scene into a series of virtual camera configurations — i.e automatically controlling the virtual...

  8. Ratiometric colorimetric determination of coenzyme A using gold nanoparticles and a binuclear uranyl complex as optical probes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Rurong; Liao, Lifu; Li, Shijun; Yang, Yanyan; Xiao, Xilin; Nie, Changming

    2016-01-01

    We describe a ratiometric colorimetric method for the determination of coenzyme A (CoA) by using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and bis-uranyl-bis-sulfosalophen (BUBSS) as optical probes. BUBSS is a binuclear uranyl complex and formed through the chelating reaction of two uranyl ions with bis-sulfosalophen. CoA is captured by the AuNPs via the thiol group and this leads to the formation of CoA-AuNPs. In a second step, BUBSS binds two CoA-AuNPs through a coordination reaction between the uranyl ions in BUBSS and the phosphate groups in CoA-AuNPs. This causes the CoA-AuNPs to aggregate and results in a color change from wine red to blue. A ratiometric colorimetric assay was established for CoA based on the ratiometric measurement of absorbance changes at 650 and 525 nm. Their ratio is linearly related to the concentration of CoA in the 0 to 1.2 μmol⋅L -1 range, with a 6 nmol⋅ L- 1 detection limit under optimal conditions. The method was successfully applied to the determination of CoA in spiked liver samples with recoveries between 99.4 and 102.6 %. (author)

  9. Relationship between skin color and solar elastosis in aged Asian skin: A colorimetric-pathologic correlation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Dai Hyun; Oh, Ga Na; Kwon, In Hyuk; Seo, Soo Hong; Kye, Young Chul; Ahn, Hyo Hyun

    2017-10-01

    Aged skin is reported to be associated with unattractive skin color changes and solar elastosis. However, comparative studies have not documented the possible correlation between the two factors. This study investigated the plausible relationship between the facial skin color of elderly Asians and solar elastosis. A total of 22 skin specimens were collected from 22 Korean patients who underwent cheek skin biopsies. Skin color was quantitatively measured using colorimetric photography techniques to produce CIE L*a*b* values; the degree of solar elastosis was quantifiably assessed using a histologic grading scale. These values were used to investigate a correlation between the CIE L*a*b* coordinates and solar elastosis grade. The solar elastosis grade increased according to patient age (r = 0.67, p = .0006). However, the extent of solar elastosis was not statistically correlated with the CIE L*a*b* values, including L*, a*, and b* (r = 0.02, p = .95; r = 0.15, p = 0.50; r = -0.07, p = 0.76, respectively). The results showed that the solar elastosis grade increased, according to patient age, because of cumulative actinic damage. However, colorimetric skin color data did not correlate with the degree of solar elastosis. Therefore, cutaneous color changes and solar elastosis are separate, age-related phenomena. Physicians should be aware of the possible histologic changes in actinically damaged facial skin, regardless of the skin color. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Mentha-Stabilized Silver Nanoparticles for High-Performance Colorimetric Detection of Al(III) in Aqueous Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Rekha; Dhillon, Ankita; Kumar, Dinesh

    2018-03-26

    The present paper reports a facile and selective colorimetric method for the detection of potential environmental and health hazardous metal ions using green synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Here the organic functional groups present in the plant extract (Mentha arvensis) are used as reductants and stabilizers in the synthesis of AgNPs. They also provide a suitable binding site to the (Al(III)) analyte in the detection mechanism. The leaf extract of Mentha arvensis was used to synthesize AgNPs at room-temperature and at 80 °C. The AgNPs synthesized at 80 °C exhibit excellent selective colorimetric detection of Al(III). The as-synthesized AgNPs have been characterized, and the synthesis, stabilization of NPs and detection mechanism has also been illustrated by using UV-vis, XPS, FTIR, TEM, EDX, SEM, AAS, and TGA analytical tools and techniques. The selectivity of detection probe was supported by the reaction between probe and metal ions followed first-order kinetics having the highest value of the regression coefficient (R 2  = 0.99) for Al(III) and the analysis of thermodynamic parameters. The prepared sensor showed a lower limit of detection (LOD) of 1 nM (S/N = 3.2) in real water samples. The proposed method can be successfully utilized for the detection of Al(III) from both drinking and real water samples at the nanomolar level.

