WorldWideScience

Sample records for end-to-end mission simulator

  1. Modeling and simulation of satellite subsystems for end-to-end spacecraft modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schum, William K.; Doolittle, Christina M.; Boyarko, George A.

    2006-05-01

    During the past ten years, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has been simultaneously developing high-fidelity spacecraft payload models as well as a robust distributed simulation environment for modeling spacecraft subsystems. Much of this research has occurred in the Distributed Architecture Simulation Laboratory (DASL). AFRL developers working in the DASL have effectively combined satellite power, attitude pointing, and communication link analysis subsystem models with robust satellite sensor models to create a first-order end-to-end satellite simulation capability. The merging of these two simulation areas has advanced the field of spacecraft simulation, design, and analysis, and enabled more in-depth mission and satellite utility analyses. A core capability of the DASL is the support of a variety of modeling and analysis efforts, ranging from physics and engineering-level modeling to mission and campaign-level analysis. The flexibility and agility of this simulation architecture will be used to support space mission analysis, military utility analysis, and various integrated exercises with other military and space organizations via direct integration, or through DOD standards such as Distributed Interaction Simulation. This paper discusses the results and lessons learned in modeling satellite communication link analysis, power, and attitude control subsystems for an end-to-end satellite simulation. It also discusses how these spacecraft subsystem simulations feed into and support military utility and space mission analyses.

  2. End-to-end System Performance Simulation: A Data-Centric Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guillaume, Arnaud; Laffitte de Petit, Jean-Luc; Auberger, Xavier

    2013-08-01

    In the early times of space industry, the feasibility of Earth observation missions was directly driven by what could be achieved by the satellite. It was clear to everyone that the ground segment would be able to deal with the small amount of data sent by the payload. Over the years, the amounts of data processed by the spacecrafts have been increasing drastically, leading to put more and more constraints on the ground segment performances - and in particular on timeliness. Nowadays, many space systems require high data throughputs and short response times, with information coming from multiple sources and involving complex algorithms. It has become necessary to perform thorough end-to-end analyses of the full system in order to optimise its cost and efficiency, but even sometimes to assess the feasibility of the mission. This paper presents a novel framework developed by Astrium Satellites in order to meet these needs of timeliness evaluation and optimisation. This framework, named ETOS (for “End-to-end Timeliness Optimisation of Space systems”), provides a modelling process with associated tools, models and GUIs. These are integrated thanks to a common data model and suitable adapters, with the aim of building suitable space systems simulators of the full end-to-end chain. A big challenge of such environment is to integrate heterogeneous tools (each one being well-adapted to part of the chain) into a relevant timeliness simulation.

  3. Human Assisted Robotic Vehicle Studies - A conceptual end-to-end mission architecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehner, B. A. E.; Mazzotta, D. G.; Teeney, L.; Spina, F.; Filosa, A.; Pou, A. Canals; Schlechten, J.; Campbell, S.; Soriano, P. López

    2017-11-01

    With current space exploration roadmaps indicating the Moon as a proving ground on the way to human exploration of Mars, it is clear that human-robotic partnerships will play a key role for successful future human space missions. This paper details a conceptual end-to-end architecture for an exploration mission in cis-lunar space with a focus on human-robot interactions, called Human Assisted Robotic Vehicle Studies (HARVeSt). HARVeSt will build on knowledge of plant growth in space gained from experiments on-board the ISS and test the first growth of plants on the Moon. A planned deep space habitat will be utilised as the base of operations for human-robotic elements of the mission. The mission will serve as a technology demonstrator not only for autonomous tele-operations in cis-lunar space but also for key enabling technologies for future human surface missions. The successful approach of the ISS will be built on in this mission with international cooperation. Mission assets such as a modular rover will allow for an extendable mission and to scout and prepare the area for the start of an international Moon Village.

  4. End-to-end simulations and planning of a small space telescopes: Galaxy Evolution Spectroscopic Explorer: a case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heap, Sara; Folta, David; Gong, Qian; Howard, Joseph; Hull, Tony; Purves, Lloyd

    2016-08-01

    Large astronomical missions are usually general-purpose telescopes with a suite of instruments optimized for different wavelength regions, spectral resolutions, etc. Their end-to-end (E2E) simulations are typically photons-in to flux-out calculations made to verify that each instrument meets its performance specifications. In contrast, smaller space missions are usually single-purpose telescopes, and their E2E simulations start with the scientific question to be answered and end with an assessment of the effectiveness of the mission in answering the scientific question. Thus, E2E simulations for small missions consist a longer string of calculations than for large missions, as they include not only the telescope and instrumentation, but also the spacecraft, orbit, and external factors such as coordination with other telescopes. Here, we illustrate the strategy and organization of small-mission E2E simulations using the Galaxy Evolution Spectroscopic Explorer (GESE) as a case study. GESE is an Explorer/Probe-class space mission concept with the primary aim of understanding galaxy evolution. Operation of a small survey telescope in space like GESE is usually simpler than operations of large telescopes driven by the varied scientific programs of the observers or by transient events. Nevertheless, both types of telescopes share two common challenges: maximizing the integration time on target, while minimizing operation costs including communication costs and staffing on the ground. We show in the case of GESE how these challenges can be met through a custom orbit and a system design emphasizing simplification and leveraging information from ground-based telescopes.

  5. End-to-End Trade-space Analysis for Designing Constellation Missions

    Science.gov (United States)

    LeMoigne, J.; Dabney, P.; Foreman, V.; Grogan, P.; Hache, S.; Holland, M. P.; Hughes, S. P.; Nag, S.; Siddiqi, A.

    2017-12-01

    Multipoint measurement missions can provide a significant advancement in science return and this science interest coupled with many recent technological advances are driving a growing trend in exploring distributed architectures for future NASA missions. Distributed Spacecraft Missions (DSMs) leverage multiple spacecraft to achieve one or more common goals. In particular, a constellation is the most general form of DSM with two or more spacecraft placed into specific orbit(s) for the purpose of serving a common objective (e.g., CYGNSS). Because a DSM architectural trade-space includes both monolithic and distributed design variables, DSM optimization is a large and complex problem with multiple conflicting objectives. Over the last two years, our team has been developing a Trade-space Analysis Tool for Constellations (TAT-C), implemented in common programming languages for pre-Phase A constellation mission analysis. By evaluating alternative mission architectures, TAT-C seeks to minimize cost and maximize performance for pre-defined science goals. This presentation will describe the overall architecture of TAT-C including: a User Interface (UI) at several levels of details and user expertise; Trade-space Search Requests that are created from the Science requirements gathered by the UI and validated by a Knowledge Base; a Knowledge Base to compare the current requests to prior mission concepts to potentially prune the trade-space; a Trade-space Search Iterator which, with inputs from the Knowledge Base, and, in collaboration with the Orbit & Coverage, Reduction & Metrics, and Cost& Risk modules, generates multiple potential architectures and their associated characteristics. TAT-C leverages the use of the Goddard Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT) to compute coverage and ancillary data, modeling orbits to balance accuracy and performance. The current version includes uniform and non-uniform Walker constellations as well as Ad-Hoc and precessing constellations, and its

  6. Standardizing an End-to-end Accounting Service

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenberg, Edward; Kazz, Greg

    2006-01-01

    Currently there are no space system standards available for space agencies to accomplish end-to-end accounting. Such a standard does not exist for spacecraft operations nor for tracing the relationship between the mission planning activities, the command sequences designed to perform those activities, the commands formulated to initiate those activities and the mission data and specifically the mission data products created by those activities. In order for space agencies to cross-support one another for data accountability/data tracing and for inter agency spacecraft to interoperate with each other, an international CCSDS standard for end-to-end data accountability/tracing needs to be developed. We will first describe the end-to-end accounting service model and functionality that supports the service. This model will describe how science plans that are ultimately transformed into commands can be associated with the telemetry products generated as a result of their execution. Moreover, the interaction between end-to-end accounting and service management will be explored. Finally, we will show how the standard end-to-end accounting service can be applied to a real life flight project i.e., the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter project.

  7. End-to-end plasma bubble PIC simulations on GPUs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Germaschewski, Kai; Fox, William; Matteucci, Jackson; Bhattacharjee, Amitava

    2017-10-01

    Accelerator technologies play a crucial role in eventually achieving exascale computing capabilities. The current and upcoming leadership machines at ORNL (Titan and Summit) employ Nvidia GPUs, which provide vast computational power but also need specifically adapted computational kernels to fully exploit them. In this work, we will show end-to-end particle-in-cell simulations of the formation, evolution and coalescence of laser-generated plasma bubbles. This work showcases the GPU capabilities of the PSC particle-in-cell code, which has been adapted for this problem to support particle injection, a heating operator and a collision operator on GPUs.

  8. End-to-end simulation of the C-ADS injector Ⅱ with a 3-D field map

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Zhijun; He Yuan; Li Chao; Wang Wangsheng; Liu Shuhui; Jia Huan; Xu Xianbo; Chen Ximeng

    2013-01-01

    The Injector II, one of the two parallel injectors of the high-current superconducting proton driver linac for the China Accelerator-Driven System (C-ADS) project, is being designed and constructed by the Institute of Modern Physics. At present, the design work for the injector is almost finished. End-to-end simulation has been carried out using the TRACK multiparticle simulation code to check the match between each acceleration section and the performance of the injector as a whole. Moreover, multiparticle simulations with all kinds of errors and misalignments have been performed to define the requirements of each device. The simulation results indicate that the lattice design is robust. In this paper, the results of end-to-end simulation and error simulation with a 3-D field map are presented. (authors)

  9. OISI dynamic end-to-end modeling tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kersten, Michael; Weidler, Alexander; Wilhelm, Rainer; Johann, Ulrich A.; Szerdahelyi, Laszlo

    2000-07-01

    The OISI Dynamic end-to-end modeling tool is tailored to end-to-end modeling and dynamic simulation of Earth- and space-based actively controlled optical instruments such as e.g. optical stellar interferometers. `End-to-end modeling' is meant to denote the feature that the overall model comprises besides optical sub-models also structural, sensor, actuator, controller and disturbance sub-models influencing the optical transmission, so that the system- level instrument performance due to disturbances and active optics can be simulated. This tool has been developed to support performance analysis and prediction as well as control loop design and fine-tuning for OISI, Germany's preparatory program for optical/infrared spaceborne interferometry initiated in 1994 by Dornier Satellitensysteme GmbH in Friedrichshafen.

  10. Composable Mission Framework for Rapid End-to-End Mission Design and Simulation, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The innovation proposed here is the Composable Mission Framework (CMF) a model-based software framework that shall enable seamless continuity of mission design and...

  11. GRACE Status at Mission End

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tapley, B. D.; Flechtner, F. M.; Watkins, M. M.; Bettadpur, S. V.

    2017-12-01

    The twin satellites of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) were launched on March 17, 2002 and have operated for nearly 16 years. The mission objectives are to observe the spatial and temporal variations of the Earth's mass through its effects on the gravity field at the GRACE satellite altitude. The mass changes observed are related to both the changes within the solid earth and the change within and between the Erath system components. A significant cause of the time varying mass is water motion and the GRACE mission has provided a continuous decade long measurement sequence which characterizes the seasonal cycle of mass transport between the oceans, land, cryosphere and atmosphere; its inter-annual variability; and the climate driven secular, or long period, mass transport signals. The fifth reanalysis on the mission data set, the RL05 data, were released in mid-2013. With the planned launch of GRACE Follow-On in early 2018, plans are underway for a reanalysis that will be consistent with the GRACE FO processing standards. The mission is entering the final phases of its operation life with mission end expected to occur in early 2018. The current mission operations strategy emphasizes extending the mission lifetime to obtain an overlap with the GRACE FO. This presentation will review the mission status and the projections for mission lifetime, describe the current operations philosophy and its impact on the science data, discuss the issues related to achieving the GRACE and GRACE FO connection and discuss issues related to science data products during this phase of the mission period.

  12. End-to-End Beam Simulations for the New Muon G-2 Experiment at Fermilab

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Korostelev, Maxim [Cockcroft Inst. Accel. Sci. Tech.; Bailey, Ian [Lancaster U.; Herrod, Alexander [Liverpool U.; Morgan, James [Fermilab; Morse, William [RIKEN BNL; Stratakis, Diktys [RIKEN BNL; Tishchenko, Vladimir [RIKEN BNL; Wolski, Andrzej [Cockcroft Inst. Accel. Sci. Tech.

    2016-06-01

    The aim of the new muon g-2 experiment at Fermilab is to measure the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon with an unprecedented uncertainty of 140 ppb. A beam of positive muons required for the experiment is created by pion decay. Detailed studies of the beam dynamics and spin polarization of the muons are important to predict systematic uncertainties in the experiment. In this paper, we present the results of beam simulations and spin tracking from the pion production target to the muon storage ring. The end-to-end beam simulations are developed in Bmad and include the processes of particle decay, collimation (with accurate representation of all apertures) and spin tracking.

  13. End-to-End Traffic Flow Modeling of the Integrated SCaN Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, K.-M.; Abraham, D. S.

    2012-05-01

    In this article, we describe the analysis and simulation effort of the end-to-end traffic flow for the Integrated Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Network. Using the network traffic derived for the 30-day period of July 2018 from the Space Communications Mission Model (SCMM), we generate the wide-area network (WAN) bandwidths of the ground links for different architecture options of the Integrated SCaN Network. We also develop a new analytical scheme to model the traffic flow and buffering mechanism of a store-and-forward network. It is found that the WAN bandwidth of the Integrated SCaN Network is an important differentiator of different architecture options, as the recurring circuit costs of certain architecture options can be prohibitively high.

  14. MRI simulation: end-to-end testing for prostate radiation therapy using geometric pelvic MRI phantoms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Jidi; Menk, Fred; Lambert, Jonathan; Martin, Jarad; Denham, James W; Greer, Peter B; Dowling, Jason; Rivest-Henault, David; Pichler, Peter; Parker, Joel; Arm, Jameen; Best, Leah

    2015-01-01

    To clinically implement MRI simulation or MRI-alone treatment planning requires comprehensive end-to-end testing to ensure an accurate process. The purpose of this study was to design and build a geometric phantom simulating a human male pelvis that is suitable for both CT and MRI scanning and use it to test geometric and dosimetric aspects of MRI simulation including treatment planning and digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR) generation.A liquid filled pelvic shaped phantom with simulated pelvic organs was scanned in a 3T MRI simulator with dedicated radiotherapy couch-top, laser bridge and pelvic coil mounts. A second phantom with the same external shape but with an internal distortion grid was used to quantify the distortion of the MR image. Both phantoms were also CT scanned as the gold-standard for both geometry and dosimetry. Deformable image registration was used to quantify the MR distortion. Dose comparison was made using a seven-field IMRT plan developed on the CT scan with the fluences copied to the MR image and recalculated using bulk electron densities.Without correction the maximum distortion of the MR compared with the CT scan was 7.5 mm across the pelvis, while this was reduced to 2.6 and 1.7 mm by the vendor’s 2D and 3D correction algorithms, respectively. Within the locations of the internal organs of interest, the distortion was <1.5 and <1 mm with 2D and 3D correction algorithms, respectively. The dose at the prostate isocentre calculated on CT and MRI images differed by 0.01% (1.1 cGy). Positioning shifts were within 1 mm when setup was performed using MRI generated DRRs compared to setup using CT DRRs.The MRI pelvic phantom allows end-to-end testing of the MRI simulation workflow with comparison to the gold-standard CT based process. MRI simulation was found to be geometrically accurate with organ dimensions, dose distributions and DRR based setup within acceptable limits compared to CT. (paper)

  15. A Bayes Theory-Based Modeling Algorithm to End-to-end Network Traffic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhao Hong-hao

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Recently, network traffic has exponentially increasing due to all kind of applications, such as mobile Internet, smart cities, smart transportations, Internet of things, and so on. the end-to-end network traffic becomes more important for traffic engineering. Usually end-to-end traffic estimation is highly difficult. This paper proposes a Bayes theory-based method to model the end-to-end network traffic. Firstly, the end-to-end network traffic is described as a independent identically distributed normal process. Then the Bases theory is used to characterize the end-to-end network traffic. By calculating the parameters, the model is determined correctly. Simulation results show that our approach is feasible and effective.

  16. Mars Exploration Rover Spirit End of Mission Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Callas, John L.

    2015-01-01

    The Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Spirit landed in Gusev crater on Mars on January 4, 2004, for a prime mission designed to last three months (90 sols). After more than six years operating on the surface of Mars, the last communication received from Spirit occurred on Sol 2210 (March 22, 2010). Following the loss of signal, the Mars Exploration Rover Project radiated over 1400 commands to Mars in an attempt to elicit a response from the rover. Attempts were made utilizing Deep Space Network X-Band and UHF relay via both Mars Odyssey and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Search and recovery efforts concluded on July 13, 2011. It is the MER project's assessment that Spirit succumbed to the extreme environmental conditions experienced during its fourth winter on Mars. Focusing on the time period from the end of the third Martian winter through the fourth winter and end of recovery activities, this report describes possible explanations for the loss of the vehicle and the extent of recovery efforts that were performed. It offers lessons learned and provides an overall mission summary.

  17. Crosstalk in an FDM Laboratory Setup and the Athena X-IFU End-to-End Simulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    den Hartog, R.; Kirsch, C.; de Vries, C.; Akamatsu, H.; Dauser, T.; Peille, P.; Cucchetti, E.; Jackson, B.; Bandler, S.; Smith, S.; Wilms, J.

    2018-04-01

    The impact of various crosstalk mechanisms on the performance of the Athena X-IFU instrument has been assessed with detailed end-to-end simulations. For the crosstalk in the electrical circuit, a detailed model has been developed. In this contribution, we test this model against measurements made with an FDM laboratory setup and discuss the assumption of deterministic crosstalk in the context of the weak link effect in the detectors. We conclude that crosstalk levels predicted by the model are conservative with respect to the observed levels.

  18. STS/DBS power subsystem end-to-end stability margin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devaux, R. N.; Vattimo, R. J.; Peck, S. R.; Baker, W. E.

    Attention is given to a full-up end-to-end subsystem stability test which was performed with a flight solar array providing power to a fully operational spacecraft. The solar array simulator is described, and a comparison is made between test results obtained with the simulator and those obtained with the actual array. It is concluded that stability testing with a fully integrated spacecraft is necessary to ensure that all elements have been adequately modeled.

  19. Cyberinfrastructure for End-to-End Environmental Explorations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merwade, V.; Kumar, S.; Song, C.; Zhao, L.; Govindaraju, R.; Niyogi, D.

    2007-12-01

    The design and implementation of a cyberinfrastructure for End-to-End Environmental Exploration (C4E4) is presented. The C4E4 framework addresses the need for an integrated data/computation platform for studying broad environmental impacts by combining heterogeneous data resources with state-of-the-art modeling and visualization tools. With Purdue being a TeraGrid Resource Provider, C4E4 builds on top of the Purdue TeraGrid data management system and Grid resources, and integrates them through a service-oriented workflow system. It allows researchers to construct environmental workflows for data discovery, access, transformation, modeling, and visualization. Using the C4E4 framework, we have implemented an end-to-end SWAT simulation and analysis workflow that connects our TeraGrid data and computation resources. It enables researchers to conduct comprehensive studies on the impact of land management practices in the St. Joseph watershed using data from various sources in hydrologic, atmospheric, agricultural, and other related disciplines.

  20. End-to-end interoperability and workflows from building architecture design to one or more simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chao, Tian-Jy; Kim, Younghun

    2015-02-10

    An end-to-end interoperability and workflows from building architecture design to one or more simulations, in one aspect, may comprise establishing a BIM enablement platform architecture. A data model defines data entities and entity relationships for enabling the interoperability and workflows. A data definition language may be implemented that defines and creates a table schema of a database associated with the data model. Data management services and/or application programming interfaces may be implemented for interacting with the data model. Web services may also be provided for interacting with the data model via the Web. A user interface may be implemented that communicates with users and uses the BIM enablement platform architecture, the data model, the data definition language, data management services and application programming interfaces to provide functions to the users to perform work related to building information management.

  1. End-To-END Performance of the future MOMA intrument aboard the EXOMARS MISSION

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buch, A.; Pinnick, V. T.; Szopa, C.; Grand, N.; Danell, R.; van Amerom, F. H. W.; Freissinet, C.; Glavin, D. P.; Stalport, F.; Arevalo, R. D., Jr.; Coll, P. J.; Steininger, H.; Raulin, F.; Goesmann, F.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Brinckerhoff, W. B.

    2016-12-01

    After the SAM experiment aboard the curiosity rover, the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) experiment aboard the future ExoMars mission will be the continuation of the search for the organic composition of the Mars surface with the advantage that the sample will be extracted as deep as 2 meters below the martian surface to minimize effects of radiation and oxidation on organic materials. To analyse the wide range of organic composition (volatile and non volatils compounds) of the martian soil MOMA is composed with an UV laser desorption / ionization (LDI) and a pyrolysis gas chromatography ion trap mass spectrometry (pyr-GC-ITMS). In order to analyse refractory organic compounds and chirality samples which undergo GC-ITMS analysis may be submitted to a derivatization process, consisting of the reaction of the sample components with specific reactants (MTBSTFA [1], DMF-DMA [2] or TMAH [3]). To optimize and test the performance of the GC-ITMS instrument we have performed several coupling tests campaigns between the GC, providing by the French team (LISA, LATMOS, CentraleSupelec), and the MS, providing by the US team (NASA, GSFC). Last campaign has been done with the ITU models wich is similar to the flight model and wich include the oven and the taping station providing by the German team (MPS). The results obtained demonstrate the current status of the end-to-end performance of the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry mode of operation. References:[1] Buch, A. et al. (2009) J chrom. A, 43, 143-151. [2] Freissinet et al. (2011) J Chrom A, 1306, 59-71. [3] Geffroy-Rodier, C. et al. (2009) JAAP, 85, 454-459. Acknowledgements: Funding provided by the Mars Exploration Program (point of contact, George Tahu, NASA/HQ). MOMA is a collaboration between NASA and ESA (PI Goesmann, MPS). MOMA-GC team acknowledges support from the French Space Agency (CNES), French National Programme of Planetology (PNP), National French Council (CNRS), Pierre Simon Laplace Institute.

  2. End-to-end delay analysis in wireless sensor networks with service vacation

    KAUST Repository

    Alabdulmohsin, Ibrahim; Hyadi, Amal; Afify, Laila H.; Shihada, Basem

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, a delay-sensitive multi-hop wireless sensor network is considered, employing an M/G/1 with vacations framework. Sensors transmit measurements to a predefined data sink subject to maximum end-to-end delay constraint. In order to prolong the battery lifetime, a sleeping scheme is adopted throughout the network nodes. The objective of our proposed framework is to present an expression for maximum hop-count as well as an approximate expression of the probability of blocking at the sink node upon violating certain end-to-end delay threshold. Using numerical simulations, we validate the proposed analytical model and demonstrate that the blocking probability of the system for various vacation time distributions matches the simulation results.

  3. End-to-end delay analysis in wireless sensor networks with service vacation

    KAUST Repository

    Alabdulmohsin, Ibrahim

    2014-04-01

    In this paper, a delay-sensitive multi-hop wireless sensor network is considered, employing an M/G/1 with vacations framework. Sensors transmit measurements to a predefined data sink subject to maximum end-to-end delay constraint. In order to prolong the battery lifetime, a sleeping scheme is adopted throughout the network nodes. The objective of our proposed framework is to present an expression for maximum hop-count as well as an approximate expression of the probability of blocking at the sink node upon violating certain end-to-end delay threshold. Using numerical simulations, we validate the proposed analytical model and demonstrate that the blocking probability of the system for various vacation time distributions matches the simulation results.

  4. End of mission report on seismic safety review mission for Belene NPP site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gurpinar, A.; Mohammadioun, B.; Schneider, H.; Serva, L.

    1995-01-01

    Upon the invitation of the Bulgarian government through the Committee for the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy and within the framework of the implementation of the Technical Cooperation project BUL/9/012 related to site and seismic of NPPs, a mission visited Sofia 3 - 7 July 1995. The mission constituted a follow-up of the interim review of subjects related to tectonic stability and seismic hazard characterization of the site which was performed in September 1993. The main objective of the mission was the final review of the subjects already reviewed in September 1993 as well as issues related to geotechnical engineering and foundation safety. The main terms of reference of the present mission was to verify the implementation of the recommendations of the Site Safety Review Mission of June 1990. This document gives findings on geology-tectonics, seismology and foundation safety. In the end conclusions and recommendations of the mission are presented

  5. End-to-end tests using alanine dosimetry in scanned proton beams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlino, A.; Gouldstone, C.; Kragl, G.; Traneus, E.; Marrale, M.; Vatnitsky, S.; Stock, M.; Palmans, H.

    2018-03-01

    This paper describes end-to-end test procedures as the last fundamental step of medical commissioning before starting clinical operation of the MedAustron synchrotron-based pencil beam scanning (PBS) therapy facility with protons. One in-house homogeneous phantom and two anthropomorphic heterogeneous (head and pelvis) phantoms were used for end-to-end tests at MedAustron. The phantoms were equipped with alanine detectors, radiochromic films and ionization chambers. The correction for the ‘quenching’ effect of alanine pellets was implemented in the Monte Carlo platform of the evaluation version of RayStation TPS. During the end-to-end tests, the phantoms were transferred through the workflow like real patients to simulate the entire clinical workflow: immobilization, imaging, treatment planning and dose delivery. Different clinical scenarios of increasing complexity were simulated: delivery of a single beam, two oblique beams without and with range shifter. In addition to the dose comparison in the plastic phantoms the dose obtained from alanine pellet readings was compared with the dose determined with the Farmer ionization chamber in water. A consistent systematic deviation of about 2% was found between alanine dosimetry and the ionization chamber dosimetry in water and plastic materials. Acceptable agreement of planned and delivered doses was observed together with consistent and reproducible results of the end-to-end testing performed with different dosimetric techniques (alanine detectors, ionization chambers and EBT3 radiochromic films). The results confirmed the adequate implementation and integration of the new PBS technology at MedAustron. This work demonstrates that alanine pellets are suitable detectors for end-to-end tests in proton beam therapy and the developed procedures with customized anthropomorphic phantoms can be used to support implementation of PBS technology in clinical practice.

  6. The Swarm End-to-End mission simulator study: A demonstration of separating the various contributions to Earth's magnetic field using synthetic data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, Nils; Haagmans, R.; Sabaka, T.J.

    2006-01-01

    Swarm, a satellite constellation to measure Earth's magnetic field with unpreceded accuracy, has been selected by ESA for launch in 2009. The mission will provide the best ever survey of the geomagnetic field and its temporal evolution, in order to gain new insights into the Earth system...... to the science objectives of Swarm. In order to be able to use realistic parameters of the Earth's environment, the mission simulation starts at January 1, 1997 and lasts until re-entry of the lower satellites five years later. Synthetic magnetic field values were generated for all relevant contributions...

  7. Ulysses, the end of an extraordinary mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-06-01

    Ulysses, a pioneering ESA/NASA mission, was launched in October 1990 to explore uncharted territories - the regions above and below the Sun’s poles - and study our star’s sphere of influence, or heliosphere, in the four dimensions of space and time. Originally designed for a lifetime of five years, the mission has surpassed all expectations. The reams of data Ulysses has returned have forever changed the way scientists view the Sun and its effect on the space surrounding it. Media representatives interested in attending the press conference are invited to register using the attached form. Those not able to attend will have the opportunity to follow the press conference using the following phone number: +33 1 56785733 (listening-mode only). The programme of the event is as follows: The Ulysses Legacy Press Conference 12 June 2008, 15:30, Room 137, ESA Headquarters, 8-10 rue Mario-Nikis, Paris Event programme 15:30 Welcome, by David Southwood, ESA Director of Science and Robotic Exploration (with a joint ESA/NASA statement) 15:40 Ulysses: a modern-day Odyssey, by Richard Marsden, ESA Ulysses Project Scientist and Mission Manager 15:50 The Ulysses scientific legacy: Inside the heliosphere, by Richard Marsden,ESA Ulysses Project Scientist and Mission Manager 16:00 The Ulysses scientific legacy: Outside the heliosphere, by Ed Smith, NASA Ulysses Project Scientist 16:10 Ulysses, the over-achiever: challenges and successes of a 17-year-old mission, by Nigel Angold, ESA Ulysses Mission Operations Manager 16:20 Questions and Answers, Panelists: David Southwood, Richard Marsden, Ed Smith, Nigel Angold and Ed Massey (NASA Ulysses Project Manager) 16:40 Interview opportunities 17:30 End of event

  8. End to End Travel

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — E2 Solutions is a web based end-to-end travel management tool that includes paperless travel authorization and voucher document submissions, document approval...

  9. End-to-side and end-to-end anastomoses give similar results in cervical oesophagogastrostomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pierie, J P; De Graaf, P W; Poen, H; Van Der Tweel, I; Obertop, H

    1995-12-01

    To find out if there were any differences in healing between end-to-end and end-to-side anastomoses for oesophagogastrostomy. Open study with historical controls. University hospital, The Netherlands. 28 patients with end-to-end and 90 patients with end-to-side anastomoses after transhiatal oesophagectomy and partial gastrectomy for cancer of the oesophagus or oesophagogastric junction, with gastric tube reconstruction and cervical anastomosis. Leak and stricture rates, and the number of dilatations needed to relieve dysphagia. There were no significant differences in leak rates (end-to-end 4/28, 14%, and end-to-side 13/90, 14%) or anastomotic strictures (end-to-end 9/28, 32%, and end-to-side 26/90, 29%). The median number of dilatations needed to relieve dysphagia was 7 (1-33) after end-to-end and 9 (1-113) after end-to-side oesophagogastrostomy. There were no differences between the two methods of suture of cervical oesophagogastrostomy when leakage, stricture, and number of dilatations were used as criteria of good healing.

  10. An end-to-end microfluidic platform for engineering life supporting microbes in space exploration missions, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — HJ Science & Technology proposes a programmable, low-cost, and compact microfluidic platform capable of running automated end-to-end processes and optimization...

  11. End-of-Mission Passivation: Successes and Challenges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Nicholas; Matney, Mark

    2012-01-01

    The passivation of spacecraft and launch vehicle orbital stages at end-of-mission has been a principal space debris mitigation measure world-wide since the 1980 s. Space vehicle passivation includes the removal of stored energies, especially those associated with propulsion and electrical power systems. Prior to 2007 the breakup of non-functioning, non-passivated space vehicles was the major source of hazardous debris in Earth orbit. The United Nations and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee have both included passivation in their formal space debris mitigation guidelines. This often simple countermeasure has been adopted by many spacefaring countries and organizations and has undoubtedly prevented numerous major satellite breakups. For some existing space vehicle designs, passivation requires changes in hardware, software, and/or operational procedures. Questions about the permissible degree of passivation for both current and future space vehicles have arisen and are addressed herein. An important element to be considered is the potentially long period in which the space vehicle will remain in orbit, i.e., up to 25 years after mission termination in LEO and for centuries in orbits above LEO. Finally, the issue of passivation of space vehicles which have failed prematurely is addressed.

  12. Impact landing ends SMART-1 mission to the Moon

    Science.gov (United States)

    2006-09-01

    SMART-1 scientists, engineers and space operations experts witnessed the final moments of the spacecraft’s life in the night between Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 September at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), in Darmstadt, Germany. The confirmation of the impact reached ESOC at 07:42:22 CEST (05:42:22 UT) when ESA’s New Norcia ground station in Australia suddenly lost radio contact with the spacecraft. SMART-1 ended its journey in the Lake of Excellence, in the point situated at 34.4º South latitude and 46.2º West longitude. The SMART-1 impact took place on the near side of the Moon, in a dark area just near the terminator (the line separating the day side from the night side), at a “grazing” angle of about one degree and a speed of about 2 kilometres per second. The impact time and location was planned to favour observations of the impact event from telescopes on Earth, and was achieved by a series of orbit manoeuvres and corrections performed during the course of summer 2006, the last of which was on 1 September. Professional and amateur ground observers all around the world - from South Africa to the Canary Islands, South America, the continental United States, Hawaii, and many other locations - were watching before and during the small SMART-1 impact, hoping to spot the faint impact flash and to obtain information about the impact dynamics and about the lunar surface excavated by the spacecraft. The quality of the data and images gathered from the ground observatories - a tribute to the end of the SMART-1 mission and a possible additional contribution to lunar science - will be assessed in the days to come. For the last 16 months and until its final orbits, SMART-1 has been studying the Moon, gathering data about the morphology and mineralogical composition of the surface in visible, infrared and X-ray light. “The legacy left by the huge wealth of SMART-1 data, to be analysed in the months and years to come, is a precious contribution to

  13. Unmanned Aircraft Systems Minimum Operations Performance Standards End-to-End Verification and Validation (E2-V2) Simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghatas, Rania W.; Jack, Devin P.; Tsakpinis, Dimitrios; Vincent, Michael J.; Sturdy, James L.; Munoz, Cesar A.; Hoffler, Keith D.; Dutle, Aaron M.; Myer, Robert R.; Dehaven, Anna M.; hide

    2017-01-01

    As Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) make their way to mainstream aviation operations within the National Airspace System (NAS), research efforts are underway to develop a safe and effective environment for their integration into the NAS. Detect and Avoid (DAA) systems are required to account for the lack of "eyes in the sky" due to having no human on-board the aircraft. The current NAS relies on pilot's vigilance and judgement to remain Well Clear (CFR 14 91.113) of other aircraft. RTCA SC-228 has defined DAA Well Clear (DAAWC) to provide a quantified Well Clear volume to allow systems to be designed and measured against. Extended research efforts have been conducted to understand and quantify system requirements needed to support a UAS pilot's ability to remain well clear of other aircraft. The efforts have included developing and testing sensor, algorithm, alerting, and display requirements. More recently, sensor uncertainty and uncertainty mitigation strategies have been evaluated. This paper discusses results and lessons learned from an End-to-End Verification and Validation (E2-V2) simulation study of a DAA system representative of RTCA SC-228's proposed Phase I DAA Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS). NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) was called upon to develop a system that evaluates a specific set of encounters, in a variety of geometries, with end-to-end DAA functionality including the use of sensor and tracker models, a sensor uncertainty mitigation model, DAA algorithmic guidance in both vertical and horizontal maneuvering, and a pilot model which maneuvers the ownship aircraft to remain well clear from intruder aircraft, having received collective input from the previous modules of the system. LaRC developed a functioning batch simulation and added a sensor/tracker model from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) William J. Hughes Technical Center, an in-house developed sensor uncertainty mitigation strategy, and implemented a pilot

  14. Simulation-based investigation of the paired-gear method in cod-end selectivity studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Herrmann, Bent; Frandsen, Rikke; Holst, René

    2007-01-01

    In this paper, the paired-gear and covered cod-end methods for estimating the selectivity of trawl cod-ends are compared. A modified version of the cod-end selectivity simulator PRESEMO is used to simulate the data that would be collected from a paired-gear experiment where the test cod-end also ...

  15. Urban Biomining Meets Printable Electronics: End-To-End at Destination Biological Recycling and Reprinting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothschild, Lynn J. (Principal Investigator); Koehne, Jessica; Gandhiraman, Ram; Navarrete, Jesica; Spangle, Dylan

    2017-01-01

    Space missions rely utterly on metallic components, from the spacecraft to electronics. Yet, metals add mass, and electronics have the additional problem of a limited lifespan. Thus, current mission architectures must compensate for replacement. In space, spent electronics are discarded; on earth, there is some recycling but current processes are toxic and environmentally hazardous. Imagine instead an end-to-end recycling of spent electronics at low mass, low cost, room temperature, and in a non-toxic manner. Here, we propose a solution that will not only enhance mission success by decreasing upmass and providing a fresh supply of electronics, but in addition has immediate applications to a serious environmental issue on the Earth. Spent electronics will be used as feedstock to make fresh electronic components, a process we will accomplish with so-called 'urban biomining' using synthetically enhanced microbes to bind metals with elemental specificity. To create new electronics, the microbes will be used as 'bioink' to print a new IC chip, using plasma jet electronics printing. The plasma jet electronics printing technology will have the potential to use martian atmospheric gas to print and to tailor the electronic and chemical properties of the materials. Our preliminary results have suggested that this process also serves as a purification step to enhance the proportion of metals in the 'bioink'. The presence of electric field and plasma can ensure printing in microgravity environment while also providing material morphology and electronic structure tunabiity and thus optimization. Here we propose to increase the TRL level of the concept by engineering microbes to dissolve the siliceous matrix in the IC, extract copper from a mixture of metals, and use the microbes as feedstock to print interconnects using mars gas simulant. To assess the ability of this concept to influence mission architecture, we will do an analysis of the infrastructure required to execute

  16. Computer simulation of processes in the dead–end furnace

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zavorin, A S; Khaustov, S A; Zaharushkin, Russia N A

    2014-01-01

    We study turbulent combustion of natural gas in the reverse flame of fire–tube boiler simulated with the ANSYS Fluent 12.1.4 engineering simulation software. Aerodynamic structure and volumetric pressure fields of the flame were calculated. The results are presented in graphical form. The effect of the twist parameter for a drag coefficient of dead–end furnace was estimated. Finite element method was used for simulating the following processes: the combustion of methane in air oxygen, radiant and convective heat transfer, turbulence. Complete geometric model of the dead–end furnace based on boiler drawings was considered

  17. Location Assisted Vertical Handover Algorithm for QoS Optimization in End-to-End Connections

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dam, Martin S.; Christensen, Steffen R.; Mikkelsen, Lars M.

    2012-01-01

    implementation on Android based tablets. The simulations cover a wide range of scenarios for two mobile users in an urban area with ubiquitous cellular coverage, and shows our algorithm leads to increased throughput, with fewer handovers, when considering the end-to-end connection than to other handover schemes...

  18. Navigating the MESSENGER Spacecraft through End of Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryan, C. G.; Williams, B. G.; Williams, K. E.; Taylor, A. H.; Carranza, E.; Page, B. R.; Stanbridge, D. R.; Mazarico, E.; Neumann, G. A.; O'Shaughnessy, D. J.; McAdams, J. V.; Calloway, A. B.

    2015-12-01

    The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft orbited the planet Mercury from March 2011 until the end of April 2015, when it impacted the planetary surface after propellant reserves used to maintain the orbit were depleted. This highly successful mission was led by the principal investigator, Sean C. Solomon, of Columbia University. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) designed and assembled the spacecraft and served as the home for spacecraft operations. Spacecraft navigation for the entirety of the mission was provided by the Space Navigation and Flight Dynamics Practice (SNAFD) of KinetX Aerospace. Orbit determination (OD) solutions were generated through processing of radiometric tracking data provided by NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) using the MIRAGE suite of orbital analysis tools. The MESSENGER orbit was highly eccentric, with periapsis at a high northern latitude and periapsis altitude in the range 200-500 km for most of the orbital mission phase. In a low-altitude "hover campaign" during the final two months of the mission, periapsis altitudes were maintained within a narrow range between about 35 km and 5 km. Navigating a spacecraft so near a planetary surface presented special challenges. Tasks required to meet those challenges included the modeling and estimation of Mercury's gravity field and of solar and planetary radiation pressure, and the design of frequent orbit-correction maneuvers. Superior solar conjunction also presented observational modeling issues. One key to the overall success of the low-altitude hover campaign was a strategy to utilize data from an onboard laser altimeter as a cross-check on the navigation team's reconstructed and predicted estimates of periapsis altitude. Data obtained from the Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) on a daily basis provided near-real-time feedback that proved invaluable in evaluating alternative orbit estimation strategies, and

  19. Ground Contact Model for Mars Science Laboratory Mission Simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raiszadeh, Behzad; Way, David

    2012-01-01

    The Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories II (POST 2) has been successful in simulating the flight of launch vehicles and entry bodies on earth and other planets. POST 2 has been the primary simulation tool for the Entry Descent, and Landing (EDL) phase of numerous Mars lander missions such as Mars Pathfinder in 1997, the twin Mars Exploration Rovers (MER-A and MER-B) in 2004, Mars Phoenix lander in 2007, and it is now the main trajectory simulation tool for Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) in 2012. In all previous missions, the POST 2 simulation ended before ground impact, and a tool other than POST 2 simulated landing dynamics. It would be ideal for one tool to simulate the entire EDL sequence, thus avoiding errors that could be introduced by handing off position, velocity, or other fight parameters from one simulation to the other. The desire to have one continuous end-to-end simulation was the motivation for developing the ground interaction model in POST 2. Rover landing, including the detection of the postlanding state, is a very critical part of the MSL mission, as the EDL landing sequence continues for a few seconds after landing. The method explained in this paper illustrates how a simple ground force interaction model has been added to POST 2, which allows simulation of the entire EDL from atmospheric entry through touchdown.

  20. Sleep/wake scheduling scheme for minimizing end-to-end delay in multi-hop wireless sensor networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Madani Sajjad

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract We present a sleep/wake schedule protocol for minimizing end-to-end delay for event driven multi-hop wireless sensor networks. In contrast to generic sleep/wake scheduling schemes, our proposed algorithm performs scheduling that is dependent on traffic loads. Nodes adapt their sleep/wake schedule based on traffic loads in response to three important factors, (a the distance of the node from the sink node, (b the importance of the node's location from connectivity's perspective, and (c if the node is in the proximity where an event occurs. Using these heuristics, the proposed scheme reduces end-to-end delay and maximizes the throughput by minimizing the congestion at nodes having heavy traffic load. Simulations are carried out to evaluate the performance of the proposed protocol, by comparing its performance with S-MAC and Anycast protocols. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed protocol has significantly reduced the end-to-end delay, as well as has improved the other QoS parameters, like average energy per packet, average delay, packet loss ratio, throughput, and coverage lifetime.

  1. IDENTIFYING ELUSIVE ELECTROMAGNETIC COUNTERPARTS TO GRAVITATIONAL WAVE MERGERS: AN END-TO-END SIMULATION

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nissanke, Samaya; Georgieva, Alexandra; Kasliwal, Mansi

    2013-01-01

    Combined gravitational wave (GW) and electromagnetic (EM) observations of compact binary mergers should enable detailed studies of astrophysical processes in the strong-field gravity regime. This decade, ground-based GW interferometers promise to routinely detect compact binary mergers. Unfortunately, networks of GW interferometers have poor angular resolution on the sky and their EM signatures are predicted to be faint. Therefore, a challenging goal will be to unambiguously pinpoint the EM counterparts of GW mergers. We perform the first comprehensive end-to-end simulation that focuses on: (1) GW sky localization, distance measures, and volume errors with two compact binary populations and four different GW networks; (2) subsequent EM detectability by a slew of multiwavelength telescopes; and (3) final identification of the merger counterpart amidst a sea of possible astrophysical false positives. First, we find that double neutron star binary mergers can be detected out to a maximum distance of 400 Mpc (or 750 Mpc) by three (or five) detector GW networks, respectively. Neutron-star-black-hole binary mergers can be detected a factor of 1.5 further out; their median to maximum sky localizations are 50-170 deg 2 (or 6-65 deg 2 ) for a three (or five) detector GW network. Second, by optimizing depth, cadence, and sky area, we quantify relative fractions of optical counterparts that are detectable by a suite of different aperture-size telescopes across the globe. Third, we present five case studies to illustrate the diversity of scenarios in secure identification of the EM counterpart. We discuss the case of a typical binary, neither beamed nor nearby, and the challenges associated with identifying an EM counterpart at both low and high Galactic latitudes. For the first time, we demonstrate how construction of low-latency GW volumes in conjunction with local universe galaxy catalogs can help solve the problem of false positives. We conclude with strategies that would

  2. The end-to-end testbed of the optical metrology system on-board LISA Pathfinder

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Steier, F; Cervantes, F Guzman; Marin, A F GarcIa; Heinzel, G; Danzmann, K [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut) and Universitaet Hannover (Germany); Gerardi, D, E-mail: frank.steier@aei.mpg.d [EADS Astrium Satellites GmbH, Friedrichshafen (Germany)

    2009-05-07

    LISA Pathfinder is a technology demonstration mission for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). The main experiment on-board LISA Pathfinder is the so-called LISA Technology Package (LTP) which has the aim to measure the differential acceleration between two free-falling test masses with an accuracy of 3 x 10{sup -14} ms{sup -2} Hz{sup -1/2} between 1 mHz and 30 mHz. This measurement is performed interferometrically by the optical metrology system (OMS) on-board LISA Pathfinder. In this paper, we present the development of an experimental end-to-end testbed of the entire OMS. It includes the interferometer and its sub-units, the interferometer backend which is a phasemeter and the processing of the phasemeter output data. Furthermore, three-axes piezo-actuated mirrors are used instead of the free-falling test masses for the characterization of the dynamic behaviour of the system and some parts of the drag-free and attitude control system (DFACS) which controls the test masses and the satellite. The end-to-end testbed includes all parts of the LTP that can reasonably be tested on earth without free-falling test masses. At its present status it consists mainly of breadboard components. Some of those have already been replaced by engineering models of the LTP experiment. In the next steps, further engineering and flight models will also be inserted in this testbed and tested against well-characterized breadboard components. The presented testbed is an important reference for the unit tests and can also be used for validation of the on-board experiment during the mission.

  3. Quasi-real-time end-to-end simulations of ELT-scale adaptive optics systems on GPUs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gratadour, Damien

    2011-09-01

    Our team has started the development of a code dedicated to GPUs for the simulation of AO systems at the E-ELT scale. It uses the CUDA toolkit and an original binding to Yorick (an open source interpreted language) to provide the user with a comprehensive interface. In this paper we present the first performance analysis of our simulation code, showing its ability to provide Shack-Hartmann (SH) images and measurements at the kHz scale for VLT-sized AO system and in quasi-real-time (up to 70 Hz) for ELT-sized systems on a single top-end GPU. The simulation code includes multiple layers atmospheric turbulence generation, ray tracing through these layers, image formation at the focal plane of every sub-apertures of a SH sensor using either natural or laser guide stars and centroiding on these images using various algorithms. Turbulence is generated on-the-fly giving the ability to simulate hours of observations without the need of loading extremely large phase screens in the global memory. Because of its performance this code additionally provides the unique ability to test real-time controllers for future AO systems under nominal conditions.

  4. Automated Design of Propellant-Optimal, End-to-End, Low-Thrust Trajectories for Trojan Asteroid Tours

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stuart, Jeffrey; Howell, Kathleen; Wilson, Roby

    2013-01-01

    The Sun-Jupiter Trojan asteroids are celestial bodies of great scientific interest as well as potential resources offering water and other mineral resources for longterm human exploration of the solar system. Previous investigations under this project have addressed the automated design of tours within the asteroid swarm. This investigation expands the current automation scheme by incorporating options for a complete trajectory design approach to the Trojan asteroids. Computational aspects of the design procedure are automated such that end-to-end trajectories are generated with a minimum of human interaction after key elements and constraints associated with a proposed mission concept are specified.

  5. Effects of a Simulation Exercise on Nursing Students' End-of-Life Care Attitudes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dame, Linda; Hoebeke, Roberta

    2016-12-01

    Students consider end-of-life care content in their nursing curricula to be inadequate and deficient in promoting the development of the necessary attitudes to care for dying patients. Research identifies simulation as an effective teaching strategy to examine nursing students' attitudes toward end-of-life care. An end-of-life care simulation was developed, implemented, and evaluated. Attitudes toward caring for dying patients were measured pre- and postsimulation on a convenience sample of 57 sophomore nursing students using the Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying Scale-Form B. Repeated measures of ANOVA on outcome variables evaluated student attitudes toward end-of-life care. Participation in an end-of-life care simulation resulted in more positive student attitudes toward caring for dying patients (p life care in nursing curricula and improve student attitudes toward caring for dying patients. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(12):701-705.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

  6. A Bayes Theory-Based Modeling Algorithm to End-to-end Network Traffic

    OpenAIRE

    Zhao Hong-hao; Meng Fan-bo; Zhao Si-wen; Zhao Si-hang; Lu Yi

    2016-01-01

    Recently, network traffic has exponentially increasing due to all kind of applications, such as mobile Internet, smart cities, smart transportations, Internet of things, and so on. the end-to-end network traffic becomes more important for traffic engineering. Usually end-to-end traffic estimation is highly difficult. This paper proposes a Bayes theory-based method to model the end-to-end network traffic. Firstly, the end-to-end network traffic is described as a independent identically distrib...

  7. Performance Enhancements of UMTS networks using end-to-end QoS provisioning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Haibo; Prasad, Devendra; Teyeb, Oumer

    2005-01-01

    This paper investigates the end-to-end(E2E) quality of service(QoS) provisioning approaches for UMTS networks together with DiffServ IP network. The effort was put on QoS classes mapping from DiffServ to UMTS, Access Control(AC), buffering and scheduling optimization. The DiffServ Code Point (DSCP......) was utilized in the whole UMTS QoS provisioning to differentiate different type of traffics. The overall algorithm was optimized to guarantee the E2E QoS parameters of each service class, especially for realtime applications, as well as to improve the bandwidth utilization. Simulation shows that the enhanced...

  8. Analytical Framework for End-to-End Delay Based on Unidirectional Highway Scenario

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aslinda Hassan

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In a sparse vehicular ad hoc network, a vehicle normally employs a carry and forward approach, where it holds the message it wants to transmit until the vehicle meets other vehicles or roadside units. A number of analyses in the literature have been done to investigate the time delay when packets are being carried by vehicles on both unidirectional and bidirectional highways. However, these analyses are focusing on the delay between either two disconnected vehicles or two disconnected vehicle clusters. Furthermore, majority of the analyses only concentrate on the expected value of the end-to-end delay when the carry and forward approach is used. Using regression analysis, we establish the distribution model for the time delay between two disconnected vehicle clusters as an exponential distribution. Consequently, a distribution is newly derived to represent the number of clusters on a highway using a vehicular traffic model. From there, we are able to formulate end-to-end delay model which extends the time delay model for two disconnected vehicle clusters to multiple disconnected clusters on a unidirectional highway. The analytical results obtained from the analytical model are then validated through simulation results.

  9. End-to-end simulation: The front end

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haber, I.; Bieniosek, F.M.; Celata, C.M.; Friedman, A.; Grote, D.P.; Henestroza, E.; Vay, J.-L.; Bernal, S.; Kishek, R.A.; O'Shea, P.G.; Reiser, M.; Herrmannsfeldt, W.B.

    2002-01-01

    For the intense beams in heavy ion fusion accelerators, details of the beam distribution as it emerges from the source region can determine the beam behavior well downstream. This occurs because collective space-charge modes excited as the beam is born remain undamped for many focusing periods. Traditional studies of the source region in particle beam systems have emphasized the behavior of averaged beam characteristics, such as total current, rms beam size, or emittance, rather than the details of the full beam distribution function that are necessary to predict the excitation of these modes. Simulations of the beam in the source region and comparisons to experimental measurements at LBNL and the University of Maryland are presented to illustrate some of the complexity in beam characteristics that has been uncovered as increased attention has been devoted to developing a detailed understanding of the source region. Also discussed are methods of using the simulations to infer characteristics of the beam distribution that can be difficult to measure directly

  10. End-to-End Security for Personal Telehealth

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koster, R.P.; Asim, M.; Petkovic, M.

    2011-01-01

    Personal telehealth is in rapid development with innovative emerging applications like disease management. With personal telehealth people participate in their own care supported by an open distributed system with health services. This poses new end-to-end security and privacy challenges. In this

  11. CHEETAH: circuit-switched high-speed end-to-end transport architecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veeraraghavan, Malathi; Zheng, Xuan; Lee, Hyuk; Gardner, M.; Feng, Wuchun

    2003-10-01

    Leveraging the dominance of Ethernet in LANs and SONET/SDH in MANs and WANs, we propose a service called CHEETAH (Circuit-switched High-speed End-to-End Transport ArcHitecture). The service concept is to provide end hosts with high-speed, end-to-end circuit connectivity on a call-by-call shared basis, where a "circuit" consists of Ethernet segments at the ends that are mapped into Ethernet-over-SONET long-distance circuits. This paper focuses on the file-transfer application for such circuits. For this application, the CHEETAH service is proposed as an add-on to the primary Internet access service already in place for enterprise hosts. This allows an end host that is sending a file to first attempt setting up an end-to-end Ethernet/EoS circuit, and if rejected, fall back to the TCP/IP path. If the circuit setup is successful, the end host will enjoy a much shorter file-transfer delay than on the TCP/IP path. To determine the conditions under which an end host with access to the CHEETAH service should attempt circuit setup, we analyze mean file-transfer delays as a function of call blocking probability in the circuit-switched network, probability of packet loss in the IP network, round-trip times, link rates, and so on.

  12. End-to-End Trajectory for Conjunction Class Mars Missions Using Hybrid Solar-Electric/Chemical Transportation System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chai, Patrick R.; Merrill, Raymond G.; Qu, Min

    2016-01-01

    NASA's Human Spaceflight Architecture Team is developing a reusable hybrid transportation architecture in which both chemical and solar-electric propulsion systems are used to deliver crew and cargo to exploration destinations. By combining chemical and solar-electric propulsion into a single spacecraft and applying each where it is most effective, the hybrid architecture enables a series of Mars trajectories that are more fuel efficient than an all chemical propulsion architecture without significant increases to trip time. The architecture calls for the aggregation of exploration assets in cislunar space prior to departure for Mars and utilizes high energy lunar-distant high Earth orbits for the final staging prior to departure. This paper presents the detailed analysis of various cislunar operations for the EMC Hybrid architecture as well as the result of the higher fidelity end-to-end trajectory analysis to understand the implications of the design choices on the Mars exploration campaign.

  13. Comparison of Direct Side-to-End and End-to-End Hypoglossal-Facial Anastomosis for Facial Nerve Repair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samii, Madjid; Alimohamadi, Maysam; Khouzani, Reza Karimi; Rashid, Masoud Rafizadeh; Gerganov, Venelin

    2015-08-01

    The hypoglossal facial anastomosis (HFA) is the gold standard for facial reanimation in patients with severe facial nerve palsy. The major drawbacks of the classic HFA technique are lingual morbidities due to hypoglossal nerve transection. The side-to-end HFA is a modification of the classic technique with fewer tongue-related morbidities. In this study we compared the outcome of the classic end-to-end and the direct side-to-end HFA surgeries performed at our center in regards to the facial reanimation success rate and tongue-related morbidities. Twenty-six successive cases of HFA were enrolled. In 9 of them end-to-end anastomoses were performed, and 17 had direct side-to-end anastomoses. The House-Brackmann (HB) and Pitty and Tator (PT) scales were used to document surgical outcome. The hemiglossal atrophy, swallowing, and hypoglossal nerve function were assessed at follow-up. The original pathology was vestibular schwannoma in 15, meningioma in 4, brain stem glioma in 4, and other pathologies in 3. The mean interval between facial palsy and HFA was 18 months (range: 0-60). The median follow-up period was 20 months. The PT grade at follow-up was worse in patients with a longer interval from facial palsy and HFA (P value: 0.041). The lesion type was the only other factor that affected PT grade (the best results in vestibular schwannoma and the worst in the other pathologies group, P value: 0.038). The recovery period for facial tonicity was longer in patients with radiation therapy before HFA (13.5 vs. 8.5 months) and those with a longer than 2-year interval from facial palsy to HFA (13.5 vs. 8.5 months). Although no significant difference between the side-to-end and the end-to-end groups was seen in terms of facial nerve functional recovery, patients from the side-to-end group had a significantly lower rate of lingual morbidities (tongue hemiatrophy: 100% vs. 5.8%, swallowing difficulty: 55% vs. 11.7%, speech disorder 33% vs. 0%). With the side-to-end HFA

  14. Start To End Simulation for the SPARX Project

    CERN Document Server

    Vaccarezza, Cristina; Boscolo, Manuela; Ferrario, Massimo; Fusco, Valeria; Giannessi, Luca; Migliorati, Mauro; Palumbo, Luigi; Quattromini, Marcello; Ronsivalle, Concetta; Serafini, Luca; Spataro, Bruno; Vescovi, Mario

    2005-01-01

    The first phase of the SPARX project now funded by Government Agencies, is an R&D activity focused on developing techniques and critical components for future X-ray facilities. The aim is the generation of electron beams with the ultra-high peak brightness required to drive FEL experiments. The FEL source realization will develop along two lines: (a) the use of the SPARC high brightness photoinjector to test RF compression techniques and the emittance degradation in magnetic compressors due to CSR, (b) the production of radiation in the range of 3-5 nm, both in SASE and SEEDED FEL configurations, in the so called SPARXINO test facility, upgrading the existing Frascati 800 MeV LINAC. In this paper we present and discuss the preliminary start to end simulations results.

  15. BGO front-end electronics and signal processing in the MXGS instrument for the ASIM mission

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skogseide, Yngve; Cenkeramaddi, Linga Reddy; Genov, Georgi

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents the Bismuth Germanate Oxide (BGO) front-end electronics design and signal processing in Modular X- and Gamma ray sensor (MXGS) instrument onboard the Atmosphere Space Interaction Monitor (ASIM) mission, funded by the European Space Agency. University of Bergen is responsible...... for the design and development of the detector layers and readout electronics for the MXGS instrument. The principal objective of the instrument is to detect Terrestrial Gamma ray Flashes (TGFs), which are related to thunderstorm activity. The digital pulse processing scheme used in the MXGS BGO detector gives...... it a significantly higher rate capability than what has been achieved in other instruments used in the study of terrestrial gamma flashes. The front-end electronics for the BGO detector layer in MXGS system also uses fewer components compared to conventional analog front-ends for BGO detectors, thereby increasing...

  16. Advanced Camera Image Cropping Approach for CNN-Based End-to-End Controls on Sustainable Computing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunsick Sung

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Recent research on deep learning has been applied to a diversity of fields. In particular, numerous studies have been conducted on self-driving vehicles using end-to-end approaches based on images captured by a single camera. End-to-end controls learn the output vectors of output devices directly from the input vectors of available input devices. In other words, an end-to-end approach learns not by analyzing the meaning of input vectors, but by extracting optimal output vectors based on input vectors. Generally, when end-to-end control is applied to self-driving vehicles, the steering wheel and pedals are controlled autonomously by learning from the images captured by a camera. However, high-resolution images captured from a car cannot be directly used as inputs to Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs owing to memory limitations; the image size needs to be efficiently reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to extract features from captured images automatically and to generate input images by merging the parts of the images that contain the extracted features. This paper proposes a learning method for end-to-end control that generates input images for CNNs by extracting road parts from input images, identifying the edges of the extracted road parts, and merging the parts of the images that contain the detected edges. In addition, a CNN model for end-to-end control is introduced. Experiments involving the Open Racing Car Simulator (TORCS, a sustainable computing environment for cars, confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed method for self-driving by comparing the accumulated difference in the angle of the steering wheel in the images generated by it with those of resized images containing the entire captured area and cropped images containing only a part of the captured area. The results showed that the proposed method reduced the accumulated difference by 0.839% and 0.850% compared to those yielded by the resized images and cropped images

  17. Measurements and analysis of end-to-end Internet dynamics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paxson, Vern [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Computer Science Division

    1997-04-01

    Accurately characterizing end-to-end Internet dynamics - the performance that a user actually obtains from the lengthy series of network links that comprise a path through the Internet - is exceptionally difficult, due to the network`s immense heterogeneity. At the heart of this work is a `measurement framework` in which a number of sites around the Internet host a specialized measurement service. By coordinating `probes` between pairs of these sites one can measure end-to-end behavior along O(N2) paths for a framework consisting of N sites. Consequently, one obtains a superlinear scaling that allows measuring a rich cross-section of Internet behavior without requiring huge numbers of observation points. 37 sites participated in this study, allowing the author to measure more than 1,000 distinct Internet paths. The first part of this work looks at the behavior of end-to-end routing: the series of routers over which a connection`s packets travel. Based on 40,000 measurements made using this framework, the author analyzes: routing `pathologies` such as loops, outages, and flutter; the stability of routes over time; and the symmetry of routing along the two directions of an end-to-end path. The author finds that pathologies increased significantly over the course of 1995 and that Internet paths are heavily dominated by a single route. The second part of this work studies end-to-end Internet packet dynamics. The author analyzes 20,000 TCP transfers of 100 Kbyte each to investigate the performance of both the TCP endpoints and the Internet paths. The measurements used for this part of the study are much richer than those for the first part, but require a great degree of attention to issues of calibration, which are addressed by applying self-consistency checks to the measurements whenever possible. The author finds that packet filters are capable of a wide range of measurement errors, some of which, if undetected, can significantly taint subsequent analysis.

