ATLAS Trigger and Data Acquisition Upgrades for High Luminosity LHC

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00439268; The ATLAS collaboration

2016-01-01

The ATLAS experiment at CERN is planning a second phase of upgrades to prepare for the "High Luminosity LHC", a 4th major run due to start in 2026. In order to deliver an order of magnitude more data than previous runs, 14 TeV protons will collide with an instantaneous luminosity of 7.5 × 1034 cm−2s−1, resulting in much higher pileup and data rates than the current experiment was designed to handle. While this extreme scenario is essential to realise the physics programme, it is a huge challenge for the detector, trigger, data acquisition and computing. The detector upgrades themselves also present new requirements and opportunities for the trigger and data acquisition system. Initial upgrade designs for the trigger and data acquisition system are shown, including the real time low latency hardware trigger, hardware-based tracking, the high throughput data acquisition system and the commodity hardware and software-based data handling and event filtering. The motivation, overall architecture and expected ...

ATLAS Trigger and Data Acquisition Upgrades for High Luminosity LHC

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00421104; The ATLAS collaboration

2016-01-01

The ATLAS experiment at CERN is planning a second phase of upgrades to prepare for the "High Luminosity LHC", a 4th major run due to start in 2026. In order to deliver an order of magnitude more data than previous runs, 14 TeV protons will collide with an instantaneous luminosity of $7.5 \\times 10^{34} cm^{-2}s^{-1}$, resulting in much higher pileup and data rates than the current experiment was designed to handle. While this extreme scenario is essential to realise the physics programme, it is a huge challenge for the detector, trigger, data acquisition and computing. The detector upgrades themselves also present new requirements and opportunities for the trigger and data acquisition system. Initial upgrade designs for the trigger and data acquisition system are shown, including the real time low latency hardware trigger, hardware-based tracking, the high throughput data acquisition system and the commodity hardware and software-based data handling and event filtering. The motivation, overall architecture an...

ATLAS Trigger and Data Acquisition Upgrades for High Luminosity LHC

CERN Document Server

George, Simon; The ATLAS collaboration

2016-01-01

The ATLAS experiment at CERN is planning a second phase of upgrades to prepare for the "High Luminosity LHC", a 4th major run due to start in 2026. In order to deliver an order of magnitude more data than previous runs, 14 TeV protons will collide with an instantaneous luminosity of 7.5 × 10^{34} cm^{−2}s^{−1}, resulting in much higher pileup and data rates than the current experiment was designed to handle. While this extreme scenario is essential to realise the physics programme, it is a huge challenge for the detector, trigger, data acquisition and computing. The detector upgrades themselves also present new requirements and opportunities for the trigger and data acquisition system. Initial upgrade designs for the trigger and data acquisition system are shown, including the real time low latency hardware trigger, hardware-based tracking, the high throughput data acquisition system and the commodity hardware and software-based data handling and event filtering. The motivation, overall architecture and ...

ATLAS Trigger and Data Acquisition Upgrades for High Luminosity LHC

CERN Document Server

Balunas, William Keaton; The ATLAS collaboration

2016-01-01

The ATLAS experiment at CERN is planning a second phase of upgrades to prepare for the "High Luminosity LHC", a 4th major run due to start in 2026. In order to deliver an order of magnitude more data than previous runs, 14 TeV protons will collide with an instantaneous luminosity of $7.5 × 10^{34}$ cm$^{−2}$s$^{−1}$, resulting in much higher pileup and data rates than the current experiment was designed to handle. While this extreme scenario is essential to realise the physics programme, it is a huge challenge for the detector, trigger, data acquisition and computing. The detector upgrades themselves also present new requirements and opportunities for the trigger and data acquisition system. Initial upgrade designs for the trigger and data acquisition system are shown, including the real time low latency hardware trigger, hardware-based tracking, the high throughput data acquisition system and the commodity hardware and software-based data handling and event filtering. The motivation, overall architectur...

Embedded systems design for high-speed data acquisition and control

CERN Document Server

Di Paolo Emilio, Maurizio

2015-01-01

This book serves as a practical guide for practicing engineers who need to design embedded systems for high-speed data acquisition and control systems. A minimum amount of theory is presented, along with a review of analog and digital electronics, followed by detailed explanations of essential topics in hardware design and software development. The discussion of hardware focuses on microcontroller design (ARM microcontrollers and FPGAs), techniques of embedded design, high speed data acquisition (DAQ) and control systems. Coverage of software development includes main programming techniques, culminating in the study of real-time operating systems. All concepts are introduced in a manner to be highly-accessible to practicing engineers and lead to the practical implementation of an embedded board that can be used in various industrial fields as a control system and high speed data acquisition system.   • Describes fundamentals of embedded systems design in an accessible manner; • Takes a problem-solving ...

A high-speed CAMAC data acquisition system for PDP-11

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berg, D.M.; Heinicke, P.; Quigg, L.

1985-01-01

This paper describes a high-speed data acquisition system for a PDP-11 running under the RSX-11M operating system. It has been used by several high-energy physics experiments at Fermilab. The system consists of several coordinated tasks which acquire data through a CAMAC interface, log data to magnetic tape, supply data to independent monitoring and analysis tasks (such as RSXMULTI), and perform control functions. A data buffer extending beyond the 18-bit address space of the PDP-11 is implemented using Konelar bank-switchable memory. Supported configurations range from small systems with single data acquisition and analysis tasks on the same processor, to large multi-processor systems with data acquisition on several PDPs and analysis on separate PDPs or VAXs

Comparison of Diffusion MRI Acquisition Protocols for the In Vivo Characterization of the Mouse Spinal Cord: Variability Analysis and Application to an Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Figini, Matteo; Scotti, Alessandro; Marcuzzo, Stefania; Bonanno, Silvia; Padelli, Francesco; Moreno-Manzano, Victoria; García-Verdugo, José Manuel; Bernasconi, Pia; Mantegazza, Renato; Bruzzone, Maria Grazia; Zucca, Ileana

2016-01-01

Diffusion-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (dMRI) has relevant applications in the microstructural characterization of the spinal cord, especially in neurodegenerative diseases. Animal models have a pivotal role in the study of such diseases; however, in vivo spinal dMRI of small animals entails additional challenges that require a systematical investigation of acquisition parameters. The purpose of this study is to compare three acquisition protocols and identify the scanning parameters allowing a robust estimation of the main diffusion quantities and a good sensitivity to neurodegeneration in the mouse spinal cord. For all the protocols, the signal-to-noise and contrast-to noise ratios and the mean value and variability of Diffusion Tensor metrics were evaluated in healthy controls. For the estimation of fractional anisotropy less variability was provided by protocols with more diffusion directions, for the estimation of mean, axial and radial diffusivity by protocols with fewer diffusion directions and higher diffusion weighting. Intermediate features (12 directions, b = 1200 s/mm2) provided the overall minimum inter- and intra-subject variability in most cases. In order to test the diagnostic sensitivity of the protocols, 7 G93A-SOD1 mice (model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) at 10 and 17 weeks of age were scanned and the derived diffusion parameters compared with those estimated in age-matched healthy animals. The protocols with an intermediate or high number of diffusion directions provided the best differentiation between the two groups at week 17, whereas only few local significant differences were highlighted at week 10. According to our results, a dMRI protocol with an intermediate number of diffusion gradient directions and a relatively high diffusion weighting is optimal for spinal cord imaging. Further work is needed to confirm these results and for a finer tuning of acquisition parameters. Nevertheless, our findings could be important for the

High performance data acquisition with InfiniBand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamczewski, Joern; Essel, Hans G.; Kurz, Nikolaus; Linev, Sergey

2008-01-01

For the new experiments at FAIR new concepts of data acquisition systems have to be developed like the distribution of self-triggered, time stamped data streams over high performance networks for event building. In this concept any data filtering is done behind the network. Therefore the network must achieve up to 1 GByte/s bi-directional data transfer per node. Detailed simulations have been done to optimize scheduling mechanisms for such event building networks. For real performance tests InfiniBand has been chosen as one of the fastest available network technology. The measurements of network event building have been performed on different Linux clusters from four to over hundred nodes. Several InfiniBand libraries have been tested like uDAPL, Verbs, or MPI. The tests have been integrated in the data acquisition backbone core software DABC, a general purpose data acquisition library. Detailed results are presented. In the worst cases (over hundred nodes) 50% of the required bandwidth can be already achieved. It seems possible to improve these results by further investigations

An original acquisition chain for the TOHR High Resolution Tomograph

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinot, Laurent

1999-01-01

The framework of this work is part of a new approach of emission tomography adapted to small animals. The principle of our tomographic system TOHR (French acronym for High Resolution Tomograph) is based on the use of large solid angle and high resolution focusing collimators each mounted in front of a detection module of high efficiency. With a first-generation acquisition chain we were able to characterize TOHR, however, to take fully advantage of the TOHR possibilities, a completely new acquisition scheme had to be designed. This system, being the main topic of this work, makes use of temporal information. The detection of a particle that entered the detector is translated into temporal logical signals. These signals pass into a time coding circuitry and the coded results are transferred in a digital processor. According to the initial terms of delivery, the developed acquisition chain steers the detection of events dependent on the deposited energy and time of arrival. The latter is done by coincidence measurements. All elements are mounted on a special board included into a PC unit and a dedicated program controls the whole system. First experiments showed up the interest of the new acquisition unit for other application in physics or medical imaging

High dynamic range image acquisition based on multiplex cameras

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Hairui; Sun, Huayan; Zhang, Tinghua

2018-03-01

High dynamic image is an important technology of photoelectric information acquisition, providing higher dynamic range and more image details, and it can better reflect the real environment, light and color information. Currently, the method of high dynamic range image synthesis based on different exposure image sequences cannot adapt to the dynamic scene. It fails to overcome the effects of moving targets, resulting in the phenomenon of ghost. Therefore, a new high dynamic range image acquisition method based on multiplex cameras system was proposed. Firstly, different exposure images sequences were captured with the camera array, using the method of derivative optical flow based on color gradient to get the deviation between images, and aligned the images. Then, the high dynamic range image fusion weighting function was established by combination of inverse camera response function and deviation between images, and was applied to generated a high dynamic range image. The experiments show that the proposed method can effectively obtain high dynamic images in dynamic scene, and achieves good results.

Variability of textural features in FDG PET images due to different acquisition modes and reconstruction parameters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Galavis, P.E.; Hollensen, Christian; Jallow, N.

2010-01-01

Background. Characterization of textural features (spatial distributions of image intensity levels) has been considered as a tool for automatic tumor segmentation. The purpose of this work is to study the variability of the textural features in PET images due to different acquisition modes...... reconstruction parameters. Lesions were segmented on a default image using the threshold of 40% of maximum SUV. Fifty different texture features were calculated inside the tumors. The range of variations of the features were calculated with respect to the average value. Results. Fifty textural features were...... classified based on the range of variation in three categories: small, intermediate and large variability. Features with small variability (range 30%). Conclusion. Textural features such as entropy-first order, energy, maximal correlation coefficient, and low-gray level run emphasis exhibited small...

French bank mergers and acquisitions performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Houda Ben Said

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we empirically investigate the impact of mergers and acquisitions on French bank performance. Performance is measured by potential gains in efficiency and value creation. We first analyzed efficiency using the data envelopment analysis (DEA under input oriented with variable returns to scale to obtain the efficiency scores. Second, we analyzed the impact on French bank value creation following mergers-acquisitions operations of a set of control variables (model 1 and explicative variables measuring strategic similarities between bidders and targets (model 2. The sample studied is composed of French bank mergers-acquisitions happening between 1996 and 2006 and implying one of the 14 greatest French banking groups. Empirical result showed that mergers and acquisitions have been traduced by an improvement in the overall efficiency by 17.82% and a shareholder value reduction by 5.14%

Investigation of variability in image acquisition and contouring during 3D ultrasound guidance for partial breast irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Landry, Anthony; Olivotto, Ivo; Beckham, Wayne; Berrang, Tanya; Gagne, Isabelle; Popescu, Carmen; Mitchell, Tracy; Vey, Hazel; Sand, Letricia; Soh, Siew Yan; Wark, Jill

2014-01-01

Three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS) at simulation compared to 3DUS at treatment is an image guidance option for partial breast irradiation (PBI). This study assessed if user dependence in acquiring and contouring 3DUS (operator variability) contributed to variation in seroma shifts calculated for breast IGRT. Eligible patients met breast criteria for current randomized PBI studies. 5 Operators participated in this study. For each patient, 3 operators were involved in scan acquisitions and 5 were involved in contouring. At CT simulation (CT1), a 3DUS (US1) was performed by a single radiation therapist (RT). 7 to 14 days after CT1 a second CT (CT2) and 3 sequential 3DUS scans (US2a,b,c) were acquired by each of 3 RTs. Seroma shifts, between US1 and US2 scans were calculated by comparing geometric centers of the seromas (centroids). Operator contouring variability was determined by comparing 5 RT’s contours for a single image set. Scanning variability was assessed by comparing shifts between multiple scans acquired at the same time point (US1-US2a,b,c). Shifts in seromas contoured on CT (CT1-CT2) were compared to US data. From an initial 28 patients, 15 had CT visible seromas, met PBI dosimetric constraints, had complete US data, and were analyzed. Operator variability contributed more to the overall variability in seroma localization than the variability associated with multiple scan acquisitions (95% confidence mean uncertainty of 6.2 mm vs. 1.1 mm). The mean standard deviation in seroma shift was user dependent and ranged from 1.7 to 2.9 mm. Mean seroma shifts from simulation to treatment were comparable to CT. Variability in shifts due to different users acquiring and contouring 3DUS for PBI guidance were comparable to CT shifts. Substantial inter-observer effect needs to be considered during clinical implementation of 3DUS IGRT

Variability and Variation in Second Language Acquisition Orders: A Dynamic Reevaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Lowie, Wander; Verspoor, Marjolijn

2015-01-01

The traditional morpheme order studies in second language acquisition have tried to demonstrate the existence of a fixed order of acquisition of English morphemes, regardless of the second language learner's background. Such orders have been taken as evidence of the preprogrammed nature of language acquisition. This article argues for a…

Instructional Variables and Students' Acquisition of Employable ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study focused on the impact of teacher quality, teaching methods, and access to training materials on students' acquisition of employable skills in vocational technical subjects, for self employment in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Three questions and three hypotheses were formulated and tested in the study.