  11. A C{sub 2}-symmetric ratiometric fluorescence and colorimetric anion sensor based on pyrrole derivative

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu Ge [Department of Chemistry, Chifeng University, Chifeng 024000 (China); Shao Jie, E-mail: njshao@live.c [Department of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037 (China)

    2011-07-15

    A C{sub 2}-symmetric fluorescence and colorimetric anion sensor (1) based on pyrrole derivative was designed and synthesized according to binding site-signaling subunit approach. The compound 1 was easily prepared by reaction of pyrrole-2,5-dicarboxaldehyde with 4-nitrophenylhydrazine in ethanol (yield=78%). In DMSO, the sensor 1 exhibited a visible color change from red to brown upon exposure to anions such as AcO{sup -} and F{sup -}; however, no obvious color changes were observed when the other tested anions (e. g. H{sub 2}PO{sub 4}{sup -}, Cl{sup -}, Br{sup -} and I{sup -}) were added. There was a significant redshift ({Delta}{lambda}{sub max}=160 nm) in UV-vis spectrum during UV-vis spectral titrations. In particular, the sensor 1 showed ratiometric fluorescence responses to anions. - Highlights: {yields} C{sub 2}-symmetric fluorescence and colorimetric anion sensor based on pyrrole derivative was designed and synthesized according to binding site-signaling subunit approach. {yields} The sensor was easily prepared by reaction of pyrrole-2,5-dicarboxaldehyde with 4-nitrophenylhydrazine in ethanol (yield=78%). {yields} In DMSO, the sensor exhibited a visible color change from red to brown upon exposure to anions such as AcO{sup -} and F{sup -}, however, no obvious color changes were observed when the other anions tested (e. g. H{sub 2}PO{sub 4}{sup -}, Cl{sup -}, Br{sup -} and I{sup -}) were added. {yields} The sensor showed ratiometric fluorescence responses to anions.

  12. Cis–Trans Configuration of Coumaric Acid Acylation Affects the Spectral and Colorimetric Properties of Anthocyanins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gregory T. Sigurdson

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The color expression of anthocyanins can be affected by a variety of environmental factors and structural characteristics. Anthocyanin acylation (type and number of acids is known to be key, but the influence of acyl isomers (with unique stereochemistries remains to be explored. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of cis–trans configuration of the acylating group on the spectral and colorimetric properties of anthocyanins. Petunidin-3-rutinoside-5-glucoside (Pt-3-rut-5-glu and Delphinidin-3-rutinoside-5-glucoside (Dp-3-rut-5-glu and their cis and trans coumaroylated derivatives were isolated from black goji and eggplant, diluted in pH 1–9 buffers, and analyzed spectrophotometrically (380–700 nm and colorimetrically (CIELAB during 72 h of storage (25 °C, dark. The stereochemistry of the acylating group strongly impacted the spectra, color, and stability of the Dp and Pt anthocyanins. Cis acylated pigments exhibited the greatest λmax in all pH, as much as 66 nm greater than their trans counterparts, showing bluer hues. Cis acylation seemed to reduce hydration across pH, increasing color intensity, while trans acylation generally improved color retention over time. Dp-3-cis-p-cou-rut-5-glu exhibited blue hues even in pH 5 (C*ab = 10, hab = 256° where anthocyanins are typically colorless. Cis or trans double bond configurations of the acylating group affected anthocyanin spectral and stability properties.

  13. Advances on the automatic estimation of the P-wave onset time

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luz García

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This work describes the automatic picking of the P-phase arrivals of the 3*106 seismic registers originated during the TOMO-ETNA experiment. Air-gun shots produced by the vessel “Sarmiento de Gamboa” and contemporary passive seismicity occurring in the island are recorded by a dense network of stations deployed for the experiment. In such scenario, automatic processing is needed given: (i the enormous amount of data, (ii the low Signal-to-Noise ratio of many of the available registers and, (iii the accuracy needed for the velocity tomography resulting from the experiment. A preliminary processing is performed with the records obtained from all stations. Raw data formats from the different types of stations are unified, eliminating defective records and reducing noise through filtering in the band of interest for the phase picking. The Advanced Multiband Picking Algorithm (AMPA is then used to process the big database obtained and determine the travel times of the seismic phases. The approach of AMPA, based on frequency multiband denoising and enhancement of expected arrivals through optimum detectors, is detailed together with its calibration and quality assessment procedure. Examples of its usage for active and passive seismic events are presented.

  14. Automatic orientation and 3D modelling from markerless rock art imagery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lerma, J. L.; Navarro, S.; Cabrelles, M.; Seguí, A. E.; Hernández, D.

    2013-02-01

    This paper investigates the use of two detectors and descriptors on image pyramids for automatic image orientation and generation of 3D models. The detectors and descriptors replace manual measurements and are used to detect, extract and match features across multiple imagery. The Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) and the Speeded Up Robust Features (SURF) will be assessed based on speed, number of features, matched features, and precision in image and object space depending on the adopted hierarchical matching scheme. The influence of applying in addition Area Based Matching (ABM) with normalised cross-correlation (NCC) and least squares matching (LSM) is also investigated. The pipeline makes use of photogrammetric and computer vision algorithms aiming minimum interaction and maximum accuracy from a calibrated camera. Both the exterior orientation parameters and the 3D coordinates in object space are sequentially estimated combining relative orientation, single space resection and bundle adjustment. The fully automatic image-based pipeline presented herein to automate the image orientation step of a sequence of terrestrial markerless imagery is compared with manual bundle block adjustment and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) which serves as ground truth. The benefits of applying ABM after FBM will be assessed both in image and object space for the 3D modelling of a complex rock art shelter.