  18. Greenhouse gas profiling by infrared-laser and microwave occultation: retrieval algorithm and demonstration results from end-to-end simulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Proschek

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Measuring greenhouse gas (GHG profiles with global coverage and high accuracy and vertical resolution in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS is key for improved monitoring of GHG concentrations in the free atmosphere. In this respect a new satellite mission concept adding an infrared-laser part to the already well studied microwave occultation technique exploits the joint propagation of infrared-laser and microwave signals between Low Earth Orbit (LEO satellites. This synergetic combination, referred to as LEO-LEO microwave and infrared-laser occultation (LMIO method, enables to retrieve thermodynamic profiles (pressure, temperature, humidity and accurate altitude levels from the microwave signals and GHG profiles from the simultaneously measured infrared-laser signals. However, due to the novelty of the LMIO method, a retrieval algorithm for GHG profiling is not yet available. Here we introduce such an algorithm for retrieving GHGs from LEO-LEO infrared-laser occultation (LIO data, applied as a second step after retrieving thermodynamic profiles from LEO-LEO microwave occultation (LMO data. We thoroughly describe the LIO retrieval algorithm and unveil the synergy with the LMO-retrieved pressure, temperature, and altitude information. We furthermore demonstrate the effective independence of the GHG retrieval results from background (a priori information in discussing demonstration results from LMIO end-to-end simulations for a representative set of GHG profiles, including carbon dioxide (CO2, water vapor (H2O, methane (CH4, and ozone (O3. The GHGs except for ozone are well retrieved throughout the UTLS, while ozone is well retrieved from about 10 km to 15 km upwards, since the ozone layer resides in the lower stratosphere. The GHG retrieval errors are generally smaller than 1% to 3% r.m.s., at a vertical resolution of about 1 km. The retrieved profiles also appear unbiased, which points

  19. High-End Scientific Computing

    Science.gov (United States)

    EPA uses high-end scientific computing, geospatial services and remote sensing/imagery analysis to support EPA's mission. The Center for Environmental Computing (CEC) assists the Agency's program offices and regions to meet staff needs in these areas.

  20. SPoRT - An End-to-End R2O Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jedlovec, Gary J.

    2009-01-01

    Established in 2002 to demonstrate the weather and forecasting application of real-time EOS measurements, the Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) program has grown to be an end-to-end research to operations activity focused on the use of advanced NASA modeling and data assimilation approaches, nowcasting techniques, and unique high-resolution multispectral observational data applications from EOS satellites to improve short-term weather forecasts on a regional and local scale. SPoRT currently partners with several universities and other government agencies for access to real-time data and products, and works collaboratively with them and operational end users at 13 WFOs to develop and test the new products and capabilities in a "test-bed" mode. The test-bed simulates key aspects of the operational environment without putting constraints on the forecaster workload. Products and capabilities which show utility in the test-bed environment are then transitioned experimentally into the operational environment for further evaluation and assessment. SPoRT focuses on a suite of data and products from MODIS, AMSR-E, and AIRS on the NASA Terra and Aqua satellites, and total lightning measurements from ground-based networks. Some of the observations are assimilated into or used with various versions of the WRF model to provide supplemental forecast guidance to operational end users. SPoRT is enhancing partnerships with NOAA / NESDIS for new product development and data access to exploit the remote sensing capabilities of instruments on the NPOESS satellites to address short term weather forecasting problems. The VIIRS and CrIS instruments on the NPP and follow-on NPOESS satellites provide similar observing capabilities to the MODIS and AIRS instruments on Terra and Aqua. SPoRT will be transitioning existing and new capabilities into the AWIIPS II environment to continue the continuity of its activities.

  1. Physician Communication in Pediatric End-of-Life Care: A Simulation Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bateman, Lori Brand; Tofil, Nancy M; White, Marjorie Lee; Dure, Leon S; Clair, Jeffrey Michael; Needham, Belinda L

    2016-12-01

    The objective of this exploratory study is to describe communication between physicians and the actor parent of a standardized 8-year-old patient in respiratory distress who was nearing the end of life. Thirteen pediatric emergency medicine and pediatric critical care fellows and attendings participated in a high-fidelity simulation to assess physician communication with an actor-parent. Fifteen percent of the participants decided not to initiate life-sustaining technology (intubation), and 23% of participants offered alternatives to life-sustaining care, such as comfort measures. Although 92% of the participants initiated an end-of-life conversation, the quality of that discussion varied widely. Findings indicate that effective physician-parent communication may not consistently occur in cases involving the treatment of pediatric patients at the end of life in emergency and critical care units. The findings in this study, particularly that physician-parent end-of-life communication is often unclear and that alternatives to life-sustaining technology are often not offered, suggest that physicians need more training in both communication and end-of-life care. © The Author(s) 2015.

  2. Weighted-DESYNC and Its Application to End-to-End Throughput Fairness in Wireless Multihop Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ui-Seong Yu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The end-to-end throughput of a routing path in wireless multihop network is restricted by a bottleneck node that has the smallest bandwidth among the nodes on the routing path. In this study, we propose a method for resolving the bottleneck-node problem in multihop networks, which is based on multihop DESYNC (MH-DESYNC algorithm that is a bioinspired resource allocation method developed for use in multihop environments and enables fair resource allocation among nearby (up to two hops neighbors. Based on MH-DESYNC, we newly propose weighted-DESYNC (W-DESYNC as a tool artificially to control the amount of resource allocated to the specific user and thus to achieve throughput fairness over a routing path. Proposed W-DESYNC employs the weight factor of a link to determine the amount of bandwidth allocated to a node. By letting the weight factor be the link quality of a routing path and making it the same across a routing path via Cucker-Smale flocking model, we can obtain throughput fairness over a routing path. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm achieves throughput fairness over a routing path and can increase total end-to-end throughput in wireless multihop networks.

  3. Cas9-catalyzed DNA Cleavage Generates Staggered Ends: Evidence from Molecular Dynamics Simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuo, Zhicheng; Liu, Jin

    2016-11-01

    The CRISPR-associated endonuclease Cas9 from Streptococcus pyogenes (spCas9) along with a single guide RNA (sgRNA) has emerged as a versatile toolbox for genome editing. Despite recent advances in the mechanism studies on spCas9-sgRNA-mediated double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) recognition and cleavage, it is still unclear how the catalytic Mg2+ ions induce the conformation changes toward the catalytic active state. It also remains controversial whether Cas9 generates blunt-ended or staggered-ended breaks with overhangs in the DNA. To investigate these issues, here we performed the first all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of the spCas9-sgRNA-dsDNA system with and without Mg2+ bound. The simulation results showed that binding of two Mg2+ ions at the RuvC domain active site could lead to structurally and energetically favorable coordination ready for the non-target DNA strand cleavage. Importantly, we demonstrated with our simulations that Cas9-catalyzed DNA cleavage produces 1-bp staggered ends rather than generally assumed blunt ends.

  4. Development and testing of the cooling coil cleaning end effector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, K.I.; Mullen, O.D.; Powell, M.R.; Daly, D.S.; Engel, D.W.

    1997-01-01

    The Retrieval Process Development and Enhancement (KPD ampersand E) program has developed and tested an end effector to support the waste retrieval mission at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). The end effector was developed specifically to remove a sticky waste material from the cooling coils in the High Level Liquid Waste (HLLW) tank, and to vacuum up a sediment layer that has settled beneath the cooling coils. An extensive testing program was conducted in the hydraulic test bed (HTB) at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to evaluate the performance of the end effector under simulated in-tank conditions. A mock up of the cooling coils was installed in the test bed tank, and simulated waste materials were included to represent the sticky waste on the tubes and the particulate waste settled beneath them. The testing program focused on assessing long-duration mining strategies for cleaning the cooling coils and removing the particulate waste forms. The report describes the results of the end effector testing program at PNNL. Section 2 describes the physical characteristics of the HLLW tanks, including the layout of the cooling coils, and it also describes what is known of the waste forms in the tanks. Section 3 describes the cleaning and retrieval strategy that was used in developing the end effector design. Section 4 describes the cooling coil mockup in the hydraulic test bed. Section 5 discusses the rationale used in selecting the simulants for the tarry waste and particulate waste forms. Section 6 describes the tests that were performed to evaluate cleaning of the cooling coils and retrieval of the particulate simulant. Section 7 summarizes the cleaning and retrieval tests, assesses the relative importance of cleaning the cooling coils and retrieving the particulate waste, and suggests modifications that would simplify the end effector design

  5. Use of Simulation in End-of-Life Care Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grabow, Debra

    Death and dying encompasses the period when individuals present with a limited prognosis and are near death or have recently died. Using simulation to educate nurses on end-of-life (EOL) care helps focus more on the needs of the learner rather than the patient, and allows the learner to process feelings in preparation for a real experience. Incorporating simulation with a spiritual perspective is essential and needed in EOL nursing care.

  6. End-Users, Front Ends and Librarians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourne, Donna E.

    1989-01-01

    The increase in end-user searching, the advantages and limitations of front ends, and the role of the librarian in end-user searching are discussed. It is argued that librarians need to recognize that front ends can be of benefit to themselves and patrons, and to assume the role of advisors and educators for end-users. (37 references) (CLB)

  7. Gravitational Reference Sensor Front-End Electronics Simulator for LISA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meshksar, Neda; Ferraioli, Luigi; Mance, Davor; Zweifel, Peter; Giardini, Domenico; Ten Pierick, Jan

    2017-01-01

    At the ETH Zurich we are developing a modular simulator that provides a realistic simulation of the Front End Electronics (FEE) for LISA Gravitational Reference Sensor (GRS). It is based on the GRS FEE-simulator already implemented for LISA Pathfinder. It considers, in particular, the non-linearity and the critical details of hardware, such as the non-linear multiplicative noise caused by voltage reference instability, test mass charging and detailed actuation and sensing algorithms. We present the simulation modules, considering the above-mentioned features. Based on the ETH GRS FEE-simulator for LISA Pathfinder we aim to develop a modular simulator that provides a realistic simulation of GRS FEE for LISA. (paper)

  8. Automatic provisioning of end-to-end QoS into the home

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brewka, Lukasz Jerzy; Skoldström, Pontus; Nelis, Jelle

    2011-01-01

    Due to a growing number of high bandwidth applications today (such as HDTV), and an increasing amount of network and cloud based applications, service providers need to pay attention to QoS in their networks. We believe there is a need for an end-to-end approach reaching into the home as well....... The Home Gateway (HG) as a key component of the home network is crucial for enabling the end-to-end solutions. UPnP-QoS has been proposed as an inhome solution for resource reservations. In this paper we assess a solution for automatic QoS reservations, on behalf of non-UPnP-QoS aware applications....... Additionally we focus on an integrated end-to-end solution, combining GMPLS-based reservations in e.g., access/metro and UPnP-QoS based reservation in the home network....

  9. Free Energy, Enthalpy and Entropy from Implicit Solvent End-Point Simulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fogolari, Federico; Corazza, Alessandra; Esposito, Gennaro

    2018-01-01

    Free energy is the key quantity to describe the thermodynamics of biological systems. In this perspective we consider the calculation of free energy, enthalpy and entropy from end-point molecular dynamics simulations. Since the enthalpy may be calculated as the ensemble average over equilibrated simulation snapshots the difficulties related to free energy calculation are ultimately related to the calculation of the entropy of the system and in particular of the solvent entropy. In the last two decades implicit solvent models have been used to circumvent the problem and to take into account solvent entropy implicitly in the solvation terms. More recently outstanding advancement in both implicit solvent models and in entropy calculations are making the goal of free energy estimation from end-point simulations more feasible than ever before. We review briefly the basic theory and discuss the advancements in light of practical applications.

  10. Free Energy, Enthalpy and Entropy from Implicit Solvent End-Point Simulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Federico Fogolari

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Free energy is the key quantity to describe the thermodynamics of biological systems. In this perspective we consider the calculation of free energy, enthalpy and entropy from end-point molecular dynamics simulations. Since the enthalpy may be calculated as the ensemble average over equilibrated simulation snapshots the difficulties related to free energy calculation are ultimately related to the calculation of the entropy of the system and in particular of the solvent entropy. In the last two decades implicit solvent models have been used to circumvent the problem and to take into account solvent entropy implicitly in the solvation terms. More recently outstanding advancement in both implicit solvent models and in entropy calculations are making the goal of free energy estimation from end-point simulations more feasible than ever before. We review briefly the basic theory and discuss the advancements in light of practical applications.

  11. Screening California Current fishery management scenarios using the Atlantis end-to-end ecosystem model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaplan, Isaac C.; Horne, Peter J.; Levin, Phillip S.

    2012-09-01

    value. However, this cost was minimal when local conservation actions were part of a concerted coast-wide plan. The simulations demonstrate the utility of using the Atlantis end-to-end ecosystem model within NOAA’s Integrated Ecosystem Assessment, by illustrating an end-to-end modeling tool that allows consideration of multiple management alternatives that are relevant to numerous state, federal and private interests.

  12. Influence of suture technique and suture material selection on the mechanics of end-to-end and end-to-side anastomoses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumgartner, N; Dobrin, P B; Morasch, M; Dong, Q S; Mrkvicka, R

    1996-05-01

    Experiments were performed in dogs to evaluate the mechanics of 26 end-to-end and 42 end-to-side artery-vein graft anastomoses constructed with continuous polypropylene sutures (Surgilene; Davis & Geck, Division of American Cyanamid Co., Danbury, Conn.), continuous polybutester sutures (Novafil; Davis & Geck), and interrupted stitches with either suture material. After construction, the grafts and adjoining arteries were excised, mounted in vitro at in situ length, filled with a dilute barium sulfate suspension, and pressurized in 25 mm Hg steps up to 200 mm Hg. Radiographs were obtained at each pressure. The computed cross-sectional areas of the anastomoses were compared with those of the native arteries at corresponding pressures. Results showed that for the end-to-end anastomoses at 100 mm Hg the cross-sectional areas of the continuous Surgilene anastomoses were 70% of the native artery cross-sectional areas, the cross-sectional areas of the continuous Novafil anastomoses were 90% of the native artery cross-sectional areas, and the cross-sectional areas of the interrupted anastomoses were 107% of the native artery cross-sectional areas (p anastomoses demonstrated no differences in cross-sectional areas or compliance for the three suture techniques. This suggests that, unlike with end-to-end anastomoses, when constructing an end-to-side anastomosis in patients any of the three suture techniques may be acceptable.

  13. De Novo Ultrascale Atomistic Simulations On High-End Parallel Supercomputers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakano, A; Kalia, R K; Nomura, K; Sharma, A; Vashishta, P; Shimojo, F; van Duin, A; Goddard, III, W A; Biswas, R; Srivastava, D; Yang, L H

    2006-09-04

    We present a de novo hierarchical simulation framework for first-principles based predictive simulations of materials and their validation on high-end parallel supercomputers and geographically distributed clusters. In this framework, high-end chemically reactive and non-reactive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations explore a wide solution space to discover microscopic mechanisms that govern macroscopic material properties, into which highly accurate quantum mechanical (QM) simulations are embedded to validate the discovered mechanisms and quantify the uncertainty of the solution. The framework includes an embedded divide-and-conquer (EDC) algorithmic framework for the design of linear-scaling simulation algorithms with minimal bandwidth complexity and tight error control. The EDC framework also enables adaptive hierarchical simulation with automated model transitioning assisted by graph-based event tracking. A tunable hierarchical cellular decomposition parallelization framework then maps the O(N) EDC algorithms onto Petaflops computers, while achieving performance tunability through a hierarchy of parameterized cell data/computation structures, as well as its implementation using hybrid Grid remote procedure call + message passing + threads programming. High-end computing platforms such as IBM BlueGene/L, SGI Altix 3000 and the NSF TeraGrid provide an excellent test grounds for the framework. On these platforms, we have achieved unprecedented scales of quantum-mechanically accurate and well validated, chemically reactive atomistic simulations--1.06 billion-atom fast reactive force-field MD and 11.8 million-atom (1.04 trillion grid points) quantum-mechanical MD in the framework of the EDC density functional theory on adaptive multigrids--in addition to 134 billion-atom non-reactive space-time multiresolution MD, with the parallel efficiency as high as 0.998 on 65,536 dual-processor BlueGene/L nodes. We have also achieved an automated execution of hierarchical QM

  14. End-to-End Availability Analysis of IMS-Based Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kamyod, Chayapol; Nielsen, Rasmus Hjorth; Prasad, Neeli R.

    2013-01-01

    Generation Networks (NGNs). In this paper, an end-to-end availability model is proposed and evaluated using a combination of Reliability Block Diagrams (RBD) and a proposed five-state Markov model. The overall availability for intra- and inter domain communication in IMS is analyzed, and the state...

  15. Start-to-end simulations of SASE FEL at the TESLA Test Facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dohlus, M.; Floettmann, K.; Limberg, T.; Saldin, E.L; Schneidmiller, E.A.; Kozlov, O.S.; Yurkov, M.V.; Piot, Ph.

    2004-01-01

    VUV SASE FEL at the TESLA Test Facility (Phase 1) was successfully running and reached saturation in the wavelength range 80-120 nm. We present a posteriori start-to-end simulations of this machine. The codes Astra and elegant are used to track particle distribution from the cathode to the undulator entrance. An independent simulation of the beam dynamics in the bunch compressor is performed with the code CSRtrack. SASE FEL process is simulated with the code FAST. The simulation results are in good agreement with the measured properties of SASE FEL radiation. It is shown that the beam dynamics after the bunch compressor is mainly defined by space charge fields. FEL radiation is produced by the head of the electron bunch having a peak current of about 3 kA and a duration of 100 fs

  16. Utilizing Domain Knowledge in End-to-End Audio Processing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tax, Tycho; Antich, Jose Luis Diez; Purwins, Hendrik

    2017-01-01

    to learn the commonly-used log-scaled mel-spectrogram transformation. Secondly, we demonstrate that upon initializing the first layers of an end-to-end CNN classifier with the learned transformation, convergence and performance on the ESC-50 environmental sound classification dataset are similar to a CNN......-based model trained on the highly pre-processed log-scaled mel-spectrogram features....

  17. A Vehicle Management End-to-End Testing and Analysis Platform for Validation of Mission and Fault Management Algorithms to Reduce Risk for NASA's Space Launch System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trevino, Luis; Patterson, Jonathan; Teare, David; Johnson, Stephen

    2015-01-01

    The engineering development of the new Space Launch System (SLS) launch vehicle requires cross discipline teams with extensive knowledge of launch vehicle subsystems, information theory, and autonomous algorithms dealing with all operations from pre-launch through on orbit operations. The characteristics of these spacecraft systems must be matched with the autonomous algorithm monitoring and mitigation capabilities for accurate control and response to abnormal conditions throughout all vehicle mission flight phases, including precipitating safing actions and crew aborts. This presents a large and complex system engineering challenge, which is being addressed in part by focusing on the specific subsystems involved in the handling of off-nominal mission and fault tolerance with response management. Using traditional model based system and software engineering design principles from the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and Systems Modeling Language (SysML), the Mission and Fault Management (M&FM) algorithms for the vehicle are crafted and vetted in specialized Integrated Development Teams (IDTs) composed of multiple development disciplines such as Systems Engineering (SE), Flight Software (FSW), Safety and Mission Assurance (S&MA) and the major subsystems and vehicle elements such as Main Propulsion Systems (MPS), boosters, avionics, Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC), Thrust Vector Control (TVC), and liquid engines. These model based algorithms and their development lifecycle from inception through Flight Software certification are an important focus of this development effort to further insure reliable detection and response to off-nominal vehicle states during all phases of vehicle operation from pre-launch through end of flight. NASA formed a dedicated M&FM team for addressing fault management early in the development lifecycle for the SLS initiative. As part of the development of the M&FM capabilities, this team has developed a dedicated testbed that

  18. Assessing the beginning to end-of-mission sensitivity change of the PREcision MOnitor Sensor total solar irradiance radiometer (PREMOS/PICARD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ball William T.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The switching of the total solar irradiance (TSI backup radiometer (PREMOS-B to a primary role for 2 weeks at the end of the PICARD mission provides a unique opportunity to test the fundamental hypothesis of radiometer experiments in space, which is that the sensitivity change of instruments due to the space environment is identical for the same instrument type as a function of solar-exposure time of the instruments. We verify this hypothesis for the PREMOS TSI radiometers within the PREMOS experiment on the PICARD mission. We confirm that the sensitivity change of the backup instrument, PREMOS-B, is similar to that of the identically-constructed primary radiometer, PREMOS-A. The extended exposure of the backup instrument at the end of the mission allows for the assessment, with an uncertainty estimate, of the sensitivity change of the primary radiometer from the beginning of the PICARD mission compared to the end, and of the degradation of the backup over the mission. We correct six sets of PREMOS-B observations connecting October 2011 with February 2014, using six ratios from simultaneous PREMOS-A and PREMOS-B exposures during the first days of PREMOS-A operation in 2010. These ratios are then used, without indirect estimates or assumptions, to evaluate the stability of SORCE/TIM and SOHO/VIRGO TSI measurements, which have both operated for more than a decade and now show different trends over the time span of the PICARD mission, namely from 2010 to 2014. We find that by February 2014 relative to October 2011 PREMOS-B supports the SORCE/TIM TSI time evolution, which in May 2014 relative to October 2011 is ~0.11 W m−2, or ~84 ppm, higher than SOHO/VIRGO. Such a divergence between SORCE/TIM and SOHO/VIRGO over this period is a significant fraction of the estimated decline of 0.2 W m−2 between the solar minima of 1996 and 2008, and questions the reliability of that estimated trend. Extrapolating the uncertainty indicated by the

  19. System of end-to-end symmetric database encryption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galushka, V. V.; Aydinyan, A. R.; Tsvetkova, O. L.; Fathi, V. A.; Fathi, D. V.

    2018-05-01

    The article is devoted to the actual problem of protecting databases from information leakage, which is performed while bypassing access control mechanisms. To solve this problem, it is proposed to use end-to-end data encryption, implemented at the end nodes of an interaction of the information system components using one of the symmetric cryptographic algorithms. For this purpose, a key management method designed for use in a multi-user system based on the distributed key representation model, part of which is stored in the database, and the other part is obtained by converting the user's password, has been developed and described. In this case, the key is calculated immediately before the cryptographic transformations and is not stored in the memory after the completion of these transformations. Algorithms for registering and authorizing a user, as well as changing his password, have been described, and the methods for calculating parts of a key when performing these operations have been provided.

  20. Tracking and data system support for the Mariner Mars 1971 mission. Volume 3: Orbit insertion through end of primary mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnum, P. W.; Renzetti, N. A.; Textor, G. P.; Kelly, L. B.

    1973-01-01

    The Tracking and Data System (TDS) Support for the Mariner Mars 1971 Mission final report contains the deep space tracking and data acquisition activities in support of orbital operations. During this period a major NASA objective was accomplished: completion of the 180th revolution and 90th day of data gathering with the spacecraft about the planet Mars. Included are presentations of the TDS flight support pass chronology data for each of the Deep Space Stations used, and performance evaluation for the Deep Space Network Telemetry, Tracking, Command, and Monitor Systems. With the loss of Mariner 8 at launch, Mariner 9 assumed the mission plan of Mariner 8, which included the TV mapping cycles and a 12-hr orbital period. The mission plan was modified as a result of a severe dust storm on the surface of Mars, which delayed the start of the TV mapping cycles. Thus, the end of primary mission date was extended to complete the TV mapping cycles.

  1. Start-to-end simulation of the injector for a compact THz source

    OpenAIRE

    Li, J.; Pei, Y. J.; Shang, L.; Feng, G.; Hu, T.; Chen, Q.; Li, C.

    2013-01-01

    Terahertz radiation has broad application prospect due to its ability to penetrate deep into many organic materials without damage caused by ionizing radiations. A FEL-based THz source is the best choice to produce high-power radiation. In this paper, a 14 MeV injector is introduced for generating high-quality beam for FEL, which is composed of an EC-ITC RF gun, compensating coils and a travelling-wave structure. Start-to-end simulation has been done with ASTRA code to verify the design and t...

  2. Means-end chains - A means to which end?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grunert, Klaus G.

    2010-01-01

    This paper describes the development of the means-end chain concept in consumer behaviour research, starting from the original proposal by Gutman in 1982. A lack of theoretical development - as opposed to a refinement of methodology - is argued to by the main reason why the concept, after....... This reinterpretation leads to three goals for research that could establish means-end chains as a useful theoretical concept in consumer behaviour research....

  3. Global Distribution of Active Volcanism on Io as Known at the End of the Galileo Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopes, Rosaly M. C.; Kamp. Lucas W.; Smythe, W. D.; Radebaugh, J.; Turtle, E.; Perry, J.; Bruno, B.

    2004-01-01

    Hot spots are manifestations of Io s mechanism of internal heating and heat transfer. Therefore, the global distribution of hot spots and their power output has important implications for how Io is losing heat. The end of the Galileo mission is an opportune time to revisit studies of the distribution of hot spots on Io, and to investigate the distribution of their power output.

  4. Design and end-to-end modelling of a deployable telescope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dolkens, Dennis; Kuiper, Hans

    2017-09-01

    a closed-loop system based on measurements of the image sharpness as well as measurements obtained with edge sensors placed between the mirror segments. In addition, a phase diversity system will be used to recover residual wavefront aberrations. To aid the design of the deployable telescope, an end-to-end performance model was developed. The model is built around a dedicated ray-trace program written in Matlab. This program was built from the ground up for the purpose of modelling segmented telescope systems and allows for surface data computed with Finite Element Models (FEM) to be imported in the model. The program also contains modules which can simulate the closed-loop calibration of the telescope and it can use simulated images as an input for phase diversity and image processing algorithms. For a given thermo-mechanical state, the end-to-end model can predict the image quality that will be obtained after the calibration has been completed and the image has been processed. As such, the model is a powerful systems engineering tool, which can be used to optimize the in-orbit performance of a segmented, deployable telescope.

  5. End-to-End Operations in the ELT Era

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hainaut, O. R.; Bierwirth, T.; Brillant, S.; Mieske, S.; Patat, F.; Rejkuba, M.; Romaniello, M.; Sterzik, M.

    2018-03-01

    The Data Flow System is the infrastructure on which Very Large Telescope (VLT) observations are performed at the Observatory, before and after the observations themselves take place. Since its original conception in the late 1990s, it has evolved to accommodate new observing modes and new instruments on La Silla and Paranal. Several updates and upgrades are needed to overcome its obsolescence and to integrate requirements from the new instruments from the community and, of course, from ESO's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), which will be integrated into Paranal's operations. We describe the end-to-end operations and the resulting roadmap guiding their further development.

  6. Optimizing End-to-End Big Data Transfers over Terabits Network Infrastructure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Youngjae; Vallee, Geoffroy R.; Lee, Sangkeun; Shipman, Galen M.

    2016-01-01

    While future terabit networks hold the promise of significantly improving big-data motion among geographically distributed data centers, significant challenges must be overcome even on today's 100 gigabit networks to realize end-to-end performance. Multiple bottlenecks exist along the end-to-end path from source to sink, for instance, the data storage infrastructure at both the source and sink and its interplay with the wide-area network are increasingly the bottleneck to achieving high performance. In this study, we identify the issues that lead to congestion on the path of an end-to-end data transfer in the terabit network environment, and we present a new bulk data movement framework for terabit networks, called LADS. LADS exploits the underlying storage layout at each endpoint to maximize throughput without negatively impacting the performance of shared storage resources for other users. LADS also uses the Common Communication Interface (CCI) in lieu of the sockets interface to benefit from hardware-level zero-copy, and operating system bypass capabilities when available. It can further improve data transfer performance under congestion on the end systems using buffering at the source using flash storage. With our evaluations, we show that LADS can avoid congested storage elements within the shared storage resource, improving input/output bandwidth, and data transfer rates across the high speed networks. We also investigate the performance degradation problems of LADS due to I/O contention on the parallel file system (PFS), when multiple LADS tools share the PFS. We design and evaluate a meta-scheduler to coordinate multiple I/O streams while sharing the PFS, to minimize the I/O contention on the PFS. Finally, with our evaluations, we observe that LADS with meta-scheduling can further improve the performance by up to 14 percent relative to LADS without meta-scheduling.

  7. Development of a Dynamic, End-to-End Free Piston Stirling Convertor Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Regan, Timothy F.; Gerber, Scott S.; Roth, Mary Ellen

    2003-01-01

    A dynamic model for a free-piston Stirling convertor is being developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The model is an end-to-end system model that includes the cycle thermodynamics, the dynamics, and electrical aspects of the system. The subsystems of interest are the heat source, the springs, the moving masses, the linear alternator, the controller and the end-user load. The envisioned use of the model will be in evaluating how changes in a subsystem could affect the operation of the convertor. The model under development will speed the evaluation of improvements to a subsystem and aid in determining areas in which most significant improvements may be found. One of the first uses of the end-to-end model will be in the development of controller architectures. Another related area is in evaluating changes to details in the linear alternator.

  8. Experimental demonstration of software defined data center optical networks with Tbps end-to-end tunability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yongli; Zhang, Jie; Ji, Yuefeng; Li, Hui; Wang, Huitao; Ge, Chao

    2015-10-01

    The end-to-end tunability is important to provision elastic channel for the burst traffic of data center optical networks. Then, how to complete the end-to-end tunability based on elastic optical networks? Software defined networking (SDN) based end-to-end tunability solution is proposed for software defined data center optical networks, and the protocol extension and implementation procedure are designed accordingly. For the first time, the flexible grid all optical networks with Tbps end-to-end tunable transport and switch system have been online demonstrated for data center interconnection, which are controlled by OpenDayLight (ODL) based controller. The performance of the end-to-end tunable transport and switch system has been evaluated with wavelength number tuning, bit rate tuning, and transmit power tuning procedure.

  9. Development of an End-to-End Active Debris Removal (ADR) Mission Strategic Plan

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The original proposal was to develop an ADR mission strategic plan. However, the task was picked up by the OCT. Subsequently the award was de-scoped to $30K to...

  10. Simulation studies on Tube End Expansion of AA2014 Alloy Tubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venugopal, L.; Prasad, N. E. C.; Geeta Krishna, P.; Praveen, L.

    2018-03-01

    End forming is defined as forming the end of tubular forms either by inverting the tube or by expanding it. It finds application in many fields such as in automotive and aerospace sectors as power transmission elements, fuel lines, exhaust pipes etc. The main aim of the present work is to expand the AA2014 alloy tubes with different die sets without any fracture. Deform 2D software was used for performing simulations on expanding the tubes with different die set (punch) values having differed forming angles (α = 15°, 30° and 45°) and expansion ratios (rp/r0 = 1.39, 1.53 and 1.67). Experiments were also conducted and the results correlate with the simulation results. The results shows that for the punch having less cone angle (α) values the linear displacement is more rather than higher cone angles. But in the case of higher cone angles the radial displacement is more than the linear displacement.

  11. End-to-end network models encompassing terrestrial, wireless, and satellite components

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyarko, Chandler L.; Britton, John S.; Flores, Phil E.; Lambert, Charles B.; Pendzick, John M.; Ryan, Christopher M.; Shankman, Gordon L.; Williams, Ramon P.

    2004-08-01

    Development of network models that reflect true end-to-end architectures such as the Transformational Communications Architecture need to encompass terrestrial, wireless and satellite component to truly represent all of the complexities in a world wide communications network. Use of best-in-class tools including OPNET, Satellite Tool Kit (STK), Popkin System Architect and their well known XML-friendly definitions, such as OPNET Modeler's Data Type Description (DTD), or socket-based data transfer modules, such as STK/Connect, enable the sharing of data between applications for more rapid development of end-to-end system architectures and a more complete system design. By sharing the results of and integrating best-in-class tools we are able to (1) promote sharing of data, (2) enhance the fidelity of our results and (3) allow network and application performance to be viewed in the context of the entire enterprise and its processes.

  12. Apparatus and method for applying an end plug to a fuel rod tube end

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rieben, S.L.; Wylie, M.E.

    1987-01-01

    An apparatus is described for applying an end plug to a hollow end of a nuclear fuel rod tube, comprising: support means mounted for reciprocal movement between remote and adjacent positions relative to a nuclear fuel rod tube end to which an end plug is to be applied; guide means supported on the support means for movement; and drive means coupled to the support means and being actuatable for movement between retracted and extended positions for reciprocally moving the support means between its respective remote and adjacent positions. A method for applying an end plug to a hollow end of a nuclear fuel rod tube is also described

  13. Building dialogue POMDPs from expert dialogues an end-to-end approach

    CERN Document Server

    Chinaei, Hamidreza

    2016-01-01

    This book discusses the Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) framework applied in dialogue systems. It presents POMDP as a formal framework to represent uncertainty explicitly while supporting automated policy solving. The authors propose and implement an end-to-end learning approach for dialogue POMDP model components. Starting from scratch, they present the state, the transition model, the observation model and then finally the reward model from unannotated and noisy dialogues. These altogether form a significant set of contributions that can potentially inspire substantial further work. This concise manuscript is written in a simple language, full of illustrative examples, figures, and tables. Provides insights on building dialogue systems to be applied in real domain Illustrates learning dialogue POMDP model components from unannotated dialogues in a concise format Introduces an end-to-end approach that makes use of unannotated and noisy dialogue for learning each component of dialogue POM...

  14. End-to-end Configuration of Wireless Realtime Communication over Heterogeneous Protocols

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Malinowsky, B.; Grønbæk, Jesper; Schwefel, Hans-Peter

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes a wireless real-time communication system design using two Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) protocols. Messages are subject to prioritization and queuing. For this interoperation scenario, we show a method for end-to-end configuration of protocols and queue sizes. Such co...

  15. Evaluation end-of-life power generation of a satellite solar array

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taherbaneh, Mohsen; Ghafooifard, H.; Rezaie, A.H.; Rahimi, K.

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → We present detailed design description and necessary considerations for solar panels utilized in a specific space mission. → All sources of losses and degradation of the solar panels are fully taken into account. → We introduce a comprehensive novel approach to investigate the electrical behavior of the solar panels. → We use a simple model to calculate the operating temperature range of the solar panels. → We also calculate Mission End-of-Life electrone fluence using SPENVIS. -- Abstract: Knowing the power generated by of solar arrays in a space missions shall satisfy mission requirements; prediction of the power generated by a solar array used in a space mission is very important and necessary. In this research, a detailed design description and necessary considerations for solar panels utilized in a specific space mission is presented. All sources of losses and degradation of solar panels are fully taken into account. This research emphasizes on investigation, analysis and verification of a manufactured solar assembly for a satellite before launch. Solar panels' generated power should be estimated at the end of the mission. For this purpose, radiation values and temperature operating range are specified for the mission. Panels' temperature operating rate is determined through considering a simple model and different spins for the satellite. Mission end-of-life 1 MeV equivalent dose is calculated by SPENVIS suite software. Finally, a comprehensive novel approach is introduced to investigate the electrical behavior of the solar panels. This approach can be implemented in MATLAB environment to obtain output power characteristics of the solar panels for each specific mission. The results are in full accordance with the mission requirements either in beginning-of-life or end-of-life. Therefore, the power prediction of the designed solar array for the mentioned satellite completely satisfies its mission requirements.

  16. End-to-End Delay Model for Train Messaging over Public Land Mobile Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Franco Mazzenga

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Modern train control systems rely on a dedicated radio network for train to ground communications. A number of possible alternatives have been analysed to adopt the European Rail Traffic Management System/European Train Control System (ERTMS/ETCS control system on local/regional lines to improve transport capacity. Among them, a communication system based on public networks (cellular&satellite provides an interesting, effective and alternative solution to proprietary and expensive radio networks. To analyse performance of this solution, it is necessary to model the end-to-end delay and message loss to fully characterize the message transfer process from train to ground and vice versa. Starting from the results of a railway test campaign over a 300 km railway line for a cumulative 12,000 traveled km in 21 days, in this paper, we derive a statistical model for the end-to-end delay required for delivering messages. In particular, we propose a two states model allowing for reproducing the main behavioral characteristics of the end-to-end delay as observed experimentally. Model formulation has been derived after deep analysis of the recorded experimental data. When it is applied to model a realistic scenario, it allows for explicitly accounting for radio coverage characteristics, the received power level, the handover points along the line and for the serving radio technology. As an example, the proposed model is used to generate the end-to-end delay profile in a realistic scenario.

  17. Model outputs - Developing end-to-end models of the Gulf of California

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The purpose of this project is to develop spatially discrete end-to-end models of the northern Gulf of California, linking oceanography, biogeochemistry, food web...

  18. Coupling of a single quantum emitter to end-to-end aligned silver nanowires

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kumar, Shailesh; Huck, Alexander; Chen, Yuntian

    2013-01-01

    We report on the observation of coupling a single nitrogen vacancy (NV) center in a nanodiamond crystal to a propagating plasmonic mode of silver nanowires. The nanocrystal is placed either near the apex of a single silver nanowire or in the gap between two end-to-end aligned silver nanowires. We...

  19. End-to-End Flow Control for Visual-Haptic Communication under Bandwidth Change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yashiro, Daisuke; Tian, Dapeng; Yakoh, Takahiro

    This paper proposes an end-to-end flow controller for visual-haptic communication. A visual-haptic communication system transmits non-real-time packets, which contain large-size visual data, and real-time packets, which contain small-size haptic data. When the transmission rate of visual data exceeds the communication bandwidth, the visual-haptic communication system becomes unstable owing to buffer overflow. To solve this problem, an end-to-end flow controller is proposed. This controller determines the optimal transmission rate of visual data on the basis of the traffic conditions, which are estimated by the packets for haptic communication. Experimental results confirm that in the proposed method, a short packet-sending interval and a short delay are achieved under bandwidth change, and thus, high-precision visual-haptic communication is realized.

  20. AN ANALYSIS OF THE APPLICATION END TO END QUALITY OF SERVICE ON 3G TELECOMMUNICATION NETWORK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cahya Lukito

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available End to End Quality of Service is a way to provide data package service in a telecommunication network that based on Right Price, Right Service Level, and Right Quality. The goal of this research is to analyze the impact of End to End QoS use on 3G telecommunication network for voice service and data. This research uses an analysis method by doing the application on the lab. The result that is achieved in this research shows that End to End QoS is very influental to the Service Level Agreement to the users of the telecommunication service.Keywords: End to End Qos, SLA, Diffserv

  1. Reversible end-to-end assembly of gold nanorods using a disulfide-modified polypeptide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walker, David A; Gupta, Vinay K

    2008-01-01

    Directing the self-assembly of colloidal particles into nanostructures is of great interest in nanotechnology. Here, reversible end-to-end assembly of gold nanorods (GNR) is induced by pH-dependent changes in the secondary conformation of a disulfide-modified poly(L-glutamic acid) (SSPLGA). The disulfide anchoring group drives chemisorption of the polyacid onto the end of the gold nanorods in an ethanolic solution. A layer of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) is adsorbed on the positively charged, surfactant-stabilized GNR to screen the surfactant bilayer charge and provide stability for dispersion of the GNR in ethanol. For comparison, irreversible end-to-end assembly using a bidentate ligand, namely 1,6-hexanedithiol, is also performed. Characterization of the modified GNR and its end-to-end linking behavior using SSPLGA and hexanedithiol is performed using dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Experimental results show that, in a colloidal solution of GNR-SSPLGA at a pH∼3.5, where the PLGA is in an α-helical conformation, the modified GNR self-assemble into one-dimensional nanostructures. The linking behavior can be reversed by increasing the pH (>8.5) to drive the conformation of the polypeptide to a random coil and this reversal with pH occurs rapidly within minutes. Cycling the pH multiple times between low and high pH values can be used to drive the formation of the nanostructures of the GNR and disperse them in solution.

  2. End to end adaptive congestion control in TCP/IP networks

    CERN Document Server

    Houmkozlis, Christos N

    2012-01-01

    This book provides an adaptive control theory perspective on designing congestion controls for packet-switching networks. Relevant to a wide range of disciplines and industries, including the music industry, computers, image trading, and virtual groups, the text extensively discusses source oriented, or end to end, congestion control algorithms. The book empowers readers with clear understanding of the characteristics of packet-switching networks and their effects on system stability and performance. It provides schemes capable of controlling congestion and fairness and presents real-world app

  3. Testing Application (End-to-End Performance of Networks With EFT Traffic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vlatko Lipovac

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper studies how end-to-end application peiformance(of Electronic Financial Transaction traffic, in particulardepends on the actual protocol stacks, operating systemsand network transmission rates. With this respect, the respectivesimulation tests of peiformance of TCP and UDP protocolsrunning on various operating systems, ranging from Windows,Sun Solmis, to Linux have been implemented, and thedifferences in peiformance addressed focusing on throughputand response time.

  4. End-to-end learning for digital hologram reconstruction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Zhimin; Zuo, Si; Lam, Edmund Y.

    2018-02-01

    Digital holography is a well-known method to perform three-dimensional imaging by recording the light wavefront information originating from the object. Not only the intensity, but also the phase distribution of the wavefront can then be computed from the recorded hologram in the numerical reconstruction process. However, the reconstructions via the traditional methods suffer from various artifacts caused by twin-image, zero-order term, and noise from image sensors. Here we demonstrate that an end-to-end deep neural network (DNN) can learn to perform both intensity and phase recovery directly from an intensity-only hologram. We experimentally show that the artifacts can be effectively suppressed. Meanwhile, our network doesn't need any preprocessing for initialization, and is comparably fast to train and test, in comparison with the recently published learning-based method. In addition, we validate that the performance improvement can be achieved by introducing a prior on sparsity.

  5. Analysis of the relationship between end-to-end distance and activity of single-chain antibody against colorectal carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jianhua; Liu, Shanhong; Shang, Zhigang; Shi, Li; Yun, Jun

    2012-08-22

    We investigated the relationship of End-to-end distance between VH and VL with different peptide linkers and the activity of single-chain antibodies by computer-aided simulation. First, we developed (G4S)n (where n = 1-9) as the linker to connect VH and VL, and estimated the 3D structure of single-chain Fv antibody (scFv) by homologous modeling. After molecular models were evaluated and optimized, the coordinate system of every protein was built and unified into one coordinate system, and End-to-end distances calculated using 3D space coordinates. After expression and purification of scFv-n with (G4S)n as n = 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9, the immunoreactivity of purified ND-1 scFv-n was determined by ELISA. A multi-factorial relationship model was employed to analyze the structural factors affecting scFv: rn=ABn-ABO2+CDn-CDO2+BCn-BCst2. The relationship between immunoreactivity and r-values revealed that fusion protein structure approached the desired state when the r-value = 3. The immunoreactivity declined as the r-value increased, but when the r-value exceeded a certain threshold, it stabilized. We used a linear relationship to analyze structural factors affecting scFv immunoreactivity.

  6. Unmanned Aircraft Systems Detect and Avoid System: End-to-End Verification and Validation Simulation Study of Minimum Operations Performance Standards for Integrating Unmanned Aircraft into the National Airspace System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghatas, Rania W.; Jack, Devin P.; Tsakpinis, Dimitrios; Sturdy, James L.; Vincent, Michael J.; Hoffler, Keith D.; Myer, Robert R.; DeHaven, Anna M.

    2017-01-01

    As Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) make their way to mainstream aviation operations within the National Airspace System (NAS), research efforts are underway to develop a safe and effective environment for their integration into the NAS. Detect and Avoid (DAA) systems are required to account for the lack of "eyes in the sky" due to having no human on-board the aircraft. The technique, results, and lessons learned from a detailed End-to-End Verification and Validation (E2-V2) simulation study of a DAA system representative of RTCA SC-228's proposed Phase I DAA Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS), based on specific test vectors and encounter cases, will be presented in this paper.

  7. QoS Modeling for End-to-End Performance Evaluation over Networks with Wireless Access

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gómez Gerardo

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS model for assessing the performance of data services over networks with wireless access. The proposed model deals with performance degradation across protocol layers using a bottom-up strategy, starting with the physical layer and moving on up to the application layer. This approach makes it possible to analytically assess performance at different layers, thereby facilitating a possible end-to-end optimization process. As a representative case, a scenario where a set of mobile terminals connected to a streaming server through an IP access node has been studied. UDP, TCP, and the new TCP-Friendly Rate Control (TFRC protocols were analyzed at the transport layer. The radio interface consisted of a variable-rate multiuser and multichannel subsystem, including retransmissions and adaptive modulation and coding. The proposed analytical QoS model was validated on a real-time emulator of an end-to-end network with wireless access and proved to be very useful for the purposes of service performance estimation and optimization.

  8. Circular myotomy as an aid to resection and end-to-end anastomosis of the esophagus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Attum, A A; Hankins, J R; Ngangana, J; McLaughlin, J S

    1979-08-01

    Segments ranging from 40 to 70% of the thoracic esophagus were resected in 80 mongrel dogs. End-to-end anastomosis was effected after circular myotomy either proximal or distal, or both proximal and distal, to the anastomosis. Among dogs undergoing resection of 60% of the esophagus, distal myotomy enabled 6 of 8 animals to survive, and combined proximal and distal myotomy permitted 8 of 10 to survive. Cineesophagography was performed in a majority of the 50 surviving animals and showed no appreciable delay of peristalsis at the myotomy sites. When these sites were examined at postmortem examination up to 13 months after operation, 1 dog showed a small diverticulum but none showed dilatation or stricture. It is concluded that circular myotomy holds real promise as a means of extending the clinical application of esophageal resection with end-to-end anastomosis.

  9. Increasing operations profitability using an end-to-end, wireless internet, gas monitoring system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McDougall, M. [Northrock Resources Ltd., AB (Canada); Benterud, K. [zed.i solutions, inc., Calgary, AB (Canada)

    2004-10-01

    Implementation by Northrock Resources Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Unocal Corporation, of a fully integrated end-to-end gas measurement and production analysis system, is discussed. The system, dubbed Smart-Alek(TM), utilizes public wireless communications and a web browser only delivery system to provide seamless well visibility to a desk-top computer. Smart-Alek(TM) is an example of a new type of end-to-end electronic gas flow measurement system, known as FINE(TM), which is an acronym for Field Intelligence Network and End-User Interface. The system delivers easy-to-use, complete, reliable and cost effective production information, far more effective than is possible to obtain with conventional SCADA technology. By installing the system, Northrock was able to increase gas volumes with more accurate electronic flow measurement in place of mechanical charts, with very low technical maintenance, and at a reduced operating cost. It is emphasized that deploying the technology alone will produce only partial benefits; to realize full benefits it is also essential to change grass roots operating practices, aiming at timely decision-making at the field level. 5 refs., 5 figs.

  10. A Vehicle Management End-to-End Testing and Analysis Platform for Validation of Mission and Fault Management Algorithms to Reduce Risk for NASAs Space Launch System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trevino, Luis; Johnson, Stephen B.; Patterson, Jonathan; Teare, David

    2015-01-01

    The engineering development of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) new Space Launch System (SLS) requires cross discipline teams with extensive knowledge of launch vehicle subsystems, information theory, and autonomous algorithms dealing with all operations from pre-launch through on orbit operations. The nominal and off-nominal characteristics of SLS's elements and subsystems must be understood and matched with the autonomous algorithm monitoring and mitigation capabilities for accurate control and response to abnormal conditions throughout all vehicle mission flight phases, including precipitating safing actions and crew aborts. This presents a large and complex systems engineering challenge, which is being addressed in part by focusing on the specific subsystems involved in the handling of off-nominal mission and fault tolerance with response management. Using traditional model-based system and software engineering design principles from the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and Systems Modeling Language (SysML), the Mission and Fault Management (M&FM) algorithms for the vehicle are crafted and vetted in Integrated Development Teams (IDTs) composed of multiple development disciplines such as Systems Engineering (SE), Flight Software (FSW), Safety and Mission Assurance (S&MA) and the major subsystems and vehicle elements such as Main Propulsion Systems (MPS), boosters, avionics, Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC), Thrust Vector Control (TVC), and liquid engines. These model-based algorithms and their development lifecycle from inception through FSW certification are an important focus of SLS's development effort to further ensure reliable detection and response to off-nominal vehicle states during all phases of vehicle operation from pre-launch through end of flight. To test and validate these M&FM algorithms a dedicated test-bed was developed for full Vehicle Management End-to-End Testing (VMET). For addressing fault management (FM

  11. Kinetics of end-to-end collision in short single-stranded nucleic acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaojuan; Nau, Werner M

    2004-01-28

    A novel fluorescence-based method, which entails contact quenching of the long-lived fluorescent state of 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]-oct-2-ene (DBO), was employed to measure the kinetics of end-to-end collision in short single-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotides of the type 5'-DBO-(X)n-dG with X = dA, dC, dT, or dU and n = 2 or 4. The fluorophore was covalently attached to the 5' end and dG was introduced as an efficient intrinsic quencher at the 3' terminus. The end-to-end collision rates, which can be directly related to the efficiency of intramolecular fluorescence quenching, ranged from 0.1 to 9.0 x 10(6) s(-1). They were strongly dependent on the strand length, the base sequence, as well as the temperature. Oligonucleotides containing dA in the backbone displayed much slower collision rates and significantly higher positive activation energies than strands composed of pyrimidine bases, suggesting a higher intrinsic rigidity of oligoadenylate. Comparison of the measured collision rates in short single-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotides with the previously reported kinetics of hairpin formation indicates that the intramolecular collision is significantly faster than the nucleation step of hairpin closing. This is consistent with the configurational diffusion model suggested by Ansari et al. (Ansari, A.; Kuznetsov, S. V.; Shen, Y. Proc.Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2001, 98, 7771-7776), in which the formation of misfolded loops is thought to slow hairpin formation.

  12. A Vehicle Management End-to-End Testing and Analysis Platform for Validation of Mission and Fault Management Algorithms to Reduce Risk for NASA's Space Launch System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trevino, Luis; Johnson, Stephen B.; Patterson, Jonathan; Teare, David

    2015-01-01

    The development of the Space Launch System (SLS) launch vehicle requires cross discipline teams with extensive knowledge of launch vehicle subsystems, information theory, and autonomous algorithms dealing with all operations from pre-launch through on orbit operations. The characteristics of these systems must be matched with the autonomous algorithm monitoring and mitigation capabilities for accurate control and response to abnormal conditions throughout all vehicle mission flight phases, including precipitating safing actions and crew aborts. This presents a large complex systems engineering challenge being addressed in part by focusing on the specific subsystems handling of off-nominal mission and fault tolerance. Using traditional model based system and software engineering design principles from the Unified Modeling Language (UML), the Mission and Fault Management (M&FM) algorithms are crafted and vetted in specialized Integrated Development Teams composed of multiple development disciplines. NASA also has formed an M&FM team for addressing fault management early in the development lifecycle. This team has developed a dedicated Vehicle Management End-to-End Testbed (VMET) that integrates specific M&FM algorithms, specialized nominal and off-nominal test cases, and vendor-supplied physics-based launch vehicle subsystem models. The flexibility of VMET enables thorough testing of the M&FM algorithms by providing configurable suites of both nominal and off-nominal test cases to validate the algorithms utilizing actual subsystem models. The intent is to validate the algorithms and substantiate them with performance baselines for each of the vehicle subsystems in an independent platform exterior to flight software test processes. In any software development process there is inherent risk in the interpretation and implementation of concepts into software through requirements and test processes. Risk reduction is addressed by working with other organizations such as S

  13. End-to-end performance of cooperative relaying in spectrum-sharing systems with quality of service requirements

    KAUST Repository

    Asghari, Vahid Reza

    2011-07-01

    We propose adopting a cooperative relaying technique in spectrum-sharing cognitive radio (CR) systems to more effectively and efficiently utilize available transmission resources, such as power, rate, and bandwidth, while adhering to the quality of service (QoS) requirements of the licensed (primary) users of the shared spectrum band. In particular, we first consider that the cognitive (secondary) user\\'s communication is assisted by an intermediate relay that implements the decode-and-forward (DF) technique onto the secondary user\\'s relayed signal to help with communication between the corresponding source and the destination nodes. In this context, we obtain first-order statistics pertaining to the first- and second-hop transmission channels, and then, we investigate the end-to-end performance of the proposed spectrum-sharing cooperative relaying system under resource constraints defined to assure that the primary QoS is unaffected. Specifically, we investigate the overall average bit error rate (BER), ergodic capacity, and outage probability of the secondary\\'s communication subject to appropriate constraints on the interference power at the primary receivers. We then consider a general scenario where a cluster of relays is available between the secondary source and destination nodes. In this case, making use of the partial relay selection method, we generalize our results for the single-relay scheme and obtain the end-to-end performance of the cooperative spectrum-sharing system with a cluster of L available relays. Finally, we examine our theoretical results through simulations and comparisons, illustrating the overall performance of the proposed spectrum-sharing cooperative system and quantify its advantages for different operating scenarios and conditions. © 2011 IEEE.

  14. The End-To-End Safety Verification Process Implemented to Ensure Safe Operations of the Columbus Research Module

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arndt, J.; Kreimer, J.

    2010-09-01

    The European Space Laboratory COLUMBUS was launched in February 2008 with NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis. Since successful docking and activation this manned laboratory forms part of the International Space Station(ISS). Depending on the objectives of the Mission Increments the on-orbit configuration of the COLUMBUS Module varies with each increment. This paper describes the end-to-end verification which has been implemented to ensure safe operations under the condition of a changing on-orbit configuration. That verification process has to cover not only the configuration changes as foreseen by the Mission Increment planning but also those configuration changes on short notice which become necessary due to near real-time requests initiated by crew or Flight Control, and changes - most challenging since unpredictable - due to on-orbit anomalies. Subject of the safety verification is on one hand the on orbit configuration itself including the hardware and software products, on the other hand the related Ground facilities needed for commanding of and communication to the on-orbit System. But also the operational products, e.g. the procedures prepared for crew and ground control in accordance to increment planning, are subject of the overall safety verification. In order to analyse the on-orbit configuration for potential hazards and to verify the implementation of the related Safety required hazard controls, a hierarchical approach is applied. The key element of the analytical safety integration of the whole COLUMBUS Payload Complement including hardware owned by International Partners is the Integrated Experiment Hazard Assessment(IEHA). The IEHA especially identifies those hazardous scenarios which could potentially arise through physical and operational interaction of experiments. A major challenge is the implementation of a Safety process which owns quite some rigidity in order to provide reliable verification of on-board Safety and which likewise provides enough

  15. Outcome of end-to-end urethroplasty in post-traumatic stricture of posterior urethra.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Akbar; Pansota, Mudassar Saeed; Rasool, Mumtaz; Tabassum, Shafqat Ali; Ahmad, Iftikhar; Saleem, Muhammad Shahzad

    2013-04-01

    To determine the outcome of delayed end-to-end anastomotic urethroplasty in blind post-traumatic stricture of posterior urethra at our setup. Case series. Department of Urology and Renal Transplantation, Quaid-e-Azam Medical College/Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, from January 2009 to June 2011. Adult patients with completely obliterated post-traumatic stricture of posterior urethra ≤ 2 cm were included in the study. Patients with post-prostatectomy (TUR-P, TVP) stricture, stricture more than 2 cm in size or patients of stricture with neurogenic bladder and patients with any perineal disease were excluded from the study. Retrograde urethrogram and voiding cysto-urethrogram was done in every patient to assess stricture length and location. Stricture excision and delayed end-to-end anastomosis of urethra with spatulation was performed in every patient. Minimum followup period was 6 months and maximum 18 months. There were 26 cases with road traffic accident (indirect) and 14 had history of fall/direct trauma to perineum or urethra. Majority of the patients (57.5%) were between 16 to 30 years of age. Twelve (30.0%) patients developed complications postoperatively. Early complications of wound infection occurred in 01 (2.5%) patient. Late complications were seen in 11 (27.5%) patients i.e. stricture recurrence in 7 (17.5%), erectile dysfunction in 2 (5.0%), urethrocutaneous fistula and urinary incontinence in one patient (2.5%) each. Success rate was 70.0% initially and 87.5% overall. Delayed end-to-end anastomotic urethroplasty is an effective procedure for traumatic posterior urethral strictures with success rate of about 87.5%.

  16. Review and Comparison of simulation software for additive manufacturing process: the practical case of dipole End-Spacers

    CERN Document Server

    AUTHOR|(CDS)2271732

    2017-01-01

    Project was made to compare and benchmark simulation software for additive manufacturing. Simulations for End-spacers and HOM crab cavity were made to compare simulation results with 3D scanned data for these parts.

  17. CRITICAL ISSUES IN HIGH END COMPUTING - FINAL REPORT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Corones, James [Krell Institute

    2013-09-23

    High-End computing (HEC) has been a driver for advances in science and engineering for the past four decades. Increasingly HEC has become a significant element in the national security, economic vitality, and competitiveness of the United States. Advances in HEC provide results that cut across traditional disciplinary and organizational boundaries. This program provides opportunities to share information about HEC systems and computational techniques across multiple disciplines and organizations through conferences and exhibitions of HEC advances held in Washington DC so that mission agency staff, scientists, and industry can come together with White House, Congressional and Legislative staff in an environment conducive to the sharing of technical information, accomplishments, goals, and plans. A common thread across this series of conferences is the understanding of computational science and applied mathematics techniques across a diverse set of application areas of interest to the Nation. The specific objectives of this program are: Program Objective 1. To provide opportunities to share information about advances in high-end computing systems and computational techniques between mission critical agencies, agency laboratories, academics, and industry. Program Objective 2. To gather pertinent data, address specific topics of wide interest to mission critical agencies. Program Objective 3. To promote a continuing discussion of critical issues in high-end computing. Program Objective 4.To provide a venue where a multidisciplinary scientific audience can discuss the difficulties applying computational science techniques to specific problems and can specify future research that, if successful, will eliminate these problems.

  18. End-to-end operations at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radziwill, Nicole M.

    2008-07-01

    In 2006 NRAO launched a formal organization, the Office of End to End Operations (OEO), to broaden access to its instruments (VLA/EVLA, VLBA, GBT and ALMA) in the most cost-effective ways possible. The VLA, VLBA and GBT are mature instruments, and the EVLA and ALMA are currently under construction, which presents unique challenges for integrating software across the Observatory. This article 1) provides a survey of the new developments over the past year, and those planned for the next year, 2) describes the business model used to deliver many of these services, and 3) discusses the management models being applied to ensure continuous innovation in operations, while preserving the flexibility and autonomy of telescope software development groups.

  19. Availability and End-to-end Reliability in Low Duty Cycle Multihop Wireless Sensor Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suhonen, Jukka; Hämäläinen, Timo D; Hännikäinen, Marko

    2009-01-01

    A wireless sensor network (WSN) is an ad-hoc technology that may even consist of thousands of nodes, which necessitates autonomic, self-organizing and multihop operations. A typical WSN node is battery powered, which makes the network lifetime the primary concern. The highest energy efficiency is achieved with low duty cycle operation, however, this alone is not enough. WSNs are deployed for different uses, each requiring acceptable Quality of Service (QoS). Due to the unique characteristics of WSNs, such as dynamic wireless multihop routing and resource constraints, the legacy QoS metrics are not feasible as such. We give a new definition to measure and implement QoS in low duty cycle WSNs, namely availability and reliability. Then, we analyze the effect of duty cycling for reaching the availability and reliability. The results are obtained by simulations with ZigBee and proprietary TUTWSN protocols. Based on the results, we also propose a data forwarding algorithm suitable for resource constrained WSNs that guarantees end-to-end reliability while adding a small overhead that is relative to the packet error rate (PER). The forwarding algorithm guarantees reliability up to 30% PER.