High speed, locally controlled data acquisition system for TFTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, H.K.; Bradish, G.J.

1983-01-01

A high speed, locally controlled, data acquisition and transmission system has been developed by the CICADA (Central Instrumentation Control and Data Acquisition) Group for extracting certain timecritical data during a TFTR pulse and passing it to the control room, 1000 feet distant, to satisfy realtime requirements of frequently sampled variables. The system is designed to utilize any or all of the standard CAMAC (Computer Automated Measurement and Control) modules now employed on the CAMAC links for retrieval of the main body of data, but to operate them in a much faster manner than in a standard CAMAC system. To do this, a pre-programmable ROM sequencer is employed as a controller to transmit commands to the modules at intervals down to one microsecond, replacing the usual CAMAC dedicated computer, and increasing the command rate by an order of magnitude over what could be sent down a Branch Highway. Data coming from any number of channels originating within a single CAMAC ''crate'' is then time-multiplexed and transmitted over a single conductor pair in bi-phase at a 2.5 MHz bit rate using Manchester coding techniques. Benefits gained from this approach include: Reduction in the number of conductors required, elimination of line-to-line skew found in parallel transmission systems, and the capability of being transformer coupled or transmitted over a fiber optic cable to avoid safety hazards and ground loops. The main application for this system so far has been as the feedback path in this closed loop control of currents through the Tokamak's field coils. The paper will treat the system's various applications

A data acquisition computer for high energy physics applications DAFNE:- hardware manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barlow, J.; Seller, P.; De-An, W.

1983-07-01

A high performance stand alone computer system based on the Motorola 68000 micro processor has been built at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. Although the design was strongly influenced by the requirement to provide a compact data acquisition computer for the high energy physics environment, the system is sufficiently general to find applications in a wider area. It provides colour graphics and tape and disc storage together with access to CAMAC systems. This report is the hardware manual of the data acquisition computer, DAFNE (Data Acquisition For Nuclear Experiments), and as such contains a full description of the hardware structure of the computer system. (author)

Isolated data acquisition system for high voltage applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waitz, A.; Donaldson, A.

1985-06-01

This report describes the design and operation of a microcomputer controlled system for acquisition of both analog and binary data within the high voltage stages of a linac modulator. The system is comprised of a microprocessor Controller which communicates with the remote data Acquisition circuits via an optical bus. The bus, which uses a 1 MHz Manchester II format, is configured as a loop, starting at the Controller, daisy-chaining the remote cards and terminating back at the Controller. Upon receiving a linac timing pulse, the Controller sends addressed commands to the individual remote cards and receives data back. It then passes this data to the linac control system through a Multibus connection. Each remote circuit can return 16 binary sense and 7 (12 bit) analog parameters within 270 us. This speed is possible because of a pipelined design where one word is transmitted while another is being converted. A data conversion cycle is initiated when a remote data acquisition card receives the proper command and address from the controller

A distributed high speed data acquisition system for KT5C tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Xiang; Wang Zhijiang; Lu Ronghua; Wang Jun; Yu Yi; Zhu Zhenghua; Wen Yizhi; Wan Shude; Liu Wandong; Yu Changxuan

2005-01-01

The development of a distributed data acquisition system with low cost to implement high speed data collection through the campus networks for a small tokamak, KT5C, is presented. Data of 512 k bytes at 5 MHz from 5 channels for each can be collected during about 10s after three researchers at different positions demand this system for acquisitions. This system realizes long distance multiuser operations; virtually efficiency of the data acquisition is enhanced. (authors)

Reproducible high-resolution multispectral image acquisition in dermatology

Science.gov (United States)

Duliu, Alexandru; Gardiazabal, José; Lasser, Tobias; Navab, Nassir

2015-07-01

Multispectral image acquisitions are increasingly popular in dermatology, due to their improved spectral resolution which enables better tissue discrimination. Most applications however focus on restricted regions of interest, imaging only small lesions. In this work we present and discuss an imaging framework for high-resolution multispectral imaging on large regions of interest.

Monitoring and data acquisition of the high speed hydrogen pellet in SPINS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mukherjee, Samiran Shanti, E-mail: samiran@ipr.res.in; Mishra, Jyotishankar; Gangradey, Ranjana; Dutta, Pramit; Rastogi, Naveen; Panchal, Paresh; Nayak, Pratik; Agarwal, Jyoti; Bairagi, Pawan; Patel, Haresh; Sharma, Hardik

2016-11-15

Highlights: • Pellet INjector System with monitoring and data acquisition is described. • A high speed camera was used to view pellet size, and its flight trajectory. • PXI based high speed control system is used data acquisition. • Pellets of length 2–4.8 mm and speed 250–750 m/s were obtained. - Abstract: Injection of solid hydrogen pellets is an efficient way of replenishing the spent fuel in high temperature plasmas. Aiming that, a Single Pellet INjector System (SPINS) is developed at Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), India, to initiate pellet injection related research in SST-1. The pellet injector is controlled by a PXI system based data acquisition and control (DAC) system for pellet formation, precise firing control, data collection and diagnostics. The velocity of high speed moving pellets is estimated by using two sets of light gate diagnostic. Apart from light gate, a fast framing camera is used to measure the pellet size and its speed. The pellet images are captured at a frame rate of ∼200,000 frames per second at (128 × 64) pixel resolution with an exposure time of 1 μs. Using these diagnostic, various cylindrical pellets of length ranging from 2 to 4.8 mm and speed 250–750 m/s were successfully obtained. This paper describes the control and data acquisition system of SPINS, the techniques for measurement of pellet velocity and capturing images of high speed moving pellet.

Data acquisition systems for high energy physics experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duran, I.; Olmos, P.

1986-01-01

The Data Acquisition Systems most frequently used in High Energy Physics experiments is described. This report begins with a brief description of the main elements of a typical signal processing chain, following with a detailed exposition of the four most popular instrumentation standards used in this kind of experiments: NIM, CAMAC, and VMI. (author). 20 figs., 9 ref

Data acquisition systems for high energy Physics experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duran, I.; Olmos, P.

1986-01-01

We describe here the Data Acquisition Systems most frequently used in High Energy Physics experiments. This report begins with a brief description of the main elements of a typical signal processing chain, following with a detailed exposition of the four most popular instrumentation standards used in this kind of experimental: NIM, CAMAC, FASTBUS and VME. (Author) 9 refs

Impact of acquisition and interpretation on total inter-observer variability in echocardiography: results from the quality assurance program of the STAAB cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Morbach, Caroline; Gelbrich, Götz; Breunig, Margret; Tiffe, Theresa; Wagner, Martin; Heuschmann, Peter U; Störk, Stefan

2018-02-14

Variability related to image acquisition and interpretation is an important issue of echocardiography in clinical trials. Nevertheless, there is no broadly accepted standard method for quality assessment of echocardiography in clinical research reports. We present analyses based on the echocardiography quality-assurance program of the ongoing STAAB cohort study (characteristics and course of heart failure stages A-B and determinants of progression). In 43 healthy individuals (mean age 50 ± 14 years; 18 females), duplicate echocardiography scans were acquired and mutually interpreted by one of three trained sonographers and an EACVI certified physician, respectively. Acquisition (AcV), interpretation (InV), and inter-observer variability (IOV; i.e., variability between the acquisition-interpretation sequences of two different observers), were determined for selected M-mode, B-mode, and Doppler parameters. We calculated Bland-Altman upper 95% limits of absolute differences, implying that 95% of measurement differences were smaller/equal to the given value: e.g. LV end-diastolic volume (mL): 25.0, 25.0, 27.9; septal e' velocity (cm/s): 3.03, 1.25, 3.58. Further, 90, 85, and 80% upper limits of absolute differences were determined for the respective parameters. Both, acquisition and interpretation, independently and sizably contributed to IOV. As such, separate assessment of AcV and InV is likely to aid in echocardiography training and quality-assurance. Our results further suggest to routinely determine IOV in clinical trials as a comprehensive measure of imaging quality. The derived 95, 90, 85, and 80% upper limits of absolute differences are suggested as reproducibility targets of future studies, thus contributing to the international efforts of standardization in quality-assurance.

Variability and Variation in Second Language Acquisition Orders : A Dynamic Reevaluation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lowie, Wander; Verspoor, Marjolijn

2015-01-01

The traditional morpheme order studies in second language acquisition have tried to demonstrate the existence of a fixed order of acquisition of English morphemes, regardless of the second language learner's background. Such orders have been taken as evidence of the preprogrammed nature of language

Prospectively Electrocardiogram-Gated High-Pitch Spiral Acquisition Mode Dual-Source CT Coronary Angiography in Patients with High Heart Rates: Comparison with Retrospective Electrocardiogram-Gated Spiral Acquisition Mode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Kai; Ma, Rui; Wang, Li Jun [Dept. of Radiology, Baotou Central Hospital, Baotou (China); Li, Li Gang; Chen, Jiu Hong [CT BM Clinic Marketing, Siemens Healthcare, Beijing (China)

2012-11-15

To assess the image quality and effective radiation dose of prospectively electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated high-pitch spiral acquisition mode (flash mode) of dual-source CT (DSCT) coronary angiography (CTCA) in patients with high heart rates (HRs) as compared with retrospectively ECG-gated spiral acquisition mode. Two hundred and sixty-eight consecutive patients (132 female, mean age: 55 {+-} 11 years) with mean HR > 65 beats per minute (bpm) were prospectively included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups. Collection was performed in group A CTCA using flash mode setting at 20-30% of the R-R interval, and retrospectively ECG-gated spiral acquisition mode in group B. The image noise, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), image quality scores, effective radiation dose and influencing factors on image quality between the two groups were assessed. There were no significant differences in image quality scores and proportions of non-diagnostic coronary artery segments between two groups (image quality scores: 1.064 {+-} 0.306 [group A] vs. 1.084 {+-} 0.327 [group B], p = 0.063; proportion of non-diagnostic coronary artery segments: segment-based analysis 1.52% (group A) vs. 1.74% (group B), p = 0.345; patient-based analysis 7.5% (group A) vs. 6.7% (group B), p = 0.812). The estimated radiation dose was 1.0 {+-} 0.16 mSv in group A and 7.1 {+-} 1.05 mSv in group B (p = 0.001). In conclusion, in patients with HRs > 65 bpm without cardiac arrhythmia, the prospectively high-pitch spiral-acquisition mode with image-acquired timing set at 20-30% of the R-R interval provides a similar image quality and low rate of non-diagnostic coronary segments to the retrospectively ECG-gated low-pitch spiral acquisition mode, with significant reduction of radiation exposure.

Prospectively Electrocardiogram-Gated High-Pitch Spiral Acquisition Mode Dual-Source CT Coronary Angiography in Patients with High Heart Rates: Comparison with Retrospective Electrocardiogram-Gated Spiral Acquisition Mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Kai; Ma, Rui; Wang, Li Jun; Li, Li Gang; Chen, Jiu Hong

2012-01-01

To assess the image quality and effective radiation dose of prospectively electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated high-pitch spiral acquisition mode (flash mode) of dual-source CT (DSCT) coronary angiography (CTCA) in patients with high heart rates (HRs) as compared with retrospectively ECG-gated spiral acquisition mode. Two hundred and sixty-eight consecutive patients (132 female, mean age: 55 ± 11 years) with mean HR > 65 beats per minute (bpm) were prospectively included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups. Collection was performed in group A CTCA using flash mode setting at 20-30% of the R-R interval, and retrospectively ECG-gated spiral acquisition mode in group B. The image noise, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), image quality scores, effective radiation dose and influencing factors on image quality between the two groups were assessed. There were no significant differences in image quality scores and proportions of non-diagnostic coronary artery segments between two groups (image quality scores: 1.064 ± 0.306 [group A] vs. 1.084 ± 0.327 [group B], p = 0.063; proportion of non-diagnostic coronary artery segments: segment-based analysis 1.52% (group A) vs. 1.74% (group B), p = 0.345; patient-based analysis 7.5% (group A) vs. 6.7% (group B), p = 0.812). The estimated radiation dose was 1.0 ± 0.16 mSv in group A and 7.1 ± 1.05 mSv in group B (p = 0.001). In conclusion, in patients with HRs > 65 bpm without cardiac arrhythmia, the prospectively high-pitch spiral-acquisition mode with image-acquired timing set at 20-30% of the R-R interval provides a similar image quality and low rate of non-diagnostic coronary segments to the retrospectively ECG-gated low-pitch spiral acquisition mode, with significant reduction of radiation exposure.

A high-performance data acquisition system for computer-based multichannel analyzer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Xinzhi; Bai Rongsheng; Wen Liangbi; Huang Yanwen

1996-01-01

A high-performance data acquisition system applied in the multichannel analyzer is designed with single-chip microcomputer system. The paper proposes the principle and the method of realizing the simultaneous data acquisition, the data pre-processing, and the fast bidirectional data transfer by means of direct memory access based on dual-port RAM as well. The measurement for dead or live time of ADC system can also be implemented efficiently by using it

Extremelly High Bandwidth Rad Hard Data Acquisition System, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are the key components for digitizing high-speed analog data in modern data acquisition systems, which is a critical part of...