  15. Investigation on calibration parameter of mammography calibration facilities at MINT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asmaliza Hashim; Wan Hazlinda Ismail; Md Saion Salikin; Muhammad Jamal Md Isa; Azuhar Ripin; Norriza Mohd Isa

    2004-01-01

    A mammography calibration facility has been established in the Medical Physics Laboratory, Malaysian Institute for Nuclear Technology Research (MINT). The calibration facility is established at the national level mainly to provide calibration services for radiation measuring test instruments or test tools used in quality assurance programme in mammography, which is being implemented in Malaysia. One of the accepted parameters that determine the quality of a radiation beam is the homogeneity coefficient. It is determined from the values of the 1 st and 2 nd Half Value Layer (HVL). In this paper, the consistency of the mammography machine beam qualities that is available in MINT, is investigated and presented. For calibration purposes, five radiation qualities namely 23, 25, 28, 30 and 35 kV, selectable from the control panel of the X-ray machine is used. Important parameters that are set for this calibration facility are exposure time, tube current, focal spot to detector distance (FDD) and beam size at specific distance. The values of homogeneity coefficient of this laboratory for the past few years tip to now be presented in this paper. Backscatter radiations are also considered in this investigation. (Author)

  16. Motor automaticity in Parkinson’s disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Tao; Hallett, Mark; Chan, Piu

    2017-01-01

    Bradykinesia is the most important feature contributing to motor difficulties in Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the pathophysiology underlying bradykinesia is not fully understood. One important aspect is that PD patients have difficulty in performing learned motor skills automatically, but this problem has been generally overlooked. Here we review motor automaticity associated motor deficits in PD, such as reduced arm swing, decreased stride length, freezing of gait, micrographia and reduced facial expression. Recent neuroimaging studies have revealed some neural mechanisms underlying impaired motor automaticity in PD, including less efficient neural coding of movement, failure to shift automated motor skills to the sensorimotor striatum, instability of the automatic mode within the striatum, and use of attentional control and/or compensatory efforts to execute movements usually performed automatically in healthy people. PD patients lose previously acquired automatic skills due to their impaired sensorimotor striatum, and have difficulty in acquiring new automatic skills or restoring lost motor skills. More investigations on the pathophysiology of motor automaticity, the effect of L-dopa or surgical treatments on automaticity, and the potential role of using measures of automaticity in early diagnosis of PD would be valuable. PMID:26102020

  17. Selective colorimetric sensors based on the monitoring of an unmodified silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) reduction for a simple and rapid determination of mercury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jarujamrus, Purim; Amatatongchai, Maliwan; Thima, Araya; Khongrangdee, Thatsanee; Mongkontong, Chakrit

    2015-05-01

    In this work, selective colorimetric sensors for simple and rapid detection of Hg(II) ions based on the monitoring of an unmodified silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) reduction were developed. The average diameter of synthesized AgNPs was 8.3 ± 1.4 nm which was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The abrupt change in absorbance of the unmodified AgNPs was observed which progressively decreased and slightly shifted to the blue wavelength as the concentration of Hg(II) increased, indicating the oxidation of Ag(0) to Ag(I) occurred. It appears that the AgNPs were oxidized by Hg(II), resulting in disintegration of the AgNPs into smaller particles as well as mediating the reduction of Hg(II) to Hg(0) adsorbed onto the surface of AgNPs. The adsorption of Hg(0) resulted in the lack of sufficient charges on AgNPs surfaces due to the decrease in the surface coverage of negatively charged citrate molecules, which then leaded to enlargement of AgNPs. The calibration curve of this technique was demonstrated from 0.5 to 7 ppm (r2 = 0.995), the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.06 ppm (SDblank/slope of calibration curve) with the precision (RSD, n = 4) of 3.24-4.53. Interestingly, the results show a significant enhance in the Hg(II) analytical sensitivity when Cu(II) is doped onto the unmodified AgNPs, which improves the quantitative detection limit to 0.008 ppm. In addition, greater selectivity toward Hg(II) compared with the other metal ions tested was observed. Furthermore, the percentage recoveries of spiked drinking water, tap water and SRM1641d (mercury in water) were in acceptable range with a good precision (RSD) which were in agreement with the values obtained from graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer (GFAAS). The technique proposed in this study provides a rapid, simple, sensitive and selective detection method for Hg(II) in water samples.

  18. Citric acid-coated gold nanoparticles for visual colorimetric recognition of pesticide dimethoate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dar, Aqib Iqbal; Walia, Shanka; Acharya, Amitabha, E-mail: amitabhachem@gmail.com, E-mail: amitabha@ihbt.res.in [CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Biotechnology Division (India)

    2016-08-15

    A colorimetric chemo-sensor based on citric acid-coated gold NPs (C-GNP) showed a linear increase in fluorescence intensity with increasing concentration of pesticide dimethoate (DM). The limit of detection was found to be between ~8.25± 0.3 and 20 ± 9.5 ppm. The increase in fluorescence intensity was suggested to have originated from the soft–soft interaction between C-GNPs and DM via sulfur group which is absent in pesticide dicofol (DF). Similar studies with citric acid-coated silver NPs (C-SNPs) did not result any change in the fluorescence intensity. The microscopic studies suggested aggregation of C-GNPs in the presence of DM but not in case of DF.Graphical Abstract.

