Evaluation of German and international operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stueck, Reinhard; Verstegen, Claus

2014-01-01

The systematic analysis of safety-relevant events in nuclear power plants and their causes is a key driver for the further development of nuclear safety. The findings obtained from the evaluation of operating experience in this respect form the basis for both technical and organisational improvements in the plants as well as for adaptations of technical rules and standards. In its role as Technical Safety Organisation advising the German federal government, Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) has been concerned with the detection and analysis of failure mechanisms that underlie events in nuclear power plants at home and abroad since its foundation in 1977. This article provides an overview of the different objectives which are pursued in this context by order of or funded by the Federal Environment Ministry. Here, the focus is on the evaluation of reportable events for the preparation of so-called Information Notices and generic reports as well as for the acquisition of data that can be used for in-depth probabilistic analyses.

Probabilistic pipe fracture evaluations for leak-rate-detection applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahman, S.; Ghadiali, N.; Paul, D.; Wilkowski, G.

1995-04-01

Regulatory Guide 1.45, open-quotes Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Leakage Detection Systems,close quotes was published by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in May 1973, and provides guidance on leak detection methods and system requirements for Light Water Reactors. Additionally, leak detection limits are specified in plant Technical Specifications and are different for Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) and Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). These leak detection limits are also used in leak-before-break evaluations performed in accordance with Draft Standard Review Plan, Section 3.6.3, open-quotes Leak Before Break Evaluation Proceduresclose quotes where a margin of 10 on the leak detection limit is used in determining the crack size considered in subsequent fracture analyses. This study was requested by the NRC to: (1) evaluate the conditional failure probability for BWR and PWR piping for pipes that were leaking at the allowable leak detection limit, and (2) evaluate the margin of 10 to determine if it was unnecessarily large. A probabilistic approach was undertaken to conduct fracture evaluations of circumferentially cracked pipes for leak-rate-detection applications. Sixteen nuclear piping systems in BWR and PWR plants were analyzed to evaluate conditional failure probability and effects of crack-morphology variability on the current margins used in leak rate detection for leak-before-break

Standoff Detection Technology Evaluation Facility

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Standoff Detection Technology Evaluation facility is the only one of its kind in the country and allows researchers to release a known amount of material while...

Directed Design of Experiments for Validating Probability of Detection Capability of NDE Systems (DOEPOD)

Science.gov (United States)

Generazio, Edward R.

2015-01-01

Directed Design of Experiments for Validating Probability of Detection Capability of NDE Systems (DOEPOD) Manual v.1.2 The capability of an inspection system is established by applications of various methodologies to determine the probability of detection (POD). One accepted metric of an adequate inspection system is that there is 95% confidence that the POD is greater than 90% (90/95 POD). Design of experiments for validating probability of detection capability of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) systems (DOEPOD) is a methodology that is implemented via software to serve as a diagnostic tool providing detailed analysis of POD test data, guidance on establishing data distribution requirements, and resolving test issues. DOEPOD demands utilization of observance of occurrences. The DOEPOD capability has been developed to provide an efficient and accurate methodology that yields observed POD and confidence bounds for both Hit-Miss or signal amplitude testing. DOEPOD does not assume prescribed POD logarithmic or similar functions with assumed adequacy over a wide range of flaw sizes and inspection system technologies, so that multi-parameter curve fitting or model optimization approaches to generate a POD curve are not required. DOEPOD applications for supporting inspector qualifications is included.

Detecting physics beyond the Standard Model with the REDTOP experiment

Science.gov (United States)

González, D.; León, D.; Fabela, B.; Pedraza, M. I.

2017-10-01

REDTOP is an experiment at its proposal stage. It belongs to the High Intensity class of experiments. REDTOP will use a 1.8 GeV continuous proton beam impinging on a fixed target. It is expected to produce about 1013 η mesons per year. The main goal of REDTOP is to look for physics beyond the Standard Model by detecting rare η decays. The detector is designed with innovative technologies based on the detection of prompt Cherenkov light, such that interesting events can be observed and the background events are efficiently rejected. The experimental design, the physics program and the running plan of the experiment is presented.

Detection and evaluation of weld defects in stainless steel using alternating current field measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Wei-Li, Ma, Weiping; Pan-Qi, Wen-jiao, Dou; Yuan, Xin'an; Yin, Xiaokang

2018-04-01

Stainless steel is widely used in nuclear power plants, such as various high-radioactive pool, tools storage and fuel transportation channel, and serves as an important barrier to stop the leakage of high-radioactive material. NonDestructive Evaluation (NDE) methods, eddy current testing (ET), ultrasonic examination (UT), penetration testing (PT) and hybrid detection method, etc., have been introduced into the inspection of a nuclear plant. In this paper, the Alternating Current Field Measurement (ACFM) was fully applied to detect and evaluate the defects in the welds of the stainless steel. Simulations were carried out on different defect types, crack lengths, and orientation to reveal the relationship between the signals and dimensions to determine whether methods could be validated by the experiment. A 3-axis ACFM probe was developed and three plates including 16 defects, which served in nuclear plant before, were examined by automatic detection equipment. The result shows that the minimum detectable crack length on the surface is 2mm and ACFM shows excellent inspection results for a weld in stainless steel and gives an encouraging prospect of broader application.

Evaluation of pipeline leak detection systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glauz, W.D.; Flora, J.D.; Hennon, G.J.

1993-01-01

Leaking underground storage tank system presents an environmental concern and a potential health hazard. It is well known that leaks in the piping associated with these systems account for a sizeable fraction of the leaks. EPA has established performance standards for pipeline leak detection systems, and published a document presenting test protocols for evaluating these systems against the standards. This paper discusses a number of facets and important features of evaluating such systems, and presents results from tests of several systems. The importance of temperature differences between the ground and the product in the line is shown both in theory and with test data. The impact of the amount of soil moisture present is addressed, along with the effect of frozen soil. These features are addressed both for line tightness test systems, which must detect leaks of 0.10 gal/h (0.38 L/h) at 150% of normal line pressure, or 0.20 gal/h (0.76 L/h) at normal line pressure, and for automatic line leak detectors that must detect leaks of 3 gal/h (11 L/h) at 10 psi (69 kPa) within an hour of the occurrence of the leak. This paper also addresses some statistical aspects of the evaluation of these systems. Reasons for keeping the evaluation process ''blind'' to the evaluated company are given, along with methods for assuring that the tests are blind. Most importantly, a test procedure is presented for evaluating systems that report a flow rate (not just a pass/fail decision) that is much more efficient than the procedure presented in the EPA protocol, and is just as stringent

A Simple Ultrasonic Experiment Using a Phase Shift Detection Technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Yunus, W. Mahmood Mat; Ahmad, Maulana

1996-01-01

Describes a simple ultrasonic experiment that can be used to measure the purity of liquid samples by detecting variations in the velocity of sound. Uses a phase shift detection technique that incorporates the use of logic gates and a piezoelectric transducer. (JRH)

Calibration experiments of neutron source identification and detection in soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorin, N. V.; Lipilina, E. N.; Rukavishnikov, G. V.; Shmakov, D. V.; Ulyanov, A. I.

2007-01-01

In the course of detection of fissile materials in soil, series of calibration experiments were carried out on in laboratory conditions on an experimental installation, presenting a mock-up of an endless soil with various heterogeneous bodies in it, fissile material, measuring boreholes. A design of detecting device, methods of neutrons detection are described. Conditions of neutron background measuring are given. Soil density, humidity, chemical composition of soil was measured. Sensitivity of methods of fissile materials detection and identification in soil was estimated in the calibration experiments. Minimal detectable activity and the distance at which it can be detected were defined. Characteristics of neutron radiation in a borehole mock-up were measured; dependences of method sensitivities from water content in soil, source-detector distance and presence of heterogeneous bodies were examined. Possibility of direction detection to a fissile material as neutron source from a borehole using a collimator is shown. Identification of fissile material was carried out by measuring the gamma-spectrum. Mathematical modeling was carried out using the PRIZMA code (Developed in RFNC-VNIITF) and MCNP code (Developed in LANL). Good correlation of calculational and experimental values was shown. The methodic were shown to be applicable in the field conditions

The evaluator effect in usability studies: Problem detection and severity judgments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Niels Ebbe; Hertzum, Morten; John, Bonnie E.

1998-01-01

Usability studies are commonly used in industry and applied in research as a yardstick for other usability evaluation methods. Though usability studies have been studied extensively, one potential threat to their reliability has been left virtually untouched: the evaluator effect. In this study......, four evaluators individually analyzed four videotaped usability test sessions. Only 20% of the 93 detected problems were detected by all evaluators, and 46% were detected by only a single evaluator. From the total set of 93 problems the evaluators individually selected the ten problems they considered...... most severe. None of the selected severe problems appeared on all four evaluators’ top-10 lists, and 4 of the 11 problems that were considered severe by more than one evaluator were only detected by one or two evaluators. Thus, both detection of usability problems and selection of the most severe...

Dark matter effective field theory scattering in direct detection experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schneck, K.; Cabrera, B.; Cerdeño, D. G.; Mandic, V.; Rogers, H. E.; Agnese, R.; Anderson, A. J.; Asai, M.; Balakishiyeva, D.; Barker, D.; Basu Thakur, R.; Bauer, D. A.; Billard, J.; Borgland, A.; Brandt, D.; Brink, P. L.; Bunker, R.; Caldwell, D. O.; Calkins, R.; Chagani, H.; Chen, Y.; Cooley, J.; Cornell, B.; Crewdson, C. H.; Cushman, P.; Daal, M.; Di Stefano, P. C. F.; Doughty, T.; Esteban, L.; Fallows, S.; Figueroa-Feliciano, E.; Godfrey, G. L.; Golwala, S. R.; Hall, J.; Harris, H. R.; Hofer, T.; Holmgren, D.; Hsu, L.; Huber, M. E.; Jardin, D. M.; Jastram, A.; Kamaev, O.; Kara, B.; Kelsey, M. H.; Kennedy, A.; Leder, A.; Loer, B.; Lopez Asamar, E.; Lukens, P.; Mahapatra, R.; McCarthy, K. A.; Mirabolfathi, N.; Moffatt, R. A.; Morales Mendoza, J. D.; Oser, S. M.; Page, K.; Page, W. A.; Partridge, R.; Pepin, M.; Phipps, A.; Prasad, K.; Pyle, M.; Qiu, H.; Rau, W.; Redl, P.; Reisetter, A.; Ricci, Y.; Roberts, A.; Saab, T.; Sadoulet, B.; Sander, J.; Schnee, R. W.; Scorza, S.; Serfass, B.; Shank, B.; Speller, D.; Toback, D.; Upadhyayula, S.; Villano, A. N.; Welliver, B.; Wilson, J. S.; Wright, D. H.; Yang, X.; Yellin, S.; Yen, J. J.; Young, B. A.; Zhang, J.

2015-05-18

We examine the consequences of the effective field theory (EFT) of dark matter–nucleon scattering for current and proposed direct detection experiments. Exclusion limits on EFT coupling constants computed using the optimum interval method are presented for SuperCDMS Soudan, CDMS II, and LUX, and the necessity of combining results from multiple experiments in order to determine dark matter parameters is discussed. We demonstrate that spectral differences between the standard dark matter model and a general EFT interaction can produce a bias when calculating exclusion limits and when developing signal models for likelihood and machine learning techniques. We also discuss the implications of the EFT for the next-generation (G2) direct detection experiments and point out regions of complementarity in the EFT parameter space.

Music Abilities and Experiences as Predictors of Error-Detection Skill.

Science.gov (United States)

Brand, Manny; Burnsed, Vernon

1981-01-01

This study examined the predictive validity of previous music abilities and experiences of skill in music error detection among undergraduate instrumental music education majors. Results indicated no statistically significant relationships which suggest that the ability to detect music errors may exist independently of other music abilities.…

Minimum detectable gas concentration performance evaluation method for gas leak infrared imaging detection systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xu; Jin, Weiqi; Li, Jiakun; Wang, Xia; Li, Shuo

2017-04-01

Thermal imaging technology is an effective means of detecting hazardous gas leaks. Much attention has been paid to evaluation of the performance of gas leak infrared imaging detection systems due to several potential applications. The minimum resolvable temperature difference (MRTD) and the minimum detectable temperature difference (MDTD) are commonly used as the main indicators of thermal imaging system performance. This paper establishes a minimum detectable gas concentration (MDGC) performance evaluation model based on the definition and derivation of MDTD. We proposed the direct calculation and equivalent calculation method of MDGC based on the MDTD measurement system. We build an experimental MDGC measurement system, which indicates the MDGC model can describe the detection performance of a thermal imaging system to typical gases. The direct calculation, equivalent calculation, and direct measurement results are consistent. The MDGC and the minimum resolvable gas concentration (MRGC) model can effectively describe the performance of "detection" and "spatial detail resolution" of thermal imaging systems to gas leak, respectively, and constitute the main performance indicators of gas leak detection systems.

Hazard detection in noise-related incidents - the role of driving experience with battery electric vehicles.

Science.gov (United States)

Cocron, Peter; Bachl, Veronika; Früh, Laura; Koch, Iris; Krems, Josef F

2014-12-01

The low noise emission of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) has led to discussions about how to address potential safety issues for other road users. Legislative actions have already been undertaken to implement artificial sounds. In previous research, BEV drivers reported that due to low noise emission they paid particular attention to pedestrians and bicyclists. For the current research, we developed a hazard detection task to test whether drivers with BEV experience respond faster to incidents, which arise due to the low noise emission, than inexperienced drivers. The first study (N=65) revealed that BEV experience only played a minor role in drivers' response to hazards resulting from low BEV noise. The tendency to respond, reaction times and hazard evaluations were similar among experienced and inexperienced BEV drivers; only small trends in the assumed direction were observed. Still, both groups clearly differentiated between critical and non-critical scenarios and responded accordingly. In the second study (N=58), we investigated additionally if sensitization to low noise emission of BEVs had an effect on hazard perception in incidents where the noise difference is crucial. Again, participants in all groups differentiated between critical and non-critical scenarios. Even though trends in response rates and latencies occurred, experience and sensitization to low noise seemed to only play a minor role in detecting hazards due to low BEV noise. An additional global evaluation of BEV noise further suggests that even after a short test drive, the lack of noise is perceived more as a comfort feature than a safety threat. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation guide for the international reactor physics experiments evaluation project (IRPhEP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaji, Akifumi

2013-01-01

At present, there is an urgent need to preserve integral reactor physics experimental data including separate or special effects data for nuclear energy and technology applications and the knowledge and competence contained therein. The International Reactor Physics Evaluation Project (IRPhEP) was initiated as a pilot activity in 1999 by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Nuclear Science Committee (NSC). The project was endorsed as an official activity of the NSC in June of 2003. While coordination and administration of the IRPhEP takes place at an international level, each participating country is responsible for the administration, technical direction, and priorities of the project within their respective countries. This document outlines the general presentation guidelines that evaluators should follow for the description of the experiments and all relevant experimental data in order to ensure the consistency between the evaluations published in the final Handbook. Publication templates will be used to ensure this consistency and will follow the general scheme below: 1 - Experiment identification number; 2- Date; 3 - Name of experiment (Purpose of experiment, Phenomena measured and scope); 4 - Name or designation of experimental programme; 5 - Description of facility; 6 - Description of test or experiment (Experimental configuration, Core life cycle, Experimental limitations or shortcomings); 7 - Phenomena measured (Description of results and analysis, Special features and characteristics of experiment, Measurement systems/methods and uncertainties); 8 - Duplicate or complementary experiments / other related experiments; 9 - Status of completion of the evaluation; 10 - References (pointer to evaluation, archive if available, otherwise generic bibliographic reference); 11 - Authors/ organisers 12 - Material available

LHC Optics Measurement with Proton Tracks Detected by the Roman Pots of the TOTEM Experiment

CERN Document Server

INSPIRE-00062364; Aspell, P; Atanassov, I; Avati, V; Baechler, J; Berardi, V; Berretti, M; Bossini, E; Bottigli, U; Bozzo, M; Brücken, E; Buzzo, A; Cafagna, F S; Catanesi, M G; Covault, C; Csanád, M; Csörgö, T; Deile, M; Doubek, M; Eggert, K; Eremin, V; Ferro, F; Fiergolski, A; Garcia, F; Georgiev, V; Giani, S; Grzanka, L; Hammerbauer, J; Heino, J; Hilden, T; Karev, A; Kašpar, J; Kopal, J; Kundrát, V; Lami, S; Latino, G; Lauhakangas, R; Leszko, T; Lippmaa, E; Lippmaa, J; Lokajíček, M V; Losurdo, L; Lo Vetere, M; Lucas Rodríguez, F; Macrí, M; Mäki, T; Mercadante, A; Minafra, N; Minutoli, S; Nemes, F; Niewiadomski, H; Oliveri, E; Oljemark, F; Orava, R; Oriunno, M; Österberg, K; Palazzi, P; Peroutka, Z; Procházka, J; Quinto, M; Radermacher, E; Radicioni, E; Ravotti, F; Robutti, E; Ropelewski, L; Ruggiero, G; Saarikko, H; Scribano, A; Smajek, J; Snoeys, W; Sziklai, J; Taylor, C; Turini, N; Vacek, V; Welti, J; Whitmore, J; Wyszkowski, P; Zielinski, K

2014-10-28

Precise knowledge of the beam optics at the LHC is crucial to fulfil the physics goals of the TOTEM experiment, where the kinematics of the scattered protons is reconstructed with the near-beam telescopes -- so-called Roman Pots (RP). Before being detected, the protons' trajectories are influenced by the magnetic fields of the accelerator lattice. Thus precise understanding of the proton transport is of key importance for the experiment. A novel method of optics evaluation is proposed which exploits kinematical distributions of elastically scattered protons observed in the RPs. Theoretical predictions, as well as Monte Carlo studies, show that the residual uncertainty of this optics estimation method is smaller than 0.25 percent.

Hunting electroweakinos at future hadron colliders and direct detection experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cortona, Giovanni Grilli di [SISSA - International School for Advanced Studies,Via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste (Italy); INFN - Sezione di Trieste,via Valerio 2, I-34127 Trieste (Italy)

2015-05-07

We analyse the mass reach for electroweakinos at future hadron colliders and their interplay with direct detection experiments. Motivated by the LHC data, we focus on split supersymmetry models with different electroweakino spectra. We find for example that a 100 TeV collider may explore Winos up to ∼7 TeV in low scale gauge mediation models or thermal Wino dark matter around 3 TeV in models of anomaly mediation with long-lived Winos. We show moreover how collider searches and direct detection experiments have the potential to cover large part of the parameter space even in scenarios where the lightest neutralino does not contribute to the whole dark matter relic density.

Proton detection in the neutron lifetime experiment PENeLOPE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tietze, Christian [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Physik Department E18 (Germany); Collaboration: PENeLOPE-Collaboration

2015-07-01

Although neutron lifetime plays an important role in the Standard Model of particle physics, τ{sub n} is not very precisely know and often discussed. The official PDG mean value has been lowered during the last years by more than 6σ to the new value of 880.3 ± 1.1 s. The new precision experiment PENeLOPE, which is currently developed at Technische Universitaet Muenchen, will help to clear this up. Ultra-cold neutrons are lossless stored in a magneto-gravitational trap, formed by superconducting coils. The combined determination of τ{sub n} by counting the surviving neutrons after each storage cycle on one side and in-situ detection of the decay protons on the other side together with a very good handle on systematic errors leads to an unprecedented precision of the neutron lifetime value of 0.1s. This contribution will give an overview of the challenges concerning proton detection under the exceptional requirements of this experiment. The developed concept of using avalanche photodiodes for direct proton detection will be presented as well as results from first measurements with a prototype detector read out by particular developed electronics.

Evaluation for the design of experience in virtual environments: modeling breakdown of interaction and illusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Marsh, T; Wright, P; Smith, S

2001-04-01

New and emerging media technologies have the potential to induce a variety of experiences in users. In this paper, it is argued that the inducement of experience presupposes that users are absorbed in the illusion created by these media. Looking to another successful visual medium, film, this paper borrows from the techniques used in "shaping experience" to hold spectators' attention in the illusion of film, and identifies what breaks the illusion/experience for spectators. This paper focuses on one medium, virtual reality (VR), and advocates a transparent or "invisible style" of interaction. We argue that transparency keeps users in the "flow" of their activities and consequently enhances experience in users. Breakdown in activities breaks the experience and subsequently provides opportunities to identify and analyze potential causes of usability problems. Adopting activity theory, we devise a model of interaction with VR--through consciousness and activity--and introduce the concept of breakdown in illusion. From this, a model of effective interaction with VR is devised and the occurrence of breakdown in interaction and illusion is identified along a continuum of engagement. Evaluation guidelines for the design of experience are proposed and applied to usability problems detected in an empirical study of a head-mounted display (HMD) VR system. This study shows that the guidelines are effective in the evaluation of VR. Finally, we look at the potential experiences that may be induced in users and propose a way to evaluate user experience in virtual environments (VEs) and other new and emerging media.

Greenhouse Effect Detection Experiment (GEDEX). Selected data sets

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, Lola M.; Warnock, Archibald, III

1992-01-01

This CD-ROM contains selected data sets compiled by the participants of the Greenhouse Effect Detection Experiment (GEDEX) workshop on atmospheric temperature. The data sets include surface, upper air, and/or satellite-derived measurements of temperature, solar irradiance, clouds, greenhouse gases, fluxes, albedo, aerosols, ozone, and water vapor, along with Southern Oscillation Indices and Quasi-Biennial Oscillation statistics.

Developing a discrete choice experiment in Malawi: eliciting preferences for breast cancer early detection services.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Racquel E; Lee, Clara N; Gopal, Satish; Reeve, Bryce B; Weiner, Bryan J; Wheeler, Stephanie B

2015-01-01

In Malawi, routine breast cancer screening is not available and little is known about women's preferences regarding early detection services. Discrete choice experiments are increasingly used to reveal preferences about new health services; however, selecting appropriate attributes that describe a new health service is imperative to ensure validity of the choice experiment. To identify important factors that are relevant to Malawian women's preferences for breast cancer detection services and to select attributes and levels for a discrete choice experiment in a setting where both breast cancer early detection and choice experiments are rare. We reviewed the literature to establish an initial list of potential attributes and levels for a discrete choice experiment and conducted qualitative interviews with health workers and community women to explore relevant local factors affecting decisions to use cancer detection services. We tested the design through cognitive interviews and refined the levels, descriptions, and designs. Themes that emerged from interviews provided critical information about breast cancer detection services, specifically, that breast cancer interventions should be integrated into other health services because asymptomatic screening may not be practical as an individual service. Based on participants' responses, the final attributes of the choice experiment included travel time, health encounter, health worker type and sex, and breast cancer early detection strategy. Cognitive testing confirmed the acceptability of the final attributes, comprehension of choice tasks, and women's abilities to make trade-offs. Applying a discrete choice experiment for breast cancer early detection was feasible with appropriate tailoring for a low-income, low-literacy African setting.

Clad failure detection in G 3 - operational feedback; Detection de rupture de gaines G 3 - experience d'exploitation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plisson, J [CEA Marcoule, Centre de Production de Plutonium, 30 (France)

1964-07-01

After briefly reviewing the role and the principles of clad failure detection, the author describes the working conditions and the conclusions reached after 4 years operation of this installation on the reactor G 3. He mentions also the modifications made to the original installation as well as the tests carried out and the experiments under way. (author) [French] Apres un rappel succinct du role et des principes de la detection de rupture de gaines, l'auteur fait un expose des conditions de fonctionnement et de l'experience tiree de 4 annees d'exploitation de cette installation sur le reacteur G 3. Il signale au passage les modifications apportees a l'installation d'origine, ainsi que les essais effectues, et les experiences en cours.

Systematic evaluation of the impact of ChIP-seq read designs on genome coverage, peak identification, and allele-specific binding detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qi; Zeng, Xin; Younkin, Sam; Kawli, Trupti; Snyder, Michael P; Keleş, Sündüz

2016-02-24

Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) experiments revolutionized genome-wide profiling of transcription factors and histone modifications. Although maturing sequencing technologies allow these experiments to be carried out with short (36-50 bps), long (75-100 bps), single-end, or paired-end reads, the impact of these read parameters on the downstream data analysis are not well understood. In this paper, we evaluate the effects of different read parameters on genome sequence alignment, coverage of different classes of genomic features, peak identification, and allele-specific binding detection. We generated 101 bps paired-end ChIP-seq data for many transcription factors from human GM12878 and MCF7 cell lines. Systematic evaluations using in silico variations of these data as well as fully simulated data, revealed complex interplay between the sequencing parameters and analysis tools, and indicated clear advantages of paired-end designs in several aspects such as alignment accuracy, peak resolution, and most notably, allele-specific binding detection. Our work elucidates the effect of design on the downstream analysis and provides insights to investigators in deciding sequencing parameters in ChIP-seq experiments. We present the first systematic evaluation of the impact of ChIP-seq designs on allele-specific binding detection and highlights the power of pair-end designs in such studies.

Detection of suspected placental invasion by MRI: Do the results depend on observer’ experience?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alamo, Leonor; Anaye, Anass; Rey, Jannick; Denys, Alban; Bongartz, Georg; Terraz, Sylvain; Artemisia, Simona; Meuli, Reto; Schmidt, Sabine

2013-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic value of previously described MR features used for detecting suspected placental invasion according to observers’ experience. Materials and methods: Our population included 25 pregnant women (mean age 35.16) investigated by prenatal MRI (1.5 T, T1- and T2-weighted MR-sequences without i.v. contrast), among them 12 with histopathologically proven placental invasion and 13 women (52%) without placental invasion used as control group. Two senior and two junior radiologists blindly and independently reviewed MR-examinations in view of 6 previously defined MR-features indicating presence and degree of placental invasion (placenta increta, accreta or percreta). For each reader the sensibility, specificity, and receiver operating curve (ROC) were calculated. Interobserver agreements between senior and junior readers were determined. Stepwise logistic regression was performed including the 6 MR-features predictive of placental invasion. Results: Demographics between both groups were statistically equivalent. Overall sensitivity and specificity for placental invasion was 90.9% and 75.0% for seniors and 81.8% and 61.8% for juniors, respectively. The best single MR-feature indicating placental invasion was T2-hypointense placental bands (r 2 = 0.28), followed by focally interrupted myometrial border, infiltration of pelvic organs and tenting of the bladder (r 2 = 0.36). Interobserver agreement for detecting placental invasion was 0.64 for seniors and 0.41 for juniors, thus substantial and moderate, respectively. Seniors detected placental invasion and depth of infiltration with significantly higher diagnostic certitude than juniors (p = 0.0002 and p = 0.0282, respectively). Conclusion: MRI can be a reliable and reproducible tool for the detection of suspected placental invasion, but the diagnostic value significantly depends on observers’ experience

Human observer detection experiments with mammograms and power-law noise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burgess, Arthur E.; Jacobson, Francine L.; Judy, Philip F.

2001-01-01

We determined contrast thresholds for lesion detection as a function of lesion size in both mammograms and filtered noise backgrounds with the same average power spectrum, P(f )=B/f 3 . Experiments were done using hybrid images with digital images of tumors added to digitized normal backgrounds, displayed on a monochrome monitor. Four tumors were extracted from digitized specimen radiographs. The lesion sizes were varied by digital rescaling to cover the range from 0.5 to 16 mm. Amplitudes were varied to determine the value required for 92% correct detection in two-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) and 90% for search experiments. Three observers participated, two physicists and a radiologist. The 2AFC mammographic results demonstrated a novel contrast-detail (CD) diagram with threshold amplitudes that increased steadily (with slope of 0.3) with increasing size for lesions larger than 1 mm. The slopes for prewhitening model observers were about 0.4. Human efficiency relative to these models was as high as 90%. The CD diagram slopes for the 2AFC experiments with filtered noise were 0.44 for humans and 0.5 for models. Human efficiency relative to the ideal observer was about 40%. The difference in efficiencies for the two types of backgrounds indicates that breast structure cannot be considered to be pure random noise for 2AFC experiments. Instead, 2AFC human detection with mammographic backgrounds is limited by a combination of noise and deterministic masking effects. The search experiments also gave thresholds that increased with lesion size. However, there was no difference in human results for mammographic and filtered noise backgrounds, suggesting that breast structure can be considered to be pure random noise for this task. Our conclusion is that, in spite of the fact that mammographic backgrounds have nonstationary statistics, models based on statistical decision theory can still be applied successfully to estimate human performance

Spanish nuclear industry experience in the evaluation of suppliers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramos Pellejero, J. L.; Martinez, J. A.; Gomez, R.; Pablos, C. de; Herrero, J.

2012-01-01

The paper aims to present the experiences identified by the Evaluation Panel Suppliers in fulfilling its role of supplier evaluation of goods and services s afety related . It belongs to UNESA and its main objective the evaluation of the quality system of the supplier against the basic rules applicable. With it you get two main benefits: - standardize evaluation criteria share experiences between suppliers and better management of own resources. - market access to all Spanish nuclear fleet by a single evaluation. From the experience gained, it can be concluded that there is a population of highly technically qualified suppliers to meet equipment requirements.

Final evaluation of advanced and current leak detection systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kupperman, D.S.; Carlson, R.; Brewer, W.; Lanham, R.

1989-01-01

This report presents the results of a study to evaluate the adequacy of leak detection systems in light water reactors. The sources of numerous reported leaks and methods of detection have been documented. Research to advance the state of the art of acoustic leak detection is presented, and procedures for implementation are discussed

Developing a discrete choice experiment in Malawi: eliciting preferences for breast cancer early detection services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kohler RE

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Racquel E Kohler,1 Clara N Lee,2 Satish Gopal,3 Bryce B Reeve,1 Bryan J Weiner,1 Stephanie B Wheeler11Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, 2Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; 3UNC Project-Malawi, Tidziwe Center, Lilongwe, MalawiBackground: In Malawi, routine breast cancer screening is not available and little is known about women’s preferences regarding early detection services. Discrete choice experiments are increasingly used to reveal preferences about new health services; however, selecting appropriate attributes that describe a new health service is imperative to ensure validity of the choice experiment.Objective: To identify important factors that are relevant to Malawian women’s preferences for breast cancer detection services and to select attributes and levels for a discrete choice experiment in a setting where both breast cancer early detection and choice experiments are rare.Methods: We reviewed the literature to establish an initial list of potential attributes and levels for a discrete choice experiment and conducted qualitative interviews with health workers and community women to explore relevant local factors affecting decisions to use cancer detection services. We tested the design through cognitive interviews and refined the levels, descriptions, and designs.Results: Themes that emerged from interviews provided critical information about breast cancer detection services, specifically, that breast cancer interventions should be integrated into other health services because asymptomatic screening may not be practical as an individual service. Based on participants’ responses, the final attributes of the choice experiment included travel time, health encounter, health worker type and sex, and breast cancer early detection strategy. Cognitive testing confirmed the acceptability of the final attributes

An evaluation of classification algorithms for intrusion detection ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An evaluation of classification algorithms for intrusion detection. ... Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads. ... Most of the available IDSs use all the 41 features in the network to evaluate and search for intrusive pattern in which ...

Developing and evaluating a target-background similarity metric for camouflage detection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiuhsiang Joe Lin

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Measurement of camouflage performance is of fundamental importance for military stealth applications. The goal of camouflage assessment algorithms is to automatically assess the effect of camouflage in agreement with human detection responses. In a previous study, we found that the Universal Image Quality Index (UIQI correlated well with the psychophysical measures, and it could be a potentially camouflage assessment tool. METHODOLOGY: In this study, we want to quantify the camouflage similarity index and psychophysical results. We compare several image quality indexes for computational evaluation of camouflage effectiveness, and present the results of an extensive human visual experiment conducted to evaluate the performance of several camouflage assessment algorithms and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of these algorithms. SIGNIFICANCE: The experimental data demonstrates the effectiveness of the approach, and the correlation coefficient result of the UIQI was higher than those of other methods. This approach was highly correlated with the human target-searching results. It also showed that this method is an objective and effective camouflage performance evaluation method because it considers the human visual system and image structure, which makes it consistent with the subjective evaluation results.

Developing and evaluating a target-background similarity metric for camouflage detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chiuhsiang Joe; Chang, Chi-Chan; Liu, Bor-Shong

2014-01-01

Measurement of camouflage performance is of fundamental importance for military stealth applications. The goal of camouflage assessment algorithms is to automatically assess the effect of camouflage in agreement with human detection responses. In a previous study, we found that the Universal Image Quality Index (UIQI) correlated well with the psychophysical measures, and it could be a potentially camouflage assessment tool. In this study, we want to quantify the camouflage similarity index and psychophysical results. We compare several image quality indexes for computational evaluation of camouflage effectiveness, and present the results of an extensive human visual experiment conducted to evaluate the performance of several camouflage assessment algorithms and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of these algorithms. The experimental data demonstrates the effectiveness of the approach, and the correlation coefficient result of the UIQI was higher than those of other methods. This approach was highly correlated with the human target-searching results. It also showed that this method is an objective and effective camouflage performance evaluation method because it considers the human visual system and image structure, which makes it consistent with the subjective evaluation results.

A new method for alpha-particle detection in a classroom experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simon, A.; Pintye, Z.; Molnar, J.

2005-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. The World Year of Physics (WYP 2005) was a worldwide celebration of Physics and its importance in our everyday lives. In harmony with its aims, that is to raise the worldwide awareness of Physics and Physical Science, we introduced a novel lab work involving a new imaging and data evaluation method for alpha-particle detection, which can be easily implemented in a classroom environment. The target group of the experiments is mainly secondary school students (age between 16-18 years). Our aim is to motivate students to develop a better understanding of Physics, allowing them to experience for themselves something of its fascination. In order to increase their attractiveness, the experiments include using a CMOS video image sensor with a video output. The covering glass window of the sensor must be carefully removed in order to make it sensitive for alpha rays. The sensor is connected to a computer where the images are recorded as a short video clip. The recorded video is played back by frames. The resulted frames are then merged together into one image. On this image the student can count the number of spots, where each spot corresponds to a hit of an alpha particle. The experiment can also be visible on a TV screen even by a whole class, however the authors suggest implementing the following experiments as a practical work individually or in small groups. As students are familiar with modern information technology, we think that they will be highly motivated to make these experiments on their own. Acknowledgements. The development of the above experimental setup was funded by ATOMKI and it was presented to the interactive science centre 'Magic corner', Debrecen, Hungary at Christmas, 2005. (author)

The Diurnal Variation of the Wimp Detection Event Rates in Directional Experiments

CERN Document Server

Vergados, J D

2009-01-01

The recent WMAP data have confirmed that exotic dark matter together with the vacuum energy (cosmological constant) dominate in the flat Universe. Modern particle theories naturally provide viable cold dark matter candidates with masses in the GeV-TeV region. Supersymmetry provides the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP), theories in extra dimensions supply the lightest Kaluza-Klein particle (LKP) etc. The nature of dark matter can only be unraveled only by its direct detection in the laboratory. All such candidates will be called WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles). In any case the direct dark matter search, which amounts to detecting the recoiling nucleus, following its collision with WIMP, is central to particle physics and cosmology. In this work we briefly review the theoretical elements relevant to the direct dark matter detection experiments, paying particular attention to directional experiments. i.e experiments in which, not only the energy but the direction of the recoiling nucleus is ob...

Experience with humidity monitoring and leak detection system SMU-V at the Jaslovske Bohunice V-1 NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macko, O.

1996-01-01

Within the paper a brief technical description of SMU-V system is presented including algorithms for measured data evaluation, assessment of experience acquired the system operation and prospective VUEZ activities aimed at the developed of systems for NPP primary circuit leak detection based on humidity monitoring. System SMU-V is used to diagnose dangerous conditions during which integrity of the pipeline could be impaired resulting in absolute humidity increase in the monitored volume. (author)

The impact and applicability of critical experiment evaluations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brewer, R. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)

1997-06-01

This paper very briefly describes a project to evaluate previously performed critical experiments. The evaluation is intended for use by criticality safety engineers to verify calculations, and may also be used to identify data which need further investigation. The evaluation process is briefly outlined; the accepted benchmark critical experiments will be used as a standard for verification and validation. The end result of the project will be a comprehensive reference document.

Evaluating late detection capability against diverse insider adversaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sicherman, A.

1987-01-01

This paper describes a model for evaluating the late (after-the-fact) detection capability of material control and accountability (MCandA) systems against insider theft or diversion of special nuclear material. Potential insider cover-up strategies to defeat activities providing detection (e.g., inventories) are addressed by the model in a tractable manner. For each potential adversary and detection activity, two probabilities are assessed and used to fit the model. The model then computes the probability of detection for activities occurring periodically over time. The model provides insight into MCandA effectiveness and helps identify areas for safeguards improvement. 4 refs., 4 tabs

Effect of Clinical Experience of Chest Tomosynthesis on Detection of Pulmonary Nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zachrisson, S.; Svalkvist, A.; Maansson, L.G.; Baath, M.; Vikgren, J.; Johnsson, Aa.A.; Boijsen, M.; Flinck, A.; Kheddache, S.

2009-01-01

Background: The new technique chest tomosynthesis refers to the principle of collecting low-dose projections of the chest at different angles and using these projections to reconstruct section images of the chest at a radiation dose comparable to that of chest radiography. Purpose: To investigate if, for experienced thoracic radiologists, the detectability of pulmonary nodules obtained after only a short initial learning period of chest tomosynthesis improves with additional clinical experience of the new technique. Material and Methods: Two readings of the same clinical chest tomosynthesis cases, the first performed after 6 months of clinical experience and the second after an additional period of 1 year, were conducted. Three senior thoracic radiologists, with more than 20 years of experience of chest radiography, acted as observers, with the task of detecting pulmonary nodules in a jackknife free-response receiver operating characteristics (JAFROC1) study. The image material consisted of 42 patients with and 47 patients without pulmonary nodules examined with chest tomosynthesis. Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) was used as a reference. The total number of nodules was 131. The JAFROC1 figure of merit (FOM) was used as the principal measure of detectability. Results: The difference in the observer-averaged JAFROC1 FOM of the two readings was 0.004 (95% confidence interval: -0.11, 0.12; F-statistic: 0.01 on 1 and 2.65 df; P=0.91). Thus, no significant improvement in detectability was found after the additional clinical experience of tomosynthesis. Conclusion: The study indicates that experienced thoracic radiologists already within the first months of clinical use of chest tomosynthesis are able to take advantage of the new technique in the task of detecting pulmonary nodules

Detecting and evaluating communities in complex human and biological networks

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Greg; Mahadevan, L.

2012-02-01

We develop a simple method for detecting the community structure in a network can by utilizing a measure of closeness between nodes. This approach readily leads to a method of coarse graining the network, which allows the detection of the natural hierarchy (or hierarchies) of community structure without appealing to an unknown resolution parameter. The closeness measure can also be used to evaluate the robustness of an individual node's assignment to its community (rather than evaluating only the quality of the global structure). Each of these methods in community detection and evaluation are illustrated using a variety of real world networks of either biological or sociological importance and illustrate the power and flexibility of the approach.

Nodule detection by chest X-ray and evaluation of computer-aided detection (CAD) software using an originally developed phantom for instructional purposes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nitta, Norihisa; Takahashi, Masashi; Takazakura, Ryutaro

2006-01-01

Chest X-ray and computed tomography (CT) are indispensable modalities for lung cancer examinations. CT technologies have dramatically improved and small nodules and obscure shadows have been detected more frequently. The new generation of radiologists feels that chest X-rays are not as useful as chest CT. Experiments using a newly-developed chest phantom were conducted to reconfirm blind spots in chest X-rays. Recent technological advances and high-definition capability have made chest X-rays more useful than ever. Even though development of multi-detector CT (MDCT) has facilitated detection of nodules, it has conversely incurred a problem of increasing data for analysis, taking tremendous time and effort. Here, employing a chest phantom and clinical samples, we evaluated the utility of two kinds of computer-aided detection (CAD) software (Image Checker CT and LungCARE NEV) as well as GGO CAD software that we have developed. More development of chest CT diagnostic software is urgently needed. (author)

Detecting Dark Photons with Reactor Neutrino Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Park, H. K.

2017-08-01

We propose to search for light U (1 ) dark photons, A', produced via kinetically mixing with ordinary photons via the Compton-like process, γ e-→A'e-, in a nuclear reactor and detected by their interactions with the material in the active volumes of reactor neutrino experiments. We derive 95% confidence-level upper limits on ɛ , the A'-γ mixing parameter, ɛ , for dark-photon masses below 1 MeV of ɛ reactors as potential sources of intense fluxes of low-mass dark photons.

Radiologists' Training, Experience, and Attitudes About Elder Abuse Detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosen, Tony; Bloemen, Elizabeth M; Harpe, Jasmin; Sanchez, Allen M; Mennitt, Kevin W; McCarthy, Thomas J; Nicola, Refky; Murphy, Kieran; LoFaso, Veronica M; Flomenbaum, Neal; Lachs, Mark S

2016-12-01

Elder abuse is underrecognized, and identification of subtle cases requires a high index of suspicion among all health care providers. Because many geriatric injury victims undergo radiographic imaging, diagnostic radiologists may be well positioned to identify injury patterns suggestive of abuse. Little is known about radiologists' experience with elder abuse. Our goal was to describe knowledge, attitudes, training, and practice experience in elder abuse detection among diagnostic radiologists. We conducted 19 interviews with diagnostic radiologists at a large urban academic medical center using a semistructured format. Data from these sessions were coded and analyzed to identify themes. Only two radiologists reported any formal or informal training in elder abuse detection. All subjects believed they had missed cases of elder abuse. Even experienced radiologists reported never having received a request from a referring physician to assess images for evidence suggestive of elder abuse. All subjects reported a desire for additional elder abuse training. Also, subjects identified radiographic findings or patterns potentially suggestive of elder abuse, including high-energy injuries such as upper rib fractures, injuries in multiple stages of healing, and injuries inconsistent with reported mechanism. Radiologists are uniquely positioned to identify elder abuse. Though training in detection is currently lacking, providers expressed a desire for increased knowledge. In addition, radiologists were able to identify radiographic findings suggestive of elder abuse. On the basis of these findings, we plan to conduct additional studies to define pathognomonic injury patterns and to explore how to empower radiologists to incorporate detection into their practice.

Radiologists’ Training, Experience, and Attitudes About Elder Abuse Detection

Science.gov (United States)

Rosen, Tony; Bloemen, Elizabeth M.; Harpe, Jasmin; Sanchez, Allen M.; Mennitt, Kevin W.; McCarthy, Thomas J.; Nicola, Refky; Murphy, Kieran; LoFaso, Veronica M.; Flomenbaum, Neal; Lachs, Mark S.

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE Elder abuse is underrecognized, and identification of subtle cases requires a high index of suspicion among all health care providers. Because many geriatric injury victims undergo radiographic imaging, diagnostic radiologists may be well positioned to identify injury patterns suggestive of abuse. Little is known about radiologists’ experience with elder abuse. Our goal was to describe knowledge, attitudes, training, and practice experience in elder abuse detection among diagnostic radiologists. SUBJECTS AND METHODS We conducted 19 interviews with diagnostic radiologists at a large urban academic medical center using a semistructured format. Data from these sessions were coded and analyzed to identify themes. RESULTS Only two radiologists reported any formal or informal training in elder abuse detection. All subjects believed they had missed cases of elder abuse. Even experienced radiologists reported never having received a request from a referring physician to assess images for evidence suggestive of elder abuse. All subjects reported a desire for additional elder abuse training. Also, subjects identified radiographic findings or patterns potentially suggestive of elder abuse, including high-energy injuries such as upper rib fractures, injuries in multiple stages of healing, and injuries inconsistent with reported mechanism. CONCLUSION Radiologists are uniquely positioned to identify elder abuse. Though training in detection is currently lacking, providers expressed a desire for increased knowledge. In addition, radiologists were able to identify radiographic findings suggestive of elder abuse. On the basis of these findings, we plan to conduct additional studies to define pathognomonic injury patterns and to explore how to empower radiologists to incorporate detection into their practice. PMID:27732066

Evaluation of an integrated graphical display to promote acute change detection in ICU patients

Science.gov (United States)

Anders, Shilo; Albert, Robert; Miller, Anne; Weinger, Matthew B.; Doig, Alexa K.; Behrens, Michael; Agutter, Jim

2012-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate ICU nurses’ ability to detect patient change using an integrated graphical information display (IGID) versus a conventional tabular ICU patient information display (i.e. electronic chart). Design Using participants from two different sites, we conducted a repeated measures simulator-based experiment to assess ICU nurses’ ability to detect abnormal patient variables using a novel IGID versus a conventional tabular information display. Patient scenarios and display presentations were fully counterbalanced. Measurements We measured percent correct detection of abnormal patient variables, nurses’ perceived workload (NASA-TLX), and display usability ratings. Results 32 ICU nurses (87% female, median age of 29 years, and median ICU experience of 2.5 years) using the IGID detected more abnormal variables compared to the tabular display [F (1,119)=13.0, p < 0.05]. There was a significant main effect of site [F (1, 119)=14.2], with development site participants doing better. There were no significant differences in nurses’ perceived workload. The IGID display was rated as more usable than the conventional display, [F (1, 60)=31.7]. Conclusion Overall, nurses reported more important physiological information with the novel IGID than tabular display. Moreover, the finding of site differences may reflect local influences in work practice and involvement in iterative display design methodology. Information displays developed using user-centered design should accommodate the full diversity of the intended user population across use sites. PMID:22534099

Detection of suspected placental invasion by MRI: Do the results depend on observer’ experience?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alamo, Leonor, E-mail: leonor.alamo@chuv.ch [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne (Switzerland); Anaye, Anass; Rey, Jannick; Denys, Alban [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne (Switzerland); Bongartz, Georg [Universitätsspital Basel (Switzerland); Terraz, Sylvain [Hôpitaux Universitaires Genève (Switzerland); Artemisia, Simona; Meuli, Reto; Schmidt, Sabine [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne (Switzerland)

2013-02-15

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic value of previously described MR features used for detecting suspected placental invasion according to observers’ experience. Materials and methods: Our population included 25 pregnant women (mean age 35.16) investigated by prenatal MRI (1.5 T, T1- and T2-weighted MR-sequences without i.v. contrast), among them 12 with histopathologically proven placental invasion and 13 women (52%) without placental invasion used as control group. Two senior and two junior radiologists blindly and independently reviewed MR-examinations in view of 6 previously defined MR-features indicating presence and degree of placental invasion (placenta increta, accreta or percreta). For each reader the sensibility, specificity, and receiver operating curve (ROC) were calculated. Interobserver agreements between senior and junior readers were determined. Stepwise logistic regression was performed including the 6 MR-features predictive of placental invasion. Results: Demographics between both groups were statistically equivalent. Overall sensitivity and specificity for placental invasion was 90.9% and 75.0% for seniors and 81.8% and 61.8% for juniors, respectively. The best single MR-feature indicating placental invasion was T2-hypointense placental bands (r{sup 2} = 0.28), followed by focally interrupted myometrial border, infiltration of pelvic organs and tenting of the bladder (r{sup 2} = 0.36). Interobserver agreement for detecting placental invasion was 0.64 for seniors and 0.41 for juniors, thus substantial and moderate, respectively. Seniors detected placental invasion and depth of infiltration with significantly higher diagnostic certitude than juniors (p = 0.0002 and p = 0.0282, respectively). Conclusion: MRI can be a reliable and reproducible tool for the detection of suspected placental invasion, but the diagnostic value significantly depends on observers’ experience.

A Comparative Evaluation of Unsupervised Anomaly Detection Algorithms for Multivariate Data

Science.gov (United States)

Goldstein, Markus; Uchida, Seiichi

2016-01-01

Anomaly detection is the process of identifying unexpected items or events in datasets, which differ from the norm. In contrast to standard classification tasks, anomaly detection is often applied on unlabeled data, taking only the internal structure of the dataset into account. This challenge is known as unsupervised anomaly detection and is addressed in many practical applications, for example in network intrusion detection, fraud detection as well as in the life science and medical domain. Dozens of algorithms have been proposed in this area, but unfortunately the research community still lacks a comparative universal evaluation as well as common publicly available datasets. These shortcomings are addressed in this study, where 19 different unsupervised anomaly detection algorithms are evaluated on 10 different datasets from multiple application domains. By publishing the source code and the datasets, this paper aims to be a new well-funded basis for unsupervised anomaly detection research. Additionally, this evaluation reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches for the first time. Besides the anomaly detection performance, computational effort, the impact of parameter settings as well as the global/local anomaly detection behavior is outlined. As a conclusion, we give an advise on algorithm selection for typical real-world tasks. PMID:27093601

First results of the TIANSHAN radio experiment for neutrino detection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martineau-Huynh, O., E-mail: omartino@in2p3.fr [Laboratoire de Physique Nucleaire et de Physique des Hautes Energies, CNRS/IN2P3 and Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris Cedex (France); National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing (China); Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China); Ardouin, D. [SUBATECH, Ecole des Mines, CNRS/IN2P3 and Universite de Nantes, Nantes (France); Carloganu, C. [Clermont Universite, Universite Blaise Pascal, CNRS/IN2P3, Laboratoire de Physique Corpusculaire, BP 10448, Clermond-Ferrand (France); Charrier, D. [SUBATECH, Ecole des Mines, CNRS/IN2P3 and Universite de Nantes, Nantes (France); Gou, Q.; Hu, H. [Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China); Kai, L. [Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049 (China); Lautridou, P. [SUBATECH, Ecole des Mines, CNRS/IN2P3 and Universite de Nantes, Nantes (France); Niess, V. [Clermont Universite, Universite Blaise Pascal, CNRS/IN2P3, Laboratoire de Physique Corpusculaire, BP 10448, Clermond-Ferrand (France); Ravel, O. [SUBATECH, Ecole des Mines, CNRS/IN2P3 and Universite de Nantes, Nantes (France); Saugrin, T.; Wu, X. [National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing (China); Zhang, J.; Zhang, Y. [Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China); Zhao, M. [National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing (China); Zheng, Y. [Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049 (China)

2012-01-11

We present the first results of a set-up called TIANSHAN radio experiment for neutrino detection (TREND) being presently deployed on the site of the 21 cm array (21CMA) radio telescope, in XinJiang, China. We describe here its detection performances as well as the analysis method we applied to the data recorded with a small scale prototype. We demonstrate the ability of the TREND set-up for an autonomous radio-detection of extended air showers induced by cosmic rays. The full set-up will consist of 80 antennas deployed over a 4 km{sup 2} area, and could result in a very attractive and unequalled radio-detection facility for the characterization of showers induced by ultra-high energy neutrinos with energies around 10{sup 17} eV.

Performance evaluation for epileptic electroencephalogram (EEG) detection by using Neyman-Pearson criteria and a support vector machine

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chun-mei; Zhang, Chong-ming; Zou, Jun-zhong; Zhang, Jian

2012-02-01

The diagnosis of several neurological disorders is based on the detection of typical pathological patterns in electroencephalograms (EEGs). This is a time-consuming task requiring significant training and experience. A lot of effort has been devoted to developing automatic detection techniques which might help not only in accelerating this process but also in avoiding the disagreement among readers of the same record. In this work, Neyman-Pearson criteria and a support vector machine (SVM) are applied for detecting an epileptic EEG. Decision making is performed in two stages: feature extraction by computing the wavelet coefficients and the approximate entropy (ApEn) and detection by using Neyman-Pearson criteria and an SVM. Then the detection performance of the proposed method is evaluated. Simulation results demonstrate that the wavelet coefficients and the ApEn are features that represent the EEG signals well. By comparison with Neyman-Pearson criteria, an SVM applied on these features achieved higher detection accuracies.

Evaluation of computer-aided detection and diagnosis systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrick, Nicholas; Sahiner, Berkman; Armato, Samuel G; Bert, Alberto; Correale, Loredana; Delsanto, Silvia; Freedman, Matthew T; Fryd, David; Gur, David; Hadjiiski, Lubomir; Huo, Zhimin; Jiang, Yulei; Morra, Lia; Paquerault, Sophie; Raykar, Vikas; Samuelson, Frank; Summers, Ronald M; Tourassi, Georgia; Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Zheng, Bin; Zhou, Chuan; Chan, Heang-Ping

2013-08-01

Computer-aided detection and diagnosis (CAD) systems are increasingly being used as an aid by clinicians for detection and interpretation of diseases. Computer-aided detection systems mark regions of an image that may reveal specific abnormalities and are used to alert clinicians to these regions during image interpretation. Computer-aided diagnosis systems provide an assessment of a disease using image-based information alone or in combination with other relevant diagnostic data and are used by clinicians as a decision support in developing their diagnoses. While CAD systems are commercially available, standardized approaches for evaluating and reporting their performance have not yet been fully formalized in the literature or in a standardization effort. This deficiency has led to difficulty in the comparison of CAD devices and in understanding how the reported performance might translate into clinical practice. To address these important issues, the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) formed the Computer Aided Detection in Diagnostic Imaging Subcommittee (CADSC), in part, to develop recommendations on approaches for assessing CAD system performance. The purpose of this paper is to convey the opinions of the AAPM CADSC members and to stimulate the development of consensus approaches and "best practices" for evaluating CAD systems. Both the assessment of a standalone CAD system and the evaluation of the impact of CAD on end-users are discussed. It is hoped that awareness of these important evaluation elements and the CADSC recommendations will lead to further development of structured guidelines for CAD performance assessment. Proper assessment of CAD system performance is expected to increase the understanding of a CAD system's effectiveness and limitations, which is expected to stimulate further research and development efforts on CAD technologies, reduce problems due to improper use, and eventually improve the utility and efficacy of CAD in

HFSS Simulation on Cavity Coupling for Axion Detecting Experiment

CERN Document Server

Yeo, Beomki

2015-01-01

In the resonant cavity experiment, it is vital maximize signal power at detector with the minimized reflection from source. Return loss is minimized when the impedance of source and cavity are matched to each other and this is called impedance matching. Establishing tunable antenna on source is required to get a impedance matching. Geometry and position of antenna is varied depending on the electromagnetic eld of cavity. This research is dedicated to simulation to nd such a proper design of coupling antenna, especially for axion dark matter detecting experiment. HFSS solver was used for the simulation.