  20. Availability and End-to-end Reliability in Low Duty Cycle MultihopWireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Timo D. Hämäläinen

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available A wireless sensor network (WSN is an ad-hoc technology that may even consist of thousands of nodes, which necessitates autonomic, self-organizing and multihop operations. A typical WSN node is battery powered, which makes the network lifetime the primary concern. The highest energy efficiency is achieved with low duty cycle operation, however, this alone is not enough. WSNs are deployed for different uses, each requiring acceptable Quality of Service (QoS. Due to the unique characteristics of WSNs, such as dynamic wireless multihop routing and resource constraints, the legacy QoS metrics are not feasible as such. We give a new definition to measure and implement QoS in low duty cycle WSNs, namely availability and reliability. Then, we analyze the effect of duty cycling for reaching the availability and reliability. The results are obtained by simulations with ZigBee and proprietary TUTWSN protocols. Based on the results, we also propose a data forwarding algorithm suitable for resource constrained WSNs that guarantees end-to-end reliability while adding a small overhead that is relative to the packet error rate (PER. The forwarding algorithm guarantees reliability up to 30% PER.

  1. Outcome of end-to-end urethroplasty in post-traumatic stricture of posterior urethra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hussain, A.; Pansota, M. S.; Rasool, M.; Tabassum, S. A.; Ahmad, I.; Saleem, M. S.

    2013-01-01

    Objective: To determine the outcome of delayed end-to-end anastomotic urethroplasty in blind post-traumatic stricture of posterior urethra at our setup. Study Design: Case series. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Urology and Renal Transplantation, Quaid-e-Azam Medical College/ Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, from January 2009 to June 2011. Methodology: Adult patients with completely obliterated post-traumatic stricture of posterior urethra 2 cm/sup 2/ were included in the study. Patients with post-prostatectomy (TUR-P, TVP) stricture, stricture more than 2 cm in size or patients of stricture with neurogenic bladder and patients with any perineal disease were excluded from the study. Retrograde urethrogram and voiding cysto-urethrogram was done in every patient to assess stricture length and location. Stricture excision and delayed end-to-end anastomosis of urethra with spatulation was performed in every patient. Minimum followup period was 6 months and maximum 18 months. Results: There were 26 cases with road traffic accident (indirect) and 14 had history of fall/direct trauma to perineum or urethra. Majority of the patients (57.5%) were between 16 to 30 years of age. Twelve (30.0%) patients developed complications postoperatively. Early complications of wound infection occurred in 01 (2.5%) patient. Late complications were seen in 11 (27.5%) patients i.e. stricture recurrence in 7 (17.5%), erectile dysfunction in 2 (5.0%), urethrocutaneous fistula and urinary incontinence in one patient (2.5%) each. Success rate was 70.0% initially and 87.5% overall. Conclusion: Delayed end-to-end anastomotic urethroplasty is an effective procedure for traumatic posterior urethral strictures with success rate of about 87.5%. (author)

  2. Outcome of end-to-end urethroplasty in post-traumatic stricture of posterior urethra

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hussain, A.; Pansota, M. S.; Rasool, M.; Tabassum, S. A.; Ahmad, I.; Saleem, M. S. [Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur (Pakistan). Dept. of Urology

    2013-04-15

    Objective: To determine the outcome of delayed end-to-end anastomotic urethroplasty in blind post-traumatic stricture of posterior urethra at our setup. Study Design: Case series. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Urology and Renal Transplantation, Quaid-e-Azam Medical College/ Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, from January 2009 to June 2011. Methodology: Adult patients with completely obliterated post-traumatic stricture of posterior urethra 2 cm/sup 2/ were included in the study. Patients with post-prostatectomy (TUR-P, TVP) stricture, stricture more than 2 cm in size or patients of stricture with neurogenic bladder and patients with any perineal disease were excluded from the study. Retrograde urethrogram and voiding cysto-urethrogram was done in every patient to assess stricture length and location. Stricture excision and delayed end-to-end anastomosis of urethra with spatulation was performed in every patient. Minimum followup period was 6 months and maximum 18 months. Results: There were 26 cases with road traffic accident (indirect) and 14 had history of fall/direct trauma to perineum or urethra. Majority of the patients (57.5%) were between 16 to 30 years of age. Twelve (30.0%) patients developed complications postoperatively. Early complications of wound infection occurred in 01 (2.5%) patient. Late complications were seen in 11 (27.5%) patients i.e. stricture recurrence in 7 (17.5%), erectile dysfunction in 2 (5.0%), urethrocutaneous fistula and urinary incontinence in one patient (2.5%) each. Success rate was 70.0% initially and 87.5% overall. Conclusion: Delayed end-to-end anastomotic urethroplasty is an effective procedure for traumatic posterior urethral strictures with success rate of about 87.5%. (author)

  3. QoC-based Optimization of End-to-End M-Health Data Delivery Services

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Widya, I.A.; van Beijnum, Bernhard J.F.; Salden, Alfons

    2006-01-01

    This paper addresses how Quality of Context (QoC) can be used to optimize end-to-end mobile healthcare (m-health) data delivery services in the presence of alternative delivery paths, which is quite common in a pervasive computing and communication environment. We propose min-max-plus based

  4. Designing EEG Neurofeedback Procedures to Enhance Open-Ended versus Closed-Ended Creative Potentials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Wei-Lun; Shih, Yi-Ling

    2016-01-01

    Recent empirical evidence demonstrated that open-ended creativity (which refers to creativity measures that require various and numerous responses, such as divergent thinking) correlated with alpha brain wave activation, whereas closed-ended creativity (which refers to creativity measures that ask for one final correct answer, such as insight…

  5. Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) for the HyspIRI Spectrometer Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turmon, Michael J.; Block, Gary L.; Green, Robert O.; Hua, Hook; Jacob, Joseph C.; Sobel, Harold R.; Springer, Paul L.; Zhang, Qingyuan

    2010-01-01

    The OSSE software provides an integrated end-to-end environment to simulate an Earth observing system by iteratively running a distributed modeling workflow based on the HyspIRI Mission, including atmospheric radiative transfer, surface albedo effects, detection, and retrieval for agile exploration of the mission design space. The software enables an Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) and can be used for design trade space exploration of science return for proposed instruments by modeling the whole ground truth, sensing, and retrieval chain and to assess retrieval accuracy for a particular instrument and algorithm design. The OSSE in fra struc ture is extensible to future National Research Council (NRC) Decadal Survey concept missions where integrated modeling can improve the fidelity of coupled science and engineering analyses for systematic analysis and science return studies. This software has a distributed architecture that gives it a distinct advantage over other similar efforts. The workflow modeling components are typically legacy computer programs implemented in a variety of programming languages, including MATLAB, Excel, and FORTRAN. Integration of these diverse components is difficult and time-consuming. In order to hide this complexity, each modeling component is wrapped as a Web Service, and each component is able to pass analysis parameterizations, such as reflectance or radiance spectra, on to the next component downstream in the service workflow chain. In this way, the interface to each modeling component becomes uniform and the entire end-to-end workflow can be run using any existing or custom workflow processing engine. The architecture lets users extend workflows as new modeling components become available, chain together the components using any existing or custom workflow processing engine, and distribute them across any Internet-accessible Web Service endpoints. The workflow components can be hosted on any Internet-accessible machine

  6. Physical oceanography - Developing end-to-end models of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The purpose of this project is to develop spatially discrete end-to-end models of the California Current LME, linking oceanography, biogeochemistry, food web...

  7. Simulation-based end-of-life care training during surgical clerkship: assessment of skills and perceptions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parikh, Priti P; Brown, Ronald; White, Mary; Markert, Ronald J; Eustace, Rosemary; Tchorz, Kathryn

    2015-06-15

    Assessment of interpersonal and psychosocial competencies during end-of-life care training is essential. This study reports the relationship between simulation-based end-of-life care Objective Structured Clinical Examination ratings and communication skills, trust, and self-assessed empathy along with the perceptions of students regarding their training experiences. Medical students underwent simulation-based end-of-life care OSCE training that involved standardized patients who evaluated students' communication skills and physician trust with the Kalamazoo Essential Elements Communication Checklist and the Wake Forest Physician Trust Scale. Students also completed the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy. Pearson correlation was used to examine the relationship between OSCE performance grades and communication, trust, and empathy scores. Student comments were analyzed using the constant comparative method of analysis to identify dominant themes. The 389 students (mean age 26.6 ± 2.8 y; 54.5% female) had OSCE grades that were positively correlated with physician trust scores (r = 0.325, P training to be a valuable learning experience and appreciated its placement early in clinical training. We found that simulation-based OSCE training in palliative and end-of-life care can be effectively conducted during a surgery clerkship. Moreover, the standardized patient encounters combined with the formal assessment of communication skills, physician trust, and empathy provide feedback to students at an early phase of their professional life. The positive and appreciative comments of students regarding the opportunity to practice difficult patient conversations suggest that attention to these professional characteristics and skills is a valued element of clinical training and conceivably a step toward better patient outcomes and satisfaction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Hall magnetohydrodynamics simulations of end-shorting induced rotation in field-reversed configurations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Macnab, A. I. D.; Milroy, R. D.; Kim, C. C.; Sovinec, C. R.

    2007-01-01

    End-shorting of the open field lines that surround a field-reversed configuration (FRC) is believed to contribute to its observed rotation. In this study, nonlinear extended magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations were performed that detail the end-shorting process and the resulting spin-up of the FRC. The tangential component of the electric field E T is set to zero at the axial boundaries in an extended MHD model that includes the Hall and ∇P e terms. This shorting of the electric field leads to the generation of toroidal fields on the open field lines, which apply a torque leading to a rotation of the ions on the open field lines. The FRC then gains angular momentum through a viscous transfer from the open field line region. In addition, it is shown that spin-up is still induced when insulating boundaries are assumed

  9. Hybrid monitoring scheme for end-to-end performance enhancement of multicast-based real-time media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Ju-Won; Kim, JongWon

    2004-10-01

    As real-time media applications based on IP multicast networks spread widely, end-to-end QoS (quality of service) provisioning for these applications have become very important. To guarantee the end-to-end QoS of multi-party media applications, it is essential to monitor the time-varying status of both network metrics (i.e., delay, jitter and loss) and system metrics (i.e., CPU and memory utilization). In this paper, targeting the multicast-enabled AG (Access Grid) a next-generation group collaboration tool based on multi-party media services, the applicability of hybrid monitoring scheme that combines active and passive monitoring is investigated. The active monitoring measures network-layer metrics (i.e., network condition) with probe packets while the passive monitoring checks both application-layer metrics (i.e., user traffic condition by analyzing RTCP packets) and system metrics. By comparing these hybrid results, we attempt to pinpoint the causes of performance degradation and explore corresponding reactions to improve the end-to-end performance. The experimental results show that the proposed hybrid monitoring can provide useful information to coordinate the performance improvement of multi-party real-time media applications.

  10. Lower end fitting debris collector and end cap spacer grid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bryan, W.J.

    1990-01-01

    This patent describes a nuclear reactor having fuel assemblies including an upper end fitting and spaced nuclear fuel rod spacer grids for supporting and spacing a plurality of elongated nuclear fuel rods. Each includes a hollow active portion of nuclear fuel filled cladding intermediate the rod ends and tapering end cap of solid material with a circumferential groove on the rod end which first encounters reactor coolant flow, a lower end filtering debris collector and end cap spacer grid for capturing and retaining deleterious debris carried by reactor coolant before it enters the active region of a fuel assembly and creates fuel rod cladding damage

  11. Plugger guide for aligning an end plug and a fuel rod tube end

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klapper, K.K.; Boatwright, D.A.

    1987-01-01

    A pin driving tool is described for inserting or removing pins from teeth on a digging means, comprising: fuel rod tube toward an end plug for application of the end plug into the tube end, the apparatus comprising: (a) a guide housing having an elongated central longitudinal bore with one end for receiving the end plug and an opposite end for receiving the fuel rod tube end; (b) sets of rolling elements disposed in the housing at axially spaced positions along and about the bore thereof. The rolling elements in each set are positioned in fixed relation with respect to one another to receive the fuel rod tube end therebetween and align the tube end with the end plug as the tube end is moved through the bore and into engagement with the end plug; and (c) retaining means disposed adjacent to the open end of the housing bore for engaging the end plug so as to maintain it in a stationary seated position at the one end of the housing bore

  12. Open-ended education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nørgård, Rikke Toft; Paaskesen, Rikke Berggreen

    2016-01-01

    THE ARTICLE DESCRIBES OPEN-ENDED EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY LEARNING AS THE COMING TOGETHER OF OPEN-ENDED TECHNOLOGY, OPEN-ENDED PROJECTS, AND OPEN-ENDED INSTITUTIONS IN WAYS THAT FOSTER AND PROMOTE FUTURE EDUCATION FOR CITIZENSHIP IN SOCIETY. THROUGH THE CASE OF THE CODING PIRATES FUTURE ISLAND......, THE ARTICLE DEMONSTRATES HOW OPEN-ENDED EDUCATION CAN BE PRACTICED TO FOSTER AND PROMOTE TECHNOLOGICAL IMAGINATION, ENTERPRISING, AND PARTICIPATION. THIS PRACTICE IS THEN DEVELOPED INTO A THEORETICAL MODEL FOR THE CONCEPT OF OPEN-ENDED EDUCATION AS A WAY OF AND FRAMEWORK FOR PRACTICING FUTURE EDUCATION FOR 21......ST CENTURY LEARNING WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES. THE ARTICLE PRESENTS AN ANSWER TO THE CALL FOR 21ST CENTURY LEARNING AS THOROUGHLY COLLABORATIVE, COMMUNICATIVE, CREATIVE, AND CRITICALLY REFLECTIVE THROUGH THE CASE AND THE CONCEPT OF OPEN-ENDED EDUCATION. IT OUTLINES THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS CALL...

  13. FDTD analysis of open-ended dielectric sensors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anderson, J.; Okoniewski, M.; Stuchly, S.S. [Univ. of Victoria (Canada)

    1994-12-31

    The reflection coefficient of an open-ended coaxial line immersed in water and methanol is simulated using a modified FDTD code. Calculated values are compared with previously obtained moment method and experimental values. The effects of variations in the end of line geometry on the reflection coefficient are investigated.

  14. Financing the End-to-end Supply Chain: A Reference Guide to Supply Chain Finance

    OpenAIRE

    Templar, Simon; Hofmann, Erik; Findlay, Charles

    2016-01-01

    Financing the End to End Supply Chain provides readers with a real insight into the increasingly important area of supply chain finance. It demonstrates the importance of the strategic relationship between the physical supply of goods and services and the associated financial flows. The book provides a clear introduction, demonstrating the importance of the strategic relationship between supply chain and financial communities within an organization. It contains vital information on how supply...

  15. End-to-End Airplane Detection Using Transfer Learning in Remote Sensing Images

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhong Chen

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Airplane detection in remote sensing images remains a challenging problem due to the complexity of backgrounds. In recent years, with the development of deep learning, object detection has also obtained great breakthroughs. For object detection tasks in natural images, such as the PASCAL (Pattern Analysis, Statistical Modelling and Computational Learning VOC (Visual Object Classes Challenge, the major trend of current development is to use a large amount of labeled classification data to pre-train the deep neural network as a base network, and then use a small amount of annotated detection data to fine-tune the network for detection. In this paper, we use object detection technology based on deep learning for airplane detection in remote sensing images. In addition to using some characteristics of remote sensing images, some new data augmentation techniques have been proposed. We also use transfer learning and adopt a single deep convolutional neural network and limited training samples to implement end-to-end trainable airplane detection. Classification and positioning are no longer divided into multistage tasks; end-to-end detection attempts to combine them for optimization, which ensures an optimal solution for the final stage. In our experiment, we use remote sensing images of airports collected from Google Earth. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is highly accurate and meaningful for remote sensing object detection.

  16. Network analysis on skype end-to-end video quality

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Exarchakos, Georgios; Druda, Luca; Menkovski, Vlado; Liotta, Antonio

    2015-01-01

    Purpose – This paper aims to argue on the efficiency of Quality of Service (QoS)-based adaptive streamingwith regards to perceived quality Quality of Experience (QoE). Although QoS parameters are extensivelyused even by high-end adaptive streaming algorithms, achieved QoE fails to justify their use

  17. Argos: Residential end-use simulation model for load management strategy analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Capasso, A.; Lamedica, R.; Prudenzi, A.

    1992-01-01

    In recent years, load management (LM) strategies, aimed at the optimization of available energy resources, as well as, the reduction of investments for new power plants, have been applied worldwide in residential end-use assessments. However, the forecasting of LM strategy impacts on the residential sector is very complex because it is based on a preliminary evaluation of the customers' proclivity to adapt their load characteristics to utility aims. In order to reduce load analysis requirements, which are substantial due to the need for thorough statistical analyses, complex field tests and measurements, the availability of models taking into account customer behavioural aspects is of paramount importance. This paper illustrates a simulation model which allows the performance of numerical evaluations concerning the effectiveness of some LM strategies applied to a residential end-use area load profile as previously determined by the aggregation of the contributions of individual households. This model enabled the evaluation of the impact, on the load profile, of a time-of-day tariff such as that recently introduced in Italy

  18. Providing end-to-end QoS for multimedia applications in 3G wireless networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Katherine; Rangarajan, Samapth; Siddiqui, M. A.; Paul, Sanjoy

    2003-11-01

    As the usage of wireless packet data services increases, wireless carriers today are faced with the challenge of offering multimedia applications with QoS requirements within current 3G data networks. End-to-end QoS requires support at the application, network, link and medium access control (MAC) layers. We discuss existing CDMA2000 network architecture and show its shortcomings that prevent supporting multiple classes of traffic at the Radio Access Network (RAN). We then propose changes in RAN within the standards framework that enable support for multiple traffic classes. In addition, we discuss how Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) can be augmented with QoS signaling for supporting end-to-end QoS. We also review state of the art scheduling algorithms at the base station and provide possible extensions to these algorithms to support different classes of traffic as well as different classes of users.

  19. End-to-End Adversarial Retinal Image Synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, Pedro; Galdran, Adrian; Meyer, Maria Ines; Niemeijer, Meindert; Abramoff, Michael; Mendonca, Ana Maria; Campilho, Aurelio

    2018-03-01

    In medical image analysis applications, the availability of the large amounts of annotated data is becoming increasingly critical. However, annotated medical data is often scarce and costly to obtain. In this paper, we address the problem of synthesizing retinal color images by applying recent techniques based on adversarial learning. In this setting, a generative model is trained to maximize a loss function provided by a second model attempting to classify its output into real or synthetic. In particular, we propose to implement an adversarial autoencoder for the task of retinal vessel network synthesis. We use the generated vessel trees as an intermediate stage for the generation of color retinal images, which is accomplished with a generative adversarial network. Both models require the optimization of almost everywhere differentiable loss functions, which allows us to train them jointly. The resulting model offers an end-to-end retinal image synthesis system capable of generating as many retinal images as the user requires, with their corresponding vessel networks, by sampling from a simple probability distribution that we impose to the associated latent space. We show that the learned latent space contains a well-defined semantic structure, implying that we can perform calculations in the space of retinal images, e.g., smoothly interpolating new data points between two retinal images. Visual and quantitative results demonstrate that the synthesized images are substantially different from those in the training set, while being also anatomically consistent and displaying a reasonable visual quality.

  20. Flexible End2End Workflow Automation of Hit-Discovery Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holzmüller-Laue, Silke; Göde, Bernd; Thurow, Kerstin

    2014-08-01

    The article considers a new approach of more complex laboratory automation at the workflow layer. The authors purpose the automation of end2end workflows. The combination of all relevant subprocesses-whether automated or manually performed, independently, and in which organizational unit-results in end2end processes that include all result dependencies. The end2end approach focuses on not only the classical experiments in synthesis or screening, but also on auxiliary processes such as the production and storage of chemicals, cell culturing, and maintenance as well as preparatory activities and analyses of experiments. Furthermore, the connection of control flow and data flow in the same process model leads to reducing of effort of the data transfer between the involved systems, including the necessary data transformations. This end2end laboratory automation can be realized effectively with the modern methods of business process management (BPM). This approach is based on a new standardization of the process-modeling notation Business Process Model and Notation 2.0. In drug discovery, several scientific disciplines act together with manifold modern methods, technologies, and a wide range of automated instruments for the discovery and design of target-based drugs. The article discusses the novel BPM-based automation concept with an implemented example of a high-throughput screening of previously synthesized compound libraries. © 2014 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening.

  1. Mechanics of spatulated end-to-end artery-to-vein anastomoses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morasch, M D; Dobrin, P B; Dong, Q S; Mrkvicka, R

    1998-01-01

    It previously has been shown that in straight end-to-end artery-to-vein anastomoses, maximum dimensions are obtained with an interrupted suture line. Nearly equivalent dimensions are obtained with a continuous compliant polybutester suture (Novafil), and the smallest dimensions are obtained with a continuous noncompliant polypropylene suture (Surgilene). The present study was undertaken to examine these suture techniques in a spatulated or beveled anastomosis in living dogs. Anastomoses were constructed using continuous 6-0 polypropylene (Surgilene), continuous 6-0 polybutester (Novafil), or interrupted 6-0 polypropylene or polybutester. Thirty minutes after construction, the artery, vein, and beveled anastomoses were excised, restored to in situ length and pressurized with the lumen filled with a dilute suspension of barium sulfate. High resolution radiographs were obtained at 25 mmHg pressure increments up to 200 mmHg. Dimensions and compliance were determined from the radiographic images. Results showed that, unlike straight artery-to-vein anastomoses, there were no differences in the dimensions or compliance of spatulated anastomoses with continuous Surgilene, continuous Novafil, or interrupted suture techniques. Therefore a continuous suture technique is acceptable when constructing spatulated artery-to-vein anastomoses in patients.

  2. End-to-end self-assembly of gold nanorods in isopropanol solution: experimental and theoretical studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gordel, M., E-mail: marta.gordel@pwr.edu.pl [Wrocław University of Technology, Advanced Materials Engineering and Modelling Group, Faculty of Chemistry (Poland); Piela, K., E-mail: katarzyna.piela@pwr.edu.pl [Wrocław University of Technology, Department of Physical and Quantum Chemistry (Poland); Kołkowski, R. [Wrocław University of Technology, Advanced Materials Engineering and Modelling Group, Faculty of Chemistry (Poland); Koźlecki, T. [Wrocław University of Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry (Poland); Buckle, M. [CNRS, École Normale Supérieure de Cachan, Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée (France); Samoć, M. [Wrocław University of Technology, Advanced Materials Engineering and Modelling Group, Faculty of Chemistry (Poland)

    2015-12-15

    We describe here a modification of properties of colloidal gold nanorods (NRs) resulting from the chemical treatment used to carry out their transfer into isopropanol (IPA) solution. The NRs acquire a tendency to attach one to another by their ends (end-to-end assembly). We focus on the investigation of the change in position and shape of the longitudinal surface plasmon (l-SPR) band after self-assembly. The experimental results are supported by a theoretical calculation, which rationalizes the dramatic change in optical properties when the NRs are positioned end-to-end at short distances. The detailed spectroscopic characterization performed at the consecutive stages of transfer of the NRs from water into IPA solution revealed the features of the interaction between the polymers used as ligands and their contribution to the final stage, when the NRs were dispersed in IPA solution. The efficient method of aligning the NRs detailed here may facilitate applications of the self-assembled NRs as building blocks for optical materials and biological sensing.Graphical Abstract.

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhu, Michelle M. [Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale, IL (United States); Wu, Chase Q. [Univ. of Memphis, TN (United States)

    2013-11-07

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

  4. An end to end secure CBIR over encrypted medical database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellafqira, Reda; Coatrieux, Gouenou; Bouslimi, Dalel; Quellec, Gwenole

    2016-08-01

    In this paper, we propose a new secure content based image retrieval (SCBIR) system adapted to the cloud framework. This solution allows a physician to retrieve images of similar content within an outsourced and encrypted image database, without decrypting them. Contrarily to actual CBIR approaches in the encrypted domain, the originality of the proposed scheme stands on the fact that the features extracted from the encrypted images are themselves encrypted. This is achieved by means of homomorphic encryption and two non-colluding servers, we however both consider as honest but curious. In that way an end to end secure CBIR process is ensured. Experimental results carried out on a diabetic retinopathy database encrypted with the Paillier cryptosystem indicate that our SCBIR achieves retrieval performance as good as if images were processed in their non-encrypted form.

  5. An end-to-end secure patient information access card system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alkhateeb, A; Singer, H; Yakami, M; Takahashi, T

    2000-03-01

    The rapid development of the Internet and the increasing interest in Internet-based solutions has promoted the idea of creating Internet-based health information applications. This will force a change in the role of IC cards in healthcare card systems from a data carrier to an access key medium. At the Medical Informatics Department of Kyoto University Hospital we are developing a smart card patient information project where patient databases are accessed via the Internet. Strong end-to-end data encryption is performed via Secure Socket Layers, transparent to transmit patient information. The smart card is playing the crucial role of access key to the database: user authentication is performed internally without ever revealing the actual key. For easy acceptance by healthcare professionals, the user interface is integrated as a plug-in for two familiar Web browsers, Netscape Navigator and MS Internet Explorer.

  6. Atlantis model outputs - Developing end-to-end models of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The purpose of this project is to develop spatially discrete end-to-end models of the California Current LME, linking oceanography, biogeochemistry, food web...

  7. Start-To-End Simulations of the Energy Recovery Linac Prototype FEL

    CERN Document Server

    Gerth, Christopher; Muratori, Bruno; Owen, Hywel; Thompson, Neil R

    2004-01-01

    Daresbury Laboratory is currently building an Energy Recovery Linac Prototype (ERLP) that serves as a testbed for the study of beam dynamics and accelerator technology important for the design and construction of the proposed 4th Generation Light Source (4GLS) project. Two major objectives for the ERLP are the operation of an oscillator infra-red FEL and demonstration of energy recovery from an electron bunch with an energy spread induced by the FEL. In this paper we present start-to-end simulations including the FEL of the ERLP. The beam dynamics in the high-brightness injector, which consists of a DC photocathode gun and a super-conducting booster, have been modelled using the particle tracking code ASTRA. After the main linac, in which the particles are accelerated to 35 MeV, particles have been tracked with the code ELEGANT. The 3D code GENESIS was used to model the FEL interaction with the electron beam. Different modes of operation and their impact on the design of the ERLP are discussed.

  8. WiMAX security and quality of service an end-to-end perspective

    CERN Document Server

    Tang, Seok-Yee; Sharif, Hamid

    2010-01-01

    WiMAX is the first standard technology to deliver true broadband mobility at speeds that enable powerful multimedia applications such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), online gaming, mobile TV, and personalized infotainment. WiMAX Security and Quality of Service, focuses on the interdisciplinary subject of advanced Security and Quality of Service (QoS) in WiMAX wireless telecommunication systems including its models, standards, implementations, and applications. Split into 4 parts, Part A of the book is an end-to-end overview of the WiMAX architecture, protocol, and system requirements.

  9. On end-to-end performance of MIMO multiuser in cognitive radio networks

    KAUST Repository

    Yang, Yuli

    2011-12-01

    In this paper, a design for the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) multiuser transmission in the cognitive radio network is developed and its end-to-end performance is investigated under spectrum-sharing constraints. Firstly, the overall average packet error rate is analyzed by considering the channel state information feedback delay and the multiuser scheduling. Then, we provide corresponding numerical results to measure the performance evaluation for several separate scenarios, which presents a convenient tool for the cognitive radio network design with multiple secondary MIMO users. © 2011 IEEE.

  10. On end-to-end performance of MIMO multiuser in cognitive radio networks

    KAUST Repository

    Yang, Yuli; Aissa, Sonia

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, a design for the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) multiuser transmission in the cognitive radio network is developed and its end-to-end performance is investigated under spectrum-sharing constraints. Firstly, the overall average packet error rate is analyzed by considering the channel state information feedback delay and the multiuser scheduling. Then, we provide corresponding numerical results to measure the performance evaluation for several separate scenarios, which presents a convenient tool for the cognitive radio network design with multiple secondary MIMO users. © 2011 IEEE.

  11. Security Considerations around End-to-End Security in the IP-based Internet of Things

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brachmann, M.; Garcia-Mochon, O.; Keoh, S.L.; Kumar, S.S.

    2012-01-01

    The IP-based Internet of Things refers to the interconnection of smart objects in a Low-power and Lossy Network (LLN) with the Internetby means of protocols such as 6LoWPAN or CoAP. The provisioning of an end-to-end security connection is the key to ensure basic functionalities such as software

  12. Fuel rod end plug

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McGeary, R.K.; Bucher, G.D.

    1989-01-01

    This patent describes an end plug for welded disposition within the end of a tube. It comprises a circumferentially extending, axially oriented land surface, having a radial extent defined by means of a first predetermined dimension, for disposition within the end of the tube; a circumferentially extending, axially oriented land surface, having a radial extent defined by means of a second predetermined dimension which is greater than the first predetermined dimension, for disposition outside of the end of the tube. The second land surface being disposed upstream of the first land surface; an annularly extending, radially oriented shoulder portion, defined at the downstream end of the second land surface and having a radially inward depth which is greater than the difference defined between the first and second radial dimensions of the first and second land surfaces, for engaging the end of the tube in a butt contact fashion; and annular groove means defined between the upstream end of the first land surface and the shoulder portion of the end plug, for eliminating porosity defects normally developed within a weldment defined between the tube end and the end plug when the end plug is welded within the tube end, and including a conical surface which extends radially outwardly from the innermost radial depth extent of the shoulder portion to the upstream end of the first land surface

  13. Modeling, simulation, and optimization of a front-end system for acetylene hydrogenation reactors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Gobbo

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available The modeling, simulation, and dynamic optimization of an industrial reaction system for acetylene hydrogenation are discussed in the present work. The process consists of three adiabatic fixed-bed reactors, in series, with interstage cooling. These reactors are located after the compression and the caustic scrubbing sections of an ethylene plant, characterizing a front-end system; in contrast to the tail-end system where the reactors are placed after the de-ethanizer unit. The acetylene conversion and selectivity profiles for the reactors are optimized, taking into account catalyst deactivation and process constraints. A dynamic optimal temperature profile that maximizes ethylene production and meets product specifications is obtained by controlling the feed and intercoolers temperatures. An industrial acetylene hydrogenation system is used to provide the necessary data to adjust kinetics and transport parameters and to validate the approach.

  14. An end-to-end assessment of range uncertainty in proton therapy using animal tissues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Yuanshui; Kang, Yixiu; Zeidan, Omar; Schreuder, Niek

    2016-11-01

    Accurate assessment of range uncertainty is critical in proton therapy. However, there is a lack of data and consensus on how to evaluate the appropriate amount of uncertainty. The purpose of this study is to quantify the range uncertainty in various treatment conditions in proton therapy, using transmission measurements through various animal tissues. Animal tissues, including a pig head, beef steak, and lamb leg, were used in this study. For each tissue, an end-to-end test closely imitating patient treatments was performed. This included CT scan simulation, treatment planning, image-guided alignment, and beam delivery. Radio-chromic films were placed at various depths in the distal dose falloff region to measure depth dose. Comparisons between measured and calculated doses were used to evaluate range differences. The dose difference at the distal falloff between measurement and calculation depends on tissue type and treatment conditions. The estimated range difference was up to 5, 6 and 4 mm for the pig head, beef steak, and lamb leg irradiation, respectively. Our study shows that the TPS was able to calculate proton range within about 1.5% plus 1.5 mm. Accurate assessment of range uncertainty in treatment planning would allow better optimization of proton beam treatment, thus fully achieving proton beams’ superior dose advantage over conventional photon-based radiation therapy.

  15. Rectovaginal fistula following colectomy with an end-to-end anastomosis stapler for a colorectal adenocarcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klein, A; Scotti, S; Hidalgo, A; Viateau, V; Fayolle, P; Moissonnier, P

    2006-12-01

    An 11-year-old, female neutered Labrador retriever was presented with a micro-invasive differentiated papillar adenocarcinoma at the colorectal junction. A colorectal end-to-end anastomosis stapler device was used to perform resection and anastomosis using a transanal technique. A rectovaginal fistula was diagnosed two days later. An exploratory laparotomy was conducted and the fistula was identified and closed. Early dehiscence of the colon was also suspected and another colorectal anastomosis was performed using a manual technique. Comparison to a conventional manual technique of intestinal surgery showed that the use of an automatic staple device was quicker and easier. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a rectovaginal fistula occurring after end-to-end anastomosis stapler colorectal resection-anastomosis in the dog. To minimise the risk of this potential complication associated with the limited surgical visibility, adequate tissue retraction and inspection of the anastomosis site are essential.

  16. Load factors to end March 1989

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Howles, L.

    1989-01-01

    Load factors for nuclear reactors of 150MWe gross and above for the 12 month period up to the end of March 1989, and over their lifetimes, are tabulated. Units which have been in operation for more than one year as of end March 1989 are ranked in order of annual load factor; cumulative load factors are also shown, measured from first synchronization to the grid not from start of commercial operation. New reactors which had operated for less than 12 months as of end of March 1989 are listed separately. With the exception of the four Paks units in Hungary, Comecon reactors are excluded due to lack of data. (author)

  17. GROWTH OF THE HYPOPLASTIC AORTIC-ARCH AFTER SIMPLE COARCTATION RESECTION AND END-TO-END ANASTOMOSIS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    BROUWER, MHJ; CROMMEDIJKHUIS, AH; EBELS, T; EIJGELAAR, A

    Surgical treatment of a hypoplastic aortic arch associated with an aortic coarctation is controversial. The controversy concerns the claimed need to surgically enlarge the diameter of the hypoplastic arch, in addition to resection and end-to-end anastomosis. The purpose of this prospective study is

  18. Experimental research on end-to-side anastomosis of peripheral nerves and effect of FK506 on end-to-side anastomosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, L M; Wu, Y X; Zhang, X P; Li, X H

    2014-01-01

    To study the effects of end-to-side anastomosis of initially-denatured nerves at different times. 60 male Wistar albino rats were used to fabricate animal models for the experiment on end-to-side anastomosis of peripheral nerves and 50 female Wistar albino rats were used to fabricate animal models for the experiment on the effect of FK506 on end-to-side anastomosis. Bilateral common peroneal nerve, tibialis anterior muscle electrophysiological and histological examinations, tibialis anterior muscle wet muscle weight determination, and motor end plate examination were performed 3 months after operation. All recovery rates of action potential, single muscle contraction force and tetanic contraction force of the FK506 experimental group are significantly higher than those of the control group and the sectional area of muscle fiber is also higher than that of the control group of normal saline. The best time for end-to-side anastomosis of nerves should be controlled within 2 weeks and the effect of end-to-side anastomosis of nerves will gradually become unsatisfactory. FK506 plays a role in promoting functional rehabilitation following nerve end-to-side anastomosis (Tab. 7, Fig. 4, Ref. 31).

  19. Double 90 Degrees Counterrotated End-to-End-Anastomosis: An Experimental Study of an Intestinal Anastomosis Technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holzner, Philipp; Kulemann, Birte; Seifert, Gabriel; Glatz, Torben; Chikhladze, Sophia; Höppner, Jens; Hopt, Ulrich; Timme, Sylvia; Bronsert, Peter; Sick, Olivia; Zhou, Cheng; Marjanovic, Goran

    2015-06-01

    The aim of the article is to investigate a new anastomotic technique compared with standardized intestinal anastomotic procedures. A total of 32 male Wistar rats were randomized to three groups. In the Experimental Group (n = 10), the new double 90 degrees inversely rotated anastomosis was used, in the End Group (n = 10) a single-layer end-to-end anastomosis, and in the Side Group (n = 12) a single-layer side-to-side anastomosis. All anastomoses were done using interrupted sutures. On postoperative day 4, rats were relaparotomized. Bursting pressure, hydroxyproline concentration, a semiquantitative adhesion score and two histological anastomotic healing scores (mucosal healing according to Chiu and overall anastomotic healing according to Verhofstad) were collected. Most data are presented as median (range). p < 0.05 was considered significant. Anastomotic insufficiency occurred only in one rat of the Side Group. Median bursting pressure in the Experimental Group was 105 mm Hg (range = 72-161 mm Hg), significantly higher in the End Group (164 mm Hg; range = 99-210 mm Hg; p = 0.021) and lower in the Side Group by trend (81 mm Hg; range = 59-122 mm Hg; p = 0.093). Hydroxyproline concentration did not differ significantly in between the groups. The adhesion score was 2.5 (range = 1-3) in the Experimental Group, 2 (range = 1-2) in the End Group, but there were significantly more adhesions in the Side Group (range = 3-4); p = 0.020 versus Experimental Group, p < 0.001 versus End Group. The Chiu Score showed the worst mucosal healing in the Experimental Group. The overall Verhofstad Score was significantly worse (mean = 2.032; standard deviation [SD] = 0.842) p = 0.031 and p = 0.002 in the Experimental Group, compared with the Side Group (mean = 1.729; SD = 0.682) and the End Group (mean = 1.571; SD = 0.612). The new anastomotic technique is feasible and did not show any relevant complication. Even though it was superior to the side-to-side anastomosis by trend with

  20. Analytical solutions to SSC coil end design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bossert, R.C.; Brandt, J.S.; Carson, J.A.; Fulton, H.J.; Lee, G.C.; Cook, J.M.

    1989-03-01

    As part of the SCC magnet effort, Fermilab will build and test a series of one meter model SSC magnets. The coils in these magnets will be constructed with several different end configurations. These end designs must satisfy both mechanical and magnetic criteria. Only the mechanical problem will be addressed. Solutions will attempt to minimize stresses and provide internal support for the cable. Different end designs will be compared in an attempt to determine which is most appropriate for the SSC dipole. The mathematics required to create each end configuration will be described. The computer aided design, programming and machine technology needed to make the parts will be reviewed. 2 refs., 10 figs

  1. DNA Breaks and End Resection Measured Genome-wide by End Sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canela, Andres; Sridharan, Sriram; Sciascia, Nicholas; Tubbs, Anthony; Meltzer, Paul; Sleckman, Barry P; Nussenzweig, André

    2016-09-01

    DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) arise during physiological transcription, DNA replication, and antigen receptor diversification. Mistargeting or misprocessing of DSBs can result in pathological structural variation and mutation. Here we describe a sensitive method (END-seq) to monitor DNA end resection and DSBs genome-wide at base-pair resolution in vivo. We utilized END-seq to determine the frequency and spectrum of restriction-enzyme-, zinc-finger-nuclease-, and RAG-induced DSBs. Beyond sequence preference, chromatin features dictate the repertoire of these genome-modifying enzymes. END-seq can detect at least one DSB per cell among 10,000 cells not harboring DSBs, and we estimate that up to one out of 60 cells contains off-target RAG cleavage. In addition to site-specific cleavage, we detect DSBs distributed over extended regions during immunoglobulin class-switch recombination. Thus, END-seq provides a snapshot of DNA ends genome-wide, which can be utilized for understanding genome-editing specificities and the influence of chromatin on DSB pathway choice. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  2. Armazenamento refrigerado sob atmosfera modificada de pedúnculos de cajueiro-anão-precoce dos clones CCP-76, end-157, end-183 e end-189 Storage of cashew apples from dwarf clones CCP-76, end-157, end-183 and end-189 under refrigeration and modified atmosphere

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Auricélia de Souza Morais

    2002-12-01

    Full Text Available Pedúnculos de clones de cajueiro-anão-precoce, dos clones CCP-76, END-157, END-183 e END-189, foram armazenados durante 25 dias, sob refrigeração associada a atmosfera modificada, com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito das condições atualmente utilizadas (5ºC e 85-90% de UR para conservação, transporte e comercialização de cajus in natura. Os pedúnculos foram avaliados a cada 5 dias quanto às seguintes características: perda de peso, firmeza, cor (antocianinas, sólidos e açúcares solúveis, acidez, pH, vitamina C e compostos fenólicos. O uso da refrigeração (5ºC e 85% U.R, associada a atmosfera modificada, proporcionou uma vida útil pós-colheita de 10 dias para o clone END 189, de até 15 dias para o clone END 157 e de até 25 dias para os clones CCP 76 e END 183. A temperatura de 5ºC não se mostrou adequada para armazenamento de pedúnculos de coloração mais intensa (END 157 e END 189 que a testemunha (CCP 76, provocando perda de cor (antocianinas a partir do 10º dia de armazenamento. A atmosfera modificada reduziu significativamente a perda de peso, favorecendo a aparência do produto para comercialização, independentemente do clone estudado.Apples or false fruits from early dwarf cashew clones CCP-76, END-157, END-183 and END-189 were stored for 25 days under refrigeration associated to modified atmosphere with the aim of evaluating the effect of the conditions presently adopted (5ºC and 85-90% RH for conservation, storage and commercialization of fresh cashew apples. The cashew apples were evaluated every 5 days for the following characteristics: weight loss, pulp firmness, color (anthocyannins, acidity, pH, soluble solids, vitamin C and phenolic contents. With the use of refrigeration and modified atmosphere it was possible to attain postharvest storage life of 10 days for clone END 189, 15 days for clone END 157 and up to 25 days for clones CCP 76 and END 183. It was found that 5ºC was not an adequate

  3. The Values of College Students in Business Simulation Game: A Means-End Chain Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Yu-Ling; Tu, Yu-Zu

    2012-01-01

    Business simulation games (BSGs) enable students to practice making decisions in a virtual environment, accumulate experience in application of strategies, and train themselves in modes of decision-making. This study examines the value sought by players of BSG. In this study, a means-end chain (MEC) model was adopted as the basis, and ladder…

  4. Start-to-end simulation of x-ray radiation of a next generation light source using the real number of electrons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Qiang

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we report on start-to-end simulation of a next generation light source based on a high repetition rate free electron laser (FEL driven by a CW superconducting linac. The simulation integrated the entire system in a seamless start-to-end model, including birth of photoelectrons, transport of electron beam through 600 m of the accelerator beam delivery system, and generation of coherent x-ray radiation in a two-stage self-seeding undulator beam line. The entire simulation used the real number of electrons (∼2 billion electrons/bunch to capture the details of the physical shot noise without resorting to artificial filtering to suppress numerical noise. The simulation results shed light on several issues including the importance of space-charge effects near the laser heater and the reliability of x-ray radiation power predictions when using a smaller number of simulation particles. The results show that the microbunching instability in the linac can be controlled with 15 keV uncorrelated energy spread induced by a laser heater and demonstrate that high brightness and flux 1 nm x-ray radiation (∼10^{12}  photons/pulse with fully spatial and temporal coherence is achievable.

  5. The effectiveness of sharp end and rounded end bristle toothbrush

    OpenAIRE

    Paulus Januar; Anastasia Susetyo; Ratih Widyastuti

    2010-01-01

    Background: Numerous designs of manual toothbrush are available in the market with the claims of superiority in plaque removal. It often makes the public confuse which is the best design. The sharp end bristle toothbrush is a modification that commercially available in the market. Purpose: The objective of the study was to compare the effectiveness in plaque removal of the sharp end bristle toothbrush and the rounded end bristle toothbrush. Methods: This clinical trial was a double blind cros...

  6. Multi-institutional evaluation of end-to-end protocol for IMRT/VMAT treatment chains utilizing conventional linacs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loughery, Brian; Knill, Cory; Silverstein, Evan; Zakjevskii, Viatcheslav; Masi, Kathryn; Covington, Elizabeth; Snyder, Karen; Song, Kwang; Snyder, Michael

    2018-03-20

    We conducted a multi-institutional assessment of a recently developed end-to-end monthly quality assurance (QA) protocol for external beam radiation therapy treatment chains. This protocol validates the entire treatment chain against a baseline to detect the presence of complex errors not easily found in standard component-based QA methods. Participating physicists from 3 institutions ran the end-to-end protocol on treatment chains that include Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core (IROC)-credentialed linacs. Results were analyzed in the form of American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group (TG)-119 so that they may be referenced by future test participants. Optically stimulated luminescent dosimeter (OSLD), EBT3 radiochromic film, and A1SL ion chamber readings were accumulated across 10 test runs. Confidence limits were calculated to determine where 95% of measurements should fall. From calculated confidence limits, 95% of measurements should be within 5% error for OSLDs, 4% error for ionization chambers, and 4% error for (96% relative gamma pass rate) radiochromic film at 3% agreement/3 mm distance to agreement. Data were separated by institution, model of linac, and treatment protocol (intensity-modulated radiation therapy [IMRT] vs volumetric modulated arc therapy [VMAT]). A total of 97% of OSLDs, 98% of ion chambers, and 93% of films were within the confidence limits; measurements were found outside these limits by a maximum of 4%, consistent despite institutional differences in OSLD reading equipment and radiochromic film calibration techniques. Results from this test may be used by clinics for data comparison. Areas of improvement were identified in the end-to-end protocol that can be implemented in an updated version. The consistency of our data demonstrates the reproducibility and ease-of-use of such tests and suggests a potential role for their use in broad end-to-end QA initiatives. Copyright © 2018 American Association of Medical

  7. Poly(ethyl glyoxylate)-Poly(ethylene oxide) Nanoparticles: Stimuli-Responsive Drug Release via End-to-End Polyglyoxylate Depolymerization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Bo; Gillies, Elizabeth R

    2017-08-07

    The ability to disrupt polymer assemblies in response to specific stimuli provides the potential to release drugs selectively at certain sites or conditions in vivo. However, most stimuli-responsive delivery systems require many stimuli-initiated events to release drugs. "Self-immolative polymers" offer the potential to provide amplified responses to stimuli as they undergo complete end-to-end depolymerization following the cleavage of a single end-cap. Herein, linker end-caps were developed to conjugate self-immolative poly(ethyl glyoxylate) (PEtG) with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) to form amphiphilic block copolymers. These copolymers were self-assembled to form nanoparticles in aqueous solution. Cleavage of the linker end-caps were triggered by a thiol reducing agent, UV light, H 2 O 2 , and combinations of these stimuli, resulting in nanoparticle disintegration. Low stimuli concentrations were effective in rapidly disrupting the nanoparticles. Nile red, doxorubin, and curcumin were encapsulated into the nanoparticles and were selectively released upon application of the appropriate stimulus. The ability to tune the stimuli-responsiveness simply by changing the linker end-cap makes this new platform highly attractive for applications in drug delivery.

  8. Design and simulation of front end power converter for a microgrid with fuel cells and solar power sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeevargi, Chetankumar; Lodhi, Anuj; Sateeshkumar, Allu; Elangovan, D.; Arunkumar, G.

    2017-11-01

    The need for Renewable Energy Sources (RES) is increasing due to increased demand for the supply of power and it is also environment friendly.In the recent few years, the cost of generation of the power from the RES has been decreased. This paper aims to design the front end power converter which is required for integrating the fuel cells and solar power sources to the micro grid. The simulation of the designed front end converter is carried out in the PSIM 9.1.1 software. The results show that the designed front end power converter is sufficient for integrating the micro grid with fuel cells and solar power sources.

  9. End to end distribution functions for a class of polymer models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khandekar, D.C.; Wiegel, F.W.

    1988-01-01

    The two point end-to-end distribution functions for a class of polymer models have been obtained within the first cumulant approximation. The trial distribution function this purpose is chosen to correspond to a general non-local quadratic functional. An Exact expression for the trial distribution function is obtained. It is pointed out that these trial distribution functions themselves can be used to study certain aspects of the configurational behaviours of polymers. These distribution functions are also used to obtain the averaged mean square size 2 > of a polymer characterized by the non-local quadratic potential energy functional. Finally, we derive an analytic expression for 2 > of a polyelectrolyte model and show that for a long polymer a weak electrostatic interaction does not change the behaviour of 2 > from that of a free polymer. (author). 16 refs

  10. Wiretapping End-to-End Encrypted VoIP Calls: Real-World Attacks on ZRTP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schürmann Dominik

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Voice calls are still one of the most common use cases for smartphones. Often, sensitive personal information but also confidential business information is shared. End-to-end security is required to protect against wiretapping of voice calls. For such real-time communication, the ZRTP key-agreement protocol has been proposed. By verbally comparing a small number of on-screen characters or words, called Short Authentication Strings, the participants can be sure that no one is wiretapping the call. Since 2011, ZRTP is an IETF standard implemented in several VoIP clients.

  11. End-to-end integrated security and performance analysis on the DEGAS Choreographer platform

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buchholtz, Mikael; Gilmore, Stephen; Haenel, Valentin

    2005-01-01

    We present a software tool platform which facilitates security and performance analysis of systems which starts and ends with UML model descriptions. A UML project is presented to the platform for analysis, formal content is extracted in the form of process calculi descriptions, analysed with the......We present a software tool platform which facilitates security and performance analysis of systems which starts and ends with UML model descriptions. A UML project is presented to the platform for analysis, formal content is extracted in the form of process calculi descriptions, analysed...

  12. An End-to-End Model of Plant Pheromone Channel for Long Range Molecular Communication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unluturk, Bige D; Akyildiz, Ian F

    2017-01-01

    A new track in molecular communication is using pheromones which can scale up the range of diffusion-based communication from μm meters to meters and enable new applications requiring long range. Pheromone communication is the emission of molecules in the air which trigger behavioral or physiological responses in receiving organisms. The objective of this paper is to introduce a new end-to-end model which incorporates pheromone behavior with communication theory for plants. The proposed model includes both the transmission and reception processes as well as the propagation channel. The transmission process is the emission of pheromones from the leaves of plants. The dispersion of pheromones by the flow of wind constitutes the propagation process. The reception process is the sensing of pheromones by the pheromone receptors of plants. The major difference of pheromone communication from other molecular communication techniques is the dispersion channel acting under the laws of turbulent diffusion. In this paper, the pheromone channel is modeled as a Gaussian puff, i.e., a cloud of pheromone released instantaneously from the source whose dispersion follows a Gaussian distribution. Numerical results on the performance of the overall end-to-end pheromone channel in terms of normalized gain and delay are provided.

  13. Analysis of Smith-Purcell BWO with end reflections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, V.; Kim, K.-J.

    2006-01-01

    We present a one-dimensional time-dependent analysis and simulation of Smith-Purcell (SP) backward wave oscillator (BWO) taking end reflections and attenuation into account. In the linear regime, we obtain an analytic solution and calculate the start current. The dependence of start current on end reflections is studied taking the attenuation due to finite conductivity into account. In this paper, we have set up Maxwell-Lorentz equations for the one-dimensional time-dependent analysis of SP-BWO including end reflection and attenuation due to finite conductivity. We have obtained a solution in the linear regime and extended the analysis to the nonlinear regime by solving the Maxwell-Lorentz equations numerically. Our analysis can be used for detailed optimization of outcoupled power and start current in SP-BWO taking end reflection and attenuation into account.

  14. Minimizing End-to-End Interference in I/O Stacks Spanning Shared Multi-Level Buffer Caches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patrick, Christina M.

    2011-01-01

    This thesis presents an end-to-end interference minimizing uniquely designed high performance I/O stack that spans multi-level shared buffer cache hierarchies accessing shared I/O servers to deliver a seamless high performance I/O stack. In this thesis, I show that I can build a superior I/O stack which minimizes the inter-application interference…

  15. Exploring the requirements for multimodal interaction for mobile devices in an end-to-end journey context.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krehl, Claudia; Sharples, Sarah

    2012-01-01

    The paper investigates the requirements for multimodal interaction on mobile devices in an end-to-end journey context. Traditional interfaces are deemed cumbersome and inefficient for exchanging information with the user. Multimodal interaction provides a different user-centred approach allowing for more natural and intuitive interaction between humans and computers. It is especially suitable for mobile interaction as it can overcome additional constraints including small screens, awkward keypads, and continuously changing settings - an inherent property of mobility. This paper is based on end-to-end journeys where users encounter several contexts during their journeys. Interviews and focus groups explore the requirements for multimodal interaction design for mobile devices by examining journey stages and identifying the users' information needs and sources. Findings suggest that multimodal communication is crucial when users multitask. Choosing suitable modalities depend on user context, characteristics and tasks.

  16. Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill evaluated using an end-to-end ecosystem model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ainsworth, Cameron H; Paris, Claire B; Perlin, Natalie; Dornberger, Lindsey N; Patterson, William F; Chancellor, Emily; Murawski, Steve; Hollander, David; Daly, Kendra; Romero, Isabel C; Coleman, Felicia; Perryman, Holly

    2018-01-01

    We use a spatially explicit biogeochemical end-to-end ecosystem model, Atlantis, to simulate impacts from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and subsequent recovery of fish guilds. Dose-response relationships with expected oil concentrations were utilized to estimate the impact on fish growth and mortality rates. We also examine the effects of fisheries closures and impacts on recruitment. We validate predictions of the model by comparing population trends and age structure before and after the oil spill with fisheries independent data. The model suggests that recruitment effects and fishery closures had little influence on biomass dynamics. However, at the assumed level of oil concentrations and toxicity, impacts on fish mortality and growth rates were large and commensurate with observations. Sensitivity analysis suggests the biomass of large reef fish decreased by 25% to 50% in areas most affected by the spill, and biomass of large demersal fish decreased even more, by 40% to 70%. Impacts on reef and demersal forage caused starvation mortality in predators and increased reliance on pelagic forage. Impacts on the food web translated effects of the spill far away from the oiled area. Effects on age structure suggest possible delayed impacts on fishery yields. Recovery of high-turnover populations generally is predicted to occur within 10 years, but some slower-growing populations may take 30+ years to fully recover.

  17. MCNP Simulations of End Flux Peaking in ACR-1000, 2.4 wt % {sup 235}U Fuel Bundles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hill, Ian; Donnelly, Jim [Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), 2251 Speakman Drive, Mississauga, ON, L5K 1B2 (Canada)

    2008-07-01

    This paper examines the end flux peaking in ACR-1000 fuel bundles. Reactor physics simulations are performed with MCNP to assess the steady state end-flux peaking in an infinite lattice of ACR fuel, as well as to quantify the peaking that occurs during refuelling. 3-dimensional MCNP models are created based on the detailed geometry of the fuel bundle. Detailed position-dependent fuel compositions are obtained from MONTEBURNS which couples MCNP and ORIGIN2.2. Axial and radial power profiles are obtained for both fresh and mid-burnup fuel bundles in an infinite lattice. Subsequently an assessment of the impact of a refuelling transient on the power profiles is performed. The refuelling transient is found to increase the end flux peaking in the region adjacent to light water. (authors)

  18. Reconstruction of lower end of radius using vascularized upper end of fibula

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koul Ashok

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Giant cell tumor is a fairly common locally invasive tumor in young adults. The lower end of the radius is the second commonest site for this tumor. The most common treatment for this tumor is curettage with or without bone grafting but it carries a significant rate of recurrence. Excision is the treatment of choice, especially for cases in which the cortex has been breached. After excision of the distal end of the radius, different procedures have been described to reconstruct the defect of distal radius. These include partial arthrodesis and hemiarthroplasty using the upper end of the fibula. The upper end of the fibula has a morphological resemblance to the lower end of the radius and has been used to replace the latter. Traditionally it was used as a ′free′ (non-vascularized graft. More recently the upper end of the fibula has been transferred as a vascularized transfer for the same purpose. Though vascularized transfer should be expected to be more physiological, its superiority over the technically simpler non-vascularized transfer has not been conclusively proven. Materials and Methods: Two patients are presented who had giant cell tumor of distal radius. They underwent wide local excision and reconstruction with free vascularized upper end of the fibula. Result: Follow-up period was two and a half years and 12 months respectively. Both patients have returned to routine work. One patient has excellent functional result and the other has a good result. Conclusion: Vascularized upper end of fibula transfer is a reliable method of reconstruction for loss of the distal end of the radius that restores local anatomy and physiology.

  19. The End

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hasse Jørgensen, Stina

    2016-01-01

    Operaen THE END af den japanske komponist og DJ, Keiichiro Shibuya, skubber radikalt til publikums forventninger om, hvad en opera kan og skal være. THE END byder på 3D animation, surround sound, elektronisk glitch og syntetiske stemmer i en kompromisløs virtuel forestilling med det japanske...

  20. The role of sea ports in end-to-end maritime transport chain emissions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gibbs, David; Rigot-Muller, Patrick; Mangan, John; Lalwani, Chandra

    2014-01-01

    This paper's purpose is to investigate the role of sea ports in helping to mitigate the GHG emissions associated with the end-to-end maritime transport chain. The analysis is primarily focused on the UK, but is international in application. The paper is based on both the analysis of secondary data and information on actions taken by ports to reduce their emissions, with the latter data collected for the main UK ports via their published reports and/or via interviews. Only a small number of ports (representing 32% of UK port activity) actually measure and report their carbon emissions in the UK context. The emissions generated by ships calling at these ports are analysed using a method based on Department for Transport Maritime Statistics Data. In addition, a case example (Felixstowe) of emissions associated with HGV movements to and from ports is presented, and data on vessel emissions at berth are also considered. Our analyses indicate that emissions generated by ships during their voyages between ports are of a far greater magnitude than those generated by the port activities. Thus while reducing the ports' own emissions is worthwhile, the results suggest that ports might have more impact through focusing their efforts on reducing shipping emissions. - Highlights: • Investigates role of ports in mitigating GHG emissions in the end-to-end maritime transport chain. • Emissions generated both by ports and by ships calling at ports are analysed. • Shipping's emissions are far greater than those generated by port activities. • Ports may have more impact through focusing efforts on reducing shipping's emissions. • Options for ports to support and drive change in the maritime sector also considered

  1. A new technique for end-to-end ureterostomy in the rat, using an indwelling reabsorbable stent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carmignani, G; Farina, F P; De Stefani, S; Maffezzini, M

    1983-01-01

    The restoration of the continuity of the urinary tract represents one of the major problems in rat renal transplantation. End-to-end ureterostomy is the most physiologically effective technique; however, it involves noteworthy technical difficulties because of the extremely thin caliber of the ureter in the rat and the high incidence of postoperative hydronephrosis. We describe a new technique for end-to-end ureterostomy in the rat, where the use of an absorbable ureteral stent is recommended. A 5-0 plain catgut thread is used as a stent. The anastomosis is performed under an operating microscope at X 25-40 magnification with interrupted sutures of 11-0 Vicryl. The use of the indwelling stent facilitates the performance of the anastomosis and yields optimal results. The macroscopical, radiological, and histological controls in a group of rats operated on with this technique showed a very high percentage of success with no complications, a result undoubtedly superior to that obtained with conventional methods.

  2. Mucociliary clearance following tracheal resection and end-to-end anastomosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toomes, H; Linder, A

    1989-10-01

    Mucociliary clearance is an important cleaning system of the bronchial tree. The complex transport system reacts sensitively to medicinal stimuli and inhaled substances. A disturbance causes secretion retention which encourages the development of acute and chronic pulmonary diseases. It is not yet known in which way sectional resection of the central airway effects mucociliary clearance. A large number of the surgical failures are attributable to septic complications in the area of the anastomosis. In order to study the transportation process over the anastomosis, ten dogs underwent a tracheal resection with end-to-end anastomosis, and the mucociliary activity was recorded using a bronchoscopic video-technical method. Recommencement of mucous transport was observed on the third, and transport over the anastomosis from the sixth to tenth, postoperative days. The mucociliary clearance had completely recovered on the twenty-first day in the majority of dogs. Histological examination of the anastomoses nine months postoperatively showed a flat substitute epithelium without cilia-bearing cells in all dogs. This contrasts with the quick restitution of the transport function. In case of undamaged respiratory mucosa, a good adaptation of the resection margins suffices for the mucous film to slide over the anastomosis.

  3. AN AUTOMATED END-TO-END MULTI-AGENT QOS BASED ARCHITECTURE FOR SELECTION OF GEOSPATIAL WEB SERVICES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Shah

    2012-07-01

    With the proliferation of web services published over the internet, multiple web services may provide similar functionality, but with different non-functional properties. Thus, Quality of Service (QoS offers a metric to differentiate the services and their service providers. In a quality-driven selection of web services, it is important to consider non-functional properties of the web service so as to satisfy the constraints or requirements of the end users. The main intent of this paper is to build an automated end-to-end multi-agent based solution to provide the best-fit web service to service requester based on QoS.

