Research on Horizontal Accuracy Method of High Spatial Resolution Remotely Sensed Orthophoto Image

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Y. M.; Zhang, J. X.; Yu, F.; Dong, S.

2018-04-01

At present, in the inspection and acceptance of high spatial resolution remotly sensed orthophoto image, the horizontal accuracy detection is testing and evaluating the accuracy of images, which mostly based on a set of testing points with the same accuracy and reliability. However, it is difficult to get a set of testing points with the same accuracy and reliability in the areas where the field measurement is difficult and the reference data with high accuracy is not enough. So it is difficult to test and evaluate the horizontal accuracy of the orthophoto image. The uncertainty of the horizontal accuracy has become a bottleneck for the application of satellite borne high-resolution remote sensing image and the scope of service expansion. Therefore, this paper proposes a new method to test the horizontal accuracy of orthophoto image. This method using the testing points with different accuracy and reliability. These points' source is high accuracy reference data and field measurement. The new method solves the horizontal accuracy detection of the orthophoto image in the difficult areas and provides the basis for providing reliable orthophoto images to the users.

High accuracy 3-D laser radar

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Busck, Jens; Heiselberg, Henning

2004-01-01

We have developed a mono-static staring 3-D laser radar based on gated viewing with range accuracy below 1 m at 10 m and 1 cm at 100. We use a high sensitivity, fast, intensified CCD camera, and a Nd:Yag passively Q-switched 32.4 kHz pulsed green laser at 532 nm. The CCD has 752x582 pixels. Camera...

Social Power Increases Interoceptive Accuracy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehrad Moeini-Jazani

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Building on recent psychological research showing that power increases self-focused attention, we propose that having power increases accuracy in perception of bodily signals, a phenomenon known as interoceptive accuracy. Consistent with our proposition, participants in a high-power experimental condition outperformed those in the control and low-power conditions in the Schandry heartbeat-detection task. We demonstrate that the effect of power on interoceptive accuracy is not explained by participants’ physiological arousal, affective state, or general intention for accuracy. Rather, consistent with our reasoning that experiencing power shifts attentional resources inward, we show that the effect of power on interoceptive accuracy is dependent on individuals’ chronic tendency to focus on their internal sensations. Moreover, we demonstrate that individuals’ chronic sense of power also predicts interoceptive accuracy similar to, and independent of, how their situationally induced feeling of power does. We therefore provide further support on the relation between power and enhanced perception of bodily signals. Our findings offer a novel perspective–a psychophysiological account–on how power might affect judgments and behavior. We highlight and discuss some of these intriguing possibilities for future research.

High accuracy autonomous navigation using the global positioning system (GPS)

Science.gov (United States)

Truong, Son H.; Hart, Roger C.; Shoan, Wendy C.; Wood, Terri; Long, Anne C.; Oza, Dipak H.; Lee, Taesul

1997-01-01

The application of global positioning system (GPS) technology to the improvement of the accuracy and economy of spacecraft navigation, is reported. High-accuracy autonomous navigation algorithms are currently being qualified in conjunction with the GPS attitude determination flyer (GADFLY) experiment for the small satellite technology initiative Lewis spacecraft. Preflight performance assessments indicated that these algorithms are able to provide a real time total position accuracy of better than 10 m and a velocity accuracy of better than 0.01 m/s, with selective availability at typical levels. It is expected that the position accuracy will be increased to 2 m if corrections are provided by the GPS wide area augmentation system.

Switched-capacitor techniques for high-accuracy filter and ADC design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Quinn, P.J.; Roermund, van A.H.M.

2007-01-01

Switched capacitor (SC) techniques are well proven to be excellent candidates for implementing critical analogue functions with high accuracy, surpassing other analogue techniques when embedded in mixed-signal CMOS VLSI. Conventional SC circuits are primarily limited in accuracy by a) capacitor

High-accuracy mass spectrometry for fundamental studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Kluge, H-Jürgen

2010-01-01

Mass spectrometry for fundamental studies in metrology and atomic, nuclear and particle physics requires extreme sensitivity and efficiency as well as ultimate resolving power and accuracy. An overview will be given on the global status of high-accuracy mass spectrometry for fundamental physics and metrology. Three quite different examples of modern mass spectrometric experiments in physics are presented: (i) the retardation spectrometer KATRIN at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, employing electrostatic filtering in combination with magnetic-adiabatic collimation-the biggest mass spectrometer for determining the smallest mass, i.e. the mass of the electron anti-neutrino, (ii) the Experimental Cooler-Storage Ring at GSI-a mass spectrometer of medium size, relative to other accelerators, for determining medium-heavy masses and (iii) the Penning trap facility, SHIPTRAP, at GSI-the smallest mass spectrometer for determining the heaviest masses, those of super-heavy elements. Finally, a short view into the future will address the GSI project HITRAP at GSI for fundamental studies with highly-charged ions.

Accuracy Assessment for the Three-Dimensional Coordinates by High-Speed Videogrammetric Measurement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xianglei Liu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available High-speed CMOS camera is a new kind of transducer to make the videogrammetric measurement for monitoring the displacement of high-speed shaking table structure. The purpose of this paper is to validate the three-dimensional coordinate accuracy of the shaking table structure acquired from the presented high-speed videogrammetric measuring system. In the paper, all of the key intermediate links are discussed, including the high-speed CMOS videogrammetric measurement system, the layout of the control network, the elliptical target detection, and the accuracy validation of final 3D spatial results. Through the accuracy analysis, the submillimeter accuracy can be made for the final the three-dimensional spatial coordinates which certify that the proposed high-speed videogrammetric technique is a better alternative technique which can replace the traditional transducer technique for monitoring the dynamic response for the shaking table structure.

An angle encoder for super-high resolution and super-high accuracy using SelfA

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Tsukasa; Kon, Masahito; Nabeshima, Nobuo; Taniguchi, Kayoko

2014-06-01

Angular measurement technology at high resolution for applications such as in hard disk drive manufacturing machines, precision measurement equipment and aspherical process machines requires a rotary encoder with high accuracy, high resolution and high response speed. However, a rotary encoder has angular deviation factors during operation due to scale error or installation error. It has been assumed to be impossible to achieve accuracy below 0.1″ in angular measurement or control after the installation onto the rotating axis. Self-calibration (Lu and Trumper 2007 CIRP Ann. 56 499; Kim et al 2011 Proc. MacroScale; Probst 2008 Meas. Sci. Technol. 19 015101; Probst et al Meas. Sci. Technol. 9 1059; Tadashi and Makoto 1993 J. Robot. Mechatronics 5 448; Ralf et al 2006 Meas. Sci. Technol. 17 2811) and cross-calibration (Probst et al 1998 Meas. Sci. Technol. 9 1059; Just et al 2009 Precis. Eng. 33 530; Burnashev 2013 Quantum Electron. 43 130) technologies for a rotary encoder have been actively discussed on the basis of the principle of circular closure. This discussion prompted the development of rotary tables which achieve reliable and high accuracy angular verification. We apply these technologies for the development of a rotary encoder not only to meet the requirement of super-high accuracy but also to meet that of super-high resolution. This paper presents the development of an encoder with 221 = 2097 152 resolutions per rotation (360°), that is, corresponding to a 0.62″ signal period, achieved by the combination of a laser rotary encoder supplied by Magnescale Co., Ltd and a self-calibratable encoder (SelfA) supplied by The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology (AIST). In addition, this paper introduces the development of a rotary encoder to guarantee ±0.03″ accuracy at any point of the interpolated signal, with respect to the encoder at the minimum resolution of 233, that is, corresponding to a 0.0015″ signal period after

A high accuracy algorithm of displacement measurement for a micro-positioning stage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiang Zhang

2017-05-01

Full Text Available A high accuracy displacement measurement algorithm for a two degrees of freedom compliant precision micro-positioning stage is proposed based on the computer micro-vision technique. The algorithm consists of an integer-pixel and a subpixel matching procedure. Series of simulations are conducted to verify the proposed method. The results show that the proposed algorithm possesses the advantages of high precision and stability, the resolution can attain to 0.01 pixel theoretically. In addition, the consuming time is reduced about 6.7 times compared with the classical normalized cross correlation algorithm. To validate the practical performance of the proposed algorithm, a laser interferometer measurement system (LIMS is built up. The experimental results demonstrate that the algorithm has better adaptability than that of the LIMS.

Meditation experience predicts introspective accuracy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kieran C R Fox

Full Text Available The accuracy of subjective reports, especially those involving introspection of one's own internal processes, remains unclear, and research has demonstrated large individual differences in introspective accuracy. It has been hypothesized that introspective accuracy may be heightened in persons who engage in meditation practices, due to the highly introspective nature of such practices. We undertook a preliminary exploration of this hypothesis, examining introspective accuracy in a cross-section of meditation practitioners (1-15,000 hrs experience. Introspective accuracy was assessed by comparing subjective reports of tactile sensitivity for each of 20 body regions during a 'body-scanning' meditation with averaged, objective measures of tactile sensitivity (mean size of body representation area in primary somatosensory cortex; two-point discrimination threshold as reported in prior research. Expert meditators showed significantly better introspective accuracy than novices; overall meditation experience also significantly predicted individual introspective accuracy. These results suggest that long-term meditators provide more accurate introspective reports than novices.

Enhancing the Accuracy of Advanced High Temperature Mechanical Testing through Thermography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan Jones

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the advantages and enhanced accuracy thermography provides to high temperature mechanical testing. This technique is not only used to monitor, but also to control test specimen temperatures where the infra-red technique enables accurate non-invasive control of rapid thermal cycling for non-metallic materials. Isothermal and dynamic waveforms are employed over a 200–800 °C temperature range to pre-oxidised and coated specimens to assess the capability of the technique. This application shows thermography to be accurate to within ±2 °C of thermocouples, a standardised measurement technique. This work demonstrates the superior visibility of test temperatures previously unobtainable by conventional thermocouples or even more modern pyrometers that thermography can deliver. As a result, the speed and accuracy of thermal profiling, thermal gradient measurements and cold/hot spot identification using the technique has increased significantly to the point where temperature can now be controlled by averaging over a specified area. The increased visibility of specimen temperatures has revealed additional unknown effects such as thermocouple shadowing, preferential crack tip heating within an induction coil, and, fundamental response time of individual measurement techniques which are investigated further.

High-Accuracy Elevation Data at Large Scales from Airborne Single-Pass SAR Interferometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guy Jean-Pierre Schumann

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Digital elevation models (DEMs are essential data sets for disaster risk management and humanitarian relief services as well as many environmental process models. At present, on the hand, globally available DEMs only meet the basic requirements and for many services and modeling studies are not of high enough spatial resolution and lack accuracy in the vertical. On the other hand, LiDAR-DEMs are of very high spatial resolution and great vertical accuracy but acquisition operations can be very costly for spatial scales larger than a couple of hundred square km and also have severe limitations in wetland areas and under cloudy and rainy conditions. The ideal situation would thus be to have a DEM technology that allows larger spatial coverage than LiDAR but without compromising resolution and vertical accuracy and still performing under some adverse weather conditions and at a reasonable cost. In this paper, we present a novel single pass In-SAR technology for airborne vehicles that is cost-effective and can generate DEMs with a vertical error of around 0.3 m for an average spatial resolution of 3 m. To demonstrate this capability, we compare a sample single-pass In-SAR Ka-band DEM of the California Central Valley from the NASA/JPL airborne GLISTIN-A to a high-resolution LiDAR DEM. We also perform a simple sensitivity analysis to floodplain inundation. Based on the findings of our analysis, we argue that this type of technology can and should be used to replace large regions of globally available lower resolution DEMs, particularly in coastal, delta and floodplain areas where a high number of assets, habitats and lives are at risk from natural disasters. We conclude with a discussion on requirements, advantages and caveats in terms of instrument and data processing.

An angle encoder for super-high resolution and super-high accuracy using SelfA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Tsukasa; Kon, Masahito; Nabeshima, Nobuo; Taniguchi, Kayoko

2014-01-01

Angular measurement technology at high resolution for applications such as in hard disk drive manufacturing machines, precision measurement equipment and aspherical process machines requires a rotary encoder with high accuracy, high resolution and high response speed. However, a rotary encoder has angular deviation factors during operation due to scale error or installation error. It has been assumed to be impossible to achieve accuracy below 0.1″ in angular measurement or control after the installation onto the rotating axis. Self-calibration (Lu and Trumper 2007 CIRP Ann. 56 499; Kim et al 2011 Proc. MacroScale; Probst 2008 Meas. Sci. Technol. 19 015101; Probst et al Meas. Sci. Technol. 9 1059; Tadashi and Makoto 1993 J. Robot. Mechatronics 5 448; Ralf et al 2006 Meas. Sci. Technol. 17 2811) and cross-calibration (Probst et al 1998 Meas. Sci. Technol. 9 1059; Just et al 2009 Precis. Eng. 33 530; Burnashev 2013 Quantum Electron. 43 130) technologies for a rotary encoder have been actively discussed on the basis of the principle of circular closure. This discussion prompted the development of rotary tables which achieve reliable and high accuracy angular verification. We apply these technologies for the development of a rotary encoder not only to meet the requirement of super-high accuracy but also to meet that of super-high resolution. This paper presents the development of an encoder with 2 21 = 2097 152 resolutions per rotation (360°), that is, corresponding to a 0.62″ signal period, achieved by the combination of a laser rotary encoder supplied by Magnescale Co., Ltd and a self-calibratable encoder (SelfA) supplied by The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). In addition, this paper introduces the development of a rotary encoder to guarantee ±0.03″ accuracy at any point of the interpolated signal, with respect to the encoder at the minimum resolution of 2 33 , that is, corresponding to a 0.0015″ signal period

Fast and High Accuracy Wire Scanner

CERN Document Server

Koujili, M; Koopman, J; Ramos, D; Sapinski, M; De Freitas, J; Ait Amira, Y; Djerdir, A

2009-01-01

Scanning of a high intensity particle beam imposes challenging requirements on a Wire Scanner system. It is expected to reach a scanning speed of 20 m.s-1 with a position accuracy of the order of 1 μm. In addition a timing accuracy better than 1 millisecond is needed. The adopted solution consists of a fork holding a wire rotating by a maximum of 200°. Fork, rotor and angular position sensor are mounted on the same axis and located in a chamber connected to the beam vacuum. The requirements imply the design of a system with extremely low vibration, vacuum compatibility, radiation and temperature tolerance. The adopted solution consists of a rotary brushless synchronous motor with the permanent magnet rotor installed inside of the vacuum chamber and the stator installed outside. The accurate position sensor will be mounted on the rotary shaft inside of the vacuum chamber, has to resist a bake-out temperature of 200°C and ionizing radiation up to a dozen of kGy/year. A digital feedback controller allows maxi...

Innovative Technique for High-Accuracy Remote Monitoring of Surface Water

Science.gov (United States)

Gisler, A.; Barton-Grimley, R. A.; Thayer, J. P.; Crowley, G.

2016-12-01

Lidar (light detection and ranging) provides absolute depth and topographic mapping capability compared to other remote sensing methods, which is useful for mapping rapidly changing environments such as riverine systems and agricultural waterways. Effectiveness of current lidar bathymetric systems is limited by the difficulty in unambiguously identifying backscattered lidar signals from the water surface versus the bottom, limiting their depth resolution to 0.3-0.5 m. Additionally these are large, bulky systems that are constrained to expensive aircraft-mounted platforms and use waveform-processing techniques requiring substantial computation time. These restrictions are prohibitive for many potential users. A novel lidar device has been developed that allows for non-contact measurements of water depth down to 1 cm with an accuracy and precision of shallow to deep water allowing for shoreline charting, measuring water volume, mapping bottom topology, and identifying submerged objects. The scalability of the technique opens up the ability for handheld or UAS-mounted lidar bathymetric systems, which provides for potential applications currently unavailable to the community. The high laser pulse repetition rate allows for very fine horizontal resolution while the photon-counting technique permits real-time depth measurement and object detection. The enhanced measurement capability, portability, scalability, and relatively low-cost creates the opportunity to perform frequent high-accuracy monitoring and measuring of aquatic environments which is crucial for monitoring water resources on fast timescales. Results from recent campaigns measuring water depth in flowing creeks and murky ponds will be presented which demonstrate that the method is not limited by rough water surfaces and can map underwater topology through moderately turbid water.

High-accuracy measurements of the normal specular reflectance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voarino, Philippe; Piombini, Herve; Sabary, Frederic; Marteau, Daniel; Dubard, Jimmy; Hameury, Jacques; Filtz, Jean Remy

2008-01-01

The French Laser Megajoule (LMJ) is designed and constructed by the French Commissariata l'Energie Atomique (CEA). Its amplifying section needs highly reflective multilayer mirrors for the flash lamps. To monitor and improve the coating process, the reflectors have to be characterized to high accuracy. The described spectrophotometer is designed to measure normal specular reflectance with high repeatability by using a small spot size of 100 μm. Results are compared with ellipsometric measurements. The instrument can also perform spatial characterization to detect coating nonuniformity

A high accuracy land use/cover retrieval system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alaa Hefnawy

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The effects of spatial resolution on the accuracy of mapping land use/cover types have received increasing attention as a large number of multi-scale earth observation data become available. Although many methods of semi automated image classification of remotely sensed data have been established for improving the accuracy of land use/cover classification during the past 40 years, most of them were employed in single-resolution image classification, which led to unsatisfactory results. In this paper, we propose a multi-resolution fast adaptive content-based retrieval system of satellite images. Through our proposed system, we apply a Super Resolution technique for the Landsat-TM images to have a high resolution dataset. The human–computer interactive system is based on modified radial basis function for retrieval of satellite database images. We apply the backpropagation supervised artificial neural network classifier for both the multi and single resolution datasets. The results show significant improved land use/cover classification accuracy for the multi-resolution approach compared with those from single-resolution approach.

High accuracy satellite drag model (HASDM)

Science.gov (United States)

Storz, Mark F.; Bowman, Bruce R.; Branson, Major James I.; Casali, Stephen J.; Tobiska, W. Kent

The dominant error source in force models used to predict low-perigee satellite trajectories is atmospheric drag. Errors in operational thermospheric density models cause significant errors in predicted satellite positions, since these models do not account for dynamic changes in atmospheric drag for orbit predictions. The Air Force Space Battlelab's High Accuracy Satellite Drag Model (HASDM) estimates and predicts (out three days) a dynamically varying global density field. HASDM includes the Dynamic Calibration Atmosphere (DCA) algorithm that solves for the phases and amplitudes of the diurnal and semidiurnal variations of thermospheric density near real-time from the observed drag effects on a set of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) calibration satellites. The density correction is expressed as a function of latitude, local solar time and altitude. In HASDM, a time series prediction filter relates the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) energy index E10.7 and the geomagnetic storm index ap, to the DCA density correction parameters. The E10.7 index is generated by the SOLAR2000 model, the first full spectrum model of solar irradiance. The estimated and predicted density fields will be used operationally to significantly improve the accuracy of predicted trajectories for all low-perigee satellites.

A New Three-Dimensional High-Accuracy Automatic Alignment System For Single-Mode Fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Yun-jiang, Rao; Shang-lian, Huang; Ping, Li; Yu-mei, Wen; Jun, Tang

1990-02-01

In order to achieve the low-loss splices of single-mode fibers, a new three-dimension high-accuracy automatic alignment system for single -mode fibers has been developed, which includes a new-type three-dimension high-resolution microdisplacement servo stage driven by piezoelectric elements, a new high-accuracy measurement system for the misalignment error of the fiber core-axis, and a special single chip microcomputer processing system. The experimental results show that alignment accuracy of ±0.1 pin with a movable stroke of -±20μm has been obtained. This new system has more advantages than that reported.

Adaptive sensor-based ultra-high accuracy solar concentrator tracker

Science.gov (United States)

Brinkley, Jordyn; Hassanzadeh, Ali

2017-09-01

Conventional solar trackers use information of the sun's position, either by direct sensing or by GPS. Our method uses the shading of the receiver. This, coupled with nonimaging optics design allows us to achieve ultra-high concentration. Incorporating a sensor based shadow tracking method with a two stage concentration solar hybrid parabolic trough allows the system to maintain high concentration with acute accuracy.

High accuracy digital aging monitor based on PLL-VCO circuit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yuejun; Jiang Zhidi; Wang Pengjun; Zhang Xuelong

2015-01-01

As the manufacturing process is scaled down to the nanoscale, the aging phenomenon significantly affects the reliability and lifetime of integrated circuits. Consequently, the precise measurement of digital CMOS aging is a key aspect of nanoscale aging tolerant circuit design. This paper proposes a high accuracy digital aging monitor using phase-locked loop and voltage-controlled oscillator (PLL-VCO) circuit. The proposed monitor eliminates the circuit self-aging effect for the characteristic of PLL, whose frequency has no relationship with circuit aging phenomenon. The PLL-VCO monitor is implemented in TSMC low power 65 nm CMOS technology, and its area occupies 303.28 × 298.94 μm 2 . After accelerating aging tests, the experimental results show that PLL-VCO monitor improves accuracy about high temperature by 2.4% and high voltage by 18.7%. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

A proposal for limited criminal liability in high-accuracy endoscopic sinus surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Voultsos, P; Casini, M; Ricci, G; Tambone, V; Midolo, E; Spagnolo, A G

2017-02-01

The aim of the present study is to propose legal reform limiting surgeons' criminal liability in high-accuracy and high-risk surgery such as endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). The study includes a review of the medical literature, focusing on identifying and examining reasons why ESS carries a very high risk of serious complications related to inaccurate surgical manoeuvers and reviewing British and Italian legal theory and case-law on medical negligence, especially with regard to Italian Law 189/2012 (so called "Balduzzi" Law). It was found that serious complications due to inaccurate surgical manoeuvers may occur in ESS regardless of the skill, experience and prudence/diligence of the surgeon. Subjectivity should be essential to medical negligence, especially regarding high-accuracy surgery. Italian Law 189/2012 represents a good basis for the limitation of criminal liability resulting from inaccurate manoeuvres in high-accuracy surgery such as ESS. It is concluded that ESS surgeons should be relieved of criminal liability in cases of simple/ordinary negligence where guidelines have been observed. © Copyright by Società Italiana di Otorinolaringologia e Chirurgia Cervico-Facciale, Rome, Italy.

Overlay accuracy fundamentals

Science.gov (United States)

Kandel, Daniel; Levinski, Vladimir; Sapiens, Noam; Cohen, Guy; Amit, Eran; Klein, Dana; Vakshtein, Irina

2012-03-01

Currently, the performance of overlay metrology is evaluated mainly based on random error contributions such as precision and TIS variability. With the expected shrinkage of the overlay metrology budget to DBO (1st order diffraction based overlay). It is demonstrated that the sensitivity of DBO to overlay mark asymmetry is larger than the sensitivity of imaging overlay. Finally, we show that a recently developed measurement quality metric serves as a valuable tool for improving overlay metrology accuracy. Simulation results demonstrate that the accuracy of imaging overlay can be improved significantly by recipe setup optimized using the quality metric. We conclude that imaging overlay metrology, complemented by appropriate use of measurement quality metric, results in optimal overlay accuracy.

High current high accuracy IGBT pulse generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nesterov, V.V.; Donaldson, A.R.

1995-05-01

A solid state pulse generator capable of delivering high current triangular or trapezoidal pulses into an inductive load has been developed at SLAC. Energy stored in a capacitor bank of the pulse generator is switched to the load through a pair of insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT). The circuit can then recover the remaining energy and transfer it back to the capacitor bank without reversing the capacitor voltage. A third IGBT device is employed to control the initial charge to the capacitor bank, a command charging technique, and to compensate for pulse to pulse power losses. The rack mounted pulse generator contains a 525 μF capacitor bank. It can deliver 500 A at 900V into inductive loads up to 3 mH. The current amplitude and discharge time are controlled to 0.02% accuracy by a precision controller through the SLAC central computer system. This pulse generator drives a series pair of extraction dipoles

High-accuracy determination for optical indicatrix rotation in ferroelectric DTGS

OpenAIRE

O.S.Kushnir; O.A.Bevz; O.G.Vlokh

2000-01-01

Optical indicatrix rotation in deuterated ferroelectric triglycine sulphate is studied with the high-accuracy null-polarimetric technique. The behaviour of the effect in ferroelectric phase is referred to quadratic spontaneous electrooptics.

Achieving High Accuracy in Calculations of NMR Parameters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Faber, Rasmus

quantum chemical methods have been developed, the calculation of NMR parameters with quantitative accuracy is far from trivial. In this thesis I address some of the issues that makes accurate calculation of NMR parameters so challenging, with the main focus on SSCCs. High accuracy quantum chemical......, but no programs were available to perform such calculations. As part of this thesis the CFOUR program has therefore been extended to allow the calculation of SSCCs using the CC3 method. CC3 calculations of SSCCs have then been performed for several molecules, including some difficult cases. These results show...... vibrations must be included. The calculation of vibrational corrections to NMR parameters has been reviewed as part of this thesis. A study of the basis set convergence of vibrational corrections to nuclear shielding constants has also been performed. The basis set error in vibrational correction...

High-accuracy measurement and compensation of grating line-density error in a tiled-grating compressor

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Dan; Wang, Xiao; Mu, Jie; Li, Zhilin; Zuo, Yanlei; Zhou, Song; Zhou, Kainan; Zeng, Xiaoming; Su, Jingqin; Zhu, Qihua

2017-02-01

The grating tiling technology is one of the most effective means to increase the aperture of the gratings. The line-density error (LDE) between sub-gratings will degrade the performance of the tiling gratings, high accuracy measurement and compensation of the LDE are of significance to improve the output pulses characteristics of the tiled-grating compressor. In this paper, the influence of LDE on the output pulses of the tiled-grating compressor is quantitatively analyzed by means of numerical simulation, the output beams drift and output pulses broadening resulting from the LDE are presented. Based on the numerical results we propose a compensation method to reduce the degradations of the tiled grating compressor by applying angular tilt error and longitudinal piston error at the same time. Moreover, a monitoring system is setup to measure the LDE between sub-gratings accurately and the dispersion variation due to the LDE is also demonstrated based on spatial-spectral interference. In this way, we can realize high-accuracy measurement and compensation of the LDE, and this would provide an efficient way to guide the adjustment of the tiling gratings.

High-Accuracy Spherical Near-Field Measurements for Satellite Antenna Testing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Breinbjerg, Olav

2017-01-01

The spherical near-field antenna measurement technique is unique in combining several distinct advantages and it generally constitutes the most accurate technique for experimental characterization of radiation from antennas. From the outset in 1970, spherical near-field antenna measurements have...... matured into a well-established technique that is widely used for testing antennas for many wireless applications. In particular, for high-accuracy applications, such as remote sensing satellite missions in ESA's Earth Observation Programme with uncertainty requirements at the level of 0.05dB - 0.10d......B, the spherical near-field antenna measurement technique is generally superior. This paper addresses the means to achieving high measurement accuracy; these include the measurement technique per se, its implementation in terms of proper measurement procedures, the use of uncertainty estimates, as well as facility...

High Accuracy Piezoelectric Kinemometer; Cinemometro piezoelectrico de alta exactitud (VUAE)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jimenez Martinez, F. J.; Frutos, J. de; Pastor, C.; Vazquez Rodriguez, M.

2012-07-01

We have developed a portable computerized and low consumption, our system is called High Accuracy Piezoelectric Kinemometer measurement, herein VUAE. By the high accuracy obtained by VUAE it make able to use the VUAE to obtain references measurements of system for measuring Speeds in Vehicles. Therefore VUAE could be used how reference equipment to estimate the error of installed kinemometers. The VUAE was created with n (n=2) pairs of ultrasonic transmitter-receiver, herein E-Rult. The transmitters used in the n couples E-Rult generate n ultrasonic barriers and receivers receive the echoes when the vehicle crosses the barriers. Digital processing of the echoes signals let us to obtain acceptable signals. Later, by mean of cross correlation technics is possible make a highly exact estimation of speed of the vehicle. The log of the moments of interception and the distance between each of the n ultrasounds allows for a highly exact estimation of speed of the vehicle. VUAE speed measurements were compared to a speed reference system based on piezoelectric cables. (Author) 11 refs.

Why is a high accuracy needed in dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lanzl, L.H.

1976-01-01

Dose and exposure intercomparisons on a national or international basis have become an important component of quality assurance in the practice of good radiotherapy. A high degree of accuracy of γ and x radiation dosimetry is essential in our international society, where medical information is so readily exchanged and used. The value of accurate dosimetry lies mainly in the avoidance of complications in normal tissue and an optimal degree of tumor control

Cost-effective improvements of a rotating platform by integration of a high-accuracy inclinometer and encoders for attitude evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen, Chenyang; He, Shengyang; Hu, Peida; Bu, Changgen

2017-01-01

Attitude heading reference systems (AHRSs) based on micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) inertial sensors are widely used because of their low cost, light weight, and low power. However, low-cost AHRSs suffer from large inertial sensor errors. Therefore, experimental performance evaluation of MEMS-based AHRSs after system implementation is necessary. High-accuracy turntables can be used to verify the performance of MEMS-based AHRSs indoors, but they are expensive and unsuitable for outdoor tests. This study developed a low-cost two-axis rotating platform for indoor and outdoor attitude determination. A high-accuracy inclinometer and encoders were integrated into the platform to improve the achievable attitude test accuracy. An attitude error compensation method was proposed to calibrate the initial attitude errors caused by the movements and misalignment angles of the platform. The proposed attitude error determination method was examined through rotating experiments, which showed that the standard deviations of the pitch and roll errors were 0.050° and 0.090°, respectively. The pitch and roll errors both decreased to 0.024° when the proposed attitude error determination method was used. This decrease validates the effectiveness of the compensation method. Experimental results demonstrated that the integration of the inclinometer and encoders improved the performance of the low-cost, two-axis, rotating platform in terms of attitude accuracy. (paper)

Higs-instrument: design and demonstration of a high performance gas concentration imager

Science.gov (United States)

Verlaan, A. L.; Klop, W. A.; Visser, H.; van Brug, H.; Human, J.

2017-09-01

Climate change and environmental conditions are high on the political agenda of international governments. Laws and regulations are being setup all around the world to improve the air quality and to reduce the impact. The growth of a number of trace gasses, including CO2, Methane and NOx are especially interesting due to their environmental impact. The regulations made are being based on both models and measurements of the trend of those trace gases over the years. Now the regulations are in place also enforcement and therewith measurements become more and more important. Instruments enabling high spectral and spatial resolution as well as high accurate measurements of trace gases are required to deliver the necessary inputs. Nowadays those measurements are usually performed by space based spectrometers. The requirement for high spectral resolution and measurement accuracy significantly increases the size of the instruments. As a result the instrument and satellite becomes very expensive to develop and to launch. Specialized instruments with a small volume and the required performance will offer significant advantages in both cost and performance. Huib's Innovative Gas Sensor (HIGS, named after its inventor Huib Visser), currently being developed at TNO is an instrument that achieves exactly that. Designed to measure only a single gas concentration, opposed to deriving it from a spectrum, it achieves high performance within a small design volume. The instrument enables instantaneous imaging of the gas distribution of the selected gas. An instrument demonstrator has been developed for NO2 detection. Laboratory measurements proved the measurement technique to be successful. An on-sky measurement campaign is in preparation. This paper addresses both the instrument design as well as the demonstrated performances.

Innovative Fiber-Optic Gyroscopes (FOGs) for High Accuracy Space Applications, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This project aims to develop a compact, highly innovative Inertial Reference/Measurement Unit (IRU/IMU) that pushes the state-of-the-art in high accuracy performance...

High accuracy acoustic relative humidity measurement in duct flow with air.

Science.gov (United States)

van Schaik, Wilhelm; Grooten, Mart; Wernaart, Twan; van der Geld, Cees

2010-01-01

An acoustic relative humidity sensor for air-steam mixtures in duct flow is designed and tested. Theory, construction, calibration, considerations on dynamic response and results are presented. The measurement device is capable of measuring line averaged values of gas velocity, temperature and relative humidity (RH) instantaneously, by applying two ultrasonic transducers and an array of four temperature sensors. Measurement ranges are: gas velocity of 0-12 m/s with an error of ± 0.13 m/s, temperature 0-100 °C with an error of ± 0.07 °C and relative humidity 0-100% with accuracy better than 2 % RH above 50 °C. Main advantage over conventional humidity sensors is the high sensitivity at high RH at temperatures exceeding 50 °C, with accuracy increasing with increasing temperature. The sensors are non-intrusive and resist highly humid environments.

Two high accuracy digital integrators for Rogowski current transducers

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Pan-dian; Li, Hong-bin; Li, Zhen-hua

2014-01-01

The Rogowski current transducers have been widely used in AC current measurement, but their accuracy is mainly subject to the analog integrators, which have typical problems such as poor long-term stability and being susceptible to environmental conditions. The digital integrators can be another choice, but they cannot obtain a stable and accurate output for the reason that the DC component in original signal can be accumulated, which will lead to output DC drift. Unknown initial conditions can also result in integral output DC offset. This paper proposes two improved digital integrators used in Rogowski current transducers instead of traditional analog integrators for high measuring accuracy. A proportional-integral-derivative (PID) feedback controller and an attenuation coefficient have been applied in improving the Al-Alaoui integrator to change its DC response and get an ideal frequency response. For the special design in the field of digital signal processing, the improved digital integrators have better performance than analog integrators. Simulation models are built for the purpose of verification and comparison. The experiments prove that the designed integrators can achieve higher accuracy than analog integrators in steady-state response, transient-state response, and temperature changing condition.

Electron ray tracing with high accuracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, K.; Okubo, T.; Takamoto, K.; Uno, Y.; Kondo, M.

1986-01-01

An electron ray tracing program is developed to investigate the overall geometrical and chromatic aberrations in electron optical systems. The program also computes aberrations due to manufacturing errors in lenses and deflectors. Computation accuracy is improved by (1) calculating electrostatic and magnetic scalar potentials using the finite element method with third-order isoparametric elements, and (2) solving the modified ray equation which the aberrations satisfy. Computation accuracy of 4 nm is achieved for calculating optical properties of the system with an electrostatic lens

A High-Throughput, High-Accuracy System-Level Simulation Framework for System on Chips

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guanyi Sun

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Today's System-on-Chips (SoCs design is extremely challenging because it involves complicated design tradeoffs and heterogeneous design expertise. To explore the large solution space, system architects have to rely on system-level simulators to identify an optimized SoC architecture. In this paper, we propose a system-level simulation framework, System Performance Simulation Implementation Mechanism, or SPSIM. Based on SystemC TLM2.0, the framework consists of an executable SoC model, a simulation tool chain, and a modeling methodology. Compared with the large body of existing research in this area, this work is aimed at delivering a high simulation throughput and, at the same time, guaranteeing a high accuracy on real industrial applications. Integrating the leading TLM techniques, our simulator can attain a simulation speed that is not slower than that of the hardware execution by a factor of 35 on a set of real-world applications. SPSIM incorporates effective timing models, which can achieve a high accuracy after hardware-based calibration. Experimental results on a set of mobile applications proved that the difference between the simulated and measured results of timing performance is within 10%, which in the past can only be attained by cycle-accurate models.

Accuracy of hiatal hernia detection with esophageal high-resolution manometry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weijenborg, P. W.; van Hoeij, F. B.; Smout, A. J. P. M.; Bredenoord, A. J.

2015-01-01

The diagnosis of a sliding hiatal hernia is classically made with endoscopy or barium esophagogram. Spatial separation of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and diaphragm, the hallmark of hiatal hernia, can also be observed on high-resolution manometry (HRM), but the diagnostic accuracy of this

High Accuracy Acoustic Relative Humidity Measurement inDuct Flow with Air

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cees van der Geld

2010-08-01

Full Text Available An acoustic relative humidity sensor for air-steam mixtures in duct flow is designed and tested. Theory, construction, calibration, considerations on dynamic response and results are presented. The measurement device is capable of measuring line averaged values of gas velocity, temperature and relative humidity (RH instantaneously, by applying two ultrasonic transducers and an array of four temperature sensors. Measurement ranges are: gas velocity of 0–12 m/s with an error of ±0.13 m/s, temperature 0–100 °C with an error of ±0.07 °C and relative humidity 0–100% with accuracy better than 2 % RH above 50 °C. Main advantage over conventional humidity sensors is the high sensitivity at high RH at temperatures exceeding 50 °C, with accuracy increasing with increasing temperature. The sensors are non-intrusive and resist highly humid environments.

Innovative High-Accuracy Lidar Bathymetric Technique for the Frequent Measurement of River Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Gisler, A.; Crowley, G.; Thayer, J. P.; Thompson, G. S.; Barton-Grimley, R. A.

2015-12-01

Lidar (light detection and ranging) provides absolute depth and topographic mapping capability compared to other remote sensing methods, which is useful for mapping rapidly changing environments such as riverine systems. Effectiveness of current lidar bathymetric systems is limited by the difficulty in unambiguously identifying backscattered lidar signals from the water surface versus the bottom, limiting their depth resolution to 0.3-0.5 m. Additionally these are large, bulky systems that are constrained to expensive aircraft-mounted platforms and use waveform-processing techniques requiring substantial computation time. These restrictions are prohibitive for many potential users. A novel lidar device has been developed that allows for non-contact measurements of water depth down to 1 cm with an accuracy and precision of shallow to deep water allowing for shoreline charting, measuring water volume, mapping bottom topology, and identifying submerged objects. The scalability of the technique opens up the ability for handheld or UAS-mounted lidar bathymetric systems, which provides for potential applications currently unavailable to the community. The high laser pulse repetition rate allows for very fine horizontal resolution while the photon-counting technique permits real-time depth measurement and object detection. The enhanced measurement capability, portability, scalability, and relatively low-cost creates the opportunity to perform frequent high-accuracy monitoring and measuring of aquatic environments which is crucial for understanding how rivers evolve over many timescales. Results from recent campaigns measuring water depth in flowing creeks and murky ponds will be presented which demonstrate that the method is not limited by rough water surfaces and can map underwater topology through moderately turbid water.

A High-Accuracy Linear Conservative Difference Scheme for Rosenau-RLW Equation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinsong Hu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We study the initial-boundary value problem for Rosenau-RLW equation. We propose a three-level linear finite difference scheme, which has the theoretical accuracy of Oτ2+h4. The scheme simulates two conservative properties of original problem well. The existence, uniqueness of difference solution, and a priori estimates in infinite norm are obtained. Furthermore, we analyze the convergence and stability of the scheme by energy method. At last, numerical experiments demonstrate the theoretical results.

100% classification accuracy considered harmful: the normalized information transfer factor explains the accuracy paradox.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco J Valverde-Albacete

Full Text Available The most widely spread measure of performance, accuracy, suffers from a paradox: predictive models with a given level of accuracy may have greater predictive power than models with higher accuracy. Despite optimizing classification error rate, high accuracy models may fail to capture crucial information transfer in the classification task. We present evidence of this behavior by means of a combinatorial analysis where every possible contingency matrix of 2, 3 and 4 classes classifiers are depicted on the entropy triangle, a more reliable information-theoretic tool for classification assessment. Motivated by this, we develop from first principles a measure of classification performance that takes into consideration the information learned by classifiers. We are then able to obtain the entropy-modulated accuracy (EMA, a pessimistic estimate of the expected accuracy with the influence of the input distribution factored out, and the normalized information transfer factor (NIT, a measure of how efficient is the transmission of information from the input to the output set of classes. The EMA is a more natural measure of classification performance than accuracy when the heuristic to maximize is the transfer of information through the classifier instead of classification error count. The NIT factor measures the effectiveness of the learning process in classifiers and also makes it harder for them to "cheat" using techniques like specialization, while also promoting the interpretability of results. Their use is demonstrated in a mind reading task competition that aims at decoding the identity of a video stimulus based on magnetoencephalography recordings. We show how the EMA and the NIT factor reject rankings based in accuracy, choosing more meaningful and interpretable classifiers.

EFFECT OF DIGITAL FRINGE PROJECTION PARAMETERS ON 3D RECONSTRUCTION ACCURACY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Babaei

2013-09-01

This paper aims to evaluate different parameters which affect the accuracy of the final results. For this purpose, some test were designed and implemented. These tests assess the number of phase shifts, spatial frequency of the fringe pattern, light condition, noise level of images, and the color and material of target objects on the quality of resulted phase map. The evaluation results demonstrate that digital fringe projection method is capable of obtaining depth map of complicated object with high accuracy. The contrast test results showed that this method is able to work under different ambient light condition; although at places with high light condition will not work properly. The results of implementation on different objects with various materials, color and shapes demonstrate the high capability of this method of 3D reconstruction.

High Accuracy Ground-based near-Earth-asteroid Astrometry using Synthetic Tracking

Science.gov (United States)

Zhai, Chengxing; Shao, Michael; Saini, Navtej; Sandhu, Jagmit; Werne, Thomas; Choi, Philip; Ely, Todd A.; Jacobs, Chirstopher S.; Lazio, Joseph; Martin-Mur, Tomas J.; Owen, William M.; Preston, Robert; Turyshev, Slava; Michell, Adam; Nazli, Kutay; Cui, Isaac; Monchama, Rachel

2018-01-01

Accurate astrometry is crucial for determining the orbits of near-Earth-asteroids (NEAs). Further, the future of deep space high data rate communications is likely to be optical communications, such as the Deep Space Optical Communications package that is part of the baseline payload for the planned Psyche Discovery mission to the Psyche asteroid. We have recently upgraded our instrument on the Pomona College 1 m telescope, at JPL's Table Mountain Facility, for conducting synthetic tracking by taking many short exposure images. These images can be then combined in post-processing to track both asteroid and reference stars to yield accurate astrometry. Utilizing the precision of the current and future Gaia data releases, the JPL-Pomona College effort is now demonstrating precision astrometry on NEAs, which is likely to be of considerable value for cataloging NEAs. Further, treating NEAs as proxies of future spacecraft that carry optical communication lasers, our results serve as a measure of the astrometric accuracy that could be achieved for future plane-of-sky optical navigation.

STTR Phase I: Low-Cost, High-Accuracy, Whole-Building Carbon Dioxide Monitoring for Demand Control Ventilation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hallstrom, Jason; Ni, Zheng Richard

2018-05-15

This STTR Phase I project assessed the feasibility of a new CO2 sensing system optimized for low-cost, high-accuracy, whole-building monitoring for use in demand control ventilation. The focus was on the development of a wireless networking platform and associated firmware to provide signal conditioning and conversion, fault- and disruptiontolerant networking, and multi-hop routing at building scales to avoid wiring costs. Early exploration of a bridge (or “gateway”) to direct digital control services was also explored. Results of the project contributed to an improved understanding of a new electrochemical sensor for monitoring indoor CO2 concentrations, as well as the electronics and networking infrastructure required to deploy those sensors at building scales. New knowledge was acquired concerning the sensor’s accuracy, environmental response, and failure modes, and the acquisition electronics required to achieve accuracy over a wide range of CO2 concentrations. The project demonstrated that the new sensor offers repeatable correspondence with commercial optical sensors, with supporting electronics that offer gain accuracy within 0.5%, and acquisition accuracy within 1.5% across three orders of magnitude variation in generated current. Considering production, installation, and maintenance costs, the technology presents a foundation for achieving whole-building CO2 sensing at a price point below $0.066 / sq-ft – meeting economic feasibility criteria established by the Department of Energy. The technology developed under this award addresses obstacles on the critical path to enabling whole-building CO2 sensing and demand control ventilation in commercial retrofits, small commercial buildings, residential complexes, and other highpotential structures that have been slow to adopt these technologies. It presents an opportunity to significantly reduce energy use throughout the United States a

The effect of pattern overlap on the accuracy of high resolution electron backscatter diffraction measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tong, Vivian, E-mail: v.tong13@imperial.ac.uk [Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Jiang, Jun [Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Wilkinson, Angus J. [Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PH (United Kingdom); Britton, T. Ben [Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)

2015-08-15

High resolution, cross-correlation-based, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) measures the variation of elastic strains and lattice rotations from a reference state. Regions near grain boundaries are often of interest but overlap of patterns from the two grains could reduce accuracy of the cross-correlation analysis. To explore this concern, patterns from the interior of two grains have been mixed to simulate the interaction volume crossing a grain boundary so that the effect on the accuracy of the cross correlation results can be tested. It was found that the accuracy of HR-EBSD strain measurements performed in a FEG-SEM on zirconium remains good until the incident beam is less than 18 nm from a grain boundary. A simulated microstructure was used to measure how often pattern overlap occurs at any given EBSD step size, and a simple relation was found linking the probability of overlap with step size. - Highlights: • Pattern overlap occurs at grain boundaries and reduces HR-EBSD accuracy. • A test is devised to measure the accuracy of HR-EBSD in the presence of overlap. • High pass filters can sometimes, but not generally, improve HR-EBSD measurements. • Accuracy of HR-EBSD remains high until the reference pattern intensity is <72%. • 9% of points near a grain boundary will have significant error for 200nm step size in Zircaloy-4.

High-Accuracy Measurements of Total Column Water Vapor From the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Robert R.; Crisp, David; Ott, Lesley E.; O'Dell, Christopher W.

2016-01-01

Accurate knowledge of the distribution of water vapor in Earth's atmosphere is of critical importance to both weather and climate studies. Here we report on measurements of total column water vapor (TCWV) from hyperspectral observations of near-infrared reflected sunlight over land and ocean surfaces from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2). These measurements are an ancillary product of the retrieval algorithm used to measure atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, with information coming from three highly resolved spectral bands. Comparisons to high-accuracy validation data, including ground-based GPS and microwave radiometer data, demonstrate that OCO-2 TCWV measurements have maximum root-mean-square deviations of 0.9-1.3mm. Our results indicate that OCO-2 is the first space-based sensor to accurately and precisely measure the two most important greenhouse gases, water vapor and carbon dioxide, at high spatial resolution [1.3 x 2.3 km(exp. 2)] and that OCO-2 TCWV measurements may be useful in improving numerical weather predictions and reanalysis products.

Human In Silico Drug Trials Demonstrate Higher Accuracy than Animal Models in Predicting Clinical Pro-Arrhythmic Cardiotoxicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Passini, Elisa; Britton, Oliver J; Lu, Hua Rong; Rohrbacher, Jutta; Hermans, An N; Gallacher, David J; Greig, Robert J H; Bueno-Orovio, Alfonso; Rodriguez, Blanca

2017-01-01

(fast/late Na + and Ca 2+ currents) exhibit high susceptibility to depolarization abnormalities. Repolarization abnormalities in silico predict clinical risk for all compounds with 89% accuracy. Drug-induced changes in biomarkers are in overall agreement across different assays: in silico AP duration changes reflect the ones observed in rabbit QT interval and hiPS-CMs Ca 2+ -transient, and simulated upstroke velocity captures variations in rabbit QRS complex. Our results demonstrate that human in silico drug trials constitute a powerful methodology for prediction of clinical pro-arrhythmic cardiotoxicity, ready for integration in the existing drug safety assessment pipelines.

Human In Silico Drug Trials Demonstrate Higher Accuracy than Animal Models in Predicting Clinical Pro-Arrhythmic Cardiotoxicity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisa Passini

2017-09-01

(fast/late Na+ and Ca2+ currents exhibit high susceptibility to depolarization abnormalities. Repolarization abnormalities in silico predict clinical risk for all compounds with 89% accuracy. Drug-induced changes in biomarkers are in overall agreement across different assays: in silico AP duration changes reflect the ones observed in rabbit QT interval and hiPS-CMs Ca2+-transient, and simulated upstroke velocity captures variations in rabbit QRS complex. Our results demonstrate that human in silico drug trials constitute a powerful methodology for prediction of clinical pro-arrhythmic cardiotoxicity, ready for integration in the existing drug safety assessment pipelines.

Optical System Error Analysis and Calibration Method of High-Accuracy Star Trackers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng You

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The star tracker is a high-accuracy attitude measurement device widely used in spacecraft. Its performance depends largely on the precision of the optical system parameters. Therefore, the analysis of the optical system parameter errors and a precise calibration model are crucial to the accuracy of the star tracker. Research in this field is relatively lacking a systematic and universal analysis up to now. This paper proposes in detail an approach for the synthetic error analysis of the star tracker, without the complicated theoretical derivation. This approach can determine the error propagation relationship of the star tracker, and can build intuitively and systematically an error model. The analysis results can be used as a foundation and a guide for the optical design, calibration, and compensation of the star tracker. A calibration experiment is designed and conducted. Excellent calibration results are achieved based on the calibration model. To summarize, the error analysis approach and the calibration method are proved to be adequate and precise, and could provide an important guarantee for the design, manufacture, and measurement of high-accuracy star trackers.

Optical system error analysis and calibration method of high-accuracy star trackers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Ting; Xing, Fei; You, Zheng

2013-04-08

The star tracker is a high-accuracy attitude measurement device widely used in spacecraft. Its performance depends largely on the precision of the optical system parameters. Therefore, the analysis of the optical system parameter errors and a precise calibration model are crucial to the accuracy of the star tracker. Research in this field is relatively lacking a systematic and universal analysis up to now. This paper proposes in detail an approach for the synthetic error analysis of the star tracker, without the complicated theoretical derivation. This approach can determine the error propagation relationship of the star tracker, and can build intuitively and systematically an error model. The analysis results can be used as a foundation and a guide for the optical design, calibration, and compensation of the star tracker. A calibration experiment is designed and conducted. Excellent calibration results are achieved based on the calibration model. To summarize, the error analysis approach and the calibration method are proved to be adequate and precise, and could provide an important guarantee for the design, manufacture, and measurement of high-accuracy star trackers.

Innovative Fiber-Optic Gyroscopes (FOGs) for High Accuracy Space Applications, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — NASA's future science and exploratory missions will require much lighter, smaller, and longer life rate sensors that can provide high accuracy navigational...

High-accuracy 3-D modeling of cultural heritage: the digitizing of Donatello's "Maddalena".

Science.gov (United States)

Guidi, Gabriele; Beraldin, J Angelo; Atzeni, Carlo

2004-03-01

Three-dimensional digital modeling of Heritage works of art through optical scanners, has been demonstrated in recent years with results of exceptional interest. However, the routine application of three-dimensional (3-D) modeling to Heritage conservation still requires the systematic investigation of a number of technical problems. In this paper, the acquisition process of the 3-D digital model of the Maddalena by Donatello, a wooden statue representing one of the major masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance which was swept away by the Florence flood of 1966 and successively restored, is described. The paper reports all the steps of the acquisition procedure, from the project planning to the solution of the various problems due to range camera calibration and to material non optically cooperative. Since the scientific focus is centered on the 3-D model overall dimensional accuracy, a methodology for its quality control is described. Such control has demonstrated how, in some situations, the ICP-based alignment can lead to incorrect results. To circumvent this difficulty we propose an alignment technique based on the fusion of ICP with close-range digital photogrammetry and a non-invasive procedure in order to generate a final accurate model. In the end detailed results are presented, demonstrating the improvement of the final model, and how the proposed sensor fusion ensure a pre-specified level of accuracy.

MUSCLE: multiple sequence alignment with high accuracy and high throughput.

Science.gov (United States)

Edgar, Robert C

2004-01-01

We describe MUSCLE, a new computer program for creating multiple alignments of protein sequences. Elements of the algorithm include fast distance estimation using kmer counting, progressive alignment using a new profile function we call the log-expectation score, and refinement using tree-dependent restricted partitioning. The speed and accuracy of MUSCLE are compared with T-Coffee, MAFFT and CLUSTALW on four test sets of reference alignments: BAliBASE, SABmark, SMART and a new benchmark, PREFAB. MUSCLE achieves the highest, or joint highest, rank in accuracy on each of these sets. Without refinement, MUSCLE achieves average accuracy statistically indistinguishable from T-Coffee and MAFFT, and is the fastest of the tested methods for large numbers of sequences, aligning 5000 sequences of average length 350 in 7 min on a current desktop computer. The MUSCLE program, source code and PREFAB test data are freely available at http://www.drive5. com/muscle.

High accuracy interface characterization of three phase material systems in three dimensions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Peter Stanley; Hansen, Karin Vels; Larsen, Rasmus

2010-01-01

Quantification of interface properties such as two phase boundary area and triple phase boundary length is important in the characterization ofmanymaterial microstructures, in particular for solid oxide fuel cell electrodes. Three-dimensional images of these microstructures can be obtained...... by tomography schemes such as focused ion beam serial sectioning or micro-computed tomography. We present a high accuracy method of calculating two phase surface areas and triple phase length of triple phase systems from subvoxel accuracy segmentations of constituent phases. The method performs a three phase...... polygonization of the interface boundaries which results in a non-manifold mesh of connected faces. We show how the triple phase boundaries can be extracted as connected curve loops without branches. The accuracy of the method is analyzed by calculations on geometrical primitives...

Ultra-high accuracy optical testing: creating diffraction-limitedshort-wavelength optical systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldberg, Kenneth A.; Naulleau, Patrick P.; Rekawa, Senajith B.; Denham, Paul E.; Liddle, J. Alexander; Gullikson, Eric M.; Jackson, KeithH.; Anderson, Erik H.; Taylor, John S.; Sommargren, Gary E.; Chapman,Henry N.; Phillion, Donald W.; Johnson, Michael; Barty, Anton; Soufli,Regina; Spiller, Eberhard A.; Walton, Christopher C.; Bajt, Sasa

2005-08-03

Since 1993, research in the fabrication of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) optical imaging systems, conducted at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), has produced the highest resolution optical systems ever made. We have pioneered the development of ultra-high-accuracy optical testing and alignment methods, working at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths, and pushing wavefront-measuring interferometry into the 2-20-nm wavelength range (60-600 eV). These coherent measurement techniques, including lateral shearing interferometry and phase-shifting point-diffraction interferometry (PS/PDI) have achieved RMS wavefront measurement accuracies of 0.5-1-{angstrom} and better for primary aberration terms, enabling the creation of diffraction-limited EUV optics. The measurement accuracy is established using careful null-testing procedures, and has been verified repeatedly through high-resolution imaging. We believe these methods are broadly applicable to the advancement of short-wavelength optical systems including space telescopes, microscope objectives, projection lenses, synchrotron beamline optics, diffractive and holographic optics, and more. Measurements have been performed on a tunable undulator beamline at LBNL's Advanced Light Source (ALS), optimized for high coherent flux; although many of these techniques should be adaptable to alternative ultraviolet, EUV, and soft x-ray light sources. To date, we have measured nine prototype all-reflective EUV optical systems with NA values between 0.08 and 0.30 (f/6.25 to f/1.67). These projection-imaging lenses were created for the semiconductor industry's advanced research in EUV photolithography, a technology slated for introduction in 2009-13. This paper reviews the methods used and our program's accomplishments to date.

High-accuracy self-mixing interferometer based on single high-order orthogonally polarized feedback effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Zhaoli; Qu, Xueming; Tan, Yidong; Tan, Runtao; Zhang, Shulian

2015-06-29

A simple and high-accuracy self-mixing interferometer based on single high-order orthogonally polarized feedback effects is presented. The single high-order feedback effect is realized when dual-frequency laser reflects numerous times in a Fabry-Perot cavity and then goes back to the laser resonator along the same route. In this case, two orthogonally polarized feedback fringes with nanoscale resolution are obtained. This self-mixing interferometer has the advantages of higher sensitivity to weak signal than that of conventional interferometer. In addition, two orthogonally polarized fringes are useful for discriminating the moving direction of measured object. The experiment of measuring 2.5nm step is conducted, which shows a great potential in nanometrology.

Automated novel high-accuracy miniaturized positioning system for use in analytical instrumentation

Science.gov (United States)

Siomos, Konstadinos; Kaliakatsos, John; Apostolakis, Manolis; Lianakis, John; Duenow, Peter

1996-01-01

The development of three-dimensional automotive devices (micro-robots) for applications in analytical instrumentation, clinical chemical diagnostics and advanced laser optics, depends strongly on the ability of such a device: firstly to be positioned with high accuracy, reliability, and automatically, by means of user friendly interface techniques; secondly to be compact; and thirdly to operate under vacuum conditions, free of most of the problems connected with conventional micropositioners using stepping-motor gear techniques. The objective of this paper is to develop and construct a mechanically compact computer-based micropositioning system for coordinated motion in the X-Y-Z directions with: (1) a positioning accuracy of less than 1 micrometer, (the accuracy of the end-position of the system is controlled by a hard/software assembly using a self-constructed optical encoder); (2) a heat-free propulsion mechanism for vacuum operation; and (3) synchronized X-Y motion.

Identification and delineation of areas flood hazard using high accuracy of DEM data

Science.gov (United States)

Riadi, B.; Barus, B.; Widiatmaka; Yanuar, M. J. P.; Pramudya, B.

2018-05-01

Flood incidents that often occur in Karawang regency need to be mitigated. These expectations exist on technologies that can predict, anticipate and reduce disaster risks. Flood modeling techniques using Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data can be applied in mitigation activities. High accuracy DEM data used in modeling, will result in better flooding flood models. The result of high accuracy DEM data processing will yield information about surface morphology which can be used to identify indication of flood hazard area. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe flood hazard areas by identifying wetland areas using DEM data and Landsat-8 images. TerraSAR-X high-resolution data is used to detect wetlands from landscapes, while land cover is identified by Landsat image data. The Topography Wetness Index (TWI) method is used to detect and identify wetland areas with basic DEM data, while for land cover analysis using Tasseled Cap Transformation (TCT) method. The result of TWI modeling yields information about potential land of flood. Overlay TWI map with land cover map that produces information that in Karawang regency the most vulnerable areas occur flooding in rice fields. The spatial accuracy of the flood hazard area in this study was 87%.

Accuracy of Estimating Highly Eccentric Binary Black Hole Parameters with Gravitational-wave Detections

Science.gov (United States)

Gondán, László; Kocsis, Bence; Raffai, Péter; Frei, Zsolt

2018-03-01

Mergers of stellar-mass black holes on highly eccentric orbits are among the targets for ground-based gravitational-wave detectors, including LIGO, VIRGO, and KAGRA. These sources may commonly form through gravitational-wave emission in high-velocity dispersion systems or through the secular Kozai–Lidov mechanism in triple systems. Gravitational waves carry information about the binaries’ orbital parameters and source location. Using the Fisher matrix technique, we determine the measurement accuracy with which the LIGO–VIRGO–KAGRA network could measure the source parameters of eccentric binaries using a matched filtering search of the repeated burst and eccentric inspiral phases of the waveform. We account for general relativistic precession and the evolution of the orbital eccentricity and frequency during the inspiral. We find that the signal-to-noise ratio and the parameter measurement accuracy may be significantly higher for eccentric sources than for circular sources. This increase is sensitive to the initial pericenter distance, the initial eccentricity, and the component masses. For instance, compared to a 30 {M}ȯ –30 {M}ȯ non-spinning circular binary, the chirp mass and sky-localization accuracy can improve by a factor of ∼129 (38) and ∼2 (11) for an initially highly eccentric binary assuming an initial pericenter distance of 20 M tot (10 M tot).

Data accuracy assessment using enterprise architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Närman, Per; Holm, Hannes; Johnson, Pontus; König, Johan; Chenine, Moustafa; Ekstedt, Mathias

2011-02-01

Errors in business processes result in poor data accuracy. This article proposes an architecture analysis method which utilises ArchiMate and the Probabilistic Relational Model formalism to model and analyse data accuracy. Since the resources available for architecture analysis are usually quite scarce, the method advocates interviews as the primary data collection technique. A case study demonstrates that the method yields correct data accuracy estimates and is more resource-efficient than a competing sampling-based data accuracy estimation method.

Photon caliper to achieve submillimeter positioning accuracy

Science.gov (United States)

Gallagher, Kyle J.; Wong, Jennifer; Zhang, Junan

2017-09-01

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of using a commercial two-dimensional (2D) detector array with an inherent detector spacing of 5 mm to achieve submillimeter accuracy in localizing the radiation isocenter. This was accomplished by delivering the Vernier ‘dose’ caliper to a 2D detector array where the nominal scale was the 2D detector array and the non-nominal Vernier scale was the radiation dose strips produced by the high-definition (HD) multileaf collimators (MLCs) of the linear accelerator. Because the HD MLC sequence was similar to the picket fence test, we called this procedure the Vernier picket fence (VPF) test. We confirmed the accuracy of the VPF test by offsetting the HD MLC bank by known increments and comparing the known offset with the VPF test result. The VPF test was able to determine the known offset within 0.02 mm. We also cross-validated the accuracy of the VPF test in an evaluation of couch hysteresis. This was done by using both the VPF test and the ExacTrac optical tracking system to evaluate the couch position. We showed that the VPF test was in agreement with the ExacTrac optical tracking system within a root-mean-square value of 0.07 mm for both the lateral and longitudinal directions. In conclusion, we demonstrated the VPF test can determine the offset between a 2D detector array and the radiation isocenter with submillimeter accuracy. Until now, no method to locate the radiation isocenter using a 2D detector array has been able to achieve such accuracy.

High accuracy positioning using carrier-phases with the opensource GPSTK software

OpenAIRE

Salazar Hernández, Dagoberto José; Hernández Pajares, Manuel; Juan Zornoza, José Miguel; Sanz Subirana, Jaume

2008-01-01

The objective of this work is to show how using a proper GNSS data management strategy, combined with the flexibility provided by the open source "GPS Toolkit" (GPSTk), it is possible to easily develop both simple code-based processing strategies as well as basic high accuracy carrier-phase positioning techniques like Precise Point Positioning (PPP

Diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging techniques for treatment response evaluation in patients with high-grade glioma, a systematic review and meta-analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dijken, Bart R.J. van [University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen Department of Radiology, Groningen (Netherlands); Laar, Peter Jan van; Hoorn, Anouk van der [University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen Department of Radiology, Groningen (Netherlands); University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Medical Imaging-North East Netherlands, Groningen (Netherlands); Holtman, Gea A. [University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of General Practice, Groningen (Netherlands)

2017-10-15

Treatment response assessment in high-grade gliomas uses contrast enhanced T1-weighted MRI, but is unreliable. Novel advanced MRI techniques have been studied, but the accuracy is not well known. Therefore, we performed a systematic meta-analysis to assess the diagnostic accuracy of anatomical and advanced MRI for treatment response in high-grade gliomas. Databases were searched systematically. Study selection and data extraction were done by two authors independently. Meta-analysis was performed using a bivariate random effects model when ≥5 studies were included. Anatomical MRI (five studies, 166 patients) showed a pooled sensitivity and specificity of 68% (95%CI 51-81) and 77% (45-93), respectively. Pooled apparent diffusion coefficients (seven studies, 204 patients) demonstrated a sensitivity of 71% (60-80) and specificity of 87% (77-93). DSC-perfusion (18 studies, 708 patients) sensitivity was 87% (82-91) with a specificity of 86% (77-91). DCE-perfusion (five studies, 207 patients) sensitivity was 92% (73-98) and specificity was 85% (76-92). The sensitivity of spectroscopy (nine studies, 203 patients) was 91% (79-97) and specificity was 95% (65-99). Advanced techniques showed higher diagnostic accuracy than anatomical MRI, the highest for spectroscopy, supporting the use in treatment response assessment in high-grade gliomas. (orig.)