Promoting early detection of melanoma during the mammography experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.K. Rzepecki, BS

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Invasive melanoma, a lethal form of skin cancer, is the seventh most common cancer in women. Factors such as a history of indoor tanning or sunburn and a personal or family history of skin cancer increase a woman’s risk of developing a melanoma. Objective: Because the majority of melanomas occur in patients age 40 years or older, which is the age that is recommended for women to begin screening mammograms, the mammogram experience could be used to promote early detection of melanoma by introducing skin self-examinations (SSE to a population of women who are already invested in preventive health. Methods: This was a pilot and feasibility study that was designed to promote the early detection of melanoma among women who undergo a mammogram at the Lynn Sage Breast Center at the Northwestern Medicine/Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. The study was conducted in three phases: development of the materials, delivery of the program, and assessment of the program effectiveness. Results: Eighty six percent of women with scheduled mammogram appointments participated in the study (n = 560. Among these women, 68% noticed the SSE information in the changing rooms, 78% thought the information applied to them, and 68% identified with at least one of the risk factors for melanoma. Twenty percent of the patients checked their skin in the changing room, 13% noticed a concerning mole, and 60% of those women who noted a concerning lesion stated their intent to see a dermatologist for further evaluation. Conclusion: A large proportion of the women in our study had risk factors for developing a melanoma and noticed the SSE information in the screening center. Placing an intervention to encourage methods for the early detection of melanoma in an outpatient mammography environment is an effective strategy to increase awareness in a large proportion of at-risk women. Keywords: melanoma, skin self-examination, skin cancer screening

User Experience Evaluations in Rehabilitation Video Games for Children: A Systematic Mapping of the Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Rico-Olarte, Carolina; López, Diego M; Blobel, Bernd; Kepplinger, Sara

2017-01-01

In recent years, the interest in user experience (UX) evaluation methods for assessing technology solutions, especially in health systems for children with special needs like cognitive disabilities, has increased. Conduct a systematic mapping study to provide an overview in the field of UX evaluations in rehabilitation video games for children. The definition of research questions, the search for primary studies and the extraction of those studies by inclusion and exclusion criteria lead to the mapping of primary papers according to a classification scheme. Main findings from this study include the detection of the target population of the selected studies, the recognition of two different ways of evaluating UX: (i) user evaluation and (ii) system evaluation, and UX measurements and devices used. This systematic mapping specifies the research gaps identified for future research works in the area.

Navigating Theory and Practice through Evaluation Fieldwork: Experiences of Novice Evaluation Practitioners

Science.gov (United States)

Chouinard, Jill Anne; Boyce, Ayesha S.; Hicks, Juanita; Jones, Jennie; Long, Justin; Pitts, Robyn; Stockdale, Myrah

2017-01-01

To explore the relationship between theory and practice in evaluation, we focus on the perspectives and experiences of student evaluators, as they move from the classroom to an engagement with the social, political, and cultural dynamics of evaluation in the field. Through reflective journals, postcourse interviews, and facilitated group…

Evaluating the use of dedicated swab for rapid antigen detection ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Evaluating the use of dedicated swab for rapid antigen detection testing in group a ... African Journal of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology ... Several generations of rapid antigen detection tests (RADTs) have been developed to facilitate ...

Technique of experimental evaluation of cloud environment attacks detection accuracy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergey A. Klimachev

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to research of efficiency evaluation of IDS used for dynamic and complex organizational and technical structure computing platform guard. The components of the platform have a set of heterogeneous parameters. Analysis of existing IDS evaluation technique revealed shortcomings in justification of quantitative metrics that describe the efficiency and reliability IDS resolving. This makes if difficult to prove IDS evaluation technique. The purpose of the study is to increase IDS evaluation objectivity. To achive the purpose it is necessary to develop the correct technique, tools, experimental stand. The article proposes the results of development and approbation of the technique of IDS efficiency evaluation and software for it. The technique is based on defining of optimal set of attack detection accuracy scores. The technique and the software allow solving problems of comparative analysis of IDS that have similar functionality. As a result of the research, a number of task have been solved, including the selection of universal quantitative metrics for attack detection accuracy evaluation, the defining of summarised attack detection accuracy evaluation metric based on defining of pareto-optimal set of scores that ensure the confidentiality, integrity and accessibility of cloud environment information and information resources,  the development of a functional model,  a functional scheme and a software for cloud environment IDS research.

Evaluating late detection capability against diverse insider adversaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sicherman, A.

1987-01-01

The threat of theft or diversion of special nuclear material (SNM) by insiders is a key concern for safeguards planners. Different types of employees having varying degrees of access to both SNM and safeguards systems pose a difficult challenge for theft detection. Safeguards planners rely on physical security, material control, and accountability to provide detection of a theft attempt. When detection occurs too late to prevent a theft, it is called a late detection or late alarm. Activities or events that many provide late detection usually belong to material control and accountability (MC ampersand A) activities. A model has been developed for evaluating the probability of late detection as a function of time elapsed since the theft. Late detection capability is beneficial if it is timely enough to improve the ability to determine the cause of an alarm, speed recovery of SNM, prevent an incorrect response to a threat demand, or promote assurance that no theft has occurred in the absence of an alarm. The model provides insight into the effectiveness of late detection safeguards components in place and helps to identify areas where the MC ampersand A can be most effectively improved

Quench Detection and Instrumentation for the Tokamak Physics Experiment magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaplin, M.R.; Hassenzahl, W.V.; Schultz, J.H.

1993-01-01

The design of the Local Instrumentation ampersand Control (I ampersand C) System for the Tokamak Physics Experiment (TPX) superconducting PF ampersand TF magnets is presented. The local I ampersand C system monitors the status of the magnet systems and initiates the proper control sequences to protect the magnets from any foreseeable fault. Local I ampersand C also stores magnet-system data for analysis and archiving. Quench Detection for the TPX magnets must use a minimum of two independent sensing methods and is allowed a detection time of one second. Proposed detection methods include the measurement of; (1) normal-zone resistive voltage, (2) cooling-path helium flow, (3) local temperature in the winding pack, (4) local pressure in the winding pack. Fiber-optic based isolation systems are used to remove high common-mode magnet voltages and eliminate ground loops. The data acquisition and fault-detection systems are computer based. The design of the local I ampersand C system incorporates redundant, fault-tolerant, and/or fail-safe features at all component levels. As part of a quench detection R ampersand D plan, a Quench Detection Model Coil has been proposed to test all detection methods. Initial cost estimates and schedule for the local I ampersand C system are presented

Direct 13C-detected NMR experiments for mapping and characterization of hydrogen bonds in RNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fürtig, Boris; Schnieders, Robbin; Richter, Christian; Zetzsche, Heidi; Keyhani, Sara; Helmling, Christina; Kovacs, Helena; Schwalbe, Harald

2016-01-01

In RNA secondary structure determination, it is essential to determine whether a nucleotide is base-paired and not. Base-pairing of nucleotides is mediated by hydrogen bonds. The NMR characterization of hydrogen bonds relies on experiments correlating the NMR resonances of exchangeable protons and can be best performed for structured parts of the RNA, where labile hydrogen atoms are protected from solvent exchange. Functionally important regions in RNA, however, frequently reveal increased dynamic disorder which often leads to NMR signals of exchangeable protons that are broadened beyond 1 H detection. Here, we develop 13 C direct detected experiments to observe all nucleotides in RNA irrespective of whether they are involved in hydrogen bonds or not. Exploiting the self-decoupling of scalar couplings due to the exchange process, the hydrogen bonding behavior of the hydrogen bond donor of each individual nucleotide can be determined. Furthermore, the adaption of HNN-COSY experiments for 13 C direct detection allows correlations of donor–acceptor pairs and the localization of hydrogen-bond acceptor nucleotides. The proposed 13 C direct detected experiments therefore provide information about molecular sites not amenable by conventional proton-detected methods. Such information makes the RNA secondary structure determination by NMR more accurate and helps to validate secondary structure predictions based on bioinformatics.

Community detection algorithm evaluation with ground-truth data

Science.gov (United States)

Jebabli, Malek; Cherifi, Hocine; Cherifi, Chantal; Hamouda, Atef

2018-02-01

Community structure is of paramount importance for the understanding of complex networks. Consequently, there is a tremendous effort in order to develop efficient community detection algorithms. Unfortunately, the issue of a fair assessment of these algorithms is a thriving open question. If the ground-truth community structure is available, various clustering-based metrics are used in order to compare it versus the one discovered by these algorithms. However, these metrics defined at the node level are fairly insensitive to the variation of the overall community structure. To overcome these limitations, we propose to exploit the topological features of the 'community graphs' (where the nodes are the communities and the links represent their interactions) in order to evaluate the algorithms. To illustrate our methodology, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of overlapping community detection algorithms using a set of real-world networks with known a priori community structure. Results provide a better perception of their relative performance as compared to classical metrics. Moreover, they show that more emphasis should be put on the topology of the community structure. We also investigate the relationship between the topological properties of the community structure and the alternative evaluation measures (quality metrics and clustering metrics). It appears clearly that they present different views of the community structure and that they must be combined in order to evaluate the effectiveness of community detection algorithms.

Evaluation Of Digital Unsharp-Mask Filtering For The Detection Of Subtle Mammographic Microcalcifications

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Heang-Ping; Vyborny, Carl J.; MacMahon, Heber; Metz, Charles E.; Doi, Kunio; Sickles, Edward A.

1986-06-01

observer performance experiments to evaluate the detectability of micro-calcifications in three sets of mammograms: the original film images, unprocessed digitized images, and unsharp-masked images. Each set included the same 20 normal cases and 12 abnormal cases. A total of 5 board-certified radiologists and 4 senior radiology residents participated as observers. In the first experiment, the detectability of microcalcifications was measured for the original, unprocessed digitized, and unsharp-masked images. Each observer read all 96 films in one session with the cases arranged in a different random order. A maximum of 15 seconds was allowed to read each image. To facilitate receiver operating character-istic (ROC) analysis, each observer ranked his/her observation regarding the presence or absence of a cluster of 3 or more microcalcifications on a 5-point confidence rating scale (1=definitely no microcalcifications, 2=probably no microcalcifications; 3=microcalcifi-cations possibly present; 4=microcalcifications probably present; 5=microcalcifications definitely present). The observer identified the location of the suspected microcalci-fications when the confidence rating was 2 or greater. In the second experiment, we evaluated whether reading the unsharp-masked image and the unprocessed digitized image side by side for each case would reduce false-positive detection rates for microcalcifications and thus improve overall performance. The observer was again allowed a maximum of 15 seconds to read each pair of images and was instructed to use the unsharp-masked image for primary reading and the unprocessed digitized image for reference. The experimental setting and procedures were otherwise the same as those for the first experiment.

International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation (IRPhE) Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

The International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation (IRPhE) Project aims to provide the nuclear community with qualified benchmark data sets by collecting reactor physics experimental data from nuclear facilities, worldwide. More specifically the objectives of the expert group are as follows: - maintaining an inventory of the experiments that have been carried out and documented; - archiving the primary documents and data released in computer-readable form; - promoting the use of the format and methods developed and seek to have them adopted as a standard. For those experiments where interest and priority is expressed by member countries or working parties and executive groups within the NEA provide guidance or co-ordination in: - compiling experiments into a standard international agreed format; - verifying the data, to the extent possible, by reviewing original and subsequently revised documentation, and by consulting with the experimenters or individuals who are familiar with the experimenters or the experimental facility; - analysing and interpreting the experiments with current state-of-the-art methods; - publishing electronically the benchmark evaluations. The expert group will: - identify gaps in data and provide guidance on priorities for future experiments; - involve the young generation (Masters and PhD students and young researchers) to find an effective way of transferring know-how in experimental techniques and analysis methods; - provide a tool for improved exploitation of completed experiments for Generation IV reactors; - coordinate closely its work with other NSC experimental work groups in particular the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP), the Shielding Integral Benchmark Experiment Data Base (SINBAD) and others, e.g. knowledge preservation in fast reactors of the IAEA, the ANS Joint Benchmark Activities; - keep a close link with the working parties on scientific issues of reactor systems (WPRS), the expert

Particle and photon detection for a neutron radiative decay experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gentile, T.R. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899 (United States)], E-mail: thomas.gentile@nist.gov; Dewey, M.S.; Mumm, H.P.; Nico, J.S.; Thompson, A.K. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899 (United States); Chupp, T.E. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Cooper, R.L. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States)], E-mail: cooperrl@umich.edu; Fisher, B.M.; Kremsky, I.; Wietfeldt, F.E. [Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118 (United States); Kiriluk, K.G.; Beise, E.J. [University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States)

2007-08-21

We present the particle and photon detection methods employed in a program to observe neutron radiative beta-decay. The experiment is located at the NG-6 beam line at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research. Electrons and protons are guided by a 4.6 T magnetic field and detected by a silicon surface barrier detector. Photons with energies between 15 and 750 keV are registered by a detector consisting of a bismuth germanate scintillator coupled to a large area avalanche photodiode. The photon detector operates at a temperature near 80 K in the bore of a superconducting magnet. We discuss CsI as an alternative scintillator, and avalanche photodiodes for direct detection of photons in the 0.1-10 keV range.

Experience and evaluation of advanced on-line core monitoring system 'BEACON' at IKATA site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujitsuka, Nobumichi; Tanouchi, Hideyuki; Imamura, Yasuhiro; Mizobuchil, Daisuke

1997-01-01

Shikoku Electric Power Company installed BEACON core monitoring system into IKATA unit 3 in May 1994. During its first cycle of core operation, various operational data were obtained including data of some anomalous reactor conditions introduced for the test objective of the plant start-up. This paper presents the evaluation of the BEACON system capability based on this experience. The system functions such as core monitoring and anomaly detection, prediction of future reactor conditions and increased efficiency of core management activities are discussed. Our future plan to utilize the system is also presented. (authors)

A storage ring experiment to detect a proton electric dipole moment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anastassopoulos, V. [Department of Physics, University of Patras, 26500 Rio-Patras, Greece; Andrianov, S. [Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Control Processes, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia; Baartman, R. [TRIUMF, 4004 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T2A3, Canada; Baessler, S. [Department of Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, USA; Bai, M. [Institut für Kernphysik and JARA-Fame, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Benante, J. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Berz, M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA; Blaskiewicz, M. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Bowcock, T. [Department of Physics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Brown, K. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Casey, B. [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, Illinois 60510, USA; Conte, M. [Physics Department and INFN Section of Genoa, 16146 Genoa, Italy; Crnkovic, J. D. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; D’Imperio, N. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Fanourakis, G. [Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics NCSR Demokritos, GR-15310 Aghia Paraskevi Athens, Greece; Fedotov, A. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Fierlinger, P. [Technical University München, Physikdepartment and Excellence-Cluster “Universe,” Garching, Germany; Fischer, W. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Gaisser, M. O. [Center for Axion and Precision Physics Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea; Giomataris, Y. [CEA/Saclay, DAPNIA, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France; Grosse-Perdekamp, M. [Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA; Guidoboni, G. [University of Ferrara, INFN of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Hacıömeroğlu, S. [Center for Axion and Precision Physics Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea; Hoffstaetter, G. [Laboratory for Elementary-Particle Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA; Huang, H. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Incagli, M. [Physics Department, University and INFN Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Ivanov, A. [Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Control Processes, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia; Kawall, D. [Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA; Kim, Y. I. [Center for Axion and Precision Physics Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea; King, B. [Department of Physics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Koop, I. A. [Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; Lazarus, D. M. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Lebedev, V. [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, Illinois 60510, USA; Lee, M. J. [Center for Axion and Precision Physics Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea; Lee, S. [Center for Axion and Precision Physics Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea; Lee, Y. H. [Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Daejeon 34141, South Korea; Lehrach, A. [Institut für Kernphysik and JARA-Fame, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; RWTH Aachen University and JARA-Fame, III. Physikalisches Institut B, Physikzentrum, 52056 Aachen, Germany; Lenisa, P. [University of Ferrara, INFN of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Levi Sandri, P. [Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, INFN, I-00044 Frascati, Rome, Italy; Luccio, A. U. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Lyapin, A. [Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom; MacKay, W. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Maier, R. [Institut für Kernphysik and JARA-Fame, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Makino, K. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA; Malitsky, N. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Marciano, W. J. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Meng, W. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Meot, F. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Metodiev, E. M. [Center for Axion and Precision Physics Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea; Harvard College, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA; Miceli, L. [Center for Axion and Precision Physics Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea; Moricciani, D. [Dipartimento di Fisica dell’Univ. di Roma “Tor Vergata” and INFN Sezione di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; Morse, W. M. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Nagaitsev, S. [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, Illinois 60510, USA; Nayak, S. K. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Orlov, Y. F. [Laboratory for Elementary-Particle Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA; Ozben, C. S. [Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul 34469, Turkey; Park, S. T. [Center for Axion and Precision Physics Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea; Pesce, A. [University of Ferrara, INFN of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Petrakou, E. [Center for Axion and Precision Physics Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea; Pile, P. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Podobedov, B. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Polychronakos, V. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Pretz, J. [RWTH Aachen University and JARA-Fame, III. Physikalisches Institut B, Physikzentrum, 52056 Aachen, Germany; Ptitsyn, V. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Ramberg, E. [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, Illinois 60510, USA; Raparia, D. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Rathmann, F. [Institut für Kernphysik and JARA-Fame, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Rescia, S. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Roser, T. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Kamal Sayed, H. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Semertzidis, Y. K. [Center for Axion and Precision Physics Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea; Department of Physics, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, South Korea; Senichev, Y. [Institut für Kernphysik and JARA-Fame, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Sidorin, A. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Moscow region, Russia; Silenko, A. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Moscow region, Russia; Research Institute for Nuclear Problems of Belarusian State University, Minsk, Belarus; Simos, N. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Stahl, A. [RWTH Aachen University and JARA-Fame, III. Physikalisches Institut B, Physikzentrum, 52056 Aachen, Germany; Stephenson, E. J. [Indiana University Center for Spacetime Symmetries, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA; Ströher, H. [Institut für Kernphysik and JARA-Fame, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Syphers, M. J. [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, Illinois 60510, USA; Department of Physics, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois 60115, USA; Talman, J. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Talman, R. M. [Laboratory for Elementary-Particle Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA; Tishchenko, V. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Touramanis, C. [Department of Physics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Tsoupas, N. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Venanzoni, G. [Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, INFN, I-00044 Frascati, Rome, Italy; Vetter, K. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA; Vlassis, S. [Department of Physics, University of Patras, 26500 Rio-Patras, Greece; Won, E. [Center for Axion and Precision Physics Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea; Physics Department, Korea University, Seoul 02841, South Korea; Zavattini, G. [University of Ferrara, INFN of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Zelenski, A. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA; Zioutas, K. [Department of Physics, University of Patras, 26500 Rio-Patras, Greece

2016-11-01

A new experiment is described to detect a permanent electric dipole moment of the proton with a sensitivity of $10^{-29}e\\cdot$cm by using polarized "magic" momentum $0.7$~GeV/c protons in an all-electric storage ring. Systematic errors relevant to the experiment are discussed and techniques to address them are presented. The measurement is sensitive to new physics beyond the Standard Model at the scale of 3000~TeV.

A storage ring experiment to detect a proton electric dipole moment.

Science.gov (United States)

Anastassopoulos, V; Andrianov, S; Baartman, R; Baessler, S; Bai, M; Benante, J; Berz, M; Blaskiewicz, M; Bowcock, T; Brown, K; Casey, B; Conte, M; Crnkovic, J D; D'Imperio, N; Fanourakis, G; Fedotov, A; Fierlinger, P; Fischer, W; Gaisser, M O; Giomataris, Y; Grosse-Perdekamp, M; Guidoboni, G; Hacıömeroğlu, S; Hoffstaetter, G; Huang, H; Incagli, M; Ivanov, A; Kawall, D; Kim, Y I; King, B; Koop, I A; Lazarus, D M; Lebedev, V; Lee, M J; Lee, S; Lee, Y H; Lehrach, A; Lenisa, P; Levi Sandri, P; Luccio, A U; Lyapin, A; MacKay, W; Maier, R; Makino, K; Malitsky, N; Marciano, W J; Meng, W; Meot, F; Metodiev, E M; Miceli, L; Moricciani, D; Morse, W M; Nagaitsev, S; Nayak, S K; Orlov, Y F; Ozben, C S; Park, S T; Pesce, A; Petrakou, E; Pile, P; Podobedov, B; Polychronakos, V; Pretz, J; Ptitsyn, V; Ramberg, E; Raparia, D; Rathmann, F; Rescia, S; Roser, T; Kamal Sayed, H; Semertzidis, Y K; Senichev, Y; Sidorin, A; Silenko, A; Simos, N; Stahl, A; Stephenson, E J; Ströher, H; Syphers, M J; Talman, J; Talman, R M; Tishchenko, V; Touramanis, C; Tsoupas, N; Venanzoni, G; Vetter, K; Vlassis, S; Won, E; Zavattini, G; Zelenski, A; Zioutas, K

2016-11-01

A new experiment is described to detect a permanent electric dipole moment of the proton with a sensitivity of 10 -29 e ⋅ cm by using polarized "magic" momentum 0.7 GeV/c protons in an all-electric storage ring. Systematic errors relevant to the experiment are discussed and techniques to address them are presented. The measurement is sensitive to new physics beyond the standard model at the scale of 3000 TeV.

Evaluation of advanced and current leak detection systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kupperman, D.S.

1988-01-01

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Guide 1.45 recommends the use of at least three different detection methods in reactors to detect leakage. Monitoring of both sump-flow and airborne particulate radioactivity is mandatory. A third method can involve either monitoring of condensate flow rate from air coolers or monitoring of airborne gaseous radioactivity. Although the methods currently used for leak detection reflect the state of the art, other techniques may be developed and used. Since the recommendations of Regulatory Guide 1.45 are not mandatory, Licensee Event Report Compilations have been reviewed to help establish actual capabilities for leak detection. The review of event reports, which had previously covered the period of June 1985 to August 1986 has been extended, and now covers events to June 1987. The total number of significant events is now 83. These reports have provided documented, sometimes detailed, summaries of reactor leaks. They have helped establish the capabilities of existing systems to detect and locate leaks. Differences between PWRs and BWRs with regard to leak detection have now been analyzed. With regard to detection methods, the greatest differences between reactor types are as follows: (a) The sump pump is reported as the detection method more frequently in BWRs than in PWRs (64% vs. 35%). (b) The radiation monitor is reported as the detection method (excluding false alarms) more frequently in PWRs. Current efforts at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) to evaluate advanced acoustic leak detection methods are directed toward the generation and analysis of acoustic data from large (0.5 to 10 gal/min) leaks and modification of the software of the GARD/ANL advanced acoustic leak detection system. In order to reach the goal of 10 gal/min leaks, the Steam Generator Test Facility at ANL has been modified to carry out the leak testing. Tests were carried out with water at 525 deg. F and 1100 psi leaking through a fatigue crack in a 4-in

How to Detect Insight Moments in Problem Solving Experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruben E. Laukkonen

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Arguably, it is not possible to study insight moments during problem solving without being able to accurately detect when they occur (Bowden and Jung-Beeman, 2007. Despite over a century of research on the insight moment, there is surprisingly little consensus on the best way to measure them in real-time experiments. There have also been no attempts to evaluate whether the different ways of measuring insight converge. Indeed, if it turns out that the popular measures of insight diverge, then this may indicate that researchers who have used one method may have been measuring a different phenomenon to those who have used another method. We compare the strengths and weaknesses of the two most commonly cited ways of measuring insight: The feelings-of-warmth measure adapted from Metcalfe and Wiebe (1987, and the self-report measure adapted from Bowden and Jung-Beeman (2007. We find little empirical agreement between the two measures, and conclude that the self-report measure of Aha! is superior both methodologically and theoretically, and provides a better representation of what is commonly regarded as insight. We go on to describe and recommend a novel visceral measure of insight using a dynamometer as described in Creswell et al. (2016.

How to Detect Insight Moments in Problem Solving Experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Laukkonen, Ruben E; Tangen, Jason M

2018-01-01

Arguably, it is not possible to study insight moments during problem solving without being able to accurately detect when they occur (Bowden and Jung-Beeman, 2007). Despite over a century of research on the insight moment, there is surprisingly little consensus on the best way to measure them in real-time experiments. There have also been no attempts to evaluate whether the different ways of measuring insight converge. Indeed, if it turns out that the popular measures of insight diverge , then this may indicate that researchers who have used one method may have been measuring a different phenomenon to those who have used another method. We compare the strengths and weaknesses of the two most commonly cited ways of measuring insight: The feelings-of-warmth measure adapted from Metcalfe and Wiebe (1987), and the self-report measure adapted from Bowden and Jung-Beeman (2007). We find little empirical agreement between the two measures, and conclude that the self-report measure of Aha! is superior both methodologically and theoretically, and provides a better representation of what is commonly regarded as insight. We go on to describe and recommend a novel visceral measure of insight using a dynamometer as described in Creswell et al. (2016).

Development and data analysis of a radio-detection of ultra high energy cosmic rays experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belletoile, A.

2007-10-01

The radio-detection of cosmic rays was first attempted in the sixties. Unfortunately at that time, the results suffered from poor reproducibility and the technique was abandoned in favour of direct particle and fluorescence detection. Taking advantage of recent technological improvements the radio-detection of ultra high energy cosmic rays is being reinvestigated. In this document, first, we remind the reader of the global problematic of cosmic rays. Then, the several mechanisms involved in the emission of an electric field associated with extensive air showers are discussed. The CODALEMA (cosmic detection array with logarithmic electro magnetic antenna) experiment that aims to demonstrate the feasibility of cosmic ray radio-detection, is extensively described along with the first experimental results. A radio-detection test experiment implanted at the giant detector Pierre Auger is presented. It should provide inputs to design the future detector using this technique at extreme energies. (author)

A Two-Week Guided Inquiry Protein Separation and Detection Experiment for Undergraduate Biochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Carolan, James P.; Nolta, Kathleen V.

2016-01-01

A laboratory experiment for teaching protein separation and detection in an undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course is described. This experiment, performed in two, 4 h laboratory periods, incorporates guided inquiry principles to introduce students to the concepts behind and difficulties of protein purification. After using size-exclusion…

Characterising dark matter searches at colliders and direct detection experiments: Vector mediators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buchmueller, Oliver; Dolan, Matthew J.; Malik, Sarah A.; McCabe, Christopher

2015-01-01

We introduce a Minimal Simplified Dark Matter (MSDM) framework to quantitatively characterise dark matter (DM) searches at the LHC. We study two MSDM models where the DM is a Dirac fermion which interacts with a vector and axial-vector mediator. The models are characterised by four parameters: m DM , M med, g DM and g q , the DM and mediator masses, and the mediator couplings to DM and quarks respectively. The MSDM models accurately capture the full event kinematics, and the dependence on all masses and couplings can be systematically studied. The interpretation of mono-jet searches in this framework can be used to establish an equal-footing comparison with direct detection experiments. For theories with a vector mediator, LHC mono-jet searches possess better sensitivity than direct detection searches for light DM masses (≲5 GeV). For axial-vector mediators, LHC and direct detection searches generally probe orthogonal directions in the parameter space. We explore the projected limits of these searches from the ultimate reach of the LHC and multi-ton xenon direct detection experiments, and find that the complementarity of the searches remains. In conclusion, we provide a comparison of limits in the MSDM and effective field theory (EFT) frameworks to highlight the deficiencies of the EFT framework, particularly when exploring the complementarity of mono-jet and direct detection searches

Use of experience data for DOE seismic evaluations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barlow, M.W.; Budnitz, R.; Eder, S.J.; Eli, M.W.

1993-01-01

As dictated by DOE Order 5480.28, seismic evaluations of essential systems and components at DOE facilities will be conducted over the next several years. For many of these systems and components, few, if any, seismic requirements applied to the original design, procurement, installation, and maintenance process. Thus the verification of the seismic adequacy of existing systems and components presents a difficult challenge. DOE has undertaken development of the criteria and procedures for these seismic evaluations that will maximize safety benefits in a timely and cost effective manner. As demonstrated in previous applications at DOE facilities and by the experience from the commercial nuclear power industry, use of experience data for these evaluations is the only viable option for most existing systems and components. This paper describes seismic experience data, the needs at DOE facilities, the precedent of application at nuclear power plants and DOE facilities, and the program being put in place for the seismic verification task ahead for DOE

Performance evaluation software moving object detection and tracking in videos

CERN Document Server

Karasulu, Bahadir

2013-01-01

Performance Evaluation Software: Moving Object Detection and Tracking in Videos introduces a software approach for the real-time evaluation and performance comparison of the methods specializing in moving object detection and/or tracking (D&T) in video processing. Digital video content analysis is an important item for multimedia content-based indexing (MCBI), content-based video retrieval (CBVR) and visual surveillance systems. There are some frequently-used generic algorithms for video object D&T in the literature, such as Background Subtraction (BS), Continuously Adaptive Mean-shift (CMS),

Overview of Experiments for Physics of Fast Reactors from the International Handbooks of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments and Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bess, J. D.; Briggs, J. B.; Gulliford, J.; Ivanova, T.; Rozhikhin, E. V.; Semenov, M. Yu.; Tsibulya, A. M.; Koscheev, V. N.

2017-07-01

Overview of Experiments to Study the Physics of Fast Reactors Represented in the International Directories of Critical and Reactor Experiments John D. Bess Idaho National Laboratory Jim Gulliford, Tatiana Ivanova Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development E.V.Rozhikhin, M.Yu.Sem?nov, A.M.Tsibulya Institute of Physics and Power Engineering The study the physics of fast reactors traditionally used the experiments presented in the manual labor of the Working Group on Evaluation of sections CSEWG (ENDF-202) issued by the Brookhaven National Laboratory in 1974. This handbook presents simplified homogeneous model experiments with relevant experimental data, as amended. The Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development coordinates the activities of two international projects on the collection, evaluation and documentation of experimental data - the International Project on the assessment of critical experiments (1994) and the International Project on the assessment of reactor experiments (since 2005). The result of the activities of these projects are replenished every year, an international directory of critical (ICSBEP Handbook) and reactor (IRPhEP Handbook) experiments. The handbooks present detailed models of experiments with minimal amendments. Such models are of particular interest in terms of the settlements modern programs. The directories contain a large number of experiments which are suitable for the study of physics of fast reactors. Many of these experiments were performed at specialized critical stands, such as BFS (Russia), ZPR and ZPPR (USA), the ZEBRA (UK) and the experimental reactor JOYO (Japan), FFTF (USA). Other experiments, such as compact metal assembly, is also of interest in terms of the physics of fast reactors, they have been carried out on the universal critical stands in Russian institutes (VNIITF and VNIIEF) and the US (LANL, LLNL, and others.). Also worth mentioning

Evaluation Of User Experience And Its Economics In E-Commerce

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Praneeth Kumar Baru

2017-10-01

Full Text Available User Experience pertains to designing studying and evaluating experiences that users have while using or interacting with the system with a specific context. UX is seen as a field of study a phenomenon and as a practice as well. To understand it with an analogy justice as a phenomenon law as a field of study and a lawyers work as a practice. Evaluating the users experience can help quantify or measure to the extent to which the system is being understood or perceived the way it is supposed to be. Evaluation methods can take various forms and are categorized in this paper. Essentials of the user experience are elaborated and furthermore some quantified data is presented that discusses the role user experience in e-commerce website and also the future prospects of the e-commerce domain are briefly described.

Direct {sup 13}C-detected NMR experiments for mapping and characterization of hydrogen bonds in RNA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fürtig, Boris, E-mail: fuertig@nmr.uni-frankfurt.de; Schnieders, Robbin; Richter, Christian; Zetzsche, Heidi; Keyhani, Sara; Helmling, Christina [Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute of Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Germany); Kovacs, Helena [Bruker BioSpin (Switzerland); Schwalbe, Harald, E-mail: schwalbe@nmr.uni-frankfurt.de [Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute of Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Germany)

2016-03-15

In RNA secondary structure determination, it is essential to determine whether a nucleotide is base-paired and not. Base-pairing of nucleotides is mediated by hydrogen bonds. The NMR characterization of hydrogen bonds relies on experiments correlating the NMR resonances of exchangeable protons and can be best performed for structured parts of the RNA, where labile hydrogen atoms are protected from solvent exchange. Functionally important regions in RNA, however, frequently reveal increased dynamic disorder which often leads to NMR signals of exchangeable protons that are broadened beyond {sup 1}H detection. Here, we develop {sup 13}C direct detected experiments to observe all nucleotides in RNA irrespective of whether they are involved in hydrogen bonds or not. Exploiting the self-decoupling of scalar couplings due to the exchange process, the hydrogen bonding behavior of the hydrogen bond donor of each individual nucleotide can be determined. Furthermore, the adaption of HNN-COSY experiments for {sup 13}C direct detection allows correlations of donor–acceptor pairs and the localization of hydrogen-bond acceptor nucleotides. The proposed {sup 13}C direct detected experiments therefore provide information about molecular sites not amenable by conventional proton-detected methods. Such information makes the RNA secondary structure determination by NMR more accurate and helps to validate secondary structure predictions based on bioinformatics.

Proton detection for signal enhancement in solid-state NMR experiments on mobile species in membrane proteins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ward, Meaghan E.; Ritz, Emily [University of Guelph, Department of Physics (Canada); Ahmed, Mumdooh A. M. [Suez University, The Department of Physics, Faculty of Science (Egypt); Bamm, Vladimir V.; Harauz, George [University of Guelph, Biophysics Interdepartmental Group (Canada); Brown, Leonid S.; Ladizhansky, Vladimir, E-mail: vladizha@uoguelph.ca [University of Guelph, Department of Physics (Canada)

2015-12-15

Direct proton detection is becoming an increasingly popular method for enhancing sensitivity in solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Generally, these experiments require extensive deuteration of the protein, fast magic angle spinning (MAS), or a combination of both. Here, we implement direct proton detection to selectively observe the mobile entities in fully-protonated membrane proteins at moderate MAS frequencies. We demonstrate this method on two proteins that exhibit different motional regimes. Myelin basic protein is an intrinsically-disordered, peripherally membrane-associated protein that is highly flexible, whereas Anabaena sensory rhodopsin is composed of seven rigid transmembrane α-helices connected by mobile loop regions. In both cases, we observe narrow proton linewidths and, on average, a 10× increase in sensitivity in 2D insensitive nuclear enhancement of polarization transfer-based HSQC experiments when proton detection is compared to carbon detection. We further show that our proton-detected experiments can be easily extended to three dimensions and used to build complete amino acid systems, including sidechain protons, and obtain inter-residue correlations. Additionally, we detect signals which do not correspond to amino acids, but rather to lipids and/or carbohydrates which interact strongly with membrane proteins.

Solid deuterated water in space: detection constraints from laboratory experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Urso, R. G.; Palumbo, M. E.; Baratta, G. A.; Scirè, C.; Strazzulla, G.

2018-06-01

The comparison between astronomical spectra and laboratory experiments is fundamental to spread light on the structure and composition of ices found in interstellar dense molecular clouds and in Solar System bodies. Water is among the most abundant solid-phase species observed in these environments, and several attempts have been made to investigate the presence of its solid-phase isotopologues. In particular, the detection of the O-D stretching mode band at 4.1 μm due to both D2O and HDO within icy grain mantles is still under debate, and no detection have been reported about the presence of these species within icy bodies in the Solar System yet. In the near future, an important contribution could derive from the data acquired in the O-D stretching mode spectral range by the sensitive instruments on board the James Webb Space Telescope. With this in mind, we performed several laboratory experiments to study the O-D stretching mode band in solid mixtures containing water and deuterated water deposited in the temperature range between 17 and 155 K, in order to simulate astrophysical relevant conditions. Furthermore, samples have been studied at various temperature and irradiated with energetic ions (200 keV H+) in order to study the effects induced by both thermal and energetic processing. Our results provide some constraints on the detection of the 4.1 μm band in astronomical environments.

LabVIEW-based X-ray detection system for laser compton scattering experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Wen; Xu Wang; Pan Qiangyan

2010-01-01

A LabVIEW-based X-ray detection system has been developed for laser-Compton scattering (LCS) experiment at the 100 MeV Linac of the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (SINAP). It mainly consists of a Si (Li) detector, readout electronics and a LabVIEW-based Data Acquisition (DAQ), and possesses the functions of signal spectrum displaying, acquisition control and simple online data analysis and so on. The performance test shows that energy and time resolutions of the system are 184 eV at 5.9 keV and ≤ 1% respectively and system instability is found to be 0.3‰ within a week. As a result, this X-ray detection system has low-cost and high-performance features and can meet the requirements of LCS experiment. (authors)

Providing Nuclear Criticality Safety Analysis Education through Benchmark Experiment Evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bess, John D.; Briggs, J. Blair; Nigg, David W.

2009-01-01

One of the challenges that today's new workforce of nuclear criticality safety engineers face is the opportunity to provide assessment of nuclear systems and establish safety guidelines without having received significant experience or hands-on training prior to graduation. Participation in the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) and/or the International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation Project (IRPhEP) provides students and young professionals the opportunity to gain experience and enhance critical engineering skills.

User Experience Evaluation in the Mobile Context

Science.gov (United States)

Obrist, Marianna; Meschtscherjakov, Alexander; Tscheligi, Manfred

Multimedia services on mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular. Whereas the mobile phone is the most likely platform for mobile TV, PDAs, portable game consoles, and music players are attractive alternatives. Mobile TV consumption on mobile phones allows new kinds of user experiences, but it also puts designers and researchers in front of new challenges. On the one hand, designers have to take these novel experience potentials into account. On the other hand, the right methods to collect user feedback to further improve services for the mobile context have to be applied. In this chapter the importance of user experience research for mobile TV within the mobile context is highlighted. We present how different experience levels can be evaluated taking different mobile context categories into account. In particular, we discuss the Experience Sampling Method (ESM), which seems to be a fruitful approach for investigating user TV experiences.

Evaluation of Anomaly Detection Techniques for SCADA Communication Resilience

OpenAIRE

Shirazi, Syed Noor Ul Hassan; Gouglidis, Antonios; Syeda, Kanza Noor; Simpson, Steven; Mauthe, Andreas Ulrich; Stephanakis, Ioannis M.; Hutchison, David

2016-01-01

Attacks on critical infrastructures’ Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems are beginning to increase. They are often initiated by highly skilled attackers, who are capable of deploying sophisticated attacks to exfiltrate data or even to cause physical damage. In this paper, we rehearse the rationale for protecting against cyber attacks and evaluate a set of Anomaly Detection (AD) techniques in detecting attacks by analysing traffic captured in a SCADA network. For this purp...

Damage Detection Using Lamb Waves for Structural Health Monitoring

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Crider II, Jeffrey S

2007-01-01

.... This study evaluates Lamb wave approaches used to detect simulated cracks in laboratory experiments on thin plates to detect more realistic damage in a test article representing the complex geometry...

The cryogenic photon detection system for the ALPS II experiment. Characterization, optimization and background rejection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bastidon, Noemi Alice Chloe

2017-01-12

The search for new fundamental bosons at very low mass is the central objective of the ALPS II experiment which is currently set up at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY, Hamburg). This experiment follows the light-shining-through-the-wall concept where photons could oscillate into weakly interacting light bosons in front of a wall and back into photons behind the wall, giving the impression that light can shine through a light tight barrier. In this concept, the background-free detection of near-infrared photons is required to fully exploit the sensitivity of the apparatus. The high efficiency single-photon detection in the near-infrared is challenging and requires a cryogenic detector. In this project, a Transition-Edge Sensor (TES) operated below 100mK will be used to detect single photons. This thesis focuses on the characterization and optimization of the ALPS II detector system including an Adiabatic Demagnetisation Refrigerator (ADR) with its two-stage pulse-tube cooler, two TES detectors and their Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) read-out system. Stability of the detection system over time is a priority in the ALPS II experiment. It is in this context that the cooling system has been subjected to many upgrades. In the framework of this thesis, the cooling setup has been studied in detail in order to optimize its cooling performances. Furthermore, the stability of the detector has been studied according to various criteria. Other essential parameters of the ALPS II experiment are its detection efficiency and its background rate. Indeed, the sensitivity of the experiment directly depends on these two characteristics. Both elements have been studied in depth in order to define if the chosen TES detector will meet ALPS IIc specifications.

The cryogenic photon detection system for the ALPS II experiment. Characterization, optimization and background rejection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bastidon, Noemi Alice Chloe

2017-01-01

The search for new fundamental bosons at very low mass is the central objective of the ALPS II experiment which is currently set up at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY, Hamburg). This experiment follows the light-shining-through-the-wall concept where photons could oscillate into weakly interacting light bosons in front of a wall and back into photons behind the wall, giving the impression that light can shine through a light tight barrier. In this concept, the background-free detection of near-infrared photons is required to fully exploit the sensitivity of the apparatus. The high efficiency single-photon detection in the near-infrared is challenging and requires a cryogenic detector. In this project, a Transition-Edge Sensor (TES) operated below 100mK will be used to detect single photons. This thesis focuses on the characterization and optimization of the ALPS II detector system including an Adiabatic Demagnetisation Refrigerator (ADR) with its two-stage pulse-tube cooler, two TES detectors and their Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) read-out system. Stability of the detection system over time is a priority in the ALPS II experiment. It is in this context that the cooling system has been subjected to many upgrades. In the framework of this thesis, the cooling setup has been studied in detail in order to optimize its cooling performances. Furthermore, the stability of the detector has been studied according to various criteria. Other essential parameters of the ALPS II experiment are its detection efficiency and its background rate. Indeed, the sensitivity of the experiment directly depends on these two characteristics. Both elements have been studied in depth in order to define if the chosen TES detector will meet ALPS IIc specifications.

Stress lowers the detection threshold for foul-smelling 2-mercaptoethanol.

Science.gov (United States)

Pacharra, Marlene; Schäper, Michael; Kleinbeck, Stefan; Blaszkewicz, Meinolf; Wolf, Oliver T; van Thriel, Christoph

2016-01-01

Previous studies have reported enhanced vigilance for threat-related information in response to acute stress. While it is known that acute stress modulates sensory systems in humans, its impact on olfaction and the olfactory detection of potential threats is less clear. Two psychophysical experiments examined, if acute stress lowers the detection threshold for foul-smelling 2-mercaptoethanol. Participants in Experiment 1 (N = 30) and Experiment 2 (N = 32) were randomly allocated to a control group or a stress group. Participants in the stress group underwent a purely psychosocial stressor (public mental arithmetic) in Experiment 1 and a stressor that combined a physically demanding task with social-evaluative threat in Experiment 2 (socially evaluated cold-pressor test). In both experiments, olfactory detection thresholds were repeatedly assessed by means of dynamic dilution olfactometry. Each threshold measurement consisted of three trials conducted using an ascending method of limits. Participants in the stress groups showed the expected changes in heart rate, salivary cortisol, and mood measures in response to stress. About 20 min after the stressor, participants in the stress groups could detect 2-mercaptoethanol at a lower concentration than participants in the corresponding control groups. Our results show that acute stress lowers the detection threshold for a malodor.

International handbook of evaluated criticality safety benchmark experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

The Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (CSBEP) was initiated in October of 1992 by the United States Department of Energy. The project quickly became an international effort as scientists from other interested countries became involved. The International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) became an official activity of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development - Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD-NEA) in 1995. This handbook contains criticality safety benchmark specifications that have been derived from experiments performed at various nuclear critical facilities around the world. The benchmark specifications are intended for use by criticality safety engineers to validate calculational techniques used to establish minimum subcritical margins for operations with fissile material and to determine criticality alarm requirement and placement. Many of the specifications are also useful for nuclear data testing. Example calculations are presented; however, these calculations do not constitute a validation of the codes or cross section data. The evaluated criticality safety benchmark data are given in nine volumes. These volumes span over 55,000 pages and contain 516 evaluations with benchmark specifications for 4,405 critical, near critical, or subcritical configurations, 24 criticality alarm placement / shielding configurations with multiple dose points for each, and 200 configurations that have been categorized as fundamental physics measurements that are relevant to criticality safety applications. Experiments that are found unacceptable for use as criticality safety benchmark experiments are discussed in these evaluations; however, benchmark specifications are not derived for such experiments (in some cases models are provided in an appendix). Approximately 770 experimental configurations are categorized as unacceptable for use as criticality safety benchmark experiments. Additional evaluations are in progress and will be

An academic program for experience-based seismic evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nix, S.J.; Meyer, W.; Clemence, S.P.

1990-01-01

The authors have been involved in a project, sponsored by the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation, to develop knowledge-based expert systems to aid in the implementation of the Seismic Qualification Utility Group (SQUG) approach for the seismic qualification of equipment in operating nuclear power plants. This approach, being founded on the use of engineering judgment in the application of prior earthquake experience data, requires comprehensive training. There seems to be general consensus that the experience-based approach is a more cost-effective means of qualifying nuclear power plant equipment when compared to the more traditional analytical methods. The experience-based approach has a number of potential applications in civil engineering, including bridge evaluation and design, seismic adequacy of general structures, foundation design, and water and wastewater treatment plant design and operation. The objective of this paper is to outline an academic curriculum, at the master's level, to educate structural engineers to use and further develop the experience-based approach for seismic evaluation. In the long term, this could lead to the development of academic programs in experience-based assessment and design for a wide range of applications in maintaining the nation's infrastructure

Pipe fracture evaluations for leak-rate detection: Probabilistic models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahman, S.; Wilkowski, G.; Ghadiali, N.

1993-01-01

This is the second in series of three papers generated from studies on nuclear pipe fracture evaluations for leak-rate detection. This paper focuses on the development of novel probabilistic models for stochastic performance evaluation of degraded nuclear piping systems. It was accomplished here in three distinct stages. First, a statistical analysis was conducted to characterize various input variables for thermo-hydraulic analysis and elastic-plastic fracture mechanics, such as material properties of pipe, crack morphology variables, and location of cracks found in nuclear piping. Second, a new stochastic model was developed to evaluate performance of degraded piping systems. It is based on accurate deterministic models for thermo-hydraulic and fracture mechanics analyses described in the first paper, statistical characterization of various input variables, and state-of-the-art methods of modem structural reliability theory. From this model. the conditional probability of failure as a function of leak-rate detection capability of the piping systems can be predicted. Third, a numerical example was presented to illustrate the proposed model for piping reliability analyses. Results clearly showed that the model provides satisfactory estimates of conditional failure probability with much less computational effort when compared with those obtained from Monte Carlo simulation. The probabilistic model developed in this paper will be applied to various piping in boiling water reactor and pressurized water reactor plants for leak-rate detection applications

Modelling detection probabilities to evaluate management and control tools for an invasive species

Science.gov (United States)

Christy, M.T.; Yackel Adams, A.A.; Rodda, G.H.; Savidge, J.A.; Tyrrell, C.L.

2010-01-01

For most ecologists, detection probability (p) is a nuisance variable that must be modelled to estimate the state variable of interest (i.e. survival, abundance, or occupancy). However, in the realm of invasive species control, the rate of detection and removal is the rate-limiting step for management of this pervasive environmental problem. For strategic planning of an eradication (removal of every individual), one must identify the least likely individual to be removed, and determine the probability of removing it. To evaluate visual searching as a control tool for populations of the invasive brown treesnake Boiga irregularis, we designed a mark-recapture study to evaluate detection probability as a function of time, gender, size, body condition, recent detection history, residency status, searcher team and environmental covariates. We evaluated these factors using 654 captures resulting from visual detections of 117 snakes residing in a 5-ha semi-forested enclosure on Guam, fenced to prevent immigration and emigration of snakes but not their prey. Visual detection probability was low overall (= 0??07 per occasion) but reached 0??18 under optimal circumstances. Our results supported sex-specific differences in detectability that were a quadratic function of size, with both small and large females having lower detection probabilities than males of those sizes. There was strong evidence for individual periodic changes in detectability of a few days duration, roughly doubling detection probability (comparing peak to non-elevated detections). Snakes in poor body condition had estimated mean detection probabilities greater than snakes with high body condition. Search teams with high average detection rates exhibited detection probabilities about twice that of search teams with low average detection rates. Surveys conducted with bright moonlight and strong wind gusts exhibited moderately decreased probabilities of detecting snakes. Synthesis and applications. By

IRPhEP-handbook, International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sartori, Enrico; Blair Briggs, J.

2008-01-01

1 - Description: The purpose of the International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation Project (IRPhEP) is to provide an extensively peer-reviewed set of reactor physics-related integral data that can be used by reactor designers and safety analysts to validate the analytical tools used to design next-generation reactors and establish the safety basis for operation of these reactors. This work of the IRPhEP is formally documented in the 'International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments,' a single source of verified and extensively peer-reviewed reactor physics benchmark measurements data. The IRPhE Handbook is available on DVD. You may request a DVD by completing the DVD Request Form available at: http://irphep.inl.gov/handbook/hbrequest.shtml The evaluation process entails the following steps: 1. Identify a comprehensive set of reactor physics experimental measurements data, 2. Evaluate the data and quantify overall uncertainties through various types of sensitivity analysis to the extent possible, verify the data by reviewing original and subsequently revised documentation, and by talking with the experimenters or individuals who are familiar with the experimental facility, 3. Compile the data into a standardized format, 4. Perform calculations of each experiment with standard reactor physics codes where it would add information, 5. Formally document the work into a single source of verified and peer reviewed reactor physics benchmark measurements data. The International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments contains reactor physics benchmark specifications that have been derived from experiments that were performed at various nuclear experimental facilities around the world. The benchmark specifications are intended for use by reactor physics personal to validate calculational techniques. The 2008 Edition of the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Experiments contains data from 25 different

F-18 FDG PET with coincidence detection, dual-head gamma camera, initial experience in oncology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chu, J.M.G.; Pocock, N.; Quach, T.; Camden, B.M.C. [Liverpool Health Services, Liverpool, NSW (Australia). Department of Nuclear Medicine and Clinical Ultrasound

1998-06-01

Full text: The development of Co-incidence Detection (CD) in gamma camera technology has allowed the use of positron radiopharmaceuticals in clinical practice without dedicated PET facilities. We report our initial experience of this technology in Oncological applications. All patients were administered 200 MBq of F- 18 FDG intravenously in a fasting state, with serum glucose below 8.9 mmol/L., and hydration well maintained. Tomography was performed using an ADAC Solus Molecular Co-incidence Detection (MCD) dual-head gamma camera, 60 minutes after administration and immediately after voiding. Tomography of the torso required up to three collections depending on the length of the patient, with each collection requiring 32 steps of 40 second duration, and a 50% overlap. Tomography of the brain required a single collection with 32 steps of 80 seconds. Patients were scanned in the supine position. An iterative reconstruction algorithm was employed without attenuation correction. All patients had histologically confirmed malignancy. Scan findings were correlated with results of all conventional diagnostic imaging procedures that were pertinent to the evaluation and management of each individual patient`s disease. Correlation with tumour type and treatment status was also undertaken. F-18 FDG uptake as demonstrated by CD-PET was increased in tumour bearing sites. The degree of increased uptake varied with tumour type and with treatment status. Our initial experience with CD-PET has been very encouraging, and has led us to undertake prospective short and long term studies to define its role in oncology

Enhancing detection sensitivity of SST-1 Thomson scattering experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chaudhari, Vishnu; Patel, Kiran; Thomas, Jinto; Kumar, Ajai, E-mail: ajai@ipr.res.in

2016-10-15

Thomson Scattering System (TSS) is the main diagnostic to extract electron temperature and density of steady state superconducting (SST-1) tokamak plasma. Silicon avalanche photo diode is used with low noise and fast signal conditioning electronics (SCE) to detect incoming Thomson scattered laser photons. A stringent requirement for the measurement is to detect high speed and low level light signal (detection of 100 numbers of Thomson scattered photons for 50 ns pulse width at input of active area of detector) in the presence of wide band electro-magnetic interference (EMI) noise. The electronics and instruments for different sub-systems kept in laboratory contribute to the radiated and conductive noise in a complex manner to the experiment, which can degrade the resultant signal to noise ratio (SNR <1). In general a repeated trial method with flexible grounding scheme are used to improve system signal to noise ratio, which is time consuming and less efficient. In the present work a simple, robust, cost-effective instrumentation system is used for the measurement and monitoring with improved ground scheme and shielding method to minimize noise, isolating the internal sub-system generated noise and external interference which leads to an improved SNR.

Dental hygiene faculty calibration in the evaluation of calculus detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Garland, Kandis V; Newell, Kathleen J

2009-03-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the impact of faculty calibration training on intra- and interrater reliability regarding calculus detection. After IRB approval, twelve dental hygiene faculty members were recruited from a pool of twenty-two for voluntary participation and randomized into two groups. All subjects provided two pre- and two posttest scorings of calculus deposits on each of three typodonts by recording yes or no indicating if they detected calculus. Accuracy and consistency of calculus detection were evaluated using an answer key. The experimental group received three two-hour training sessions to practice a prescribed exploring sequence and technique for calculus detection. Participants immediately corrected their answers, received feedback from the trainer, and reconciled missed areas. Intra- and interrater reliability (pre- and posttest) was determined using Cohen's Kappa and compared between groups using repeated measures (split-plot) ANOVA. The groups did not differ from pre- to posttraining (intrarater reliability p=0.64; interrater reliability p=0.20). Training had no effect on reliability levels for simulated calculus detection in this study. Recommendations for future studies of faculty calibration when evaluating students include using patients for assessing rater reliability, employing larger samples at multiple sites, and assessing the impact on students' attitudes and learning outcomes.

Evaluation of new technology for detection of erosion-corrosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, S.M.; Martinez, E.

1994-01-01

Faster and more accurate methods of wall thickness measurement have received considerable attention by utilities. Examination without removing insulation has been of particularly high interest because insulation removal is the largest component of the inspection cost. Several inspection systems have been developed which are touted as applicable to erosion corrosion detection through insulation. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) Center has recently evaluated two of these systems. During the evaluation, accuracy and repeatability measurements were made on insulated pipe of known thickness

Evaluation of Face Detection Algorithms for the Bank Client Identity Verification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szczodrak Maciej

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Results of investigation of face detection algorithms efficiency in the banking client visual verification system are presented. The video recordings were made in real conditions met in three bank operating outlets employing a miniature industrial USB camera. The aim of the experiments was to check the practical usability of the face detection method in the biometric bank client verification system. The main assumption was to provide a simplified as much as possible user interaction with the application. Applied algorithms for face detection are described and achieved results of face detection in the real bank environment conditions are presented. Practical limitations of the application based on encountered problems are discussed.

[Effect evaluation of three ELISA kits in detection of fasciolasis].