  19. Colorimetric properties of TiN coating implanted by aluminum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Q.G. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)]. E-mail: zhouqg99@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn; Bai, X.D. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Xue, X.Y. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Ling, Y.H. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Chen, X.W. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Xu, J. [Beijing Great Wall Ti-Gold Corporation, Beijing 100095 (China); Wang, D.R. [Beijing Great Wall Ti-Gold Corporation, Beijing 100095 (China)

    2005-04-05

    TiN coating was prepared by cathodic arc deposition and implanted aluminum using a metal vacuum vapor arc ion source with doses ranging from 5 x 10{sup 16} to 2 x 10{sup 17} ions/cm{sup 2}. The purpose of this work was to determine the dependence of the colorimetric properties of TiN films on the implanting conditions, especially by the aluminum ion implantation. The colorimetry of coatings was evaluated quantitatively in terms of CIE L * a * b *. The color coordinate values L *, a *, and b * provide a numerical representation of the color of the surface. With the dose increasing, the surface color has no obvious change but the surface turns brighter, and a * as well as b * values all decline. The X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the aluminum implantation induced a slight shift of diffraction peaks. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy was employed to analyze the surface valence states. The oxygen in surface top layer does not decrease a * and b * values, it partially combined with nitrogen.

  20. Colorimetric determination of neomycin using melamine modified gold nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiao, Can; Liu, Junfeng; Yang, Ankang; Zhao, Hong; He, Yujian; Li, Xiangjun; Yuan, Zhuobin

    2015-01-01

    The colorimetric assay for neomycin presented here is based on melamine-modified gold nanoparticles (mel-AuNPs) and the finding that hydrogen bonding between melamine and neomycin results in the aggregation of mel-AuNPs. This results in a change in the color of the solution from wine red to blue and in a red-shift of the absorption maximum of the mel-AuNPs. The concentration of neomycin can be determined by spectrophotometry. The ratio of absorptions at 680 nm and 520 nm is linearly related to the logarithm of the concentration of neomycin in the 0.1 to 5.0 nM range and in the 5 to 100 nM range, with regression coefficients of 0.997 and 0.999, respectively. The detection limit (at an S/N ratio of 3) is 30 pM. This is far below the usual safety limit. The method was applied to the detection of trace levels of neomycin in milk samples and gave recoveries between 98 and 105 %. (author)

  1. The validation of the Z-Scan technique for the determination of plasma glucose

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves, Sarah I.; Silva, Elaine A. O.; Costa, Simone S.; Sonego, Denise R. N.; Hallack, Maira L.; Coppini, Ornela L.; Rowies, Fernanda; Azzalis, Ligia A.; Junqueira, Virginia B. C.; Pereira, Edimar C.; Rocha, Katya C.; Fonseca, Fernando L. A.

    2013-11-01

    Glucose is the main energy source for the human body. The concentration of blood glucose is regulated by several hormones including both antagonists: insulin and glucagon. The quantification of glucose in the blood is used for diagnosing metabolic disorders of carbohydrates, such as diabetes, idiopathic hypoglycemia and pancreatic diseases. Currently, the methodology used for this determination is the enzymatic colorimetric with spectrophotometric. This study aimed to validate the use of measurements of nonlinear optical properties of plasma glucose via the Z-Scan technique. For this we used samples of calibrator patterns that simulate commercial samples of patients (ELITech ©). Besides calibrators, serum glucose levels within acceptable reference values (normal control serum - Brazilian Society of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine) and also overestimated (pathological control serum - Brazilian Society of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine) were used in the methodology proposal. Calibrator dilutions were performed and determined by the Z-Scan technique for the preparation of calibration curve. In conclusion, Z-Scan method can be used to determinate glucose levels in biological samples with enzymatic colorimetric reaction and also to apply the same quality control parameters used in biochemistry clinical.

  2. Calibration Under Uncertainty.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Swiler, Laura Painton; Trucano, Timothy Guy

    2005-03-01

    This report is a white paper summarizing the literature and different approaches to the problem of calibrating computer model parameters in the face of model uncertainty. Model calibration is often formulated as finding the parameters that minimize the squared difference between the model-computed data (the predicted data) and the actual experimental data. This approach does not allow for explicit treatment of uncertainty or error in the model itself: the model is considered the %22true%22 deterministic representation of reality. While this approach does have utility, it is far from an accurate mathematical treatment of the true model calibration problem in which both the computed data and experimental data have error bars. This year, we examined methods to perform calibration accounting for the error in both the computer model and the data, as well as improving our understanding of its meaning for model predictability. We call this approach Calibration under Uncertainty (CUU). This talk presents our current thinking on CUU. We outline some current approaches in the literature, and discuss the Bayesian approach to CUU in detail.