Transformation Model with Constraints for High-Accuracy of 2D-3D Building Registration in Aerial Imagery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guoqing Zhou

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a novel rigorous transformation model for 2D-3D registration to address the difficult problem of obtaining a sufficient number of well-distributed ground control points (GCPs in urban areas with tall buildings. The proposed model applies two types of geometric constraints, co-planarity and perpendicularity, to the conventional photogrammetric collinearity model. Both types of geometric information are directly obtained from geometric building structures, with which the geometric constraints are automatically created and combined into the conventional transformation model. A test field located in downtown Denver, Colorado, is used to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the proposed method. The comparison analysis of the accuracy achieved by the proposed method and the conventional method is conducted. Experimental results demonstrated that: (1 the theoretical accuracy of the solved registration parameters can reach 0.47 pixels, whereas the other methods reach only 1.23 and 1.09 pixels; (2 the RMS values of 2D-3D registration achieved by the proposed model are only two pixels along the x and y directions, much smaller than the RMS values of the conventional model, which are approximately 10 pixels along the x and y directions. These results demonstrate that the proposed method is able to significantly improve the accuracy of 2D-3D registration with much fewer GCPs in urban areas with tall buildings.

A New Approach to High-accuracy Road Orthophoto Mapping Based on Wavelet Transform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming Yang

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Existing orthophoto map based on satellite photography and aerial photography is not precise enough for road marking. This paper proposes a new approach to high-accuracy orthophoto mapping. The approach uses inverse perspective transformation to process the image information and generates the orthophoto fragment. The offline interpolation algorithm is used to process the location information. It processes the dead reckoning and the EKF location information, and uses the result to transform the fragments to the global coordinate system. At last it uses wavelet transform to divides the image to two frequency bands and uses weighted median algorithm to deal with them separately. The result of experiment shows that the map produced with this method has high accuracy.

A new ultra-high-accuracy angle generator: current status and future direction

Science.gov (United States)

Guertin, Christian F.; Geckeler, Ralf D.

2017-09-01

Lack of an extreme high-accuracy angular positioning device available in the United States has left a gap in industrial and scientific efforts conducted there, requiring certain user groups to undertake time-consuming work with overseas laboratories. Specifically, in x-ray mirror metrology the global research community is advancing the state-of-the-art to unprecedented levels. We aim to fill this U.S. gap by developing a versatile high-accuracy angle generator as a part of the national metrology tool set for x-ray mirror metrology and other important industries. Using an established calibration technique to measure the errors of the encoder scale graduations for full-rotation rotary encoders, we implemented an optimized arrangement of sensors positioned to minimize propagation of calibration errors. Our initial feasibility research shows that upon scaling to a full prototype and including additional calibration techniques we can expect to achieve uncertainties at the level of 0.01 arcsec (50 nrad) or better and offer the immense advantage of a highly automatable and customizable product to the commercial market.

Ultra-high accuracy optical testing: creating diffraction-limited short-wavelength optical systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldberg, Kenneth A.; Naulleau, Patrick P.; Rekawa, Senajith B.; Denham, Paul E.; Liddle, J. Alexander; Gullikson, Eric M.; Jackson, KeithH.; Anderson, Erik H.; Taylor, John S.; Sommargren, Gary E.; Chapman, Henry N.; Phillion, Donald W.; Johnson, Michael; Barty, Anton; Soufli, Regina; Spiller, Eberhard A.; Walton, Christopher C.; Bajt, Sasa

2005-01-01

Since 1993, research in the fabrication of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) optical imaging systems, conducted at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), has produced the highest resolution optical systems ever made. We have pioneered the development of ultra-high-accuracy optical testing and alignment methods, working at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths, and pushing wavefront-measuring interferometry into the 2-20-nm wavelength range (60-600 eV). These coherent measurement techniques, including lateral shearing interferometry and phase-shifting point-diffraction interferometry (PS/PDI) have achieved RMS wavefront measurement accuracies of 0.5-1-(angstrom) and better for primary aberration terms, enabling the creation of diffraction-limited EUV optics. The measurement accuracy is established using careful null-testing procedures, and has been verified repeatedly through high-resolution imaging. We believe these methods are broadly applicable to the advancement of short-wavelength optical systems including space telescopes, microscope objectives, projection lenses, synchrotron beamline optics, diffractive and holographic optics, and more. Measurements have been performed on a tunable undulator beamline at LBNL's Advanced Light Source (ALS), optimized for high coherent flux; although many of these techniques should be adaptable to alternative ultraviolet, EUV, and soft x-ray light sources. To date, we have measured nine prototype all-reflective EUV optical systems with NA values between 0.08 and 0.30 (f/6.25 to f/1.67). These projection-imaging lenses were created for the semiconductor industry's advanced research in EUV photolithography, a technology slated for introduction in 2009-13. This paper reviews the methods used and our program's accomplishments to date

Ultraprecision Pointing Accuracy for SmallSat/CubeSat Attitude Control Systems, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The primary objective of the Phase I investigation is to develop and demonstrate an innovative solution that can enable very high precision pointing accuracy...

High-accuracy vibration sensor based on a Fabry-Perot interferometer with active phase-tracking technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Wei; Li, Chuncheng; Hao, Hui; Wang, Yiping; Ni, Xiaoqi; Guo, Dongmei; Wang, Ming

2018-02-01

A novel position-sensitive Fabry-Perot interferometer was constructed with direct phase modulation by a built-in electro-optic modulator. Pure sinusoidal phase modulation of the light was produced, and the first harmonic of the interference signal was extracted to dynamically maintain the interferometer phase to the most sensitive point of the interferogram. Therefore, the minute vibration of the object was coded on the variation of the interference signal and could be directly retrieved by the output voltage of a photodetector. The operating principle and the signal processing method for active feedback control of the interference phase have been demonstrated in detail. The developed vibration sensor was calibrated through a high-precision piezo-electric transducer and tested by a nano-positioning stage under a vibration magnitude of 60 nm and a frequency of 300 Hz. The active phase-tracking method of the system provides high immunity against environmental disturbances. Experimental results show that the proposed interferometer can effectively reconstruct tiny vibration waveforms with subnanometer resolution, paving the way for high-accuracy vibration sensing, especially for micro-electro-mechanical systems/nano-electro-mechanical systems and ultrasonic devices.

Technics study on high accuracy crush dressing and sharpening of diamond grinding wheel

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Yunhai; Lu, Xuejun; Li, Jiangang; Zhu, Lixin; Song, Yingjie

2011-05-01

Mechanical grinding of artificial diamond grinding wheel was traditional wheel dressing process. The rotate speed and infeed depth of tool wheel were main technics parameters. The suitable technics parameters of metals-bonded diamond grinding wheel and resin-bonded diamond grinding wheel high accuracy crush dressing were obtained by a mount of experiment in super-hard material wheel dressing grind machine and by analysis of grinding force. In the same time, the effect of machine sharpening and sprinkle granule sharpening was contrasted. These analyses and lots of experiments had extent instruction significance to artificial diamond grinding wheel accuracy crush dressing.

High accuracy subwavelength distance measurements: A variable-angle standing-wave total-internal-reflection optical microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haynie, A.; Min, T.-J.; Luan, L.; Mu, W.; Ketterson, J. B.

2009-01-01

We describe an extension of the total-internal-reflection microscopy technique that permits direct in-plane distance measurements with high accuracy (<10 nm) over a wide range of separations. This high position accuracy arises from the creation of a standing evanescent wave and the ability to sweep the nodal positions (intensity minima of the standing wave) in a controlled manner via both the incident angle and the relative phase of the incoming laser beams. Some control over the vertical resolution is available through the ability to scan the incoming angle and with it the evanescent penetration depth.

Treatment accuracy of hypofractionated spine and other highly conformal IMRT treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutherland, B.; Hanlon, P.; Charles, P.

2011-01-01

Full text: Spinal cord metastases pose difficult challenges for radiation treatment due to tight dose constraints and a concave PTY. This project aimed to thoroughly test the treatment accuracy of the Eclipse Treatment Planning System (TPS) for highly modulated IMRT treatments, in particular of the thoracic spine, using an Elekta Synergy Linear Accelerator. The increased understanding obtained through different quality assurance techniques allowed recommendations to be made for treatment site commissioning with improved accuracy at the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH). Three thoracic spine IMRT plans at the PAH were used for data collection. Complex phantom models were built using CT data, and fields simulated using Monte Carlo modelling. The simulated dose distributions were compared with the TPS using gamma analysis and DYH comparison. High resolution QA was done for all fields using the MatriXX ion chamber array, MapCHECK2 diode array shifted, and the EPlD to determine a procedure for commissioning new treatment sites. Basic spine simulations found the TPS overestimated absorbed dose to bone, however within spinal cord there was good agreement. High resolution QA found the average gamma pass rate of the fields to be 99.1 % for MatriXX, 96.5% for MapCHECK2 shifted and 97.7% for EPlD. Preliminary results indicate agreement between the TPS and delivered dose distributions higher than previously believed for the investigated IMRT plans. The poor resolution of the MatriXX, and normalisation issues with MapCHECK2 leads to probable recommendation of EPlD for future IMRT commissioning due to the high resolution and minimal setup required.

High accuracy of family history of melanoma in Danish melanoma cases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wadt, Karin A W; Drzewiecki, Krzysztof T; Gerdes, Anne-Marie

2015-01-01

The incidence of melanoma in Denmark has immensely increased over the last 10 years making Denmark a high risk country for melanoma. In the last two decades multiple public campaigns have sought to increase the awareness of melanoma. Family history of melanoma is a known major risk factor...... but previous studies have shown that self-reported family history of melanoma is highly inaccurate. These studies are 15 years old and we wanted to examine if a higher awareness of melanoma has increased the accuracy of self-reported family history of melanoma. We examined the family history of 181 melanoma...

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Diagnostic Accuracy of Prostate Health Index and 4-Kallikrein Panel Score in Predicting Overall and High-grade Prostate Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Russo, Giorgio Ivan; Regis, Federica; Castelli, Tommaso; Favilla, Vincenzo; Privitera, Salvatore; Giardina, Raimondo; Cimino, Sebastiano; Morgia, Giuseppe

2017-08-01

Markers for prostate cancer (PCa) have progressed over recent years. In particular, the prostate health index (PHI) and the 4-kallikrein (4K) panel have been demonstrated to improve the diagnosis of PCa. We aimed to review the diagnostic accuracy of PHI and the 4K panel for PCa detection. We performed a systematic literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Academic One File databases until July 2016. We included diagnostic accuracy studies that used PHI or 4K panel for the diagnosis of PCa or high-grade PCa. The methodological quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) tool. Twenty-eight studies including 16,762 patients have been included for the analysis. The pooled data showed a sensitivity of 0.89 and 0.74 for PHI and 4K panel, respectively, for PCa detection and a pooled specificity of 0.34 and 0.60 for PHI and 4K panel, respectively. The derived area under the curve (AUC) from the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) showed an accuracy of 0.76 and 0.72 for PHI and 4K panel respectively. For high-grade PCa detection, the pooled sensitivity was 0.93 and 0.87 for PHI and 4K panel, respectively, whereas the pooled specificity was 0.34 and 0.61 for PHI and 4K panel, respectively. The derived AUC from the HSROC showed an accuracy of 0.82 and 0.81 for PHI and 4K panel, respectively. Both PHI and the 4K panel provided good diagnostic accuracy in detecting overall and high-grade PCa. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Forecast Accuracy Uncertainty and Momentum

OpenAIRE

Bing Han; Dong Hong; Mitch Warachka

2009-01-01

We demonstrate that stock price momentum and earnings momentum can result from uncertainty surrounding the accuracy of cash flow forecasts. Our model has multiple information sources issuing cash flow forecasts for a stock. The investor combines these forecasts into an aggregate cash flow estimate that has minimal mean-squared forecast error. This aggregate estimate weights each cash flow forecast by the estimated accuracy of its issuer, which is obtained from their past forecast errors. Mome...

High-accuracy drilling with an image guided light weight robot: autonomous versus intuitive feed control.

Science.gov (United States)

Tauscher, Sebastian; Fuchs, Alexander; Baier, Fabian; Kahrs, Lüder A; Ortmaier, Tobias

2017-10-01

Assistance of robotic systems in the operating room promises higher accuracy and, hence, demanding surgical interventions become realisable (e.g. the direct cochlear access). Additionally, an intuitive user interface is crucial for the use of robots in surgery. Torque sensors in the joints can be employed for intuitive interaction concepts. Regarding the accuracy, they lead to a lower structural stiffness and, thus, to an additional error source. The aim of this contribution is to examine, if an accuracy needed for demanding interventions can be achieved by such a system or not. Feasible accuracy results of the robot-assisted process depend on each work-flow step. This work focuses on the determination of the tool coordinate frame. A method for drill axis definition is implemented and analysed. Furthermore, a concept of admittance feed control is developed. This allows the user to control feeding along the planned path by applying a force to the robots structure. The accuracy is researched by drilling experiments with a PMMA phantom and artificial bone blocks. The described drill axis estimation process results in a high angular repeatability ([Formula: see text]). In the first set of drilling results, an accuracy of [Formula: see text] at entrance and [Formula: see text] at target point excluding imaging was achieved. With admittance feed control an accuracy of [Formula: see text] at target point was realised. In a third set twelve holes were drilled in artificial temporal bone phantoms including imaging. In this set-up an error of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] was achieved. The results of conducted experiments show that accuracy requirements for demanding procedures such as the direct cochlear access can be fulfilled with compliant systems. Furthermore, it was shown that with the presented admittance feed control an accuracy of less then [Formula: see text] is achievable.

High accuracy of family history of melanoma in Danish melanoma cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Wadt, Karin A W; Drzewiecki, Krzysztof T; Gerdes, Anne-Marie

2015-12-01

The incidence of melanoma in Denmark has immensely increased over the last 10 years making Denmark a high risk country for melanoma. In the last two decades multiple public campaigns have sought to increase the awareness of melanoma. Family history of melanoma is a known major risk factor but previous studies have shown that self-reported family history of melanoma is highly inaccurate. These studies are 15 years old and we wanted to examine if a higher awareness of melanoma has increased the accuracy of self-reported family history of melanoma. We examined the family history of 181 melanoma probands who reported 199 cases of melanoma in relatives, of which 135 cases where in first degree relatives. We confirmed the diagnosis of melanoma in 77% of all relatives, and in 83% of first degree relatives. In 181 probands we validated the negative family history of melanoma in 748 first degree relatives and found only 1 case of melanoma which was not reported in a 3 case melanoma family. Melanoma patients in Denmark report family history of melanoma in first and second degree relatives with a high level of accuracy with a true positive predictive value between 77 and 87%. In 99% of probands reporting a negative family history of melanoma in first degree relatives this information is correct. In clinical practice we recommend that melanoma diagnosis in relatives should be verified if possible, but even unverified reported melanoma cases in relatives should be included in the indication of genetic testing and assessment of melanoma risk in the family.

Fission product model for BWR analysis with improved accuracy in high burnup

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikehara, Tadashi; Yamamoto, Munenari; Ando, Yoshihira

1998-01-01

A new fission product (FP) chain model has been studied to be used in a BWR lattice calculation. In attempting to establish the model, two requirements, i.e. the accuracy in predicting burnup reactivity and the easiness in practical application, are simultaneously considered. The resultant FP model consists of 81 explicit FP nuclides and two lumped pseudo nuclides having the absorption cross sections independent of burnup history and fuel composition. For the verification, extensive numerical tests covering over a wide range of operational conditions and fuel compositions have been carried out. The results indicate that the estimated errors in burnup reactivity are within 0.1%Δk for exposures up to 100GWd/t. It is concluded that the present model can offer a high degree of accuracy for FP representation in BWR lattice calculation. (author)

Diagnostic accuracy of cone-beam computed tomography scans with high- and low-resolution modes for the detection of root perforations.

Science.gov (United States)

Shokri, Abbas; Eskandarloo, Amir; Norouzi, Marouf; Poorolajal, Jalal; Majidi, Gelareh; Aliyaly, Alireza

2018-03-01

This study compared the diagnostic accuracy of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans obtained with 2 CBCT systems with high- and low-resolution modes for the detection of root perforations in endodontically treated mandibular molars. The root canals of 72 mandibular molars were cleaned and shaped. Perforations measuring 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 mm in diameter were created at the furcation area of 48 roots, simulating strip perforations, or on the external surfaces of 48 roots, simulating root perforations. Forty-eight roots remained intact (control group). The roots were filled using gutta-percha (Gapadent, Tianjin, China) and AH26 sealer (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland). The CBCT scans were obtained using the NewTom 3G (QR srl, Verona, Italy) and Cranex 3D (Soredex, Helsinki, Finland) CBCT systems in high- and low-resolution modes, and were evaluated by 2 observers. The chi-square test was used to assess the nominal variables. In strip perforations, the accuracies of low- and high-resolution modes were 75% and 83% for NewTom 3G and 67% and 69% for Cranex 3D. In root perforations, the accuracies of low- and high-resolution modes were 79% and 83% for NewTom 3G and was 56% and 73% for Cranex 3D. The accuracy of the 2 CBCT systems was different for the detection of strip and root perforations. The Cranex 3D had non-significantly higher accuracy than the NewTom 3G. In both scanners, the high-resolution mode yielded significantly higher accuracy than the low-resolution mode. The diagnostic accuracy of CBCT scans was not affected by the perforation diameter.

Factors Determining the Inter-observer Variability and Diagnostic Accuracy of High-resolution Manometry for Esophageal Motility Disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ji Hyun; Kim, Sung Eun; Cho, Yu Kyung; Lim, Chul-Hyun; Park, Moo In; Hwang, Jin Won; Jang, Jae-Sik; Oh, Minkyung

2018-01-30

Although high-resolution manometry (HRM) has the advantage of visual intuitiveness, its diagnostic validity remains under debate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of HRM for esophageal motility disorders. Six staff members and 8 trainees were recruited for the study. In total, 40 patients enrolled in manometry studies at 3 institutes were selected. Captured images of 10 representative swallows and a single swallow in analyzing mode in both high-resolution pressure topography (HRPT) and conventional line tracing formats were provided with calculated metrics. Assessments of esophageal motility disorders showed fair agreement for HRPT and moderate agreement for conventional line tracing (κ = 0.40 and 0.58, respectively). With the HRPT format, the k value was higher in category A (esophagogastric junction [EGJ] relaxation abnormality) than in categories B (major body peristalsis abnormalities with intact EGJ relaxation) and C (minor body peristalsis abnormalities or normal body peristalsis with intact EGJ relaxation). The overall exact diagnostic accuracy for the HRPT format was 58.8% and rater's position was an independent factor for exact diagnostic accuracy. The diagnostic accuracy for major disorders was 63.4% with the HRPT format. The frequency of major discrepancies was higher for category B disorders than for category A disorders (38.4% vs 15.4%; P < 0.001). The interpreter's experience significantly affected the exact diagnostic accuracy of HRM for esophageal motility disorders. The diagnostic accuracy for major disorders was higher for achalasia than distal esophageal spasm and jackhammer esophagus.

DIRECT GEOREFERENCING : A NEW STANDARD IN PHOTOGRAMMETRY FOR HIGH ACCURACY MAPPING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Rizaldy

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Direct georeferencing is a new method in photogrammetry, especially in the digital camera era. Theoretically, this method does not require ground control points (GCP and the Aerial Triangulation (AT, to process aerial photography into ground coordinates. Compared with the old method, this method has three main advantages: faster data processing, simple workflow and less expensive project, at the same accuracy. Direct georeferencing using two devices, GPS and IMU. GPS recording the camera coordinates (X, Y, Z, and IMU recording the camera orientation (omega, phi, kappa. Both parameters merged into Exterior Orientation (EO parameter. This parameters required for next steps in the photogrammetric projects, such as stereocompilation, DSM generation, orthorectification and mosaic. Accuracy of this method was tested on topographic map project in Medan, Indonesia. Large-format digital camera Ultracam X from Vexcel is used, while the GPS / IMU is IGI AeroControl. 19 Independent Check Point (ICP were used to determine the accuracy. Horizontal accuracy is 0.356 meters and vertical accuracy is 0.483 meters. Data with this accuracy can be used for 1:2.500 map scale project.

High-accuracy single-pass InSAR DEM for large-scale flood hazard applications

Science.gov (United States)

Schumann, G.; Faherty, D.; Moller, D.

2017-12-01

In this study, we used a unique opportunity of the GLISTIN-A (NASA airborne mission designed to characterizing the cryosphere) track to Greenland to acquire a high-resolution InSAR DEM of a large area in the Red River of the North Basin (north of Grand Forks, ND, USA), which is a very flood-vulnerable valley, particularly in spring time due to increased soil moisture content near state of saturation and/or, typical for this region, snowmelt. Having an InSAR DEM that meets flood inundation modeling and mapping requirements comparable to LiDAR, would demonstrate great application potential of new radar technology for national agencies with an operational flood forecasting mandate and also local state governments active in flood event prediction, disaster response and mitigation. Specifically, we derived a bare-earth DEM in SAR geometry by first removing the inherent far range bias related to airborne operation, which at the more typical large-scale DEM resolution of 30 m has a sensor accuracy of plus or minus 2.5 cm. Subsequently, an intelligent classifier based on informed relationships between InSAR height, intensity and correlation was used to distinguish between bare-earth, roads or embankments, buildings and tall vegetation in order to facilitate the creation of a bare-earth DEM that would meet the requirements for accurate floodplain inundation mapping. Using state-of-the-art LiDAR terrain data, we demonstrate that capability by achieving a root mean squared error of approximately 25 cm and further illustrating its applicability to flood modeling.

High-accuracy identification and bioinformatic analysis of in vivo protein phosphorylation sites in yeast

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gnad, Florian; de Godoy, Lyris M F; Cox, Jürgen

2009-01-01

Protein phosphorylation is a fundamental regulatory mechanism that affects many cell signaling processes. Using high-accuracy MS and stable isotope labeling in cell culture-labeling, we provide a global view of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoproteome, containing 3620 phosphorylation sites ma...

High Accuracy Mass Measurement of the Dripline Nuclides $^{12,14}$Be

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

State-of-the art, three-body nuclear models that describe halo nuclides require the binding energy of the halo neutron(s) as a critical input parameter. In the case of $^{14}$Be, the uncertainty of this quantity is currently far too large (130 keV), inhibiting efforts at detailed theoretical description. A high accuracy, direct mass deterlnination of $^{14}$Be (as well as $^{12}$Be to obtain the two-neutron separation energy) is therefore required. The measurement can be performed with the MISTRAL spectrometer, which is presently the only possible solution due to required accuracy (10 keV) and short half-life (4.5 ms). Having achieved a 5 keV uncertainty for the mass of $^{11}$Li (8.6 ms), MISTRAL has proved the feasibility of such measurements. Since the current ISOLDE production rate of $^{14}$Be is only about 10/s, the installation of a beam cooler is underway in order to improve MISTRAL transmission. The projected improvement of an order of magnitude (in each transverse direction) will make this measureme...

High Accuracy Beam Current Monitor System for CEBAF'S Experimental Hall A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

J. Denard; A. Saha; G. Lavessiere

2001-01-01

CEBAF accelerator delivers continuous wave (CW) electron beams to three experimental Halls. In Hall A, all experiments require continuous, non-invasive current measurements and a few experiments require an absolute accuracy of 0.2 % in the current range from 1 to 180 (micro)A. A Parametric Current Transformer (PCT), manufactured by Bergoz, has an accurate and stable sensitivity of 4 (micro)A/V but its offset drifts at the muA level over time preclude its direct use for continuous measurements. Two cavity monitors are calibrated against the PCT with at least 50 (micro)A of beam current. The calibration procedure suppresses the error due to PCT's offset drifts by turning the beam on and off, which is invasive to the experiment. One of the goals of the system is to minimize the calibration time without compromising the measurement's accuracy. The linearity of the cavity monitors is a critical parameter for transferring the accurate calibration done at high currents over the whole dynamic range. The method for measuring accurately the linearity is described

High-accuracy determination of the neutron flux at n{sub T}OF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barbagallo, M.; Colonna, N.; Mastromarco, M.; Meaze, M.; Tagliente, G.; Variale, V. [Sezione di Bari, INFN, Bari (Italy); Guerrero, C.; Andriamonje, S.; Boccone, V.; Brugger, M.; Calviani, M.; Cerutti, F.; Chin, M.; Ferrari, A.; Kadi, Y.; Losito, R.; Versaci, R.; Vlachoudis, V. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Tsinganis, A. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Athens (Greece); Tarrio, D.; Duran, I.; Leal-Cidoncha, E.; Paradela, C. [Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago (Spain); Altstadt, S.; Goebel, K.; Langer, C.; Reifarth, R.; Schmidt, S.; Weigand, M. [Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe Universitaet, Frankfurt (Germany); Andrzejewski, J.; Marganiec, J.; Perkowski, J. [Uniwersytet Lodzki, Lodz (Poland); Audouin, L.; Leong, L.S.; Tassan-Got, L. [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/IN2P3 - IPN, Orsay (France); Becares, V.; Cano-Ott, D.; Garcia, A.R.; Gonzalez-Romero, E.; Martinez, T.; Mendoza, E. [Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas Medioambientales y Tecnologicas (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain); Becvar, F.; Krticka, M.; Kroll, J.; Valenta, S. [Charles University, Prague (Czech Republic); Belloni, F.; Fraval, K.; Gunsing, F.; Lampoudis, C.; Papaevangelou, T. [Commissariata l' Energie Atomique (CEA) Saclay - Irfu, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Berthoumieux, E.; Chiaveri, E. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Commissariata l' Energie Atomique (CEA) Saclay - Irfu, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Billowes, J.; Ware, T.; Wright, T. [University of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom); Bosnar, D.; Zugec, P. [University of Zagreb, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Zagreb (Croatia); Calvino, F.; Cortes, G.; Gomez-Hornillos, M.B.; Riego, A. [Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona (Spain); Carrapico, C.; Goncalves, I.F.; Sarmento, R.; Vaz, P. [Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa, Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisboa (Portugal); Cortes-Giraldo, M.A.; Praena, J.; Quesada, J.M.; Sabate-Gilarte, M. [Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla (Spain); Diakaki, M.; Karadimos, D.; Kokkoris, M.; Vlastou, R. [National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Athens (Greece); Domingo-Pardo, C.; Giubrone, G.; Tain, J.L. [CSIC-Universidad de Valencia, Instituto de Fisica Corpuscular, Valencia (Spain); Dressler, R.; Kivel, N.; Schumann, D.; Steinegger, P. [Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Dzysiuk, N.; Mastinu, P.F. [Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, INFN, Rome (Italy); Eleftheriadis, C.; Manousos, A. [Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki (Greece); Ganesan, S.; Gurusamy, P.; Saxena, A. [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai (IN); Griesmayer, E.; Jericha, E.; Leeb, H. [Technische Universitaet Wien, Atominstitut, Wien (AT); Hernandez-Prieto, A. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (CH); Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona (ES); Jenkins, D.G.; Vermeulen, M.J. [University of York, Heslington, York (GB); Kaeppeler, F. [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Campus Nord, Karlsruhe (DE); Koehler, P. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge (US); Lederer, C. [Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe Universitaet, Frankfurt (DE); University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Vienna (AT); Massimi, C.; Mingrone, F.; Vannini, G. [Universita di Bologna (IT); INFN, Sezione di Bologna, Dipartimento di Fisica, Bologna (IT); Mengoni, A.; Ventura, A. [Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l' energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile (ENEA), Bologna (IT); Milazzo, P.M. [Sezione di Trieste, INFN, Trieste (IT); Mirea, M. [Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering - IFIN HH, Bucharest - Magurele (RO); Mondalaers, W.; Plompen, A.; Schillebeeckx, P. [Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, European Commission JRC, Geel (BE); Pavlik, A.; Wallner, A. [University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Vienna (AT); Rauscher, T. [University of Basel, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Basel (CH); Roman, F. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (CH); Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering - IFIN HH, Bucharest - Magurele (RO); Rubbia, C. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (CH); Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso dell' INFN, Assergi (AQ) (IT); Weiss, C. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (CH); Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe Universitaet, Frankfurt (DE)

2013-12-15

The neutron flux of the n{sub T}OF facility at CERN was measured, after installation of the new spallation target, with four different systems based on three neutron-converting reactions, which represent accepted cross sections standards in different energy regions. A careful comparison and combination of the different measurements allowed us to reach an unprecedented accuracy on the energy dependence of the neutron flux in the very wide range (thermal to 1 GeV) that characterizes the n{sub T}OF neutron beam. This is a pre-requisite for the high accuracy of cross section measurements at n{sub T}OF. An unexpected anomaly in the neutron-induced fission cross section of {sup 235}U is observed in the energy region between 10 and 30keV, hinting at a possible overestimation of this important cross section, well above currently assigned uncertainties. (orig.)

Constructing Better Classifier Ensemble Based on Weighted Accuracy and Diversity Measure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaodong Zeng

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A weighted accuracy and diversity (WAD method is presented, a novel measure used to evaluate the quality of the classifier ensemble, assisting in the ensemble selection task. The proposed measure is motivated by a commonly accepted hypothesis; that is, a robust classifier ensemble should not only be accurate but also different from every other member. In fact, accuracy and diversity are mutual restraint factors; that is, an ensemble with high accuracy may have low diversity, and an overly diverse ensemble may negatively affect accuracy. This study proposes a method to find the balance between accuracy and diversity that enhances the predictive ability of an ensemble for unknown data. The quality assessment for an ensemble is performed such that the final score is achieved by computing the harmonic mean of accuracy and diversity, where two weight parameters are used to balance them. The measure is compared to two representative measures, Kappa-Error and GenDiv, and two threshold measures that consider only accuracy or diversity, with two heuristic search algorithms, genetic algorithm, and forward hill-climbing algorithm, in ensemble selection tasks performed on 15 UCI benchmark datasets. The empirical results demonstrate that the WAD measure is superior to others in most cases.

A generalized polynomial chaos based ensemble Kalman filter with high accuracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jia; Xiu Dongbin

2009-01-01

As one of the most adopted sequential data assimilation methods in many areas, especially those involving complex nonlinear dynamics, the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) has been under extensive investigation regarding its properties and efficiency. Compared to other variants of the Kalman filter (KF), EnKF is straightforward to implement, as it employs random ensembles to represent solution states. This, however, introduces sampling errors that affect the accuracy of EnKF in a negative manner. Though sampling errors can be easily reduced by using a large number of samples, in practice this is undesirable as each ensemble member is a solution of the system of state equations and can be time consuming to compute for large-scale problems. In this paper we present an efficient EnKF implementation via generalized polynomial chaos (gPC) expansion. The key ingredients of the proposed approach involve (1) solving the system of stochastic state equations via the gPC methodology to gain efficiency; and (2) sampling the gPC approximation of the stochastic solution with an arbitrarily large number of samples, at virtually no additional computational cost, to drastically reduce the sampling errors. The resulting algorithm thus achieves a high accuracy at reduced computational cost, compared to the classical implementations of EnKF. Numerical examples are provided to verify the convergence property and accuracy improvement of the new algorithm. We also prove that for linear systems with Gaussian noise, the first-order gPC Kalman filter method is equivalent to the exact Kalman filter.

High-accuracy defect sizing for CRDM penetration adapters using the ultrasonic TOFD technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atkinson, I.

1995-01-01

Ultrasonic time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) is the preferred technique for critical sizing of throughwall orientated defects in a wide range of components, primarily because it is intrinsically more accurate than amplitude-based techniques. For the same reason, TOFD is the preferred technique for sizing the cracks in control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) penetration adapters, which have been the subject of much recent attention. Once the considerable problem of restricted access for the UT probes has been overcome, this inspection lends itself to very high accuracy defect sizing using TOFD. In qualification trials under industrial conditions, depth sizing to an accuracy of ≤ 0.5 mm has been routinely achieved throughout the full wall thickness (16 mm) of the penetration adapters, using only a single probe pair and without recourse to signal processing. (author)

High accuracy mantle convection simulation through modern numerical methods

KAUST Repository

Kronbichler, Martin

2012-08-21

Numerical simulation of the processes in the Earth\\'s mantle is a key piece in understanding its dynamics, composition, history and interaction with the lithosphere and the Earth\\'s core. However, doing so presents many practical difficulties related to the numerical methods that can accurately represent these processes at relevant scales. This paper presents an overview of the state of the art in algorithms for high-Rayleigh number flows such as those in the Earth\\'s mantle, and discusses their implementation in the Open Source code Aspect (Advanced Solver for Problems in Earth\\'s ConvecTion). Specifically, we show how an interconnected set of methods for adaptive mesh refinement (AMR), higher order spatial and temporal discretizations, advection stabilization and efficient linear solvers can provide high accuracy at a numerical cost unachievable with traditional methods, and how these methods can be designed in a way so that they scale to large numbers of processors on compute clusters. Aspect relies on the numerical software packages deal.II and Trilinos, enabling us to focus on high level code and keeping our implementation compact. We present results from validation tests using widely used benchmarks for our code, as well as scaling results from parallel runs. © 2012 The Authors Geophysical Journal International © 2012 RAS.

Measurement system with high accuracy for laser beam quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Yi; Zeng, Ciling; Xie, Peiyuan; Jiang, Qingshan; Liang, Ke; Yang, Zhenyu; Zhao, Ming

2015-05-20

Presently, most of the laser beam quality measurement system collimates the optical path manually with low efficiency and low repeatability. To solve these problems, this paper proposed a new collimated method to improve the reliability and accuracy of the measurement results. The system accuracy controlled the position of the mirror to change laser beam propagation direction, which can realize the beam perpendicularly incident to the photosurface of camera. The experiment results show that the proposed system has good repeatability and the measuring deviation of M2 factor is less than 0.6%.

Accuracy in Optical Information Processing

Science.gov (United States)

Timucin, Dogan Aslan

Low computational accuracy is an important obstacle for optical processors which blocks their way to becoming a practical reality and a serious challenger for classical computing paradigms. This research presents a comprehensive solution approach to the problem of accuracy enhancement in discrete analog optical information processing systems. Statistical analysis of a generic three-plane optical processor is carried out first, taking into account the effects of diffraction, interchannel crosstalk, and background radiation. Noise sources included in the analysis are photon, excitation, and emission fluctuations in the source array, transmission and polarization fluctuations in the modulator, and photoelectron, gain, dark, shot, and thermal noise in the detector array. Means and mutual coherence and probability density functions are derived for both optical and electrical output signals. Next, statistical models for a number of popular optoelectronic devices are studied. Specific devices considered here are light-emitting and laser diode sources, an ideal noiseless modulator and a Gaussian random-amplitude-transmittance modulator, p-i-n and avalanche photodiode detectors followed by electronic postprocessing, and ideal free-space geometrical -optics propagation and single-lens imaging systems. Output signal statistics are determined for various interesting device combinations by inserting these models into the general formalism. Finally, based on these special-case output statistics, results on accuracy limitations and enhancement in optical processors are presented. Here, starting with the formulation of the accuracy enhancement problem as (1) an optimal detection problem and (2) as a parameter estimation problem, the potential accuracy improvements achievable via the classical multiple-hypothesis -testing and maximum likelihood and Bayesian parameter estimation methods are demonstrated. Merits of using proper normalizing transforms which can potentially stabilize

Accuracy of High-Resolution Ultrasonography in the Detection of Extensor Tendon Lacerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Dezfuli, Bobby; Taljanovic, Mihra S; Melville, David M; Krupinski, Elizabeth A; Sheppard, Joseph E

2016-02-01

Lacerations to the extensor mechanism are usually diagnosed clinically. Ultrasound (US) has been a growing diagnostic tool for tendon injuries since the 1990s. To date, there has been no publication establishing the accuracy and reliability of US in the evaluation of extensor mechanism lacerations in the hand. The purpose of this study is to determine the accuracy of US to detect extensor tendon injuries in the hand. Sixteen fingers and 4 thumbs in 4 fresh-frozen and thawed cadaveric hands were used. Sixty-eight 0.5-cm transverse skin lacerations were created. Twenty-seven extensor tendons were sharply transected. The remaining skin lacerations were used as sham dissection controls. One US technologist and one fellowship-trained musculoskeletal radiologist performed real-time dynamic US studies in and out of water bath. A second fellowship trained musculoskeletal radiologist subsequently reviewed the static US images. Dynamic and static US interpretation accuracy was assessed using dissection as "truth." All 27 extensor tendon lacerations and controls were identified correctly with dynamic imaging as either injury models that had a transected extensor tendon or sham controls with intact extensor tendons (sensitivity = 100%, specificity = 100%, positive predictive value = 1.0; all significantly greater than chance). Static imaging had a sensitivity of 85%, specificity of 89%, and accuracy of 88% (all significantly greater than chance). The results of the dynamic real time versus static US imaging were clearly different but did not reach statistical significance. Diagnostic US is a very accurate noninvasive study that can identify extensor mechanism injuries. Clinically suspected cases of acute extensor tendon injury scanned by high-frequency US can aid and/or confirm the diagnosis, with dynamic imaging providing added value compared to static. Ultrasonography, to aid in the diagnosis of extensor mechanism lacerations, can be successfully used in a reliable and

Continuous assessment of land mapping accuracy at High Resolution from global networks of atmospheric and field observatories -concept and demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Sicard, Pierre; Martin-lauzer, François-regis

2017-04-01

In the context of global climate change and adjustment/resilience policies' design and implementation, there is a need not only i. for environmental monitoring, e.g. through a range of Earth Observations (EO) land "products" but ii. for a precise assessment of uncertainties of the aforesaid information that feed environmental decision-making (to be introduced in the EO metadata) and also iii. for a perfect handing of the thresholds which help translate "environment tolerance limits" to match detected EO changes through ecosystem modelling. Uncertainties' insight means precision and accuracy's knowledge and subsequent ability of setting thresholds for change detection systems. Traditionally, the validation of satellite-derived products has taken the form of intensive field campaigns to sanction the introduction of data processors in Payload Data Ground Segments chains. It is marred by logistical challenges and cost issues, reason why it is complemented by specific surveys at ground-based monitoring sites which can provide near-continuous observations at a high temporal resolution (e.g. RadCalNet). Unfortunately, most of the ground-level monitoring sites, in the number of 100th or 1000th, which are part of wider observation networks (e.g. FLUXNET, NEON, IMAGINES) mainly monitor the state of the atmosphere and the radiation exchange at the surface, which are different to the products derived from EO data. In addition they are "point-based" compared to the EO cover to be obtained from Sentinel-2 or Sentinel-3. Yet, data from these networks, processed by spatial extrapolation models, are well-suited to the bottom-up approach and relevant to the validation of vegetation parameters' consistency (e.g. leaf area index, fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation). Consistency means minimal errors on spatial and temporal gradients of EO products. Test of the procedure for land-cover products' consistency assessment with field measurements delivered by worldwide

Technical accuracy of a neuronavigation system measured with a high-precision mechanical micromanipulator.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaus, M; Steinmeier, R; Sporer, T; Ganslandt, O; Fahlbusch, R

1997-12-01

This study was designed to determine and evaluate the different system-inherent sources of erroneous target localization of a light-emitting diode (LED)-based neuronavigation system (StealthStation, Stealth Technologies, Boulder, CO). The localization accuracy was estimated by applying a high-precision mechanical micromanipulator to move and exactly locate (+/- 0.1 micron) the pointer at multiple positions in the physical three-dimensional space. The localization error was evaluated by calculating the spatial distance between the (known) LED positions and the LED coordinates measured by the neuronavigator. The results are based on a study of approximately 280,000 independent coordinate measurements. The maximum localization error detected was 0.55 +/- 0.29 mm, with the z direction (distance to the camera array) being the most erroneous coordinate. Minimum localization error was found at a distance of 1400 mm from the central camera (optimal measurement position). Additional error due to 1) mechanical vibrations of the camera tripod (+/- 0.15 mm) and the reference frame (+/- 0.08 mm) and 2) extrapolation of the pointer tip position from the LED coordinates of at least +/- 0.12 mm were detected, leading to a total technical error of 0.55 +/- 0.64 mm. Based on this technical accuracy analysis, a set of handling recommendations is proposed, leading to an improved localization accuracy. The localization error could be reduced by 0.3 +/- 0.15 mm by correct camera positioning (1400 mm distance) plus 0.15 mm by vibration-eliminating fixation of the camera. Correct handling of the probe during the operation may improve the accuracy by up to 0.1 mm.

Accuracy and high-speed technique for autoprocessing of Young's fringes

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wenyi; Tan, Yushan

1991-12-01

In this paper, an accurate and high-speed method for auto-processing of Young's fringes is proposed. A group of 1-D sampled intensity values along three or more different directions are taken from Young's fringes, and the fringe spacings of each direction are obtained by 1-D FFT respectively. Two directions that have smaller fringe spacing are selected from all directions. The accurate fringe spacings along these two directions are obtained by using orthogonal coherent phase detection technique (OCPD). The actual spacing and angle of Young's fringes, therefore, can be calculated. In this paper, the principle of OCPD is introduced in detail. The accuracy of the method is evaluated theoretically and experimentally.

Implementation of High Time Delay Accuracy of Ultrasonic Phased Array Based on Interpolation CIC Filter.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Peilu; Li, Xinghua; Li, Haopeng; Su, Zhikun; Zhang, Hongxu

2017-10-12

In order to improve the accuracy of ultrasonic phased array focusing time delay, analyzing the original interpolation Cascade-Integrator-Comb (CIC) filter, an 8× interpolation CIC filter parallel algorithm was proposed, so that interpolation and multichannel decomposition can simultaneously process. Moreover, we summarized the general formula of arbitrary multiple interpolation CIC filter parallel algorithm and established an ultrasonic phased array focusing time delay system based on 8× interpolation CIC filter parallel algorithm. Improving the algorithmic structure, 12.5% of addition and 29.2% of multiplication was reduced, meanwhile the speed of computation is still very fast. Considering the existing problems of the CIC filter, we compensated the CIC filter; the compensated CIC filter's pass band is flatter, the transition band becomes steep, and the stop band attenuation increases. Finally, we verified the feasibility of this algorithm on Field Programming Gate Array (FPGA). In the case of system clock is 125 MHz, after 8× interpolation filtering and decomposition, time delay accuracy of the defect echo becomes 1 ns. Simulation and experimental results both show that the algorithm we proposed has strong feasibility. Because of the fast calculation, small computational amount and high resolution, this algorithm is especially suitable for applications with high time delay accuracy and fast detection.

Implementation of High Time Delay Accuracy of Ultrasonic Phased Array Based on Interpolation CIC Filter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peilu Liu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available In order to improve the accuracy of ultrasonic phased array focusing time delay, analyzing the original interpolation Cascade-Integrator-Comb (CIC filter, an 8× interpolation CIC filter parallel algorithm was proposed, so that interpolation and multichannel decomposition can simultaneously process. Moreover, we summarized the general formula of arbitrary multiple interpolation CIC filter parallel algorithm and established an ultrasonic phased array focusing time delay system based on 8× interpolation CIC filter parallel algorithm. Improving the algorithmic structure, 12.5% of addition and 29.2% of multiplication was reduced, meanwhile the speed of computation is still very fast. Considering the existing problems of the CIC filter, we compensated the CIC filter; the compensated CIC filter’s pass band is flatter, the transition band becomes steep, and the stop band attenuation increases. Finally, we verified the feasibility of this algorithm on Field Programming Gate Array (FPGA. In the case of system clock is 125 MHz, after 8× interpolation filtering and decomposition, time delay accuracy of the defect echo becomes 1 ns. Simulation and experimental results both show that the algorithm we proposed has strong feasibility. Because of the fast calculation, small computational amount and high resolution, this algorithm is especially suitable for applications with high time delay accuracy and fast detection.

THE EFFECT OF MODERATE AND HIGH-INTENSITY FATIGUE ON GROUNDSTROKE ACCURACY IN EXPERT AND NON-EXPERT TENNIS PLAYERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Lyons

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Exploring the effects of fatigue on skilled performance in tennis presents a significant challenge to the researcher with respect to ecological validity. This study examined the effects of moderate and high-intensity fatigue on groundstroke accuracy in expert and non-expert tennis players. The research also explored whether the effects of fatigue are the same regardless of gender and player's achievement motivation characteristics. 13 expert (7 male, 6 female and 17 non-expert (13 male, 4 female tennis players participated in the study. Groundstroke accuracy was assessed using the modified Loughborough Tennis Skills Test. Fatigue was induced using the Loughborough Intermittent Tennis Test with moderate (70% and high-intensities (90% set as a percentage of peak heart rate (attained during a tennis-specific maximal hitting sprint test. Ratings of perceived exertion were used as an adjunct to the monitoring of heart rate. Achievement goal indicators for each player were assessed using the 2 x 2 Achievement Goals Questionnaire for Sport in an effort to examine if this personality characteristic provides insight into how players perform under moderate and high-intensity fatigue conditions. A series of mixed ANOVA's revealed significant fatigue effects on groundstroke accuracy regardless of expertise. The expert players however, maintained better groundstroke accuracy across all conditions compared to the novice players. Nevertheless, in both groups, performance following high-intensity fatigue deteriorated compared to performance at rest and performance while moderately fatigued. Groundstroke accuracy under moderate levels of fatigue was equivalent to that at rest. Fatigue effects were also similar regardless of gender. No fatigue by expertise, or fatigue by gender interactions were found. Fatigue effects were also equivalent regardless of player's achievement goal indicators. Future research is required to explore the effects of fatigue on

High-accuracy resolver-to-digital conversion via phase locked loop based on PID controller

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yaoling; Wu, Zhong

2018-03-01

The problem of resolver-to-digital conversion (RDC) is transformed into the problem of angle tracking control, and a phase locked loop (PLL) method based on PID controller is proposed in this paper. This controller comprises a typical PI controller plus an incomplete differential which can avoid the amplification of higher-frequency noise components by filtering the phase detection error with a low-pass filter. Compared with conventional ones, the proposed PLL method makes the converter a system of type III and thus the conversion accuracy can be improved. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Identifying the source of farmed escaped Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar): Bayesian clustering analysis increases accuracy of assignment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Glover, Kevin A.; Hansen, Michael Møller; Skaala, Oystein

2009-01-01

44 cages located on 26 farms in the Hardangerfjord, western Norway. This fjord represents one of the major salmon farming areas in Norway, with a production of 57,000 t in 2007. Based upon genetic data from 17 microsatellite markers, significant but highly variable differentiation was observed among....... Accuracy of assignment varied greatly among the individual samples. For the Bayesian clustered data set consisting of five genetic groups, overall accuracy of self-assignment was 99%, demonstrating the effectiveness of this strategy to significantly increase accuracy of assignment, albeit at the expense...

Design and Performance Evaluation of Real-time Endovascular Interventional Surgical Robotic System with High Accuracy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kundong; Chen, Bing; Lu, Qingsheng; Li, Hongbing; Liu, Manhua; Shen, Yu; Xu, Zhuoyan

2018-05-15

Endovascular interventional surgery (EIS) is performed under a high radiation environment at the sacrifice of surgeons' health. This paper introduces a novel endovascular interventional surgical robot that aims to reduce radiation to surgeons and physical stress imposed by lead aprons during fluoroscopic X-ray guided catheter intervention. The unique mechanical structure allowed the surgeon to manipulate the axial and radial motion of the catheter and guide wire. Four catheter manipulators (to manipulate the catheter and guide wire), and a control console which consists of four joysticks, several buttons and two twist switches (to control the catheter manipulators) were presented. The entire robotic system was established on a master-slave control structure through CAN (Controller Area Network) bus communication, meanwhile, the slave side of this robotic system showed highly accurate control over velocity and displacement with PID controlling method. The robotic system was tested and passed in vitro and animal experiments. Through functionality evaluation, the manipulators were able to complete interventional surgical motion both independently and cooperatively. The robotic surgery was performed successfully in an adult female pig and demonstrated the feasibility of superior mesenteric and common iliac artery stent implantation. The entire robotic system met the clinical requirements of EIS. The results show that the system has the ability to imitate the movements of surgeons and to accomplish the axial and radial motions with consistency and high-accuracy. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cause and Cure - Deterioration in Accuracy of CFD Simulations With Use of High-Aspect-Ratio Triangular Tetrahedral Grids

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Sin-Chung; Chang, Chau-Lyan; Venkatachari, Balaji Shankar

2017-01-01

Traditionally high-aspect ratio triangular/tetrahedral meshes are avoided by CFD re-searchers in the vicinity of a solid wall, as it is known to reduce the accuracy of gradient computations in those regions and also cause numerical instability. Although for certain complex geometries, the use of high-aspect ratio triangular/tetrahedral elements in the vicinity of a solid wall can be replaced by quadrilateral/prismatic elements, ability to use triangular/tetrahedral elements in such regions without any degradation in accuracy can be beneficial from a mesh generation point of view. The benefits also carry over to numerical frameworks such as the space-time conservation element and solution element (CESE), where triangular/tetrahedral elements are the mandatory building blocks. With the requirement of the CESE method in mind, a rigorous mathematical framework that clearly identities the reason behind the difficulties in use of such high-aspect ratio triangular/tetrahedral elements is presented here. As will be shown, it turns out that the degree of accuracy deterioration of gradient computation involving a triangular element is hinged on the value of its shape factor Gamma def = sq sin Alpha1 + sq sin Alpha2 + sq sin Alpha3, where Alpha1; Alpha2 and Alpha3 are the internal angles of the element. In fact, it is shown that the degree of accuracy deterioration increases monotonically as the value of Gamma decreases monotonically from its maximal value 9/4 (attained by an equilateral triangle only) to a value much less than 1 (associated with a highly obtuse triangle). By taking advantage of the fact that a high-aspect ratio triangle is not necessarily highly obtuse, and in fact it can have a shape factor whose value is close to the maximal value 9/4, a potential solution to avoid accuracy deterioration of gradient computation associated with a high-aspect ratio triangular grid is given. Also a brief discussion on the extension of the current mathematical framework to the

Very high-accuracy calibration of radiation pattern and gain of a near-field probe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pivnenko, Sergey; Nielsen, Jeppe Majlund; Breinbjerg, Olav

2014-01-01

In this paper, very high-accuracy calibration of the radiation pattern and gain of a near-field probe is described. An open-ended waveguide near-field probe has been used in a recent measurement of the C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Antenna Subsystem for the Sentinel 1 mission of the Europ...

A New Image Processing Procedure Integrating PCI-RPC and ArcGIS-Spline Tools to Improve the Orthorectification Accuracy of High-Resolution Satellite Imagery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongying Zhang

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Given the low accuracy of the traditional remote sensing image processing software when orthorectifying satellite images that cover mountainous areas, and in order to make a full use of mutually compatible and complementary characteristics of the remote sensing image processing software PCI-RPC (Rational Polynomial Coefficients and ArcGIS-Spline, this study puts forward a new operational and effective image processing procedure to improve the accuracy of image orthorectification. The new procedure first processes raw image data into an orthorectified image using PCI with RPC model (PCI-RPC, and then the orthorectified image is further processed using ArcGIS with the Spline tool (ArcGIS-Spline. We used the high-resolution CBERS-02C satellite images (HR1 and HR2 scenes with a pixel size of 2 m acquired from Yangyuan County in Hebei Province of China to test the procedure. In this study, when separately using PCI-RPC and ArcGIS-Spline tools directly to process the HR1/HR2 raw images, the orthorectification accuracies (root mean square errors, RMSEs for HR1/HR2 images were 2.94 m/2.81 m and 4.65 m/4.41 m, respectively. However, when using our newly proposed procedure, the corresponding RMSEs could be reduced to 1.10 m/1.07 m. The experimental results demonstrated that the new image processing procedure which integrates PCI-RPC and ArcGIS-Spline tools could significantly improve image orthorectification accuracy. Therefore, in terms of practice, the new procedure has the potential to use existing software products to easily improve image orthorectification accuracy.

From journal to headline: the accuracy of climate science news in Danish high quality newspapers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vestergård, Gunver Lystbæk

2011-01-01

analysis to examine the accuracy of Danish high quality newspapers in quoting scientific publications from 1997 to 2009. Out of 88 articles, 46 contained inaccuracies though the majority was found to be insignificant and random. The study concludes that Danish broadsheet newspapers are ‘moderately...

Accuracy of High-Resolution MRI with Lumen Distention in Rectal Cancer Staging and Circumferential Margin Involvement Prediction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iannicelli, Elsa; Di Renzo, Sara; Ferri, Mario; Pilozzi, Emanuela; Di Girolamo, Marco; Sapori, Alessandra; Ziparo, Vincenzo; David, Vincenzo

2014-01-01

To evaluate the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with lumen distention for rectal cancer staging and circumferential resection margin (CRM) involvement prediction. Seventy-three patients with primary rectal cancer underwent high-resolution MRI with a phased-array coil performed using 60-80 mL room air rectal distention, 1-3 weeks before surgery. MRI results were compared to postoperative histopathological findings. The overall MRI T staging accuracy was calculated. CRM involvement prediction and the N staging, the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were assessed for each T stage. The agreement between MRI and histological results was assessed using weighted-kappa statistics. The overall MRI accuracy for T staging was 93.6% (k = 0.85). The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for each T stage were as follows: 91.8%, 86.2%, 95.5%, 92.6% and 91.3% for the group ≤ T2; 90.4%, 94.6%, 86.1%, 87.5% and 94% for T3; 98,6%, 85.7%, 100%, 100% and 98.5% for T4, respectively. The predictive CRM accuracy was 94.5% (k = 0.86); the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 89.5%, 96.3%, 89.5%, and 96.3% respectively. The N staging accuracy was 68.49% (k = 0.4). MRI performed with rectal lumen distention has proved to be an effective technique both for rectal cancer staging and involved CRM predicting

Accuracy of High-Resolution MRI with Lumen Distention in Rectal Cancer Staging and Circumferential Margin Involvement Prediction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iannicelli, Elsa; Di Renzo, Sara [Radiology Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy); Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy); Ferri, Mario [Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy); Pilozzi, Emanuela [Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy); Di Girolamo, Marco; Sapori, Alessandra [Radiology Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy); Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy); Ziparo, Vincenzo [Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy); David, Vincenzo [Radiology Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy); Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy)

2014-07-01

To evaluate the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with lumen distention for rectal cancer staging and circumferential resection margin (CRM) involvement prediction. Seventy-three patients with primary rectal cancer underwent high-resolution MRI with a phased-array coil performed using 60-80 mL room air rectal distention, 1-3 weeks before surgery. MRI results were compared to postoperative histopathological findings. The overall MRI T staging accuracy was calculated. CRM involvement prediction and the N staging, the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were assessed for each T stage. The agreement between MRI and histological results was assessed using weighted-kappa statistics. The overall MRI accuracy for T staging was 93.6% (k = 0.85). The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for each T stage were as follows: 91.8%, 86.2%, 95.5%, 92.6% and 91.3% for the group ≤ T2; 90.4%, 94.6%, 86.1%, 87.5% and 94% for T3; 98,6%, 85.7%, 100%, 100% and 98.5% for T4, respectively. The predictive CRM accuracy was 94.5% (k = 0.86); the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 89.5%, 96.3%, 89.5%, and 96.3% respectively. The N staging accuracy was 68.49% (k = 0.4). MRI performed with rectal lumen distention has proved to be an effective technique both for rectal cancer staging and involved CRM predicting.

Hardware demonstration of high-speed networks for satellite applications.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donaldson, Jonathon W.; Lee, David S.

2008-09-01

This report documents the implementation results of a hardware demonstration utilizing the Serial RapidIO{trademark} and SpaceWire protocols that was funded by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL's) Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) office. This demonstration was one of the activities in the Modeling and Design of High-Speed Networks for Satellite Applications LDRD. This effort has demonstrated the transport of application layer packets across both RapidIO and SpaceWire networks to a common downlink destination using small topologies comprised of commercial-off-the-shelf and custom devices. The RapidFET and NEX-SRIO debug and verification tools were instrumental in the successful implementation of the RapidIO hardware demonstration. The SpaceWire hardware demonstration successfully demonstrated the transfer and routing of application data packets between multiple nodes and also was able reprogram remote nodes using configuration bitfiles transmitted over the network, a key feature proposed in node-based architectures (NBAs). Although a much larger network (at least 18 to 27 nodes) would be required to fully verify the design for use in a real-world application, this demonstration has shown that both RapidIO and SpaceWire are capable of routing application packets across a network to a common downlink node, illustrating their potential use in real-world NBAs.

Gene masking - a technique to improve accuracy for cancer classification with high dimensionality in microarray data.

Science.gov (United States)

Saini, Harsh; Lal, Sunil Pranit; Naidu, Vimal Vikash; Pickering, Vincel Wince; Singh, Gurmeet; Tsunoda, Tatsuhiko; Sharma, Alok

2016-12-05

High dimensional feature space generally degrades classification in several applications. In this paper, we propose a strategy called gene masking, in which non-contributing dimensions are heuristically removed from the data to improve classification accuracy. Gene masking is implemented via a binary encoded genetic algorithm that can be integrated seamlessly with classifiers during the training phase of classification to perform feature selection. It can also be used to discriminate between features that contribute most to the classification, thereby, allowing researchers to isolate features that may have special significance. This technique was applied on publicly available datasets whereby it substantially reduced the number of features used for classification while maintaining high accuracies. The proposed technique can be extremely useful in feature selection as it heuristically removes non-contributing features to improve the performance of classifiers.

High-accuracy critical exponents for O(N) hierarchical 3D sigma models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godina, J. J.; Li, L.; Meurice, Y.; Oktay, M. B.

2006-01-01

The critical exponent γ and its subleading exponent Δ in the 3D O(N) Dyson's hierarchical model for N up to 20 are calculated with high accuracy. We calculate the critical temperatures for the measure δ(φ-vector.φ-vector-1). We extract the first coefficients of the 1/N expansion from our numerical data. We show that the leading and subleading exponents agree with Polchinski equation and the equivalent Litim equation, in the local potential approximation, with at least 4 significant digits

Mildronate (Meldonium) in professional sports - monitoring doping control urine samples using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography - high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Görgens, Christian; Guddat, Sven; Dib, Josef; Geyer, Hans; Schänzer, Wilhelm; Thevis, Mario

2015-01-01

To date, substances such as Mildronate (Meldonium) are not on the radar of anti-doping laboratories as the compound is not explicitly classified as prohibited. However, the anti-ischemic drug Mildronate demonstrates an increase in endurance performance of athletes, improved rehabilitation after exercise, protection against stress, and enhanced activations of central nervous system (CNS) functions. In the present study, the existing evidence of Mildronate's usage in sport, which is arguably not (exclusively) based on medicinal reasons, is corroborated by unequivocal analytical data allowing the estimation of the prevalence and extent of misuse in professional sports. Such data are vital to support decision-making processes, particularly regarding the ban on drugs in sport. Due to the growing body of evidence (black market products and athlete statements) concerning its misuse in sport, adequate test methods for the reliable identification of Mildronate are required, especially since the substance has been added to the 2015 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) monitoring program. In the present study, two approaches were established using an in-house synthesized labelled internal standard (Mildronate-D3 ). One aimed at the implementation of the analyte into routine doping control screening methods to enable its monitoring at the lowest possible additional workload for the laboratory, and another that is appropriate for the peculiar specifics of the analyte, allowing the unequivocal confirmation of findings using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometry (HILIC-HRMS). Here, according to applicable regulations in sports drug testing, a full qualitative validation was conducted. The assay demonstrated good specificity, robustness (rRT=0.3%), precision (intra-day: 7.0-8.4%; inter-day: 9.9-12.9%), excellent linearity (R>0.99) and an adequate lower limit of detection (<10 ng/mL). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Japanese HTTR program for demonstration of high temperature applications of nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishihara, T.; Hada, K.; Shiozawa, S.

1997-01-01

Construction works of the HTTR started in March 1991 in order to establish and upgrade the HTGR technology basis, to carry out innovative basic researches on high temperature engineering and to demonstrate high temperature heat utilization and application of nuclear heat. This report describes the demonstration program of high temperature heat utilization and application. (author). 2 refs, 4 figs, 3 tabs

High-accuracy numerical integration of charged particle motion – with application to ponderomotive force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furukawa, Masaru; Ohkawa, Yushiro; Matsuyama, Akinobu

2016-01-01

A high-accuracy numerical integration algorithm for a charged particle motion is developed. The algorithm is based on the Hamiltonian mechanics and the operator decomposition. The algorithm is made to be time-reversal symmetric, and its order of accuracy can be increased to any order by using a recurrence formula. One of the advantages is that it is an explicit method. An effective way to decompose the time evolution operator is examined; the Poisson tensor is decomposed and non-canonical variables are adopted. The algorithm is extended to a time dependent fields' case by introducing the extended phase space. Numerical tests showing the performance of the algorithm are presented. One is the pure cyclotron motion for a long time period, and the other is a charged particle motion in a rapidly oscillating field. (author)

Automated, high accuracy classification of Parkinsonian disorders: a pattern recognition approach.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andre F Marquand

Full Text Available Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP, multiple system atrophy (MSA and idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD can be clinically indistinguishable, especially in the early stages, despite distinct patterns of molecular pathology. Structural neuroimaging holds promise for providing objective biomarkers for discriminating these diseases at the single subject level but all studies to date have reported incomplete separation of disease groups. In this study, we employed multi-class pattern recognition to assess the value of anatomical patterns derived from a widely available structural neuroimaging sequence for automated classification of these disorders. To achieve this, 17 patients with PSP, 14 with IPD and 19 with MSA were scanned using structural MRI along with 19 healthy controls (HCs. An advanced probabilistic pattern recognition approach was employed to evaluate the diagnostic value of several pre-defined anatomical patterns for discriminating the disorders, including: (i a subcortical motor network; (ii each of its component regions and (iii the whole brain. All disease groups could be discriminated simultaneously with high accuracy using the subcortical motor network. The region providing the most accurate predictions overall was the midbrain/brainstem, which discriminated all disease groups from one another and from HCs. The subcortical network also produced more accurate predictions than the whole brain and all of its constituent regions. PSP was accurately predicted from the midbrain/brainstem, cerebellum and all basal ganglia compartments; MSA from the midbrain/brainstem and cerebellum and IPD from the midbrain/brainstem only. This study demonstrates that automated analysis of structural MRI can accurately predict diagnosis in individual patients with Parkinsonian disorders, and identifies distinct patterns of regional atrophy particularly useful for this process.