  4. Evaluation of Techniques to Detect Significant Network Performance Problems using End-to-End Active Network Measurements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cottrell, R.Les; Logg, Connie; Chhaparia, Mahesh; /SLAC; Grigoriev, Maxim; /Fermilab; Haro, Felipe; /Chile U., Catolica; Nazir, Fawad; /NUST, Rawalpindi; Sandford, Mark

    2006-01-25

    End-to-End fault and performance problems detection in wide area production networks is becoming increasingly hard as the complexity of the paths, the diversity of the performance, and dependency on the network increase. Several monitoring infrastructures are built to monitor different network metrics and collect monitoring information from thousands of hosts around the globe. Typically there are hundreds to thousands of time-series plots of network metrics which need to be looked at to identify network performance problems or anomalous variations in the traffic. Furthermore, most commercial products rely on a comparison with user configured static thresholds and often require access to SNMP-MIB information, to which a typical end-user does not usually have access. In our paper we propose new techniques to detect network performance problems proactively in close to realtime and we do not rely on static thresholds and SNMP-MIB information. We describe and compare the use of several different algorithms that we have implemented to detect persistent network problems using anomalous variations analysis in real end-to-end Internet performance measurements. We also provide methods and/or guidance for how to set the user settable parameters. The measurements are based on active probes running on 40 production network paths with bottlenecks varying from 0.5Mbits/s to 1000Mbit/s. For well behaved data (no missed measurements and no very large outliers) with small seasonal changes most algorithms identify similar events. We compare the algorithms' robustness with respect to false positives and missed events especially when there are large seasonal effects in the data. Our proposed techniques cover a wide variety of network paths and traffic patterns. We also discuss the applicability of the algorithms in terms of their intuitiveness, their speed of execution as implemented, and areas of applicability. Our encouraging results compare and evaluate the accuracy of our

  5. Concepts for a Muon Accelerator Front-End

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stratakis, Diktys [Fermilab; Berg, Scott [Brookhaven; Neuffer, David [Fermilab

    2017-03-16

    We present a muon capture front-end scheme for muon based applications. In this Front-End design, a proton bunch strikes a target and creates secondary pions that drift into a capture channel, decaying into muons. A series of rf cavities forms the resulting muon beams into a series of bunches of differerent energies, aligns the bunches to equal central energies, and initiates ionization cooling. We also discuss the design of a chicane system for the removal of unwanted secondary particles from the muon capture region and thus reduce activation of the machine. With the aid of numerical simulations we evaluate the performance of this Front-End scheme as well as study its sensitivity against key parameters such as the type of target, the number of rf cavities and the gas pressure of the channel.

  6. Surgical approach to end-stage heart failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klotz, Stefan; Scheld, Hans H

    2011-02-01

    End-stage heart failure is a challenging disease with growing incidence. With decreasing heart transplant rates worldwide organ preserving therapies become, again, of interest. The purpose of the present review is to examine the potential challenges of surgical therapies in patients with end-stage heart failure. The gold-standard for end-stage heart failure is and will be cardiac transplantation. However, due to organ shortage this therapy is limited to a few patients. Therefore implantation of ventricular assist devices (VADs) or long-term minimal-invasive partial support devices will increase. Improvements in device design with smaller devices, easier implantation techniques, and modified anticoagulation outcome and long-term success will likely improve. In addition, good quality of life as destination therapy is almost available. Organ conservation surgery (coronary artery bypass grafting and surgical ventricular restoration or surgical repair of mitral valve regurgitation) in end-stage heart failure patients could not prove the expected results. Transcatheter or minimal-invasive approaches of these therapies might become routine in the near future. Due to the overwhelming outcome rates, cardiac transplantation is the most established surgical therapy for end-stage heart failure. VAD therapy is increasing and minimized VADs might further open the market for destination therapy/permanent support.

  7. Comparison of methods for accurate end-point detection of potentiometric titrations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villela, R. L. A.; Borges, P. P.; Vyskočil, L.

    2015-01-01

    Detection of the end point in potentiometric titrations has wide application on experiments that demand very low measurement uncertainties mainly for certifying reference materials. Simulations of experimental coulometric titration data and consequential error analysis of the end-point values were conducted using a programming code. These simulations revealed that the Levenberg-Marquardt method is in general more accurate than the traditional second derivative technique used currently as end-point detection for potentiometric titrations. Performance of the methods will be compared and presented in this paper.

  8. Comparison of methods for accurate end-point detection of potentiometric titrations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Villela, R L A; Borges, P P; Vyskočil, L

    2015-01-01

    Detection of the end point in potentiometric titrations has wide application on experiments that demand very low measurement uncertainties mainly for certifying reference materials. Simulations of experimental coulometric titration data and consequential error analysis of the end-point values were conducted using a programming code. These simulations revealed that the Levenberg-Marquardt method is in general more accurate than the traditional second derivative technique used currently as end-point detection for potentiometric titrations. Performance of the methods will be compared and presented in this paper

  9. Understanding Effect of Constraint Release Environment on End-to-End Vector Relaxation of Linear Polymer Chains

    KAUST Repository

    Shivokhin, Maksim E.

    2017-05-30

    We propose and verify methods based on the slip-spring (SSp) model [ Macromolecules 2005, 38, 14 ] for predicting the effect of any monodisperse, binary, or ternary environment of topological constraints on the relaxation of the end-to-end vector of a linear probe chain. For this purpose we first validate the ability of the model to consistently predict both the viscoelastic and dielectric response of monodisperse and binary mixtures of type A polymers, based on published experimental data. We also report the synthesis of new binary and ternary polybutadiene systems, the measurement of their linear viscoelastic response, and the prediction of these data by the SSp model. We next clarify the relaxation mechanisms of probe chains in these constraint release (CR) environments by analyzing a set of "toy" SSp models with simplified constraint release rates, by examining fluctuations of the end-to-end vector. In our analysis, the longest relaxation time of the probe chain is determined by a competition between the longest relaxation times of the effective CR motions of the fat and thin tubes and the motion of the chain itself in the thin tube. This picture is tested by the analysis of four model systems designed to separate and estimate every single contribution involved in the relaxation of the probe\\'s end-to-end vector in polydisperse systems. We follow the CR picture of Viovy et al. [ Macromolecules 1991, 24, 3587 ] and refine the effective chain friction in the thin and fat tubes based on Read et al. [ J. Rheol. 2012, 56, 823 ]. The derived analytical equations form a basis for generalizing the proposed methodology to polydisperse mixtures of linear and branched polymers. The consistency between the SSp model and tube model predictions is a strong indicator of the compatibility between these two distinct mesoscopic frameworks.

  10. Segregation of chain ends to polymer melt surfaces and interfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, W.; Zhao, X.; Rafailovich, M.H.; Sokolov, J.; Composto, R.J.; Smith, S.D.; Satkowski, M.; Russell, T.P.; Dozier, W.D.; Mansfield, T.

    1993-01-01

    The conformation of polymer chains in the melt near an impenetrable boundary has recently been studied by molecular dynamics and off-lattice Monte Carlo simulations. Both types of calculations show an enhancement of the chain end density within a distance of approximately two polymer segment lengths of the interface relative to the bulk. In the absence of preferential interactions between monomers and the interface, the segregation arises from minimizing the loss of conformational entropy near an impenetrable boundary; i.e., by positioning an end near the surface, only one unit rather than two is reflected. In order to obtain an experimental measure of this effect, monodisperse polystyrene (PS) chains of molecular weight 63 000 with short blocks of deuterated polystyrene (dPS) at each end were prepared. The block length was kept as short as possible, while yet producing sufficient neutron scattering contrast in order to minimize any preferential surface segregation due to isotopic effects. The synthesis was carried out via living anionic polymerization of a purified styrene monomer in cyclohexane at 60 C, utilizing sec-butyllithium as the initiator. The process was terminated using degassed methanol

  11. Clad vent set cup open end (closure weld zone) wall-thickness study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ulrich, G.B.; Sherrill, M.W.

    1994-09-01

    The wall thickness at the open end of Clad Vent Set (CVS) cups is a very important parameter for maintaining control of the fueled CVS closure weld process. Ideally, the wall thickness in the closure weld zone should be constant. The DOP-26 iridium alloy is very difficult to machine; therefore, key dimensional features are established during the two-draw warm-forming operation. Unfortunately, anisotropy in the forming blanks produces four ears at the open end of each cup. Formation of these ears produces axial and circumferential variations in wall thickness. The cup certification requirement is that the wall thickness in the closure weld zone, defined as the 2.5-mm band at the open end of a cup, measure from 0.63 to 0.73 mm. The wall thickness certification data for the open end of the CVS cups have been statistically evaluated. These data show that the cups recently produced for the Cassini mission have well-controlled open-end wall thicknesses.

  12. Debris mitigation measures by satellite design and operational methods - Findings from the DLR space debris End-to-End Service

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sdunnus, H.; Beltrami, P.; Janovsky, R.; Koppenwallner, G.; Krag, H.; Reimerdes, H.; Schäfer, F.

    Debris Mitigation has been recognised as an issue to be addressed by the space faring nations around the world. Currently, there are various activities going on, aiming at the establishment of debris mitigation guidelines on various levels, reaching from the UN down to national space agencies. Though guidelines established on the national level already provide concrete information how things should be done (rather that specifying what should be done or providing fundamental principles) potential users of the guidelines will still have the need to explore the technical, management, and financial implications of the guidelines for their projects. Those questions are addressed by the so called "Space Debris End-to-End Service" project, which has been initiated as a national initiative of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). Based on a review of already existing mitigation guidelines or guidelines under development and following an identification of needs from a circle of industrial users the "End-to-End Service Gu idelines" have been established for designer and operators of spacecraft. The End-to-End Service Guidelines are based on requirements addressed by the mitigation guidelines and provide recommendations how and when the technical consideration of the mitigation guidelines should take place. By referencing requirements from the mitigation guidelines, the End-to-End Service Guidelines address the consideration of debris mitigation measures by spacecraft design and operational measures. This paper will give an introduction to the End-to-End Service Guidelines. It will focus on the proposals made for mitigation measures by the S/C system design, i.e. on protective design measures inside the spacecraft and on design measures, e.g. innovative protective (shielding) systems. Furthermore, approaches on the analytical optimisation of protective systems will be presented, aiming at the minimisation of shield mass under conservation of the protective effects. On the

  13. Experimental evaluation of end-to-end delay in switched Ethernet application in the automotive domain

    OpenAIRE

    Beretis , Kostas; Symeonidis , Ieroklis

    2013-01-01

    International audience; This article presents an approach for deriving upper bound for end-to-end delay in a double star switched Ethernet network. Four traffic classes, following a strict priority queuing policy, were considered. The theoretical analysis was based on network calculus. An experimental setup, which accu-rately reflects an automotive communication network, was implemented in or-der to evaluate the theoretical model. The results obtained by the experiments provided valuable feed...

  14. End-to-End Multimodal Emotion Recognition Using Deep Neural Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tzirakis, Panagiotis; Trigeorgis, George; Nicolaou, Mihalis A.; Schuller, Bjorn W.; Zafeiriou, Stefanos

    2017-12-01

    Automatic affect recognition is a challenging task due to the various modalities emotions can be expressed with. Applications can be found in many domains including multimedia retrieval and human computer interaction. In recent years, deep neural networks have been used with great success in determining emotional states. Inspired by this success, we propose an emotion recognition system using auditory and visual modalities. To capture the emotional content for various styles of speaking, robust features need to be extracted. To this purpose, we utilize a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to extract features from the speech, while for the visual modality a deep residual network (ResNet) of 50 layers. In addition to the importance of feature extraction, a machine learning algorithm needs also to be insensitive to outliers while being able to model the context. To tackle this problem, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks are utilized. The system is then trained in an end-to-end fashion where - by also taking advantage of the correlations of the each of the streams - we manage to significantly outperform the traditional approaches based on auditory and visual handcrafted features for the prediction of spontaneous and natural emotions on the RECOLA database of the AVEC 2016 research challenge on emotion recognition.

  15. Primary and secondary structure dependence of peptide flexibility assessed by fluorescence-based measurement of end-to-end collision rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Fang; Hudgins, Robert R; Nau, Werner M

    2004-12-22

    The intrachain fluorescence quenching of the fluorophore 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene (DBO) is measured in short peptide fragments, namely the two strands and the turn of the N-terminal beta-hairpin of ubiquitin. The investigated peptides adopt a random-coil conformation in aqueous solution according to CD and NMR experiments. The combination of quenchers with different quenching efficiencies, namely tryptophan and tyrosine, allows the extrapolation of the rate constants for end-to-end collision rates as well as the dissociation of the end-to-end encounter complex. The measured activation energies for fluorescence quenching demonstrate that the end-to-end collision process in peptides is partially controlled by internal friction within the backbone, while measurements in solvents of different viscosities (H2O, D2O, and 7.0 M guanidinium chloride) suggest that solvent friction is an additional important factor in determining the collision rate. The extrapolated end-to-end collision rates, which are only slightly larger than the experimental rates for the DBO/Trp probe/quencher system, provide a measure of the conformational flexibility of the peptide backbone. The chain flexibility is found to be strongly dependent on the type of secondary structure that the peptides represent. The collision rates for peptides derived from the beta-strand motifs (ca. 1 x 10(7) s(-1)) are ca. 4 times slower than that derived from the beta-turn. The results provide further support for the hypothesis that chain flexibility is an important factor in the preorganization of protein fragments during protein folding. Mutations to the beta-turn peptide show that subtle sequence changes strongly affect the flexibility of peptides as well. The protonation and charge status of the peptides, however, are shown to have no significant effect on the flexibility of the investigated peptides. The meaning and definition of end-to-end collision rates in the context of protein folding are critically

  16. End-to-End Neural Optical Music Recognition of Monophonic Scores

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Calvo-Zaragoza

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Optical Music Recognition is a field of research that investigates how to computationally decode music notation from images. Despite the efforts made so far, there are hardly any complete solutions to the problem. In this work, we study the use of neural networks that work in an end-to-end manner. This is achieved by using a neural model that combines the capabilities of convolutional neural networks, which work on the input image, and recurrent neural networks, which deal with the sequential nature of the problem. Thanks to the use of the the so-called Connectionist Temporal Classification loss function, these models can be directly trained from input images accompanied by their corresponding transcripts into music symbol sequences. We also present the Printed Music Scores dataset, containing more than 80,000 monodic single-staff real scores in common western notation, that is used to train and evaluate the neural approach. In our experiments, it is demonstrated that this formulation can be carried out successfully. Additionally, we study several considerations about the codification of the output musical sequences, the convergence and scalability of the neural models, as well as the ability of this approach to locate symbols in the input score.

  17. Semantic Complex Event Processing over End-to-End Data Flows

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Qunzhi [University of Southern California; Simmhan, Yogesh; Prasanna, Viktor K.

    2012-04-01

    Emerging Complex Event Processing (CEP) applications in cyber physical systems like SmartPower Grids present novel challenges for end-to-end analysis over events, flowing from heterogeneous information sources to persistent knowledge repositories. CEP for these applications must support two distinctive features - easy specification patterns over diverse information streams, and integrated pattern detection over realtime and historical events. Existing work on CEP has been limited to relational query patterns, and engines that match events arriving after the query has been registered. We propose SCEPter, a semantic complex event processing framework which uniformly processes queries over continuous and archived events. SCEPteris built around an existing CEP engine with innovative support for semantic event pattern specification and allows their seamless detection over past, present and future events. Specifically, we describe a unified semantic query model that can operate over data flowing through event streams to event repositories. Compile-time and runtime semantic patterns are distinguished and addressed separately for efficiency. Query rewriting is examined and analyzed in the context of temporal boundaries that exist between event streams and their repository to avoid duplicate or missing results. The design and prototype implementation of SCEPterare analyzed using latency and throughput metrics for scenarios from the Smart Grid domain.

  18. Measurement of β-decay end point energy with planar HPGe detector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhattacharjee, T.; Pandit, Deepak; Das, S. K.; Chowdhury, A.; Das, P.; Banerjee, D.; Saha, A.; Mukhopadhyay, S.; Pal, S.; Banerjee, S. R.

    2014-12-01

    The β - γ coincidence measurement has been performed with a segmented planar Hyper-Pure Germanium (HPGe) detector and a single coaxial HPGe detector to determine the end point energies of nuclear β-decays. The experimental end point energies have been determined for some of the known β-decays in 106Rh →106Pd. The end point energies corresponding to three weak branches in 106Rh →106Pd decay have been measured for the first time. The γ ray and β particle responses for the planar HPGe detector were simulated using the Monte Carlo based code GEANT3. The experimentally obtained β spectra were successfully reproduced with the simulation.

  19. End-to-end simulation of a visible 1 kW FEL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parazzoli, Claudio G.; Koltenbah, Benjamin E.C.

    2000-01-01

    In this paper we present the complete numerical simulation of the 1 kW visible Free Electron Laser under construction in Seattle. We show that the goal of producing 1.0 kW at 0.7 μm is well within the hardware capabilities. We simulate in detail the evolution of the electron bunch phase space in the entire e-beam line. The e-beam line includes the photo-injector cavities, the 433.33 MHz accelerator, the magnetic buncher, the 1300 MHz accelerator, the 180 deg. bend and the matching optics into the wiggler. The computed phase space is input for a three-dimensional time-dependent code that predicts the FEL performance. All the computations are based on state of the art software, and the limitations of the current software are discussed. We believe that this is the first time that such a thorough numerical simulation has been carried out and that such a realistic electron phase space has been used in FEL performance calculations

  20. Large-Eddy Simulation (LES of Spray Transients: Start and End of Injection Phenomena

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Battistoni Michele

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This work reports investigations on Diesel spray transients, accounting for internal nozzle flow and needle motion, and demonstrates how seamless calculations of internal flow and external jet can be accomplished in a Large-Eddy Simulation (LES framework using an Eulerian mixture model. Sub-grid stresses are modeled with the Dynamic Structure (DS model, a non-viscosity based one-equation LES model. Two problems are studied with high level of spatial and temporal resolution. The first one concerns an End-Of-Injection (EOI case where gas ingestion, cavitation, and dribble formation are resolved. The second case is a Start-Of-Injection (SOI simulation that aims at analyzing the effect of residual gas trapped inside the injector sac on spray penetration and rate of fuel injection. Simulation results are compared against experiments carried out at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL using synchrotron X-ray. A mesh sensitivity analysis is conducted to assess the quality of the LES approach by evaluating the resolved turbulent kinetic energy budget and comparing the outcomes with a length-scale resolution index. LES of both EOI and SOI processes have been carried out on a single hole Diesel injector, providing insights in to the physics of the processes, with internal and external flow details, and linking the phenomena at the end of an injection event to those at the start of a new injection. Concerning the EOI, the model predicts ligament formation and gas ingestion, as observed experimentally, and the amount of residual gas in the nozzle sac matches with the available data. The fast dynamics of the process is described in detail. The simulation provides unique insights into the physics at the EOI. Similarly, the SOI simulation shows how gas is ejected first, and liquid fuel starts being injected with a delay. The simulation starts from a very low needle lift and is able to predict the actual Rate-Of-Injection (ROI and jet penetration, based only on the

  1. Uneven batch data alignment with application to the control of batch end-product quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Jian; Marjanovic, Ognjen; Lennox, Barry

    2014-03-01

    Batch processes are commonly characterized by uneven trajectories due to the existence of batch-to-batch variations. The batch end-product quality is usually measured at the end of these uneven trajectories. It is necessary to align the time differences for both the measured trajectories and the batch end-product quality in order to implement statistical process monitoring and control schemes. Apart from synchronizing trajectories with variable lengths using an indicator variable or dynamic time warping, this paper proposes a novel approach to align uneven batch data by identifying short-window PCA&PLS models at first and then applying these identified models to extend shorter trajectories and predict future batch end-product quality. Furthermore, uneven batch data can also be aligned to be a specified batch length using moving window estimation. The proposed approach and its application to the control of batch end-product quality are demonstrated with a simulated example of fed-batch fermentation for penicillin production. Copyright © 2013 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Testing of an End-Point Control Unit Designed to Enable Precision Control of Manipulator-Coupled Spacecraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montgomery, Raymond C.; Ghosh, Dave; Tobbe, Patrick A.; Weathers, John M.; Manouchehri, Davoud; Lindsay, Thomas S.

    1994-01-01

    This paper presents an end-point control concept designed to enable precision telerobotic control of manipulator-coupled spacecraft. The concept employs a hardware unit (end-point control unit EPCU) that is positioned between the end-effector of the Space Shuttle Remote Manipulator System and the payload. Features of the unit are active compliance (control of the displacement between the end-effector and the payload), to allow precision control of payload motions, and inertial load relief, to prevent the transmission of loads between the end-effector and the payload. This paper presents the concept and studies the active compliance feature using a simulation and hardware. Results of the simulation show the effectiveness of the EPCU in smoothing the motion of the payload. Results are presented from initial, limited tests of a laboratory hardware unit on a robotic arm testbed at the l Space Flight Center. Tracking performance of the arm in a constant speed automated retraction and extension maneuver of a heavy payload with and without the unit active is compared for the design speed and higher speeds. Simultaneous load reduction and tracking performance are demonstrated using the EPCU.

  3. End-to-end models for marine ecosystems: Are we on the precipice of a significant advance or just putting lipstick on a pig?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kenneth A. Rose

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available There has been a rapid rise in the development of end-to-end models for marine ecosystems over the past decade. Some reasons for this rise include need for predicting effects of climate change on biota and dissatisfaction with existing models. While the benefits of a well-implemented end-to-end model are straightforward, there are many challenges. In the short term, my view is that the major role of end-to-end models is to push the modelling community forward, and to identify critical data so that these data can be collected now and thus be available for the next generation of end-to-end models. I think we should emulate physicists and build theoretically-oriented models first, and then collect the data. In the long-term, end-to-end models will increase their skill, data collection will catch up, and end-to-end models will move towards site-specific applications with forecasting and management capabilities. One pathway into the future is individual efforts, over-promise, and repackaging of poorly performing component submodels (“lipstick on a pig”. The other pathway is a community-based collaborative effort, with appropriate caution and thoughtfulness, so that the needed improvements are achieved (“significant advance”. The promise of end-to-end modelling is great. We should act now to avoid missing a great opportunity.

  4. End of Life Issues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Planning for the end of life can be difficult. But by deciding what end-of-life care best suits your needs when you are healthy, you can ... right choices when the time comes. End-of-life planning usually includes making choices about the following: ...

  5. An End-to-End System to Enable Quick, Easy and Inexpensive Deployment of Hydrometeorological Stations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Celicourt, P.; Piasecki, M.

    2014-12-01

    The high cost of hydro-meteorological data acquisition, communication and publication systems along with limited qualified human resources is considered as the main reason why hydro-meteorological data collection remains a challenge especially in developing countries. Despite significant advances in sensor network technologies which gave birth to open hardware and software, low-cost (less than $50) and low-power (in the order of a few miliWatts) sensor platforms in the last two decades, sensors and sensor network deployment remains a labor-intensive, time consuming, cumbersome, and thus expensive task. These factors give rise for the need to develop a affordable, simple to deploy, scalable and self-organizing end-to-end (from sensor to publication) system suitable for deployment in such countries. The design of the envisioned system will consist of a few Sensed-And-Programmed Arduino-based sensor nodes with low-cost sensors measuring parameters relevant to hydrological processes and a Raspberry Pi micro-computer hosting the in-the-field back-end data management. This latter comprises the Python/Django model of the CUAHSI Observations Data Model (ODM) namely DjangODM backed by a PostgreSQL Database Server. We are also developing a Python-based data processing script which will be paired with the data autoloading capability of Django to populate the DjangODM database with the incoming data. To publish the data, the WOFpy (WaterOneFlow Web Services in Python) developed by the Texas Water Development Board for 'Water Data for Texas' which can produce WaterML web services from a variety of back-end database installations such as SQLite, MySQL, and PostgreSQL will be used. A step further would be the development of an appealing online visualization tool using Python statistics and analytics tools (Scipy, Numpy, Pandas) showing the spatial distribution of variables across an entire watershed as a time variant layer on top of a basemap.

  6. An end-to-end coupled model ROMS-N 2 P 2 Z 2 D 2 -OSMOSE of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    An end-to-end coupled model ROMS-N 2 P 2 Z 2 D 2 -OSMOSE of the southern Benguela foodweb: parameterisation, calibration and pattern-oriented validation. ... We also highlight the capacity of this model for tracking indicators at various hierarchical levels. Keywords: individual-based model, model validation, ...

  7. Simulation of wind power with front-end converter into interconnected grid system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharad W. Mohod

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available In the growing electricity supply industry and open access market for electricity worldwide, renewable sources are getting added into the grid system. This affects the grid power quality. To assess the impact on grid due to wind energy integration, the knowledge of electrical characteristic of wind turbine and associated control equipments are required. The paper presents a simulation set-up for wind turbine in MATLAB / SIMULINK, with front end converter and interconnected system. The presented control scheme provides the wind power flow to the grid through a converter. The injected power in the system at the point of common coupling is ensured within the power quality norms.

  8. Nuclear fuel element end fitting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jabsen, F.S.

    1980-01-01

    An invention is described whereby end fittings are formed from lattices of mutually perpendicular plates. At the plate intersections, sockets are secured to the end fittings in a manner that permits the longitudinal axes of each of the sockets to align with the respective lines of intersection of the plates. The sockets all protrude above one of the surfaces of the end fitting. Further, a detent is formed in the proturding sides of each of the sockets. Annular grooves are formed in each of the ends of the fuel rods that are to be mounted between the end fittings. The socket detents protrude into the respective annular grooves, thus engaging the grooves and retaining the fuel rods and end fittings in one integral structure. (auth)

  9. End-to-End Joint Antenna Selection Strategy and Distributed Compress and Forward Strategy for Relay Channels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rahul Vaze

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Multihop relay channels use multiple relay stages, each with multiple relay nodes, to facilitate communication between a source and destination. Previously, distributed space-time codes were proposed to maximize the achievable diversity-multiplexing tradeoff; however, they fail to achieve all the points of the optimal diversity-multiplexing tradeoff. In the presence of a low-rate feedback link from the destination to each relay stage and the source, this paper proposes an end-to-end antenna selection (EEAS strategy as an alternative to distributed space-time codes. The EEAS strategy uses a subset of antennas of each relay stage for transmission of the source signal to the destination with amplifying and forwarding at each relay stage. The subsets are chosen such that they maximize the end-to-end mutual information at the destination. The EEAS strategy achieves the corner points of the optimal diversity-multiplexing tradeoff (corresponding to maximum diversity gain and maximum multiplexing gain and achieves better diversity gain at intermediate values of multiplexing gain, versus the best-known distributed space-time coding strategies. A distributed compress and forward (CF strategy is also proposed to achieve all points of the optimal diversity-multiplexing tradeoff for a two-hop relay channel with multiple relay nodes.

  10. How to engage end-users in smart energy behaviour?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valkering Pieter

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available End users will play a crucial role in up-coming smart grids that aim to link end-users and energy providers in a better balanced and more efficient electricity system. Within this context, this paper aims to deliver a coherent view on current good practice in end-user engagement in smart grid projects. It draws from a recent review of theoretical insights from sustainable consumption behaviour, social marketing and innovation systems and empirical insights from recent smart grid projects to create an inventory of common motivators, enablers and barriers of behavioural change, and the end-user engagement principles that can be derived from that. We conclude with identifying current research challenges as input for a research agenda on end-user engagement in smart grids.

  11. End-to-end Information Flow Security Model for Software-Defined Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Ju. Chaly

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Software-defined networks (SDN are a novel paradigm of networking which became an enabler technology for many modern applications such as network virtualization, policy-based access control and many others. Software can provide flexibility and fast-paced innovations in the networking; however, it has a complex nature. In this connection there is an increasing necessity of means for assuring its correctness and security. Abstract models for SDN can tackle these challenges. This paper addresses to confidentiality and some integrity properties of SDNs. These are critical properties for multi-tenant SDN environments, since the network management software must ensure that no confidential data of one tenant are leaked to other tenants in spite of using the same physical infrastructure. We define a notion of end-to-end security in context of software-defined networks and propose a semantic model where the reasoning is possible about confidentiality, and we can check that confidential information flows do not interfere with non-confidential ones. We show that the model can be extended in order to reason about networks with secure and insecure links which can arise, for example, in wireless environments.The article is published in the authors’ wording.

  12. Measurement of β-decay end point energy with planar HPGe detector

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhattacharjee, T., E-mail: btumpa@vecc.gov.in [Physics Group, Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata 700 064 (India); Pandit, Deepak [Physics Group, Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata 700 064 (India); Das, S.K. [RCD-BARC, Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata 700 064 (India); Chowdhury, A.; Das, P. [Physics Group, Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata 700 064 (India); Banerjee, D. [RCD-BARC, Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata 700 064 (India); Saha, A.; Mukhopadhyay, S.; Pal, S.; Banerjee, S.R. [Physics Group, Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata 700 064 (India)

    2014-12-11

    The β–γ coincidence measurement has been performed with a segmented planar Hyper-Pure Germanium (HPGe) detector and a single coaxial HPGe detector to determine the end point energies of nuclear β-decays. The experimental end point energies have been determined for some of the known β-decays in {sup 106}Rh→{sup 106}Pd. The end point energies corresponding to three weak branches in {sup 106}Rh→{sup 106}Pd decay have been measured for the first time. The γ ray and β particle responses for the planar HPGe detector were simulated using the Monte Carlo based code GEANT3. The experimentally obtained β spectra were successfully reproduced with the simulation.

  13. Functional end-arterial circulation of the choroid assessed by using fat embolism and electric circuit simulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Ji Eun; Ahn, Ki Su; Park, Keun Heung; Pak, Kang Yeun; Kim, Hak Jin; Byon, Ik Soo; Park, Sung Who

    2017-05-30

    The discrepancy in the choroidal circulation between anatomy and function has remained unsolved for several decades. Postmortem cast studies revealed extensive anastomotic channels, but angiographic studies indicated end-arterial circulation. We carried out experimental fat embolism in cats and electric circuit simulation. Perfusion defects were observed in two categories. In the scatter perfusion defects suggesting an embolism at the terminal arterioles, fluorescein dye filled the non-perfused lobule slowly from the adjacent perfused lobule. In the segmental perfusion defects suggesting occlusion of the posterior ciliary arteries, the hypofluorescent segment became perfused by spontaneous resolution of the embolism without subsequent smaller infarction. The angiographic findings could be simulated with an electric circuit. Although electric currents flowed to the disconnected lobule, the level was very low compared with that of the connected ones. The choroid appeared to be composed of multiple sectors with no anastomosis to other sectors, but to have its own anastomotic arterioles in each sector. Blood flows through the continuous choriocapillaris bed in an end-arterial nature functionally to follow a pressure gradient due to the drainage through the collector venule.

  14. Automatic detection of end-diastolic and end-systolic frames in 2D echocardiography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zolgharni, Massoud; Negoita, Madalina; Dhutia, Niti M; Mielewczik, Michael; Manoharan, Karikaran; Sohaib, S M Afzal; Finegold, Judith A; Sacchi, Stefania; Cole, Graham D; Francis, Darrel P

    2017-07-01

    Correctly selecting the end-diastolic and end-systolic frames on a 2D echocardiogram is important and challenging, for both human experts and automated algorithms. Manual selection is time-consuming and subject to uncertainty, and may affect the results obtained, especially for advanced measurements such as myocardial strain. We developed and evaluated algorithms which can automatically extract global and regional cardiac velocity, and identify end-diastolic and end-systolic frames. We acquired apical four-chamber 2D echocardiographic video recordings, each at least 10 heartbeats long, acquired twice at frame rates of 52 and 79 frames/s from 19 patients, yielding 38 recordings. Five experienced echocardiographers independently marked end-systolic and end-diastolic frames for the first 10 heartbeats of each recording. The automated algorithm also did this. Using the average of time points identified by five human operators as the reference gold standard, the individual operators had a root mean square difference from that gold standard of 46.5 ms. The algorithm had a root mean square difference from the human gold standard of 40.5 ms (P<.0001). Put another way, the algorithm-identified time point was an outlier in 122/564 heartbeats (21.6%), whereas the average human operator was an outlier in 254/564 heartbeats (45%). An automated algorithm can identify the end-systolic and end-diastolic frames with performance indistinguishable from that of human experts. This saves staff time, which could therefore be invested in assessing more beats, and reduces uncertainty about the reliability of the choice of frame. © 2017, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2010-01-01

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

  16. [End-of-life care and end-of-life medical decisions: the ITAELD study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miccinesi, Guido; Puliti, Donella; Paci, Eugenio

    2011-01-01

    To describe the attitudes towards end of life care and the practice of end-of-life medical decisions with possible life-shortening effect among Italian physicians. Cross sectional study (last death among the assisted patients in the last 12 months was considered). In the year 2007, 5,710 GPs and 8,950 hospital physicians were invited all over Italy to participate in the ITAELDstudy through anonymous mail questionnaire. Proportion of agreement with statements on end-of-life care issues. Proportion of deaths with an end-of-life medical decision. The response rate was 19.2%. The 65% of respondents agreed with the duty to respect any non-treatment request of the competent patient, the 55% agreed with the same duty in case of advanced directives, the 39% in case of proxy's request. The 53% of respondents agreed with the ethical acceptability of active euthanasia in selected cases. Among 1,850 deaths the 57.7% did not receive any end-of-life medical decision. For a further 21.0% no decision was possible, being sudden and unexpected deaths. In the remaining 21.3% at least one end-of-life medical decision was reported: 0.8% was classified as physician assisted death, 20.5% as non-treatment decision. Among all deceased the 19.6% were reported to have been deeply sedated. Being favourable to the use of opioids in terminal patients was associated to non-treatment decisions with possible but non-intentional life shortening effect; agreeing with the duty to fully respect any actual non-treatment request of the competent patient was associated to end-of life medical decisions with intentional life-shortening effect (adjusted OR>10 in both cases). The life stance and ethical beliefs of physicians determine their behaviour at the end of life wherever specific statements of law are lacking. Therefore education and debate are needed on these issues.

  17. End effects on elbows subjected to moment loadings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodabaugh, E.C.; Moore, S.E.

    1982-01-01

    So-called end effects for moment loadings on short-radius and long-radius butt welding elbows of various arc lengths are investigated with a view toward providing more accurate design formulas for critical piping systems. Data developed in this study, along with published information, were used to develop relatively simple design equations for elbows attached at both ends to long sections of straight pipe. These formulas are the basis for an alternate ASME Code procedure for evaluating the bending moment stresses in Class 1 nuclear piping (ASME Code Case N-319). The more complicated problems of elbows with other end conditions, e.g., flanges at one or both ends, are also considered. Comparisons of recently published experimental and theoretical studies with current industrial code design rules for these situations indicate that these rules also need to be improved

  18. Comparison of technologies for deorbiting spacecraft from low-earth-orbit at end of mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Arriaga, G.; Sanmartín, J. R.; Lorenzini, E. C.

    2017-09-01

    An analytical comparison of four technologies for deorbiting spacecraft from Low-Earth-Orbit at end of mission is presented. Basic formulas based on simple physical models of key figures of merit for each device are found. Active devices - rockets and electrical thrusters - and passive technologies - drag augmentation devices and electrodynamic tethers - are considered. A basic figure of merit is the deorbit device-to-spacecraft mass ratio, which is, in general, a function of environmental variables, technology development parameters and deorbit time. For typical state-of-the-art values, equal deorbit time, middle inclination and initial altitude of 850 km, the analysis indicates that tethers are about one and two orders of magnitude lighter than active technologies and drag augmentation devices, respectively; a tether needs a few percent mass-ratio for a deorbit time of a couple of weeks. For high inclination, the performance drop of the tether system is moderate: mass ratio and deorbit time increase by factors of 2 and 4, respectively. Besides collision risk with other spacecraft and system mass considerations, such as main driving factors for deorbit space technologies, the analysis addresses other important constraints, like deorbit time, system scalability, manoeuver capability, reliability, simplicity, attitude control requirement, and re-entry and multi-mission capability (deorbit and re-boost) issues. The requirements and constraints are used to make a critical assessment of the four technologies as functions of spacecraft mass and initial orbit (altitude and inclination). Emphasis is placed on electrodynamic tethers, including the latest advances attained in the FP7/Space project BETs. The superiority of tape tethers as compared to round and multi-line tethers in terms of deorbit mission performance is highlighted, as well as the importance of an optimal geometry selection, i.e. tape length, width, and thickness, as function of spacecraft mass and initial

  19. Home-end and activity-end preferences for access to and egress from train stations in the Copenhagen region

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Halldórsdóttir, Katrín; Nielsen, Otto Anker; Prato, Carlo Giacomo

    2017-01-01

    . Moreover, model results emphasize the role of bicycle parking in terms of the sheer number of spaces to be increased as well as covered places to be offered at the activity end, de facto giving the possibility to leave a bicycle at that end during the night. Lastly, model results show that it is a matter......Increasing public transport use with the aim of improving the sustainability of cities should focus not only on enhancing level and quality of the service offered, but also on understanding determinants of the choice of access and egress modes to and from the railway network. This study analyzes...... the difference in preferences at the home-end and activity-end for travelers who have chosen train as their main travel mode while investigating the effect of policy variables such as car parking availability, bicycle parking availability and type, and bicycle on train possibility. Specifically, this study...

  20. Behavior of four-bolt extended end-plate connection subjected to lateral loading

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elsayed Mashaly

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available A considerable number of literatures have been published on the behavior of end-plate connections in ordinary moment-resisting frames. It was found, experimentally, that this type of connection might act as either a fully-rigid or a semi-rigid connection depending mainly on the thickness of the end plate and the diameter of bolts. In recent years, due to their good ductility and their good ability of energy dissipation, extended end-plate connections are recommended to be widely used in special moment-resisting frames subjected to lateral loads. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of both the material and geometric properties of four-bolt extended end-plate connections upon their behavior when subjected to lateral loading. This is done through a parametric study upon a finite element model using the multi-purpose software package ANSYS. The parametric study takes into account 12 parameters which are expected to be effective on the behavior of the studied connection. The results are presented by the relation between the storey drift, which represents the rotation of the connection and the applied lateral load, which simulates the moment on the connection. The results verify that the chosen parameters are considered effective depending on the energy dissipation of the connection.

  1. On Start to End Simulation and Modeling Issues of the Megawatt Proton Beam Facility at PSI

    CERN Document Server

    Adelmann, Andreas; Fitze, Hansruedi; Geus, Roman; Humbel, Martin; Stingelin, Lukas

    2005-01-01

    At the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) we routinely extract a one megawatt (CW) proton beam out of our 590 MeV Ring Cyclotron. In the frame of the ongoing upgrade program, large scale simulations have been undertaken in order to provide a sound basis to assess the behaviour of very intense beams in cyclotrons. The challenges and attempts towards massive parallel three dimensional start-to- end simulations will be discussed. The used state of the art numerical tools (mapping techniques, time integration, parallel FFT and finite element based multigrid Poisson solver) and their parallel implementation will be discussed. Results will be presented in the area of: space charge dominated beam transport including neighbouring turns, eigenmode analysis to obtain accurate electromagnetic fields in large the rf cavities and higher order mode interaction between the electromagnetic fields and the particle beam. For the problems investigated so far a good agreement between theory i.e. calculations and measurements is obtain...

  2. Sleep/wake scheduling scheme for minimizing end-to-end delay in multi-hop wireless sensor networks

    OpenAIRE

    Madani Sajjad; Nazir Babar; Hasbullah Halabi

    2011-01-01

    Abstract We present a sleep/wake schedule protocol for minimizing end-to-end delay for event driven multi-hop wireless sensor networks. In contrast to generic sleep/wake scheduling schemes, our proposed algorithm performs scheduling that is dependent on traffic loads. Nodes adapt their sleep/wake schedule based on traffic loads in response to three important factors, (a) the distance of the node from the sink node, (b) the importance of the node's location from connectivity's perspective, and...

  3. Testing of large prestressing tendon end anchorage regions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, T.E.

    1976-01-01

    Tests were performed on concrete end anchorage regions for prestressing tendons with ultimate strengths of approximately 8,900 kN. One test structure simulated a full scale concrete containment buttress and the other two test specimens were concrete blocks. The behavior of the test structure and specimens, when subjected to loading, was monitored by strain gages and dial gages. The testing illustrated that all of the amounts of reinforcing tested should be acceptable for the end anchor zones of large tendons presently used in prestressed concrete containment structures. (author)

  4. Evaluation of End Mill Coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    L. J. Lazarus; R. L. Hester,

    2005-08-01

    Milling tests were run on families of High Speed Steel (HSS) end mills to determine their lives while machining 304 Stainless Steel. The end mills tested were made from M7, M42 and T15-CPM High Speed Steels. The end mills were also evaluated with no coatings as well as with Titanium Nitride (TiN) and Titanium Carbo-Nitride (TiCN) coatings to determine which combination of HSS and coating provided the highest increase in end mill life while increasing the cost of the tool the least. We found end mill made from M42 gave us the largest increase in tool life with the least increase in cost. The results of this study will be used by Cutting Tool Engineering in determining which end mill descriptions will be dropped from our tool catalog.

  5. End-to-End Assessment of a Large Aperture Segmented Ultraviolet Optical Infrared (UVOIR) Telescope Architecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feinberg, Lee; Bolcar, Matt; Liu, Alice; Guyon, Olivier; Stark,Chris; Arenberg, Jon

    2016-01-01

    Key challenges of a future large aperture, segmented Ultraviolet Optical Infrared (UVOIR) Telescope capable of performing a spectroscopic survey of hundreds of Exoplanets will be sufficient stability to achieve 10-10 contrast measurements and sufficient throughput and sensitivity for high yield Exo-Earth spectroscopic detection. Our team has collectively assessed an optimized end to end architecture including a high throughput coronagraph capable of working with a segmented telescope, a cost-effective and heritage based stable segmented telescope, a control architecture that minimizes the amount of new technologies, and an Exo-Earth yield assessment to evaluate potential performance.

  6. GOCE gravity field simulation based on actual mission scenario

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pail, R.; Goiginger, H.; Mayrhofer, R.; Höck, E.; Schuh, W.-D.; Brockmann, J. M.; Krasbutter, I.; Fecher, T.; Gruber, T.

    2009-04-01

    In the framework of the ESA-funded project "GOCE High-level Processing Facility", an operational hardware and software system for the scientific processing (Level 1B to Level 2) of GOCE data has been set up by the European GOCE Gravity Consortium EGG-C. One key component of this software system is the processing of a spherical harmonic Earth's gravity field model and the corresponding full variance-covariance matrix from the precise GOCE orbit and calibrated and corrected satellite gravity gradiometry (SGG) data. In the framework of the time-wise approach a combination of several processing strategies for the optimum exploitation of the information content of the GOCE data has been set up: The Quick-Look Gravity Field Analysis is applied to derive a fast diagnosis of the GOCE system performance and to monitor the quality of the input data. In the Core Solver processing a rigorous high-precision solution of the very large normal equation systems is derived by applying parallel processing techniques on a PC cluster. Before the availability of real GOCE data, by means of a realistic numerical case study, which is based on the actual GOCE orbit and mission scenario and simulation data stemming from the most recent ESA end-to-end simulation, the expected GOCE gravity field performance is evaluated. Results from this simulation as well as recently developed features of the software system are presented. Additionally some aspects on data combination with complementary data sources are addressed.

  7. User-oriented end-to-end transport protocols for the real-time distribution of telemetry data from NASA spacecraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hooke, A. J.

    1979-01-01

    A set of standard telemetry protocols for downlink data flow facilitating the end-to-end transport of instrument data from the spacecraft to the user in real time is proposed. The direct switching of data by autonomous message 'packets' that are assembled by the source instrument on the spacecraft is discussed. The data system consists thus of a format on a message rather than word basis, and such packet telemetry would include standardized protocol headers. Standards are being developed within the NASA End-to-End Data System (NEEDS) program for the source packet and transport frame protocols. The source packet protocol contains identification of both the sequence number of the packet as it is generated by the source and the total length of the packet, while the transport frame protocol includes a sequence count defining the serial number of the frame as it is generated by the spacecraft data system, and a field specifying any 'options' selected in the format of the frame itself.

  8. A tale of two extinctions : converging end-Permian and end-Triassic scenarios

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van de Schootbrugge, Bas; Wignall, Paul B.

    The end-Permian (c. 252 Ma) and end-Triassic (c. 201 Ma) mass-extinction events are commonly linked to the emplacement of the large igneous provinces of the Siberia Traps and Central Atlantic Magmatic Province, respectively. Accordingly, scenarios for both extinctions are increasingly convergent and

  9. GDP-to-GTP exchange on the microtubule end can contribute to the frequency of catastrophe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piedra, Felipe-Andrés; Kim, Tae; Garza, Emily S; Geyer, Elisabeth A; Burns, Alexander; Ye, Xuecheng; Rice, Luke M

    2016-11-07

    Microtubules are dynamic polymers of αβ-tubulin that have essential roles in chromosome segregation and organization of the cytoplasm. Catastrophe-the switch from growing to shrinking-occurs when a microtubule loses its stabilizing GTP cap. Recent evidence indicates that the nucleotide on the microtubule end controls how tightly an incoming subunit will be bound (trans-acting GTP), but most current models do not incorporate this information. We implemented trans-acting GTP into a computational model for microtubule dynamics. In simulations, growing microtubules often exposed terminal GDP-bound subunits without undergoing catastrophe. Transient GDP exposure on the growing plus end slowed elongation by reducing the number of favorable binding sites on the microtubule end. Slower elongation led to erosion of the GTP cap and an increase in the frequency of catastrophe. Allowing GDP-to-GTP exchange on terminal subunits in simulations mitigated these effects. Using mutant αβ-tubulin or modified GTP, we showed experimentally that a more readily exchangeable nucleotide led to less frequent catastrophe. Current models for microtubule dynamics do not account for GDP-to-GTP exchange on the growing microtubule end, so our findings provide a new way of thinking about the molecular events that initiate catastrophe. © 2016 Piedra et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

  10. End of an era?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Abrahamson, Peter

    2016-01-01

    At the end of 2015, China put an end to the one-child policy (OCP), thereby terminating the largest family planning program in human history. For nearly four decades it had shaped relations between generations and between men and women to an extent never before seen. Today, China struggles with t...... because of the strong preference for boys, which has led to so-called “bare branches:” Chinese men who are not able to find a spouse or have to rely on “mail-order brides.” The paper concludes that the OCP has come to an end, but the unintended consequences prevail.......At the end of 2015, China put an end to the one-child policy (OCP), thereby terminating the largest family planning program in human history. For nearly four decades it had shaped relations between generations and between men and women to an extent never before seen. Today, China struggles...... cultural values and legal prescriptions foresee reciprocal care responsibilities between generations. This has led to an enormous care deficit, which triggers conflicts between both genders and generations. A second major unintended consequence has been a skewed gender ratio of only 18 women per 20 men...

  11. Indico front-end: From spaghetti to lasagna

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2017-01-01

    We will present how we transitioned from legacy spaghetti UI code to a more coherent, easier to understand and maintain ecosystem of front-end technologies and facilities with a strong emphasis in reusable components. In particular, we will share with you: 1) how we use Sass to maintain our home-baked CSS, 2) how we survive in 2017 without front-end Javascript frameworks, and 3) how we use template macros and WTForms for generating consistent HTML transparently.

  12. EndNote 7.0

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eapen Bell

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available EndNote is a useful software for online literature search and efficient bibliography management. It helps to format the bibliography according to the citation style of each journal. EndNote stores references in a library file, which can be shared with others. It can connect to online resources like PubMed and retrieve search results as per the search criteria. It can also effortlessly integrate with popular word processors like MS Word. The Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology website has a provision to import references to EndNote.

  13. Modelling assessment of End Pit Lakes meromictic potential

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2006-11-01

    The use of End Pit Lakes have been proposed as a remediation solution for oil sands reclamation and operational waters. This report modelled the main factors controlling the occurrence of stratification in Pit Lakes in order to establish design and management guidelines for the Cumulative Environmental Management Association's End Pit Lake Sub-group. The study focused on End Pit Lake size, depth, starting lake salinity concentrations, inflow rates and inflow salinity flux, and investigated their influence on density gradients. One-dimensional modelling and limited 2-D modelling simulations were conducted to examine meromictic potential for a large range of End Pit Lake configurations and conditions. Modelling results showed that fall is the governing season for determining meromixis. The expelling of salt from saline water upon ice formation and its effect on stratification potential and the effect of fresh water loading on stratification potential during spring melt events were not observed to be dominant factors governing meromictic potential for the scenarios examined in the study. Results suggested that shallow End Pit Lakes showed a high turn-over rate with seasonal heating and cooling cycles. Moderately deep End Pit Lakes demonstrated a meromictic potential that was inversely proportional to lake size and require higher starting salinities. With a 2 or 10 million m 3 /yr inflow rate and a 5 parts per thousand starting salinity, a 50 m deep End Pit Lake achieved meromixis at all 3 size ranges considered in the study. Results also showed that the rate of influent salinity decrease was the least important of the parameters influencing meromixis. It was observed that meromixis was a temporary condition in all of the End Pit Lake scenarios envisioned due to the lack of a constant, positive salt replenishment over the long term. It was concluded that further 3-D modelling is required to represent littoral areas as well as to account for extreme winter conditions. A

  14. The Open-Ended Approach Framework

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munroe, Lloyd

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes a pedagogical framework that teachers can use to support students who are engaged in solving open-ended problems, by explaining how two Japanese expert teachers successfully apply open-ended problems in their mathematics class. The Open-Ended Approach (OPA) framework consists of two main sections: Understanding Mathematical…

  15. Beginning from the End: Strategies of Composition in Lyrical Improvisation with End Rhyme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Venla Sykäri

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This essay examines the basic principles of constructing improvised verses with end rhyme in three contemporary cultures: _mandinadhes_, Mallorcan _gloses_, and Finnish freestyle rap. This study is based on ethnographic interviews, in which improvisers analyze their methods of composition. This knowledge is complemented by a textual analysis of examples of performances in the given traditions. Sykäri shows that competent improvisers master complex cognitive methods when they create their lines that end with the poetic device of end rhyme, and in particular when they structure the discourse so that the strong arguments are situated at the end of the structural unit of composition. This “reversed” method witnesses a tendency to use parallel phonic patterns in a way that is largely the opposite of those employed with semantic (or canonical parallelism.

  16. Circumferential resection and "Z"-shape plastic end-to-end anastomosis of canine trachea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, H; Li, Z; Fang, J; Fang, C

    1999-03-01

    To prevent anastomotic stricture of the trachea. Forty young mongrel dogs, weighing 5-7 kg, were randomly divided into two groups: experimental group and control group, with 20 dogs in each group. Four tracheal rings were removed from each dog. In the experimental group, two "Z"-shape tracheoplastic anastomoses were performed on each dog, one on the anterior wall and the other on the membranous part of the trachea. In the control group, each dog received only simple end-to-end anastomosis. Vicryl 3-0 absorbable suture and OB fibrin glue were used for both groups. All dogs were killed when their body weight doubled. The average sagittal stenotic ratio were 1.20 +/- 0.12 for the experimental group and 0.83 +/- 0.05 for the control group. The average cross-sectional area stenotic ratio were 0.90 +/- 0.12 and 0.69 +/- 0.09 and T values were 8.71 and 4.57 for the two groups (P anastomosis in preventing anastomotic stricture of canine trachea.

  17. CENTRIFUGE END CAP

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beams, J.W.; Snoddy, L.B.

    1960-08-01

    An end cap for ultra-gas centrifuges is designed to impart or remove angular momentum to or from the gas and to bring the entering gas to the temperature of the gas inside the centrifuge. The end cap is provided with slots or fins for adjusting the temperature and the angular momentum of the entering gas to the temperature and momentum of the gas in the centrifuge and is constructed to introduce both the inner and the peripheral stream into the centrifuge.

  18. Partial QoS-Aware Opportunistic Relay Selection Over Two-Hop Channels: End-to-End Performance Under Spectrum-Sharing Requirements

    KAUST Repository

    Yuli Yang,; Hao Ma,; Aissa, Sonia

    2014-01-01

    it with transmission constraints imposed on the transmit power budget and interference to other users. By analyzing the statistics of received SNRs in the first and second hops, we obtain the end-to-end PLR of this scheme in closed form under the considered scenario

  19. MO-B-BRB-04: 3D Dosimetry in End-To-End Dosimetry QA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ibbott, G. [UT MD Anderson Cancer Center (United States)

    2016-06-15

    irradiated volume can help understand interplay effects during TomoTherapy or VMAT. Titania Juang: Special techniques in the clinic and research Understand the potential for 3D dosimetry in validating dose accumulation in deformable systems, and Observe the benefits of high resolution measurements for precision therapy in SRS and in MicroSBRT for small animal irradiators Geoffrey S. Ibbott: 3D Dosimetry in end-to-end dosimetry QA Understand the potential for 3D dosimetry for end-to-end radiation therapy process validation in the in-house and external credentialing setting. Canadian Institutes of Health Research; L. Schreiner, Modus QA, London, ON, Canada; T. Juang, NIH R01CA100835.

  20. Welding nuclear reactor fuel rod end plugs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yeo, D.

    1984-01-01

    Apparatus for applying a vacuum to a nuclear fuel rod cladding tube's interior through its open end while girth welding an inserted end plug to its other end. An airtight housing has an orifice with a seal which can hermetically engage the tube's open end. A vacuum hose has one end connected to the housing and the other end connected to a vacuum pump. A mechanized device which moves the housing to engage or disengage its seal with the tube's open end includes at least one arm having one end attached to the housing and the other end pivotally attached to a movable table; an arm rotating device to coaxially align the housing's orifice with the welding-positioned tube; and a table moving device to engage the seal of the coaxially aligned orifice with the tube's open end. (author)

  1. MUON POLARIZATION EFFECTS IN THE FRONT END OF THE NEUTRINO FACTORY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    FERNOW, R.C.; GALLARDO, J.C.; FUKUI, Y.

    2000-01-01

    The authors summarize the methods used for simulation of polarization effects in the front end of a possible neutrino factory. They first discuss the helicity of muons in the pion decay process. They find that, neglecting acceptance considerations, the average helicity asymptotically approaches a magnitude of 0.185 at large pion momenta. Next they describe the methods used for tracking the spin through the complicated electromagnetic field configurations in the front end of the neutrino factory, including rf phase rotation and ionization cooling channels. Various depolarizing effects in matter are then considered, including multiple Coulomb scattering and elastic scattering from atomic electrons. Finally, they include all these effects in a simulation of a 480 m long, double phase rotation front end scenario

  2. West Coast fish, mammal, and bird species diets - Developing end-to-end models of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The purpose of this project is to develop spatially discrete end-to-end models of the California Current LME, linking oceanography, biogeochemistry, food web...

  3. A 3-hydroxy β-end group in xanthophylls is preferentially oxidized to a 3-oxo ε-end group in mammals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagao, Akihiko; Maoka, Takashi; Ono, Hiroshi; Kotake-Nara, Eiichi; Kobayashi, Miyuki; Tomita, Mie

    2015-02-01

    We previously found that mice fed lutein accumulated its oxidative metabolites (3'-hydroxy-ε,ε-caroten-3-one and ε,ε-carotene-3,3'-dione) as major carotenoids, suggesting that mammals can convert xanthophylls to keto-carotenoids by the oxidation of hydroxyl groups. Here we elucidated the metabolic activities of mouse liver for several xanthophylls. When lutein was incubated with liver postmitochondrial fraction in the presence of NAD(+), (3'R,6'R)-3'-hydroxy-β,ε-caroten-3-one and (6RS,3'R,6'R)-3'-hydroxy-ε,ε-caroten-3-one were produced as major oxidation products. The former accumulated only at the early stage and was assumed to be an intermediate, followed by isomerization to the latter. The configuration at the C3' and C6' of the ε-end group in lutein was retained in the two oxidation products. These results indicate that the 3-hydroxy β-end group in lutein was preferentially oxidized to a 3-oxo ε-end group via a 3-oxo β-end group. Other xanthophylls such as β-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin, which have a 3-hydroxy β-end group, were also oxidized in the same manner as lutein. These keto-carotenoids, derived from dietary xanthophylls, were confirmed to be present in plasma of normal human subjects, and β,ε-caroten-3'-one was significantly increased by the ingestion of β-cryptoxanthin. Thus, humans as well as mice have oxidative activity to convert the 3-hydroxy β-end group of xanthophylls to a 3-oxo ε-end group. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  4. Increasing gas producer profitability with virtual well visibility via an end-to-end wireless Internet gas monitoring system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McDougall, M. [Northrock Resources Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada); Benterud, K. [Zed.i solutions, Calgary, AB (Canada)

    2003-07-01

    This PowerPoint presentation describes how Northrock Resources Ltd. increased profitability using Smart-Alek{sup TM} while avoiding high implementation costs. Smart-Alek is a new type of fully integrated end-to-end electronic gas flow measurement (GFM) system based on Field Intelligence Network and End User Interference (FINE). Smart-Alek can analyze gas production through public wireless communications and a web-browser delivery system. The system has enabled Northrock to increase gas volumes with more accurate measurement and reduced downtime. In addition, operating costs have decreased because the frequency of well visits has been reduced and the administrative procedures of data collection is more efficient. The real-time well visibility of the tool has proven to be very effective in optimizing business profitability. 7 figs.

  5. Terahertz performance of quasioptical front-ends with a hotelectron bolometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Semenov, A; Richter, H; Guenther, B; Huebers, H-W; Karamarkovic, J

    2006-01-01

    We present terahertz performance of quasioptical front-ends consisting of a hotelectron bolometer imbedded in a planar feed antenna and integrated with an immersion lens. The impedance and radiation pattern of the log-spiral and double-slot planar feeds are evaluated using the method of moments; the collimating action of the lens is modelled using the physical optics. The total efficiency of the front-ends is computed taking into account frequency dependent impedance of the bolometer. Measured performance of the front-ends qualifies the simulation technique as a reliable tool for the design of terahertz receivers

  6. Scalable Database Design of End-Game Model with Decoupled Countermeasure and Threat Information

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-11-01

    the Army Modular Active Protection System (MAPS) program to provide end-to-end APS modeling and simulation capabilities. The SSES simulation features...research project of scalable database design was initiated in support of SSES modularization efforts with respect to 4 major software components...Iron Curtain KE kinetic energy MAPS Modular Active Protective System OLE DB object linking and embedding database RDB relational database RPG

  7. Maximum Constrained Directivity of Oversteered End-Fire Sensor Arrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea Trucco

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available For linear arrays with fixed steering and an inter-element spacing smaller than one half of the wavelength, end-fire steering of a data-independent beamformer offers better directivity than broadside steering. The introduction of a lower bound on the white noise gain ensures the necessary robustness against random array errors and sensor mismatches. However, the optimum broadside performance can be obtained using a simple processing architecture, whereas the optimum end-fire performance requires a more complicated system (because complex weight coefficients are needed. In this paper, we reconsider the oversteering technique as a possible way to simplify the processing architecture of equally spaced end-fire arrays. We propose a method for computing the amount of oversteering and the related real-valued weight vector that allows the constrained directivity to be maximized for a given inter-element spacing. Moreover, we verify that the maximized oversteering performance is very close to the optimum end-fire performance. We conclude that optimized oversteering is a viable method for designing end-fire arrays that have better constrained directivity than broadside arrays but with a similar implementation complexity. A numerical simulation is used to perform a statistical analysis, which confirms that the maximized oversteering performance is robust against sensor mismatches.