Science.gov (United States)

Ai, Lin; Chen, Mu-Xin; Chen, Shao-Hong; Chu, Yan-Hong; Cai, Yu-Chun; Zhou, Xiao-Nong; Chen, Jia-Xu

2013-04-01

To evaluate the effect of 3 ELISA kits on detection of human fasciolasis. Twenty-six serum samples from patients with fasciolasis, 180 serum samples from patients with other parasitic diseases as well as 26 serum samples from healthy people were detected by ELISA kits which using soluble antigen of Fasciola gigantica, Fasciola hepatica (Fg-ELISA and Fh-ELISA) as well as IgG antigen ELISA detection kits made by DRG company in Germany. The effects of the 3 kits were evaluated. The sensitivities of Fg-ELISA, Fh-ELISA, and DRG-ELISA were 100.0%, 80.8% (95% CI: 65.7%-95.9%) and 100.0%, respectively; the specificities of the three were 87.9% (95% CI: 83.5%-92.4%), 85.0%(95% CI: 80.1%-89.9%) and 83.5% (95% CI: 78.4%-88.6%), respectively, and Youden indexes of them were 0.88, 0.66 and 0.84, respectively. The detection rate of Fg-ELISA (100%) was significantly higher than that of Fh-ELISA (80.8%) (P DRG-ELISA for clinical sample tests as well as massive screening in fasciolasis endemic areas in southwest China.

Resident Evaluation of a Required Telepsychiatry Clinical Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Teshima, John; Hodgins, Michael; Boydell, Katherine M; Pignatiello, Antonio

2016-04-01

The authors explored resident experiences of telepsychiatry clinical training. This paper describes an analysis of evaluation forms completed by psychiatry residents following a required training experience in telepsychiatry. Retrospective numeric and narrative data were collected from 2005 to 2012. Using a five-point Likert-type scale (1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree), residents ranked the session based on the following characteristics: the overall experience, interest in participating in telepsychiatry in the future, understanding service provision to underserved areas, telepsychiatry as mode of service delivery, and the unique aspects of telepsychiatry work. The authors also conducted a content analysis of narrative comments in response to open-ended questions about the positive and negative aspects of the training experience. In all, 88% of residents completed (n = 335) an anonymous evaluation following their participation in telepsychiatry consultation sessions. Numeric results were mostly positive and indicated that the experience was interesting and enjoyable, enhanced interest in participating in telepsychiatry in the future, and increased understanding of providing psychiatric services to underserved communities. Narrative data demonstrated that the most valuable aspects of training included the knowledge acquired in terms of establishing rapport and engaging with patients, using the technology, working collaboratively, identifying different approaches used, and awareness of the complexity of cases. Resident desire for more training of this nature was prevalent, specifically a wish for more detail, additional time for discussion and debriefing, and further explanation of the unique aspects of telepsychiatry as mode of delivery. More evaluation of telepsychiatry training, elective or required, is needed. The context of this training offered potential side benefits of learning about interprofessional and collaborative care for the

Nondestructive damage detection and evaluation technique for seismically damaged structures

Science.gov (United States)

Adachi, Yukio; Unjoh, Shigeki; Kondoh, Masuo; Ohsumi, Michio

1999-02-01

The development of quantitative damage detection and evaluation technique, and damage detection technique for invisible damages of structures are required according to the lessons from the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake. In this study, two quantitative damage sensing techniques for highway bridge structures are proposed. One method is to measure the change of vibration characteristics of the bridge structure. According to the damage detection test for damaged bridge column by shaking table test, this method can successfully detect the vibration characteristic change caused by damage progress due to increment excitations. The other method is to use self-diagnosis intelligent materials. According to the reinforced concrete beam specimen test, the second method can detect the damage by rupture of intelligent sensors, such as optical fiber or carbon fiber reinforced plastic rod.

Corrosion Evaluation of Tank 40 Leak Detection Box

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mickalonis, J.I.

1999-07-29

'Leak detection from the transfer lines in the tank farm has been a concern for many years because of the need to minimize exposure of personnel and contamination of the environment. The leak detection box (LDB) is one line of defense, which must be maintained to meet this objective. The evaluation of a failed LDB was one item from an action plan aimed at minimizing the degradation of LDBs. The Tank 40 LDB, which failed in service, was dug up and shipped to SRTC for evaluation. During a video inspection while in service, this LDB was found to have black tubercles on the interior, which suggested possible microbial involvement. The failure point, however, was believed to have occurred in the drain line from the transfer line jacket. Visual, metallurgical, and biological analyses were performed on the LDB. The analysis results showed that there was not any adverse microbiological growth or significant localized corrosion. The corrosion of the LDB was caused by exposure to aqueous environments and was typical of carbon steel pipes in soil environments.'

Evaluation of detectability of right inferior phrenic artery root in dynamic CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sato, Osamu [Akashi Municipal Hospital, Hyogo (Japan); Kizu, Osamu; Shimizu, Toshihisa; Takahashi, Takeshi; Ohno, Koji; Ohmura, Makoto; Maeda, Tomoho

1995-05-01

We evaluated the detectability of the root of the right inferior phrenic artery in dynamic CT over the entire liver as used for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. The results showed no detection in three cases, poor detection in seven, detection in 12 and good detection in eight. The right inferior phrenic artery could be detected in many cases. Identification was easier in cases with direct branching from the aorta. It can be concluded that for angiographic examination, dynamic CT over the entire liver is useful for catheterization to the right inferior phrenic artery. (author).

Evaluation of detectability of right inferior phrenic artery root in dynamic CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Osamu; Kizu, Osamu; Shimizu, Toshihisa; Takahashi, Takeshi; Ohno, Koji; Ohmura, Makoto; Maeda, Tomoho.

1995-01-01

We evaluated the detectability of the root of the right inferior phrenic artery in dynamic CT over the entire liver as used for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. The results showed no detection in three cases, poor detection in seven, detection in 12 and good detection in eight. The right inferior phrenic artery could be detected in many cases. Identification was easier in cases with direct branching from the aorta. It can be concluded that for angiographic examination, dynamic CT over the entire liver is useful for catheterization to the right inferior phrenic artery. (author)

Performance Evaluation of Target Detection with a Near-Space Vehicle-Borne Radar in Blackout Condition.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yanpeng; Li, Xiang; Wang, Hongqiang; Deng, Bin; Qin, Yuliang

2016-01-06

Radar is a very important sensor in surveillance applications. Near-space vehicle-borne radar (NSVBR) is a novel installation of a radar system, which offers many benefits, like being highly suited to the remote sensing of extremely large areas, having a rapidly deployable capability and having low vulnerability to electronic countermeasures. Unfortunately, a target detection challenge arises because of complicated scenarios, such as nuclear blackout, rain attenuation, etc. In these cases, extra care is needed to evaluate the detection performance in blackout situations, since this a classical problem along with the application of an NSVBR. However, the existing evaluation measures are the probability of detection and the receiver operating curve (ROC), which cannot offer detailed information in such a complicated application. This work focuses on such requirements. We first investigate the effect of blackout on an electromagnetic wave. Performance evaluation indexes are then built: three evaluation indexes on the detection capability and two evaluation indexes on the robustness of the detection process. Simulation results show that the proposed measure will offer information on the detailed performance of detection. These measures are therefore very useful in detecting the target of interest in a remote sensing system and are helpful for both the NSVBR designers and users.

On the Evaluation of Outlier Detection: Measures, Datasets, and an Empirical Study Continued

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Campos, G. O.; Zimek, A.; Sander, J.

2016-01-01

The evaluation of unsupervised outlier detection algorithms is a constant challenge in data mining research. Little is known regarding the strengths and weaknesses of different standard outlier detection models, and the impact of parameter choices for these algorithms. The scarcity of appropriate...... are available online in the repository at: http://www.dbs.ifi.lmu.de/research/outlier-evaluation/...

Photon Detection System Designs for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whittington, Denver [Indiana U.

2015-11-19

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will be a premier facility for exploring long-standing questions about the boundaries of the standard model. Acting in concert with the liquid argon time projection chambers underpinning the far detector design, the DUNE photon detection system will capture ultraviolet scintillation light in order to provide valuable timing information for event reconstruction. To maximize the active area while maintaining a small photocathode coverage, the experiment will utilize a design based on plastic light guides coated with a wavelength-shifting compound, along with silicon photomultipliers, to collect and record scintillation light from liquid argon. This report presents recent preliminary performance measurements of this baseline design and several alternative designs which promise significant improvements in sensitivity to low-energy interactions.

Detection system for neutron β decay correlations in the UCNB and Nab experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Broussard, L.J., E-mail: broussardlj@ornl.gov [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Zeck, B.A. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States); Adamek, E.R. [Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States); Baeßler, S. [University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Birge, N. [University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Blatnik, M. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115 (United States); Bowman, J.D. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Brandt, A.E. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States); Brown, M. [University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506 (United States); Burkhart, J. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Callahan, N.B. [Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States); Clayton, S.M. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Crawford, C. [University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506 (United States); Cude-Woods, C. [North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States); Currie, S. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Dees, E.B. [North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States); Ding, X. [Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061 (United States); Fomin, N. [University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Frlez, E.; Fry, J. [University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); and others

2017-03-21

We describe a detection system designed for precise measurements of angular correlations in neutron β decay. The system is based on thick, large area, highly segmented silicon detectors developed in collaboration with Micron Semiconductor, Ltd. The prototype system meets specifications for β electron detection with energy thresholds below 10 keV, energy resolution of ∼3 keV FWHM, and rise time of ∼50 ns with 19 of the 127 detector pixels instrumented. Using ultracold neutrons at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, we have demonstrated the coincident detection of β particles and recoil protons from neutron β decay. The fully instrumented detection system will be implemented in the UCNB and Nab experiments to determine the neutron β decay parameters B, a, and b.

Fire and Gas Detection in the LHC Experiments The Sniffer Project

CERN Document Server

Nunes, R W

2001-01-01

The LHC experiments, due to their complexity and size, present many safety challenges. Cryogenic gases are used in large quantities as well as certain flammable mixtures. The electrical power involved calls for analysis of the fire risks. Access is restricted to the minimum and environmental conditions are extremely harsh, due to strong magnetic fields and ionising radiation. This paper will describe the Combined Fire/Gas/Oxygen deficiency Detection systems proposed for inside the ATLAS and CMS Experiments and possibly for the two others, if they deem it necessary. The requirements of the experiments and the development and implementation of such a system will be discussed. In parallel, commercial procedures to implement these systems by industry shall be described, taking into consideration that a previous development has already been undertaken by CERN for the LEP experiments. The stage is set for inter-divisional collaboration in a project of utmost importance for the safety of people and protection of the...

Evaluation of primary coolant leaks and assessment of detection methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cassette, P.; Giroux, C.; Roche, H.; Seveon, J.J.

1986-01-01

A review of the French PWR situation concerning primary coolant leaks is presented, including a description of operating technical specifications, of the collecting system of primary coolant leakage into the containment and of the detection methods. It is mainly based on a compilation over three years, 1981 to 1983, of almost all actual leaks, their natures, causes, consequences and methods used for their detection. By analysing these data it is possible to evaluate the efficiency of the primary coolant leak detection system and the problems raised by compliance with the criteria defined in the operating technical specifications

Evaluation of primary coolant leaks and assessment of detection methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cassette, P.; Giroux, C.; Roche, H.; Seveon, J.J.

1984-11-01

A review of French PWR situation concerning primary coolant leaks is presented, including a description of operating technical specifications, of the collecting system of primary coolant leakage into the containment and of the detection methods. It is mainly based on a compilation over three years, 1981 to 1983, of almost all occurred leaks, their natures, causes, consequences and methods used for their detection. By analysing these data it is possible to evaluate the efficiency of the primary coolant leak detection system and the problems raised by the compliance with the criteria defined in the operating technical specifications

Inelastic Boosted Dark Matter at direct detection experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Giudice, Gian F.; Kim, Doojin; Park, Jong-Chul; Shin, Seodong

2018-05-01

We explore a novel class of multi-particle dark sectors, called Inelastic Boosted Dark Matter (iBDM). These models are constructed by combining properties of particles that scatter off matter by making transitions to heavier states (Inelastic Dark Matter) with properties of particles that are produced with a large Lorentz boost in annihilation processes in the galactic halo (Boosted Dark Matter). This combination leads to new signals that can be observed at ordinary direct detection experiments, but require unconventional searches for energetic recoil electrons in coincidence with displaced multi-track events. Related experimental strategies can also be used to probe MeV-range boosted dark matter via their interactions with electrons inside the target material.

User Experience Evaluation Methods in Product Development (UXEM'09)

Science.gov (United States)

Roto, Virpi; Väänänen-Vainio-Mattila, Kaisa; Law, Effie; Vermeeren, Arnold

High quality user experience (UX) has become a central competitive factor of product development in mature consumer markets [1]. Although the term UX originated from industry and is a widely used term also in academia, the tools for managing UX in product development are still inadequate. A prerequisite for designing delightful UX in an industrial setting is to understand both the requirements tied to the pragmatic level of functionality and interaction and the requirements pertaining to the hedonic level of personal human needs, which motivate product use [2]. Understanding these requirements helps managers set UX targets for product development. The next phase in a good user-centered design process is to iteratively design and evaluate prototypes [3]. Evaluation is critical for systematically improving UX. In many approaches to UX, evaluation basically needs to be postponed until the product is fully or at least almost fully functional. However, in an industrial setting, it is very expensive to find the UX failures only at this phase of product development. Thus, product development managers and developers have a strong need to conduct UX evaluation as early as possible, well before all the parts affecting the holistic experience are available. Different types of products require evaluation on different granularity and maturity levels of a prototype. For example, due to its multi-user characteristic, a community service or an enterprise resource planning system requires a broader scope of UX evaluation than a microwave oven or a word processor that is meant for a single user at a time. Before systematic UX evaluation can be taken into practice, practical, lightweight UX evaluation methods suitable for different types of products and different phases of product readiness are needed. A considerable amount of UX research is still about the conceptual frameworks and models for user experience [4]. Besides, applying existing usability evaluation methods (UEMs) without

Controlled Experiment Replication in Evaluation of E-Learning System's Educational Influence

Science.gov (United States)

Grubisic, Ani; Stankov, Slavomir; Rosic, Marko; Zitko, Branko

2009-01-01

We believe that every effectiveness evaluation should be replicated at least in order to verify the original results and to indicate evaluated e-learning system's advantages or disadvantages. This paper presents the methodology for conducting controlled experiment replication, as well as, results of a controlled experiment and an internal…

A cross-sectional evaluation of meditation experience on electroencephalography data by artificial neural network and support vector machine classifiers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yu-Hao; Hsieh, Ya-Ju; Shiah, Yung-Jong; Lin, Yu-Huei; Chen, Chiao-Yun; Tyan, Yu-Chang; GengQiu, JiaCheng; Hsu, Chung-Yao; Chen, Sharon Chia-Ju

2017-04-01

To quantitate the meditation experience is a subjective and complex issue because it is confounded by many factors such as emotional state, method of meditation, and personal physical condition. In this study, we propose a strategy with a cross-sectional analysis to evaluate the meditation experience with 2 artificial intelligence techniques: artificial neural network and support vector machine. Within this analysis system, 3 features of the electroencephalography alpha spectrum and variant normalizing scaling are manipulated as the evaluating variables for the detection of accuracy. Thereafter, by modulating the sliding window (the period of the analyzed data) and shifting interval of the window (the time interval to shift the analyzed data), the effect of immediate analysis for the 2 methods is compared. This analysis system is performed on 3 meditation groups, categorizing their meditation experiences in 10-year intervals from novice to junior and to senior. After an exhausted calculation and cross-validation across all variables, the high accuracy rate >98% is achievable under the criterion of 0.5-minute sliding window and 2 seconds shifting interval for both methods. In a word, the minimum analyzable data length is 0.5 minute and the minimum recognizable temporal resolution is 2 seconds in the decision of meditative classification. Our proposed classifier of the meditation experience promotes a rapid evaluation system to distinguish meditation experience and a beneficial utilization of artificial techniques for the big-data analysis.

Lung nodule detection on chest CT: evaluation of a computer-aided detection (CAD) system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, In Jae; Gamsu, Gordon; Czum, Julianna; Johnson, Rebecca; Chakrapani, Sanjay; Wu, Ning

2005-01-01

To evaluate the capacity of a computer-aided detection (CAD) system to detect lung nodules in clinical chest CT. A total of 210 consecutive clinical chest CT scans and their reports were reviewed by two chest radiologists and 70 were selected (33 without nodules and 37 with 1-6 nodules, 4-15.4 mm in diameter). The CAD system (ImageChecker CT LN-1000) developed by R2 Technology, Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA) was used. Its algorithm was designed to detect nodules with a diameter of 4-20 mm. The two chest radiologists working with the CAD system detected a total of 78 nodules. These 78 nodules form the database for this study. Four independent observers interpreted the studies with and without the CAD system. The detection rates of the four independent observers without CAD were 81% (63/78), 85% (66/78), 83% (65/78), and 83% (65/78), respectively. With CAD their rates were 87% (68/78), 85% (66/78), 86% (67/78), and 85% (66/78), respectively. The differences between these two sets of detection rates did not reach statistical significance. In addition, CAD detected eight nodules that were not mentioned in the original clinical radiology reports. The CAD system produced 1.56 false-positive nodules per CT study. The four test observers had 0, 0.1, 0.17, and 0.26 false-positive results per study without CAD and 0.07, 0.2, 0.23, and 0.39 with CAD, respectively. The CAD system can assist radiologists in detecting pulmonary nodules in chest CT, but with a potential increase in their false positive rates. Technological improvements to the system could increase the sensitivity and specificity for the detection of pulmonary nodules and reduce these false-positive results

Evaluation of hybrids algorithms for mass detection in digitalized mammograms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cordero, Jose; Garzon Reyes, Johnson

2011-01-01

The breast cancer remains being a significant public health problem, the early detection of the lesions can increase the success possibilities of the medical treatments. The mammography is an image modality effective to early diagnosis of abnormalities, where the medical image is obtained of the mammary gland with X-rays of low radiation, this allows detect a tumor or circumscribed mass between two to three years before that it was clinically palpable, and is the only method that until now achieved reducing the mortality by breast cancer. In this paper three hybrids algorithms for circumscribed mass detection on digitalized mammograms are evaluated. In the first stage correspond to a review of the enhancement and segmentation techniques used in the processing of the mammographic images. After a shape filtering was applied to the resulting regions. By mean of a Bayesian filter the survivors regions were processed, where the characteristics vector for the classifier was constructed with few measurements. Later, the implemented algorithms were evaluated by ROC curves, where 40 images were taken for the test, 20 normal images and 20 images with circumscribed lesions. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages in the correct detection of a lesion of every algorithm are discussed.

Reliability evaluation of the Savannah River reactor leak detection system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daugherty, W.L.; Sindelar, R.L.; Wallace, I.T.

1991-01-01

The Savannah River Reactors have been in operation since the mid-1950's. The primary degradation mode for the primary coolant loop piping is intergranular stress corrosion cracking. The leak-before-break (LBB) capability of the primary system piping has been demonstrated as part of an overall structural integrity evaluation. One element of the LBB analyses is a reliability evaluation of the leak detection system. The most sensitive element of the leak detection system is the airborne tritium monitors. The presence of small amounts of tritium in the heavy water coolant provide the basis for a very sensitive system of leak detection. The reliability of the tritium monitors to properly identify a crack leaking at a rate of either 50 or 300 lb/day (0.004 or 0.023 gpm, respectively) has been characterized. These leak rates correspond to action points for which specific operator actions are required. High reliability has been demonstrated using standard fault tree techniques. The probability of not detecting a leak within an assumed mission time of 24 hours is estimated to be approximately 5 x 10 -5 per demand. This result is obtained for both leak rates considered. The methodology and assumptions used to obtain this result are described in this paper. 3 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab

Subsurface event detection and classification using Wireless Signal Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Suk-Un; Ghazanfari, Ehsan; Cheng, Liang; Pamukcu, Sibel; Suleiman, Muhannad T

2012-11-05

Subsurface environment sensing and monitoring applications such as detection of water intrusion or a landslide, which could significantly change the physical properties of the host soil, can be accomplished using a novel concept, Wireless Signal Networks (WSiNs). The wireless signal networks take advantage of the variations of radio signal strength on the distributed underground sensor nodes of WSiNs to monitor and characterize the sensed area. To characterize subsurface environments for event detection and classification, this paper provides a detailed list and experimental data of soil properties on how radio propagation is affected by soil properties in subsurface communication environments. Experiments demonstrated that calibrated wireless signal strength variations can be used as indicators to sense changes in the subsurface environment. The concept of WSiNs for the subsurface event detection is evaluated with applications such as detection of water intrusion, relative density change, and relative motion using actual underground sensor nodes. To classify geo-events using the measured signal strength as a main indicator of geo-events, we propose a window-based minimum distance classifier based on Bayesian decision theory. The window-based classifier for wireless signal networks has two steps: event detection and event classification. With the event detection, the window-based classifier classifies geo-events on the event occurring regions that are called a classification window. The proposed window-based classification method is evaluated with a water leakage experiment in which the data has been measured in laboratory experiments. In these experiments, the proposed detection and classification method based on wireless signal network can detect and classify subsurface events.

Target Detection Using an AOTF Hyperspectral Imager

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, L-J.; Mahoney, J.; Reyes, F.; Suiter, H.

1994-01-01

This paper reports results of a recent field experiment using a prototype system to evaluate the acousto-optic tunable filter polarimetric hyperspectral imaging technology for target detection applications.

A Framework for Evaluating Stay Detection Approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cornelia Schneider

2017-10-01

Full Text Available In recent years, sensors of mobile devices are increasingly used in the research field of Active and Assisted Living (AAL, in particular, for movement analysis. Questions, such as where users typically stay (and for how long, where they have been or where they will most likely be going to, are of utmost importance for implementing smart AAL services. Due to the plethora of application scenarios and varying requirements, the challenge is the identification of an appropriate stay detection approach. Thus, this paper presents a comprehensive framework covering the entire process from data acquisition, pre-processing, parameterization to evaluation so that it can be applied to evaluate various stay detection methods. Additionally, ground truth data as well as application field data are used within the framework. The framework has been validated with three different spatio-temporal clustering approaches (time-based/incremental clustering, extended density based clustering, and a mixed method approach. Using the framework with ground truth data and data from the AAL field, it can be concluded that the time-based/incremental clustering approach is most suitable for this type of AAL applications. Furthermore, using two different datasets has proven successful as it provides additional data for selecting the appropriate method. Finally, the way the framework is designed it might be applied to other domains such as transportation, mobility, or tourism by adapting the pre-selection criteria.

The Case for Extant Life on Mars and Its Possible Detection by the Viking Labeled Release Experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, Gilbert V; Straat, Patricia Ann

2016-10-01

The 1976 Viking Labeled Release (LR) experiment was positive for extant microbial life on the surface of Mars. Experiments on both Viking landers, 4000 miles apart, yielded similar, repeatable, positive responses. While the authors eventually concluded that the experiment detected martian life, this was and remains a highly controversial conclusion. Many believe that the martian environment is inimical to life and the LR responses were nonbiological, attributed to an as-yet-unidentified oxidant (or oxidants) in the martian soil. Unfortunately, no further metabolic experiments have been conducted on Mars. Instead, follow-on missions have sought to define the martian environment, mostly searching for signs of water. These missions have collected considerable data regarding Mars as a habitat, both past and present. The purpose of this article is to consider recent findings about martian water, methane, and organics that impact the case for extant life on Mars. Further, the biological explanation of the LR and recent nonbiological hypotheses are evaluated. It is concluded that extant life is a strong possibility, that abiotic interpretations of the LR data are not conclusive, and that, even setting our conclusion aside, biology should still be considered as an explanation for the LR experiment. Because of possible contamination of Mars by terrestrial microbes after Viking, we note that the LR data are the only data we will ever have on biologically pristine martian samples. Key Words: Extant life on Mars-Viking Labeled Release experiment-Astrobiology-Extraterrestrial life-Mars. Astrobiology 16, 798-810.

Peaked signals from dark matter velocity structures in direct detection experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Lang, Rafael F.; Weiner, Neal

2010-06-01

In direct dark matter detection experiments, conventional elastic scattering of WIMPs results in exponentially falling recoil spectra. In contrast, theories of WIMPs with excited states can lead to nuclear recoil spectra that peak at finite recoil energies ER. The peaks of such signals are typically fairly broad, with ΔER/Epeak ~ 1. We show that in the presence of dark matter structures with low velocity dispersion, such as streams or clumps, peaks from up-scattering can become extremely narrow with FWHM of a few keV only. This differs dramatically from the conventionally expected WIMP spectrum and would, once detected, open the possibility to measure the dark matter velocity structure with high accuracy. As an intriguing example, we confront the observed cluster of 3 events near 42 keV from the CRESST commissioning run with this scenario. Inelastic dark matter particles with a wide range of parameters are capable of producing such a narrow peak. We calculate the possible signals at other experiments, and find that such particles could also give rise to the signal at DAMA, although not from the same stream. Over some range of parameters, a signal would be visible at xenon experiments. We show that such dark matter peaks are a very clear signal and can be easily disentangled from potential backgrounds, both terrestrial or due to WIMP down-scattering, by an enhanced annual modulation in both the amplitude of the signal and its spectral shape.

Peaked signals from dark matter velocity structures in direct detection experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lang, Rafael F.; Weiner, Neal

2010-01-01

In direct dark matter detection experiments, conventional elastic scattering of WIMPs results in exponentially falling recoil spectra. In contrast, theories of WIMPs with excited states can lead to nuclear recoil spectra that peak at finite recoil energies E R . The peaks of such signals are typically fairly broad, with ΔE R /E peak ∼ 1. We show that in the presence of dark matter structures with low velocity dispersion, such as streams or clumps, peaks from up-scattering can become extremely narrow with FWHM of a few keV only. This differs dramatically from the conventionally expected WIMP spectrum and would, once detected, open the possibility to measure the dark matter velocity structure with high accuracy. As an intriguing example, we confront the observed cluster of 3 events near 42 keV from the CRESST commissioning run with this scenario. Inelastic dark matter particles with a wide range of parameters are capable of producing such a narrow peak. We calculate the possible signals at other experiments, and find that such particles could also give rise to the signal at DAMA, although not from the same stream. Over some range of parameters, a signal would be visible at xenon experiments. We show that such dark matter peaks are a very clear signal and can be easily disentangled from potential backgrounds, both terrestrial or due to WIMP down-scattering, by an enhanced annual modulation in both the amplitude of the signal and its spectral shape

Prospects for cosmic neutrino detection in tritium experiments in the case of hierarchical neutrino masses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blennow, Mattias

2008-01-01

We discuss the effects of neutrino mixing and the neutrino mass hierarchy when considering the capture of the cosmic neutrino background (CNB) on radioactive nuclei. The implications of mixing and hierarchy at future generations of tritium decay experiments are considered. We find that the CNB should be detectable at these experiments provided that the resolution for the kinetic energy of the outgoing electron can be pushed to a few 0.01 eV for the scenario with inverted neutrino mass hierarchy, about an order of magnitude better than that of the upcoming KATRIN experiment. Another order of magnitude improvement is needed in the case of normal neutrino mass hierarchy. We also note that mixing effects generally make the prospects for CNB detection worse due to an increased maximum energy of the normal beta decay background

The evaluation of phasemeter prototype performance for the space gravitational waves detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, He-Shan; Dong, Yu-Hui; Li, Yu-Qiong; Luo, Zi-Ren; Jin, Gang

2014-02-01

Heterodyne laser interferometry is considered as the most promising readout scheme for future space gravitational wave detection missions, in which the gravitational wave signals disguise as small phase variances within the heterodyne beat note. This makes the phasemeter, which extracts the phase information from the beat note, the key device to this system. In this paper, a prototype of phasemeter based on digital phase-locked loop technology is developed, and the major noise sources which may contribute to the noise spectra density are analyzed in detail. Two experiments are also carried out to evaluate the performance of the phasemeter prototype. The results show that the sensitivity is achieved 2π μrad/√Hz in the frequency range of 0.04 Hz-10 Hz. Due to the effect of thermal drift, the noise obviously increases with the frequencies down to 0.1 mHz.

Field Experiments on SAR Detection of Film Slicks

Science.gov (United States)

Ermakov, S.; da Silva, J. C. B.; Kapustin, I.; Sergievskaya, I.

2013-03-01

Field experiments on radar detection of film slicks using satellite synthetic aperture radar TerraSAR-X and X-band scatterometer on board a research vessel are described. The experiments were carried out with surfactant films with known physical parameters, the surface tension and the film elasticity, at low to moderate wind conditions and at different radar incidence angles. It is shown that the depression of radar backscatter (contrast) in films slicks for X-band SAR weakly depends on wind velocity/direction, film elasticity and incidence angles within the range of 200-400. Scatterometer contrasts obtained at incidence angles of about 600 are larger than SAR contrasts. Theoretical analysis of radar contrasts for low-to-moderate incidence angles has been carried out based on a hydrodynamic model of wind wave damping due to films and on a composite radar imaging model. The hydrodynamic model takes into account wave damping due to viscoelastic films, wind wave generation and a phenomenological term describing nonlinear limitation of the wind wave spectrum. The radar model takes into account Bragg scattering and specular scattering mechanisms, the latter is usually negligible compared to the Bragg mechanism at moderate incidence angles (larger than 30-35 degrees), but gives noticeable contribution to radar backscattering at smaller incidence angles particularly for slick areas when cm-scale ripples are strongly depressed by films. Calculated radar contrasts in slicks are compared with experiments and it is concluded that development of the model is needed to predict quantitatively observations.

Evaluation of Relationship between Obsessive-compulsive Disorder and Dissociative Experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Tatlı, Mustafa; Cetinkaya, Ozlem; Maner, Fulya

2018-05-31

The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms and dissociative experiences and the effect of childhood traumatic experiences on this relationship in OCD patients. Fifty consecutive OCD patients and 50 healthy controls are enrolled for this study. Sociodemographic and Clinical Data Form, Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), Padua Inventory (PI) and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) are applied to participants. Average DES total score in the patient group is 20.58 and in the control group it is 4.87. In the patient group, when we evaluate the relation strengths of DES total and subscale scores with PI total score, we found out that amnesia subscale has r=0.361 ( p controls. Among dissociative experiences, absorption has stronger relation with OCD symptoms. The relation between OCD and dissociation is independent from and stronger than the relation between childhood traumatic experiences and OCD.

Flow, Staging, Wayfinding, Personalization: Evaluating User Experience with Mobile Museum Narratives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Roussou

2018-06-01

Full Text Available A multitude of challenges comes into play when attempting to design (and evaluate an interactive digital storytelling experience for use by visitors in a museum. This paper reports on the evaluation of the prototype mobile-based storytelling “guides” designed, developed and deployed as part of a research project at the Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece. Experiences designed for different visitor profiles were evaluated several times throughout the iterative design process, in a number of on-site studies, and with more than 180 museum visitors of all ages (with this paper reporting on two studies conducted with a total of 53 users visiting individually or in pairs. The evaluation methods included ethnography (i.e., observation of visitors in the Museum’s galleries, pre- and post-experience in-depth interviews and questionnaires to measure the Users’ Experience (UX, as well as data logging. The analysis of the data focused on themes representing components of the experiences, such as interactive story plot and narration, staging and way-finding in the physical space, personalization and social interaction. Our findings confirmed that understanding UX and what makes it effective or not in the rich context of a cultural setting is a complex endeavor. The paper discusses our findings and proposes relevant recommendations for the design of digital experiences for cultural, educational, and recreational purposes.

Can tonne-scale direct detection experiments discover nuclear dark matter?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Butcher, Alistair; Kirk, Russell; Monroe, Jocelyn; West, Stephen M., E-mail: Alistair.Butcher.2010@live.rhul.ac.uk, E-mail: Russell.Kirk.2008@live.rhul.ac.uk, E-mail: Jocelyn.Monroe@rhul.ac.uk, E-mail: Stephen.West@rhul.ac.uk [Department of Physics, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX (United Kingdom)

2017-10-01

Models of nuclear dark matter propose that the dark sector contains large composite states consisting of dark nucleons in analogy to Standard Model nuclei. We examine the direct detection phenomenology of a particular class of nuclear dark matter model at the current generation of tonne-scale liquid noble experiments, in particular DEAP-3600 and XENON1T. In our chosen nuclear dark matter scenario distinctive features arise in the recoil energy spectra due to the non-point-like nature of the composite dark matter state. We calculate the number of events required to distinguish these spectra from those of a standard point-like WIMP state with a decaying exponential recoil spectrum. In the most favourable regions of nuclear dark matter parameter space, we find that a few tens of events are needed to distinguish nuclear dark matter from WIMPs at the 3 σ level in a single experiment. Given the total exposure time of DEAP-3600 and XENON1T we find that at best a 2 σ distinction is possible by these experiments individually, while 3 σ sensitivity is reached for a range of parameters by the combination of the two experiments. We show that future upgrades of these experiments have potential to distinguish a large range of nuclear dark matter models from that of a WIMP at greater than 3 σ .

Can tonne-scale direct detection experiments discover nuclear dark matter?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butcher, Alistair; Kirk, Russell; Monroe, Jocelyn; West, Stephen M.

2017-01-01

Models of nuclear dark matter propose that the dark sector contains large composite states consisting of dark nucleons in analogy to Standard Model nuclei. We examine the direct detection phenomenology of a particular class of nuclear dark matter model at the current generation of tonne-scale liquid noble experiments, in particular DEAP-3600 and XENON1T. In our chosen nuclear dark matter scenario distinctive features arise in the recoil energy spectra due to the non-point-like nature of the composite dark matter state. We calculate the number of events required to distinguish these spectra from those of a standard point-like WIMP state with a decaying exponential recoil spectrum. In the most favourable regions of nuclear dark matter parameter space, we find that a few tens of events are needed to distinguish nuclear dark matter from WIMPs at the 3 σ level in a single experiment. Given the total exposure time of DEAP-3600 and XENON1T we find that at best a 2 σ distinction is possible by these experiments individually, while 3 σ sensitivity is reached for a range of parameters by the combination of the two experiments. We show that future upgrades of these experiments have potential to distinguish a large range of nuclear dark matter models from that of a WIMP at greater than 3 σ .

Development of an ICSBEP Benchmark Evaluation, Nearly 20 Years of Experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Briggs, J. Blair; Bess, John D.

2011-01-01

The basic structure of all ICSBEP benchmark evaluations is essentially the same and includes (1) a detailed description of the experiment; (2) an evaluation of the experiment, including an exhaustive effort to quantify the effects of uncertainties on measured quantities; (3) a concise presentation of benchmark-model specifications; (4) sample calculation results; and (5) a summary of experimental references. Computer code input listings and other relevant information are generally preserved in appendixes. Details of an ICSBEP evaluation is presented.

Systematic evaluation of candidate blood markers for detecting ovarian cancer.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chana Palmer

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Epithelial ovarian cancer is a significant cause of mortality both in the United States and worldwide, due largely to the high proportion of cases that present at a late stage, when survival is extremely poor. Early detection of epithelial ovarian cancer, and of the serous subtype in particular, is a promising strategy for saving lives. The low prevalence of ovarian cancer makes the development of an adequately sensitive and specific test based on blood markers very challenging. We evaluated the performance of a set of candidate blood markers and combinations of these markers in detecting serous ovarian cancer.We selected 14 candidate blood markers of serous ovarian cancer for which assays were available to measure their levels in serum or plasma, based on our analysis of global gene expression data and on literature searches. We evaluated the performance of these candidate markers individually and in combination by measuring them in overlapping sets of serum (or plasma samples from women with clinically detectable ovarian cancer and women without ovarian cancer. Based on sensitivity at high specificity, we determined that 4 of the 14 candidate markers--MUC16, WFDC2, MSLN and MMP7--warrant further evaluation in precious serum specimens collected months to years prior to clinical diagnosis to assess their utility in early detection. We also reported differences in the performance of these candidate blood markers across histological types of epithelial ovarian cancer.By systematically analyzing the performance of candidate blood markers of ovarian cancer in distinguishing women with clinically apparent ovarian cancer from women without ovarian cancer, we identified a set of serum markers with adequate performance to warrant testing for their ability to identify ovarian cancer months to years prior to clinical diagnosis. We argued for the importance of sensitivity at high specificity and of magnitude of difference in marker levels between cases and

Pre-evaluation of fusion shielding benchmark experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayashi, K.; Handa, H.; Konno, C.

1994-01-01

Shielding benchmark experiment is very useful to test the design code and nuclear data for fusion devices. There are many types of benchmark experiments that should be done in fusion shielding problems, but time and budget are limited. Therefore it will be important to select and determine the effective experimental configurations by precalculation before the experiment. The authors did three types of pre-evaluation to determine the experimental assembly configurations of shielding benchmark experiments planned in FNS, JAERI. (1) Void Effect Experiment - The purpose of this experiment is to measure the local increase of dose and nuclear heating behind small void(s) in shield material. Dimension of the voids and its arrangements were decided as follows. Dose and nuclear heating were calculated both for with and without void(s). Minimum size of the void was determined so that the ratio of these two results may be larger than error of the measurement system. (2) Auxiliary Shield Experiment - The purpose of this experiment is to measure shielding properties of B 4 C, Pb, W, and dose around superconducting magnet (SCM). Thickness of B 4 C, Pb, W and their arrangement including multilayer configuration were determined. (3) SCM Nuclear Heating Experiment - The purpose of this experiment is to measure nuclear heating and dose distribution in SCM material. Because it is difficult to use liquid helium as a part of SCM mock up material, material composition of SCM mock up are surveyed to have similar nuclear heating property of real SCM composition

Summary of sensor evaluation for the Fusion ELectromagnetic Induction eXperiment (FELIX)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knott, M.J.

1982-08-01

As part of the First Wall/Blanket/Shield Engineering Test Program, a test bed called FELIX (Fusion ELectromagnetic Induction eXperiment) is now under construction at ANL. Its purpose will be to test, evaluate, and develop computer codes for the prediction of electromagnetically induced phenomenon in a magnetic environment modeling that of a fusion reaction. Crucial to this process is the sensing and recording of the various induced effects. Sensor evaluation for FELIX has reached the point where most sensor types have been evaluated and preliminary decisions are being made as to type and quantity for the initial FELIX experiments. These early experiments, the first, flat plate experiment in particular, will be aimed at testing the sensors as well as the pertinent theories involved. The reason for these evaluations, decisions, and proof tests is the harsh electrical and magnetic environment that FELIX presents

Evaluation of point-of-care tests for detecting microalbuminuria in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Evaluation of point-of-care tests for detecting microalbuminuria in diabetic patients. ... creatinine (modified Jaffe) and albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR). Results: Linear regression analysis demonstrated a good correlation for the HemoCue® ...

Use of nondestructive evaluation to detect moisture in flexible pavements.

Science.gov (United States)

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the currently available nondestructive evaluation technology that holds the greatest potential to detect moisture in flexible pavements and then apply the technology in multiple locations throughout Virginia....

Field validation of protocols developed to evaluate in-line mastitis detection systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamphuis, C; Dela Rue, B T; Eastwood, C R

2016-02-01

This paper reports on a field validation of previously developed protocols for evaluating the performance of in-line mastitis-detection systems. The protocols outlined 2 requirements of these systems: (1) to detect cows with clinical mastitis (CM) promptly and accurately to enable timely and appropriate treatment and (2) to identify cows with high somatic cell count (SCC) to manage bulk milk SCC levels. Gold standard measures, evaluation tests, performance measures, and performance targets were proposed. The current study validated the protocols on commercial dairy farms with automated in-line mastitis-detection systems using both electrical conductivity (EC) and SCC sensor systems that both monitor at whole-udder level. The protocol for requirement 1 was applied on 3 commercial farms. For requirement 2, the protocol was applied on 6 farms; 3 of them had low bulk milk SCC (128×10(3) cells/mL) and were the same farms as used for field evaluation of requirement 1. Three farms with high bulk milk SCC (270×10(3) cells/mL) were additionally enrolled. The field evaluation methodology and results were presented at a workshop including representation from 7 international suppliers of in-line mastitis-detection systems. Feedback was sought on the acceptance of standardized performance evaluation protocols and recommended refinements to the protocols. Although the methodology for requirement 1 was relatively labor intensive and required organizational skills over an extended period, no major issues were encountered during the field validation of both protocols. The validation, thus, proved the protocols to be practical. Also, no changes to the data collection process were recommended by the technology supplier representatives. However, 4 recommendations were made to refine the protocols: inclusion of an additional analysis that ignores small (low-density) clot observations in the definition of CM, extension of the time window from 4 to 5 milkings for timely alerts for CM

Direct 13C NMR Detection in HPLC Hyphenation Mode

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wubshet, Sileshi Gizachew; Johansen, Kenneth; Nyberg, Nils

2012-01-01

Solid phase extraction (SPE) was introduced as a crucial step in the HPLC-SPE-NMR technique to enable online analyte enrichment from which proton-detected NMR experiments on submicrogram amounts from complex mixtures were possible. However, the significance of direct-detected (13)C NMR experiments...... application of HPLC-SPE-NMR analysis using direct-detected (13)C NMR spectra. HPLC column loading, accumulative SPE trappings, and the effect of different elution solvents were evaluated and optimized. A column loading of approximately 600 mug of a prefractionated triterpenoid mixture, six trappings...

THERMAL EVALUATION OF ALTERNATE SHIPPING CASK FOR GTRI EXPERIMENTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donna Post Guillen

2014-06-01

The Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) has many experiments yet to be irradiated in support of the High Performance Research Reactor fuels development program. Most of the experiments will be irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), then later shipped to the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF) located at the Materials and Fuels Complex for post irradiation examination. To date, the General Electric (GE)-2000 cask has been used to transport GTRI experiments between these facilities. However, the availability of the GE-2000 cask to support future GTRI experiments is at risk. In addition, the internal cavity of the GE-2000 cask is too short to accommodate shipping the larger GTRI experiments. Therefore, an alternate shipping capability is being pursued. The Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, Research Reactor (BRR) cask has been determined to be the best alternative to the GE-2000 cask. An evaluation of the thermal performance of the BRR cask is necessary before proceeding with fabrication of the newly designed cask hardware and the development of handling, shipping, and transport procedures. This paper presents the results of the thermal evaluation of the BRR cask loaded with a representative set of fueled and non-fueled experiments. When analyzed with identical payloads, experiment temperatures were found to be lower with the BRR cask than with the GE-2000 cask. From a thermal standpoint, the BRR cask was found to be a suitable alternate to the GE-2000 cask.

1H-detected MAS solid-state NMR experiments enable the simultaneous mapping of rigid and dynamic domains of membrane proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Gopinath, T.; Nelson, Sarah E. D.; Veglia, Gianluigi

2017-12-01

Magic angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR (ssNMR) spectroscopy is emerging as a unique method for the atomic resolution structure determination of native membrane proteins in lipid bilayers. Although 13C-detected ssNMR experiments continue to play a major role, recent technological developments have made it possible to carry out 1H-detected experiments, boosting both sensitivity and resolution. Here, we describe a new set of 1H-detected hybrid pulse sequences that combine through-bond and through-space correlation elements into single experiments, enabling the simultaneous detection of rigid and dynamic domains of membrane proteins. As proof-of-principle, we applied these new pulse sequences to the membrane protein phospholamban (PLN) reconstituted in lipid bilayers under moderate MAS conditions. The cross-polarization (CP) based elements enabled the detection of the relatively immobile residues of PLN in the transmembrane domain using through-space correlations; whereas the most dynamic region, which is in equilibrium between folded and unfolded states, was mapped by through-bond INEPT-based elements. These new 1H-detected experiments will enable one to detect not only the most populated (ground) states of biomacromolecules, but also sparsely populated high-energy (excited) states for a complete characterization of protein free energy landscapes.

A user experience evaluation of Amazon Kindle mobile application

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, Azham; Mkpojiogu, Emmanuel O. C.; Musa, Ja'afaru; Mortada, Salah

2017-10-01

There is a dramatic increase in the development of mobile applications in recent years. This makes the usability evaluation of these mobile applications an important aspect in the advancement and application of technology. In this paper, a laboratory-based usability evaluation was carried out on the Amazon Kindle app using 15 users who performed 5 tasks on the Kindle e-book mobile app. A post-test questionnaire was administered to elicit users' perception on the usability of the application. The results demonstrate that almost all the participants were satisfied with services provided by the Amazon Kindle e-book mobile app. On all the four user experience factors examined, namely, perceived ease-of-use, perceived visibility, perceived enjoyabilty, and perceived efficiency, the evaluation outcome shows that the participants had a good and rich mobile experience with the application.

Subsurface Event Detection and Classification Using Wireless Signal Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhannad T. Suleiman

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Subsurface environment sensing and monitoring applications such as detection of water intrusion or a landslide, which could significantly change the physical properties of the host soil, can be accomplished using a novel concept, Wireless Signal Networks (WSiNs. The wireless signal networks take advantage of the variations of radio signal strength on the distributed underground sensor nodes of WSiNs to monitor and characterize the sensed area. To characterize subsurface environments for event detection and classification, this paper provides a detailed list and experimental data of soil properties on how radio propagation is affected by soil properties in subsurface communication environments. Experiments demonstrated that calibrated wireless signal strength variations can be used as indicators to sense changes in the subsurface environment. The concept of WSiNs for the subsurface event detection is evaluated with applications such as detection of water intrusion, relative density change, and relative motion using actual underground sensor nodes. To classify geo-events using the measured signal strength as a main indicator of geo-events, we propose a window-based minimum distance classifier based on Bayesian decision theory. The window-based classifier for wireless signal networks has two steps: event detection and event classification. With the event detection, the window-based classifier classifies geo-events on the event occurring regions that are called a classification window. The proposed window-based classification method is evaluated with a water leakage experiment in which the data has been measured in laboratory experiments. In these experiments, the proposed detection and classification method based on wireless signal network can detect and classify subsurface events.

A γ detecting probe developed for radioguided surgery and its primary using for animal experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Haipeng, Lin Yingwu; Gong Peirong; Yang Zhirong; Qiu Shi

2003-01-01

A new γ detecting probe device was described, which was used in radioguided surgery (RGS) for detecting tumor and its micrometastasis. The concrete scheme for this system was given in this paper and its performance was also evaluate. The animal experimental results showed that the γ detecting probe has excellent location resolution, and its collimator is practical

Computer-aided detection in CT colonography: initial clinical experience using a prototype system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graser, A.; Geisbuesch, S.; Reiser, M.F.; Becker, C.R.; Kolligs, F.T.; Schaefer, C.; Mang, T.

2007-01-01

Computer-aided detection (CAD) algorithms help to detect colonic polyps at CT colonography (CTC). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of CAD versus an expert reader in CTC. One hundred forty individuals (67 men, 73 women; mean age, 59 years) underwent screening 64-MDCT colonography after full cathartic bowel cleansing without fecal tagging. One expert reader interpreted supine and prone scans using a 3D workstation with integrated CAD used as ''second reader.'' The system's sensitivity for the detection of polyps, the number of false-positive findings, and its running time were evaluated. Polyps were classified as small (≤5 mm), medium (6-9 mm), and large (≥10 mm). A total of 118 polyps (small, 85; medium, 19; large, 14) were found in 56 patients. CAD detected 72 polyps (61%) with an average of 2.2 false-positives. Sensitivity was 51% (43/85) for small, 90% (17/19) for medium, and 86% (12/14) for large polyps. For all polyps, per-patient sensitivity was 89% (50/56) for the radiologist and 73% (41/56) for CAD. For large and medium polyps, per-patient sensitivity was 100% for the radiologist, and 96% for CAD. In conclusion, CAD shows high sensitivity in the detection of clinically significant polyps with acceptable false-positive rates. (orig.)

Evaluation of bistable systems versus matched filters in detecting bipolar pulse signals

OpenAIRE

Duan, Fabing; Abbott, Derek; Gao, Qisheng

2004-01-01

This paper presents a thorough evaluation of a bistable system versus a matched filter in detecting bipolar pulse signals. The detectability of the bistable system can be optimized by adding noise, i.e. the stochastic resonance (SR) phenomenon. This SR effect is also demonstrated by approximate statistical detection theory of the bistable system and corresponding numerical simulations. Furthermore, the performance comparison results between the bistable system and the matched filter show that...

An Experiment and Detection Scheme for Cavity-Based Light Cold Dark Matter Particle Searches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masroor H. S. Bukhari

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A resonance detection scheme and some useful ideas for cavity-based searches of light cold dark matter particles (such as axions are presented, as an effort to aid in the on-going endeavors in this direction as well as for future experiments, especially in possibly developing a table-top experiment. The scheme is based on our idea of a resonant detector, incorporating an integrated tunnel diode (TD and GaAs HEMT/HFET (High-Electron Mobility Transistor/Heterogeneous FET transistor amplifier, weakly coupled to a cavity in a strong transverse magnetic field. The TD-amplifier combination is suggested as a sensitive and simple technique to facilitate resonance detection within the cavity while maintaining excellent noise performance, whereas our proposed Halbach magnet array could serve as a low-noise and permanent solution replacing the conventional electromagnets scheme. We present some preliminary test results which demonstrate resonance detection from simulated test signals in a small optimal axion mass range with superior signal-to-noise ratios (SNR. Our suggested design also contains an overview of a simpler on-resonance dc signal read-out scheme replacing the complicated heterodyne read-out. We believe that all these factors and our propositions could possibly improve or at least simplify the resonance detection and read-out in cavity-based DM particle detection searches (and other spectroscopy applications and reduce the complications (and associated costs, in addition to reducing the electromagnetic interference and background.

Early Detection of Brain Pathology Suggestive of Early AD Using Objective Evaluation of FDG-PET Scans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James C. Patterson

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The need for early detection of AD becomes critical as disease-modifying agents near the marketplace. Here, we present results from a study focused on improvement in detection of metabolic deficits related to neurodegenerative changes consistent with possible early AD with statistical evaluation of FDG-PET brain images. We followed 31 subjects at high risk or diagnosed with MCI/AD for 3 years. 15 met criteria for diagnosis of MCI, and five met criteria for AD. FDG-PET scans were completed at initiation and termination of the study. PET scans were read clinically and also evaluated objectively using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM. Using standard clinical evaluation of the FDG-PET scans, 11 subjects were detected, while 18 were detected using SPM evaluation. These preliminary results indicate that objective analyses may improve detection; however, early detection in at-risk normal subjects remains tentative. Several FDA-approved software packages are available that use objective analyses, thus the capacity exists for wider use of this method for MCI/AD.

Automated Detection of HONcode Website Conformity Compared to Manual Detection: An Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyer, Célia; Dolamic, Ljiljana

2015-06-02

To earn HONcode certification, a website must conform to the 8 principles of the HONcode of Conduct In the current manual process of certification, a HONcode expert assesses the candidate website using precise guidelines for each principle. In the scope of the European project KHRESMOI, the Health on the Net (HON) Foundation has developed an automated system to assist in detecting a website's HONcode conformity. Automated assistance in conducting HONcode reviews can expedite the current time-consuming tasks of HONcode certification and ongoing surveillance. Additionally, an automated tool used as a plugin to a general search engine might help to detect health websites that respect HONcode principles but have not yet been certified. The goal of this study was to determine whether the automated system is capable of performing as good as human experts for the task of identifying HONcode principles on health websites. Using manual evaluation by HONcode senior experts as a baseline, this study compared the capability of the automated HONcode detection system to that of the HONcode senior experts. A set of 27 health-related websites were manually assessed for compliance to each of the 8 HONcode principles by senior HONcode experts. The same set of websites were processed by the automated system for HONcode compliance detection based on supervised machine learning. The results obtained by these two methods were then compared. For the privacy criterion, the automated system obtained the same results as the human expert for 17 of 27 sites (14 true positives and 3 true negatives) without noise (0 false positives). The remaining 10 false negative instances for the privacy criterion represented tolerable behavior because it is important that all automatically detected principle conformities are accurate (ie, specificity [100%] is preferred over sensitivity [58%] for the privacy criterion). In addition, the automated system had precision of at least 75%, with a recall of more

Detection of bilingual plagiarism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frank Zamora R.

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper a computational algorithm for text alignment in the task of automatically detecting bilingual plagiarism is proposed. The method of detecting bilingual plagiarism uses machine translation services, in order to have the documents in question a base language, and apply techniques of monolingual plagiarism. The algorithm was tested with The corpus belonging to the International Competition Plagiarism 2013, with the objective of evaluating the step of detecting monolingual plagiarism. Besides it’s experimented with the collection of texts EUROPARL, a collection of documents pertaining to the meeting the European Parliament, specifically it´s to English and Spanish documents.

Extensive air showers and diffused Cherenkov light detection: The ULTRA experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agnetta, G.; Assis, P.; Biondo, B.

2007-01-01

The Uv Light Transmission and Reflection in the Atmosphere (ULTRA) experiment has been designed to provide quantitative measurements of the backscattered Cherenkov signal associated to the Extensive Air Showers (EAS) at the impact point on the Earth surface. The knowledge of such information will test the possibility to detect the diffused Cherenkov light spot from space within the Ultra high-energy cosmic ray observation. The Cherenkov signal is necessary to give an absolute reference for the track, allowing the measurement of the shower maximum and easing the separation between neutrino and hadronic showers. In this paper we discuss the experimental set-up with detailed information on the detection method; the in situ and laboratory calibrations; the simulation of the expected detector response and finally the preliminary results on the detector performance

Health conditions detected in a comprehensive periodic health evaluation of 558 professional football players

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakken, Arnhild; Targett, Stephen; Bere, Tone; Adamuz, Maria-Carmen; Tol, Johannes L.; Whiteley, Rod; Wilson, Mathew G.; Witvrouw, Erik; Khan, Karim M.; Bahr, Roald

2016-01-01

Despite the widespread use of periodic health evaluation (PHE) to detect and prevent injury and illness in athletes, its effectiveness in detecting health conditions and relevant risk factors is still debated. To assess health conditions detected by a comprehensive PHE in professional male football

The CEA program on boiling noise detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Guillou, G.; Brunet, M.; Girard, J.P.; Flory, D.