Geoid undulation accuracy

Science.gov (United States)

Rapp, Richard H.

1993-01-01

The determination of the geoid and equipotential surface of the Earth's gravity field, has long been of interest to geodesists and oceanographers. The geoid provides a surface to which the actual ocean surface can be compared with the differences implying information on the circulation patterns of the oceans. For use in oceanographic applications the geoid is ideally needed to a high accuracy and to a high resolution. There are applications that require geoid undulation information to an accuracy of +/- 10 cm with a resolution of 50 km. We are far from this goal today but substantial improvement in geoid determination has been made. In 1979 the cumulative geoid undulation error to spherical harmonic degree 20 was +/- 1.4 m for the GEM10 potential coefficient model. Today the corresponding value has been reduced to +/- 25 cm for GEM-T3 or +/- 11 cm for the OSU91A model. Similar improvements are noted by harmonic degree (wave-length) and in resolution. Potential coefficient models now exist to degree 360 based on a combination of data types. This paper discusses the accuracy changes that have taken place in the past 12 years in the determination of geoid undulations.

An output amplitude configurable wideband automatic gain control with high gain step accuracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Xiaofeng; Ye Tianchun; Mo Taishan; Ma Chengyan

2012-01-01

An output amplitude configurable wideband automatic gain control (AGC) with high gain step accuracy for the GNSS receiver is presented. The amplitude of an AGC is configurable in order to cooperate with baseband chips to achieve interference suppression and be compatible with different full range ADCs. And what's more, the gain-boosting technology is introduced and the circuit is improved to increase the step accuracy. A zero, which is composed by the source feedback resistance and the source capacity, is introduced to compensate for the pole. The AGC is fabricated in a 0.18 μm CMOS process. The AGC shows a 62 dB gain control range by 1 dB each step with a gain error of less than 0.2 dB. The AGC provides 3 dB bandwidth larger than 80 MHz and the overall power consumption is less than 1.8 mA, and the die area is 800 × 300 μm 2 . (semiconductor integrated circuits)

Perspective on demonstrations of compliance for high-level waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocher, D.C.; Smith, E.D.; O'Kelly, G.D.; Sjoreen, A.L.

1984-01-01

This paper discusses a perspective which we have developed on the problem of demonstrating compliance of high-level waste repositories with system performance standards. Our viewpoint arises from two primary concerns - first, that the US Environmental Protection Agency's proposed environmental standard for high-level waste disposal appears to require demonstrations of compliance which are incompatible with scientific knowledge, and, second, that the federal agencies involved in the licensing process may not appreciate fully the extent of unquantifiable and uresolvable uncertainty in repository performance-assessment models. We propose a general approach to demonstrations of compliance which we feel is compatible with the kinds of technical information that will be available for judging repository performance. Our approach emphasizes the importance of investigation alternative conceptual models and lines of reasoning in evaluating repository performance and the importance of subjective scientific judgment in the desision-making process. 24 references, 1 figure

High accuracy magnetic field mapping of the LEP spectrometer magnet

CERN Document Server

Roncarolo, F

2000-01-01

The Large Electron Positron accelerator (LEP) is a storage ring which has been operated since 1989 at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), located in the Geneva area. It is intended to experimentally verify the Standard Model theory and in particular to detect with high accuracy the mass of the electro-weak force bosons. Electrons and positrons are accelerated inside the LEP ring in opposite directions and forced to collide at four locations, once they reach an energy high enough for the experimental purposes. During head-to-head collisions the leptons loose all their energy and a huge amount of energy is concentrated in a small region. In this condition the energy is quickly converted in other particles which tend to go away from the interaction point. The higher the energy of the leptons before the collisions, the higher the mass of the particles that can escape. At LEP four large experimental detectors are accommodated. All detectors are multi purpose detectors covering a solid angle of alm...

Determination of UAV position using high accuracy navigation platform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ireneusz Kubicki

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The choice of navigation system for mini UAV is very important because of its application and exploitation, particularly when the installed on it a synthetic aperture radar requires highly precise information about an object’s position. The presented exemplary solution of such a system draws attention to the possible problems associated with the use of appropriate technology, sensors, and devices or with a complete navigation system. The position and spatial orientation errors of the measurement platform influence on the obtained SAR imaging. Both, turbulences and maneuvers performed during flight cause the changes in the position of the airborne object resulting in deterioration or lack of images from SAR. Consequently, it is necessary to perform operations for reducing or eliminating the impact of the sensors’ errors on the UAV position accuracy. You need to look for compromise solutions between newer better technologies and in the field of software. Keywords: navigation systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, sensors integration

Computer modeling of oil spill trajectories with a high accuracy method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Martinez, Reinaldo; Flores-Tovar, Henry

1999-01-01

This paper proposes a high accuracy numerical method to model oil spill trajectories using a particle-tracking algorithm. The Euler method, used to calculate oil trajectories, can give adequate solutions in most open ocean applications. However, this method may not predict accurate particle trajectories in certain highly non-uniform velocity fields near coastal zones or in river problems. Simple numerical experiments show that the Euler method may also introduce artificial numerical dispersion that could lead to overestimation of spill areas. This article proposes a fourth-order Runge-Kutta method with fourth-order velocity interpolation to calculate oil trajectories that minimise these problems. The algorithm is implemented in the OilTrack model to predict oil trajectories following the 'Nissos Amorgos' oil spill accident that occurred in the Gulf of Venezuela in 1997. Despite lack of adequate field information, model results compare well with observations in the impacted area. (Author)

The demonstration of the auditory ossicles by high resolution CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lloyd, G.A.S.; Boulay, G.H. du; Phelps, P.D.; Pullicino, P.

1979-01-01

The high resolution CT scanning system introduced by EMI in 1978 has added a new dimension to computerised tomography in otology. The apparatus used for this study was an EMI CT 5005 body scanner adapted for head and neck scanning and incorporating a high resolution facility. The latter has proved most advantageous in areas of relatively high differential absorption, so that its application to the demonstration of abnormalities in the petrous temporal bone, and in particular middle ear disease, has been very rewarding. Traumatic ossicular disruptions may now be demonstrated and the high contrast of CT often shows them better than conventional hypocycloidal tomography. The stapes is also better visualised and congenital abnormalities of its superstructure have been recorded. These studies have been achieved with a very acceptable level of radiation to the eye, lens and cornea and the technique is clearly a rival to conventional pluridirectional tomography in the assessment of the petrous temporal bone. With further design improvements high resolution CT could completely replace existing techniques. (orig.) [de

High-accuracy self-calibration method for dual-axis rotation-modulating RLG-INS

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Guo; Gao, Chunfeng; Wang, Qi; Wang, Qun; Long, Xingwu

2017-05-01

Inertial navigation system has been the core component of both military and civil navigation systems. Dual-axis rotation modulation can completely eliminate the inertial elements constant errors of the three axes to improve the system accuracy. But the error caused by the misalignment angles and the scale factor error cannot be eliminated through dual-axis rotation modulation. And discrete calibration method cannot fulfill requirements of high-accurate calibration of the mechanically dithered ring laser gyroscope navigation system with shock absorbers. This paper has analyzed the effect of calibration error during one modulated period and presented a new systematic self-calibration method for dual-axis rotation-modulating RLG-INS. Procedure for self-calibration of dual-axis rotation-modulating RLG-INS has been designed. The results of self-calibration simulation experiment proved that: this scheme can estimate all the errors in the calibration error model, the calibration precision of the inertial sensors scale factor error is less than 1ppm and the misalignment is less than 5″. These results have validated the systematic self-calibration method and proved its importance for accuracy improvement of dual -axis rotation inertial navigation system with mechanically dithered ring laser gyroscope.

Method of control of machining accuracy of low-rigidity elastic-deformable shafts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antoni Świć

Full Text Available The paper presents an analysis of the possibility of increasing the accuracy and stability of machining of low-rigidity shafts while ensuring high efficiency and economy of their machining. An effective way of improving the accuracy of machining of shafts is increasing their rigidity as a result of oriented change of the elastic-deformable state through the application of a tensile force which, combined with the machining force, forms longitudinal-lateral strains. The paper also presents mathematical models describing the changes of the elastic-deformable state resulting from the application of the tensile force. It presents the results of experimental studies on the deformation of elastic low-rigidity shafts, performed on a special test stand developed on the basis of a lathe. An estimation was made of the effectiveness of the method of control of the elastic-deformable state with the use, as the regulating effects, the tensile force and eccentricity. It was demonstrated that controlling the two parameters: tensile force and eccentricity, one can improve the accuracy of machining, and thus achieve a theoretically assumed level of accuracy.

[Method for evaluating the positional accuracy of a six-degrees-of-freedom radiotherapy couch using high definition digital cameras].

Science.gov (United States)

Takemura, Akihiro; Ueda, Shinichi; Noto, Kimiya; Kurata, Yuichi; Shoji, Saori

2011-01-01

In this study, we proposed and evaluated a positional accuracy assessment method with two high-resolution digital cameras for add-on six-degrees-of-freedom radiotherapy (6D) couches. Two high resolution digital cameras (D5000, Nikon Co.) were used in this accuracy assessment method. These cameras were placed on two orthogonal axes of a linear accelerator (LINAC) coordinate system and focused on the isocenter of the LINAC. Pictures of a needle that was fixed on the 6D couch were taken by the cameras during couch motions of translation and rotation of each axis. The coordinates of the needle in the pictures were obtained using manual measurement, and the coordinate error of the needle was calculated. The accuracy of a HexaPOD evo (Elekta AB, Sweden) was evaluated using this method. All of the mean values of the X, Y, and Z coordinate errors in the translation tests were within ±0.1 mm. However, the standard deviation of the Z coordinate errors in the Z translation test was 0.24 mm, which is higher than the others. In the X rotation test, we found that the X coordinate of the rotational origin of the 6D couch was shifted. We proposed an accuracy assessment method for a 6D couch. The method was able to evaluate the accuracy of the motion of only the 6D couch and revealed the deviation of the origin of the couch rotation. This accuracy assessment method is effective for evaluating add-on 6D couch positioning.

Synchrotron accelerator technology for proton beam therapy with high accuracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiramoto, Kazuo

2009-01-01

Proton beam therapy was applied at the beginning to head and neck cancers, but it is now extended to prostate, lung and liver cancers. Thus the need for a pencil beam scanning method is increasing. With this method radiation dose concentration property of the proton beam will be further intensified. Hitachi group has supplied a pencil beam scanning therapy system as the first one for M. D. Anderson Hospital in United States, and it has been operational since May 2008. Hitachi group has been developing proton therapy system to correspond high-accuracy proton therapy to concentrate the dose in the diseased part which is located with various depths, and which sometimes has complicated shape. The author described here on the synchrotron accelerator technology that is an important element for constituting the proton therapy system. (K.Y.)

PACMAN Project: A New Solution for the High-accuracy Alignment of Accelerator Components

CERN Document Server

Mainaud Durand, Helene; Buzio, Marco; Caiazza, Domenico; Catalán Lasheras, Nuria; Cherif, Ahmed; Doytchinov, Iordan; Fuchs, Jean-Frederic; Gaddi, Andrea; Galindo Munoz, Natalia; Gayde, Jean-Christophe; Kamugasa, Solomon; Modena, Michele; Novotny, Peter; Russenschuck, Stephan; Sanz, Claude; Severino, Giordana; Tshilumba, David; Vlachakis, Vasileios; Wendt, Manfred; Zorzetti, Silvia

2016-01-01

The beam alignment requirements for the next generation of lepton colliders have become increasingly challenging. As an example, the alignment requirements for the three major collider components of the CLIC linear collider are as follows. Before the first beam circulates, the Beam Position Monitors (BPM), Accelerating Structures (AS)and quadrupoles will have to be aligned up to 10 μm w.r.t. a straight line over 200 m long segments, along the 20 km of linacs. PACMAN is a study on Particle Accelerator Components' Metrology and Alignment to the Nanometre scale. It is an Innovative Doctoral Program, funded by the EU and hosted by CERN, providing high quality training to 10 Early Stage Researchers working towards a PhD thesis. The technical aim of the project is to improve the alignment accuracy of the CLIC components by developing new methods and tools addressing several steps of alignment simultaneously, to gain time and accuracy. The tools and methods developed will be validated on a test bench. This paper pr...

Automation, Operation, and Data Analysis in the Cryogenic, High Accuracy, Refraction Measuring System (CHARMS)

Science.gov (United States)

Frey, Bradley J.; Leviton, Douglas B.

2005-01-01

The Cryogenic High Accuracy Refraction Measuring System (CHARMS) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has been enhanced in a number of ways in the last year to allow the system to accurately collect refracted beam deviation readings automatically over a range of temperatures from 15 K to well beyond room temperature with high sampling density in both wavelength and temperature. The engineering details which make this possible are presented. The methods by which the most accurate angular measurements are made and the corresponding data reduction methods used to reduce thousands of observed angles to a handful of refractive index values are also discussed.

Horizontal Positional Accuracy of Google Earth’s High-Resolution Imagery Archive

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Potere

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Google Earth now hosts high-resolution imagery that spans twenty percent of the Earth’s landmass and more than a third of the human population. This contemporary highresolution archive represents a significant, rapidly expanding, cost-free and largely unexploited resource for scientific inquiry. To increase the scientific utility of this archive, we address horizontal positional accuracy (georegistration by comparing Google Earth with Landsat GeoCover scenes over a global sample of 436 control points located in 109 cities worldwide. Landsat GeoCover is an orthorectified product with known absolute positional accuracy of less than 50 meters root-mean-squared error (RMSE. Relative to Landsat GeoCover, the 436 Google Earth control points have a positional accuracy of 39.7 meters RMSE (error magnitudes range from 0.4 to 171.6 meters. The control points derived from satellite imagery have an accuracy of 22.8 meters RMSE, which is significantly more accurate than the 48 control-points based on aerial photography (41.3 meters RMSE; t-test p-value < 0.01. The accuracy of control points in more-developed countries is 24.1 meters RMSE, which is significantly more accurate than the control points in developing countries (44.4 meters RMSE; t-test p-value < 0.01. These findings indicate that Google Earth highresolution imagery has a horizontal positional accuracy that is sufficient for assessing moderate-resolution remote sensing products across most of the world’s peri-urban areas.

A new device for liver cancer biomarker detection with high accuracy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuaipeng Wang

2015-06-01

Full Text Available A novel cantilever array-based bio-sensor was batch-fabricated with IC compatible MEMS technology for precise liver cancer bio-marker detection. A micro-cavity was designed in the free end of the cantilever for local antibody-immobilization, thus adsorption of the cancer biomarker is localized in the micro-cavity, and the adsorption-induced k variation can be dramatically reduced with comparison to that caused by adsorption of the whole lever. The cantilever is pizeoelectrically driven into vibration which is pizeoresistively sensed by Wheatstone bridge. These structural features offer several advantages: high sensitivity, high throughput, high mass detection accuracy, and small volume. In addition, an analytical model has been established to eliminate the effect of adsorption-induced lever stiffness change and has been applied to precise mass detection of cancer biomarker AFP, the detected AFP antigen mass (7.6 pg/ml is quite close to the calculated one (5.5 pg/ml, two orders of magnitude better than the value by the fully antibody-immobilized cantilever sensor. These approaches will promote real application of the cantilever sensors in early diagnosis of cancer.

Accuracy of a wireless localization system for radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balter, James M.; Wright, J. Nelson; Newell, Laurence J.; Friemel, Barry; Dimmer, Steven; Cheng, Yuki; Wong, John; Vertatschitsch, Edward; Mate, Timothy P.

2005-01-01

Purpose: A system has been developed for patient positioning based on real-time localization of implanted electromagnetic transponders (beacons). This study demonstrated the accuracy of the system before clinical trials. Methods and materials: We describe the overall system. The localization component consists of beacons and a source array. A rigid phantom was constructed to place the beacons at known offsets from a localization array. Tests were performed at distances of 80 and 270 mm from the array and at positions in the array plane of up to 8 cm offset. Tests were performed in air and saline to assess the effect of tissue conductivity and with multiple transponders to evaluate crosstalk. Tracking was tested using a dynamic phantom creating a circular path at varying speeds. Results: Submillimeter accuracy was maintained throughout all experiments. Precision was greater proximal to the source plane (σx = 0.006 mm, σy = 0.01 mm, σz = 0.006 mm), but continued to be submillimeter at the end of the designed tracking range at 270 mm from the array (σx = 0.27 mm, σy = 0.36 mm, σz = 0.48 mm). The introduction of saline and the use of multiple beacons did not affect accuracy. Submillimeter accuracy was maintained using the dynamic phantom at speeds of up to 3 cm/s. Conclusion: This system has demonstrated the accuracy needed for localization and monitoring of position during treatment

Broadband EIT borehole measurements with high phase accuracy using numerical corrections of electromagnetic coupling effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Y; Zimmermann, E; Wolters, B; Van Waasen, S; Huisman, J A; Treichel, A; Kemna, A

2013-01-01

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is gaining importance in the field of geophysics and there is increasing interest for accurate borehole EIT measurements in a broad frequency range (mHz to kHz) in order to study subsurface properties. To characterize weakly polarizable soils and sediments with EIT, high phase accuracy is required. Typically, long electrode cables are used for borehole measurements. However, this may lead to undesired electromagnetic coupling effects associated with the inductive coupling between the double wire pairs for current injection and potential measurement and the capacitive coupling between the electrically conductive shield of the cable and the electrically conductive environment surrounding the electrode cables. Depending on the electrical properties of the subsurface and the measured transfer impedances, both coupling effects can cause large phase errors that have typically limited the frequency bandwidth of field EIT measurements to the mHz to Hz range. The aim of this paper is to develop numerical corrections for these phase errors. To this end, the inductive coupling effect was modeled using electronic circuit models, and the capacitive coupling effect was modeled by integrating discrete capacitances in the electrical forward model describing the EIT measurement process. The correction methods were successfully verified with measurements under controlled conditions in a water-filled rain barrel, where a high phase accuracy of 0.8 mrad in the frequency range up to 10 kHz was achieved. The corrections were also applied to field EIT measurements made using a 25 m long EIT borehole chain with eight electrodes and an electrode separation of 1 m. The results of a 1D inversion of these measurements showed that the correction methods increased the measurement accuracy considerably. It was concluded that the proposed correction methods enlarge the bandwidth of the field EIT measurement system, and that accurate EIT measurements can now

Cadastral Database Positional Accuracy Improvement

Science.gov (United States)

Hashim, N. M.; Omar, A. H.; Ramli, S. N. M.; Omar, K. M.; Din, N.

2017-10-01

Positional Accuracy Improvement (PAI) is the refining process of the geometry feature in a geospatial dataset to improve its actual position. This actual position relates to the absolute position in specific coordinate system and the relation to the neighborhood features. With the growth of spatial based technology especially Geographical Information System (GIS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), the PAI campaign is inevitable especially to the legacy cadastral database. Integration of legacy dataset and higher accuracy dataset like GNSS observation is a potential solution for improving the legacy dataset. However, by merely integrating both datasets will lead to a distortion of the relative geometry. The improved dataset should be further treated to minimize inherent errors and fitting to the new accurate dataset. The main focus of this study is to describe a method of angular based Least Square Adjustment (LSA) for PAI process of legacy dataset. The existing high accuracy dataset known as National Digital Cadastral Database (NDCDB) is then used as bench mark to validate the results. It was found that the propose technique is highly possible for positional accuracy improvement of legacy spatial datasets.

High-accuracy mass determination of unstable nuclei with a Penning trap mass spectrometer

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

The mass of a nucleus is its most fundamental property. A systematic study of nuclear masses as a function of neutron and proton number allows the observation of collective and single-particle effects in nuclear structure. Accurate mass data are the most basic test of nuclear models and are essential for their improvement. This is especially important for the astrophysical study of nuclear synthesis. In order to achieve the required high accuracy, the mass of ions captured in a Penning trap is determined via their cyclotron frequency $ \

Accuracy optimization of high-speed AFM measurements using Design of Experiments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tosello, Guido; Marinello, F.; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

2010-01-01

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is being increasingly employed in industrial micro/nano manufacturing applications and integrated into production lines. In order to achieve reliable process and product control at high measuring speed, instrument optimization is needed. Quantitative AFM measurement...... results are influenced by a number of scan settings parameters, defining topography sampling and measurement time: resolution (number of profiles and points per profile), scan range and direction, scanning force and speed. Such parameters are influencing lateral and vertical accuracy and, eventually......, the estimated dimensions of measured features. The definition of scan settings is based on a comprehensive optimization that targets maximization of information from collected data and minimization of measurement uncertainty and scan time. The Design of Experiments (DOE) technique is proposed and applied...

Diagnostic accuracy of sonoelastography in different diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iqra Manzoor

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of sonoelastography in patients of primary and secondary health care settings. Google scholar, PubMed, Medline, Medscape, Wikipedia and NCBI were searched in October 2017 for all original studies and review articles to identify the relevant material. Two reviewers independently selected articles for evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy of sonoelastography in different diseases based on titles and abstracts retrieved by the literature search. The accuracy of sonoelastography in different diseases was used as the index text, while B-mode sonography, micro pure imaging, surgery and histological findings were used as reference texts. Superficial lymph nodes, neck nodules, malignancy in thyroid nodules, benign and malignant cervical lymph nodes, thyroid nodules, prostate carcinoma, benign and malignant breast abnormalities, liver diseases, parotid and salivary gland masses, pancreatic masses, musculoskeletal diseases and renal disorders were target conditions. The data extracted by the two reviewers concerning selected study characteristics and results were presented in tables and figures. In total, 46 studies were found for breast masses, lymph nodes, prostate carcinoma, liver diseases, salivary and parotid gland diseases, pancreatic masses, musculoskeletal diseases and renal diseases, and the overall sensitivity of sonoelastography in diagnosing all these diseases was 83.14% while specificity was 81.41%. This literature review demonstrates that sonoelastography is characterized by high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing different disorders of the body.

Mildronate (Meldonium) in professional sports – monitoring doping control urine samples using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography – high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Görgens, Christian; Dib, Josef; Geyer, Hans; Schänzer, Wilhelm; Thevis, Mario

2015-01-01

To date, substances such as Mildronate (Meldonium) are not on the radar of anti‐doping laboratories as the compound is not explicitly classified as prohibited. However, the anti‐ischemic drug Mildronate demonstrates an increase in endurance performance of athletes, improved rehabilitation after exercise, protection against stress, and enhanced activations of central nervous system (CNS) functions. In the present study, the existing evidence of Mildronate's usage in sport, which is arguably not (exclusively) based on medicinal reasons, is corroborated by unequivocal analytical data allowing the estimation of the prevalence and extent of misuse in professional sports. Such data are vital to support decision‐making processes, particularly regarding the ban on drugs in sport. Due to the growing body of evidence (black market products and athlete statements) concerning its misuse in sport, adequate test methods for the reliable identification of Mildronate are required, especially since the substance has been added to the 2015 World Anti‐Doping Agency (WADA) monitoring program. In the present study, two approaches were established using an in‐house synthesized labelled internal standard (Mildronate‐D3). One aimed at the implementation of the analyte into routine doping control screening methods to enable its monitoring at the lowest possible additional workload for the laboratory, and another that is appropriate for the peculiar specifics of the analyte, allowing the unequivocal confirmation of findings using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography‐high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometry (HILIC‐HRMS). Here, according to applicable regulations in sports drug testing, a full qualitative validation was conducted. The assay demonstrated good specificity, robustness (rRT=0.3%), precision (intra‐day: 7.0–8.4%; inter‐day: 9.9–12.9%), excellent linearity (R>0.99) and an adequate lower limit of detection (<10 ng/mL). © 2015 The Authors

Methodology for GPS Synchronization Evaluation with High Accuracy

OpenAIRE

Li Zan; Braun Torsten; Dimitrova Desislava

2015-01-01

Clock synchronization in the order of nanoseconds is one of the critical factors for time based localization. Currently used time synchronization methods are developed for the more relaxed needs of network operation. Their usability for positioning should be carefully evaluated. In this paper we are particularly interested in GPS based time synchronization. To judge its usability for localization we need a method that can evaluate the achieved time synchronization with nanosecond accuracy. Ou...

Methodology for GPS Synchronization Evaluation with High Accuracy

OpenAIRE

Li, Zan; Braun, Torsten; Dimitrova, Desislava Cvetanova

2015-01-01

Clock synchronization in the order of nanoseconds is one of the critical factors for time-based localization. Currently used time synchronization methods are developed for the more relaxed needs of network operation. Their usability for positioning should be carefully evaluated. In this paper, we are particularly interested in GPS-based time synchronization. To judge its usability for localization we need a method that can evaluate the achieved time synchronization with nanosecond accuracy. O...

A high-accuracy optical linear algebra processor for finite element applications

Science.gov (United States)

Casasent, D.; Taylor, B. K.

1984-01-01

Optical linear processors are computationally efficient computers for solving matrix-matrix and matrix-vector oriented problems. Optical system errors limit their dynamic range to 30-40 dB, which limits their accuray to 9-12 bits. Large problems, such as the finite element problem in structural mechanics (with tens or hundreds of thousands of variables) which can exploit the speed of optical processors, require the 32 bit accuracy obtainable from digital machines. To obtain this required 32 bit accuracy with an optical processor, the data can be digitally encoded, thereby reducing the dynamic range requirements of the optical system (i.e., decreasing the effect of optical errors on the data) while providing increased accuracy. This report describes a new digitally encoded optical linear algebra processor architecture for solving finite element and banded matrix-vector problems. A linear static plate bending case study is described which quantities the processor requirements. Multiplication by digital convolution is explained, and the digitally encoded optical processor architecture is advanced.

Combining Diffusion Tensor Metrics and DSC Perfusion Imaging: Can It Improve the Diagnostic Accuracy in Differentiating Tumefactive Demyelination from High-Grade Glioma?

Science.gov (United States)

Hiremath, S B; Muraleedharan, A; Kumar, S; Nagesh, C; Kesavadas, C; Abraham, M; Kapilamoorthy, T R; Thomas, B

2017-04-01

Tumefactive demyelinating lesions with atypical features can mimic high-grade gliomas on conventional imaging sequences. The aim of this study was to assess the role of conventional imaging, DTI metrics ( p:q tensor decomposition), and DSC perfusion in differentiating tumefactive demyelinating lesions and high-grade gliomas. Fourteen patients with tumefactive demyelinating lesions and 21 patients with high-grade gliomas underwent brain MR imaging with conventional, DTI, and DSC perfusion imaging. Imaging sequences were assessed for differentiation of the lesions. DTI metrics in the enhancing areas and perilesional hyperintensity were obtained by ROI analysis, and the relative CBV values in enhancing areas were calculated on DSC perfusion imaging. Conventional imaging sequences had a sensitivity of 80.9% and specificity of 57.1% in differentiating high-grade gliomas ( P = .049) from tumefactive demyelinating lesions. DTI metrics ( p : q tensor decomposition) and DSC perfusion demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the mean values of ADC, the isotropic component of the diffusion tensor, the anisotropic component of the diffusion tensor, the total magnitude of the diffusion tensor, and rCBV among enhancing portions in tumefactive demyelinating lesions and high-grade gliomas ( P ≤ .02), with the highest specificity for ADC, the anisotropic component of the diffusion tensor, and relative CBV (92.9%). Mean fractional anisotropy values showed no significant statistical difference between tumefactive demyelinating lesions and high-grade gliomas. The combination of DTI and DSC parameters improved the diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve = 0.901). Addition of a heterogeneous enhancement pattern to DTI and DSC parameters improved it further (area under the curve = 0.966). The sensitivity increased from 71.4% to 85.7% after the addition of the enhancement pattern. DTI and DSC perfusion add profoundly to conventional imaging in differentiating tumefactive

High-accuracy measurement of ship velocities by DGPS; DGPS ni yoru sensoku keisoku no koseidoka ni tsuite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamaguchi, S; Koterayama, W [Kyushu Univ., Fukuoka (Japan). Research Inst. for Applied Mechanics

1996-04-10

The differential global positioning system (DGPS) can eliminate most of errors in ship velocity measurement by GPS positioning alone. Through two rounds of marine observations by towing an observation robot in summer 1995, the authors attempted high-accuracy measurement of ship velocities by DGPS, and also carried out both positioning by GPS alone and measurement using the bottom track of ADCP (acoustic Doppler current profiler). In this paper, the results obtained by these measurement methods were examined through comparison among them, and the accuracy of the measured ship velocities was considered. In DGPS measurement, both translocation method and interference positioning method were used. ADCP mounted on the observation robot allowed measurement of the velocity of current meter itself by its bottom track in shallow sea areas less than 350m. As the result of these marine observations, it was confirmed that the accuracy equivalent to that of direct measurement by bottom track is possible to be obtained by DGPS. 3 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

Accuracy of cell calculation methods used for analysis of high conversion light water reactor lattice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Chang-Joon; Okumura, Keisuke; Ishiguro, Yukio; Tanaka, Ken-ichi

1990-01-01

Validation tests were made for the accuracy of cell calculation methods used in analyses of tight lattices of a mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel core in a high conversion light water reactor (HCLWR). A series of cell calculations was carried out for the lattices referred from an international HCLWR benchmark comparison, with emphasis placed on the resonance calculation methods; the NR, IR approximations, the collision probability method with ultra-fine energy group. Verification was also performed for the geometrical modelling; a hexagonal/cylindrical cell, and the boundary condition; mirror/white reflection. In the calculations, important reactor physics parameters, such as the neutron multiplication factor, the conversion ratio and the void coefficient, were evaluated using the above methods for various HCLWR lattices with different moderator to fuel volume ratios, fuel materials and fissile plutonium enrichments. The calculated results were compared with each other, and the accuracy and applicability of each method were clarified by comparison with continuous energy Monte Carlo calculations. It was verified that the accuracy of the IR approximation became worse when the neutron spectrum became harder. It was also concluded that the cylindrical cell model with the white boundary condition was not so suitable for MOX fuelled lattices, as for UO 2 fuelled lattices. (author)

The linear interplay of intrinsic and extrinsic noises ensures a high accuracy of cell fate selection in budding yeast

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yongkai; Yi, Ming; Zou, Xiufen

2014-01-01

To gain insights into the mechanisms of cell fate decision in a noisy environment, the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic noises on cell fate are explored at the single cell level. Specifically, we theoretically define the impulse of Cln1/2 as an indication of cell fates. The strong dependence between the impulse of Cln1/2 and cell fates is exhibited. Based on the simulation results, we illustrate that increasing intrinsic fluctuations causes the parallel shift of the separation ratio of Whi5P but that increasing extrinsic fluctuations leads to the mixture of different cell fates. Our quantitative study also suggests that the strengths of intrinsic and extrinsic noises around an approximate linear model can ensure a high accuracy of cell fate selection. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that the selection of cell fates is an entropy-decreasing process. In addition, we reveal that cell fates are significantly correlated with the range of entropy decreases. PMID:25042292

High-accuracy and high-sensitivity spectroscopic measurement of dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) in an atmospheric simulation chamber using a quantum cascade laser.

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Hongming; Wu, Tao; Lauraguais, Amélie; Semenov, Vladimir; Coeur, Cecile; Cassez, Andy; Fertein, Eric; Gao, Xiaoming; Chen, Weidong

2017-12-04

A spectroscopic instrument based on a mid-infrared external cavity quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) was developed for high-accuracy measurements of dinitrogen pentoxide (N 2 O 5 ) at the ppbv-level. A specific concentration retrieval algorithm was developed to remove, from the broadband absorption spectrum of N 2 O 5 , both etalon fringes resulting from the EC-QCL intrinsic structure and spectral interference lines of H 2 O vapour absorption, which led to a significant improvement in measurement accuracy and detection sensitivity (by a factor of 10), compared to using a traditional algorithm for gas concentration retrieval. The developed EC-QCL-based N 2 O 5 sensing platform was evaluated by real-time tracking N 2 O 5 concentration in its most important nocturnal tropospheric chemical reaction of NO 3 + NO 2 ↔ N 2 O 5 in an atmospheric simulation chamber. Based on an optical absorption path-length of L eff = 70 m, a minimum detection limit of 15 ppbv was achieved with a 25 s integration time and it was down to 3 ppbv in 400 s. The equilibrium rate constant K eq involved in the above chemical reaction was determined with direct concentration measurements using the developed EC-QCL sensing platform, which was in good agreement with the theoretical value deduced from a referenced empirical formula under well controlled experimental conditions. The present work demonstrates the potential and the unique advantage of the use of a modern external cavity quantum cascade laser for applications in direct quantitative measurement of broadband absorption of key molecular species involved in chemical kinetic and climate-change related tropospheric chemistry.

Accuracy assessment of high-rate GPS measurements for seismology

Science.gov (United States)

Elosegui, P.; Davis, J. L.; Ekström, G.

2007-12-01

Analysis of GPS measurements with a controlled laboratory system, built to simulate the ground motions caused by tectonic earthquakes and other transient geophysical signals such as glacial earthquakes, enables us to assess the technique of high-rate GPS. The root-mean-square (rms) position error of this system when undergoing realistic simulated seismic motions is 0.05~mm, with maximum position errors of 0.1~mm, thus providing "ground truth" GPS displacements. We have acquired an extensive set of high-rate GPS measurements while inducing seismic motions on a GPS antenna mounted on this system with a temporal spectrum similar to real seismic events. We found that, for a particular 15-min-long test event, the rms error of the 1-Hz GPS position estimates was 2.5~mm, with maximum position errors of 10~mm, and the error spectrum of the GPS estimates was approximately flicker noise. These results may however represent a best-case scenario since they were obtained over a short (~10~m) baseline, thereby greatly mitigating baseline-dependent errors, and when the number and distribution of satellites on the sky was good. For example, we have determined that the rms error can increase by a factor of 2--3 as the GPS constellation changes throughout the day, with an average value of 3.5~mm for eight identical, hourly-spaced, consecutive test events. The rms error also increases with increasing baseline, as one would expect, with an average rms error for a ~1400~km baseline of 9~mm. We will present an assessment of the accuracy of high-rate GPS based on these measurements, discuss the implications of this study for seismology, and describe new applications in glaciology.

Accuracy assessment of high frequency 3D ultrasound for digital impression-taking of prepared teeth

Science.gov (United States)

Heger, Stefan; Vollborn, Thorsten; Tinschert, Joachim; Wolfart, Stefan; Radermacher, Klaus

2013-03-01

Silicone based impression-taking of prepared teeth followed by plaster casting is well-established but potentially less reliable, error-prone and inefficient, particularly in combination with emerging techniques like computer aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) of dental prosthesis. Intra-oral optical scanners for digital impression-taking have been introduced but until now some drawbacks still exist. Because optical waves can hardly penetrate liquids or soft-tissues, sub-gingival preparations still need to be uncovered invasively prior to scanning. High frequency ultrasound (HFUS) based micro-scanning has been recently investigated as an alternative to optical intra-oral scanning. Ultrasound is less sensitive against oral fluids and in principal able to penetrate gingiva without invasively exposing of sub-gingival preparations. Nevertheless, spatial resolution as well as digitization accuracy of an ultrasound based micro-scanning system remains a critical parameter because the ultrasound wavelength in water-like media such as gingiva is typically smaller than that of optical waves. In this contribution, the in-vitro accuracy of ultrasound based micro-scanning for tooth geometry reconstruction is being investigated and compared to its extra-oral optical counterpart. In order to increase the spatial resolution of the system, 2nd harmonic frequencies from a mechanically driven focused single element transducer were separated and corresponding 3D surface models were calculated for both fundamentals and 2nd harmonics. Measurements on phantoms, model teeth and human teeth were carried out for evaluation of spatial resolution and surface detection accuracy. Comparison of optical and ultrasound digital impression taking indicate that, in terms of accuracy, ultrasound based tooth digitization can be an alternative for optical impression-taking.

Accuracy of applicator tip reconstruction in MRI-guided interstitial 192Ir-high-dose-rate brachytherapy of liver tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wybranski, Christian; Eberhardt, Benjamin; Fischbach, Katharina; Fischbach, Frank; Walke, Mathias; Hass, Peter; Röhl, Friedrich-Wilhelm; Kosiek, Ortrud; Kaiser, Mandy; Pech, Maciej; Lüdemann, Lutz; Ricke, Jens

2015-01-01

Background and purpose: To evaluate the reconstruction accuracy of brachytherapy (BT) applicators tips in vitro and in vivo in MRI-guided 192 Ir-high-dose-rate (HDR)-BT of inoperable liver tumors. Materials and methods: Reconstruction accuracy of plastic BT applicators, visualized by nitinol inserts, was assessed in MRI phantom measurements and in MRI 192 Ir-HDR-BT treatment planning datasets of 45 patients employing CT co-registration and vector decomposition. Conspicuity, short-term dislocation, and reconstruction errors were assessed in the clinical data. The clinical effect of applicator reconstruction accuracy was determined in follow-up MRI data. Results: Applicator reconstruction accuracy was 1.6 ± 0.5 mm in the phantom measurements. In the clinical MRI datasets applicator conspicuity was rated good/optimal in ⩾72% of cases. 16/129 applicators showed not time dependent deviation in between MRI/CT acquisition (p > 0.1). Reconstruction accuracy was 5.5 ± 2.8 mm, and the average image co-registration error was 3.1 ± 0.9 mm. Vector decomposition revealed no preferred direction of reconstruction errors. In the follow-up data deviation of planned dose distribution and irradiation effect was 6.9 ± 3.3 mm matching the mean co-registration error (6.5 ± 2.5 mm; p > 0.1). Conclusion: Applicator reconstruction accuracy in vitro conforms to AAPM TG 56 standard. Nitinol-inserts are feasible for applicator visualization and yield good conspicuity in MRI treatment planning data. No preferred direction of reconstruction errors were found in vivo

Effect of data compression on diagnostic accuracy in digital hand and chest radiography

Science.gov (United States)

Sayre, James W.; Aberle, Denise R.; Boechat, Maria I.; Hall, Theodore R.; Huang, H. K.; Ho, Bruce K. T.; Kashfian, Payam; Rahbar, Guita

1992-05-01

Image compression is essential to handle a large volume of digital images including CT, MR, CR, and digitized films in a digital radiology operation. The full-frame bit allocation using the cosine transform technique developed during the last few years has been proven to be an excellent irreversible image compression method. This paper describes the effect of using the hardware compression module on diagnostic accuracy in hand radiographs with subperiosteal resorption and chest radiographs with interstitial disease. Receiver operating characteristic analysis using 71 hand radiographs and 52 chest radiographs with five observers each demonstrates that there is no statistical significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between the original films and the compressed images with a compression ratio as high as 20:1.

A study on low-cost, high-accuracy, and real-time stereo vision algorithms for UAV power line inspection

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hongyu; Zhang, Baomin; Zhao, Xun; Li, Cong; Lu, Cunyue

2018-04-01

Conventional stereo vision algorithms suffer from high levels of hardware resource utilization due to algorithm complexity, or poor levels of accuracy caused by inadequacies in the matching algorithm. To address these issues, we have proposed a stereo range-finding technique that produces an excellent balance between cost, matching accuracy and real-time performance, for power line inspection using UAV. This was achieved through the introduction of a special image preprocessing algorithm and a weighted local stereo matching algorithm, as well as the design of a corresponding hardware architecture. Stereo vision systems based on this technique have a lower level of resource usage and also a higher level of matching accuracy following hardware acceleration. To validate the effectiveness of our technique, a stereo vision system based on our improved algorithms were implemented using the Spartan 6 FPGA. In comparative experiments, it was shown that the system using the improved algorithms outperformed the system based on the unimproved algorithms, in terms of resource utilization and matching accuracy. In particular, Block RAM usage was reduced by 19%, and the improved system was also able to output range-finding data in real time.

Interobserver variability and accuracy of high-definition endoscopic diagnosis for gastric intestinal metaplasia among experienced and inexperienced endoscopists.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyun, Yil Sik; Han, Dong Soo; Bae, Joong Ho; Park, Hye Sun; Eun, Chang Soo

2013-05-01

Accurate diagnosis of gastric intestinal metaplasia is important; however, conventional endoscopy is known to be an unreliable modality for diagnosing gastric intestinal metaplasia (IM). The aims of the study were to evaluate the interobserver variation in diagnosing IM by high-definition (HD) endoscopy and the diagnostic accuracy of this modality for IM among experienced and inexperienced endoscopists. Selected 50 cases, taken with HD endoscopy, were sent for a diagnostic inquiry of gastric IM through visual inspection to five experienced and five inexperienced endoscopists. The interobserver agreement between endoscopists was evaluated to verify the diagnostic reliability of HD endoscopy in diagnosing IM, and the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were evaluated for validity of HD endoscopy in diagnosing IM. Interobserver agreement among the experienced endoscopists was "poor" (κ = 0.38) and it was also "poor" (κ = 0.33) among the inexperienced endoscopists. The diagnostic accuracy of the experienced endoscopists was superior to that of the inexperienced endoscopists (P = 0.003). Since diagnosis through visual inspection is unreliable in the diagnosis of IM, all suspicious areas for gastric IM should be considered to be biopsied. Furthermore, endoscopic experience and education are needed to raise the diagnostic accuracy of gastric IM.

Studies on the diagnostic accuracy of lymphography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luening, M.; Stargardt, A.; Abet, L.

1979-01-01

Contradictory reports in the literature on the reliability of lymphography stimulated the authors to test the diagnostic accuracy, employing methods which are approximately analogous to practice, using carcinoma of the cervix as the model on which the study was carried out. Using 21 observers it was found that there was no correlation between their experience and on-target accuracy of the diagnosis. Good observers obtained an accuracy of 85% with good proportions between sensitivity in the recognition of detail, specificity and readiness to arrive at a decision on the basis of discriminatory ability. With the help of the concept of the ROC curves, the position taken up by the observers in respect of diagnostic decisions, and a complex manner of assessing the various characteristic factors determining diagnostic accuracy, are demonstrated. This form of test, which permits manipulation of different variants of diagnosis, is recommended, among other things, for performance control at the end of training and continuing education courses in other fields of x-ray diagnosis as well. (orig.) [de

Demonstration of deterministic and high fidelity squeezing of quantum information

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yoshikawa, J-I.; Hayashi, T-; Akiyama, T.

2007-01-01

, and an ancillary squeezed vacuum state, thus direct interaction between a strong pump and the quantum state is circumvented. We demonstrate three different squeezing levels for a coherent state input. This scheme is highly suitable for the fault-tolerant squeezing transformation in a continuous variable quantum...... computer....

Demonstration of Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction with Savannah River Site High Level Waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, D.D.

2001-01-01

Researchers successfully demonstrated the chemistry and process equipment of the Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) flowsheet for the decontamination of high level waste using a 33-stage, 2-cm centrifugal contactor apparatus at the Savannah River Technology Center. This represents the first CSSX process demonstration using Savannah River Site (SRS) high level waste. Three tests lasting 6, 12, and 48 hours processed simulated average SRS waste, simulated Tank 37H/44F composite waste, and Tank 37H/44F high level waste, respectively

Modified sine bar device measures small angles with high accuracy

Science.gov (United States)

Thekaekara, M.

1968-01-01

Modified sine bar device measures small angles with enough accuracy to calibrate precision optical autocollimators. The sine bar is a massive bar of steel supported by two cylindrical rods at one end and one at the other.

Systematic review of discharge coding accuracy

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, E.M.; Rigby, E.; Mamidanna, R.; Bottle, A.; Aylin, P.; Ziprin, P.; Faiz, O.D.

2012-01-01

Introduction Routinely collected data sets are increasingly used for research, financial reimbursement and health service planning. High quality data are necessary for reliable analysis. This study aims to assess the published accuracy of routinely collected data sets in Great Britain. Methods Systematic searches of the EMBASE, PUBMED, OVID and Cochrane databases were performed from 1989 to present using defined search terms. Included studies were those that compared routinely collected data sets with case or operative note review and those that compared routinely collected data with clinical registries. Results Thirty-two studies were included. Twenty-five studies compared routinely collected data with case or operation notes. Seven studies compared routinely collected data with clinical registries. The overall median accuracy (routinely collected data sets versus case notes) was 83.2% (IQR: 67.3–92.1%). The median diagnostic accuracy was 80.3% (IQR: 63.3–94.1%) with a median procedure accuracy of 84.2% (IQR: 68.7–88.7%). There was considerable variation in accuracy rates between studies (50.5–97.8%). Since the 2002 introduction of Payment by Results, accuracy has improved in some respects, for example primary diagnoses accuracy has improved from 73.8% (IQR: 59.3–92.1%) to 96.0% (IQR: 89.3–96.3), P= 0.020. Conclusion Accuracy rates are improving. Current levels of reported accuracy suggest that routinely collected data are sufficiently robust to support their use for research and managerial decision-making. PMID:21795302

Accuracy Assessment and Analysis for GPT2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

YAO Yibin

2015-07-01

Full Text Available GPT(global pressure and temperature is a global empirical model usually used to provide temperature and pressure for the determination of tropospheric delay, there are some weakness to GPT, these have been improved with a new empirical model named GPT2, which not only improves the accuracy of temperature and pressure, but also provides specific humidity, water vapor pressure, mapping function coefficients and other tropospheric parameters, and no accuracy analysis of GPT2 has been made until now. In this paper high-precision meteorological data from ECWMF and NOAA were used to test and analyze the accuracy of temperature, pressure and water vapor pressure expressed by GPT2, testing results show that the mean Bias of temperature is -0.59℃, average RMS is 3.82℃; absolute value of average Bias of pressure and water vapor pressure are less than 1 mb, GPT2 pressure has average RMS of 7 mb, and water vapor pressure no more than 3 mb, accuracy is different in different latitudes, all of them have obvious seasonality. In conclusion, GPT2 model has high accuracy and stability on global scale.

High Accuracy Nonlinear Control and Estimation for Machine Tool Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Papageorgiou, Dimitrios

Component mass production has been the backbone of industry since the second industrial revolution, and machine tools are producing parts of widely varying size and design complexity. The ever-increasing level of automation in modern manufacturing processes necessitates the use of more...... sophisticated machine tool systems that are adaptable to different workspace conditions, while at the same time being able to maintain very narrow workpiece tolerances. The main topic of this thesis is to suggest control methods that can maintain required manufacturing tolerances, despite moderate wear and tear....... The purpose is to ensure that full accuracy is maintained between service intervals and to advice when overhaul is needed. The thesis argues that quality of manufactured components is directly related to the positioning accuracy of the machine tool axes, and it shows which low level control architectures...

Prediction of novel pre-microRNAs with high accuracy through boosting and SVM.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuanwei; Yang, Yifan; Zhang, Huan; Jiang, Xiaohua; Xu, Bo; Xue, Yu; Cao, Yunxia; Zhai, Qian; Zhai, Yong; Xu, Mingqing; Cooke, Howard J; Shi, Qinghua

2011-05-15

High-throughput deep-sequencing technology has generated an unprecedented number of expressed short sequence reads, presenting not only an opportunity but also a challenge for prediction of novel microRNAs. To verify the existence of candidate microRNAs, we have to show that these short sequences can be processed from candidate pre-microRNAs. However, it is laborious and time consuming to verify these using existing experimental techniques. Therefore, here, we describe a new method, miRD, which is constructed using two feature selection strategies based on support vector machines (SVMs) and boosting method. It is a high-efficiency tool for novel pre-microRNA prediction with accuracy up to 94.0% among different species. miRD is implemented in PHP/PERL+MySQL+R and can be freely accessed at http://mcg.ustc.edu.cn/rpg/mird/mird.php.

High Accuracy mass Measurement of the very Short-Lived Halo Nuclide $^{11}$Li

CERN Multimedia

Le scornet, G

2002-01-01

The archetypal halo nuclide $^{11}$Li has now attracted a wealth of experimental and theoretical attention. The most outstanding property of this nuclide, its extended radius that makes it as big as $^{48}$Ca, is highly dependent on the binding energy of the two neutrons forming the halo. New generation experiments using radioactive beams with elastic proton scattering, knock-out and transfer reactions, together with $\\textit{ab initio}$ calculations require the tightening of the constraint on the binding energy. Good metrology also requires confirmation of the sole existing precision result to guard against a possible systematic deviation (or mistake). We propose a high accuracy mass determintation of $^{11}$Li, a particularly challenging task due to its very short half-life of 8.6 ms, but one perfectly suiting the MISTRAL spectrometer, now commissioned at ISOLDE. We request 15 shifts of beam time.

Hyperbolic Method for Dispersive PDEs: Same High-Order of Accuracy for Solution, Gradient, and Hessian

Science.gov (United States)

Mazaheri, Alireza; Ricchiuto, Mario; Nishikawa, Hiroaki

2016-01-01

In this paper, we introduce a new hyperbolic first-order system for general dispersive partial differential equations (PDEs). We then extend the proposed system to general advection-diffusion-dispersion PDEs. We apply the fourth-order RD scheme of Ref. 1 to the proposed hyperbolic system, and solve time-dependent dispersive equations, including the classical two-soliton KdV and a dispersive shock case. We demonstrate that the predicted results, including the gradient and Hessian (second derivative), are in a very good agreement with the exact solutions. We then show that the RD scheme applied to the proposed system accurately captures dispersive shocks without numerical oscillations. We also verify that the solution, gradient and Hessian are predicted with equal order of accuracy.

Using function approximation to determine neural network accuracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wichman, R.F.; Alexander, J.

2013-01-01

Many, if not most, control processes demonstrate nonlinear behavior in some portion of their operating range and the ability of neural networks to model non-linear dynamics makes them very appealing for control. Control of high reliability safety systems, and autonomous control in process or robotic applications, however, require accurate and consistent control and neural networks are only approximators of various functions so their degree of approximation becomes important. In this paper, the factors affecting the ability of a feed-forward back-propagation neural network to accurately approximate a non-linear function are explored. Compared to pattern recognition using a neural network for function approximation provides an easy and accurate method for determining the network's accuracy. In contrast to other techniques, we show that errors arising in function approximation or curve fitting are caused by the neural network itself rather than scatter in the data. A method is proposed that provides improvements in the accuracy achieved during training and resulting ability of the network to generalize after training. Binary input vectors provided a more accurate model than with scalar inputs and retraining using a small number of the outlier x,y pairs improved generalization. (author)

Comparative Dose Accuracy of Durable and Patch Insulin Infusion Pumps

Science.gov (United States)

Jahn, Luis G.; Capurro, Jorge J.; Levy, Brian L.

2013-01-01

Background: As all major insulin pump manufacturers comply with the international infusion pump standard EN 60601-2-24:1998, there may be a general assumption that all pumps are equal in insulin-delivery accuracy. This research investigates single-dose and averaged-dose accuracy of incremental basal deliveries for one patch model and three durable models of insulin pumps. Method: For each pump model, discrete single doses delivered during 0.5 U/h basal rate infusion over a 20 h period were measured using a time-stamped microgravimetric system. Dose accuracy was analyzed by comparing single doses and time-averaged doses to specific accuracy thresholds (±5% to ±30%). Results: The percentage of single doses delivered outside accuracy thresholds of ±5%, ±10%, and ±20% were as follows: Animas OneTouch® Ping® (43.2%, 14.3%, and 1.8%, respectively), Roche Accu-Chek® Combo (50.6%, 24.4%, and 5.5%), Medtronic Paradigm® RevelTM/VeoTM (54.2%, 26.7%, and 6.6%), and Insulet OmniPod® (79.1%, 60.5%, and 34.9%). For 30 min, 1 h, and 2 h averaging windows, the percentage of doses delivered outside a ±15% accuracy were as follows: OneTouch Ping (1.0%, 0.4%, and 0%, respectively), Accu-Chek Combo (4.2%, 3.5%, and 3.1%), Paradigm Revel/Veo (3.9%, 3.1%, and 2.2%), and OmniPod (33.9%, 19.9%, and 10.3%). Conclusions: This technical evaluation demonstrates significant differences in single-dose and averaged-dose accuracy among the insulin pumps tested. Differences in dose accuracy were most evident between the patch pump model and the group of durable pump models. Of the pumps studied, the Animas OneTouch Ping demonstrated the best single-dose and averaged-dose accuracy. Further research on the clinical relevance of these findings is warranted. PMID:23911184

Accuracy assessment of cadastral maps using high resolution aerial photos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alwan Imzahim

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A cadastral map is a map that shows the boundaries and ownership of land parcels. Some cadastral maps show additional details, such as survey district names, unique identifying numbers for parcels, certificate of title numbers, positions of existing structures, section or lot numbers and their respective areas, adjoining and adjacent street names, selected boundary dimensions and references to prior maps. In Iraq / Baghdad Governorate, the main problem is that the cadastral maps are georeferenced to a local geodetic datum known as Clark 1880 while the widely used reference system for navigation purpose (GPS and GNSS and uses Word Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84 as a base reference datum. The objective of this paper is to produce a cadastral map with scale 1:500 (metric scale by using aerial photographs 2009 with high ground spatial resolution 10 cm reference WGS84 system. The accuracy assessment for the cadastral maps updating approach to urban large scale cadastral maps (1:500-1:1000 was ± 0.115 meters; which complies with the American Social for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Standards (ASPRS.

Effects of cognitive training on change in accuracy in inductive reasoning ability.

Science.gov (United States)

Boron, Julie Blaskewicz; Turiano, Nicholas A; Willis, Sherry L; Schaie, K Warner

2007-05-01

We investigated cognitive training effects on accuracy and number of items attempted in inductive reasoning performance in a sample of 335 older participants (M = 72.78 years) from the Seattle Longitudinal Study. We assessed the impact of individual characteristics, including chronic disease. The reasoning training group showed significantly greater gain in accuracy and number of attempted items than did the comparison group; gain was primarily due to enhanced accuracy. Reasoning training effects involved a complex interaction of gender, prior cognitive status, and chronic disease. Women with prior decline on reasoning but no heart disease showed the greatest accuracy increase. In addition, stable reasoning-trained women with heart disease demonstrated significant accuracy gain. Comorbidity was associated with less change in accuracy. The results support the effectiveness of cognitive training on improving the accuracy of reasoning performance.

Interethnic differences in the accuracy of anthropometric indicators of obesity in screening for high risk of coronary heart disease

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera, VM; Casas, JP; Miranda, JJ; Perel, P; Pichardo, R; González, A; Sanchez, JR; Ferreccio, C; Aguilera, X; Silva, E; Oróstegui, M; Gómez, LF; Chirinos, JA; Medina-Lezama, J; Pérez, CM; Suárez, E; Ortiz, AP; Rosero, L; Schapochnik, N; Ortiz, Z; Ferrante, D; Diaz, M; Bautista, LE

2009-01-01

Background Cut points for defining obesity have been derived from mortality data among Whites from Europe and the United States and their accuracy to screen for high risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in other ethnic groups has been questioned. Objective To compare the accuracy and to define ethnic and gender-specific optimal cut points for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) when they are used in screening for high risk of CHD in the Latin-American and the US populations. Methods We estimated the accuracy and optimal cut points for BMI, WC and WHR to screen for CHD risk in Latin Americans (n=18 976), non-Hispanic Whites (Whites; n=8956), non-Hispanic Blacks (Blacks; n=5205) and Hispanics (n=5803). High risk of CHD was defined as a 10-year risk ≥20% (Framingham equation). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) and the misclassification-cost term were used to assess accuracy and to identify optimal cut points. Results WHR had the highest AUC in all ethnic groups (from 0.75 to 0.82) and BMI had the lowest (from 0.50 to 0.59). Optimal cut point for BMI was similar across ethnic/gender groups (27 kg/m2). In women, cut points for WC (94 cm) and WHR (0.91) were consistent by ethnicity. In men, cut points for WC and WHR varied significantly with ethnicity: from 91 cm in Latin Americans to 102 cm in Whites, and from 0.94 in Latin Americans to 0.99 in Hispanics, respectively. Conclusion WHR is the most accurate anthropometric indicator to screen for high risk of CHD, whereas BMI is almost uninformative. The same BMI cut point should be used in all men and women. Unique cut points for WC and WHR should be used in all women, but ethnic-specific cut points seem warranted among men. PMID:19238159

Effects of accuracy motivation and anchoring on metacomprehension judgment and accuracy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Qin

2012-01-01

The current research investigates how accuracy motivation impacts anchoring and adjustment in metacomprehension judgment and how accuracy motivation and anchoring affect metacomprehension accuracy. Participants were randomly assigned to one of six conditions produced by the between-subjects factorial design involving accuracy motivation (incentive or no) and peer performance anchor (95%, 55%, or no). Two studies showed that accuracy motivation did not impact anchoring bias, but the adjustment-from-anchor process occurred. Accuracy incentive increased anchor-judgment gap for the 95% anchor but not for the 55% anchor, which induced less certainty about the direction of adjustment. The findings offer support to the integrative theory of anchoring. Additionally, the two studies revealed a "power struggle" between accuracy motivation and anchoring in influencing metacomprehension accuracy. Accuracy motivation could improve metacomprehension accuracy in spite of anchoring effect, but if anchoring effect is too strong, it could overpower the motivation effect. The implications of the findings were discussed.

High-accuracy CFD prediction methods for fluid and structure temperature fluctuations at T-junction for thermal fatigue evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qian, Shaoxiang, E-mail: qian.shaoxiang@jgc.com [EN Technology Center, Process Technology Division, JGC Corporation, 2-3-1 Minato Mirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama 220-6001 (Japan); Kanamaru, Shinichiro [EN Technology Center, Process Technology Division, JGC Corporation, 2-3-1 Minato Mirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama 220-6001 (Japan); Kasahara, Naoto [Nuclear Engineering and Management, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan)

2015-07-15

Highlights: • Numerical methods for accurate prediction of thermal loading were proposed. • Predicted fluid temperature fluctuation (FTF) intensity is close to the experiment. • Predicted structure temperature fluctuation (STF) range is close to the experiment. • Predicted peak frequencies of FTF and STF also agree well with the experiment. • CFD results show the proposed numerical methods are of sufficiently high accuracy. - Abstract: Temperature fluctuations generated by the mixing of hot and cold fluids at a T-junction, which is widely used in nuclear power and process plants, can cause thermal fatigue failure. The conventional methods for evaluating thermal fatigue tend to provide insufficient accuracy, because they were developed based on limited experimental data and a simplified one-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA). CFD/FEA coupling analysis is expected as a useful tool for the more accurate evaluation of thermal fatigue. The present paper aims to verify the accuracy of proposed numerical methods of simulating fluid and structure temperature fluctuations at a T-junction for thermal fatigue evaluation. The dynamic Smagorinsky model (DSM) is used for large eddy simulation (LES) sub-grid scale (SGS) turbulence model, and a hybrid scheme (HS) is adopted for the calculation of convective terms in the governing equations. Also, heat transfer between fluid and structure is calculated directly through thermal conduction by creating a mesh with near wall resolution (NWR) by allocating grid points within the thermal boundary sub-layer. The simulation results show that the distribution of fluid temperature fluctuation intensity and the range of structure temperature fluctuation are remarkably close to the experimental results. Moreover, the peak frequencies of power spectrum density (PSD) of both fluid and structure temperature fluctuations also agree well with the experimental results. Therefore, the numerical methods used in the present paper are

Coordinate metrology accuracy of systems and measurements

CERN Document Server

Sładek, Jerzy A

2016-01-01

This book focuses on effective methods for assessing the accuracy of both coordinate measuring systems and coordinate measurements. It mainly reports on original research work conducted by Sladek’s team at Cracow University of Technology’s Laboratory of Coordinate Metrology. The book describes the implementation of different methods, including artificial neural networks, the Matrix Method, the Monte Carlo method and the virtual CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine), and demonstrates how these methods can be effectively used in practice to gauge the accuracy of coordinate measurements. Moreover, the book includes an introduction to the theory of measurement uncertainty and to key techniques for assessing measurement accuracy. All methods and tools are presented in detail, using suitable mathematical formulations and illustrated with numerous examples. The book fills an important gap in the literature, providing readers with an advanced text on a topic that has been rapidly developing in recent years. The book...

Assessment of high precision, high accuracy Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy to obtain concentration uncertainties less than 0.2% with variable matrix concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabb, Savelas A.; Olesik, John W.

2008-01-01

The ability to obtain high precision, high accuracy measurements in samples with complex matrices using High Performance Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (HP-ICP-OES) was investigated. The Common Analyte Internal Standard (CAIS) procedure was incorporated into the High Performance Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy method to correct for matrix-induced changes in emission intensity ratios. Matrix matching and standard addition approaches to minimize matrix-induced errors when using High Performance Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy were also assessed. The High Performance Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy method was tested with synthetic solutions in a variety of matrices, alloy standard reference materials and geological reference materials

The accuracy of {sup 68}Ga-PSMA PET/CT in primary lymph node staging in high-risk prostate cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oebek, Can; Doganca, Tuenkut [Acibadem Taksim Hospital, Department of Urology, Istanbul (Turkey); Demirci, Emre [Sisli Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Istanbul (Turkey); Ocak, Meltem [Istanbul University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Istanbul (Turkey); Kural, Ali Riza [Acibadem University, Department of Urology, Istanbul (Turkey); Yildirim, Asif [Istanbul Medeniyet University, Department of Urology, Istanbul (Turkey); Yuecetas, Ugur [Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, Department of Urology, Istanbul (Turkey); Demirdag, Cetin [Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Department of Urology, Istanbul (Turkey); Erdogan, Sarper M. [Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Istanbul (Turkey); Kabasakal, Levent [Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Istanbul (Turkey); Collaboration: Members of Urooncology Association, Turkey

2017-10-15

To assess the diagnostic accuracy of {sup 68}Ga-PSMA PET in predicting lymph node (LN) metastases in primary N staging in high-risk and very high-risk nonmetastatic prostate cancer in comparison with morphological imaging. This was a multicentre trial of the Society of Urologic Oncology in Turkey in conjunction with the Nuclear Medicine Department of Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University. Patients were accrued from eight centres. Patients with high-risk and very high-risk disease scheduled to undergo surgical treatment with extended LN dissection between July 2014 and October 2015 were included. Either MRI or CT was used for morphological imaging. PSMA PET/CT was performed and evaluated at a single centre. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were calculated for the detection of lymphatic metastases by PSMA PET/CT and morphological imaging. Kappa values were calculated to evaluate the correlation between the numbers of LN metastases detected by PSMA PET/CT and by histopathology. Data on 51 eligible patients are presented. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of PSMA PET in detecting LN metastases in the primary setting were 53%, 86% and 76%, and increased to 67%, 88% and 81% in the subgroup with of patients with ≥15 LN removed. Kappa values for the correlation between imaging and pathology were 0.41 for PSMA PET and 0.18 for morphological imaging. PSMA PET/CT is superior to morphological imaging for the detection of metastatic LNs in patients with primary prostate cancer. Surgical dissection remains the gold standard for precise lymphatic staging. (orig.)