Smart acquisition EELS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sader, Kasim; Schaffer, Bernhard; Vaughan, Gareth; Brydson, Rik; Brown, Andy; Bleloch, Andrew

2010-01-01

We have developed a novel acquisition methodology for the recording of electron energy loss spectra (EELS) using a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM): 'Smart Acquisition'. Smart Acquisition allows the independent control of probe scanning procedures and the simultaneous acquisition of analytical signals such as EELS. The original motivation for this work arose from the need to control the electron dose experienced by beam-sensitive specimens whilst maintaining a sufficiently high signal-to-noise ratio in the EEL signal for the extraction of useful analytical information (such as energy loss near edge spectral features) from relatively undamaged areas. We have developed a flexible acquisition framework which separates beam position data input, beam positioning, and EELS acquisition. In this paper we demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique on beam-sensitive thin films of amorphous aluminium trifluoride. Smart Acquisition has been used to expose lines to the electron beam, followed by analysis of the structures created by line-integrating EELS acquisitions, and the results are compared to those derived from a standard EELS linescan. High angle annular dark-field images show clear reductions in damage for the Smart Acquisition areas compared to the conventional linescan, and the Smart Acquisition low loss EEL spectra are more representative of the undamaged material than those derived using a conventional linescan. Atomically resolved EELS of all four elements of CaNdTiO show the high resolution capabilities of Smart Acquisition.

Smart acquisition EELS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sader, Kasim, E-mail: k.sader@leeds.ac.uk [SuperSTEM, J block, Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Institute for Materials Research, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT (United Kingdom); Schaffer, Bernhard [SuperSTEM, J block, Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow (United Kingdom); Vaughan, Gareth [Institute for Materials Research, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT (United Kingdom); Brydson, Rik [SuperSTEM, J block, Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Institute for Materials Research, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT (United Kingdom); Brown, Andy [Institute for Materials Research, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT (United Kingdom); Bleloch, Andrew [SuperSTEM, J block, Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Department of Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool (United Kingdom)

2010-07-15

We have developed a novel acquisition methodology for the recording of electron energy loss spectra (EELS) using a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM): 'Smart Acquisition'. Smart Acquisition allows the independent control of probe scanning procedures and the simultaneous acquisition of analytical signals such as EELS. The original motivation for this work arose from the need to control the electron dose experienced by beam-sensitive specimens whilst maintaining a sufficiently high signal-to-noise ratio in the EEL signal for the extraction of useful analytical information (such as energy loss near edge spectral features) from relatively undamaged areas. We have developed a flexible acquisition framework which separates beam position data input, beam positioning, and EELS acquisition. In this paper we demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique on beam-sensitive thin films of amorphous aluminium trifluoride. Smart Acquisition has been used to expose lines to the electron beam, followed by analysis of the structures created by line-integrating EELS acquisitions, and the results are compared to those derived from a standard EELS linescan. High angle annular dark-field images show clear reductions in damage for the Smart Acquisition areas compared to the conventional linescan, and the Smart Acquisition low loss EEL spectra are more representative of the undamaged material than those derived using a conventional linescan. Atomically resolved EELS of all four elements of CaNdTiO show the high resolution capabilities of Smart Acquisition.

Feasibility and radiation dose of high-pitch acquisition protocols in patients undergoing dual-source cardiac CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Sommer, Wieland H; Albrecht, Edda; Bamberg, Fabian; Schenzle, Jan C; Johnson, Thorsten R; Neumaier, Klement; Reiser, Maximilian F; Nikolaou, Konstatin

2010-12-01

The objective of this study was to compare image quality and radiation dose between high-pitch and established retrospectively and prospectively gated cardiac CT protocols using an Alderson-Rando phantom and a set of patients. An anthropomorphic Alderson-Rando phantom equipped with thermoluminiscent detectors and a set of clinical patients underwent the following cardiac CT protocols: high-pitch acquisition (pitch 3.4), prospectively triggered acquisition, and retrospectively gated acquisition (pitch 0.2). For patients with sinus rhythm below 65 beats per minute (bpm), high-pitch protocol was used, whereas for patients in sinus rhythm between 65 and 100 bpm, prospective triggering was used. Patients with irregular heart rates or heart rates of ≥ 100 bpm, were examined using retrospectively gated acquisition. Evaluability of coronary artery segments was determined, and effective radiation dose was derived from the phantom study. In the phantom study, the effective radiation dose as determined with thermoluminescent detector (TLD) measurements was lowest in the high-pitch acquisition (1.21, 3.12, and 11.81 mSv, for the high-pitch, the prospectively triggered, and the retrospectively gated acquisition, respectively). There was a significant difference with respect to the percentage of motion-free coronary artery segments (99%, 87%, and 92% for high-pitch, prospectively triggered, and retrospectively gated, respectively (p pitch protocol (p pitch scans have the potential to reduce radiation dose up to 61.2% and 89.8% compared with prospectively triggered and retrospectively gated scans. High-pitch protocols lead to excellent image quality when used in patients with stable heart rates below 65 bpm.

Optimal core acquisition and remanufacturing policies under uncertain core quality fractions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Teunter, R.H.; Flapper, S.D.P.

2011-01-01

Cores acquired by a remanufacturer are typically highly variable in quality. Even if the expected fractions of the various quality levels are known, then the exact fractions when acquiring cores are still uncertain. Our model incorporates this uncertainty in determining optimal acquisition decisions

Four-channel high speed synchronized acquisition multiple trigger storage measurement system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Jian; Wang Wenlian; Zhang Zhijie

2010-01-01

A new storage measurement system based on the CPLD, MCU and FLASH (large-capacity flash memory) is proposed. The large capacity storage characteristic of the FLASH MEMORY is used to realize multi channel synchronized acquisition and the function of multiple records and read once. The function of multi channel synchronization, high speed data acquisition, the triggering several times, and the adjustability of working parameters expands the application of storage measurement system. The storage measurement system can be used in a variety of pressure and temperature test in explosion field. (authors)

The ATLAS Data Acquisition and High Level Trigger system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

This paper describes the data acquisition and high level trigger system of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, as deployed during Run 1. Data flow as well as control, configuration and monitoring aspects are addressed. An overview of the functionality of the system and of its performance is presented and design choices are discussed.

Workshop on data acquisition and trigger system simulations for high energy physics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1992-12-31

This report discusses the following topics: DAQSIM: A data acquisition system simulation tool; Front end and DCC Simulations for the SDC Straw Tube System; Simulation of Non-Blocklng Data Acquisition Architectures; Simulation Studies of the SDC Data Collection Chip; Correlation Studies of the Data Collection Circuit & The Design of a Queue for this Circuit; Fast Data Compression & Transmission from a Silicon Strip Wafer; Simulation of SCI Protocols in Modsim; Visual Design with vVHDL; Stochastic Simulation of Asynchronous Buffers; SDC Trigger Simulations; Trigger Rates, DAQ & Online Processing at the SSC; Planned Enhancements to MODSEM II & SIMOBJECT -- an Overview -- R.; DAGAR -- A synthesis system; Proposed Silicon Compiler for Physics Applications; Timed -- LOTOS in a PROLOG Environment: an Algebraic language for Simulation; Modeling and Simulation of an Event Builder for High Energy Physics Data Acquisition Systems; A Verilog Simulation for the CDF DAQ; Simulation to Design with Verilog; The DZero Data Acquisition System: Model and Measurements; DZero Trigger Level 1.5 Modeling; Strategies Optimizing Data Load in the DZero Triggers; Simulation of the DZero Level 2 Data Acquisition System; A Fast Method for Calculating DZero Level 1 Jet Trigger Properties and Physics Input to DAQ Studies.

Workshop on data acquisition and trigger system simulations for high energy physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

This report discusses the following topics: DAQSIM: A data acquisition system simulation tool; Front end and DCC Simulations for the SDC Straw Tube System; Simulation of Non-Blocklng Data Acquisition Architectures; Simulation Studies of the SDC Data Collection Chip; Correlation Studies of the Data Collection Circuit ampersand The Design of a Queue for this Circuit; Fast Data Compression ampersand Transmission from a Silicon Strip Wafer; Simulation of SCI Protocols in Modsim; Visual Design with vVHDL; Stochastic Simulation of Asynchronous Buffers; SDC Trigger Simulations; Trigger Rates, DAQ ampersand Online Processing at the SSC; Planned Enhancements to MODSEM II ampersand SIMOBJECT -- an Overview -- R.; DAGAR -- A synthesis system; Proposed Silicon Compiler for Physics Applications; Timed -- LOTOS in a PROLOG Environment: an Algebraic language for Simulation; Modeling and Simulation of an Event Builder for High Energy Physics Data Acquisition Systems; A Verilog Simulation for the CDF DAQ; Simulation to Design with Verilog; The DZero Data Acquisition System: Model and Measurements; DZero Trigger Level 1.5 Modeling; Strategies Optimizing Data Load in the DZero Triggers; Simulation of the DZero Level 2 Data Acquisition System; A Fast Method for Calculating DZero Level 1 Jet Trigger Properties and Physics Input to DAQ Studies

Research and Application of WCF Technology in Data Acquisition of Ultra-high Speed Packaging Machine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qian Jie

2016-01-01

Full Text Available By introducing WCF technology on data acquisition of ultra-high speed packaging machine, data acquisition system reads dates of machine in polling mode through the WCF client, which can achieve accurate data collection, and effectively isolate the data acquisition system and the machine control system. It enhances the security of data interaction between systems, but also reduces the coupling degree between systems.

A research of a high precision multichannel data acquisition system

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Ling-na; Tang, Xiao-ping; Yan, Wei

2013-08-01

The output signals of the focusing system in lithography are analog. To convert the analog signals into digital ones which are more flexible and stable to process, a desirable data acquisition system is required. The resolution of data acquisition, to some extent, affects the accuracy of focusing. In this article, we first compared performance between the various kinds of analog-to-digital converters (ADC) available on the market at the moment. Combined with the specific requirements (sampling frequency, converting accuracy, numbers of channels etc) and the characteristics (polarization, amplitude range etc) of the analog signals, the model of the ADC to be used as the core chip in our hardware design was determined. On this basis, we chose other chips needed in the hardware circuit that would well match with ADC, then the overall hardware design was obtained. Validation of our data acquisition system was verified through experiments and it can be demonstrated that the system can effectively realize the high resolution conversion of the multi-channel analog signals and give the accurate focusing information in lithography.

A data-acquisition system for high speed linear CCD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Zhiyan; Chen Xiangcai; Jiang Xiaoshan; Zhang Hongyu; Liang Zhongwang; Xiang Haisheng; Hu Jun

2010-01-01

A data-acquisition system for high speed linear CCD (Charge Coupled device) is mainly introduced. The optical fiber transmission technology is used. The data is sent to PC through USB or PCI interface. The construction of the system, the design of the PCI interface hardware, software design and the design of the control program running on host computer are also introduced. (authors)

Self-Calibrating Wave-Encoded Variable-Density Single-Shot Fast Spin Echo Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Feiyu; Taviani, Valentina; Tamir, Jonathan I; Cheng, Joseph Y; Zhang, Tao; Song, Qiong; Hargreaves, Brian A; Pauly, John M; Vasanawala, Shreyas S

2018-04-01

It is highly desirable in clinical abdominal MR scans to accelerate single-shot fast spin echo (SSFSE) imaging and reduce blurring due to T 2 decay and partial-Fourier acquisition. To develop and investigate the clinical feasibility of wave-encoded variable-density SSFSE imaging for improved image quality and scan time reduction. Prospective controlled clinical trial. With Institutional Review Board approval and informed consent, the proposed method was assessed on 20 consecutive adult patients (10 male, 10 female, range, 24-84 years). A wave-encoded variable-density SSFSE sequence was developed for clinical 3.0T abdominal scans to enable high acceleration (3.5×) with full-Fourier acquisitions by: 1) introducing wave encoding with self-refocusing gradient waveforms to improve acquisition efficiency; 2) developing self-calibrated estimation of wave-encoding point-spread function and coil sensitivity to improve motion robustness; and 3) incorporating a parallel imaging and compressed sensing reconstruction to reconstruct highly accelerated datasets. Image quality was compared pairwise with standard Cartesian acquisition independently and blindly by two radiologists on a scale from -2 to 2 for noise, contrast, confidence, sharpness, and artifacts. The average ratio of scan time between these two approaches was also compared. A Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with a P value under 0.05 considered statistically significant. Wave-encoded variable-density SSFSE significantly reduced the perceived noise level and improved the sharpness of the abdominal wall and the kidneys compared with standard acquisition (mean scores 0.8, 1.2, and 0.8, respectively, P variable-density sampling SSFSE achieves improved image quality with clinically relevant echo time and reduced scan time, thus providing a fast and robust approach for clinical SSFSE imaging. 1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 6 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:954-966. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Acquisition and tracking for underwater optical communications

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Andrew J.; Laycock, Leslie L.; Griffith, Michael S.; McCarthy, Andrew G.; Rowe, Duncan P.

2017-10-01

There is a growing requirement to transfer large volumes of data between underwater platforms. As seawater is transmissive in the visible band, underwater optical communications is an active area of interest since it offers the potential for power efficient, covert and high bandwidth datalinks at short to medium ranges. Short range systems have been successfully demonstrated using sources with low directionality. To realise higher data rates and/or longer ranges, the use of more efficient directional beams is required; by necessity, these must be sufficiently aligned to achieve the required link margin. For mobile platforms, the acquisition and tracking of each node is therefore critical in order to establish and maintain an optical datalink. This paper describes work undertaken to demonstrate acquisition and tracking in a 3D underwater environment. A range of optical sources, beam steering technologies, and tracking sensors have been assessed for suitability. A novel scanning strategy exploiting variable beam divergence was developed to provide robust acquisition whilst minimising acquisition time. A prototype system was assembled and demonstrated in a large water tank. This utilised custom quadrant detectors based on Silicon PhotoMultiplier (SiPM) arrays for fine tracking, and a Wide Field of View (WFoV) sCMOS camera for link acquisition. Fluidic lenses provided dynamic control of beam divergence, and AC modulation/filtering enabled background rejection. The system successfully demonstrated robust optical acquisition and tracking between two nodes with only nanowatt received optical powers. The acquisition time was shown to be dependent on the initial conditions and the transmitted optical power.