1982-01-01

The research program on the application of noise analysis on boiling detection in a fast subassembly began 10 years ago at the CEA, mainly in the Nuclear Center of Cadarache. Referring exclusively to the aspects of premature detection of the boiling phenomenon it can be said that this program is organized around the following three detection techniques: acoustic noise analysis; neutron noise analysis; temperature noise analysis. Its development is in conjunction with in-pile experiments in Phenix or Rapsodie as well as 'ex-pile' (boiling experiments through electric heating). Three detection techniques were developed independent of each other, but that they were regrouped during the execution of the most important experiments and with the 'Super Phenix' project. The noise analysis system ANABEL with which Superphenix will be equipped with shows the industrial interest in detection methods based on noises. One of the results of the CEA program today is the possibility to evaluate the potential capacity for boiling detection in the subassembly. But in order to obtain the necessary funds from the commercial nuclear plant operators it is mandatory to have successful demonstrations which will be the objective of the future program

Design of a Golf Swing Injury Detection and Evaluation open service platform with Ontology-oriented clustering case-based reasoning mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Ku, Hao-Hsiang

2015-01-01

Nowadays, people can easily use a smartphone to get wanted information and requested services. Hence, this study designs and proposes a Golf Swing Injury Detection and Evaluation open service platform with Ontology-oritened clustering case-based reasoning mechanism, which is called GoSIDE, based on Arduino and Open Service Gateway initative (OSGi). GoSIDE is a three-tier architecture, which is composed of Mobile Users, Application Servers and a Cloud-based Digital Convergence Server. A mobile user is with a smartphone and Kinect sensors to detect the user's Golf swing actions and to interact with iDTV. An application server is with Intelligent Golf Swing Posture Analysis Model (iGoSPAM) to check a user's Golf swing actions and to alter this user when he is with error actions. Cloud-based Digital Convergence Server is with Ontology-oriented Clustering Case-based Reasoning (CBR) for Quality of Experiences (OCC4QoE), which is designed to provide QoE services by QoE-based Ontology strategies, rules and events for this user. Furthermore, GoSIDE will automatically trigger OCC4QoE and deliver popular rules for a new user. Experiment results illustrate that GoSIDE can provide appropriate detections for Golfers. Finally, GoSIDE can be a reference model for researchers and engineers.

Three-dimensional glue detection and evaluation based on linear structured light

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Zhitao; Yang, Ruipeng; Geng, Lei; Liu, Yanbei

2018-01-01

During the online glue detection of body in white (BIW), the purpose of traditional glue detection based on machine vision is the localization and segmentation of glue, which is dissatisfactory for estimating the uniformity of glue with complex shape. A three-dimensional glue detection method based on the linear structured light and the movement parameters of robot is proposed. Firstly, the linear structured light and epipolar constraint algorithm are used for sign matching of binocular vision. Then, hand-eye relationship between robot and binocular camera is utilized to unified coordinate system. Finally, a structured light stripe extraction method is proposed to extract the sub-pixel coordinates of the light strip center. Experiments results demonstrate that the propose method can estimate the shape of glue accurately. For three kinds of glue with complex shape and uneven illumination, our method can detect the positions of blemishes. The absolute error of measurement is less than 1.04mm and the relative error is less than 10% respectively, which is suitable for online glue detection in BIW.

Setting standards and detecting intrajudge inconsistency using interdependent evaluation of response alternatives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chang, Lei; van der Linden, Willem J.; Vos, Hendrik J.

2004-01-01

This article introduces a new test-centered standard-setting method as well as a procedure to detect intrajudge inconsistency of the method. The standard-setting method that is based on interdependent evaluations of alternative responses has judges closely evaluate the process that examinees use to

ANOLE Portable Radiation Detection System Field Test and Evaluation Campaign

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hodge, Chris A.

2007-01-01

Handheld, backpack, and mobile sensors are elements of the Global Nuclear Detection System for the interdiction and control of illicit radiological and nuclear materials. They are used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other government agencies and organizations in various roles for border protection, law enforcement, and nonproliferation monitoring. In order to systematically document the operational performance of the common commercial off-the-shelf portable radiation detection systems, the DHS Domestic Nuclear Detection Office conducted a test and evaluation campaign conducted at the Nevada Test Site from January 18 to February 27, 2006. Named 'Anole', it was the first test of its kind in terms of technical design and test complexities. The Anole test results offer users information for selecting appropriate mission-specific portable radiation detection systems. The campaign also offered manufacturers the opportunity to submit their equipment for independent operationally relevant testing to subsequently improve their detector performance. This paper will present the design, execution, and methodologies of the DHS Anole portable radiation detection system test campaign

International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation (IRPhE) Project. IRPhE Handbook - 2015 edition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bess, John D.; Gullifor, Jim

2015-03-01

The purpose of the International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation (IRPhE) Project is to provide an extensively peer-reviewed set of reactor physics-related integral data that can be used by reactor designers and safety analysts to validate the analytical tools used to design next-generation reactors and establish the safety basis for operation of these reactors. This work of the IRPhE Project is formally documented in the 'International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments', a single source of verified and extensively peer-reviewed reactor physics benchmark measurements data. The evaluation process entails the following steps: Identify a comprehensive set of reactor physics experimental measurements data, Evaluate the data and quantify overall uncertainties through various types of sensitivity analysis to the extent possible, verify the data by reviewing original and subsequently revised documentation, and by talking with the experimenters or individuals who are familiar with the experimental facility, Compile the data into a standardized format, Perform calculations of each experiment with standard reactor physics codes where it would add information, Formally document the work into a single source of verified and peer reviewed reactor physics benchmark measurements data. The International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments contains reactor physics benchmark specifications that have been derived from experiments that were performed at nuclear facilities around the world. The benchmark specifications are intended for use by reactor designers, safety analysts and nuclear data evaluators to validate calculation techniques and data. Example calculations are presented; these do not constitute a validation or endorsement of the codes or cross-section data. The 2015 edition of the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments contains data from 143 experimental series that were

The subjective experience of object recognition: comparing metacognition for object detection and object categorization.

Science.gov (United States)

Meuwese, Julia D I; van Loon, Anouk M; Lamme, Victor A F; Fahrenfort, Johannes J

2014-05-01

Perceptual decisions seem to be made automatically and almost instantly. Constructing a unitary subjective conscious experience takes more time. For example, when trying to avoid a collision with a car on a foggy road you brake or steer away in a reflex, before realizing you were in a near accident. This subjective aspect of object recognition has been given little attention. We used metacognition (assessed with confidence ratings) to measure subjective experience during object detection and object categorization for degraded and masked objects, while objective performance was matched. Metacognition was equal for degraded and masked objects, but categorization led to higher metacognition than did detection. This effect turned out to be driven by a difference in metacognition for correct rejection trials, which seemed to be caused by an asymmetry of the distractor stimulus: It does not contain object-related information in the detection task, whereas it does contain such information in the categorization task. Strikingly, this asymmetry selectively impacted metacognitive ability when objective performance was matched. This finding reveals a fundamental difference in how humans reflect versus act on information: When matching the amount of information required to perform two tasks at some objective level of accuracy (acting), metacognitive ability (reflecting) is still better in tasks that rely on positive evidence (categorization) than in tasks that rely more strongly on an absence of evidence (detection).

Evaluation of power history during power burst experiments in TRACY by combination of gamma-ray and thermal neutron detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yanagisawa, Hiroshi; Ohno, Akio

2002-01-01

A combination method using γ-ray and thermal neutron detectors was newly applied to the accurate evaluation of power histories during reactivity-initiated power burst experiments in the Transient Experiment Critical Facility (TRACY). During an initial power burst, the power history was determined using a fast response γ-ray ionization chamber, which was used because of its ability to exactly trace the power history within a short duration of the initial burst. After the initial burst, a micro fission chamber containing highly enriched uranium was used for the determination of the power history because the γ-ray ionization chamber could not be applied due to the contribution of delayed γ-rays from fission products. By the present method, the power histories were evaluated for the experiments in the range of 1.50 to 2.93$ of the reactivity insertion. It was found that the peak power and integrated power as determined by the previous method using only the micro fission chamber were underestimated to be 40% and 30% in maximum, respectively, in comparison with the results from the present evaluation. The numerical simulation performed by using the Monte Carlo method indicated that the underestimation could be comprehended by considering the time delay of thermal neutron detection of the fission chamber, which arose from the flight-time of neutrons from the TRACY core to the fission chamber. (author)

HIGH RESOLUTION RESISTIVITY LEAK DETECTION DATA PROCESSING and EVALUATION MEHTODS and REQUIREMENTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

SCHOFIELD JS

2007-01-01

This document has two purposes: (sm b ullet) Describe how data generated by High Resolution REsistivity (HRR) leak detection (LD) systems deployed during single-shell tank (SST) waste retrieval operations are processed and evaluated. (sm b ullet) Provide the basic review requirements for HRR data when Hrr is deployed as a leak detection method during SST waste retrievals

Evaluation and performance analysis of hydrocarbon detection methods using hyperspectral data

OpenAIRE

Lenz, Andreas; Schilling, Hendrik; Gross, Wolfgang; Middelmann, Wolfgang

2015-01-01

Different methods for the detection for hydrocarbons in aerial hyperspectral images are analyzed in this study. The scope is to find a practical method for airborne oil spill mapping on land. Examined are Hydrocarbon index and Hydrocarbon detection index. As well as spectral reidentification algorithms, like Spectral angle mapper, in comparison to the indices. The influence of different ground coverage and different hydrocarbons was tested and evaluated. A ground measurement campaign was cond...

The Muon-Induced Neutron Indirect-Detection EXperiment. MINIDEX

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palermo, Matteo

2016-06-06

A new experiment to measure muon-induced neutrons is introduced. The design of the Muon-Induced Neutron Indirect Detection EXperiment, MINIDEX, is presented and its installation and commissioning in the Tuebingen Shallow Underground Laboratory are described. Results from its first data taking period, run I, are presented. Muon-induced neutrons are not only an interesting physics topic by itself, but they are also an important source of background in searches for possible new rare phenomena like neutrinoless double beta decay or directly observable interactions of dark matter. These subjects are of great importance to understand the development of the early universe. Therefore, a new generation of ton-scale experiments which require extremely low background levels is under consideration. Reliable Monte Carlo simulations are needed to design such future experiments and estimate their background levels and sensitivities. The background due to muon-induced neutrons is hard to estimate, because of inconsistencies between different experimental results and discrepancies between measurements and Monte Carlo predictions. Especially for neutron production in high-Z materials, more experimental data and related simulation studies are clearly needed. MINIDEX addresses exactly this subject. Already the first five months of data taking provided valuable data on neutron production, propagation and interaction in lead. A first round of comparisons between MINIDEX data and Monte Carlo predictions are presented. In particular, the predictions of two Monte Carlo packages, based on GEANT4, are compared to the data. The data show an overall 70-100% higher rate of muon-induced events than predicted by the Monte Carlo packages. These packages also predict a faster time evolution of the muon-induced signal than observed in the data. Nevertheless, the time until the signal from the muon-induced events is completely collected was correctly predicted by the Monte Carlos. MINIDEX is foreseen

First photon detection in transillumination imaging: A theoretical evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behin-Ain, Setayesh

2003-01-01

This thesis is a theoretical evaluation of the (single) first photon detection (FPD) technique as a limiting case of time-resolved transillumination imaging (TI) for diagnostic purposes. It combines analytic and Monte Carlo (MC) simulation methods to derive the single photon statistics and to solve the radiative transfer equation (RTE) for a given source-medium-detector geometry. In order to efficiently simulate very early arriving photons, an Indeterministic Monte Carlo (IMC) technique based on path integrals is devised and validated. The IMC extends controlled MC techniques to accelerate and enhance the probability of detecting shorter trajectories thereby improving the statistics. The IMC technique provides a tool for the construction of a temporal point spread function (TPSF) of the emerging photons for the entire time scale. It is then used to predict the spatial resolution of these systems for shorter (sub-100 picosecond) time scales. The calculation of the TPSF at short time scales for a pulse made incident onto the medium enables the mathematical derivation of the temporal probability density functions (p.d.f.) for the first arriving photon, f 1 (t). This facilitates the investigation of a first photon detection (FPD) system as applied to a diagnostic TI configuration. A FPD system produces a signal representing f 1 (t) from which the mean transit time of the first arriving photon, t-bar 1 , may then be estimated for a sequence of incident pulses at each scan position. By rectilinear scanning across the medium, a two-dimensional (2-D) map of t-bar 1 can be created and displayed as a gray scale image. The application of FPD to TI is evaluated assuming an ideal detector capable of detecting the first arriving photon with 100% efficiency (infinite extinction coefficient). However, a model for a FPD system corresponding to a nonideal (single first photon) detector is also considered through the evaluation of the p.d.f. for the later (first, second,...) arriving

Evaluating Psychometric Characteristics of Detection Protocol of Malingering Stuttering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arsia Thaghva

2017-07-01

Conclusion According to the results, the detection protocol of malingering stuttering is of good internal consistency and concurrent validity. However, considering that the sample population was not large in the present study, it can be said that this study is a preliminary evaluation to find the psychometric features of the instruments, with the aim of laying the groundwork for further studies.

How to evaluate PCR assays for the detection of low-level DNA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Banch-Clausen, Frederik; Urhammer, Emil; Rieneck, Klaus

2015-01-01

distribution describing parameters for singleplex real-time PCR-based detection of low-level DNA. The model was tested against experimental data of diluted cell-free foetal DNA. Also, the model was compared with a simplified formula to enable easy predictions. The model predicted outcomes that were...... not significantly different from experimental data generated by testing of cell-free foetal DNA. Also, the simplified formula was applicable for fast and accurate assay evaluation. In conclusion, the model can be applied for evaluation of sensitivity of real-time PCR-based detection of low-level DNA, and may also......High sensitivity of PCR-based detection of very low copy number DNA targets is crucial. Much focus has been on design of PCR primers and optimization of the amplification conditions. Very important are also the criteria used for determining the outcome of a PCR assay, e.g. how many replicates...

A PVC/polypyrrole sensor designed for beef taste detection using electrochemical methods and sensory evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Lingtao; Wang, Xiaodan; Han, Yunxiu; Cai, Yingming; Jin, Jiahui; Wang, Hongmei; Xu, Liping; Wu, Ruijia

2018-03-01

An electrochemical sensor for detection of beef taste was designed in this study. This sensor was based on the structure of polyvinyl chloride/polypyrrole (PVC/PPy), which was polymerized onto the surface of a platinum (Pt) electrode to form a Pt-PPy-PVC film. Detecting by electrochemical methods, the sensor was well characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The sensor was applied to detect 10 rib-eye beef samples and the accuracy of the new sensor was validated by sensory evaluation and ion sensor detection. Several cluster analysis methods were used in the study to distinguish the beef samples. According to the obtained results, the designed sensor showed a high degree of association of electrochemical detection and sensory evaluation, which proved a fast and precise sensor for beef taste detection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of computer-aided detection and dual energy software in detection of peripheral pulmonary embolism on dual-energy pulmonary CT angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Choong Wook; Seo, Joon Beom; Song, Jae-Woo; Kim, Mi-Young; Lee, Ha Young; Park, Yang Shin; Chae, Eun Jin; Jang, Yu Mi; Kim, Namkug; Krauss, Bernard

2011-01-01

To evaluate the sensitivity of computer-aided detection(CAD) and dual-energy software('Lung PBV', 'Lung Vessels') for detecting peripheral pulmonary embolism(PE). Between Jan-2007 and Jan-2008, 309 patients underwent dual-energy CT angiography(DECTA) for the evaluation of suspected PE. Among them, 37 patients were retrospectively selected; 21 with PE at segmental-or-below levels and 16 without PE according to clinical reports. A standard computer assisted detection (CAD) package and two new types of software('Lung PBV', 'Lung Vessels') were applied on a dedicated workstation. This resulted in four alternative tests for detecting PE: DECTA alone and DECTA with CAD, 'Lung Vessels' and 'Lung PBV'. Two radiologists independently read all cases at different reading sessions. Two thoracic radiologists set the reference standard by combining all information from DECTA and software. The sensitivity of detection for all, segmental and subsegmental-or-below PE were assessed. The reference standard contained 136 PE(segmental 65, subsegmental-or-below 71). With DECTA alone, the sensitivity of detection for all, segmental and subsegmental-or-below pulmonary arteries was 54.5%/73.7%/34.4%; DECTA with CAD, 57.8%/76.8%/37.9%; DECTA with 'Lung PBV', 61.1%/79.9%/41.4%; DECTA with 'Lung Vessels', 64.0%/78.3%/48.5% respectively. The use of CAD, Lung Vessels and Lung PBV shows improved capability to detect peripheral PE. (orig.)

What is the probability that direct detection experiments have observed dark matter?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bozorgnia, Nassim; Schwetz, Thomas

2014-01-01

In Dark Matter direct detection we are facing the situation of some experiments reporting positive signals which are in conflict with limits from other experiments. Such conclusions are subject to large uncertainties introduced by the poorly known local Dark Matter distribution. We present a method to calculate an upper bound on the joint probability of obtaining the outcome of two potentially conflicting experiments under the assumption that the Dark Matter hypothesis is correct, but completely independent of assumptions about the Dark Matter distribution. In this way we can quantify the compatibility of two experiments in an astrophysics independent way. We illustrate our method by testing the compatibility of the hints reported by DAMA and CDMS-Si with the limits from the LUX and SuperCDMS experiments. The method does not require Monte Carlo simulations but is mostly based on using Poisson statistics. In order to deal with signals of few events we introduce the so-called ''signal length'' to take into account energy information. The signal length method provides a simple way to calculate the probability to obtain a given experimental outcome under a specified Dark Matter and background hypothesis

Immunity-based detection, identification, and evaluation of aircraft sub-system failures

Science.gov (United States)

Moncayo, Hever Y.

This thesis describes the design, development, and flight-simulation testing of an integrated Artificial Immune System (AIS) for detection, identification, and evaluation of a wide variety of sensor, actuator, propulsion, and structural failures/damages including the prediction of the achievable states and other limitations on performance and handling qualities. The AIS scheme achieves high detection rate and low number of false alarms for all the failure categories considered. Data collected using a motion-based flight simulator are used to define the self for an extended sub-region of the flight envelope. The NASA IFCS F-15 research aircraft model is used and represents a supersonic fighter which include model following adaptive control laws based on non-linear dynamic inversion and artificial neural network augmentation. The flight simulation tests are designed to analyze and demonstrate the performance of the immunity-based aircraft failure detection, identification and evaluation (FDIE) scheme. A general robustness analysis is also presented by determining the achievable limits for a desired performance in the presence of atmospheric perturbations. For the purpose of this work, the integrated AIS scheme is implemented based on three main components. The first component performs the detection when one of the considered failures is present in the system. The second component consists in the identification of the failure category and the classification according to the failed element. During the third phase a general evaluation of the failure is performed with the estimation of the magnitude/severity of the failure and the prediction of its effect on reducing the flight envelope of the aircraft system. Solutions and alternatives to specific design issues of the AIS scheme, such as data clustering and empty space optimization, data fusion and duplication removal, definition of features, dimensionality reduction, and selection of cluster/detector shape are also

Improving Polyp Detection Algorithms for CT Colonography: Pareto Front Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Adam; Li, Jiang; Summers, Ronald M; Petrick, Nicholas; Hara, Amy K

2010-03-21

We investigated a Pareto front approach to improving polyp detection algorithms for CT colonography (CTC). A dataset of 56 CTC colon surfaces with 87 proven positive detections of 53 polyps sized 4 to 60 mm was used to evaluate the performance of a one-step and a two-step curvature-based region growing algorithm. The algorithmic performance was statistically evaluated and compared based on the Pareto optimal solutions from 20 experiments by evolutionary algorithms. The false positive rate was lower (pPareto optimization process can effectively help in fine-tuning and redesigning polyp detection algorithms.

Comparative evaluation of community detection algorithms: a topological approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orman, Günce Keziban; Labatut, Vincent; Cherifi, Hocine

2012-01-01

Community detection is one of the most active fields in complex network analysis, due to its potential value in practical applications. Many works inspired by different paradigms are devoted to the development of algorithmic solutions allowing the network structure in such cohesive subgroups to be revealed. Comparative studies reported in the literature usually rely on a performance measure considering the community structure as a partition (Rand index, normalized mutual information, etc). However, this type of comparison neglects the topological properties of the communities. In this paper, we present a comprehensive comparative study of a representative set of community detection methods, in which we adopt both types of evaluation. Community-oriented topological measures are used to qualify the communities and evaluate their deviation from the reference structure. In order to mimic real-world systems, we use artificially generated realistic networks. It turns out there is no equivalence between the two approaches: a high performance does not necessarily correspond to correct topological properties, and vice versa. They can therefore be considered as complementary, and we recommend applying both of them in order to perform a complete and accurate assessment. (paper)

Evaluation of the user experience of "astronaut training device": an immersive, vr-based, motion-training system

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Kang; Wang, Danli; Yang, Xinpan; Hu, Haichen; Liu, Yuqing; Zhu, Xiuqing

2016-10-01

To date, as the different application fields, most VR-based training systems have been different. Therefore, we should take the characteristics of application field into consideration and adopt different evaluation methods when evaluate the user experience of these training systems. In this paper, we propose a method to evaluate the user experience of virtual astronauts training system. Also, we design an experiment based on the proposed method. The proposed method takes learning performance as one of the evaluation dimensions, also combines with other evaluation dimensions such as: presence, immersion, pleasure, satisfaction and fatigue to evaluation user experience of the System. We collect subjective and objective data, the subjective data are mainly from questionnaire designed based on the evaluation dimensions and user interview conducted before and after the experiment. While the objective data are consisted of Electrocardiogram (ECG), reaction time, numbers of reaction error and the video data recorded during the experiment. For the analysis of data, we calculate the integrated score of each evaluation dimension by using factor analysis. In order to improve the credibility of the assessment, we use the ECG signal and reaction test data before and after experiment to validate the changes of fatigue during the experiment, and the typical behavioral features extracted from the experiment video to explain the result of subjective questionnaire. Experimental results show that the System has a better user experience and learning performance, but slight visual fatigue exists after experiment.

A study of malware detection on smart mobile devices

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Wei; Zhang, Hanlin; Xu, Guobin

2013-05-01

The growing in use of smart mobile devices for everyday applications has stimulated the spread of mobile malware, especially on popular mobile platforms. As a consequence, malware detection becomes ever more critical in sustaining the mobile market and providing a better user experience. In this paper, we review the existing malware and detection schemes. Using real-world malware samples with known signatures, we evaluate four popular commercial anti-virus tools and our data shows that these tools can achieve high detection accuracy. To deal with the new malware with unknown signatures, we study the anomaly based detection using decision tree algorithm. We evaluate the effectiveness of our detection scheme using malware and legitimate software samples. Our data shows that the detection scheme using decision tree can achieve a detection rate up to 90% and a false positive rate as low as 10%.

Evaluation of Criteria for the Detection of Fires in Underground Conveyor Belt Haulageways.

Science.gov (United States)

Litton, Charles D; Perera, Inoka Eranda

2012-07-01

Large-scale experiments were conducted in an above-ground gallery to simulate typical fires that develop along conveyor belt transport systems within underground coal mines. In the experiments, electrical strip heaters, imbedded ~5 cm below the top surface of a large mass of coal rubble, were used to ignite the coal, producing an open flame. The flaming coal mass subsequently ignited 1.83-meter-wide conveyor belts located approximately 0.30 m above the coal surface. Gas samples were drawn through an averaging probe located approximately 20 m downstream of the coal for continuous measurement of CO, CO 2 , and O 2 as the fire progressed through the stages of smoldering coal, flaming coal, and flaming conveyor belt. Also located approximately 20 m from the fire origin and approximately 0.5 m below the roof of the gallery were two commercially available smoke detectors, a light obscuration meter, and a sampling probe for measurement of total mass concentration of smoke particles. Located upstream of the fire origin and also along the wall of the gallery at approximately 14 m and 5 m upstream were two video cameras capable of both smoke and flame detection. During the experiments, alarm times of the smoke detectors and video cameras were measured while the smoke obscuration and total smoke mass were continually measured. Twelve large-scale experiments were conducted using three different types of fire-resistant conveyor belts and four air velocities for each belt. The air velocities spanned the range from 1.0 m/s to 6.9 m/s. The results of these experiments are compared to previous large-scale results obtained using a smaller fire gallery and much narrower (1.07-m) conveyor belts to determine if the fire detection criteria previously developed (1) remained valid for the wider conveyor belts. Although some differences between these and the previous experiments did occur, the results, in general, compare very favorably. Differences are duly noted and their impact on fire

Transfer Rate Edited experiment for the selective detection of Chemical Exchange via Saturation Transfer (TRE-CEST).

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, Joshua I; Xia, Ding; Regatte, Ravinder R; Jerschow, Alexej

2015-07-01

Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) magnetic resonance experiments have become valuable tools in magnetic resonance for the detection of low concentration solutes with far greater sensitivity than direct detection methods. Accurate measures of rates of chemical exchange provided by CEST are of particular interest to biomedical imaging communities where variations in chemical exchange can be related to subtle variations in biomarker concentration, temperature and pH within tissues using MRI. Despite their name, however, traditional CEST methods are not truly selective for chemical exchange and instead detect all forms of magnetization transfer including through-space NOE. This ambiguity crowds CEST spectra and greatly complicates subsequent data analysis. We have developed a Transfer Rate Edited CEST experiment (TRE-CEST) that uses two different types of solute labeling in order to selectively amplify signals of rapidly exchanging proton species while simultaneously suppressing 'slower' NOE-dominated magnetization transfer processes. This approach is demonstrated in the context of both NMR and MRI, where it is used to detect the labile amide protons of proteins undergoing chemical exchange (at rates⩾30s(-1)) while simultaneously eliminating signals originating from slower (∼5s(-1)) NOE-mediated magnetization transfer processes. TRE-CEST greatly expands the utility of CEST experiments in complex systems, and in-vivo, in particular, where it is expected to improve the quantification of chemical exchange and magnetization transfer rates while enabling new forms of imaging contrast. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transfer Rate Edited experiment for the selective detection of Chemical Exchange via Saturation Transfer (TRE-CEST)

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, Joshua I.; Xia, Ding; Regatte, Ravinder R.; Jerschow, Alexej

2015-07-01

Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) magnetic resonance experiments have become valuable tools in magnetic resonance for the detection of low concentration solutes with far greater sensitivity than direct detection methods. Accurate measures of rates of chemical exchange provided by CEST are of particular interest to biomedical imaging communities where variations in chemical exchange can be related to subtle variations in biomarker concentration, temperature and pH within tissues using MRI. Despite their name, however, traditional CEST methods are not truly selective for chemical exchange and instead detect all forms of magnetization transfer including through-space NOE. This ambiguity crowds CEST spectra and greatly complicates subsequent data analysis. We have developed a Transfer Rate Edited CEST experiment (TRE-CEST) that uses two different types of solute labeling in order to selectively amplify signals of rapidly exchanging proton species while simultaneously suppressing 'slower' NOE-dominated magnetization transfer processes. This approach is demonstrated in the context of both NMR and MRI, where it is used to detect the labile amide protons of proteins undergoing chemical exchange (at rates ⩾ 30 s-1) while simultaneously eliminating signals originating from slower (∼5 s-1) NOE-mediated magnetization transfer processes. TRE-CEST greatly expands the utility of CEST experiments in complex systems, and in-vivo, in particular, where it is expected to improve the quantification of chemical exchange and magnetization transfer rates while enabling new forms of imaging contrast.

Evaluation of video detection systems, volume 1 : effects of configuration changes in the performance of video detection systems.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-10-01

The effects of modifying the configuration of three video detection (VD) systems (Iteris, Autoscope, and Peek) : are evaluated in daytime and nighttime conditions. Four types of errors were used: false, missed, stuck-on, and : dropped calls. The thre...

Important first encounter: Service user experience of pathways to care and early detection in first-episode psychosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jansen, Jens Einar; Pedersen, Marlene Buch; Hastrup, Lene Halling; Haahr, Ulrik Helt; Simonsen, Erik

2018-04-01

Long duration of untreated psychosis is associated with poor clinical and functional outcomes. However, few systematic attempts have been made to reduce this delay and little is known of service users' experience of early detection efforts. We explored service users' experience of an early detection service and transition to specialized treatment service, including pathway to care, understanding of illness and barriers to adequate assessment and treatment. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 service users (median age 21, range 18-27, five males and five females) who were diagnosed with a first-episode non-affective psychosis and who were seen by an early detection team (TOP) and currently enrolled in a specialized early intervention service for this disorder (OPUS). Stigma and fear of the 'psychiatric system' were reported as significant barriers to help seeking, while family members were seen as a crucial support. Moreover, the impact of traumatic events on the experience and development of psychosis was highlighted. Finally, participants were relieved by the prospect of receiving help and the early detection team seemed to create a trusting relationship by offering a friendly, 'anti-stigmatized' space, where long-term symptomatology could be disclosed through accurate and validating questioning. Early detection services have two important functions. One is to make accurate assessments and referrals. The other is to instil hope and trust, and to facilitate further treatment by forming an early therapeutic alliance. The findings in this study provide important insights into the way in which early detection efforts and pathways to care are experienced by service users, with direct implications for improving psychiatric services. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

An Overview of the International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Briggs, J. Blair; Gulliford, Jim

2014-01-01

Interest in high-quality integral benchmark data is increasing as efforts to quantify and reduce calculational uncertainties associated with advanced modeling and simulation accelerate to meet the demands of next generation reactor and advanced fuel cycle concepts. Two Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) activities, the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP), initiated in 1992, and the International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation Project (IRPhEP), initiated in 2003, have been identifying existing integral experiment data, evaluating those data, and providing integral benchmark specifications for methods and data validation for nearly two decades. Data provided by those two projects will be of use to the international reactor physics, criticality safety, and nuclear data communities for future decades. An overview of the IRPhEP and a brief update of the ICSBEP are provided in this paper.

Evaluation of Crack and Corrosion Detection Sensitivity Using Piezoelectric Sensor Arrays (Preprint)

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Blackshire, James L; Martin, Steve; Cooney, Adam

2006-01-01

.... In this research effort, a systematic evaluation of the detection sensitivity levels of surface-bonded piezoelectric sensor arrays has been undertaken using experimental studies and analytic modeling...

Evaluation of two real-time multiplex PCR screening assays detecting fetal RHD in plasma from RhD negative women to ascertain the requirement for antenatal RhD prophylaxis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clausen, Frederik Banch; Krog, Grethe Risum; Rieneck, Klaus

2011-01-01

and 5. We used the same fluorescent dye for the exon 7 and 10 probes to increase sensitivity; exon 5 was VIC labeled. We evaluated possible inhibition of DNA amplification with dilution experiments. We then tested the two multiplex assays with DNA extracted from 97 plasma samples from 38 RhD negative......OBJECTIVE: To evaluate two different multiplex real-time PCR assays detecting fetal RHD for screening of RhD negative women in relation to antenatal RhD prophylaxis. METHODS: We designed a duplex assay for the detection of RHD exon 7 and 10 and a triplex assay for the detection of RHD exon 7, 10...... assay (exon 7/10), accuracy was 94.2%. Detection of exon 5 was less reliable. CONCLUSION: The duplex assay using exon 7/10 was the most reliable for prenatal prediction of fetal RhD type as a candidate assay for screening of RhD negative women in relation to antenatal RhD prophylaxis. The triplex assay...

The Design and Evaluation of Teaching Experiments in Computer Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Forcheri, Paola; Molfino, Maria Teresa

1992-01-01

Describes a relational model that was developed to provide a framework for the design and evaluation of teaching experiments for the introduction of computer science in secondary schools in Italy. Teacher training is discussed, instructional materials are considered, and use of the model for the evaluation process is described. (eight references)…

Standardized evaluation framework for evaluating coronary artery stenosis detection, stenosis quantification and lumen segmentation algorithms in computed tomography angiography.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirişli, H A; Schaap, M; Metz, C T; Dharampal, A S; Meijboom, W B; Papadopoulou, S L; Dedic, A; Nieman, K; de Graaf, M A; Meijs, M F L; Cramer, M J; Broersen, A; Cetin, S; Eslami, A; Flórez-Valencia, L; Lor, K L; Matuszewski, B; Melki, I; Mohr, B; Oksüz, I; Shahzad, R; Wang, C; Kitslaar, P H; Unal, G; Katouzian, A; Örkisz, M; Chen, C M; Precioso, F; Najman, L; Masood, S; Ünay, D; van Vliet, L; Moreno, R; Goldenberg, R; Vuçini, E; Krestin, G P; Niessen, W J; van Walsum, T

2013-12-01

Though conventional coronary angiography (CCA) has been the standard of reference for diagnosing coronary artery disease in the past decades, computed tomography angiography (CTA) has rapidly emerged, and is nowadays widely used in clinical practice. Here, we introduce a standardized evaluation framework to reliably evaluate and compare the performance of the algorithms devised to detect and quantify the coronary artery stenoses, and to segment the coronary artery lumen in CTA data. The objective of this evaluation framework is to demonstrate the feasibility of dedicated algorithms to: (1) (semi-)automatically detect and quantify stenosis on CTA, in comparison with quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and CTA consensus reading, and (2) (semi-)automatically segment the coronary lumen on CTA, in comparison with expert's manual annotation. A database consisting of 48 multicenter multivendor cardiac CTA datasets with corresponding reference standards are described and made available. The algorithms from 11 research groups were quantitatively evaluated and compared. The results show that (1) some of the current stenosis detection/quantification algorithms may be used for triage or as a second-reader in clinical practice, and that (2) automatic lumen segmentation is possible with a precision similar to that obtained by experts. The framework is open for new submissions through the website, at http://coronary.bigr.nl/stenoses/. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of ultrasound techniques for brain injury detection

Science.gov (United States)

Mobley, Joel; Kasili, Paul M.; Norton, Stephen J.; Vo-Dinh, Tuan

1998-05-01

In this work, we examine the physics underlying wave propagation in the head to evaluate various ultrasonic transducers for use in a brian injury detection device. The results of measurements of the attenuation coefficient and phase velocity for ultrasonic propagation in samples of brain tissue and skull bone from sheep are presented. The material properties are then used to investigate the propagation of ultrasonic pressure fields in the head. The ultrasound fields for three different transducers are calculated for propagation in a simulated brain/skull model. The model is constructed using speed-of-sound and mass density values of the two tissue types. The impact of the attenuation on the ultrasound fields is then examined. Finally, the relevant points drawn from these discussions are summarized. We hope to minimize the confounding effects of the skull by using sub-MHz ultrasound while maintaining the necessary temporal and spatial resolution to successfully detect injury in the brain.

Amaro-autonomous real-time detection of moving maritime objects: introducing a flight experiment for an on-board ship detection system

Science.gov (United States)

Schwenk, Kurt; Willburger, Katharina; Pless, Sebastian

2017-10-01

Motivated by politics and economy, the monitoring of the world wide ship traffic is a field of high topicality. To detect illegal activities like piracy, illegal fishery, ocean dumping and refugee transportation is of great value. The analysis of satellite images on the ground delivers a great contribution to situation awareness. However, for many applications the up-to-dateness of the data is crucial. With ground based processing, the time between image acquisition and delivery of the data to the end user is in the range of several hours. The highest influence to the duration of ground based processing is the delay caused by the transmission of the large amount of image data from the satellite to the processing centre on the ground. One expensive solution to this issue is the usage of data relay satellites systems like EDRS. Another approach is to analyse the image data directly on-board of the satellite. Since the product data (e.g. ship position, heading, velocity, characteristics) is very small compared to the input image data, real-time connections provided by satellite telecommunication services like Iridium or Orbcomm can be used to send small packets of information directly to the end user without significant delay. The AMARO (Autonomous real-time detection of moving maritime objects) project at DLR is a feasibility study of an on-board ship detection system involving a real-time low bandwidth communication. The operation of a prototype on-board ship detection system will be demonstrated on an airborne platform. In this article, the scope, aim and design of a flight experiment for an on-board ship detection system scheduled for mid of 2018 is presented. First, the scope and the constraints of the experiment are explained in detail. The main goal is to demonstrate the operability of an automatic ship detection system on board of an airplane. For data acquisition the optical high resolution DLR MACS-MARE camera (VIS/NIR) is used. The system will be able to

New contact boiling experiments to evaluate Calandria tube strain acceptance criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Hawary, M.; Szymanski, J.; Tanase, A.; Delja, A.; Oussoren, A., E-mail: Magdy.El-Hawary@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca [Canadian Nuclear Safety Comission, Ottawa, ON (Canada); Neal, P. [Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, ON (Canada)

2015-07-01

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission(CNSC) has contracted the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories(CNL) to conduct additional Contact Boiling (CB) experiments with the main objective of evaluating the acceptance criterion of CalandriaTube (CT) strain limit of 2%, proposed by the industry for fuel channel integrity assessments. The test conditions are selected using analytical tools and guidance from existing CANDU Owners Group (COG) test results, so as to lead to CT strain close to this value. The experiments will also be used to evaluate the CT quench temperature correlation proposed. This paper presents conditions selected for the first three experiments, their most important results and their preliminary analysis, with a focus on the test which produced CT strain in excess of 2%. (author)

Sky Detection in Hazy Image.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Yingchao; Luo, Haibo; Ma, Junkai; Hui, Bin; Chang, Zheng

2018-04-01

Sky detection plays an essential role in various computer vision applications. Most existing sky detection approaches, being trained on ideal dataset, may lose efficacy when facing unfavorable conditions like the effects of weather and lighting conditions. In this paper, a novel algorithm for sky detection in hazy images is proposed from the perspective of probing the density of haze. We address the problem by an image segmentation and a region-level classification. To characterize the sky of hazy scenes, we unprecedentedly introduce several haze-relevant features that reflect the perceptual hazy density and the scene depth. Based on these features, the sky is separated by two imbalance SVM classifiers and a similarity measurement. Moreover, a sky dataset (named HazySky) with 500 annotated hazy images is built for model training and performance evaluation. To evaluate the performance of our method, we conducted extensive experiments both on our HazySky dataset and the SkyFinder dataset. The results demonstrate that our method performs better on the detection accuracy than previous methods, not only under hazy scenes, but also under other weather conditions.

Design and evaluation of the ReKon : an integrated detection and assessment perimeter system.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dabling, Jeffrey Glenn; Andersen, Jason Jann; McLaughlin, James O. [Stonewater Control Systems, Inc., Kannapolis, NC

2013-02-01

Kontek Industries (Kannapolis, NC) and their subsidiary, Stonewater Control Systems (Kannapolis, NC), have entered into a cooperative research and development agreement with Sandia to jointly develop and evaluate an integrated perimeter security system solution, one that couples access delay with detection and assessment. This novel perimeter solution was designed to be configurable for use at facilities ranging from high-security military sites to commercial power plants, to petro/chemical facilities of various kinds. A prototype section of the perimeter has been produced and installed at the Sandia Test and Evaluation Center in Albuquerque, NM. This prototype system integrated fiber optic break sensors, active infrared sensors, fence disturbance sensors, video motion detection, and ground sensors. This report documents the design, testing, and performance evaluation of the developed ReKon system. The ability of the system to properly detect pedestrian or vehicle attempts to bypass, breach, or otherwise defeat the system is characterized, as well as the Nuisance Alarm Rate.

[Wavelength Selection in Hemolytic Evaluation Systems with Spectrophotometry Detection].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hong; Su, Baochang; Ye, Xunda; Luo, Man

2016-04-01

Spectrophotometry is a simple hemolytic evaluation method commonly used in new drugs,biomedical materials and blood products.It is for the quantitative analysis of the characteristic absorption peaks of hemoglobin.Therefore,it is essential to select the correct detection wavelength when the evaluation system has influences on the conformation of hemoglobin.Based on the study of changes in the characteristic peaks over time of the hemolysis supernatant in four systems,namely,cell culture medium,phosphate buffered saline(PBS),physiological saline and banked blood preservation solution,using continuous wavelength scanning,the selections of detection wavelength were proposed as follows.In the cell culture medium system,the wavelength of 415 nm should be selected within 4h;,near 408 nm should be selected within 4~72h.In PBS system,within 4h,541 nm,577nm or 415 nm should be selected;4~72h,541 nm,577nm or near 406 nm should be selected.In physiological saline system,within 4h,414 nm should be selected;4~72h,near 405 nm should be selected;within 12 h,541nm or 577 nm could also be selected.In banked blood preservation solution system,within 72 h,415nm,540 nm or 576 nm should be selected.

Role of ultrasound in detection of ectopic pregnancy: our experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moshin, H.; Khan, M.N.; Jadun, C.K.; Tanveer-ul-Jaq

2001-01-01

Objective: To determine the efficacy of ultrasound in detection of ectopic pregnancy. Design: It was an observational and prospective study. The study was conducted from January, 2000 in the Radiology Department of the Agha Khan University Hospital, Karachi. Subjects and Methods: Four hundred patients were referred for sonography with a query of ectopic pregnancy. Most of the patients had clinical symptoms of vaginal bleeding and lower abdominal pain with history of missed periods. For the evaluation biphasic ultrasound was performed that included suprapubic and trans vaginal ultrasound. After analyzing internal architecture prospective sonographic diagnosis was made. Results: The most common site of ectopic pregnancy was fallopian tubes. Positive diagnosis was made in 96.3% cases and negative diagnosis in 4.7% cases in our study. Conclusion: Efficacy of ultrasound was found to be 96.4% in the detection of ectopic pregnancy and hence plays a very important role in early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. (author)

Using satellite imagery to evaluate land-based camouflage assets

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Baumbach, J

2006-02-01

Full Text Available to Evaluate Land-based Camouflage Assets J BAUMBACH, M LUBBE CSIR Defence, Peace, Safety and security, PO Box 395, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa Email: jbaumbac@csir.co.za ABSTRACT A camouflage field trial experiment was conducted. For the experiment... analysis, change detection, un-supervised classification, supervised classification and object based classification. RESULTS The following table shows a summary of the different targets, and whether it was detected ( ) or not detected (x), using...

Detecting small gravity change in field measurement: simulations and experiments of the superconducting gravimeter—iGrav

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kao, Ricky; Kabirzadeh, Hojjat; Kim, Jeong Woo; Neumeyer, Juergen; Sideris, Michael G

2014-01-01

In order to detect small gravity changes in field measurements, such as with CO 2  storage, we designed simulations and experiments to validate the capabilities of the iGrav superconducting gravimeter. Qualified data processing was important to obtain the residual gravity from the iGrav's raw gravity signals, without the tidal components, atmosphere, polar motion and hydrological effects. Two simulations and four designed experiments are presented in this study. The first simulation detected the gravity change during CO 2  injection. The residual gravity of CO 2  leakage was targeted with the second simulation from the main storage reservoir to secondary space underground. The designed experiments monitored the situation of gravity anomalies in the iGrav's records. These tests focused on short-term gravity anomalies, such as gravity changes, step functions, repeat observations and gradient measurements from the iGrav, rather than on long-term tidal effects. The four laboratory experiments detected a decrease in gravity of −0.56 ± 0.15 µGal (10 −8  m s −2 ) with a 92.8 kg weight on the top of the iGrav. A step function occurred in the gravity signals, when the tilt control was out of balance. We also used a professional camera dolly with a track to observe repeated horizontal movements and an electric lift table for controlled vertical movements to measure the average gradient of −2.67 ± 0.01 µGal cm −1 . (paper)

Reactive case detection for malaria elimination: real-life experience from an ongoing program in Swaziland.

Science.gov (United States)

Sturrock, Hugh J W; Novotny, Joe M; Kunene, Simon; Dlamini, Sabelo; Zulu, Zulisile; Cohen, Justin M; Hsiang, Michelle S; Greenhouse, Bryan; Gosling, Roly D

2013-01-01

As countries move towards malaria elimination, methods to identify infections among populations who do not seek treatment are required. Reactive case detection, whereby individuals living in close proximity to passively detected cases are screened and treated, is one approach being used by a number of countries including Swaziland. An outstanding issue is establishing the epidemiologically and operationally optimal screening radius around each passively detected index case. Using data collected between December 2009 and June 2012 from reactive case detection (RACD) activities in Swaziland, we evaluated the effect of screening radius and other risk factors on the probability of detecting cases by reactive case detection. Using satellite imagery, we also evaluated the household coverage achieved during reactive case detection. Over the study period, 250 cases triggered RACD, which identified a further 74 cases, showing the value of RACD over passive surveillance alone. Results suggest that the odds of detecting a case within the household of the index case were significantly higher than in neighbouring households (odds ratio (OR) 13, 95% CI 3.1-54.4). Furthermore, cases were more likely to be detected when RACD was conducted within a week of the index presenting at a health facility (OR 8.7, 95% CI 1.1-66.4) and if the index household had not been sprayed with insecticide (OR sprayed vs not sprayed 0.11, 95% CI 0.03-0.46). The large number of households missed during RACD indicates that a 1 km screening radius may be impractical in such resource limited settings such as Swaziland. Future RACD in Swaziland could be made more effective by achieving high coverage amongst individuals located near to index cases and in areas where spraying has not been conducted. As well as allowing the programme to implement RACD more rapidly, this would help to more precisely define the optimal screening radius.

Evaluation Methods for Assessing Users' Psychological Experiences of Web-Based Psychosocial Interventions: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Feather, Jacqueline Susan; Howson, Moira; Ritchie, Linda; Carter, Philip D; Parry, David Tudor; Koziol-McLain, Jane

2016-06-30

The use of Web-based interventions to deliver mental health and behavior change programs is increasingly popular. They are cost-effective, accessible, and generally effective. Often these interventions concern psychologically sensitive and challenging issues, such as depression or anxiety. The process by which a person receives and experiences therapy is important to understanding therapeutic process and outcomes. While the experience of the patient or client in traditional face-to-face therapy has been evaluated in a number of ways, there appeared to be a gap in the evaluation of patient experiences of therapeutic interventions delivered online. Evaluation of Web-based artifacts has focused either on evaluation of experience from a computer Web-design perspective through usability testing or on evaluation of treatment effectiveness. Neither of these methods focuses on the psychological experience of the person while engaged in the therapeutic process. This study aimed to investigate what methods, if any, have been used to evaluate the in situ psychological experience of users of Web-based self-help psychosocial interventions. A systematic literature review was undertaken of interdisciplinary databases with a focus on health and computer sciences. Studies that met a predetermined search protocol were included. Among 21 studies identified that examined psychological experience of the user, only 1 study collected user experience in situ. The most common method of understanding users' experience was through semistructured interviews conducted posttreatment or questionnaires administrated at the end of an intervention session. The questionnaires were usually based on standardized tools used to assess user experience with traditional face-to-face treatment. There is a lack of methods specified in the literature to evaluate the interface between Web-based mental health or behavior change artifacts and users. Main limitations in the research were the nascency of the topic

Evaluation Methods for Assessing Users’ Psychological Experiences of Web-Based Psychosocial Interventions: A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Howson, Moira; Ritchie, Linda; Carter, Philip D; Parry, David Tudor; Koziol-McLain, Jane

2016-01-01

Background The use of Web-based interventions to deliver mental health and behavior change programs is increasingly popular. They are cost-effective, accessible, and generally effective. Often these interventions concern psychologically sensitive and challenging issues, such as depression or anxiety. The process by which a person receives and experiences therapy is important to understanding therapeutic process and outcomes. While the experience of the patient or client in traditional face-to-face therapy has been evaluated in a number of ways, there appeared to be a gap in the evaluation of patient experiences of therapeutic interventions delivered online. Evaluation of Web-based artifacts has focused either on evaluation of experience from a computer Web-design perspective through usability testing or on evaluation of treatment effectiveness. Neither of these methods focuses on the psychological experience of the person while engaged in the therapeutic process. Objective This study aimed to investigate what methods, if any, have been used to evaluate the in situ psychological experience of users of Web-based self-help psychosocial interventions. Methods A systematic literature review was undertaken of interdisciplinary databases with a focus on health and computer sciences. Studies that met a predetermined search protocol were included. Results Among 21 studies identified that examined psychological experience of the user, only 1 study collected user experience in situ. The most common method of understanding users’ experience was through semistructured interviews conducted posttreatment or questionnaires administrated at the end of an intervention session. The questionnaires were usually based on standardized tools used to assess user experience with traditional face-to-face treatment. Conclusions There is a lack of methods specified in the literature to evaluate the interface between Web-based mental health or behavior change artifacts and users. Main

Evaluating design alternatives using conjoint experiments in virual reality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dijkstra, J.; Leeuwen, van J.P.; Timmermans, H.J.P.

2003-01-01

In this paper the authors describe the design of an experiment based on conjoint measurement that explores the possibility of using the Internet to evaluate design alternatives. These design alternatives are presented as panoramic views, and preferences are measured by asking subjects which

Role of multidetector computed tomography in evaluating incidentally detected breast lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Moschetta, Marco; Scardapane, Arnaldo; Lorusso, Valentina; Rella, Leonarda; Telegrafo, Michele; Serio, Gabriella; Angelelli, Giuseppe; Ianora, Amato Antonio Stabile

2015-01-01

Computed tomography (CT) does not represent the primary method for the evaluation of breast lesions; however, it can detect breast abnormalities, even when performed for other reasons related to thoracic structures. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential benefits of 320-row multidetector CT (MDCT) in evaluating and differentiating incidentally detected breast lesions by using vessel probe and 3D analysis software with net enhancement value. Sixty-two breast lesions in 46 patients who underwent 320-row chest CT examination were retrospectively evaluated. CT scans were assessed searching for the presence, location, number, morphological features, and density of breast nodules. Net enhancement was calculated by subtracting precontrast density from the density obtained by postcontrast values. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy of CT were calculated for morphological features and net enhancement. Thirty of 62 lesions were found to be malignant at histological examination and 32 were found to be benign. When morphological features were considered, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV of CT were 87%, 100%, 88%, 100%, and 50%, respectively. Based on net enhancement, CT reached a sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV of 100%, 94%, 97%, 94%, and 100%, respectively. MDCT allows to recognize and characterize breast lesions based on morphological features. Net enhancement can be proposed as an additional accurate feature of CT.

Detecting structural breaks in time series via genetic algorithms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Doerr, Benjamin; Fischer, Paul; Hilbert, Astrid

2016-01-01

of the time series under consideration is available. Therefore, a black-box optimization approach is our method of choice for detecting structural breaks. We describe a genetic algorithm framework which easily adapts to a large number of statistical settings. To evaluate the usefulness of different crossover...... and mutation operations for this problem, we conduct extensive experiments to determine good choices for the parameters and operators of the genetic algorithm. One surprising observation is that use of uniform and one-point crossover together gave significantly better results than using either crossover...... operator alone. Moreover, we present a specific fitness function which exploits the sparse structure of the break points and which can be evaluated particularly efficiently. The experiments on artificial and real-world time series show that the resulting algorithm detects break points with high precision...

[Formative evaluation: experience of the Catalonian family and community medicine teaching units].

Science.gov (United States)

Ezquerra Lezcano, Matilde; Bundo Vidiella, Magda; Descarrega Queralt, Ramón; Martín Zurro, Amando; Fores García, Dolores; Fornells Vallès, Josep Maria

2010-04-01

The purpose of this article is to report on the experience in formative evaluation that was carried out in the Catalonian family and community medicine teaching units during the years 2001-2007. This formative evaluation project included the use of several evaluation tools such as, self-listening, video-recording, structured observation of clinical practice, cases by computer and simulated patients. Different resident intakes have participated in the development of the project, as well as their teaching unit tutors and coordinators. This accumulated experience has allowed it to progress into the field of formative evaluation, and to adapt and integrate the activities that were being carried out in a resident portfolio, which in our opinion is the best tool for the formative evaluation of the family medicine resident. Copyright 2009 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Effect of Computer-Aided Detection on Mammographic Performance: Experimental Study on Readers with Different Levels of Experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hukkinen, K.; Vehmas, T.; Pamilo, M.; Kivisaari, L.

2006-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of computer-aided detection (CAD) on the reader's performance. Material and Methods: Four screening radiologists, two novice radiologists, and two residents with no prior experience in CAD read films of 200 women without and with CAD. The films, including 16 screen-detected cancers and 35 cancers 'missed' on prior screening, were divided into two rollers: A (free time schedule) and B (prompted time schedule). Reading times were noted. Individual readings without and with CAD were compared, sensitivities and specificities were calculated. Results: The sensitivity of CAD was 70.6% and specificity 15.8%. In 408 cancer readings, the screeners found 10 and other readers 7 new cancers with the aid of CAD. The screeners changed their opinion four times and others six times from true positive to false negative when CAD was negative. CAD output produced 12 versus 13 new false-positive findings respectively after 2352 readings. CAD did not significantly affect the reader's sensitivities/specificities regardless of the time limit (P = not significant). The use of CAD increased mean time for roller reading from 56 to 63 min (P = 0.053). Conclusion: Screening radiologists benefited slightly more from CAD than other readers did, but no statistical significant difference was found in personal readings without and with CAD

arXiv Inelastic Boosted Dark Matter at Direct Detection Experiments

CERN Document Server

Giudice, Gian F.; Park, Jong-Chul; Shin, Seodong

2018-05-10

We explore a novel class of multi-particle dark sectors, called Inelastic Boosted Dark Matter (iBDM). These models are constructed by combining properties of particles that scatter off matter by making transitions to heavier states (Inelastic Dark Matter) with properties of particles that are produced with a large Lorentz boost in annihilation processes in the galactic halo (Boosted Dark Matter). This combination leads to new signals that can be observed at ordinary direct detection experiments, but require unconventional searches for energetic recoil electrons in coincidence with displaced multi-track events. Related experimental strategies can also be used to probe MeV-range boosted dark matter via their interactions with electrons inside the target material.

Developments on positron scattering experiments including beam production and detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selim, F.A.; Golovchenko, J.A.

2001-01-01

Positron scattering and channeling experiments require high quality (low emittance) beams. A new electrostatic optics system for extracting positrons from a moderator is presented. The system features improved efficiency of focusing and beam transport of moderated positrons emitted with angular spreads up to ± 30 , with good phase space characteristics. The presented optics also provides a high degree of freedom in controlling exit beam trajectories. The system has been installed in the LLNL Pelletron accelerator and showed great enhancement on the beam quality. On the detection side, image plates were used to measure the angular distributions of positrons transmitted through the gold crystals. The measurements demonstrate the advantages of image plates as quantitative position sensitive detectors for positrons. (orig.)

Detection and quantification capabilities and the evaluation of low-level data. Some international perspectives and continuing challenges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Currie, L.A.