  3. Fully automatized apparatus for determining speed of sound for liquids in the temperature and pressure interval (283.15–343.15) K and (0.1–95) MPa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yebra, Francisco; Troncoso, Jacobo; Romaní, Luis

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • An apparatus for measuring speed of sound of liquids is described. • Pressure and temperature control is fully automatized. • Uncertainty of the measurements is estimated in 0.1%. • Comparison with literature data confirms the reliability of the methodology. - Abstract: An instrument for determining the speed of sound as a function of temperature and pressure for liquids is described. It was totally automatized: pressure and temperature values are controlled and time of flight of the ultrasonic wave data were acquired using a digital system which automatically made all required actions. The instrument calibration was made only at atmospheric pressure using high quality data of water and methanol. For higher pressures, the calibration parameters were predicted using a model for the high pressure cell, through finite-element calculations (FEM), in order to realistically determine the changes in the cell induced by the compression. Uncertainties in pressure and temperature were 20 mK and 0.1 MPa, respectively and in speed of sound it was estimated to be about 0.1%. The speeds of sound for water, methanol, hexane, heptane, octane, toluene, ethanol and 1-propanol were determined in the temperature and pressure ranges (283.15–343.15) K and (0.1–95) MPa. Comparison with literature data reveals the high reliability of the experimental procedure.

  4. Etching and anti-etching strategy for sensitive colorimetric sensing of H2O2 and biothiols based on silver/carbon nanomaterial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Wenli; Liu, Xiaoying; Lu, Qiujun; Liu, Meiling; Zhang, Youyu; Yao, Shouzhuo

    2018-02-01

    In this paper, the colorimetric sensing of H 2 O 2 related molecules and biothiols based on etching and anti-etching strategy was firstly proposed. Ag/carbon nanocomposite (Ag/C NC) was served as the sensing nanoprobe, which was synthesized via carbon dots (C-dots) as the reductant and stabilizer. The characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorbance of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) was sensitive to the amount of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). It exhibited strong optical responses to H 2 O 2 with the solution colour changing from yellow to nearly colourless, which is resulted from the etching of Ag by H 2 O 2 . The sensing platform was further extended to detect H 2 O 2 related molecules such as lactate in coupling with the specific catalysis oxidation of L-lactate by lactate oxidase (LOx) and formation of H 2 O 2 . It provides wide linear range for detecting H 2 O 2 in 0.1-80μM and 80-220μM with the detection limit as low as 0.03μM (S/N=3). In the presence of biothiols, the etching from the H 2 O 2 can be hampered. Other biothiols exhibit anti-etching effects well. The strategy works well in detecting of typical biothiols including cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy) and glutathione (GSH). Thus, a simple colorimetric strategy for sensitive detection of H 2 O 2 and biothiols is proposed. It is believed that the colorimetric sensor based on etching and anti-etching strategy can be applied in other systems in chemical and biosensing areas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Radioactivity measurement of 18F in 16 ml vials for calibration of radionuclide calibrators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wurdiyanto, Gatot; Marsoem, Pujadi; Candra, Hermawan; Wijono, Paidi

    2012-01-01

    Fluorine-18 is obtained through the reaction 18 O(p, n) 18 F using a cyclotron that is situated in a hospital in Jakarta. Standardization of the 18 F solution is performed by gamma spectrometry using calibration sources of 152 Eu, 60 Co and 137 Cs that have traceability to the International System of units (SI). The activities in the 16 ml vials that were used for calibrating the radionuclide calibrators were between 1 and 2 GBq, with expanded uncertainties of 3.8%. The expanded uncertainty, at a coverage factor of k=2, on the derived calibration factor for the radionuclide calibrator was 6.6%. - Highlights: ► PTKMR–BATAN as a NMI of Indonesia is required to have procedures to calibrate the radionuclide calibrators. ► Standardizations were carried out on a solution of [ 18 F]FDG using gamma spectrometry. ► The volume of 18 F solutions used was 16 ml because this is the volume often used in hospitals. ► The Secondary Standard ionization chamber is a CRC-7BT Capintec radionuclide calibrator. ► A dial setting for 16 ml of [ 18 F]FDG solution in a vial is 443 for the Capintec dose calibrator.

  6. Performance evaluation of a colorimetric hydrazine dosimeter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brenner, Karen P.; Rose-Pehrsson, Susan L.