  8. Calorimetry end-point predictions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fox, M.A.

    1981-01-01

    This paper describes a portion of the work presently in progress at Rocky Flats in the field of calorimetry. In particular, calorimetry end-point predictions are outlined. The problems associated with end-point predictions and the progress made in overcoming these obstacles are discussed. The two major problems, noise and an accurate description of the heat function, are dealt with to obtain the most accurate results. Data are taken from an actual calorimeter and are processed by means of three different noise reduction techniques. The processed data are then utilized by one to four algorithms, depending on the accuracy desired to determined the end-point

  9. Risk Factors for Dehiscence of Stapled Functional End-to-End Intestinal Anastomoses in Dogs: 53 Cases (2001-2012).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snowdon, Kyle A; Smeak, Daniel D; Chiang, Sharon

    2016-01-01

    To identify risk factors for dehiscence in stapled functional end-to-end anastomoses (SFEEA) in dogs. Retrospective case series. Dogs (n = 53) requiring an enterectomy. Medical records from a single institution for all dogs undergoing an enterectomy (2001-2012) were reviewed. Surgeries were included when gastrointestinal (GIA) and thoracoabdominal (TA) stapling equipment was used to create a functional end-to-end anastomosis between segments of small intestine or small and large intestine in dogs. Information regarding preoperative, surgical, and postoperative factors was recorded. Anastomotic dehiscence was noted in 6 of 53 cases (11%), with a mortality rate of 83%. The only preoperative factor significantly associated with dehiscence was the presence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Surgical factors significantly associated with dehiscence included the presence, duration, and number of intraoperative hypotensive periods, and location of anastomosis, with greater odds of dehiscence in anastomoses involving the large intestine. IBD, location of anastomosis, and intraoperative hypotension are risk factors for intestinal anastomotic dehiscence after SFEEA in dogs. Previously suggested risk factors (low serum albumin concentration, preoperative septic peritonitis, and intestinal foreign body) were not confirmed in this study. © Copyright 2015 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

  10. Automatic detection of end-diastole and end-systole from echocardiography images using manifold learning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gifani, Parisa; Behnam, Hamid; Shalbaf, Ahmad; Sani, Zahra Alizadeh

    2010-01-01

    The automatic detection of end-diastole and end-systole frames of echocardiography images is the first step for calculation of the ejection fraction, stroke volume and some other features related to heart motion abnormalities. In this paper, the manifold learning algorithm is applied on 2D echocardiography images to find out the relationship between the frames of one cycle of heart motion. By this approach the nonlinear embedded information in sequential images is represented in a two-dimensional manifold by the LLE algorithm and each image is depicted by a point on reconstructed manifold. There are three dense regions on the manifold which correspond to the three phases of cardiac cycle ('isovolumetric contraction', 'isovolumetric relaxation', 'reduced filling'), wherein there is no prominent change in ventricular volume. By the fact that the end-systolic and end-diastolic frames are in isovolumic phases of the cardiac cycle, the dense regions can be used to find these frames. By calculating the distance between consecutive points in the manifold, the isovolumic frames are mapped on the three minimums of the distance diagrams which were used to select the corresponding images. The minimum correlation between these images leads to detection of end-systole and end-diastole frames. The results on six healthy volunteers have been validated by an experienced echo cardiologist and depict the usefulness of the presented method

  11. Including 10-Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Network under End-to-End Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching Provisioned Quality of Service

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brewka, Lukasz Jerzy; Gavler, Anders; Wessing, Henrik

    2012-01-01

    of the network where quality of service signaling is bridged. This article proposes strategies for generalized multi-protocol label switching control over next emerging passive optical network standard, i.e., the 10-gigabit-capable passive optical network. Node management and resource allocation approaches...... are discussed, and possible issues are raised. The analysis shows that consideration of a 10-gigabit-capable passive optical network as a generalized multi-protocol label switching controlled domain is valid and may advance end-to-end quality of service provisioning for passive optical network based customers.......End-to-end quality of service provisioning is still a challenging task despite many years of research and development in this area. Considering a generalized multi-protocol label switching based core/metro network and resource reservation protocol capable home gateways, it is the access part...

  12. Quasi-monoenergetic proton beam produced by cone-top-end target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu Jinqing; Jin Xiaolin; Li Bin; Zhou Weimin; Gu Yuqiu

    2012-01-01

    A scheme for generating quasi-monoenergetic proton beam is presented. In this paper, a new cone-top-end target is proposed and investigated by two-dimensional particle-in-cell (2D-PIC) simulation. The simulation results show that this target configuration can guide the hot electrons by the self-generated magnetic field along the profile of the cone-top-end target. The peak magnitude of sheath field at the rear surface of solid target can be enhanced, so the proton energy can be improved. The proton beam with energy spread of 9.9% can be obtained. (authors)

  13. The End of ‘the end of impunity’?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holtermann, Jakob von Holderstein

    2010-01-01

    With its express intention ‘to put an end to impunity’, the International Criminal Court (ICC) faces a substantial challenge in the shape of conditional amnesties granted in future national truth commissions (TCs)—a challenge that invokes fundamental considerations of criminal justice ethics...

  14. ATLAS end-cap detector

    CERN Multimedia

    Maximilien Brice

    2003-01-01

    Three scientists from the Institute of Nuclear Phyiscs at Novossibirsk with one of the end-caps of the ATLAS detector. The end-caps will be used to detect particles produced in the proton-proton collisions at the heart of the ATLAS experiment that are travelling close to the axis of the two beams.

  15. Users’ Perceptions Using Low-End and High-End Mobile-Rendered HMDs: A Comparative Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.-Carmen Juan

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Currently, it is possible to combine Mobile-Rendered Head-Mounted Displays (MR HMDs with smartphones to have Augmented Reality platforms. The differences between these types of platforms can affect the user’s experiences and satisfaction. This paper presents a study that analyses the user’s perception when using the same Augmented Reality app with two MR HMD (low-end and high-end. Our study evaluates the user’s experience taking into account several factors (control, sensory, distraction, ergonomics and realism. An Augmalpha-lowerented Reality app was developed to carry out the comparison for two MR HMDs. The application had exactly the same visual appearance and functionality for both devices. Forty adults participated in our study. From the results, there were no statistically significant differences for the users’ experience for the different factors when using the two MR HMDs, except for the ergonomic factors in favour of the high-end MR HMD. Even though the scores for the high-end MR HMD were higher in nearly all of the questions, both MR HMDs provided a very satisfying viewing experience with very high scores. The results were independent of gender and age. The participants rated the high-end MR HMD as the best one. Nevertheless, when they were asked which MR HMD they would buy, the participants chose the low-end MR HMD taking into account its price.

  16. Self-assembled nanogaps via seed-mediated growth of end-to-end linked gold nanorods

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jain, Titoo; Westerlund, Axel Rune Fredrik; Johnson, Erik

    2009-01-01

    Gold nanorods (AuNRs) are of interest for a wide range of applications, ranging from imaging to molecular electronics, and they have been studied extensively for the past decade. An important issue in AuNR applications is the ability to self-assemble the rods in predictable structures...... on the nanoscale. We here present a new way to end-to-end link AuNRs with a single or few linker molecules. Whereas methods reported in the literature so far rely on modification of the AuNRs after the synthesis, we here dimerize gold nanoparticle seeds with a water-soluble dithiol-functionalized polyethylene...... that a large fraction of the rods are flexible around the hinging molecule in solution, as expected for a molecularly linked nanogap. By using excess of gold nanoparticles relative to the linking dithiol molecule, this method can provide a high probability that a single molecule is connecting the two rods...

  17. Riddles of the Sphinx: Titan Science Questions at the End of Cassini-Huygens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nixon, C. A.; Achterberg, R. K.; Buch, A.; Clark, R. N.; Coll, P.; Flasar, F. M.; Hayes, A. G.; Iess, L.; Lorenz, R. D.; Lopes, R.; Mastroguiseppe, M.; Raulin, F.; Smith, T.; Solomidou, A.; Sotin, C.; Strobel, D. F.; Turtle, E. P.; Vuitton, V.; West, R. A.; Yelle, R.

    2017-02-01

    The paper will describe the outstanding high-level questions for Titan science that are remaining at the end of the Cassini-Huygens mission, compiled by a cross-section of scientists from multiple instrument teams.

  18. jade: An End-To-End Data Transfer and Catalog Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meade, P.

    2017-10-01

    The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a cubic kilometer neutrino telescope located at the Geographic South Pole. IceCube collects 1 TB of data every day. An online filtering farm processes this data in real time and selects 10% to be sent via satellite to the main data center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. IceCube has two year-round on-site operators. New operators are hired every year, due to the hard conditions of wintering at the South Pole. These operators are tasked with the daily operations of running a complex detector in serious isolation conditions. One of the systems they operate is the data archiving and transfer system. Due to these challenging operational conditions, the data archive and transfer system must above all be simple and robust. It must also share the limited resource of satellite bandwidth, and collect and preserve useful metadata. The original data archive and transfer software for IceCube was written in 2005. After running in production for several years, the decision was taken to fully rewrite it, in order to address a number of structural drawbacks. The new data archive and transfer software (JADE2) has been in production for several months providing improved performance and resiliency. One of the main goals for JADE2 is to provide a unified system that handles the IceCube data end-to-end: from collection at the South Pole, all the way to long-term archive and preservation in dedicated repositories at the North. In this contribution, we describe our experiences and lessons learned from developing and operating the data archive and transfer software for a particle physics experiment in extreme operational conditions like IceCube.

  19. Apparatus for assembling and welding end plugs to nuclear fuel cladding tubes and inspecting the end plug welds on an automated basis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schoenig, F.C. Jr.; Walker, E.S.; Cueman, M.K.; Haughton, R.A.; Zuloaga, J.A. Jr.

    1989-01-01

    This patent describes an automated apparatus for welding a separate end plug to one open end of each of a succession of nuclear fuel cladding tubes and for inspecting each end plug weld. The apparatus comprising, in combination: a welding station; a cooldown station for cooling each end plug weld in an inert gas atmosphere; a serial number reader station for reading a serial number on each end plug; a first weld inspection station; a second weld inspection station for generating second weld inspection data; a computer system linked with the serial number reader and the first and second weld inspection stations; an input queue for holding a plurality of tubes; a tube transporter for periodically picking individual tubes from the input queque and conveying the tubes in a direction transverse to their tube axis in indexing steps to index positions respectively axially aligned with the welding, serial number reader, and first and second weld inspection stations; and a sorter positioned at an output end of the tube transporter

  20. Finite element analysis of an extended end-plate connection using the T-stub approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muresan, Ioana Cristina; Balc, Roxana [Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Civil Engineering. 15 C Daicoviciu Str., 400020, Cluj-Napoca (Romania)

    2015-03-10

    Beam-to-column end-plate bolted connections are usually used as moment-resistant connections in steel framed structures. For this joint type, the deformability is governed by the deformation capacity of the column flange and end-plate under tension and elongation of the bolts. All these elements around the beam tension flange form the tension region of the joint, which can be modeled by means of equivalent T-stubs. In this paper a beam-to-column end-plate bolted connection is substituted with a T-stub of appropriate effective length and it is analyzed using the commercially available finite element software ABAQUS. The performance of the model is validated by comparing the behavior of the T-stub from the numerical simulation with the behavior of the connection as a whole. The moment-rotation curve of the T-stub obtained from the numerical simulation is compared with the behavior of the whole extended end-plate connection, obtained by numerical simulation, experimental tests and analytical approach.

  1. Life's end: Ethnographic perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodwin-Hawkins, Bryonny; Dawson, Andrew

    2018-01-01

    In this introduction to the special issue, Life's End: Ethnographic Perspectives, we review the field of anthropological studies of death and dying. We make the argument that, largely because of its sub-disciplining into the larger field of the anthropology of religion, ritual and symbolism, the focus of anthropological research on death has been predominantly on post- rather than pre-death events, on death's beginnings rather than life's ends. Additionally, we argue that an anthropological aversion to the study of dying may also lie in the intimacy of the discipline's principal method, ethnography. Contrastingly, we argue that this very methodological intimacy can be a source of insight, and we offer this as a rationale for the special issue as a whole, which comprises eight ethnographic studies of dying and social relations at life's end from across Africa, Australia, Europe, and North America. Each of these studies is then summarized, and a rationale for their presentation around the themes of "structures of dying," "care for the dying," "hope in dying," and "ending life" is presented.

  2. Applying the means-end chain concept to product development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Søndergaard, Helle Alsted

    This paper proposes that the means-end chain (MEC) approach can influence the use of market information and inter-functional communication in new product development (NPD). The central question is whether market information represented by means-end chain data can be a vehicle for inter......-functional communication. This paper describes a PhD project - that through case studies and action research in two companies - aims at investigating the effects on communication and attitudes to communication by those involved when introducing means-end chain data as market information in NPD....

  3. Modeling hard clinical end-point data in economic analyses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kansal, Anuraag R; Zheng, Ying; Palencia, Roberto; Ruffolo, Antonio; Hass, Bastian; Sorensen, Sonja V

    2013-11-01

    The availability of hard clinical end-point data, such as that on cardiovascular (CV) events among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, is increasing, and as a result there is growing interest in using hard end-point data of this type in economic analyses. This study investigated published approaches for modeling hard end-points from clinical trials and evaluated their applicability in health economic models with different disease features. A review of cost-effectiveness models of interventions in clinically significant therapeutic areas (CV diseases, cancer, and chronic lower respiratory diseases) was conducted in PubMed and Embase using a defined search strategy. Only studies integrating hard end-point data from randomized clinical trials were considered. For each study included, clinical input characteristics and modeling approach were summarized and evaluated. A total of 33 articles (23 CV, eight cancer, two respiratory) were accepted for detailed analysis. Decision trees, Markov models, discrete event simulations, and hybrids were used. Event rates were incorporated either as constant rates, time-dependent risks, or risk equations based on patient characteristics. Risks dependent on time and/or patient characteristics were used where major event rates were >1%/year in models with fewer health states (Models of infrequent events or with numerous health states generally preferred constant event rates. The detailed modeling information and terminology varied, sometimes requiring interpretation. Key considerations for cost-effectiveness models incorporating hard end-point data include the frequency and characteristics of the relevant clinical events and how the trial data is reported. When event risk is low, simplification of both the model structure and event rate modeling is recommended. When event risk is common, such as in high risk populations, more detailed modeling approaches, including individual simulations or explicitly time-dependent event rates, are

  4. A multicentre 'end to end' dosimetry audit of motion management (4DCT-defined motion envelope) in radiotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmer, Antony L; Nash, David; Kearton, John R; Jafari, Shakardokht M; Muscat, Sarah

    2017-12-01

    External dosimetry audit is valuable for the assurance of radiotherapy quality. However, motion management has not been rigorously audited, despite its complexity and importance for accuracy. We describe the first end-to-end dosimetry audit for non-SABR (stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy) lung treatments, measuring dose accumulation in a moving target, and assessing adequacy of target dose coverage. A respiratory motion lung-phantom with custom-designed insert was used. Dose was measured with radiochromic film, employing triple-channel dosimetry and uncertainty reduction. The host's 4DCT scan, outlining and planning techniques were used. Measurements with the phantom static and then moving at treatment delivery separated inherent treatment uncertainties from motion effects. Calculated and measured dose distributions were compared by isodose overlay, gamma analysis, and we introduce the concept of 'dose plane histograms' for clinically relevant interpretation of film dosimetry. 12 radiotherapy centres and 19 plans were audited: conformal, IMRT (intensity modulated radiotherapy) and VMAT (volumetric modulated radiotherapy). Excellent agreement between planned and static-phantom results were seen (mean gamma pass 98.7% at 3% 2 mm). Dose blurring was evident in the moving-phantom measurements (mean gamma pass 88.2% at 3% 2 mm). Planning techniques for motion management were adequate to deliver the intended moving-target dose coverage. A novel, clinically-relevant, end-to-end dosimetry audit of motion management strategies in radiotherapy is reported. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Experience of using MOSFET detectors for dose verification measurements in an end-to-end 192Ir brachytherapy quality assurance system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Persson, Maria; Nilsson, Josef; Carlsson Tedgren, Åsa

    Establishment of an end-to-end system for the brachytherapy (BT) dosimetric chain could be valuable in clinical quality assurance. Here, the development of such a system using MOSFET (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor) detectors and experience gained during 2 years of use are reported with focus on the performance of the MOSFET detectors. A bolus phantom was constructed with two implants, mimicking prostate and head & neck treatments, using steel needles and plastic catheters to guide the 192 Ir source and house the MOSFET detectors. The phantom was taken through the BT treatment chain from image acquisition to dose evaluation. During the 2-year evaluation-period, delivered doses were verified a total of 56 times using MOSFET detectors which had been calibrated in an external 60 Co beam. An initial experimental investigation on beam quality differences between 192 Ir and 60 Co is reported. The standard deviation in repeated MOSFET measurements was below 3% in the six measurement points with dose levels above 2 Gy. MOSFET measurements overestimated treatment planning system doses by 2-7%. Distance-dependent experimental beam quality correction factors derived in a phantom of similar size as that used for end-to-end tests applied on a time-resolved measurement improved the agreement. MOSFET detectors provide values stable over time and function well for use as detectors for end-to-end quality assurance purposes in 192 Ir BT. Beam quality correction factors should address not only distance from source but also phantom dimensions. Copyright © 2017 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Modeling and Simulation of Satellite Subsystems for End-to-End Spacecraft Modeling

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Schum, William K; Doolittle, Christina M; Boyarko, George A

    2006-01-01

    During the past ten years, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has been simultaneously developing high-fidelity spacecraft payload models as well as a robust distributed simulation environment for modeling spacecraft subsystems...

  7. Fuel cell end plate structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guthrie, Robin J.; Katz, Murray; Schroll, Craig R.

    1991-04-23

    The end plates (16) of a fuel cell stack (12) are formed of a thin membrane. Pressure plates (20) exert compressive load through insulation layers (22, 26) to the membrane. Electrical contact between the end plates (16) and electrodes (50, 58) is maintained without deleterious making and breaking of electrical contacts during thermal transients. The thin end plate (16) under compressive load will not distort with a temperature difference across its thickness. Pressure plate (20) experiences a low thermal transient because it is insulated from the cell. The impact on the end plate of any slight deflection created in the pressure plate by temperature difference is minimized by the resilient pressure pad, in the form of insulation, therebetween.

  8. Fukuyama's theory about the end of history end the last man

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nedeljković Zoran

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available 'End of the History' Fukuyama wrote under strong influence of Hegel's philosophic history. Since 1806 year there is no essential political progress, according to Fukuyama, abroad principles of French bourgeois revolution there is no advance. History which appears to be progressive and directional, suggest Fukuyama, ends right there. Word is divided into historical and post historical, social balance of the first one depend of the social misbalance of the second. Professional corporation are the surrogate for family, last man will substitute family moral with professional.

  9. ATLAS electromagnetic end-cap detector

    CERN Multimedia

    Maximilien Brice

    2003-01-01

    After the insertion of the first end-cap into this cryostat, the team proceed to the wiring operations. Millions of wires are connected to the electromagnetic calorimeter on this end-cap, whch must be carefully fed out from the detector so that data can be read out. The energy of photons, electrons and positrons will be measured as they pass through the end-cap having been created along the line of the beams in the proton-proton collisions.

  10. SU-E-T-282: Dose Measurements with An End-To-End Audit Phantom for Stereotactic Radiotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jones, R; Artschan, R [Calvary Mater Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW (Australia); Thwaites, D [University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW (Australia); Lehmann, J [Calvary Mater Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW (Australia); University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW (Australia)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: Report on dose measurements as part of an end-to-end test for stereotactic radiotherapy, using a new audit tool, which allows audits to be performed efficiently either by an onsite team or as a postal audit. Methods: Film measurements have been performed with a new Stereotactic Cube Phantom. The phantom has been designed to perform Winston Lutz type position verification measurements and dose measurements in one setup. It comprises a plastic cube with a high density ball in its centre (used for MV imaging with film or EPID) and low density markers in the periphery (used for Cone Beam Computed Tomography, CBCT imaging). It also features strategically placed gold markers near the posterior and right surfaces, which can be used to calculate phantom rotations on MV images. Slit-like openings allow insertion of film or other detectors.The phantom was scanned and small field treatment plans were created. The fields do not traverse any inhomogeneities of the phantom on their paths to the measurement location. The phantom was setup at the delivery system using CBCT imaging. The calculated treatment fields were delivered, each with a piece of radiochromic film (EBT3) placed in the anterior film holder of the phantom. MU had been selected in planning to achieve similar exposures on all films. Calibration films were exposed in solid water for dose levels around the expected doses. Films were scanned and analysed following established procedures. Results: Setup of the cube showed excellent suitability for CBCT 3D alignment. MV imaging with EPID allowed for clear identification of all markers. Film based dose measurements showed good agreement for MLC created fields down to 0.5 mm × 0.5 mm. Conclusion: An end-to-end audit phantom for stereotactic radiotherapy has been developed and tested.

  11. Challenges in end-of-life communication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galushko, Maren; Romotzky, Vanessa; Voltz, Raymond

    2012-09-01

    The purpose of this review is to give an overview of challenges that have been addressed in recent research in end-of-life communication. Diversity of difficulties that may occur in communication about end-of-life issues has been showed. The emotional quality of this communication requires special skills from professionals involved. Studies showed that physicians and medical students are often overstrained and avoid end-of-life discussions. Health professionals and patients are often ambivalent about end-of-life discussions. Nevertheless, professionals are expected to initiate these in an honest, needs-oriented way. Patient preferences are difficult to infer and have to be assessed explicitly and regularly. Studies showed that the emotional impact of end-of-life discussions can lead to a high burden or avoidance of professionals. Interdisciplinary, multi-professional work can support health professionals in end-of-life care but often structural barriers obstruct possible benefits. Health professionals need to initiate end-of-life communication in a sensitive way. Specific demands for health professionals in end-of-life communication are to differentiate own emotions and life events from those of patients and to deal with both adequately. Moreover, structural aspects can lead to difficulties between different specialties, professions and sectors, which can have a negative impact on adequate care for patient and relatives. Special efforts for improvement are needed.

  12. A 3-hydroxy β-end group in xanthophylls is preferentially oxidized to a 3-oxo ε-end group in mammals[S

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagao, Akihiko; Maoka, Takashi; Ono, Hiroshi; Kotake-Nara, Eiichi; Kobayashi, Miyuki; Tomita, Mie

    2015-01-01

    We previously found that mice fed lutein accumulated its oxidative metabolites (3′-hydroxy-ε,ε-caroten-3-one and ε,ε-carotene-3,3′-dione) as major carotenoids, suggesting that mammals can convert xanthophylls to keto-carotenoids by the oxidation of hydroxyl groups. Here we elucidated the metabolic activities of mouse liver for several xanthophylls. When lutein was incubated with liver postmitochondrial fraction in the presence of NAD+, (3′R,6′R)-3′-hydroxy-β,ε-caroten-3-one and (6RS,3′R,6′R)-3′-hydroxy-ε,ε-caroten-3-one were produced as major oxidation products. The former accumulated only at the early stage and was assumed to be an intermediate, followed by isomerization to the latter. The configuration at the C3′ and C6′ of the ε-end group in lutein was retained in the two oxidation products. These results indicate that the 3-hydroxy β-end group in lutein was preferentially oxidized to a 3-oxo ε-end group via a 3-oxo β-end group. Other xanthophylls such as β-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin, which have a 3-hydroxy β-end group, were also oxidized in the same manner as lutein. These keto-carotenoids, derived from dietary xanthophylls, were confirmed to be present in plasma of normal human subjects, and β,ε-caroten-3′-one was significantly increased by the ingestion of β-cryptoxanthin. Thus, humans as well as mice have oxidative activity to convert the 3-hydroxy β-end group of xanthophylls to a 3-oxo ε-end group. PMID:25502844

  13. End-of-Life Nursing Care and Education: End-of-Life Nursing Education: Past and Present.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DʼAntonio, Jocelyn

    The dying experience is forever carried in the life story of those for whom the nurse cares. A goal of end-of-life nursing education is to produce nurses who are comfortable with death and dying and who have had the opportunity to reflect on their thoughts and feelings about end-of-life care. This article reviews the history, development, and teaching methods of end-of-life care, offering recommendations for future education.

  14. An alternate end design for SSC dipoles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peters, C.; Caspi, S.; Taylor, C.

    1989-02-01

    Experience in the SSC dipole program has shown that fabrication of cylindrical coil ends is difficult. Cable stiffness requires large forces to maintain the proper position of the conductors in the end during winding. After winding, the coil ends remain distorted nd significant motion of the need conductors is required to force the coil end into the molding cavity. Local mechanical stresses are high during this process and extra pieces of insulation are required to prevent turn-to-turn shorts from developing during the winding and molding steps. Prior to assembly the coil end is compressed in a mold cavity and injected with a filler material to correct surface irregularities and fill voids in the end. LBL has developed an alternate design which permits the conductors to be wound over the end using minimal force and technician coerosion. The conductors are placed on a conical surface where the largest diameter over the outer layer conductors is 10 cm. No coil end spaces or insulation pieces between turns are required. The conductor geometry was analytically optimized to meet SSC multipole requirements for the ends. The first 1-m dipole utilizing this end geometry has been constructed and successfully tested. Design and construction data are presented. Also model test results, including training and multipole measurements of the end are given. 1 ref., 12 figs., 3 tabs

  15. Interoperable End-to-End Remote Patient Monitoring Platform Based on IEEE 11073 PHD and ZigBee Health Care Profile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clarke, Malcolm; de Folter, Joost; Verma, Vivek; Gokalp, Hulya

    2018-05-01

    This paper describes the implementation of an end-to-end remote monitoring platform based on the IEEE 11073 standards for personal health devices (PHD). It provides an overview of the concepts and approaches and describes how the standard has been optimized for small devices with limited resources of processor, memory, and power that use short-range wireless technology. It explains aspects of IEEE 11073, including the domain information model, state model, and nomenclature, and how these support its plug-and-play architecture. It shows how these aspects underpin a much larger ecosystem of interoperable devices and systems that include IHE PCD-01, HL7, and BlueTooth LE medical devices, and the relationship to the Continua Guidelines, advocating the adoption of data standards and nomenclature to support semantic interoperability between health and ambient assisted living in future platforms. The paper further describes the adaptions that have been made in order to implement the standard on the ZigBee Health Care Profile and the experiences of implementing an end-to-end platform that has been deployed to frail elderly patients with chronic disease(s) and patients with diabetes.

  16. Human DNA ligase III bridges two DNA ends to promote specific intermolecular DNA end joining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kukshal, Vandna; Kim, In-Kwon; Hura, Gregory L.; Tomkinson, Alan E.; Tainer, John A.; Ellenberger, Tom

    2015-01-01

    Mammalian DNA ligase III (LigIII) functions in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA metabolism. In the nucleus, LigIII has functional redundancy with DNA ligase I whereas LigIII is the only mitochondrial DNA ligase and is essential for the survival of cells dependent upon oxidative respiration. The unique LigIII zinc finger (ZnF) domain is not required for catalytic activity but senses DNA strand breaks and stimulates intermolecular ligation of two DNAs by an unknown mechanism. Consistent with this activity, LigIII acts in an alternative pathway of DNA double strand break repair that buttresses canonical non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and is manifest in NHEJ-defective cancer cells, but how LigIII acts in joining intermolecular DNA ends versus nick ligation is unclear. To investigate how LigIII efficiently joins two DNAs, we developed a real-time, fluorescence-based assay of DNA bridging suitable for high-throughput screening. On a nicked duplex DNA substrate, the results reveal binding competition between the ZnF and the oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide-binding domain, one of three domains constituting the LigIII catalytic core. In contrast, these domains collaborate and are essential for formation of a DNA-bridging intermediate by adenylated LigIII that positions a pair of blunt-ended duplex DNAs for efficient and specific intermolecular ligation. PMID:26130724

  17. SSC collider dipole magnet end mechanical design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delchamps, S.W.; Bossert, R.C.; Carson, J.; Ewald, K.; Fulton, H.; Kerby, J.; Koska, W.; Strait, J.; Wake, M.; Leung, K.K.

    1991-01-01

    This paper describes the mechanical design of the ends of Superconducting Super Collider dipole magnets to be constructed and tested at Fermilab. Coil end clamps, end yoke configuration, and end plate design are discussed. Loading of the end plate by axial Lorentz forces is discussed. Relevant data from 40 mm and 50 mm aperture model dipole magnets built and tested at Fermilab are presented. In particular, the apparent influence of end clamp design on the quench behavior of model SSC dipoles is described

  18. End-to-End Assessment of a Large Aperture Segmented Ultraviolet Optical Infrared (UVOIR) Telescope Architecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feinberg, Lee; Rioux, Norman; Bolcar, Matthew; Liu, Alice; Guyon, Oliver; Stark, Chris; Arenberg, Jon

    2016-01-01

    Key challenges of a future large aperture, segmented Ultraviolet Optical Infrared (UVOIR) Telescope capable of performing a spectroscopic survey of hundreds of Exoplanets will be sufficient stability to achieve 10^-10 contrast measurements and sufficient throughput and sensitivity for high yield Exo-Earth spectroscopic detection. Our team has collectively assessed an optimized end to end architecture including a high throughput coronagraph capable of working with a segmented telescope, a cost-effective and heritage based stable segmented telescope, a control architecture that minimizes the amount of new technologies, and an Exo-Earth yield assessment to evaluate potential performance. These efforts are combined through integrated modeling, coronagraph evaluations, and Exo-Earth yield calculations to assess the potential performance of the selected architecture. In addition, we discusses the scalability of this architecture to larger apertures and the technological tall poles to enabling it.

  19. The Evolution in the Faint-End Slope of the Quasar Luminosity Function

    OpenAIRE

    Hopkins, Philip F.; Hernquist, Lars; Cox, Thomas J.; Di Matteo, Tiziana; Robertson, Brant; Springel, Volker

    2005-01-01

    (Abridged) Based on numerical simulations of galaxy mergers that incorporate black hole (BH) growth, we predict the faint end slope of the quasar luminosity function (QLF) and its evolution with redshift. Our simulations have yielded a new model for quasar lifetimes where the lifetime depends on both the instantaneous and peak quasar luminosities. This motivates a new interpretation of the QLF in which the bright end consists of quasars radiating at nearly their peak luminosities, but the fai...

  20. INTERACTIONS OF REALM BOUNDARIES AND END-TO-ENG NETWORK APPLICATIONS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    M. FISK; W. FENG

    2000-08-01

    One of the design principles of the Internet is that the network is made more flexible, and therefore useful, by placing functionality in end applications rather than in network infrastructure. Network gateways that violate this principle are considered harmful. This paper demonstrates that such upper-level gateways exist because of realm-specific performance, security, and protocol needs of certain portions of the Internet. Placing this functionality in end hosts is, conversely, harmful to the flexibility of using the Internet to link disparate networks. Requirements are developed for a protocol to allow end-hosts and gateways to negotiate the functionality of these gateways in terms of the needs of both end applications and network realms.

  1. First Demonstration of Real-Time End-to-End 40 Gb/s PAM-4 System using 10-G Transmitter for Next Generation Access Applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wei, Jinlong; Eiselt, Nicklas; Griesser, Helmut

    We demonstrate the first known experiment of a real-time end-to-end 40-Gb/s PAM-4 system for next generation access applications using 10G class transmitters only. Up to 25-dB upstream link budget for 20 km SMF is achieved.......We demonstrate the first known experiment of a real-time end-to-end 40-Gb/s PAM-4 system for next generation access applications using 10G class transmitters only. Up to 25-dB upstream link budget for 20 km SMF is achieved....

  2. Analysis of fuel end-temperature peaking

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Z.; Jiang, Q.; Lai, L.; Shams, M. [CANDU Energy Inc., Fuel Engineering Dept., Mississauga, Ontario (Canada)

    2013-07-01

    During normal operation and refuelling of CANDU® fuel, fuel temperatures near bundle ends will increase due to a phenomenon called end flux peaking. Similar phenomenon would also be expected to occur during a postulated large break LOCA event. The end flux peaking in a CANDU fuel element is due to the fact that neutron flux is higher near a bundle end, in contact with a neighbouring bundle or close to heavy water coolant, than in the bundle mid-plane, because of less absorption of thermal neutrons by Zircaloy or heavy water than by the UO{sub 2} material. This paper describes Candu Energy experience in analysing behaviour of bundle due to end flux peaking using fuel codes FEAT, ELESTRES and ELOCA. (author)

  3. Plasma characteristics of the end-cell of the GAMMA 10 tandem mirror for the divertor simulation experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakashima, Y.; Sakamoto, M.; Yoshikawa, M.; Takeda, H.; Ichimura, K.; Hosoi, K.; Hirata, M.; Ichimura, M.; Ikezoe, R.; Imai, T.; Kariya, T.; Katanuma, I.; Kohagura, J.; Minami, R.; Numakura, T.; Oki, K.; Ueda, H.; Asakura, Nobuyuki; Furuta, T.; Hatayama, A.; Toma, M.; Hirooka, Y.; Masuzaki, S.; Sagara, A.; Shoji, M.; Kado, S.; Matsuura, H.; Nagata, S.; Nishino, N.; Ohno, N.; Tonegawa, A.; Ueda, Y.

    2012-11-01

    In this paper, detailed characteristics and controllability of plasmas emitted from the end-cell of the GAMMA 10 tandem mirror are described from the viewpoint of divertor simulation studies. The energy analysis of ion flux by using end-loss ion energy analyzer (ELIEA) proved that the obtained high ion temperature (100 - 400 eV) was comparable to SOL plasma parameters in toroidal devices and was controlled by changing the ICRF power. Parallel ion temperature T i∥ determined from the probe and calorimeter shows a linear relationship with the ICRF power in the central-cell and agrees with the results of ELIEA. Additional ICRF heating revealed a significant enhancement of particle flux, which indicated an effectiveness of additional plasma heating in adjacent cells toward the improvement of the performance. Superimposing the ECH pulse of 380 kW, 5 ms attained the maximum heat-flux more than 10 MW/m 2 on axis. This value comes up to the heat-load of the divertor plate of ITER, which gives a clear prospect of generating the required heat density for divertor studies by building up heating systems to the end-mirror cell. Initial results of plasma irradiation experiment and construction of new divertor module are also described. (author)

  4. PEAR: a fast and accurate Illumina Paired-End reAd mergeR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jiajie; Kobert, Kassian; Flouri, Tomáš; Stamatakis, Alexandros

    2014-03-01

    The Illumina paired-end sequencing technology can generate reads from both ends of target DNA fragments, which can subsequently be merged to increase the overall read length. There already exist tools for merging these paired-end reads when the target fragments are equally long. However, when fragment lengths vary and, in particular, when either the fragment size is shorter than a single-end read, or longer than twice the size of a single-end read, most state-of-the-art mergers fail to generate reliable results. Therefore, a robust tool is needed to merge paired-end reads that exhibit varying overlap lengths because of varying target fragment lengths. We present the PEAR software for merging raw Illumina paired-end reads from target fragments of varying length. The program evaluates all possible paired-end read overlaps and does not require the target fragment size as input. It also implements a statistical test for minimizing false-positive results. Tests on simulated and empirical data show that PEAR consistently generates highly accurate merged paired-end reads. A highly optimized implementation allows for merging millions of paired-end reads within a few minutes on a standard desktop computer. On multi-core architectures, the parallel version of PEAR shows linear speedups compared with the sequential version of PEAR. PEAR is implemented in C and uses POSIX threads. It is freely available at http://www.exelixis-lab.org/web/software/pear.

  5. SSC collider dipole magnet end mechanical design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delchamps, S.W.; Bossert, R.C.; Carson, J.; Ewald, K.; Fulton, H.; Kerby, J.; Koska, W.; Strait, J.; Wake, S.M.; Leung, K.K.

    1991-05-01

    This paper describes the mechanical design of the ends of Superconducting Super Collider dipole magnets to be constructed and tested at Fermilab. Coil end clamps, end yoke configuration, and end plate design are discussed. Loading of the end plate by axial Lorentz forces is discussed. Relevant data from 40 mm and 50 mm aperture model dipole magnets built and tested at Fermilab are presented. In particular, the apparent influence of end clamp design on the quench behavior of model SSC dipoles is described. 8 refs., 3 figs

  6. End-User Development of Information Visualization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pantazos, Kostas; Lauesen, Søren; Vatrapu, Ravi

    2013-01-01

    such as data manipulation, but no formal training in programming. 18 visualization tools were surveyed from an enduser developer perspective. The results of this survey study show that end-user developers need better tools to create and modify custom visualizations. A closer collaboration between End......This paper investigates End-User Development of Information Visualization. More specifically, we investigated how existing visualization tools allow end-user developers to construct visualizations. End-user developers have some developing or scripting skills to perform relatively advanced tasks......-User Development and Information Visualization researchers could contribute towards the development of better tools to support custom visualizations. In addition, as empirical evaluations of these tools are lacking both research communities should focus more on this aspect. The study serves as a starting point...

  7. Modelling and simulation of size selectivity in diamond mesh trawl cod-ends

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Herrmann, Bent

    of the fishing gear. The cod-end is the rearmost part of a trawl where catch accumulates and in which most of the size selection is known to take place. To date, the main method used to assess the selectivity of trawl cod-ends has been to run sea trials followed by statistical analysis of the obtained......Within many fisheries there is a widespread discard of fish. Furthermore, there are several fisheries where fish are caught before reaching the optimal size, leading to an adverse exploitation of the resources. One way to achieve a more optimal exploitation is to improve the size selectivity...

  8. Nerve endings in the heart of teleosts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, S

    1979-01-01

    The nerve endings in the heart of fishes were studied using silver impregnation techniques. The heart chambers are profusely innervated by the sympathetic, parasympathetic (vagal) and postganglionic fibers of the intracardiac ganglia situated at the sinuatrial and the atrioventricular junctions. The plexuses are composed of medullated and nonmedullated fibers. The nerve fibers generally end freely and are slightly branched or unbranched terminations of myelinated and unmyelinated fibers. Moreover, a few nerve fibers end redundant in the form of end-rings, bulb-like, bush-like, club-shaped end end-coil like structures. The complex unencapsulated types of endings are also found in the myocardium of the atrium and the ventricle. The encapsulated endings (Vater-Pacinian; Krause end-bulb) could not be observed.

  9. Increasing gas producer profitability with virtual well visibility via an end-to-end, wireless Internet gas monitoring system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McDougall, M.; Coleman, K.; Beck, R.; Lyon, R.; Potts, R. [Northrock Resources Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada); Benterud, K. [Zed.i solutions, Calgary, AB (Canada)

    2003-07-01

    Most gas producing companies still use 100-year old technology to measure gas volumes because of the prohibitive costs of implementing corporate wide electronic information systems to replace circular mechanical chart technology. This paper describes how Northrock Resources Ltd. increased profitability using Smart-Alek{sup TM} while avoiding high implementation costs. Smart-Alek is a new type of fully integrated end-to-end electronic gas flow measurement (GFM) system based on Field Intelligence Network and End User Interference (FINE). Smart-Alek can analyze gas production through public wireless communications and a web-browser delivery system. The system has enabled Northrock to increase gas volumes with more accurate measurement and reduced downtime. In addition, operating costs were also decreased because the frequency of well visits was reduced and the administrative procedures of data collection was more efficient. The real-time well visibility of the tool has proven to be very effective in optimizing business profitability. 9 refs., 1 tab., 9 figs.

  10. Proportional counter end effects eliminator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meekins, J.F.

    1976-01-01

    An improved gas-filled proportional counter which includes a resistor network connected between the anode and cathode at the ends of the counter in order to eliminate ''end effects'' is described. 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures

  11. AiGERM: A logic programming front end for GERM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashim, Safaa H.

    1990-01-01

    AiGerm (Artificially Intelligent Graphical Entity Relation Modeler) is a relational data base query and programming language front end for MCC (Mission Control Center)/STP's (Space Test Program) Germ (Graphical Entity Relational Modeling) system. It is intended as an add-on component of the Germ system to be used for navigating very large networks of information. It can also function as an expert system shell for prototyping knowledge-based systems. AiGerm provides an interface between the programming language and Germ.

  12. A fully automatic end-to-end method for content-based image retrieval of CT scans with similar liver lesion annotations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spanier, A B; Caplan, N; Sosna, J; Acar, B; Joskowicz, L

    2018-01-01

    The goal of medical content-based image retrieval (M-CBIR) is to assist radiologists in the decision-making process by retrieving medical cases similar to a given image. One of the key interests of radiologists is lesions and their annotations, since the patient treatment depends on the lesion diagnosis. Therefore, a key feature of M-CBIR systems is the retrieval of scans with the most similar lesion annotations. To be of value, M-CBIR systems should be fully automatic to handle large case databases. We present a fully automatic end-to-end method for the retrieval of CT scans with similar liver lesion annotations. The input is a database of abdominal CT scans labeled with liver lesions, a query CT scan, and optionally one radiologist-specified lesion annotation of interest. The output is an ordered list of the database CT scans with the most similar liver lesion annotations. The method starts by automatically segmenting the liver in the scan. It then extracts a histogram-based features vector from the segmented region, learns the features' relative importance, and ranks the database scans according to the relative importance measure. The main advantages of our method are that it fully automates the end-to-end querying process, that it uses simple and efficient techniques that are scalable to large datasets, and that it produces quality retrieval results using an unannotated CT scan. Our experimental results on 9 CT queries on a dataset of 41 volumetric CT scans from the 2014 Image CLEF Liver Annotation Task yield an average retrieval accuracy (Normalized Discounted Cumulative Gain index) of 0.77 and 0.84 without/with annotation, respectively. Fully automatic end-to-end retrieval of similar cases based on image information alone, rather that on disease diagnosis, may help radiologists to better diagnose liver lesions.

  13. Practical End-to-End Performance Testing Tool for High Speed 3G-Based Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shinbo, Hiroyuki; Tagami, Atsushi; Ano, Shigehiro; Hasegawa, Toru; Suzuki, Kenji

    High speed IP communication is a killer application for 3rd generation (3G) mobile systems. Thus 3G network operators should perform extensive tests to check whether expected end-to-end performances are provided to customers under various environments. An important objective of such tests is to check whether network nodes fulfill requirements to durations of processing packets because a long duration of such processing causes performance degradation. This requires testers (persons who do tests) to precisely know how long a packet is hold by various network nodes. Without any tool's help, this task is time-consuming and error prone. Thus we propose a multi-point packet header analysis tool which extracts and records packet headers with synchronized timestamps at multiple observation points. Such recorded packet headers enable testers to calculate such holding durations. The notable feature of this tool is that it is implemented on off-the shelf hardware platforms, i.e., lap-top personal computers. The key challenges of the implementation are precise clock synchronization without any special hardware and a sophisticated header extraction algorithm without any drop.

  14. Chinese Medical Question Answer Matching Using End-to-End Character-Level Multi-Scale CNNs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheng Zhang

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper focuses mainly on the problem of Chinese medical question answer matching, which is arguably more challenging than open-domain question answer matching in English due to the combination of its domain-restricted nature and the language-specific features of Chinese. We present an end-to-end character-level multi-scale convolutional neural framework in which character embeddings instead of word embeddings are used to avoid Chinese word segmentation in text preprocessing, and multi-scale convolutional neural networks (CNNs are then introduced to extract contextual information from either question or answer sentences over different scales. The proposed framework can be trained with minimal human supervision and does not require any handcrafted features, rule-based patterns, or external resources. To validate our framework, we create a new text corpus, named cMedQA, by harvesting questions and answers from an online Chinese health and wellness community. The experimental results on the cMedQA dataset show that our framework significantly outperforms several strong baselines, and achieves an improvement of top-1 accuracy by up to 19%.

  15. Internet end-to-end performance monitoring for the High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics community

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matthews, W.

    2000-01-01

    Modern High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics (HENP) experiments at Laboratories around the world present a significant challenge to wide area networks. Petabytes (1015) or exabytes (1018) of data will be generated during the lifetime of the experiment. Much of this data will be distributed via the Internet to the experiment's collaborators at Universities and Institutes throughout the world for analysis. In order to assess the feasibility of the computing goals of these and future experiments, the HENP networking community is actively monitoring performance across a large part of the Internet used by its collaborators. Since 1995, the pingER project has been collecting data on ping packet loss and round trip times. In January 2000, there are 28 monitoring sites in 15 countries gathering data on over 2,000 end-to-end pairs. HENP labs such as SLAC, Fermi Lab and CERN are using Advanced Network's Surveyor project and monitoring performance from one-way delay of UDP packets. More recently several HENP sites have become involved with NLANR's active measurement program (AMP). In addition SLAC and CERN are part of the RIPE test-traffic project and SLAC is home for a NIMI machine. The large End-to-end performance monitoring infrastructure allows the HENP networking community to chart long term trends and closely examine short term glitches across a wide range of networks and connections. The different methodologies provide opportunities to compare results based on different protocols and statistical samples. Understanding agreement and discrepancies between results provides particular insight into the nature of the network. This paper will highlight the practical side of monitoring by reviewing the special needs of High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics experiments and provide an overview of the experience of measuring performance across a large number of interconnected networks throughout the world with various methodologies. In particular, results from each project

  16. Internet end-to-end performance monitoring for the High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics community

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matthews, W.

    2000-02-22

    Modern High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics (HENP) experiments at Laboratories around the world present a significant challenge to wide area networks. Petabytes (1015) or exabytes (1018) of data will be generated during the lifetime of the experiment. Much of this data will be distributed via the Internet to the experiment's collaborators at Universities and Institutes throughout the world for analysis. In order to assess the feasibility of the computing goals of these and future experiments, the HENP networking community is actively monitoring performance across a large part of the Internet used by its collaborators. Since 1995, the pingER project has been collecting data on ping packet loss and round trip times. In January 2000, there are 28 monitoring sites in 15 countries gathering data on over 2,000 end-to-end pairs. HENP labs such as SLAC, Fermi Lab and CERN are using Advanced Network's Surveyor project and monitoring performance from one-way delay of UDP packets. More recently several HENP sites have become involved with NLANR's active measurement program (AMP). In addition SLAC and CERN are part of the RIPE test-traffic project and SLAC is home for a NIMI machine. The large End-to-end performance monitoring infrastructure allows the HENP networking community to chart long term trends and closely examine short term glitches across a wide range of networks and connections. The different methodologies provide opportunities to compare results based on different protocols and statistical samples. Understanding agreement and discrepancies between results provides particular insight into the nature of the network. This paper will highlight the practical side of monitoring by reviewing the special needs of High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics experiments and provide an overview of the experience of measuring performance across a large number of interconnected networks throughout the world with various methodologies. In particular, results

  17. End-of-Life Conversation Game Increases Confidence for Having End-of-Life Conversations for Chaplains-in-Training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Scoy, Lauren Jodi; Watson-Martin, Elizabeth; Bohr, Tiffany A; Levi, Benjamin H; Green, Michael J

    2018-04-01

    Discussing end-of-life issues with patients is an essential role for chaplains. Few tools are available to help chaplains-in-training develop end-of-life communication skills. This study aimed to determine whether playing an end-of-life conversation game increases the confidence for chaplain-in-trainings to discuss end-of-life issues with patients. We used a convergent mixed methods design. Chaplains-in-training played the end-of-life conversation game twice over 2 weeks. For each game, pre- and postgame questionnaires measured confidence discussing end-of-life issues with patients and emotional affect. Between games, chaplains-in-training discussed end-of-life issues with an inpatient. One week after game 2, chaplains-in-training were individually interviewed. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon rank-sum t tests. Content analysis identified interview themes. Quantitative and qualitative data sets were then integrated using a joint display. Twenty-three chaplains-in-training (52% female; 87% Caucasian; 70% were in year 1 of training) completed the study. Confidence scores (scale: 15-75; 75 = very confident) increased significantly after each game, increasing by 10.0 points from pregame 1 to postgame 2 ( P game, and shyness subscale scores decreased significantly after each game. Content analysis found that chaplains-in-training found the game to be a positive, useful experience and reported that playing twice was beneficial (not redundant). Mixed methods analysis suggest that an end-of-life conversation game is a useful tool that can increase chaplain-in-trainings' confidence for initiating end-of-life discussions with patients. A larger sample size is needed to confirm these findings.

  18. End-to-end Structural Restriction of α-Synuclein and Its Influence on Amyloid Fibril Formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, Chul Suk; Park, Jae Hyung; Choe, Young Jun; Paik, Seung R.

    2014-01-01

    Relationship between molecular freedom of amyloidogenic protein and its self-assembly into amyloid fibrils has been evaluated with α-synuclein, an intrinsically unfolded protein related to Parkinson's disease, by restricting its structural plasticity through an end-to-end disulfide bond formation between two newly introduced cysteine residues on the N- and C-termini. Although the resulting circular form of α-synuclein exhibited an impaired fibrillation propensity, the restriction did not completely block the protein's interactive core since co-incubation with wild-type α-synuclein dramatically facilitated the fibrillation by producing distinctive forms of amyloid fibrils. The suppressed fibrillation propensity was instantly restored as the structural restriction was unleashed with β-mercaptoethanol. Conformational flexibility of the accreting amyloidogenic protein to pre-existing seeds has been demonstrated to be critical for fibrillar extension process by exerting structural adjustment to a complementary structure for the assembly

  19. End-to-end Structural Restriction of α-Synuclein and Its Influence on Amyloid Fibril Formation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hong, Chul Suk; Park, Jae Hyung; Choe, Young Jun; Paik, Seung R. [Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-09-15

    Relationship between molecular freedom of amyloidogenic protein and its self-assembly into amyloid fibrils has been evaluated with α-synuclein, an intrinsically unfolded protein related to Parkinson's disease, by restricting its structural plasticity through an end-to-end disulfide bond formation between two newly introduced cysteine residues on the N- and C-termini. Although the resulting circular form of α-synuclein exhibited an impaired fibrillation propensity, the restriction did not completely block the protein's interactive core since co-incubation with wild-type α-synuclein dramatically facilitated the fibrillation by producing distinctive forms of amyloid fibrils. The suppressed fibrillation propensity was instantly restored as the structural restriction was unleashed with β-mercaptoethanol. Conformational flexibility of the accreting amyloidogenic protein to pre-existing seeds has been demonstrated to be critical for fibrillar extension process by exerting structural adjustment to a complementary structure for the assembly.

  20. Programmer's guide to FFE: a fast front-end data-acquisition program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Million, D.L.

    1983-05-01

    The Large Coil Test Facility project of the Fusion Energy Division has a data acquisition system which includes a large host computer and several small, peripheral front-end computers. The front-end processors handle details of data acquisition under the control of the host and pass data back to the host for storage. Some of the front ends are known as fast front ends and are required to collect a maximum of 64,000 samples each second. This speed and other hardware constraints resulted in a need for a stand-alone, assembly language task which could be downline loaded from the host system into the fast front ends. FFE (Fast Front End) was written to satisfy this need. It was written in the PDP-11 MACRO-11 assembly language for an LSI-11/23 processor. After the host loads the task into the front end, it controls the data acquisition process with a series of commands and parameters. This Programmer's Guide describes the structure and operation of FFE in detail from a programming point of view. A companion User's guide provides more information on the use of the program from the host system

  1. Condition Assessment and End-of-Life Prediction System for Electric Machines and Their Loads

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parlos, Alexander G.; Toliyat, Hamid A.

    2005-01-01

    An end-of-life prediction system developed for electric machines and their loads could be used in integrated vehicle health monitoring at NASA and in other government agencies. This system will provide on-line, real-time condition assessment and end-of-life prediction of electric machines (e.g., motors, generators) and/or their loads of mechanically coupled machinery (e.g., pumps, fans, compressors, turbines, conveyor belts, magnetic levitation trains, and others). In long-duration space flight, the ability to predict the lifetime of machinery could spell the difference between mission success or failure. Therefore, the system described here may be of inestimable value to the U.S. space program. The system will provide continuous monitoring for on-line condition assessment and end-of-life prediction as opposed to the current off-line diagnoses.

  2. Longitudinal forces acting at side-to-end and end-to-side anastomoses when a knitted polyester arterial prosthesis is implanted in the dog.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dadgar, L; Downs, A R; Deng, X; Marois, Y; King, M W; Martin, L; Guidoin, R

    1995-01-01

    In a previous study, which investigated the tensions at the proximal and distal end-to-end anastomoses of a vascular prosthesis, no significant differences were found in the longitudinal forces between the two anastomotic sites after different periods of implantation. The present follow-up study was devised to study the longitudinal forces at a proximal side-to-end and a distal end-to-side anastomosis using a warp knitted polyester prosthesis implanted as a canine thorocoabdominal bypass. The external surface of the prosthesis contained a specially printed "tension indicator" design, which enabled changes in length to be assessed photographically at the two anastomoses at the time of implantation and at sacrifice. The longitudinal force at each site was then calculated using a relationship obtained experimentally between the total longitudinal force and the changes in length of the virgin graft in vitro. The in vitro measurements on the prosthesis were performed using a computer-controlled laser calibration system. Although the results showed a tendency toward a gradual loss in longitudinal force at both anastomoses over 7 months in situ, statistical analysis showed no significant difference in the longitudinal force at the two anastomotic sites after any period of implantation. Histopathological and textile analysis also showed that the characteristics of the prostheses were similar at both anastomotic sites. This does not mean, however, that the intramural stress concentrations experienced by the two sites were the same. While comparing the level of the longitudinal forces measured in this study with those observed in the previous thoracic aorta study using end-to-end anastomoses, no significant differences were observed due to the different types of anastomoses. It would appear that the longitudinal force is not one of the main etiological factors that cause the formation and localization of anastomotic failure.

  3. West Coast fish, mammal, bird life history and abunance parameters - Developing end-to-end models of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The purpose of this project is to develop spatially discrete end-to-end models of the California Current LME, linking oceanography, biogeochemistry, food web...

  4. High-end encroachment patterns of new products

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rhee, van der B.; Schmidt, G.; Orden, van J.

    2012-01-01

    Previous research describes two key ways in which a new product may encroach on an existing market. In high-end encroachment, the new product first sells to high-end customers and then diffuses down-market; in low-end encroachment, the new product enters at the low end and encroaches up-market. This

  5. Scalability of a Low-Cost Multi-Teraflop Linux Cluster for High-End Classical Atomistic and Quantum Mechanical Simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kikuchi, Hideaki; Kalia, Rajiv K.; Nakano, Aiichiro; Vashishta, Priya; Shimojo, Fuyuki; Saini, Subhash

    2003-01-01

    Scalability of a low-cost, Intel Xeon-based, multi-Teraflop Linux cluster is tested for two high-end scientific applications: Classical atomistic simulation based on the molecular dynamics method and quantum mechanical calculation based on the density functional theory. These scalable parallel applications use space-time multiresolution algorithms and feature computational-space decomposition, wavelet-based adaptive load balancing, and spacefilling-curve-based data compression for scalable I/O. Comparative performance tests are performed on a 1,024-processor Linux cluster and a conventional higher-end parallel supercomputer, 1,184-processor IBM SP4. The results show that the performance of the Linux cluster is comparable to that of the SP4. We also study various effects, such as the sharing of memory and L2 cache among processors, on the performance.

  6. Gulf of California species and catch spatial distributions and historical time series - Developing end-to-end models of the Gulf of California

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The purpose of this project is to develop spatially discrete end-to-end models of the northern Gulf of California, linking oceanography, biogeochemistry, food web...

  7. Magnet Misalignment Studies for the Front-end of the Neutrino Factory

    CERN Document Server

    Prior, G; Stratakis, D; Neuffer, D; Snopok, P; Rogers, C

    2013-01-01

    In the Neutrino Factory front-end the muon beam coming from the interaction of a high-power (4 MW) proton beam on a mercury jet target is transformed through a buncher, a phase rotator and an ionization cooling channel before entering the downstream acceleration system. The muon front-end channel is densely packed with solenoid magnets, normal conducting radio-frequency cavities and absorber windows for the cooling section. The tolerance to the misalignment of the different components has to be determined in order on one hand to set the limits beyond which the performance of the front-end channel would be degraded; on the other hand to optimize the design and assembly of the front-end cells such that the component alignment can be checked and corrected for where crucial for the performance of the channel. In this paper we show the results of some of the simulations of the frontend channel performance where the magnetic field direction has been altered compared to the baseline.

  8. End points for adjuvant therapy trials: has the time come to accept disease-free survival as a surrogate end point for overall survival?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gill, Sharlene; Sargent, Daniel

    2006-06-01

    The intent of adjuvant therapy is to eradicate micro-metastatic residual disease following curative resection with the goal of preventing or delaying recurrence. The time-honored standard for demonstrating efficacy of new adjuvant therapies is an improvement in overall survival (OS). This typically requires phase III trials of large sample size with lengthy follow-up. With the intent of reducing the cost and time of completing such trials, there is considerable interest in developing alternative or surrogate end points. A surrogate end point may be employed as a substitute to directly assess the effects of an intervention on an already accepted clinical end point such as mortality. When used judiciously, surrogate end points can accelerate the evaluation of new therapies, resulting in the more timely dissemination of effective therapies to patients. The current review provides a perspective on the suitability and validity of disease-free survival (DFS) as an alternative end point for OS. Criteria for establishing surrogacy and the advantages and limitations associated with the use of DFS as a primary end point in adjuvant clinical trials and as the basis for approval of new adjuvant therapies are discussed.

  9. Mere end marionetdukker

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lehmann-Jacobsen, Emilie Tinne

    2016-01-01

    Pressefrihed er en mangelvare i flere sydøstasiatiske lande, og journalisterne beskrives sjældent som andet end viljeløse marionetdukker for de siddende magthavere. Det er dog langt fra den fulde fortælling. Men myten lever videre til frustration for de fagligt stolte journalister og med konsekve......Pressefrihed er en mangelvare i flere sydøstasiatiske lande, og journalisterne beskrives sjældent som andet end viljeløse marionetdukker for de siddende magthavere. Det er dog langt fra den fulde fortælling. Men myten lever videre til frustration for de fagligt stolte journalister og med...

  10. Effect of end reflections on conversion efficiency of coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Teng, Yan; Chen, Changhua; Sun, Jun; Shi, Yanchao; Ye, Hu; Wu, Ping; Li, Shuang; Xiong, Xiaolong [Science and Technology on High Power Microwave Laboratory, Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi' an 710024 (China)

    2015-11-07

    This paper theoretically investigates the effect of end reflections on the operation of the coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator (CRBWO). It is found that the considerable enhancement of the end reflection at one end increases the conversion efficiency, but excessively large end reflections at both ends weaken the asynchronous wave-beam interaction and thus reduce the conversion efficiency. Perfect reflection at the post end significantly improves the interaction between the electron beam and the asynchronous harmonic so that the conversion efficiency is notably increased. Based on the theoretical research, the diffraction-CRBWO with the generated microwave diffracted and output through the front end of the coaxial slow wave structure cavity is proposed. The post end is conductively closed to provide the perfect reflection. This promotes the amplitude and uniformity of the longitudinal electric field on the beam transmission line and improves the asynchronous wave-beam interaction. In numerical simulations under the diode voltage and current of 450 kV and 5.84 kA, microwave generation with the power of 1.45 GW and the conversion efficiency of 55% are obtained at the frequency of 7.45 GHz.