2000-01-01

The minimum amounts or concentrations of an analyte that may be detected or quantified by a specific measurement process (MP) represent fundamental performance characteristics that are vital for planning experiments and designing MPs to meet external specifications. Following many years of conceptual and terminological disarray regarding detection and quantification limits, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC, 1995) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO, 1997) developed a harmonized position and documents that provide a basis for international consensus on this topic. During the past year, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has developed a TECDOC on Quantifying Uncertainty in Nuclear Analytical Measurements that treats 'Uncertainty in Measurements Close to Detection Limits' from the perspective of the UIPAC and ISO recommendations. The first part of this article serves as a review of these international developments during the last quinquennium of the twentieth century. Despite the achievement of international consensus on these contentious matters, many challenges remain. One quickly discovers this in the practical world of high stakes, ultra-trace analysis, where complications are introduced by the nature and distribution of the blank, the variance function (σ vs. concentration), non-linear models, and hidden algorithms and data evaluation/reporting schemes. Some of these issues are illustrated through a multidisciplinary case study of fossil and biomass burning aerosol at extremely low levels in the polar atmosphere and cryosphere, and by biased reporting practices for 'non-detects.' (author)

Detection of Fraudulent Emails by Employing Advanced Feature Abundance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nizamani, Sarwat; Memon, Nasrullah; Glasdam, Mathies

2014-01-01

In this paper, we present a fraudulent email detection model using advanced feature choice. We extracted various kinds of features and compared the performance of each category of features with the others in terms of the fraudulent email detection rate. The different types of features...... are incorporated step by step. The detection of fraudulent email has been considered as a classification problem and it is evaluated using various state-of-the art algorithms and on CCM [1] which is authors' previous cluster based classification model. The experiments have been performed on diverse feature sets...... and the different classification methods. The comparison of the results is also presented and the evaluations shows that for the fraudulent email detection tasks, the feature set is more important regardless of classification method. The results of the study suggest that the task of fraudulent emails detection...

Framework for evaluating public health surveillance systems for early detection of outbreaks: recommendations from the CDC Working Group.

Science.gov (United States)

Buehler, James W; Hopkins, Richard S; Overhage, J Marc; Sosin, Daniel M; Tong, Van

2004-05-07

The threat of terrorism and high-profile disease outbreaks has drawn attention to public health surveillance systems for early detection of outbreaks. State and local health departments are enhancing existing surveillance systems and developing new systems to better detect outbreaks through public health surveillance. However, information is limited about the usefulness of surveillance systems for outbreak detection or the best ways to support this function. This report supplements previous guidelines for evaluating public health surveillance systems. Use of this framework is intended to improve decision-making regarding the implementation of surveillance for outbreak detection. Use of a standardized evaluation methodology, including description of system design and operation, also will enhance the exchange of information regarding methods to improve early detection of outbreaks. The framework directs particular attention to the measurement of timeliness and validity for outbreak detection. The evaluation framework is designed to support assessment and description of all surveillance approaches to early detection, whether through traditional disease reporting, specialized analytic routines for aberration detection, or surveillance using early indicators of disease outbreaks, such as syndromic surveillance.

NEA activities in preserving, evaluating and applying data from fast reactor experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gulliford, Jim; Cornet, S.M.; Hill, I.; Yamaji, A.

2013-01-01

Conclusions: Progress to date: • Extensive programme of work to preserve and evaluate data from integral experiments has been established since the mid 1990s. • NEA Data Bank maintains and distributes several databases of these integral experiments, notably through the ICSBEP and IRPhE projects. • More recently programmes of work have been established to help preserve data from the UK Fast Reactor Programme and from various experiments related to minor actinide management. • Data obtained from these programmes are made available to the nuclear science community to provide high quality benchmarks against which modelling methods can be validated. • Involvement of younger scientists and engineers to work alongside well-established experts in the process of evaluating the information is a highly efficient means of transmitting tacit knowledge to the new generation of nuclear specialists. Conclusions: Looking ahead - • Further development of Databases and Database tools, e.g. – improved coverage of fast reactor experiments, MAs; – improved treatment of correlations in uncertainties between experiments; – production of sensitivities to facilitate identification of similar experiments. • Continuation securing UK archives and creating framework for information: – Start identifying suitable integral experiments for inclusion in NEA databases

Competition Experiments as a Means of Evaluating Linear Free Energy Relationships

Science.gov (United States)

Mullins, Richard J.; Vedernikov, Andrei; Viswanathan, Rajesh

2004-01-01

The use of competition experiments as a means of evaluating linear free energy relationship in the undergraduate teaching laboratory is reported. The use of competition experiments proved to be a reliable method for the construction of Hammett plots with good correlation providing great flexibility with regard to the compounds and reactions that…

Clinical experience in humans with radiolabeled antibody for tumor detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morrison, R.T.; Lyster, D.M.; Szasz, I.; Alcorn, L.N.; Huckell, V.F.; Rhodes, B.; Breslow, K.; Burchiel, S.

1982-01-01

I-131 and Tc-99m labeled polyclonal or monoclonal antibody and fragments of antibody, specific to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or to a melanoma cell surface antigen (MCSA) were injected into proven cancer patients. Using standard homeostasis parameters, and scanning techniques, the safety and efficacy of each antibody was evaluated. Antibody fragments were expected to clear faster from the circulation allowing for earlier imaging and a better target-to-non-target ratio. The technetium label may perturb the antiboby's kinetics so that clearance is more rapid for both whole antibody and fragments. After a statistical evaluation of all parameters measured pre and post injection it was concluded that no acute toxicity reactions were present in any patient studied. Scan results were not acceptable for a tumor detecting procedure used in routine practice. Tumor upake was seen in less than 10% of scans

Experiences with a new soil gas technique for detecting petroleum pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazac, O.; Landa, I.; Rohde, J.R.; Kelly, W.E.

1996-01-01

This paper presents field experiences obtained with a new technology for detecting petroleum pollution in soil and ground water based on in situ determination of hydrocarbon concentrations in soil air. Ecoprobe is a new soil gas device from RS-Dynamics in the Czech Republic. The rugged waterproof device is equipped with a built-in computer-controlled semiconductor sensor. Three case histories are presented that demonstrate the use of the equipment under typical conditions. Two case histories present the use of the device under typical field conditions; the third case history compares results from the Ecoprobe and a commercial photoionization detector (PID) device

GROWTH OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRITICALITY SAFETY AND REACTOR PHYSICS EXPERIMENT EVALUATION PROJECTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

J. Blair Briggs; John D. Bess; Jim Gulliford

2011-09-01

Since the International Conference on Nuclear Criticality Safety (ICNC) 2007, the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) and the International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation Project (IRPhEP) have continued to expand their efforts and broaden their scope. Eighteen countries participated on the ICSBEP in 2007. Now, there are 20, with recent contributions from Sweden and Argentina. The IRPhEP has also expanded from eight contributing countries in 2007 to 16 in 2011. Since ICNC 2007, the contents of the 'International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments1' have increased from 442 evaluations (38000 pages), containing benchmark specifications for 3955 critical or subcritical configurations to 516 evaluations (nearly 55000 pages), containing benchmark specifications for 4405 critical or subcritical configurations in the 2010 Edition of the ICSBEP Handbook. The contents of the Handbook have also increased from 21 to 24 criticality-alarm-placement/shielding configurations with multiple dose points for each, and from 20 to 200 configurations categorized as fundamental physics measurements relevant to criticality safety applications. Approximately 25 new evaluations and 150 additional configurations are expected to be added to the 2011 edition of the Handbook. Since ICNC 2007, the contents of the 'International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments2' have increased from 16 different experimental series that were performed at 12 different reactor facilities to 53 experimental series that were performed at 30 different reactor facilities in the 2011 edition of the Handbook. Considerable effort has also been made to improve the functionality of the searchable database, DICE (Database for the International Criticality Benchmark Evaluation Project) and verify the accuracy of the data contained therein. DICE will be discussed in separate papers at ICNC 2011. The status of the

Analysis and evaluation of critical experiments for validation of neutron transport calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazzana, S.; Blaumann, H; Marquez Damian, J.I

2009-01-01

The calculation schemes, computational codes and nuclear data used in neutronic design require validation to obtain reliable results. In the nuclear criticality safety field this reliability also translates into a higher level of safety in procedures involving fissile material. The International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project is an OECD/NEA activity led by the United States, in which participants from over 20 countries evaluate and publish criticality safety benchmarks. The product of this project is a set of benchmark experiment evaluations that are published annually in the International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments. With the recent participation of Argentina, this information is now available for use by the neutron calculation and criticality safety groups in Argentina. This work presents the methodology used for the evaluation of experimental data, some results obtained by the application of these methods, and some examples of the data available in the Handbook. [es

3D angiography in the evaluation of intracranial aneurysms before and after treatment. Initial experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lauriola, Walter; Nardella, Michele; Strizzi, Vincenzo; Florio, Francesco; Cali, Alessandro; D'Angelo, Vincenzo

2005-01-01

Purpose: The aim of the study is to evaluate the advantages of 3D angiography as compared to 2D angiography in assessing intracranial aneurysms before and after treatment and, in particular, in selecting and planning the correct treatment. Materials and methods: Thirty intracranial aneurysms were retrospectively reviewed before and after treatment. The study population consisted of 12 men and 18 women (age range: 35-77 years; mean age: 58 years). Eighteen aneurysms were treated surgically, 10 endovascularly and 2 with combined treatment. The 2D and 3D finding before and after the treatment were compared , and the pre-treatment angiographic images were compared with surgical findings. The following parameters were assessed and compared: aneurysmal sac and neck size, vascular involvement and evaluation of post-treatment residual mass. Results: On the 2D DSA images, visualisation of the sac and neck was optimal in 45% and 15% of cases, adequate in 10% and 35% of cases and inadequate in 5% and 50% of cases, respectively. On the 3D DSA images, visualisation of the sac and neck was optimal in 100% of cases. Three-dimensional DSA was able to detect 8 aneurysms with vessel involvement in all cases (100%). Of these, four (50%) went undetected on 2D DSA; in two cases, two-dimensional DSA erroneously detected the presence of vascular involvement (false positive). Three-dimensional angiography proved superior to 2D angiography in the evaluation of the residual aneurysms treated with clipping. Finally, 3D DSA was able to reduce the number of the radiographic projections, the quantity of contrast medium, the time and associated risks necessary for a precise evaluation of the aneurysm. Conclusions: In our first experience, 3D DSA proved useful in reducing the risks and diagnostic time as well as in selecting and planning the treatment. Moreover, it improved the operating conditions of both surgical and endovascular treatment. Technological advances in this field will enable the

Evaluation of COTS Rad Detection Apps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wagner, Eric [National Security Technologies, LLC. (NSTec), Mercury, NV (United States)

2014-02-01

Mobile applications are currently under distribution to smart phones utilizing the built-in charge coupled-device (CCD) camera as a radiation detector. The CCD detector has a very low but measurable gamma interaction cross section so the mechanism is feasible, especially for higher dose rate environments. Given that in a large release of radioactive material these ‘crowd sourced’ measurements will be put forth for consideration, a testing and evaluation of the accuracy and uncertainty of the Apps is a critical endeavor. Not only is the accuracy of the reported measurement of concern to the immediate user’s safety, a quantitative uncertainty is required for a government response such as the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC) to accept the values for consideration in the determination of regions exceeding protective action guidelines. Already, prompted by the Fukushima nuclear material releases, several repositories of this crowd-sourced data have been created (http://japan.failedrobot.com, http://www.stubbytour.com/nuc/index_en.asp, and http://www.rdtn.org) although the question remains as to the reliability of measurements incorporated into these repositories. In cases of conflict between the real-time published crowd-sourced data and governmental protective actions prepared literature should be on-hand documenting why the difference, if any, exists. Four applications for iOS devices were obtained along with hardware to benchmark their performance. Gamma/X-Ray Detector by Stephan Hotto, Geiger Camera by Senscare, and RadioactivityCounter App by Hotray LTD are all the applications available for distribution within the US that utilize the CCD camera sensor for detection of radiation levels. The CellRad app under development by Idaho National Laboratory for the Android platform was evaluated. In addition, iRad Geiger with the associated hardware accessory was also benchmarked. Radiation fields were generated in a Cs-137 JL Shepherd

Evaluation of COTS Rad Detection Apps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, Eric

2014-01-01

Mobile applications are currently under distribution to smart phones utilizing the built-in charge coupled-device (CCD) camera as a radiation detector. The CCD detector has a very low but measurable gamma interaction cross section so the mechanism is feasible, especially for higher dose rate environments. Given that in a large release of radioactive material these 'crowd sourced' measurements will be put forth for consideration, a testing and evaluation of the accuracy and uncertainty of the Apps is a critical endeavor. Not only is the accuracy of the reported measurement of concern to the immediate user's safety, a quantitative uncertainty is required for a government response such as the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC) to accept the values for consideration in the determination of regions exceeding protective action guidelines. Already, prompted by the Fukushima nuclear material releases, several repositories of this crowd-sourced data have been created (http://japan.failedrobot.com, http://www.stubbytour.com/nuc/index_en.asp, and http://www.rdtn.org) although the question remains as to the reliability of measurements incorporated into these repositories. In cases of conflict between the real-time published crowd-sourced data and governmental protective actions prepared literature should be on-hand documenting why the difference, if any, exists. Four applications for iOS devices were obtained along with hardware to benchmark their performance. Gamma/X-Ray Detector by Stephan Hotto, Geiger Camera by Senscare, and RadioactivityCounter App by Hotray LTD are all the applications available for distribution within the US that utilize the CCD camera sensor for detection of radiation levels. The CellRad app under development by Idaho National Laboratory for the Android platform was evaluated. In addition, iRad Geiger with the associated hardware accessory was also benchmarked. Radiation fields were generated in a Cs-137 JL

CT colonography: effect of computer-aided detection of colonic polyps as a second and concurrent reader for general radiologists with moderate experience in CT colonography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mang, Thomas; Ringel, Helmut; Weber, Michael; Bogoni, Luca; Anand, Vikram X.; Hermosillo, Gerardo; Raykar, Vikas; Salganicoff, Marcos; Wolf, Matthias; Chandra, Dass; Curtin, Andrew J.; Lev-Toaff, Anna S.; Noah, Ralph; Shaw, Robert; Summerton, Susan; Tappouni, Rafel F.R.; Obuchowski, Nancy A.

2014-01-01

To assess the effectiveness of computer-aided detection (CAD) as a second reader or concurrent reader in helping radiologists who are moderately experienced in computed tomographic colonography (CTC) to detect colorectal polyps. Seventy CTC datasets (34 patients: 66 polyps ≥6 mm; 36 patients: no abnormalities) were retrospectively reviewed by seven radiologists with moderate CTC experience. After primary unassisted evaluation, a CAD second read and, after a time interval of ≥4 weeks, a CAD concurrent read were performed. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), along with per-segment, per-polyp and per-patient sensitivities, and also reading times, were calculated for each reader with and without CAD. Of seven readers, 86 % and 71 % achieved a higher accuracy (segment-level AUC) when using CAD as second and concurrent reader respectively. Average segment-level AUCs with second and concurrent CAD (0.853 and 0.864) were significantly greater (p < 0.0001) than average AUC in the unaided evaluation (0.781). Per-segment, per-polyp, and per-patient sensitivities for polyps ≥6 mm were significantly higher in both CAD reading paradigms compared with unaided evaluation. Second-read CAD reduced readers' average segment and patient specificity by 0.007 and 0.036 (p = 0.005 and 0.011), respectively. CAD significantly improves the sensitivities of radiologists moderately experienced in CTC for polyp detection, both as second reader and concurrent reader. (orig.)

The construction and evaluation of a scale of consumer shopping experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. A. Gillham

2003-10-01

Full Text Available Generally speaking consumer psychology have focused primarily on the problem solving and decision making processes underlying buying behaviour. As a result, the experience of consumers engaging in the activity of shopping has been neglected. The purpose of this study was to construct and evaluate a scale of consumer shopping experience. The instrument indicated that shopping experience is not merely a means to an end, but in many cases an end in itself. The Shopping Experience Survey consisting of 54 items was developed and administered to 426 respondents consisting of students at a large tertiary institution. The study indicated that the Shopping Experience Survey is highly reliable (rxx=0,965 and sensitive to group differences. Opsomming Benaderings tot verbruikersielkunde fokus in die algemeen hoofsaaklik op die probleemoplossings- en besluitnemingsprosesse onderliggend aan aankoopgedrag. Gevolglik het die ervarings wat verbruikers tydens die aankoopproses beleef, nie veel aandag geniet nie. Die doel van die onderhawige studie was om ’n skaal van verbruikeraankoopbelewenisse te konstrueer en te evalueer. Die instrument het aangedui dat die aankoopbelewenis nie ’n middel tot ’n doel is nie, maar ‘n doel insigself is. Die Shopping Experience Survey, bestaande uit 54 items, is ontwikkel en geadministreer aan 426 respondente van ’n groot residensiële tersiêre instelling. Met die studie is bevind dat die Shopping Experience Survey hoogs betroubaar is (rxx=0,965 en sensitief is vir groepverskille.

Interplay and Characterization of Dark Matter Searches at Colliders and in Direct Detection Experiments

CERN Document Server

Malik, Sarah A.; Araujo, Henrique; Belyaev, A.; Bœhm, Céline; Brooke, Jim; Buchmueller, Oliver; Davies, Gavin; De Roeck, Albert; de Vries, Kees; Dolan, Matthew J.; Ellis, John; Fairbairn, Malcolm; Flaecher, Henning; Gouskos, Loukas; Khoze, Valentin V.; Landsberg, Greg; Newbold, Dave; Papucci, Michele; Sumner, Timothy; Thomas, Marc; Worm, Steven

2015-01-01

In this White Paper we present and discuss a concrete proposal for the consistent interpretation of Dark Matter searches at colliders and in direct detection experiments. Based on a specific implementation of simplified models of vector and axial-vector mediator exchanges, this proposal demonstrates how the two search strategies can be compared on an equal footing.

Students' Evaluation of Their English Language Learning Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Maizatulliza, M.; Kiely, R.

2017-01-01

In the field of English language teaching and learning, there is a long history of investigating students' performance while they are undergoing specific learning programmes. This research study, however, focused on students' evaluation of their English language learning experience after they have completed their programme. The data were gathered…

Evaluation of the MOCAGE Chemistry Transport Model during the ICARTT/ITOP Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Bousserez, N.; Attie, J. L.; Peuch, V. H.; Michou, M.; Pfister, G.; Edwards, D.; Emmons, L.; Arnold, S.; Heckel, A.; Richter, A.;

Development and data analysis of a radio-detection of ultra high energy cosmic rays experiment; Developpement et analyse des donnees d'une experience de radiodetection des rayons cosmiques d'ultra haute energie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belletoile, A

2007-10-15

The radio-detection of cosmic rays was first attempted in the sixties. Unfortunately at that time, the results suffered from poor reproducibility and the technique was abandoned in favour of direct particle and fluorescence detection. Taking advantage of recent technological improvements the radio-detection of ultra high energy cosmic rays is being reinvestigated. In this document, first, we remind the reader of the global problematic of cosmic rays. Then, the several mechanisms involved in the emission of an electric field associated with extensive air showers are discussed. The CODALEMA (cosmic detection array with logarithmic electro magnetic antenna) experiment that aims to demonstrate the feasibility of cosmic ray radio-detection, is extensively described along with the first experimental results. A radio-detection test experiment implanted at the giant detector Pierre Auger is presented. It should provide inputs to design the future detector using this technique at extreme energies. (author)

Evaluating suggestibility to additive and contradictory misinformation following explicit error detection in younger and older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Huff, Mark J; Umanath, Sharda

2018-06-01

In 2 experiments, we assessed age-related suggestibility to additive and contradictory misinformation (i.e., remembering of false details from an external source). After reading a fictional story, participants answered questions containing misleading details that were either additive (misleading details that supplemented an original event) or contradictory (errors that changed original details). On a final test, suggestibility was greater for additive than contradictory misinformation, and older adults endorsed fewer false contradictory details than younger adults. To mitigate suggestibility in Experiment 2, participants were warned about potential errors, instructed to detect errors, or instructed to detect errors after exposure to examples of additive and contradictory details. Again, suggestibility to additive misinformation was greater than contradictory, and older adults endorsed less contradictory misinformation. Only after detection instructions with misinformation examples were younger adults able to reduce contradictory misinformation effects and reduced these effects to the level of older adults. Additive misinformation however, was immune to all warning and detection instructions. Thus, older adults were less susceptible to contradictory misinformation errors, and younger adults could match this misinformation rate when warning/detection instructions were strong. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Proposal of a framework for evaluating military surveillance systems for early detection of outbreaks on duty areas

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Webber Daniel

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In recent years a wide variety of epidemiological surveillance systems have been developed to provide early identification of outbreaks of infectious disease. Each system has had its own strengths and weaknesses. In 2002 a Working Group of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC produced a framework for evaluation, which proved suitable for many public health surveillance systems. However this did not easily adapt to the military setting, where by necessity a variety of different parameters are assessed, different constraints placed on the systems, and different objectives required. This paper describes a proposed framework for evaluation of military syndromic surveillance systems designed to detect outbreaks of disease on operational deployments. Methods The new framework described in this paper was developed from the cumulative experience of British and French military syndromic surveillance systems. The methods included a general assessment framework (CDC, followed by more specific methods of conducting evaluation. These included Knowledge/Attitude/Practice surveys (KAP surveys, technical audits, ergonomic studies, simulations and multi-national exercises. A variety of military constraints required integration into the evaluation. Examples of these include the variability of geographical conditions in the field, deployment to areas without prior knowledge of naturally-occurring disease patterns, the differences in field sanitation between locations and over the length of deployment, the mobility of military forces, turnover of personnel, continuity of surveillance across different locations, integration with surveillance systems from other nations working alongside each other, compatibility with non-medical information systems, and security. Results A framework for evaluation has been developed that can be used for military surveillance systems in a staged manner consisting of initial, intermediate and final

Surface detection performance evaluation of pseudo-random noise continuous wave laser radar

Science.gov (United States)

Mitev, Valentin; Matthey, Renaud; Pereira do Carmo, Joao

2017-11-01

A number of space missions (including in the ESA Exploration Programme) foreseen a use of laser radar sensor (or lidar) for determination of range between spacecrafts or between spacecraft and ground surface (altimetry). Such sensors need to be compact, robust and power efficient, at the same time with high detection performance. These requirements can be achieved with a Pseudo-Random Noise continuous wave lidar (PRN cw lidar). Previous studies have pointed to the advantages of this lidar with respect to space missions, but they also identified its limitations in high optical background. The progress of the lasers and the detectors in the near IR spectral range requires a re-evaluation of the PRN cw lidar potential. Here we address the performances of this lidar for surface detection (altimetry) in planetary missions. The evaluation is based on the following system configuration: (i) A cw fiber amplifier as lidar transmitter. The seeding laser exhibits a single-frequency spectral line, with subsequent amplitude modulation. The fiber amplifier allows high output power level, keeping the spectral characteristics and the modulation of the seeding light input. (ii) An avalanche photodiode in photon counting detection; (iii) Measurement scenarios representative for Earth, Mercury and Mars.

Learning Change from Synthetic Aperture Radar Images: Performance Evaluation of a Support Vector Machine to Detect Earthquake and Tsunami-Induced Changes

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Marc Wieland

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This study evaluates the performance of a Support Vector Machine (SVM classifier to learn and detect changes in single- and multi-temporal X- and L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR images under varying conditions. The purpose is to provide guidance on how to train a powerful learning machine for change detection in SAR images and to contribute to a better understanding of potentials and limitations of supervised change detection approaches. This becomes particularly important on the background of a rapidly growing demand for SAR change detection to support rapid situation awareness in case of natural disasters. The application environment of this study thus focuses on detecting changes caused by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami disaster, where single polarized TerraSAR-X and ALOS PALSAR intensity images are used as input. An unprecedented reference dataset of more than 18,000 buildings that have been visually inspected by local authorities for damages after the disaster forms a solid statistical population for the performance experiments. Several critical choices commonly made during the training stage of a learning machine are being assessed for their influence on the change detection performance, including sampling approach, location and number of training samples, classification scheme, change feature space and the acquisition dates of the satellite images. Furthermore, the proposed machine learning approach is compared with the widely used change image thresholding. The study concludes that a well-trained and tuned SVM can provide highly accurate change detections that outperform change image thresholding. While good performance is achieved in the binary change detection case, a distinction between multiple change classes in terms of damage grades leads to poor performance in the tested experimental setting. The major drawback of a machine learning approach is related to the high costs of training. The outcomes of this study, however

Computer simulation of charged fusion-product trajectories and detection efficiency expected for future experiments within the COMPASS tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwiatkowski, Roch; Malinowski, Karol; Sadowski, Marek J

2014-01-01

This paper presents results of computer simulations of charged particle motions and detection efficiencies for an ion-pinhole camera of a new diagnostic system to be used in future COMPASS tokamak experiments. A probe equipped with a nuclear track detector can deliver information about charged products of fusion reactions. The calculations were performed with a so-called Gourdon code, based on a single-particle model and toroidal symmetry. There were computed trajectories of fast ions (> 500 keV) in medium-dense plasma (n e  < 10 14  cm −3 ) and an expected detection efficiency (a ratio of the number of detected particles to that of particles emitted from plasma). The simulations showed that charged fusion products can reach the new diagnostic probe, and the expected detection efficiency can reach 2 × 10 −8 . Based on such calculations, one can determine the optimal position and orientation of the probe. The obtained results are of importance for the interpretation of fusion-product images to be recorded in future COMPASS experiments. (paper)

The impact of sensorimotor experience on affective evaluation of dance

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Louise eKirsch

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Past research demonstrates that we are more likely to positively evaluate a stimulus if we have had previous experience with that stimulus. This has been shown for judgement of faces, architecture, artworks and body movements. In contrast, other evidence suggests that this relationship can also work in the inverse direction, at least in the domain of watching dance. Specifically, it has been shown that in certain contexts, people derive greater pleasure from watching unfamiliar movements they would not be able to physically reproduce compared to simpler, familiar actions they could physically reproduce. It remains unknown, however, how different kinds of experience with complex actions, such as dance, might change observers’ affective judgements of these movements. Our aim was to clarify the relationship between experience and affective evaluation of whole body movements. In a between-subjects design, participants received either physical dance training with a video game system, visual and auditory experience or auditory experience only. Participants’ aesthetic preferences for dance stimuli were measured before and after the training sessions. Results show that participants from the physical training group not only improved their physical performance of the dance sequences, but also reported higher enjoyment and interest in the stimuli after training. This suggests that physically learning particular movements leads to greater enjoyment while observing them. These effects are not simply due to increased familiarity with audio or visual elements of the stimuli, as the other two training groups showed no increase in aesthetic ratings post-training. We suggest these results support an embodied simulation account of aesthetics, and discuss how the present findings contribute to a better understanding of the shaping of preferences by sensorimotor experience.

Evaluating detection and estimation capabilities of magnetometer-based vehicle sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Slater, David M.; Jacyna, Garry M.

2013-05-01

In an effort to secure the northern and southern United States borders, MITRE has been tasked with developing Modeling and Simulation (M&S) tools that accurately capture the mapping between algorithm-level Measures of Performance (MOP) and system-level Measures of Effectiveness (MOE) for current/future surveillance systems deployed by the the Customs and Border Protection Office of Technology Innovations and Acquisitions (OTIA). This analysis is part of a larger M&S undertaking. The focus is on two MOPs for magnetometer-based Unattended Ground Sensors (UGS). UGS are placed near roads to detect passing vehicles and estimate properties of the vehicle's trajectory such as bearing and speed. The first MOP considered is the probability of detection. We derive probabilities of detection for a network of sensors over an arbitrary number of observation periods and explore how the probability of detection changes when multiple sensors are employed. The performance of UGS is also evaluated based on the level of variance in the estimation of trajectory parameters. We derive the Cramer-Rao bounds for the variances of the estimated parameters in two cases: when no a priori information is known and when the parameters are assumed to be Gaussian with known variances. Sample results show that UGS perform significantly better in the latter case.

The evaluation of data from the MACRO tracer experiment. The report for Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watari, Shingo

1999-12-01

On understanding the radionuclide transport in Natural Barrier in radioactive waste isolation research, the macroscopic dispersion in heterogeneous permeability field in the underground rock is regarded as an important process. Therefore, Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) developed the MACRO experiment with an artificial heterogeneous permeability field and has been conducted lots of tracer experiments. To estimate the effect of characteristics of field on the macroscopic dispersion using data from those tracer experiments, the evaluation of dispersion coefficient is required. In this report, the macroscopic dispersion coefficients were evaluated for the results of the tracer experiments using the MACRO facility with a single well. The coefficients for the experiments of 18 cases were evaluated by the fitting of analytical solution to the breakthrough curve measured in the well. In the evaluations, the correction of data measured in the experiments and of the accuracy in the evaluation were considered. The conclusions are as follows. The macroscopic dispersion coefficients for 18 cases were evaluated using Least Square Method by fitting the analytical evaluation to the result of experiment. Consequently, the coefficients for 7 cases were evaluated with not enough accurate fitting results. Therefore, another evaluations for those 7 cases were required to be with more accuracy. Then, those coefficients were evaluated with enough accuracy. It was verified that the macroscopic dispersion coefficient tend to be increased with increase of the average radius of tracer front. In some cases, however, the trend was not verified because of the limit of accuracy for data measured in the experiment and for the evaluation method of the coefficient. It was found that the macroscopic dispersion coefficients evaluated for the cases with heterogeneous permeability field type B tend to be higher than those with heterogeneous permeability field type A. (author)

Experience and use of ultrasound scan for fetal evaluation among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Experience and use of ultrasound scan for fetal evaluation among obstetricians in an African population. ... Annals of Biomedical Sciences ... scan held in May 2014 at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital were recruited for the study.

Physics evaluation of compact tokamak ignition experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uckan, N.A.; Houlberg, W.A.; Sheffield, J.

1985-01-01

At present, several approaches for compact, high-field tokamak ignition experiments are being considered. A comprehensive method for analyzing the potential physics operating regimes and plasma performance characteristics of such ignition experiments with O-D (analytic) and 1-1/2-D (WHIST) transport models is presented. The results from both calculations are in agreement and show that there are regimes in parameter space in which a class of small (R/sub o/ approx. 1-2 m), high-field (B/sub o/ approx. 8-13 T) tokamaks with aB/sub o/ 2 /q/sub */ approx. 25 +- 5 and kappa = b/a approx. 1.6-2.0 appears ignitable for a reasonable range of transport assumptions. Considering both the density and beta limits, an evaluation of the performance is presented for various forms of chi/sub e/ and chi/sub i/, including degradation at high power and sawtooth activity. The prospects of ohmic ignition are also examined. 16 refs., 13 figs

Evaluating surveillance strategies for the early detection of low pathogenicity avian influenza infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Comin, Arianna; Stegeman, Arjan; Marangon, Stefano; Klinkenberg, Don

2012-01-01

In recent years, the early detection of low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) viruses in poultry has become increasingly important, given their potential to mutate into highly pathogenic viruses. However, evaluations of LPAI surveillance have mainly focused on prevalence and not on the ability to act as an early warning system. We used a simulation model based on data from Italian LPAI epidemics in turkeys to evaluate different surveillance strategies in terms of their performance as early warning systems. The strategies differed in terms of sample size, sampling frequency, diagnostic tests, and whether or not active surveillance (i.e., routine laboratory testing of farms) was performed, and were also tested under different epidemiological scenarios. We compared surveillance strategies by simulating within-farm outbreaks. The output measures were the proportion of infected farms that are detected and the farm reproduction number (R(h)). The first one provides an indication of the sensitivity of the surveillance system to detect within-farm infections, whereas R(h) reflects the effectiveness of outbreak detection (i.e., if detection occurs soon enough to bring an epidemic under control). Increasing the sampling frequency was the most effective means of improving the timeliness of detection (i.e., it occurs earlier), whereas increasing the sample size increased the likelihood of detection. Surveillance was only effective in preventing an epidemic if actions were taken within two days of sampling. The strategies were not affected by the quality of the diagnostic test, although performing both serological and virological assays increased the sensitivity of active surveillance. Early detection of LPAI outbreaks in turkeys can be achieved by increasing the sampling frequency for active surveillance, though very frequent sampling may not be sustainable in the long term. We suggest that, when no LPAI virus is circulating yet and there is a low risk of virus introduction

Evaluating surveillance strategies for the early detection of low pathogenicity avian influenza infections.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arianna Comin

Full Text Available In recent years, the early detection of low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI viruses in poultry has become increasingly important, given their potential to mutate into highly pathogenic viruses. However, evaluations of LPAI surveillance have mainly focused on prevalence and not on the ability to act as an early warning system. We used a simulation model based on data from Italian LPAI epidemics in turkeys to evaluate different surveillance strategies in terms of their performance as early warning systems. The strategies differed in terms of sample size, sampling frequency, diagnostic tests, and whether or not active surveillance (i.e., routine laboratory testing of farms was performed, and were also tested under different epidemiological scenarios. We compared surveillance strategies by simulating within-farm outbreaks. The output measures were the proportion of infected farms that are detected and the farm reproduction number (R(h. The first one provides an indication of the sensitivity of the surveillance system to detect within-farm infections, whereas R(h reflects the effectiveness of outbreak detection (i.e., if detection occurs soon enough to bring an epidemic under control. Increasing the sampling frequency was the most effective means of improving the timeliness of detection (i.e., it occurs earlier, whereas increasing the sample size increased the likelihood of detection. Surveillance was only effective in preventing an epidemic if actions were taken within two days of sampling. The strategies were not affected by the quality of the diagnostic test, although performing both serological and virological assays increased the sensitivity of active surveillance. Early detection of LPAI outbreaks in turkeys can be achieved by increasing the sampling frequency for active surveillance, though very frequent sampling may not be sustainable in the long term. We suggest that, when no LPAI virus is circulating yet and there is a low risk of virus

A pilot study to evaluate the application of a generic protein standard panel for quality control of biomarker detection technologies

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Valdivia Hernan J

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Protein biomarker studies are currently hampered by a lack of measurement standards to demonstrate quality, reliability and comparability across multiple assay platforms. This is especially pertinent for immunoassays where multiple formats for detecting target analytes are commonly used. Findings In this pilot study a generic panel of six non-human protein standards (50 - 10^7 pg/mL of varying abundance was prepared as a quality control (QC material. Simulated "normal" and "diseased" panels of proteins were prepared in pooled human plasma and incorporated into immunoassays using the Meso Scale Discovery® (MSD® platform to illustrate reliable detection of the component proteins. The protein panel was also evaluated as a spike-in material for a model immunoassay involving detection of ovarian cancer biomarkers within individual human plasma samples. Our selected platform could discriminate between two panels of the proteins exhibiting small differences in abundance. Across distinct experiments, all component proteins exhibited reproducible signal outputs in pooled human plasma. When individual donor samples were used, half the proteins produced signals independent of matrix effects. These proteins may serve as a generic indicator of platform reliability. Each of the remaining proteins exhibit differential signals across the distinct samples, indicative of sample matrix effects, with the three proteins following the same trend. This subset of proteins may be useful for characterising the degree of matrix effects associated with the sample which may impact on the reliability of quantifying target diagnostic biomarkers. Conclusions We have demonstrated the potential utility of this panel of standards to act as a generic QC tool for evaluating the reproducibility of the platform for protein biomarker detection independent of serum matrix effects.

Multi-Modal Detection and Mapping of Static and Dynamic Obstacles in Agriculture for Process Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timo Korthals

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Today, agricultural vehicles are available that can automatically perform tasks such as weed detection and spraying, mowing, and sowing while being steered automatically. However, for such systems to be fully autonomous and self-driven, not only their specific agricultural tasks must be automated. An accurate and robust perception system automatically detecting and avoiding all obstacles must also be realized to ensure safety of humans, animals, and other surroundings. In this paper, we present a multi-modal obstacle and environment detection and recognition approach for process evaluation in agricultural fields. The proposed pipeline detects and maps static and dynamic obstacles globally, while providing process-relevant information along the traversed trajectory. Detection algorithms are introduced for a variety of sensor technologies, including range sensors (lidar and radar and cameras (stereo and thermal. Detection information is mapped globally into semantical occupancy grid maps and fused across all sensors with late fusion, resulting in accurate traversability assessment and semantical mapping of process-relevant categories (e.g., crop, ground, and obstacles. Finally, a decoding step uses a Hidden Markov model to extract relevant process-specific parameters along the trajectory of the vehicle, thus informing a potential control system of unexpected structures in the planned path. The method is evaluated on a public dataset for multi-modal obstacle detection in agricultural fields. Results show that a combination of multiple sensor modalities increases detection performance and that different fusion strategies must be applied between algorithms detecting similar and dissimilar classes.

Evaluation of the efficiency of FDG PET/CT in detection and characterization of skeletal metastases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed Wafaie

2014-03-01

Conclusion: Fused PET/CT was highly efficient in evaluation of skeletal metastases with superior performance in: detection of early bone marrow infiltration not apparent on CT, resolution of metabolic activity before definite signs of complete healing on CT, detection of missed sclerotic metastases on PET due to their relatively low metabolic activity, detection of intra and extra osseous recurrence and differentiation of benign from malignant bone lesions.

Gene doping detection: evaluation of approach for direct detection of gene transfer using erythropoietin as a model system.

Science.gov (United States)

Baoutina, A; Coldham, T; Bains, G S; Emslie, K R

2010-08-01

As clinical gene therapy has progressed toward realizing its potential, concern over misuse of the technology to enhance performance in athletes is growing. Although 'gene doping' is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, its detection remains a major challenge. In this study, we developed a methodology for direct detection of the transferred genetic material and evaluated its feasibility for gene doping detection in blood samples from athletes. Using erythropoietin (EPO) as a model gene and a simple in vitro system, we developed real-time PCR assays that target sequences within the transgene complementary DNA corresponding to exon/exon junctions. As these junctions are absent in the endogenous gene due to their interruption by introns, the approach allows detection of trace amounts of a transgene in a large background of the endogenous gene. Two developed assays and one commercial gene expression assay for EPO were validated. On the basis of ability of these assays to selectively amplify transgenic DNA and analysis of literature on testing of gene transfer in preclinical and clinical gene therapy, it is concluded that the developed approach would potentially be suitable to detect gene doping through gene transfer by analysis of small volumes of blood using regular out-of-competition testing.

Effect of gravitational focusing on annual modulation in dark-matter direct-detection experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Samuel K; Lisanti, Mariangela; Peter, Annika H G; Safdi, Benjamin R

2014-01-10

The scattering rate in dark-matter direct-detection experiments should modulate annually due to Earth's orbit around the Sun. The rate is typically thought to be extremized around June 1, when the relative velocity of Earth with respect to the dark-matter wind is maximal. We point out that gravitational focusing can alter this modulation phase. Unbound dark-matter particles are focused by the Sun's gravitational potential, affecting their phase-space density in the lab frame. Gravitational focusing can result in a significant overall shift in the annual-modulation phase, which is most relevant for dark matter with low scattering speeds. The induced phase shift for light O(10)  GeV dark matter may also be significant, depending on the threshold energy of the experiment.

Experience during the monitoring of inactive scrap for the detection of inadvertent presence of radioactivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Ranjit; Anoj Kumar; Vikas; Singh, Rajvir; Patra, R.P.; Vikas Kumar; Pradeepkumar, K.S.

2012-01-01

The paper describes about the experience gained during the radiation monitoring of inactive scrap generated at various nuclear facilities. This type surveillance is carried out to prevent the spread of radioactivity in public domain and also as requirement by regulatory authorities. The inspection and certification of scrap material from nuclear facilities is a regulatory requirement to ensure that no radioactive material reaches public domain. This paper describes the methodology and experience in detection of radioactivity at inactive Scrap monitoring facility. Inactive scraps (metallic and non metallic) generated from various nuclear facilities of BARC, Trombay is dispatched to Trombay Village Store (TVS) for temporary storage before auction to the public. The monitoring at the facility includes visual inspection and radiation measurement before loading the scrap in the truck. An online PC based monitoring system and portable monitoring instruments in the range (nSv/h-µSv/h) are used to carry out radiation monitoring of inactive scrap loaded in a vehicle. Radioactive source of high activity with potential for serious environmental hazard has not been detected, but few cases of presence of radioactive/contaminated material (MS plate/equipments with low level of 137 Cs contamination) have been detected and identified using portable gamma spectrometer. Implementation of strict regulatory measures and radiation monitoring at nuclear facilities can minimize the probability of radioactive material reaching the public domain. The methodology followed for monitoring of inactive scrap is found to be effective even for detection of presence of radioactivity in scrap if any. (author)

The Colonoscopist's Expertise Affects the Characteristics of Detected Polyps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Da Kyoung Jung

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: The influence of the endoscopist on the polyp detection rate (PDR is underappreciated in clinical practice. Moreover, flat lesions or lesions of the proximal colon are more difficult to detect. Here, we evaluated the differences in the PDR and the characteristics of detected polyps according to the experience of the colonoscopist. Methods: We collected data on 2,549 patients who underwent screening colonoscopy performed by three fellows. The PDR was calculated according to the percentage of patients who had at least one polyp (method A and according to the percentage of detected lesions (method B. The primary outcome included the change in the PDR, and the secondary outcome included the change in the characteristics of the detected polyps with increasing experience of the colonoscopist. Results: No proportional correlation was found between the PDR and increasing experience in colonoscopy with method A; however, with method B, the PDR increased after 400 colonoscopies (p=0.0209. With method B, the detection rates of small polyps (<5 mm (p=0.0015 and polyps in proximal sites (p=0.0050 increased after 300 colonoscopies. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that the quality of a colonoscopy, measured by using the PDR, may increase when performed by experienced fellows.

Evaluation of ARAC's participation in a long-range transport experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pace, J.C.; Pobanz, B.M.; Foster, C.S.; Baskett, R.L.; Vogt, P.J.; Schalk, W.W. III.

1995-08-01

The 1994 European Tracer Experiment (ETEX) involved two releases of inert tracer gas in western France, allowing subsequent detection at many locations across Europe. Twenty four operational and research facilities from 20 countries made predictions of the motion of the released plume and the resulting concentrations detected at the sampler locations. This paper describes participation by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability (ARAC) in ETEX. In its role as a real-time emergency response center, ARAC operates a suite of numerical models which simulate the advection and diffusion of airborne releases, and which calculate the estimated downwind concentration of the released material. The models and procedures used by ARAC to participate in ETEX were essentially the same as those which would be used to respond to a release at any previously unspecified location

Evaluation of gamma-sterilization (60Co) by RT-PCR by DHFR expression detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Converso, Ana Paula G.; Andrade Junior, Heitor F. de; Vieira, Daniel P.

2007-01-01

The improvement of techniques to detect pathogen agents in blood had reduced significantly the contamination mechanisms by hemocomponents in blood transfusion procedures. Ionizing radiation is a method that has presented several applications on medicine and in currently days has been showing special attention on blood banks which has been applied to avoid TA-GVHD development. DHFR is an enzyme constitutive in Plasmodium protozoa and has an important role in folate metabolism on these parasites. Detecting the expression of RNAm coder for this enzyme is possible to evaluate the viability of this parasite in blood samples. Plasmodium chabaudi AJ is a parasite that induces lethal malaria in rodents similar to human malaria In this work, the objective was to detect the presence of plasmodium protozoa in irradiated blood samples, infected experimentally, through the application of a RT-PCR using primers for the coder sequence of DHFR's mRNA. We studied doses of ionizing radiation between 0 and 75 Gy. The irradiation procedures were accomplished in Center of Radiation Technology of IPEN-CNEN in a 60 Co panoramic source. Our results had demonstrated that RT-PCR is a sensible method to evaluate the viability of plasmodium in blood samples because the technique could detect low parasite burden in all tested samples. (author)

Review of recent benchmark experiments on integral test for high energy nuclear data evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakashima, Hiroshi; Tanaka, Susumu; Konno, Chikara; Fukahori, Tokio; Hayashi, Katsumi [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

1998-11-01

A survey work of recent benchmark experiments on an integral test for high energy nuclear data evaluation was carried out as one of the work of the Task Force on JENDL High Energy File Integral Evaluation (JHEFIE). In this paper the results are compiled and the status of recent benchmark experiments is described. (author)

Detection experiments with humans implicate visual predation as a driver of colour polymorphism dynamics in pygmy grasshoppers

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Animal colour patterns offer good model systems for studies of biodiversity and evolution of local adaptations. An increasingly popular approach to study the role of selection for camouflage for evolutionary trajectories of animal colour patterns is to present images of prey on paper or computer screens to human ‘predators’. Yet, few attempts have been made to confirm that rates of detection by humans can predict patterns of selection and evolutionary modifications of prey colour patterns in nature. In this study, we first analyzed encounters between human ‘predators’ and images of natural black, grey and striped colour morphs of the polymorphic Tetrix subulata pygmy grasshoppers presented on background images of unburnt, intermediate or completely burnt natural habitats. Next, we compared detection rates with estimates of capture probabilities and survival of free-ranging grasshoppers, and with estimates of relative morph frequencies in natural populations. Results The proportion of grasshoppers that were detected and time to detection depended on both the colour pattern of the prey and on the type of visual background. Grasshoppers were detected more often and faster on unburnt backgrounds than on 50% and 100% burnt backgrounds. Striped prey were detected less often than grey or black prey on unburnt backgrounds; grey prey were detected more often than black or striped prey on 50% burnt backgrounds; and black prey were detected less often than grey prey on 100% burnt backgrounds. Rates of detection mirrored previously reported rates of capture by humans of free-ranging grasshoppers, as well as morph specific survival in the wild. Rates of detection were also correlated with frequencies of striped, black and grey morphs in samples of T. subulata from natural populations that occupied the three habitat types used for the detection experiment. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that crypsis is background-dependent, and implicate visual predation

Evaluation of flawed-pipe experiments: Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zahoor, A.; Gamble, R.M.

1986-11-01

The purpose of this work was to perform elastic plastic fracture mechanics evaluations of experimental data that have become available from the NRC Degraded Pipe Program, Phase II (DPII) and other NRC and EPRI sponsored programs. These evaluations were used to assess flaw evaluation procedures for austenitic and ferritic steel piping. The results also have application to leak before break fracture mechanics analysis. An improved relationship was developed for computing the J-Integral for pipes containing throughwall flaws and loaded in pure bending. The results from several DPII experiments were compared to predictions based on new J estimation scheme solutions for circumferential, finite length part-throughwall flaws in pipes with bending loading. Comparisons of experimental maximum loads with those predicted using procedures in Paragraph IWB-3640, Section XI of the ASME Code indicate that the Code flaw evaluation procedures and allowables for austenitic steel pipe are appropriate and conservative. However, the comparisons also indicate that the base metal Code allowable loads may be about 15 to 20% high for small diameter piping (less than 8-inch diameter) at allowable a/t larger than about 0.5. The work further indicates that there is justification for reducing the conservatism in IWB-3640 allowable flaw sizes and loads for austenitic steel pipe with submerged or shielded metal arc welds.

Field evaluation of a fast anti-Leishmania antibody detection assay in Ethiopia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hailu, A.; Schoone, G. J.; Diro, E.; Tesfaye, A.; Techane, Y.; Tefera, T.; Assefa, Y.; Genetu, A.; Kebede, Y.; Kebede, T.; Schallig, H. D. F. H.

2006-01-01

A fast agglutination screening test (FAST) for the detection of Leishmania antibodies in human serum samples was evaluated under harsh field conditions in northern Ethiopia. Test performance was compared with a standard serological test, namely the direct agglutination test (DAT), and with

Improving Accuracy of Dempster-Shafer Theory Based Anomaly Detection Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ling Zou

2014-07-01

Full Text Available While the Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence has been widely used in anomaly detection, there are some issues with them. Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence trusts evidences equally which does not hold in distributed-sensor ADS. Moreover, evidences are dependent with each other sometimes which will lead to false alert. We propose improving by incorporating two algorithms. Features selection algorithm employs Gaussian Graphical Models to discover correlation between some candidate features. A group of suitable ADS were selected to detect and detection result were send to the fusion engine. Information gain is applied to set weight for every feature on Weights estimated algorithm. A weighted Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence combined the detection results to achieve a better accuracy. We evaluate our detection prototype through a set of experiments that were conducted with standard benchmark Wisconsin Breast Cancer Dataset and real Internet traffic. Evaluations on the Wisconsin Breast Cancer Dataset show that our prototype can find the correlation in nine features and improve the detection rate without affecting the false positive rate. Evaluations on Internet traffic show that Weights estimated algorithm can improve the detection performance significantly.

Performance evaluation of sea surface simulation methods for target detection

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Renjie; Wu, Xin; Yang, Chen; Han, Yiping; Zhang, Jianqi

2017-11-01

With the fast development of sea surface target detection by optoelectronic sensors, machine learning has been adopted to improve the detection performance. Many features can be learned from training images by machines automatically. However, field images of sea surface target are not sufficient as training data. 3D scene simulation is a promising method to address this problem. For ocean scene simulation, sea surface height field generation is the key point to achieve high fidelity. In this paper, two spectra-based height field generation methods are evaluated. Comparison between the linear superposition and linear filter method is made quantitatively with a statistical model. 3D ocean scene simulating results show the different features between the methods, which can give reference for synthesizing sea surface target images with different ocean conditions.

The isotope correlation experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koch, L.; Schoof, S.

1983-01-01

The ESARDA working group on Isotopic Correlation Techniques, ICT and Reprocessing Input Analysis performed an Isotope Correlation Experiment, ICE with the aim to check the feasibility of the new technique. Ten input batches of the reprocessing of the KWO fuel at the WAK plant were analysed by 4 laboratories. All information to compare ICT with the gravimetric and volumetric methods was available. ICT combined with simplified reactor physics calculation was included. The main objectives of the statistical data evaluation were detection of outliers, the estimation of random errors and of systematic errors of the measurements performed by the 4 laboratories. Different methods for outlier detection, analysis of variances, Grubbs' analysis for the constant-bias model and Jaech's non-constant-bias model were applied. Some of the results of the statistical analysis may seem inconsistent which is due to the following reasons. For the statistical evaluations isotope abundance data (weight percent) as well as nuclear concentration data (atoms/initial metal atoms) were subjected to different outlier criteria before being used for further statistical evaluations. None of the four data evaluation groups performed a complete statistical data analysis which would render possible a comparison of the different methods applied since no commonly agreed statistical evaluation procedure existed. The results prove that ICT is as accurate as conventional techniques which have to rely on costly mass spectrometric isotope dilution analysis. The potential of outlier detection by ICT on the basis of the results from a single laboratory is as good as outlier detection by costly interlaboratory comparison. The application of fission product or Cm-244 correlations would be more timely than remeasurements at safeguards laboratories

Initial experience in hybrid PET-MRI for evaluation of refractory focal onset epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Hae W; Jewells, Valerie; Sheikh, Arif; Zhang, Jingwen; Zhu, Hongtu; An, Hongyu; Gao, Wei; Shen, Dinggang; Hadar, Eldad; Lin, Weili

2015-09-01

We aim to evaluate the utility/improved accuracy of hybrid PET/MR compared to current practice separate 3T MRI and PET-CT imaging for localization of seizure foci. In a pilot study, twenty-nine patients undergoing epilepsy surgery evaluation were imaged using PET/MR. This subject group had 29 previous clinical 3T MRI as well as 12 PET-CT studies. Prior clinical PET and MR images were read sequentially while the hybrid PET/MR was concurrently read. The median interval between hybrid PET/MR and prior imaging studies was 5 months (range 1-77 months). In 24 patients, there was no change in the read between the clinical exams and hybrid PET/MR while new anatomical or functional lesions were identified by hybrid PET/MR in 5 patients without significant clinical change. Four new anatomical MR lesions were seen with concordant PET findings. The remaining patient revealed a new abnormal PET lesion without an MR abnormality. All new PET/MR lesions were clinically significant with concordant EEG and/or SPECT results as potential epileptic foci. Our initial hybrid PET-MRI experience increased diagnostic yields for detection of potential epileptic lesions. This may be due to the unique advantage of improved co-registration and simultaneous review of both structural and functional data. Copyright © 2015 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the evaluation of the Munich-Frascati Werber-type experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kafka, Peter

1974-01-01

The theory of optimal evaluation is sketched and applied to the case of short pulses of gravitational radiation. The concepts of one-detector and multi-detector sensitivity are clarified. Comparison of the equivalent circuits of various detectors and tests with artificial pulses show that the pulses reported by Weber should be detectable in coincidence between Munich and Frascati. First negative results are presented

The phase-space structure of a dark-matter halo: Implications for dark-matter direct detection experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helmi, Amina; White, Simon D.M.; Springel, Volker

2002-01-01

We study the phase-space structure of a dark-matter halo formed in a high resolution simulation of a ΛCDM cosmology. Our goal is to quantify how much substructure is left over from the inhomogeneous growth of the halo, and how it may affect the signal in experiments aimed at detecting the dark matter particles directly. If we focus on the equivalent of 'solar vicinity', we find that the dark matter is smoothly distributed in space. The probability of detecting particles bound within dense lumps of individual mass less than 10 7 M · h -1 is small, less than 10 -2 . The velocity ellipsoid in the solar neighborhood deviates only slightly from a multivariate Gaussian, and can be thought of as a superposition of thousands of kinematically cold streams. The motions of the most energetic particles are, however, strongly clumped and highly anisotropic. We conclude that experiments may safely assume a smooth multivariate Gaussian distribution to represent the kinematics of dark-matter particles in the solar neighborhood. Experiments sensitive to the direction of motion of the incident particles could exploit the expected anisotropy to learn about the recent merging history of our Galaxy

Facebook and user experience: Evaluating brand equity of Purdue University residences

OpenAIRE

Perkins, Jackelyn

2016-01-01

This study investigated how brand equity was perceived on the Purdue University Residences’ Facebook page by applying a user experience method. From a review of previous literature, Website Experience Analysis was identified and performed to evaluate brand equity. This study addressed and explored various themes throughout the data. The results showed how page content and user interactions within a Facebook page influence participants’ perceptions of brand equity.

Spin-lock MR enhances the detection sensitivity of superparamagnetic iron oxide particles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moonen, R.P.M.; van der Tol, P.; Hectors, S.J.C.G.; Starmans, L.W.E.; Nicolaij, K.; Strijkers, G.J.

2015-01-01

Purpose To evaluate spin-lock MR for detecting superparamagnetic iron oxides and compare the detection sensitivity of quantitative T1ρ with T2 imaging. Methods In vitro experiments were performed to investigate the influence of iron oxide particle size and composition on T1ρ. These comprise T1ρ and

Spin-lock MR enhances the detection sensitivity of superparamagnetic iron oxide particles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moonen, Rik P. M.; van der Tol, Pieternel; Hectors, Stefanie J. C. G.; Starmans, Lucas W. E.; Nicolay, Klaas; Strijkers, Gustav J.