Accuracy of Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor using a coherent wound fibre image bundle

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Jessica R.; Goodwin, Michael; Lawrence, Jon

2018-03-01

Shack-Hartmannwavefront sensors using wound fibre image bundles are desired for multi-object adaptive optical systems to provide large multiplex positioned by Starbugs. The use of a large-sized wound fibre image bundle provides the flexibility to use more sub-apertures wavefront sensor for ELTs. These compact wavefront sensors take advantage of large focal surfaces such as the Giant Magellan Telescope. The focus of this paper is to study the wound fibre image bundle structure defects effect on the centroid measurement accuracy of a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. We use the first moment centroid method to estimate the centroid of a focused Gaussian beam sampled by a simulated bundle. Spot estimation accuracy with wound fibre image bundle and its structure impact on wavefront measurement accuracy statistics are addressed. Our results show that when the measurement signal-to-noise ratio is high, the centroid measurement accuracy is dominated by the wound fibre image bundle structure, e.g. tile angle and gap spacing. For the measurement with low signal-to-noise ratio, its accuracy is influenced by the read noise of the detector instead of the wound fibre image bundle structure defects. We demonstrate this both with simulation and experimentally. We provide a statistical model of the centroid and wavefront error of a wound fibre image bundle found through experiment.

Relative accuracy of three common methods of parentage analysis in natural populations

KAUST Repository

Harrison, Hugo B.; Saenz Agudelo, Pablo; Planes, Serge; Jones, Geoffrey P.; Berumen, Michael L.

2012-01-01

Parentage studies and family reconstructions have become increasingly popular for investigating a range of evolutionary, ecological and behavioural processes in natural populations. However, a number of different assignment methods have emerged in common use and the accuracy of each may differ in relation to the number of loci examined, allelic diversity, incomplete sampling of all candidate parents and the presence of genotyping errors. Here, we examine how these factors affect the accuracy of three popular parentage inference methods (colony, famoz and an exclusion-Bayes' theorem approach by Christie (Molecular Ecology Resources, 2010a, 10, 115) to resolve true parent-offspring pairs using simulated data. Our findings demonstrate that accuracy increases with the number and diversity of loci. These were clearly the most important factors in obtaining accurate assignments explaining 75-90% of variance in overall accuracy across 60 simulated scenarios. Furthermore, the proportion of candidate parents sampled had a small but significant impact on the susceptibility of each method to either false-positive or false-negative assignments. Within the range of values simulated, colony outperformed FaMoz, which outperformed the exclusion-Bayes' theorem method. However, with 20 or more highly polymorphic loci, all methods could be applied with confidence. Our results show that for parentage inference in natural populations, careful consideration of the number and quality of markers will increase the accuracy of assignments and mitigate the effects of incomplete sampling of parental populations. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Relative accuracy of three common methods of parentage analysis in natural populations

KAUST Repository

Harrison, Hugo B.

2012-12-27

Parentage studies and family reconstructions have become increasingly popular for investigating a range of evolutionary, ecological and behavioural processes in natural populations. However, a number of different assignment methods have emerged in common use and the accuracy of each may differ in relation to the number of loci examined, allelic diversity, incomplete sampling of all candidate parents and the presence of genotyping errors. Here, we examine how these factors affect the accuracy of three popular parentage inference methods (colony, famoz and an exclusion-Bayes\\' theorem approach by Christie (Molecular Ecology Resources, 2010a, 10, 115) to resolve true parent-offspring pairs using simulated data. Our findings demonstrate that accuracy increases with the number and diversity of loci. These were clearly the most important factors in obtaining accurate assignments explaining 75-90% of variance in overall accuracy across 60 simulated scenarios. Furthermore, the proportion of candidate parents sampled had a small but significant impact on the susceptibility of each method to either false-positive or false-negative assignments. Within the range of values simulated, colony outperformed FaMoz, which outperformed the exclusion-Bayes\\' theorem method. However, with 20 or more highly polymorphic loci, all methods could be applied with confidence. Our results show that for parentage inference in natural populations, careful consideration of the number and quality of markers will increase the accuracy of assignments and mitigate the effects of incomplete sampling of parental populations. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Interobserver Variability and Accuracy of High-Definition Endoscopic Diagnosis for Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia among Experienced and Inexperienced Endoscopists

Science.gov (United States)

Hyun, Yil Sik; Bae, Joong Ho; Park, Hye Sun; Eun, Chang Soo

2013-01-01

Accurate diagnosis of gastric intestinal metaplasia is important; however, conventional endoscopy is known to be an unreliable modality for diagnosing gastric intestinal metaplasia (IM). The aims of the study were to evaluate the interobserver variation in diagnosing IM by high-definition (HD) endoscopy and the diagnostic accuracy of this modality for IM among experienced and inexperienced endoscopists. Selected 50 cases, taken with HD endoscopy, were sent for a diagnostic inquiry of gastric IM through visual inspection to five experienced and five inexperienced endoscopists. The interobserver agreement between endoscopists was evaluated to verify the diagnostic reliability of HD endoscopy in diagnosing IM, and the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were evaluated for validity of HD endoscopy in diagnosing IM. Interobserver agreement among the experienced endoscopists was "poor" (κ = 0.38) and it was also "poor" (κ = 0.33) among the inexperienced endoscopists. The diagnostic accuracy of the experienced endoscopists was superior to that of the inexperienced endoscopists (P = 0.003). Since diagnosis through visual inspection is unreliable in the diagnosis of IM, all suspicious areas for gastric IM should be considered to be biopsied. Furthermore, endoscopic experience and education are needed to raise the diagnostic accuracy of gastric IM. PMID:23678267

Accuracy of MR imaging in partial tears of rotator cuff

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eto, Masao; Ito, Nobuyuki; Tomonaga, Tadashi; Harada, Shin'ichi; Rabbi, M.E.; Iwasaki, Katsuro

1997-01-01

MRI is very useful for the diagnosis of the rotator cuff tear However. in case of partial tears it is sometimes controvertible. In this study, we studied the accuracy of MRI in the diagnosis of partial tears. 67 patients who underwent MRI investigation before operation were chosen for this study. There were 61 males and 6 females, ranging from 30 to 80 years (mean: 54.8 years at the time of operation). MRI was performed with 1.5T superconductive system with shoulder surface coil. MPGR T2-weighted images were performed in the coronal oblique and sagittal oblique planes. Complete tears were diagnosed when full thickness high intensity was observed in the rotator cuff, whereas with partial high intensity of the rotator cuff, was considered as partial tears. MRI demonstrated 77.8% sensitivity, 91.4% specificity and 89.6% accuracy in the diagnosis of partial tear. In 8 cases MRI had misinterpretation. In MPGR T2-weighted images, not only the partial tears but the degenerative changes also show high intensity of the rotator cuff. Therefore, it is difficult to differentiate and maybe this is the reason of misinterpretations of partial tears by MRI. MRI provided with useful pre-operative informations of partial tears of the rotator cuff. However, in few cases it is hard to differentiate for the degenerative changes of the rotator cuff. (author)

Robotic-Arm Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty Demonstrated Greater Accuracy and Precision to Plan Compared with Manual Techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Hampp, Emily L; Chughtai, Morad; Scholl, Laura Y; Sodhi, Nipun; Bhowmik-Stoker, Manoshi; Jacofsky, David J; Mont, Michael A

2018-05-01

This study determined if robotic-arm assisted total knee arthroplasty (RATKA) allows for more accurate and precise bone cuts and component position to plan compared with manual total knee arthroplasty (MTKA). Specifically, we assessed the following: (1) final bone cuts, (2) final component position, and (3) a potential learning curve for RATKA. On six cadaver specimens (12 knees), a MTKA and RATKA were performed on the left and right knees, respectively. Bone-cut and final-component positioning errors relative to preoperative plans were compared. Median errors and standard deviations (SDs) in the sagittal, coronal, and axial planes were compared. Median values of the absolute deviation from plan defined the accuracy to plan. SDs described the precision to plan. RATKA bone cuts were as or more accurate to plan based on nominal median values in 11 out of 12 measurements. RATKA bone cuts were more precise to plan in 8 out of 12 measurements ( p  ≤ 0.05). RATKA final component positions were as or more accurate to plan based on median values in five out of five measurements. RATKA final component positions were more precise to plan in four out of five measurements ( p  ≤ 0.05). Stacked error results from all cuts and implant positions for each specimen in procedural order showed that RATKA error was less than MTKA error. Although this study analyzed a small number of cadaver specimens, there were clear differences that separated these two groups. When compared with MTKA, RATKA demonstrated more accurate and precise bone cuts and implant positioning to plan. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

A three axis turntable's online initial state measurement method based on the high-accuracy laser gyro SINS

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Chunfeng; Wei, Guo; Wang, Qi; Xiong, Zhenyu; Wang, Qun; Long, Xingwu

2016-10-01

As an indispensable equipment in inertial technology tests, the three-axis turntable is widely used in the calibration of various types inertial navigation systems (INS). In order to ensure the calibration accuracy of INS, we need to accurately measure the initial state of the turntable. However, the traditional measuring method needs a lot of exterior equipment (such as level instrument, north seeker, autocollimator, etc.), and the test processing is complex, low efficiency. Therefore, it is relatively difficult for the inertial measurement equipment manufacturers to realize the self-inspection of the turntable. Owing to the high precision attitude information provided by the laser gyro strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS) after fine alignment, we can use it as the attitude reference of initial state measurement of three-axis turntable. For the principle that the fixed rotation vector increment is not affected by measuring point, we use the laser gyro INS and the encoder of the turntable to provide the attitudes of turntable mounting plat. Through this way, the high accuracy measurement of perpendicularity error and initial attitude of the three-axis turntable has been achieved.

High Accuracy Human Activity Recognition Based on Sparse Locality Preserving Projections.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Xiangbin; Qiu, Huiling

2016-01-01

Human activity recognition(HAR) from the temporal streams of sensory data has been applied to many fields, such as healthcare services, intelligent environments and cyber security. However, the classification accuracy of most existed methods is not enough in some applications, especially for healthcare services. In order to improving accuracy, it is necessary to develop a novel method which will take full account of the intrinsic sequential characteristics for time-series sensory data. Moreover, each human activity may has correlated feature relationship at different levels. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a three-stage continuous hidden Markov model (TSCHMM) approach to recognize human activities. The proposed method contains coarse, fine and accurate classification. The feature reduction is an important step in classification processing. In this paper, sparse locality preserving projections (SpLPP) is exploited to determine the optimal feature subsets for accurate classification of the stationary-activity data. It can extract more discriminative activities features from the sensor data compared with locality preserving projections. Furthermore, all of the gyro-based features are used for accurate classification of the moving data. Compared with other methods, our method uses significantly less number of features, and the over-all accuracy has been obviously improved.

High Accuracy Human Activity Recognition Based on Sparse Locality Preserving Projections.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiangbin Zhu

Full Text Available Human activity recognition(HAR from the temporal streams of sensory data has been applied to many fields, such as healthcare services, intelligent environments and cyber security. However, the classification accuracy of most existed methods is not enough in some applications, especially for healthcare services. In order to improving accuracy, it is necessary to develop a novel method which will take full account of the intrinsic sequential characteristics for time-series sensory data. Moreover, each human activity may has correlated feature relationship at different levels. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a three-stage continuous hidden Markov model (TSCHMM approach to recognize human activities. The proposed method contains coarse, fine and accurate classification. The feature reduction is an important step in classification processing. In this paper, sparse locality preserving projections (SpLPP is exploited to determine the optimal feature subsets for accurate classification of the stationary-activity data. It can extract more discriminative activities features from the sensor data compared with locality preserving projections. Furthermore, all of the gyro-based features are used for accurate classification of the moving data. Compared with other methods, our method uses significantly less number of features, and the over-all accuracy has been obviously improved.

Enhancement of accuracy in shape sensing of surgical needles using optical frequency domain reflectometry in optical fibers.

Science.gov (United States)

Parent, Francois; Loranger, Sebastien; Mandal, Koushik Kanti; Iezzi, Victor Lambin; Lapointe, Jerome; Boisvert, Jean-Sébastien; Baiad, Mohamed Diaa; Kadoury, Samuel; Kashyap, Raman

2017-04-01

We demonstrate a novel approach to enhance the precision of surgical needle shape tracking based on distributed strain sensing using optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR). The precision enhancement is provided by using optical fibers with high scattering properties. Shape tracking of surgical tools using strain sensing properties of optical fibers has seen increased attention in recent years. Most of the investigations made in this field use fiber Bragg gratings (FBG), which can be used as discrete or quasi-distributed strain sensors. By using a truly distributed sensing approach (OFDR), preliminary results show that the attainable accuracy is comparable to accuracies reported in the literature using FBG sensors for tracking applications (~1mm). We propose a technique that enhanced our accuracy by 47% using UV exposed fibers, which have higher light scattering compared to un-exposed standard single mode fibers. Improving the experimental setup will enhance the accuracy provided by shape tracking using OFDR and will contribute significantly to clinical applications.

High-accuracy contouring using projection moiré

Science.gov (United States)

Sciammarella, Cesar A.; Lamberti, Luciano; Sciammarella, Federico M.

2005-09-01

Shadow and projection moiré are the oldest forms of moiré to be used in actual technical applications. In spite of this fact and the extensive number of papers that have been published on this topic, the use of shadow moiré as an accurate tool that can compete with alternative devices poses very many problems that go to the very essence of the mathematical models used to obtain contour information from fringe pattern data. In this paper some recent developments on the projection moiré method are presented. Comparisons between the results obtained with the projection method and the results obtained by mechanical devices that operate with contact probes are presented. These results show that the use of projection moiré makes it possible to achieve the same accuracy that current mechanical touch probe devices can provide.

High accuracy amplitude and phase measurements based on a double heterodyne architecture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Danyang; Wang Guangwei; Pan Weimin

2015-01-01

In the digital low level RF (LLRF) system of a circular (particle) accelerator, the RF field signal is usually down converted to a fixed intermediate frequency (IF). The ratio of IF and sampling frequency determines the processing required, and differs in various LLRF systems. It is generally desirable to design a universally compatible architecture for different IFs with no change to the sampling frequency and algorithm. A new RF detection method based on a double heterodyne architecture for wide IF range has been developed, which achieves the high accuracy requirement of modern LLRF. In this paper, the relation of IF and phase error is systematically analyzed for the first time and verified by experiments. The effects of temperature drift for 16 h IF detection are inhibited by the amplitude and phase calibrations. (authors)

Accuracy assessment of NOAA gridded daily reference evapotranspiration for the Texas High Plains

Science.gov (United States)

Moorhead, Jerry; Gowda, Prasanna H.; Hobbins, Michael; Senay, Gabriel; Paul, George; Marek, Thomas; Porter, Dana

2015-01-01

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides daily reference evapotranspiration (ETref) maps for the contiguous United States using climatic data from North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS). This data provides large-scale spatial representation of ETref, which is essential for regional scale water resources management. Data used in the development of NOAA daily ETref maps are derived from observations over surfaces that are different from short (grass — ETos) or tall (alfalfa — ETrs) reference crops, often in nonagricultural settings, which carries an unknown discrepancy between assumed and actual conditions. In this study, NOAA daily ETos and ETrs maps were evaluated for accuracy, using observed data from the Texas High Plains Evapotranspiration (TXHPET) network. Daily ETos, ETrs and the climatic data (air temperature, wind speed, and solar radiation) used for calculating ETref were extracted from the NOAA maps for TXHPET locations and compared against ground measurements on reference grass surfaces. NOAA ETrefmaps generally overestimated the TXHPET observations (1.4 and 2.2 mm/day ETos and ETrs, respectively), which may be attributed to errors in the NLDAS modeled air temperature and wind speed, to which reference ETref is most sensitive. Therefore, a bias correction to NLDAS modeled air temperature and wind speed data, or adjustment to the resulting NOAA ETref, may be needed to improve the accuracy of NOAA ETref maps.

Accuracy of thick-walled hollows during piercing on three-high mill

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potapov, I.N.; Romantsev, B.A.; Shamanaev, V.I.; Popov, V.A.; Kharitonov, E.A.

1975-01-01

The results of investigations are presented concerning the accuracy of geometrical dimensions of thick-walled sleeves produced by piercing on a 100-ton trio screw rolling mill MISiS with three schemes of fixing and centering the rod. The use of a spherical thrust journal for the rod and of a long centering bushing makes it possible to diminish the non-uniformity of the wall thickness of the sleeves by 30-50%. It is established that thick-walled sleeves with accurate geometrical dimensions (nonuniformity of the wall thickness being less than 10%) can be produced if the system sleeve - mandrel - rod is highly rigid and the rod has a two- or three-fold stability margin over the length equal to that of the sleeve being pierced. The process of piercing is expedient to be carried out with increased angles of feed (14-16 deg). Blanks have been made from steel 12Kh1MF

The urine dipstick test useful to rule out infections. A meta-analysis of the accuracy

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Devillé Walter LJM

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many studies have evaluated the accuracy of dipstick tests as rapid detectors of bacteriuria and urinary tract infections (UTI. The lack of an adequate explanation for the heterogeneity of the dipstick accuracy stimulates an ongoing debate. The objective of the present meta-analysis was to summarise the available evidence on the diagnostic accuracy of the urine dipstick test, taking into account various pre-defined potential sources of heterogeneity. Methods Literature from 1990 through 1999 was searched in Medline and Embase, and by reference tracking. Selected publications should be concerned with the diagnosis of bacteriuria or urinary tract infections, investigate the use of dipstick tests for nitrites and/or leukocyte esterase, and present empirical data. A checklist was used to assess methodological quality. Results 70 publications were included. Accuracy of nitrites was high in pregnant women (Diagnostic Odds Ratio = 165 and elderly people (DOR = 108. Positive predictive values were ≥80% in elderly and in family medicine. Accuracy of leukocyte-esterase was high in studies in urology patients (DOR = 276. Sensitivities were highest in family medicine (86%. Negative predictive values were high in both tests in all patient groups and settings, except for in family medicine. The combination of both test results showed an important increase in sensitivity. Accuracy was high in studies in urology patients (DOR = 52, in children (DOR = 46, and if clinical information was present (DOR = 28. Sensitivity was highest in studies carried out in family medicine (90%. Predictive values of combinations of positive test results were low in all other situations. Conclusions Overall, this review demonstrates that the urine dipstick test alone seems to be useful in all populations to exclude the presence of infection if the results of both nitrites and leukocyte-esterase are negative. Sensitivities of the combination of both tests vary

Model Accuracy Comparison for High Resolution Insar Coherence Statistics Over Urban Areas

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Zhang, Yue; Fu, Kun; Sun, Xian; Xu, Guangluan; Wang, Hongqi

2016-06-01

The interferometric coherence map derived from the cross-correlation of two complex registered synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is the reflection of imaged targets. In many applications, it can act as an independent information source, or give additional information complementary to the intensity image. Specially, the statistical properties of the coherence are of great importance in land cover classification, segmentation and change detection. However, compared to the amount of work on the statistical characters of SAR intensity, there are quite fewer researches on interferometric SAR (InSAR) coherence statistics. And to our knowledge, all of the existing work that focuses on InSAR coherence statistics, models the coherence with Gaussian distribution with no discrimination on data resolutions or scene types. But the properties of coherence may be different for different data resolutions and scene types. In this paper, we investigate on the coherence statistics for high resolution data over urban areas, by making a comparison of the accuracy of several typical statistical models. Four typical land classes including buildings, trees, shadow and roads are selected as the representatives of urban areas. Firstly, several regions are selected from the coherence map manually and labelled with their corresponding classes respectively. Then we try to model the statistics of the pixel coherence for each type of region, with different models including Gaussian, Rayleigh, Weibull, Beta and Nakagami. Finally, we evaluate the model accuracy for each type of region. The experiments on TanDEM-X data show that the Beta model has a better performance than other distributions.

MODEL ACCURACY COMPARISON FOR HIGH RESOLUTION INSAR COHERENCE STATISTICS OVER URBAN AREAS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Zhang

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The interferometric coherence map derived from the cross-correlation of two complex registered synthetic aperture radar (SAR images is the reflection of imaged targets. In many applications, it can act as an independent information source, or give additional information complementary to the intensity image. Specially, the statistical properties of the coherence are of great importance in land cover classification, segmentation and change detection. However, compared to the amount of work on the statistical characters of SAR intensity, there are quite fewer researches on interferometric SAR (InSAR coherence statistics. And to our knowledge, all of the existing work that focuses on InSAR coherence statistics, models the coherence with Gaussian distribution with no discrimination on data resolutions or scene types. But the properties of coherence may be different for different data resolutions and scene types. In this paper, we investigate on the coherence statistics for high resolution data over urban areas, by making a comparison of the accuracy of several typical statistical models. Four typical land classes including buildings, trees, shadow and roads are selected as the representatives of urban areas. Firstly, several regions are selected from the coherence map manually and labelled with their corresponding classes respectively. Then we try to model the statistics of the pixel coherence for each type of region, with different models including Gaussian, Rayleigh, Weibull, Beta and Nakagami. Finally, we evaluate the model accuracy for each type of region. The experiments on TanDEM-X data show that the Beta model has a better performance than other distributions.

High construal level can help negotiators to reach integrative agreements: The role of information exchange and judgement accuracy.

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Wening, Stefanie; Keith, Nina; Abele, Andrea E

2016-06-01

In negotiations, a focus on interests (why negotiators want something) is key to integrative agreements. Yet, many negotiators spontaneously focus on positions (what they want), with suboptimal outcomes. Our research applies construal-level theory to negotiations and proposes that a high construal level instigates a focus on interests during negotiations which, in turn, positively affects outcomes. In particular, we tested the notion that the effect of construal level on outcomes was mediated by information exchange and judgement accuracy. Finally, we expected the mere mode of presentation of task material to affect construal levels and manipulated construal levels using concrete versus abstract negotiation tasks. In two experiments, participants negotiated in dyads in either a high- or low-construal-level condition. In Study 1, high-construal-level dyads outperformed dyads in the low-construal-level condition; this main effect was mediated by information exchange. Study 2 replicated both the main and mediation effects using judgement accuracy as mediator and additionally yielded a positive effect of a high construal level on a second, more complex negotiation task. These results not only provide empirical evidence for the theoretically proposed link between construal levels and negotiation outcomes but also shed light on the processes underlying this effect. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

High-accuracy alignment based on atmospherical dispersion - technological approaches and solutions for the dual-wavelength transmitter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burkhard, Boeckem

1999-01-01

In the course of the progressive developments of sophisticated geodetic systems utilizing electromagnetic waves in the visible or near IR-range a more detailed knowledge of the propagation medium and coevally solutions of atmospherically induced limitations will become important. An alignment system based on atmospherical dispersion, called a dispersometer, is a metrological solution to the atmospherically induced limitations, in optical alignment and direction observations of high accuracy. In the dispersometer we are using the dual-wavelength method for dispersive air to obtain refraction compensated angle measurements, the detrimental impact of atmospheric turbulence notwithstanding. The principle of the dual-wavelength method utilizes atmospherical dispersion, i.e. the wavelength dependence of the refractive index. The difference angle between two light beams of different wavelengths, which is called the dispersion angle Δβ, is to first approximation proportional to the refraction angle: β IR ν(β blue - β IR ) = ν Δβ, this equation implies that the dispersion angle has to be measured at least 42 times more accurate than the desired accuracy of the refraction angle for the wavelengths used in the present dispersometer. This required accuracy constitutes one major difficulty for the instrumental performance in applying the dispersion effect. However, the dual-wavelength method can only be successfully used in an optimized transmitter-receiver combination. Beyond the above mentioned resolution requirement for the detector, major difficulties in instrumental realization arise in the availability of a suitable dual-wavelength laser light source, laser light modulation with a very high extinction ratio and coaxial emittance of mono-mode radiation at both wavelengths. Therefore, this paper focuses on the solutions of the dual-wavelength transmitter introducing a new hardware approach and a complete re-design of the in [1] proposed conception of the dual

Diagnostic accuracy of dual-energy computed tomography in patients with gout: A meta-analysis.

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Lee, Young Ho; Song, Gwan Gyu

2017-08-01

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) for patients with gout. We searched the Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases, and performed a meta-analysis on the diagnostic accuracy of DECT in patients with gout. A total of eight studies including 510 patients with gout and 268 controls (patients with non-gout inflammatory arthritis) were available for the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of DECT were 84.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 81.3-87.7) and 93.7% (93.0-96.3), respectively. The positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio were 9.882 (6.122-15.95), 0.163 (0.097-0.272), and 78.10 (31.14-195.84), respectively. The area under the curve of DECT was 0.956 and the Q * index was 0.889, indicating a high diagnostic accuracy. Some between-study heterogeneity was found in the meta-analyses. However, there was no evidence of a threshold effect (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.419; p = 0.035). In addition, meta-regression showed that the sample size, study design, and diagnostic criteria were not sources of heterogeneity, and subgroup meta-analyses did not change the overall diagnostic accuracy. Our meta-analysis of published studies demonstrates that DECT has a high diagnostic accuracy and plays an important role in the diagnosis of gout. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What do we mean by accuracy in geomagnetic measurements?

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Green, A.W.

1990-01-01

High accuracy is what distinguishes measurements made at the world's magnetic observatories from other types of geomagnetic measurements. High accuracy in determining the absolute values of the components of the Earth's magnetic field is essential to studying geomagnetic secular variation and processes at the core mantle boundary, as well as some magnetospheric processes. In some applications of geomagnetic data, precision (or resolution) of measurements may also be important. In addition to accuracy and resolution in the amplitude domain, it is necessary to consider these same quantities in the frequency and space domains. New developments in geomagnetic instruments and communications make real-time, high accuracy, global geomagnetic observatory data sets a real possibility. There is a growing realization in the scientific community of the unique relevance of geomagnetic observatory data to the principal contemporary problems in solid Earth and space physics. Together, these factors provide the promise of a 'renaissance' of the world's geomagnetic observatory system. ?? 1990.

Prediction of parturition in dogs and cats: accuracy at different gestational ages.

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Beccaglia, M; Luvoni, G C

2012-12-01

In bitches and queens, the ultrasonographic measurement of extrafoetal and foetal structures allows the evaluation of gestational age and the prediction of the parturition term for an extended period of time. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the accuracy of parturition date prediction is affected by the week of pregnancy when the ultrasonographic examination is performed. The results were obtained by retrospective analysis on the gestational period basis (from week 4 to week 9 of pregnancy) in 495 ultrasonographic examinations of pregnant bitches (small and medium size) and 60 of pregnant queens. They demonstrated that a similar accuracy (p > 0.05) was obtained by the measurement of inner chorionic cavity at week 4 and 5 of pregnancy (± 1 day, 81% vs 67.7%; ± 2 days, 93.1% vs 85.9%). Accuracy (± 1 day) based on biparietal (BP) measurement was similar at week 5 and 6 of pregnancy (78.6% vs 78.9%; p > 0.05), whereas a significant decrease (p parturition term is highly consistent for 6 and 8 weeks of gestation, respectively. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

High diagnostic accuracy of the Sysmex XT-2000iV delta total nucleated cells on effusions for feline infectious peritonitis.

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Giordano, Alessia; Stranieri, Angelica; Rossi, Gabriele; Paltrinieri, Saverio

2015-06-01

The ΔWBC (the ratio between DIFF and BASO counts of the Sysmex XT-2000iV), hereafter defined as ΔTNC (total nucleated cells), is high in effusions due to feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), as cells are entrapped in fibrin clots formed in the BASO reagent. Similar clots form in the Rivalta's test, a method with high diagnostic accuracy for FIP. The objective of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy for FIP and the optimal cutoff of ΔTNC. After a retrospective search of our database, DIFF and BASO counts, and the ΔTNC from cats with and without FIP were compared to each other. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+, LR-) were calculated. A ROC curve was designed to determine the cutoff for best sensitivity and specificity. Effusions from 20 FIP and 31 non-FIP cats were analyzed. The ΔTNC was higher (P  2.5 had 100% specificity. The ΔTNC has a high diagnostic accuracy for FIP-related effusions by providing an estimate of precipitable proteins, as the Rivalta's test, in addition to the cell count. As fibrin clots result in false lower BASO counts, the ΔTNC is preferable to the WBC count generated by the BASO channel alone in suspected FIP effusions. © 2015 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

Emergence of realism: Enhanced visual artistry and high accuracy of visual numerosity representation after left prefrontal damage.

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Takahata, Keisuke; Saito, Fumie; Muramatsu, Taro; Yamada, Makiko; Shirahase, Joichiro; Tabuchi, Hajime; Suhara, Tetsuya; Mimura, Masaru; Kato, Motoichiro

2014-05-01

Over the last two decades, evidence of enhancement of drawing and painting skills due to focal prefrontal damage has accumulated. It is of special interest that most artworks created by such patients were highly realistic ones, but the mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains to be understood. Our hypothesis is that enhanced tendency of realism was associated with accuracy of visual numerosity representation, which has been shown to be mediated predominantly by right parietal functions. Here, we report a case of left prefrontal stroke, where the patient showed enhancement of artistic skills of realistic painting after the onset of brain damage. We investigated cognitive, functional and esthetic characteristics of the patient׳s visual artistry and visual numerosity representation. Neuropsychological tests revealed impaired executive function after the stroke. Despite that, the patient׳s visual artistry related to realism was rather promoted across the onset of brain damage as demonstrated by blind evaluation of the paintings by professional art reviewers. On visual numerical cognition tasks, the patient showed higher performance in comparison with age-matched healthy controls. These results paralleled increased perfusion in the right parietal cortex including the precuneus and intraparietal sulcus. Our data provide new insight into mechanisms underlying change in artistic style due to focal prefrontal lesion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"Dilute-and-inject" multi-target screening assay for highly polar doping agents using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometry for sports drug testing.

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Görgens, Christian; Guddat, Sven; Orlovius, Anne-Katrin; Sigmund, Gerd; Thomas, Andreas; Thevis, Mario; Schänzer, Wilhelm

2015-07-01

In the field of LC-MS, reversed phase liquid chromatography is the predominant method of choice for the separation of prohibited substances from various classes in sports drug testing. However, highly polar and charged compounds still represent a challenging task in liquid chromatography due to their difficult chromatographic behavior using reversed phase materials. A very promising approach for the separation of hydrophilic compounds is hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC). Despite its great potential and versatile advantages for the separation of highly polar compounds, HILIC is up to now not very common in doping analysis, although most manufacturers offer a variety of HILIC columns in their portfolio. In this study, a novel multi-target approach based on HILIC high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometry is presented to screen for various polar stimulants, stimulant sulfo-conjugates, glycerol, AICAR, ethyl glucuronide, morphine-3-glucuronide, and myo-inositol trispyrophosphate after direct injection of diluted urine specimens. The usage of an effective online sample cleanup and a zwitterionic HILIC analytical column in combination with a new generation Hybrid Quadrupol-Orbitrap® mass spectrometer enabled the detection of highly polar analytes without any time-consuming hydrolysis or further purification steps, far below the required detection limits. The methodology was fully validated for qualitative and quantitative (AICAR, glycerol) purposes considering the parameters specificity; robustness (rRT  0.99); intra- and inter-day precision at low, medium, and high concentration levels (CV < 20%); limit of detection (stimulants and stimulant sulfo-conjugates < 10 ng/mL; norfenefrine; octopamine < 30 ng/mL; AICAR < 10 ng/mL; glycerol 100 μg/mL; ETG < 100 ng/mL); accuracy (AICAR 103.8-105.5%, glycerol 85.1-98.3% at three concentration levels) and ion suppression/enhancement effects.

Accuracy Assessment of Different Digital Surface Models

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Ugur Alganci

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Digital elevation models (DEMs, which can occur in the form of digital surface models (DSMs or digital terrain models (DTMs, are widely used as important geospatial information sources for various remote sensing applications, including the precise orthorectification of high-resolution satellite images, 3D spatial analyses, multi-criteria decision support systems, and deformation monitoring. The accuracy of DEMs has direct impacts on specific calculations and process chains; therefore, it is important to select the most appropriate DEM by considering the aim, accuracy requirement, and scale of each study. In this research, DSMs obtained from a variety of satellite sensors were compared to analyze their accuracy and performance. For this purpose, freely available Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER 30 m, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM 30 m, and Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS 30 m resolution DSM data were obtained. Additionally, 3 m and 1 m resolution DSMs were produced from tri-stereo images from the SPOT 6 and Pleiades high-resolution (PHR 1A satellites, respectively. Elevation reference data provided by the General Command of Mapping, the national mapping agency of Turkey—produced from 30 cm spatial resolution stereo aerial photos, with a 5 m grid spacing and ±3 m or better overall vertical accuracy at the 90% confidence interval (CI—were used to perform accuracy assessments. Gross errors and water surfaces were removed from the reference DSM. The relative accuracies of the different DSMs were tested using a different number of checkpoints determined by different methods. In the first method, 25 checkpoints were selected from bare lands to evaluate the accuracies of the DSMs on terrain surfaces. In the second method, 1000 randomly selected checkpoints were used to evaluate the methods’ accuracies for the whole study area. In addition to the control point approach, vertical cross

Target Price Accuracy

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Alexander G. Kerl

2011-04-01

Full Text Available This study analyzes the accuracy of forecasted target prices within analysts’ reports. We compute a measure for target price forecast accuracy that evaluates the ability of analysts to exactly forecast the ex-ante (unknown 12-month stock price. Furthermore, we determine factors that explain this accuracy. Target price accuracy is negatively related to analyst-specific optimism and stock-specific risk (measured by volatility and price-to-book ratio. However, target price accuracy is positively related to the level of detail of each report, company size and the reputation of the investment bank. The potential conflicts of interests between an analyst and a covered company do not bias forecast accuracy.

New perspectives for high accuracy SLR with second generation geodesic satellites

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Lund, Glenn

1993-01-01

This paper reports on the accuracy limitations imposed by geodesic satellite signatures, and on the potential for achieving millimetric performances by means of alternative satellite concepts and an optimized 2-color system tradeoff. Long distance laser ranging, when performed between a ground (emitter/receiver) station and a distant geodesic satellite, is now reputed to enable short arc trajectory determinations to be achieved with an accuracy of 1 to 2 centimeters. This state-of-the-art accuracy is limited principally by the uncertainties inherent to single-color atmospheric path length correction. Motivated by the study of phenomena such as postglacial rebound, and the detailed analysis of small-scale volcanic and strain deformations, the drive towards millimetric accuracies will inevitably be felt. With the advent of short pulse (less than 50 ps) dual wavelength ranging, combined with adequate detection equipment (such as a fast-scanning streak camera or ultra-fast solid-state detectors) the atmospheric uncertainty could potentially be reduced to the level of a few millimeters, thus, exposing other less significant error contributions, of which by far the most significant will then be the morphology of the retroreflector satellites themselves. Existing geodesic satellites are simply dense spheres, several 10's of cm in diameter, encrusted with a large number (426 in the case of LAGEOS) of small cube-corner reflectors. A single incident pulse, thus, results in a significant number of randomly phased, quasi-simultaneous return pulses. These combine coherently at the receiver to produce a convolved interference waveform which cannot, on a shot to shot basis, be accurately and unambiguously correlated to the satellite center of mass. This paper proposes alternative geodesic satellite concepts, based on the use of a very small number of cube-corner retroreflectors, in which the above difficulties are eliminated while ensuring, for a given emitted pulse, the return

Reliability and accuracy of Crystaleye spectrophotometric system.

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Chen, Li; Tan, Jian Guo; Zhou, Jian Feng; Yang, Xu; Du, Yang; Wang, Fang Ping

2010-01-01

to develop an in vitro shade-measuring model to evaluate the reliability and accuracy of the Crystaleye spectrophotometric system, a newly developed spectrophotometer. four shade guides, VITA Classical, VITA 3D-Master, Chromascop and Vintage Halo NCC, were measured with the Crystaleye spectrophotometer in a standardised model, ten times for 107 shade tabs. The shade-matching results and the CIE L*a*b* values of the cervical, body and incisal regions for each measurement were automatically analysed using the supporting software. Reliability and accuracy were calculated for each shade tab both in percentage and in colour difference (ΔE). Difference was analysed by one-way ANOVA in the cervical, body and incisal regions. range of reliability was 88.81% to 98.97% and 0.13 to 0.24 ΔE units, and that of accuracy was 44.05% to 91.25% and 1.03 to 1.89 ΔE units. Significant differences in reliability and accuracy were found between the body region and the cervical and incisal regions. Comparisons made among regions and shade guides revealed that evaluation in ΔE was prone to disclose the differences. measurements with the Crystaleye spectrophotometer had similar, high reliability in different shade guides and regions, indicating predictable repeated measurements. Accuracy in the body region was high and less variable compared with the cervical and incisal regions.

Tolosa-Hunt syndrome. A CT demonstration of a high-density lesion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirata, Kazuhiro; Muramoto, Masato; Chiba, Yasuhiro; Yagishita, Saburo

1987-08-01

CT scan studies of the Tolosa-Hunt syndrome have seldom been reported; positive abnormal findings are especially rare. A 36-year-old man suffered from steady, boring pain behind the left eye for one year. On admission he complained of diplopia on the right lateral gaze and hypesthesea of the first and second divisions of the left trigeminal nerve. A CT scan demonstrated a slightly high-density lesion, which was homogeneously enhanced, in the left cavernous portion and the superior orbital fissure. Carotid angiograms demonstrated no abnormal finding, and the cavernous sinus venography revealed no filling of the left cavernous sinus. A left front-temporal craniotomy was performed for the purpose of biopsy. A histological examination revealed non-specific focal granulomatous pachymeningitis. He responded dramatically to systemic steroid therapy, and he became pain-free by the fourth post-operative day. This diagnosis of the Tolosa-Hunt syndrome was confirmed both clinically and etiologically; however, the CT scan after the treatment demonstrated no definitive change in the lesion. The CT scan is useful for the diagnosis of this syndrome. Considering the stage of the illness, it is possible that the high-resolution CT scan can demonstrate this lesion with an advanced technique. The clinical diagnosis is almost easy, and surgical exploration is not always necessary if there is a prompt remission upon systemic steroid therapy. However, this syndrome should be differentiated from the other causes by appropriate examinations. Some cases similar to ours, especially suspected tumors, need surgical exploration because these angiographic findings are not specific.

ACCURACY ANALYSIS OF A LOW-COST PLATFORM FOR POSITIONING AND NAVIGATION

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S. Hofmann

2012-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an accuracy analysis of a platform based on low-cost components for landmark-based navigation intended for research and teaching purposes. The proposed platform includes a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 kit, an Android-based Smartphone as well as a compact laser scanner Hokuyo URG-04LX. The robot is used in a small indoor environment, where GNSS is not available. Therefore, a landmark map was produced in advance, with the landmark positions provided to the robot. All steps of procedure to set up the platform are shown. The main focus of this paper is the reachable positioning accuracy, which was analyzed in this type of scenario depending on the accuracy of the reference landmarks and the directional and distance measuring accuracy of the laser scanner. Several experiments were carried out, demonstrating the practically achievable positioning accuracy. To evaluate the accuracy, ground truth was acquired using a total station. These results are compared to the theoretically achievable accuracies and the laser scanner’s characteristics.

The impact of the cycle counting in the inventory accuracy: multiple cases in industries of Paraná

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Everton Drohomeretski

2013-05-01

Full Text Available This article aims to identify the impact of cycle counting on inventory accuracy. Multiple case studies were used as research method; these include seven case studies of companies in Paraná. A research protocol was used as the basis for collecting the data. For the data analysis, the content analysis method was used with the triangulation of collected data. For the main results, the study demonstrates the relationship between cycle counting, the level of importance attributed by the organization, the number of items and the rate of accuracy obtained. The high level of control of inventory processes, together with the use of cycle counting made it possible to eliminate the main cause of failure in inventory accuracy – errors in recording the movement of material – and with this, improve the operational efficiency of the companies.

Integral equation models for image restoration: high accuracy methods and fast algorithms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Yao; Shen, Lixin; Xu, Yuesheng

2010-01-01

Discrete models are consistently used as practical models for image restoration. They are piecewise constant approximations of true physical (continuous) models, and hence, inevitably impose bottleneck model errors. We propose to work directly with continuous models for image restoration aiming at suppressing the model errors caused by the discrete models. A systematic study is conducted in this paper for the continuous out-of-focus image models which can be formulated as an integral equation of the first kind. The resulting integral equation is regularized by the Lavrentiev method and the Tikhonov method. We develop fast multiscale algorithms having high accuracy to solve the regularized integral equations of the second kind. Numerical experiments show that the methods based on the continuous model perform much better than those based on discrete models, in terms of PSNR values and visual quality of the reconstructed images

Accuracy and Feasibility of Video Analysis for Assessing Hamstring Flexibility and Validity of the Sit-and-Reach Test

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Mier, Constance M.

2011-01-01

The accuracy of video analysis of the passive straight-leg raise test (PSLR) and the validity of the sit-and-reach test (SR) were tested in 60 men and women. Computer software measured static hip-joint flexion accurately. High within-session reliability of the PSLR was demonstrated (R greater than 0.97). Test-retest (separate days) reliability for…

Functional knowledge transfer for high-accuracy prediction of under-studied biological processes.

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Christopher Y Park

Full Text Available A key challenge in genetics is identifying the functional roles of genes in pathways. Numerous functional genomics techniques (e.g. machine learning that predict protein function have been developed to address this question. These methods generally build from existing annotations of genes to pathways and thus are often unable to identify additional genes participating in processes that are not already well studied. Many of these processes are well studied in some organism, but not necessarily in an investigator's organism of interest. Sequence-based search methods (e.g. BLAST have been used to transfer such annotation information between organisms. We demonstrate that functional genomics can complement traditional sequence similarity to improve the transfer of gene annotations between organisms. Our method transfers annotations only when functionally appropriate as determined by genomic data and can be used with any prediction algorithm to combine transferred gene function knowledge with organism-specific high-throughput data to enable accurate function prediction. We show that diverse state-of-art machine learning algorithms leveraging functional knowledge transfer (FKT dramatically improve their accuracy in predicting gene-pathway membership, particularly for processes with little experimental knowledge in an organism. We also show that our method compares favorably to annotation transfer by sequence similarity. Next, we deploy FKT with state-of-the-art SVM classifier to predict novel genes to 11,000 biological processes across six diverse organisms and expand the coverage of accurate function predictions to processes that are often ignored because of a dearth of annotated genes in an organism. Finally, we perform in vivo experimental investigation in Danio rerio and confirm the regulatory role of our top predicted novel gene, wnt5b, in leftward cell migration during heart development. FKT is immediately applicable to many bioinformatics

Achieving Climate Change Absolute Accuracy in Orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Wielicki, Bruce A.; Young, D. F.; Mlynczak, M. G.; Thome, K. J; Leroy, S.; Corliss, J.; Anderson, J. G.; Ao, C. O.; Bantges, R.; Best, F.;

Medication adherence assessment: high accuracy of the new Ingestible Sensor System in kidney transplants.

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenberger, Ute; Wüthrich, Rudolf P; Bock, Andreas; Ambühl, Patrice; Steiger, Jürg; Intondi, Allison; Kuranoff, Susan; Maier, Thomas; Green, Damian; DiCarlo, Lorenzo; Feutren, Gilles; De Geest, Sabina

2013-08-15

This open-label single-arm exploratory study evaluated the accuracy of the Ingestible Sensor System (ISS), a novel technology for directly assessing the ingestion of oral medications and treatment adherence. ISS consists of an ingestible event marker (IEM), a microsensor that becomes activated in gastric fluid, and an adhesive personal monitor (APM) that detects IEM activation. In this study, the IEM was combined to enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (ECMPS). Twenty stable adult kidney transplants received IEM-ECMPS for a mean of 9.2 weeks totaling 1227 cumulative days. Eight patients prematurely discontinued treatment due to ECMPS gastrointestinal symptoms (n=2), skin intolerance to APM (n=2), and insufficient system usability (n=4). Rash or erythema due to APM was reported in 7 (37%) patients, all during the first month of use. No serious or severe adverse events and no rejection episode were reported. IEM detection accuracy was 100% over 34 directly observed ingestions; Taking Adherence was 99.4% over a total of 2824 prescribed IEM-ECMPS ingestions. ISS could detect accurately the ingestion of two IEM-ECMPS capsules taken at the same time (detection rate of 99.3%, n=2376). ISS is a promising new technology that provides highly reliable measurements of intake and timing of intake of drugs that are combined with the IEM.

A demonstration experiment of steam-driven, high-pressure melt ejection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, M.D.; Pitch, M.; Nichols, R.T.

1990-08-01

A steam blowdown test was performed at the Surtsey Direct Heating Test Facility to test the steam supply system and burst diaphragm arrangement that will be used in subsequent Surtsey Direct Containment Heating (DCH) experiments. Following successful completion of the steam blowdown test, the HIPS-10S (High-Pressure Melt Streaming) experiment was conducted to demonstrate that the technology to perform steam-driven, high-pressure melt ejection (HPME) experiments has been successfully developed. In addition, the HIPS-10S experiment was used to assess techniques and instrumentation design to create the proper timing of events in HPME experiments. This document discusses the results of this test

Study on Accuracy of Judgments by Chinese Fingerprint Examiners

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Shiquan Liu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The interpretation of fingerprint evidence depends on the judgments of fingerprint examiners. This study assessed the accuracy of different judgments made by fingerprint examiners following the Analysis, Comparison, and Evaluation (ACE process. Each examiner was given five marks for analysis, comparison, and evaluation. We compared the experts′ judgments against the ground truth and used an annotation platform to evaluate how Chinese fingerprint examiners document their comparisons during the identification process. The results showed that different examiners demonstrated different accuracy of judgments and different mechanisms to reach them.

Illusory expectations can affect retrieval-monitoring accuracy.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonough, Ian M; Gallo, David A

2012-03-01

The present study investigated how expectations, even when illusory, can affect the accuracy of memory decisions. Participants studied words presented in large or small font for subsequent memory tests. Replicating prior work, judgments of learning indicated that participants expected to remember large words better than small words, even though memory for these words was equivalent on a standard test of recognition memory and subjective judgments. Critically, we also included tests that instructed participants to selectively search memory for either large or small words, thereby allowing different memorial expectations to contribute to performance. On these tests we found reduced false recognition when searching memory for large words relative to small words, such that the size illusion paradoxically affected accuracy measures (d' scores) in the absence of actual memory differences. Additional evidence for the role of illusory expectations was that (a) the accuracy effect was obtained only when participants searched memory for the aspect of the stimuli corresponding to illusory expectations (size instead of color) and (b) the accuracy effect was eliminated on a forced-choice test that prevented the influence of memorial expectations. These findings demonstrate the critical role of memorial expectations in the retrieval-monitoring process. 2012 APA, all rights reserved

Towards Building Reliable, High-Accuracy Solar Irradiance Database For Arid Climates

Science.gov (United States)

Munawwar, S.; Ghedira, H.

2012-12-01

Middle East's growing interest in renewable energy has led to increased activity in solar technology development with the recent commissioning of several utility-scale solar power projects and many other commercial installations across the Arabian Peninsula. The region, lying in a virtually rainless sunny belt with a typical daily average solar radiation exceeding 6 kWh/m2, is also one of the most promising candidates for solar energy deployment. However, it is not the availability of resource, but its characterization and reasonably accurate assessment that determines the application potential. Solar irradiance, magnitude and variability inclusive, is the key input in assessing the economic feasibility of a solar system. The accuracy of such data is of critical importance for realistic on-site performance estimates. This contribution aims to identify the key stages in developing a robust solar database for desert climate by focusing on the challenges that an arid environment presents to parameterization of solar irradiance attenuating factors. Adjustments are proposed based on the currently available resource assessment tools to produce high quality data for assessing bankability. Establishing and maintaining ground solar irradiance measurements is an expensive affair and fairly limited in time (recently operational) and space (fewer sites) in the Gulf region. Developers within solar technology industry, therefore, rely on solar radiation models and satellite-derived data for prompt resource assessment needs. It is imperative that such estimation tools are as accurate as possible. While purely empirical models have been widely researched and validated in the Arabian Peninsula's solar modeling history, they are known to be intrinsically site-specific. A primal step to modeling is an in-depth understanding of the region's climate, identifying the key players attenuating radiation and their appropriate characterization to determine solar irradiance. Physical approach

Analogue demonstration of a high temperature superconducting sigma-delta modulator with 27 GHz sampling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Forrester, M.G.; Hunt, B.D.; Miller, D.L.; Talvacchio, J.; Young, R.M. [Northrop Grumman Science and Technology Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15235-5098 (United States)

1999-11-01

We have successfully fabricated and tested a high temperature superconducting (HTS) sigma-delta modulator for analogue-to-digital conversion. This is the first demonstration of a GHz sampling A-to-D in HTS. The 15-junction single-flux-quantum (SFQ) circuit, fabricated using an epitaxial multilayer HTS process with YBCO/Co-YBCO/YBCO edge junctions, was internally clocked at 27 GHz and used to convert a 5.01 MHz signal. The modulator demonstrated a spur-free dynamic range of more than 75 dB. Two-tone measurements with 5.01 MHz and 5.51 MHz signals demonstrated third-order intermodulation products to be lower than -59 dBc. Demonstration of a functional HTS modulator represents a significant milestone in the development of high dynamic range ADCs suitable for such applications as surveillance radar. (author)

High-Rate Field Demonstration of Large-Alphabet Quantum Key Distribution

Science.gov (United States)

2016-10-12

count rate of Bob’s detectors. In this detector-limited regime , it is advantageous to increase M to encode as much information as possible in each...High- rate field demonstration of large-alphabet quantum key distribution Catherine Lee,1, 2 Darius Bunandar,1 Zheshen Zhang,1 Gregory R. Steinbrecher...October 12, 2016) 2 Quantum key distribution (QKD) enables secure symmetric key exchange for information-theoretically secure com- munication via one-time

Accuracy Constraint Determination in Fixed-Point System Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serizel R

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Most of digital signal processing applications are specified and designed with floatingpoint arithmetic but are finally implemented using fixed-point architectures. Thus, the design flow requires a floating-point to fixed-point conversion stage which optimizes the implementation cost under execution time and accuracy constraints. This accuracy constraint is linked to the application performances and the determination of this constraint is one of the key issues of the conversion process. In this paper, a method is proposed to determine the accuracy constraint from the application performance. The fixed-point system is modeled with an infinite precision version of the system and a single noise source located at the system output. Then, an iterative approach for optimizing the fixed-point specification under the application performance constraint is defined and detailed. Finally the efficiency of our approach is demonstrated by experiments on an MP3 encoder.

High-accuracy biodistribution analysis of adeno-associated virus variants by double barcode sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Marsic, Damien; Méndez-Gómez, Héctor R; Zolotukhin, Sergei

2015-01-01

Biodistribution analysis is a key step in the evaluation of adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid variants, whether natural isolates or produced by rational design or directed evolution. Indeed, when screening candidate vectors, accurate knowledge about which tissues are infected and how efficiently is essential. We describe the design, validation, and application of a new vector, pTR-UF50-BC, encoding a bioluminescent protein, a fluorescent protein and a DNA barcode, which can be used to visualize localization of transduction at the organism, organ, tissue, or cellular levels. In addition, by linking capsid variants to different barcoded versions of the vector and amplifying the barcode region from various tissue samples using barcoded primers, biodistribution of viral genomes can be analyzed with high accuracy and efficiency.

Spline-based high-accuracy piecewise-polynomial phase-to-sinusoid amplitude converters.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrinović, Davor; Brezović, Marko

2011-04-01

We propose a method for direct digital frequency synthesis (DDS) using a cubic spline piecewise-polynomial model for a phase-to-sinusoid amplitude converter (PSAC). This method offers maximum smoothness of the output signal. Closed-form expressions for the cubic polynomial coefficients are derived in the spectral domain and the performance analysis of the model is given in the time and frequency domains. We derive the closed-form performance bounds of such DDS using conventional metrics: rms and maximum absolute errors (MAE) and maximum spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) measured in the discrete time domain. The main advantages of the proposed PSAC are its simplicity, analytical tractability, and inherent numerical stability for high table resolutions. Detailed guidelines for a fixed-point implementation are given, based on the algebraic analysis of all quantization effects. The results are verified on 81 PSAC configurations with the output resolutions from 5 to 41 bits by using a bit-exact simulation. The VHDL implementation of a high-accuracy DDS based on the proposed PSAC with 28-bit input phase word and 32-bit output value achieves SFDR of its digital output signal between 180 and 207 dB, with a signal-to-noise ratio of 192 dB. Its implementation requires only one 18 kB block RAM and three 18-bit embedded multipliers in a typical field-programmable gate array (FPGA) device. © 2011 IEEE

Using inferred probabilities to measure the accuracy of imprecise forecasts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Lehner

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Research on forecasting is effectively limited to forecasts that are expressed with clarity; which is to say that the forecasted event must be sufficiently well-defined so that it can be clearly resolved whether or not the event occurred and forecasts certainties are expressed as quantitative probabilities. When forecasts are expressed with clarity, then quantitative measures (scoring rules, calibration, discrimination, etc. can be used to measure forecast accuracy, which in turn can be used to measure the comparative accuracy of different forecasting methods. Unfortunately most real world forecasts are not expressed clearly. This lack of clarity extends to both the description of the forecast event and to the use of vague language to express forecast certainty. It is thus difficult to assess the accuracy of most real world forecasts, and consequently the accuracy the methods used to generate real world forecasts. This paper addresses this deficiency by presenting an approach to measuring the accuracy of imprecise real world forecasts using the same quantitative metrics routinely used to measure the accuracy of well-defined forecasts. To demonstrate applicability, the Inferred Probability Method is applied to measure the accuracy of forecasts in fourteen documents examining complex political domains. Key words: inferred probability, imputed probability, judgment-based forecasting, forecast accuracy, imprecise forecasts, political forecasting, verbal probability, probability calibration.

Experimental demonstration of high fidelity entanglement distribution over decoherence channels via qubit transduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Hyang-Tag; Hong, Kang-Hee; Kim, Yoon-Ho

2015-10-21

Quantum coherence and entanglement, which are essential resources for quantum information, are often degraded and lost due to decoherence. Here, we report a proof-of-principle experimental demonstration of high fidelity entanglement distribution over decoherence channels via qubit transduction. By unitarily switching the initial qubit encoding to another, which is insensitive to particular forms of decoherence, we have demonstrated that it is possible to avoid the effect of decoherence completely. In particular, we demonstrate high-fidelity distribution of photonic polarization entanglement over quantum channels with two types of decoherence, amplitude damping and polarization-mode dispersion, via qubit transduction between polarization qubits and dual-rail qubits. These results represent a significant breakthrough in quantum communication over decoherence channels as the protocol is input-state independent, requires no ancillary photons and symmetries, and has near-unity success probability.

A highly accurate benchmark for reactor point kinetics with feedback

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganapol, B. D.; Picca, P.

2010-10-01

This work apply the concept of convergence acceleration, also known as extrapolation, to find the solution to the reactor kinetics equations describing nuclear reactor transients. The method features simplicity in that an approximate finite difference formulation is constructed and converged to high accuracy from knowledge of how the error term behaves. Through Rom berg extrapolation, we demonstrate its high accuracy for a variety of imposed reactivity insertions found in the literature as well as nonlinear temperature and fission product feedback. A unique feature of the proposed method, called RKE/R(om berg) algorithm, is interval bisection to ensure high accuracy. (Author)

A variational nodal diffusion method of high accuracy; Varijaciona nodalna difuziona metoda visoke tachnosti

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tomasevic, Dj; Altiparmarkov, D [Institut za Nuklearne Nauke Boris Kidric, Belgrade (Yugoslavia)

1988-07-01

A variational nodal diffusion method with accurate treatment of transverse leakage shape is developed and presented in this paper. Using Legendre expansion in transverse coordinates higher order quasi-one-dimensional nodal equations are formulated. Numerical solution has been carried out using analytical solutions in alternating directions assuming Legendre expansion of the RHS term. The method has been tested against 2D and 3D IAEA benchmark problem, as well as 2D CANDU benchmark problem. The results are highly accurate. The first order approximation yields to the same order of accuracy as the standard nodal methods with quadratic leakage approximation, while the second order reaches reference solution. (author)

Accuracy of digital American Board of Orthodontics Discrepancy Index measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Dragstrem, Kristina; Galang-Boquiren, Maria Therese S; Obrez, Ales; Costa Viana, Maria Grace; Grubb, John E; Kusnoto, Budi

2015-07-01

A digital analysis that is shown to be accurate will ease the demonstration of initial case complexity. To date, no literature exists on the accuracy of the digital American Board of Orthodontics Discrepancy Index (DI) calculations when applied to pretreatment digital models. Plaster models were obtained from 45 previous patients with varying degrees of malocclusion. Total DI scores and the target disorders were computed manually with a periodontal probe on the original plaster casts (gold standard) and digitally using Ortho Insight 3D (Motion View Software, Hixson, Tenn) and OrthoCAD (Cadent, Carlstadt, NJ). Intrarater and interrater reliabilities were assessed for 15 subjects using the Spearman rho correlation test. Accuracies of the DI scores and target disorders were assessed for all 45 subjects using Wilcoxon signed ranks tests. Intrarater and interrater reliabilities were high for total DI scores and most target disorders (r > 0.8). No significant difference was found between total DI score when measured with OrthoCAD compared with manual calculations. The total DI scores calculated by Ortho Insight 3D were found to be significantly greater than those by manual calculation by 2.71 points. The findings indicate that a DI calculated by Ortho Insight 3D may lead the clinician to overestimate case complexity. OrthoCAD's DI module was demonstrated to be a clinically acceptable alternative to manual calculation of the total scores. Copyright © 2015 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Simple Demonstration of the High-Temperature Electrical Conductivity of Glass

Science.gov (United States)

Chiaverina, Chris

2014-01-01

We usually think of glass as a good electrical insulator; this, however, is not always the case. There are several ways to show that glass becomes conducting at high temperatures, but the following approach, devised by Brown University demonstration manager Gerald Zani, may be one of the simplest to perform.

The accuracy of chest sonography in the diagnosis of small pleural effusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocijancic, I.

2003-01-01

Background. The aim of the study was to evaluate the accuracy of chest sonography in the radiological diagnosis of small pleural effusions. Patients and methods. Patients referred for abdominal and/or chest sonographies for various reasons were examined for sonographic features of pleural effusion. From January 1997 till January 2000, 69 patients were included into the study. Fifty-two patients were found to have pleural effusion not exceeding 15 mm in depth, the rest of them served as controls. Subsequently erect posteroanterior and expiratory lateral decubitus projections were done in all patients. Results. Compared to radiological examination chest sonography had a positive predictive value of 92% in the diagnosis of small pleural effusions in our study population. The mean thickness of fluid was 9.2 mm on ultrasonography and 7.6 mm on expiratory lateral decubitus views (P<0.01). Conclusions. Chest sonography showed a high degree of accuracy for demonstrating small pleural effusions and could replace lateral decubitus chest radiographs adequately. (author)

Accuracy of stereolithographic models of human anatomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barker, T.M.; Earwaker, W.J.S.; Lisle, D.A.

1994-01-01

A study was undertaken to determine the dimensional accuracy of anatomical replicas derived from X-ray 3D computed tomography (CT) images and produced using the rapid prototyping technique of stereolithography (SLA). A dry bone skull and geometric phantom were scanned, and replicas were produced. Distance measurements were obtained to compare the original objects and the resulting replicas. Repeated measurements between anatomical landmarks were used for comparison of the original skull and replica. Results for the geometric phantom demonstrate a mean difference of +0.47mm, representing an accuracy of 97.7-99.12%. Measurements of the skull produced a range of absolute differences (maximum +4.62mm, minimum +0.1mm, mean +0.85mm). These results support the use of SLA models of human anatomical structures in such areas as pre-operative planning of complex surgical procedures. For applications where higher accuracy is required, improvements can be expected by utilizing smaller pixel resolution in the CT images. Stereolithographic models can now be confidently employed as accurate, three-dimensional replicas of complex, anatomical structures. 14 refs., 2 tabs., 8 figs

Diagnostic Accuracy of Fall Risk Assessment Tools in People With Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Science.gov (United States)

Pohl, Patricia S.; Mahnken, Jonathan D.; Kluding, Patricia M.