Conspicuous plumage colours are highly variable.

Science.gov (United States)

Delhey, Kaspar; Szecsenyi, Beatrice; Nakagawa, Shinichi; Peters, Anne

2017-01-25

Elaborate ornamental traits are often under directional selection for greater elaboration, which in theory should deplete underlying genetic variation. Despite this, many ornamental traits appear to remain highly variable and how this essential variation is maintained is a key question in evolutionary biology. One way to address this question is to compare differences in intraspecific variability across different types of traits to determine whether high levels of variation are associated with specific trait characteristics. Here we assess intraspecific variation in more than 100 plumage colours across 55 bird species to test whether colour variability is linked to their level of elaboration (indicated by degree of sexual dichromatism and conspicuousness) or their condition dependence (indicated by mechanism of colour production). Conspicuous colours had the highest levels of variation and conspicuousness was the strongest predictor of variability, with high explanatory power. After accounting for this, there were no significant effects of sexual dichromatism or mechanisms of colour production. Conspicuous colours may entail higher production costs or may be more sensitive to disruptions during production. Alternatively, high variability could also be related to increased perceptual difficulties inherent to discriminating highly elaborate colours. Such psychophysical effects may constrain the exaggeration of animal colours. © 2017 The Author(s).

A data acquisition and control system for high-speed gamma-ray tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Hjertaker, B. T.; Maad, R.; Schuster, E.; Almås, O. A.; Johansen, G. A.

2008-09-01

A data acquisition and control system (DACS) for high-speed gamma-ray tomography based on the USB (Universal Serial Bus) and Ethernet communication protocols has been designed and implemented. The high-speed gamma-ray tomograph comprises five 500 mCi 241Am gamma-ray sources, each at a principal energy of 59.5 keV, which corresponds to five detector modules, each consisting of 17 CdZnTe detectors. The DACS design is based on Microchip's PIC18F4550 and PIC18F4620 microcontrollers, which facilitates an USB 2.0 interface protocol and an Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) interface protocol, respectively. By implementing the USB- and Ethernet-based DACS, a sufficiently high data acquisition rate is obtained and no dedicated hardware installation is required for the data acquisition computer, assuming that it is already equipped with a standard USB and/or Ethernet port. The API (Application Programming Interface) for the DACS is founded on the National Instrument's LabVIEW® graphical development tool, which provides a simple and robust foundation for further application software developments for the tomograph. The data acquisition interval, i.e. the integration time, of the high-speed gamma-ray tomograph is user selectable and is a function of the statistical measurement accuracy required for the specific application. The bandwidth of the DACS is 85 kBytes s-1 for the USB communication protocol and 28 kBytes s-1 for the Ethernet protocol. When using the iterative least square technique reconstruction algorithm with a 1 ms integration time, the USB-based DACS provides an online image update rate of 38 Hz, i.e. 38 frames per second, whereas 31 Hz for the Ethernet-based DACS. The off-line image update rate (storage to disk) for the USB-based DACS is 278 Hz using a 1 ms integration time. Initial characterization of the high-speed gamma-ray tomograph using the DACS on polypropylene phantoms is presented in the paper.

A data acquisition and control system for high-speed gamma-ray tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hjertaker, B T; Maad, R; Schuster, E; Almås, O A; Johansen, G A

2008-01-01

A data acquisition and control system (DACS) for high-speed gamma-ray tomography based on the USB (Universal Serial Bus) and Ethernet communication protocols has been designed and implemented. The high-speed gamma-ray tomograph comprises five 500 mCi 241 Am gamma-ray sources, each at a principal energy of 59.5 keV, which corresponds to five detector modules, each consisting of 17 CdZnTe detectors. The DACS design is based on Microchip's PIC18F4550 and PIC18F4620 microcontrollers, which facilitates an USB 2.0 interface protocol and an Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) interface protocol, respectively. By implementing the USB- and Ethernet-based DACS, a sufficiently high data acquisition rate is obtained and no dedicated hardware installation is required for the data acquisition computer, assuming that it is already equipped with a standard USB and/or Ethernet port. The API (Application Programming Interface) for the DACS is founded on the National Instrument's LabVIEW® graphical development tool, which provides a simple and robust foundation for further application software developments for the tomograph. The data acquisition interval, i.e. the integration time, of the high-speed gamma-ray tomograph is user selectable and is a function of the statistical measurement accuracy required for the specific application. The bandwidth of the DACS is 85 kBytes s −1 for the USB communication protocol and 28 kBytes s −1 for the Ethernet protocol. When using the iterative least square technique reconstruction algorithm with a 1 ms integration time, the USB-based DACS provides an online image update rate of 38 Hz, i.e. 38 frames per second, whereas 31 Hz for the Ethernet-based DACS. The off-line image update rate (storage to disk) for the USB-based DACS is 278 Hz using a 1 ms integration time. Initial characterization of the high-speed gamma-ray tomograph using the DACS on polypropylene phantoms is presented in the paper

Evaluation of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy variability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barreto, Felipe Rodrigues; Salmon, Carlos Ernesto Garrido, E-mail: garrido@ffclrp.usp.br [Universidade de Sao Paulo (FFCLRP/USP), Ribeirao Preto, SP (Brazil). Fac. de Filisofia, Ciencias e Letras; Otaduy, Maria Concepcion Garcia [Universidade de Sao Paulo (FAMUS/USP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Fac. de Medicina. Departamento de Radiologia

2014-11-01

Introduction: the intrinsically high sensitivity of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) causes considerable variability in metabolite quantification. In this study, we evaluated the variability of MRS in two research centers using the same model of magnetic resonance image scanner. Methods: two metabolic phantoms were created to simulate magnetic resonance spectra from in vivo hippocampus. The phantoms were filled with the same basic solution containing the following metabolites: N-acetyl-aspartate, creatine, choline, glutamate, glutamine and inositol. Spectra were acquired over 15 months on 26 acquisition dates, resulting in a total of 130 spectra per center. Results: the phantoms did not undergo any physical changes during the 15-month period. Temporal analysis from both centers showed mean metabolic variations of 3.7% in acquisitions on the same day and of 8.7% over the 15-month period. Conclusion: The low deviations demonstrated here, combined with the high specificity of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, confirm that it is feasible to use this technique in multicenter studies in neuroscience research. (author)

In search of the best technique for vocabulary acquisition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Mohseni-Far

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Teade plagiaadi kohta / Report of an Act of Plagiarism (6. mai 2012 / 6 May, 2012ERÜ aastaraamatus 4 (2008 lk 121–138 ilmunud Mohammad Mohseni-Far'i artikli "In Search of the Best Technique for Vocabulary Acquisition" näol on tegemist iseenda plagiaadiga. Sama artikkel on 2008. a ilmunud lisaks ERÜ aastaraamatule veel KAKS KORDA ligilähedases sõnastuses ning ligilähedase pealkirjaga. Kuna autor on tegelnud sõnastuse muutmisega, siis järelikult on tegemist teadliku plagiaadiga. Vt ka Check for Plagiarism On the Web.We are sorry to inform that Mohammad Mohseni-Far, the author of 'In Search of the Best Technique for Vocabulary Acquisition' published in ERÜ aastaraamat / EAAL yearbook, Vol. 4 (2008 pp. 121–138, has published the same article TWICE in another journal just by changing the title and a few wordings. The plagiarism is verified, using the Check for Plagiarism On the Web.A Cognitively-oriented Encapsulation of Strategies Utilized for Lexical Development: In search of a flexible and highly interactive curriculum. – Porta Linguarum 9 (2008, 35–42. Techniques and Strategies Utilized for Vocabulary Acquisition: the necessity to design a multifaceted framework with an instructionally wise equilibrium. – Porta Linguarum 8 (2007, 137–152.ERÜ aastaraamatu toimetus / Editors of the EAAL yearbook***The present study is intended to critically examine vocabulary learning/acquisition techniques within second/foreign language context. Accordingly, the purpose of this survey is to concentrate particularly on the variables connected with lexical knowledge and establish a fairly all-inclusive framework which comprises and expounds on the most significant strategies and relevant factors within the vocabulary acquisition context. At the outset, the study introduces four salient variables; learner, task and strategy serve as a general structure of inquiry (Flavell’s cognitive model, 1992. Besides, the variable of context

High Variability of Observed Weight Bearing During Standing Foot and Ankle Radiographs.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Christopher P; Ghorbanhoseini, Mohammad; Ehrlichman, Lauren K; Walley, Kempland C; Ghaheri, Azadeh; Kwon, John Y

2017-06-01

Weight-bearing radiographs are a critical component of evaluating foot and ankle pathology. An underlying assumption is that patients are placing 50% of their body weight on the affected foot during image acquisition. The accuracy of weight bearing during radiographs is unknown and, presumably, variable, which may result in uncertain ability of the resultant radiographs to appropriately portray the pathology of interest. Fifty subjects were tested. The percentage body weight through the foot of interest was measured at the moment of radiographic image acquisition. The subject was then instructed to bear "half [their] weight" prior to the next radiograph. The percentage body weight was calculated and compared to ideal 50% weight bearing. The mean percentage body weight in trial 1 and 2 was 45.7% ± 3.2% ( P = .012 compared to the 50% mark) and 49.2% ± 2.4%, respectively ( P = .428 compared to 50%). The mean absolute difference in percentage weight bearing compared to 50% in trials 1 and 2 was 9.3% ± 2.3% and 5.8% ± 1.8%, respectively ( P = .005). For trial 1, 18/50 subjects were within the "ideal" (45%-55%) range for weight bearing compared to 32/50 on trial 2 ( P = .005). In trial 1, 24/50 subjects had "appropriate" (>45%) weight bearing compared to 39/50 on trial 2 ( P = .002). There was substantial variability in the weight applied during radiograph acquisition. This study raises questions regarding the assumptions, reliability, and interpretation when evaluating weight-bearing radiographs. Level III, comparative study.

Method for signal conditioning and data acquisition system, based on variable amplification and feedback technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conti, Livio, E-mail: livio.conti@uninettunouniversity.net [Facoltà di Ingegneria, Università Telematica Internazionale Uninettuno, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 39, 00186 Rome, Italy INFN Sezione Roma Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome (Italy); Sgrigna, Vittorio [Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Università Roma Tre, 84 Via della Vasca Navale, I-00146 Rome (Italy); Zilpimiani, David [National Institute of Geophysics, Georgian Academy of Sciences, 1 M. Alexidze St., 009 Tbilisi, Georgia (United States); Assante, Dario [Facoltà di Ingegneria, Università Telematica Internazionale Uninettuno, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 39, 00186 Rome, Italy INFN Sezione Roma Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome (Italy)

2014-08-21

An original method of signal conditioning and adaptive amplification is proposed for data acquisition systems of analog signals, conceived to obtain a high resolution spectrum of any input signal. The procedure is based on a feedback scheme of the signal amplification with aim at maximizing the dynamic range and resolution of the data acquisition system. The paper describes the signal conditioning, digitization, and data processing procedures applied to an a priori unknown signal in order to enucleate its amplitude and frequency content for applications in different environments: on the ground, in space, or in the laboratory. An electronic board of the conditioning module has also been constructed and described. In the paper are also discussed the main fields of application and advantages of the method with respect to those known today.

Method for signal conditioning and data acquisition system, based on variable amplification and feedback technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conti, Livio; Sgrigna, Vittorio; Zilpimiani, David; Assante, Dario

2014-01-01

An original method of signal conditioning and adaptive amplification is proposed for data acquisition systems of analog signals, conceived to obtain a high resolution spectrum of any input signal. The procedure is based on a feedback scheme of the signal amplification with aim at maximizing the dynamic range and resolution of the data acquisition system. The paper describes the signal conditioning, digitization, and data processing procedures applied to an a priori unknown signal in order to enucleate its amplitude and frequency content for applications in different environments: on the ground, in space, or in the laboratory. An electronic board of the conditioning module has also been constructed and described. In the paper are also discussed the main fields of application and advantages of the method with respect to those known today

FASTBUS Readout Controller card for high speed data acquisition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zimmermann, S.

1991-10-01

This article describes a FASTBUS Readout Controller (FRC) for high speed data acquisition in FASTBUS based systems. The controller has two main interfaces: to FASTBUS and to a Readout Port. The FASTBUS interface performs FASTBUS master and slave operations at a maximum transfer rate exceeding 40 MBytes/s. The Readout Port can be adapted for a variety of protocols. Currently, it will be interfaced to a VME bus based processor with a VSB port. The on-board LR33000 embedded processor controls the readout, executing a list of operations download into its memory. It scans the FASTBUS modules and stores the data in a triple port DRAM (TPDRAM), through one of the Serial Access Memory (SAM) ports of the (TPDRAM). Later, it transfers this data to the readout port using the other SAM. The FRC also supports serial communication via RS232 and Ethernet interfaces. This device is intended for use in the data acquisition system at the Collider Detector at Fermilab. 5 refs., 3 figs

A wireless high-speed data acquisition system for geotechnical centrifuge model testing

Science.gov (United States)

Gaudin, C.; White, D. J.; Boylan, N.; Breen, J.; Brown, T.; DeCatania, S.; Hortin, P.

2009-09-01

This paper describes a novel high-speed wireless data acquisition system (WDAS) developed at the University of Western Australia for operation onboard a geotechnical centrifuge, in an enhanced gravitational field of up to 300 times Earth's gravity. The WDAS system consists of up to eight separate miniature units distributed around the circumference of a 0.8 m diameter drum centrifuge, communicating with the control room via wireless Ethernet. Each unit is capable of powering and monitoring eight instrument channels at a sampling rate of up to 1 MHz at 16-bit resolution. The data are stored within the logging unit in solid-state memory, but may also be streamed in real-time at low frequency (up to 10 Hz) to the centrifuge control room, via wireless transmission. The high-speed logging runs continuously within a circular memory (buffer), allowing for storage of a pre-trigger segment of data prior to an event. To suit typical geotechnical modelling applications, the system can record low-speed data continuously, until a burst of high-speed acquisition is triggered when an experimental event occurs, after which the system reverts back to low-speed acquisition to monitor the aftermath of the event. Unlike PC-based data acquisition solutions, this system performs the full sequence of amplification, conditioning, digitization and storage on a single circuit board via an independent micro-controller allocated to each pair of instrumented channels. This arrangement is efficient, compact and physically robust to suit the centrifuge environment. This paper details the design specification of the WDAS along with the software interface developed to control the units. Results from a centrifuge test of a submarine landslide are used to illustrate the performance of the new WDAS.