  11. Performance of the ATLAS hadronic end-cap calorimeter in beam tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dowler, B.; Pinfold, J.; Soukup, J.; Vincter, M.; Cheplakov, A.; Datskov, V.; Fedorov, A.; Javadov, N.; Kalinnikov, V.; Kakurin, S.; Kazarinov, M.; Kukhtin, V.; Ladygin, E.; Lazarev, A.; Neganov, A.; Pisarev, I.; Serochkin, E.; Shilov, S.; Shalyugin, A.; Usov, Yu.; Ban, J.; Bruncko, D.; Chytracek, R.; Jusko, A.; Kladiva, E.; Strizenec, P.; Gaertner, V.; Hiebel, S.; Hohlfeld, M.; Jakobs, K.; Koepke, L.; Marschalkowski, E.; Meder, D.; Othegraven, R.; Schaefer, U.; Thomas, J.; Walkowiak, W.; Zeitnitz, C.; Leroy, C.; Mazini, R.; Mehdiyev, R.; Akimov, A.; Blagov, M.; Komar, A.; Snesarev, A.; Speransky, M.; Sulin, V.; Yakimenko, M.; Aderholz, M.; Brettel, H.; Cwienk, W.; Dulny, B.; Fent, J.; Fischer, A.; Haberer, W.; Huber, J.; Huber, R.; Karev, A.; Kiryunin, A.; Kobler, T.; Kurchaninov, L.; Laskus, H.; Lindenmayer, M.; Mooshofer, P.; Oberlack, H.; Salihagic, D.; Schacht, P.; Stenzel, H.; Striegel, D.; Tribanek, W.; Chekulaev, S.; Denisov, S.; Levitsky, M.; Minaenko, A.; Mitrofanov, G.; Moiseev, A.; Pleskatch, A.; Sytnik, V.; Benoit, P.; Hoyle, K.W.; Honma, A.; Maharaj, R.; Oram, C.J.; Pattyn, E.W.; Rosvick, M.; Sbarra, C.; Wellisch, H-P.; Wielers, M.; Birney, P.S.; Dobbs, M.; Fincke-Keeler, M.; Fortin, D.; Hodges, T.A.; Keeler, R.K.; Langstaff, R.; Lefebvre, M.; Lenckowski, M.; McPherson, R.; O'Neil, D.C.; Forbush, D.; Mockett, P.; Toevs, F.; Braun, H.M.; Thadome, J.

    2002-01-01

    Modules of the ATLAS liquid argon Hadronic End-cap Calorimeter (HEC) were exposed to beams of electrons, muons and pions in the energy range 6≤E≤200 GeV at the CERN SPS. A description of the HEC and of the beam test setup are given. Results on the energy response and resolution are presented and compared with simulations. The ATLAS energy resolution for jets in the end-cap region is inferred and meets the ATLAS requirements

  12. Influence of physicians' life stances on attitudes to end-of-life decisions and actual end-of-life decision-making in six countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cohen, J; van Delden, J; Mortier, F

    2008-01-01

    AIM: To examine how physicians' life stances affect their attitudes to end-of-life decisions and their actual end-of-life decision-making. METHODS: Practising physicians from various specialties involved in the care of dying patients in Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland......) and Protestants (up to 20.4% in The Netherlands) reported ever having made such a decision. DISCUSSION: The results suggest that religious teachings influence to some extent end-of-life decision-making, but are certainly not blankly accepted by physicians, especially when dealing with real patients...... large life-stance groups in each country. RESULTS: Only small differences in life stance were found in all countries in general attitudes and intended and actual behaviour with regard to various end-of-life decisions. However, with regard to the administration of drugs explicitly intended to hasten...

  13. The microorganisms in chronically infected end-stage and non-end-stage cystic fibrosis patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rudkjøbing, Vibeke B; Thomsen, Trine R; Alhede, Morten

    2011-01-01

    Patients suffering from cystic fibrosis (CF) develop chronic lung infections because of highly viscous mucus, where bacteria can form biofilms. In this study, we investigated the microorganisms present in the lungs of end-stage and non-end-stage patients using standard culturing techniques and mo...

  14. On cryptographic security of end-to-end encrypted connections in WhatsApp and Telegram messengers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergey V. Zapechnikov

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work is to analyze the available possibilities for improving secure messaging with end-to-end connections under conditions of external violator actions and distrusted service provider. We made a comparative analysis of cryptographic security mechanisms for two widely used messengers: Telegram and WhatsApp. It was found that Telegram is based on MTProto protocol, while WhatsApp is based on the alternative Signal protocol. We examine the specific features of messengers implementation associated with random number generation on the most popular Android mobile platform. It was shown that Signal has better security properties. It is used in several other popular messengers such as TextSecure, RedPhone, GoogleAllo, FacebookMessenger, Signal along with WhatsApp. A number of possible attacks on both messengers were analyzed in details. In particular, we demonstrate that the metadata are poorly protected in both messengers. Metadata security may be one of the goals for further studies.

  15. Investigation of vertebral ''end plate sclerosis''

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, S.W.; Mathie, A.G.; Jackson, J.E.; Hughes, S.P.F.

    2001-01-01

    To evaluate the association between vertebral ''end plate sclerosis'' and neck pain. A retrospective study was carried out of lateral cervical spine radiographs with a Picture Archive and Communication System (PACS). Two hundred patients' files were randomly assessed, comprising four equal groups, A to D. The mean ages of the patients were 62±7.4 years, 61±7.5 years, 40±5.6 years and 23±5.6 years respectively. In group A, all patients had symptoms of neck pain and a radiographic diagnosis of ''end plate sclerosis'' of the cervical spine. In groups B to D, asymptomatic patients were recruited and their age groups were 50-69, 30-49 and 10-29 years respectively. Using the PACS, the radiographic density and the sagittal diameter, thickness and area of the end plates at the C5 level were measured. Results and conclusions: No significant differences were found in the radiographic density of the end plates either between the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups (groups A and B), or between different age groups (groups B, C and D). A significant increase in end plate area and thickness was found, however, in both group B (P<0.005) and group C (P<0.01) in comparison with group D. This indicates that the extent of end plate sclerosis increases with age. Our results suggest that the radiographic density of cervical vertebral end plates correlates neither with neck pain nor with increasing age. The radiological sign of ''end plate sclerosis'' may be over-reported, further limiting its value in the assessment of patients with cervical spondylosis. (orig.)

  16. End to End Digitisation and Analysis of Three-Dimensional Coral Models, from Communities to Corallites.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis Gutierrez-Heredia

    Full Text Available Coral reefs hosts nearly 25% of all marine species and provide food sources for half a billion people worldwide while only a very small percentage have been surveyed. Advances in technology and processing along with affordable underwater cameras and Internet availability gives us the possibility to provide tools and softwares to survey entire coral reefs. Holistic ecological analyses of corals require not only the community view (10s to 100s of meters, but also the single colony analysis as well as corallite identification. As corals are three-dimensional, classical approaches to determine percent cover and structural complexity across spatial scales are inefficient, time-consuming and limited to experts. Here we propose an end-to-end approach to estimate these parameters using low-cost equipment (GoPro, Canon and freeware (123D Catch, Meshmixer and Netfabb, allowing every community to participate in surveys and monitoring of their coral ecosystem. We demonstrate our approach on 9 species of underwater colonies in ranging size and morphology. 3D models of underwater colonies, fresh samples and bleached skeletons with high quality texture mapping and detailed topographic morphology were produced, and Surface Area and Volume measurements (parameters widely used for ecological and coral health studies were calculated and analysed. Moreover, we integrated collected sample models with micro-photogrammetry models of individual corallites to aid identification and colony and polyp scale analysis.

  17. End to End Digitisation and Analysis of Three-Dimensional Coral Models, from Communities to Corallites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutierrez-Heredia, Luis; Benzoni, Francesca; Murphy, Emma; Reynaud, Emmanuel G

    2016-01-01

    Coral reefs hosts nearly 25% of all marine species and provide food sources for half a billion people worldwide while only a very small percentage have been surveyed. Advances in technology and processing along with affordable underwater cameras and Internet availability gives us the possibility to provide tools and softwares to survey entire coral reefs. Holistic ecological analyses of corals require not only the community view (10s to 100s of meters), but also the single colony analysis as well as corallite identification. As corals are three-dimensional, classical approaches to determine percent cover and structural complexity across spatial scales are inefficient, time-consuming and limited to experts. Here we propose an end-to-end approach to estimate these parameters using low-cost equipment (GoPro, Canon) and freeware (123D Catch, Meshmixer and Netfabb), allowing every community to participate in surveys and monitoring of their coral ecosystem. We demonstrate our approach on 9 species of underwater colonies in ranging size and morphology. 3D models of underwater colonies, fresh samples and bleached skeletons with high quality texture mapping and detailed topographic morphology were produced, and Surface Area and Volume measurements (parameters widely used for ecological and coral health studies) were calculated and analysed. Moreover, we integrated collected sample models with micro-photogrammetry models of individual corallites to aid identification and colony and polyp scale analysis.

  18. SU-F-J-177: A Novel Image Analysis Technique (center Pixel Method) to Quantify End-To-End Tests

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wen, N; Chetty, I [Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI (United States); Snyder, K [Henry Ford Hospital System, Detroit, MI (United States); Scheib, S [Varian Medical System, Barton (Switzerland); Qin, Y; Li, H [Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To implement a novel image analysis technique, “center pixel method”, to quantify end-to-end tests accuracy of a frameless, image guided stereotactic radiosurgery system. Methods: The localization accuracy was determined by delivering radiation to an end-to-end prototype phantom. The phantom was scanned with 0.8 mm slice thickness. The treatment isocenter was placed at the center of the phantom. In the treatment room, CBCT images of the phantom (kVp=77, mAs=1022, slice thickness 1 mm) were acquired to register to the reference CT images. 6D couch correction were applied based on the registration results. Electronic Portal Imaging Device (EPID)-based Winston Lutz (WL) tests were performed to quantify the errors of the targeting accuracy of the system at 15 combinations of gantry, collimator and couch positions. The images were analyzed using two different methods. a) The classic method. The deviation was calculated by measuring the radial distance between the center of the central BB and the full width at half maximum of the radiation field. b) The center pixel method. Since the imager projection offset from the treatment isocenter was known from the IsoCal calibration, the deviation was determined between the center of the BB and the central pixel of the imager panel. Results: Using the automatic registration method to localize the phantom and the classic method of measuring the deviation of the BB center, the mean and standard deviation of the radial distance was 0.44 ± 0.25, 0.47 ± 0.26, and 0.43 ± 0.13 mm for the jaw, MLC and cone defined field sizes respectively. When the center pixel method was used, the mean and standard deviation was 0.32 ± 0.18, 0.32 ± 0.17, and 0.32 ± 0.19 mm respectively. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that the center pixel method accurately analyzes the WL images to evaluate the targeting accuracy of the radiosurgery system. The work was supported by a Research Scholar Grant, RSG-15-137-01-CCE from the American

  19. Exact positioning of the robotic arm end effector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korepanov, Valery; Dudkin, Fedir

    2016-07-01

    Orbital service becomes a new challenge of space exploration. The necessity to introduce it is connected first of all with an attractive opportunity to prolong the exploitation terms of expensive commercial satellites by, e.g., refilling of fuel or changing batteries. Other application area is a fight with permanently increasing amount of space litter - defunct satellites, burnt-out rocket stages, discarded trash and other debris. Now more than few tens of thousands orbiting objects larger than 5-10 cm (or about 1 million junks larger than 1 cm) are a huge problem for crucial and costly satellites and manned vehicles. For example, in 2014 the International Space Station had to change three times its orbit to avoid collision with space debris. So the development of the concepts and actions related to removal of space debris or non-operational satellites with use of robotic arm of a servicing satellite is very actual. Such a technology is also applicable for unmanned exploratory missions in solar system, for example for collecting a variety of samples from a celestial body surface. Naturally, the robotic arm movements should be controlled with great accuracy at influence of its non-rigidity, thermal and other factors. In these circumstances often the position of the arm end effector has to be controlled with high accuracy. The possibility of coordinate determination for the robotic arm end effector with use of a low frequency active electromagnetic system has been considered in the presented report. The proposed design of such a system consists of a small magnetic dipole source, which is mounted inside of the arm end effector and two or three 3-component magnetic field sensors mounted on a servicing satellite body. The data from this set of 3-component magnetic field sensors, which are fixed relatively to the satellite body, allows use of the mathematical approach for determination of position and orientation of the magnetic dipole source. The theoretical

  20. Massive Parallelism of Monte-Carlo Simulation on Low-End Hardware using Graphic Processing Units

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mburu, Joe Mwangi; Hah, Chang Joo Hah

    2014-01-01

    Within the past decade, research has been done on utilizing GPU massive parallelization in core simulation with impressive results but unfortunately, not much commercial application has been done in the nuclear field especially in reactor core simulation. The purpose of this paper is to give an introductory concept on the topic and illustrate the potential of exploiting the massive parallel nature of GPU computing on a simple monte-carlo simulation with very minimal hardware specifications. To do a comparative analysis, a simple two dimension monte-carlo simulation is implemented for both the CPU and GPU in order to evaluate performance gain based on the computing devices. The heterogeneous platform utilized in this analysis is done on a slow notebook with only 1GHz processor. The end results are quite surprising whereby high speedups obtained are almost a factor of 10. In this work, we have utilized heterogeneous computing in a GPU-based approach in applying potential high arithmetic intensive calculation. By applying a complex monte-carlo simulation on GPU platform, we have speed up the computational process by almost a factor of 10 based on one million neutrons. This shows how easy, cheap and efficient it is in using GPU in accelerating scientific computing and the results should encourage in exploring further this avenue especially in nuclear reactor physics simulation where deterministic and stochastic calculations are quite favourable in parallelization

  1. Massive Parallelism of Monte-Carlo Simulation on Low-End Hardware using Graphic Processing Units

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mburu, Joe Mwangi; Hah, Chang Joo Hah [KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-05-15

    Within the past decade, research has been done on utilizing GPU massive parallelization in core simulation with impressive results but unfortunately, not much commercial application has been done in the nuclear field especially in reactor core simulation. The purpose of this paper is to give an introductory concept on the topic and illustrate the potential of exploiting the massive parallel nature of GPU computing on a simple monte-carlo simulation with very minimal hardware specifications. To do a comparative analysis, a simple two dimension monte-carlo simulation is implemented for both the CPU and GPU in order to evaluate performance gain based on the computing devices. The heterogeneous platform utilized in this analysis is done on a slow notebook with only 1GHz processor. The end results are quite surprising whereby high speedups obtained are almost a factor of 10. In this work, we have utilized heterogeneous computing in a GPU-based approach in applying potential high arithmetic intensive calculation. By applying a complex monte-carlo simulation on GPU platform, we have speed up the computational process by almost a factor of 10 based on one million neutrons. This shows how easy, cheap and efficient it is in using GPU in accelerating scientific computing and the results should encourage in exploring further this avenue especially in nuclear reactor physics simulation where deterministic and stochastic calculations are quite favourable in parallelization.

  2. Both movement-end and task-end are critical for error feedback in visuomotor adaptation: a behavioral experiment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takumi Ishikawa

    Full Text Available An important issue in motor learning/adaptation research is how the brain accepts the error information necessary for maintaining and improving task performance in a changing environment. The present study focuses on the effect of timing of error feedback. Previous research has demonstrated that adaptation to displacement of the visual field by prisms in a manual reaching task is significantly slowed by delayed visual feedback of the endpoint, suggesting that error feedback is most effective when given at the end of a movement. To further elucidate the brain mechanism by which error information is accepted in visuomotor adaptation, we tested whether error acceptance is linked to the end of a given task or to the end of an executed movement. We conducted a behavioral experiment using a virtual shooting task in which subjects controlled their wrist movements to meet a target with a cursor as accurately as possible. We manipulated the timing of visual feedback of the impact position so that it occurred either ahead of or behind the true time of impact. In another condition, the impact timing was explicitly indicated by an additional cue. The magnitude of the aftereffect significantly varied depending on the timing of feedback (p < 0.05, Friedman's Test. Interestingly, two distinct peaks of aftereffect were observed around movement-end and around task-end, irrespective of the existence of the timing cue. However, the peak around task-end was sharper when the timing cue was given. Our results demonstrate that the brain efficiently accepts error information at both movement-end and task-end, suggesting that two different learning mechanisms may underlie visuomotor transformation.

  3. Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS): What Nurses Need to Know.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Essenmacher, Carol; Naegle, Madeline; Baird, Carolyn; Vest, Bridgette; Spielmann, Rene; Smith-East, Marie; Powers, Leigh

    Efforts to decrease adverse effects of tobacco use are affected by emergence of new nicotine delivery products. Advertising, product promotion, and social media promote use of these products, yet a lack of evidence regarding safety leaves nurses unprepared to counsel patients. To critically evaluate current research, reviews of literature, expert opinion, and stakeholder policy proposals on use and safety of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). A targeted examination of literature generated by key stakeholders and subject matter experts was conducted using key words, modified by risk factors, and limited to the past 8 years. Current knowledge gaps in research literature and practice implications of the literature are discussed. The safety of ENDS is questionable and unclear. There are clear health risks of nicotine exposure to developing brains. Potential health risks of ENDS secondhand emissions exposure exist. Using ENDS to facilitate total tobacco cessation is not proven.

  4. Internet Technology for Future Space Missions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hennessy, Joseph F. (Technical Monitor); Rash, James; Casasanta, Ralph; Hogie, Keith

    2002-01-01

    Ongoing work at National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC), seeks to apply standard Internet applications and protocols to meet the technology challenge of future satellite missions. Internet protocols and technologies are under study as a future means to provide seamless dynamic communication among heterogeneous instruments, spacecraft, ground stations, constellations of spacecraft, and science investigators. The primary objective is to design and demonstrate in the laboratory the automated end-to-end transport of files in a simulated dynamic space environment using off-the-shelf, low-cost, commodity-level standard applications and protocols. The demonstrated functions and capabilities will become increasingly significant in the years to come as both earth and space science missions fly more sensors and the present labor-intensive, mission-specific techniques for processing and routing data become prohibitively. This paper describes how an IP-based communication architecture can support all existing operations concepts and how it will enable some new and complex communication and science concepts. The authors identify specific end-to-end data flows from the instruments to the control centers and scientists, and then describe how each data flow can be supported using standard Internet protocols and applications. The scenarios include normal data downlink and command uplink as well as recovery scenarios for both onboard and ground failures. The scenarios are based on an Earth orbiting spacecraft with downlink data rates from 300 Kbps to 4 Mbps. Included examples are based on designs currently being investigated for potential use by the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission.

  5. 7 CFR 51.1240 - Paper ends.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Paper ends. 51.1240 Section 51.1240 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing... Standards for Cleaned Virginia Type Peanuts in the Shell Definitions § 51.1240 Paper ends. Paper ends means...

  6. Kinetic approach to plasma end loss from linear devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dreicer, H.

    1976-01-01

    A first step in the direction of a kinetic approach to end loss has been presented. This approach brings to light some fundamental processes not uncovered by the magnetohydrodynamic or guiding center approach. Attention was focused on the basically transient phenomenon in a way that describes the quite different behavior of collision dominated and collisionless ions, but ignores the magnetic nozzle effects near the ends of the system. The treatment illuminates some of the roles played by the parameter l/sub ii//L, and suggests the direction for more detailed investigations. End loss from linear systems is a very many faceted problem. Kinetic effects, magnetic effects, heat flow, etc. are all intermixed, and it will require a strong long term experimental and theoretical program to unravel all of its mysteries

  7. Surrogate end points in clinical research: hazardous to your health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grimes, David A; Schulz, Kenneth F

    2005-05-01

    Surrogate end points in clinical research pose real danger. A surrogate end point is an outcome measure, commonly a laboratory test, that substitutes for a clinical event of true importance. Resistance to activated protein C, for example, has been used as a surrogate for venous thrombosis in women using oral contraceptives. Other examples of inappropriate surrogate end points in contraception include the postcoital test instead of pregnancy to evaluate new spermicides, breakage and slippage instead of pregnancy to evaluate condoms, and bone mineral density instead of fracture to assess the safety of depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate. None of these markers captures the effect of the treatment on the true outcome. A valid surrogate end point must both correlate with and accurately predict the outcome of interest. Although many surrogate markers correlate with an outcome, few have been shown to capture the effect of a treatment (for example, oral contraceptives) on the outcome (venous thrombosis). As a result, thousands of useless and misleading reports on surrogate end points litter the medical literature. New drugs have been shown to benefit a surrogate marker, but, paradoxically, triple the risk of death. Thousands of patients have died needlessly because of reliance on invalid surrogate markers. Researchers should avoid surrogate end points unless they have been validated; that requires at least one well done trial using both the surrogate and true outcome. The clinical maxim that "a difference to be a difference must make a difference" applies to research as well. Clinical research should focus on outcomes that matter.

  8. The end of truth?

    OpenAIRE

    C. W. du Toit

    1997-01-01

    As we are approaching the end of the century, many ideas, systems, and certainties, previously taken for granted, seem to be questioned, altered and rejected. One of these is the notion of truth, which pervades the very fibre of Western thinking. Rejecting the relevant critique as simply a postmodem fad, this article proceeds to give attention to the questions regarding the end of religious, scientific, and metaphysical truth. Truth and power are dealt with, as well as the narrative nature of...

  9. A gastrocnemius heterotopical transplant model with end-to-side neurorraphy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaeger, Marcos Ricardo de Oliveira; Silva, Jefferson Luis Braga; Bain, James; Ely, Pedro Bins; Pires, Jefferson André; Ferreira, Lydia Masako

    2014-01-01

    To present an animal model to assess the effects of end-to-side innervation in the heterotopically transplanted model with reduced chances of neural contamination. The medial portion of the gastrocnemius muscle in wistar male rats was isolated and its pedicle dissected and performed a flap in the abdominal portion. To prevent neural contamination in the abdominal region, the muscle was wrapped with a Goretex(r) sheet. The specimens were divided into 2 groups (G). In G1 was performed an end-to-end suture between tibial nerve of the gastrocnemius and femoral motor nerve and between the saphenous sensory nerve and the motor nerve. In G2 was performed a end-to-side suture between the tibial nerve and the motor femoral and between the tibial nerve and saphenous motor nerve. The specimens were evaluated 60 days later to check the structure of the neurorraphy. Sections were obtained proximal and distal to the coaptation site. The medial gastrocnemius muscle had the advantage of maintaining visible mass after 60 days. No disruption of the coaptation site was found. No major injury to the donor nerve was seen in group 2. The proposed model is simple, reproduciple and prevent the neural contamination in the flap in end-to-side suture.

  10. Online Help to End-Users in a Networked Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Paul

    1991-01-01

    Discusses the need for online help for end-users based on experiences with an online public access catalog (OPAC) at the University of Cape Town libraries. The concept of end users is examined, the role of search intermediaries in information systems is explained, and online help and systems design is discussed. (LRW)

  11. Where to place the saving obligation: Energy end-users or suppliers?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertoldi, Paolo; Labanca, Nicola; Rezessy, Silvia; Steuwer, Sibyl; Oikonomou, Vlasis

    2013-01-01

    Obligations to save energy differentiate, among other features, by obliged parties. These are obligations on energy suppliers and energy end-users. Supplier obligations have been introduced in North America, Europe and Australia. Under supplier obligations energy suppliers have to comply with mandatory energy saving targets and thus they implement (directly or via third parties) energy efficiency projects on their clients’ premises, or they decide to trade certified project savings if this option is envisaged by their obligation scheme. In several emerging schemes such as the UK Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme, the Tokyo Emission Trading Scheme or the Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) Scheme in India, the obligation to reduce energy consumption is placed on large end-users directly and end-users are allowed to trade emissions allowances or energy saving certificates. The paper starts with presenting these two conceptually different ways for introducing energy saving obligations. Then it analyses advantages and disadvantages of end-users obligations compared to suppliers obligations. The preliminary conclusion of the paper is that supplier obligations seem to be well-suited for the residential sector, but end-user saving obligations may offer advantages when it comes to the industrial and commercial sectors. - Highlights: • We present different ways for introducing energy saving obligations. • We analyse energy end-users obligations vs. supplier obligations. • Supplier obligations seem to be well-suited for the residential sector. • End-user obligations offer advantages in the industrial and commercial sectors

  12. Wear of micro end mills

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bissacco, Giuliano; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard; De Chiffre, Leonardo

    2005-01-01

    This paper addresses the important issue of wear on micro end mills considering relevant metrological tools for its characterization and quantification. Investigation of wear on micro end mills is particularly difficult and no data are available in the literature. Small worn volumes cause large...... part. For this investigation 200 microns end mills are considered. Visual inspection of the micro tools requires high magnification and depth of focus. 3D reconstruction based on scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and stereo-pair technique is foreseen as a possible method for quantification...

  13. End-on radioisotope thermoelectric generator impact tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reimus, M.A.H.; Hhinckley, J.E.

    1997-01-01

    The General-Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) provides power for space missions by transmitting the heat of [sup 238]Pu decay to an array of thermoelectric elements in a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG). The modular GPHS design was developed to address both survivability during launch abort and return from orbit. The first two RTG Impact Tests were designed to provide information on the response of a fully loaded RTG to end-on impact against a concrete target. The results of these tests indicated that at impact velocities up to 57 m/s the converter shell and internal components protect the GPHS capsules from excessive deformation. At higher velocities, some of the internal components of the RTG interact with the GPHS capsules to cause excessive localized deformation and failure

  14. Status report of the end-to-end ASKAP software system: towards early science operations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guzman, Juan Carlos; Chapman, Jessica; Marquarding, Malte; Whiting, Matthew

    2016-08-01

    300 MHz bandwidth for Array Release 1; followed by the deployment of the real-time data processing components. In addition to the Central Processor, the first production release of the CSIRO ASKAP Science Data Archive (CASDA) has also been deployed in one of the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre facilities and it is integrated to the end-to-end ASKAP data flow system. This paper describes the current status of the "end-to-end" data flow software system from preparing observations to data acquisition, processing and archiving; and the challenges of integrating an HPC facility as a key part of the instrument. It also shares some lessons learned since the start of integration activities and the challenges ahead in preparation for the start of the Early Science program.

  15. A proton point source produced by laser interaction with cone-top-end target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Jinqing; Jin, Xiaolin; Zhou, Weimin; Zhao, Zongqing; Yan, Yonghong; Li, Bin; Hong, Wei; Gu, Yuqiu

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we propose a proton point source by the interaction of laser and cone-top-end target and investigate it by two-dimensional particle-in-cell (2D-PIC) simulations as the proton point sources are well known for higher spatial resolution of proton radiography. Our results show that the relativistic electrons are guided to the rear of the cone-top-end target by the electrostatic charge-separation field and self-generated magnetic field along the profile of the target. As a result, the peak magnitude of sheath field at the rear surface of cone-top-end target is higher compared to common cone target. We test this scheme by 2D-PIC simulation and find the result has a diameter of 0.79λ 0 , an average energy of 9.1 MeV and energy spread less than 35%.

  16. SciBox, an end-to-end automated science planning and commanding system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choo, Teck H.; Murchie, Scott L.; Bedini, Peter D.; Steele, R. Josh; Skura, Joseph P.; Nguyen, Lillian; Nair, Hari; Lucks, Michael; Berman, Alice F.; McGovern, James A.; Turner, F. Scott

    2014-01-01

    SciBox is a new technology for planning and commanding science operations for Earth-orbital and planetary space missions. It has been incrementally developed since 2001 and demonstrated on several spaceflight projects. The technology has matured to the point that it is now being used to plan and command all orbital science operations for the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission to Mercury. SciBox encompasses the derivation of observing sequences from science objectives, the scheduling of those sequences, the generation of spacecraft and instrument commands, and the validation of those commands prior to uploading to the spacecraft. Although the process is automated, science and observing requirements are incorporated at each step by a series of rules and parameters to optimize observing opportunities, which are tested and validated through simulation and review. Except for limited special operations and tests, there is no manual scheduling of observations or construction of command sequences. SciBox reduces the lead time for operations planning by shortening the time-consuming coordination process, reduces cost by automating the labor-intensive processes of human-in-the-loop adjudication of observing priorities, reduces operations risk by systematically checking constraints, and maximizes science return by fully evaluating the trade space of observing opportunities to meet MESSENGER science priorities within spacecraft recorder, downlink, scheduling, and orbital-geometry constraints.

  17. Environmental Education Research: To What Ends?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jickling, Bob

    2009-01-01

    This paper engages questions about ends in environmental education research. In doing so, I argue that such questions are essentially normative, and that normative questions are underrepresented in this field. After cautioning about perils of prescribing research agendas, I gently suggest that in environmental education key normative questions…

  18. A novel end-to-end classifier using domain transferred deep convolutional neural networks for biomedical images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pang, Shuchao; Yu, Zhezhou; Orgun, Mehmet A

    2017-03-01

    Highly accurate classification of biomedical images is an essential task in the clinical diagnosis of numerous medical diseases identified from those images. Traditional image classification methods combined with hand-crafted image feature descriptors and various classifiers are not able to effectively improve the accuracy rate and meet the high requirements of classification of biomedical images. The same also holds true for artificial neural network models directly trained with limited biomedical images used as training data or directly used as a black box to extract the deep features based on another distant dataset. In this study, we propose a highly reliable and accurate end-to-end classifier for all kinds of biomedical images via deep learning and transfer learning. We first apply domain transferred deep convolutional neural network for building a deep model; and then develop an overall deep learning architecture based on the raw pixels of original biomedical images using supervised training. In our model, we do not need the manual design of the feature space, seek an effective feature vector classifier or segment specific detection object and image patches, which are the main technological difficulties in the adoption of traditional image classification methods. Moreover, we do not need to be concerned with whether there are large training sets of annotated biomedical images, affordable parallel computing resources featuring GPUs or long times to wait for training a perfect deep model, which are the main problems to train deep neural networks for biomedical image classification as observed in recent works. With the utilization of a simple data augmentation method and fast convergence speed, our algorithm can achieve the best accuracy rate and outstanding classification ability for biomedical images. We have evaluated our classifier on several well-known public biomedical datasets and compared it with several state-of-the-art approaches. We propose a robust

  19. Cheating at the end to avoid regret.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Effron, Daniel A; Bryan, Christopher J; Murnighan, J Keith

    2015-09-01

    How do people behave when they face a finite series of opportunities to cheat with little or no risk of detection? In 4 experiments and a small meta-analysis, we analyzed over 25,000 cheating opportunities faced by over 2,500 people. The results suggested that the odds of cheating are almost 3 times higher at the end of a series than earlier. Participants could cheat in 1 of 2 ways: They could lie about the outcome of a private coin flip to get a payoff that they would otherwise not receive (Studies 1-3) or they could overbill for their work (Study 4). We manipulated the number of cheating opportunities they expected but held the actual number of opportunities constant. The data showed that the likelihood of cheating and the extent of dishonesty were both greater when people believed that they were facing a last choice. Mediation analyses suggested that anticipatory regret about passing up a chance to enrich oneself drove this cheat-at-the-end effect. We found no support for alternative explanations based on the possibility that multiple cheating opportunities depleted people's self-control, eroded their moral standards, or made them feel that they had earned the right to cheat. The data also suggested that the cheat-at-the-end effect may be limited to relatively short series of cheating opportunities (i.e., n < 20). Our discussion addresses the psychological and behavioral dynamics of repeated ethical choices. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  20. Pharmacotherapy at the end-of-life.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Mahony, Denis

    2011-07-01

    Older people reaching end-of-life status are particularly at risk from inter-related adverse effects of pharmacotherapy, including polypharmacy, inappropriate medications and adverse drug events. These adverse effects of pharmacotherapy may be highly detrimental, as well as highly expensive. End-of-life pharmacotherapy is sometimes perceived to be complex and challenging, probably unnecessarily. This relates in part to the poorly developed evidence base and lack of high-quality research in this area. In this article, we deal with some of the key issues relating to pharmacotherapy in end-of-life patients, namely (i) the guiding principles of drug selection, (ii) the main drugs and drug classes that are best avoided, (iii) the benefits of \\'oligopharmacy\\' (i.e. deliberate avoidance of polypharmacy) in end-of-life patients.

  1. Secondary link adaptation in cognitive radio networks: End-to-end performance with cross-layer design

    KAUST Repository

    Ma, Hao

    2012-04-01

    Under spectrum-sharing constraints, we consider the secondary link exploiting cross-layer combining of adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) at the physical layer with truncated automatic repeat request (T-ARQ) at the data link layer in cognitive radio networks. Both, basic AMC and aggressive AMC, are adopted to optimize the overall average spectral efficiency, subject to the interference constraints imposed by the primary user of the shared spectrum band and a target packet loss rate. We achieve the optimal boundary points in closed form to choose the AMC transmission modes by taking into account the channel state information from the secondary transmitter to both the primary receiver and the secondary receiver. Moreover, numerical results substantiate that, without any cost in the transmitter/receiver design nor the end-to-end delay, the scheme with aggressive AMC outperforms that with conventional AMC. The main reason is that, with aggressive AMC, different transmission modes utilized in the initial packet transmission and the following retransmissions match the time-varying channel conditions better than the basic pattern. © 2012 IEEE.

  2. Reconstruction after ureteral resection during HIPEC surgery: Re-implantation with uretero-neocystostomy seems safer than end-to-end anastomosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinar, U; Tremblay, J-F; Passot, G; Dazza, M; Glehen, O; Tuech, J-J; Pocard, M

    2017-09-01

    Resection of the pelvic ureter may be necessary in cytoreductive surgery for peritoneal carcinomatosis in combination with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). As the morbidity for cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC has decreased, expert teams have begun to perform increasingly complex surgical procedures associated with HIPEC, including pelvic reconstructions. After ureteral resection, two types of reconstruction are possible: uretero-ureteral end-to-end anastomosis and uretero-vesical re-implantation or uretero-neocystostomy (the so-called psoas hitch technique). By compiling the experience of three surgical teams that perform HIPEC surgeries, we have tried to compare the effectiveness of these two techniques. A retrospective comparative case-matched multicenter study was conducted for patients undergoing operation between 2005 and 2014. Patients included had undergone resection of the pelvic ureter during cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC for peritoneal carcinomatomosis; ureteral reconstruction was by either end-to-end anastomosis (EEA group) or re-implantation uretero-neocystostomy (RUC group). The primary endpoint was the occurrence of urinary fistula in postoperative follow-up. There were 14 patients in the EEA group and 14 in the RUC group. The groups were comparable for age, extent of carcinomatosis (PCI index) and operative duration. Four urinary fistulas occurred in the EEA group (28.5%) versus zero fistulas in the RUC group (0%) (P=0.0308). Re-implantation with uretero-neocystostomy during cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC is the preferred technique for reconstruction after ureteral resection in case of renal conservation. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

  3. Analytical model for shear strength of end slabs of prestressed concrete nuclear reactor vessels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdulrahman, H.O.; Sozen, M.A.; Schnobrich, W.C.

    1979-04-01

    The results are presented of an investigation of the behavior and strength of flat end slabs of cylindrical prestressed concrete nuclear reactor vessels. The investigation included tests of ten small-scale pressure vessels and development of a nonlinear finite-element model to simulate the deformation response and strength of the end slabs. Because earlier experimental studies had shown that the flexural strength of the end slab could be calculated using intelligible procedures, the emphasis of this investigation was on shear strength

  4. Det gående interview

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Kim

    2017-01-01

    Det gående interview understøtter børns aktive deltagelse, og giver indblik i den materielle og kulturelle kontekst......Det gående interview understøtter børns aktive deltagelse, og giver indblik i den materielle og kulturelle kontekst...

  5. Validation of intermediate end points in cancer research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schatzkin, A; Freedman, L S; Schiffman, M H; Dawsey, S M

    1990-11-21

    Investigations using intermediate end points as cancer surrogates are quicker, smaller, and less expensive than studies that use malignancy as the end point. We present a strategy for determining whether a given biomarker is a valid intermediate end point between an exposure and incidence of cancer. Candidate intermediate end points may be selected from case series, ecologic studies, and animal experiments. Prospective cohort and sometimes case-control studies may be used to quantify the intermediate end point-cancer association. The most appropriate measure of this association is the attributable proportion. The intermediate end point is a valid cancer surrogate if the attributable proportion is close to 1.0, but not if it is close to 0. Usually, the attributable proportion is close to neither 1.0 nor 0; in this case, valid surrogacy requires that the intermediate end point mediate an established exposure-cancer relation. This would in turn imply that the exposure effect would vanish if adjusted for the intermediate end point. We discuss the relative advantages of intervention and observational studies for the validation of intermediate end points. This validation strategy also may be applied to intermediate end points for adverse reproductive outcomes and chronic diseases other than cancer.

  6. A Computational Analysis Model for Open-ended Cognitions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morita, Junya; Miwa, Kazuhisa

    In this paper, we propose a novel usage for computational cognitive models. In cognitive science, computational models have played a critical role of theories for human cognitions. Many computational models have simulated results of controlled psychological experiments successfully. However, there have been only a few attempts to apply the models to complex realistic phenomena. We call such a situation ``open-ended situation''. In this study, MAC/FAC (``many are called, but few are chosen''), proposed by [Forbus 95], that models two stages of analogical reasoning was applied to our open-ended psychological experiment. In our experiment, subjects were presented a cue story, and retrieved cases that had been learned in their everyday life. Following this, they rated inferential soundness (goodness as analogy) of each retrieved case. For each retrieved case, we computed two kinds of similarity scores (content vectors/structural evaluation scores) using the algorithms of the MAC/FAC. As a result, the computed content vectors explained the overall retrieval of cases well, whereas the structural evaluation scores had a strong relation to the rated scores. These results support the MAC/FAC's theoretical assumption - different similarities are involved on the two stages of analogical reasoning. Our study is an attempt to use a computational model as an analysis device for open-ended human cognitions.

  7. Atmospheric carbon injection linked to end-Triassic mass extinction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruhl, Micha; Bonis, Nina R; Reichart, Gert-Jan; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S; Kürschner, Wolfram M

    2011-07-22

    The end-Triassic mass extinction (~201.4 million years ago), marked by terrestrial ecosystem turnover and up to ~50% loss in marine biodiversity, has been attributed to intensified volcanic activity during the break-up of Pangaea. Here, we present compound-specific carbon-isotope data of long-chain n-alkanes derived from waxes of land plants, showing a ~8.5 per mil negative excursion, coincident with the extinction interval. These data indicate strong carbon-13 depletion of the end-Triassic atmosphere, within only 10,000 to 20,000 years. The magnitude and rate of this carbon-cycle disruption can be explained by the injection of at least ~12 × 10(3) gigatons of isotopically depleted carbon as methane into the atmosphere. Concurrent vegetation changes reflect strong warming and an enhanced hydrological cycle. Hence, end-Triassic events are robustly linked to methane-derived massive carbon release and associated climate change.

  8. NCAR Earth Observing Laboratory - An End-to-End Observational Science Enterprise

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rockwell, A.; Baeuerle, B.; Grubišić, V.; Hock, T. F.; Lee, W. C.; Ranson, J.; Stith, J. L.; Stossmeister, G.

    2017-12-01

    Researchers who want to understand and describe the Earth System require high-quality observations of the atmosphere, ocean, and biosphere. Making these observations not only requires capable research platforms and state-of-the-art instrumentation but also benefits from comprehensive in-field project management and data services. NCAR's Earth Observing Laboratory (EOL) is an end-to-end observational science enterprise that provides leadership in observational research to scientists from universities, U.S. government agencies, and NCAR. Deployment: EOL manages the majority of the NSF Lower Atmosphere Observing Facilities, which includes research aircraft, radars, lidars, profilers, and surface and sounding systems. This suite is designed to address a wide range of Earth system science - from microscale to climate process studies and from the planet's surface into the Upper Troposphere/Lower Stratosphere. EOL offers scientific, technical, operational, and logistics support to small and large field campaigns across the globe. Development: By working closely with the scientific community, EOL's engineering and scientific staff actively develop the next generation of observing facilities, staying abreast of emerging trends, technologies, and applications in order to improve our measurement capabilities. Through our Design and Fabrication Services, we also offer high-level engineering and technical expertise, mechanical design, and fabrication to the atmospheric research community. Data Services: EOL's platforms and instruments collect unique datasets that must be validated, archived, and made available to the research community. EOL's Data Management and Services deliver high-quality datasets and metadata in ways that are transparent, secure, and easily accessible. We are committed to the highest standard of data stewardship from collection to validation to archival. Discovery: EOL promotes curiosity about Earth science, and fosters advanced understanding of the

  9. 12 CFR 221.109 - Loan to open-end investment company.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... CARRYING MARGIN STOCK (REGULATION U) Interpretations § 221.109 Loan to open-end investment company. In... customarily purchases stocks registered on a national securities exchange, the Board stated that in view of... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Loan to open-end investment company. 221.109...

  10. Completion of the first TRT End-cap

    CERN Multimedia

    Catinaccio, A; Rohne, O

    On July 1, the first end-cap of the ATLAS Transition Radiation Tracker (TRT) was successfully completed in terms of the integration of the wheels assembled in Russia with their front-end electronics. The two groups of the detector, fully assembled and equipped with front-end electronics, were rotated from their horizontal position during stacking to their nominal vertical position, in which they will be integrated with the corresponding end-cap silicon-strip (SCT) detector towards the end of 2005, before installation into ATLAS in spring 2006. After starting the assembly in the SR building one year ago, the TRT team reached this important milestone, which marks the final realization and validation of the engineering concept developed by the CERN DT1 (ex-TA1) and ATT teams. A TRT end-cap consists of two sets of identical and independent wheels. The first type of wheels (type A, 12 wheels, positioned closest to the primary interaction point) contains 6144 radial straws positioned in eight successive layers s...

  11. MFTF-α+T end plug magnet design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Srivastava, V.C.; O'Toole, J.A.

    1983-01-01

    The conceptual design of the end-plug magnets for MFTF-α+T is described. MFTF-α+ T is a near-term upgrade of MFTF-B, which features new end plugs to improve performance. The Fusion Engineering Design Center has performed the engineering design of MFTF-α+T under the overall direction of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Each end plug consists of two Yin-Yang pairs, each with approx.2.5:1 mirror ratio and approx.5-T peak field on axis; two transition coils; and a recircularizing solenoid. This paper describes the end-plug magnet system functional requirements and presents a conceptual design that meets them. The peak field at the windings of the end-plug coils is approx.6-T. These coils are designed using the NbTi MFTF-B conductor and cooled by a 4.2K liquid helium bath. All the end-plug magnets are designed to operate in the cryostable mode with adequate quench protection for safety. Shielding requirements are stated and a summary of heat loads is provided. Field and force calculations are discussed. The field on axis is shown to meet the functional requirements. Force resultants are reported in terms of winding running loads and resultant coil forces are also given. The magnet structural support is described. A trade study to determine the optimum end-cell coil internal nuclear shield thickness and the resulting coil size based on minimizing the end-cell life cycle cost is summarized

  12. End-to-end requirements management for multiprojects in the construction industry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wörösch, Michael

    Performance Concrete and insulation materials – is used. By means of action research and interviews of case project staff it has become evident that many elements of formalized requirements management are missing in the case project. To fill those gaps and be able to manage requirements end...... with regards to requirements management. As the literature study gives little new information, a series of interviews are initiated with experts from industry and universities. Those interviews reveal major shortcomings in the way requirements are handled in Danish construction companies today. In order...... to give managers of construction projects a useful and guiding tool for formally managing requirements that is rooted in practice, the “Conceptual requirements management framework”, is created. The framework builds upon the gathered empirical data, obtained by action research, interviews, and available...

  13. ATLAS End-cap Part II

    CERN Multimedia

    2007-01-01

    The epic journey of the ATLAS magnets is drawing to an end. On Thursday 12 July, the second end-cap of the ATLAS toroid magnet was lowered into the cavern of the experiment with the same degree of precision as the first (see Bulletin No. 26/2007). This spectacular descent of the 240-tonne component, is one of the last transport to be completed for ATLAS.

  14. An application of differential geometry to SSC magnet end winding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cook, J.M.

    1990-04-01

    It is expected that a large fraction of the total cost of the proposed Superconducting Supercollider will be spent on magnets, and, as Leon Lederman has remarked, ''most of the cost of making a magnet is in the ends.'' Among the mechanical problems to be solved there is the construction of an end-configuration for the superconducting cables which will minimize their strain energy. The purpose of this paper is to promote the use of differential geometry in this minimization. The use will be illustrated by a specific application to the winding of dipole ends. The cables are assumed to be clamped so firmly that their strain is not altered by Lorentz stresses. 15 refs

  15. What Does Titan's Atmosphere Look Like Near The Poles At The End Of The Cassini Mission ?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nixon, C. A.; Coustenis, A.; Jennings, D. E.; Achterberg, R. K.; Bampasidis, G.; Cottini, V.; Flasar, F. M.; Lavvas, P.

    2017-12-01

    The Cassini mission ends on Sept. 15, 2017, after - among other - 127 targeted Titan flybys. We have monitored the seasonal evolution near Titan's poles during the mission. Titan's North pole had been enhanced in chemical species since the beginning of the observations, but since 2010, we observe at Titan's south pole a strong temperature decrease and the onset of a dramatic enhancement of several trace species such as complex hydrocarbons and nitriles (HC3N and C6H6 in particular) previously observed only at high northern latitudes (Coustenis et al. 2016 and references therein). This is due to the transition of Titan's seasons from northern winter in 2002 to northern summer in 2017 and, at the same time, the advent of winter in the south pole, during which time species with longer chemical lifetimes remain in the north for a little longer undergoing slow photochemical destruction, while those with shorter lifetimes disappear, reappearing in the south. An opposite effect has been expected in the North, but not observed with any significant certainty until 2016. We present here an analysis of nadir spectra acquired by Cassini/CIRS (Jennings et al., 2017) at high resolution in the past years and describe the newly observed decrease in chemical abundances of the components in the North. From 2013 until 2016, the Northern polar region has shown a temperature increase of 10 K, while the South had shown a more significant decrease in a similar period of time. The chemical content in the North is finally showing a clear depletion for most molecules since 2015 (Coustenis et al., 2017). References: Coustenis et al., 2016, Icarus 270, 409-420 ; Coustenis et al., 2017, submitted; Jennings et al., 2017, Applied Optics 56, no 18, 5274-5294.

  16. Lateral Penumbra Modelling Based Leaf End Shape Optimization for Multileaf Collimator in Radiotherapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dong Zhou

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Lateral penumbra of multileaf collimator plays an important role in radiotherapy treatment planning. Growing evidence has revealed that, for a single-focused multileaf collimator, lateral penumbra width is leaf position dependent and largely attributed to the leaf end shape. In our study, an analytical method for leaf end induced lateral penumbra modelling is formulated using Tangent Secant Theory. Compared with Monte Carlo simulation and ray tracing algorithm, our model serves well the purpose of cost-efficient penumbra evaluation. Leaf ends represented in parametric forms of circular arc, elliptical arc, Bézier curve, and B-spline are implemented. With biobjective function of penumbra mean and variance introduced, genetic algorithm is carried out for approximating the Pareto frontier. Results show that for circular arc leaf end objective function is convex and convergence to optimal solution is guaranteed using gradient based iterative method. It is found that optimal leaf end in the shape of Bézier curve achieves minimal standard deviation, while using B-spline minimum of penumbra mean is obtained. For treatment modalities in clinical application, optimized leaf ends are in close agreement with actual shapes. Taken together, the method that we propose can provide insight into leaf end shape design of multileaf collimator.

  17. Lateral Penumbra Modelling Based Leaf End Shape Optimization for Multileaf Collimator in Radiotherapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Dong; Zhang, Hui; Ye, Peiqing

    2016-01-01

    Lateral penumbra of multileaf collimator plays an important role in radiotherapy treatment planning. Growing evidence has revealed that, for a single-focused multileaf collimator, lateral penumbra width is leaf position dependent and largely attributed to the leaf end shape. In our study, an analytical method for leaf end induced lateral penumbra modelling is formulated using Tangent Secant Theory. Compared with Monte Carlo simulation and ray tracing algorithm, our model serves well the purpose of cost-efficient penumbra evaluation. Leaf ends represented in parametric forms of circular arc, elliptical arc, Bézier curve, and B-spline are implemented. With biobjective function of penumbra mean and variance introduced, genetic algorithm is carried out for approximating the Pareto frontier. Results show that for circular arc leaf end objective function is convex and convergence to optimal solution is guaranteed using gradient based iterative method. It is found that optimal leaf end in the shape of Bézier curve achieves minimal standard deviation, while using B-spline minimum of penumbra mean is obtained. For treatment modalities in clinical application, optimized leaf ends are in close agreement with actual shapes. Taken together, the method that we propose can provide insight into leaf end shape design of multileaf collimator. PMID:27110274

  18. Lateral Penumbra Modelling Based Leaf End Shape Optimization for Multileaf Collimator in Radiotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Dong; Zhang, Hui; Ye, Peiqing

    2016-01-01

    Lateral penumbra of multileaf collimator plays an important role in radiotherapy treatment planning. Growing evidence has revealed that, for a single-focused multileaf collimator, lateral penumbra width is leaf position dependent and largely attributed to the leaf end shape. In our study, an analytical method for leaf end induced lateral penumbra modelling is formulated using Tangent Secant Theory. Compared with Monte Carlo simulation and ray tracing algorithm, our model serves well the purpose of cost-efficient penumbra evaluation. Leaf ends represented in parametric forms of circular arc, elliptical arc, Bézier curve, and B-spline are implemented. With biobjective function of penumbra mean and variance introduced, genetic algorithm is carried out for approximating the Pareto frontier. Results show that for circular arc leaf end objective function is convex and convergence to optimal solution is guaranteed using gradient based iterative method. It is found that optimal leaf end in the shape of Bézier curve achieves minimal standard deviation, while using B-spline minimum of penumbra mean is obtained. For treatment modalities in clinical application, optimized leaf ends are in close agreement with actual shapes. Taken together, the method that we propose can provide insight into leaf end shape design of multileaf collimator.

  19. Progress in LAr EndCap Calorimetry: News from the Hadronic EndCap Group.

    CERN Multimedia

    Oram, C.J.

    With module production and testing completed for the Hadronic EndCap calorimeter, the attention of the HEC group is heavily directed towards wheel assembly in building 180. Three of the four HEC wheels are now assembled and rotated, and work is progressing on assembling the final wheel. This year has been a busy year for the installation of components in the EndCap C cryostat: the signal feedthrough installation was completed April 22nd, the pre-sampler shortly thereafter and the Electro-Magnetic EndCap August 13th. This allowed the HEC group to start transferring the HEC wheels from the T6A storage cradle into the cryostat. The operation started in mid-September and has progressed, on or ahead of schedule, since then with the major milestones being: Insertion of 67 ton front HEC wheel October 3rd Insertion of 90 ton rear HEC wheel October 22nd. The wheel alignment has proved to be excellent, with the position of the centre of the front(rear) wheel with respect to the nominal position being displaced b...

  20. Neuroma prevention by end-to-side neurorraphy: an experimental study in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aszmann, Oskar C; Korak, Klaus J; Rab, Matthias; Grünbeck, Matthias; Lassmann, Hans; Frey, Manfred

    2003-11-01

    The successful treatment of painful neuromas remains a difficult goal to attain. In this report we explore the feasibility of neuroma prevention by insertion of the proximal end of a nerve through an end-to-side neurorraphy into an adjacent mixed nerve to provide a pathway and target for axons deprived of their end organ. Experiments were performed on a total of twenty 250-g Sprague-Dawley rats. Two groups of 10 animals were prepared. Group A served as an anatomic control. In group B the right saphenous nerve was transected and implanted end-to-side through an epineurial window into the tibial nerve distal to the trifurcation of the sciatic nerve. After 12 weeks the corresponding sensory neurons were identified by retrograde labeling techniques and histomorphometric analysis of the proximal and distal tibial nerve segments, and regular histology of the end-to-side site were performed. The results of the retrograde labeling of the corresponding sensory neuron pool of the saphenus nerve showed extensive labelling of the L1 to L3 spinal ganglions after intracutaneous tracer application of the planta pedis. The morphology of the end-to-side coaptation site and histomorphologic analysis prove that sensory neurons penetrate the perineurial sheath and axons regenerate along the tibial Schwann cell tubes toward their targets. Axons of a severed peripheral nerve that are provided with a pathway and target through an end-to-side coaptation will either be pruned or establish some type of end-organ contact so that a neuroma can be prevented. Whether these axons will lead to disturbing sensations such as paresthesia or dysesthesia in the newly found environment or remain silent codwellers, this experiment cannot answer. Long-term results of future clinical work will have to decide whether the prevention of the neuroma through end-to-side coaptation will be an appropriate therapy for this difficult problem.

  1. Octanol reduces end-plate channel lifetime

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gage, Peter W.; McBurney, Robert N.; Van Helden, Dirk

    1978-01-01

    1. Post-synaptic effects of n-octanol at concentrations of 0·1-1 mM were examined in toad sartorius muscles by use of extracellular and voltage-clamp techniques. 2. Octanol depressed the amplitude and duration of miniature end-plate currents and hence depressed neuromuscular transmission. 3. The decay of miniature end-plate currents remained exponential in octanol solutions even when the time constant of decay (τD) was decreased by 80-90%. 4. The lifetime of end-plate channels, obtained by analysis of acetylcholine noise, was also decreased by octanol. The average lifetime measured from noise spectra agreed reasonably well with the time constant of decay of miniature end-plate currents, both in control solution and in octanol solutions. 5. Octanol caused a reduction in the conductance of end-plate channels. Single channel conductance was on average about 25 pS in control solution and 20 pS in octanol. 6. In most cells the normal voltage sensitivity of the decay of miniature end-plate currents was retained in octanol solutions. The lifetime of end-plate channels measured from acetylcholine noise also remained voltage-sensitive in octanol solutions. In some experiments in which channel lifetime was exceptionally reduced the voltage sensitivity was less than normal. 7. In octanol solutions, τD was still very sensitive to temperature changes in most cells although in some the temperature sensitivity of τD was clearly reduced. Changes in τD with temperature could generally be fitted by the Arrhenius equation suggesting that a single step reaction controlled the decay of currents both in control and in octanol solutions. In some cells in which τD became less than 0·3 ms, the relationship between τD and temperature became inconsistent with the Arrhenius equation. 8. As the decay of end-plate currents in octanol solutions remains exponential, and the voltage and temperature sensitivity can be unchanged even when τD is significantly reduced, it seems likely that

  2. ARIA: Delivering state-of-the-art InSAR products to end users

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agram, P. S.; Owen, S. E.; Hua, H.; Manipon, G.; Sacco, G. F.; Bue, B. D.; Fielding, E. J.; Yun, S. H.; Simons, M.; Webb, F.; Rosen, P. A.; Lundgren, P.; Liu, Z.

    2016-12-01

    Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) Center for Natural Hazards aims to bring state-of-the-art geodetic imaging capabilities to an operational level in support of local, national, and international hazard response communities. ARIA project's first foray into operational generation of InSAR products was with Calimap Project, in collaboration with ASI-CIDOT, using X-band data from the Cosmo-SkyMed constellation. Over the last year, ARIA's processing infrastructure has been significantly upgraded to exploit the free stream of high quality C-band SAR data from ESA's Sentinel-1 mission and related algorithmic improvements to the ISCE software. ARIA's data system can now operationally generate geocoded unwrapped phase and coherence products in GIS-friendly formats from Sentinel-1 TOPS mode data in an automated fashion, and this capability is currently being exercised various study sites across the United States including Hawaii, Central California, Iceland and South America. The ARIA team, building on the experience gained from handling X-band data and C-band data, has also built an automated machine learning-based classifier to label the auto-generated interferograms based on phase unwrapping quality. These high quality "time-series ready" InSAR products generated using state-of-the-art processing algorithms can be accessed by end users using two different mechanisms - 1) a Faceted-search interface that includes browse imagery for quick visualization and 2) an ElasticSearch-based API to enable bulk automated download, post-processing and time-series analysis. In this talk, we will present InSAR results from various global events that ARIA system has responded to. We will also discuss the set of geospatial big data tools including GIS libraries and API tools, that end users will need to familiarize themselves with in order to maximize the utilization of continuous stream of InSAR products from the Sentinel-1 and NISAR missions that the ARIA project will generate.

  3. A software tool for simulation of surfaces generated by ball nose end milling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bissacco, Giuliano

    2004-01-01

    , for prediction of surface topography of ball nose end milled surfaces, was developed. Such software tool is based on a simplified model of the ideal tool motion and neglects the effects due to run-out, static and dynamic deflections and error motions, but has the merit of generating in output a file in a format...... readable by a surface processor software (SPIP [2]), for calculation of a number of surface roughness parameters. In the next paragraph a description of the basic features of ball nose end milled surfaces is given, while in paragraph 3 the model is described....

  4. Multi-geohazards of Ende city area

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Igan Supriatman Sutawidjaja

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.17014/ijog.vol2no4.20073The Ende City is a steep mountainous area, of which the height of their peaks are above 1500 m asl. It has the limited extent of plain places, without coastal plains. Due to this condition, large parts of the area are vulnerable to mass-movements mainly debris flows, rock-falls and shallow translational and rotational landslides. On the other hand, Flores Island is a segment of the Banda Arc that contains eleven very active volcanoes and numerous inactive volcanic cones. Two of them, Mount Iya and Mount Kelimutu are included to Ende Regency. The northern foot of Mount Iya is only about 1 km away from the southern outskirts of Ende city. But the presence of Mount Meja and Mount Roja as the barrier, and the orientation of the active crater (K2, the highly explosive eruption of Iya Volcano may not directly endanger the city of Ende. Most pyroclastic flows of previous eruptions and other eruptive material emplaced into the sea, but due to a short horizontal distance between Mount Iya and Ende City, the ejected rock fragments can endanger the city of Ende especially its southern parts. A crack has developed around the active crater (K2 of Iya Volcano. It seems that the crack indicates a major weakness within the volcano, which could result in a giant landslide, entering the sea in future eruptions of Iya Volcano. The kinetic energy which is transmitted through the water may probably generate a tsunami. The Ende City also experienced significant damages in the 1992 earthquake. Luckily this city is located on a solid rock instead of alluvial sediments which can potentially undergo liquefaction.  

  5. Designing end-user interfaces

    CERN Document Server

    Heaton, N

    1988-01-01

    Designing End-User Interfaces: State of the Art Report focuses on the field of human/computer interaction (HCI) that reviews the design of end-user interfaces.This compilation is divided into two parts. Part I examines specific aspects of the problem in HCI that range from basic definitions of the problem, evaluation of how to look at the problem domain, and fundamental work aimed at introducing human factors into all aspects of the design cycle. Part II consists of six main topics-definition of the problem, psychological and social factors, principles of interface design, computer intelligenc

  6. TOWARD END-TO-END MODELING FOR NUCLEAR EXPLOSION MONITORING: SIMULATION OF UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS AND EARTHQUAKES USING HYDRODYNAMIC AND ANELASTIC SIMULATIONS, HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL EARTH MODELS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodgers, A; Vorobiev, O; Petersson, A; Sjogreen, B

    2009-07-06

    This paper describes new research being performed to improve understanding of seismic waves generated by underground nuclear explosions (UNE) by using full waveform simulation, high-performance computing and three-dimensional (3D) earth models. The goal of this effort is to develop an end-to-end modeling capability to cover the range of wave propagation required for nuclear explosion monitoring (NEM) from the buried nuclear device to the seismic sensor. The goal of this work is to improve understanding of the physical basis and prediction capabilities of seismic observables for NEM including source and path-propagation effects. We are pursuing research along three main thrusts. Firstly, we are modeling the non-linear hydrodynamic response of geologic materials to underground explosions in order to better understand how source emplacement conditions impact the seismic waves that emerge from the source region and are ultimately observed hundreds or thousands of kilometers away. Empirical evidence shows that the amplitudes and frequency content of seismic waves at all distances are strongly impacted by the physical properties of the source region (e.g. density, strength, porosity). To model the near-source shock-wave motions of an UNE, we use GEODYN, an Eulerian Godunov (finite volume) code incorporating thermodynamically consistent non-linear constitutive relations, including cavity formation, yielding, porous compaction, tensile failure, bulking and damage. In order to propagate motions to seismic distances we are developing a one-way coupling method to pass motions to WPP (a Cartesian anelastic finite difference code). Preliminary investigations of UNE's in canonical materials (granite, tuff and alluvium) confirm that emplacement conditions have a strong effect on seismic amplitudes and the generation of shear waves. Specifically, we find that motions from an explosion in high-strength, low-porosity granite have high compressional wave amplitudes and weak

  7. Telomere dynamics, end-to-end fusions and telomerase activation during the human fibroblast immortalization process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ducray, C; Pommier, J P; Martins, L; Boussin, F D; Sabatier, L

    1999-07-22

    Loss of telomeric repeats during cell proliferation could play a role in senescence. It has been generally assumed that activation of telomerase prevents further telomere shortening and is essential for cell immortalization. In this study, we performed a detailed cytogenetic and molecular characterization of four SV40 transformed human fibroblastic cell lines by regularly monitoring the size distribution of terminal restriction fragments, telomerase activity and the associated chromosomal instability throughout immortalization. The mean TRF lengths progressively decreased in pre-crisis cells during the lifespan of the cultures. At crisis, telomeres reached a critical size, different among the cell lines, contributing to the peak of dicentric chromosomes, which resulted mostly from telomeric associations. We observed a direct correlation between short telomere length at crisis and chromosomal instability. In two immortal cell lines, although telomerase was detected, mean telomere length still continued to decrease whereas the number of dicentric chromosomes associated was stabilized. Thus telomerase could protect specifically telomeres which have reached a critical size against end-to-end dicentrics, while long telomeres continue to decrease, although at a slower rate as before crisis. This suggests a balance between elongation by telomerase and telomere shortening, towards a stabilized 'optimal' length.