2012-01-01

Background Diabetic peripheral neuropathy affects nearly half of individuals with diabetes and leads to increased fall risk. Evidence addressing fall risk assessment for these individuals is lacking. Objective The purpose of this study was to identify which of 4 functional mobility fall risk assessment tools best discriminates, in people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, between recurrent “fallers” and those who are not recurrent fallers. Design A cross-sectional study was conducted. Setting The study was conducted in a medical research university setting. Participants The participants were a convenience sample of 36 individuals between 40 and 65 years of age with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Measurements Fall history was assessed retrospectively and was the criterion standard. Fall risk was assessed using the Functional Reach Test, the Timed “Up & Go” Test, the Berg Balance Scale, and the Dynamic Gait Index. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and overall diagnostic accuracy were calculated for each fall risk assessment tool. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to estimate modified cutoff scores for each fall risk assessment tool; indexes then were recalculated. Results Ten of the 36 participants were classified as recurrent fallers. When traditional cutoff scores were used, the Dynamic Gait Index and Functional Reach Test demonstrated the highest sensitivity at only 30%; the Dynamic Gait Index also demonstrated the highest overall diagnostic accuracy. When modified cutoff scores were used, all tools demonstrated improved sensitivity (80% or 90%). Overall diagnostic accuracy improved for all tests except the Functional Reach Test; the Timed “Up & Go” Test demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy at 88.9%. Limitations The small sample size and retrospective fall history assessment were limitations of the study. Conclusions Modified cutoff scores improved diagnostic accuracy for 3 of 4 fall risk

Local indicators of geocoding accuracy (LIGA: theory and application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacquez Geoffrey M

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although sources of positional error in geographic locations (e.g. geocoding error used for describing and modeling spatial patterns are widely acknowledged, research on how such error impacts the statistical results has been limited. In this paper we explore techniques for quantifying the perturbability of spatial weights to different specifications of positional error. Results We find that a family of curves describes the relationship between perturbability and positional error, and use these curves to evaluate sensitivity of alternative spatial weight specifications to positional error both globally (when all locations are considered simultaneously and locally (to identify those locations that would benefit most from increased geocoding accuracy. We evaluate the approach in simulation studies, and demonstrate it using a case-control study of bladder cancer in south-eastern Michigan. Conclusion Three results are significant. First, the shape of the probability distributions of positional error (e.g. circular, elliptical, cross has little impact on the perturbability of spatial weights, which instead depends on the mean positional error. Second, our methodology allows researchers to evaluate the sensitivity of spatial statistics to positional accuracy for specific geographies. This has substantial practical implications since it makes possible routine sensitivity analysis of spatial statistics to positional error arising in geocoded street addresses, global positioning systems, LIDAR and other geographic data. Third, those locations with high perturbability (most sensitive to positional error and high leverage (that contribute the most to the spatial weight being considered will benefit the most from increased positional accuracy. These are rapidly identified using a new visualization tool we call the LIGA scatterplot. Herein lies a paradox for spatial analysis: For a given level of positional error increasing sample density

First demonstration and performance of an injection locked continuous wave magnetron to phase control a superconducting cavity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. C. Dexter

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The applications of magnetrons to high power proton and cw electron linacs are discussed. An experiment is described where a 2.45 GHz magnetron has been used to drive a single cell superconducting cavity. With the magnetron injection locked, a modest phase control accuracy of 0.95° rms has been demonstrated. Factors limiting performance have been identified.

Performance enhancement of low-cost, high-accuracy, state estimation for vehicle collision prevention system using ANFIS

Science.gov (United States)

Saadeddin, Kamal; Abdel-Hafez, Mamoun F.; Jaradat, Mohammad A.; Jarrah, Mohammad Amin

2013-12-01

In this paper, a low-cost navigation system that fuses the measurements of the inertial navigation system (INS) and the global positioning system (GPS) receiver is developed. First, the system's dynamics are obtained based on a vehicle's kinematic model. Second, the INS and GPS measurements are fused using an extended Kalman filter (EKF) approach. Subsequently, an artificial intelligence based approach for the fusion of INS/GPS measurements is developed based on an Input-Delayed Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (IDANFIS). Experimental tests are conducted to demonstrate the performance of the two sensor fusion approaches. It is found that the use of the proposed IDANFIS approach achieves a reduction in the integration development time and an improvement in the estimation accuracy of the vehicle's position and velocity compared to the EKF based approach.

Long-term management of high-level radioactive waste. The meaning of a demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

The ''demonstration'' of the safe management of high level radioactive waste is a prerequisite for the further development of nuclear energy. It is therefore essential to be clear about both the meaning of the term ''demonstration'' and the practical means to satisfy this request. In the complex sequence of operations necessary to the safe management of high level waste, short term activities can be directly demonstrated. For longer term activities, such as the long term isolation of radioactive waste in deep undergroung structures, demonstration must be indirect. The ''demonstration'' of deep underground disposal for high level radioactive waste involves two steps: one direct, to prove that the system could be built, operated and closed safely and at acceptable costs, and one indirect, to make a convincing evaluation of the system's performance and long term safety on the basis of predictive analyses confirmed by a body of varied technical and scienfic data, much of it deriving from experimental work. The assessment of the evidence collected from current operations, existing experience in related fields and specific research and development activities, calls for specialized scientific expertise. Uncertainties in far future situations and probabilistic events can be taken into account in a scientific assessment. Competent national authorithies will have to satisfy themselves that the proposed waste management solutions can meet long term safety objectives. An element of judgement will always be needed in determining the acceptability of a waste disposal concept. However, the level of confidence in our ability to predict the performance of waste management systems will increase as supporting evidence is collected from current research and development activities and as our predictive techniques improve

Review of The SIAM 100-Digit Challenge: A Study in High-Accuracy Numerical Computing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bailey, David

2005-01-01

In the January 2002 edition of SIAM News, Nick Trefethen announced the '$100, 100-Digit Challenge'. In this note he presented ten easy-to-state but hard-to-solve problems of numerical analysis, and challenged readers to find each answer to ten-digit accuracy. Trefethen closed with the enticing comment: 'Hint: They're hard. If anyone gets 50 digits in total, I will be impressed.' This challenge obviously struck a chord in hundreds of numerical mathematicians worldwide, as 94 teams from 25 nations later submitted entries. Many of these submissions exceeded the target of 50 correct digits; in fact, 20 teams achieved a perfect score of 100 correct digits. Trefethen had offered $100 for the best submission. Given the overwhelming response, a generous donor (William Browning, founder of Applied Mathematics, Inc.) provided additional funds to provide a $100 award to each of the 20 winning teams. Soon after the results were out, four participants, each from a winning team, got together and agreed to write a book about the problems and their solutions. The team is truly international: Bornemann is from Germany, Laurie is from South Africa, Wagon is from the USA, and Waldvogel is from Switzerland. This book provides some mathematical background for each problem, and then shows in detail how each of them can be solved. In fact, multiple solution techniques are mentioned in each case. The book describes how to extend these solutions to much larger problems and much higher numeric precision (hundreds or thousands of digit accuracy). The authors also show how to compute error bounds for the results, so that one can say with confidence that one's results are accurate to the level stated. Numerous numerical software tools are demonstrated in the process, including the commercial products Mathematica, Maple and Matlab. Computer programs that perform many of the algorithms mentioned in the book are provided, both in an appendix to the book and on a website. In the process, the

Coorientational Accuracy and Differentiation in the Management of Conflict.

Science.gov (United States)

Papa, Michael J.; Pood, Elliott A.

1988-01-01

Investigates the relationship between coorientational accuracy and differentiation time and two dimensions of conflict (interaction satisfaction and assertiveness of influence strategies). Suggests that entering a conflict with high coorientational accuracy leads to less differentiation and fewer assertive strategies during the confrontation and…

A content analysis of the quantity and accuracy of dietary supplement information found in magazines with high adolescent readership.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Patricia; Zhang, Vivien; Metallinos-Katsaras, Elizabeth

2009-02-01

The objective of this study was to examine the quantity and accuracy of dietary supplement (DS) information through magazines with high adolescent readership. Eight (8) magazines (3 teen and 5 adult with high teen readership) were selected. A content analysis for DS was conducted on advertisements and editorials (i.e., articles, advice columns, and bulletins). Noted claims/cautions regarding DS were evaluated for accuracy using Medlineplus.gov and Naturaldatabase.com. Claims for dietary supplements with three or more types of ingredients and those in advertisements were not evaluated. Advertisements were evaluated with respect to size, referenced research, testimonials, and Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) warning visibility. Eighty-eight (88) issues from eight magazines yielded 238 DS references. Fifty (50) issues from five magazines contained no DS reference. Among teen magazines, seven DS references were found: five in the editorials and two in advertisements. In adult magazines, 231 DS references were found: 139 in editorials and 92 in advertisements. Of the 88 claims evaluated, 15% were accurate, 23% were inconclusive, 3% were inaccurate, 5% were partially accurate, and 55% were unsubstantiated (i.e., not listed in reference databases). Of the 94 DS evaluated in advertisements, 43% were full page or more, 79% did not have a DSHEA warning visible, 46% referred to research, and 32% used testimonials. Teen magazines contain few references to DS, none accurate. Adult magazines that have a high teen readership contain a substantial amount of DS information with questionable accuracy, raising concerns that this information may increase the chances of inappropriate DS use by adolescents, thereby increasing the potential for unexpected effects or possible harm.

Accuracy assessment of high resolution satellite imagery orientation by leave-one-out method

Science.gov (United States)

Brovelli, Maria Antonia; Crespi, Mattia; Fratarcangeli, Francesca; Giannone, Francesca; Realini, Eugenio

Interest in high-resolution satellite imagery (HRSI) is spreading in several application fields, at both scientific and commercial levels. Fundamental and critical goals for the geometric use of this kind of imagery are their orientation and orthorectification, processes able to georeference the imagery and correct the geometric deformations they undergo during acquisition. In order to exploit the actual potentialities of orthorectified imagery in Geomatics applications, the definition of a methodology to assess the spatial accuracy achievable from oriented imagery is a crucial topic. In this paper we want to propose a new method for accuracy assessment based on the Leave-One-Out Cross-Validation (LOOCV), a model validation method already applied in different fields such as machine learning, bioinformatics and generally in any other field requiring an evaluation of the performance of a learning algorithm (e.g. in geostatistics), but never applied to HRSI orientation accuracy assessment. The proposed method exhibits interesting features which are able to overcome the most remarkable drawbacks involved by the commonly used method (Hold-Out Validation — HOV), based on the partitioning of the known ground points in two sets: the first is used in the orientation-orthorectification model (GCPs — Ground Control Points) and the second is used to validate the model itself (CPs — Check Points). In fact the HOV is generally not reliable and it is not applicable when a low number of ground points is available. To test the proposed method we implemented a new routine that performs the LOOCV in the software SISAR, developed by the Geodesy and Geomatics Team at the Sapienza University of Rome to perform the rigorous orientation of HRSI; this routine was tested on some EROS-A and QuickBird images. Moreover, these images were also oriented using the world recognized commercial software OrthoEngine v. 10 (included in the Geomatica suite by PCI), manually performing the LOOCV

A Demonstration of GPS Landslide Monitoring Using Online Positioning User Service (OPUS)

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, G.

2011-12-01

Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies have been frequently applied to landslide study, both as a complement, and as an alternative to conventional surveying methods. However, most applications of GPS for landslide monitoring have been limited to the academic community for research purposes. High-accuracy GPS has not been widely equipped in geotechnical companies and used by technicians. The main issue that limits the applications of GPS in the practice of high-accuracy landslide monitoring is the complexity of GPS data processing. This study demonstrated an approach using the Online Positioning User Service (OPUS) (http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/OPUS) provided by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to process GPS data and conduct long-term landslide monitoring in the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Region. Continuous GPS data collected at a creeping landslide site during two years were used to evaluate different scenarios for landslide surveying: continuous or campaign, long duration or short duration, morning or afternoon (different weather conditions). OPUS uses Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) managed by NGS (http://www.ngs.noaa.giv/CORS/) as references and user data as a rover to solve a position. There are 19 CORS permanent GPS stations in the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands region. The dense GPS network provides a precise and reliable reference frame for subcentimeter-accuracy landslide monitoring in this region. Our criterion for the accuracy was the root-mean-square (RMS) of OPUS solutions over a 2-year period with respect to true landslide displacement time series overt the same period. The true landslide displacements were derived from a single-baseline (130 m) GPS processing by using 24-hour continuous data. If continuous GPS surveying is performed in the field, then OPUS static processing can provide 0.6 cm horizontal and 1.1 cm vertical precision with few outliers. If repeated

Accuracy and reliability of peer assessment of athletic training psychomotor laboratory skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Marty, Melissa C; Henning, Jolene M; Willse, John T

2010-01-01

Peer assessment is defined as students judging the level or quality of a fellow student's understanding. No researchers have yet demonstrated the accuracy or reliability of peer assessment in athletic training education. To determine the accuracy and reliability of peer assessment of athletic training students' psychomotor skills. Cross-sectional study. Entry-level master's athletic training education program. First-year (n  =  5) and second-year (n  =  8) students. Participants evaluated 10 videos of a peer performing 3 psychomotor skills (middle deltoid manual muscle test, Faber test, and Slocum drawer test) on 2 separate occasions using a valid assessment tool. Accuracy of each peer-assessment score was examined through percentage correct scores. We used a generalizability study to determine how reliable athletic training students were in assessing a peer performing the aforementioned skills. Decision studies using generalizability theory demonstrated how the peer-assessment scores were affected by the number of participants and number of occasions. Participants had a high percentage of correct scores: 96.84% for the middle deltoid manual muscle test, 94.83% for the Faber test, and 97.13% for the Slocum drawer test. They were not able to reliably assess a peer performing any of the psychomotor skills on only 1 occasion. However, the φ increased (exceeding the 0.70 minimal standard) when 2 participants assessed the skill on 3 occasions (φ  =  0.79) for the Faber test, with 1 participant on 2 occasions (φ  =  0.76) for the Slocum drawer test, and with 3 participants on 2 occasions for the middle deltoid manual muscle test (φ  =  0.72). Although students did not detect all errors, they assessed their peers with an average of 96% accuracy. Having only 1 student assess a peer performing certain psychomotor skills was less reliable than having more than 1 student assess those skills on more than 1 occasion. Peer assessment of psychomotor skills

Social power facilitates the effect of prosocial orientation on empathic accuracy.

Science.gov (United States)

Côté, Stéphane; Kraus, Michael W; Cheng, Bonnie Hayden; Oveis, Christopher; van der Löwe, Ilmo; Lian, Hua; Keltner, Dacher

2011-08-01

Power increases the tendency to behave in a goal-congruent fashion. Guided by this theoretical notion, we hypothesized that elevated power would strengthen the positive association between prosocial orientation and empathic accuracy. In 3 studies with university and adult samples, prosocial orientation was more strongly associated with empathic accuracy when distinct forms of power were high than when power was low. In Study 1, a physiological indicator of prosocial orientation, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, exhibited a stronger positive association with empathic accuracy in a face-to-face interaction among dispositionally high-power individuals. In Study 2, experimentally induced prosocial orientation increased the ability to accurately judge the emotions of a stranger but only for individuals induced to feel powerful. In Study 3, a trait measure of prosocial orientation was more strongly related to scores on a standard test of empathic accuracy among employees who occupied high-power positions within an organization. Study 3 further showed a mediated relationship between prosocial orientation and career satisfaction through empathic accuracy among employees in high-power positions but not among employees in lower power positions. Discussion concentrates upon the implications of these findings for studies of prosociality, power, and social behavior.

Relevance of intracellular polarity to accuracy of eukaryotic chemotaxis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiraiwa, Tetsuya; Nishikawa, Masatoshi; Shibata, Tatsuo; Nagamatsu, Akihiro; Akuzawa, Naohiro

2014-01-01

Eukaryotic chemotaxis is usually mediated by intracellular signals that tend to localize at the front or back of the cell. Such intracellular polarities frequently require no extracellular guidance cues, indicating that spontaneous polarization occurs in the signal network. Spontaneous polarization activity is considered relevant to the persistent motions in random cell migrations and chemotaxis. In this study, we propose a theoretical model that connects spontaneous intracellular polarity and motile ability in a chemoattractant solution. We demonstrate that the intracellular polarity can enhance the accuracy of chemotaxis. Chemotactic accuracy should also depend on chemoattractant concentration through the concentration-dependent correlation time in the polarity direction. Both the polarity correlation time and the chemotactic accuracy depend on the degree of responsiveness to the chemical gradient. We show that optimally accurate chemotaxis occurs at an intermediate responsiveness of intracellular polarity. Experimentally, we find that the persistence time of randomly migrating Dictyostelium cells depends on the chemoattractant concentration, as predicted by our theory. At the optimum responsiveness, this ameboid cell can enhance its chemotactic accuracy tenfold. (paper)

ACCURACY ASSESSMENT OF COASTAL TOPOGRAPHY DERIVED FROM UAV IMAGES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Long

2016-06-01

Full Text Available To monitor coastal environments, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV is a low-cost and easy to use solution to enable data acquisition with high temporal frequency and spatial resolution. Compared to Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR or Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS, this solution produces Digital Surface Model (DSM with a similar accuracy. To evaluate the DSM accuracy on a coastal environment, a campaign was carried out with a flying wing (eBee combined with a digital camera. Using the Photoscan software and the photogrammetry process (Structure From Motion algorithm, a DSM and an orthomosaic were produced. Compared to GNSS surveys, the DSM accuracy is estimated. Two parameters are tested: the influence of the methodology (number and distribution of Ground Control Points, GCPs and the influence of spatial image resolution (4.6 cm vs 2 cm. The results show that this solution is able to reproduce the topography of a coastal area with a high vertical accuracy (< 10 cm. The georeferencing of the DSM require a homogeneous distribution and a large number of GCPs. The accuracy is correlated with the number of GCPs (use 19 GCPs instead of 10 allows to reduce the difference of 4 cm; the required accuracy should be dependant of the research problematic. Last, in this particular environment, the presence of very small water surfaces on the sand bank does not allow to improve the accuracy when the spatial resolution of images is decreased.

The use of high accuracy NAA for the certification of NIST botanical standard reference materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, D.A.; Greenberg, R.R.; Stone, S.F.

1992-01-01

Neutron activation analysis is one of many analytical techniques used at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the certification of NIST Standard Reference Materials (SRMs). NAA competes favorably with all other techniques because of it's unique capabilities for high accuracy even at very low concentrations for many elements. In this paper, instrumental and radiochemical NAA results are described for 25 elements in two new NIST SRMs, SRM 1515 (Apple Leaves) and SRM 1547 (Peach Leaves), and are compared to the certified values for 19 elements in these two new botanical reference materials. (author) 7 refs.; 4 tabs

Evaluating arguments during instigations of defence motivation and accuracy motivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Cheng-Hong

2017-05-01

When people evaluate the strength of an argument, their motivations are likely to influence the evaluation. However, few studies have specifically investigated the influences of motivational factors on argument evaluation. This study examined the effects of defence and accuracy motivations on argument evaluation. According to the compatibility between the advocated positions of arguments and participants' prior beliefs and the objective strength of arguments, participants evaluated four types of arguments: compatible-strong, compatible-weak, incompatible-strong, and incompatible-weak arguments. Experiment 1 revealed that participants possessing a high defence motivation rated compatible-weak arguments as stronger and incompatible-strong ones as weaker than participants possessing a low defence motivation. However, the strength ratings between the high and low defence groups regarding both compatible-strong and incompatible-weak arguments were similar. Experiment 2 revealed that when participants possessed a high accuracy motivation, they rated compatible-weak arguments as weaker and incompatible-strong ones as stronger than when they possessed a low accuracy motivation. However, participants' ratings on both compatible-strong and incompatible-weak arguments were similar when comparing high and low accuracy conditions. The results suggest that defence and accuracy motivations are two major motives influencing argument evaluation. However, they primarily influence the evaluation results for compatible-weak and incompatible-strong arguments, but not for compatible-strong and incompatible-weak arguments. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

Demonstration of a high speed hybrid electrical and optical sensing system for next generation launcher applications

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Selwan K.; O'Dowd, John A.; Honniball, Arthur; Bessler, Vivian; Farnan, Martin; O'Connor, Peter; Melicher, Milos; Gleeson, Danny

2017-09-01

The Future Launchers Preparatory Programme (FLPP) supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) has a goal of developing various launch vehicle system concepts and identifying the technologies required for the design of Europe's Next-Generation Launcher (NGL) while maintaining competitiveness on the commercial market. Avionics fiber optic sensing technology was investigated as part of the FLPP programme. Here we demonstrate and evaluate a high speed hybrid electrical/optical data acquisition system based on commercial off the shelf (COTS) technology capable of acquiring data from traditional electrical sensors and optical Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors. The proposed system consists of the KAM-500 data acquisition system developed by Curtis-Wright and the I4 tunable laser based fiber optic sensor interrogator developed by FAZ Technology. The key objective was to demonstrate the capability of the hybrid system to acquire data from traditional electrical sensors used in launcher applications e.g. strain, temperature and pressure in combination with optical FBG sensors, as well as data delivery to spacecraft avionics systems. The KAM-500 was configured as the main acquisition unit (MAU) and provided a 1 kHz sampling clock to the I4 interrogator that was configured as the secondary acquisition unit (SAU) to synchronize the data acquisition sample rate between both systems. The SAU acquired data from an array of optical FBG sensors, while the MAU data acquisition system acquired data from the electrical sensors. Data acquired from the optical sensors was processed by the FAZ I4 interrogation system and then encapsulated into UDP/IP packets and transferred to the KAM-500. The KAM-500 encapsulated the optical sensor data together with the data acquired from electrical sensors and transmitted the data over MIL-STD-1553 and Ethernet data interface. The temperature measurements resulted in the optical and electrical sensors performing on a par with each other, with all

Improved precision and accuracy for microarrays using updated probe set definitions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Larsson Ola

2007-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarrays enable high throughput detection of transcript expression levels. Different investigators have recently introduced updated probe set definitions to more accurately map probes to our current knowledge of genes and transcripts. Results We demonstrate that updated probe set definitions provide both better precision and accuracy in probe set estimates compared to the original Affymetrix definitions. We show that the improved precision mainly depends on the increased number of probes that are integrated into each probe set, but we also demonstrate an improvement when the same number of probes is used. Conclusion Updated probe set definitions does not only offer expression levels that are more accurately associated to genes and transcripts but also improvements in the estimated transcript expression levels. These results give support for the use of updated probe set definitions for analysis and meta-analysis of microarray data.

Experimental demonstration of high resolution three-dimensional x-ray holography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McNulty, I.; Trebes, J.E.; Brase, J.M.; Yorkey, T.J.; Levesque, R.; Szoke, H.; Anderson, E.H.; Jacobsen, C.

1992-01-01

Tomographic x-ray holography may make possible the imaging of biological objects at high resolution in three dimensions. We performed a demonstration experiment with soft x-rays to explore the feasibility of this technique. Coherent 3.2-nm undulator radiation was used to record Fourier transform holograms of a microfabricated test object from various illumination angles. The holograms were numerically reconstructed according to the principles of diffraction tomography, yielding images of the object that are well resolved in three dimensions

Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Demonstration Reactor Point Design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qualls, A. L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Brown, Nicholas R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Betzler, Benjamin R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Carbajo, Juan [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Hale, Richard Edward [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Harrison, Thomas J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Powers, Jeffrey J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Robb, Kevin R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Terrell, Jerry W. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Wysocki, Aaron J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2016-02-01

The fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR) demonstration reactor (DR) is a concept for a salt-cooled reactor with 100 megawatts of thermal output (MWt). It would use tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel within prismatic graphite blocks. FLiBe (2 LiF-BeF₂) is the reference primary coolant. The FHR DR is designed to be small, simple, and affordable. Development of the FHR DR is a necessary intermediate step to enable near-term commercial FHRs. Lower risk technologies are purposely included in the initial FHR DR design to ensure that the reactor can be built, licensed, and operated within an acceptable budget and schedule. These technologies include TRISO particle fuel, replaceable core structural material, the use of that same material for the primary and intermediate loops, and tube-and-shell primary-to-intermediate heat exchangers. Several preconceptual and conceptual design efforts that have been conducted on FHR concepts bear a significant influence on the FHR DR design. Specific designs include the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) advanced high-temperature reactor (AHTR) with 3400/1500 MWt/megawatts of electric output (MWe), as well as a 125 MWt small modular AHTR (SmAHTR) from ORNL. Other important examples are the Mk1 pebble bed FHR (PB-FHR) concept from the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), and an FHR test reactor design developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The MIT FHR test reactor is based on a prismatic fuel platform and is directly relevant to the present FHR DR design effort. These FHR concepts are based on reasonable assumptions for credible commercial prototypes. The FHR DR concept also directly benefits from the operating experience of the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE), as well as the detailed design efforts for a large molten salt reactor concept and its breeder variant, the Molten Salt Breeder Reactor. The FHR DR technology is most representative of the 3400 MWt AHTR

CARETS: A prototype regional environmental information system. Volume 6: Cost, accuracy and consistency comparisons of land use maps made from high-altitude aircraft photography and ERTS imagery

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, R. H. (Principal Investigator); Fitzpatrick, K. A.

1975-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Level 2 land use maps produced at three scales (1:24,000, 1:100,000, and 1:250,000) from high altitude photography were compared with each other and with point data obtained in the field. The same procedures were employed to determine the accuracy of the Level 1 land use maps produced at 1:250,000 from high altitude photography and color composite ERTS imagery. Accuracy of the Level 2 maps was 84.9 percent at 1:24,000, 77.4 percent at 1:100,000 and 73.0 percent at 1:250,000. Accuracy of the Level 1 1:250,000 maps was 76.5 percent for aerial photographs and 69.5 percent for ERTS imagery. The cost of Level 2 land use mapping at 1:24,000 was found to be high ($11.93 per sq km). The cost of mapping at 1:100,000 ($1.75) was about two times as expensive as mapping at 1:250,000 ($.88), and the accuracy increased by only 4.4 percent.

Analysis of spatial distribution of land cover maps accuracy

Science.gov (United States)

Khatami, R.; Mountrakis, G.; Stehman, S. V.

2017-12-01

Land cover maps have become one of the most important products of remote sensing science. However, classification errors will exist in any classified map and affect the reliability of subsequent map usage. Moreover, classification accuracy often varies over different regions of a classified map. These variations of accuracy will affect the reliability of subsequent analyses of different regions based on the classified maps. The traditional approach of map accuracy assessment based on an error matrix does not capture the spatial variation in classification accuracy. Here, per-pixel accuracy prediction methods are proposed based on interpolating accuracy values from a test sample to produce wall-to-wall accuracy maps. Different accuracy prediction methods were developed based on four factors: predictive domain (spatial versus spectral), interpolation function (constant, linear, Gaussian, and logistic), incorporation of class information (interpolating each class separately versus grouping them together), and sample size. Incorporation of spectral domain as explanatory feature spaces of classification accuracy interpolation was done for the first time in this research. Performance of the prediction methods was evaluated using 26 test blocks, with 10 km × 10 km dimensions, dispersed throughout the United States. The performance of the predictions was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic. Relative to existing accuracy prediction methods, our proposed methods resulted in improvements of AUC of 0.15 or greater. Evaluation of the four factors comprising the accuracy prediction methods demonstrated that: i) interpolations should be done separately for each class instead of grouping all classes together; ii) if an all-classes approach is used, the spectral domain will result in substantially greater AUC than the spatial domain; iii) for the smaller sample size and per-class predictions, the spectral and spatial domain

Post Irradiation Examination Plan for High-Burnup Demonstration Project Sister Rods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scaglione, John M [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Montgomery, Rose [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Bevard, Bruce Balkcom [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2016-04-01

This test plan describes the experimental work to be implemented by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) to characterize high burnup (HBU) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in conjunction with the High Burnup Dry Storage Cask Research and Development Project and serves to coordinate and integrate the multi-year experimental program to collect and develop data regarding the continued storage and eventual transport of HBU (i.e., >45 GWd/MTU) SNF. The work scope involves the development, performance, technical integration, and oversight of measurements and collection of relevant data, guided by analyses and demonstration of need.

Analysis of the plasmodium falciparum proteome by high-accuracy mass spectrometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lasonder, Edwin; Ishihama, Yasushi; Andersen, Jens S

2002-01-01

-accuracy (average deviation less than 0.02 Da at 1,000 Da) mass spectrometric proteome analysis of selected stages of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The analysis revealed 1,289 proteins of which 714 proteins were identified in asexual blood stages, 931 in gametocytes and 645 in gametes. The last...

A simple differential steady-state method to measure the thermal conductivity of solid bulk materials with high accuracy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kraemer, D; Chen, G

2014-02-01

Accurate measurements of thermal conductivity are of great importance for materials research and development. Steady-state methods determine thermal conductivity directly from the proportionality between heat flow and an applied temperature difference (Fourier Law). Although theoretically simple, in practice, achieving high accuracies with steady-state methods is challenging and requires rather complex experimental setups due to temperature sensor uncertainties and parasitic heat loss. We developed a simple differential steady-state method in which the sample is mounted between an electric heater and a temperature-controlled heat sink. Our method calibrates for parasitic heat losses from the electric heater during the measurement by maintaining a constant heater temperature close to the environmental temperature while varying the heat sink temperature. This enables a large signal-to-noise ratio which permits accurate measurements of samples with small thermal conductance values without an additional heater calibration measurement or sophisticated heater guards to eliminate parasitic heater losses. Additionally, the differential nature of the method largely eliminates the uncertainties of the temperature sensors, permitting measurements with small temperature differences, which is advantageous for samples with high thermal conductance values and/or with strongly temperature-dependent thermal conductivities. In order to accelerate measurements of more than one sample, the proposed method allows for measuring several samples consecutively at each temperature measurement point without adding significant error. We demonstrate the method by performing thermal conductivity measurements on commercial bulk thermoelectric Bi2Te3 samples in the temperature range of 30-150 °C with an error below 3%.

Systematic bias of correlation coefficient may explain negative accuracy of genomic prediction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yao; Vales, M Isabel; Wang, Aoxue; Zhang, Zhiwu

2017-09-01

Accuracy of genomic prediction is commonly calculated as the Pearson correlation coefficient between the predicted and observed phenotypes in the inference population by using cross-validation analysis. More frequently than expected, significant negative accuracies of genomic prediction have been reported in genomic selection studies. These negative values are surprising, given that the minimum value for prediction accuracy should hover around zero when randomly permuted data sets are analyzed. We reviewed the two common approaches for calculating the Pearson correlation and hypothesized that these negative accuracy values reflect potential bias owing to artifacts caused by the mathematical formulas used to calculate prediction accuracy. The first approach, Instant accuracy, calculates correlations for each fold and reports prediction accuracy as the mean of correlations across fold. The other approach, Hold accuracy, predicts all phenotypes in all fold and calculates correlation between the observed and predicted phenotypes at the end of the cross-validation process. Using simulated and real data, we demonstrated that our hypothesis is true. Both approaches are biased downward under certain conditions. The biases become larger when more fold are employed and when the expected accuracy is low. The bias of Instant accuracy can be corrected using a modified formula. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

High-Order Approximation of Chromatographic Models using a Nodal Discontinuous Galerkin Approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meyer, Kristian; Huusom, Jakob Kjøbsted; Abildskov, Jens

2018-01-01

by Javeed et al. (2011a,b, 2013) with an efficient quadrature-free implementation. The framework is used to simulate linear and non-linear multicomponent chromatographic systems. The results confirm arbitrary high-order accuracy and demonstrate the potential for accuracy and speed-up gains obtainable...

Predictive accuracy of backpropagation neural network ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

incorporated into the BP model for high accuracy management purpose of irrigation water, which relies on accurate values of ET ... as seen from the recent food crisis demonstra- tion in most .... layers by using Geographical Information System.

High Accuracy Positioning using Jet Thrusters for Quadcopter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pi ChenHuan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A quadcopter is equipped with four additional jet thrusters on its horizontal plane and vertical to each other in order to improve the maneuverability and positioning accuracy of quadcopter. A dynamic model of the quadcopter with jet thrusters is derived and two controllers are implemented in simulation, one is a dual loop state feedback controller for pose control and another is an auxiliary jet thruster controller for accurate positioning. Step response simulations showed that the jet thruster can control the quadcopter with less overshoot compared to the conventional one. Over 10s loiter simulation with disturbance, the quadcopter with jet thruster decrease 85% of RMS error of horizontal disturbance compared to a conventional quadcopter with only a dual loop state feedback controller. The jet thruster controller shows the possibility for further accurate in the field of quadcopter positioning.

Recent high-accuracy measurements of the 1S0 neutron-neutron scattering length

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howell, C.R.; Chen, Q.; Gonzalez Trotter, D.E.; Salinas, F.; Crowell, A.S.; Roper, C.D.; Tornow, W.; Walter, R.L.; Carman, T.S.; Hussein, A.; Gibbs, W.R.; Gibson, B.F.; Morris, C.; Obst, A.; Sterbenz, S.; Whitton, M.; Mertens, G.; Moore, C.F.; Whiteley, C.R.; Pasyuk, E.; Slaus, I.; Tang, H.; Zhou, Z.; Gloeckle, W.; Witala, H.

2000-01-01

This paper reports two recent high-accuracy determinations of the 1 S 0 neutron-neutron scattering length, a nn . One was done at the Los Alamos National Laboratory using the π - d capture reaction to produce two neutrons with low relative momentum. The neutron-deuteron (nd) breakup reaction was used in other measurement, which was conducted at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory. The results from the two determinations were consistent with each other and with previous values obtained using the π - d capture reaction. The value obtained from the nd breakup measurements is a nn = -18.7 ± 0.1 (statistical) ± 0.6 (systematic) fm, and the value from the π - d capture experiment is a nn = -18.50 ± 0.05 ± 0.53 fm. The recommended value is a nn = -18.5 ± 0.3 fm. (author)

Improvement of Gaofen-3 Absolute Positioning Accuracy Based on Cross-Calibration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingjun Deng

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The Chinese Gaofen-3 (GF-3 mission was launched in August 2016, equipped with a full polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR sensor in the C-band, with a resolution of up to 1 m. The absolute positioning accuracy of GF-3 is of great importance, and in-orbit geometric calibration is a key technology for improving absolute positioning accuracy. Conventional geometric calibration is used to accurately calibrate the geometric calibration parameters of the image (internal delay and azimuth shifts using high-precision ground control data, which are highly dependent on the control data of the calibration field, but it remains costly and labor-intensive to monitor changes in GF-3’s geometric calibration parameters. Based on the positioning consistency constraint of the conjugate points, this study presents a geometric cross-calibration method for the rapid and accurate calibration of GF-3. The proposed method can accurately calibrate geometric calibration parameters without using corner reflectors and high-precision digital elevation models, thus improving absolute positioning accuracy of the GF-3 image. GF-3 images from multiple regions were collected to verify the absolute positioning accuracy after cross-calibration. The results show that this method can achieve a calibration accuracy as high as that achieved by the conventional field calibration method.

High Input Voltage, Silicon Carbide Power Processing Unit Performance Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Bozak, Karin E.; Pinero, Luis R.; Scheidegger, Robert J.; Aulisio, Michael V.; Gonzalez, Marcelo C.; Birchenough, Arthur G.

2015-01-01

A silicon carbide brassboard power processing unit has been developed by the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The power processing unit operates from two sources: a nominal 300 Volt high voltage input bus and a nominal 28 Volt low voltage input bus. The design of the power processing unit includes four low voltage, low power auxiliary supplies, and two parallel 7.5 kilowatt (kW) discharge power supplies that are capable of providing up to 15 kilowatts of total power at 300 to 500 Volts (V) to the thruster. Additionally, the unit contains a housekeeping supply, high voltage input filter, low voltage input filter, and master control board, such that the complete brassboard unit is capable of operating a 12.5 kilowatt Hall effect thruster. The performance of the unit was characterized under both ambient and thermal vacuum test conditions, and the results demonstrate exceptional performance with full power efficiencies exceeding 97%. The unit was also tested with a 12.5kW Hall effect thruster to verify compatibility and output filter specifications. With space-qualified silicon carbide or similar high voltage, high efficiency power devices, this would provide a design solution to address the need for high power electric propulsion systems.

Millisecond accuracy video display using OpenGL under Linux.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Neil

2006-02-01

To measure people's reaction times to the nearest millisecond, it is necessary to know exactly when a stimulus is displayed. This article describes how to display stimuli with millisecond accuracy on a normal CRT monitor, using a PC running Linux. A simple C program is presented to illustrate how this may be done within X Windows using the OpenGL rendering system. A test of this system is reported that demonstrates that stimuli may be consistently displayed with millisecond accuracy. An algorithm is presented that allows the exact time of stimulus presentation to be deduced, even if there are relatively large errors in measuring the display time.

Affine-Invariant Geometric Constraints-Based High Accuracy Simultaneous Localization and Mapping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gangchen Hua

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this study we describe a new appearance-based loop-closure detection method for online incremental simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM using affine-invariant-based geometric constraints. Unlike other pure bag-of-words-based approaches, our proposed method uses geometric constraints as a supplement to improve accuracy. By establishing an affine-invariant hypothesis, the proposed method excludes incorrect visual words and calculates the dispersion of correctly matched visual words to improve the accuracy of the likelihood calculation. In addition, camera’s intrinsic parameters and distortion coefficients are adequate for this method. 3D measuring is not necessary. We use the mechanism of Long-Term Memory and Working Memory (WM to manage the memory. Only a limited size of the WM is used for loop-closure detection; therefore the proposed method is suitable for large-scale real-time SLAM. We tested our method using the CityCenter and Lip6Indoor datasets. Our proposed method results can effectively correct the typical false-positive localization of previous methods, thus gaining better recall ratios and better precision.

A high-accuracy extraction of the isoscalar πN scattering length from pionic deuterium data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, Daniel R.; Baru, Vadim; Hanhart, Christoph; Nogga, Andreas; Hoferichter, Martin; Kubis, Bastian

2010-01-01

We present a high-accuracy calculation of the π(bar sign)d scattering length using chiral perturbation theory up to order (M π /m p ) 7/2 . For the first time isospin-violating corrections are included consistently. The resulting value of a π -bar d has a theoretical uncertainty of a few percent. We use it, together with data on pionic deuterium and pionic hydrogen atoms, to extract the isoscalar and isovector pion-nucleon scattering lengths from a combined analysis, and obtain a + (7.9±3.2)·10 -3 M π -1 and a-bar (86.3±1.0)·10 -3 M π -1 .

VERTICAL ACCURACY ASSESSMENT OF ZY-3 DIGITAL SURFACE MODEL USING ICESAT/GLAS LASER ALTIMETER DATA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Li

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The Ziyuan-3 (ZY-3 satellite, as the first civilian high resolution surveying and mapping satellite in China, has a very important role in national 1 : 50,000 stereo mapping project. High accuracy digital surface Model (DSMs can be generated from the three line-array images of ZY-3, and ZY-3 DSMs of China can be produced without using any ground control points (GCPs by selecting SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission and ICESat/GLAS (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite, Geo-science Laser Altimeter System as the datum reference in the Satellite Surveying and Mapping Application Center, which is the key institute that manages and distributes ZY-3 products. To conduct the vertical accuracy evaluation of ZY-3 DSMs of China, three representative regions were chosen and the results were compared to ICESat/GLAS data. The experimental results demonstrated that the root mean square error (RMSE elevation accuracy of the ZY-3 DSMs was better than 5.0 m, and it even reached to less than 2.5 m in the second region of eastern China. While this work presents preliminary results, it is an important reference for expanding the application of ZY-3 satellite imagery to widespread regions. And the satellite laser altimetry data can be used as referenced data for wide-area DSM evaluation.

Accuracy assessment of airborne laser scanning strips using planar features

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Soudarissanane, S.S.; Van der Sande, C.J.; Khoshelham, K.

2010-01-01

Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) is widely used in many applications for its high measurement accuracy, fast acquisition capability, and large spatial coverage. Accuracy assessment of the ALS data usually relies on comparing corresponding tie elements, often points or lines, in the overlapping strips.

High accuracy navigation information estimation for inertial system using the multi-model EKF fusing adams explicit formula applied to underwater gliders.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Haoqian; Chen, Xiyuan; Zhang, Bo; Wang, Jian

2017-01-01

The underwater navigation system, mainly consisting of MEMS inertial sensors, is a key technology for the wide application of underwater gliders and plays an important role in achieving high accuracy navigation and positioning for a long time of period. However, the navigation errors will accumulate over time because of the inherent errors of inertial sensors, especially for MEMS grade IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) generally used in gliders. The dead reckoning module is added to compensate the errors. In the complicated underwater environment, the performance of MEMS sensors is degraded sharply and the errors will become much larger. It is difficult to establish the accurate and fixed error model for the inertial sensor. Therefore, it is very hard to improve the accuracy of navigation information calculated by sensors. In order to solve the problem mentioned, the more suitable filter which integrates the multi-model method with an EKF approach can be designed according to different error models to give the optimal estimation for the state. The key parameters of error models can be used to determine the corresponding filter. The Adams explicit formula which has an advantage of high precision prediction is simultaneously fused into the above filter to achieve the much more improvement in attitudes estimation accuracy. The proposed algorithm has been proved through theory analyses and has been tested by both vehicle experiments and lake trials. Results show that the proposed method has better accuracy and effectiveness in terms of attitudes estimation compared with other methods mentioned in the paper for inertial navigation applied to underwater gliders. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distinguishing Fast and Slow Processes in Accuracy - Response Time Data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frederik Coomans

Full Text Available We investigate the relation between speed and accuracy within problem solving in its simplest non-trivial form. We consider tests with only two items and code the item responses in two binary variables: one indicating the response accuracy, and one indicating the response speed. Despite being a very basic setup, it enables us to study item pairs stemming from a broad range of domains such as basic arithmetic, first language learning, intelligence-related problems, and chess, with large numbers of observations for every pair of problems under consideration. We carry out a survey over a large number of such item pairs and compare three types of psychometric accuracy-response time models present in the literature: two 'one-process' models, the first of which models accuracy and response time as conditionally independent and the second of which models accuracy and response time as conditionally dependent, and a 'two-process' model which models accuracy contingent on response time. We find that the data clearly violates the restrictions imposed by both one-process models and requires additional complexity which is parsimoniously provided by the two-process model. We supplement our survey with an analysis of the erroneous responses for an example item pair and demonstrate that there are very significant differences between the types of errors in fast and slow responses.

High accuracy results for the energy levels of the molecular ions H+2, D+2 and HD+, up to J = 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karr, J Ph; Hilico, L

2006-01-01

We present a nonrelativistic calculation of the rotation-vibration levels of the molecular ions H + 2 , D + 2 and HD + , relying on the diagonalization of the exact three-body Hamiltonian in a variational basis. The J = 2 levels are obtained with a very high accuracy of 10 -14 au (for most levels) representing an improvement by five orders of magnitude over previous calculations. The accuracy is also improved for the J = 1 levels of H + 2 and D + 2 with respect to earlier works. Moreover, we have computed the sensitivities of the energy levels with respect to the mass ratios, allowing these levels to be used for metrological purposes

Ultra-wideband ranging precision and accuracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacGougan, Glenn; O'Keefe, Kyle; Klukas, Richard

2009-01-01

This paper provides an overview of ultra-wideband (UWB) in the context of ranging applications and assesses the precision and accuracy of UWB ranging from both a theoretical perspective and a practical perspective using real data. The paper begins with a brief history of UWB technology and the most current definition of what constitutes an UWB signal. The potential precision of UWB ranging is assessed using Cramer–Rao lower bound analysis. UWB ranging methods are described and potential error sources are discussed. Two types of commercially available UWB ranging radios are introduced which are used in testing. Actual ranging accuracy is assessed from line-of-sight testing under benign signal conditions by comparison to high-accuracy electronic distance measurements and to ranges derived from GPS real-time kinematic positioning. Range measurements obtained in outdoor testing with line-of-sight obstructions and strong reflection sources are compared to ranges derived from classically surveyed positions. The paper concludes with a discussion of the potential applications for UWB ranging

High-accuracy interferometric measurements of flatness and parallelism of a step gauge

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Kruger, OA

2001-01-01

Full Text Available The most commonly used method in the calibration of step gauges is the coordinate measuring machine (CMM), equipped with a laser interferometer for the highest accuracy. This paper describes a modification to a length-bar measuring machine...

A perspective on demonstrating compliance with standards for disposal of high-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocher, D.C.; Smith, E.D.; O'Kelley, G.D.; Sjoreen, A.L.

1985-01-01

A perspective which the authors have developed on the problem of demonstrating that geologic repositories for the disposal of high-level radioactive wastes will comply with system performance standards is discussed. Their viewpoint arises from a concern that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed environmental standard for high-level waste disposal appears to require demonstrations of compliance which are incompatible with scientific knowledge; i.e., the standard does not take into account the likely importance of unquantifiable and unresolvable uncertainty in repository performance-assessment models. A general approach to demonstrations of compliance is proposed which is thought to be compatible with the kinds of technical information that will be available for judging long-term repository performance. The authors' approach emphasizes the importance of investigating alternative conceptual models and lines of reasoning in evaluating repository performance and the importance of subjective scientific judgment in the decision-making process. (Auth.)

A diabetes dashboard and physician efficiency and accuracy in accessing data needed for high-quality diabetes care.

Science.gov (United States)

Koopman, Richelle J; Kochendorfer, Karl M; Moore, Joi L; Mehr, David R; Wakefield, Douglas S; Yadamsuren, Borchuluun; Coberly, Jared S; Kruse, Robin L; Wakefield, Bonnie J; Belden, Jeffery L

2011-01-01

We compared use of a new diabetes dashboard screen with use of a conventional approach of viewing multiple electronic health record (EHR) screens to find data needed for ambulatory diabetes care. We performed a usability study, including a quantitative time study and qualitative analysis of information-seeking behaviors. While being recorded with Morae Recorder software and "think-aloud" interview methods, 10 primary care physicians first searched their EHR for 10 diabetes data elements using a conventional approach for a simulated patient, and then using a new diabetes dashboard for another. We measured time, number of mouse clicks, and accuracy. Two coders analyzed think-aloud and interview data using grounded theory methodology. The mean time needed to find all data elements was 5.5 minutes using the conventional approach vs 1.3 minutes using the diabetes dashboard (P dashboard (P dashboard (P dashboard improves both the efficiency and accuracy of acquiring data needed for high-quality diabetes care. Usability analysis tools can provide important insights into the value of optimizing physician use of health information technologies.

Demonstration of a High Open-Circuit Voltage GaN Betavoltaic Microbattery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng Zai-Jun; San Hai-Sheng; Chen Xu-Yuan; Liu Bo; Feng Zhi-Hong

2011-01-01

A high open-circuit voltage betavoltaic microbattery based on a GaN p-i-n diode is demonstrated. Under the irradiation of a 4×4 mm 2 planar solid 63 Ni source with an activity of 2 mCi, the open-circuit voltage V oc of the fabricated single 2×2mm 2 cell reaches as high as 1.62 V, the short-circuit current density J sc is measured to be 16nA/cm 2 . The microbattery has a fill factor of 55%, and the energy conversion efficiency of beta radiation into electricity reaches to 1.13%. The results suggest that GaN is a highly promising potential candidate for long-life betavoltaic microbatteries used as power supplies for microelectromechanical system devices. (cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

High-Lift Propeller System Configuration Selection for NASA's SCEPTOR Distributed Electric Propulsion Flight Demonstrator

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, Michael D.; Derlaga, Joseph M.; Borer, Nicholas K.

2016-01-01

Although the primary function of propellers is typically to produce thrust, aircraft equipped with distributed electric propulsion (DEP) may utilize propellers whose main purpose is to act as a form of high-lift device. These \\high-lift propellers" can be placed upstream of wing such that, when the higher-velocity ow in the propellers' slipstreams interacts with the wing, the lift is increased. This technique is a main design feature of a new NASA advanced design project called Scalable Convergent Electric Propulsion Technology Operations Research (SCEPTOR). The goal of the SCEPTOR project is design, build, and y a DEP aircraft to demonstrate that such an aircraft can be much more ecient than conventional designs. This paper provides details into the high-lift propeller system con guration selection for the SCEPTOR ight demonstrator. The methods used in the high-lift propeller system conceptual design and the tradeo s considered in selecting the number of propellers are discussed.

Quantitative modeling of the accuracy in registering preoperative patient-specific anatomic models into left atrial cardiac ablation procedures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rettmann, Maryam E., E-mail: rettmann.maryam@mayo.edu; Holmes, David R.; Camp, Jon J.; Cameron, Bruce M.; Robb, Richard A. [Biomedical Imaging Resource, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota 55905 (United States); Kwartowitz, David M. [Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634 (United States); Gunawan, Mia [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington D.C. 20057 (United States); Johnson, Susan B.; Packer, Douglas L. [Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905 (United States); Dalegrave, Charles [Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology, Cardiology Division Hospital Sao Paulo, Federal University of Sao Paulo, 04024-002 Brazil (Brazil); Kolasa, Mark W. [David Grant Medical Center, Fairfield, California 94535 (United States)

2014-02-15

Purpose: In cardiac ablation therapy, accurate anatomic guidance is necessary to create effective tissue lesions for elimination of left atrial fibrillation. While fluoroscopy, ultrasound, and electroanatomic maps are important guidance tools, they lack information regarding detailed patient anatomy which can be obtained from high resolution imaging techniques. For this reason, there has been significant effort in incorporating detailed, patient-specific models generated from preoperative imaging datasets into the procedure. Both clinical and animal studies have investigated registration and targeting accuracy when using preoperative models; however, the effect of various error sources on registration accuracy has not been quantitatively evaluated. Methods: Data from phantom, canine, and patient studies are used to model and evaluate registration accuracy. In the phantom studies, data are collected using a magnetically tracked catheter on a static phantom model. Monte Carlo simulation studies were run to evaluate both baseline errors as well as the effect of different sources of error that would be present in a dynamicin vivo setting. Error is simulated by varying the variance parameters on the landmark fiducial, physical target, and surface point locations in the phantom simulation studies. In vivo validation studies were undertaken in six canines in which metal clips were placed in the left atrium to serve as ground truth points. A small clinical evaluation was completed in three patients. Landmark-based and combined landmark and surface-based registration algorithms were evaluated in all studies. In the phantom and canine studies, both target registration error and point-to-surface error are used to assess accuracy. In the patient studies, no ground truth is available and registration accuracy is quantified using point-to-surface error only. Results: The phantom simulation studies demonstrated that combined landmark and surface-based registration improved

High-accuracy continuous airborne measurements of greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4) during BARCA

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, H.; Winderlich, J.; Gerbig, C.; Hoefer, A.; Rella, C. W.; Crosson, E. R.; van Pelt, A. D.; Steinbach, J.; Kolle, O.; Beck, V.; Daube, B. C.; Gottlieb, E. W.; Chow, V. Y.; Santoni, G. W.; Wofsy, S. C.

2009-12-01

High-accuracy continuous measurements of greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4) during the BARCA (Balanço Atmosférico Regional de Carbono na Amazônia) phase B campaign in Brazil in May 2009 were accomplished using a newly available analyzer based on the cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) technique. This analyzer was flown without a drying system or any in-flight calibration gases. Water vapor corrections associated with dilution and pressure-broadening effects for CO2 and CH4 were derived from laboratory experiments employing measurements of water vapor by the CRDS analyzer. Before the campaign, the stability of the analyzer was assessed by laboratory tests under simulated flight conditions. During the campaign, a comparison of CO2 measurements between the CRDS analyzer and a nondispersive infrared (NDIR) analyzer on board the same aircraft showed a mean difference of 0.22±0.09 ppm for all flights over the Amazon rain forest. At the end of the campaign, CO2 concentrations of the synthetic calibration gases used by the NDIR analyzer were determined by the CRDS analyzer. After correcting for the isotope and the pressure-broadening effects that resulted from changes of the composition of synthetic vs. ambient air, and applying those concentrations as calibrated values of the calibration gases to reprocess the CO2 measurements made by the NDIR, the mean difference between the CRDS and the NDIR during BARCA was reduced to 0.05±0.09 ppm, with the mean standard deviation of 0.23±0.05 ppm. The results clearly show that the CRDS is sufficiently stable to be used in flight without drying the air or calibrating in flight and the water corrections are fully adequate for high-accuracy continuous airborne measurements of CO2 and CH4.

Combined Scintigraphy and Tumor Marker Analysis Predicts Unfavorable Histopathology of Neuroblastic Tumors with High Accuracy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wolfgang Peter Fendler

Full Text Available Our aim was to improve the prediction of unfavorable histopathology (UH in neuroblastic tumors through combined imaging and biochemical parameters.123I-MIBG SPECT and MRI was performed before surgical resection or biopsy in 47 consecutive pediatric patients with neuroblastic tumor. Semi-quantitative tumor-to-liver count-rate ratio (TLCRR, MRI tumor size and margins, urine catecholamine and NSE blood levels of neuron specific enolase (NSE were recorded. Accuracy of single and combined variables for prediction of UH was tested by ROC analysis with Bonferroni correction.34 of 47 patients had UH based on the International Neuroblastoma Pathology Classification (INPC. TLCRR and serum NSE both predicted UH with moderate accuracy. Optimal cut-off for TLCRR was 2.0, resulting in 68% sensitivity and 100% specificity (AUC-ROC 0.86, p < 0.001. Optimal cut-off for NSE was 25.8 ng/ml, resulting in 74% sensitivity and 85% specificity (AUC-ROC 0.81, p = 0.001. Combination of TLCRR/NSE criteria reduced false negative findings from 11/9 to only five, with improved sensitivity and specificity of 85% (AUC-ROC 0.85, p < 0.001.Strong 123I-MIBG uptake and high serum level of NSE were each predictive of UH. Combined analysis of both parameters improved the prediction of UH in patients with neuroblastic tumor. MRI parameters and urine catecholamine levels did not predict UH.

Low Temperature Combustion Demonstrator for High Efficiency Clean Combustion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ojeda, William de

2010-07-31

The project which extended from November 2005 to May of 2010 demonstrated the application of Low Temperature Combustion (LTC) with engine out NOx levels of 0.2 g/bhp-hr throughout the program target load of 12.6bar BMEP. The project showed that the range of loads could be extended to 16.5bar BMEP, therefore matching the reference lug line of the base 2007 MY Navistar 6.4L V8 engine. Results showed that the application of LTC provided a dramatic improvement over engine out emissions when compared to the base engine. Furthermore LTC improved thermal efficiency by over 5% from the base production engine when using the steady state 13 mode composite test as a benchmark. The key enablers included improvements in the air, fuel injection, and cooling systems made in Phases I and II. The outcome was the product of a careful integration of each component under an intelligent control system. The engine hardware provided the conditions to support LTC and the controller provided the necessary robustness for a stable combustion. Phase III provided a detailed account on the injection strategy used to meet the high load requirements. During this phase, the control strategy was implemented in a production automotive grade ECU to perform cycle-by-cycle combustion feedback on each of the engine cylinders. The control interacted on a cycle base with the injection system and with the Turbo-EGR systems according to their respective time constants. The result was a unique system that could, first, help optimize the combustion system and maintain high efficiency, and secondly, extend the steady state results to the transient mode of operation. The engine was upgraded in Phase IV with a Variable Valve Actuation system and a hybrid EGR loop. The impact of the more versatile EGR loop did not provide significant advantages, however the application of VVA proved to be an enabler to further extend the operation of LTC and gain considerable benefits in fuel economy and soot reduction. Finally

NASA's MODIS/VIIRS Land Surface Temperature and Emissivity Products: Asssessment of Accuracy, Continuity and Science Uses

Science.gov (United States)

Hulley, G. C.; Malakar, N.; Islam, T.

2017-12-01

Land Surface Temperature and Emissivity (LST&E) are an important Earth System Data Record (ESDR) and Environmental Climate Variable (ECV) defined by NASA and GCOS respectively. LST&E data are key variables used in land cover/land use change studies, in surface energy balance and atmospheric water vapor retrieval models and retrievals, and in climate research. LST&E products are currently produced on a routine basis using data from the MODIS instruments on the NASA EOS platforms and by the VIIRS instrument on the Suomi-NPP platform that serves as a bridge between NASA EOS and the next-generation JPSS platforms. Two new NASA LST&E products for MODIS (MxD21) and VIIRS (VNP21) are being produced during 2017 using a new approach that addresses discrepancies in accuracy and consistency between the current suite of split-window based LST products. The new approach uses a Temperature Emissivity Separation (TES) algorithm, originally developed for the ASTER instrument, to physically retrieve both LST and spectral emissivity consistently for both sensors with high accuracy and well defined uncertainties. This study provides a rigorous assessment of accuracy of the MxD21/VNP21 products using temperature- and radiance-based validation strategies and demonstrates continuity between the products using collocated matchups over CONUS. We will further demonstrate potential science use of the new products with studies related to heat waves, monitoring snow melt dynamics, and land cover/land use change.

Improved imputation accuracy of rare and low-frequency variants using population-specific high-coverage WGS-based imputation reference panel.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitt, Mario; Kals, Mart; Pärn, Kalle; Gabriel, Stacey B; Lander, Eric S; Palotie, Aarno; Ripatti, Samuli; Morris, Andrew P; Metspalu, Andres; Esko, Tõnu; Mägi, Reedik; Palta, Priit

2017-06-01

Genetic imputation is a cost-efficient way to improve the power and resolution of genome-wide association (GWA) studies. Current publicly accessible imputation reference panels accurately predict genotypes for common variants with minor allele frequency (MAF)≥5% and low-frequency variants (0.5≤MAF<5%) across diverse populations, but the imputation of rare variation (MAF<0.5%) is still rather limited. In the current study, we evaluate imputation accuracy achieved with reference panels from diverse populations with a population-specific high-coverage (30 ×) whole-genome sequencing (WGS) based reference panel, comprising of 2244 Estonian individuals (0.25% of adult Estonians). Although the Estonian-specific panel contains fewer haplotypes and variants, the imputation confidence and accuracy of imputed low-frequency and rare variants was significantly higher. The results indicate the utility of population-specific reference panels for human genetic studies.

Sensitivity, Specificity, Predictive Values, and Accuracy of Three Diagnostic Tests to Predict Inferior Alveolar Nerve Blockade Failure in Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Chavarría-Bolaños

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB is the most common anesthetic technique used on mandibular teeth during root canal treatment. Its success in the presence of preoperative inflammation is still controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and accuracy of three diagnostic tests used to predict IANB failure in symptomatic irreversible pulpitis (SIP. Methodology. A cross-sectional study was carried out on the mandibular molars of 53 patients with SIP. All patients received a single cartridge of mepivacaine 2% with 1 : 100000 epinephrine using the IANB technique. Three diagnostic clinical tests were performed to detect anesthetic failure. Anesthetic failure was defined as a positive painful response to any of the three tests. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, accuracy, and ROC curves were calculated and compared and significant differences were analyzed. Results. IANB failure was determined in 71.7% of the patients. The sensitivity scores for the three tests (lip numbness, the cold stimuli test, and responsiveness during endodontic access were 0.03, 0.35, and 0.55, respectively, and the specificity score was determined as 1 for all of the tests. Clinically, none of the evaluated tests demonstrated a high enough accuracy (0.30, 0.53, and 0.68 for lip numbness, the cold stimuli test, and responsiveness during endodontic access, resp.. A comparison of the areas under the curve in the ROC analyses showed statistically significant differences between the three tests (p<0.05. Conclusion. None of the analyzed tests demonstrated a high enough accuracy to be considered a reliable diagnostic tool for the prediction of anesthetic failure.

Speed and accuracy of visual image discrimination by rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pamela eReinagel

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The trade-off between speed and accuracy of sensory discrimination has most often been studying using sensory stimuli that evolve over time, such as random dot motion discrimination tasks. We previously reported that when rats perform motion discrimination, correct trials have longer reaction times than errors, accuracy increases with reaction time, and reaction time increases with stimulus ambiguity. In such experiments, new sensory information is continually presented, which could partly explain interactions between reaction time and accuracy. The present study shows that a changing physical stimulus is not essential to those findings. Freely behaving rats were trained to discriminate between two static visual images in a self-paced, 2-alternative forced-choice (2AFC reaction time task. Each trial was initiated by the rat, and the two images were presented simultaneously and persisted until the rat responded, with no time limit. Reaction times were longer in correct trials than in error trials, and accuracy increased with reaction time, comparable to results previously reported for rats performing motion discrimination. In the motion task, coherence has been used to vary discrimination difficulty. Here morphs between the previously learned images were used to parametrically vary the image similarity. In randomly interleaved trials, rats took more time on average to respond in trials in which they had to discriminate more similar stimuli. For both the motion and image tasks, the dependence of reaction time on ambiguity is weak, as if rats prioritized speed over accuracy. Therefore we asked whether rats can change the priority of speed and accuracy adaptively in response to a change in reward contingencies. For two rats, the penalty delay was increased from two to six seconds. When the penalty was longer, reaction times increased, and accuracy improved. This demonstrates that rats can flexibly adjust their behavioral strategy in response to the

An accuracy measurement method for star trackers based on direct astronomic observation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Ting; Xing, Fei; Wang, Xiaochu; You, Zheng; Chu, Daping

2016-03-07

Star tracker is one of the most promising optical attitude measurement devices and it is widely used in spacecraft for its high accuracy. However, how to realize and verify such an accuracy remains a crucial but unsolved issue until now. The authenticity of the accuracy measurement method of a star tracker will eventually determine the satellite performance. A new and robust accuracy measurement method for a star tracker based on the direct astronomical observation is proposed here. In comparison with the conventional method with simulated stars, this method utilizes real navigation stars as observation targets which makes the measurement results more authoritative and authentic. Transformations between different coordinate systems are conducted on the account of the precision movements of the Earth, and the error curves of directional vectors are obtained along the three axes. Based on error analysis and accuracy definitions, a three-axis accuracy evaluation criterion has been proposed in this paper, which could determine pointing and rolling accuracy of a star tracker directly. Experimental measurements confirm that this method is effective and convenient to implement. Such a measurement environment is close to the in-orbit conditions and it can satisfy the stringent requirement for high-accuracy star trackers.

Accuracy and Reliability of Peer Assessment of Athletic Training Psychomotor Laboratory Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Marty, Melissa C.; Henning, Jolene M.; Willse, John T.

2010-01-01

Abstract Context: Peer assessment is defined as students judging the level or quality of a fellow student's understanding. No researchers have yet demonstrated the accuracy or reliability of peer assessment in athletic training education. Objective: To determine the accuracy and reliability of peer assessment of athletic training students' psychomotor skills. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Entry-level master's athletic training education program. Patients or Other Participants: First-year (n  =  5) and second-year (n  =  8) students. Main Outcome Measure(s): Participants evaluated 10 videos of a peer performing 3 psychomotor skills (middle deltoid manual muscle test, Faber test, and Slocum drawer test) on 2 separate occasions using a valid assessment tool. Accuracy of each peer-assessment score was examined through percentage correct scores. We used a generalizability study to determine how reliable athletic training students were in assessing a peer performing the aforementioned skills. Decision studies using generalizability theory demonstrated how the peer-assessment scores were affected by the number of participants and number of occasions. Results: Participants had a high percentage of correct scores: 96.84% for the middle deltoid manual muscle test, 94.83% for the Faber test, and 97.13% for the Slocum drawer test. They were not able to reliably assess a peer performing any of the psychomotor skills on only 1 occasion. However, the ϕ increased (exceeding the 0.70 minimal standard) when 2 participants assessed the skill on 3 occasions (ϕ  =  0.79) for the Faber test, with 1 participant on 2 occasions (ϕ  =  0.76) for the Slocum drawer test, and with 3 participants on 2 occasions for the middle deltoid manual muscle test (ϕ  =  0.72). Conclusions: Although students did not detect all errors, they assessed their peers with an average of 96% accuracy. Having only 1 student assess a peer performing certain psychomotor skills was

High-accuracy continuous airborne measurements of greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4) using the cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) technique

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chen, H.; Winderlich, J.; Gerbig, C.; Hoefer, A.; Rella, C. W.; Crosson, E. R.; Van Pelt, A. D.; Steinbach, J.; Kolle, O.; Beck, V.; Daube, B. C.; Gottlieb, E. W.; Chow, V. Y.; Santoni, G. W.; Wofsy, S. C.