2015-01-01

To evaluate spin-lock MR for detecting superparamagnetic iron oxides and compare the detection sensitivity of quantitative T1ρ with T2 imaging. In vitro experiments were performed to investigate the influence of iron oxide particle size and composition on T1ρ . These comprise T1ρ and T2 measurements

Evaluation of Accuracy of Calculational Prediction of Criticality Based on ICSBEP Handbook Experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golovko, Yury; Rozhikhin, Yevgeniy; Tsibulya, Anatoly; Koscheev, Vladimir

2008-01-01

Experiments with plutonium, low enriched uranium and uranium-233 from the ICSBEP Handbook are being considered in this paper. Among these experiments it was selected only those, which seem to be the most relevant to the evaluation of uncertainty of critical mass of mixtures of plutonium or low enriched uranium or uranium-233 with light water. All selected experiments were examined and covariance matrices of criticality uncertainties were developed along with some uncertainties were revised. Statistical analysis of these experiments was performed and some contradictions were discovered and eliminated. Evaluation of accuracy of prediction of criticality calculations was performed using the internally consistent set of experiments with plutonium, low enriched uranium and uranium-233 remained after the statistical analyses. The application objects for the evaluation of calculational prediction of criticality were water-reflected spherical systems of homogeneous aqueous mixtures of plutonium or low enriched uranium or uranium-233 of different concentrations which are simplified models of apparatus of external fuel cycle. It is shows that the procedure allows to considerably reduce uncertainty in k eff caused by the uncertainties in neutron cross-sections. Also it is shows that the results are practically independent of initial covariance matrices of nuclear data uncertainties. (authors)

Prototype detection unit for the CHIPS experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Pfützner, Maciej M.

2017-09-01

CHIPS (CHerenkov detectors In mine PitS) is an R&D project aiming to develop novel cost-effective neutrino detectors, focused on measuring the CP-violating neutrino mixing phase (δ CP). A single detector module, containing an enclosed volume of purified water, would be submerged in an existing lake, located in a neutrino beam. A staged approach is proposed with first detectors deployed in a flooded mine pit in Northern Minnesota, 7 mrad off-axis from the existing NuMI beam. A small proof-of-principle model (CHIPS-M) has already been tested and the first stage of a fully functional 10 kt module (CHIPS-10) is planned for 2018. One of the instruments submerged on board of CHIPS-M in autumn 2015 was a prototype detection unit, constructed at Nikhef. The unit contains hardware borrowed from the KM3NeT experiment, including 16 3 inch photomultiplier tubes and readout electronics. In addition to testing the mechanical design and data acquisition, the detector was used to record a large sample of cosmic ray muon events. The collected data is valuable for characterising the cosmic muon background and validating a Monte Carlo simulation used to optimise future designs. This paper introduces the CHIPS project, describes the design of the prototype unit, and presents the results of a preliminary data analysis.

Detecting long-term growth trends using tree rings: a critical evaluation of methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, Richard L; Groenendijk, Peter; Vlam, Mart; Zuidema, Pieter A

2015-05-01

Tree-ring analysis is often used to assess long-term trends in tree growth. A variety of growth-trend detection methods (GDMs) exist to disentangle age/size trends in growth from long-term growth changes. However, these detrending methods strongly differ in approach, with possible implications for their output. Here, we critically evaluate the consistency, sensitivity, reliability and accuracy of four most widely used GDMs: conservative detrending (CD) applies mathematical functions to correct for decreasing ring widths with age; basal area correction (BAC) transforms diameter into basal area growth; regional curve standardization (RCS) detrends individual tree-ring series using average age/size trends; and size class isolation (SCI) calculates growth trends within separate size classes. First, we evaluated whether these GDMs produce consistent results applied to an empirical tree-ring data set of Melia azedarach, a tropical tree species from Thailand. Three GDMs yielded similar results - a growth decline over time - but the widely used CD method did not detect any change. Second, we assessed the sensitivity (probability of correct growth-trend detection), reliability (100% minus probability of detecting false trends) and accuracy (whether the strength of imposed trends is correctly detected) of these GDMs, by applying them to simulated growth trajectories with different imposed trends: no trend, strong trends (-6% and +6% change per decade) and weak trends (-2%, +2%). All methods except CD, showed high sensitivity, reliability and accuracy to detect strong imposed trends. However, these were considerably lower in the weak or no-trend scenarios. BAC showed good sensitivity and accuracy, but low reliability, indicating uncertainty of trend detection using this method. Our study reveals that the choice of GDM influences results of growth-trend studies. We recommend applying multiple methods when analysing trends and encourage performing sensitivity and reliability

Off-site evaluation of liver lesion detection by Gd-BOPTA-enhanced MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gehl, H.B.; Bourne, M.; Grazioli, L.; Moeller, A.; Lodemann, K.P.

2001-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of Gd-BOPTA-enhanced MRI in liver lesion detection in comparison with unenhanced MRI and dynamic CT. The image sets of 148 of 151 patients enrolled in a multicenter German phase-III trial were evaluated by two independent radiologists unaffiliated with the investigating centers. Patients underwent a routine MRI protocol comprising T2- and T1-weighted spin-echo and T1-weighted gradient-echo (GE) sequences pre and 1 h post 0.1 mmol/kg Gd-BOPTA (Bracco-Byk Gulden, Konstanz, Germany). Additionally, a serial T1-weighted GE scan was performed after administration of the first half of the dose. All patients underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced CT. The evaluation was performed with regard to the number and size of lesions detected per patient by each modality or sequence. Furthermore, all pre CM and pre + post CM image sets were analyzed for number of lesions per patient. Both readers detected significantly more lesions in the contrast-enhanced image set compared with the unenhanced image set (32 and 39 %, respectively; p < 0.0001). While contrast-enhanced CT detected a similar number of lesions to unenhanced MRI, it was clearly inferior to contrast-enhanced MRI (reader 1: p = 0.0117; reader 2: p = 0.0225). Of the T1-weighted scans performed, the dynamic and late T1-weighted GE exams contributed most to the increased lesion detection rate (reader 1: p = 0.0007; reader 2: p = 0.0037). The size of the smallest lesion detected by means of MRI was significantly larger in the pre-CM image sets than in the pre + post CM image sets (reader 1: p = 0.001; reader 2: p < 0.0001). Gd-BOPTA-enhanced MRI detected significantly smaller lesions than contrast-enhanced CT (reader 1: p = 0.0117; reader 2: p = 0.0925). Gd-BOPTA-enhanced MR imaging improves liver lesion detection significantly over unenhanced MRI and dynamic CT. (orig.)

Off-site evaluation of liver lesion detection by Gd-BOPTA-enhanced MR imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gehl, H.B. [Inst. of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Univ. of Luebeck (Germany); Bourne, M. [Dept. of Radiology, Univ. Hospital of Wales, Cardiff (United Kingdom); Grazioli, L. [Dept. of Radiology, Univ. of Brescia (Italy); Moeller, A. [MEDIDATA GmbH, Konstanz (Germany); Lodemann, K.P. [BRACCO-BYK GULDEN GmbH, Konstanz (Germany)

2001-02-01

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of Gd-BOPTA-enhanced MRI in liver lesion detection in comparison with unenhanced MRI and dynamic CT. The image sets of 148 of 151 patients enrolled in a multicenter German phase-III trial were evaluated by two independent radiologists unaffiliated with the investigating centers. Patients underwent a routine MRI protocol comprising T2- and T1-weighted spin-echo and T1-weighted gradient-echo (GE) sequences pre and 1 h post 0.1 mmol/kg Gd-BOPTA (Bracco-Byk Gulden, Konstanz, Germany). Additionally, a serial T1-weighted GE scan was performed after administration of the first half of the dose. All patients underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced CT. The evaluation was performed with regard to the number and size of lesions detected per patient by each modality or sequence. Furthermore, all pre CM and pre + post CM image sets were analyzed for number of lesions per patient. Both readers detected significantly more lesions in the contrast-enhanced image set compared with the unenhanced image set (32 and 39 %, respectively; p < 0.0001). While contrast-enhanced CT detected a similar number of lesions to unenhanced MRI, it was clearly inferior to contrast-enhanced MRI (reader 1: p = 0.0117; reader 2: p = 0.0225). Of the T1-weighted scans performed, the dynamic and late T1-weighted GE exams contributed most to the increased lesion detection rate (reader 1: p = 0.0007; reader 2: p = 0.0037). The size of the smallest lesion detected by means of MRI was significantly larger in the pre-CM image sets than in the pre + post CM image sets (reader 1: p = 0.001; reader 2: p < 0.0001). Gd-BOPTA-enhanced MRI detected significantly smaller lesions than contrast-enhanced CT (reader 1: p = 0.0117; reader 2: p = 0.0925). Gd-BOPTA-enhanced MR imaging improves liver lesion detection significantly over unenhanced MRI and dynamic CT. (orig.)

System for detecting acoustic emissions in multianvil experiments: Application to deep seismicity in the Earth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Haemyeong; Fei Yingwei; Silver, Paul G.; Green, Harry W.

2006-01-01

One of the major goals in the experimental study of deep earthquakes is to identify slip instabilities at high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) that might be responsible for the occurrence of earthquakes. Detecting acoustic emissions from a specimen during faulting provides unique constraints on the instability process. There are few experimental studies reporting acoustic emissions under HPHT conditions, due to technical challenges. And those studies have used only one or at most two acoustic sensors during the experiments. Such techniques preclude the accurate location of the acoustic emission source region and thus the ability to distinguish real signal from noise that may be coming from outside the sample. We have developed a system for detecting acoustic emissions at HPHT. Here we present a four-channel acoustic emission detecting system working in the HPHT octahedral multianvil apparatus. Each channel has high resolution (12 bits) and a sampling rate of 30 MHz. In experiments at the pressures up to 6 GPa and temperatures up to 770 deg. C, we have observed acoustic emissions under various conditions. Analyzing these signals, we are able to show that this system permits us to distinguish between signal and noise, locate the source of the acoustic emission, and obtain reliable data on the radiation pattern. This system has greatly improved our ability to study faulting instabilities under high pressure and high temperature

Surface crack detection by magnetic particle inspection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goebbels, K.

1988-01-01

For ferromagnetic materials magnetic particle inspection is without doubt the most sensitive method to detect surface cracks and the least sensitive method referring to disturbing boundary conditions. Up to now the technique is based on experiments, experience, on empirical facts and on a subjective evaluation. This contribution for the first time presents a concept which allows the objective, reproducible as well as reliable magnetic particle inspection: Modelling of testing based on Maxwell's equations by finite element calculation; objective setting of test-parameters and their surveillance, handling systems, illumination and sensors, image processing and fully automated evaluation. Economy and safety of magnetic particle inspection are strongly improved by this procedure. (orig./HP) [de

A signal detection-item response theory model for evaluating neuropsychological measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Michael L; Brown, Gregory G; Gur, Ruben C; Moore, Tyler M; Patt, Virginie M; Risbrough, Victoria B; Baker, Dewleen G

2018-02-05

Models from signal detection theory are commonly used to score neuropsychological test data, especially tests of recognition memory. Here we show that certain item response theory models can be formulated as signal detection theory models, thus linking two complementary but distinct methodologies. We then use the approach to evaluate the validity (construct representation) of commonly used research measures, demonstrate the impact of conditional error on neuropsychological outcomes, and evaluate measurement bias. Signal detection-item response theory (SD-IRT) models were fitted to recognition memory data for words, faces, and objects. The sample consisted of U.S. Infantry Marines and Navy Corpsmen participating in the Marine Resiliency Study. Data comprised item responses to the Penn Face Memory Test (PFMT; N = 1,338), Penn Word Memory Test (PWMT; N = 1,331), and Visual Object Learning Test (VOLT; N = 1,249), and self-report of past head injury with loss of consciousness. SD-IRT models adequately fitted recognition memory item data across all modalities. Error varied systematically with ability estimates, and distributions of residuals from the regression of memory discrimination onto self-report of past head injury were positively skewed towards regions of larger measurement error. Analyses of differential item functioning revealed little evidence of systematic bias by level of education. SD-IRT models benefit from the measurement rigor of item response theory-which permits the modeling of item difficulty and examinee ability-and from signal detection theory-which provides an interpretive framework encompassing the experimentally validated constructs of memory discrimination and response bias. We used this approach to validate the construct representation of commonly used research measures and to demonstrate how nonoptimized item parameters can lead to erroneous conclusions when interpreting neuropsychological test data. Future work might include the

Surface defect detection in tiling Industries using digital image processing methods: analysis and evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Karimi, Mohammad H; Asemani, Davud

2014-05-01

Ceramic and tile industries should indispensably include a grading stage to quantify the quality of products. Actually, human control systems are often used for grading purposes. An automatic grading system is essential to enhance the quality control and marketing of the products. Since there generally exist six different types of defects originating from various stages of tile manufacturing lines with distinct textures and morphologies, many image processing techniques have been proposed for defect detection. In this paper, a survey has been made on the pattern recognition and image processing algorithms which have been used to detect surface defects. Each method appears to be limited for detecting some subgroup of defects. The detection techniques may be divided into three main groups: statistical pattern recognition, feature vector extraction and texture/image classification. The methods such as wavelet transform, filtering, morphology and contourlet transform are more effective for pre-processing tasks. Others including statistical methods, neural networks and model-based algorithms can be applied to extract the surface defects. Although, statistical methods are often appropriate for identification of large defects such as Spots, but techniques such as wavelet processing provide an acceptable response for detection of small defects such as Pinhole. A thorough survey is made in this paper on the existing algorithms in each subgroup. Also, the evaluation parameters are discussed including supervised and unsupervised parameters. Using various performance parameters, different defect detection algorithms are compared and evaluated. Copyright © 2013 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluating Classifiers in Detecting 419 Scams in Bilingual Cybercriminal Communities

OpenAIRE

Mbaziira, Alex V.; Abozinadah, Ehab; Jones Jr, James H.

2015-01-01

Incidents of organized cybercrime are rising because of criminals are reaping high financial rewards while incurring low costs to commit crime. As the digital landscape broadens to accommodate more internet-enabled devices and technologies like social media, more cybercriminals who are not native English speakers are invading cyberspace to cash in on quick exploits. In this paper we evaluate the performance of three machine learning classifiers in detecting 419 scams in a bilingual Nigerian c...

Evaluating a nursing erasmus exchange experience: Reflections on the use and value of the Nominal Group Technique for evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cunningham, Sheila

2017-09-01

This paper discusses the use of Nominal Group Technique (NGT) for European nursing exchange evaluation at one university. The NGT is a semi-quantitative evaluation method derived from the Delphi method popular in the 1970s and 1980s. The NGT was modified from the traditional version retaining the structured cycles and but adding a broader group discussion. The NGT had been used for 2 successive years but required analysis and evaluation itself for credibility and 'fit' for purpose which is presented here. It aimed to explore nursing students' exchange experiences and aid programme development futures exchanges and closure from exchange. Results varied for the cohorts and students as participants enthusiastically engaged generating ample data which they ranked and categorised collectively. Evaluation of the NGT itself was two fold: by the programme team who considered purpose, audience, inclusivity, context and expertise. Secondly, students were asked for their thoughts using a graffiti board. Students avidly engaged with NGT but importantly also reported an effect from the process itself as an opportunity to reflect and share their experiences. The programme team concluded the NGT offered a credible evaluation tool which made use of authentic student voice and offered interactive group processes. Pedagogially, it enabled active reflection thus aiding reorientation back to the United Kingdom and awareness of 'transformative' consequences of their exchange experiences. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detection of fraudulent emails by employing advanced feature abundance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarwat Nizamani

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we present a fraudulent email detection model using advanced feature choice. We extracted various kinds of features and compared the performance of each category of features with the others in terms of the fraudulent email detection rate. The different types of features are incorporated step by step. The detection of fraudulent email has been considered as a classification problem and it is evaluated using various state-of-the art algorithms and on CCM (Nizamani et al., 2011 [1] which is authors’ previous cluster based classification model. The experiments have been performed on diverse feature sets and the different classification methods. The comparison of the results is also presented and the evaluation show that for the fraudulent email detection tasks, the feature set is more important regardless of classification method. The results of the study suggest that the task of fraudulent emails detection requires the better choice of feature set; while the choice of classification method is of less importance.

Shower reconstruction in the CLUE experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bartoli, B.; Bastieri, D.; Bigongiari, C. E-mail: bigongiari@pd.infn.it; Ciocci, M.A.; Cosulich, D.; Cresti, M.; Dokoutchaeva, V.; Kartashov, D.; Liello, F.; Malakhov, N.; Mariotti, M.; Marsella, G.; Menzione, A.; Paoletti, R.; Parlavecchio, G.; Peruzzo, L.; Piccioli, A.; Pegna, R.; Rosso, F.; Sacco, R.; Saggion, A.; Sartori, G.; Sartori, P.; Sbarra, C.; Scribano, A.; Smogailov, E.; Stamerra, A.; Turini, N

2001-04-01

The CLUE experiment studies primary cosmic rays (E{>=}2 TeV) by detecting UV (190-230 nm) Cherenkov light produced by atmospheric showers. Since atmospheric absorption in the UV range is higher than in the visible range, CLUE cannot apply algorithms normally used in IACT experiments to determine primary cosmic-ray direction. In this paper, we present a new method developed by CLUE. The algorithm performances were evaluated using simulated showers. Preliminary results of the source analysis using this new method are shown.

Shower reconstruction in the CLUE experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartoli, B.; Bastieri, D.; Bigongiari, C.; Ciocci, M.A.; Cosulich, D.; Cresti, M.; Dokoutchaeva, V.; Kartashov, D.; Liello, F.; Malakhov, N.; Mariotti, M.; Marsella, G.; Menzione, A.; Paoletti, R.; Parlavecchio, G.; Peruzzo, L.; Piccioli, A.; Pegna, R.; Rosso, F.; Sacco, R.; Saggion, A.; Sartori, G.; Sartori, P.; Sbarra, C.; Scribano, A.; Smogailov, E.; Stamerra, A.; Turini, N.

2001-01-01

The CLUE experiment studies primary cosmic rays (E≥2 TeV) by detecting UV (190-230 nm) Cherenkov light produced by atmospheric showers. Since atmospheric absorption in the UV range is higher than in the visible range, CLUE cannot apply algorithms normally used in IACT experiments to determine primary cosmic-ray direction. In this paper, we present a new method developed by CLUE. The algorithm performances were evaluated using simulated showers. Preliminary results of the source analysis using this new method are shown

Regression analysis utilizing subjective evaluation of emotional experience in PET studies on emotions.

Science.gov (United States)

Aalto, Sargo; Wallius, Esa; Näätänen, Petri; Hiltunen, Jaana; Metsähonkala, Liisa; Sipilä, Hannu; Karlsson, Hasse

2005-09-01

A methodological study on subject-specific regression analysis (SSRA) exploring the correlation between the neural response and the subjective evaluation of emotional experience in eleven healthy females is presented. The target emotions, i.e., amusement and sadness, were induced using validated film clips, regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured using positron emission tomography (PET), and the subjective intensity of the emotional experience during the PET scanning was measured using a category ratio (CR-10) scale. Reliability analysis of the rating data indicated that the subjects rated the intensity of their emotional experience fairly consistently on the CR-10 scale (Cronbach alphas 0.70-0.97). A two-phase random-effects analysis was performed to ensure the generalizability and inter-study comparability of the SSRA results. Random-effects SSRAs using Statistical non-Parametric Mapping 99 (SnPM99) showed that rCBF correlated with the self-rated intensity of the emotional experience mainly in the brain regions that were identified in the random-effects subtraction analyses using the same imaging data. Our results give preliminary evidence of a linear association between the neural responses related to amusement and sadness and the self-evaluated intensity of the emotional experience in several regions involved in the emotional response. SSRA utilizing subjective evaluation of emotional experience turned out a feasible and promising method of analysis. It allows versatile exploration of the neurobiology of emotions and the neural correlates of actual and individual emotional experience. Thus, SSRA might be able to catch the idiosyncratic aspects of the emotional response better than traditional subtraction analysis.

Childbirth experience questionnaire (CEQ: development and evaluation of a multidimensional instrument

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bergqvist Liselotte

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Negative experiences of first childbirth increase risks for maternal postpartum depression and may negatively affect mothers' attitudes toward future pregnancies and choice of delivery method. Postpartum questionnaires assessing mothers' childbirth experiences are needed to aid in identifying mothers in need of support and counselling and in isolating areas of labour and birth management and care potentially in need of improvement. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a questionnaire for assessing different aspects of first-time mothers' childbirth experiences. Methods Childbirth domains were derived from literature searches, discussions with experienced midwives and interviews with first-time mothers. A draft version of the Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ was pilot tested for face validity among 25 primiparous women. The revised questionnaire was mailed one month postpartum to 1177 primiparous women with a normal pregnancy and spontaneous onset of active labor and 920 returned evaluable questionnaires. Exploratory factor analysis using principal components analysis and promax rotation was performed to identify dimensions of the childbirth experience. Multitrait scaling analysis was performed to test scaling assumptions and reliability of scales. Discriminant validity was assessed by comparing scores from subgroups known to differ in childbirth experiences. Results Factor analysis of the 22 item questionnaire yielded four factors accounting for 54% of the variance. The dimensions were labelled Own capacity, Professional support, Perceived safety, and Participation. Multitrait scaling analysis confirmed the fit of the four-dimensional model and scaling success was achieved in all four sub-scales. The questionnaire showed good sensitivity with dimensions discriminating well between groups hypothesized to differ in experience of childbirth. Conclusion The CEQ measures important dimensions of the first

Evaluation of diagnostic ability of CCD digital radiography in the detection of incipient dental caries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Wan; Lee, Byung Do

2003-01-01

The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the diagnostic ability of a CCD-based digital system (CDX-2000HQ) in the detection of incipient dental caries. 93 extracted human teeth with sound proximal surfaces and interproximal artificial cavities were radiographed using 4 imaging methods. Automatically processed No.2 Insight film (Eastman Kodak Co., U.S.A.) was used for conventional radiography, scanned images of conventional radiograms for indirect digital radiography were used. For the direct digital radiography, the CDX-2000HQ CCD system (Biomedisys Co. Korea) was used. The subtraction images were made from two direct digital images by Sunny program in the CDX-2000HQ system. Two radiologists and three endodontists examined the presence of lesions using a five-point confidence scale and compared the diagnostic ability by ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) analysis and one way ANOVA test. The mean ROC areas of conventional radiography, indirect digital radiography, direct digital radiography, and digital subtraction radiography were 0.9093, 0.9102, 0.9184, and 0.9056, respectively. The diagnostic ability of direct digital radiography was better than the other imaging modalities, but there were no statistical differences among these imaging modalities (p>0.05). These results indicate that new CCD-based digital systems (CDX-2000HQ) have the potential to serve as an alternative to conventional radiography in the detection of incipient dental caries.

Detection of supernova neutrinos in the liquid-scintillator experiment LENA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winter, Jurgen Michael Albrecht

2014-01-01

The LENA project (Low-Energy Neutrino Astronomy) is a planned large-volume liquid-scintillator detector. The good energy resolution, low-energy threshold, and its large mass allow to perform real-time spectroscopy of low-energy neutrinos with high statistics. This is especially beneficial for the observation of rare events such as a galactic core-collapse supernova. In a liquid scintillator, interactions by different particle types cause different scintillation light pulse shapes. They can be used to identify proton recoils induced by neutrino-proton scattering from supernova neutrinos or by cosmogenic knock-out neutrons. In order to evaluate the performance of the detector, a precise characterization of the liquid scintillator is necessary. In the course of this work, an experiment has been set up at the Maier-Leibnitz-Laboratorium in Garching in order to determine the pulse shape of proton and electron recoils in different liquid-scintillator mixtures. Neutrons produced via 11 B(p,n) 11 C or an americiumberyllium source were used to induce proton recoils. Compton scattering of simultaneously emitted γs provided information on the electron recoils. A time-of-flight measurement allows for an easy identification of neutron and γ induced events and thus effective background reduction. The tail-to-total and the Gatti method are used in order to determine the energy-dependent discrimination power of proton and electron recoils in liquid scintillator. Combining both methods, a proton recoil identification efficiency of (99.70±0.05)% can be achieved between 1-1.5 MeV, while suppressing 99% of the γ induced recoils for the probable liquid scintillator mixture for LENA, linear alkylbenzene (LAB) as solvent and 3 g/l 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO) and 20mg/l 1,4-bis-(o-methylstyryl)-benzole (bisMSB) as fluors. Moreover, the decay constants τ i and the respective amplitudes n i are determined for various liquid scintillator mixtures. It can be observed that the decay times

Evaluation of the Detection Efficiency of LYSO Scintillator in the Fiber-Optic Radiation Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chan Hee Park

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate fiber-optic sensors for the remote detection of gamma rays in areas that are difficult to access, such as a spent fuel pool. The fiber-optic sensor consists of a light-generating probe, such as scintillators for radiation detection, plastic optical fibers, and light-measuring devices, such as PMT. The (Lu,Y2SiO5:Ce(LYSO:Ce scintillator was chosen as the light-generating probe. The (Lu,Y2SiO5:Ce(LYSO:Ce scintillator has higher scintillation efficiency than the others and transmits light well through an optical fiber because its refraction index is similar to the refractive index of the optical fiber. The fiber-optic radiation sensor using the (Lu,Y2SiO5:Ce(LYSO:Ce scintillator was evaluated in terms of the detection efficiency and reproducibility for examining its applicability as a radiation sensor.

Calibration robust entanglement detection beyond Bell inequalities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moroder, Tobias [Institut fuer Quantenoptik und Quanteninformation, Oesterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Technikerstrasse 21A, A-6020 Innsbruck (Austria); Gittsovich, Oleg [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, N2L 3G1 Waterloo, Ontario (Canada)

2012-07-01

In its vast majority entanglement verification is examined either in the complete characterized or totally device independent scenario. The assumptions imposed by these extreme cases are often either too weak or strong for real experiments. Here we investigate this detection task for the intermediate regime where partial knowledge of the measured observables is known, considering cases like orthogonal, sharp or only dimension bounded measurements. We show that for all these assumptions it is not necessary to violate a corresponding Bell inequality in order to detect entanglement. We derive strong detection criteria that can be directly evaluated for experimental data and which are robust against large classes of calibration errors. The conditions are even capable of detecting bound entanglement under the sole assumption of dimension bounded measurements.

Evaluation of different enrichment methods for pathogenic Yersinia species detection by real time PCR

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Yersiniosis is a zoonotic disease reported worldwide. Culture and PCR based protocols are the most common used methods for detection of pathogenic Yersinia species in animal samples. PCR sensitivity could be increased by an initial enrichment step. This step is particularly useful in surveillance programs, where PCR is applied to samples from asymptomatic animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the improvement in pathogenic Yersinia species detection using a suitable enrichment method prior to the real time PCR (rtPCR). Nine different enrichment protocols were evaluated including six different broth mediums (CASO, ITC, PSB, PBS, PBSMSB and PBSSSB). Results The analysis of variance showed significant differences in Yersinia detection by rtPCR according to the enrichment protocol used. These differences were higher for Y. pseudotuberculosis than for Y. enterocolitica. In general, samples incubated at lower temperatures yielded the highest detection rates. The best results were obtained with PBSMSB and PBS2. Application of PBSMSB protocol to free-ranging wild board samples improved the detection of Y. enterocolitica by 21.2% when compared with direct rtPCR. Y. pseudotuberculosis detection was improved by 10.6% when results obtained by direct rtPCR and by PBSMSB enrichment before rtPCR were analyzed in combination. Conclusions The data obtained in the present study indicate a difference in Yersinia detection by rtPCR related to the enrichment protocol used, being PBSMSB enrichment during 15 days at 4°C and PBS during 7 days at 4°C the most efficient. The use of direct rtPCR in combination with PBSMSB enrichment prior to rtPCR resulted in an improvement in the detection rates of pathogenic Yersinia in wild boar and could be useful for application in other animal samples. PMID:25168886

Cryogenic scintillators for rare events detection in the Edelweiss and EURECA experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verdier, M.A.

2010-10-01

The riddle of the dark matter in astrophysics could be solved by the detection of WIMPs (Weakly Interactive Massive Particles), particles that are predicted by supersymmetry. The direct detection of WIMPs requires a large mass of detectors, able to identify these particles in the background of natural radioactivity and cosmic rays. This thesis takes place within the framework of the EDELWEISS and the future EURECA experiments. These experiments use a technology based on two channel cryogenic detectors (bolometers), working at a few tens of mK. They are composed of crystals in which the energy deposited by particle interactions will produce a temperature increase (phonon signal), and where the ionization of the crystals results in either a charge or photon signal, depending on their nature. In order to broaden the range of targets for scintillating bolometers, we have built a setup to study the scintillation of crystals cooled down to 3 K. It is based on a cryostat with a compact optical geometry allowing enhanced light collection. Thanks to an individual photon counting technique and a statistical treatment of data, it allows us to measure the evolution of the the light yields and the decay time components between room temperature and 3 K. Thus this thesis presents the results obtained at 3 K on two well known room temperature crystals: BGO (Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 ) and BaF 2 . We also study the luminescence properties of titanium sapphire (Ti:Al 2 O 3 ), under VUV excitation cooled down to 8 K. (author)

Evaluating species richness: biased ecological inference results from spatial heterogeneity in species detection probabilities

Science.gov (United States)

McNew, Lance B.; Handel, Colleen M.

2015-01-01

Accurate estimates of species richness are necessary to test predictions of ecological theory and evaluate biodiversity for conservation purposes. However, species richness is difficult to measure in the field because some species will almost always be overlooked due to their cryptic nature or the observer's failure to perceive their cues. Common measures of species richness that assume consistent observability across species are inviting because they may require only single counts of species at survey sites. Single-visit estimation methods ignore spatial and temporal variation in species detection probabilities related to survey or site conditions that may confound estimates of species richness. We used simulated and empirical data to evaluate the bias and precision of raw species counts, the limiting forms of jackknife and Chao estimators, and multi-species occupancy models when estimating species richness to evaluate whether the choice of estimator can affect inferences about the relationships between environmental conditions and community size under variable detection processes. Four simulated scenarios with realistic and variable detection processes were considered. Results of simulations indicated that (1) raw species counts were always biased low, (2) single-visit jackknife and Chao estimators were significantly biased regardless of detection process, (3) multispecies occupancy models were more precise and generally less biased than the jackknife and Chao estimators, and (4) spatial heterogeneity resulting from the effects of a site covariate on species detection probabilities had significant impacts on the inferred relationships between species richness and a spatially explicit environmental condition. For a real dataset of bird observations in northwestern Alaska, the four estimation methods produced different estimates of local species richness, which severely affected inferences about the effects of shrubs on local avian richness. Overall, our results

Implementation of a national detection plan of neonatal hypothyroidism. First year of experience from population sample

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aznarez, A.; Balter, H.; Giambruno, G.

1992-01-01

The experience of the first year of development from a detection program of congenital hypothyroidism is presented. The radioimmunoassay of TSH from heel capillary blood, obtained before the discharge of new-born baby in two obstetrics assistance centers of Medicine Faculty is also studied. (C.G.C.)

Development and data analysis of a radio-detection of ultra high energy cosmic rays experiment; Developpement et analyse des donnees d'une experience de radiodetection des rayons cosmiques d'ultra haute energie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belletoile, A

2007-10-15

The radio-detection of cosmic rays was first attempted in the sixties. Unfortunately at that time, the results suffered from poor reproducibility and the technique was abandoned in favour of direct particle and fluorescence detection. Taking advantage of recent technological improvements the radio-detection of ultra high energy cosmic rays is being reinvestigated. In this document, first, we remind the reader of the global problematic of cosmic rays. Then, the several mechanisms involved in the emission of an electric field associated with extensive air showers are discussed. The CODALEMA (cosmic detection array with logarithmic electro magnetic antenna) experiment that aims to demonstrate the feasibility of cosmic ray radio-detection, is extensively described along with the first experimental results. A radio-detection test experiment implanted at the giant detector Pierre Auger is presented. It should provide inputs to design the future detector using this technique at extreme energies. (author)

Online Student Evaluation Improves Course Experience Questionnaire Results in a Physiotherapy Program

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Beatrice; Jones, Sue; Straker, Leon

2008-01-01

This paper reports the use of an online student evaluation system, Course Experience on the Web (CEW), in a physiotherapy program to improve their Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) results. CEW comprises a course survey instrument modeled on the CEQ and a tailored unit survey instrument. Closure of the feedback loop is integral in the CEW…

Study of electromagnetic noise influence on quench detection system under different discharge conditions for EAST

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Yanlan; Li, Jiangang; Shen, Biao; Lv, Huanyu; Xiao, Y.Z.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Reliable quench detection in EAST is a key issue for steady-state operation. ► The electromagnet noise interference associated with detection signals under different discharge conditions are evaluated. ► The effective measures have been realized on detection systems. ► Recently upgrade work has been done, especially for the optimization of ACS and false FSDS were reduced greatly. -- Abstract: EAST is the first Tokamak device whose toroidal and poloidal magnet are superconducting. The enormous magnetic field energy stored in the magnet system will transfer into thermal energy and cause the damage of superconducting magnet, if a quench happened. Therefore, reliable quench detection is a key issue for steady-state operation. In addition to electromagnetic noise from poloidal magnet fields and plasma current which will experience fast current ramp rate, radio frequency noise from heating system also have some interference on quench detection system to a certain degree. The most difficult point for quench detection system is required to have more detail evaluation on electromagnetic noise interference. Recently experiments have been carried out successfully in EAST device. The steady-state operation with 1 MA of plasma current and more than 100-s plasma duration has been obtained. In the paper, the electromagnetic noise interference on quench detection system under different discharge conditions are analyzed and relative process methods are also introduced. The technological experience and experimental data are significant for the constructing ITER and similar superconducting device have been mentioned which will supply significant technological experience and experimental data for constructing ITER and similar superconducting device

Transabdominal Ultrasound Colonography for Detection of Colorectal Neoplasms: Initial Clinical Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jin-Ya; Chen, Li-Da; Xu, Jian-Bo; Wu, Hui; Ye, Jin-Ning; Zhang, Xin-Hua; Xie, Xiao-Yan; Wang, Wei; Lu, Ming-De

2017-10-01

We investigated the feasibility of using ultrasound colonography (USC) to visualize the healthy colon and rectum and detect colorectal polyps. Eight healthy volunteers underwent USC after standard bowel preparation. The feasibility and image quality of USC in different segments were evaluated. Then, USC was conducted on eight patients with known colonic neoplasms using colonoscopy as the reference standard. For volunteers, USC examinations were successfully performed on four (50.0%) ascending, three (37.5%) transverse and eight (100%) descending colons, as well as all sigmoid colons and rectums. One of four (25.0%) ascending, two of eight (25.0%) descending and all sigmoid colons and rectums were well visualized and free of artifacts. For patients, colonoscopy revealed that eight patients had 17 neoplasms in the distal sigmoid colon and rectum, which included 3 lesions ≤5 mm, 3 lesions 6-9 mm and 11 lesions ≥10 mm. USC visualized 12 of 17 (70.6%) neoplasms. Lesion detection by USC was 0% (0/3), 33.3% (1/3) and 100% (11/11) for neoplasms ≤5, 6-9 mm and ≥10 mm in size. USC can visualize the sigmoid colon and rectum well and detect distal sigmoid and rectal neoplasms ≥10 mm in diameter. Copyright © 2017 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Large proportional chambers for muon detection in the CELLO experiment at PETRA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aleksan, R.; Bouchez, J.; Cozzika, G.; Ducros, Y.; Durand, A.; Francinet, G.; Gaidot, A.; Heitzmann, J.; Martin, H.; Maillet, J.C.

1981-01-01

We describe the muon detector in the CELLO experiment. This detector is composed of one layer of proportional chambers placed after a total of 5 interaction lengths of matter. These chambers have cathode read-out, thus enabling the unambiguous determination of coordinates. A total of 32 chambers has been built in order to cover 95% of the total solid angle. The read-out electronics use the FILAS intergrated chips made by EFCIS. Data concentration is done by a multiplexing system which addresses only those chambers which have some information. The precision is poor, but sufficient for muon detection: sigma = +-6 mm. (orig.)

Crowdsourcing image annotation for nucleus detection and segmentation in computational pathology: evaluating experts, automated methods, and the crowd.

Science.gov (United States)

Irshad, H; Montaser-Kouhsari, L; Waltz, G; Bucur, O; Nowak, J A; Dong, F; Knoblauch, N W; Beck, A H

2015-01-01

The development of tools in computational pathology to assist physicians and biomedical scientists in the diagnosis of disease requires access to high-quality annotated images for algorithm learning and evaluation. Generating high-quality expert-derived annotations is time-consuming and expensive. We explore the use of crowdsourcing for rapidly obtaining annotations for two core tasks in com- putational pathology: nucleus detection and nucleus segmentation. We designed and implemented crowdsourcing experiments using the CrowdFlower platform, which provides access to a large set of labor channel partners that accesses and manages millions of contributors worldwide. We obtained annotations from four types of annotators and compared concordance across these groups. We obtained: crowdsourced annotations for nucleus detection and segmentation on a total of 810 images; annotations using automated methods on 810 images; annotations from research fellows for detection and segmentation on 477 and 455 images, respectively; and expert pathologist-derived annotations for detection and segmentation on 80 and 63 images, respectively. For the crowdsourced annotations, we evaluated performance across a range of contributor skill levels (1, 2, or 3). The crowdsourced annotations (4,860 images in total) were completed in only a fraction of the time and cost required for obtaining annotations using traditional methods. For the nucleus detection task, the research fellow-derived annotations showed the strongest concordance with the expert pathologist- derived annotations (F-M =93.68%), followed by the crowd-sourced contributor levels 1,2, and 3 and the automated method, which showed relatively similar performance (F-M = 87.84%, 88.49%, 87.26%, and 86.99%, respectively). For the nucleus segmentation task, the crowdsourced contributor level 3-derived annotations, research fellow-derived annotations, and automated method showed the strongest concordance with the expert pathologist

General practitioners' experience and benefits from patient evaluations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olesen Frede

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background It has now for many years been recognised that patient evaluations should be undertaken as an integral part of the complex task of improving the quality of general practice care. Yet little is known about the general practitioners' (GPs' benefit from patient evaluations. Aim 1 was to study the impact on the GPs of a patient evaluation and subsequent feedback of results presented at a plenary session comprising a study guide for the results and group discussions. Aim 2 was to study possible facilitators and barriers to the implementations of the results raised by the patient evaluation process. Methods A patient evaluation survey of 597 voluntarily participating GPs was performed by means of the EUROPEP questionnaire. Evaluation results were fed back to the GPs as written reports at a single feedback meeting with group discussions of the results. Between 3 and 17 months after the feedback, the 597 GPs received a questionnaire with items addressing their experience with and perceived benefit from the evaluations. Results 79.4% of the GPs responded. 33% of the responding GPs reported that the patient evaluation had raised their attention to the patient perspective on the quality of general practice care. Job satisfaction had improved among 26%, and 21% had developed a more positive attitude to patient evaluations. 77% of the GPs reported having learnt from the evaluation. 54% had made changes to improve practice, 82% would recommend a patient evaluation to a colleague and 75% would do another patient evaluation if invited. 14% of the GPs had become less positive towards patient evaluations, and job satisfaction had decreased among 3%. Conclusions We found a significant impact on the GPs regarding satisfaction with the process and attitude towards patient evaluations, GPs' attention to the patients' perspective on care quality and their job satisfaction. Being benchmarked against the average seemed to raise barriers to the

Evaluation of radiotracers for the detection of atherosclerotic vulnerable plaque and myocardial angiogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dimastromatteo, Julien

2010-01-01

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Coronary events are mainly caused by coronary plaque rupture or erosion. However, at present, there is no noninvasive tool available for the detection of vulnerable plaques. The first part of thesis is about evaluation of new radiotracers for the detection of atherosclerotic vulnerable plaques. 99m Tc-B2702p, 20 derivatives, 99m Tc-VP and 99m Tc-VINP28 were evaluated in an experimental model of atherosclerosis (ApoE-/- mice with left carotid artery ligation). 99m Tc- B2702p1 is a potentially useful radiotracer for the in vivo molecular imaging of VCAM-1 expression in atherosclerotic plaques. Myocardial angiogenesis is an important post infarction phenomenon. Angiogenic therapy improves experimentally cardiac parameters. However, clinical trials using the same therapy are more controversial. At present, clinical imaging tools don't allow us to assess angiogenesis therapy. The second part of thesis is about validation of 99m Tc-RAFT-RGD in the detection of myocardial angiogenesis. 99m Tc-RAFT-RGD allow us to perform noninvasive molecular imaging of myocardial angiogenesis in an experimental model. (author)

Development and evaluation of a novel (99mtc-labeled annexin A5 for early detection of response to chemotherapy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kazuma Ogawa

Full Text Available (99mTc-HYNIC-annexin A5 can be considered as a benchmark in the field of apoptosis imaging. However, (99mTc-HYNIC-annexin A5 has characteristics of high uptake and long retention in non-target tissues such as kidney and liver. To minimize this problem, we developed a novel (99mTc-labeled annexin A5 using a bis(hydroxamamide derivative [C3(BHam2] as a bifunctional chelating agent, and evaluated its usefulness as an imaging agent for detecting apoptosis. The amino group of C3(BHam2 was converted to a maleimide group, and was coupled to thiol groups of annexin A5 pretreated with 2-iminothiolane. (99mTc labeling was performed by a ligand exchange reaction with (99mTc-glucoheptonate. Biodistribution experiments for both (99mTc-C3(BHam2-annexin A5 and (99mTc-HYNIC-annexin A5 were performed in normal mice. In addition, in tumor-bearing mice, the relationship between the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy (5-FU and the tumor accumulation of (99mTc-C3(BHam2-annexin A5 just after the first treatment of 5-FU was evaluated. (99mTc-C3(BHam2-annexin A5 was prepared with a radiochemical purity of over 95%. In biodistribution experiments, (99mTc-C3(BHam2-annexin A5 had a much lower kidney accumulation of radioactivity than (99mTc-HYNIC-annexin A5. In the organs for metabolism, such as liver and kidney, radioactivity after the injection of (99mTc-HYNIC-annexin A5 was residual for a long time. On the other hand, radioactivity after the injection of (99mTc-C3(BHam2-annexin A5 gradually decreased. In therapeutic experiments, tumor growth in the mice treated with 5-FU was significantly inhibited. Accumulation of (99mTc-C3(BHam2-annexin A5 in tumors significantly increased after 5-FU treatment. The accumulation of radioactivity in tumor correlated positively with the counts of TUNEL-positive cells. These findings suggest that (99mTc-C3(BHam2-annexin A5 may contribute to the efficient detection of apoptotic tumor response after chemotherapy.

Comparative psychophysics of bumblebee and honeybee colour discrimination and object detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Dyer, Adrian G; Spaethe, Johannes; Prack, Sabina

2008-07-01

Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) discrimination of targets with broadband reflectance spectra was tested using simultaneous viewing conditions, enabling an accurate determination of the perceptual limit of colour discrimination excluding confounds from memory coding (experiment 1). The level of colour discrimination in bumblebees, and honeybees (Apis mellifera) (based upon previous observations), exceeds predictions of models considering receptor noise in the honeybee. Bumblebee and honeybee photoreceptors are similar in spectral shape and spacing, but bumblebees exhibit significantly poorer colour discrimination in behavioural tests, suggesting possible differences in spatial or temporal signal processing. Detection of stimuli in a Y-maze was evaluated for bumblebees (experiment 2) and honeybees (experiment 3). Honeybees detected stimuli containing both green-receptor-contrast and colour contrast at a visual angle of approximately 5 degrees , whilst stimuli that contained only colour contrast were only detected at a visual angle of 15 degrees . Bumblebees were able to detect these stimuli at a visual angle of 2.3 degrees and 2.7 degrees , respectively. A comparison of the experiments suggests a tradeoff between colour discrimination and colour detection in these two species, limited by the need to pool colour signals to overcome receptor noise. We discuss the colour processing differences and possible adaptations to specific ecological habitats.

EVALUATION OF A COMPUTER-AIDED SEMEN ANALYSIS SYSTEM WITH SPERM TAIL DETECTION

NARCIS (Netherlands)

WIJCHMAN, JG; DEWOLF, BTHM; JAGER, S

The aim of this study was to evaluate the Stroemberg-Mika cell motion analyser (SM-CMA) which uses tail detection in order to discriminate between immotile spermatozoa and other particles. Analysis of the spermatozoa by the SM-CMA can easily be checked on a video monitor. The semen samples were from

Detection of defects and evaluation of material deterioration using surface wave technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yokono, Yoshikazu; Yoshiara, Toshikatsu; Suetsugu, Jun; Imanaka, Takuichi

1996-01-01

It is very important to detect surface damage and evaluate deterioration of material surface because of their influences on mechanical properties of materials. In general, magnetic particle testing, liquid penetrant testing and eddy current testing are commonly used for detecting surface flaws. These methods, however, are neither effective for estimating flaw height nor for evaluating material deterioration. In this paper the authors apply surface wave propagating along the test surface for these purposes. The surface wave (Rayleigh wave) propagates only near the surface layer in the order of one wave length. In other words, the lower the frequency, the deeper the penetration depth of the surface wave. Accordingly, they can select the frequency considering the inspection purpose. On the other hand, when surface wave having broad-band frequency propagates along the surface of a specimen, higher frequency ultrasound propagates very close to the surface and lower frequency ultrasound propagates deeper in the specimen. Hence, frequency analysis is expected to be effective for estimating upper edge of flaw. Surface wave is also very sensitive to material surface properties such as existence of voids or micro cracks. Acoustic characteristics such as sound velocity, attenuation and other feature parameters are influenced by the variation of the material properties. Hence, material deterioration can be evaluated by the acoustic features

Development of the double-wall-tube steam generator. Evaluation of inner tube leak detection system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teraoku, Takuji; Kisohara, Naoyuki

1995-01-01

A double-wall-tube steam generator (DWT-SG) is considered to have possibility of eliminating a secondary heat transport system to realize a reliable and simplified FBR plant. Thus, basic tests for inner/outer tube leak detection and prototypical leak tests by use of the 1MWt DWT-SG model have been performed to evaluate the feasibility of DWT-SG. Their results demonstrated that the inner leak detection system can definitely detect a steam leak from an inner tube flaw. Analyses of the inner tube leak and detection behavior obtained in the 1MWt DWT-SG test enabled to estimate the performance of the inner tube detection system of the commercial DWT-SG system. (author)

Detection and Evaluation of Pre-Preg Gaps and Overlaps in Glare Laminates

Science.gov (United States)

Nardi, Davide; Abouhamzeh, Morteza; Leonard, Rob; Sinke, Jos

2018-03-01

Gaps and overlaps between pre-preg plies represent common flaws in composite materials that can be introduced easily in an automated fibre placement manufacturing process and are potentially detrimental for the mechanical performances of the final laminates. Whereas gaps and overlaps have been addressed for full composite material, the topic has not been extended to a hybrid composite material such as Glare, a member of the family of Fibre Metal Laminates (FMLs). In this paper/research, the manufacturing, the detection, and the optical evaluation of intraply gaps and overlaps in Glare laminates are investigated. As part of an initial assessment study on the effect of gaps and overlaps on Glare, only the most critical lay-up has been considered. The experimental investigation started with the manufacturing of specimens having gaps and overlaps with different widths, followed by a non-destructive ultrasonic-inspection. An optical evaluation of the gaps and overlaps was performed by means of microscope image analysis of the cross sections of the specimens. The results from the non-destructive evaluations show the effectiveness of the ultrasonic detection of gaps and overlaps both in position, shape, width, and severity. The optical inspections confirm the accuracy of the non-destructive evaluation also adding useful insights about the geometrical features due to the presence of gaps and overlaps in the final Glare laminates. All the results justify the need for a further investigation on the effect of gaps and overlaps on the mechanical properties.

Magnetic Flux Leakage Sensing and Artificial Neural Network Pattern Recognition-Based Automated Damage Detection and Quantification for Wire Rope Non-Destructive Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ju-Won; Park, Seunghee

2018-01-02

In this study, a magnetic flux leakage (MFL) method, known to be a suitable non-destructive evaluation (NDE) method for continuum ferromagnetic structures, was used to detect local damage when inspecting steel wire ropes. To demonstrate the proposed damage detection method through experiments, a multi-channel MFL sensor head was fabricated using a Hall sensor array and magnetic yokes to adapt to the wire rope. To prepare the damaged wire-rope specimens, several different amounts of artificial damages were inflicted on wire ropes. The MFL sensor head was used to scan the damaged specimens to measure the magnetic flux signals. After obtaining the signals, a series of signal processing steps, including the enveloping process based on the Hilbert transform (HT), was performed to better recognize the MFL signals by reducing the unexpected noise. The enveloped signals were then analyzed for objective damage detection by comparing them with a threshold that was established based on the generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution. The detected MFL signals that exceed the threshold were analyzed quantitatively by extracting the magnetic features from the MFL signals. To improve the quantitative analysis, damage indexes based on the relationship between the enveloped MFL signal and the threshold value were also utilized, along with a general damage index for the MFL method. The detected MFL signals for each damage type were quantified by using the proposed damage indexes and the general damage indexes for the MFL method. Finally, an artificial neural network (ANN) based multi-stage pattern recognition method using extracted multi-scale damage indexes was implemented to automatically estimate the severity of the damage. To analyze the reliability of the MFL-based automated wire rope NDE method, the accuracy and reliability were evaluated by comparing the repeatedly estimated damage size and the actual damage size.

Operating experience review for nuclear power plants in the Systematic Evaluation Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mays, G.T.; Harrington, K.H.

1982-01-01

The Systematic Evaluation Program Branch (SEPB) of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is conducting the Systematic Evaluation Program (SEP) whose purpose is to determine the safety margins of the design and operation of the eleven oldest operating commercial nuclear power plants in the United States. This paper describes the methodology and results of the operational experience review portion of the SEP evaluation. SEPB will combine the results from these operational reviews with other safety topic evaluations to perform an integrated assessment of the SEP plants

Probabilistic pipe fracture evaluations for applications to leak-rate detection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rahman, S; Wilkowski, G; Ghadiali, N [Battelle Columbus Labs., OH (United States)

1993-12-31

Stochastic pipe fracture evaluations are conducted for applications to leak-rate detection. A state-of-the-art review was first conducted to evaluate the adequacy of current deterministic models for thermo-hydraulic and elastic-plastic fracture analyses. Then a new probabilistic model was developed with the above deterministic models for structural reliability analysis of cracked piping systems and statistical characterization of crack morphology parameters, material properties of pipe, and crack location. The proposed models are then applied for computing conditional probability of failure for various nuclear piping systems in BWR and PWR plants. The PRAISE code was not used, and the probabilistic model is based on modern methods of stochastic mechanics, computationally far superior to Monte Carlo and Stratified Sampling methods used in PRAISE. 10 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.

Probabilistic pipe fracture evaluations for applications to leak-rate detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahman, S.; Wilkowski, G.; Ghadiali, N.

1992-01-01

Stochastic pipe fracture evaluations are conducted for applications to leak-rate detection. A state-of-the-art review was first conducted to evaluate the adequacy of current deterministic models for thermo-hydraulic and elastic-plastic fracture analyses. Then a new probabilistic model was developed with the above deterministic models for structural reliability analysis of cracked piping systems and statistical characterization of crack morphology parameters, material properties of pipe, and crack location. The proposed models are then applied for computing conditional probability of failure for various nuclear piping systems in BWR and PWR plants. The PRAISE code was not used, and the probabilistic model is based on modern methods of stochastic mechanics, computationally far superior to Monte Carlo and Stratified Sampling methods used in PRAISE. 10 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab

Evaluation of gamma-sterilization ({sup 60}Co) by RT-PCR by DHFR expression detection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Converso, Ana Paula G.; Andrade Junior, Heitor F. de [Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)]. E-mail: anapaulagconverso@gmail.com; hfandrad@usp.br; Vieira, Daniel P. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); E-mail: dperezv@usp.br

2007-07-01

The improvement of techniques to detect pathogen agents in blood had reduced significantly the contamination mechanisms by hemocomponents in blood transfusion procedures. Ionizing radiation is a method that has presented several applications on medicine and in currently days has been showing special attention on blood banks which has been applied to avoid TA-GVHD development. DHFR is an enzyme constitutive in Plasmodium protozoa and has an important role in folate metabolism on these parasites. Detecting the expression of RNAm coder for this enzyme is possible to evaluate the viability of this parasite in blood samples. Plasmodium chabaudi AJ is a parasite that induces lethal malaria in rodents similar to human malaria In this work, the objective was to detect the presence of plasmodium protozoa in irradiated blood samples, infected experimentally, through the application of a RT-PCR using primers for the coder sequence of DHFR's mRNA. We studied doses of ionizing radiation between 0 and 75 Gy. The irradiation procedures were accomplished in Center of Radiation Technology of IPEN-CNEN in a {sup 60}Co panoramic source. Our results had demonstrated that RT-PCR is a sensible method to evaluate the viability of plasmodium in blood samples because the technique could detect low parasite burden in all tested samples. (author)

Summary and evaluation of fuel dynamics transient-overpower experiments: status 1974

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deitrich, L.W.; Doerner, R.C.; Hughes, T.H.; Wright, A.E.

1977-06-01

The report summarizes and evaluates experiments conducted in the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) using the Mark-II loop facility. The tests discussed are of the E and H series. Detailed descriptions of test conditions and test results as of February 1974 are presented. Since all data have not been acquired on all experiments, this report must be considered interim in nature. Particular emphasis is placed on data relevant to Fast Test Reactor (FTR) safety-analysis efforts

A bubble detection system for propellant filling pipeline

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wen, Wen; Zong, Guanghua; Bi, Shusheng [Robotics Institute, Beihang University, 100191 Beijing (China)

2014-06-15

This paper proposes a bubble detection system based on the ultrasound transmission method, mainly for probing high-speed bubbles in the satellite propellant filling pipeline. First, three common ultrasonic detection methods are compared and the ultrasound transmission method is used in this paper. Then, the ultrasound beam in a vertical pipe is investigated, suggesting that the width of the beam used for detection is usually smaller than the internal diameter of the pipe, which means that when bubbles move close to the pipe wall, they may escape from being detected. A special device is designed to solve this problem. It can generate the spiral flow to force all the bubbles to ascend along the central line of the pipe. In the end, experiments are implemented to evaluate the performance of this system. Bubbles of five different sizes are generated and detected. Experiment results show that the sizes and quantity of bubbles can be estimated by this system. Also, the bubbles of different radii can be distinguished from each other. The numerical relationship between the ultrasound attenuation and the bubble radius is acquired and it can be utilized for estimating the unknown bubble size and measuring the total bubble volume.