  8. Mission operations management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rocco, David A.

    1994-01-01

    Redefining the approach and philosophy that operations management uses to define, develop, and implement space missions will be a central element in achieving high efficiency mission operations for the future. The goal of a cost effective space operations program cannot be realized if the attitudes and methodologies we currently employ to plan, develop, and manage space missions do not change. A management philosophy that is in synch with the environment in terms of budget, technology, and science objectives must be developed. Changing our basic perception of mission operations will require a shift in the way we view the mission. This requires a transition from current practices of viewing the mission as a unique end product, to a 'mission development concept' built on the visualization of the end-to-end mission. To achieve this change we must define realistic mission success criteria and develop pragmatic approaches to achieve our goals. Custom mission development for all but the largest and most unique programs is not practical in the current budget environment, and we simply do not have the resources to implement all of our planned science programs. We need to shift our management focus to allow us the opportunity make use of methodologies and approaches which are based on common building blocks that can be utilized in the space, ground, and mission unique segments of all missions.

  9. Year-end technical stop: train to work safely

    CERN Multimedia

    Rosaria Marraffino

    2016-01-01

    As mentioned in the previous issue of the Bulletin (see here), the accelerators are currently undergoing maintenance as part of the year-end technical stop (YETS). Hundreds of people are working simultaneously on different machines, and many of them need to be trained in order to work safely underground. From a Safety Training point of view, this has resulted in a significant increase in training requests, most of them at the last minute, which are now being handled – but not without difficulties.     In the LHC mock-up, a helium leak is simulated. In this stressful situation, the trainees learn how to put their mask on in less than 40 seconds.   "The most requested course is the Self-Rescue Mask classroom training,” explains Christoph Balle, Safety Training Section Leader. “In this course, people are trained to face the oxygen deficiency hazards that may occur in CERN's underground areas, learning...

  10. 20 CFR 408.816 - When does SVB entitlement end due to death?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false When does SVB entitlement end due to death? 408.816 Section 408.816 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION SPECIAL BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN WORLD WAR II VETERANS Suspensions and Terminations Termination § 408.816 When does SVB entitlement end due to death? Your SVB entitlement ends wit...

  11. Working to End Family Homelessness. Annual Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Center on Family Homelessness (NJ1), 2012

    2012-01-01

    The National Center on Family Homelessness is determined to end family homelessness. Sheltering families provides a temporary safe haven. Connecting families to permanent housing, essential services, and critical supports can change their lives forever. Through research the Center learns what families need to rebound from the housing, economic,…

  12. FMIT test-end instrumentation conceptual design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fuller, J.L.

    1984-08-01

    FMIT test-end measurement techniques and instrumentation concepts for deuteron beam control, test-end device protection, test cell radiation field characterization, lithium jet performance monitoring, and in-situ off-line target testing and examination are described. The test-end refers to the beam line-target-test assembly interface area inside the test cell, but TEI includes measurements inside and outside the cell. The measurement requirements are briefly reviewed and referenced. The sometimes severe environmental limitations are discussed. Where feasible, multifunctional systems have been configured. Special facility features have been minimized

  13. Power reserves in the end-user market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Livik, K.; Mo, B.

    1994-10-01

    Based on a detailed modelling of the end-user electric power market it is evaluated how a selection of energy conservation efforts will affect Norway's system curve for the day of maximum power load. The analysis given in this report is based on empiric load data and statistical analyses of how changing simultaneity in power consumption by the end-users contribute to an aggregated effect on the maximum power of the system. The computer code PMAX was used for the simulation. The following efforts are considered: controlling water heaters in the housing sector, replacing electricity by oil for heating in the housing sector and in the service sector, implementation of temperature control with reduced temperature at night/day in the housing and service sectors, energy conservation in the service sector, heat recovery in the service sector. Transition from electricity to oil in heating is the effort which most strongly affects the energy consumption and power load on the day of peak power load. The discussion excludes energy-intensive industries, pumps and boilers. 11 refs., 16 figs., 6 tabs

  14. In vivo laser assisted end-to-end anastomosis with ICG-infused chitosan patches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossi, Francesca; Matteini, Paolo; Esposito, Giuseppe; Scerrati, Alba; Albanese, Alessio; Puca, Alfredo; Maira, Giulio; Rossi, Giacomo; Pini, Roberto

    2011-07-01

    Laser assisted vascular repair is a new optimized technique based on the use of ICG-infused chitosan patch to close a vessel wound, with or even without few supporting single stitches. We present an in vivo experimental study on an innovative end-to-end laser assisted vascular anastomotic (LAVA) technique, performed with the application of ICGinfused chitosan patches. The photostability and the mechanical properties of ICG-infused chitosan films were preliminary measured. The in vivo study was performed in 10 New Zealand rabbits. After anesthesia, a 3-cm segment of the right common carotid artery was exposed, thus clamped proximally and distally. The artery was then interrupted by means of a full thickness cut. Three single microsutures were used to approximate the two vessel edges. The ICG-infused chitosan patch was rolled all over the anastomotic site and welded by the use of a diode laser emitting at 810 nm and equipped with a 300 μm diameter optical fiber. Welding was obtained by delivering single laser spots to induce local patch/tissue adhesion. The result was an immediate closure of the anastomosis, with no bleeding at clamps release. Thus animals underwent different follow-up periods, in order to evaluate the welded vessels over time. At follow-up examinations, all the anastomoses were patent and no bleeding signs were documented. Samples of welded vessels underwent histological examinations. Results showed that this technique offer several advantages over conventional suturing methods: simplification of the surgical procedure, shortening of the operative time, better re-endothelization and optimal vascular healing process.

  15. The End-to-end Demonstrator for improved decision making in the water sector in Europe (EDgE)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Eric; Wanders, Niko; Pan, Ming; Sheffield, Justin; Samaniego, Luis; Thober, Stephan; Kumar, Rohinni; Prudhomme, Christel; Houghton-Carr, Helen

    2017-04-01

    High-resolution simulations of water resources from hydrological models are vital to supporting important climate services. Apart from a high level of detail, both spatially and temporally, it is important to provide simulations that consistently cover a range of timescales, from historical reanalysis to seasonal forecast and future projections. In the new EDgE project commissioned by the ECMWF (C3S) we try to fulfill these requirements. EDgE is a proof-of-concept project which combines climate data and state-of-the-art hydrological modelling to demonstrate a water-oriented information system implemented through a web application. EDgE is working with key European stakeholders representative of private and public sectors to jointly develop and tailor approaches and techniques. With these tools, stakeholders are assisted in using improved climate information in decision-making, and supported in the development of climate change adaptation and mitigation policies. Here, we present the first results of the EDgE modelling chain, which is divided into three main processes: 1) pre-processing and downscaling; 2) hydrological modelling; 3) post-processing. Consistent downscaling and bias corrections for historical simulations, seasonal forecasts and climate projections ensure that the results across scales are robust. The daily temporal resolution and 5km spatial resolution ensure locally relevant simulations. With the use of four hydrological models (PCR-GLOBWB, VIC, mHM, Noah-MP), uncertainty between models is properly addressed, while consistency is guaranteed by using identical input data for static land surface parameterizations. The forecast results are communicated to stakeholders via Sectoral Climate Impact Indicators (SCIIs) that have been created in collaboration with the end-user community of the EDgE project. The final product of this project is composed of 15 years of seasonal forecast and 10 climate change projections, all combined with four hydrological

  16. End-Use Efficiency to Lower Carbon Emissions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marnay, Chris; Osborn, Julie; Webber, Carrie

    2001-01-01

    Compelling evidence demonstrating the warming trend in global temperatures and the mechanism behind it, namely the anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHG), has spurred an international effort to reduce emissions of these gases. Despite improving efficiency of the U.S. economy in terms of energy cost per dollar of GDP since the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, energy consumption and carbon emissions are continuing to rise as the economy expands. This growing gap further emphasizes the importance of improving energy use efficiency as a component in the U.S. climate change mitigation program. The end-use efficiency research activities at Berkeley Lab incorporate residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors. This paper focuses on two successful U.S. programs that address end-use efficiency in residential and commercial demand: energy efficient performance standards established by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) ENERGY STAR(registered trademark) program

  17. Numerical Study on Ultimate Behaviour of Bolted End-Plate Steel Connections

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R.E.S. Ismail

    Full Text Available Abstract Bolted end-plate steel connections have become more popular due to ease of fabrication. This paper presents a three dimension Finite Element Model (FEM, using the multi-purpose software ABAQUS, to study the effect of different geometrical parameters on the ultimate behavior of the connection. The proposed model takes into account material and geometrical non-linearities, initial imperfection, contact between adjacent surfaces and the pretension force in the bolts. The Finite Element results are calibrated with published experimental results ''briefly reviewed in this paper'' and verified that the numerical model can simulate and analyze the overall and detailed behavior of different types of bolted end-plate steel connections. Using verified FEM, parametric study is then carried out to study the ultimate behavior with variations in: bolt diameter, end-plate thickness, length of column stiffener, angle of rib stiffener. The results are examined with respect to the failure modes, the evolution of the resistance, the initial stiffness, and the rotation capacity. Finally, the ultimate behavior of the bolted end-plate steel connection is discussed in detail, and recommendations for the design purpose are made.

  18. Oncologists' strategies and barriers to effective communication about the end of life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Granek, Leeat; Krzyzanowska, Monika K; Tozer, Richard; Mazzotta, Paolo

    2013-07-01

    Communicating about the end of life with patients has been reported as one of the most difficult and stressful part of the work of oncologists. Despite this fact, oncologists receive little training in this area, and many do not communicate effectively with patients. The purpose of this analysis, part of a larger study examining oncologists' experiences of patient loss, was to explore oncologists' communication strategies and communication barriers when discussing end-of-life issues with patients. Twenty oncologists were interviewed at three hospitals about their communication strategies on end-of-life issues with patients. The data were analyzed using the grounded theory method. The findings revealed the strategies to effective communication about the end of life included: being open and honest; having ongoing, early conversations; communicating about modifying treatment goals; and balancing hope and reality. Barriers to implementing these strategies fell broadly into three domains, including physician factors, patient factors, and institutional factors. Physician factors included difficulty with treatment and palliation, personal discomfort with death and dying, diffusion of responsibility among colleagues, using the "death-defying mode," lack of experience, and lack of mentorship. Patient factors included, patients and/or families being reluctant to talk about the end of life, language barriers, and younger age. Institutional factors included stigma around palliative care, lack of protocol about end-of-life issues; and lack of training for oncologists on how to talk with patients about end-of-life issues. We conclude by drawing implications from our study and suggest that further research and intervention are necessary to aid oncologists in achieving effective communication about end-of-life issues.

  19. One stage functional end-to-end stapled intestinal anastomosis and resection performed by nonexpert surgeons for the treatment of small intestinal obstruction in 30 dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jardel, Nicolas; Hidalgo, Antoine; Leperlier, Dimitri; Manassero, Mathieu; Gomes, Aymeric; Bedu, Anne Sophie; Moissonnier, Pierre; Fayolle, Pascal; Begon, Dominique; Riquois, Elisabeth; Viateau, Véronique

    2011-02-01

    To describe stapled 1-stage functional end-to-end intestinal anastomosis for treatment of small intestinal obstruction in dogs and evaluate outcome when the technique is performed by nonexpert surgeons after limited training in the technique. Case series. Dogs (n=30) with intestinal lesions requiring an enterectomy. Stapled 1-stage functional end-to-end anastomosis and resection using a GIA-60 and a TA-55 stapling devices were performed under supervision of senior residents and faculty surgeons by junior surgeons previously trained in the technique on pigs. Procedure duration and technical problems were recorded. Short-term results were collected during hospitalization and at suture removal. Long-term outcome was established by clinical and ultrasonographic examinations at least 2 months after surgery and from written questionnaires, completed by owners. Mean±SD procedure duration was 15±12 minutes. Postoperative recovery was uneventful in 25 dogs. One dog had anastomotic leakage, 1 had a localized abscess at the transverse staple line, and 3 dogs developed an incisional abdominal wall abscess. No long-term complications occurred (follow-up, 2-32 months). Stapled 1-stage functional end-to-end anastomosis and resection is a fast and safe procedure in the hand of nonexpert but trained surgeons. © Copyright 2011 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

  20. MayDay Colloquium 23: The End(s) of Music Education? A Call for Re-Visioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bates, Vincent C.

    2013-01-01

    In the summer of 2011 (June 16-19), the MayDay Group met in Salt Lake City, Utah (USA) for MayDay Colloquium 23, with presentations and discussions on the theme,"The End(s) of Music Education? A Call for Re-Visioning": In a time of rapidly changing political processes, power relations, and policies, music educators are challenged to…

  1. The nerve endings of the acetabular labrum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Y T; Azuma, H

    1995-11-01

    The nerve endings of the human acetabular labrum were investigated. Twenty-three acetabular labra were obtained from 24 fresh human cadavers, stained with Suzuki's silver impregnation and an immunohistochemical technique for neurogenic specific protein S-100, and examined by light and electron microscopy. Ramified free nerve endings were seen in all specimens by silver staining, and also were observed by the immunohistochemical technique for S-100 protein. Sensory nerve end organs, such as a Vater-Pacini corpuscle, Golgi-Mazzoni corpuscle, Ruffini corpuscle, and articular corpuscle (Krause corpuscle), were observed by silver staining. Collagen fibers were scattered sparsely in the superficial layer of the labrum, and nerve endings were observed mostly in this region. Collagen fibers were sparse, and nerve endings also were observed in some regions among the collagen fiber bundles in the inner layer. Innervation of the acetabular labrum was confirmed in this study, suggesting that nerve endings in the labrum may be involved in nociceptive and proprioceptive mechanisms.

  2. Devoluming and stabilizing method for end piece

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikeda, Satoshi; Shiotsuki, Msao; Kawamura, Shigeyoshi; Komatsu, Fumiaki.

    1991-01-01

    As a first method, end pieces and other radioactive metal wastes are filled as a mixture in a vessel, and preliminary compression is conducted. Then, the bulk density of the radioactive metal wastes is reduced and gaps in the end pieces are filled with radioactive metal wastes. If they are applied with heat treatment under high pressure in this state together with the vessel, they are devolumed and stabilized without damaging the vessel. As a second method, metal powders are mixed and filled in the vessel together with the end pieces. The gaps in the end pieces are filled with the metal powders and if they are applied with heat treatment under high pressure in this state together with the vessel, the end pieces are devolumed and stabilized without damaging the vessel in the same manner. This can devolume and stabilize the end pieces separated from nuclear fuel assemblies easily and safely. (T.M.)

  3. Lowering the YE+1 end-cap for CMS

    CERN Multimedia

    Maximilien Brice

    2007-01-01

    On 9 January 2007, the massive YE+1 end-cap was lowered into the CMS cavern. This is a very precise process as the crane must lower the end-cap through minimal clearance without tilt or sway. Once in the cavern, the end-cap is then positioned over the end of the barrel to detect particles produced in collisions that travel close to the axis of the beams.

  4. Interfaces for End-User Information Seeking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marchionini, Gary

    1992-01-01

    Discusses essential features of interfaces to support end-user information seeking. Highlights include cognitive engineering; task models and task analysis; the problem-solving nature of information seeking; examples of systems for end-users, including online public access catalogs (OPACs), hypertext, and help systems; and suggested research…

  5. TU-D-201-03: Proposed Solutions to End-Of-Life Issue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ouhib, Z.

    2015-01-01

    Brachytherapy devices and software are designed to last for a certain period of time. Due to a number of considerations, such as material factors, wear-and-tear, backwards compatibility, and others, they all reach a date when they are no longer supported by the manufacturer. Most of these products have a limited duration for their use, and the information is provided to the user at time of purchase. Because of issues or concerns determined by the manufacturer, certain products are retired sooner than the anticipated date, and the user is immediately notified. In these situations, the institution is facing some difficult choices: remove these products from the clinic or perform tests and continue their usage. Both of these choices come with a financial burden: replacing the product or assuming a potential medicolegal liability. This session will provide attendees with the knowledge and tools to make better decisions when facing these issues. Learning Objectives: Understand the meaning of “end-of-life or “life expectancy” for brachytherapy devices and software Review items (devices and software) affected by “end-of-life” restrictions Learn how to effectively formulate “end-of-life” policies at your institution Learn about possible implications of “end-of-life” policy Review other possible approaches toend-of-life” issue

  6. Mechanisms for focusing mitotic spindle poles by minus end-directed motor proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goshima, Gohta; Nédélec, François; Vale, Ronald D

    2005-10-24

    During the formation of the metaphase spindle in animal somatic cells, kinetochore microtubule bundles (K fibers) are often disconnected from centrosomes, because they are released from centrosomes or directly generated from chromosomes. To create the tightly focused, diamond-shaped appearance of the bipolar spindle, K fibers need to be interconnected with centrosomal microtubules (C-MTs) by minus end-directed motor proteins. Here, we have characterized the roles of two minus end-directed motors, dynein and Ncd, in such processes in Drosophila S2 cells using RNA interference and high resolution microscopy. Even though these two motors have overlapping functions, we show that Ncd is primarily responsible for focusing K fibers, whereas dynein has a dominant function in transporting K fibers to the centrosomes. We also report a novel localization of Ncd to the growing tips of C-MTs, which we show is mediated by the plus end-tracking protein, EB1. Computer modeling of the K fiber focusing process suggests that the plus end localization of Ncd could facilitate the capture and transport of K fibers along C-MTs. From these results and simulations, we propose a model on how two minus end-directed motors cooperate to ensure spindle pole coalescence during mitosis.

  7. TRF2 Protein Interacts with Core Histones to Stabilize Chromosome Ends.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konishi, Akimitsu; Izumi, Takashi; Shimizu, Shigeomi

    2016-09-23

    Mammalian chromosome ends are protected by a specialized nucleoprotein complex called telomeres. Both shelterin, a telomere-specific multi-protein complex, and higher order telomeric chromatin structures combine to stabilize the chromosome ends. Here, we showed that TRF2, a component of shelterin, binds to core histones to protect chromosome ends from inappropriate DNA damage response and loss of telomeric DNA. The N-terminal Gly/Arg-rich domain (GAR domain) of TRF2 directly binds to the globular domain of core histones. The conserved arginine residues in the GAR domain of TRF2 are required for this interaction. A TRF2 mutant with these arginine residues substituted by alanine lost the ability to protect telomeres and induced rapid telomere shortening caused by the cleavage of a loop structure of the telomeric chromatin. These findings showed a previously unnoticed interaction between the shelterin complex and nucleosomal histones to stabilize the chromosome ends. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  8. TRF2 Protein Interacts with Core Histones to Stabilize Chromosome Ends*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izumi, Takashi; Shimizu, Shigeomi

    2016-01-01

    Mammalian chromosome ends are protected by a specialized nucleoprotein complex called telomeres. Both shelterin, a telomere-specific multi-protein complex, and higher order telomeric chromatin structures combine to stabilize the chromosome ends. Here, we showed that TRF2, a component of shelterin, binds to core histones to protect chromosome ends from inappropriate DNA damage response and loss of telomeric DNA. The N-terminal Gly/Arg-rich domain (GAR domain) of TRF2 directly binds to the globular domain of core histones. The conserved arginine residues in the GAR domain of TRF2 are required for this interaction. A TRF2 mutant with these arginine residues substituted by alanine lost the ability to protect telomeres and induced rapid telomere shortening caused by the cleavage of a loop structure of the telomeric chromatin. These findings showed a previously unnoticed interaction between the shelterin complex and nucleosomal histones to stabilize the chromosome ends. PMID:27514743

  9. In vivo blunt-end cloning through CRISPR/Cas9-facilitated non-homologous end-joining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geisinger, Jonathan M.; Turan, Sören; Hernandez, Sophia; Spector, Laura P.; Calos, Michele P.

    2016-01-01

    The CRISPR/Cas9 system facilitates precise DNA modifications by generating RNA-guided blunt-ended double-strand breaks. We demonstrate that guide RNA pairs generate deletions that are repaired with a high level of precision by non-homologous end-joining in mammalian cells. We present a method called knock-in blunt ligation for exploiting these breaks to insert exogenous PCR-generated sequences in a homology-independent manner without loss of additional nucleotides. This method is useful for making precise additions to the genome such as insertions of marker gene cassettes or functional elements, without the need for homology arms. We successfully utilized this method in human and mouse cells to insert fluorescent protein cassettes into various loci, with efficiencies up to 36% in HEK293 cells without selection. We also created versions of Cas9 fused to the FKBP12-L106P destabilization domain in an effort to improve Cas9 performance. Our in vivo blunt-end cloning method and destabilization-domain-fused Cas9 variant increase the repertoire of precision genome engineering approaches. PMID:26762978

  10. RPC performance vs. front-end electronics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cardarelli, R.; Aielli, G.; Camarri, P.; Di Ciaccio, A.; Di Stante, L.; Liberti, B.; Pastori, E.; Santonico, R.; Zerbini, A.

    2012-01-01

    Moving the amplification from the gas to the front-end electronics was a milestone in the development of Resistive Plate Chambers. Here we discuss the historical evolution of RPCs and we show the results obtained with newly developed front-end electronics with threshold in the fC range.

  11. Double muscle innervation using end-to-side neurorrhaphy in rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisangela Jeronymo Stipp-Brambilla

    Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: One of the techniques used for treating facial paralysis is double muscle innervation using end-to-end neurorrhaphy with sectioning of healthy nerves. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether double muscle innervation by means of end-to-side neurorrhaphy could occur, with maintenance of muscle innervation. DESIGN AND SETTING: Experimental study developed at the Experimental Research Center, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Unesp. METHODS: One hundred rats were allocated to five groups as follows: G1, control group; G2, the peroneal nerve was sectioned; G3, the tibial nerve was transected and the proximal stump was end-to-side sutured to the intact peroneal nerve; G4, 120 days after the G3 surgery, the peroneal nerve was sectioned proximally to the neurorrhaphy; G5, 120 days after the G3 surgery, the peroneal and tibial nerves were sectioned proximally to the neurorrhaphy. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty days after the surgery, G3 did not show any change in tibial muscle weight or muscle fiber diameter, but the axonal fiber diameter in the peroneal nerve distal to the neurorrhaphy had decreased. Although G4 showed atrophy of the cranial tibial muscle 30 days after sectioning the peroneal nerve, the electrophysiological test results and axonal diameter measurement confirmed that muscle reinnervation had occurred. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that double muscle innervation did not occur through end-to-side neurorrhaphy; the tibial nerve was not able to maintain muscle innervation after the peroneal nerve had been sectioned, although muscle reinnervation was found to have occurred, 30 days after the peroneal nerve had been sectioned.

  12. Feedback from operational experience in front-end transportation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mondonel, J.L.; Parison, C.

    1998-01-01

    Transport forms an integral part of the nuclear fuel cycle, representing the strategic link between each stage of the cycle. In a way there is a transport cycle that parallels the nuclear fuel cycle. This concerns particularly the front-end of the cycle whose steps - mining conversion, enrichment and fuel fabrication - require numerous transports. Back-end shipments involve a handful of countries, but front-end transports involve all five continents, and many exotic countries. All over Europe such transports are routinely performed with an excellent safety track record. Transnucleaire dominates the French nuclear transportation market and carries out both front and back-end transports. For instance in 1996 more than 28,400 front-end packages were transported as well as more than 3,600 back-end packages. However front-end transport is now a business undergoing much change. A nuclear transportation company must now cope with an evolving picture including new technical requirements, new transportation schemes and new business conditions. This paper describes the latest evolutions in terms of front-end transportation and the way this activity is carried out by Transnucleaire, and goes on to discuss future prospects. (authors)

  13. Control of SiC Based Front-End Rectifier under Unbalanced Supply Voltage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maheshwari, Ramkrishan; Trintis, Ionut; Gohil, Ghanshyamsinh Vijaysinh

    2015-01-01

    A voltage source converter is used as a front end converter typically. In this paper, a converter which is realized using SiC MOSFET is considered. Due to SiC MOSFET, a switching frequency more than 50 kHz can be achieved. This can help increasing the current control loop bandwidth, which is not ...... together with a positive-sequence current controller for the front-end rectifier. A gain in the feedforward term can be changed to control the negative-sequence current. Simulation results are presented to verify the theory....

  14. Short Linear Sequence Motif LxxPTPh Targets Diverse Proteins to Growing Microtubule Ends

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kumar, Anil; Manatschal, Cristina; Rai, Ankit; Grigoriev, Ilya; Degen, Miriam Steiner; Jaussi, Rolf; Kretzschmar, Ines; Prota, Andrea E; Volkmer, Rudolf; Kammerer, Richard A.; Akhmanova, Anna; Steinmetz, Michel O.

    2017-01-01

    Microtubule plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs) are involved in virtually all microtubule-based processes. End-binding (EB) proteins are considered master regulators of +TIP interaction networks, since they autonomously track growing microtubule ends and recruit a plethora of proteins to this

  15. Muon front end for the neutrino factory

    CERN Document Server

    Rogers, C T; Prior, G; Gilardoni, S; Neuffer, D; Snopok, P; Alekou, A; Pasternak, J

    2013-01-01

    In the neutrino factory, muons are produced by firing high-energy protons onto a target to produce pions. The pions decay to muons and pass through a capture channel known as the muon front end, before acceleration to 12.6 GeV. The muon front end comprises a variable frequency rf system for longitudinal capture and an ionization cooling channel. In this paper we detail recent improvements in the design of the muon front end.

  16. Analyses Of Two End-User Software Vulnerability Exposure Metrics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jason L. Wright; Miles McQueen; Lawrence Wellman

    2012-08-01

    The risk due to software vulnerabilities will not be completely resolved in the near future. Instead, putting reliable vulnerability measures into the hands of end-users so that informed decisions can be made regarding the relative security exposure incurred by choosing one software package over another is of importance. To that end, we propose two new security metrics, average active vulnerabilities (AAV) and vulnerability free days (VFD). These metrics capture both the speed with which new vulnerabilities are reported to vendors and the rate at which software vendors fix them. We then examine how the metrics are computed using currently available datasets and demonstrate their estimation in a simulation experiment using four different browsers as a case study. Finally, we discuss how the metrics may be used by the various stakeholders of software and to software usage decisions.

  17. Delayed primary end-to-end anastomosis for traumatic long segment urethral stricture and its short-term outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajarshi Kumar

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the aetiology of posterior urethral stricture in children and analysis of results after delayed primary repair with extensive distal urethral mobilisation. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study carried out in a tertiary care centre from January 2009 to December 2013. Results: Eight children with median age 7.5 years (range 4–11 years, underwent delayed anastomotic urethroplasty: Six through perineal and two through combined perineal and transpubic approach. All the eight children had long-segment >2 cm stricture: Three posterior and five anterior urethral stricture. On a mean follow-up period of 33 months (range 24–48 m, all were passing urine with good flow and stream. Conclusion: End-to-end anastomosis in post-traumatic long segment posterior urethral stricture between prostatic and penile urethra in children is possible by perineal or combined perineal and transpubic approach with good results without any urethral replacement.

  18. Nuclear instrumentation cable end seal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cannon, C.P.; Brown, D.P.

    1979-01-01

    An improved coaxial end seal for hermetically sealed nuclear instrumentation cable exhibiting an improved breakdown pulse noise characteristic under high voltage, high temperature conditions is described. A tubular insulator body has metallized interior and exterior surface portions which are braze sealed to a center conductor and an outer conductive sheath. The end surface of the insulator body which is directed toward the coaxial cable to which it is sealed has a recessed surface portion within which the braze seal material terminates

  19. 34 CFR 34.26 - Ending garnishment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Ending garnishment. 34.26 Section 34.26 Education Office of the Secretary, Department of Education ADMINISTRATIVE WAGE GARNISHMENT § 34.26 Ending... to pay any portion of the amount stated in the order, the employer must— (i) Notify us; and (ii...

  20. Octopole and hexapole end cells for tandem mirrors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Devoto, R.S.

    1985-01-01

    To date, nearly all operating or planned tandem mirror experiments use quadrupole magnetic fields in the end cells for stabilization of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities. A disadvantage with quadrupole fields is the considerable aximuthal asymmetry in the magnetic field. As a result, those center-cell ions which pass into the end cell can suffer a radial deflection and be lost by radial diffusion. The diffusion can be minimized by adding C-coils to the end cell to symmetrize the geodesic curvature in the end cell. Very small radial deflection can be obtained on each field line. Such a method is used in the design of the MFTF-B experiment and the MARS reactor. A disadvantage of this approach is the large number of coils required. In addition, since ions drift azimuthally as they reflect in the end cell, even perfect cancellation on individual field lines will, in general, not lead to zero radial diffusion. One way to form a more symmetric field in the end cells is to use multipoles higher than quadrupole. The use of an octopole end cell for a small tandem-mirror reactor was recently proposed/sup L/ and has been adopted for the miniMARS reactor study. In this paper the author discusses some feature of octopole, and to a lesser extent, hexapole end cells in both reactor and experimental (MFTF-B) applications

  1. Engineering of Data Acquiring Mobile Software and Sustainable End-User Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Benton T.

    2013-01-01

    The criteria for which data acquiring software and its supporting infrastructure should be designed should take the following two points into account: the reusability and organization of stored online and remote data and content, and an assessment on whether abandoning a platform optimized design in favor for a multi-platform solution significantly reduces the performance of an end-user application. Furthermore, in-house applications that control or process instrument acquired data for end-users should be designed with a communication and control interface such that the application's modules can be reused as plug-in modular components in greater software systems. The application of the above mentioned is applied using two loosely related projects: a mobile application, and a website containing live and simulated data. For the intelligent devices mobile application AIDM, the end-user interface have a platform and data type optimized design, while the database and back-end applications store this information in an organized manner and manage access to that data to only to authorized user end application(s). Finally, the content for the website was derived from a database such that the content can be included and uniform to all applications accessing the content. With these projects being ongoing, I have concluded from my research that the applicable methods presented are feasible for both projects, and that a multi-platform design for the mobile application only marginally drop the performance of the mobile application.

  2. Muon front end for the neutrino factory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. T. Rogers

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available In the neutrino factory, muons are produced by firing high-energy protons onto a target to produce pions. The pions decay to muons and pass through a capture channel known as the muon front end, before acceleration to 12.6 GeV. The muon front end comprises a variable frequency rf system for longitudinal capture and an ionization cooling channel. In this paper we detail recent improvements in the design of the muon front end.

  3. Fast front-end electronics for COMPASS MWPCs

    CERN Document Server

    Colantoni, M L; Ferrero, A; Frolov, V; Grasso, A; Heinz, S; Maggiora, A; Maggiora, M G; Panzieri, D; Popov, A; Tchalyshev, V

    2000-01-01

    In the COMPASS experiment, under construction at CERN, about 23000 channels of MWPCs will be used. The very high rate of the muon and hadron beams, and the consequently high trigger rate, require front- end electronics with innovative conceptual design. A new MWPC front- end electronics that fulfills the main COMPASS requirement to have a fast DAQ with a minimum dead-time has been designed. The general concept of the front-end cards is described; the comparative tests of two front-end chips, and different fast gas mixtures, are also shown. The commissioning of the experiment will start in the summer 2000, and production running, using the muon beam, is foreseen for the year 2001. (8 refs).

  4. Special-purpose multifingered robotic end-effectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crowder, R.M.

    1990-01-01

    A number of advanced multifingered robotic end-effectors have been developed recently in which the finger joints are powered from external actuators. Although this gives dexterous performance, there are considerable problems with power transmission, due to the use of flexible tendons between the external actuators and the individual finger joints. If a multifingered robotic end-effector is to be operated in a confined space, local actuation of the fingers needs to be fully considered, even if there is a reduction in hand dexterity over that of an externally mounted actuator system. The University of Southampton has developed a number of end-effectors that incorporate integral finger actuators and mechanisms, two examples of which are discussed in this paper

  5. Flank wears Simulation by using back propagation neural network when cutting hardened H-13 steel in CNC End Milling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazza, Muataz Hazza F. Al; Adesta, Erry Y. T.; Riza, Muhammad

    2013-12-01

    High speed milling has many advantages such as higher removal rate and high productivity. However, higher cutting speed increase the flank wear rate and thus reducing the cutting tool life. Therefore estimating and predicting the flank wear length in early stages reduces the risk of unaccepted tooling cost. This research presents a neural network model for predicting and simulating the flank wear in the CNC end milling process. A set of sparse experimental data for finish end milling on AISI H13 at hardness of 48 HRC have been conducted to measure the flank wear length. Then the measured data have been used to train the developed neural network model. Artificial neural network (ANN) was applied to predict the flank wear length. The neural network contains twenty hidden layer with feed forward back propagation hierarchical. The neural network has been designed with MATLAB Neural Network Toolbox. The results show a high correlation between the predicted and the observed flank wear which indicates the validity of the models.

  6. Flank wears Simulation by using back propagation neural network when cutting hardened H-13 steel in CNC End Milling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al Hazza, Muataz Hazza F; Adesta, Erry Y T; Riza, Muhammad

    2013-01-01

    High speed milling has many advantages such as higher removal rate and high productivity. However, higher cutting speed increase the flank wear rate and thus reducing the cutting tool life. Therefore estimating and predicting the flank wear length in early stages reduces the risk of unaccepted tooling cost. This research presents a neural network model for predicting and simulating the flank wear in the CNC end milling process. A set of sparse experimental data for finish end milling on AISI H13 at hardness of 48 HRC have been conducted to measure the flank wear length. Then the measured data have been used to train the developed neural network model. Artificial neural network (ANN) was applied to predict the flank wear length. The neural network contains twenty hidden layer with feed forward back propagation hierarchical. The neural network has been designed with MATLAB Neural Network Toolbox. The results show a high correlation between the predicted and the observed flank wear which indicates the validity of the models

  7. Investigating the Bright End of LSST Photometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ojala, Elle; Pepper, Joshua; LSST Collaboration

    2018-01-01

    The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will begin operations in 2022, conducting a wide-field, synoptic multiband survey of the southern sky. Some fraction of objects at the bright end of the magnitude regime observed by LSST will overlap with other wide-sky surveys, allowing for calibration and cross-checking between surveys. The LSST is optimized for observations of very faint objects, so much of this data overlap will be comprised of saturated images. This project provides the first in-depth analysis of saturation in LSST images. Using the PhoSim package to create simulated LSST images, we evaluate saturation properties of several types of stars to determine the brightness limitations of LSST. We also collect metadata from many wide-field photometric surveys to provide cross-survey accounting and comparison. Additionally, we evaluate the accuracy of the PhoSim modeling parameters to determine the reliability of the software. These efforts will allow us to determine the expected useable data overlap between bright-end LSST images and faint-end images in other wide-sky surveys. Our next steps are developing methods to extract photometry from saturated images.This material is based upon work supported in part by the National Science Foundation through Cooperative Agreement 1258333 managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), and the Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-76SF00515 with the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Additional LSST funding comes from private donations, grants to universities, and in-kind support from LSSTC Institutional Members.Thanks to NSF grant PHY-135195 and the 2017 LSSTC Grant Award #2017-UG06 for making this project possible.

  8. SampleCNN: End-to-End Deep Convolutional Neural Networks Using Very Small Filters for Music Classification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jongpil Lee

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN have been applied to diverse machine learning tasks for different modalities of raw data in an end-to-end fashion. In the audio domain, a raw waveform-based approach has been explored to directly learn hierarchical characteristics of audio. However, the majority of previous studies have limited their model capacity by taking a frame-level structure similar to short-time Fourier transforms. We previously proposed a CNN architecture which learns representations using sample-level filters beyond typical frame-level input representations. The architecture showed comparable performance to the spectrogram-based CNN model in music auto-tagging. In this paper, we extend the previous work in three ways. First, considering the sample-level model requires much longer training time, we progressively downsample the input signals and examine how it affects the performance. Second, we extend the model using multi-level and multi-scale feature aggregation technique and subsequently conduct transfer learning for several music classification tasks. Finally, we visualize filters learned by the sample-level CNN in each layer to identify hierarchically learned features and show that they are sensitive to log-scaled frequency.

  9. Spanning k-ended trees of 3-regular connected graphs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamed Ghasemian Zoeram

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available A vertex of degree one is called an end-vertex and the set of end-vertices of G is denoted by End(G. For a positive integer k, a tree T be called k-ended tree if $|End(T| \\leq k$. In this paper, we obtain sufficient conditions for spanning k-trees of 3-regular connected graphs. We give a construction sequence of graphs satisfying the condition. At the end, we present a conjecture about spanning k-ended trees of 3-regular connected graphs.

  10. End Ordovician extinctions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Harper, David A. T.; Hammarlund, Emma; Rasmussen, Christian M. Ø.

    2014-01-01

    -global anoxia associated with a marked transgression during the Late Hirnantian. Most recently, however, new drivers for the extinctions have been proposed, including widespread euxinia together with habitat destruction caused by plate tectonic movements, suggesting that the end Ordovician mass extinctions were...

  11. Year-end seasonality in one-month LIBOR derivatives

    OpenAIRE

    Christopher J. Neely; Drew B. Winters

    2005-01-01

    We examine the markets for one-month LIBOR futures contracts and options on those futures for a year-end price effect consistent with the previously identified year-end rate increase in one-month LIBOR. The cash market rate increase appears in forward rates and derivative prices, which allows the derivatives to properly hedge year-end interest rate risk. However, while the year-end effect appears in the derivative contract, these derivative contracts provide biased forecasts of both future in...

  12. End-to-end probability for an interacting center vortex world line in Yang-Mills theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teixeira, Bruno F.I.; Lemos, Andre L.L. de; Oxman, Luis E.

    2011-01-01

    Full text: The understanding of quark confinement is a very important open problem in Yang-Mills theory. In this regard, nontrivial topological defects are expected to play a relevant role to achieve a solution. Here we are interested in how to deal with these structures, relying on the Cho-Faddeev-Niemi decomposition and the possibility it offers to describe defects in terms of a local color frame. In particular, the path integral for a single center vortex is a fundamental object to handle the ensemble integration. As is well-known, in three dimensions center vortices are string-like and the associated physics is closely related with that of polymers. Using recent techniques developed in the latter context, we present in this work a detailed derivation of the equation for the end-to-end probability for a center vortex world line, including the effects of interactions. Its solution can be associated with a Green function that depends on the position and orientation at the boundaries, where monopole-like instantons are placed. In the limit of semi flexible polymers, an expansion only keeping the lower angular momenta for the final orientation leads to a reduced Green function for a complex vortex field minimally coupled to the dual Yang-Mills fields. This constitutes a key ingredient to propose an effective model for correlated monopoles, center vortices and the dual fields. (author)

  13. MMIC front-ends for optical communication systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Anders Kongstad

    1993-01-01

    Two different types of optical front-end MMIC amplifiers for a 2.5-Gb/s coherent heterodyne optical receiver are presented. A bandwidth of 6-12 GHz has been obtained for a tuned front-end and 3-13 GHz for a distributed front-end. An input noise current density of 5-15 pA/√Hz has been obtained for...

  14. Mudaraba-Venture Capital Closed-end Mutual Funds and Mudaraba-Venture Capital Open-end Mutual Funds

    OpenAIRE

    Halil Ibrahim Bulut

    2008-01-01

    The important part of this study attempts to explain that both venture capital and interest-free financing are based on similar ground, if not the same. Two new models called Mudaraba-Venture Capital Closed-End Mutual Funds and Mudaraba-Venture Capital Open-End Mutual Funds, based on both the similarities and the needs of financial innovation in the interest-free financing system, are detailed. It is believed that the development of these two models could make some improvements not only in th...

  15. Front-end and back-end electrochemistry of molten salt in accelerator-driven transmutation systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williamson, M.A.; Venneri, F.

    1995-01-01

    The objective of this work is to develop preparation and clean-up processes for the fuel and carrier salt in the Los Alamos Accelerator-Driven Transmutation Technology molten salt nuclear system. The front-end or fuel preparation process focuses on the removal of fission products, uranium, and zirconium from spent nuclear fuel by utilizing electrochemical methods (i.e., electrowinning). The same method provides the separation of the so-called noble metal fission products at the back-end of the fuel cycle. Both implementations would have important diversion safeguards. The proposed separation processes and a thermodynamic analysis of the electrochemical separation method are presented

  16. Coil end design for the LHC dipole magnet

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brandt, J.S.

    1996-01-01

    This paper describes the design of the coil ends for the Large Hadron Collider dipole magnets of the CERN European Laboratory for Particle Physics in Switzerland. This alternative to existing European designs was provided by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory by agreement between CERN and the United States. The superconducting cable paths are determined from both magnetic and mechanical considerations. The coil end parts used to shape and constrain the conductors in the coil ends are designed using the developable surface, grouped end approach. This method allows the analysis of strain energy within the conductor groups, and the optimization of mechanical factors during the design. Design intent and implementation are discussed. Inner and outer coil design challenges and end analysis are detailed

  17. A multitasking, multisinked, multiprocessor data acquisition front end

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fox, R.; Au, R.; Molen, A.V.

    1989-01-01

    The authors have developed a generalized data acquisition front end system which is based on MC68020 processors running a commercial real time kernel (rhoSOS), and implemented primarily in a high level language (C). This system has been attached to the back end on-line computing system at NSCL via our high performance ETHERNET protocol. Data may be simultaneously sent to any number of back end systems. Fixed fraction sampling along links to back end computing is also supported. A nonprocedural program generator simplifies the development of experiment specific code

  18. End-point sharpness in thermometric titrimetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyrrell, H J

    1967-07-01

    It is shown that the sharpness of an end-point in a thermometric titration where the simple reaction A + B right harpoon over left harpoon AB takes place, depends on Kc(A') where K is the equilibrium constant for the reaction, and c(A') is the total concentration of the titrand (A) in the reaction mixture. The end-point is sharp if, (i) the enthalpy change in the reaction is not negligible, and (ii) Kc(A') > 10(3). This shows that it should, for example, be possible to titrate 0.1 M acid, pK(A) = 10, using a thennometric end-point. Some aspects of thermometric titrimetry when Kc(A') < 10(3) are also considered.

  19. The Messenger Mission to Mercury

    CERN Document Server

    Domingue, D. L

    2007-01-01

    NASA’s MESSENGER mission, launched on 3 August, 2004 is the seventh mission in the Discovery series. MESSENGER encounters the planet Mercury four times, culminating with an insertion into orbit on 18 March 2011. It carries a comprehensive package of geophysical, geological, geochemical, and space environment experiments to complete the complex investigations of this solar-system end member, which begun with Mariner 10. The articles in this book, written by the experts in each area of the MESSENGER mission, describe the mission, spacecraft, scientific objectives, and payload. The book is of interest to all potential users of the data returned by the MESSENGER mission, to those studying the nature of the planet Mercury, and by all those interested in the design and implementation of planetary exploration missions.

  20. Prospects of using a permanent magnetic end effector to despin and detumble an uncooperative target

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xiaoguang; Lu, Yong; Zhou, Yu; Yin, Yuanhao

    2018-04-01

    Space debris, such as defunct satellites and upper stages of rockets, becomes an uncooperative target after losing its attitude control and communication ability. In addition, tumbling motion can occur due to environmental perturbations and residual angular momentum prior to the object's end-of-mission. To minimize the collision risk during docking and capturing of the tumbling target, a non-contact method based on the eddy current effect is put forward to transmit the control torque to the tumbling target. The main idea is to induce a controllable torque on the conducting surface of the tumbling target using a rotational magnetic field generated by a Halbach rotor. The radial and axial Halbach rotors are used to damp the spinning and nutation motions of the target, respectively. The normal and tangential force are evaluated concerning the relative pose between the chaser and the target. A simplified dynamic model of the nutation damping and despinning processes is developed and the influences of the asymmetrical principal moments of inertia and transverse angular velocity are discussed. The numerical simulation results show that the designed Halbach rotor stabilized the target attitude within an acceptable time. The electromagnetic nutation damping and despinning method provides new solutions for the development of on-orbit capture technology.

  1. Nuclear fuel rod end plug weld inspection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parker, M. A.; Patrick, S. S.; Rice, G. F.

    1985-01-01

    Apparatus and method for testing TIG (tungsten inert gas) welds of end plugs on a sealed nuclear reactor fuel rod. An X-ray fluorescent spectrograph testing unit detects tungsten inclusion weld defects in the top end plug's seal weld. Separate ultrasonic weld inspection system testing units test the top end plug's seal and girth welds and test the bottom end plug's girth weld for penetration, porosity and wall thinning defects. The nuclear fuel rod is automatically moved into and out from each testing unit and is automatically transported between the testing units by rod handling devices. A controller supervises the operation of the testing units and the rod handling devices

  2. Adaptive RF front-ends for hand-held applications

    CERN Document Server

    van Bezooijen, Andre; van Roermund, Arthur

    2010-01-01

    The RF front-end - antenna combination is a vital part of a mobile phone because its performance is very relevant to the link quality between hand-set and cellular network base-stations. The RF front-end performance suffers from changes in operating environment, like hand-effects, that are often unpredictable. ""Adaptive RF Front-Ends for Hand-Held Applications"" presents an analysis on the impact of fluctuating environmental parameters. In order to overcome undesired behavior two different adaptive control methods are treated that make RF frond-ends more resilient: adaptive impedance control,

  3. Biocompatibility of root-end filling materials: recent update

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Payal Saxena

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of a root-end filling is to establish a seal between the root canal space and the periradicular tissues. As root-end filling materials come into contact with periradicular tissues, knowledge of the tissue response is crucial. Almost every available dental restorative material has been suggested as the root-end material of choice at a certain point in the past. This literature review on root-end filling materials will evaluate and comparatively analyse the biocompatibility and tissue response to these products, with primary focus on newly introduced materials.

  4. End-stage kidney disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... stage; Kidney failure - end stage; ESRD; ESKD Images Kidney anatomy References Fogarty DG, Taal MW. A stepped care approach to the management of chronic kidney disease. In: Skorecki K, Chertow GM, Marsden PA, ...

  5. Good end-of-life care according to patients and their GPs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Borgsteede, Sander D.; Graafland-Riedstra, Corrie; Deliens, Luc; Francke, Anneke L.; van Eijk, Jacques ThM; Willems, Dick L.

    2006-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Most patients prefer to die at home, where a GP provides end-of-life care. A few previous studies have been directed at the GPs' values on good end-of-life care, yet no study combined values of patients and their own GP. AIM: To explore the aspects valued by both patients and GPs in

  6. Good end-of-life care according to patients and their GPs.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Borgsteede, S.D.; Graafland-Riedstra, C.; Deliens, L.; Francke, A.L.; Eijk, J.T.M. van; Willems, D.L.

    2006-01-01

    Background: Most patients prefer to die at home, where a GP provides end-of-life care. A few previous studies have been directed at the GPs' values on good end-of-life care, yet no study combined values of patients and their own GP. Aim: To explore the aspects valued by both patients and GPs in

  7. MANAGING HIGH-END, HIGH-VOLUME INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gembong Baskoro

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper discuses the concept of managing high-end, high-volume innovative products. High-end, high-volume consumer products are products that have considerable influence to the way of life. Characteristic of High-end, high-volume consumer products are (1 short cycle time, (2 quick obsolete time, and (3 rapid price erosion. Beside the disadvantages that they are high risk for manufacturers, if manufacturers are able to understand precisely the consumer needs then they have the potential benefit or success to be the market leader. High innovation implies to high utilization of the user, therefore these products can influence indirectly to the way of people life. The objective of managing them is to achieve sustainability of the products development and innovation. This paper observes the behavior of these products in companies operated in high-end, high-volume consumer product.

  8. Analysis of end-face seals by FEM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juraszek J.

    2002-09-01

    Full Text Available The end face-seals joint simultaneously the function of seal, bearing and heat exchanger. In order to improve the design of end-face seals the analysis of this type of joint by means of finite element method, was developed. The temperature distribution is indispensable to the analysis of displacement and stress in this type of face seal. In this work the values of temperature and stress in end-face seals were calculated. The numerical results were confirmed by measurements in the laboratory.

  9. End-of-life decisions: Christian perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stempsey, William E

    1997-12-01

    While legal rights to make medical treatment decisions at the end of one's life have been recognized by the courts, particular religious traditions put axiological and metaphysical meat on the bare bones of legal rights. Mere legal rights do not capture the full reality, meaning and importance of death. End-of-life decisions reflect not only the meaning we find in dying, but also the meaning we have found in living. The Christian religions bring particular understandings of the vision of life as a gift from God, human responsibility for stewardship of that life, the wholeness of the person, and the importance of the dying process in preparing spiritually for life beyond earthly life, to bear on end-of-life decisions.

  10. Web Monitoring of EOS Front-End Ground Operations, Science Downlinks and Level 0 Processing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordier, Guy R.; Wilkinson, Chris; McLemore, Bruce

    2008-01-01

    This paper addresses the efforts undertaken and the technology deployed to aggregate and distribute the metadata characterizing the real-time operations associated with NASA Earth Observing Systems (EOS) high-rate front-end systems and the science data collected at multiple ground stations and forwarded to the Goddard Space Flight Center for level 0 processing. Station operators, mission project management personnel, spacecraft flight operations personnel and data end-users for various EOS missions can retrieve the information at any time from any location having access to the internet. The users are distributed and the EOS systems are distributed but the centralized metadata accessed via an external web server provide an effective global and detailed view of the enterprise-wide events as they are happening. The data-driven architecture and the implementation of applied middleware technology, open source database, open source monitoring tools, and external web server converge nicely to fulfill the various needs of the enterprise. The timeliness and content of the information provided are key to making timely and correct decisions which reduce project risk and enhance overall customer satisfaction. The authors discuss security measures employed to limit access of data to authorized users only.

  11. Hanford Waste End Effector Phase I Test Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berglin, Eric J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hatchell, Brian K. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Mount, Jason C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Neill, Kevin J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Wells, Beric E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Burns, Carolyn A.M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2017-09-22

    This test plan describes the Phase 1 testing program of the Hanford Waste End Effector (HWEE) at the Washington River Protection Solutions’ Cold Test Facility (CTF) using a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)-designed testing setup. This effort fulfills the informational needs for initial assessment of the HWEE to support Hanford single-shell tank A-105 retrieval. This task will install the HWEE on a PNNL-designed robotic gantry system at CTF, install and calibrate instrumentation to measure reaction forces and process parameters, prepare and characterize simulant materials, and implement the test program. The tests will involve retrieval of water, sludge, and hardpan simulants to determine pumping rate, dilution factors, and screen fouling rate.

  12. Generating end plug potentials in tandem mirror plasma confinement by heating thermal particles so as to escape low density end stoppering plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldwin, D.E.; Logan, B.G.

    The invention provides a method and apparatus for raising the potential of a magnetic mirror cell by pumping charged particles of the opposite sign of the potential desired out of the mirror cell through excitation, with the pumping being done by an externally imposed field at the bounce frequence of the above charged particles. These pumped simple mirror cells then provide end stoppering for a center mirror cell for the tandem mirror plasma confinement apparatus. For the substantially complete pumping case, the end plugs of a tandem mirror can be up to two orders of magnitude lower in density for confining a given center mirror cell plasma than in the case of end plugs without pumping. As a result the decrease in recirculating power required to keep the system going, the technical state of the art required, and the capital cost are all greatly lowered.

  13. GWDC Expands High-End Market Share

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2008-01-01

    @@ It is a decision of great significance for GWDC to expand high-end market share in order to realize its transformation of development strategy and improve its development quality. As an important step of GWDC to explore high-end market, Oman PDO Project marks the first time that the Chinese petroleum engineering service team cooperates with the transnational petroleum corporations ranking first three in the world.

  14. END FIELD EFFECTS IN BEND ONLY COOLING LATTICES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    BEERG, J.S.; KIRK, H.; GARREN, A.

    2003-01-01

    Cooling lattices consisting only of bends (using either rotated pole faces or gradient dipoles to achieve focusing) often require large apertures and short magnets. One expects the effect of end fields to be significant in this case. In this paper we explore the effect of adding end fields to a working lattice design that originally lacked them. The paper describes the process of correcting the lattice design for the added end fields so as to maintain desirable lattice characteristics. It then compares the properties of the lattice with end fields relative to the lattice without them

  15. End of Life Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Related Topics Choosing Wisely Join our e-newsletter! Aging & Health A to Z End of Life Care ... be used. Ice chips, popsicles, moist swabs, or artificial saliva can help prevent the mouth from becoming ...

  16. Assessment of nicotine concentration in electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) liquids and precision of dosing to aerosol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosmider, Leon; Sobczak, Andrzej; Szołtysek-Bołdys, Izabela; Prokopowicz, Adam; Skórka, Agnieszka; Abdulafeez, Oluyadi; Koszowski, Bartosz

    2015-01-01

    Global use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS; also called electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes) has increased dramatically in recent years. However, due to the limited safety studies and growing concerns on the potential toxicity from long term use of ENDS, many national and international governments have employed regulatory measures to curtail its use. One of the most significant challenges regulators of ENDS encounter is the lack of quality standards to assess ENDS, e-liquid (solution used with ENDS which contain nicotine--a highly toxic and addictive substance), and amount of nicotine delivery to aerosol during ENDS use. Aims of the study were to (1) measure and compare nicotine concentration in e-liquids to values reported by manufacturers on packaging labels; (2) assess the precision of nicotine delivery from tank during aerosol formation. Methods: Nine popular Polish e-liquids (based on the market share data from October 2014) were purchased for the study. The labelled nicotine concentration for the selected e-liquids ranged between 11-25 mg/mL. All e-liquids were aerosolized in the laboratory using a smoking simulation machine (Palaczbot). Each e-liquid was aerosolized in a series of 6 consecutive bouts. A single bout consisted of 15 puffs with the following puff topography: 65 mL puff volume, 2.8 sec. puff duration, and 19 sec. interpuff interval. A total of 90 puffs were generated from each e-liquid. Nicotine content in the e-liquids and the aerosol generated were determined by gas chromatography with thermionic sensitive detection (GC-TSD). For seven of nine analyzed e-liquids, the difference between measured and manufacturer labeled nicotine concentration was less than 10%. Nicotine dose in aerosol per bout ranged between 0.77-1.49 mg (equivalent to one-half the nicotine a smoker inhales from a single combustible cigarette). Our analysis showed the high consistency between the labeled and measured nicotine concentration for popular on the

  17. End-inspiratory rebreathing reduces the end-tidal to arterial PCO2 gradient in mechanically ventilated pigs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fierstra, Jorn; Machina, Matthew; Battisti-Charbonney, Anne; Duffin, James; Fisher, Joseph Arnold; Minkovich, Leonid

    Noninvasive monitoring of the arterial partial pressures of CO2 (PaCO2) of critically ill patients by measuring their end-tidal partial pressures of CO2 (PetCO(2)) would be of great clinical value. However, the gradient between PetCO(2) and PaCO2 (Pet-aCO(2)) in such patients typically varies over a

  18. Enhancing student communication during end-of-life care: A pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloomfield, Jacqueline G; O'Neill, Bernadette; Gillett, Karen

    2015-12-01

    Quality end-of-life care requires effective communication skills, yet medical and nursing students report limited opportunities to develop these skills, and that they lack confidence and the related competence. Our purpose was to design, implement, and evaluate an educational intervention employing simulated patient actors to enhance students' abilities to communicate with dying patients and their families. A study employing a mixed-methods design was conducted with prequalification nursing and medical students recruited from a London university. The first phase involved focus groups with students, which informed the development of an educational intervention involving simulated patient actors. Questionnaires measuring students' perceptions of confidence and competence levels when communicating with dying patients and their families were administered before and after the intervention. The themes from focus groups related to responding to grief and anger, difficulties dealing with emotions, knowing the "right thing" to say, and a lack of experience. A significant increase (p students to communicate with dying patients and their families. The opportunity to develop communication skills was valued. Integration of educational interventions employing simulated patient actors into nursing and medical curricula may assist in improving the care provided to patients at the end of life.

  19. Shared decision-making in end-stage renal disease: a protocol for a multi-center study of a communication intervention to improve end-of-life care for dialysis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eneanya, Nwamaka D; Goff, Sarah L; Martinez, Talaya; Gutierrez, Natalie; Klingensmith, Jamie; Griffith, John L; Garvey, Casey; Kitsen, Jenny; Germain, Michael J; Marr, Lisa; Berzoff, Joan; Unruh, Mark; Cohen, Lewis M

    2015-06-12

    End-stage renal disease carries a prognosis similar to cancer yet only 20 % of end-stage renal disease patients are referred to hospice. Furthermore, conversations between dialysis team members and patients about end-of-life planning are uncommon. Lack of provider training about how to communicate prognostic data may contribute to the limited number of end-of-life care discussions that take place with this chronically ill population. In this study, we will test the Shared Decision-Making Renal Supportive Care communication intervention to systematically elicit patient and caretaker preferences for end-of-life care so that care concordant with patients' goals can be provided. This multi-center study will deploy an intervention to improve end-of-life communication for hemodialysis patients who are at high risk of death in the ensuing six months. The intervention will be carried out as a prospective cohort with a retrospective cohort serving as the comparison group. Patients will be recruited from 16 dialysis units associated with two large academic centers in Springfield, Massachusetts and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Critical input from patient advisory boards, a stakeholder panel, and initial qualitative analysis of patient and caretaker experiences with advance care planning have informed the communication intervention. Rigorous communication training for hemodialysis social workers and providers will ensure that standardized study procedures are performed at each dialysis unit. Nephrologists and social workers will communicate prognosis and provide advance care planning in face-to-face encounters with patients and families using a social work-centered algorithm. Study outcomes including frequency and timing of hospice referrals, patient and caretaker satisfaction, quality of end-of-life discussions, and quality of death will be assessed over an 18 month period. The Shared Decision-Making Renal Supportive Care Communication intervention intends to improve discussions

  20. Open-Ended Evolution

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Taylor, Tim; Bedau, Mark A.; Channon, Alastair

    2016-01-01

    This report describes the First Workshop on Open-Ended Evolution: Recent Progress and Future Milestones (OEE1), held during the ECAL 2015 conference at the University of York, U.K., in July 2015. We briefly summarise the content of the talks and discussions and the workshop, and provide links...

  1. When Strategy Ends

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vestenskov, David; Jørgensen, Lars Wille

    2014-01-01

    This chapter deals with the end of strategy, that is, conflict termination and how strategic achievements are measured and evaluated. It claims that the modern intervention of choice by NATO and its allies are transformation wars and challenges the concept of victory in such wars. Through a compa...

  2. A Multinational perspective to managing end-of-life electronics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herold, M.