2010-01-01

High-accuracy continuous measurements of greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4) during the BARCA (Balancao Atmosferico Regional de Carbono na Amazonia) phase B campaign in Brazil in May 2009 were accomplished using a newly available analyzer based on the cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) technique. This

Diagnostic accuracy of sonography for pleural effusion: systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre Grimberg

Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: The initial method for evaluating the presence of pleural effusion was chest radiography. Isolated studies have shown that sonography has greater accuracy than radiography for this diagnosis; however, no systematic reviews on this matter are available in the literature. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of sonography in detecting pleural effusion, by means of a systematic review of the literature. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a systematic review with meta-analysis on accuracy studies. This study was conducted in the Department of Diagnostic Imaging and in the Brazilian Cochrane Center, Discipline of Emergency Medicine and Evidence-Based Medicine, Department of Medicine, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp, São Paulo, Brazil. METHOD: The following databases were searched: Cochrane Library, Medline, Web of Science, Embase and Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (Lilacs. The references of relevant studies were also screened for additional citations of interest. Studies in which the accuracy of sonography for detecting pleural effusion was tested, with an acceptable reference standard (computed tomography or thoracic drainage, were included. RESULTS: Four studies were included. All of them showed that sonography had high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for detecting pleural effusions. The mean sensitivity was 93% (95% confidence interval, CI: 89% to 96%, and specificity was 96% (95% CI: 95% to 98%. CONCLUSIONS: In different populations and clinical settings, sonography showed consistently high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for detecting fluid in the pleural space.

Propagation of measurement accuracy to biomass soft-sensor estimation and control quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinwandter, Valentin; Zahel, Thomas; Sagmeister, Patrick; Herwig, Christoph

2017-01-01

In biopharmaceutical process development and manufacturing, the online measurement of biomass and derived specific turnover rates is a central task to physiologically monitor and control the process. However, hard-type sensors such as dielectric spectroscopy, broth fluorescence, or permittivity measurement harbor various disadvantages. Therefore, soft-sensors, which use measurements of the off-gas stream and substrate feed to reconcile turnover rates and provide an online estimate of the biomass formation, are smart alternatives. For the reconciliation procedure, mass and energy balances are used together with accuracy estimations of measured conversion rates, which were so far arbitrarily chosen and static over the entire process. In this contribution, we present a novel strategy within the soft-sensor framework (named adaptive soft-sensor) to propagate uncertainties from measurements to conversion rates and demonstrate the benefits: For industrially relevant conditions, hereby the error of the resulting estimated biomass formation rate and specific substrate consumption rate could be decreased by 43 and 64 %, respectively, compared to traditional soft-sensor approaches. Moreover, we present a generic workflow to determine the required raw signal accuracy to obtain predefined accuracies of soft-sensor estimations. Thereby, appropriate measurement devices and maintenance intervals can be selected. Furthermore, using this workflow, we demonstrate that the estimation accuracy of the soft-sensor can be additionally and substantially increased.

Detection of relevant colonic neoplasms with PET/CT: promising accuracy with minimal CT dose and a standardised PET cut-off

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luboldt, Wolfgang [Multiorgan Screening Foundation, Frankfurt (Germany); University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Radiology, Frankfurt am Main (Germany); University Hospital Dresden, Clinic and Policlinic of Nuclear Medicine, Dresden (Germany); Volker, Teresa; Zoephel, Klaus; Kotzerke, Joerg [University Hospital Dresden, Clinic and Policlinic of Nuclear Medicine, Dresden (Germany); Wiedemann, Baerbel [University Hospital Dresden, Institute of Medical Informatics and Biometrics, Dresden (Germany); Wehrmann, Ursula [University Hospital Dresden, Clinic and Policlinic of Surgery, Dresden (Germany); Koch, Arne; Abolmaali, Nasreddin [University Hospital Dresden, Oncoray, Dresden (Germany); Toussaint, Todd; Luboldt, Hans-Joachim [Multiorgan Screening Foundation, Frankfurt (Germany); Middendorp, Markus; Gruenwald, Frank [University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Frankfurt (Germany); Aust, Daniela [University Hospital Dresden, Department of Pathology, Dresden (Germany); Vogl, Thomas J. [University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Radiology, Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

2010-09-15

To determine the performance of FDG-PET/CT in the detection of relevant colorectal neoplasms (adenomas {>=}10 mm, with high-grade dysplasia, cancer) in relation to CT dose and contrast administration and to find a PET cut-off. 84 patients, who underwent PET/CT and colonoscopy (n=79)/sigmoidoscopy (n=5) for (79 x 6+5 x 2)=484 colonic segments, were included in a retrospective study. The accuracy of low-dose PET/CT in detecting mass-positive segments was evaluated by ROC analysis by two blinded independent reviewers relative to contrast-enhanced PET/CT. On a per-lesion basis characteristic PET values were tested as cut-offs. Low-dose PET/CT and contrast-enhanced PET/CT provide similar accuracies (area under the curve for the average ROC ratings 0.925 vs. 0.929, respectively). PET demonstrated all carcinomas (n=23) and 83% (30/36) of relevant adenomas. In all carcinomas and adenomas with high-grade dysplasia (n=10) the SUV{sub max} was {>=}5. This cut-off resulted in a better per-segment sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) than the average PET/CT reviews (sensitivity: 89% vs. 82%; NPV: 99% vs. 98%). All other tested cut-offs were inferior to the SUV{sub max}. FDG-PET/CT provides promising accuracy for colorectal mass detection. Low dose and lack of iodine contrast in the CT component do not impact the accuracy. The PET cut-off SUV{sub max}{>=} 5 improves the accuracy. (orig.)

Detection of relevant colonic neoplasms with PET/CT: promising accuracy with minimal CT dose and a standardised PET cut-off

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luboldt, Wolfgang; Volker, Teresa; Zoephel, Klaus; Kotzerke, Joerg; Wiedemann, Baerbel; Wehrmann, Ursula; Koch, Arne; Abolmaali, Nasreddin; Toussaint, Todd; Luboldt, Hans-Joachim; Middendorp, Markus; Gruenwald, Frank; Aust, Daniela; Vogl, Thomas J.

2010-01-01

To determine the performance of FDG-PET/CT in the detection of relevant colorectal neoplasms (adenomas ≥10 mm, with high-grade dysplasia, cancer) in relation to CT dose and contrast administration and to find a PET cut-off. 84 patients, who underwent PET/CT and colonoscopy (n=79)/sigmoidoscopy (n=5) for (79 x 6+5 x 2)=484 colonic segments, were included in a retrospective study. The accuracy of low-dose PET/CT in detecting mass-positive segments was evaluated by ROC analysis by two blinded independent reviewers relative to contrast-enhanced PET/CT. On a per-lesion basis characteristic PET values were tested as cut-offs. Low-dose PET/CT and contrast-enhanced PET/CT provide similar accuracies (area under the curve for the average ROC ratings 0.925 vs. 0.929, respectively). PET demonstrated all carcinomas (n=23) and 83% (30/36) of relevant adenomas. In all carcinomas and adenomas with high-grade dysplasia (n=10) the SUV max was ≥5. This cut-off resulted in a better per-segment sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) than the average PET/CT reviews (sensitivity: 89% vs. 82%; NPV: 99% vs. 98%). All other tested cut-offs were inferior to the SUV max . FDG-PET/CT provides promising accuracy for colorectal mass detection. Low dose and lack of iodine contrast in the CT component do not impact the accuracy. The PET cut-off SUV max ≥ 5 improves the accuracy. (orig.)

Contributions of speed and accuracy to translational selection in bacteria.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenqi Ran

Full Text Available Among bacteria, we have previously shown that species that are capable of rapid growth have stronger selection on codon usage than slow growing species, and possess higher numbers of rRNA and tRNA genes. This suggests that fast-growers are adapted for fast protein synthesis. There is also considerable evidence that codon usage is influenced by accuracy of translation, and some authors have argued that accuracy is more important than speed. Here we compare the strength of the two effects by studying the codon usages in high and low expression genes and on conserved and variable sites within high expression genes. We introduce a simple statistical method that can be used to assess the significance and the strength of the two types of bias in the same sets of sequences. We compare our statistical measure of codon bias to the common used codon adaptation index, and show that the new measure is preferable for three reasons for the purposes of this analysis. Across a large sample of bacterial genomes, both effects from speed and accuracy are clearly visible, although the speed effect appears to be much stronger than the accuracy effect and is found to be significant in a larger proportion of genomes. It is also difficult to explain the correlation of codon bias in the high expression genes with growth rates and numbers of copies of tRNA and rRNA genes on the basis of selection for accuracy. Hence we conclude that selection for translational speed is a dominant effect in driving codon usage bias in fast-growing bacteria, with selection for accuracy playing a small supplementary role.

A design of optical modulation system with pixel-level modulation accuracy

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Shiwei; Qu, Xinghua; Feng, Wei; Liang, Baoqiu

2018-01-01

Vision measurement has been widely used in the field of dimensional measurement and surface metrology. However, traditional methods of vision measurement have many limits such as low dynamic range and poor reconfigurability. The optical modulation system before image formation has the advantage of high dynamic range, high accuracy and more flexibility, and the modulation accuracy is the key parameter which determines the accuracy and effectiveness of optical modulation system. In this paper, an optical modulation system with pixel level accuracy is designed and built based on multi-points reflective imaging theory and digital micromirror device (DMD). The system consisted of digital micromirror device, CCD camera and lens. Firstly we achieved accurate pixel-to-pixel correspondence between the DMD mirrors and the CCD pixels by moire fringe and an image processing of sampling and interpolation. Then we built three coordinate systems and calculated the mathematic relationship between the coordinate of digital micro-mirror and CCD pixels using a checkerboard pattern. A verification experiment proves that the correspondence error is less than 0.5 pixel. The results show that the modulation accuracy of system meets the requirements of modulation. Furthermore, the high reflecting edge of a metal circular piece can be detected using the system, which proves the effectiveness of the optical modulation system.

Accuracy of a Wrist-Worn Heart Rate Sensing Device during Elective Pediatric Surgical Procedures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gloria Pelizzo

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The reliability of wearable photoplethysmography (PPG sensors to measure heart rate (HR in hospitalized patients has only been demonstrated in adults. We evaluated the accuracy of HR monitoring with a personal fitness tracker (PFT in children undergoing surgery. HR monitoring was performed using a wrist-worn PFT (Fitbit Charge HR in 30 children (8.21 ± 3.09 years undergoing laparoscopy (n = 8 or open surgery (n = 22. HR values were analyzed preoperatively and during surgery. The accuracy of HR recordings was compared with measurements recorded during continuous electrocardiographic (cECG monitoring; HRs derived from continuous monitoring with pulse oximetry (SpO2R were used as a positive control. PFT-derived HR values were in agreement with those recorded during cECG (r = 0.99 and SpO2R (r = 0.99 monitoring. PFT performance remained high in children < 8 years (r = 0.99, with a weight < 30 kg (r = 0.99 and when the HR was < 70 beats per minute (bpm (r = 0.91 or > 140 bpm (r = 0.99. PFT accuracy was similar during laparoscopy and open surgery, as well as preoperatively and during the intervention (r > 0.9. PFT–derived HR showed excellent accuracy compared with HRs measured by cECG and SpO2R during pediatric surgical procedures. Further clinical evaluation is needed to define whether PFTs can be used in different health care settings.

Observing Exoplanets with High-dispersion Coronagraphy. II. Demonstration of an Active Single-mode Fiber Injection Unit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mawet, D.; Ruane, G.; Xuan, W.; Echeverri, D.; Klimovich, N.; Randolph, M.; Fucik, J.; Wang, J.; Dekany, R.; Delorme, J.-R. [Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, MC 249-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Wallace, J. K.; Vasisht, G.; Mennesson, B.; Choquet, E.; Serabyn, E., E-mail: dmawet@astro.caltech.edu [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States)

2017-04-01

High-dispersion coronagraphy (HDC) optimally combines high-contrast imaging techniques such as adaptive optics/wavefront control plus coronagraphy to high spectral resolution spectroscopy. HDC is a critical pathway toward fully characterizing exoplanet atmospheres across a broad range of masses from giant gaseous planets down to Earth-like planets. In addition to determining the molecular composition of exoplanet atmospheres, HDC also enables Doppler mapping of atmosphere inhomogeneities (temperature, clouds, wind), as well as precise measurements of exoplanet rotational velocities. Here, we demonstrate an innovative concept for injecting the directly imaged planet light into a single-mode fiber, linking a high-contrast adaptively corrected coronagraph to a high-resolution spectrograph (diffraction-limited or not). Our laboratory demonstration includes three key milestones: close-to-theoretical injection efficiency, accurate pointing and tracking, and on-fiber coherent modulation and speckle nulling of spurious starlight signal coupling into the fiber. Using the extreme modal selectivity of single-mode fibers, we also demonstrated speckle suppression gains that outperform conventional image-based speckle nulling by at least two orders of magnitude.

Remote Sensing Based Two-Stage Sampling for Accuracy Assessment and Area Estimation of Land Cover Changes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heinz Gallaun

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Land cover change processes are accelerating at the regional to global level. The remote sensing community has developed reliable and robust methods for wall-to-wall mapping of land cover changes; however, land cover changes often occur at rates below the mapping errors. In the current publication, we propose a cost-effective approach to complement wall-to-wall land cover change maps with a sampling approach, which is used for accuracy assessment and accurate estimation of areas undergoing land cover changes, including provision of confidence intervals. We propose a two-stage sampling approach in order to keep accuracy, efficiency, and effort of the estimations in balance. Stratification is applied in both stages in order to gain control over the sample size allocated to rare land cover change classes on the one hand and the cost constraints for very high resolution reference imagery on the other. Bootstrapping is used to complement the accuracy measures and the area estimates with confidence intervals. The area estimates and verification estimations rely on a high quality visual interpretation of the sampling units based on time series of satellite imagery. To demonstrate the cost-effective operational applicability of the approach we applied it for assessment of deforestation in an area characterized by frequent cloud cover and very low change rate in the Republic of Congo, which makes accurate deforestation monitoring particularly challenging.

Measurement of high-energy (10–60 keV) x-ray spectral line widths with eV accuracy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seely, J. F., E-mail: seelyjf@gmail.com; Feldman, U. [Artep Inc., 2922 Excelsior Springs Court, Ellicott City, Maryland 21042 (United States); Glover, J. L.; Hudson, L. T.; Ralchenko, Y.; Henins, Albert [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899 (United States); Pereira, N. [Ecopulse Inc., P. O. Box 528, Springfield, Virginia 22152 (United States); Di Stefano, C. A.; Kuranz, C. C.; Drake, R. P. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States); Chen, Hui; Williams, G. J.; Park, J. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551 (United States)

2014-11-15

A high resolution crystal spectrometer utilizing a crystal in transmission geometry has been developed and experimentally optimized to measure the widths of emission lines in the 10–60 keV energy range with eV accuracy. The spectrometer achieves high spectral resolution by utilizing crystal planes with small lattice spacings (down to 2d = 0.099 nm), a large crystal bending radius and Rowland circle diameter (965 mm), and an image plate detector with high spatial resolution (60 μm in the case of the Fuji TR image plate). High resolution W L-shell and K-shell laboratory test spectra in the 10–60 keV range and Ho K-shell spectra near 47 keV recorded at the LLNL Titan laser facility are presented. The Ho K-shell spectra are the highest resolution hard x-ray spectra recorded from a solid target irradiated by a high-intensity laser.

Accuracy of Replicating Static Torque and its Effect on Shooting Accuracy in Young Basketball Players

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Struzik Artur

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Accurate shooting in basketball is a prerequisite for success. Coordination ability, one of the abilities that determine the repeatability of accurate shooting, is based on kinesthetic differentiation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the strength component of kinesthetic differentiation ability and determine its relationship with shooting accuracy. Methods. Peak muscle torque of the elbow extensors under static conditions was measured in 12 young basketball players. Participants then reproduced the same movement at a perceived magnitude of 25%, 50%, and 75% of static peak torque, with error scores calculated as a measure of kinesthetic differentiation. The results were compared with players’ field goal percentages calculated during game play in a regional championship. Results. No statistically significant relationships were found between the level of kinesthetic differentiation ability and field goal percentage. Additionally, no upper limb asymmetry was found in the sample. Conclusions. The relatively high levels of elbow static peak torque suggest the importance of upper limb strength in contemporary basketball. The lack of a statistically significant difference between the right and left limbs decreases the risk of suffering injury. It is likely that choosing other suitable tests would demonstrate the relationships between field goal percentage and kinesthetic differentiation ability.

Characterization of ANFO explosive by high accuracy ESI(±)-FTMS with forensic identification on real samples by EASI(-)-MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandes, Vinicius Veri; Franco, Marcos Fernado; Santos, Jandyson Machado; Melendez-Perez, Jose J; de Morais, Damila Rodrigues; Rocha, Werickson Fortunato de Carvalho; Borges, Rodrigo; de Souza, Wanderley; Zacca, Jorge Jardim; Logrado, Lucio Paulo Lima; Eberlin, Marcos Nogueira; Correa, Deleon Nascimento

2015-04-01

Ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO) is an explosive used in many civil applications. In Brazil, ANFO has unfortunately also been used in criminal attacks, mainly in automated teller machine (ATM) explosions. In this paper, we describe a detailed characterization of the ANFO composition and its two main constituents (diesel and a nitrate explosive) using high resolution and accuracy mass spectrometry performed on an FT-ICR-mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization (ESI(±)-FTMS) in both the positive and negative ion modes. Via ESI(-)-MS, an ion marker for ANFO was characterized. Using a direct and simple ambient desorption/ionization technique, i.e., easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry (EASI-MS), in a simpler, lower accuracy but robust single quadrupole mass spectrometer, the ANFO ion marker was directly detected from the surface of banknotes collected from ATM explosion theft. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A new source difference artificial neural network for enhanced positioning accuracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatt, Deepak; Aggarwal, Priyanka; Devabhaktuni, Vijay; Bhattacharya, Prabir

2012-01-01

Integrated inertial navigation system (INS) and global positioning system (GPS) units provide reliable navigation solution compared to standalone INS or GPS. Traditional Kalman filter-based INS/GPS integration schemes have several inadequacies related to sensor error model and immunity to noise. Alternatively, multi-layer perceptron (MLP) neural networks with three layers have been implemented to improve the position accuracy of the integrated system. However, MLP neural networks show poor accuracy for low-cost INS because of the large inherent sensor errors. For the first time the paper demonstrates the use of knowledge-based source difference artificial neural network (SDANN) to improve navigation performance of low-cost sensor, with or without external aiding sources. Unlike the conventional MLP or artificial neural networks (ANN), the structure of SDANN consists of two MLP neural networks called the coarse model and the difference model. The coarse model learns the input–output data relationship whereas the difference model adds knowledge to the system and fine-tunes the coarse model output by learning the associated training or estimation error. Our proposed SDANN model illustrated a significant improvement in navigation accuracy of up to 81% over conventional MLP. The results demonstrate that the proposed SDANN method is effective for GPS/INS integration schemes using low-cost inertial sensors, with and without GPS

Vision-based algorithms for high-accuracy measurements in an industrial bakery

Science.gov (United States)

Heleno, Paulo; Davies, Roger; Correia, Bento A. B.; Dinis, Joao

2002-02-01

This paper describes the machine vision algorithms developed for VIP3D, a measuring system used in an industrial bakery to monitor the dimensions and weight of loaves of bread (baguettes). The length and perimeter of more than 70 different varieties of baguette are measured with 1-mm accuracy, quickly, reliably and automatically. VIP3D uses a laser triangulation technique to measure the perimeter. The shape of the loaves is approximately cylindrical and the perimeter is defined as the convex hull of a cross-section perpendicular to the baguette axis at mid-length. A camera, mounted obliquely to the measuring plane, captures an image of a laser line projected onto the upper surface of the baguette. Three cameras are used to measure the baguette length, a solution adopted in order to minimize perspective-induced measurement errors. The paper describes in detail the machine vision algorithms developed to perform segmentation of the laser line and subsequent calculation of the perimeter of the baguette. The algorithms used to segment and measure the position of the ends of the baguette, to sub-pixel accuracy, are also described, as are the algorithms used to calibrate the measuring system and compensate for camera-induced image distortion.

Laser measuring scanners and their accuracy limits

Science.gov (United States)

Jablonski, Ryszard

1993-09-01

Scanning methods have gained the greater importance for some years now due to a short measuring time and wide range of application in flexible manufacturing processes. This paper is a summing up of the autho?s creative scientific work in the field of measuring scanners. The research conducted allowed to elaborate the optimal configurations of measuring systems based on the scanning method. An important part of the work was the analysis of a measuring scanner - as a transducer of an angle rotation into the linear displacement which resulted in obtaining its much higher accuracy and finally in working out a measuring scanner eliminating the use of an additional reference standard. The completion of the work is an attempt to determine an attainable accuracy limit of scanning measurement of both length and angle. Using a high stability deflector and a corrected scanning lens one can obtain the angle determination over 30 (or 2 mm) to an accuracy 0 (or 0 tm) when the measuring rate is 1000 Hz or the range d60 (4 mm) with accuracy 0 " (0 jim) and measurement frequency 6 Hz.

INFLUENCE OF THE TYPE OF INSERTS ON DIMENSIONAL ACCURACY IN TURNING PROCESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavel POLÁK

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This article is aimed to demonstrate the effect of cutting material and geometry of inserts chip breaker for dimensional accuracy in turning. The experiment is aimed on measuring compliance with dimensional accuracy in turning of samples from steel 11 523 at a constant feed rate and depth of cut, with varying spindle speeds. Machining was performed by using a different types of replaceable inserts. The measurement results will be evaluated in terms of the impact of differ-ent geometry characteristics and changing speeds spindle.

Improvement of the accuracy of phase observation by modification of phase-shifting electron holography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Takahiro; Aizawa, Shinji; Tanigaki, Toshiaki; Ota, Keishin; Matsuda, Tsuyoshi; Tonomura, Akira

2012-01-01

We found that the accuracy of the phase observation in phase-shifting electron holography is strongly restricted by time variations of mean intensity and contrast of the holograms. A modified method was developed for correcting these variations. Experimental results demonstrated that the modification enabled us to acquire a large number of holograms, and as a result, the accuracy of the phase observation has been improved by a factor of 5. -- Highlights: ► A modified phase-shifting electron holography was proposed. ► The time variation of mean intensity and contrast of holograms were corrected. ► These corrections lead to a great improvement of the resultant phase accuracy. ► A phase accuracy of about 1/4000 rad was achieved from experimental results.

Sentinel-1A/B Combined Product Geolocation Accuracy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian Schubert

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Sentinel-1A and -1B are twin spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR sensors developed and operated by the European Space Agency under the auspices of the Copernicus Earth observation programme. Launched in April 2014 and April 2016, Sentinel-1A and -1B are currently operating in tandem, in a common orbital configuration to provide an increased revisit frequency. In-orbit commissioning was completed for each unit within months of their respective launches, and level-1 SAR products generated by the operational SAR processor have been geometrically calibrated. In order to compare and monitor the geometric characteristics of the level-1 products from both units, as well as to investigate potential improvements, products from both satellites have been monitored since their respective commissioning phases. In this study, we present geolocation accuracy estimates for both Sentinel-1 units based on the time series of level-1 products collected thus far. While both units were demonstrated to be performing consistently, and providing SAR data products according to the nominal product specifications, a subtle beam- and mode-dependent azimuth bias common to the data from both units was identified. A method for removing the bias is proposed, and the corresponding improvement to the geometric accuracies is demonstrated and quantified.

Quantitative accuracy of serotonergic neurotransmission imaging with high-resolution 123I SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuikka, J.T.

2004-01-01

Aim: Serotonin transporter (SERT) imaging can be used to study the role of regional abnormalities of neurotransmitter release in various mental disorders and to study the mechanism of action of therapeutic drugs or drugs' abuse. We examine the quantitative accuracy and reproducibility that can be achieved with high-resolution SPECT of serotonergic neurotransmission. Method: Binding potential (BP) of 123 I labeled tracer specific for midbrain SERT was assessed in 20 healthy persons. The effects of scatter, attenuation, partial volume, misregistration and statistical noise were estimated using phantom and human studies. Results: Without any correction, BP was underestimated by 73%. The partial volume error was the major component in this underestimation whereas the most critical error for the reproducibility was misplacement of region of interest (ROI). Conclusion: The proper ROI registration, the use of the multiple head gamma camera with transmission based scatter correction introduce more relevant results. However, due to the small dimensions of the midbrain SERT structures and poor spatial resolution of SPECT, the improvement without the partial volume correction is not great enough to restore the estimate of BP to that of the true one. (orig.) [de

Demonstration-Scale High-Cell-Density Fermentation of Pichia pastoris.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wan-Cang; Zhu, Ping

2018-01-01

Pichia pastoris has been one of the most successful heterologous overexpression systems in generating proteins for large-scale production through high-cell-density fermentation. However, optimizing conditions of the large-scale high-cell-density fermentation for biochemistry and industrialization is usually a laborious and time-consuming process. Furthermore, it is often difficult to produce authentic proteins in large quantities, which is a major obstacle for functional and structural features analysis and industrial application. For these reasons, we have developed a protocol for efficient demonstration-scale high-cell-density fermentation of P. pastoris, which employs a new methanol-feeding strategy-biomass-stat strategy and a strategy of increased air pressure instead of pure oxygen supplement. The protocol included three typical stages of glycerol batch fermentation (initial culture phase), glycerol fed-batch fermentation (biomass accumulation phase), and methanol fed-batch fermentation (induction phase), which allows direct online-monitoring of fermentation conditions, including broth pH, temperature, DO, anti-foam generation, and feeding of glycerol and methanol. Using this protocol, production of the recombinant β-xylosidase of Lentinula edodes origin in 1000-L scale fermentation can be up to ~900 mg/L or 9.4 mg/g cells (dry cell weight, intracellular expression), with the specific production rate and average specific production of 0.1 mg/g/h and 0.081 mg/g/h, respectively. The methodology described in this protocol can be easily transferred to other systems, and eligible to scale up for a large number of proteins used in either the scientific studies or commercial purposes.

Error and Uncertainty in the Accuracy Assessment of Land Cover Maps

Science.gov (United States)

Sarmento, Pedro Alexandre Reis

Traditionally the accuracy assessment of land cover maps is performed through the comparison of these maps with a reference database, which is intended to represent the "real" land cover, being this comparison reported with the thematic accuracy measures through confusion matrixes. Although, these reference databases are also a representation of reality, containing errors due to the human uncertainty in the assignment of the land cover class that best characterizes a certain area, causing bias in the thematic accuracy measures that are reported to the end users of these maps. The main goal of this dissertation is to develop a methodology that allows the integration of human uncertainty present in reference databases in the accuracy assessment of land cover maps, and analyse the impacts that uncertainty may have in the thematic accuracy measures reported to the end users of land cover maps. The utility of the inclusion of human uncertainty in the accuracy assessment of land cover maps is investigated. Specifically we studied the utility of fuzzy sets theory, more precisely of fuzzy arithmetic, for a better understanding of human uncertainty associated to the elaboration of reference databases, and their impacts in the thematic accuracy measures that are derived from confusion matrixes. For this purpose linguistic values transformed in fuzzy intervals that address the uncertainty in the elaboration of reference databases were used to compute fuzzy confusion matrixes. The proposed methodology is illustrated using a case study in which the accuracy assessment of a land cover map for Continental Portugal derived from Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) is made. The obtained results demonstrate that the inclusion of human uncertainty in reference databases provides much more information about the quality of land cover maps, when compared with the traditional approach of accuracy assessment of land cover maps. None

ArcticDEM Validation and Accuracy Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Candela, S. G.; Howat, I.; Noh, M. J.; Porter, C. C.; Morin, P. J.

2017-12-01

ArcticDEM comprises a growing inventory Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) covering all land above 60°N. As of August, 2017, ArcticDEM had openly released 2-m resolution, individual DEM covering over 51 million km2, which includes areas of repeat coverage for change detection, as well as over 15 million km2 of 5-m resolution seamless mosaics. By the end of the project, over 80 million km2 of 2-m DEMs will be produced, averaging four repeats of the 20 million km2 Arctic landmass. ArcticDEM is produced from sub-meter resolution, stereoscopic imagery using open source software (SETSM) on the NCSA Blue Waters supercomputer. These DEMs have known biases of several meters due to errors in the sensor models generated from satellite positioning. These systematic errors are removed through three-dimensional registration to high-precision Lidar or other control datasets. ArcticDEM is registered to seasonally-subsetted ICESat elevations due its global coverage and high report accuracy ( 10 cm). The vertical accuracy of ArcticDEM is then obtained from the statistics of the fit to the ICESat point cloud, which averages -0.01 m ± 0.07 m. ICESat, however, has a relatively coarse measurement footprint ( 70 m) which may impact the precision of the registration. Further, the ICESat data predates the ArcticDEM imagery by a decade, so that temporal changes in the surface may also impact the registration. Finally, biases may exist between different the different sensors in the ArcticDEM constellation. Here we assess the accuracy of ArcticDEM and the ICESat registration through comparison to multiple high-resolution airborne lidar datasets that were acquired within one year of the imagery used in ArcticDEM. We find the ICESat dataset is performing as anticipated, introducing no systematic bias during the coregistration process, and reducing vertical errors to within the uncertainty of the airborne Lidars. Preliminary sensor comparisons show no significant difference post coregistration

Laser interference lithography with highly accurate interferometric alignment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Soest, Frank J.; van Wolferen, Hendricus A.G.M.; Hoekstra, Hugo; de Ridder, R.M.; Worhoff, Kerstin; Lambeck, Paul

It is shown experimentally that in laser interference lithography, by using a reference grating, respective grating layers can be positioned with high relative accuracy. A 0.001 degree angular and a few nanometers lateral resolution have been demonstrated.

A Robust High-Accuracy Ultrasound Indoor Positioning System Based on a Wireless Sensor Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Jun; Liu, Guo-Ping

2017-11-06

This paper describes the development and implementation of a robust high-accuracy ultrasonic indoor positioning system (UIPS). The UIPS consists of several wireless ultrasonic beacons in the indoor environment. Each of them has a fixed and known position coordinate and can collect all the transmissions from the target node or emit ultrasonic signals. Every wireless sensor network (WSN) node has two communication modules: one is WiFi, that transmits the data to the server, and the other is the radio frequency (RF) module, which is only used for time synchronization between different nodes, with accuracy up to 1 μ s. The distance between the beacon and the target node is calculated by measuring the time-of-flight (TOF) for the ultrasonic signal, and then the position of the target is computed by some distances and the coordinate of the beacons. TOF estimation is the most important technique in the UIPS. A new time domain method to extract the envelope of the ultrasonic signals is presented in order to estimate the TOF. This method, with the envelope detection filter, estimates the value with the sampled values on both sides based on the least squares method (LSM). The simulation results show that the method can achieve envelope detection with a good filtering effect by means of the LSM. The highest precision and variance can reach 0.61 mm and 0.23 mm, respectively, in pseudo-range measurements with UIPS. A maximum location error of 10.2 mm is achieved in the positioning experiments for a moving robot, when UIPS works on the line-of-sight (LOS) signal.

A Robust High-Accuracy Ultrasound Indoor Positioning System Based on a Wireless Sensor Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Qi

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the development and implementation of a robust high-accuracy ultrasonic indoor positioning system (UIPS. The UIPS consists of several wireless ultrasonic beacons in the indoor environment. Each of them has a fixed and known position coordinate and can collect all the transmissions from the target node or emit ultrasonic signals. Every wireless sensor network (WSN node has two communication modules: one is WiFi, that transmits the data to the server, and the other is the radio frequency (RF module, which is only used for time synchronization between different nodes, with accuracy up to 1 μs. The distance between the beacon and the target node is calculated by measuring the time-of-flight (TOF for the ultrasonic signal, and then the position of the target is computed by some distances and the coordinate of the beacons. TOF estimation is the most important technique in the UIPS. A new time domain method to extract the envelope of the ultrasonic signals is presented in order to estimate the TOF. This method, with the envelope detection filter, estimates the value with the sampled values on both sides based on the least squares method (LSM. The simulation results show that the method can achieve envelope detection with a good filtering effect by means of the LSM. The highest precision and variance can reach 0.61 mm and 0.23 mm, respectively, in pseudo-range measurements with UIPS. A maximum location error of 10.2 mm is achieved in the positioning experiments for a moving robot, when UIPS works on the line-of-sight (LOS signal.

Measuring Adolescent Self-Awareness and Accuracy Using a Performance-Based Assessment and Parental Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharon Zlotnik

2018-02-01

Full Text Available AimThe aim of this study was to assess awareness of performance and performance accuracy for a task that requires executive functions (EF, among healthy adolescents and to compare their performance to their parent’s ratings.MethodParticipants: 109 healthy adolescents (mean age 15.2 ± 1.86 years completed the Weekly Calendar Planning Activity (WCPA. The discrepancy between self-estimated and actual performance was used to measure the level of awareness. The participants were divided into high and low accuracy groups according to the WCPA accuracy median score. The participants were also divided into high and low awareness groups. A comparison was conducted between groups using WCPA performance and parent ratings on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF.ResultsHigher awareness was associated with better EF performance. Participants with high accuracy scores were more likely to show high awareness of performance as compared to participants with low accuracy scores. The high accuracy group had better parental ratings of EF, higher efficiency, followed more rules, and were more aware of their WCPA performance.ConclusionOur results highlight the important contribution that self-awareness of performance may have on the individual’s function. Assessing the level of awareness and providing metacognitive training techniques for those adolescents who are less aware, could support their performance.

Rational calculation accuracy in acousto-optical matrix-vector processor

Science.gov (United States)

Oparin, V. V.; Tigin, Dmitry V.

1994-01-01

The high speed of parallel computations for a comparatively small-size processor and acceptable power consumption makes the usage of acousto-optic matrix-vector multiplier (AOMVM) attractive for processing of large amounts of information in real time. The limited accuracy of computations is an essential disadvantage of such a processor. The reduced accuracy requirements allow for considerable simplification of the AOMVM architecture and the reduction of the demands on its components.

Evaluation of the accuracy of the CellaVision™ DM96 in a high HIV-prevalence population in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jenifer L. Vaughan

2016-03-01

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the DM96 in a South African laboratory, with emphasis on its performance in samples collected from HIV-positive patients. Methods: A total of 149 samples submitted for a routine differential white cell count in 2012 and 2013 at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa were included, of which 79 (53.0% were collected from HIV-positive patients. Results of DM96 analysis pre- and post-classification were compared with a manual differential white cell count and the impact of HIV infection and other variables of interest were assessed. Results: Pre- and post-classification accuracies were similar to those reported in developed countries. Reclassification was required in 16% of cells, with particularly high misclassification rates for eosinophils (31.7%, blasts (33.7% and basophils (93.5%. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant relationship between the number of misclassified cells and both the white cell count (p = 0.035 and the presence of malignant cells in the blood (p = 0.049, but not with any other variables analysed, including HIV status. Conclusion: The DM96 exhibited acceptable accuracy in this South African laboratory, which was not impacted by HIV infection. However, as it does not eliminate the need for experienced morphologists, its cost may be unjustifiable in a resource-constrained setting.

High accuracy prediction of beta-turns and their types using propensities and multiple alignments.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuchs, Patrick F J; Alix, Alain J P

2005-06-01

We have developed a method that predicts both the presence and the type of beta-turns, using a straightforward approach based on propensities and multiple alignments. The propensities were calculated classically, but the way to use them for prediction was completely new: starting from a tetrapeptide sequence on which one wants to evaluate the presence of a beta-turn, the propensity for a given residue is modified by taking into account all the residues present in the multiple alignment at this position. The evaluation of a score is then done by weighting these propensities by the use of Position-specific score matrices generated by PSI-BLAST. The introduction of secondary structure information predicted by PSIPRED or SSPRO2 as well as taking into account the flanking residues around the tetrapeptide improved the accuracy greatly. This latter evaluated on a database of 426 reference proteins (previously used on other studies) by a sevenfold crossvalidation gave very good results with a Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC) of 0.42 and an overall prediction accuracy of 74.8%; this places our method among the best ones. A jackknife test was also done, which gave results within the same range. This shows that it is possible to reach neural networks accuracy with considerably less computional cost and complexity. Furthermore, propensities remain excellent descriptors of amino acid tendencies to belong to beta-turns, which can be useful for peptide or protein engineering and design. For beta-turn type prediction, we reached the best accuracy ever published in terms of MCC (except for the irregular type IV) in the range of 0.25-0.30 for types I, II, and I' and 0.13-0.15 for types VIII, II', and IV. To our knowledge, our method is the only one available on the Web that predicts types I' and II'. The accuracy evaluated on two larger databases of 547 and 823 proteins was not improved significantly. All of this was implemented into a Web server called COUDES (French acronym

Surface accuracy analysis and mathematical modeling of deployable large aperture elastic antenna reflectors

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, Michael J.

One class of deployable large aperture antenna consists of thin light-weight parabolic reflectors. A reflector of this type is a deployable structure that consists of an inflatable elastic membrane that is supported about its perimeter by a set of elastic tendons and is subjected to a constant hydrostatic pressure. A design may not hold the parabolic shape to within a desired tolerance due to an elastic deformation of the surface, particularly near the rim. We can compute the equilibrium configuration of the reflector system using an optimization-based solution procedure that calculates the total system energy and determines a configuration of minimum energy. Analysis of the equilibrium configuration reveals the behavior of the reflector shape under various loading conditions. The pressure, film strain energy, tendon strain energy, and gravitational energy are all considered in this analysis. The surface accuracy of the antenna reflector is measured by an RMS calculation while the reflector phase error component of the efficiency is determined by computing the power density at boresight. Our error computation methods are tailored for the faceted surface of our model and they are more accurate for this particular problem than the commonly applied Ruze Equation. Previous analytical work on parabolic antennas focused on axisymmetric geometries and loads. Symmetric equilibria are not assumed in our analysis. In addition, this dissertation contains two principle original findings: (1) the typical supporting tendon system tends to flatten a parabolic reflector near its edge. We find that surface accuracy can be significantly improved by fixing the edge of the inflated reflector to a rigid structure; (2) for large membranes assembled from flat sheets of thin material, we demonstrate that the surface accuracy of the resulting inflated membrane reflector can be improved by altering the cutting pattern of the flat components. Our findings demonstrate that the proper choice

Fiscal 1998 development report on the high-accuracy quantitative analysis technique of catalyst surfaces by electron spectroscopy; 1998 nendo denshi bunkoho ni yoru shokubai hyomen koseido teiryo bunseki gijutsu no kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-03-01

This project aims at development of the high-accuracy quantitative analysis technique by electron spectroscopy for surface analysis of catalysts and semiconductors. Since conventional analysis technique using an energy-fixed X-ray excitation source is inadequate to obtain satisfactory surface sensitivity and quantitative accuracy for catalysts, for development of the titled technique, this project makes experiment using energy-variable synchrotron radiation to modify the parameter on motion of low-speed electrons in solids which is obtained by Monte Carlo calculation. For establishment of the high-accuracy quantitative analysis technique of surface compositions of materials such as catalyst of which performance is dominated by utmost surface, the project studies the attenuation length of electrons in solids by electron spectroscopy using soft X-rays from synchrotron radiation. In this fiscal year, the project established the equipment and technique for high-accuracy quantitative analysis of the thickness and electron attenuation length of silicon oxide films on silicon wafers by electron spectroscopy. (NEDO)

Star Tracker Based ATP System Conceptual Design and Pointing Accuracy Estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Orfiz, Gerardo G.; Lee, Shinhak

2006-01-01

A star tracker based beaconless (a.k.a. non-cooperative beacon) acquisition, tracking and pointing concept for precisely pointing an optical communication beam is presented as an innovative approach to extend the range of high bandwidth (> 100 Mbps) deep space optical communication links throughout the solar system and to remove the need for a ground based high power laser as a beacon source. The basic approach for executing the ATP functions involves the use of stars as the reference sources from which the attitude knowledge is obtained and combined with high bandwidth gyroscopes for propagating the pointing knowledge to the beam pointing mechanism. Details of the conceptual design are presented including selection of an orthogonal telescope configuration and the introduction of an optical metering scheme to reduce misalignment error. Also, estimates are presented that demonstrate that aiming of the communications beam to the Earth based receive terminal can be achieved with a total system pointing accuracy of better than 850 nanoradians (3 sigma) from anywhere in the solar system.

Efficient Vessel Tracking  with Accuracy Guarantees

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Redoutey, Martin; Scotti, Eric; Jensen, Christian Søndergaard

2008-01-01

Safety and security are top concerns in maritime navigation, particularly as maritime traffic continues to grow and as crew sizes are reduced. The Automatic Identification System (AIS) plays a key role in regard to these concerns. This system, whose objective is in part to identify and locate ves...... accuracies at lower communication costs. The techniques employ movement predictions that are shared between vessels and the VTS. Empirical studies with a prototype implementation and real vessel data demonstrate that the techniques are capable of significantly improving the AIS....

A laboratory assessment of the measurement accuracy of weighing type rainfall intensity gauges

Science.gov (United States)

Colli, M.; Chan, P. W.; Lanza, L. G.; La Barbera, P.

2012-04-01

In recent years the WMO Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observation (CIMO) fostered noticeable advancements in the accuracy of precipitation measurement issue by providing recommendations on the standardization of equipment and exposure, instrument calibration and data correction as a consequence of various comparative campaigns involving manufacturers and national meteorological services from the participating countries (Lanza et al., 2005; Vuerich et al., 2009). Extreme events analysis is proven to be highly affected by the on-site RI measurement accuracy (see e.g. Molini et al., 2004) and the time resolution of the available RI series certainly constitutes another key-factor in constructing hyetographs that are representative of real rain events. The OTT Pluvio2 weighing gauge (WG) and the GEONOR T-200 vibrating-wire precipitation gauge demonstrated very good performance under previous constant flow rate calibration efforts (Lanza et al., 2005). Although WGs do provide better performance than more traditional Tipping Bucket Rain gauges (TBR) under continuous and constant reference intensity, dynamic effects seem to affect the accuracy of WG measurements under real world/time varying rainfall conditions (Vuerich et al., 2009). The most relevant is due to the response time of the acquisition system and the derived systematic delay of the instrument in assessing the exact weight of the bin containing cumulated precipitation. This delay assumes a relevant role in case high resolution rain intensity time series are sought from the instrument, as is the case of many hydrologic and meteo-climatic applications. This work reports the laboratory evaluation of Pluvio2 and T-200 rainfall intensity measurements accuracy. Tests are carried out by simulating different artificial precipitation events, namely non-stationary rainfall intensity, using a highly accurate dynamic rainfall generator. Time series measured by an Ogawa drop counter (DC) at a field test site

Thermal Stability of Magnetic Compass Sensor for High Accuracy Positioning Applications

OpenAIRE

Van-Tang PHAM; Dinh-Chinh NGUYEN; Quang-Huy TRAN; Duc-Trinh CHU; Duc-Tan TRAN

2015-01-01

Using magnetic compass sensors in angle measurements have a wide area of application such as positioning, robot, landslide, etc. However, one of the most phenomenal that affects to the accuracy of the magnetic compass sensor is the temperature. This paper presents two thermal stability schemes for improving performance of a magnetic compass sensor. The first scheme uses the feedforward structure to adjust the angle output of the compass sensor adapt to the variation of the temperature. The se...

Improving the accuracy of self-assessment of practical clinical skills using video feedback--the importance of including benchmarks.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkins, S C; Osborne, A; Schofield, S J; Pournaras, D J; Chester, J F

2012-01-01

Isolated video recording has not been demonstrated to improve self-assessment accuracy. This study examines if the inclusion of a defined standard benchmark performance in association with video feedback of a student's own performance improves the accuracy of student self-assessment of clinical skills. Final year medical students were video recorded performing a standardised suturing task in a simulated environment. After the exercise, the students self-assessed their performance using global rating scales (GRSs). An identical self-assessment process was repeated following video review of their performance. Students were then shown a video-recorded 'benchmark performance', which was specifically developed for the study. This demonstrated the competency levels required to score full marks (30 points). A further self-assessment task was then completed. Students' scores were correlated against expert assessor scores. A total of 31 final year medical students participated. Student self-assessment scores before video feedback demonstrated moderate positive correlation with expert assessor scores (r = 0.48, p benchmark performance demonstration, self-assessment scores demonstrated a very strong positive correlation with expert scores (r = 0.83, p benchmark performance in combination with video feedback may significantly improve the accuracy of students' self-assessments.

Accuracy Analysis of a Dam Model from Drone Surveys

Science.gov (United States)

Buffi, Giulia; Venturi, Sara

2017-01-01

This paper investigates the accuracy of models obtained by drone surveys. To this end, this work analyzes how the placement of ground control points (GCPs) used to georeference the dense point cloud of a dam affects the resulting three-dimensional (3D) model. Images of a double arch masonry dam upstream face are acquired from drone survey and used to build the 3D model of the dam for vulnerability analysis purposes. However, there still remained the issue of understanding the real impact of a correct GCPs location choice to properly georeference the images and thus, the model. To this end, a high number of GCPs configurations were investigated, building a series of dense point clouds. The accuracy of these resulting dense clouds was estimated comparing the coordinates of check points extracted from the model and their true coordinates measured via traditional topography. The paper aims at providing information about the optimal choice of GCPs placement not only for dams but also for all surveys of high-rise structures. The knowledge a priori of the effect of the GCPs number and location on the model accuracy can increase survey reliability and accuracy and speed up the survey set-up operations. PMID:28771185

Accuracy Analysis of a Dam Model from Drone Surveys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Ridolfi

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the accuracy of models obtained by drone surveys. To this end, this work analyzes how the placement of ground control points (GCPs used to georeference the dense point cloud of a dam affects the resulting three-dimensional (3D model. Images of a double arch masonry dam upstream face are acquired from drone survey and used to build the 3D model of the dam for vulnerability analysis purposes. However, there still remained the issue of understanding the real impact of a correct GCPs location choice to properly georeference the images and thus, the model. To this end, a high number of GCPs configurations were investigated, building a series of dense point clouds. The accuracy of these resulting dense clouds was estimated comparing the coordinates of check points extracted from the model and their true coordinates measured via traditional topography. The paper aims at providing information about the optimal choice of GCPs placement not only for dams but also for all surveys of high-rise structures. The knowledge a priori of the effect of the GCPs number and location on the model accuracy can increase survey reliability and accuracy and speed up the survey set-up operations.

Accuracy Analysis of a Dam Model from Drone Surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Ridolfi, Elena; Buffi, Giulia; Venturi, Sara; Manciola, Piergiorgio

2017-08-03

This paper investigates the accuracy of models obtained by drone surveys. To this end, this work analyzes how the placement of ground control points (GCPs) used to georeference the dense point cloud of a dam affects the resulting three-dimensional (3D) model. Images of a double arch masonry dam upstream face are acquired from drone survey and used to build the 3D model of the dam for vulnerability analysis purposes. However, there still remained the issue of understanding the real impact of a correct GCPs location choice to properly georeference the images and thus, the model. To this end, a high number of GCPs configurations were investigated, building a series of dense point clouds. The accuracy of these resulting dense clouds was estimated comparing the coordinates of check points extracted from the model and their true coordinates measured via traditional topography. The paper aims at providing information about the optimal choice of GCPs placement not only for dams but also for all surveys of high-rise structures. The knowledge a priori of the effect of the GCPs number and location on the model accuracy can increase survey reliability and accuracy and speed up the survey set-up operations.

High-resolution CT of nontuberculous mycobacterium infection in adult CF patients: diagnostic accuracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McEvoy, Sinead; Lavelle, Lisa; Kilcoyne, Aoife; McCarthy, Colin; Dodd, Jonathan D.; DeJong, Pim A.; Loeve, Martine; Tiddens, Harm A.W.M.; McKone, Edward; Gallagher, Charles G.

2012-01-01

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) for the detection of nontuberculous mycobacterium infection (NTM) in adult cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Twenty-seven CF patients with sputum-culture-proven NTM (NTM+) underwent HRCT. An age, gender and spirometrically matched group of 27 CF patients without NTM (NTM-) was included as controls. Images were randomly and blindly analysed by two readers in consensus and scored using a modified Bhalla scoring system. Significant differences were seen between NTM (+) and NTM (-) patients in the severity of the bronchiectasis subscore [45 % (1.8/4) vs. 35 % (1.4/4), P = 0.029], collapse/consolidation subscore [33 % (1.3/3) vs. 15 % (0.6/3)], tree-in-bud/centrilobular nodules subscore [43 % (1.7/3) vs. 25 % (1.0/3), P = 0.002] and the total CT score [56 % (18.4/33) vs. 46 % (15.2/33), P = 0.002]. Binary logistic regression revealed BMI, peribronchial thickening, collapse/consolidation and tree-in-bud/centrilobular nodules to be predictors of NTM status (R 2 = 0.43). Receiver-operator curve analysis of the regression model showed an area under the curve of 0.89, P < 0.0001. In adults with CF, seven or more bronchopulmonary segments showing tree-in-bud/centrilobular nodules on HRCT is highly suggestive of NTM colonisation. (orig.)

High-resolution CT of nontuberculous mycobacterium infection in adult CF patients: diagnostic accuracy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McEvoy, Sinead; Lavelle, Lisa; Kilcoyne, Aoife; McCarthy, Colin; Dodd, Jonathan D. [St. Vincent' s University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Dublin (Ireland); DeJong, Pim A. [University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Loeve, Martine; Tiddens, Harm A.W.M. [Erasmus MC-Sophia Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergology, Rotterdam (Netherlands); McKone, Edward; Gallagher, Charles G. [St. Vincent' s University Hospital, Department of Respiratory Medicine and National Referral Centre for Adult Cystic Fibrosis, Dublin (Ireland)

2012-12-15

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) for the detection of nontuberculous mycobacterium infection (NTM) in adult cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Twenty-seven CF patients with sputum-culture-proven NTM (NTM+) underwent HRCT. An age, gender and spirometrically matched group of 27 CF patients without NTM (NTM-) was included as controls. Images were randomly and blindly analysed by two readers in consensus and scored using a modified Bhalla scoring system. Significant differences were seen between NTM (+) and NTM (-) patients in the severity of the bronchiectasis subscore [45 % (1.8/4) vs. 35 % (1.4/4), P = 0.029], collapse/consolidation subscore [33 % (1.3/3) vs. 15 % (0.6/3)], tree-in-bud/centrilobular nodules subscore [43 % (1.7/3) vs. 25 % (1.0/3), P = 0.002] and the total CT score [56 % (18.4/33) vs. 46 % (15.2/33), P = 0.002]. Binary logistic regression revealed BMI, peribronchial thickening, collapse/consolidation and tree-in-bud/centrilobular nodules to be predictors of NTM status (R{sup 2} = 0.43). Receiver-operator curve analysis of the regression model showed an area under the curve of 0.89, P < 0.0001. In adults with CF, seven or more bronchopulmonary segments showing tree-in-bud/centrilobular nodules on HRCT is highly suggestive of NTM colonisation. (orig.)

Automatic J–A Model Parameter Tuning Algorithm for High Accuracy Inrush Current Simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xishan Wen

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Inrush current simulation plays an important role in many tasks of the power system, such as power transformer protection. However, the accuracy of the inrush current simulation can hardly be ensured. In this paper, a Jiles–Atherton (J–A theory based model is proposed to simulate the inrush current of power transformers. The characteristics of the inrush current curve are analyzed and results show that the entire inrush current curve can be well featured by the crest value of the first two cycles. With comprehensive consideration of both of the features of the inrush current curve and the J–A parameters, an automatic J–A parameter estimation algorithm is proposed. The proposed algorithm can obtain more reasonable J–A parameters, which improve the accuracy of simulation. Experimental results have verified the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.

DEVELOPMENT OF COMPLEXITY, ACCURACY, AND FLUENCY IN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ WRITTEN FOREIGN LANGUAGE PRODUCTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bouchaib Benzehaf

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The present study aims to longitudinally depict the dynamic and interactive development of Complexity, Accuracy, and Fluency (CAF in multilingual learners’ L2 and L3 writing. The data sources include free writing tasks written in L2 French and L3 English by 45 high school participants over a period of four semesters. CAF dimensions are measured using a variation of Hunt’s T-units (1964. Analysis of the quantitative data obtained suggests that CAF measures develop differently for learners’ L2 French and L3 English. They increase more persistently in L3 English, and they display the characteristics of a dynamic, non-linear system characterized by ups and downs particularly in L2 French. In light of the results, we suggest more and denser longitudinal data to explore the nature of interactions between these dimensions in foreign language development, particularly at the individual level.

Rigorous Training of Dogs Leads to High Accuracy in Human Scent Matching-To-Sample Performance.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sophie Marchal

Full Text Available Human scent identification is based on a matching-to-sample task in which trained dogs are required to compare a scent sample collected from an object found at a crime scene to that of a suspect. Based on dogs' greater olfactory ability to detect and process odours, this method has been used in forensic investigations to identify the odour of a suspect at a crime scene. The excellent reliability and reproducibility of the method largely depend on rigor in dog training. The present study describes the various steps of training that lead to high sensitivity scores, with dogs matching samples with 90% efficiency when the complexity of the scents presented during the task in the sample is similar to that presented in the in lineups, and specificity reaching a ceiling, with no false alarms in human scent matching-to-sample tasks. This high level of accuracy ensures reliable results in judicial human scent identification tests. Also, our data should convince law enforcement authorities to use these results as official forensic evidence when dogs are trained appropriately.

Cause and Cure-Deterioration in Accuracy of CFD Simulations with Use of High-Aspect-Ratio Triangular/Tetrahedral Grids

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Sin-Chung; Chang, Chau-Lyan; Venkatachari, Balaji

2017-01-01

In the multi-dimensional space-time conservation element and solution element16 (CESE) method, triangles and tetrahedral mesh elements turn out to be the most natural building blocks for 2D and 3D spatial grids, respectively. As such, the CESE method is naturally compatible with the simplest 2D and 3D unstructured grids and thus can be easily applied to solve problems with complex geometries. However, because (a) accurate solution of a high-Reynolds number flow field near a solid wall requires that the grid intervals along the direction normal to the wall be much finer than those in a direction parallel to the wall and, as such, the use of grid cells with extremely high aspect ratio (103 to 106) may become mandatory, and (b) unlike quadrilateral hexahedral grids, it is well-known that accuracy of gradient computations involving triangular tetrahedral grids tends to deteriorate rapidly as cell aspect ratio increases. As a result, the use of triangular tetrahedral grid cells near a solid wall has long been deemed impractical by CFD researchers. In view of (a) the critical role played by triangular tetrahedral grids in the CESE development, and (b) the importance of accurate resolution of high-Reynolds number flow field near a solid wall, as will be presented in the main paper, a comprehensive and rigorous mathematical framework that clearly identifies the reasons behind the accuracy deterioration as described above has been developed for the 2D case involving triangular cells. By avoiding the pitfalls identified by the 2D framework, and its 3D extension, it has been shown numerically.

Accuracy Analysis of a Box-wing Theoretical SRP Model

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaoya; Hu, Xiaogong; Zhao, Qunhe; Guo, Rui

2016-07-01

For Beidou satellite navigation system (BDS) a high accuracy SRP model is necessary for high precise applications especially with Global BDS establishment in future. The BDS accuracy for broadcast ephemeris need be improved. So, a box-wing theoretical SRP model with fine structure and adding conical shadow factor of earth and moon were established. We verified this SRP model by the GPS Block IIF satellites. The calculation was done with the data of PRN 1, 24, 25, 27 satellites. The results show that the physical SRP model for POD and forecast for GPS IIF satellite has higher accuracy with respect to Bern empirical model. The 3D-RMS of orbit is about 20 centimeters. The POD accuracy for both models is similar but the prediction accuracy with the physical SRP model is more than doubled. We tested 1-day 3-day and 7-day orbit prediction. The longer is the prediction arc length, the more significant is the improvement. The orbit prediction accuracy with the physical SRP model for 1-day, 3-day and 7-day arc length are 0.4m, 2.0m, 10.0m respectively. But they are 0.9m, 5.5m and 30m with Bern empirical model respectively. We apply this means to the BDS and give out a SRP model for Beidou satellites. Then we test and verify the model with Beidou data of one month only for test. Initial results show the model is good but needs more data for verification and improvement. The orbit residual RMS is similar to that with our empirical force model which only estimate the force for along track, across track direction and y-bias. But the orbit overlap and SLR observation evaluation show some improvement. The remaining empirical force is reduced significantly for present Beidou constellation.

Radiographic appearances in Crohn's disease. I. Accuracy of radiographic methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hildell, J; Lindstroem, C; Wenckert, A [Departments of Diagnostic Radiology, Pathology and Surgery, Malmoe Allmaenna Sjukhus, Malmoe, Sweden

1979-01-01

Preoperative films of 176 patients operated upon for Crohn's disease were reviewed and compared with microscopic findings in the resected specimens in order to assess the accuracy of the radiographic techniques used. It was found that a diagnosis of the presence and the extent of the disease was often dependent on the demonstration of minor mucosal ulcers and less marked submucosal edema. These lesions were not adequately demonstrated by any of the techniques used for small bowel examination, but were consistently revealed by the double-contrast technique used for examination of the colon.

The One to Multiple Automatic High Accuracy Registration of Terrestrial LIDAR and Optical Images

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Y.; Hu, C.; Xia, G.; Xue, H.

2018-04-01

The registration of ground laser point cloud and close-range image is the key content of high-precision 3D reconstruction of cultural relic object. In view of the requirement of high texture resolution in the field of cultural relic at present, The registration of point cloud and image data in object reconstruction will result in the problem of point cloud to multiple images. In the current commercial software, the two pairs of registration of the two kinds of data are realized by manually dividing point cloud data, manual matching point cloud and image data, manually selecting a two - dimensional point of the same name of the image and the point cloud, and the process not only greatly reduces the working efficiency, but also affects the precision of the registration of the two, and causes the problem of the color point cloud texture joint. In order to solve the above problems, this paper takes the whole object image as the intermediate data, and uses the matching technology to realize the automatic one-to-one correspondence between the point cloud and multiple images. The matching of point cloud center projection reflection intensity image and optical image is applied to realize the automatic matching of the same name feature points, and the Rodrigo matrix spatial similarity transformation model and weight selection iteration are used to realize the automatic registration of the two kinds of data with high accuracy. This method is expected to serve for the high precision and high efficiency automatic 3D reconstruction of cultural relic objects, which has certain scientific research value and practical significance.

Improvement of the accuracy of phase observation by modification of phase-shifting electron holography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suzuki, Takahiro; Aizawa, Shinji; Tanigaki, Toshiaki [Advanced Science Institute, RIKEN, Hirosawa 2-1, Wako, Saitama 351-0198 (Japan); Ota, Keishin, E-mail: ota@microphase.co.jp [Microphase Co., Ltd., Onigakubo 1147-9, Tsukuba, Ibaragi 300-2651 (Japan); Matsuda, Tsuyoshi [Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi-shi, Saitama 332-0012 (Japan); Tonomura, Akira [Advanced Science Institute, RIKEN, Hirosawa 2-1, Wako, Saitama 351-0198 (Japan); Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Graduate University, Kunigami, Okinawa 904-0495 (Japan); Central Research Laboratory, Hitachi, Ltd., Hatoyama, Saitama 350-0395 (Japan)

2012-07-15

We found that the accuracy of the phase observation in phase-shifting electron holography is strongly restricted by time variations of mean intensity and contrast of the holograms. A modified method was developed for correcting these variations. Experimental results demonstrated that the modification enabled us to acquire a large number of holograms, and as a result, the accuracy of the phase observation has been improved by a factor of 5. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A modified phase-shifting electron holography was proposed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The time variation of mean intensity and contrast of holograms were corrected. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer These corrections lead to a great improvement of the resultant phase accuracy. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A phase accuracy of about 1/4000 rad was achieved from experimental results.

R and D toward highly repetitive laser fusion demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satoh, Nakahiro; Matsukado, Koji; Watari, Takeshi; Sekine, Takashi; Takeuchi, Yasuki; Kawashima, Toshiyuki

2017-01-01

Hamamatsu Photonics conducts research on a unique continuous neutron generation method by integrating and utilizing elemental technologies such as laser, target, and measurement for laser nuclear fusion research. In addition, in collaboration with the Graduate School for the Creation of New Photonics Industries, Toyota Motor Corporation, and others, it is conducting research on laser fusion. As a high power laser of element technology, it constructed an ultrahigh intensity laser system by combining glass slab laser KURE-I and ultrahigh intensity femtosecond laser MATSU-I equipped with titanium sapphire transmitter, and achieved a peak output of 20 TW, It plans to further increase this to 100 TW. As other element technologies, it is also considering nuclear fusion fuel - target technology and light - high energy particle measurement technology. Regarding the demonstration of continuous generation of laser fusion neutrons, it performed 100 times of continuous laser beam irradiation at 1 Hz, and actually measured the number of neutrons generated. It measured 4.5x10 4 pieces of neutrons on average (maximum 10 5 ) with a frequency of 98%. Since 100% of neutron generation should occur in principle, in the future it will be necessary to enhancing laser collecting intensity and to improve solid particle number density in order to put this process into practical use as a neutron source. (A.O.)

A High-Resolution Terrestrial Modeling System (TMS): A Demonstration in China

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Q.; Dai, Y.; Zheng, X.; Ye, A.; Ji, D.; Chen, Z.

2013-12-01

This presentation describes a terrestrial modeling system (TMS) developed at Beijing Normal University. The TMS is designed to be driven by multi-sensor meteorological and land surface observations, including those from satellites and land based observing stations. The purposes of the TMS are (1) to provide a land surface parameterization scheme fully capable of being coupled with the Earth system models; (2) to provide a standalone platform for retrospective historical simulation and for forecasting of future land surface processes at different space and time scales; and (3) to provide a platform for studying human-Earth system interactions and for understanding climate change impacts. This system is built on capabilities among several groups at BNU, including the Common Land Model (CoLM) system, high-resolution atmospheric forcing data sets, high resolution land surface characteristics data sets, data assimilation and uncertainty analysis platforms, ensemble prediction platform, and high-performance computing facilities. This presentation intends to describe the system design and demonstrate the capabilities of TMS with results from a China-wide application.

Design and simulation of high accuracy power supplies for injector synchrotron dipole magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fathizadeh, M.