A wireless high-speed data acquisition system for geotechnical centrifuge model testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaudin, C; White, D J; Boylan, N; Breen, J; Brown, T; De Catania, S; Hortin, P

2009-01-01

This paper describes a novel high-speed wireless data acquisition system (WDAS) developed at the University of Western Australia for operation onboard a geotechnical centrifuge, in an enhanced gravitational field of up to 300 times Earth's gravity. The WDAS system consists of up to eight separate miniature units distributed around the circumference of a 0.8 m diameter drum centrifuge, communicating with the control room via wireless Ethernet. Each unit is capable of powering and monitoring eight instrument channels at a sampling rate of up to 1 MHz at 16-bit resolution. The data are stored within the logging unit in solid-state memory, but may also be streamed in real-time at low frequency (up to 10 Hz) to the centrifuge control room, via wireless transmission. The high-speed logging runs continuously within a circular memory (buffer), allowing for storage of a pre-trigger segment of data prior to an event. To suit typical geotechnical modelling applications, the system can record low-speed data continuously, until a burst of high-speed acquisition is triggered when an experimental event occurs, after which the system reverts back to low-speed acquisition to monitor the aftermath of the event. Unlike PC-based data acquisition solutions, this system performs the full sequence of amplification, conditioning, digitization and storage on a single circuit board via an independent micro-controller allocated to each pair of instrumented channels. This arrangement is efficient, compact and physically robust to suit the centrifuge environment. This paper details the design specification of the WDAS along with the software interface developed to control the units. Results from a centrifuge test of a submarine landslide are used to illustrate the performance of the new WDAS

The effects of chromium complex and level on glucose metabolism and memory acquisition in rats fed high-fat diet.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahin, Kazim; Tuzcu, Mehmet; Orhan, Cemal; Agca, Can A; Sahin, Nurhan; Guvenc, Mehmet; Krejpcio, Zbigniew; Staniek, Halina; Hayirli, Armagan

2011-11-01

Conditions in which glucose metabolism is impaired due to insulin resistance are associated with memory impairment. It was hypothesized that supplemental chromium (Cr) may alleviate insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes and consequently improve memory acquisition, depending upon its source and level. In a complete randomized design experiment, male Wistar rats (n=60; weighing 200-220 g) were fed either normal (8%, normal diet (ND)) or high-fat (40%, high-fat diet (HFD)) diet and supplemented with Cr as either chromium-glycinate (CrGly) or chromium-acetate (CrAc) at doses of 0, 40, or 80 μg/kg body weight (BW) via drinking water from 8 to 20 weeks of age. Feeding HFD induced type 2 diabetes, as reflected by greater glucose/insulin ratio (2.98 vs. 2.74) comparing to feeding ND. Moreover, HFD rats had greater BW (314 vs. 279 g) and less serum (53 vs. 68 μg/L) and brain (14 vs. 24 ng/g) Cr concentrations than ND rats. High-fat diet caused a 32% reduction in expressions of glucose transporters 1 and 3 (GLUTs) in brain tissue and a 27% reduction in mean percentage time spent in the target quadrant and a 38% increase in spatial memory acquisition phase (SMAP) compared with ND. Compared with supplemental Cr as CrAc, CrGly was more effective to ameliorate response variables (i.e., restoration of tissue Cr concentration, enhancement of cerebral GLUTs expressions, and reduction of the glucose/insulin ratio and SMAP) in a dose-response manner, especially in rats fed HFD. Supplemental Cr as CrGly may have therapeutic potential to enhance insulin action and alleviate memory acquisition in a dose-dependent manner, through restoring tissue Cr reserve and enhancing cerebral GLUTs expressions.

Post-Acquisition IT Integration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henningsson, Stefan; Yetton, Philip

2013-01-01

The extant research on post-acquisition IT integration analyzes how acquirers realize IT-based value in individual acquisitions. However, serial acquirers make 60% of acquisitions. These acquisitions are not isolated events, but are components in growth-by-acquisition programs. To explain how...... serial acquirers realize IT-based value, we develop three propositions on the sequential effects on post-acquisition IT integration in acquisition programs. Their combined explanation is that serial acquirers must have a growth-by-acquisition strategy that includes the capability to improve...... IT integration capabilities, to sustain high alignment across acquisitions and to maintain a scalable IT infrastructure with a flat or decreasing cost structure. We begin the process of validating the three propositions by investigating a longitudinal case study of a growth-by-acquisition program....

The Computer Book of the Internal Medicine Resident: competence acquisition and achievement of learning objectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Oristrell, J; Oliva, J C; Casanovas, A; Comet, R; Jordana, R; Navarro, M

2014-01-01

The Computer Book of the Internal Medicine resident (CBIMR) is a computer program that was validated to analyze the acquisition of competences in teams of Internal Medicine residents. To analyze the characteristics of the rotations during the Internal Medicine residency and to identify the variables associated with the acquisition of clinical and communication skills, the achievement of learning objectives and resident satisfaction. All residents of our service (n=20) participated in the study during a period of 40 months. The CBIMR consisted of 22 self-assessment questionnaires specific for each rotation, with items on services (clinical workload, disease protocolization, resident responsibilities, learning environment, service organization and teamwork) and items on educational outcomes (acquisition of clinical and communication skills, achievement of learning objectives, overall satisfaction). Associations between services features and learning outcomes were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate analysis. An intense clinical workload, high resident responsibilities and disease protocolization were associated with the acquisition of clinical skills. High clinical competence and teamwork were both associated with better communication skills. Finally, an adequate learning environment was associated with increased clinical competence, the achievement of educational goals and resident satisfaction. Potentially modifiable variables related with the operation of clinical services had a significant impact on the acquisition of clinical and communication skills, the achievement of educational goals, and resident satisfaction during the specialized training in Internal Medicine. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Conspicuous plumage colours are highly variable

OpenAIRE

Delhey, Kaspar; Szecsenyi, Beatrice; Nakagawa, Shinichi; Peters, Anne

2017-01-01

Elaborate ornamental traits are often under directional selection for greater elaboration, which in theory should deplete underlying genetic variation. Despite this, many ornamental traits appear to remain highly variable and how this essential variation is maintained is a key question in evolutionary biology. One way to address this question is to compare differences in intraspecific variability across different types of traits to determine whether high levels of variation are associated wit...

Lean principles and defense information technology acquisition: An investigation of the determinants of successful application

Science.gov (United States)

Haley, M.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not there have been successful applications of lean manufacturing principles in highly variable defense IT environments. Specifically, the study assessed if implementation of the lean philosophies by a defense organization yielded repeatable, predictable results in software release schedules reductions. Additionally, the study set out to determine what potential critical success factors (CSF's) were documented in the secondary data captured for each release, and extracted the variables used in the decision making for acceptability of fielding. In evaluating lean applicability to the high variability environment of USAF IT acquisitions, the research was conducted using non-experimental quantitative methods of archival secondary data. The sample for this case study was compiled from a USAF office that had implemented these techniques in pre-development, development and testing, and fielding phases. Based on the research data, acquisitionists and lean practitioners are inherently interconnected. Therefore, an understanding that critical success factors (CSFs) are integral to successful lean application in DoD IT acquisitions is crucial. Through a combination of synergistic alignments, plyometric CSFs were discovered to maximize the effects of each single CSF to produce rapid results in defense IT acquisitions. These include: (1) Enterprise Incorporation, (2) Team Trust, (3) Transformational Leadership, (4) Recursive Improvement, (5) Integrated Synergy, (6) Customer-Centric Culture and (7) Heuristic Communication.

LabVIEW: a software system for data acquisition, data analysis, and instrument control.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalkman, C J

1995-01-01

Computer-based data acquisition systems play an important role in clinical monitoring and in the development of new monitoring tools. LabVIEW (National Instruments, Austin, TX) is a data acquisition and programming environment that allows flexible acquisition and processing of analog and digital data. The main feature that distinguishes LabVIEW from other data acquisition programs is its highly modular graphical programming language, "G," and a large library of mathematical and statistical functions. The advantage of graphical programming is that the code is flexible, reusable, and self-documenting. Subroutines can be saved in a library and reused without modification in other programs. This dramatically reduces development time and enables researchers to develop or modify their own programs. LabVIEW uses a large amount of processing power and computer memory, thus requiring a powerful computer. A large-screen monitor is desirable when developing larger applications. LabVIEW is excellently suited for testing new monitoring paradigms, analysis algorithms, or user interfaces. The typical LabVIEW user is the researcher who wants to develop a new monitoring technique, a set of new (derived) variables by integrating signals from several existing patient monitors, closed-loop control of a physiological variable, or a physiological simulator.

Haptic virtual reality for skill acquisition in endodontics.

Science.gov (United States)

Suebnukarn, Siriwan; Haddawy, Peter; Rhienmora, Phattanapon; Gajananan, Kugamoorthy

2010-01-01

Haptic virtual reality (VR) has revolutionized the skill acquisition in dentistry. The strength of the haptic VR system is that it can automatically record the outcome and associated kinematic data on how each step of the task is performed, which are not available in the conventional skill training environments. The aim of this study was to assess skill acquisition in endodontics and to identify process and outcome variables for the quantification of proficiency. Twenty novices engaged in the experimental study that involved practicing the access opening task with the haptic VR system. Process (speed, force utilization, and bimanual coordination) and outcome variables were determined for assessing skill performance. These values were compared before and after training. Significant improvements were observed through training in all variables. A unique force used pattern and bimanual coordination were observed in each step of the access opening in the posttraining session. The novices also performed the tasks considerably faster with greater outcome within the first two to three training sessions. The study objectively showed that the novices could learn to perform access opening tasks faster and with more consistency, better bimanual dexterity, and better force utilization. The variables examined showed great promise as objective indicators of proficiency and skill acquisition in haptic VR.

Interorganizational imitation and acquisitions of high-tech ventures

OpenAIRE

Ozmel, Umit; Reuer, J. J.; Wu, Cheng-Wei

2017-01-01

Research summary: This article shows that there is a positive association between the changes in the number of prior acquisitions or the changes in the prominence of prior acquirers within the focal venture's subfield and the venture's likelihood to be acquired. Results are in line with the existence of frequency- and trait-based imitation in acquisitions targeting tech ventures. More importantly, these positive associations are more pronounced when (a) exogenous technological uncertainty wit...

128 Channel PCI-based data acquisition system for MDSplus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Llobet, Xavier E-mail: xavier.llobet@epfl.ch; Duval, Basil P. E-mail: basil.duval@epfl.ch

2002-06-01

With the increasing demand for analogue channel acquisition on the TCV tokamak, a new PCI based acquisition has been specified, designed, built and installed into our MDSplus acquisition environment. The design criteria were to not only improve the cost/channel, as compared to our conventional hub based acquisition (CAMAC), but to provide some distributed processing power to avoid the associated acquisition server saturation, both in terms of CPU and network bandwidth. These units were initially intended to satisfy the requirements of general variable rate acquisition from a variety of sources, and many channel acquisition from modern multi-channel diagnostics. Hosted by a i386-Linux PC in a crate with four available PCI slots, each single-PCI slot 32-channel digitiser features sampling frequencies up to 200 kHz, and 64 MB of memory, providing 1 Msample of 16-bit data per channel. The local hard disk is used for immediate local storage of all the acquired data from the selected channels into a local MDSplus database. The host is then accessed as a MDS/IP server that provides, on demand, down-sampled and software filtered traces. The local hard disk capacity is used for medium to long-term storage and availability of the full data set with optional mirror technology to guard against hard disk failure. We have thus obtained a general solution for high resolution, multi-channel routine acquisition using the multi-platform MDSplus environment, in which different software and hardware architectures are intelligently linked across a standard TCP/IP network. The implementation presented here uses ONLY standard components of the MDSplus environment.

128 Channel PCI-based data acquisition system for MDSplus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Llobet, Xavier; Duval, Basil P.