    1994-06-01

    A dosimeter for real-time, colorimetric detection of hydrazine in air has been developed. The passive badge consists of a dosimeter card containing a vanillin solution coated on a thin paper substrate. The active patch consists of a thick cellulose substrate coated with a vanillin solution. When placed in a plastic sample holder attached to a personnel pump, up to 5 L/min can be drawn through the active badge substrate. Through a condensation reaction, vanillin reacts with hydrazine to form a colored product that absorbs in the visible region. The hydrazone formed in the reaction is yellow; its intensity is proportional to the dose. When exposed passively to hydrazine, the experimental detection limit is less than 20 ppb-hrs. Extrapolated results indicate a detection limit of less than 5 ppb-hrs for long sampling periods. Actively sampling of hydrazine vapors gives an experimental detection limit of less than 100 ppb-L at a sample rate of 5 L/min. Relative humidity effects on badge response were minor. High humidity enhanced the color development on the vanillin badge; while low humidity had no effect on badge response. Interference testing of the dosimeters revealed a tobacco smoke interference. Preliminary shelf life tests indicated no decrease in sensitivity to hydrazine when stored at room temperature for 6 months.

  7. A comparison of two colorimetric assays, based upon Lowry and Bradford techniques, to estimate total protein in soil extracts

    OpenAIRE

    Redmile-Gordon, M.A.; Armenise, E.; White, R.P.; Hirsch, P.R.; Goulding, K.W.T.

    2013-01-01

    Soil extracts usually contain large quantities of dissolved humified organic material, typically reflected by high polyphenolic content. Since polyphenols seriously confound quantification of extracted protein, minimising this interference is important to ensure measurements are representative. Although the Bradford colorimetric assay is used routinely in soil science for rapid quantification protein in soil-extracts, it has several limitations. We therefore investigated an alternative colori...

  8. Field calibration of cup anemometers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schmidt Paulsen, Uwe; Mortensen, Niels Gylling; Hansen, Jens Carsten

    2007-01-01

    A field calibration method and results are described along with the experience gained with the method. The cup anemometers to be calibrated are mounted in a row on a 10-m high rig and calibrated in the free wind against a reference cup anemometer. The method has been reported [1] to improve...... the statistical bias on the data relative to calibrations carried out in a wind tunnel. The methodology is sufficiently accurate for calibration of cup anemometers used for wind resource assessments and provides a simple, reliable and cost-effective solution to cup anemometer calibration, especially suited...

  9. Calibration of Flick standards

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thalmann, Ruedi; Spiller, Jürg; Küng, Alain; Jusko, Otto

    2012-01-01

    Flick standards or magnification standards are widely used for an efficient and functional calibration of the sensitivity of form measuring instruments. The results of a recent measurement comparison have shown to be partially unsatisfactory and revealed problems related to the calibration of these standards. In this paper the influence factors for the calibration of Flick standards using roundness measurement instruments are discussed in detail, in particular the bandwidth of the measurement chain, residual form errors of the device under test, profile distortions due to the diameter of the probing element and questions related to the definition of the measurand. The different contributions are estimated using simulations and are experimentally verified. Also alternative methods to calibrate Flick standards are investigated. Finally the practical limitations of Flick standard calibration are shown and the usability of Flick standards both to calibrate the sensitivity of roundness instruments and to check the filter function of such instruments is analysed. (paper)

  10. Hierarchically structured photonic crystals for integrated chemical separation and colorimetric detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Qianqian; Zhu, Biting; Ge, Jianping

    2017-02-16

    A SiO 2 colloidal photonic crystal film with a hierarchical porous structure is fabricated to demonstrate an integrated separation and colorimetric detection of chemical species for the first time. This new photonic crystal based thin layer chromatography process requires no dyeing, developing and UV irradiation compared to the traditional TLC. The assembling of mesoporous SiO 2 particles via a supersaturation-induced-precipitation process forms uniform and hierarchical photonic crystals with micron-scale cracks and mesopores, which accelerate the diffusion of developers and intensify the adsorption/desorption between the analytes and silica for efficient separation. Meanwhile, the chemical substances infiltrated to the voids of photonic crystals cause an increase of the refractive index and a large contrast of structural colors towards the unloaded part, so that the sample spots can be directly recognized with the naked eye before and after separation.

  11. Methods of analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory; determination of the total phosphorus by a Kjeldahl digestion method and an automated colorimetric finish that includes dialysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patton, Charles J.; Truitt, Earl P.