Evaluation of few-view reconstruction parameters for illicit substance detection using fast-neutron transmission spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fink, C.L.; Humm, P.G.; Martin, M.M.; Micklich, B.J.

1996-01-01

The authors have evaluated the performance of an illicit substance detection system that performs image reconstruction using the Maximum Likelihood algebraic reconstruction algorithm, a fe number of projections, and relatively coarse projection and pixel resolution. This evaluation was done using receiver operator curves and simulated data from the fast-neutron transmission spectroscopy system operated in a mode to detect explosives in luggage. The results show that increasing the number of projection angles is more important than increasing the projection resolution, the reconstructed pixel resolution, of the number of iterations in the Maximum Likelihood algorithm. A 100% detection efficiency with essentially no false positives is possible for a square block of RDX explosive, a projection resolution of 2 cm, a reconstructed pixel size of 2x2 cm, and five projection angles. For rectangular shaped explosives more angles are required to obtain the same system performance

Detection of gamma-ray bursts from Andromeda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bulik, Tomasz; Coppi, Paolo S.; Lamb, Donald Q.

1996-01-01

If gamma-ray bursts originate in a corona around the Milky Way, it should also be possible to detect them from a similar corona around Andromeda. Adopting a simple model of high velocity neutron star corona, we evaluate the ability of instruments on existing missions to detect an excess of bursts toward Andromeda. We also calculate the optimal properties of an instrument designed to detect such an excess. We find that if the bursts radiate isotropically, an experiment with a sampling distance d max > or approx. 500 kpc could detect a significant excess of bursts in the direction of Andromeda in a few years of observation. If the radiation is beamed along the neutron star's direction of motion, an experiment with d max > or approx. 800 kpc would detect such an excess in a similar amount of time, provided that the width of the beam is greater than 10 deg. Lack of an excess toward Andromeda would therefore be compelling evidence that the bursts are cosmological in origin if made by an instrument at least 50 times more sensitive than BATSE, given current constraints on Galactic corona models. Comparisons with detailed dynamical calculations of the spatial distribution of high velocity neutron stars in the coronae around the Milky Way and Andromeda confirm these conclusions

Clone tag detection in distributed RFID systems

Science.gov (United States)

Kamaludin, Hazalila; Mahdin, Hairulnizam

2018-01-01

Although Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is poised to displace barcodes, security vulnerabilities pose serious challenges for global adoption of the RFID technology. Specifically, RFID tags are prone to basic cloning and counterfeiting security attacks. A successful cloning of the RFID tags in many commercial applications can lead to many serious problems such as financial losses, brand damage, safety and health of the public. With many industries such as pharmaceutical and businesses deploying RFID technology with a variety of products, it is important to tackle RFID tag cloning problem and improve the resistance of the RFID systems. To this end, we propose an approach for detecting cloned RFID tags in RFID systems with high detection accuracy and minimal overhead thus overcoming practical challenges in existing approaches. The proposed approach is based on consistency of dual hash collisions and modified count-min sketch vector. We evaluated the proposed approach through extensive experiments and compared it with existing baseline approaches in terms of execution time and detection accuracy under varying RFID tag cloning ratio. The results of the experiments show that the proposed approach outperforms the baseline approaches in cloned RFID tag detection accuracy. PMID:29565982

Clone tag detection in distributed RFID systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamaludin, Hazalila; Mahdin, Hairulnizam; Abawajy, Jemal H

2018-01-01

Although Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is poised to displace barcodes, security vulnerabilities pose serious challenges for global adoption of the RFID technology. Specifically, RFID tags are prone to basic cloning and counterfeiting security attacks. A successful cloning of the RFID tags in many commercial applications can lead to many serious problems such as financial losses, brand damage, safety and health of the public. With many industries such as pharmaceutical and businesses deploying RFID technology with a variety of products, it is important to tackle RFID tag cloning problem and improve the resistance of the RFID systems. To this end, we propose an approach for detecting cloned RFID tags in RFID systems with high detection accuracy and minimal overhead thus overcoming practical challenges in existing approaches. The proposed approach is based on consistency of dual hash collisions and modified count-min sketch vector. We evaluated the proposed approach through extensive experiments and compared it with existing baseline approaches in terms of execution time and detection accuracy under varying RFID tag cloning ratio. The results of the experiments show that the proposed approach outperforms the baseline approaches in cloned RFID tag detection accuracy.

Evaluation of molecular markers for Phytophthora ramorum detection and identification: Testing for specificity using a standardized library of isolates

Science.gov (United States)

F.N. Martin; M.D. Coffey; K. Zeller; R.C. Hamelin; P. Tooley; M. Garbelotto; K.J.D. Hughes; T. Kubisiak; G.J. Bilodeau; L. Levy; C. Blomquist; P.H. Berger

2009-01-01

Given the importance of Phytophthora ramorum from a regulatory standpoint, it is imperative that molecular markers for pathogen detection are fully tested to evaluate their specificity in detection of the pathogen. In an effort to evaluate 11 reported diagnostic techniques, we assembled a standardized DNA library using accessions from the World...

Politics of policy learning: Evaluating an experiment on free pricing arrangements in Dutch dental care.

Science.gov (United States)

Felder, Martijn; van de Bovenkamp, Hester; de Bont, Antoinette

2018-01-01

In Dutch healthcare, new market mechanisms have been introduced on an experimental basis in an attempt to contain costs and improve quality. Informed by a constructivist approach, we demonstrate that such experiments are not neutral testing grounds. Drawing from semi-structured interviews and policy texts, we reconstruct an experiment on free pricing in dental care that turned into a critical example of market failure, influencing developments in other sectors. Our analysis, however, shows that (1) different market logics and (2) different experimental logics were reproduced simultaneously during the course of the experiment. We furthermore reveal how (3) evaluation and political life influenced which logics were reproduced and became taken as the lessons learned. We use these insights to discuss the role of evaluation in learning from policy experimentation and close with four questions that evaluators could ask to better understand what is learned from policy experiments, how , and why .

Dark matter spin determination with directional direct detection experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Catena, Riccardo; Conrad, Jan; Döring, Christian; Ferella, Alfredo Davide; Krauss, Martin B.

2018-01-01

If dark matter has spin 0, only two WIMP-nucleon interaction operators can arise as leading operators from the nonrelativistic reduction of renormalizable single-mediator models for dark matter-quark interactions. Based on this crucial observation, we show that about 100 signal events at next generation directional detection experiments can be enough to enable a 2 σ rejection of the spin 0 dark matter hypothesis in favor of alternative hypotheses where the dark matter particle has spin 1 /2 or 1. In this context, directional sensitivity is crucial since anisotropy patterns in the sphere of nuclear recoil directions depend on the spin of the dark matter particle. For comparison, about 100 signal events are expected in a CF4 detector operating at a pressure of 30 torr with an exposure of approximately 26,000 cubic-meter-detector days for WIMPs of 100 GeV mass and a WIMP-fluorine scattering cross section of 0.25 pb. Comparable exposures require an array of cubic meter time projection chamber detectors.

Peak Detection Method Evaluation for Ion Mobility Spectrometry by Using Machine Learning Approaches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hauschild, Anne-Christin; Kopczynski, Dominik; D'Addario, Marianna

2013-01-01

machine learning methods exist, an inevitable preprocessing step is reliable and robust peak detection without manual intervention. In this work we evaluate four state-of-the-art approaches for automated IMS-based peak detection: local maxima search, watershed transformation with IPHEx, region......-merging with VisualNow, and peak model estimation (PME).We manually generated Metabolites 2013, 3 278 a gold standard with the aid of a domain expert (manual) and compare the performance of the four peak calling methods with respect to two distinct criteria. We first utilize established machine learning methods...

Evaluation of ARAC`s participation in a long-range transport experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pace, J.C.; Pobanz, B.M.; Foster, C.S.; Baskett, R.L.; Vogt, P.J.; Schalk, W.W. III

1995-08-01

The 1994 European Tracer Experiment (ETEX) involved two releases of inert tracer gas in western France, allowing subsequent detection at many locations across Europe. Twenty four operational and research facilities from 20 countries made predictions of the motion of the released plume and the resulting concentrations detected at the sampler locations. This paper describes participation by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory`s Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability (ARAC) in ETEX. In its role as a real-time emergency response center, ARAC operates a suite of numerical models which simulate the advection and diffusion of airborne releases, and which calculate the estimated downwind concentration of the released material. The models and procedures used by ARAC to participate in ETEX were essentially the same as those which would be used to respond to a release at any previously unspecified location.

Observer performance in detecting multiple radiographic signals: prediction and analysis using a generalized ROC approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metz, C.E.; Starr, S.J.; Lusted, L.B.

1975-01-01

The theories of decision processes and signal detection provide a framework for the evaluation of observer performance. Some radiologic procedures involve a search for multiple similar lesions, as in gallstone or pneumoconiosis examinations. A model is presented which attempts to predict, from the conventional receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve describing the detectability of a single visual signal in a radiograph, observer performance in an experiment requiring detection of more than one such signal. An experiment is described which tests the validity of this model for the case of detecting the presence of zero, one, or two low-contrast radiographic images of a two-mm.-diameter lucite bead embedded in radiographic mottle. Results from six observers, including three radiologists, confirm the validity of the model and suggest that human observer performance for relatively complex detection tasks can be predicted from the results of simpler experiments

An Evaluation of the Acoustic Signal processing Techniques for Sodium-Water Reaction Detection in KALIMER-600

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hur, Seop; Seong, S. H.; Kim, T. J.; Kim, S. O.; Lee, M. K.

2005-02-01

KALIMER-600 is a pool type fast breeder reactor using liquid sodium as a coolant. Although it has the several advantages such as long-term fuel cycle and enhanced safety concepts, it is possible to leak the secondary side water/steam into sodium boundary. This event could make the plant abnormal condition. One of the major design issues in KALIMER-600 is, therefore, to develop the system which can early detect the sodium-water reaction to protect the sodium-water reaction event. After evaluating the various signal processing techniques for passive acoustic leak detection, we have proposed the early leak detection logics. the signal processing techniques for evaluation were the spectral estimation using the linear modeling, the estimation error of linear modeling, the system adaptation rate using an adaptive signal processing, and the background noise cancellation using adaptive and fixed filtering. As the analysis results regarding the stationary and the cross-correlation of leak signals and background noises, the two signal systems met a wide-dense stationary process and there was only the week cross correlation relationship between two signals. It is ,therefore, possible to use the linear/harmonic modeling of signal systems, and the leak signal in sensor outputs can be discriminated. As the results of the evaluation of the various spectral estimation methods, the spectral estimation method based on autoregressive modeling was more practical comparing with other methods in the sodium-water reaction detection. The passive acoustic leak detection logics were suggested based on above evaluations. the logics consist of 3 levels; transient identification, leak determination and leak symptom identification. The simulation results using sodium-water reaction signals showed that it was possible to determine the leak at above -3dB of SNR, while between -3 dB and -10 dB of SNR the logics determined the leak symptom identification. The detection sensitivity can be enhanced

NMR parallel Q-meter with double-balanced-mixer detection for polarized target experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boissevain, J.; Tippens, W.B.

1983-01-01

A constant-voltage, parallel-tuned nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) circuit, patterned after a Liverpool design, has been developed for polarized target experiments. Measuring the admittance of the resonance circuit allows advantageous use of double-balanced mixer detection. The resonant circuit is tolerant of stray capacitance between the NMR coil and the target cavity, thus easing target-cell-design constraints. The reference leg of the circuit includes a voltage-controlled attenuator and phase shifter for ease of tuning. The NMR output features a flat background and has good linearity and stability

Design and characterization of the Large-aperture Experiment to Detect the Dark Age (LEDA) radiometer systems

Science.gov (United States)

Price, D. C.; Greenhill, L. J.; Fialkov, A.; Bernardi, G.; Garsden, H.; Barsdell, B. R.; Kocz, J.; Anderson, M. M.; Bourke, S. A.; Craig, J.; Dexter, M. R.; Dowell, J.; Eastwood, M. W.; Eftekhari, T.; Ellingson, S. W.; Hallinan, G.; Hartman, J. M.; Kimberk, R.; Lazio, T. Joseph W.; Leiker, S.; MacMahon, D.; Monroe, R.; Schinzel, F.; Taylor, G. B.; Tong, E.; Werthimer, D.; Woody, D. P.

2018-05-01

The Large-Aperture Experiment to Detect the Dark Age (LEDA) was designed to detect the predicted O(100) mK sky-averaged absorption of the Cosmic Microwave Background by Hydrogen in the neutral pre- and intergalactic medium just after the cosmological Dark Age. The spectral signature would be associated with emergence of a diffuse Lyα background from starlight during `Cosmic Dawn'. Recently, Bowman et al. (2018) have reported detection of this predicted absorption feature, with an unexpectedly large amplitude of 530 mK, centered at 78 MHz. Verification of this result by an independent experiment, such as LEDA, is pressing. In this paper, we detail design and characterization of the LEDA radiometer systems, and a first-generation pipeline that instantiates a signal path model. Sited at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory Long Wavelength Array, LEDA systems include the station correlator, five well-separated redundant dual polarization radiometers and backend electronics. The radiometers deliver a 30-85 MHz band (16 z < 34) and operate as part of the larger interferometric array, for purposes ultimately of in situ calibration. Here, we report on the LEDA system design, calibration approach, and progress in characterization as of January 2016. The LEDA systems are currently being modified to improve performance near 78 MHz in order to verify the purported absorption feature.

Evaluation of gastric cancer detectability on respiratory triggered-diffusion weighted image

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ichiba, Noriatsu; Fukuda, Kunihiko; Takahashi, Naoto; Nikaido, Takashi; Urashima, Mitsuyoshi; Kitagawa, Hisashi

2007-01-01

The objective of this study was to assess the ability of respiratory triggered diffusion-weighted image (RT-DWI) to detect gastric cancer and to determine whether there is any correlation between the detectability of RT-DWI and the location of cancerous tissues. Sixty-nine gastric cancer patients (71 lesions) underwent pre-operative magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and total or partial gastrectomy. Scans of the stomach were acquired using a 1.5T MR scanner. Our protocol consisted of T1WI, T2WI and DWI (b value=800 sec/mm 2 ). The location of gastric cancer was classified into three areas -U, M and L. The condition of the gastric contents and the relation between the location of intraluminal gas and gastric lesions were also evaluated. There were 42 early gastric cancers and 29 advanced cancers in a total of 71 lesions. In early gastric cancers, 15 lesions were detected out of 42 lesions (35.7%) and, in advanced gastric cancers, 27 lesions were detected out of 29 lesions (93.0%). Pathological volumes of the detected lesions ranged between 12 mm x 8 mm x 1 mm and 190 mm x 135 mm x 10 mm (median 57 mm x 35 mm x 5 mm), and those of the undetected lesions ranged between 5 mm x 2 mm x 1 mm and 67 mm x 47 mm x 1.5 mm (median 23 mm x 17 mm x 1 mm). Detectability of the lesions appeared to be higher in the following three conditions when the gastric lumen was filled with mainly fluid rather than gas when there was no intraluminal gas adjacent to the lesion when the imaging quality of RT-DWI was good. RT-DWI was found to have a high detection (93.0%) rate of advanced gastric cancers. To improve the detectability of early gastric cancers, we should endeavor to minimize the susceptibility artifact from intraluminal gas in the stomach and select higher resolution protocols. (author)

Study on Mechanism Experiments and Evaluation Methods for Water Eutrophication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiabin Yu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The process of water eutrophication involves the interaction of external factors, nutrients, microorganisms, and other factors. It is complex and has not yet been effectively studied. To examine the formation process of water eutrophication, a set of orthogonal experiments with three factors and four levels is designed to analyze the key factors. At the same time, with the help of a large amount of monitoring data, the principal component analysis method is used to extract the main components of water eutrophication and determine the effective evaluation indicators of eutrophication. Finally, the Bayesian theory of uncertainty is applied to the evaluation of the eutrophication process to evaluate the sample data. The simulation results demonstrate the validity of the research method.

Evaluation of cancer detection efficiency by means of hybrid and inverse filter in chest radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Youn Young; Kim, Tae Young; Kim, Hyun Ji; Kim, Jung Min; Park, Min Seock

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate usefulness of Hybrid image and Inverse image about detection of tumor shadow in chest radiography using ROC analysis. Original images of 60 cases are selected from Standards digital image date base issued by the Japanese Society of Radiological Technology. Through computer language of C, Inverse images of 60 cases and Hybrid image of 30 cases are made. The continues reading experiment was conducted. In the case of inverse image were observed by 5 radiographer and 2 radiologist. In the case of In case of Hybrid image were observed by 3 student radiographer and 2 experienced radiographer. ROC curve are constructed using ROCKIT Program made by Metz. In Inverse image, a Az of average ROC curve was increases from 0.742 of original image to 0.775 of inverse image. In normal cases, the effect of the detrimental is same to that of the beneficial, however In abnormal cases, the beneficial effect is greater than detrimental effect. However in Hybrid image, a Az of average ROC curve was decreases from 0.5253 of original image to 0.4868 of Hybrid image. In Normal cases, the effect of the detrimental is greater than that of the Beneficial, however In abnormal cases, the Beneficial effect is greater than detrimental effect. The inverse image can be more positively considered for the detecting of tumor than the hybrid image

Image denoising based on noise detection

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yuanxiang; Yuan, Rui; Sun, Yuqiu; Tian, Jinwen

2018-03-01

Because of the noise points in the images, any operation of denoising would change the original information of non-noise pixel. A noise detection algorithm based on fractional calculus was proposed to denoise in this paper. Convolution of the image was made to gain direction gradient masks firstly. Then, the mean gray was calculated to obtain the gradient detection maps. Logical product was made to acquire noise position image next. Comparisons in the visual effect and evaluation parameters after processing, the results of experiment showed that the denoising algorithms based on noise were better than that of traditional methods in both subjective and objective aspects.

Flow Experience as a Quality Measure in Evaluating Physically Activating Collaborative Serious Games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristian J. M. Kiili

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The measurement of the subjective playing experience is important part of the game development process. The enjoyment level that a serious game offers is a key factor in determining whether a player will be engaged in the gameplay and achieve the objectives of the game. In this paper we report the results of a game design process in which two prototypes of a collaborative exergame were studied. The main aim of the paper is to explore to what extend the measurement of flow experience can facilitate the game evaluation and design process. Alltogether 102 junior high school students participated in two user experience studies and played collaborative exergames designed to teach soft skills. Playing experience was measured with a flow questionnaire, playing behavior was observed and some of the players were interviewed. The results showed that flow experience can be used to evaluate the overall quality of the gameplay and it provides a structured approach to consider the quality of the game. However, flow does not provide detailed information about the shortages of the game and thus complementary methods is needed to identify the causes. The results also indicated that flow experience was independent of gender that supports its use in quality measurement.

Statistical evaluation of vibration analysis techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Milner, G. Martin; Miller, Patrice S.

1987-01-01

An evaluation methodology is presented for a selection of candidate vibration analysis techniques applicable to machinery representative of the environmental control and life support system of advanced spacecraft; illustrative results are given. Attention is given to the statistical analysis of small sample experiments, the quantification of detection performance for diverse techniques through the computation of probability of detection versus probability of false alarm, and the quantification of diagnostic performance.

CT and MRI evaluation of orbital tumors: our experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabrini, Marcelo; Docampo, Jorge; Martinez, Manuel; Bruno, Claudio; Morales, Carlos

2007-01-01

Purpose: To show our experience in the evaluation of orbital masses on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To describe their most important findings and epidemiological features found on literature review, related to their differential diagnosis. Materials and methods: During a 48-months period of time, 26 patients (13 male, 13 female; age range, 3 to 75 years) with orbital tumors were evaluated. Seventeen patients underwent MR scans, 8 underwent CT scans, and one underwent both imaging methods. It was employed 0,5 and 1 Tesla MR scanners, and axial-helical CT scanners. Results: Benign lesions were found on 7 patients (cavernous hemangioma [n=2], meningioma [n=1], epidermoid cyst [n=1], dermoid cyst [n=1], lipoma [n=1], orbital vein deformity [n=1]). It was found lesions with undetermined behavior (optical nerve glioma [n=2]), and malignant ones were found on 17 patients (metastatic lesions [n=5], non- Hodgkin's lymphoma [n=3], hemangiopericytoma [n=2], retinoblastoma [n=2], rhabdomyosarcoma [n=2], melanoma [n=1], and lacrimal adenocarcinoma [n=1]). Conclusion: In our experience, 65.4% was malignant tumors (orbital metastasis was the most common; 19.2%). More than one-quarter was benign tumor, where cavernous hemangioma was the most frequent. (author) [es

In-depth evaluations of operating experiences in nuclear power plants. Annual report 2015/2016 (June 2015 - May 2016); Vertiefte Untersuchungen von Betriebserfahrungen aus Kernreaktoren. Jahresbericht 2015/2016 (Juni 2015 - Mai 2016)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mildenberger, Oliver

2017-05-15

A central task of GRS is the continuous evaluation of events in nuclear power plants in Germany and abroad on behalf of BMUB. GRS evaluates all reportable events from German plants as well as safety-relevant events in foreign nuclear power plants. It aims for the extraction of scientific insights and information to extend the knowledge base of GRS. Learning from operating experience is an important element for preserving and improving the safety level of nuclear power plants. Insights obtained from these in-depth evaluations form the scientific bas is for expert statements, information notices or generic reports on behalf of BMUB. This report presents major results of generic in-depth investigations on safety-relevant aspects detected during the screening of operating experience from all available sources in the reporting period. Moreover, the results of additional further works to determine and advance the state of the art in science and technology related to the evaluation of operating experience are summarized: Pilot study on evaluation of U.S. NRC Licensee Event Reports (LER); Update of knowledge base on transients; Extension of CCF checklist with CCF phenomena in valves and big machine components (pumps, emergency diesels, ventilations, heat exchangers and chillers); Generic analysis of events with errors during periodic inspections; Experiences with errors during construction and operation of nuclear concrete buildings; Assessment of results from precursor analyses.

The gravitational wave detection experiment in Frascati

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maischberger, K.

1974-01-01

The Frascati detector is a copy of the Weber (USA) instrument, with a signal/noise ratio improved by a factor 2.5. Computerized data analyses allows a study of the amplitude and phase of the signal. It is observed that vibrations of energy 0.25kT were never detected more than once a day, which leads to the logical conclusion that Weber's claim can only be taken into consideration of his equipment is capable of detecting vibrations below 0.1kT

Evaluation of different methods to detect methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Science.gov (United States)

Alipour, Farzad; Ahmadi, Malahat; Javadi, Shahram

2014-01-01

The studies suggest that dogs living with human are potential risk of becoming MRSA carrier and increased risk of infections caused by MRSA. Phenotypic methods to detect methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are inadequate. The objective of the present study was to determine methicillin resistance in S. aureus by phenotypic susceptibility test (oxacillin disk diffusion, cefoxitin disk diffusion, oxacillin screen agar) and molecular methods (PCR as a gold standard) and the latex agglutination test for the detection of PBP2a and to evaluate the results of these tests for its sensitivity and specificity. A total of 100 swab samples were taken from muzzle site, in more contact with human, of dogs and MRSA were isolated. Oxacillin (1 μg), cefoxitin (30 μg) disk diffusion and oxacillin screen agar method were used. The isolates were also subjected to latex agglutination test for detection of PBP2a and PCR to detect mecA gene. By PCR 37% of isolates show the presence of mecA. Latex agglutination was found to be the most sensitive (97.29%) and cefoxitin disk diffusion to be the most specific (96.82%) tests for detection of MRSA. Our finding showed that combining oxacillin screen agar or cefoxitin disk diffusion with latex agglutination improves sensitivity and specificity to detect methicillin resistance S. aureus (MRSA) isolates. Copyright © 2014 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computer-aided detection system for masses in automated whole breast ultrasonography: development and evaluation of the effectiveness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jeoung Hyun [Dept. of Radiology, Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Cha, Joo Hee; Kim, Nam Kug; Chang, Young Jun; Kim, Hak Hee [Dept. of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Ko, Myung Su [Health Screening and Promotion Center, Asan Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Young Wook [Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, Ansan (Korea, Republic of)

2014-04-15

The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of a proposed computer-aided detection (CAD) system in automated breast ultrasonography (ABUS). Eighty-nine two-dimensional images (20 cysts, 42 benign lesions, and 27 malignant lesions) were obtained from 47 patients who underwent ABUS (ACUSON S2000). After boundary detection and removal, we detected mass candidates by using the proposed adjusted Otsu's threshold; the threshold was adaptive to the variations of pixel intensities in an image. Then, the detected candidates were segmented. Features of the segmented objects were extracted and used for training/testing in the classification. In our study, a support vector machine classifier was adopted. Eighteen features were used to determine whether the candidates were true lesions or not. A five-fold cross validation was repeated 20 times for the performance evaluation. The sensitivity and the false positive rate per image were calculated, and the classification accuracy was evaluated for each feature. In the classification step, the sensitivity of the proposed CAD system was 82.67% (SD, 0.02%). The false positive rate was 0.26 per image. In the detection/segmentation step, the sensitivities for benign and malignant mass detection were 90.47% (38/42) and 92.59% (25/27), respectively. In the five-fold cross-validation, the standard deviation of pixel intensities for the mass candidates was the most frequently selected feature, followed by the vertical position of the centroids. In the univariate analysis, each feature had 50% or higher accuracy. The proposed CAD system can be used for lesion detection in ABUS and may be useful in improving the screening efficiency.

Detection and Evaluation of Spatio-Temporal Spike Patterns in Massively Parallel Spike Train Data with SPADE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pietro Quaglio

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Repeated, precise sequences of spikes are largely considered a signature of activation of cell assemblies. These repeated sequences are commonly known under the name of spatio-temporal patterns (STPs. STPs are hypothesized to play a role in the communication of information in the computational process operated by the cerebral cortex. A variety of statistical methods for the detection of STPs have been developed and applied to electrophysiological recordings, but such methods scale poorly with the current size of available parallel spike train recordings (more than 100 neurons. In this work, we introduce a novel method capable of overcoming the computational and statistical limits of existing analysis techniques in detecting repeating STPs within massively parallel spike trains (MPST. We employ advanced data mining techniques to efficiently extract repeating sequences of spikes from the data. Then, we introduce and compare two alternative approaches to distinguish statistically significant patterns from chance sequences. The first approach uses a measure known as conceptual stability, of which we investigate a computationally cheap approximation for applications to such large data sets. The second approach is based on the evaluation of pattern statistical significance. In particular, we provide an extension to STPs of a method we recently introduced for the evaluation of statistical significance of synchronous spike patterns. The performance of the two approaches is evaluated in terms of computational load and statistical power on a variety of artificial data sets that replicate specific features of experimental data. Both methods provide an effective and robust procedure for detection of STPs in MPST data. The method based on significance evaluation shows the best overall performance, although at a higher computational cost. We name the novel procedure the spatio-temporal Spike PAttern Detection and Evaluation (SPADE analysis.

A New Light-Speed Anisotropy Experiment: Absolute Motion and Gravitational Waves Detected

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cahill R. T.

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Data from a new experiment measuring the anisotropy of the one-way speed of EM waves in a coaxial cable, gives the speed of light as 300,000 +/- 400 (+/- 20 km/s in a measured direction RA=5.5 +/- 2 hrs, Dec=70 +/- 10 Deg S, is shown to be in excellent agreement with the results from seven previous anisotropy experiments, particularly those of Miller (1925/26, and even those of Michelson and Morley (1887. The Miller gas-mode interferometer results, and those from the RF coaxial cable experiments of Torr and Kolen (1983, De Witte (1991 and the new experiment all reveal the presence of gravitational waves, as indicated by the last +/- variations above, but of a kind different from those supposedly predicted by General Relativity. Miller repeated the Michelson-Morley 1887 gas-mode interferometer experiment and againdetected the anisotropy of the speed of light, primarily in the years 1925/1926 atop Mt.Wilson, California. The understanding of the operation of the Michelson interferometer in gas-mode was only achieved in 2002 and involved a calibration for the interferometer that necessarily involved Special Relativity effects and the refractive index of the gas in the light paths. The results demonstrate the reality of the Fitzgerald-Lorentz contraction as an observer independent relativistic effect. A common misunderstanding is that the anisotropy of the speed of light is necessarily in conflict with Special Relativity and Lorentz symmetry - this is explained. All eight experiments and theory show that we have both anisotropy of the speed of light and relativistic effects, and that a dynamical 3-space exists - that absolute motion through that space has been repeatedly observed since 1887. These developments completely change fundamental physics and our understanding of reality. Modern vacuum-mode Michelson interferometers, particularly the long baseline terrestrial versions, are, by design flaw, incapable of detecting the anisotropy effect and the

Performance evaluation of the European Committee Standardization Method EN1785 for the detection of irradiated processed food

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsutsumi, Tomoaki; Adachi, Rika; Takatsuki, Satoshi; Matsuda, Rieko; Teshima, Reiko; Nei, Daisuke; Kameya, Hiromi; Todoriki, Setsuko; Kikuchi, Masahiro; Kobayashi, Yasuhiko

2014-01-01

2-dodecylcyclobutanone (DCB) and 2-tetradecylcyclobutanone (TCB) are specific radiolytic products in irradiated lipid-containing food and can be used to detect irradiated foods. We previously reported a performance evaluation test in a single laboratory for qualitative detection methods using DCB and TCB as markers for irradiated foods. EN1785, a European Committee Standardization Method, has been widely used for qualitative detection of DCB and TCB in irradiated foods. Here, we evaluated the applicability of EN1785 to camembert cheese, liquid whole egg, sausage and eel grilled without seasoning by using our evaluation test. In this test, extracted lipids from the food were used as negative samples. The lipids spiked with DCB and TCB were used as positive samples. For each food type, 4 negative and 16 positive samples were analyzed by EN1785. All of the negative samples were judged negative and all of the positive samples were judged positive. Thus, EN1785 should be able to detect irradiation in the tested food. Additionally, to confirm the ability of the validated method to detect irradiated food, the same type of food examined above, both unirradiated and irradiated at doses of 0.5-4 kGy, were analyzed by the method. All of the unirradiated samples were judged negative and all of the irradiated samples were judged positive. (author)

Preliminary results on the NPE experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cansi, Y.; Crusem, R.; Masso, J.P. [CEA, Chatel (France)] [and others

1994-12-31

Answering to an invitation of the DOE, the Laboratoire de Detection et de Geophysique du Commissariat a I`Energie Atomique (CEA/LDG) participated to the seismic measurements associated with the NPE Experiment organized by the DOE at the Nevada Test Site. Our main motivations were: to evaluate and compare the capabilities of detection and location of the two types of the so-called alpha stations which composed the Experimental International Seismic System (i.e.: the composite stations and the miniarrays) and this in a regional environnement, to calibrate these stations with a chemical blast of known energy within a given propagation structure.

Fluorescence-Based Bioassays for the Detection and Evaluation of Food Materials

OpenAIRE

Nishi, Kentaro; Isobe, Shin-Ichiro; Zhu, Yun; Kiyama, Ryoiti

2015-01-01

We summarize here the recent progress in fluorescence-based bioassays for the detection and evaluation of food materials by focusing on fluorescent dyes used in bioassays and applications of these assays for food safety, quality and efficacy. Fluorescent dyes have been used in various bioassays, such as biosensing, cell assay, energy transfer-based assay, probing, protein/immunological assay and microarray/biochip assay. Among the arrays used in microarray/biochip assay, fluorescence-based mi...

Road Anomalies Detection System Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Nuno; Shah, Vaibhav; Soares, João; Rodrigues, Helena

2018-06-21

Anomalies on road pavement cause discomfort to drivers and passengers, and may cause mechanical failure or even accidents. Governments spend millions of Euros every year on road maintenance, often causing traffic jams and congestion on urban roads on a daily basis. This paper analyses the difference between the deployment of a road anomalies detection and identification system in a “conditioned” and a real world setup, where the system performed worse compared to the “conditioned” setup. It also presents a system performance analysis based on the analysis of the training data sets; on the analysis of the attributes complexity, through the application of PCA techniques; and on the analysis of the attributes in the context of each anomaly type, using acceleration standard deviation attributes to observe how different anomalies classes are distributed in the Cartesian coordinates system. Overall, in this paper, we describe the main insights on road anomalies detection challenges to support the design and deployment of a new iteration of our system towards the deployment of a road anomaly detection service to provide information about roads condition to drivers and government entities.

A microwave paraphoton and axion detection experiment with 300 dB electromagnetic shielding at 3 GHz

CERN Document Server

Betz, M

2012-01-01

For the microwave equivalent of “light shining through the wall” (LSW) experiments, a sensitive microwave detector and very high electromagnetic shielding is required. The screening attenuation between the axion generating cavity and the nearby detection cavity should be greater than 300 dB, in order to improve over presently existing exclusion limits. To achieve these goals in practice, a “box in a box” concept was utilized for shielding the detection cavity, while a vector signal analyzer was used as a microwave receiver with a very narrow resolution bandwidth in the order of a few micro-Hz. This contribution will present the experimental layout and the results to date.

Evaluating user experience with respect to user expectations in brain-computer interface games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gürkök, Hayrettin; Hakvoort, G.; Poel, Mannes; Müller-Putz, G.R.; Scherer, R.; Billinger, M.; Kreilinger, A.; Kaiser, V.; Neuper, C.

Evaluating user experience (UX) with respect to previous experiences can provide insight into whether a product can positively aect a user's opinion about a technology. If it can, then we can say that the product provides a positive UX. In this paper we propose a method to assess the UX in BCI

New Mexico Environmental Evaluation Group - experience in reviewing WIPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neill, R.H.

1983-01-01

The purpose of the New Mexico Environmental Evaluation Group is to conduct an independent evaluation of the potential radiation exposure to people from WIPP--a radioactive waste facility intended to permanently dispose transuranic radioactive waste generated from the nation's nuclear weapons program. The concept of a State review of a proposed radioactive waste facility has been endorsed by both Federal and State legislative and executive agencies, and the experiences and interactions of the past four years to solve problems of this first-of-a-kind radioactive waste facility has led to many innovations in conflict resolution. The multidisciplinary Group's position is neither pro nor anti-WIPP and results are published and given broad dissemination to insure technical and public scrutiny of its work

Evaluation of a miniature microscope objective designed for fluorescence array microscopy detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Science.gov (United States)

McCall, Brian; Olsen, Randall J; Nelles, Nicole J; Williams, Dawn L; Jackson, Kevin; Richards-Kortum, Rebecca; Graviss, Edward A; Tkaczyk, Tomasz S

2014-03-01

A prototype miniature objective that was designed for a point-of-care diagnostic array microscope for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and previously fabricated and presented in a proof of concept is evaluated for its effectiveness in detecting acid-fast bacteria. To evaluate the ability of the microscope to resolve submicron features and details in the image of acid-fast microorganisms stained with a fluorescent dye, and to evaluate the accuracy of clinical diagnoses made with digital images acquired with the objective. The lens prescription data for the microscope design are presented. A test platform is built by combining parts of a standard microscope, a prototype objective, and a digital single-lens reflex camera. Counts of acid-fast bacteria made with the prototype objective are compared to counts obtained with a standard microscope over matched fields of view. Two sets of 20 smears, positive and negative, are diagnosed by 2 pathologists as sputum smear positive or sputum smear negative, using both a standard clinical microscope and the prototype objective under evaluation. The results are compared to a reference diagnosis of the same sample. More bacteria are counted in matched fields of view in digital images taken with the prototype objective than with the standard clinical microscope. All diagnostic results are found to be highly concordant. An array microscope built with this miniature lens design will be able to detect M tuberculosis with high sensitivity and specificity.

Multicenter Evaluation of a Novel Automated Rapid Detection System of BRAF Status in Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiefer, Ana-Iris; Parlow, Laura; Gabler, Lisa; Mesteri, Ildiko; Koperek, Oskar; von Deimling, Andreas; Streubel, Berthold; Preusser, Matthias; Lehmann, Annika; Kellner, Udo; Pauwels, Patrick; Lambin, Suzan; Dietel, Manfred; Hummel, Michael; Klauschen, Frederick; Birner, Peter; Möbs, Markus

2016-05-01

The mutated BRAF oncogene represents a therapeutic target in malignant melanoma. Because BRAF mutations are also involved in the pathogenesis of other human malignancies, the use of specific BRAF inhibitors might also be extended to other diseases in the future. A prerequisite for the clinical application of BRAF inhibitors is the reliable detection of activating BRAF mutations in routine histopathological samples. In a multicenter approach, we evaluated a novel and fully automated PCR-based system (Idylla) capable of detecting BRAF V600 mutations in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue within 90 minutes with high sensitivity. We analyzed a total of 436 samples with the Idylla system. Valid results were obtained in 421 cases (96.56%). Its performance was compared with conventional methods (pyrosequencing or Sanger sequencing). Concordant results were obtained in 406 cases (96.90%). Reanalysis of eight discordant samples by next-generation sequencing and/or pyrosequencing with newly extracted DNA and the BRAF RGQ Kit confirmed the Idylla result in seven cases, resulting in an overall agreement of 98.57%. In conclusion, the Idylla system is a highly reliable and sensitive platform for detection of BRAF V600 mutations in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded material, providing an efficient alternative to conventional diagnostic methods, particularly for routine diagnostics laboratories with limited experience in molecular pathology. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Investigative Pathology and the Association for Molecular Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the Significance of Incidental Breast Lesions Detected by Chest CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jae Hyun; Chang, Yun Woo; Hwang, Jung Hwa; Kim, Hyung Hwan; Lee, Eun Hye; Yang, Seung Boo

2013-01-01

To evaluate the significance of incidentally detected breast lesions on a chest CT scan. Thirty-six incidental breast lesions in 26 patients were detected on a chest CT scan and were correlated with breast sonography, retrospectively. Among them, twenty-four breast lesions in 20 patients that were correlated with chest CT and sonography were available to pathology or follow up sonography. The CT findings were compared with sonographic findings according to the pathologic results. Incidentally detected breast lesions on a chest CT scan were correlated with sonography in 86% (31/36). Among 24 lesions that were available to pathology or follow up sonography, seven (29.2%) lesions were malignant and 17 (70.8%) lesions were benign. CT revealed a significant difference between benign and malignant lesions in terms of shape and margin (p = 0.007; p = 0.008, respectively). The CT findings were well correlated with sonographic findings in shape and margin (p = 0.001, respectively). Incidentally detected breast lesions on chest CT can be correlated with sonography. An irregular shape or a non-circumscribed margin of breast lesions on a CT scan can be considered as a suggestive sign of malignancy.

Circular defects detection in welded joints using circular hough transform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hafizal Yazid; Mohd Harun; Shukri Mohd; Abdul Aziz Mohamed; Shaharudin Sayuti; Muhamad Daud

2007-01-01

Conventional radiography is one of the common non-destructive testing which employs manual image interpretation. The interpretation is very subjective and depends much on the inspector experience and working conditions. It is therefore useful to have pattern recognition system in order to assist human interpreter in evaluating the quality of the radiograph sample, especially radiographic image of welded joint. This paper describes a system to detect circular discontinuities that is present in the joints. The system utilizes together 2 different algorithms, which is separability filter to identify the best object candidate and Circular Hough Transform to detect the present of circular shape. The result of the experiment shows a promising output in recognition of circular discontinuities in a radiographic image. This is based on 81.82-100% of radiography film with successful circular detection by using template movement of 10 pixels. (author)

Detection and Evaluation of Renal Injury in Burst Wave Lithotripsy Using Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

May, Philip C; Kreider, Wayne; Maxwell, Adam D; Wang, Yak-Nam; Cunitz, Bryan W; Blomgren, Philip M; Johnson, Cynthia D; Park, Joshua S H; Bailey, Michael R; Lee, Donghoon; Harper, Jonathan D; Sorensen, Mathew D

2017-08-01

Burst wave lithotripsy (BWL) is a transcutaneous technique with potential to safely and effectively fragment renal stones. Preclinical investigations of BWL require the assessment of potential renal injury. This study evaluates the capabilities of real-time ultrasound and MRI to detect and evaluate BWL injury that was induced in porcine kidneys. Ten kidneys from five female farm pigs were treated with either a 170 or 335 kHz BWL transducer using variable treatment parameters and monitored in real-time with ultrasound. Eight kidneys were perfusion fixed and scanned with a 3-Tesla MRI scanner (T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and susceptibility-weighted imaging), followed by processing via an established histomorphometric technique for injury quantification. In addition, two kidneys were separately evaluated for histologic characterization of injury quality. Observed B-mode hyperechoes on ultrasound consistent with cavitation predicted the presence of BWL-induced renal injury with a sensitivity and specificity of 100% in comparison to the histomorphometric technique. Similarly, MRI detected renal injury with a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 100% and was able to identify the scale of lesion volumes. The injuries purposefully generated with BWL were histologically similar to those formed by shock wave lithotripsy. BWL-induced renal injury can be detected with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity by real-time ultrasound and post-treatment ex vivo MRI. No injury occurred in this study without cavitation detected on ultrasound. Such capabilities for injury detection and lesion volume quantification on MRI can be used for preclinical testing of BWL.

International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation (IRPhE) Project. IRPhE Handbook - 2017 edition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-01-01

The International Reactor Physics Evaluation (IRPhE) Project was initiated as a pilot in 1999 by the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Nuclear Science Committee (NSC). The project was endorsed as an official activity of the NSC in June 2003. While the NEA co-ordinates and administers the IRPhE Project at the international level, each participating country is responsible for the administration, technical direction and priorities of the project within their respective countries. The information and data included in this handbook are available to NEA member countries, to all contributing countries and to others on a case-by-case basis. The IRPhE Project is patterned after the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP). It closely co-ordinates with the ICSBEP to avoid duplication of efforts and publication of conflicting information. Some benchmark data are applicable to both nuclear criticality safety and reactor physics technology. Some have already been evaluated and published by the ICSBEP, but have been extended to include other types of measurements in addition to the critical configuration. Through this effort, the IRPhE Project will be able to 1) consolidate and preserve the existing worldwide information base; 2) retrieve lost data; 3) identify areas where more data are needed; 4) draw upon the resources of the international reactor physics community to help fill knowledge gaps; 5) identify discrepancies between calculations and experiments due to deficiencies in reported experimental data, cross-section data, cross-section processing codes and neutronics codes; 6) eliminate a large amount of redundant research and processing of reactor physics experiment data, and 7) improve future experimental planning, execution and reporting. This handbook contains reactor physics benchmark specifications that have been derived from experiments performed at nuclear facilities around the world. The benchmark specifications are intended for use by

Development and Evaluation of a Rapid Antigen Detection and Serotyping Lateral Flow Antigen Detection System for Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kazuki Morioka

Full Text Available We developed a lateral flow strip using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs which allows for rapid antigen detection and serotyping of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV. This FMDV serotyping strip was able to detect all 7 serotypes and distinguish serotypes O, A, C and Asia1. Its sensitivities ranged from 10(3 to 10(4 of a 50% tissue culture infectious dose of each FMDV stain; this is equal to those of the commercial product Svanodip (Boehringer Ingelheim Svanova, Uppsala, Sweden, which can detect all seven serotypes of FMDV, but does not distinguish them. Our evaluation of the FMDV serotyping strip using a total of 118 clinical samples (vesicular fluids, vesicular epithelial emulsions and oral and/or nasal swabs showed highly sensitive antigen detection and accuracy in serotyping in accordance with ELISA or RT-PCR. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on any FMDV serotyping strip that provides both rapid antigen detection and serotyping of FMDV at the same time on one strip without extra devices. This method will be useful in both FMD-free countries and FMD-infected countries, especially where laboratory diagnosis cannot be carried out.

On the evaluation of X-ray diffraction experiments by the regularization method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trubin, V.A.; Szasz, A. (Lab. of Surface and Interface Physics, Eoetvoes Univ., Budapest (Hungary))

1991-05-16

The characteristic property of diffractometers as the presence of occasional and systematic errors in measured patterns requires such an evaluation which is as informative as possible. This circumstance gives rise to the problem of optimal planning of the experiment. The X-ray diffraction optimization problem with application of the regularization method is studied. The proposal permits to determine more accurately the unknown true characteristics of the X-ray diffraction experiment. (orig.).

On the evaluation of X-ray diffraction experiments by the regularization method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trubin, V.A.; Szasz, A.

1991-01-01

The characteristic property of diffractometers as the presence of occasional and systematic errors in measured patterns requires such an evaluation which is as informative as possible. This circumstance gives rise to the problem of optimal planning of the experiment. The X-ray diffraction optimization problem with application of the regularization method is studied. The proposal permits to determine more accurately the unknown true characteristics of the X-ray diffraction experiment. (orig.)

International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments - ICSBEP (DVD), Version 2013

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

The Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (CSBEP) was initiated in October of 1992 by the United States Department of Energy. The project quickly became an international effort as scientists from other interested countries became involved. The International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) became an official activity of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) in 1995. This handbook contains criticality safety benchmark specifications that have been derived from experiments performed at various nuclear critical experiment facilities around the world. The benchmark specifications are intended for use by criticality safety engineers to validate calculational techniques used to establish minimum subcritical margins for operations with fissile material and to determine criticality alarm requirement and placement. Many of the specifications are also useful for nuclear data testing. Example calculations are presented; however, these calculations do not constitute a validation of the codes or cross section data. The evaluated criticality safety benchmark data are given in nine volumes. These volumes span nearly 66,000 pages and contain 558 evaluations with benchmark specifications for 4,798 critical, near critical or subcritical configurations, 24 criticality alarm placement/shielding configurations with multiple dose points for each and 200 configurations that have been categorised as fundamental physics measurements that are relevant to criticality safety applications. New to the Handbook are benchmark specifications for Critical, Bare, HEU(93.2)- Metal Sphere experiments referred to as ORSphere that were performed by a team of experimenters at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the early 1970's. A photograph of this assembly is shown on the front cover

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2018-04-01

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

Evaluation of the efficacy of a portable LIBS system for detection of CWA on surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

L'Hermite, D; Vors, E; Vercouter, T; Moutiers, G

2016-05-01

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a laser-based optical technique particularly suited for in situ surface analysis. A portable LIBS instrument was tested to detect surface chemical contamination by chemical warfare agents (CWAs). Test of detection of surface contamination was carried out in a toxlab facility with four CWAs, sarin (GB), lewisite (L1), mustard gas (HD), and VX, which were deposited on different substrates, wood, concrete, military green paint, gloves, and ceramic. The CWAs were detected by means of the detection of atomic markers (As, P, F, Cl, and S). The LIBS instrument can give a direct response in terms of detection thanks to an integrated interface for non-expert users or so called end-users. We have evaluated the capability of automatic detection of the selected CWAs. The sensitivity of our portable LIBS instrument was confirmed for the detection of a CWA at surface concentrations above 15 μg/cm(2). The simultaneous detection of two markers may lead to a decrease of the number of false positive.

Porous media experience applicable to field evaluation for compressed air energy storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allen, R.D.; Gutknecht, P.J.

1980-06-01

A survey is presented of porous media field experience that may aid in the development of a compressed air energy storage field demonstration. Work done at PNL and experience of other groups and related industries is reviewed. An overall view of porous media experience in the underground storage of fluids is presented. CAES experience consists of site evaluation and selection processes used by groups in California, Kansas, and Indiana. Reservoir design and field evaluation of example sites are reported. The studies raised questions about compatibility with depleted oil and gas reservoirs, storage space rights, and compressed air regulations. Related experience embraces technologies of natural gas, thermal energy, and geothermal and hydrogen storage. Natural gas storage technology lends the most toward compressed air storage development, keeping in mind the respective differences between stored fluids, physical conditions, and cycling frequencies. Both fluids are injected under pressure into an aquifer to form a storage bubble confined between a suitable caprock structure and partially displaced ground water. State-of-the-art information is summarized as the necessary foundation material for field planning. Preliminary design criteria are given as recommendations for basic reservoir characteristics. These include geometric dimensions and storage matrix properties such as permeability. Suggested ranges are given for injection air temperature and reservoir pressure. The second step in developmental research is numerical modeling. Results have aided preliminary design by analyzing injection effects upon reservoir pressure, temperature and humidity profiles. Results are reported from laboratory experiments on candidate sandstones and caprocks. Conclusions are drawn, but further verification must be done in the field.

Thwarting Nonintrusive Occupancy Detection Attacks from Smart Meters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dapeng Man

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Occupancy information is one of the most important privacy issues of a home. Unfortunately, an attacker is able to detect occupancy from smart meter data. The current battery-based load hiding (BLH methods cannot solve this problem. To thwart occupancy detection attacks, we propose a framework of battery-based schemes to prevent occupancy detection (BPOD. BPOD monitors the power consumption of a home and detects the occupancy in real time. According to the detection result, BPOD modifies those statistical metrics of power consumption, which highly correlate with the occupancy by charging or discharging a battery, creating a delusion that the home is always occupied. We evaluate BPOD in a simulation using several real-world smart meter datasets. Our experiment results show that BPOD effectively prevents the threshold-based and classifier-based occupancy detection attacks. Furthermore, BPOD is also able to prevent nonintrusive appliance load monitoring attacks (NILM as a side-effect of thwarting detection attacks.

STEM - software test and evaluation methods: fault detection using static analysis techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bishop, P.G.; Esp, D.G.

1988-08-01

STEM is a software reliability project with the objective of evaluating a number of fault detection and fault estimation methods which can be applied to high integrity software. This Report gives some interim results of applying both manual and computer-based static analysis techniques, in particular SPADE, to an early CERL version of the PODS software containing known faults. The main results of this study are that: The scope for thorough verification is determined by the quality of the design documentation; documentation defects become especially apparent when verification is attempted. For well-defined software, the thoroughness of SPADE-assisted verification for detecting a large class of faults was successfully demonstrated. For imprecisely-defined software (not recommended for high-integrity systems) the use of tools such as SPADE is difficult and inappropriate. Analysis and verification tools are helpful, through their reliability and thoroughness. However, they are designed to assist, not replace, a human in validating software. Manual inspection can still reveal errors (such as errors in specification and errors of transcription of systems constants) which current tools cannot detect. There is a need for tools to automatically detect typographical errors in system constants, for example by reporting outliers to patterns. To obtain the maximum benefit from advanced tools, they should be applied during software development (when verification problems can be detected and corrected) rather than retrospectively. (author)

A malware detection scheme based on mining format information.

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Jinrong; Wang, Junfeng; Zou, Guozhong

2014-01-01

Malware has become one of the most serious threats to computer information system and the current malware detection technology still has very significant limitations. In this paper, we proposed a malware detection approach by mining format information of PE (portable executable) files. Based on in-depth analysis of the static format information of the PE files, we extracted 197 features from format information of PE files and applied feature selection methods to reduce the dimensionality of the features and achieve acceptable high performance. When the selected features were trained using classification algorithms, the results of our experiments indicate that the accuracy of the top classification algorithm is 99.1% and the value of the AUC is 0.998. We designed three experiments to evaluate the performance of our detection scheme and the ability of detecting unknown and new malware. Although the experimental results of identifying new malware are not perfect, our method is still able to identify 97.6% of new malware with 1.3% false positive rates.

Evaluating and Improving Automatic Sleep Spindle Detection by Using Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min-Yin Liu

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Sleep spindles are brief bursts of brain activity in the sigma frequency range (11–16 Hz measured by electroencephalography (EEG mostly during non-rapid eye movement (NREM stage 2 sleep. These oscillations are of great biological and clinical interests because they potentially play an important role in identifying and characterizing the processes of various neurological disorders. Conventionally, sleep spindles are identified by expert sleep clinicians via visual inspection of EEG signals. The process is laborious and the results are inconsistent among different experts. To resolve the problem, numerous computerized methods have been developed to automate the process of sleep spindle identification. Still, the performance of these automated sleep spindle detection methods varies inconsistently from study to study. There are two reasons: (1 the lack of common benchmark databases, and (2 the lack of commonly accepted evaluation metrics. In this study, we focus on tackling the second problem by proposing to evaluate the performance of a spindle detector in a multi-objective optimization context and hypothesize that using the resultant Pareto fronts for deriving evaluation metrics will improve automatic sleep spindle detection. We use a popular multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA, the Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm (SPEA2, to optimize six existing frequency-based sleep spindle detection algorithms. They include three Fourier, one continuous wavelet transform (CWT, and two Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT based algorithms. We also explore three hybrid approaches. Trained and tested on open-access DREAMS and MASS databases, two new hybrid methods of combining Fourier with HHT algorithms show significant performance improvement with F1-scores of 0.726–0.737.

Monocular pedestrian detection: Survey and experiments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Enzweiler, M.; Gavrila, D.M.

2009-01-01

Pedestrian detection is a rapidly evolving area in computer vision with key applications in intelligent vehicles, surveillance, and advanced robotics. The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the current state of the art from both methodological and experimental perspectives. The

New bone post-processing tools in forensic imaging: a multi-reader feasibility study to evaluate detection time and diagnostic accuracy in rib fracture assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Glemser, Philip A; Pfleiderer, Michael; Heger, Anna; Tremper, Jan; Krauskopf, Astrid; Schlemmer, Heinz-Peter; Yen, Kathrin; Simons, David

2017-03-01

The aim of this multi-reader feasibility study was to evaluate new post-processing CT imaging tools in rib fracture assessment of forensic cases by analyzing detection time and diagnostic accuracy. Thirty autopsy cases (20 with and 10 without rib fractures in autopsy) were randomly selected and included in this study. All cases received a native whole body CT scan prior to the autopsy procedure, which included dissection and careful evaluation of each rib. In addition to standard transverse sections (modality A), CT images were subjected to a reconstruction algorithm to compute axial labelling of the ribs (modality B) as well as "unfolding" visualizations of the rib cage (modality C, "eagle tool"). Three radiologists with different clinical and forensic experience who were blinded to autopsy results evaluated all cases in a random manner of modality and case. Rib fracture assessment of each reader was evaluated compared to autopsy and a CT consensus read as radiologic reference. A detailed evaluation of relevant test parameters revealed a better accordance to the CT consensus read as to the autopsy. Modality C was the significantly quickest rib fracture detection modality despite slightly reduced statistic test parameters compared to modalities A and B. Modern CT post-processing software is able to shorten reading time and to increase sensitivity and specificity compared to standard autopsy alone. The eagle tool as an easy to use tool is suited for an initial rib fracture screening prior to autopsy and can therefore be beneficial for forensic pathologists.