2002-01-01

With the increasing demand for analogue channel acquisition on the TCV tokamak, a new PCI based acquisition has been specified, designed, built and installed into our MDSplus acquisition environment. The design criteria were to not only improve the cost/channel, as compared to our conventional hub based acquisition (CAMAC), but to provide some distributed processing power to avoid the associated acquisition server saturation, both in terms of CPU and network bandwidth. These units were initially intended to satisfy the requirements of general variable rate acquisition from a variety of sources, and many channel acquisition from modern multi-channel diagnostics. Hosted by a i386-Linux PC in a crate with four available PCI slots, each single-PCI slot 32-channel digitiser features sampling frequencies up to 200 kHz, and 64 MB of memory, providing 1 Msample of 16-bit data per channel. The local hard disk is used for immediate local storage of all the acquired data from the selected channels into a local MDSplus database. The host is then accessed as a MDS/IP server that provides, on demand, down-sampled and software filtered traces. The local hard disk capacity is used for medium to long-term storage and availability of the full data set with optional mirror technology to guard against hard disk failure. We have thus obtained a general solution for high resolution, multi-channel routine acquisition using the multi-platform MDSplus environment, in which different software and hardware architectures are intelligently linked across a standard TCP/IP network. The implementation presented here uses ONLY standard components of the MDSplus environment

A multi-channel data acquisition system with high resolution based on microcomputer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An Qi; Wang Yanfang; Xing Tao

1995-01-01

The paper introduces the principle of a multi-channel data acquisition system with high resolution based on the microcomputer.The system consists of five parts.They are analog-to-digital converter, data buffer area, trigger logic circuit, control circuit, and digital-to-analog converter

Usefulness of high helical pitch acquisition for reduction of patient radiation dose in cardiac multidetector computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sano, Tomonari; Matsutani, Hideyuki; Kondo, Takeshi; Sekine, Takako; Arai, Takehiro; Morita, Hitomi; Takase, Shinichi

2009-01-01

Helical pitch (HP) usually has been decided automatically by the software (Heart Navi) included in the MDCT machine (Aquilion 64) depending on gantry rotation speed (r) and heart rate (HR). To reduce radiation dose, 255 consecutive patients with low HR (≤60 bpm) and without arrhythmia underwent cardiac MDCT using high HP. We had already reported that the relationship among r, HP, and the maximum data acquisition time interval (Tmax) does not create the data deficit in arrhythmia. It was represented as Tmax=(69.88/HP-0.64) r; (equation 1). From equation 1, HP=69.88 r/(Tmax+0.64 r); (equation 2) was derived. We measured the maximum R-R interval (R-Rmax) on electrocardiogram (ECG) before multi detector row CT (MDCT) acquisition, and R-Rmax x 1.1 was calculated as Tmax in consideration of R-Rmax prolongation during MDCT acquisition. The HP of high HP acquisition was calculated from equation 2. In HR≤50 bpm, Heart Navi determined r: 0.35 sec/rot and HP: 9.8, and in 51 bpm≤HR≤66 bpm, r:0.35 sec/rot and HP: 11.2. HP of the high HP (16.4±1.2) was significantly (p<0.0001) higher than that of Heart Navi HP (10.9±0.6). The scanning time (6.5±0.6 sec) of high HP was significantly (p<0.0001) shorter than that of Heart Navi (9.0±0.8 sec), and the dose length product of high HP (675±185 mGy·cm) was significantly (p<0.0001) lower than that of Heart Navi (923±252 mGy·cm). The high HP could produce fine images in 251/255 patients. In conclusion, the high HP acquisition is useful for reduction of radiation dose and scanning time. (author)

Xenon Acquisition Strategies for High-Power Electric Propulsion NASA Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Herman, Daniel A.; Unfried, Kenneth G.

2015-01-01

The benefits of high-power solar electric propulsion (SEP) for both NASA's human and science exploration missions combined with the technology investment from the Space Technology Mission Directorate have enabled the development of a 50kW-class SEP mission. NASA mission concepts developed, including the Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission, and those proposed by contracted efforts for the 30kW-class demonstration have a range of xenon propellant loads from 100's of kg up to 10,000 kg. A xenon propellant load of 10 metric tons represents greater than 10% of the global annual production rate of xenon. A single procurement of this size with short-term delivery can disrupt the xenon market, driving up pricing, making the propellant costs for the mission prohibitive. This paper examines the status of the xenon industry worldwide, including historical xenon supply and pricing. The paper discusses approaches for acquiring on the order of 10 MT of xenon propellant considering realistic programmatic constraints to support potential near-term NASA missions. Finally, the paper will discuss acquisitions strategies for mission campaigns utilizing multiple high-power solar electric propulsion vehicles requiring 100's of metric tons of xenon over an extended period of time where a longer term acquisition approach could be implemented.

SNR-optimized phase-sensitive dual-acquisition turbo spin echo imaging: a fast alternative to FLAIR.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hyunyeol; Park, Jaeseok

2013-07-01

Phase-sensitive dual-acquisition single-slab three-dimensional turbo spin echo imaging was recently introduced, producing high-resolution isotropic cerebrospinal fluid attenuated brain images without long inversion recovery preparation. Despite the advantages, the weighted-averaging-based technique suffers from noise amplification resulting from different levels of cerebrospinal fluid signal modulations over the two acquisitions. The purpose of this work is to develop a signal-to-noise ratio-optimized version of the phase-sensitive dual-acquisition single-slab three-dimensional turbo spin echo. Variable refocusing flip angles in the first acquisition are calculated using a three-step prescribed signal evolution while those in the second acquisition are calculated using a two-step pseudo-steady state signal transition with a high flip-angle pseudo-steady state at a later portion of the echo train, balancing the levels of cerebrospinal fluid signals in both the acquisitions. Low spatial frequency signals are sampled during the high flip-angle pseudo-steady state to further suppress noise. Numerical simulations of the Bloch equations were performed to evaluate signal evolutions of brain tissues along the echo train and optimize imaging parameters. In vivo studies demonstrate that compared with conventional phase-sensitive dual-acquisition single-slab three-dimensional turbo spin echo, the proposed optimization yields 74% increase in apparent signal-to-noise ratio for gray matter and 32% decrease in imaging time. The proposed method can be a potential alternative to conventional fluid-attenuated imaging. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

High spatial and temporal resolution retrospective cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance from shortened free breathing real-time acquisitions.

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Hui; Kellman, Peter; Larocca, Gina; Arai, Andrew E; Hansen, Michael S

2013-11-14

Cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is challenging in patients who cannot perform repeated breath holds. Real-time, free-breathing acquisition is an alternative, but image quality is typically inferior. There is a clinical need for techniques that achieve similar image quality to the segmented cine using a free breathing acquisition. Previously, high quality retrospectively gated cine images have been reconstructed from real-time acquisitions using parallel imaging and motion correction. These methods had limited clinical applicability due to lengthy acquisitions and volumetric measurements obtained with such methods have not previously been evaluated systematically. This study introduces a new retrospective reconstruction scheme for real-time cine imaging which aims to shorten the required acquisition. A real-time acquisition of 16-20s per acquired slice was inputted into a retrospective cine reconstruction algorithm, which employed non-rigid registration to remove respiratory motion and SPIRiT non-linear reconstruction with temporal regularization to fill in missing data. The algorithm was used to reconstruct cine loops with high spatial (1.3-1.8 × 1.8-2.1 mm²) and temporal resolution (retrospectively gated, 30 cardiac phases, temporal resolution 34.3 ± 9.1 ms). Validation was performed in 15 healthy volunteers using two different acquisition resolutions (256 × 144/192 × 128 matrix sizes). For each subject, 9 to 12 short axis and 3 long axis slices were imaged with both segmented and real-time acquisitions. The retrospectively reconstructed real-time cine images were compared to a traditional segmented breath-held acquisition in terms of image quality scores. Image quality scoring was performed by two experts using a scale between 1 and 5 (poor to good). For every subject, LAX and three SAX slices were selected and reviewed in the random order. The reviewers were blinded to the reconstruction approach and acquisition protocols and

Atlas-driven scan planning for high-resolution Micro-SPECT data acquisition based on multi-view photographs : A pilot study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baiker, M.; Vastenhouw, B.; Branderhorst, W.; Reiber, J.H.C.; Beekman, F.; Lelieveldt, B.P.F.

2009-01-01

Highly focused Micro-SPECT scanners enable the acquisition of functional small animal data with very high-resolution. To acquire a maximum of emitted photons from a specific structure of interest and at the same time minimize the required acquisition time, typically only a small subvolume of the

Atlas-driven scan planning for high-resolution micro-SPECT data acquisition based on multi-vew photographs : A pilot study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baiker, M.; Vastenhouw, B.; Branderhorst, S.W.; Reiber, J.H.C.; Beekman, F.J.; Lelieveld, B.P.F.

2009-01-01

Highly focused Micro-SPECT scanners enable the acquisition of functional small animal data with very high-resolution. To acquire a maximum of emitted photons from a specific structure of interest and at the same time minimize the required acquisition time, typically only a small subvolume of the

Predicting Post-Acquisition Performance: Focusing on High-Technology Target Firms

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

King, David

2002-01-01

.... Even though existing research finds acquisitions, on average, do not improve firm performance, the dominant explanation for why firms pursue acquisitions is that they seek increased performance...

A high throughput data acquisition and processing model for applications based on GPUs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieto, J.; Arcas, G. de; Ruiz, M.; Castro, R.; Vega, J.; Guillen, P.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Implementation of a direct communication path between a data acquisition NI FlexRIO device and a NVIDIA GPU device. • Customization of a Linux Kernel Open Driver (NI FlexRIO) and a C API Interface for work con NVIDIA RDMA GPUDirect. • Performance evaluation with respect to traditional model that use CPU as buffer data allocation. - Abstract: There is an increasing interest in the use of GPU technologies for real time analysis in fusion devices. The availability of high bandwidth interfaces has made them a very cost effective alternative not only for high volume data analysis or simulation, and commercial products are available for some interest areas. However from the point of view of their application in real time scenarios, there are still some issues under analysis, such as the possibility to improve the data throughput inside a discrete system consisting of data acquisition devices (DAQ) and GPUs. This paper addresses the possibility of using peer to peer data communication between DAQ devices and GPUs sharing the same PCIexpress bus to implement continuous real time acquisition and processing systems where data transfers require minimum CPU intervention. This technology eliminates unnecessary system memory copies and lowers CPU overhead, avoiding bottleneck when the system uses the main system memory.

A high throughput data acquisition and processing model for applications based on GPUs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nieto, J., E-mail: jnieto@sec.upm.es [Instrumentation and Applied Acoustic Research Group, Technical University of Madrid (UPM), Madrid (Spain); Arcas, G. de; Ruiz, M. [Instrumentation and Applied Acoustic Research Group, Technical University of Madrid (UPM), Madrid (Spain); Castro, R.; Vega, J. [Data acquisition Group EURATOM/CIEMAT Association for Fusion, Madrid (Spain); Guillen, P. [Instrumentation and Applied Acoustic Research Group, Technical University of Madrid (UPM), Madrid (Spain)

2015-10-15

Highlights: • Implementation of a direct communication path between a data acquisition NI FlexRIO device and a NVIDIA GPU device. • Customization of a Linux Kernel Open Driver (NI FlexRIO) and a C API Interface for work con NVIDIA RDMA GPUDirect. • Performance evaluation with respect to traditional model that use CPU as buffer data allocation. - Abstract: There is an increasing interest in the use of GPU technologies for real time analysis in fusion devices. The availability of high bandwidth interfaces has made them a very cost effective alternative not only for high volume data analysis or simulation, and commercial products are available for some interest areas. However from the point of view of their application in real time scenarios, there are still some issues under analysis, such as the possibility to improve the data throughput inside a discrete system consisting of data acquisition devices (DAQ) and GPUs. This paper addresses the possibility of using peer to peer data communication between DAQ devices and GPUs sharing the same PCIexpress bus to implement continuous real time acquisition and processing systems where data transfers require minimum CPU intervention. This technology eliminates unnecessary system memory copies and lowers CPU overhead, avoiding bottleneck when the system uses the main system memory.

A High-Performance VME-Based Acquisition System for Positron Emission Mammography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbott, D.J.; Weisenberger, A.; Majewski, S.; Kieper, D.; Kross, B.; Popov, V.; Wojcik, R.; Raylman, R.R.

2001-01-01

A prototype for a practical and economical breast imaging system for cancer detection is currently under development at Jefferson Lab. The latest advances in bright, fast, crystal scintillators, compact position-sensitive photomultipliers (PSPMT), and high-performance digitizing and readout electronics are being used to develop a compact imager based on Positron Emission Tomography (PET). To facilitate the performance demands of the detector as well as the high number of readout channels, the data acquisition system is built around an intelligent, self-contained, VME form-factor

Interfacing and data acquisitioning of creep testing machines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rana, M.A.; Ahmad, Z.; Farooq, M.A.; Ali, L.; Mushtaq, N.

1998-05-01

Automation of DSM-6100-CREEP TESTING MACHINES is made by using an IBM PC/XT/AT compatibles along with DAS-16 High Speed Analog I/O board. Creep test parameters namely force, temperature and LVDTs (Linear Variable Differential Transducer) left and right are calibrated. Empirical formula for each parameter is developed to convert data, which is received in the form of counts, into engineering units. LVDT controller module is designed and fabricated to handle two LVDTs for data acquisition of a creep test required for it. (author)

Multi spectral scaling data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behere, Anita; Patil, R.D.; Ghodgaonkar, M.D.; Gopalakrishnan, K.R.

1997-01-01

In nuclear spectroscopy applications, it is often desired to acquire data at high rate with high resolution. With the availability of low cost computers, it is possible to make a powerful data acquisition system with minimum hardware and software development, by designing a PC plug-in acquisition board. But in using the PC processor for data acquisition, the PC can not be used as a multitasking node. Keeping this in view, PC plug-in acquisition boards with on-board processor find tremendous applications. Transputer based data acquisition board has been designed which can be configured as a high count rate pulse height MCA or as a Multi Spectral Scaler. Multi Spectral Scaling (MSS) is a new technique, in which multiple spectra are acquired in small time frames and are then analyzed. This paper describes the details of this multi spectral scaling data acquisition system. 2 figs

Single molecule force spectroscopy at high data acquisition: A Bayesian nonparametric analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Sgouralis, Ioannis; Whitmore, Miles; Lapidus, Lisa; Comstock, Matthew J.; Pressé, Steve

2018-03-01

Bayesian nonparametrics (BNPs) are poised to have a deep impact in the analysis of single molecule data as they provide posterior probabilities over entire models consistent with the supplied data, not just model parameters of one preferred model. Thus they provide an elegant and rigorous solution to the difficult problem encountered when selecting an appropriate candidate model. Nevertheless, BNPs' flexibility to learn models and their associated parameters from experimental data is a double-edged sword. Most importantly, BNPs are prone to increasing the complexity of the estimated models due to artifactual features present in time traces. Thus, because of experimental challenges unique to single molecule methods, naive application of available BNP tools is not possible. Here we consider traces with time correlations and, as a specific example, we deal with force spectroscopy traces collected at high acquisition rates. While high acquisition rates are required in order to capture dwells in short-lived molecular states, in this setup, a slow response of the optical trap instrumentation (i.e., trapped beads, ambient fluid, and tethering handles) distorts the molecular signals introducing time correlations into the data that may be misinterpreted as true states by naive BNPs. Our adaptation of BNP tools explicitly takes into consideration these response dynamics, in addition to drift and noise, and makes unsupervised time series analysis of correlated single molecule force spectroscopy measurements possible, even at acquisition rates similar to or below the trap's response times.