    1992-01-01

    A method to determine total phosphorus (TP) in the same digests prepared for total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) determinations is desribed. The batch, high-temperature (block digester), HG(II)-catalyzed digestion step is similar to U.S. Geological Survey methods I-2552-85/I-4552-85 and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency method 365.4 except that sample and reagent volumes are halved. Prepared digests are desolvated at 220 degrees Celsius and digested at 370 degrees Celsius in separate block digesters set at these temperatures, rather than in a single, temperature-programmed block digester. This approach is used in the method escribed here, which permits 40 calibrants, reference waters, and smaples to be digested and resolvated in about an hour. Orthophosphate ions originally present in samples, along with those released during the digestion step, are determined colorimetrically at a rate of 90 tests per hour by an automated version of the phosphoantimonylmolybdenum blue procedure. About 100 microliters of digest are required per determination. The upper concentration limit is 2 milligrams per liter (mg/L) with a method detection limt of 0.01 mg/L. Repeatability for a sample containing approximately 1.6 mg/L of TP in a high suspended-solids matrix is 0.7 percent. Between-day precision for the same sample is 5.0 percent. A dialyzer in the air-segmented continuous flow analyzer provides on-line digest cleanup, eliminated particulates that otherwise would interfere in the colorimetric finish. An single-channel analyzer can process the resolvated digests from two pairs of block digesters each hour. Paired t-test analysis of TP concentrations for approximately 1,600 samples determined by the new method (U.S. Geologial Survey methods I-2610-91 and I-4610-91) and the old method (U.S. Geological Survey methods I-2600-85 and I-4600-85) revealed positive bias in the former of 0.02 to 0.04 mg/L for surface-water samples in agreement with previous studies. Concentrations of total

  12. Automatic Photoelectric Telescope Service

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Genet, R.M.; Boyd, L.J.; Kissell, K.E.; Crawford, D.L.; Hall, D.S.; BDM Corp., McLean, VA; Kitt Peak National Observatory, Tucson, AZ; Dyer Observatory, Nashville, TN)

    1987-01-01

    Automatic observatories have the potential of gathering sizable amounts of high-quality astronomical data at low cost. The Automatic Photoelectric Telescope Service (APT Service) has realized this potential and is routinely making photometric observations of a large number of variable stars. However, without observers to provide on-site monitoring, it was necessary to incorporate special quality checks into the operation of the APT Service at its multiple automatic telescope installation on Mount Hopkins. 18 references

  13. Automatic imitation: A meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cracco, Emiel; Bardi, Lara; Desmet, Charlotte; Genschow, Oliver; Rigoni, Davide; De Coster, Lize; Radkova, Ina; Deschrijver, Eliane; Brass, Marcel

    2018-05-01

    Automatic imitation is the finding that movement execution is facilitated by compatible and impeded by incompatible observed movements. In the past 15 years, automatic imitation has been studied to understand the relation between perception and action in social interaction. Although research on this topic started in cognitive science, interest quickly spread to related disciplines such as social psychology, clinical psychology, and neuroscience. However, important theoretical questions have remained unanswered. Therefore, in the present meta-analysis, we evaluated seven key questions on automatic imitation. The results, based on 161 studies containing 226 experiments, revealed an overall effect size of g z = 0.95, 95% CI [0.88, 1.02]. Moderator analyses identified automatic imitation as a flexible, largely automatic process that is driven by movement and effector compatibility, but is also influenced by spatial compatibility. Automatic imitation was found to be stronger for forced choice tasks than for simple response tasks, for human agents than for nonhuman agents, and for goalless actions than for goal-directed actions. However, it was not modulated by more subtle factors such as animacy beliefs, motion profiles, or visual perspective. Finally, there was no evidence for a relation between automatic imitation and either empathy or autism. Among other things, these findings point toward actor-imitator similarity as a crucial modulator of automatic imitation and challenge the view that imitative tendencies are an indicator of social functioning. The current meta-analysis has important theoretical implications and sheds light on longstanding controversies in the literature on automatic imitation and related domains. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  14. Synthesis Polarimetry Calibration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moellenbrock, George

    2017-10-01

    Synthesis instrumental polarization calibration fundamentals for both linear (ALMA) and circular (EVLA) feed bases are reviewed, with special attention to the calibration heuristics supported in CASA. Practical problems affecting modern instruments are also discussed.

  15. Sandia WIPP calibration traceability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schuhen, M.D. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Dean, T.A. [RE/SPEC, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    1996-05-01

    This report summarizes the work performed to establish calibration traceability for the instrumentation used by Sandia National Laboratories at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) during testing from 1980-1985. Identifying the calibration traceability is an important part of establishing a pedigree for the data and is part of the qualification of existing data. In general, the requirement states that the calibration of Measuring and Test equipment must have a valid relationship to nationally recognized standards or the basis for the calibration must be documented. Sandia recognized that just establishing calibration traceability would not necessarily mean that all QA requirements were met during the certification of test instrumentation. To address this concern, the assessment was expanded to include various activities.

  16. Sandia WIPP calibration traceability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schuhen, M.D.; Dean, T.A.

    1996-05-01

    This report summarizes the work performed to establish calibration traceability for the instrumentation used by Sandia National Laboratories at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) during testing from 1980-1985. Identifying the calibration traceability is an important part of establishing a pedigree for the data and is part of the qualification of existing data. In general, the requirement states that the calibration of Measuring and Test equipment must have a valid relationship to nationally recognized standards or the basis for the calibration must be documented. Sandia recognized that just establishing calibration traceability would not necessarily mean that all QA requirements were met during the certification of test instrumentation. To address this concern, the assessment was expanded to include various activities

  17. Application of Computer Vision for quality control in frozen mixed berries production: colour calibration issues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Ricauda Aimonino