Design and Lab Experiment of a Stress Detection Service based on Mouse Movements

OpenAIRE

Kowatsch, Tobias; Wahle, Fabian; Filler, Andreas

2017-01-01

Workplace stress can negatively affect the health condition of employees and with it, the performance of organizations. Although there exist approaches to measure work-related stress, two major limitations are the low resolution of stress data and its obtrusive measurement. The current work applies design science research with the goal to design, implement and evaluate a Stress Detection Service (SDS) that senses the degree of work-related stress solely based on mouse movements of knowledge w...

Temperature monitoring and leak detection in sodium circuits of FBR using Raman distributed fiber optic sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasinathan, M.; Murali, N.; Sosamma, S.; Babu Rao, C.; Kumar, Anish; Purnachandra Rao, B.; Jayakumar, T.

2013-01-01

This paper discusses the fiber optic temperature sensor based leak detection in the coolant circuits of fast breeder reactor. These sensors measure the temperature based on spontaneous Raman scattering principle and is not influenced by the electromagnetic interference. Various experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the fiber optic sensor based leak detection using Raman distributed Temperature Sensor (RDTS). This paper also deals with the details of fiber optic sensor type leak detector layout for the coolant circuit of FBR, performance requirement of leak detection system, description of the test facility, experimental procedure and test results of various experiments conducted. (author)

Modality and Perceptual-Motor Experience Influence the Detection of Temporal Deviations in Tap Dance Sequences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mauro Murgia

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Accurate temporal information processing is critically important in many motor activities within disciplines such as dance, music, and sport. However, it is still unclear how temporal information related to biological motion is processed by expert and non-expert performers. It is well-known that the auditory modality dominates the visual modality in processing temporal information of simple stimuli, and that experts outperform non-experts in biological motion perception. In the present study, we combined these two areas of research; we investigated how experts and non-experts detected temporal deviations in tap dance sequences, in the auditory modality compared to the visual modality. We found that temporal deviations were better detected in the auditory modality compared to the visual modality, and by experts compared to non-experts. However, post hoc analyses indicated that these effects were mainly due to performances obtained by experts in the auditory modality. The results suggest that the experience advantage is not equally distributed across the modalities, and that tap dance experience enhances the effectiveness of the auditory modality but not the visual modality when processing temporal information. The present results and their potential implications are discussed in both temporal information processing and biological motion perception frameworks.

The Feasibility Evaluation of Land Use Change Detection Using GAOFEN-3 Data

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, G.; Sun, Y.; Zhao, Z.

2018-04-01

GaoFen-3 (GF-3) satellite, is the first C band and multi-polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite in China. In order to explore the feasibility of GF-3 satellite in remote sensing interpretation and land-use remote sensing change detection, taking Guangzhou, China as a study area, the full polarimetric image of GF-3 satellite with 8 m resolution of two temporal as the data source. Firstly, the image is pre-processed by orthorectification, image registration and mosaic, and the land-use remote sensing digital orthophoto map (DOM) in 2017 is made according to the each county. Then the classification analysis and judgment of ground objects on the image are carried out by means of ArcGIS combining with the auxiliary data and using artificial visual interpretation, to determine the area of changes and the category of change objects. According to the unified change information extraction principle to extract change areas. Finally, the change detection results are compared with 3 m resolution TerraSAR-X data and 2 m resolution multi-spectral image, and the accuracy is evaluated. Experimental results show that the accuracy of the GF-3 data is over 75 % in detecting the change of ground objects, and the detection capability of new filling soil is better than that of TerraSAR-X data, verify the detection and monitoring capability of GF-3 data to the change information extraction, also, it shows that GF-3 can provide effective data support for the remote sensing detection of land resources.

Simple economic evaluation and applications experiments for photovoltaic systems for remote sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rios, M. Jr.

1980-01-01

A simple evaluation of the cost effectiveness of photovoltaic systems is presented. The evaluation is based on a calculation of breakeven costs of photovoltaics (PV) arrays with the levelized costs of two alternative energy sources (1) extension of the utility grid and (2) diesel generators. A selected number of PV applications experiments that are in progress in remote areas of the US are summarized. These applications experiments range from a 23 watt insect survey trap to a 100 kW PV system for a national park complex. It is concluded that PV systems for remote areas are now cost effective in remote small applications with commercially available technology and will be cost competitive for intermediate scale systems (approx. 10 kW) in the 1980s if the DOE 1986 Commercial Readiness Goals are achieved.

Optimizing Probability of Detection Point Estimate Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Koshti, Ajay M.

2017-01-01

Probability of detection (POD) analysis is used in assessing reliably detectable flaw size in nondestructive evaluation (NDE). MIL-HDBK-18231and associated mh18232POD software gives most common methods of POD analysis. Real flaws such as cracks and crack-like flaws are desired to be detected using these NDE methods. A reliably detectable crack size is required for safe life analysis of fracture critical parts. The paper provides discussion on optimizing probability of detection (POD) demonstration experiments using Point Estimate Method. POD Point estimate method is used by NASA for qualifying special NDE procedures. The point estimate method uses binomial distribution for probability density. Normally, a set of 29 flaws of same size within some tolerance are used in the demonstration. The optimization is performed to provide acceptable value for probability of passing demonstration (PPD) and achieving acceptable value for probability of false (POF) calls while keeping the flaw sizes in the set as small as possible.

Feasibility of landmine detection using transgenic plants

Science.gov (United States)

Deyholos, Michael; Faust, Anthony A.; Miao, Minmin; Montoya, Rebecca; Donahue, D. Aaron

2006-05-01

Genetically modified plants that detect TNT and its degradation products are potentially powerful aids in humanitarian demining and detection of unexploded ordnance. Although the feasibility of TNT detection by plants and microorganisms has been demonstrated by several research teams world wide, thus far, none of these previously demonstrated systems has the sensitivity and specificity to be effective under field conditions. We are using two approaches to increase the potential effectiveness of these and related biological detection systems. First, we are expanding the repertoire of explosive-responsive promoters by conducting DNA microarray experiments with plants treated with TNT-degradation products, and characterizing the inducibility of reporter gene expression by these promoters. Second, we are evaluating the dynamics and limiting factors in the transmission of artificial signals from roots to shoots. This will increase the ability of soil-based TNT perception strategies to effect human-readable changes in shoot morphology as part of a practical plant-based explosives detection system.

Research Project Evaluation-Learnings from the PATHWAYS Project Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Galas, Aleksander; Pilat, Aleksandra; Leonardi, Matilde; Tobiasz-Adamczyk, Beata

2018-05-25

Every research project faces challenges regarding how to achieve its goals in a timely and effective manner. The purpose of this paper is to present a project evaluation methodology gathered during the implementation of the Participation to Healthy Workplaces and Inclusive Strategies in the Work Sector (the EU PATHWAYS Project). The PATHWAYS project involved multiple countries and multi-cultural aspects of re/integrating chronically ill patients into labor markets in different countries. This paper describes key project's evaluation issues including: (1) purposes, (2) advisability, (3) tools, (4) implementation, and (5) possible benefits and presents the advantages of a continuous monitoring. Project evaluation tool to assess structure and resources, process, management and communication, achievements, and outcomes. The project used a mixed evaluation approach and included Strengths (S), Weaknesses (W), Opportunities (O), and Threats (SWOT) analysis. A methodology for longitudinal EU projects' evaluation is described. The evaluation process allowed to highlight strengths and weaknesses and highlighted good coordination and communication between project partners as well as some key issues such as: the need for a shared glossary covering areas investigated by the project, problematic issues related to the involvement of stakeholders from outside the project, and issues with timing. Numerical SWOT analysis showed improvement in project performance over time. The proportion of participating project partners in the evaluation varied from 100% to 83.3%. There is a need for the implementation of a structured evaluation process in multidisciplinary projects involving different stakeholders in diverse socio-environmental and political conditions. Based on the PATHWAYS experience, a clear monitoring methodology is suggested as essential in every multidisciplinary research projects.

Beta-Binomial Model for the Detection of Rare Mutations in Pooled Next-Generation Sequencing Experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Jakaitiene, Audrone; Avino, Mariano; Guarracino, Mario Rosario

2017-04-01

Against diminishing costs, next-generation sequencing (NGS) still remains expensive for studies with a large number of individuals. As cost saving, sequencing genome of pools containing multiple samples might be used. Currently, there are many software available for the detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Sensitivity and specificity depend on the model used and data analyzed, indicating that all software have space for improvement. We use beta-binomial model to detect rare mutations in untagged pooled NGS experiments. We propose a multireference framework for pooled data with ability being specific up to two patients affected by neuromuscular disorders (NMD). We assessed the results comparing with The Genome Analysis Toolkit (GATK), CRISP, SNVer, and FreeBayes. Our results show that the multireference approach applying beta-binomial model is accurate in predicting rare mutations at 0.01 fraction. Finally, we explored the concordance of mutations between the model and software, checking their involvement in any NMD-related gene. We detected seven novel SNPs, for which the functional analysis produced enriched terms related to locomotion and musculature.

Evaluation of childhood trauma with respect to criminal behavior, dissociative experiences, adverse family experiences and psychiatric backgrounds among prison inmates.

Science.gov (United States)

Altintas, Merih; Bilici, Mustafa

2018-04-01

To evaluate childhood trauma in relation to criminal behavior, dissociative experiences, adverse family experiences during childhood and psychiatric backgrounds among prison inmates. In total, 200 prison inmates were included in this questionnaire-based study. Data on demographic characteristics, adverse family experiences during childhood and psychiatric backgrounds were collected via face-to-face interviews, and a psychometric evaluation was conducted using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-28) and Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). Several historical items were more common in females than in males including family history of psychiatric disease (23.0% vs. 13.0%, p = 0.048), a personal history of psychiatric disease (51.0% vs. 29.0%, p first crime (24.9 ± 8.9 years vs. 30.3 ± 9.2 years, p first offense (β = 0.772, p first offense. In conclusion, our findings revealed a high prevalence of and significant associations among childhood trauma, dissociative experiences, adverse family experiences and psychiatric problems in a cohort of incarcerated females and males. A psychiatric background, childhood trauma characterized by sexual abuse and violent crimes were found to be predominant in female prison inmates, whereas a criminal background with a younger age at first offense and frequent previous convictions, substance use and sexual crimes were more prevalent among male prison inmates. Our findings indicate a potential link between childhood traumatization and criminal behavior in terms of subsequent offending but not in terms of severity of the subsequent offense. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

SUMMARY AND EVALUATION OF STARTUP AND OPERATING EXPERIENCE AT INDIAN POINT STATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freyberg, R. H.; Prestele, J. A.

1963-09-15

A description of the Indian Point Power Station is given aiong with a summary and evaluation of startup and operating experience. Equipment failures and problems and various corrective measures are also outlined. (C.E.S.)

Evaluation of water transport behavior in sodium fire experiment-II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakagiri, Toshio [Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Inst., Oarai, Ibaraki (Japan). Oarai Engineering Center

2000-02-01

Evaluation of water transport behavior in Sodium Fire-II (Run-D4) was performed. Results of other experiments performed in Oarai-Engineering Center were considered in the evaluation, and the results of the evaluation were compared with the calculated results of ASSCOPS code. The main conclusions are described below. (1) It was estimated that aerosol hydrates were not formed in the test cell in the experiment, because of high gas temperatures (200degC - 300degC), but water vapor absorption by the formation of aerosol hydrates and water vapor condensation were occurred in humility measure line, because of low gas temperature (20degC - 40degC). Therefore, it was considered appropriate that measured water vapor concentration in the humidity measure line was different from the real concentration in the test cell. (2) Water vapor concentration in the test cell was assumed to be about 35,000 ppm during sodium leak, and reached to about 70,000 ppm because of water release from heated concrete (over 100degC) walls after 190 min from sodium leak started. The assumed value of about 35,000 ppm during sodium leak almost agree with assumed value from the quantity of aerosol in the humidity measure line, but no support for the value of about 70,000 ppm after 190 min could be found. Therefore, water release rate from heated concrete walls can change with their temperature history. (author)

Comparison of conventional MRI and MR arthrography in the evaluation of wrist ligament tears: A preliminary experience

Science.gov (United States)

Pahwa, Shivani; Srivastava, Deep N; Sharma, Raju; Gamanagatti, Shivanand; Kotwal, Prakash P; Sharma, Vijay

2014-01-01

Aims: To compare conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and direct magnetic resonance (MR) arthrography in the evaluation of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) and intrinsic wrist ligament tears. Materials and Methods: T1-weighted, fat suppressed (FS) proton density plus T2-weighted (FS PD/T2), 3D multiple-echo data image combination (MEDIC) sequences and direct MR arthrography were performed in 53 patients with wrist pain. Images were evaluated for the presence and location of TFCC, scapholunate ligament (SLL) and lunatotriquetral ligament (LTL) tears, and imaging findings were compared with operative findings in 16 patients who underwent arthroscopy or open surgery (gold standard). Results: Sixteen patients underwent arthroscopy/open surgery: 12 TFCC tears were detected arthroscopically out of which 9 were detected on FS PD/T2 sequence, 10 on MEDIC sequence, and all 12 were detected on MR arthrography. The sensitivities of FS PD/T2, MEDIC sequences, and MR arthrography in the detection of TFCC tears were 75%, 83.3%, and 100%, respectively. Out of the eight arthroscopically confirmed SLL tears, three tears were detected on FS PD/T2 sequence, five on MEDIC sequence, and all eight were visualized on MR arthrography. The sensitivities of FS PD/T2, MEDIC sequences, and MR arthrography in detecting SLL tears were 37.5%, 62.5%, and 100%, respectively. One arthroscopically confirmed LTL tear was diagnosed on FS PD/T2 sequence, three on MEDIC sequence, and all five arthroscopically confirmed LTL tears were detected with MR arthrography. The sensitivities of PD, MEDIC sequences, and MR arthrography in detecting LTL tears were 20%, 40%, and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: MR arthrography is the most sensitive and specific imaging modality for the evaluation of wrist ligament tears. PMID:25114389

Comparison of conventional MRI and MR arthrography in the evaluation of wrist ligament tears: A preliminary experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shivani Pahwa

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Aims: To compare conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI and direct magnetic resonance (MR arthrography in the evaluation of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC and intrinsic wrist ligament tears. Materials and Methods: T1-weighted, fat suppressed (FS proton density plus T2-weighted (FS PD/T2, 3D multiple-echo data image combination (MEDIC sequences and direct MR arthrography were performed in 53 patients with wrist pain. Images were evaluated for the presence and location of TFCC, scapholunate ligament (SLL and lunatotriquetral ligament (LTL tears, and imaging findings were compared with operative findings in 16 patients who underwent arthroscopy or open surgery (gold standard. Results: Sixteen patients underwent arthroscopy/open surgery: 12 TFCC tears were detected arthroscopically out of which 9 were detected on FS PD/T2 sequence, 10 on MEDIC sequence, and all 12 were detected on MR arthrography. The sensitivities of FS PD/T2, MEDIC sequences, and MR arthrography in the detection of TFCC tears were 75%, 83.3%, and 100%, respectively. Out of the eight arthroscopically confirmed SLL tears, three tears were detected on FS PD/T2 sequence, five on MEDIC sequence, and all eight were visualized on MR arthrography. The sensitivities of FS PD/T2, MEDIC sequences, and MR arthrography in detecting SLL tears were 37.5%, 62.5%, and 100%, respectively. One arthroscopically confirmed LTL tear was diagnosed on FS PD/T2 sequence, three on MEDIC sequence, and all five arthroscopically confirmed LTL tears were detected with MR arthrography. The sensitivities of PD, MEDIC sequences, and MR arthrography in detecting LTL tears were 20%, 40%, and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: MR arthrography is the most sensitive and specific imaging modality for the evaluation of wrist ligament tears.

Acoustic detection of particles, the RAP experiment: present status and results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bassan, M; Buonomo, B; Coccia, E; Blair, D; D'Antonio, S; Monache, G Delle; Gioacchino, D Di; Fafone, V; Ligi, C; Marini, A; Mazzitelli, G; Modestino, G; Pizzella, G; Quintieri, L; Roccella, S; Rocchi, A; Ronga, F; Tripodi, P; Valente, P

2006-01-01

Cosmic ray events with rate and energy much higher than expected were detected by the ultracryogenic gravitational antenna Nautilus located at the Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, when it was operating in superconducting state. Mechanisms related to the superconductivity state of the material could be involved in such a way to enhance the conversion efficiency of the particle energy into vibrational energy of the detector. The RAP experiment has the aim to study the mechanical response of a small metallic resonant bar to short pulses of high energy electron beam, investigating the response of the bar both in normal and in superconducting state. The results obtained for an Al5056 bar down to a temperature of 4 K are reported and the preliminary results for a niobium bar at temperature below and above the superconducting-normal transition are also discussed

A Comparative Analysis of Pitch Detection Methods Under the Influence of Different Noise Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Sukhostat, Lyudmila; Imamverdiyev, Yadigar

2015-07-01

Pitch is one of the most important components in various speech processing systems. The aim of this study was to evaluate different pitch detection methods in terms of various noise conditions. Prospective study. For evaluation of pitch detection algorithms, time-domain, frequency-domain, and hybrid methods were considered by using Keele and CSTR speech databases. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Experiments have shown that BaNa method achieves the highest pitch detection accuracy. The development of methods for pitch detection, which are robust to additive noise at different signal-to-noise ratio, is an important field of research with many opportunities for enhancement the modern methods. Copyright © 2015 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NON-DESTRUCTIVE LEAK DETECTION IN GALVANIZED IRON PIPE USING NONLINEAR ACOUSTIC MODULATION METHOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gigih Priyandoko

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Non-destructive testing is a wide group of analysis techniques used in science and industry to evaluate the properties of a structure without causing damage to it. The main objective of this project is to carry out experiment to detect leakage in pipeline using nonlinear acoustic modulation method. The nonlinear acoustic modulation approach with low frequency excitation and high frequency acoustic wave is used to reveal modulations in the presence of leak. The pipe used in this experiment was galvanized iron pipe. The experiment is started with the experiment of undamaged specimen and followed by the experiment of damaged specimen with manually applied leak. The results obtained are being observed and the difference between the specimen without leak and with leak can be distinguished. The distance of the leak and the distance of the outlet detected is nearly accurate to the exact location which is leak at 4.0 m and outlet at 6.0 m. Therefore, the results demonstrate that leakage can be detected using nonlinear acoustic modulation, and proved the objective of distinguish the difference between the results of specimen without leak and with leak has succeeded. The damage detection process can be eased with the knowledge on the signal features.

An Evaluation of Machine Learning Methods to Detect Malicious SCADA Communications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beaver, Justin M [ORNL; Borges, Raymond Charles [ORNL; Buckner, Mark A [ORNL

2013-01-01

Critical infrastructure Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems were designed to operate on closed, proprietary networks where a malicious insider posed the greatest threat potential. The centralization of control and the movement towards open systems and standards has improved the efficiency of industrial control, but has also exposed legacy SCADA systems to security threats that they were not designed to mitigate. This work explores the viability of machine learning methods in detecting the new threat scenarios of command and data injection. Similar to network intrusion detection systems in the cyber security domain, the command and control communications in a critical infrastructure setting are monitored, and vetted against examples of benign and malicious command traffic, in order to identify potential attack events. Multiple learning methods are evaluated using a dataset of Remote Terminal Unit communications, which included both normal operations and instances of command and data injection attack scenarios.

Silicon photomultipliers for the detection of VUV scintillation light in LXe for the nEXO experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ziegler, Tobias; Jamil, Ako; Bayerlein, Reimund; Hoessl, Juergen; Hufschmidt, Patrick; Schneider, Judith; Wagenpfeil, Michael; Wrede, Gerrit; Anton, Gisela; Michel, Thilo [Erlangen Centre for Astroparticle Physics, Erlangen 91058 (Germany)

2016-07-01

The future nEXO (next Enriched Xenon Observatory) experiment with a single phase TPC design will use about 4 m{sup 2} of SiPMs for the detection of the VUV (vacuum ultraviolet) scintillation light (λ=175 nm) from LXe to search for the neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay of {sup 136}Xe. Commercially available SiPMs are not sensitive to ultraviolet light, because of an antireflective coating on top of the sensitive area. In addition, they suffer from relatively high dark count rate at room temperature and correlated avalanches, such as crosstalk and afterpulsing. The core criteria, for having an energy resolution of about 1% (σ) at the Q-value of the 0νββ decay of {sup 136}Xe (2457.8 keV), are a photon detection efficiency (PDE) of at least 15% at 175 nm and a correlated avalanche probability (CAP) of less than 20% at -100 C. We considered different approaches for optimizing both PDE and CAP. These improved SiPMs from several vendors were tested in different test setups at temperatures of about -100 C with respect to the criteria required in the nEXO experiment.

[Development and evaluation of a rapid PCR detection kit for Ophiocordyceps sinensis].

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Fei-Xia; Cao, Jing; Wang, Sha-Sha; Wang, Xi; Yuan, Yuan; Peng, Cheng; Wan, De-Guang; Guo, Jin-Lin

2017-03-01

Ophiocordyceps sinensis is a valuable traditional Chinese medicine. Due to resource shortage, expensive price and huge market demand, there are many adulterants of O. sinensis in markets. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a rapid and effective method for distinguishing O. sinensis. Based on the species-specific PCR of O. sinensis, this study developed a detection kit by optimizing the components and evaluated the specificity, detection limit, repeatability and shelf life of the kit. The results showed that when the quality of O. sinensis accounted for more than 1/200 of that mixture, it could be detected successfully. Moreover, only O. sinensis could be amplified and glowed bright green fluorescence under ultraviolet light. The kit was still in effect when it was placed at 37 ℃ for three days, which indicated that it was stable and effective for one year stored in 4 ℃. The kit in the same batch under different operation conditions, and in different batch under the same operation conditions gave the same result and accuracy, which showed good repeatability of the kit. It is simple, rapid and accurate to distinguish O. sinensis from its adulterants using the kit, and lays the foundation for commercialization of traditional Chinese medicine fast detection kit. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Status of U.S. evaluations of acoustic detection of in-sodium water leaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fletcher, F.L.; Neely, H.H.

1990-01-01

An overview of the United States testing program to evaluate acoustic leak detection and location systems on simulated water leaks in functional liquid sodium steam generators is provided. Testing was conducted on the modular hockey stick steam generator during the large leak test program in the LLTR, on the CRBR prototype hockey stick steam generators in SCTI, on a double wall tube steam generator installed in EBR-II and on the helical coil steam generator tested in SCTI. These test programs have demonstrated the acoustic leak detection system potential, however, additional development is required before the system can perform to its effective and required potential. (author). 6 figs

Maritime Interdiction Operations Small Craft Detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dougan, A.D.; Trombino, D.; Dunlop, W.; Bordetsky, A.

2010-01-01

The Naval Postgraduate School has been conducting Tactical Network Topology (TNT) Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO) experiments with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) since early in 2005. In this work, we are investigating cutting edge technology to evaluate use of networks, advanced sensors and collaborative technology for globally-supported maritime interdiction operations. Some examples of our research include communications in harsh environments, between moving ships at sea; small boat drive-by radiation detection; network-centric collaboration with global partners; situational awareness; prototype sensors and biometric instruments. Since 2006, we have studied the concept of using a small vessel with fixed radiation sensors to do initial searches for illicit radioactive materials. In our work, we continue to evaluate concepts of operation for small boat monitoring. For example, in San Francisco Bay we established a simulated choke point using two RHIBs. Each RHIB had a large sodium iodide radiation sensor on board, mounted on the side nearest to the passing potential target boats. Once detections were made, notification over the network prompted a chase RHIB also equipped with a radiation sensor to further investigate the potential target. We have also used an unmanned surface vessel (USV) carrying a radiation sensor to perform the initial discovery. The USV was controlled remotely and to drive by boats in different configurations. The potential target vessels were arranged in a line, as a choke point and randomly spaced in the water. Search plans were problematic when weather, waves and drift complicated the ability to stay in one place. A further challenge is to both detect and identify the radioactive materials during the drive-by. Our radiation detection system, ARAM, Adaptable Radiation Area Monitor, is able to detect, alarm and quickly identify plausible radionuclides in real time. We have performed a number of experiments to better

Progress in evaluation of human observer visual detection performance using the ROC curve approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metz, C.E.; Starr, S.J.; Lusted, L.B.; Rossmann, K.

1976-01-01

The ROC approach to analysis of human observer detection performance as playing a key role in elucidation the relationships among the physical parameters of an imaging operation, the ability of a human observer to use the image to make decisions regarding the state of health or disease in a medical diagnostic situation, and the medical and social utility of those decisions, was studied. The conventional ROC curve describing observer performance in simple detection tasks can be used to predict observer performance in complex detection tasks. The conventional ROC curve thus provides a description of observer detection performance which is useful in situations more relevant clinically than those for which it is measured. Similar predictions regarding observer performance in identification and recognition tasks are currently being sought. The ROC curve can be used to relate signal detectability to various measures of the diagnostic and social benefit derived from a medical imaging procedure. These relationships provide a means for assessing the relative desirability of alternative diagnostic techniques and can be used to evaluate combinations of diagnostic studies

Detecting circumscribed lesions with the Hough transform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Groshong, B.R; Kegelmeyer, W.P., Jr

1996-01-11

We have designed and implemented a circumscribed lesion detection algorithm, based on the Hough Transform, which will detect zero or more approximately circular structures in a mammogram over a range of radii from a few pixels to nearly the size of the breast. We address the geometrical behavior of peaks in Hough parameter space (x,y,r) for both the true radius of a circular structure in the image (r = r{sub o}), and for the parameter r as it passes through this radius. In addition, we evaluate peaks in Hough parameter space by re-analyzing the underlying mammogram in the vicinity of the circular disk indicated by the peak. Discs suggested by the resulting peaks are accumulated in a feature image, scaled by a measure of their quality. These results are then rectified with respect to image contrast extremes and average value. The result is a feature with a continuously scaled pixel level output which suggests the likelihood that a pixel is located inside a circular structure, irrespective of the radius of the structure and overall mammogram contrast. These features are evaluated fast qualitative and quantitative performance metrics which permit circumscribed lesion detection features to be initially evaluated without a full end-to-end classification experiment.

Detection of Botnet Command and Control Traffic by the Multistage Trust Evaluation of Destination Identifiers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pieter Burghouwt

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Network-based detection of botnet Command and Control communication is a difficult task if the traffic has a relatively low volume and if popular protocols, such as HTTP, are used to resemble normal traffic. We present a new network-based detection approach that is capable of detecting this type of Command and Control traffic in an enterprise network by estimating the trustworthiness of the traffic destinations. If the destination identifier of a traffic flow origins directly from: human input, prior traffic from a trusted destination, or a defined set of legitimate applications, the destination is trusted and its associated traffic is classified as normal. Advantages of this approach are: the ability of zero day malicious traffic detection, low exposure to malware by passive host-external traffic monitoring, and the applicability for real-time filtering. Experimental evaluation demonstrates successful detection of diverse types of Command and Control Traffic.

Clinical evaluation of a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) prototype for the detection of pulmonary embolism.

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Buhmann, Sonja; Herzog, Peter; Liang, Jin; Wolf, Mathias; Salganicoff, Marcos; Kirchhoff, Chlodwig; Reiser, Maximilian; Becker, Christoph H

2007-06-01

To evaluate the performance of a prototype computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) tool using artificial intelligence techniques for the detection of pulmonary embolism (PE) and the possible benefit for general radiologists. Forty multidetector row computed tomography datasets (16/64- channel scanner) using 100 kVp, 100 mAs effective/slice, and 1-mm axial reformats in a low-frequency reconstruction kernel were evaluated. A total of 80 mL iodinated contrast material was injected at a flow rate of 5 mL/seconds. Primarily, six general radiologists marked any PE using a commercially available lung evaluation software with simultaneous, automatic processing by CAD in the background. An expert panel consisting of two chest radiologists analyzed all PE marks from the readers and CAD, also searching for additional finding primarily missed by both, forming the ground truth. The ground truth consisted of 212 emboli. Of these, 65 (31%) were centrally and 147 (69%) were peripherally located. The readers detected 157/212 emboli (74%) leading to a sensitivity of 97% (63/65) for central and 70% (103/147) for peripheral emboli with 9 false-positive findings. CAD detected 168/212 emboli (79%), reaching a sensitivity of 74% for central (48/65) and 82%(120/147) for peripheral emboli. A total of 154 CAD candidates were considered as false positives, yielding an average of 3.85 false positives/case. The CAD software showed a sensitivity comparable to that of the general radiologists, but with more false positives. CAD detection of findings incremental to the radiologists suggests benefit when used as a second reader. Future versions of CAD have the potential to further increase clinical benefit by improving sensitivity and reducing false marks.

Hermetic and Web Plagiarism Detection Systems for Student Essays--An Evaluation of the State-of-the-Art

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Kakkonen, Tuomo; Mozgovoy, Maxim

2010-01-01

Plagiarism has become a serious problem in education, and several plagiarism detection systems have been developed for dealing with this problem. This study provides an empirical evaluation of eight plagiarism detection systems for student essays. We present a categorical hierarchy of the most common types of plagiarism that are encountered in…

Apparent spatial uniformity of the gamma-ray bursts detected by the Konus experiment on Venera 11 and Venera 12

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higdon, J.C.; Schmidt, M.

1990-01-01

The V/Vmax test is applied to gamma-ray bursts of duration longer than 1 sec recorded by the Konus experiment, to examine quantitatively the uniformity of the burst source population. A sample of 123 bursts detected on Venera 11 and Venera 12, gives mean V/Vmax = 0.45 + or - 0.03, consistent with 0.5, the value expected for a uniform distribution in space of the parent population of burst sources. It is argued that experimenters give careful attention to the detection limit for each recorded gamma-ray burst, and that quantitative data for burst properties and detection limits should be published. 28 refs

Early detection of breast cancer: results of a screening programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beahrs, O.H.

1980-01-01

The results of a mammography screening programme launched by the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute are discussed. Twenty-seven Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Projects (BCDDP) screened 280,000 women annually for 5 years. During the first 2 screenings, 1810 cancers were detected. An increased rate of discovery in all age groups was achieved. The radiation risk of mammography is also discussed. The results of the BCDDP were evaluated by a review panel. Of the 1810 cancers detected, 45% had been detected by mammography alone, 47% by mammography and physical examination and only 7% by physical examination alone. 592 of the cancers were < 1 cm in diameter. Two-thirds of these lesions were considered to be in-situ carcinoma and one-third invasive cancer. In 66 instances, the tissue first presented was considered not to be cancerous; these cases were further studied clinically and pathologically. It is concluded that, in the experience of the BCDDP, mammography proved to be an excellent method of detection, but it does have a small theoretical risk. As a widely used approach to detection, mammography is probably not practical due to the number of experts necessary for image evaluation. (UK)

Evaluation of MC and A detection time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, B.W.; Thomas, N.M.

1984-07-01

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed reform of the material control and accounting (MC and A) requirements for facilities authorized to possess and use formula quantities of strategic special nuclear material (SSNM). The purpose of the reform is to strengthen MC and A capabilities by requiring more timely detection of possible SSNM losses and by providing for more rapid and conclusive resolution of discrepancies. This study was conducted to identify the advantages and disadvantages of detection time intervals ranging from one day to two weeks. Material loss tests based on existing process monitoring data are used to compare the detection sensitiviy, alarm frequency, resolution capability and effort to collect and process data for the stipulated range of detection times. 15 references, 4 figures, 12 tables

Development of real time visual evaluation system for sodium transient thermohydraulic experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanigawa, Shingo

1990-01-01

A real time visual evaluation system, the Liquid Metal Visual Evaluation System (LIVES), has been developed for the Plant Dynamics Test Loop facility at O-arai Engineering Center. This facility is designed to provide sodium transient thermohydraulic experimental data not only in a fuel subassembly but also in a plant wide system simulating abnormal or accident conditions in liquid metal fast breeder reactors. Since liquid metal sodium is invisible, measurements to obtain experimental data are mainly conducted by numerous thermo couples installed at various locations in the test sections and the facility. The transient thermohydraulic phenomena are a result of complicated interactions among global and local scale three-dimensional phenomena, and short- and long-time scale phenomena. It is, therefore, difficult to grasp intuitively thermohydraulic behaviors and to observe accurately both temperature distribution and flow condition solely by digital data or various types of analog data in evaluating the experimental results. For effectively conducting sodium transient experiments and for making it possible to observe exactly thermohydraulic phenomena, the real time visualization technique for transient thermohydraulics has been developed using the latest Engineering Work Station. The system makes it possible to observe and compare instantly the experiment and analytical results while experiment or analysis is in progress. The results are shown by not only the time trend curves but also the graphic animations. This paper shows an outline of the system and sample applications of the system. (author)

An evaluation of the Positive Emotional Experiences Scale: A preliminary analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rene van Wyk

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Orientation: The positive organisational behaviour movement emphasises the advantages of psychological strengths in business. The psychological virtues of positive emotional experiences can potentially promote human strengths to the advantages of business functioning and the management of work conditions. This is supported by Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory that emphasises the broadening of reactive thought patterns through experiences of positive emotions. Research purpose: A preliminary psychometric evaluation of a positive measurement of dimensions of emotional experiences in the workplace, by rephrasing the Kiefer and Barclay Toxic Emotional Experiences Scale. Motivation for the study: This quantitative Exploratory Factor Analysis investigates the factorial structure and reliability of the Positive Emotional Experiences Scale, a positive rephrased version of the Toxic Emotional Experiences Scale. Research approach, design and method: This Exploratory Factor Analysis indicates an acceptable three-factor model for the Positive Emotional Experiences Scale. These three factors are: (1 psychological recurrent positive state, (2 social connectedness and (3 physical refreshed energy, with strong Cronbach’s alphas of 0.91, 0.91 and 0.94, respectively. Main findings: The three-factor model of the Positive Emotional Experiences Scale provides a valid measure in support of Fredrickson’s theory of social, physical and psychological endured personal resources that build positive emotions. Practical/Managerial implications: Knowledge gained on positive versus negative emotional experiences could be applied by management to promote endured personal resources that strengthen positive emotional experiences. Contribution/value-add: The contribution of this rephrased Positive Emotional Experiences Scale provides a reliable measure of assessment of the social, physical and endured psychological and personal resources identified in Fredrickson�

Surface based detection schemes for molecular interferometry experiments - implications and possible applications

Science.gov (United States)

Juffmann, Thomas; Milic, Adriana; Muellneritsch, Michael; Arndt, Markus

2011-03-01

Surface based detection schemes for molecular interferometry experiments might be crucial in the search for the quantum properties of larger and larger objects since they provide single particle sensitivity. Here we report on molecular interferograms of different biomolecules imaged using fluorescence microscopy. Being able to watch the build-up of an interferogram live and in situ reveals the matter-wave behavior of these complex molecules in an unprecedented way. We examine several problems encountered due to van-der-Waals forces between the molecules and the diffraction grating and discuss possible ways to circumvent these. Especially the advent of ultra-thin (1-100 atomic layers) diffraction masks might path the way towards molecular holography. We also discuss other possible applications such as coherent molecular microscopy.

Evaluation of integrated assessment model hindcast experiments: a case study of the GCAM 3.0 land use module

Science.gov (United States)

Snyder, Abigail C.; Link, Robert P.; Calvin, Katherine V.

2017-11-01

Hindcasting experiments (conducting a model forecast for a time period in which observational data are available) are being undertaken increasingly often by the integrated assessment model (IAM) community, across many scales of models. When they are undertaken, the results are often evaluated using global aggregates or otherwise highly aggregated skill scores that mask deficiencies. We select a set of deviation-based measures that can be applied on different spatial scales (regional versus global) to make evaluating the large number of variable-region combinations in IAMs more tractable. We also identify performance benchmarks for these measures, based on the statistics of the observational dataset, that allow a model to be evaluated in absolute terms rather than relative to the performance of other models at similar tasks. An ideal evaluation method for hindcast experiments in IAMs would feature both absolute measures for evaluation of a single experiment for a single model and relative measures to compare the results of multiple experiments for a single model or the same experiment repeated across multiple models, such as in community intercomparison studies. The performance benchmarks highlight the use of this scheme for model evaluation in absolute terms, providing information about the reasons a model may perform poorly on a given measure and therefore identifying opportunities for improvement. To demonstrate the use of and types of results possible with the evaluation method, the measures are applied to the results of a past hindcast experiment focusing on land allocation in the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM) version 3.0. The question of how to more holistically evaluate models as complex as IAMs is an area for future research. We find quantitative evidence that global aggregates alone are not sufficient for evaluating IAMs that require global supply to equal global demand at each time period, such as GCAM. The results of this work indicate it is

Initial Evaluation of a Conflict Detection Tool in the Terminal Area

Science.gov (United States)

Verma Savita Arora; Tang, Huabin; Ballinger, Deborah S.; Kozon, Thomas E.; Farrahi, Amir Hossein

2012-01-01

Despite the recent economic recession and its adverse impact on air travel, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continues to forecast an increase in air traffic demand that may see traffic double or triple by the year 2025. Increases in air traffic will burden the air traffic management system, and higher levels of safety and efficiency will be required. The air traffic controllers primary task is to ensure separation between aircraft in their airspace and keep the skies safe. As air traffic is forecasted to increase in volume and complexity [1], there is an increased likelihood of conflicts between aircraft, which adds risk and inefficiency to air traffic management and increases controller workload. To attenuate these factors, recent ATM research has shown that air and ground-based automation tools could reduce controller workload, especially if the automation is focused on conflict detection and resolution. Conflict Alert is a short time horizon conflict detection tool deployed in the Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), which has limited utility due to the high number of false alerts generated and its use of dead reckoning to predict loss of separation between aircraft. Terminal Tactical Separation Assurance Flight Environment (T-TSAFE) is a short time horizon conflict detection tool that uses both flight intent and dead reckoning to detect conflicts. Results of a fast time simulation experiment indicated that TTSAFE provided a more effective alert lead-time and generated less false alerts than Conflict Alert [2]. TSAFE was previously tested in a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) simulation study that focused on the en route phase of flight [3]. The current study tested the T-TSAFE tool in an HITL simulation study, focusing on the terminal environment with current day operations. The study identified procedures, roles, responsibilities, information requirements and usability, with the help of TRACON controllers who participated in the experiment. Metrics such

Graphical evaluation of the ridge-type robust regression estimators in mixture experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Erkoc, Ali; Emiroglu, Esra; Akay, Kadri Ulas

2014-01-01

In mixture experiments, estimation of the parameters is generally based on ordinary least squares (OLS). However, in the presence of multicollinearity and outliers, OLS can result in very poor estimates. In this case, effects due to the combined outlier-multicollinearity problem can be reduced to certain extent by using alternative approaches. One of these approaches is to use biased-robust regression techniques for the estimation of parameters. In this paper, we evaluate various ridge-type robust estimators in the cases where there are multicollinearity and outliers during the analysis of mixture experiments. Also, for selection of biasing parameter, we use fraction of design space plots for evaluating the effect of the ridge-type robust estimators with respect to the scaled mean squared error of prediction. The suggested graphical approach is illustrated on Hald cement data set.

Evaluation of different shadow detection and restoration methods and their impact on vegetation indices using UAV high-resolution imageries over vineyards

Science.gov (United States)

Aboutalebi, M.; Torres-Rua, A. F.; McKee, M.; Kustas, W. P.; Nieto, H.

2017-12-01

Shadows are an unavoidable component of high-resolution imagery. Although shadows can be a useful source of information about terrestrial features, they are a hindrance for image processing and lead to misclassification errors and increased uncertainty in defining surface reflectance properties. In precision agriculture activities, shadows may affect the performance of vegetation indices at pixel and plant scales. Thus, it becomes necessary to evaluate existing shadow detection and restoration methods, especially for applications that makes direct use of pixel information to estimate vegetation biomass, leaf area index (LAI), plant water use and stress, chlorophyll content, just to name a few. In this study, four high-resolution imageries captured by the Utah State University - AggieAir Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system flown in 2014, 2015, and 2016 over a commercial vineyard located in the California for the USDA-Agricultural Research Service Grape Remote sensing Atmospheric Profile and Evapotranspiration Experiment (GRAPEX) Program are used for shadow detection and restoration. Four different methods for shadow detection are compared: (1) unsupervised classification, (2) supervised classification, (3) index-based method, and (4) physically-based method. Also, two different shadow restoration methods are evaluated: (1) linear correlation correction, and (2) gamma correction. The models' performance is evaluated over two vegetation indices: normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and LAI for both sunlit and shadowed pixels. Histogram and analysis of variance (ANOVA) are used as performance indicators. Results indicated that the performance of the supervised classification and the index-based method are better than other methods. In addition, there is a statistical difference between the average of NDVI and LAI on the sunlit and shadowed pixels. Among the shadow restoration methods, gamma correction visually works better than the linear correlation

The discount rate in the economic evaluation of prevention: a thought experiment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L.G.A. Bonneux (Luc); E. Birnie (Erwin)

2001-01-01

textabstractOBJECTIVES: In the standard economic model of evaluation, constant discount rates devalue the long term health benefits of prevention strongly. This study shows that it is unlikely that this reflects societal preference. DESIGN: A thought experiment in a

Change Detection in High-Resolution Remote Sensing Images Using Levene-Test and Fuzzy Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, G. H.; Wang, H. B.; Fan, W. F.; Liu, Y.; Liu, H. J.

2018-04-01

High-resolution remote sensing images possess complex spatial structure and rich texture information, according to these, this paper presents a new method of change detection based on Levene-Test and Fuzzy Evaluation. It first got map-spots by segmenting two overlapping images which had been pretreated, extracted features such as spectrum and texture. Then, changed information of all map-spots which had been treated by the Levene-Test were counted to obtain the candidate changed regions, hue information (H component) was extracted through the IHS Transform and conducted change vector analysis combined with the texture information. Eventually, the threshold was confirmed by an iteration method, the subject degrees of candidate changed regions were calculated, and final change regions were determined. In this paper experimental results on multi-temporal ZY-3 high-resolution images of some area in Jiangsu Province show that: Through extracting map-spots of larger difference as the candidate changed regions, Levene-Test decreases the computing load, improves the precision of change detection, and shows better fault-tolerant capacity for those unchanged regions which are of relatively large differences. The combination of Hue-texture features and fuzzy evaluation method can effectively decrease omissions and deficiencies, improve the precision of change detection.

In silico and experimental evaluation of DNA-based detection methods for the ability to discriminate almond from other Prunus spp.

Science.gov (United States)

Brežná, Barbara; Šmíd, Jiří; Costa, Joana; Radvanszky, Jan; Mafra, Isabel; Kuchta, Tomáš

2015-04-01

Ten published DNA-based analytical methods aiming at detecting material of almond (Prunus dulcis) were in silico evaluated for potential cross-reactivity with other stone fruits (Prunus spp.), including peach, apricot, plum, cherry, sour cherry and Sargent cherry. For most assays, the analysis of nucleotide databases suggested none or insufficient discrimination of at least some stone fruits. On the other hand, the assay targeting non-specific lipid transfer protein (Röder et al., 2011, Anal Chim Acta 685:74-83) was sufficiently discriminative, judging from nucleotide alignments. Empirical evaluation was performed for three of the published methods, one modification of a commercial kit (SureFood allergen almond) and one attempted novel method targeting thaumatin-like protein gene. Samples of leaves and kernels were used in the experiments. The empirical results were favourable for the method from Röder et al. (2011) and a modification of SureFood allergen almond kit, both showing cross-reactivity <10(-3) compared to the model almond. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Data assimilation and model evaluation experiment datasets

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Chung-Cheng A.; Qian, Wen; Glenn, Scott M.

1994-01-01

The Institute for Naval Oceanography, in cooperation with Naval Research Laboratories and universities, executed the Data Assimilation and Model Evaluation Experiment (DAMEE) for the Gulf Stream region during fiscal years 1991-1993. Enormous effort has gone into the preparation of several high-quality and consistent datasets for model initialization and verification. This paper describes the preparation process, the temporal and spatial scopes, the contents, the structure, etc., of these datasets. The goal of DAMEE and the need of data for the four phases of experiment are briefly stated. The preparation of DAMEE datasets consisted of a series of processes: (1) collection of observational data; (2) analysis and interpretation; (3) interpolation using the Optimum Thermal Interpolation System package; (4) quality control and re-analysis; and (5) data archiving and software documentation. The data products from these processes included a time series of 3D fields of temperature and salinity, 2D fields of surface dynamic height and mixed-layer depth, analysis of the Gulf Stream and rings system, and bathythermograph profiles. To date, these are the most detailed and high-quality data for mesoscale ocean modeling, data assimilation, and forecasting research. Feedback from ocean modeling groups who tested this data was incorporated into its refinement. Suggestions for DAMEE data usages include (1) ocean modeling and data assimilation studies, (2) diagnosis and theoretical studies, and (3) comparisons with locally detailed observations.

Radionavigated detection of sentinel nodes in breast carcinoma--first experiences of our department.

Science.gov (United States)

Duchaj, B; Chvalny, P; Vesely, J; Makaiova, I; Durdik, S; Straka, V; Palaj, J; Procka, V; Aksamitova, K; Skraskova, S; Banki, P; Kovacova, S; Galbavy, S

2010-01-01

Biopsy and histological evaluation of sentinel lymphatic node limits the axillary node dissection only in cases of positive histological finding and decreases the occurrence of postoperative complications related to the axillary node dissection. We used radiotracer SentiScint, Medi-Radiopharma Ltd, Hungary and preoperatively administered blue dye--Blue Patenté V, Guebert, Aulnay-Sous-Bios, France. 11 (18%) patients were subdued to deep peritimorous application of radiotracer, 10 (16.4%) to sub/intradermal application over the lesions and n 40 (65.6%) patients the application was sub/intradermal and periareolar. The patients underwent an operation protocol of corresponding quadrantectomy, radionavigated blue-dye sentinel node biopsy and axillary dissection. From May 2006 to June 2008, we examined 61 patients with breast carcinoma. They underwent radionavigated and blue-dye sentinel node biopsy. We detected 57 (93.4%) sentinel nodes with preoperative scintigraphy, of which only 51 (83.6%) were detected peroperatively and underwent histological evaluation. In six (9.8%) cases, the "frozen cut" histology of the primary lesion had shown a benign lesion; hence no sentinel node biopsy or axillary disection was performed. 12 (19.7%) of 51 histologically evaluated sentinel nodes had metastatic invasion. We retrospectively compared the histological fund in sentinel and axillary nodes in patients with metastatic sentinel nodes. In 6 (16.6%) cases, the sentinel node was positive of metastatic invasion but axillary nodes were histologically negative, in 6 (16.6%) cases the sentinel node and axillary nodes were positive for metastatic invasion. We observed falsely negative findings in 3 (8.3%) patients with negative histological fund in the sentinel node, but positive axillary nodes (Tab. 3, Fig. 2, Ref. 11). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.

Evaluation of four molecular methods to detect Leishmania infection in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Albuquerque, Andreia; Campino, Lenea; Cardoso, Luís; Cortes, Sofia

2017-03-13

Canine leishmaniasis, a zoonotic disease caused by Leishmania infantum vectored by phlebotomine sand flies, is considered a relevant veterinary and public health problem in various countries, namely in the Mediterranean basin and Brazil, where dogs are considered the main reservoir hosts. Not only diseased dogs but also those subclinically infected play a relevant role in the transmission of L. infantum to vectors; therefore, early diagnosis is essential, under both a clinical and an epidemiological perspective. Molecular tools can be a more accurate and sensitive approach for diagnosis, with a wide range of protocols currently in use. The aim of the present report was to compare four PCR based protocols for the diagnosis of canine Leishmania infection in a cohort of dogs from the Douro region, Portugal. A total of 229 bone marrow samples were collected from dogs living in the Douro region, an endemic region for leishmaniasis. Four PCR protocols were evaluated for Leishmania DNA detection in canine samples, three single (ITS1-PCR, MC-PCR and Uni21/Lmj4-PCR) and one nested (nested SSU rRNA-PCR). Two of the protocols were based on nuclear targets and the other two on kinetoplastid targets. The higher overall percentage of infected dogs was detected with the nested SSU rRNA-PCR (37.6%), which also was able to detect Leishmania DNA in a higher number of samples from apparently healthy dogs (25.3%). The ITS1-PCR presented the lowest level of Leishmania detection. Nested SSU rRNA-PCR is an appropriate method to detect Leishmania infection in dogs. Accurate and early diagnosis in clinically suspect as well as apparently healthy dogs is essential, in order to treat and protect animals and public health and contribute to the control and awareness of the disease.

Classification of ECG signal with Support Vector Machine Method for Arrhythmia Detection

Science.gov (United States)

Turnip, Arjon; Ilham Rizqywan, M.; Kusumandari, Dwi E.; Turnip, Mardi; Sihombing, Poltak

2018-03-01

An electrocardiogram is a potential bioelectric record that occurs as a result of cardiac activity. QRS Detection with zero crossing calculation is one method that can precisely determine peak R of QRS wave as part of arrhythmia detection. In this paper, two experimental scheme (2 minutes duration with different activities: relaxed and, typing) were conducted. From the two experiments it were obtained: accuracy, sensitivity, and positive predictivity about 100% each for the first experiment and about 79%, 93%, 83% for the second experiment, respectively. Furthermore, the feature set of MIT-BIH arrhythmia using the support vector machine (SVM) method on the WEKA software is evaluated. By combining the available attributes on the WEKA algorithm, the result is constant since all classes of SVM goes to the normal class with average 88.49% accuracy.

Evaluation of reconstruction parameters of electrical impedance tomography on aorta detection during saline bolus injection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thürk Florian

2016-09-01

Full Text Available An accurate detection of anatomical structures in electrical impedance tomography (EIT is still at an early stage. Aorta detection in EIT is of special interest, since it would favor non-invasive assessment of hemodynamic processes in the body. Here, diverse EIT reconstruction parameters of the GREIT algorithm were systematically evaluated to detect the aorta after saline bolus injection in apnea. True aorta position and size were taken from computed tomography (CT. A comparison with CT showed that the smallest error for aorta displacement was attained for noise figure nf = 0.7, weighting radius rw = 0.15, and target size ts = 0.01. The spatial extension of the aorta was most precise for nf = 0.7, rw = 0.25, and ts = 0.07. Detection accuracy (F1-score was highest with nf = 0.6, rw = 0.15, and ts = 0.04. This work provides algorithm-related evidence for potentially accurate aorta detection in EIT after injection of a saline bolus.

A Pilot Evaluation of On-Road Detection Performance by Drivers with Hemianopia Using Oblique Peripheral Prisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex R. Bowers

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Aims. Homonymous hemianopia (HH, a severe visual consequence of stroke, causes difficulties in detecting obstacles on the nonseeing (blind side. We conducted a pilot study to evaluate the effects of oblique peripheral prisms, a novel development in optical treatments for HH, on detection of unexpected hazards when driving. Methods. Twelve people with complete HH (median 49 years, range 29–68 completed road tests with sham oblique prism glasses (SP and real oblique prism glasses (RP. A masked evaluator rated driving performance along the 25 km routes on busy streets in Ghent, Belgium. Results. The proportion of satisfactory responses to unexpected hazards on the blind side was higher in the RP than the SP drive (80% versus 30%; P=0.001, but similar for unexpected hazards on the seeing side. Conclusions. These pilot data suggest that oblique peripheral prisms may improve responses of people with HH to blindside hazards when driving and provide the basis for a future, larger-sample clinical trial. Testing responses to unexpected hazards in areas of heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic appears promising as a real-world outcome measure for future evaluations of HH rehabilitation interventions aimed at improving detection when driving.

Evaluation of the specificity of radionuclide myocardial imaging for detecting CAD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xiujie

1992-01-01

In order to evaluate the specificity of radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging for detecting coronary artery disease (CAD), 50 patients with normal coronary arteriography and radionuclide myocardial perfusion scintigraphy were analysed. The results from 201 T1 (20 cases) and 99m Tc-MIBI (30 cases) studies showed that out of 33 patients with no organic cardiovascular disease, 29 had normal myocardial imaging, and the specificity of radionuclide myocardial imaging for detecting CAD was 87.8%. 4 normal young women had false positive myocardial imaging. Out of 17 patients with cardiovascular disease and normal coronary arteriography, 15 patients had abnormal myocardial imaging. The final clinical diagnoses of these 15 patients were: 4 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 3 with old myocardial infarction, 2 with myocarditis, 3 with small coronary vessel disease, 1 with congestive cardiomyopathy, and 2 with other cardiac disorder. The points of differentiation between CAD and other cardiovascular disease using radionuclide techniques were discussed

Development of a silicon tracking and vertex detection system for the CBM experiment at FAIR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heuser, Johann M.

2007-01-01

The compressed baryonic matter (CBM) experiment is a fixed-target heavy-ion spectrometer planned at the future international Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) at GSI. The CBM research program will explore the phase diagram of Quantum Chromo Dynamics (QCD) in the region of high baryon chemical potentials, in other words nuclear matter at extreme densities. Matter of such forms is believed to exist in the interior of neutron stars and in the cores of certain types of supernovae. In the laboratory, the dense nuclear medium is created in collisions of heavy-ion beams with nuclear targets. With beam intensities of up to 10 12 ions per pulse, beam energies up to 45 GeV/nucleon, and high availability the SIS-300 synchrotron of FAIR will offer unique opportunities for this research. The CBM detector will identify hadrons and leptons in nuclear collisions with up to 1000 charged particles at event rates up to 10 MHz. The experiment will be optimized in particular for the detection of rare probes, like hadronic decays of D mesons and leptonic decays of light vector mesons, that can yield information on the initial dense phase of the collisions. The challenge is to accomplish in this environment high-resolution charged particle tracking, momentum measurement and secondary vertex selection with a silicon tracking and vertex detection system, the central component of the CBM detector. The system requirements include a very low material budget, radiation tolerant sensors with high spatial resolution, and a fast readout compatible with high-level-only triggers. The paper discusses the concept of the silicon detection system, the optimization of its layout, and the R and D on micro-strip and pixel sensors as well as front-end electronics for the building blocks of the detector stations