1991-01-01

The ring magnet of the injector synchrotron consists of 68 dipole magnets. These magnets are connected in series and are energized from two feed points 180 degree apart by two identical 12-phase power supplies. The current in the magnet will be raised linearly to about 1 kA level, and after a small transition period (1 ms to 10 ms typical) the current will be reduced to below the injection level of 60 A. The repetition time for the current waveform is 500 ms. A relatively fast voltage loop along with a high gain current loop are utilized to control the current in the magnet with the required accuracy. Only one regulator circuit is used to control the firing pulses of the two sets of identical 12-phase power supplies. Pspice software was used to design and simulate the power supply performance under ramping and investigate the effect of current changes on the utility voltage and input power factor. A current ripple of ± 2 x 10 -4 and tracking error of ± 5 x 10 -4 was needed

High accuracy determination of trace elements in NIST standard reference materials by isotope dilution ICP-MS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paulsen, P.J.; Beary, E.S.

1996-01-01

At NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), ICP-MS ID (inductively coupled mass spectrometry isotope dilution) has been used to certify a wide range of elements in a variety of materials with high accuracy. Both the chemical preparation and instrumental procedures are simpler than with other ID mass spectrometric techniques. The ICP-MS has picogram/ml detection limits for most elements using fixed operating parameters. Chemical separations are required only to remove an interference (from molecular ions as well as isobaric atoms), or to pre-concentrate the analyte. For example, chemical separations were required for the analysis of SRM 2711, Montana II Soil, but not for boron in peach leaves, SRM 1547.(3 refs., 3 tabs., 2 figs

Diagnostic Accuracy of Molecular Amplification Tests for Human African Trypanosomiasis-Systematic Review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mugasa, Claire M.; Adams, Emily R.; Boer, Kimberly R.; Dyserinck, Heleen C.; Büscher, Philippe; Schallig, Henk D. H. F.; Leeflang, Mariska M. G.

2012-01-01

Background: A range of molecular amplification techniques have been developed for the diagnosis of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT); however, careful evaluation of these tests must precede implementation to ensure their high clinical accuracy. Here, we investigated the diagnostic accuracy of

Accuracy of prehospital transport time estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, David J; Kahn, Jeremy M; Angus, Derek C; Martin-Gill, Christian; Callaway, Clifton W; Rea, Thomas D; Chhatwal, Jagpreet; Kurland, Kristen; Seymour, Christopher W

2014-01-01

Estimates of prehospital transport times are an important part of emergency care system research and planning; however, the accuracy of these estimates is unknown. The authors examined the accuracy of three estimation methods against observed transport times in a large cohort of prehospital patient transports. This was a validation study using prehospital records in King County, Washington, and southwestern Pennsylvania from 2002 to 2006 and 2005 to 2011, respectively. Transport time estimates were generated using three methods: linear arc distance, Google Maps, and ArcGIS Network Analyst. Estimation error, defined as the absolute difference between observed and estimated transport time, was assessed, as well as the proportion of estimated times that were within specified error thresholds. Based on the primary results, a regression estimate was used that incorporated population density, time of day, and season to assess improved accuracy. Finally, hospital catchment areas were compared using each method with a fixed drive time. The authors analyzed 29,935 prehospital transports to 44 hospitals. The mean (± standard deviation [±SD]) absolute error was 4.8 (±7.3) minutes using linear arc, 3.5 (±5.4) minutes using Google Maps, and 4.4 (±5.7) minutes using ArcGIS. All pairwise comparisons were statistically significant (p Google Maps, and 11.6 [±10.9] minutes for ArcGIS). Estimates were within 5 minutes of observed transport time for 79% of linear arc estimates, 86.6% of Google Maps estimates, and 81.3% of ArcGIS estimates. The regression-based approach did not substantially improve estimation. There were large differences in hospital catchment areas estimated by each method. Route-based transport time estimates demonstrate moderate accuracy. These methods can be valuable for informing a host of decisions related to the system organization and patient access to emergency medical care; however, they should be employed with sensitivity to their limitations. �

High-Accuracy Tidal Flat Digital Elevation Model Construction Using TanDEM-X Science Phase Data

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seung-Kuk; Ryu, Joo-Hyung

2017-01-01

This study explored the feasibility of using TanDEM-X (TDX) interferometric observations of tidal flats for digital elevation model (DEM) construction. Our goal was to generate high-precision DEMs in tidal flat areas, because accurate intertidal zone data are essential for monitoring coastal environment sand erosion processes. To monitor dynamic coastal changes caused by waves, currents, and tides, very accurate DEMs with high spatial resolution are required. The bi- and monostatic modes of the TDX interferometer employed during the TDX science phase provided a great opportunity for highly accurate intertidal DEM construction using radar interferometry with no time lag (bistatic mode) or an approximately 10-s temporal baseline (monostatic mode) between the master and slave synthetic aperture radar image acquisitions. In this study, DEM construction in tidal flat areas was first optimized based on the TDX system parameters used in various TDX modes. We successfully generated intertidal zone DEMs with 57-m spatial resolutions and interferometric height accuracies better than 0.15 m for three representative tidal flats on the west coast of the Korean Peninsula. Finally, we validated these TDX DEMs against real-time kinematic-GPS measurements acquired in two tidal flat areas; the correlation coefficient was 0.97 with a root mean square error of 0.20 m.

SFOL Pulse: A High Accuracy DME Pulse for Alternative Aircraft Position and Navigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Euiho Kim

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA performance based navigation strategy announced in 2016, the FAA stated that it would retain and expand the Distance Measuring Equipment (DME infrastructure to ensure resilient aircraft navigation capability during the event of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS outage. However, the main drawback of the DME as a GNSS back up system is that it requires a significant expansion of the current DME ground infrastructure due to its poor distance measuring accuracy over 100 m. The paper introduces a method to improve DME distance measuring accuracy by using a new DME pulse shape. The proposed pulse shape was developed by using Genetic Algorithms and is less susceptible to multipath effects so that the ranging error reduces by 36.0–77.3% when compared to the Gaussian and Smoothed Concave Polygon DME pulses, depending on noise environment.

No special K! A signal detection framework for the strategic regulation of memory accuracy.

Science.gov (United States)

Higham, Philip A

2007-02-01

Two experiments investigated criterion setting and metacognitive processes underlying the strategic regulation of accuracy on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) using Type-2 signal detection theory (SDT). In Experiment 1, report bias was manipulated by penalizing participants either 0.25 (low incentive) or 4 (high incentive) points for each error. Best guesses to unanswered items were obtained so that Type-2 signal detection indices of discrimination and bias could be calculated. The same incentive manipulation was used in Experiment 2, only the test was computerized, confidence ratings were taken so that receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves could be generated, and feedback was manipulated. The results of both experiments demonstrated that SDT provides a viable alternative to A. Koriat and M. Goldsmith's (1996c) framework of monitoring and control and reveals information about the regulation of accuracy that their framework does not. For example, ROC analysis indicated that the threshold model implied by formula scoring is inadequate. Instead, performance on the SAT should be modeled with an equal-variance Gaussian, Type-2 signal detection model. ((c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved).

High-accuracy optical extensometer based on coordinate transform in two-dimensional digital image correlation

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Zeqian; Xu, Xiaohai; Yan, Tianhao; Cai, Yulong; Su, Yong; Zhang, Qingchuan

2018-01-01

In the measurement of plate specimens, traditional two-dimensional (2D) digital image correlation (DIC) is challenged by two aspects: (1) the slant optical axis (misalignment of the optical camera axis and the object surface) and (2) out-of-plane motions (including translations and rotations) of the specimens. There are measurement errors in the results measured by 2D DIC, especially when the out-of-plane motions are big enough. To solve this problem, a novel compensation method has been proposed to correct the unsatisfactory results. The proposed compensation method consists of three main parts: 1) a pre-calibration step is used to determine the intrinsic parameters and lens distortions; 2) a compensation panel (a rigid panel with several markers located at known positions) is mounted to the specimen to track the specimen's motion so that the relative coordinate transformation between the compensation panel and the 2D DIC setup can be calculated using the coordinate transform algorithm; 3) three-dimensional world coordinates of measuring points on the specimen can be reconstructed via the coordinate transform algorithm and used to calculate deformations. Simulations have been carried out to validate the proposed compensation method. Results come out that when the extensometer length is 400 pixels, the strain accuracy reaches 10 με no matter out-of-plane translations (less than 1/200 of the object distance) nor out-of-plane rotations (rotation angle less than 5°) occur. The proposed compensation method leads to good results even when the out-of-plane translation reaches several percents of the object distance or the out-of-plane rotation angle reaches tens of degrees. The proposed compensation method has been applied in tensile experiments to obtain high-accuracy results as well.

DNA template dependent accuracy variation of nucleotide selection in transcription.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harriet Mellenius

Full Text Available It has been commonly assumed that the effect of erroneous transcription of DNA genes into messenger RNAs on peptide sequence errors are masked by much more frequent errors of mRNA translation to protein. We present a theoretical model of transcriptional accuracy. It uses experimentally estimated standard free energies of double-stranded DNA and RNA/DNA hybrids and predicts a DNA template dependent transcriptional accuracy variation spanning several orders of magnitude. The model also identifies high-error as well a high-accuracy transcription motifs. The source of the large accuracy span is the context dependent variation of the stacking free energy of pairs of correct and incorrect base pairs in the ever moving transcription bubble. Our model predictions have direct experimental support from recent single molecule based identifications of transcriptional errors in the C. elegans transcriptome. Our conclusions challenge the general view that amino acid substitution errors in proteins are mainly caused by translational errors. It suggests instead that transcriptional error hotspots are the dominating source of peptide sequence errors in some DNA template contexts, while mRNA translation is the major cause of protein errors in other contexts.

Bounds on achievable accuracy in analog optical linear-algebra processors

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Batsell, Stephen G.; Walkup, John F.; Krile, Thomas F.

1990-07-01

Upper arid lower bounds on the number of bits of accuracy achievable are determined by applying a seconth-ortler statistical model to the linear algebra processor. The use of bounds was found necessary due to the strong signal-dependence of the noise at the output of the optical linear algebra processor (OLAP). 1 1. ACCURACY BOUNDS One of the limiting factors in applying OLAPs to real world problems has been the poor achievable accuracy of these processors. Little previous research has been done on determining noise sources from a systems perspective which would include noise generated in the multiplication ard addition operations spatial variations across arrays and crosstalk. We have previously examined these noise sources and determined a general model for the output noise mean and variance. The model demonstrates a strony signaldependency in the noise at the output of the processor which has been confirmed by our experiments. 1 We define accuracy similar to its definition for an analog signal input to an analog-to-digital (ND) converter. The number of bits of accuracy achievable is related to the log (base 2) of the number of separable levels at the P/D converter output. The number of separable levels is fouri by dividing the dynamic range by m times the standard deviation of the signal a. 2 Here m determines the error rate in the P/D conversion. The dynamic range can be expressed as the

FIELD ACCURACY TEST OF RPAS PHOTOGRAMMETRY

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P. Barry

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Baseline Surveys Ltd is a company which specialises in the supply of accurate geospatial data, such as cadastral, topographic and engineering survey data to commercial and government bodies. Baseline Surveys Ltd invested in aerial drone photogrammetric technology and had a requirement to establish the spatial accuracy of the geographic data derived from our unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV photogrammetry before marketing our new aerial mapping service. Having supplied the construction industry with survey data for over 20 years, we felt that is was crucial for our clients to clearly understand the accuracy of our photogrammetry so they can safely make informed spatial decisions, within the known accuracy limitations of our data. This information would also inform us on how and where UAV photogrammetry can be utilised. What we wanted to find out was the actual accuracy that can be reliably achieved using a UAV to collect data under field conditions throughout a 2 Ha site. We flew a UAV over the test area in a "lawnmower track" pattern with an 80% front and 80% side overlap; we placed 45 ground markers as check points and surveyed them in using network Real Time Kinematic Global Positioning System (RTK GPS. We specifically designed the ground markers to meet our accuracy needs. We established 10 separate ground markers as control points and inputted these into our photo modelling software, Agisoft PhotoScan. The remaining GPS coordinated check point data were added later in ArcMap to the completed orthomosaic and digital elevation model so we could accurately compare the UAV photogrammetry XYZ data with the RTK GPS XYZ data at highly reliable common points. The accuracy we achieved throughout the 45 check points was 95% reliably within 41 mm horizontally and 68 mm vertically and with an 11.7 mm ground sample distance taken from a flight altitude above ground level of 90 m.The area covered by one image was 70.2 m × 46.4 m, which equals 0.325 Ha. This

Understanding vs. Competency: The Case of Accuracy Checking Dispensed Medicines in Pharmacy

Science.gov (United States)

James, K. Lynette; Davies, J. Graham; Kinchin, Ian; Patel, Jignesh P.; Whittlesea, Cate

2010-01-01

Ensuring the competence of healthcare professionals' is core to undergraduate and post-graduate education. Undergraduate pharmacy students and pre-registration graduates are required to demonstrate competence at dispensing and accuracy checking medicines. However, competence differs from understanding. This study determined the competence and…

ACCURACY OF MEASUREMENTS IN OBLIQUE AERIAL IMAGES FOR URBAN ENVIRONMENT

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W. Ostrowski

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Oblique aerial images have been a source of data for urban areas for several years. However, the accuracy of measurements in oblique images during this time has been limited to a single meter due to the use of direct -georeferencing technology and the underlying digital elevation model. Therefore, oblique images have been used mostly for visualization purposes. This situation changed in recent years as new methods, which allowed for a higher accuracy of exterior orientation, were developed. Current developments include the process of determining exterior orientation and the previous but still crucial process of tie point extraction. Progress in this area was shown in the ISPRS/EUROSDR Benchmark on Multi-Platform Photogrammetry and is also noticeable in the growing interest in the use of this kind of imagery. The higher level of accuracy in the orientation of oblique aerial images that has become possible in the last few years should result in a higher level of accuracy in the measurements of these types of images. The main goal of this research was to set and empirically verify the accuracy of measurements in oblique aerial images. The research focused on photogrammetric measurements composed of many images, which use a high overlap within an oblique dataset and different view angles. During the experiments, two series of images of urban areas were used. Both were captured using five DigiCam cameras in a Maltese cross configuration. The tilt angles of the oblique cameras were 45 degrees, and the position of the cameras during flight used a high grade GPS/INS navigation system. The orientation of the images was set using the Pix4D Mapper Pro software with both measurements of the in-flight camera position and the ground control points (measured with GPS RTK technology. To control the accuracy, check points were used (which were also measured with GPS RTK technology. As reference data for the whole study, an area of the city-based map was used

Diagnostic Accuracy of Global Pharma Health Fund Minilab™ in Assessing Pharmacopoeial Quality of Antimicrobials.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Hui; Ba-Thein, William

2018-01-01

Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF) Minilab™, a semi-quantitative thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-based commercially available test kit, is widely used in drug quality surveillance globally, but its diagnostic accuracy is unclear. We investigated the diagnostic accuracy of Minilab system for antimicrobials, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as reference standard. Following the Minilab protocols and the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China protocols, Minilab-TLC and HPLC were used to test five common antimicrobials (506 batches) for relative concentration of active pharmaceutical ingredients. The prevalence of poor-quality antimicrobials determined, respectively, by Minilab TLC and HPLC was amoxicillin (0% versus 14.9%), azithromycin (0% versus 17.4%), cefuroxime axetil (14.3% versus 0%), levofloxacin (0% versus 3.0%), and metronidazole (0% versus 38.0%). The Minilab TLC had false-positive and false-negative detection rates of 2.6% (13/506) and 15.2% (77/506) accordingly, resulting in the following test characteristics: sensitivity 0%, specificity 97.0%, positive predictive value 0, negative predictive value 0.8, positive likelihood ratio 0, negative likelihood ratio 1.0, diagnostic odds ratio 0, and adjusted diagnostic odds ratio 0.2. This study demonstrates unsatisfying diagnostic accuracy of Minilab system in screening poor-quality antimicrobials of common use. Using Minilab as a stand-alone system for monitoring drug quality should be reconsidered.

Process planning and accuracy distribution of marine power plant modularization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZHANG Jinguo

2018-02-01

Full Text Available [Objectives] Modular shipbuilding can shorten the cycle of design and construction, lower production costs and improve the quality of products, but higher shipbuilding capabilities are required, especially for the installation of power plants. Because of such characteristics of modular shipbuilding as the high precision of docking links, long size equipment installation chain and quantitative docking interfaces, docking installation is very difficult due to high docking deviation and low accuracy of docking installation, leading to the abnormal vibration of equipment. In order to solve this problem, [Methods] on the basis of domestic shipbuilding capability, numerical calculation methods are used to analyze the accuracy distribution of modular installation. [Results] The results show that the accuracy distribution of different docking links is reasonable and feasible, and the setting of adjusting allowance matches the requirements of shipbuilding. [Conclusions] This method provides a reference for the modular construction of marine power plants.

MALDI FTICR IMS of Intact Proteins: Using Mass Accuracy to Link Protein Images with Proteomics Data

Science.gov (United States)

Spraggins, Jeffrey M.; Rizzo, David G.; Moore, Jessica L.; Rose, Kristie L.; Hammer, Neal D.; Skaar, Eric P.; Caprioli, Richard M.

2015-06-01

MALDI imaging mass spectrometry is a highly sensitive and selective tool used to visualize biomolecules in tissue. However, identification of detected proteins remains a difficult task. Indirect identification strategies have been limited by insufficient mass accuracy to confidently link ion images to proteomics data. Here, we demonstrate the capabilities of MALDI FTICR MS for imaging intact proteins. MALDI FTICR IMS provides an unprecedented combination of mass resolving power (~75,000 at m/z 5000) and accuracy (differentiate a series of oxidation products of S100A8 ( m/z 10,164.03, -2.1ppm), a subunit of the heterodimer calprotectin, in kidney tissue from mice infected with Staphylococcus aureus. S100A8 - M37O/C42O3 ( m/z 10228.00, -2.6ppm) was found to co-localize with bacterial microcolonies at the center of infectious foci. The ability of MALDI FTICR IMS to distinguish S100A8 modifications is critical to understanding calprotectin's roll in nutritional immunity.

Trust in automation and meta-cognitive accuracy in NPP operating crews

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skraaning Jr, G.; Miberg Skjerve, A. B. [OECD Halden Reactor Project, PO Box 173, 1751 Halden (Norway)

2006-07-01

Nuclear power plant operators can over-trust or under-trust automation. Operator trust in automation is said to be mis-calibrated when the level of trust is not corresponding to the actual level of automation reliability. A possible consequence of mis-calibrated trust is degraded meta-cognitive accuracy. Meta-cognitive accuracy is the ability to correctly monitor the effectiveness of ones own performance while engaged in complex tasks. When operators misjudge their own performance, human control actions will be poorly regulated and safety and/or efficiency may suffer. An analysis of simulator data showed that meta-cognitive accuracy and trust in automation were highly correlated for knowledge-based scenarios, but uncorrelated for rule-based scenarios. In the knowledge-based scenarios, the operators overestimated their performance effectiveness under high levels of trust, they underestimated performance under low levels of trust, but showed realistic self-assessment under intermediate levels of trust in automation. The result was interpreted to suggest that trust in automation impact the meta-cognitive accuracy of the operators. (authors)

Trust in automation and meta-cognitive accuracy in NPP operating crews

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skraaning Jr, G.; Miberg Skjerve, A. B.

2006-01-01

Nuclear power plant operators can over-trust or under-trust automation. Operator trust in automation is said to be mis-calibrated when the level of trust is not corresponding to the actual level of automation reliability. A possible consequence of mis-calibrated trust is degraded meta-cognitive accuracy. Meta-cognitive accuracy is the ability to correctly monitor the effectiveness of ones own performance while engaged in complex tasks. When operators misjudge their own performance, human control actions will be poorly regulated and safety and/or efficiency may suffer. An analysis of simulator data showed that meta-cognitive accuracy and trust in automation were highly correlated for knowledge-based scenarios, but uncorrelated for rule-based scenarios. In the knowledge-based scenarios, the operators overestimated their performance effectiveness under high levels of trust, they underestimated performance under low levels of trust, but showed realistic self-assessment under intermediate levels of trust in automation. The result was interpreted to suggest that trust in automation impact the meta-cognitive accuracy of the operators. (authors)

Maximum Available Accuracy of FM-CW Radars

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V. Ricny

2009-12-01

Full Text Available This article deals with the principles and above all with the maximum available measuring accuracy analyse of FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave radars, which are usually employed for distance and velocity measurements of moving objects in road traffic, as well as air traffic and in other applications. These radars often form an important part of the active safety equipment of high-end cars – the so-called anticollision systems. They usually work in the frequency bands of mm waves (24, 35, 77 GHz. Function principles and analyses of factors, that dominantly influence the distance measurement accuracy of these equipments especially in the modulation and demodulation part, are shown in the paper.

Clinical assessment of the accuracy of blood glucose measurement devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfützner, Andreas; Mitri, Michael; Musholt, Petra B; Sachsenheimer, Daniela; Borchert, Marcus; Yap, Andrew; Forst, Thomas

2012-04-01

)). This study demonstrated the very high accuracy of BG*Star, iBG*Star, and the competitive blood glucose meters in a clinical setting.

Efficiency of High Order Spectral Element Methods on Petascale Architectures

KAUST Repository

Hutchinson, Maxwell; Heinecke, Alexander; Pabst, Hans; Henry, Greg; Parsani, Matteo; Keyes, David E.

2016-01-01

High order methods for the solution of PDEs expose a tradeoff between computational cost and accuracy on a per degree of freedom basis. In many cases, the cost increases due to higher arithmetic intensity while affecting data movement minimally. As architectures tend towards wider vector instructions and expect higher arithmetic intensities, the best order for a particular simulation may change. This study highlights preferred orders by identifying the high order efficiency frontier of the spectral element method implemented in Nek5000 and NekBox: the set of orders and meshes that minimize computational cost at fixed accuracy. First, we extract Nek’s order-dependent computational kernels and demonstrate exceptional hardware utilization by hardware-aware implementations. Then, we perform productionscale calculations of the nonlinear single mode Rayleigh-Taylor instability on BlueGene/Q and Cray XC40-based supercomputers to highlight the influence of the architecture. Accuracy is defined with respect to physical observables, and computational costs are measured by the corehour charge of the entire application. The total number of grid points needed to achieve a given accuracy is reduced by increasing the polynomial order. On the XC40 and BlueGene/Q, polynomial orders as high as 31 and 15 come at no marginal cost per timestep, respectively. Taken together, these observations lead to a strong preference for high order discretizations that use fewer degrees of freedom. From a performance point of view, we demonstrate up to 60% full application bandwidth utilization at scale and achieve ≈1PFlop/s of compute performance in Nek’s most flop-intense methods.

Efficiency of High Order Spectral Element Methods on Petascale Architectures

KAUST Repository

Hutchinson, Maxwell

2016-06-14

High order methods for the solution of PDEs expose a tradeoff between computational cost and accuracy on a per degree of freedom basis. In many cases, the cost increases due to higher arithmetic intensity while affecting data movement minimally. As architectures tend towards wider vector instructions and expect higher arithmetic intensities, the best order for a particular simulation may change. This study highlights preferred orders by identifying the high order efficiency frontier of the spectral element method implemented in Nek5000 and NekBox: the set of orders and meshes that minimize computational cost at fixed accuracy. First, we extract Nek’s order-dependent computational kernels and demonstrate exceptional hardware utilization by hardware-aware implementations. Then, we perform productionscale calculations of the nonlinear single mode Rayleigh-Taylor instability on BlueGene/Q and Cray XC40-based supercomputers to highlight the influence of the architecture. Accuracy is defined with respect to physical observables, and computational costs are measured by the corehour charge of the entire application. The total number of grid points needed to achieve a given accuracy is reduced by increasing the polynomial order. On the XC40 and BlueGene/Q, polynomial orders as high as 31 and 15 come at no marginal cost per timestep, respectively. Taken together, these observations lead to a strong preference for high order discretizations that use fewer degrees of freedom. From a performance point of view, we demonstrate up to 60% full application bandwidth utilization at scale and achieve ≈1PFlop/s of compute performance in Nek’s most flop-intense methods.

Diagnostic accuracy of routine blood examinations and CSF lactate level for post-neurosurgical bacterial meningitis

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Yang Zhang

2017-06-01

Conclusions: The PBM diagnostic accuracy of routine blood examinations was relatively low, whereas the accuracy of CSF lactate level was high. Some variables that are involved in the incidence of PBM can also affect the diagnostic accuracy for PBM. Taking into account the effects of these variables significantly improves the diagnostic accuracies of routine blood examinations and CSF lactate level.

Diagnostic accuracy of transabdominal high-resolution US for staging gallbladder cancer and differential diagnosis of neoplastic polyps compared with EUS.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jeong Sub; Kim, Jung Hoon; Kim, Yong Jae; Ryu, Ji Kon; Kim, Yong-Tae; Lee, Jae Young; Han, Joon Koo

2017-07-01

To compare the diagnostic accuracy of transabdominal high-resolution ultrasound (HRUS) for staging gallbladder cancer and differential diagnosis of neoplastic polyps compared with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and pathology. Among 125 patients who underwent both HRUS and EUS, we included 29 pathologically proven cancers (T1 = 7, T2 = 19, T3 = 3) including 15 polypoid cancers and 50 surgically proven polyps (neoplastic = 30, non-neoplastic = 20). We reviewed formal reports and assessed the accuracy of HRUS and EUS for diagnosing cancer as well as the differential diagnosis of neoplastic polyps. Statistical analyses were performed using chi-square tests. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV for gallbladder cancer were 82.7 %, 44.4 %, 82.7 %, and 44 % using HRUS and 86.2 %, 22.2 %, 78.1 %, and 33.3 % using EUS. HRUS and EUS correctly diagnosed the stage in 13 and 12 patients. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV for neoplastic polyps were 80 %, 80 %, 86 %, and 73 % using HRUS and 73 %, 85 %, 88 %, and 69 % using EUS. Single polyps (8/20 vs. 21/30), larger (1.0 ± 0.28 cm vs. 1.9 ± 0.85 cm) polyps, and older age (52.5 ± 13.2 vs. 66.1 ± 10.3 years) were common in neoplastic polyps (p diagnostic accuracy for GB cancer compared with EUS. • HRUS and EUS showed similar diagnostic accuracy for differentiating neoplastic polyps. • Single, larger polyps and older age were common in neoplastic polyps. • HRUS is less invasive compared with EUS.

Social power and recognition of emotional prosody: High power is associated with lower recognition accuracy than low power.

Science.gov (United States)

Uskul, Ayse K; Paulmann, Silke; Weick, Mario

2016-02-01

Listeners have to pay close attention to a speaker's tone of voice (prosody) during daily conversations. This is particularly important when trying to infer the emotional state of the speaker. Although a growing body of research has explored how emotions are processed from speech in general, little is known about how psychosocial factors such as social power can shape the perception of vocal emotional attributes. Thus, the present studies explored how social power affects emotional prosody recognition. In a correlational study (Study 1) and an experimental study (Study 2), we show that high power is associated with lower accuracy in emotional prosody recognition than low power. These results, for the first time, suggest that individuals experiencing high or low power perceive emotional tone of voice differently. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Increasing Accuracy of Tissue Shear Modulus Reconstruction Using Ultrasonic Strain Tensor Measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Sumi, C.

Previously, we developed three displacement vector measurement methods, i.e., the multidimensional cross-spectrum phase gradient method (MCSPGM), the multidimensional autocorrelation method (MAM), and the multidimensional Doppler method (MDM). To increase the accuracies and stabilities of lateral and elevational displacement measurements, we also developed spatially variant, displacement component-dependent regularization. In particular, the regularization of only the lateral/elevational displacements is advantageous for the lateral unmodulated case. The demonstrated measurements of the displacement vector distributions in experiments using an inhomogeneous shear modulus agar phantom confirm that displacement-component-dependent regularization enables more stable shear modulus reconstruction. In this report, we also review our developed lateral modulation methods that use Parabolic functions, Hanning windows, and Gaussian functions in the apodization function and the optimized apodization function that realizes the designed point spread function (PSF). The modulations significantly increase the accuracy of the strain tensor measurement and shear modulus reconstruction (demonstrated using an agar phantom).

Diagnosing Eyewitness Accuracy

OpenAIRE

Russ, Andrew

2015-01-01

Eyewitnesses frequently mistake innocent people for the perpetrator of an observed crime. Such misidentifications have led to the wrongful convictions of many people. Despite this, no reliable method yet exists to determine eyewitness accuracy. This thesis explored two new experimental methods for this purpose. Chapter 2 investigated whether repetition priming can measure prior exposure to a target and compared this with observers’ explicit eyewitness accuracy. Across three experiments slower...

Accuracy of Binary Black Hole waveforms for Advanced LIGO searches

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Prayush; Barkett, Kevin; Bhagwat, Swetha; Chu, Tony; Fong, Heather; Brown, Duncan; Pfeiffer, Harald; Scheel, Mark; Szilagyi, Bela

2015-04-01

Coalescing binaries of compact objects are flagship sources for the first direct detection of gravitational waves with LIGO-Virgo observatories. Matched-filtering based detection searches aimed at binaries of black holes will use aligned spin waveforms as filters, and their efficiency hinges on the accuracy of the underlying waveform models. A number of gravitational waveform models are available in literature, e.g. the Effective-One-Body, Phenomenological, and traditional post-Newtonian ones. While Numerical Relativity (NR) simulations provide for the most accurate modeling of gravitational radiation from compact binaries, their computational cost limits their application in large scale searches. In this talk we assess the accuracy of waveform models in two regions of parameter space, which have only been explored cursorily in the past: the high mass-ratio regime as well as the comparable mass-ratio + high spin regime.s Using the SpEC code, six q = 7 simulations with aligned-spins and lasting 60 orbits, and tens of q ∈ [1,3] simulations with high black hole spins were performed. We use them to study the accuracy and intrinsic parameter biases of different waveform families, and assess their viability for Advanced LIGO searches.

Trait Perception Accuracy and Acquaintance Within Groups: Tracking Accuracy Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Jill A; Bernieri, Frank

2017-05-01

Previous work on trait perception has evaluated accuracy at discrete stages of relationships (e.g., strangers, best friends). A relatively limited body of literature has investigated changes in accuracy as acquaintance within a dyad or group increases. Small groups of initially unacquainted individuals spent more than 30 hr participating in a wide range of activities designed to represent common interpersonal contexts (e.g., eating, traveling). We calculated how accurately each participant judged others in their group on the big five traits across three distinct points within the acquaintance process: zero acquaintance, after a getting-to-know-you conversation, and after 10 weeks of interaction and activity. Judgments of all five traits exhibited accuracy above chance levels after 10 weeks. An examination of the trait rating stability revealed that much of the revision in judgments occurred not over the course of the 10-week relationship as suspected, but between zero acquaintance and the getting-to-know-you conversation.

Factors Influencing Science Content Accuracy in Elementary Inquiry Science Lessons

Science.gov (United States)

Nowicki, Barbara L.; Sullivan-Watts, Barbara; Shim, Minsuk K.; Young, Betty; Pockalny, Robert

2013-06-01

Elementary teachers face increasing demands to engage children in authentic science process and argument while simultaneously preparing them with knowledge of science facts, vocabulary, and concepts. This reform is particularly challenging due to concerns that elementary teachers lack adequate science background to teach science accurately. This study examined 81 in-classroom inquiry science lessons for preservice education majors and their cooperating teachers to determine the accuracy of the science content delivered in elementary classrooms. Our results showed that 74 % of experienced teachers and 50 % of student teachers presented science lessons with greater than 90 % accuracy. Eleven of the 81 lessons (9 preservice, 2 cooperating teachers) failed to deliver accurate science content to the class. Science content accuracy was highly correlated with the use of kit-based resources supported with professional development, a preference for teaching science, and grade level. There was no correlation between the accuracy of science content and some common measures of teacher content knowledge (i.e., number of college science courses, science grades, or scores on a general science content test). Our study concluded that when provided with high quality curricular materials and targeted professional development, elementary teachers learn needed science content and present it accurately to their students.

Design and simulation of high accuracy power supplies for injector synchrotron dipole magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fathizadeh, M.

1991-01-01

The ring magnet of the injector synchrotron consists of 68 dipole magnets. These magnets are connected in series and are energized from two feed points 180 degrees apart by two identical 12-phase power supplies. The current in the magnet will be raised linearly at about 1 kA level, and after a small transition period (1 ms to 10 ms typical) the current will be reduced to below the injection level of 60 A. The repetition time for the current waveform is 500 ms. A relatively fast voltage loop along with a high gain current loop are utilized to control the current in the magnet with the required accuracy. Only one regulator circuit is used to control the firing pulses of the two sets of identical 12-phase power supplies. Pspice software was used to design and simulate the power supply performance under ramping and investigate the effect of current changes on the utility voltage and input power factor. A current ripple of ±2x10 -4 and tracking error of ±5x10 -4 was needed. 3 refs., 5 figs

Speed-Accuracy Tradeoffs in Speech Production

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-01

capacity of discrete motor responses under different cognitive sets. Journal of Experimental Psychology , 71 (4), 475. SPEED-ACCURACY TRADEOFFS IN HUMAN...space defined by vocal tract constriction degree and location, as in Articulatory Phonology Browman & Goldstein (1992). These high-level spaces are...relationship between speech gestures varies as a function of their positions within the syllable Browman & Goldstein (1995); Krakow (1999); Byrd et al

Diagnostic accuracy for X-ray chest in interstitial lung disease as confirmed by high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) chest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afzal, F.; Raza, S.; Shafique, M.

2017-01-01

Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of x-ray chest in interstitial lung disease as confirmed by high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) chest. Study Design: A cross-sectional validational study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi, from Oct 2013 to Apr 2014. Material and Method: A total of 137 patients with clinical suspicion of interstitial lung disease (ILD) aged 20-50 years of both genders were included in the study. Patients with h/o previous histopathological diagnosis, already taking treatment and pregnant females were excluded. All the patients had chest x-ray and then HRCT. The x-ray and HRCT findings were recorded as presence or absence of the ILD. Results: Mean age was 40.21 ± 4.29 years. Out of 137 patients, 79 (57.66 percent) were males and 58 (42.34 percent) were females with male to female ratio of 1.36:1. Chest x-ray detected ILD in 80 (58.39 percent) patients, out of which, 72 (true positive) had ILD and 8 (false positive) had no ILD on HRCT. Overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of chest x-ray in diagnosing ILD was 80.0 percent, 82.98 percent, 90.0 percent, 68.42 percent and 81.02 percent respectively. Conclusion: This study concluded that chest x-ray is simple, non-invasive, economical and readily available alternative to HRCT with an acceptable diagnostic accuracy of 81 percent in the diagnosis of ILD. (author)

Accuracy and precision of 3 intraoral scanners and accuracy of conventional impressions: A novel in vivo analysis method.

Science.gov (United States)

Nedelcu, R; Olsson, P; Nyström, I; Rydén, J; Thor, A

2018-02-01

To evaluate a novel methodology using industrial scanners as a reference, and assess in vivo accuracy of 3 intraoral scanners (IOS) and conventional impressions. Further, to evaluate IOS precision in vivo. Four reference-bodies were bonded to the buccal surfaces of upper premolars and incisors in five subjects. After three reference-scans, ATOS Core 80 (ATOS), subjects were scanned three times with three IOS systems: 3M True Definition (3M), CEREC Omnicam (OMNI) and Trios 3 (TRIOS). One conventional impression (IMPR) was taken, 3M Impregum Penta Soft, and poured models were digitized with laboratory scanner 3shape D1000 (D1000). Best-fit alignment of reference-bodies and 3D Compare Analysis was performed. Precision of ATOS and D1000 was assessed for quantitative evaluation and comparison. Accuracy of IOS and IMPR were analyzed using ATOS as reference. Precision of IOS was evaluated through intra-system comparison. Precision of ATOS reference scanner (mean 0.6 μm) and D1000 (mean 0.5 μm) was high. Pairwise multiple comparisons of reference-bodies located in different tooth positions displayed a statistically significant difference of accuracy between two scanner-groups: 3M and TRIOS, over OMNI (p value range 0.0001 to 0.0006). IMPR did not show any statistically significant difference to IOS. However, deviations of IOS and IMPR were within a similar magnitude. No statistical difference was found for IOS precision. The methodology can be used for assessing accuracy of IOS and IMPR in vivo in up to five units bilaterally from midline. 3M and TRIOS had a higher accuracy than OMNI. IMPR overlapped both groups. Intraoral scanners can be used as a replacement for conventional impressions when restoring up to ten units without extended edentulous spans. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

An efficient discontinuous Galerkin finite element method for highly accurate solution of maxwell equations

KAUST Repository

Liu, Meilin

2012-08-01

A discontinuous Galerkin finite element method (DG-FEM) with a highly accurate time integration scheme for solving Maxwell equations is presented. The new time integration scheme is in the form of traditional predictor-corrector algorithms, PE CE m, but it uses coefficients that are obtained using a numerical scheme with fully controllable accuracy. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed DG-FEM uses larger time steps than DG-FEM with classical PE CE) m schemes when high accuracy, which could be obtained using high-order spatial discretization, is required. © 1963-2012 IEEE.

An efficient discontinuous Galerkin finite element method for highly accurate solution of maxwell equations

KAUST Repository

Liu, Meilin; Sirenko, Kostyantyn; Bagci, Hakan

2012-01-01

A discontinuous Galerkin finite element method (DG-FEM) with a highly accurate time integration scheme for solving Maxwell equations is presented. The new time integration scheme is in the form of traditional predictor-corrector algorithms, PE CE m, but it uses coefficients that are obtained using a numerical scheme with fully controllable accuracy. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed DG-FEM uses larger time steps than DG-FEM with classical PE CE) m schemes when high accuracy, which could be obtained using high-order spatial discretization, is required. © 1963-2012 IEEE.

Pushing the limits of NAA. Accuracy, uncertainty and detection limits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenberg, R.R.

2008-01-01

This paper describes some highlights from the author's efforts to improve neutron activation analysis (NAA) detection limits through development and optimization of radiochemical separations, as well as to improve the overall accuracy of NAA measurements by identifying, quantifying and reducing measurement biases and uncertainties. Efforts to demonstrate the metrological basis of NAA, and to establish it as a 'Primary Method of Measurement' will be discussed. (author)

Evaluating perceptual integration: uniting response-time- and accuracy-based methodologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Eidels, Ami; Townsend, James T; Hughes, Howard C; Perry, Lacey A

2015-02-01

This investigation brings together a response-time system identification methodology (e.g., Townsend & Wenger Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 11, 391-418, 2004a) and an accuracy methodology, intended to assess models of integration across stimulus dimensions (features, modalities, etc.) that were proposed by Shaw and colleagues (e.g., Mulligan & Shaw Perception & Psychophysics 28, 471-478, 1980). The goal was to theoretically examine these separate strategies and to apply them conjointly to the same set of participants. The empirical phases were carried out within an extension of an established experimental design called the double factorial paradigm (e.g., Townsend & Nozawa Journal of Mathematical Psychology 39, 321-359, 1995). That paradigm, based on response times, permits assessments of architecture (parallel vs. serial processing), stopping rule (exhaustive vs. minimum time), and workload capacity, all within the same blocks of trials. The paradigm introduced by Shaw and colleagues uses a statistic formally analogous to that of the double factorial paradigm, but based on accuracy rather than response times. We demonstrate that the accuracy measure cannot discriminate between parallel and serial processing. Nonetheless, the class of models supported by the accuracy data possesses a suitable interpretation within the same set of models supported by the response-time data. The supported model, consistent across individuals, is parallel and has limited capacity, with the participants employing the appropriate stopping rule for the experimental setting.

Experimental demonstration of producing high resolution zone plates by spatial-frequency multiplication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, W.B.; Howells, M.R.

1987-01-01

In an earlier publication, the possibility of producing high resolution zone plates for x-ray applications by spatial-frequency multiplication was analyzed theoretically. The theory predicted that for a daughter zone plate generated from the interference of mth and nth diffraction orders of a parent zone plate, its primary focal spot size and focal length are one (m + n)th of their counterparts of the parent zone plate, respectively. It was also shown that a zone plate with the outermost zone width of as small as 13.8 nm might be produced by this technique. In this paper, we report an experiment which we carried out with laser light (λ = 4166A) for demonstrating this technique. In addition, an outlook for producing high resolution zone plates for x-ray application is briefly discussed

Image quality, radiation dose, and diagnostic accuracy of prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch coronary CT angiography at 70 kVp in a clinical setting: comparison with invasive coronary angiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Long Jiang; Qi, Li; Zhou, Chang Sheng; Zhao, Yan E.; Li, Xie; Lu, Guang Ming [Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Department of Medical Imaging, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China); Wang, Yining; Cao, Jian; Jin, Zhengyu [Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Department of Radiology, Beijing (China); Schoepf, U.J. [Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Department of Medical Imaging, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China); Medical University of South Carolina, Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Charleston, SC (United States); Meinel, Felix G. [Medical University of South Carolina, Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Charleston, SC (United States); Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital, Institute for Clinical Radiology, Munich (Germany); Bayer, Richard R. [Medical University of South Carolina, Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Charleston, SC (United States); Gong, Jian Bin [Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Department of Cardiology, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China)

2016-03-15

To investigate image quality, radiation dose, and diagnostic performance of prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch coronary CT angiography (CCTA) at 70 kVp compared to invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as reference standard. Forty-three patients underwent prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch CCTA at 70 kVp using 30 cc (11 g iodine) contrast medium and ICA. Subjective and objective image quality was evaluated for each CCTA study. CCTA performance for diagnosing ≥50 % stenosis was assessed. Results were stratified according to heart rate (HR), body mass index (BMI), Agatston score, and image quality. At CCTA, 94.3 % (500/530) of coronary segments were of diagnostic quality. Using ICA as reference standard, sensitivity and accuracy were 100 % and 93.0 % on a per-patient basis. Per-vessel and per-segment performances were 92.2 % and 89.5 %; 79.5 % and 88.3 %, respectively. No differences were found in diagnostic accuracy between different HR, BMI, and calcification subgroups (all P > 0.05) on a per-patient basis. However, low image quality reduced diagnostic accuracy on a per-patient, per-vessel and per-segment basis (all P < 0.05). The mean effective radiation dose was 0.2 ± 0.0 mSv. Our presented protocol results in an effective radiation dose of 0.2 mSv and high diagnostic accuracy for stenosis detection in a selected, non-obese population. (orig.)

Accuracy of a commercial optical 3D surface imaging system for realignment of patients for radiotherapy of the thorax

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoeffel, Philipp J; Harms, Wolfgang; Sroka-Perez, Gabriele; Schlegel, Wolfgang; Karger, Christian P

2007-01-01

Accurate and reproducible patient setup is a prerequisite to fractionated radiotherapy. To evaluate the applicability and technical performance of a commercial 3D surface imaging system for repositioning of breast cancer patients, measurements were performed in a rigid anthropomorphic phantom as well as in healthy volunteers. The camera system records a respiration-gated surface model of the imaged object, which may be registered to a previously recorded reference model. A transformation is provided, which may be applied to the treatment couch to correct the setup of the patient. The system showed a high stability and detected pre-defined shifts of phantoms and healthy volunteers with an accuracy of 0.40 ± 0.26 mm and 1.02 ± 0.51 mm, respectively (spatial deviation between pre-defined shift and suggested correction). The accuracy of the suggested rotational correction around the vertical axis was always better than 0.3 0 in phantom measurements and 0.8 0 in volunteers, respectively. Comparison of the suggested setup correction with that detected by a second and independently operated marker-based optical system provided consistent results. The results demonstrate that the camera system provides highly accurate setup corrections in a phantom and healthy volunteers. The most efficient use of the system for improving the setup accuracy in breast cancer patients has to be investigated in routine patient treatments

Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in upper and lower extremity long bone fractures of emergency department trauma patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Frouzan, Arash; Masoumi, Kambiz; Delirroyfard, Ali; Mazdaie, Behnaz; Bagherzadegan, Elnaz

2017-08-01

Long bone fractures are common injuries caused by trauma. Some studies have demonstrated that ultrasound has a high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of upper and lower extremity long bone fractures. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of ultrasound compared with plain radiography in diagnosis of upper and lower extremity long bone fractures in traumatic patients. This cross-sectional study assessed 100 patients admitted to the emergency department of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran with trauma to the upper and lower extremities, from September 2014 through October 2015. In all patients, first ultrasound and then standard plain radiography for the upper and lower limb was performed. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 21 to determine the specificity and sensitivity. The mean age of patients with upper and lower limb trauma were 31.43±12.32 years and 29.63±5.89 years, respectively. Radius fracture was the most frequent compared to other fractures (27%). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predicted value, and negative predicted value of ultrasound compared with plain radiography in the diagnosis of upper extremity long bones were 95.3%, 87.7%, 87.2% and 96.2%, respectively, and the highest accuracy was observed in left arm fractures (100%). Tibia and fibula fractures were the most frequent types compared to other fractures (89.2%). Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of ultrasound compared with plain radiography in the diagnosis of upper extremity long bone fractures were 98.6%, 83%, 65.4% and 87.1%, respectively, and the highest accuracy was observed in men, lower ages and femoral fractures. The results of this study showed that ultrasound compared with plain radiography has a high accuracy in the diagnosis of upper and lower extremity long bone fractures.

THE ACCURACY OF AUTOMATIC PHOTOGRAMMETRIC TECHNIQUES ON ULTRA-LIGHT UAV IMAGERY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Küng

2012-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an affordable, fully automated and accurate mapping solutions based on ultra-light UAV imagery. Several datasets are analysed and their accuracy is estimated. We show that the accuracy highly depends on the ground resolution (flying height of the input imagery. When chosen appropriately this mapping solution can compete with traditional mapping solutions that capture fewer high-resolution images from airplanes and that rely on highly accurate orientation and positioning sensors on board. Due to the careful integration with recent computer vision techniques, the post processing is robust and fully automatic and can deal with inaccurate position and orientation information which are typically problematic with traditional techniques.

Accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging in the pre-operative staging of rectal adenocarcinoma: Experience from a regional Australian cancer center.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Rohen; Ung, Kim Ann; Mathlum, Maitham

2013-12-01

Selection of the optimal treatment pathway in patients with rectal adenocarcinoma relies on accurate locoregional staging. This study aims to assess the accuracy of staging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and in particular, its accuracy in differentiating patients with early stage disease from those with more advanced disease who benefit from a different treatment approach. Patients who were staged with MRI and received surgery as the first line of treatment for biopsy-proven adenocarcinoma of the rectum were identified. Comparison was made between the clinical stage on MRI and the pathological stage of the surgical specimen. The sensitivity, specificity and overall accuracy of MRI was assessed. In all, 58 eligible patients were identified. In 31% of patients, the extent of disease was underrepresented on preoperative MRI. Sensitivity, specificity and overall accuracy of anorectal MRI in detecting stage II/III disease status in this cohort was 59, 71 and 62%, respectively. MRI underestimated the pathological stage in many patients in this series who may have benefited from the addition of neoadjuvant radiotherapy to their management. This study supports further refinement of preoperative staging and demonstrates that impressive results from highly controlled settings may be difficult to reproduce in community practice. © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

The effect of speed-accuracy strategy on response interference control in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Wylie, S A; van den Wildenberg, W P M; Ridderinkhof, K R; Bashore, T R; Powell, V D; Manning, C A; Wooten, G F

2009-07-01

Studies that used conflict paradigms such as the Eriksen Flanker task show that many individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) have pronounced difficulty resolving the conflict that arises from the simultaneous activation of mutually exclusive responses. This finding fits well with contemporary views that postulate a key role for the basal ganglia in action selection. The present experiment aims to specify the cognitive processes that underlie action selection deficits among PD patients in the context of variations in speed-accuracy strategy. PD patients (n=28) and healthy controls (n=17) performed an arrow version of the flanker task under task instructions that either emphasized speed or accuracy of responses. Reaction time (RT) and accuracy rates decreased with speed compared to accuracy instructions, although to a lesser extent for the PD group. Differences in flanker interference effects among PD and healthy controls depended on speed-accuracy strategy. Compared to the healthy controls, PD patients showed larger flanker interference effects under speed stress. RT distribution analyses suggested that PD patients have greater difficulty suppressing incorrect response activation when pressing for speed. These initial findings point to an important interaction between strategic and computational aspects of interference control in accounting for cognitive impairments of PD. The results are also compatible with recent brain imaging studies that demonstrate basal ganglia activity to co-vary with speed-accuracy adjustments.

A Framework for the Objective Assessment of Registration Accuracy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesca Pizzorni Ferrarese

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Validation and accuracy assessment are the main bottlenecks preventing the adoption of image processing algorithms in the clinical practice. In the classical approach, a posteriori analysis is performed through objective metrics. In this work, a different approach based on Petri nets is proposed. The basic idea consists in predicting the accuracy of a given pipeline based on the identification and characterization of the sources of inaccuracy. The concept is demonstrated on a case study: intrasubject rigid and affine registration of magnetic resonance images. Both synthetic and real data are considered. While synthetic data allow the benchmarking of the performance with respect to the ground truth, real data enable to assess the robustness of the methodology in real contexts as well as to determine the suitability of the use of synthetic data in the training phase. Results revealed a higher correlation and a lower dispersion among the metrics for simulated data, while the opposite trend was observed for pathologic ones. Results show that the proposed model not only provides a good prediction performance but also leads to the optimization of the end-to-end chain in terms of accuracy and robustness, setting the ground for its generalization to different and more complex scenarios.

Study on the improvement of the convective differencing scheme for the high-accuracy and stable resolution of the numerical solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, J. K.; Choi, Y. D.

1992-01-01

QUICKER scheme has several attractive properties. However, under highly convective conditions, it produces overshoots and possibly some oscillations on each side of steps in the dependent variable when the flow is convected at an angle oblique to the grid line. Fortunately, it is possible to modify the QUICKER scheme using non-linear and linear functional relationship. Details of the development of polynomial upwinding scheme are given in this paper, where it is seen that this non-linear scheme has also third order accuracy. This polynomial upwinding scheme is used as the basis for the SHARPER and SMARTER schemes. Another revised scheme was developed by partial modification of QUICKER scheme using CDS and UPWIND schemes (QUICKUP). These revised schemes are tested at the well known bench mark flows, Two-Dimensional Pure Convection Flows in Oblique-Step, Lid Driven Cavity Flows and Buoyancy Driven Cavity Flows. For remain absolutely monotonic without overshoot and oscillation. QUICKUP scheme is more accurate than any other scheme in their relative accuracy. In high Reynolds number Lid Driven Catity Flow, SMARTER and SHARPER schemes retain lower computational cost than QUICKER and QUICKUP schemes, but computed velocity values in the revised schemes produced less predicted values than QUICKER scheme which is strongly effected by overshoot and undershoot values. Also, in Buoyancy Driven Cavity Flow, SMARTER, SHARPER and QUICKUP schemes give acceptable results. (Author)

Classification Accuracy of a Wearable Activity Tracker for Assessing Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity in 3–5-Year-Old Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wonwoo Byun

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This study examined the accuracy of the Fitbit activity tracker (FF for quantifying sedentary behavior (SB and varying intensities of physical activity (PA in 3–5-year-old children. Twenty-eight healthy preschool-aged children (Girls: 46%, Mean age: 4.8 ± 1.0 years wore the FF and were directly observed while performing a set of various unstructured and structured free-living activities from sedentary to vigorous intensity. The classification accuracy of the FF for measuring SB, light PA (LPA, moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA, and total PA (TPA was examined calculating Pearson correlation coefficients (r, mean absolute percent error (MAPE, Cohen’s kappa (k, sensitivity (Se, specificity (Sp, and area under the receiver operating curve (ROC-AUC. The classification accuracies of the FF (ROC-AUC were 0.92, 0.63, 0.77 and 0.92 for SB, LPA, MVPA and TPA, respectively. Similarly, values of kappa, Se, Sp and percentage of correct classification were consistently high for SB and TPA, but low for LPA and MVPA. The FF demonstrated excellent classification accuracy for assessing SB and TPA, but lower accuracy for classifying LPA and MVPA. Our findings suggest that the FF should be considered as a valid instrument for assessing time spent sedentary and overall physical activity in preschool-aged children.

Coronary CT angiography using prospective ECG triggering. High diagnostic accuracy with low radiation dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnoldi, E.; Ramos-Duran, L.; Abro, J.A.; Costello, P.; Zwerner, P.L.; Schoepf, U.J.; Nikolaou, K.; Reiser, M.F.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of coronary CT angiography (coronary CTA) using prospective ECG triggering (PT) for the detection of significant coronary artery stenosis compared to invasive coronary angiography (ICA). A total of 20 patients underwent coronary CTA with PT using a 128-slice CT scanner (Definition trademark AS+, Siemens) and ICA. All coronary CTA studies were evaluated for significant coronary artery stenoses (≥50% luminal narrowing) by 2 observers in consensus using the AHA-15-segment model. Findings in CTA were compared to those in ICA. Coronary CTA using PT had 88% sensitivity in comparison to 100% with ICA, 95% to 88% specificity, 80% to 92% positive predictive value and 97% to 100% negative predictive value for diagnosing significant coronary artery stenosis on per segment per patient analysis, respectively. Mean effective radiation dose-equivalent of CTA was 2.6±1 mSv. Coronary CTA using PT enables non-invasive diagnosis of significant coronary artery stenosis with high diagnostic accuracy in comparison to ICA and is associated with comparably low radiation exposure. (orig.) [de

Demonstration of a Fast, Precise Propane Measurement Using Infrared Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Zahniser, M. S.; Roscioli, J. R.; Nelson, D. D.; Herndon, S. C.

2016-12-01

Propane is one of the primary components of emissions from natural gas extraction and processing activities. In addition to being an air pollutant, its ratio to other hydrocarbons such as methane and ethane can serve as a "fingerprint" of a particular facility or process, aiding in identifying emission sources. Quantifying propane has typically required laboratory analysis of flask samples, resulting in low temporal resolution and making plume-based measurements infeasible. Here we demonstrate fast (1-second), high precision (infrared spectroscopy at 2967 wavenumbers. In addition, we explore the impact of nearby water and ethane absorption lines on the accuracy and precision of the propane measurement. Finally, we discuss development of a dual-laser instrument capable of simultaneous measurements of methane, ethane, and propane (the C1-C3 compounds), all within a small spatial package that can be easily deployed aboard a mobile platform.

Injection of tennis elbow: Hit and miss? A cadaveric study of injection accuracy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keijsers, Renee; van den Bekerom, Michel P. J.; Koenraadt, Koen L. M.; Bleys, Ronald L. A. W.; van Dijk, C. Niek; Eygendaal, Denise; van Riet, Roger; Middernacht, Bart; Defoort, Saartje; Wagener, Marc; Harake, Ramzi; Ciornohac, Jean-Florin; Montarnal, Robert; van Benthem, Yasmin; Cattaneo, Stefano; Faber, Dirk; Galatz, Leesa; Birkisson, Illugi; van der Hoeven, Henk; Witjes, Suzanne; Heeren, M.; Ahmed, El-Gammal; Husif, N. N.; Beumer, Annechien; The, Bertram

2017-01-01

Different injection therapies are used in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis (LE). Usually, the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) tendon is affected. Therefore, an injection should be aimed at the origin of this tendon. This study demonstrates the accuracy of manual injections in the

THE RELIABILITY AND ACCURACY OF THE TRIPLE MEASUREMENTS OF ANALOG PROCESS VARIABLES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. A. Anishchenko

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The increase in unit capacity of electric equipment as well as complication of technological processes, devices control and management of the latter in power plants and substations demonstrate the need to improve the reliability and accuracy of measurement information characterizing the state of the objects being managed. The mentioned objective is particularly important for nuclear power plants, where the price of inaccuracy of measurement responsible process variables is particularly high and the error might lead to irreparable consequences. Improving the reliability and accuracy of measurements along with the improvement of the element base is provided by methods of operational validation. These methods are based on the use of information redundancy (structural, topological, temporal. In particular, information redundancy can be achieved by the simultaneous measurement of one analog variable by two (duplication or three devices (triplication i.e., triple redundancy. The problem of operational control of the triple redundant system of measurement of electrical analog variables (currents, voltages, active and reactive power and energy is considered as a special case of signal processing by an orderly sampling on the basis of majority transformation and transformation being close to majority one. Difficulties in monitoring the reliability of measurements are associated with the two tasks. First, one needs to justify the degree of truncation of the distributions of random errors of measurements and allowable residuals of the pairwise differences of the measurement results. The second task consists in formation of the algorithm of joint processing of a set of separate measurements determined as valid. The quality of control is characterized by the reliability, which adopted the synonym of validity, and accuracy of the measuring system. Taken separately, these indicators might lead to opposite results. A compromise solution is therefore proposed

Geometric Accuracy Investigations of SEVIRI High Resolution Visible (HRV Level 1.5 Imagery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sultan Kocaman Aksakal

2013-05-01

Full Text Available GCOS (Global Climate Observing System is a long-term program for monitoring the climate, detecting the changes, and assessing their impacts. Remote sensing techniques are being increasingly used for climate-related measurements. Imagery of the SEVIRI instrument on board of the European geostationary satellites Meteosat-8 and Meteosat-9 are often used for the estimation of essential climate variables. In a joint project between the Swiss GCOS Office and ETH Zurich, geometric accuracy and temporal stability of 1-km resolution HRV channel imagery of SEVIRI have been evaluated over Switzerland. A set of tools and algorithms has been developed for the investigations. Statistical analysis and blunder detection have been integrated in the process for robust evaluation. The relative accuracy is evaluated by tracking large numbers of feature points in consecutive HRV images taken at 15-minute intervals. For the absolute accuracy evaluation, lakes in Switzerland and surroundings are used as reference. 20 lakes digitized from Landsat orthophotos are transformed into HRV images and matched via 2D translation terms at sub-pixel level. The algorithms are tested using HRV images taken on 24 days in 2008 (2 days per month. The results show that 2D shifts that are up to 8 pixels are present both in relative and absolute terms.

The accuracy of new wheelchair users' predictions about their future wheelchair use.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoenig, Helen; Griffiths, Patricia; Ganesh, Shanti; Caves, Kevin; Harris, Frances

2012-06-01

This study examined the accuracy of new wheelchair user predictions about their future wheelchair use. This was a prospective cohort study of 84 community-dwelling veterans provided a new manual wheelchair. The association between predicted and actual wheelchair use was strong at 3 mos (ϕ coefficient = 0.56), with 90% of those who anticipated using the wheelchair at 3 mos still using it (i.e., positive predictive value = 0.96) and 60% of those who anticipated not using it indeed no longer using the wheelchair (i.e., negative predictive value = 0.60, overall accuracy = 0.92). Predictive accuracy diminished over time, with overall accuracy declining from 0.92 at 3 mos to 0.66 at 6 mos. At all time points, and for all types of use, patients better predicted use as opposed to disuse, with correspondingly higher positive than negative predictive values. Accuracy of prediction of use in specific indoor and outdoor locations varied according to location. This study demonstrates the importance of better understanding the potential mismatch between the anticipated and actual patterns of wheelchair use. The findings suggest that users can be relied upon to accurately predict their basic wheelchair-related needs in the short-term. Further exploration is needed to identify characteristics that will aid users and their providers in more accurately predicting mobility needs for the long-term.

Location accuracy evaluation of lightning location systems using natural lightning flashes recorded by a network of high-speed cameras

Science.gov (United States)

Alves, J.; Saraiva, A. C. V.; Campos, L. Z. D. S.; Pinto, O., Jr.; Antunes, L.

2014-12-01

This work presents a method for the evaluation of location accuracy of all Lightning Location System (LLS) in operation in southeastern Brazil, using natural cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes. This can be done through a multiple high-speed cameras network (RAMMER network) installed in the Paraiba Valley region - SP - Brazil. The RAMMER network (Automated Multi-camera Network for Monitoring and Study of Lightning) is composed by four high-speed cameras operating at 2,500 frames per second. Three stationary black-and-white (B&W) cameras were situated in the cities of São José dos Campos and Caçapava. A fourth color camera was mobile (installed in a car), but operated in a fixed location during the observation period, within the city of São José dos Campos. The average distance among cameras was 13 kilometers. Each RAMMER sensor position was determined so that the network can observe the same lightning flash from different angles and all recorded videos were GPS (Global Position System) time stamped, allowing comparisons of events between cameras and the LLS. The RAMMER sensor is basically composed by a computer, a Phantom high-speed camera version 9.1 and a GPS unit. The lightning cases analyzed in the present work were observed by at least two cameras, their position was visually triangulated and the results compared with BrasilDAT network, during the summer seasons of 2011/2012 and 2012/2013. The visual triangulation method is presented in details. The calibration procedure showed an accuracy of 9 meters between the accurate GPS position of the object triangulated and the result from the visual triangulation method. Lightning return stroke positions, estimated with the visual triangulation method, were compared with LLS locations. Differences between solutions were not greater than 1.8 km.

Is it possible to demonstrate compliance with the regulations for high-level-waste repositories?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bingham, F.W.

1992-01-01

The regulations that currently govern repositories for spent fuel and high-level waste require demonstrations that are sometimes described as impossible to make. To make them will require an understanding of the current and the future phenomena at repository sites; it will also require credible estimates of the probabilities that the phenomena will occur in the distant future. Experts in many fields emdash earth sciences, statistics, numerical modeling, and the law emdash have questioned whether any amount of data collection can allow modelers to meet these requirements with enough confidence to satisfy the regulators. In recent years some performance assessments have begun to shed light on this question because they use results of actual site investigations. Although these studies do not settle the question definitively, a review of a recent total-system assessment suggests that compliance may be possible to demonstrate. The review also suggests, however, that the demonstration can be only at the ''reasonable'' levels of assurance mentioned, but not defined, in the regulations

Mining the multigroup-discrete ordinates algorithm for high quality solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganapol, B.D.; Kornreich, D.E.

2005-01-01

A novel approach to the numerical solution of the neutron transport equation via the discrete ordinates (SN) method is presented. The new technique is referred to as 'mining' low order (SN) numerical solutions to obtain high order accuracy. The new numerical method, called the Multigroup Converged SN (MGCSN) algorithm, is a combination of several sequence accelerators: Romberg and Wynn-epsilon. The extreme accuracy obtained by the method is demonstrated through self consistency and comparison to the independent semi-analytical benchmark BLUE. (authors)

Impact of geometry and viewing angle on classification accuracy of 2D based analysis of dysmorphic faces.