    2007-07-01

    This thesis focuses on how multinational electronics manufacturers manage used products in the EU, USA, Japan and China. Managing used or end-of-life products has interesting environmental and commercial implications. Recovering end-of-life products can reduce the environmental effects of disposal, raw material extraction, transport, and production. Whereas the commercial effects include image benefits and savings on raw material costs. Manufacturer involvement in end-of-life management is especially topical in the electronics industry, which is the focus of this thesis. Electronics products, such as TVs and computers, have been targeted with extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation in different countries across the world. EPR is an environmental policy approach that forces manufacturers to take physical and/or financial responsibility for end-of-life products. The main objective of this dissertation was to increase understanding of how multinational manufacturers manage end-of-life products in the EU, in the USA, and in China and Japan, and the regional and company-specific factors explain their levels of involvement. This study consisted of an inductive 16-case multiple case study. The products and companies included in the study were as follows: Refrigerators (Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete, Electrolux, Whirlpool); TVs (Samsung, Philips, Hitachi); PCs (Hewlett Packard, NEC, Fujitsu Limited and Fujitsu-Siemens Computers and an anonymous company, Alpha Computers); Mobile phones (Nokia, Motorola, Samsung); Telecommunication network equipment (Nokia, Motorola, Huawei). A manufacturer's level of involvement in end-of-life management can be characterized in terms of the level of organizational capabilities. These capabilities range from none to running a treatment facility and recovering value from own branded products. Levels in between can be characterized by outsourcing end-of-life management to industry-wide schemes, managing contracts for treating

  3. A model for emergency department end-of-life communications after acute devastating events--part II: moving from resuscitative to end-of-life or palliative treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Limehouse, Walter E; Feeser, V Ramana; Bookman, Kelly J; Derse, Arthur

    2012-11-01

    The model for emergency department (ED) end-of-life communications after acute devastating events addresses decision-making capacity, surrogates, and advance directives, including legal definitions and application of these steps. Part II concerns communications moving from resuscitative to palliative and end-of-life treatments. After completing the steps involved in determining decision-making, emergency physicians (EPs) should consider starting palliative measures versus continuing resuscitative treatment. As communications related to these end-of-life decisions increasingly fall within the scope of emergency medicine (EM) practice, we need to become educated about and comfortable with them. © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

  4. Nuclear fuel element end fitting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jabsen, F.S.

    1979-01-01

    A typical embodiment of the invention has an array of sockets that are welded to the intersections of the plates that form the upper and lower end fittings of a nuclear reactor fuel element. The sockets, which are generally cylindrical in shape, are oriented in directions that enable the longitudinal axes of the sockets to align with the longitudinal axes of the fuel rods that are received in the respective sockets. Detents impressed in the surfaces of the sockets engage mating grooves that are formed in the ends of the fuel rods to provide for the structural integrity of the fuel element

  5. End-to-side neurorrhaphy with and without perineurium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fausto Viterbo

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: We compared end-to-side neurorraphy with and without the perineural sheath. METHOD: Twenty rats were used. The peroneal nerve was sectioned and the distal end was sutured to the lateral face of the tibial nerve. We removed the perineural sheath only on the right side, but not on the left side. The proximal end of the peroneal nerve was curved back approximately at a 100° angle and implanted into the adductor muscle. Six months later, the 14 surviving animals were submitted to electrophysiological tests, sacrificed, and the nerves and muscles were taken for histological exams. RESULTS: On the right side, the muscles that had positive response needed an average of 258.89 mV (±92.31 of electric stimulus and on the left side 298.34 mV (±139.32. The average weight of the tibial cranial muscles of the right side was 0.47 g (0.18 and for the left side 0.45 g (0.15. The distal end of the peroneal nerve showed averages of 310.29 (±191.34 nerve fibers on the right side and 287.71 (±183.60 on the left side. The tibial nerve above the neurorraphy showed averages of 939.46 (±223.51 nerve fibers on the right side and 959.46 (±327.48 on the left side. The tibial nerve below the neurorraphy showed averages of 935.17 (±298.65 nerve fibers on the right side and 755.31 (±323.26 on the left side. The average areas of the right tibial cranial muscles were 0.0162 m2 (±0.008, after 230 magnification, and 0.0152 m2 (0.0064 for the left tibial cranial muscles. The histological features of the tibial cranial muscles, taking normal as 100%, were 78.21 (±20.75 on the right side and 82.14 (±15.89 on the left side. The statistical analysis (Student's t test did not reveal any difference (p>0.05 among right and left sides for all variables. CONCLUSION: The authors concluded that the two neurorraphies (with and without perineurium did not show any difference regarding morphological and electrophysiological features studied.

  6. End-to-side neurorrhaphy with and without perineurium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viterbo, F; Teixeira, E; Hoshino, K; Padovani, C R

    1998-01-01

    We compared end-to-side neurorraphy with and without the perineural sheath. Twenty rats were used. The peroneal nerve was sectioned and the distal end was sutured to the lateral face of the tibial nerve. We removed the perineural sheath only on the right side, but not on the left side. The proximal end of the peroneal nerve was curved back approximately at a 100 degrees angle and implanted into the adductor muscle. Six months later, the 14 surviving animals were submitted to electrophysiological tests, sacrificed, and the nerves and muscles were taken for histological exams. On the right side, the muscles that had positive response needed an average of 258.89 mV (+/- 92.31) of electric stimulus and on the left side 298.34 mV (+/- 139.32). The average weight of the tibial cranial muscles of the right side was 0.47 g (0.18) and for the left side 0.45 g (0.15). The distal end of the peroneal nerve showed averages of 310.29 (+/- 191.34) nerve fibers on the right side and 287.71 (+/- 183.60) on the left side. The tibial nerve above the neurorraphy showed averages of 939.46 (+/- 223.51) nerve fibers on the right side and 959.46 (+/- 327.48) on the left side. The tibial nerve below the neurorraphy showed averages of 935.17 (+/- 298.65) nerve fibers on the right side and 755.31 (+/- 323.26) on the left side. The average areas of the right tibial cranial muscles were 0.0162 m2 (+/- 0.008), after 230 magnification, and 0.0152 m2 (0.0064) for the left tibial cranial muscles. The histological features of the tibial cranial muscles, taking normal as 100%, were 78.21 (+/- 20.75) on the right side and 82.14 (+/- 15.89) on the left side. The statistical analysis (Student's t test) did not reveal any difference (p > 0.05) among right and left sides for all variables. The authors concluded that the two neurorraphies (with and without perineurium) did not show any difference regarding morphological and electrophysiological features studied.

  7. Formyl-ended heterobifunctional poly(ethylene oxide): synthesis of poly(ethylene oxide) with a formyl group at one end and a hydroxyl group at the other end.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagasaki, Y; Kutsuna, T; Iijima, M; Kato, M; Kataoka, K; Kitano, S; Kadoma, Y

    1995-01-01

    Well-defined poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) with a formyl group at one end and a hydroxyl group at the other terminus was synthesized by the anionic ring opening polymerization of ethylene oxide (EO) with a new organometallic initiator possessing an acetal moiety, potassium 3,3-diethoxypropyl alkoxide. Hydrolysis of the acetal moiety produced a formyl group-terminated heterobifunctional PEO with a hydroxyl group at the other end.

  8. Demonstration of the First Real-Time End-to-End 40-Gb/s PAM-4 for Next-Generation Access Applications using 10-Gb/s Transmitter

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wei, J. L.; Eiselt, Nicklas; Griesser, Helmut

    2016-01-01

    We demonstrate the first known experiment of a real-time end-to-end 40-Gb/s PAM-4 system for next-generation access applications using 10-Gb/s class transmitters only. Based on the measurement of a real-time 40-Gb/s PAM system, low-cost upstream and downstream link power budgets are estimated. Up...

  9. Guidelines for time-to-event end-point definitions in trials for pancreatic cancer. Results of the DATECAN initiative (Definition for the Assessment of Time-to-event End-points in CANcer trials).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonnetain, Franck; Bonsing, Bert; Conroy, Thierry; Dousseau, Adelaide; Glimelius, Bengt; Haustermans, Karin; Lacaine, François; Van Laethem, Jean Luc; Aparicio, Thomas; Aust, Daniela; Bassi, Claudio; Berger, Virginie; Chamorey, Emmanuel; Chibaudel, Benoist; Dahan, Laeticia; De Gramont, Aimery; Delpero, Jean Robert; Dervenis, Christos; Ducreux, Michel; Gal, Jocelyn; Gerber, Erich; Ghaneh, Paula; Hammel, Pascal; Hendlisz, Alain; Jooste, Valérie; Labianca, Roberto; Latouche, Aurelien; Lutz, Manfred; Macarulla, Teresa; Malka, David; Mauer, Muriel; Mitry, Emmanuel; Neoptolemos, John; Pessaux, Patrick; Sauvanet, Alain; Tabernero, Josep; Taieb, Julien; van Tienhoven, Geertjan; Gourgou-Bourgade, Sophie; Bellera, Carine; Mathoulin-Pélissier, Simone; Collette, Laurence

    2014-11-01

    Using potential surrogate end-points for overall survival (OS) such as Disease-Free- (DFS) or Progression-Free Survival (PFS) is increasingly common in randomised controlled trials (RCTs). However, end-points are too often imprecisely defined which largely contributes to a lack of homogeneity across trials, hampering comparison between them. The aim of the DATECAN (Definition for the Assessment of Time-to-event End-points in CANcer trials)-Pancreas project is to provide guidelines for standardised definition of time-to-event end-points in RCTs for pancreatic cancer. Time-to-event end-points currently used were identified from a literature review of pancreatic RCT trials (2006-2009). Academic research groups were contacted for participation in order to select clinicians and methodologists to participate in the pilot and scoring groups (>30 experts). A consensus was built after 2 rounds of the modified Delphi formal consensus approach with the Rand scoring methodology (range: 1-9). For pancreatic cancer, 14 time to event end-points and 25 distinct event types applied to two settings (detectable disease and/or no detectable disease) were considered relevant and included in the questionnaire sent to 52 selected experts. Thirty experts answered both scoring rounds. A total of 204 events distributed over the 14 end-points were scored. After the first round, consensus was reached for 25 items; after the second consensus was reached for 156 items; and after the face-to-face meeting for 203 items. The formal consensus approach reached the elaboration of guidelines for standardised definitions of time-to-event end-points allowing cross-comparison of RCTs in pancreatic cancer. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Treatment of a partially thrombosed giant aneurysm of the vertebral artery by aneurysm trapping and direct vertebral artery-posterior inferior cerebellar artery end-to-end anastomosis: technical case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benes, Ludwig; Kappus, Christoph; Sure, Ulrich; Bertalanffy, Helmut

    2006-07-01

    The purpose of this article is to focus for the first time on the operative management of a direct vertebral artery (VA)-posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) end-to-end anastomosis in a partially thrombosed giant VA-PICA-complex aneurysm and to underline its usefulness as an additional treatment option. The operative technique of a direct VA-PICA end-to-end anatomosis is described in detail. The VA was entering the large aneurysm sack. Distally, the PICA originated from the aneurysm sack-VA-complex. The donor and recipient vessel were cut close to the aneurysm. Whereas the VA was cut in a straight manner, the PICA was cut at an oblique 45-degree angle to enlarge the vascular end diameter. Vessel ends were flushed with heparinized saline and sutured. The thrombotic material inside the aneurysm sack was removed and the distal VA clipped, leaving the anterior spinal artery and brainstem perforators free. The patient regained consciousness without additional morbidity. Magnetic resonance imaging scans revealed a completely decompressed brainstem without infarction. The postoperative angiograms demonstrated a good filling of the anastomosed PICA. Despite the caliber mistmatch of these two vessels the direct VA-PICA end-to-end anastomosis provides an accurate alternative in addition to other anastomoses and bypass techniques, when donor and recipient vessels are suitable and medullary perforators do not have to be disrupted.

  11. Vision-based mobile robot navigation through deep convolutional neural networks and end-to-end learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yachu; Zhao, Yuejin; Liu, Ming; Dong, Liquan; Kong, Lingqin; Liu, Lingling

    2017-09-01

    In contrast to humans, who use only visual information for navigation, many mobile robots use laser scanners and ultrasonic sensors along with vision cameras to navigate. This work proposes a vision-based robot control algorithm based on deep convolutional neural networks. We create a large 15-layer convolutional neural network learning system and achieve the advanced recognition performance. Our system is trained from end to end to map raw input images to direction in supervised mode. The images of data sets are collected in a wide variety of weather conditions and lighting conditions. Besides, the data sets are augmented by adding Gaussian noise and Salt-and-pepper noise to avoid overfitting. The algorithm is verified by two experiments, which are line tracking and obstacle avoidance. The line tracking experiment is proceeded in order to track the desired path which is composed of straight and curved lines. The goal of obstacle avoidance experiment is to avoid the obstacles indoor. Finally, we get 3.29% error rate on the training set and 5.1% error rate on the test set in the line tracking experiment, 1.8% error rate on the training set and less than 5% error rate on the test set in the obstacle avoidance experiment. During the actual test, the robot can follow the runway centerline outdoor and avoid the obstacle in the room accurately. The result confirms the effectiveness of the algorithm and our improvement in the network structure and train parameters

  12. A comparative analysis of the encapsulated end-organs of mammalian skeletal muscles and of their sensory nerve endings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banks, R W; Hulliger, M; Saed, H H; Stacey, M J

    2009-06-01

    The encapsulated sensory endings of mammalian skeletal muscles are all mechanoreceptors. At the most basic functional level they serve as length sensors (muscle spindle primary and secondary endings), tension sensors (tendon organs), and pressure or vibration sensors (lamellated corpuscles). At a higher functional level, the differing roles of individual muscles in, for example, postural adjustment and locomotion might be expected to be reflected in characteristic complements of the various end-organs, their sensory endings and afferent nerve fibres. This has previously been demonstrated with regard to the number of muscle-spindle capsules; however, information on the other types of end-organ, as well as the complements of primary and secondary endings of the spindles themselves, is sporadic and inconclusive regarding their comparative provision in different muscles. Our general conclusion that muscle-specific variability in the provision of encapsulated sensory endings does exist demonstrates the necessity for the acquisition of more data of this type if we are to understand the underlying adaptive relationships between motor control and the structure and function of skeletal muscle. The present quantitative and comparative analysis of encapsulated muscle afferents is based on teased, silver-impregnated preparations. We begin with a statistical analysis of the number and distribution of muscle-spindle afferents in hind-limb muscles of the cat, particularly tenuissimus. We show that: (i) taking account of the necessity for at least one primary ending to be present, muscles differ significantly in the mean number of additional afferents per spindle capsule; (ii) the frequency of occurrence of spindles with different sensory complements is consistent with a stochastic, rather than deterministic, developmental process; and (iii) notwithstanding the previous finding, there is a differential distribution of spindles intramuscularly such that the more complex ones tend

  13. Robotic end-effector for rewaterproofing shuttle tiles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manouchehri, Davoud; Hansen, Joseph M.; Wu, Cheng M.; Yamamoto, Brian S.; Graham, Todd

    1992-11-01

    This paper summarizes work by Rockwell International's Space Systems Division's Robotics Group at Downey, California. The work is part of a NASA-led team effort to automate Space Shuttle rewaterproofing in the Orbiter Processing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center and the ferry facility at the Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility. Rockwell's effort focuses on the rewaterproofing end-effector, whose function is to inject hazardous dimethylethyloxysilane into thousands of ceramic tiles on the underside of the orbiter after each flight. The paper has five sections. First, it presents background on the present manual process. Second, end-effector requirements are presented, including safety and interface control. Third, a design is presented for the five end-effector systems: positioning, delivery, containment, data management, and command and control. Fourth, end-effector testing and integrating to the total system are described. Lastly, future applications for this technology are discussed.

  14. Semi-automated categorization of open-ended questions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthias Schonlau

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Text data from open-ended questions in surveys are difficult to analyze and are frequently ignored. Yet open-ended questions are important because they do not constrain respondents’ answer choices. Where open-ended questions are necessary, sometimes multiple human coders hand-code answers into one of several categories. At the same time, computer scientists have made impressive advances in text mining that may allow automation of such coding. Automated algorithms do not achieve an overall accuracy high enough to entirely replace humans. We categorize open-ended questions soliciting narrative responses using text mining for easy-to-categorize answers and humans for the remainder using expected accuracies to guide the choice of the threshold delineating between “easy” and “hard”. Employing multinomial boosting avoids the common practice of converting machine learning “confidence scores” into pseudo-probabilities. This approach is illustrated with examples from open-ended questions related to respondents’ advice to a patient in a hypothetical dilemma, a follow-up probe related to respondents’ perception of disclosure/privacy risk, and from a question on reasons for quitting smoking from a follow-up survey from the Ontario Smoker’s Helpline. Targeting 80% combined accuracy, we found that 54%-80% of the data could be categorized automatically in research surveys.

  15. Advertising to the End Consumers by Pharmaceutical Companies: Blessing or Curse?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scott Goldberg

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available The last several years have seen an increase inthe number of direct to consumer advertisements by pharmaceutical companies.Direct to Consumer advertisements (DTC means targeting the end consumerthrough advertisements on television, radio, in newspapers, magazines, and theInternet. The qualitative study presents data and supports  the need for a future quantitative study toask physicians and consumers their opinions on whether pharmaceutical companiesshould be allowed to advertise directly to the end consumer. This article reviewsthe literature on this controversial topic, supporting the need to explore thereserach questions in greater detail. A review of the literature suggests thereis financial motivation on the part of the pharmaceutical companies to increasetheir sales by advertsing directly to the end consumer as opposed to performingan educational service to the consumer.

  16. A real-time 3D end-to-end augmented reality system (and its representation transformations)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tytgat, Donny; Aerts, Maarten; De Busser, Jeroen; Lievens, Sammy; Rondao Alface, Patrice; Macq, Jean-Francois

    2016-09-01

    The new generation of HMDs coming to the market is expected to enable many new applications that allow free viewpoint experiences with captured video objects. Current applications usually rely on 3D content that is manually created or captured in an offline manner. In contrast, this paper focuses on augmented reality applications that use live captured 3D objects while maintaining free viewpoint interaction. We present a system that allows live dynamic 3D objects (e.g. a person who is talking) to be captured in real-time. Real-time performance is achieved by traversing a number of representation formats and exploiting their specific benefits. For instance, depth images are maintained for fast neighborhood retrieval and occlusion determination, while implicit surfaces are used to facilitate multi-source aggregation for both geometry and texture. The result is a 3D reconstruction system that outputs multi-textured triangle meshes at real-time rates. An end-to-end system is presented that captures and reconstructs live 3D data and allows for this data to be used on a networked (AR) device. For allocating the different functional blocks onto the available physical devices, a number of alternatives are proposed considering the available computational power and bandwidth for each of the components. As we will show, the representation format can play an important role in this functional allocation and allows for a flexible system that can support a highly heterogeneous infrastructure.

  17. A Validation Approach of an End-to-End Whole Genome Sequencing Workflow for Source Tracking of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne-Catherine Portmann

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Whole genome sequencing (WGS, using high throughput sequencing technology, reveals the complete sequence of the bacterial genome in a few days. WGS is increasingly being used for source tracking, pathogen surveillance and outbreak investigation due to its high discriminatory power. In the food industry, WGS used for source tracking is beneficial to support contamination investigations. Despite its increased use, no standards or guidelines are available today for the use of WGS in outbreak and/or trace-back investigations. Here we present a validation of our complete (end-to-end WGS workflow for Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica including: subculture of isolates, DNA extraction, sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. This end-to-end WGS workflow was evaluated according to the following performance criteria: stability, repeatability, reproducibility, discriminatory power, and epidemiological concordance. The current study showed that few single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs were observed for L. monocytogenes and S. enterica when comparing genome sequences from five independent colonies from the first subculture and five independent colonies after the tenth subculture. Consequently, the stability of the WGS workflow for L. monocytogenes and S. enterica was demonstrated despite the few genomic variations that can occur during subculturing steps. Repeatability and reproducibility were also demonstrated. The WGS workflow was shown to have a high discriminatory power and has the ability to show genetic relatedness. Additionally, the WGS workflow was able to reproduce published outbreak investigation results, illustrating its capability of showing epidemiological concordance. The current study proposes a validation approach comprising all steps of a WGS workflow and demonstrates that the workflow can be applied to L. monocytogenes or S. enterica.

  18. A relational ethical approach to end-of-life delirium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, David Kenneth; Brajtman, Susan; Macdonald, Mary Ellen

    2014-08-01

    Delirium is a condition of acute onset and fluctuating course in which a person's level of consciousness and cognition become disturbed. Delirium is a common and distressing phenomenon in end-of-life care, yet it is underrecognized and undertreated. In this article, we review qualitative descriptions of the delirium experience in end-of-life care, found through a systematic search of academic databases, to generate insight into the intersubjective nature of the delirium experience. Our analysis of retrieved studies advances an understanding of the relational ethical dimensions of this phenomenon, that is, how delirium is lived by patients, families, and health care providers and how it affects the relationships and values at stake. We propose three themes that explain the distressing nature of delirium in palliative care: 1) experiences of relational tension; 2) challenges in recognizing the delirious person; and 3) struggles to interpret the meaning of delirious behaviors. By approaching end-of-life delirium from a perspective of relational ethics, attention is focused on the implications for the therapeutic relationship with patients and families when delirium becomes part of the dying trajectory. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. End-User Driven Business Process Composition

    OpenAIRE

    Stoitsev, Todor

    2009-01-01

    Business Process Management (BPM) solutions enable enterprises to consolidate and optimize their business operations and to gain competitive advantage in the fast evolving global market. Often, the only ones to understand the matter and complexity of business processes are the end users of enterprise software, who execute them on a daily basis. The need to involve end users in business process composition during the implementation of BPM solutions in enterprises is clearly perceived. However,...

  20. Messenger RNA 3' end formation in plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunt, A G

    2008-01-01

    Messenger RNA 3' end formation is an integral step in the process that gives rise to mature, translated messenger RNAs in eukaryotes. With this step, a pre-messenger RNA is processed and polyadenylated, giving rise to a mature mRNA bearing the characteristic poly(A) tract. The poly(A) tract is a fundamental feature of mRNAs, participating in the process of translation initiation and being the focus of control mechanisms that define the lifetime of mRNAs. Thus messenger RNA 3' end formation impacts two steps in mRNA biogenesis and function. Moreover, mRNA 3' end formation is something of a bridge that integrates numerous other steps in mRNA biogenesis and function. While the process is essential for the expression of most genes, it is also one that is subject to various forms of regulation, such that both quantitative and qualitative aspects of gene expression may be modulated via the polyadenylation complex. In this review, the current status of understanding of mRNA 3' end formation in plants is discussed. In particular, the nature of mRNA 3' ends in plants is reviewed, as are recent studies that are beginning to yield insight into the functioning and regulation of plant polyadenylation factor subunits.

  1. Electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) battery-related burns presenting to US emergency departments, 2016.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corey, Catherine G; Chang, Joanne T; Rostron, Brian L

    2018-03-05

    Currently, an estimated 7.9 million US adults use electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). Although published reports have identified fires and explosions related to use of ENDS since 2009, these reports do not provide national estimates of burn injuries associated with ENDS batteries in the US. We analyzed nationally representative data provided in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) to estimate the number of US emergency department (ED) visits for burn injuries associated with ENDS batteries. We reviewed the case narrative field to gain additional insights into the circumstances of the burn injury. In 2016, 26 ENDS battery-related burn cases were captured by NEISS, which translates to a national estimate of 1007 (95%CI: 357-1657) injuries presenting in US EDs. Most of the burns were thermal burns (80.4%) and occurred to the upper leg/lower trunk (77.3%). Examination of the case narrative field indicated that at least 20 of the burn injuries occurred while ENDS batteries were in the user's pocket. Our study provides valuable information for understanding the current burden of ENDS battery-related burn injuries treated in US EDs. The nature and circumstances of the injuries suggest these incidents were unintentional and would potentially be prevented through battery design requirements, battery testing standards and public education related to ENDS battery safety.

  2. HIDE & SEEK: End-to-end packages to simulate and process radio survey data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akeret, J.; Seehars, S.; Chang, C.; Monstein, C.; Amara, A.; Refregier, A.

    2017-01-01

    As several large single-dish radio surveys begin operation within the coming decade, a wealth of radio data will become available and provide a new window to the Universe. In order to fully exploit the potential of these datasets, it is important to understand the systematic effects associated with the instrument and the analysis pipeline. A common approach to tackle this is to forward-model the entire system-from the hardware to the analysis of the data products. For this purpose, we introduce two newly developed, open-source Python packages: the HI Data Emulator (HIDE) and the Signal Extraction and Emission Kartographer (SEEK) for simulating and processing single-dish radio survey data. HIDE forward-models the process of collecting astronomical radio signals in a single-dish radio telescope instrument and outputs pixel-level time-ordered-data. SEEK processes the time-ordered-data, removes artifacts from Radio Frequency Interference (RFI), automatically applies flux calibration, and aims to recover the astronomical radio signal. The two packages can be used separately or together depending on the application. Their modular and flexible nature allows easy adaptation to other instruments and datasets. We describe the basic architecture of the two packages and examine in detail the noise and RFI modeling in HIDE, as well as the implementation of gain calibration and RFI mitigation in SEEK. We then apply HIDE &SEEK to forward-model a Galactic survey in the frequency range 990-1260 MHz based on data taken at the Bleien Observatory. For this survey, we expect to cover 70% of the full sky and achieve a median signal-to-noise ratio of approximately 5-6 in the cleanest channels including systematic uncertainties. However, we also point out the potential challenges of high RFI contamination and baseline removal when examining the early data from the Bleien Observatory. The fully documented HIDE &SEEK packages are available at http://hideseek.phys.ethz.ch/ and are published

  3. Strategies for early metabolic disturbances in patients with an end jejunostomy or end ileostomy. Experience from a specialized Home Parenteral Nutrition (HPN center

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michał Ławiński

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction : An end stoma syndrome is usually the result of an intentional surgical intervention in the course of staged treatment or a complication of surgery. These patients most frequently suffer from water and electrolyte disturbances, malnutrition syndromes caused by malabsorption of trace elements and/or vitamins, and undernutrition. Aim : To present early metabolic disturbances observed in patients with an end jejunostomy or end ileostomy syndrome on the first day of their hospitalization in a specialist Home Parenteral Nutrition (HPN center. Material and methods : The study included 142 patients with an end stoma syndrome (76 women and 66 men, hospitalized between 2004 and 2014. Patients were divided into two main groups. Group A consisted of 90 patients with an end jejunostomy and group B consisted of 52 patients with an end ileostomy. Results : After comparing the patients with an end jejunostomy vs. those with an end ileostomy, significant differences were found as regards pH (7.34 vs. 7.39, p = 0.043 and BE (3.24 vs. –0.86, p = 0.005. Depending on the lack or possibility of oral food intake, patients in the end jejunostomy group had different levels of the markers phosphate, Mg, Ca, urea, and creatinine, with all of these parameters within normal laboratory limits. When the end ileostomy group was divided into subgroups depending on the lack or possibility of oral food intake, differences in C-reactive protein activity were found (55.6 vs. 25.7, p = 0.041. Conclusions : Patients with an end jejunostomy syndrome are more prone to metabolic acidosis with significant alkali deficiencies.

  4. End-to-end Cyberinfrastructure and Data Services for Earth System Science Education and Research: Unidata's Plans and Directions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramamurthy, M.

    2005-12-01

    work together in a fundamentally different way. Likewise, the advent of digital libraries, grid computing platforms, interoperable frameworks, standards and protocols, open-source software, and community atmospheric models have been important drivers in shaping the use of a new generation of end-to-end cyberinfrastructure for solving some of the most challenging scientific and educational problems. In this talk, I will present an overview of the scientific, technological, and educational drivers and discuss recent developments in cyberinfrastructure and Unidata's role and directions in providing robust, end-to-end data services for solving geoscientific problems and advancing student learning.

  5. Minimizing Barriers in Learning for On-Call Radiology Residents-End-to-End Web-Based Resident Feedback System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Hailey H; Clark, Jennifer; Jay, Ann K; Filice, Ross W

    2018-02-01

    Feedback is an essential part of medical training, where trainees are provided with information regarding their performance and further directions for improvement. In diagnostic radiology, feedback entails a detailed review of the differences between the residents' preliminary interpretation and the attendings' final interpretation of imaging studies. While the on-call experience of independently interpreting complex cases is important to resident education, the more traditional synchronous "read-out" or joint review is impossible due to multiple constraints. Without an efficient method to compare reports, grade discrepancies, convey salient teaching points, and view images, valuable lessons in image interpretation and report construction are lost. We developed a streamlined web-based system, including report comparison and image viewing, to minimize barriers in asynchronous communication between attending radiologists and on-call residents. Our system provides real-time, end-to-end delivery of case-specific and user-specific feedback in a streamlined, easy-to-view format. We assessed quality improvement subjectively through surveys and objectively through participation metrics. Our web-based feedback system improved user satisfaction for both attending and resident radiologists, and increased attending participation, particularly with regards to cases where substantive discrepancies were identified.

  6. Training Providers and Patients to Talk about End-of-Life Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Failing to discuss the transition from active cancer treatment to end-of-life care can leave doctors unsure of what a patient truly wants. Failing to receive end-of-life care in line with their values and wishes can cause patients and their families great distress. Researchers have developed innovative, evidence-based programs to help doctors and patients improve their communication skills and grow comfortable with these discussions.

  7. An Analysis of the Radiation Damage to the ATLAS Semiconductor Tracker End-Caps

    CERN Document Server

    Millar, Declan; Moretti, Stefano

    The motivation, theoretical principles and analytical procedure for an assessment of the radiation damage to the ATLAS SCT end-caps is presented. An analysis of the leakage current across end-cap modules is performed for 2011 and 2012 data. A comparison between the observed and expected leakage current is made, with measurements favouring the shape of the theoretical evolution. Measured data is found to be systematically lower than predicted for a large subset of end-cap modules, while the remainder show surface current effects which interfere with bulk current observation. Uniform differences for modules at different radial distances suggest a radial temperature distribution in the end-caps, with absolute silicon sensor temperature to be established in further analysis.

  8. Improving the performances of H-Darrieus cross-flow turbines through proper detached end plate designs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villeneuve, Thierry; Boudreau, Matthieu; Dumas, Guy; CFD Laboratory LMFN Team

    2017-11-01

    Previous studies on H-Darrieus cross-flow turbines have highlighted the fact that their performances are highly sensitive to the detrimental effects associated with the blades tips. Wingtip devices could be designed in order to attenuate these effects, but the benefits of such devices are always impaired by their added viscous drag since they are moving with the turbine's blades. In this context, the development of fixed and detached end plates, i.e., which are not in contact with the turbine's blades, could reduce the tip losses without the undesirable added drag of typical wingtip devices moving with the blades. The case of a single stationary blade with detached end plates has first been investigated with RANS simulations in order to understand the mechanisms responsible for the increase of the blade's lift. An analysis of the vorticity lines' dynamics provides crucial insights into the effects of the gap width between the blade and the detached end plate on the blade's loading and on the intensity of the tip vortices. Based on these observations, various configurations of detached end plates are tested on cross-flow turbines via RANS and DDES simulations. Preliminary results show that appropriate detached end plates can significantly increase the turbines' efficiency. The authors gratefully acknowledge the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for their financial support as well as Compute Canada and Calcul Québec for their supercomputer allocations.

  9. Issues surrounding end-of-life decision-making

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tejwani V

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Vickram Tejwani,1,* YiFan Wu,1,* Sabrina Serrano,2 Luis Segura,2 Michael Bannon,3 Qi Qian1 1Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, 2Mayo Graduate School, 3Department of Trauma, Critical Care, and General Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: End-of-life decision-making is a complex process that can be extremely challenging. We describe a 42-year-old woman in an irreversible coma without an advance directive. The case serves to illustrate the complications that can occur in end-of-life decision-making and challenges in resolving difficult futility disputes. We review the role of advance directives in planning end-of-life care, the responsibility and historical performance of patient surrogates, the genesis of futility disputes, and approaches to resolving disputes. Keywords: end-of-life care, advance directive, surrogate, futility dispute, conflict resolution

  10. End-task versus in-task feedback to increase procedural learning retention during spinal anaesthesia training of novices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lean, Lyn Li; Hong, Ryan Yee Shiun; Ti, Lian Kah

    2017-08-01

    Communication of feedback during teaching of practical procedures is a fine balance of structure and timing. We investigate if continuous in-task (IT) or end-task feedback (ET) is more effective in teaching spinal anaesthesia to medical students. End-task feedback was hypothesized to improve both short-term and long-term procedural learning retention as experiential learning promotes active learning after encountering errors during practice. Upon exposure to a 5-min instructional video, students randomized to IT or ET feedbacks were trained using a spinal simulator mannequin. A blinded expert tested the students using a spinal anaesthesia checklist in the short term (immediate) and long-term (average 4 months). Sixty-five students completed the training and testing. There were no differences in demographics of age or gender within IT or ET distributions. Both short-term and long-term learning retention of spinal anaesthesia ET feedback proved to be better (P feedback. The time taken for ET students was shorter at long-term testing. End-task feedback improves both short-term and long-term procedural learning retention.

  11. Theoretical study of the influence of twine thickness on haddock selectivity in diamond mesh cod-ends

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Herrmann, Bent; O'Neill, F.G.

    2006-01-01

    Using the cod-end simulation model PRESEMO, the influence of twine thickness on cod-end selectivity is investigated. The reduction of lateral mesh opening that arises as a result of both twine bending stiffness and the physical presence of the twine is considered. While it is shown that this lead...

  12. Design of EPON far-end equipment based on FTTH

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Xiancheng; Yun, Xiang

    2008-12-01

    Now, most favors fiber access is mainly the EPON fiber access system. Inheriting from the low cost of Ethernet, usability and bandwidth of optical network, EPON technology is one of the best technologies in fiber access and is adopted by the carriers all over the world widely. According to the scheme analysis to FTTH fan-end equipment, hardware design of ONU is proposed in this paper. The FTTH far-end equipment software design deference modulation design concept, it divides the software designment into 5 function modules: the module of low-layer driver, the module of system management, the module of master/slave communication, and the module of main/Standby switch and the module of command line. The software flow of the host computer is also analyzed. Finally, test is made for Ethernet service performance of FTTH far-end equipment, E1 service performance and the optical path protection switching, and so on. The results of test indicates that all the items are accordance with technical request of far-end ONU equipment and possess good quality and fully reach the requirement of telecommunication level equipment. The far-end equipment of FTTH divides into several parts based on the function: the control module, the exchange module, the UNI interface module, the ONU module, the EPON interface module, the network management debugging module, the voice processing module, the circuit simulation module, the CATV module. In the downstream direction, under the protect condition, we design 2 optical modules. The system can set one group optical module working and another group optical module closure when it is initialized. When the optical fiber line is cut off, the LOS warning comes out. It will cause MUX to replace another group optical module, simultaneously will reset module 3701/3711 and will make it again test the distance, and will give the plug board MPC850 report through the GPIO port. During normal mode, the downstream optical signal is transformed into the

  13. Open-ended questions in sensory testing practice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Piqueras Fiszman, B.

    2015-01-01

    Why use open-ended questions? This chapter provides an up-to-date overview on the use of open-ended questions in novel rapid sensory methodologies and the potential applications in which they could provide unique benefits. Next, the step-by-step process is described (from task performance to

  14. ATLAS end-caps 
on the move

    CERN Multimedia

    2007-01-01

    Two delicate and spectacular transport operations have been performed for ATLAS in recent weeks: the first end-cap tracker was installed in its final position, and one of the huge end-caps of the toroid magnet was moved to the top of the experiment’s shaft.

  15. Pharmacy Students' Attitudes Toward Death and End-of-life Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broeseker, Amy E.

    2010-01-01

    Objectives To assess pharmacy students' attitudes toward death and end-of-life care. Methods Third-year pharmacy students enrolled in the Ethics in Christianity and Health Care course were administered a survey instrument prior to introduction of the topic of end-of-life care. Students' attitudes toward different professions' roles in end-of-life care and their comfort in discussing end-of-life issues were assessed. The survey instrument was readministered to the same students at the end of their fourth year. Results On most survey items, female students responded more favorably toward death and end-of-life care than male students. One exception was the perceived emotional ability to be in the room of a dying patient or loved one. Post-experiential survey responses were generally more favorable toward death and end-of-life care than were pre-discussion responses. Conclusions In general, when surveyed concerning death and end-of-life care, female students responded more favorably than male students, and responses at the end of the fourth year were more favorable than at the beginning of the course. PMID:21045946

  16. Identification and implementation of end-user needs during development of a state-of-the-art modeling tool-set - 59069

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seitz, Roger; Williamson, Mark; Gerdes, Kurt; Freshley, Mark; Dixon, Paul; Collazo, Yvette T.; Hubbard, Susan

    2012-01-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE) Office of Environmental Management, Technology Innovation and Development is supporting a multi-National Laboratory effort to develop the Advanced Simulation Capability for Environmental Management (ASCEM). ASCEM is an emerging state-of-the-art scientific approach and software infrastructure for understanding and predicting contaminant fate and transport in natural and engineered systems. These modular and open-source high performance computing tools and user interfaces will facilitate integrated approaches that enable standardized assessments of performance and risk for EM cleanup and closure decisions. The ASCEM team recognized that engaging end-users in the ASCEM development process would lead to enhanced development and implementation of the ASCEM tool-sets in the user community. End-user involvement in ASCEM covers a broad spectrum of perspectives, including: performance assessment (PA) and risk assessment practitioners, research scientists, decision-makers, oversight personnel, and regulators engaged in the US DOE cleanup mission. End-users are primarily engaged in ASCEM via the ASCEM User Steering Committee (USC) and the 'user needs interface' task. Future plans also include user involvement in demonstrations of the ASCEM tools. This paper will describe the details of how end users have been engaged in the ASCEM program and will demonstrate how this involvement has strengthened both the tool development and community confidence. ASCEM tools requested by end-users specifically target modeling challenges associated with US DOE cleanup activities. The demonstration activities involve application of ASCEM tools and capabilities to representative problems at DOE sites. Selected results from the ASCEM Phase 1 demonstrations are discussed to illustrate how capabilities requested by end-users were implemented in prototype versions of the ASCEM tool. The ASCEM team engaged a variety of interested parties early in the development

  17. Preparing an ATLAS toroid magnet end-cap for lowering

    CERN Multimedia

    Claudia Marcelloni

    2007-01-01

    One of the two 13-m high toroid magnet end-caps for the ATLAS experiment being transported from the construction hall to the experimental area. The end-cap will be lowered into the ATLAS cavern and attached to an end of the detector.

  18. Back end of the fuel cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wolfe, B.; Lambert, R.W.

    1975-01-01

    At present, that portion of the nuclear fuel cycle involving reprocessing, waste management, and mixed-oxide fuel fabrication is in an unsettled state. Government regulatory requirements with respect to all aspects of the back end of the fuel cycle are still being formulated, and there is little positive experience on the operation of commercial reprocessing or mixed-oxide fabrication plants. In view of this unsettled situation, it will be difficult to meet the reprocessing and mixed-oxide fabrication needs of the next decade in the pattern previously anticipated. The costs in the back end of the fuel cycle are much higher than had been anticipated several years ago, a situation similar to that of almost all large endeavors in this country. On the other hand, the added costs are small relative to total power costs and do not affect the economic advantage of nuclear power as compared to other power sources. A rough economic analysis indicates that the question for the back end of the fuel cycle has changed from one of optimizing profitability to one of determining the most economic disposition of spent fuel. Long-term spent fuel storage is a practical and economically acceptable way to provide time for determining a sound course of action for the back end of the fuel cycle. Indeed, if one could count on a breeder economy before the end of the century, one possible course of action is to store light-water fuel until the plutonium can be used in breeders. However, for philosophical as well as practical reasons, it is important that the uncertainties in the course of action should be resolved as quickly as possible. Long-term storage should not be an excuse to delay resolution of the basic questions. (U.S.)

  19. Open-Ended Waveguide Measurement and Numerical Simulation of the Reflectivity of Petri Dish Supported Skin Cell Monolayers in the mm-wave Range

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beneduci, Amerigo; Chidichimo, Giuseppe

    2012-05-01

    Open-ended waveguide reflectometry is a promising tool for permittivity and other material properties calculation at mm-waves (30-300 GHz). Measurement of the reflection coefficient does not require sample manipulation, allowing in vivo and in vitro non destructive studies on cells. Here we used this technique for measuring the power reflection coefficient (reflectivity) of water and Petri dish supported human skin melanoma and keratinocyte cell cultures, in the 53-72 GHz frequency range. The dependence of the reflectivity on polystyrene or glass thickness of the Petri base plate and on the cell layer thickness was analyzed. Permittivity data were then easily retrieved by using a plane wave-dominant mode approach for formulating the reflectivity at the aperture of the flange-mounted open-ended rectangular waveguide probe. Limits and validity of such an approximate approach were analyzed and compared with full-wave near field formulations for which magnitude and phase of the reflection coefficient must be measured and solved using complicated systems of integral equations and extensive numerical calculation. Finally, Petri dish reflectivity measured by the open-ended waveguide method was compared with that numerically simulated under far-field exposure conditions used in a large number of in vitro studies. Such an analysis showed that, under certain conditions, open-ended reflectivity values approach the far field ones.

  20. SME2EM: Smart mobile end-to-end monitoring architecture for life-long diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serhani, Mohamed Adel; Menshawy, Mohamed El; Benharref, Abdelghani

    2016-01-01

    Monitoring life-long diseases requires continuous measurements and recording of physical vital signs. Most of these diseases are manifested through unexpected and non-uniform occurrences and behaviors. It is impractical to keep patients in hospitals, health-care institutions, or even at home for long periods of time. Monitoring solutions based on smartphones combined with mobile sensors and wireless communication technologies are a potential candidate to support complete mobility-freedom, not only for patients, but also for physicians. However, existing monitoring architectures based on smartphones and modern communication technologies are not suitable to address some challenging issues, such as intensive and big data, resource constraints, data integration, and context awareness in an integrated framework. This manuscript provides a novel mobile-based end-to-end architecture for live monitoring and visualization of life-long diseases. The proposed architecture provides smartness features to cope with continuous monitoring, data explosion, dynamic adaptation, unlimited mobility, and constrained devices resources. The integration of the architecture׳s components provides information about diseases׳ recurrences as soon as they occur to expedite taking necessary actions, and thus prevent severe consequences. Our architecture system is formally model-checked to automatically verify its correctness against designers׳ desirable properties at design time. Its components are fully implemented as Web services with respect to the SOA architecture to be easy to deploy and integrate, and supported by Cloud infrastructure and services to allow high scalability, availability of processes and data being stored and exchanged. The architecture׳s applicability is evaluated through concrete experimental scenarios on monitoring and visualizing states of epileptic diseases. The obtained theoretical and experimental results are very promising and efficiently satisfy the proposed

  1. Seven-laser diode end-pumped Nd

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berger, J.; Welch, D.F.; Streifer, W.; Scifres, D.R.; Smith, J.J.; Hoffman, H.J.; Peisley, D.; Radecki, D.

    1988-01-01

    End pumping of solid-state lasers by single semiconductor laser diode arrays (LDAs) is efficient, but the maximum pump power is limited by the source brightness and matching the TEM/sub 00/ Nd:YAG cavity mode. To increase the output power from a solid-state Nd:YAG laser, one option is to employ a multiplicity of LDA to provide more pump power than is available from a single source. The authors report herein a 660-mW cw TEM/sub 00/ Nd:YAG laser, end-pumped by seven LDA, with bundled optical fibers coupling the light from each diode to the Nd:YAG rod end. The maximum electrical-to-optical conversion efficiency attained was 4.7% at 560-mW Nd:YAG output power. The LDAs (SDL-2430-C, 100 μm wide) were mounted on separate thermoelectric coolers to tune emission wavelength to the Nd:YAG absorption bands. The diodes were operated at their rated output power (50,000 h mean time to failure). The 110/125-μm diam 0.37-N.A. fibers were butt coupled to the lasers and glued together into a hexagonal close pack. The authors have obtained the highest average power demonstrated to date in the TEM/sub 00/ mode from a Nd:YAG laser, reliably end-pumped by multiple laser diodes with good efficiency

  2. [Treatment of painful neuromas via end-to-side neurorraphy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aszmann, O C; Moser, V; Frey, M

    2010-08-01

    Management of the painful neuroma has been subject to controversy since the earliest descriptions of this disabling problem. Today, treatment is limited to resection of the neuroma and implantation of the nerve in a muscle at a location where it is safe from irritation and trauma. This however is not attainable in many cases and it is our clinical experience, that nerves without a target remain a source of constant discomfort and pain. Recently we reported of the feasibility of neuroma prevention through end-to-side neurorraphy into adjacent sensory and/or motor nerves to provide a target for axons deprived of their endorgan. Here we report of our first clinical experience with this method in sixteen patients with longstanding upper and lower extremity neuromas. 16 patients were included in this study. All had neuromas of different sensory nerves of both the upper and lower extremity. 11 were of iatrogenic origin, 5 were caused by different traumas. 8 had previous attempts to surgically treat the neuroma. Finally, all were treated by end-to-side neurorraphy into adjacent nerves. Postoperatively quantitative sensorymotor testing was performed to evaluate possible changes of nerve function of the recipient nerves. Pain was evaluated by visual analogue score and changes in pain medication. In no patient a sensory or motor deficit or painful sensations were induced in the target area of the recipient nerve. Some had dysaesthesias for about 6 months, which finally subsided. All but 1 patient improved in their symptoms at a follow-up of more than 2 years. Previous experimental work and present clinical results suggest that axons of a severed peripheral nerve that are provided with a pathway and target through an end-to-side coaptation will either be pruned or establish some type of end-organ contact so that a neuroma can be prevented without inducing sensory or motor dysfunctions in the recipient nerve. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart New York.

  3. SAMHD1 Promotes DNA End Resection to Facilitate DNA Repair by Homologous Recombination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Waaqo Daddacha

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available DNA double-strand break (DSB repair by homologous recombination (HR is initiated by CtIP/MRN-mediated DNA end resection to maintain genome integrity. SAMHD1 is a dNTP triphosphohydrolase, which restricts HIV-1 infection, and mutations are associated with Aicardi-Goutières syndrome and cancer. We show that SAMHD1 has a dNTPase-independent function in promoting DNA end resection to facilitate DSB repair by HR. SAMHD1 deficiency or Vpx-mediated degradation causes hypersensitivity to DSB-inducing agents, and SAMHD1 is recruited to DSBs. SAMHD1 complexes with CtIP via a conserved C-terminal domain and recruits CtIP to DSBs to facilitate end resection and HR. Significantly, a cancer-associated mutant with impaired CtIP interaction, but not dNTPase-inactive SAMHD1, fails to rescue the end resection impairment of SAMHD1 depletion. Our findings define a dNTPase-independent function for SAMHD1 in HR-mediated DSB repair by facilitating CtIP accrual to promote DNA end resection, providing insight into how SAMHD1 promotes genome integrity.

  4. Training leads to increased auditory brain-computer interface performance of end-users with motor impairments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halder, S; Käthner, I; Kübler, A

    2016-02-01

    Auditory brain-computer interfaces are an assistive technology that can restore communication for motor impaired end-users. Such non-visual brain-computer interface paradigms are of particular importance for end-users that may lose or have lost gaze control. We attempted to show that motor impaired end-users can learn to control an auditory speller on the basis of event-related potentials. Five end-users with motor impairments, two of whom with additional visual impairments, participated in five sessions. We applied a newly developed auditory brain-computer interface paradigm with natural sounds and directional cues. Three of five end-users learned to select symbols using this method. Averaged over all five end-users the information transfer rate increased by more than 1800% from the first session (0.17 bits/min) to the last session (3.08 bits/min). The two best end-users achieved information transfer rates of 5.78 bits/min and accuracies of 92%. Our results show that an auditory BCI with a combination of natural sounds and directional cues, can be controlled by end-users with motor impairment. Training improves the performance of end-users to the level of healthy controls. To our knowledge, this is the first time end-users with motor impairments controlled an auditory brain-computer interface speller with such high accuracy and information transfer rates. Further, our results demonstrate that operating a BCI with event-related potentials benefits from training and specifically end-users may require more than one session to develop their full potential. Copyright © 2015 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. FMIT test-end instrumentation development bases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fuller, J.L.

    1982-06-01

    FMIT test-end measurements proposed for deuteron beam control, target diagnostics, and irradiation sample dosimetry are listed. The test-end refers to the area inside the test cell, but includes measurements inside and outside the cell. Justification, categorization, and limits qualification are presented for each measurement. Methods are purposefully de-emphasized in order to clarify the measurement needs, not techniques. Some discussion of techniques currently under investigation is given in the last section of the report

  6. The upgraded CDF front end electronics for calorimetry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Drake, G.; Frei, D.; Hahn, S.R.; Nelson, C.A.; Segler, S.L.; Stuermer, W.

    1991-11-01

    The front end electronics used in the calorimetry of the CDF detector has been upgraded to meet system requirements for higher expected luminosity. A fast digitizer utilizing a 2 {mu}Sec, 16 bit ADC has been designed and built. Improvements to the front end trigger circuitry have been implemented, including the production of 900 new front end modules. Operational experience with the previous system is presented, with discussion of the problems and performance goals.

  7. The upgraded CDF front end electronics for calorimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drake, G.; Frei, D.; Hahn, S.R.; Nelson, C.A.; Segler, S.L.; Stuermer, W.

    1991-11-01

    The front end electronics used in the calorimetry of the CDF detector has been upgraded to meet system requirements for higher expected luminosity. A fast digitizer utilizing a 2 μSec, 16 bit ADC has been designed and built. Improvements to the front end trigger circuitry have been implemented, including the production of 900 new front end modules. Operational experience with the previous system is presented, with discussion of the problems and performance goals

  8. The 'end of AIDS' project: Mobilising evidence, bureaucracy, and big data for a final biomedical triumph over AIDS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leclerc-Madlala, Suzanne; Broomhall, Lorie; Fieno, John

    2017-12-04

    Efforts are currently underway by major orchestrators and funders of the global AIDS response to realise the vision of achieving an end to AIDS by 2030. Unlike previous efforts to provide policy guidance or to encourage 'best practice' approaches for combatting AIDS, the end of AIDS project involves the promotion of a clear set of targets, tools, and interventions for a final biomedical solution to the epidemic. In this paper, we examine the bureaucratic procedures of one major AIDS funder that helped to foster a common vision and mission amongst a global AIDS community with widely divergent views on how best to address the epidemic. We focus on the methods, movements, and materials that are central to the project of ending AIDS, including those related to biomedical forms of evidence and big data science. We argue that these approaches have limitations and social scientists need to pay close attention to the end of AIDS project, particularly in contexts where clinical interventions might transform clinical outcomes, but where the social, economic, and cultural determinants of HIV and AIDS remain largely intact and increasingly obscured.

  9. Vortex formation at the open end of an acoustic waveguide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez Del Rio, Leon; Rendon, Pablo L.; Malaga, Carlos; Zenit, Roberto

    2017-11-01

    For high enough levels of acoustic pressure inside a cylindrical tube, a nonlinear mechanism is responsible for the formation of annular vortices at the open end of the tube, which results in energy loss. Higher sound pressure levels in the tube lead, in turn, to larger values of the acoustic velocity at the exit, and thus to higher Reynolds numbers. It has been observed [Buick et al., 2011] that, provided the magnitude of the acoustic velocity is large enough, two nonlinear regimes are possible: in the first regime, the vorticity appears only in the immediate vicinity of the tube; for higher velocities, vortex rings are formed at the open end of the tube and are advected outwards. We use a Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) to simulate the velocity and the pressure fields at the exit of the tube in 3D, with Reynolds numbers based on the acoustic boundary layer thickness 18 >Rδ > 1.8 . We also conduct experiments with phase-locked particle image velocimetry (PL-PIV) 2D within a range of 25.5 >Rδ > 10.2 . Experimental and numerical results are compared for a range of Womersley numbers. The effects of varying both the tube geometry and the end shape are addressed.

  10. End points and assessments in esthetic dental treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishida, Yuichi; Fujimoto, Keiko; Higaki, Nobuaki; Goto, Takaharu; Ichikawa, Tetsuo

    2015-10-01

    There are two key considerations for successful esthetic dental treatments. This article systematically describes the two key considerations: the end points of esthetic dental treatments and assessments of esthetic outcomes, which are also important for acquiring clinical skill in esthetic dental treatments. The end point and assessment of esthetic dental treatment were discussed through literature reviews and clinical practices. Before designing a treatment plan, the end point of dental treatment should be established. The section entitled "End point of esthetic dental treatment" discusses treatments for maxillary anterior teeth and the restoration of facial profile with prostheses. The process of assessing treatment outcomes entitled "Assessments of esthetic dental treatment" discusses objective and subjective evaluation methods. Practitioners should reach an agreement regarding desired end points with patients through medical interviews, and continuing improvements and developments of esthetic assessments are required to raise the therapeutic level of esthetic dental treatments. Copyright © 2015 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Malvaceae endémicas del Perú

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magda Chanco

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available La familia Malvaceae es reconocida en el Perú con 38 géneros y 264 especies (Brako & Zarucchi 1993, Ulloa et al. 2004, mayormente arbustos y hierbas. En este trabajo reconocemos 87 especies endémicas en 16 géneros. El género más rico en especies endémicas es Nototriche. Las especies endémicas se encuentran en varias regiones ecológicas, entre ellas Altoandina, Mesoandina y Puna Húmeda y Seca, por encima de los 2500 m, hasta alcanzar los límites de la vegetación a 5100 m de altitud. Se aplicaron las categorías y criterios de la UICN a 84 especies. Once especies endémicas se encuentran presentes en el Sistema Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado.

  12. The Ongoing and Open-Ended Simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Alexander

    2016-01-01

    This case study explores a novel form of classroom simulation that differs from published examples in two important respects. First, it is ongoing. While most simulations represent a single learning episode embedded within a course, the ongoing simulation is a continuous set of interrelated events and decisions that accompany learning throughout…

  13. Curvaton and the inhomogeneous end of inflation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Assadullahi, Hooshyar; Wands, David; Firouzjahi, Hassan; Namjoo, Mohammad Hossein

    2012-01-01

    We study the primordial density perturbations and non-Gaussianities generated from the combined effects of an inhomogeneous end of inflation and curvaton decay in hybrid inflation. This dual role is played by a single isocurvature field which is massless during inflation but acquire a mass at the end of inflation via the waterfall phase transition. We calculate the resulting primordial non-Gaussianity characterized by the non-linearity parameter, f NL , recovering the usual end-of-inflation result when the field decays promptly and the usual curvaton result if the field decays sufficiently late

  14. Vochysiaceae endémicas del Perú

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Blanca León

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available La familia Vochysiaceae es reconocida en el Perú por presentar cuatro géneros y 32 especies (Brako & Zarucchi, 1993; Ulloa Ulloa et al., 2004, todas árboles. En este trabajo reconocemos dos especies endémicas en el género Qualea. Estas especies endémicas han sido encontradas en la región Bosques Húmedos Amazónicos, entre los 100 y 160 m de altitud. Ninguna especie endémica se encuentra representada dentro del Sistema Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado.

  15. Modeling Non-homologous End Joining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yongfeng

    2013-01-01

    Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is the dominant DNA double strand break (DSB) repair pathway and involves several NHEJ proteins such as Ku, DNA-PKcs, XRCC4, Ligase IV and so on. Once DSBs are generated, Ku is first recruited to the DNA end, followed by other NHEJ proteins for DNA end processing and ligation. Because of the direct ligation of break ends without the need for a homologous template, NHEJ turns out to be an error-prone but efficient repair pathway. Some mechanisms have been proposed of how the efficiency of NHEJ repair is affected. The type of DNA damage is an important factor of NHEJ repair. For instance, the length of DNA fragment may determine the recruitment efficiency of NHEJ protein such as Ku [1], or the complexity of the DNA breaks [2] is accounted for the choice of NHEJ proteins and subpathway of NHEJ repair. On the other hand, the chromatin structure also plays a role of the accessibility of NHEJ protein to the DNA damage site. In this talk, some mathematical models of NHEJ, that consist of series of biochemical reactions complying with the laws of chemical reaction (e.g. mass action, etc.), will be introduced. By mathematical and numerical analysis and parameter estimation, the models are able to capture the qualitative biological features and show good agreement with experimental data. As conclusions, from the viewpoint of modeling, how the NHEJ proteins are recruited will be first discussed for connection between the classical sequential model [4] and recently proposed two-phase model [5]. Then how the NHEJ repair pathway is affected, by the length of DNA fragment [6], the complexity of DNA damage [7] and the chromatin structure [8], will be addressed

  16. End-user centeredness in antiretroviral therapy services in Nigerian ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objective: To describe the perception of end users with regard to end-user centeredness in antiretroviral therapy (ART) service provision in Nigerian public health facilities. Design: A qualitative design was followed. Subjects and setting: Unstructured focus group discussions were conducted with end users (n = 64) in six ...

  17. Nerves and nerve endings in the skin of tropical cattle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amakiri, S F; Ozoya, S E; Ogunnaike, P O

    1978-01-01

    The nerves and nerve endings in the skin of tropical cattle were studied using histological and histochemical techniques. Many nerve trunks and fibres were present in the reticular and papillary dermis in both hairy and non-hairy skin sites. In non-hairy skin locations such as the muzzle and lower lip, encapsulated endings akin to Krause and Ruffini end bulbs, which arise from myelinated nerve trunks situated lower down the dermis were observed at the upper papillary layer level. Some fibre trunks seen at this level extended upwards to terminate within dermal papillae as bulb-shaped longitudinally lamellated Pacinian-type endings, while other onion-shaped lamellated nerve structures were located either within dermal papillae or near the dermo-epidermal area. Intraepidermal free-ending nerve fibres, appearing non-myelinated were observed in areas with thick epidermis. Intraepidermal free-ending nerve fibres, appearing non-myelinated were observed in areas with thick epidermis. On hairy skin sites, however, organized nerve endings or intraepidermal nerve endings were not readily identifiable.

  18. Virksomhedscensur farligere end selvcensur

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brink, Dennis Meyhoff

    2010-01-01

    Når TV-stationer som SBS og auktionshuse som lauritz.com ikke tør vise provokerende materiale, så er der ikke tale om selvcensur, men om virksomhedscensur. Og det er langt farligere end selvcensur....

  19. Back End Programming in .NET Framework

    OpenAIRE

    Sapkota, Dinesh

    2013-01-01

    The main goal of the project was to develop a web application which provides the services for both web and mobile client. The complete application development process was carried out by the team of four members and a supervisor. According to the interest of group members the whole project was divided into four parts; that is user interface design, mobile application development, back end development for mobile services and server side back end development of application. I got the task of ser...

  20. New supervised learning theory applied to cerebellar modeling for suppression of variability of saccade end points.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujita, Masahiko

    2013-06-01

    A new supervised learning theory is proposed for a hierarchical neural network with a single hidden layer of threshold units, which can approximate any continuous transformation, and applied to a cerebellar function to suppress the end-point variability of saccades. In motor systems, feedback control can reduce noise effects if the noise is added in a pathway from a motor center to a peripheral effector; however, it cannot reduce noise effects if the noise is generated in the motor center itself: a new control scheme is necessary for such noise. The cerebellar cortex is well known as a supervised learning system, and a novel theory of cerebellar cortical function developed in this study can explain the capability of the cerebellum to feedforwardly reduce noise effects, such as end-point variability of saccades. This theory assumes that a Golgi-granule cell system can encode the strength of a mossy fiber input as the state of neuronal activity of parallel fibers. By combining these parallel fiber signals with appropriate connection weights to produce a Purkinje cell output, an arbitrary continuous input-output relationship can be obtained. By incorporating such flexible computation and learning ability in a process of saccadic gain adaptation, a new control scheme in which the cerebellar cortex feedforwardly suppresses the end-point variability when it detects a variation in saccadic commands can be devised. Computer simulation confirmed the efficiency of such learning and showed a reduction in the variability of saccadic end points, similar to results obtained from experimental data.