Point-and-stare operation and high-speed image acquisition in real-time hyperspectral imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Driver, Richard D.; Bannon, David P.; Ciccone, Domenic; Hill, Sam L.

2010-04-01

The design and optical performance of a small-footprint, low-power, turnkey, Point-And-Stare hyperspectral analyzer, capable of fully automated field deployment in remote and harsh environments, is described. The unit is packaged for outdoor operation in an IP56 protected air-conditioned enclosure and includes a mechanically ruggedized fully reflective, aberration-corrected hyperspectral VNIR (400-1000 nm) spectrometer with a board-level detector optimized for point and stare operation, an on-board computer capable of full system data-acquisition and control, and a fully functioning internal hyperspectral calibration system for in-situ system spectral calibration and verification. Performance data on the unit under extremes of real-time survey operation and high spatial and high spectral resolution will be discussed. Hyperspectral acquisition including full parameter tracking is achieved by the addition of a fiber-optic based downwelling spectral channel for solar illumination tracking during hyperspectral acquisition and the use of other sensors for spatial and directional tracking to pinpoint view location. The system is mounted on a Pan-And-Tilt device, automatically controlled from the analyzer's on-board computer, making the HyperspecTM particularly adaptable for base security, border protection and remote deployments. A hyperspectral macro library has been developed to control hyperspectral image acquisition, system calibration and scene location control. The software allows the system to be operated in a fully automatic mode or under direct operator control through a GigE interface.

Evaluation of a High Resolving Power Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer for Drug Analysis in Terms of Resolving Power and Acquisition Rate

Science.gov (United States)

Pelander, Anna; Decker, Petra; Baessmann, Carsten; Ojanperä, Ilkka

2011-02-01

Liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-TOFMS) is applied increasingly to various fields of small molecule analysis. The moderate resolving power (RP) of standard TOFMS instruments poses a risk of false negative results when complex biological matrices are to be analyzed. In this study, the performance of a high resolving power TOFMS instrument (maXis by Bruker Daltonik, Bremen, Germany) was evaluated for drug analysis. By flow injection analysis of critical drug mixtures, including a total of 17 compounds with nominal masses of 212-415 Da and with mass differences of 8.8-23.5 mDa, RP varied from 34,400 to 51,900 (FWHM). The effect of acquisition rate on RP, mass accuracy, and isotopic pattern fit was studied by applying 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 Hz acquisition rates in a 16 min gradient elution LC separation. All three variables were independent of the acquisition rate, with an average mass accuracy and isotopic pattern fit factor (mSigma) of 0.33 ppm and 5.9, respectively. The average relative standard deviation of RP was 1.8%, showing high repeatability. The performance was tested further with authentic urine extracts containing a co-eluting compound pair with a nominal mass of 296 Da and an 11.2 mDa mass difference. The authentic sample components were readily resolved and correctly identified by the automated data analysis. The average RP, mass accuracy, and isotopic pattern fit were 36,600, 0.9 ppm, and 7.3 mSigma, respectively.

Biomedical signal acquisition, processing and transmission using smartphone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roncagliolo, Pablo; Arredondo, Luis; Gonzalez, AgustIn

2007-01-01

This article describes technical aspects involved in the programming of a system of acquisition, processing and transmission of biomedical signals by using mobile devices. This task is aligned with the permanent development of new technologies for the diagnosis and sickness treatment, based on the feasibility of measuring continuously different variables as electrocardiographic signals, blood pressure, oxygen concentration, pulse or simply temperature. The contribution of this technology is settled on its portability and low cost, which allows its massive use. Specifically this work analyzes the feasibility of acquisition and the processing of signals from a standard smartphone. Work results allow to state that nowadays these equipments have enough processing capacity to execute signals acquisition systems. These systems along with external servers make it possible to imagine a near future where the possibility of making continuous measures of biomedical variables will not be restricted only to hospitals but will also begin to be more frequently used in the daily life and at home

Biomedical signal acquisition, processing and transmission using smartphone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roncagliolo, Pablo [Department of Electronics, Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria, Casilla 110-V, ValparaIso (Chile); Arredondo, Luis [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Universidad de ValparaIso, Casilla 123-V, ValparaIso (Chile); Gonzalez, AgustIn [Department of Electronics, Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa MarIa, Casilla 110-V, ValparaIso (Chile)

2007-11-15

This article describes technical aspects involved in the programming of a system of acquisition, processing and transmission of biomedical signals by using mobile devices. This task is aligned with the permanent development of new technologies for the diagnosis and sickness treatment, based on the feasibility of measuring continuously different variables as electrocardiographic signals, blood pressure, oxygen concentration, pulse or simply temperature. The contribution of this technology is settled on its portability and low cost, which allows its massive use. Specifically this work analyzes the feasibility of acquisition and the processing of signals from a standard smartphone. Work results allow to state that nowadays these equipments have enough processing capacity to execute signals acquisition systems. These systems along with external servers make it possible to imagine a near future where the possibility of making continuous measures of biomedical variables will not be restricted only to hospitals but will also begin to be more frequently used in the daily life and at home.

Biomedical signal acquisition, processing and transmission using smartphone

Science.gov (United States)

Roncagliolo, Pablo; Arredondo, Luis; González, Agustín

2007-11-01

This article describes technical aspects involved in the programming of a system of acquisition, processing and transmission of biomedical signals by using mobile devices. This task is aligned with the permanent development of new technologies for the diagnosis and sickness treatment, based on the feasibility of measuring continuously different variables as electrocardiographic signals, blood pressure, oxygen concentration, pulse or simply temperature. The contribution of this technology is settled on its portability and low cost, which allows its massive use. Specifically this work analyzes the feasibility of acquisition and the processing of signals from a standard smartphone. Work results allow to state that nowadays these equipments have enough processing capacity to execute signals acquisition systems. These systems along with external servers make it possible to imagine a near future where the possibility of making continuous measures of biomedical variables will not be restricted only to hospitals but will also begin to be more frequently used in the daily life and at home.

Design of a highly integrated video acquisition module for smart video flight unit development

Science.gov (United States)

Lebre, V.; Gasti, W.

2017-11-01

CCD and APS devices are widely used in space missions as instrument sensors and/or in Avionics units like star detectors/trackers. Therefore, various and numerous designs of video acquisition chains have been produced. Basically, a classical video acquisition chain is constituted of two main functional blocks: the Proximity Electronics (PEC), including detector drivers and the Analogue Processing Chain (APC) Electronics that embeds the ADC, a master sequencer and the host interface. Nowadays, low power technologies allow to improve the integration, radiometric performances and power budget optimisation of video units and to standardize video units design and development. To this end, ESA has initiated a development activity through a competitive process requesting the expertise of experienced actors in the field of high resolution electronics for earth observation and Scientific missions. THALES ALENIA SPACE has been granted this activity as a prime contractor through ESA contract called HIVAC that holds for Highly Integrated Video Acquisition Chain. This paper presents main objectives of the on going HIVAC project and focuses on the functionalities and performances offered by the usage of the under development HIVAC board for future optical instruments.

A set of high quality colour images with Spanish norms for seven relevant psycholinguistic variables: the Nombela naming test.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno-Martinez, Francisco Javier; Montoro, Pedro R; Laws, Keith R

2011-05-01

This paper presents a new corpus of 140 high quality colour images belonging to 14 subcategories and covering a range of naming difficulty. One hundred and six Spanish speakers named the items and provided data for several psycholinguistic variables: age of acquisition, familiarity, manipulability, name agreement, typicality and visual complexity. Furthermore, we also present lexical frequency data derived internet search hits. Apart from the large number of variables evaluated, these stimuli present an important advantage with respect to other comparable image corpora in so far as naming performance in healthy individuals is less prone to ceiling effect problems. Reliability and validity indexes showed that our items display similar psycholinguistic characteristics to those of other corpora. In sum, this set of ecologically valid stimuli provides a useful tool for scientists engaged in cognitive and neuroscience-based research.

Controlling T2 blurring in 3D RARE arterial spin labeling acquisition through optimal combination of variable flip angles and k-space filtering.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Li; Chang, Ching-Di; Alsop, David C

2018-02-09

To improve the SNR efficiency and reduce the T 2 blurring of 3D rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement stack-of-spiral arterial spin labeling imaging by using variable refocusing flip angles and k-space filtering. An algorithm for determining the optimal combination of variable flip angles and filtering correction is proposed. The flip angles are designed using extended phase graph physical simulations in an analytical and global optimization framework, with an optional constraint on deposited power. Optimal designs for correcting to Hann and Fermi window functions were compared with conventional constant amplitude or variable flip angle only designs on 6 volunteers. With the Fermi window correction, the proposed optimal designs provided 39.8 and 27.3% higher SNR (P variable flip angle designs. Even when power deposition was limited to 50% of the constant amplitude design, the proposed method outperformed the SNR (P variable flip angles can be derived as the output of an optimization problem. The combined design of variable flip angle and k-space filtering provided superior SNR to designs primarily emphasizing either approach singly. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

High temporal resolution magnetic resonance imaging: development of a parallel three dimensional acquisition method for functional neuroimaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabrait, C.

2007-11-01

Echo Planar Imaging is widely used to perform data acquisition in functional neuroimaging. This sequence allows the acquisition of a set of about 30 slices, covering the whole brain, at a spatial resolution ranging from 2 to 4 mm, and a temporal resolution ranging from 1 to 2 s. It is thus well adapted to the mapping of activated brain areas but does not allow precise study of the brain dynamics. Moreover, temporal interpolation is needed in order to correct for inter-slices delays and 2-dimensional acquisition is subject to vascular in flow artifacts. To improve the estimation of the hemodynamic response functions associated with activation, this thesis aimed at developing a 3-dimensional high temporal resolution acquisition method. To do so, Echo Volume Imaging was combined with reduced field-of-view acquisition and parallel imaging. Indeed, E.V.I. allows the acquisition of a whole volume in Fourier space following a single excitation, but it requires very long echo trains. Parallel imaging and field-of-view reduction are used to reduce the echo train durations by a factor of 4, which allows the acquisition of a 3-dimensional brain volume with limited susceptibility-induced distortions and signal losses, in 200 ms. All imaging parameters have been optimized in order to reduce echo train durations and to maximize S.N.R., so that cerebral activation can be detected with a high level of confidence. Robust detection of brain activation was demonstrated with both visual and auditory paradigms. High temporal resolution hemodynamic response functions could be estimated through selective averaging of the response to the different trials of the stimulation. To further improve S.N.R., the matrix inversions required in parallel reconstruction were regularized, and the impact of the level of regularization on activation detection was investigated. Eventually, potential applications of parallel E.V.I. such as the study of non-stationary effects in the B.O.L.D. response

Technological Similarity, Post-acquisition R&D Reorganization, and Innovation Performance in Horizontal Acquisition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Colombo, Massimo G.; Rabbiosi, Larissa

2014-01-01

This paper aims to disentangle the mechanisms through which technological similarity between acquiring and acquired firms influences innovation in horizontal acquisitions. We develop a theoretical model that links technological similarity to: (i) two key aspects of post-acquisition reorganization...... of acquired R&D operations – the rationalization of the R&D operations and the replacement of the R&D top manager, and (ii) two intermediate effects that are closely associated with the post-acquisition innovation performance of the combined firm – improvements in R&D productivity and disruptions in R......&D personnel. We rely on PLS techniques to test our theoretical model using detailed information on 31 horizontal acquisitions in high- and medium-tech industries. Our results indicate that in horizontal acquisitions, technological similarity negatively affects post-acquisition innovation performance...

Simulation and modeling of data acquisition systems for future high energy physics experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Booth, A.; Black, D.; Walsh, D.; Bowden, M.; Barsotti, E.

1991-01-01

With the ever-increasing complexity of detectors and their associated data acquisition (DAQ) systems, it is important to bring together a set of tools to enable system designers, both hardware and software, to understand the behavioral aspects of the system was a whole, as well as the interaction between different functional units within the system. For complex systems, human intuition is inadequate since there are simply too many variables for system designers to begin to predict how varying any subset of them affects the total system. On the other hand, exact analysis, even to the extent of investing in disposable hardware prototypes, is much too time consuming and costly. Simulation bridges the gap between physical intuition and exact analysis by providing a learning vehicle in which the effects of varying many parameters can be analyzed and understood. Simulation techniques are being used in the development of the Scalable Parallel Open Architecture Data Acquisition System at Fermilab in which several sophisticated tools have been brought together to provide an integrated systems engineering environment specifically aimed at designing, DAQ systems. Also presented are results of simulation experiments in which the effects of varying trigger rates, event sizes and event distribution over processors, are clearly seen in terms of throughput and buffer usage in an event-building switch

Optimization of Hierarchical System for Data Acquisition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Novotny

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Television broadcasting over IP networks (IPTV is one of a number of network applications that are except of media distribution also interested in data acquisition from group of information resources of variable size. IP-TV uses Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP protocol for media streaming and RTP Control Protocol (RTCP protocol for session quality feedback. Other applications, for example sensor networks, have data acquisition as the main task. Current solutions have mostly problem with scalability - how to collect and process information from large amount of end nodes quickly and effectively? The article deals with optimization of hierarchical system of data acquisition. Problem is mathematically described, delay minima are searched and results are proved by simulations.

Knowledge-sharing Behavior and Post-acquisition Integration Failure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gammelgaard, Jens; Husted, Kenneth; Michailova, Snejina

2004-01-01

AbstractNot achieving the anticipated synergy effects in the post-acquisition integration context is a serious causefor the high acquisition failure rate. While existing studies on failures of acquisitions exist fromeconomics, finance, strategy, organization theory, and human resources management......, this paper appliesinsights from the knowledge-sharing literature. The paper establishes a conceptual link between obstaclesin the post-acquisition integration processes and individual knowledge-sharing behavior as related toknowledge transmitters and knowledge receivers. We argue that such an angle offers...... important insights toexplaining the high failure rate in acquisitions.Descriptors: post-acquisition integration, acquisition failure, individual knowledge-sharing behavior...