Science.gov (United States)

Vollmar, Tobias; Maus, Baerbel; Wurtz, Rolf P; Gillessen-Kaesbach, Gabriele; Horsthemke, Bernhard; Wieczorek, Dagmar; Boehringer, Stefan

2008-01-01

Digital image analysis of faces has been demonstrated to be effective in a small number of syndromes. In this paper we investigate several aspects that help bringing these methods closer to clinical application. First, we investigate the impact of increasing the number of syndromes from 10 to 14 as compared to an earlier study. Second, we include a side-view pose into the analysis and third, we scrutinize the effect of geometry information. Picture analysis uses a Gabor wavelet transform, standardization of landmark coordinates and subsequent statistical analysis. We can demonstrate that classification accuracy drops from 76% for 10 syndromes to 70% for 14 syndromes for frontal images. Including side-views achieves an accuracy of 76% again. Geometry performs excellently with 85% for combined poses. Combination of wavelets and geometry for both poses increases accuracy to 93%. In conclusion, a larger number of syndromes can be handled effectively by means of image analysis.

High accuracy line positions of the ν1 fundamental band of 14N216O

Science.gov (United States)

AlSaif, Bidoor; Lamperti, Marco; Gatti, Davide; Laporta, Paolo; Fermann, Martin; Farooq, Aamir; Lyulin, Oleg; Campargue, Alain; Marangoni, Marco

2018-05-01

The ν1 fundamental band of N2O is examined by a novel spectrometer that relies on the frequency locking of an external-cavity quantum cascade laser around 7.8 μm to a near-infrared Tm:based frequency comb at 1.9 μm. Due to the large tunability, nearly 70 lines in the 1240-1310 cm-1 range of the ν1 band of N2O, from P(40) to R(31), are for the first time measured with an absolute frequency calibration and an uncertainty from 62 to 180 kHz, depending on the line. Accurate values of the spectroscopic constants of the upper state are derived from a fit of the line centers (rms ≈ 4.8 × 10-6 cm-1 or 144 kHz). The ν1 transitions presently measured in a Doppler regime validate high accuracy predictions based on sub-Doppler measurements of the ν3 and ν3-ν1 transitions.

High-accuracy dosimetry study for intensity-modulated radiation therapy(IMRT) commissioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Hae Sun

2010-02-01

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), an advanced modality of high-precision radiotherapy, allows for an increase in dose to the tumor volume without increasing the dose to nearby critical organs. In order to successfully achieve the treatment, intensive dosimetry with accurate dose verification is necessary. A dosimetry for IMRT, however, is a challenging task due to dosimetric ally unfavorable phenomena such as dramatic changes of the dose at the field boundaries, dis-equilibrium of the electrons, non-uniformity between the detector and the phantom materials, and distortion of scanner-read doses. In the present study, therefore, the LEGO-type multi-purpose dosimetry phantom was developed and used for the studies on dose measurements and correction. Phantom materials for muscle, fat, bone, and lung tissue were selected after considering mass density, atomic composition, effective atomic number, and photon interaction coefficients. The phantom also includes dosimeter holders for several different types of detectors including films, which accommodates a construction of different designs of phantoms as necessary. In order to evaluate its performance, the developed phantom was tested by measuring the point dose and the percent depth dose (PDD) for small size fields under several heterogeneous conditions. However, the measurements with the two types of dosimeter did not agree well for the field sizes less than 1 x 1 cm 2 in muscle and bone, and less than 3 x 3 cm 2 in air cavity. Thus, it was recognized that several studies on small fields dosimetry and correction methods for the calculation with a PMCEPT code are needed. The under-estimated values from the ion chamber were corrected with a convolution method employed to eliminate the volume effect of the chamber. As a result, the discrepancies between the EBT film and the ion chamber measurements were significantly decreased, from 14% to 1% (1 x 1 cm 2 ), 10% to 1% (0.7 x 0.7 cm 2 ), and 42% to 7% (0.5 x 0

Modeling hemodynamics in intracranial aneurysms: Comparing accuracy of CFD solvers based on finite element and finite volume schemes.

Science.gov (United States)

Botti, Lorenzo; Paliwal, Nikhil; Conti, Pierangelo; Antiga, Luca; Meng, Hui

2018-06-01

Image-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has shown potential to aid in the clinical management of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) but its adoption in the clinical practice has been missing, partially due to lack of accuracy assessment and sensitivity analysis. To numerically solve the flow-governing equations CFD solvers generally rely on two spatial discretization schemes: Finite Volume (FV) and Finite Element (FE). Since increasingly accurate numerical solutions are obtained by different means, accuracies and computational costs of FV and FE formulations cannot be compared directly. To this end, in this study we benchmark two representative CFD solvers in simulating flow in a patient-specific IA model: (1) ANSYS Fluent, a commercial FV-based solver and (2) VMTKLab multidGetto, a discontinuous Galerkin (dG) FE-based solver. The FV solver's accuracy is improved by increasing the spatial mesh resolution (134k, 1.1m, 8.6m and 68.5m tetrahedral element meshes). The dGFE solver accuracy is increased by increasing the degree of polynomials (first, second, third and fourth degree) on the base 134k tetrahedral element mesh. Solutions from best FV and dGFE approximations are used as baseline for error quantification. On average, velocity errors for second-best approximations are approximately 1cm/s for a [0,125]cm/s velocity magnitude field. Results show that high-order dGFE provide better accuracy per degree of freedom but worse accuracy per Jacobian non-zero entry as compared to FV. Cross-comparison of velocity errors demonstrates asymptotic convergence of both solvers to the same numerical solution. Nevertheless, the discrepancy between under-resolved velocity fields suggests that mesh independence is reached following different paths. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Accuracy of Combined Computed Tomography Colonography and Dual Energy Iiodine Map Imaging for Detecting Colorectal masses using High-pitch Dual-source CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Kai; Han, Ruijuan; Han, Yang; Shi, Xuesen; Hu, Jiang; Lu, Bin

2018-02-28

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of combined computed tomography colonography (CTC) and dual-energy iodine map imaging for detecting colorectal masses using high-pitch dual-source CT, compared with optical colonography (OC) and histopathologic findings. Twenty-eight consecutive patients were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients were underwent contrast-enhanced CTC acquisition using dual-energy mode and OC and pathologic examination. The size of the space-occupied mass, the CT value after contrast enhancement, and the iodine value were measured and statistically compared. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy rate, and positive predictive and negative predictive values of dual-energy contrast-enhanced CTC were calculated and compared between conventional CTC and dual-energy iodine images. The iodine value of stool was significantly lower than the colonic neoplasia (P dual-energy iodine maps imaging was 95.6% (95% CI = 77.9%-99.2%). The specificity of the two methods was 42.8% (95% CI = 15.4%-93.5%) and 100% (95% CI = 47.9%-100%; P = 0.02), respectively. Compared with optical colonography and histopathology, combined CTC and dual-energy iodine maps imaging can distinguish stool and colonic neoplasia, distinguish between benign and malignant tumors initially and improve the diagnostic accuracy of CTC for colorectal cancer screening.

Comparative accuracy of Computed Tomography and lymphoangiography in detecting lymph node metastases from epithelial cancer of the ovary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

La Fianza, A.; Dore, R.; Campani, R.; Babilonti, L.; Tateo, S.

1991-01-01

The accuracy is investigated of both lymphangiography and CT in detecting lymph nodes metastases in 59 patients evaluated preoperatively and subsequently submitted to surgery with selective/systemic pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy. CT accuracy was also investigated in 46 patients with a clinically suspected relapse of ovarian cancer (verified by means of clinical and/or CT follow-up in 36 patients, by laparotomy in 7, by fine-needle biopsy in 1 and by necroscopy in the last 2). In the first group (previously untreated patients) the overall results in the pelvis were, respectively, for lymphangiography and CT: 94.9% vs 89.8% accuracy, 86.6% vs 60% sensitivity, 97.7% vs 100% specificity, and 92.8% vs 100%, 95.5% vs 88% positive and negative predictive values. In the paraaortic region the results were: 89.1% vs 86.5% accuracy, 73.3% vs 66.6% sensitivity, 100% specificity for both techniques, 100% positive predictive value, and 84.6% vs 81.5% negative predictive value. In the second group (clinically suspected relapse), CT accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were, respectively: 91.3%, 81.8%,and 100%. Our experience demonstrated a high incidence of lymph node metastases in ovarian cancer, both in pelvic (15/49; 25.5%) and especially in aortic (15/37; 40.5%) locations in untreated patients, and an even higher incidence in relapses (22/42; 52.5%). The high specificity and positive predictive value of CT depended on the fact that there were no false positives. We arbitrarily considered as metastatic a lymph node with diameter >2cm, and this threshold seemed to be of clinical value since it made a good predictor of metastases. Among diagnostic imaging modalities, CT is suggested as the method of choice for the evaluation of pelvic and paraaortic lymph node metastases in untreated and relapsing ovarian cancers. Lymphangiography, a more invasive- though more accurate- technique, is indicated after normal CT

Diagnostic Accuracy of Clinical Examination and Imaging Findings for Identifying Subacromial Pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Cadogan, Angela; McNair, Peter J; Laslett, Mark; Hing, Wayne A

2016-01-01

The diagnosis of subacromial pathology is limited by the poor accuracy of clinical tests for specific pathologies. The aim of this study was to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of clinical examination and imaging features for identifying subacromial pain (SAP) defined by a positive response to diagnostic injection, and to evaluate the influence of imaging findings on the clinical diagnosis of SAP. In a prospective, diagnostic accuracy design, 208 consecutive patients presenting to their primary healthcare practitioner for the first time with a new episode of shoulder pain were recruited. All participants underwent a standardized clinical examination, shoulder x-ray series and diagnostic ultrasound scan. Results were compared with the response to a diagnostic block of xylocaineTM injected into the SAB under ultrasound guidance using ≥80% post-injection reduction in pain intensity as the positive anaesthetic response (PAR) criterion. Diagnostic accuracy statistics were calculated for combinations of clinical and imaging variables demonstrating the highest likelihood of a PAR. A PAR was reported by 34% of participants. In participants with no loss of passive external rotation, combinations of three clinical variables (anterior shoulder pain, strain injury, absence of symptoms at end-range external rotation (in abduction)) demonstrated 100% specificity for a PAR when all three were positive (LR+ infinity; 95%CI 2.9, infinity). A full-thickness supraspinatus tear on ultrasound increased the likelihood of a PAR irrespective of age (specificity 98% (95%CI 94, 100); LR+ 6.2; 95% CI 1.5, 25.7)). Imaging did not improve the ability to rule-out a PAR. Combinations of clinical examination findings and a full-thickness supraspinatus tear on ultrasound scan can help confirm, but not exclude, the presence of subacromial pain. Other imaging findings were of limited value for diagnosing SAP.

High School Students' Accuracy in Estimating the Cost of College: A Proposed Methodological Approach and Differences among Racial/Ethnic Groups and College Financial-Related Factors

Science.gov (United States)

Nienhusser, H. Kenny; Oshio, Toko

2017-01-01

High school students' accuracy in estimating the cost of college (AECC) was examined by utilizing a new methodological approach, the absolute-deviation-continuous construct. This study used the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) data and examined 10,530 11th grade students in order to measure their AECC for 4-year public and private…

Investigation of the interpolation method to improve the distributed strain measurement accuracy in optical frequency domain reflectometry systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Jiwen; Zhao, Shiyuan; Yang, Di; Ding, Zhenyang

2018-02-20

We use a spectrum interpolation technique to improve the distributed strain measurement accuracy in a Rayleigh-scatter-based optical frequency domain reflectometry sensing system. We demonstrate that strain accuracy is not limited by the "uncertainty principle" that exists in the time-frequency analysis. Different interpolation methods are investigated and used to improve the accuracy of peak position of the cross-correlation and, therefore, improve the accuracy of the strain. Interpolation implemented by padding zeros on one side of the windowed data in the spatial domain, before the inverse fast Fourier transform, is found to have the best accuracy. Using this method, the strain accuracy and resolution are both improved without decreasing the spatial resolution. The strain of 3 μϵ within the spatial resolution of 1 cm at the position of 21.4 m is distinguished, and the measurement uncertainty is 3.3 μϵ.

In-flight Quality and Accuracy of Attitude Measurements from the CHAMP Advanced Stellar Compass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Peter Siegbjørn; Jørgensen, John Leif; Denver, Troelz

2005-01-01

The German geo-observations satellite CHAMP carries highly accurate vector instruments. The orientation of these relative to the inertial reference frame is obtained using star trackers. These advanced stellar compasses (ASC) are fully autonomous units, which provide, in real time, the absolute...... attitude with accuracy in the arc second range. In order to investigate the in-flight accuracy of the ASC, the terminology to characterize noise and biases is introduced. Relative instrument accuracy (RIA) and absolute instrument accuracy (AIA) can in principle be determined in-flight. However problems...

Nano-optical conveyor belt, part II: Demonstration of handoff between near-field optical traps.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yuxin; Ryan, Jason; Hansen, Paul; Cheng, Yao-Te; Lu, Tsung-Ju; Hesselink, Lambertus

2014-06-11

Optical tweezers have been widely used to manipulate biological and colloidal material, but the diffraction limit of far-field optics makes focused beams unsuitable for manipulating nanoscale objects with dimensions much smaller than the wavelength of light. While plasmonic structures have recently been successful in trapping nanoscale objects with high positioning accuracy, using such structures for manipulation over longer range has remained a significant challenge. In this work, we introduce a conveyor belt design based on a novel plasmonic structure, the resonant C-shaped engraving (CSE). We show how long-range manipulation is made possible by means of handoff between neighboring CSEs, and we present a simple technique for controlling handoff by rotating the polarization of laser illumination. We experimentally demonstrate handoff between a pair of CSEs for polystyrene spheres 200, 390, and 500 nm in diameter. We then extend this technique and demonstrate controlled particle transport down a 4.5 μm long "nano-optical conveyor belt."

On the accuracy and efficiency of finite difference solutions for nonlinear waves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bingham, Harry B.

2006-01-01

-uniform grid. Time-integration is performed using a fourth-order Runge-Kutta scheme. The linear accuracy, stability and convergence properties of the method are analyzed in two-dimensions, and high-order schemes with a stretched vertical grid are found to be advantageous relative to second-order schemes...... on an even grid. Comparison with highly accurate periodic solutions shows that these conclusions carry over to nonlinear problems. The combination of non-uniform grid spacing in the vertical and fourth-order schemes is suggested as providing an optimal balance between accuracy and complexity for practical...

ZCURVE 3.0: identify prokaryotic genes with higher accuracy as well as automatically and accurately select essential genes

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, Zhi-Gang; Lin, Yan; Yuan, Ya-Zhou; Yang, De-Chang; Wei, Wen; Guo, Feng-Biao

2015-01-01

In 2003, we developed an ab initio program, ZCURVE 1.0, to find genes in bacterial and archaeal genomes. In this work, we present the updated version (i.e. ZCURVE 3.0). Using 422 prokaryotic genomes, the average accuracy was 93.7% with the updated version, compared with 88.7% with the original version. Such results also demonstrate that ZCURVE 3.0 is comparable with Glimmer 3.02 and may provide complementary predictions to it. In fact, the joint application of the two programs generated better results by correctly finding more annotated genes while also containing fewer false-positive predictions. As the exclusive function, ZCURVE 3.0 contains one post-processing program that can identify essential genes with high accuracy (generally >90%). We hope ZCURVE 3.0 will receive wide use with the web-based running mode. The updated ZCURVE can be freely accessed from http://cefg.uestc.edu.cn/zcurve/ or http://tubic.tju.edu.cn/zcurveb/ without any restrictions. PMID:25977299

Investigation on a procedure for optimal axial depth of cut accuracy in micromilling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bissacco, Giuliano; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard; De Chiffre, Leonardo

2005-01-01

On the basis of a previously developed procedure for control of axial depth of cut in high accuracy micromilling operations, this paper presents an investigation on the estimation of the uncertainty of the set axial depth of cut.......On the basis of a previously developed procedure for control of axial depth of cut in high accuracy micromilling operations, this paper presents an investigation on the estimation of the uncertainty of the set axial depth of cut....

MO-FG-303-03: Demonstration of Universal Knowledge-Based 3D Dose Prediction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shiraishi, S; Moore, K L [University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: To demonstrate a knowledge-based 3D dose prediction methodology that can accurately predict achievable radiotherapy distributions. Methods: Using previously treated plans as input, an artificial neural network (ANN) was trained to predict 3D dose distributions based on 14 patient-specific anatomical parameters including the distance (r) to planning target volume (PTV) boundary, organ-at-risk (OAR) boundary distances, and angular position ( θ,φ). 23 prostate and 49 stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) cases with ≥1 nearby OARs were studied. All were planned with volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) to prescription doses of 81Gy for prostate and 12–30Gy for SRS. Site-specific ANNs were trained using all prostate 23 plans and using a 24 randomly-selected subset for the SRS model. The remaining 25 SRS plans were used to validate the model. To quantify predictive accuracy, the dose difference between the clinical plan and prediction were calculated on a voxel-by-voxel basis δD(r,θ,φ)=Dclin(r,θ,φ)-Dpred(r, θ,φ). Grouping voxels by boundary distance, the mean <δ Dr>=(1/N)Σ -θ,φ D(r,θ,φ) and inter-quartile range (IQR) quantified the accuracy of this method for deriving DVH estimations. The standard deviation (σ) of δ D quantified the 3D dose prediction error on a voxel-by-voxel basis. Results: The ANNs were highly accurate in predictive ability for both prostate and SRS plans. For prostate, <δDr> ranged from −0.8% to +0.6% (max IQR=3.8%) over r=0–32mm, while 3D dose prediction accuracy averaged from σ=5–8% across the same range. For SRS, from r=0–34mm the training set <δDr> ranged from −3.7% to +1.5% (max IQR=4.4%) while the validation set <δDr> ranged from −2.2% to +5.8% (max IQR=5.3%). 3D dose prediction accuracy averaged σ=2.5% for the training set and σ=4.0% over the same interval. Conclusion: The study demonstrates this technique’s ability to predict achievable 3D dose distributions for VMAT SRS and prostate. Future

MO-FG-303-03: Demonstration of Universal Knowledge-Based 3D Dose Prediction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiraishi, S; Moore, K L

2015-01-01

Purpose: To demonstrate a knowledge-based 3D dose prediction methodology that can accurately predict achievable radiotherapy distributions. Methods: Using previously treated plans as input, an artificial neural network (ANN) was trained to predict 3D dose distributions based on 14 patient-specific anatomical parameters including the distance (r) to planning target volume (PTV) boundary, organ-at-risk (OAR) boundary distances, and angular position ( θ,φ). 23 prostate and 49 stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) cases with ≥1 nearby OARs were studied. All were planned with volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) to prescription doses of 81Gy for prostate and 12–30Gy for SRS. Site-specific ANNs were trained using all prostate 23 plans and using a 24 randomly-selected subset for the SRS model. The remaining 25 SRS plans were used to validate the model. To quantify predictive accuracy, the dose difference between the clinical plan and prediction were calculated on a voxel-by-voxel basis δD(r,θ,φ)=Dclin(r,θ,φ)-Dpred(r, θ,φ). Grouping voxels by boundary distance, the mean =(1/N)Σ -θ,φ D(r,θ,φ) and inter-quartile range (IQR) quantified the accuracy of this method for deriving DVH estimations. The standard deviation (σ) of δ D quantified the 3D dose prediction error on a voxel-by-voxel basis. Results: The ANNs were highly accurate in predictive ability for both prostate and SRS plans. For prostate, ranged from −0.8% to +0.6% (max IQR=3.8%) over r=0–32mm, while 3D dose prediction accuracy averaged from σ=5–8% across the same range. For SRS, from r=0–34mm the training set ranged from −3.7% to +1.5% (max IQR=4.4%) while the validation set ranged from −2.2% to +5.8% (max IQR=5.3%). 3D dose prediction accuracy averaged σ=2.5% for the training set and σ=4.0% over the same interval. Conclusion: The study demonstrates this technique’s ability to predict achievable 3D dose distributions for VMAT SRS and prostate. Future investigations will attempt to

The Relationship Between Eyewitness Confidence and Identification Accuracy: A New Synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wixted, John T; Wells, Gary L

2017-05-01

The U.S. legal system increasingly accepts the idea that the confidence expressed by an eyewitness who identified a suspect from a lineup provides little information as to the accuracy of that identification. There was a time when this pessimistic assessment was entirely reasonable because of the questionable eyewitness-identification procedures that police commonly employed. However, after more than 30 years of eyewitness-identification research, our understanding of how to properly conduct a lineup has evolved considerably, and the time seems ripe to ask how eyewitness confidence informs accuracy under more pristine testing conditions (e.g., initial, uncontaminated memory tests using fair lineups, with no lineup administrator influence, and with an immediate confidence statement). Under those conditions, mock-crime studies and police department field studies have consistently shown that, for adults, (a) confidence and accuracy are strongly related and (b) high-confidence suspect identifications are remarkably accurate. However, when certain non-pristine testing conditions prevail (e.g., when unfair lineups are used), the accuracy of even a high-confidence suspect ID is seriously compromised. Unfortunately, some jurisdictions have not yet made reforms that would create pristine testing conditions and, hence, our conclusions about the reliability of high-confidence identifications cannot yet be applied to those jurisdictions. However, understanding the information value of eyewitness confidence under pristine testing conditions can help the criminal justice system to simultaneously achieve both of its main objectives: to exonerate the innocent (by better appreciating that initial, low-confidence suspect identifications are error prone) and to convict the guilty (by better appreciating that initial, high-confidence suspect identifications are surprisingly accurate under proper testing conditions).

Automatically explaining machine learning prediction results: a demonstration on type 2 diabetes risk prediction.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Gang

2016-01-01

Predictive modeling is a key component of solutions to many healthcare problems. Among all predictive modeling approaches, machine learning methods often achieve the highest prediction accuracy, but suffer from a long-standing open problem precluding their widespread use in healthcare. Most machine learning models give no explanation for their prediction results, whereas interpretability is essential for a predictive model to be adopted in typical healthcare settings. This paper presents the first complete method for automatically explaining results for any machine learning predictive model without degrading accuracy. We did a computer coding implementation of the method. Using the electronic medical record data set from the Practice Fusion diabetes classification competition containing patient records from all 50 states in the United States, we demonstrated the method on predicting type 2 diabetes diagnosis within the next year. For the champion machine learning model of the competition, our method explained prediction results for 87.4 % of patients who were correctly predicted by the model to have type 2 diabetes diagnosis within the next year. Our demonstration showed the feasibility of automatically explaining results for any machine learning predictive model without degrading accuracy.

Diagnostic accuracy of routine blood examinations and CSF lactate level for post-neurosurgical bacterial meningitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yang; Xiao, Xiong; Zhang, Junting; Gao, Zhixian; Ji, Nan; Zhang, Liwei

2017-06-01

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of routine blood examinations and Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) lactate level for Post-neurosurgical Bacterial Meningitis (PBM) at a large sample-size of post-neurosurgical patients. The diagnostic accuracies of routine blood examinations and CSF lactate level to distinguish between PAM and PBM were evaluated with the values of the Area Under the Curve of the Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUC -ROC ) by retrospectively analyzing the datasets of post-neurosurgical patients in the clinical information databases. The diagnostic accuracy of routine blood examinations was relatively low (AUC -ROC CSF lactate level achieved rather high diagnostic accuracy (AUC -ROC =0.891; CI 95%, 0.852-0.922). The variables of patient age, operation duration, surgical diagnosis and postoperative days (the interval days between the neurosurgery and examinations) were shown to affect the diagnostic accuracy of these examinations. The variables were integrated with routine blood examinations and CSF lactate level by Fisher discriminant analysis to improve their diagnostic accuracy. As a result, the diagnostic accuracy of blood examinations and CSF lactate level was significantly improved with an AUC -ROC value=0.760 (CI 95%, 0.737-0.782) and 0.921 (CI 95%, 0.887-0.948) respectively. The PBM diagnostic accuracy of routine blood examinations was relatively low, whereas the accuracy of CSF lactate level was high. Some variables that are involved in the incidence of PBM can also affect the diagnostic accuracy for PBM. Taking into account the effects of these variables significantly improves the diagnostic accuracies of routine blood examinations and CSF lactate level. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

A model to improve the accuracy of US Poison Center data collection.

Science.gov (United States)

Krenzelok, E P; Reynolds, K M; Dart, R C; Green, J L

2014-01-01

Over 2 million human exposure calls are reported annually to United States regional poison information centers. All exposures are documented electronically and submitted to the American Association of Poison Control Center's National Poison Data System. This database represents the largest data source available on the epidemiology of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical poisoning exposures. The accuracy of these data is critical; however, research has demonstrated that inconsistencies and inaccuracies exist. This study outlines the methods and results of a training program that was developed and implemented to enhance the quality of data collection using acetaminophen exposures as a model. Eleven poison centers were assigned randomly to receive either passive or interactive education to improve medical record documentation. A task force provided recommendations on educational and training strategies and the development of a quality-measurement scorecard to serve as a data collection tool to assess poison center data quality. Poison centers were recruited to participate in the study. Clinical researchers scored the documentation of each exposure record for accuracy. Results. Two thousand two hundred cases were reviewed and assessed for accuracy of data collection. After training, the overall mean quality scores were higher for both the passive (95.3%; + 1.6% change) and interactive intervention groups (95.3%; + 0.9% change). Data collection accuracy improved modestly for the overall accuracy score and significantly for the substance identification component. There was little difference in accuracy measures between the different training methods. Despite the diversity of poison centers, data accuracy, specifically substance identification data fields, can be improved by developing a standardized, systematic, targeted, and mandatory training process. This process should be considered for training on other important topics, thus enhancing the value of these data in

Improving the accuracy of livestock distribution estimates through spatial interpolation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryssinckx, Ward; Ducheyne, Els; Muhwezi, Bernard; Godfrey, Sunday; Mintiens, Koen; Leirs, Herwig; Hendrickx, Guy

2012-11-01

Animal distribution maps serve many purposes such as estimating transmission risk of zoonotic pathogens to both animals and humans. The reliability and usability of such maps is highly dependent on the quality of the input data. However, decisions on how to perform livestock surveys are often based on previous work without considering possible consequences. A better understanding of the impact of using different sample designs and processing steps on the accuracy of livestock distribution estimates was acquired through iterative experiments using detailed survey. The importance of sample size, sample design and aggregation is demonstrated and spatial interpolation is presented as a potential way to improve cattle number estimates. As expected, results show that an increasing sample size increased the precision of cattle number estimates but these improvements were mainly seen when the initial sample size was relatively low (e.g. a median relative error decrease of 0.04% per sampled parish for sample sizes below 500 parishes). For higher sample sizes, the added value of further increasing the number of samples declined rapidly (e.g. a median relative error decrease of 0.01% per sampled parish for sample sizes above 500 parishes. When a two-stage stratified sample design was applied to yield more evenly distributed samples, accuracy levels were higher for low sample densities and stabilised at lower sample sizes compared to one-stage stratified sampling. Aggregating the resulting cattle number estimates yielded significantly more accurate results because of averaging under- and over-estimates (e.g. when aggregating cattle number estimates from subcounty to district level, P interpolation to fill in missing values in non-sampled areas, accuracy is improved remarkably. This counts especially for low sample sizes and spatially even distributed samples (e.g. P <0.001 for a sample of 170 parishes using one-stage stratified sampling and aggregation on district level

Four High-Visibility Enforcement Demonstration Waves in Connecticut and New York Reduce Hand-Held Phone Use

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-01

The National Highway Traffic : Safety Administration initiated : distracted driving demonstration : programs in two communities : to test whether a high-visibility : enforcement (HVE) model could : reduce two specific instances : of distracted drivin...

The Move from Accuracy Studies to Randomized Trials in PET

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Siepe, Bettina; Hoilund-Carlsen, Poul Flemming; Gerke, Oke

2014-01-01

an important role in informing guideline developers and policy makers. Our aim was to investigate how far the nuclear medicine community has come on its way from accuracy studies to RCTs and which issues we have to take into account in planning future studies. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review...... evaluation. Choice of patient-important outcomes and sufficient sample sizes are crucial issues in planning RCTs to demonstrate the clinical benefit of using PET....

Gigashot Optical Laser Demonstrator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deri, R. J. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2015-10-13

The Gigashot Optical Laser Demonstrator (GOLD) project has demonstrated a novel optical amplifier for high energy pulsed lasers operating at high repetition rates. The amplifier stores enough pump energy to support >10 J of laser output, and employs conduction cooling for thermal management to avoid the need for expensive and bulky high-pressure helium subsystems. A prototype amplifier was fabricated, pumped with diode light at 885 nm, and characterized. Experimental results show that the amplifier provides sufficient small-signal gain and sufficiently low wavefront and birefringence impairments to prove useful in laser systems, at repetition rates up to 60 Hz.

SU-E-J-03: Characterization of the Precision and Accuracy of a New, Preclinical, MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound System for Image-Guided Interventions in Small-Bore, High-Field Magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellens, N; Farahani, K

2015-01-01

Purpose: MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) has many potential and realized applications including controlled heating and localized drug delivery. The development of many of these applications requires extensive preclinical work, much of it in small animal models. The goal of this study is to characterize the spatial targeting accuracy and reproducibility of a preclinical high field MRgFUS system for thermal ablation and drug delivery applications. Methods: The RK300 (FUS Instruments, Toronto, Canada) is a motorized, 2-axis FUS positioning system suitable for small bore (72 mm), high-field MRI systems. The accuracy of the system was assessed in three ways. First, the precision of the system was assessed by sonicating regular grids of 5 mm squares on polystyrene plates and comparing the resulting focal dimples to the intended pattern, thereby assessing the reproducibility and precision of the motion control alone. Second, the targeting accuracy was assessed by imaging a polystyrene plate with randomly drilled holes and replicating the hole pattern by sonicating the observed hole locations on intact polystyrene plates and comparing the results. Third, the practicallyrealizable accuracy and precision were assessed by comparing the locations of transcranial, FUS-induced blood-brain-barrier disruption (BBBD) (observed through Gadolinium enhancement) to the intended targets in a retrospective analysis of animals sonicated for other experiments. Results: The evenly-spaced grids indicated that the precision was 0.11 +/− 0.05 mm. When image-guidance was included by targeting random locations, the accuracy was 0.5 +/− 0.2 mm. The effective accuracy in the four rodent brains assessed was 0.8 +/− 0.6 mm. In all cases, the error appeared normally distributed (p<0.05) in both orthogonal axes, though the left/right error was systematically greater than the superior/inferior error. Conclusions: The targeting accuracy of this device is sub-millimeter, suitable for many

SU-E-J-03: Characterization of the Precision and Accuracy of a New, Preclinical, MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound System for Image-Guided Interventions in Small-Bore, High-Field Magnets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ellens, N [Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Farahani, K [National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) has many potential and realized applications including controlled heating and localized drug delivery. The development of many of these applications requires extensive preclinical work, much of it in small animal models. The goal of this study is to characterize the spatial targeting accuracy and reproducibility of a preclinical high field MRgFUS system for thermal ablation and drug delivery applications. Methods: The RK300 (FUS Instruments, Toronto, Canada) is a motorized, 2-axis FUS positioning system suitable for small bore (72 mm), high-field MRI systems. The accuracy of the system was assessed in three ways. First, the precision of the system was assessed by sonicating regular grids of 5 mm squares on polystyrene plates and comparing the resulting focal dimples to the intended pattern, thereby assessing the reproducibility and precision of the motion control alone. Second, the targeting accuracy was assessed by imaging a polystyrene plate with randomly drilled holes and replicating the hole pattern by sonicating the observed hole locations on intact polystyrene plates and comparing the results. Third, the practicallyrealizable accuracy and precision were assessed by comparing the locations of transcranial, FUS-induced blood-brain-barrier disruption (BBBD) (observed through Gadolinium enhancement) to the intended targets in a retrospective analysis of animals sonicated for other experiments. Results: The evenly-spaced grids indicated that the precision was 0.11 +/− 0.05 mm. When image-guidance was included by targeting random locations, the accuracy was 0.5 +/− 0.2 mm. The effective accuracy in the four rodent brains assessed was 0.8 +/− 0.6 mm. In all cases, the error appeared normally distributed (p<0.05) in both orthogonal axes, though the left/right error was systematically greater than the superior/inferior error. Conclusions: The targeting accuracy of this device is sub-millimeter, suitable for many

Immobilization of simulated high-level radioactive waste in borosilicate glass: Pilot scale demonstrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritter, J.A.; Hutson, N.D.; Zamecnik, J.R.; Carter, J.T.

1991-01-01

The Integrated DWPF Melter System (IDMS), operated by the Savannah River Laboratory, is a pilot scale facility used in support of the start-up and operation of the Department of Energy's Defense Waste Processing Facility. The IDMS has successfully demonstrated, on an engineering scale (one-fifth), that simulated high level radioactive waste (HLW) sludge can be chemically treated with formic acid to adjust both its chemical and physical properties, and then blended with simulated precipitate hydrolysis aqueous (PHA) product and borosilicate glass frit to produce a melter feed which can be processed into a durable glass product. The simulated sludge, PHA and frit were blended, based on a product composition program, to optimize the loading of the waste glass as well as to minimize those components which can cause melter processing and/or glass durability problems. During all the IDMS demonstrations completed thus far, the melter feed and the resulting glass that has been produced met all the required specifications, which is very encouraging to future DWPF operations. The IDMS operations also demonstrated that the volatile components of the melter feed (e.g., mercury, nitrogen and carbon, and, to a lesser extent, chlorine, fluorine and sulfur) did not adversely affect the melter performance or the glass product

Multi-generational imputation of single nucleotide polymorphism marker genotypes and accuracy of genomic selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Toghiani, S; Aggrey, S E; Rekaya, R

2016-07-01

Availability of high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping platforms provided unprecedented opportunities to enhance breeding programmes in livestock, poultry and plant species, and to better understand the genetic basis of complex traits. Using this genomic information, genomic breeding values (GEBVs), which are more accurate than conventional breeding values. The superiority of genomic selection is possible only when high-density SNP panels are used to track genes and QTLs affecting the trait. Unfortunately, even with the continuous decrease in genotyping costs, only a small fraction of the population has been genotyped with these high-density panels. It is often the case that a larger portion of the population is genotyped with low-density and low-cost SNP panels and then imputed to a higher density. Accuracy of SNP genotype imputation tends to be high when minimum requirements are met. Nevertheless, a certain rate of genotype imputation errors is unavoidable. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that the accuracy of GEBVs will be affected by imputation errors; especially, their cumulative effects over time. To evaluate the impact of multi-generational selection on the accuracy of SNP genotypes imputation and the reliability of resulting GEBVs, a simulation was carried out under varying updating of the reference population, distance between the reference and testing sets, and the approach used for the estimation of GEBVs. Using fixed reference populations, imputation accuracy decayed by about 0.5% per generation. In fact, after 25 generations, the accuracy was only 7% lower than the first generation. When the reference population was updated by either 1% or 5% of the top animals in the previous generations, decay of imputation accuracy was substantially reduced. These results indicate that low-density panels are useful, especially when the generational interval between reference and testing population is small. As the generational interval

Hematoxylin and eosin stain shows a high sensitivity but sub-optimal specificity in demonstrating iron pigment in liver biopsies.

Science.gov (United States)

Alwahaibi, Nasar Yousuf; Alkhatri, Azza Sarhan; Kumar, Johanes Selva

2015-01-01

Perls' stain is routinely used to demonstrate iron in liver biopsies. We tested the hypothesis that it may be unnecessary in cases, where no iron or another similar pigment was seen on the routine hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) stained section. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of H and E stain in demonstrating iron in liver biopsies as well as to determine the possibility of replacing Perls' stain with H and E stain. Two hundred pairs of slides of liver biopsies were taken from the archival files of the Department of Pathology from 2006 to 2011. Perls' and H and E slides were independently reviewed for the presence of iron. Hundred and one cases showed the presence of iron using H and E stain. 84 of 86 cases showed positive iron using both Perls' and H and E stains. Seventeen cases were positive using H and E stain but negative with Perls'. Only two cases did not show the presence of iron using H and E stain. Ninety-seven cases were negative using both Perls' and H and E stains. H and E stain showed a sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive valve, and negative predictive value of 97.67%, 85.08%, 90.5%, 83.16%, and 97.98%, respectively. We demonstrate that the H and E stain is a sensitive method to detect iron pigment in liver biopsies, particularly when present in large quantities. A negative H and E stain might obviate the need for extra Perls' staining, thus saving costs and shortening report turn-around times.

Effect of Polyvinyl Siloxane Viscosity on Accuracy of Dental Implant Impressions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Ghahremanloo

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of dental implant impressions obtained by a combination of different impression techniques and viscosities of polyvinyl siloxane (PVS.Materials and Methods: Four parallel fixtures were placed between mental foramina in a master model of lower dental arch. Three different viscosities (putty/light body, medium body/light body, and monophase: heavy body and direct and indirect techniques (six groups were used, and seven impressions were obtained from each group (n=42. To measure the accuracy of impressions, drift, horizontal, and vertical angles of the implants, as well as the hex rotation of the implants in casts were evaluated using a digitizer device (1μm accuracy, in comparison with master arch. Data were analyzed using five-factor two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post-hoc test.Results: The accuracy of impressions was assessed and the results showed that direct technique was not significantly different from indirect technique (P>0.05. Also, there were no significant differences between the mentioned viscosities except for the horizontal angle (P=0.006.Conclusions: Viscosity of impression materials is of high significance for the accuracy of dental impressions.Keywords: Dental Materials; Dental Implants; Dental Impression Technique; Viscosity; Vinyl Polysiloxane; Dimensional Measurement Accuracy

Temporal subtraction in chest radiography: Automated assessment of registration accuracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armato, Samuel G. III; Doshi, Devang J.; Engelmann, Roger; Croteau, Charles L.; MacMahon, Heber

2006-01-01

Radiologists routinely compare multiple chest radiographs acquired from the same patient over time to more completely understand changes in anatomy and pathology. While such comparisons are achieved conventionally through a side-by-side display of images, image registration techniques have been developed to combine information from two separate radiographic images through construction of a 'temporal subtraction image'. Although temporal subtraction images provide a powerful mechanism for the enhanced visualization of subtle change, errors in the clinical evaluation of these images may arise from misregistration artifacts that can mimic or obscure pathologic change. We have developed a computerized method for the automated assessment of registration accuracy as demonstrated in temporal subtraction images created from radiographic chest image pairs. The registration accuracy of 150 temporal subtraction images constructed from the computed radiography images of 72 patients was rated manually using a five-point scale ranging from '5-excellent' to '1-poor'; ratings of 3, 4, or 5 reflected clinically acceptable subtraction images, and ratings of 1 or 2 reflected clinically unacceptable images. Gray-level histogram-based features and texture measures are computed at multiple spatial scales within a 'lung mask' region that encompasses both lungs in the temporal subtraction images. A subset of these features is merged through a linear discriminant classifier. With a leave-one-out-by-patient training/testing paradigm, the automated method attained an A z value of 0.92 in distinguishing between temporal subtraction images that demonstrated clinically acceptable and clinically unacceptable registration accuracy. A second linear discriminant classifier yielded an A z value of 0.82 based on a feature subset selected from an independent database of digitized film images. These methods are expected to advance the clinical utility of temporal subtraction images for chest

Do Investors Learn About Analyst Accuracy?

OpenAIRE

Chang, Charles; Daouk, Hazem; Wang, Albert

2008-01-01

We study the impact of analyst forecasts on prices to determine whether investors learn about analyst accuracy. Our test market is the crude oil futures market. Prices rise when analysts forecast a decrease (increase) in crude supplies. In the 15 minutes following supply realizations, prices rise (fall) when forecasts have been too high (low). In both the initial price action relative to forecasts and in the subsequent reaction relative to realized forecast errors, the price response is stron...

Diagnostic accuracy of dual energy CT angiography in patients with diabetes mellitus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schabel, C.; Bongers, M.N.; Syha, R.; Ketelsen, D.; Homann, G.; Notohamiprodjo, M.; Nikolaou, K.; Bamberg, F.; Thomas, C.

2015-01-01

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) represents a major and highly prevalent complication in patients with diabetes mellitus. The diagnostic, non-invasive work-up by computed tomography angiography (CTA) is limited in the presence of extensive calcification. The aim of the study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of dual energy CTA (DE-CTA) for the detection and characterization of PAD in patients with diabetes mellitus. In this study 30 diabetic patients with suspected or known PAD were retrospectively included in the analysis. All subjects underwent DE-CTA (Somatom Definition Flash, Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany) prior to invasive angiography, which served as the reference standard. Blinded analysis included assessment of the presence and degree of peripheral stenosis on curved multiplanar reformatting (MPR) and maximum intensity projections (MIP). Conventional measures of diagnostic accuracy were derived. Among the 30 subjects included in the analysis (83 % male, mean age 70.0 ± 10.5 years, 83 % diabetes type 2), the prevalence of critical stenosis in 331 evaluated vessel segments was high (30 %). Dual energy CT identified critical stenoses with a high sensitivity and good specificity using curved MPR (100 % and 93.1 %, respectively) and MIP images (99 % and 91.8 %, respectively). In stratified analysis, the diagnostic accuracy was higher for stenosis pertaining to the pelvic and thigh vessels as compared with the lower extremities (curved MPR accuracy 97.1 % vs. 99.2 vs. 90.9 %; respectively, p < 0.001). The use of DE-CTA allows reliable detection and characterization of peripheral arterial stenosis in patients with diabetes mellitus with higher accuracy in vessels in the pelvic and thigh regions compared with the vessels in the lower legs. (orig.) [de

Rater Accuracy and Training Group Effects in Expert- and Supervisor-Based Monitoring Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Baird, Jo-Anne; Meadows, Michelle; Leckie, George; Caro, Daniel

2017-01-01

This study evaluated rater accuracy with rater-monitoring data from high stakes examinations in England. Rater accuracy was estimated with cross-classified multilevel modelling. The data included face-to-face training and monitoring of 567 raters in 110 teams, across 22 examinations, giving a total of 5500 data points. Two rater-monitoring systems…

The status of performance demonstration in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shyu, H.F.; Shong, W.J.

2004-01-01

The nuclear authority in Taiwan adopts the ASME Code Section XI, Appendix VIII as a mandatory requirement for the in-service inspection of importance nuclear components. To fulfill this requirement, the ultrasonic testing (UT) Level II of nuclear power plants have to go abroad for the qualification of performance demonstration (PD) hosted by the EPRI, USA. It is time consuming and costs much money. In order to set up domestic PD capability, this project planned and purchased test pieces, prepared qualification procedures and arranged examination site. A prototype PD system for carbon steel piping weld and stainless steel piping weld manual UT has been established from 2002. Until January 2004, five PD qualification sections have been held. The detection accuracy and uncertainty of flaw length sizing of UT were calculated according to the data provided by the examinees. Based on the available data, the flaw detection accuracy was about 89% for both stainless steel and carbon steel. However, the uncertainty of flaw length sizing varied with test piece material and flaw orientation. This analysis can be a reference for related organizations to gain more insight information of UT results. (author)

a New Approach for Accuracy Improvement of Pulsed LIDAR Remote Sensing Data

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, G.; Huang, W.; Zhou, X.; He, C.; Li, X.; Huang, Y.; Zhang, L.

2018-05-01

In remote sensing applications, the accuracy of time interval measurement is one of the most important parameters that affect the quality of pulsed lidar data. The traditional time interval measurement technique has the disadvantages of low measurement accuracy, complicated circuit structure and large error. A high-precision time interval data cannot be obtained in these traditional methods. In order to obtain higher quality of remote sensing cloud images based on the time interval measurement, a higher accuracy time interval measurement method is proposed. The method is based on charging the capacitance and sampling the change of capacitor voltage at the same time. Firstly, the approximate model of the capacitance voltage curve in the time of flight of pulse is fitted based on the sampled data. Then, the whole charging time is obtained with the fitting function. In this method, only a high-speed A/D sampler and capacitor are required in a single receiving channel, and the collected data is processed directly in the main control unit. The experimental results show that the proposed method can get error less than 3 ps. Compared with other methods, the proposed method improves the time interval accuracy by at least 20 %.

High-accuracy phase-field models for brittle fracture based on a new family of degradation functions

Science.gov (United States)

Sargado, Juan Michael; Keilegavlen, Eirik; Berre, Inga; Nordbotten, Jan Martin

2018-02-01

Phase-field approaches to fracture based on energy minimization principles have been rapidly gaining popularity in recent years, and are particularly well-suited for simulating crack initiation and growth in complex fracture networks. In the phase-field framework, the surface energy associated with crack formation is calculated by evaluating a functional defined in terms of a scalar order parameter and its gradients. These in turn describe the fractures in a diffuse sense following a prescribed regularization length scale. Imposing stationarity of the total energy leads to a coupled system of partial differential equations that enforce stress equilibrium and govern phase-field evolution. These equations are coupled through an energy degradation function that models the loss of stiffness in the bulk material as it undergoes damage. In the present work, we introduce a new parametric family of degradation functions aimed at increasing the accuracy of phase-field models in predicting critical loads associated with crack nucleation as well as the propagation of existing fractures. An additional goal is the preservation of linear elastic response in the bulk material prior to fracture. Through the analysis of several numerical examples, we demonstrate the superiority of the proposed family of functions to the classical quadratic degradation function that is used most often in the literature.

Accuracy of a hexapod parallel robot kinematics based external fixator.

Science.gov (United States)

Faschingbauer, Maximilian; Heuer, Hinrich J D; Seide, Klaus; Wendlandt, Robert; Münch, Matthias; Jürgens, Christian; Kirchner, Rainer

2015-12-01

Different hexapod-based external fixators are increasingly used to treat bone deformities and fractures. Accuracy has not been measured sufficiently for all models. An infrared tracking system was applied to measure positioning maneuvers with a motorized Precision Hexapod® fixator, detecting three-dimensional positions of reflective balls mounted in an L-arrangement on the fixator, simulating bone directions. By omitting one dimension of the coordinates, projections were simulated as if measured on standard radiographs. Accuracy was calculated as the absolute difference between targeted and measured positioning values. In 149 positioning maneuvers, the median values for positioning accuracy of translations and rotations (torsions/angulations) were below 0.3 mm and 0.2° with quartiles ranging from -0.5 mm to 0.5 mm and -1.0° to 0.9°, respectively. The experimental setup was found to be precise and reliable. It can be applied to compare different hexapod-based fixators. Accuracy of the investigated hexapod system was high. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Diagnostic accuracy of scapular physical examination tests for shoulder disorders: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Alexis A; Wassinger, Craig A; Frank, Mason; Michener, Lori A; Hegedus, Eric J

2013-09-01

To systematically review and critique the evidence regarding the diagnostic accuracy of physical examination tests for the scapula in patients with shoulder disorders. A systematic, computerised literature search of PubMED, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library databases (from database inception through January 2012) using keywords related to diagnostic accuracy of physical examination tests of the scapula. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool was used to critique the quality of each paper. Eight articles met the inclusion criteria; three were considered to be of high quality. Of the three high-quality studies, two were in reference to a 'diagnosis' of shoulder pain. Only one high-quality article referenced specific shoulder pathology of acromioclavicular dislocation with reported sensitivity of 71% and 41% for the scapular dyskinesis and SICK scapula test, respectively. Overall, no physical examination test of the scapula was found to be useful in differentially diagnosing pathologies of the shoulder.

Improving shuffler assay accuracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rinard, P.M.

1995-01-01

Drums of uranium waste should be disposed of in an economical and environmentally sound manner. The most accurate possible assays of the uranium masses in the drums are required for proper disposal. The accuracies of assays from a shuffler are affected by the type of matrix material in the drums. Non-hydrogenous matrices have little effect on neutron transport and accuracies are very good. If self-shielding is known to be a minor problem, good accuracies are also obtained with hydrogenous matrices when a polyethylene sleeve is placed around the drums. But for those cases where self-shielding may be a problem, matrices are hydrogenous, and uranium distributions are non-uniform throughout the drums, the accuracies are degraded. They can be greatly improved by determining the distributions of the uranium and then applying correction factors based on the distributions. This paper describes a technique for determining uranium distributions by using the neutron count rates in detector banks around the waste drum and solving a set of overdetermined linear equations. Other approaches were studied to determine the distributions and are described briefly. Implementation of this correction is anticipated on an existing shuffler next year

Diagnostic accuracy of repetition tasks for the identification of specific language impairment (SLI) in bilingual children: evidence from Russian and Hebrew.

Science.gov (United States)

Armon-Lotem, Sharon; Meir, Natalia

2016-11-01

Previous research demonstrates that repetition tasks are valuable tools for diagnosing specific language impairment (SLI) in monolingual children in English and a variety of other languages, with non-word repetition (NWR) and sentence repetition (SRep) yielding high levels of sensitivity and specificity. Yet, only a few studies have addressed the diagnostic accuracy of repetition tasks in bilingual children, and most available research focuses on English-Spanish sequential bilinguals. To evaluate the efficacy of three repetition tasks (forward digit span (FWD), NWR and SRep) in order to distinguish mono- and bilingual children with and without SLI in Russian and Hebrew. A total of 230 mono- and bilingual children aged 5;5-6;8 participated in the study: 144 bilingual Russian-Hebrew-speaking children (27 with SLI); and 52 monolingual Hebrew-speaking children (14 with SLI) and 34 monolingual Russian-speaking children (14 with SLI). Parallel repetition tasks were designed in both Russian and Hebrew. Bilingual children were tested in both languages. The findings confirmed that NWR and SRep are valuable tools in distinguishing monolingual children with and without SLI in Russian and Hebrew, while the results for FWD were mixed. Yet, testing of bilingual children with the same tools using monolingual cut-off points resulted in inadequate diagnostic accuracy. We demonstrate, however, that the use of bilingual cut-off points yielded acceptable levels of diagnostic accuracy. The combination of SRep tasks in L1/Russian and L2/Hebrew yielded the highest overall accuracy (i.e., 94%), but even SRep alone in L2/Hebrew showed excellent levels of sensitivity (i.e., 100%) and specificity (i.e., 89%), reaching 91% of total diagnostic accuracy. The results are very promising for identifying SLI in bilingual children and for showing that testing in the majority language with bilingual cut-off points can provide an accurate classification. © 2016 Royal College of Speech and Language

Accuracy and precision of four common peripheral temperature measurement methods in intensive care patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Asadian, Simin; Khatony, Alireza; Moradi, Gholamreza; Abdi, Alireza; Rezaei, Mansour

2016-01-01

An accurate determination of body temperature in critically ill patients is a fundamental requirement for initiating the proper process of diagnosis, and also therapeutic actions; therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the accuracy and precision of four noninvasive peripheral methods of temperature measurement compared to the central nasopharyngeal measurement. In this observational prospective study, 237 patients were recruited from the intensive care unit of Imam Ali Hospital of Kermanshah. The patients' body temperatures were measured by four peripheral methods; oral, axillary, tympanic, and forehead along with a standard central nasopharyngeal measurement. After data collection, the results were analyzed by paired t-test, kappa coefficient, receiver operating characteristic curve, and using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 19, software. There was a significant meaningful correlation between all the peripheral methods when compared with the central measurement (Ptemperatures of right and left tympanic membranes and the standard central nasopharyngeal measurement (88%). Paired t-test demonstrated an acceptable precision with forehead (P=0.132), left (P=0.18) and right (P=0.318) tympanic membranes, oral (P=1.00), and axillary (P=1.00) methods. Sensitivity and specificity of both the left and right tympanic membranes were more than for other methods. The tympanic and forehead methods had the highest and lowest accuracy for measuring body temperature, respectively. It is recommended to use the tympanic method (right and left) for assessing a patient's body temperature in the intensive care units because of high accuracy and acceptable precision.

Optimal design of a high accuracy photoelectric auto-collimator based on position sensitive detector

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Pei-pei; Yang, Yong-qing; She, Wen-ji; Liu, Kai; Jiang, Kai; Duan, Jing; Shan, Qiusha

2018-02-01

A kind of high accuracy Photo-electric auto-collimator based on PSD was designed. The integral structure composed of light source, optical lens group, Position Sensitive Detector (PSD) sensor, and its hardware and software processing system constituted. Telephoto objective optical type is chosen during the designing process, which effectively reduces the length, weight and volume of the optical system, as well as develops simulation-based design and analysis of the auto-collimator optical system. The technical indicators of auto-collimator presented by this paper are: measuring resolution less than 0.05″; a field of view is 2ω=0.4° × 0.4° measuring range is +/-5' error of whole range measurement is less than 0.2″. Measuring distance is 10m, which are applicable to minor-angle precise measuring environment. Aberration analysis indicates that the MTF close to the diffraction limit, the spot in the spot diagram is much smaller than the Airy disk. The total length of the telephoto lens is only 450mm by the design of the optical machine structure optimization. The autocollimator's dimension get compact obviously under the condition of the image quality is guaranteed.

Accuracy improvement of a hybrid robot for ITER application using POE modeling method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Yongbo; Wu, Huapeng; Handroos, Heikki

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► The product of exponential (POE) formula for error modeling of hybrid robot. ► Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm for parameter identification. ► Simulation results are given to verify the effectiveness of the method. -- Abstract: This paper focuses on the kinematic calibration of a 10 degree-of-freedom (DOF) redundant serial–parallel hybrid robot to improve its accuracy. The robot was designed to perform the assembling and repairing tasks of the vacuum vessel (VV) of the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER). By employing the product of exponentials (POEs) formula, we extended the POE-based calibration method from serial robot to redundant serial–parallel hybrid robot. The proposed method combines the forward and inverse kinematics together to formulate a hybrid calibration method for serial–parallel hybrid robot. Because of the high nonlinear characteristics of the error model and too many error parameters need to be identified, the traditional iterative linear least-square algorithms cannot be used to identify the parameter errors. This paper employs a global optimization algorithm, Differential Evolution (DE), to identify parameter errors by solving the inverse kinematics of the hybrid robot. Furthermore, after the parameter errors were identified, the DE algorithm was adopted to numerically solve the forward kinematics of the hybrid robot to demonstrate the accuracy improvement of the end-effector. Numerical simulations were carried out by generating random parameter errors at the allowed tolerance limit and generating a number of configuration poses in the robot workspace. Simulation of the real experimental conditions shows that the accuracy of the end-effector can be improved to the same precision level of the given external measurement device

Accuracy improvement of a hybrid robot for ITER application using POE modeling method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Yongbo, E-mail: yongbo.wang@hotmail.com [Laboratory of Intelligent Machines, Lappeenranta University of Technology, FIN-53851 Lappeenranta (Finland); Wu, Huapeng; Handroos, Heikki [Laboratory of Intelligent Machines, Lappeenranta University of Technology, FIN-53851 Lappeenranta (Finland)

2013-10-15

Highlights: ► The product of exponential (POE) formula for error modeling of hybrid robot. ► Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm for parameter identification. ► Simulation results are given to verify the effectiveness of the method. -- Abstract: This paper focuses on the kinematic calibration of a 10 degree-of-freedom (DOF) redundant serial–parallel hybrid robot to improve its accuracy. The robot was designed to perform the assembling and repairing tasks of the vacuum vessel (VV) of the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER). By employing the product of exponentials (POEs) formula, we extended the POE-based calibration method from serial robot to redundant serial–parallel hybrid robot. The proposed method combines the forward and inverse kinematics together to formulate a hybrid calibration method for serial–parallel hybrid robot. Because of the high nonlinear characteristics of the error model and too many error parameters need to be identified, the traditional iterative linear least-square algorithms cannot be used to identify the parameter errors. This paper employs a global optimization algorithm, Differential Evolution (DE), to identify parameter errors by solving the inverse kinematics of the hybrid robot. Furthermore, after the parameter errors were identified, the DE algorithm was adopted to numerically solve the forward kinematics of the hybrid robot to demonstrate the accuracy improvement of the end-effector. Numerical simulations were carried out by generating random parameter errors at the allowed tolerance limit and generating a number of configuration poses in the robot workspace. Simulation of the real experimental conditions shows that the accuracy of the end-effector can be improved to the same precision level of the given external measurement device.

Vibration extraction based on fast NCC algorithm and high-speed camera.

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Xiujun; Jin, Yi; Guo, Jie; Zhu, Chang'an

2015-09-20

In this study, a high-speed camera system is developed to complete the vibration measurement in real time and to overcome the mass introduced by conventional contact measurements. The proposed system consists of a notebook computer and a high-speed camera which can capture the images as many as 1000 frames per second. In order to process the captured images in the computer, the normalized cross-correlation (NCC) template tracking algorithm with subpixel accuracy is introduced. Additionally, a modified local search algorithm based on the NCC is proposed to reduce the computation time and to increase efficiency significantly. The modified algorithm can rapidly accomplish one displacement extraction 10 times faster than the traditional template matching without installing any target panel onto the structures. Two experiments were carried out under laboratory and outdoor conditions to validate the accuracy and efficiency of the system performance in practice. The results demonstrated the high accuracy and efficiency of the camera system in extracting vibrating signals.

Neuronavigation accuracy dependence on CT and MR imaging parameters: a phantom-based study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poggi, S; Pallotta, S; Russo, S; Gallina, P; Torresin, A; Bucciolini, M

2003-01-01

Clinical benefits from neuronavigation are well established. However, the complexity of its technical environment requires a careful evaluation of different types of errors. In this work, a detailed phantom study which investigates the accuracy in a neuronavigation procedure is presented. The dependence on many different imaging parameters, such as field of view, slice thickness and different kind of sequences (sequential and spiral for CT, T1-weighted and T2-weighted for MRI), is quantified. Moreover, data based on CT images are compared to those based on MR images, taking into account MRI distortion. Finally, the contributions to global accuracy coming from image acquisition, registration and navigation itself are discussed. Results demonstrate the importance of imaging accuracy. Procedures based on CT proved to be more accurate than procedures based on MRI. In the former, values from 2 to 2.5 mm are obtained for 95% fractiles of cumulative distribution of Euclidean distances between the intended target and the reached one while, in the latter, the measured values range from 3 to 4 mm. The absence of imaging distortion proved to be crucial for registration accuracy in MR-based procedures

Accuracy, calibration and clinical performance of the EuroSCORE: can we reduce the number of variables?

Science.gov (United States)

Ranucci, Marco; Castelvecchio, Serenella; Menicanti, Lorenzo; Frigiola, Alessandro; Pelissero, Gabriele

2010-03-01

The European system for cardiac operative risk evaluation (EuroSCORE) is currently used in many institutions and is considered a reference tool in many countries. We hypothesised that too many variables were included in the EuroSCORE using limited patient series. We tested different models using a limited number of variables. A total of 11150 adult patients undergoing cardiac operations at our institution (2001-2007) were retrospectively analysed. The 17 risk factors composing the EuroSCORE were separately analysed and ranked for accuracy of prediction of hospital mortality. Seventeen models were created by progressively including one factor at a time. The models were compared for accuracy with a receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis and area under the curve (AUC) evaluation. Calibration was tested with Hosmer-Lemeshow statistics. Clinical performance was assessed by comparing the predicted with the observed mortality rates. The best accuracy (AUC 0.76) was obtained using a model including only age, left ventricular ejection fraction, serum creatinine, emergency operation and non-isolated coronary operation. The EuroSCORE AUC (0.75) was not significantly different. Calibration and clinical performance were better in the five-factor model than in the EuroSCORE. Only in high-risk patients were 12 factors needed to achieve a good performance. Including many factors in multivariable logistic models increases the risk for overfitting, multicollinearity and human error. A five-factor model offers the same level of accuracy but demonstrated better calibration and clinical performance. Models with a limited number of factors may work better than complex models when applied to a limited number of patients. Copyright (c) 2009 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High-accuracy dosimetry study for intensity-modulated radiation therapy(IMRT) commissioning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Hae Sun

2010-02-15

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), an advanced modality of high-precision radiotherapy, allows for an increase in dose to the tumor volume without increasing the dose to nearby critical organs. In order to successfully achieve the treatment, intensive dosimetry with accurate dose verification is necessary. A dosimetry for IMRT, however, is a challenging task due to dosimetric ally unfavorable phenomena such as dramatic changes of the dose at the field boundaries, dis-equilibrium of the electrons, non-uniformity between the detector and the phantom materials, and distortion of scanner-read doses. In the present study, therefore, the LEGO-type multi-purpose dosimetry phantom was developed and used for the studies on dose measurements and correction. Phantom materials for muscle, fat, bone, and lung tissue were selected after considering mass density, atomic composition, effective atomic number, and photon interaction coefficients. The phantom also includes dosimeter holders for several different types of detectors including films, which accommodates a construction of different designs of phantoms as necessary. In order to evaluate its performance, the developed phantom was tested by measuring the point dose and the percent depth dose (PDD) for small size fields under several heterogeneous conditions. However, the measurements with the two types of dosimeter did not agree well for the field sizes less than 1 x 1 cm{sup 2} in muscle and bone, and less than 3 x 3 cm{sup 2} in air cavity. Thus, it was recognized that several studies on small fields dosimetry and correction methods for the calculation with a PMCEPT code are needed. The under-estimated values from the ion chamber were corrected with a convolution method employed to eliminate the volume effect of the chamber. As a result, the discrepancies between the EBT film and the ion chamber measurements were significantly decreased, from 14% to 1% (1 x 1 cm{sup 2}), 10% to 1% (0.7 x 0.7 cm{sup 2}), and 42

Permitting of the accuracy in location of tumours and the accuracy in applying a precise dose covering in stereotactic gamma-knife treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ertl, A. G.

1997-01-01

The gamma-knife is a Co-60 irradiation device, permitting the location of a lesion with an accuracy of millimeters. Moreover, with the Gamma Knife it is possible to apply a precise dose covering the entire area inside the head. In order to visualize a lesion, we mostly have to resort to imaging techniques such as the MR tomography. The accuracy of locating the specific area for the stereotactic treatment was achieved with the help of a special screen plate which we designed ourselves. For determining the precise dose to be applied at the Gamma Knife, the central dose for all four collimator helmets as well as the dose distribution of the combined collimators had to be measured. In case of irradiations in prone position there may be considerable deviations compared to the dose-planning program; this we were able to demonstrate by a TLD array designed by ourselves. A more sophisticated evaluation of new dosimetry techniques - GafChromic films and BANG polymer gel - enabled us to investigate more complex irradiation patterns. (author)

High accuracy mapping with cartographic assessment for a fixed-wing remotely piloted aircraft system