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Computer vision is becoming increasingly important in quality control of many food processes. The appearance properties of food products (colour, texture, shape and size are, in fact, correlated with organoleptic characteristics and/or the presence of defects. Quality control based on image processing eliminates the subjectivity of human visual inspection, allowing rapid and non-destructive analysis. However, most food matrices show a wide variability in appearance features, therefore robust and customized image elaboration algorithms have to be implemented for each specific product. For this reason, quality control by visual inspection is still rather diffused in several food processes. The case study inspiring this paper concerns the production of frozen mixed berries. Once frozen, different kinds of berries are mixed together, in different amounts, according to a recipe. The correct quantity of each kind of fruit, within a certain tolerance, has to be ensured by producers. Quality control relies on bringing few samples for each production lot (samples of the same weight and, manually, counting the amount of each species. This operation is tedious, subject to errors, and time consuming, while a computer vision system (CVS could determine the amount of each kind of berries in a few seconds. This paper discusses the problem of colour calibration of the CVS used for frozen berries mixture evaluation. Images are acquired by a digital camera coupled with a dome lighting system, which gives a homogeneous illumination on the entire visible surface of the berries, and a flat bed scanner. RBG device dependent data are then mapped onto CIELab colorimetric colour space using different transformation operators. The obtained results show that the proposed calibration procedure leads to colour discrepancies comparable or even below the human eyes sensibility.

  18. Design of a dual-function peptide probe as a binder of angiotensin II and an inducer of silver nanoparticle aggregation for use in label-free colorimetric assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okochi, Mina; Kuboyama, Masashi; Tanaka, Masayoshi; Honda, Hiroyuki

    2015-09-01

    Label-free colorimetric assays using metallic nanoparticles have received much recent attention, for their application in simple and sensitive methods for detection of biomolecules. Short peptide probes that can bind to analyte biomolecules are attractive ligands in molecular nanotechnology; however, identification of biological recognition motifs is usually based on trial-and-error experiments. Herein, a peptide probe was screened for colorimetric detection of angiotensin II (Ang II) using a mechanism for non-crosslinking aggregation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The dual-function peptides, which bind to the analyte and induce AgNP aggregation, were identified using a two-step strategy: (1) screening of an Ang II-binding peptide from an Ang II receptor sequence library, using SPOT technology, which enable peptides synthesis on cellulose membranes via an Fmoc method and (2) selection of peptide probes that effectively induce aggregation of AgNPs using a photolinker modified peptide array. Using the identified peptide probe, KGKNKRRR, aggregation of AgNPs was detected by observation of a pink color in the absence of Ang II, whereas AgNPs remained dispersed in the presence of Ang II (yellow). The color changes were not observed in the presence of other hormone molecules. Ang II could be detected within 15 min, with a detection limit of 10 µM, by measuring the ratio of absorbance at 400 nm and 568 nm; the signal could also be observed with the naked eye. These data suggest that the peptide identified here could be used as a probe for simple and rapid colorimetric detection of Ang II. This strategy for the identification of functional peptides shows promise for the development of colorimetric detection of various diagnostically important biomolecules. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Intercomparison of hydrological model structures and calibration approaches in climate scenario impact projections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vansteenkiste, Thomas; Tavakoli, Mohsen; Ntegeka, Victor; De Smedt, Florimond; Batelaan, Okke; Pereira, Fernando; Willems, Patrick

    2014-11-01

    calibration was tested by comparing the manual calibration approach with automatic calibrations of the VHM model based on different objective functions. The calibration approach did not significantly alter the model results for peak flow, but the low flow projections were again highly influenced. Model choice as well as calibration strategy hence have a critical impact on low flows, more than on peak flows. These results highlight the high uncertainty in low flow modelling, especially in a climate change context.

  20. Graphene Oxide-terpyridine Conjugate: A Highly Selective Colorimetric and Sensitive Fluorescence Nano-chemosensor for Fe2+ in Aqueous Media

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bagher Eftekhari-Sis

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available A graphene oxide-terpyridine conjugate (GOTC based colorimetric and fluorescent nano-chemosensor was synthesized. It showed high selectivity and sensitivity for Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions in neutral aqueous solution over other metal ions such as Li+, Na+, Ba2+, Ca2+, Al3+, Cd2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Hg2+, Mn2+, Ni2+, Pb2+, Zn2+, Cr3+ and Ag+. In absorption spectra, upon addition of Fe2+ or Fe3+, the sensor displayed a peak at 568 nm, by changing the color of the solution from light pink for GOTC to light magenta and deep magenta for Fe3+ and Fe2+, respectively. Also, the fluorescence studies revealed that, Fe2+, Fe3+ and Co2+ quench the emission of GOTC at 473 nm, while other metal ions do not quench the fluorescence of GOTC in solution. Colorimetric and fluorescence techniques could be used for detection of Fe2+ ion concentration at least about 6-10 μM in water solution. The sensing on test paper was also investigated for the naked-eye detection of Fe2+.