High speed USB data logger for position sensitive detector data acquisition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poudel, S.K.; Kulkarni, V.B.; Kumar, Santosh; Chandak, R.M.; Krishna, P.S.R.; Mukhopadhyay, R.

2010-01-01

Ratio ADC (RDC) module used in neutron Position Sensitive Detector (PSD) data acquisition, gives digital code signifying the position of neutron event. A High Speed USB based RDC Data Logger card has been made for logging data from multiple RDCs to PC. A CPLD on the card continuously polls the RDCs for data, and fills it in the FIFO memory of a high speed USB microcontroller. A VC++ program for neutron scattering experiments reads event codes from FIFO of microcontroller and builds spectrum on PC. This program sweeps physical parameters of sample and collects PSD data for pre-determined monitor counts. (author)

Variability in {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT methodology of acquisition, reconstruction and analysis for oncologic imaging: state survey; Variabilidade metodologica na aquisicao, reconstrucao e analise de estudos de PET/CT oncologico com FDG-{sup 18}F: levantamento estadual

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fischer, Andreia C.F. da S.; Druzian, Aline C.; Pianta, Diego B.; Bacelar, Alexandre, E-mail: acfischer@hcpa.edu.br [Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Silva, Ana M. Marques da [Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul (NIMed/PUC-RS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Faculdade de Fisica. Nucleo de Pesquisas em Imagens Medicas

2016-07-01

The SUV in {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT oncological imaging is useful for cancer diagnosis, staging and treatment assessment. There are, however, several factors that can give rise to bias in SUV measurements. When using SUV as a diagnostic tool, one needs to minimize the variability in this measurement by standardization of patient preparation, acquisition and reconstruction parameters. The aim of this study is to evaluate the methodological variability in PET/CT acquisition in Rio Grande do Sul State. For that, in each department, a questionnaire was applied to survey technical information from PET/CT systems and about the acquisitions and analysis methods utilized. All departments implement quality assurance programs consistent with (inter)national recommendations. However, the acquisition and reconstruction methods of acquired PET data differ. The implementation of a harmonized strategy for quantifying the SUV is suggested, in order to obtain greater reproducibility and repeatability. (author)

Evaluating the Impact of Antibiotic Exposures as Time-Dependent Variables on the Acquisition of Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

Science.gov (United States)

Munoz-Price, L Silvia; Rosa, Rossana; Castro, Jose G; Laowansiri, Panthipa; Latibeaudiere, Rachel; Namias, Nicholas; Tarima, Sergey

2016-10-01

To determine the time-dependent effect of antibiotics on the initial acquisition of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Retrospective cohort study. Forty-bed trauma ICU in Miami, FL. All consecutive patients admitted to the unit from November 1, 2010, to November 30, 2011. None. Patients underwent surveillance cultures at admission to the unit and weekly thereafter. The primary outcome was the acquisition of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii on surveillance cultures. Daily antibiotic exposures during the time of observation were used to construct time-dependent variables, including cumulative exposures (in grams and daily observed doses [defined daily doses]). Among 360 patients, 45 (12.5%) became colonized with carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii. Adjusted Cox models showed that each additional point in the Acute Physiologic and Chronic Health Evaluation score increased the hazard by 4.8% (hazard ratio, 1.048; 95% CI, 1.010-1.087; p = 0.0124) and time-dependent exposure to carbapenems quadrupled the hazard (hazard ratio, 4.087; 95% CI, 1.873-8.920; p = 0.0004) of acquiring carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii. Additionally, adjusted Cox models determined that every additional carbapenem defined daily dose increased the hazard of acquiring carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii by 5.1% (hazard ratio, 1.051; 95% CI, 1.007-1.093; p = 0.0243). Carbapenem exposure quadrupled the hazards of acquiring A. baumannii even after controlling for severity of illness.

Proceedings of the workshop on data acquisition system for high energy physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayano, R.S.

1984-09-01

The workshop ''Data acquisition system for high energy experiment'' was held by the on-line electronics group of KEK in cooperation with the data processing section on May 28-29, 1984, at KEK. This year, the proton synchrotron is prepared for the work after shutdown, and in the TRISTAN, the full scale construction of the data acquisition system is advanced. One of the large topics was the TKO box proposed by the data acquisition development group of KEK, and its specification is included in this book. This workshop was the meeting with very wide range from front end electronics to large computers. The talks on flash analog/digital converters and latest data communication were held. As a new trial, the wish lists on the future development and support of on-line electronics and others were collected from the participants, and these were deliberated by all the members. The contents of the discussion at this time are given in this book. The summaries of the lectures presented at the meeting are collected in this book. The interchange with the experimental group is indispensable for the activities of the on-line electronics group, accordingly, the workshop like this will be held hereafter. (Kako, I.)

Application of HDF5 in long-pulse quasi-steady state data acquisition at high sampling rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Y.; Wang, F.; Li, S.; Xiao, B.J.; Yang, F.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The new data-acquisition system supports long-pulse EAST data acquisition. • The new data-acquisition system is capable for most of the high frequency signals of EAST experiments. • The system's total throughput is about 500 MB/s. • The system uses HDF5 to store data. - Abstract: A new high sampling rate quasi-steady state data-acquisition system has been designed for the microwave reflectometry diagnostic of EAST experiments. In order to meet the requirements of long-pulse discharge and high sampling rate, it is designed based on PXI Express technology. A high-performance digitizer National Instruments PXIe-5122 with two synchronous analog input channels in which the maximum sampling rate is 100 MHz has been adopted. Two PXIe-5122 boards at 60 MSPS and one PXIe-6368 board at 2 MSPS are used in the system and the total throughput is about 500 MB/s. To guarantee the large amounts of data being saved continuously in the long-pulse discharge, an external hard-disk data stream enclosure NI HDD-8265 in which the capacity of sustained speed of reading and writing is 700 MB/s. And in RAID-5 mode its storage capacity is 80% of the total. The obtained raw data firstly stream continuously into NI HDD-8265 during the discharge. Then it will be transferred to the data server automatically and converted into HDF5 file format. HDF5 is an open source file format for data storage and management which has been widely used in various fields, and suitable for long term case. The details of the system are described in the paper

High speed digital interfacing for a neural data acquisition system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bahr Andreas

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Diseases like schizophrenia and genetic epilepsy are supposed to be caused by disorders in the early development of the brain. For the further investigation of these relationships a custom designed application specific integrated circuit (ASIC was developed that is optimized for the recording from neonatal mice [Bahr A, Abu-Saleh L, Schroeder D, Krautschneider W. 16 Channel Neural Recording Integrated Circuit with SPI Interface and Error Correction Coding. Proc. 9th BIOSTEC 2016. Biodevices: Rome, Italy, 2016; 1: 263; Bahr A, Abu-Saleh L, Schroeder D, Krautschneider W. Development of a neural recording mixed signal integrated circuit for biomedical signal acquisition. Biomed Eng Biomed Tech Abstracts 2015; 60(S1: 298–299; Bahr A, Abu-Saleh L, Schroeder D, Krautschneider WH. 16 Channel Neural Recording Mixed Signal ASIC. CDNLive EMEA 2015 Conference Proceedings, 2015.]. To enable the live display of the neural signals a multichannel neural data acquisition system with live display functionality is presented. It implements a high speed data transmission from the ASIC to a computer with a live display functionality. The system has been successfully implemented and was used in a neural recording of a head-fixed mouse.

High-p{sub T} B-tagging and top-tagging with variable-R jets in ATLAS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Behr, Katharina [Sub-department of Particle Physics, University of Oxford, Denys-Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH (United Kingdom)

2015-07-01

Variable-R jets, whose effective size is inversely proportional to their transverse momentum, are a versatile tool for object reconstruction across the large transverse momentum regime accessible during Run 2 of the LHC. I discuss the performance of Variable-R jets in two different contexts: (1) Boosted top-tagging. The separation between the decay products of highly energetic top quarks decreases with p{sub T}{sup top} causing them to overlap and merge into a single jet. Taggers relying on large fixed-R jets overestimate the real size of the top jet in the highly boosted regime and are more susceptible to the effects of pile-up. Variable-R jets are studied as the basis for more natural taggers which may not even require grooming. (2) B-tagging. The b-tagging performance in boosted topologies suffers in the presence of close-by jets. This limits the sensitivity of many searches such as those in boosted hh → 4b final states. New b-taggers relying on track jets with smaller sizes than the traditional R=0.4 to better isolate the b-hadron decay show significant improvements in highly boosted scenarios but perform worse at low transverse momenta where they fail to capture the full b-jet. Variable-R track jets provide a unified approach to b-tagging in both p{sub T} regimes.

A METHOD OF THE MINIMIZING OF THE TOTAL ACQUISITIONS COST WITH THE INCREASING VARIABLE DEMAND

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ELEONORA IONELA FOCȘAN

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Over time, mankind has tried to find different ways of costs reduction. This subject which we are facing more often nowadays, has been detailed studied, without reaching a general model, and also efficient, regarding the costs reduction. Costs reduction entails a number of benefits over the entity, the most important being: increase revenue and default to the profit, increase productivity, a higher level of services / products offered to clients, and last but not least, the risk mitigation of the economic deficit. Therefore, each entity search different modes to obtain most benefits, for the company to succeed in a competitive market. This article supports the companies, trying to make known a new way of minimizing the total cost of acquisitions, by presenting some hypotheses about the increasing variable demand, proving them, and development of formulas for reducing the costs. The hypotheses presented in the model described below, can be maximally exploited to obtain new models of reducing the total cost, according to the modes of the purchase of entities which approach it.

Real-time control and data-acquisition system for high-energy neutral-beam injectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glad, A.S.; Jacobson, V.

1981-12-01

The need for a real-time control system and a data acquisition, processing and archiving system operating in parallel on the same computer became a requirement on General Atomic's Doublet III fusion energy project with the addition of high energy neutral beam injectors. The data acquisition processing and archiving system is driven from external events and is sequenced through each experimental shot utilizing ModComp's intertask message service. This system processes, archives and displays on operator console CRTs all physics diagnostic data related to the neutral beam injectores such as temperature, beam alignment, etc. The real-time control system is data base driven and provides periodic monitoring and control of the numerous dynamic subsystems of the neutral beam injectors such as power supplies, timing, water cooling, etc

Acquisition of speech rhythm in a second language by learners with rhythmically different native languages.

Science.gov (United States)

Ordin, Mikhail; Polyanskaya, Leona

2015-08-01

The development of speech rhythm in second language (L2) acquisition was investigated. Speech rhythm was defined as durational variability that can be captured by the interval-based rhythm metrics. These metrics were used to examine the differences in durational variability between proficiency levels in L2 English spoken by French and German learners. The results reveal that durational variability increased as L2 acquisition progressed in both groups of learners. This indicates that speech rhythm in L2 English develops from more syllable-timed toward more stress-timed patterns irrespective of whether the native language of the learner is rhythmically similar to or different from the target language. Although both groups showed similar development of speech rhythm in L2 acquisition, there were also differences: German learners achieved a degree of durational variability typical of the target language, while French learners exhibited lower variability than native British speakers, even at an advanced proficiency level.

Simulation and modeling of data acquisition systems for future high energy physics experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Booth, A.; Black, D.; Walsh, D.; Bowden, M.; Barsotti, E.

1990-01-01

With the ever-increasing complexity of detectors and their associated data acquisition (DAQ) systems, it is important to bring together a set of tools to enable system designers, both hardware and software, to understand the behavorial aspects of the system as a whole, as well as the interaction between different functional units within the system. For complex systems, human intuition is inadequate since there are simply too many variables for system designers to begin to predict how varying any subset of them affects the total system. On the other hand, exact analysis, even to the extent of investing in disposable hardware prototypes, is much too time consuming and costly. Simulation bridges the gap between physical intuition and exact analysis by providing a learning vehicle in which the effects of varying many parameters can be analyzed and understood. Simulation techniques are being used in the development of the Scalable Parallel Open Architecture Data Acquisition System at Fermilab. This paper describes the work undertaken at Fermilab in which several sophisticated tools have been brought together to provide an integrated systems engineering environment specifically aimed at designing DAQ systems. Also presented are results of simulation experiments in which the effects of varying trigger rates, event sizes and event distribution over processors, are clearly seen in terms of throughput and buffer usage in an event-building switch

High efficiency, variable geometry, centrifugal cryogenic pump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forsha, M.D.; Nichols, K.E.; Beale, C.A.

1994-01-01

A centrifugal cryogenic pump has been developed which has a basic design that is rugged and reliable with variable speed and variable geometry features that achieve high pump efficiency over a wide range of head-flow conditions. The pump uses a sealless design and rolling element bearings to achieve high reliability and the ruggedness to withstand liquid-vapor slugging. The pump can meet a wide range of variable head, off-design flow requirements and maintain design point efficiency by adjusting the pump speed. The pump also has features that allow the impeller and diffuser blade heights to be adjusted. The adjustable height blades were intended to enhance the pump efficiency when it is operating at constant head, off-design flow rates. For small pumps, the adjustable height blades are not recommended. For larger pumps, they could provide off-design efficiency improvements. This pump was developed for supercritical helium service, but the design is well suited to any cryogenic application where high efficiency is required over a wide range of head-flow conditions

Development of high-availability ATCA/PCIe data acquisition instrumentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Correia, Miguel; Sousa, Jorge; Batista, Antonio J.N.; Combo, Alvaro; Santos, Bruno; Rodrigues, Antonio P.; Carvalho, Paulo F.; Goncalves, Bruno [Instituto de Plasmas e Fusao Nuclear, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049- 001 Lisboa (Portugal); Correia, Carlos M.B.A. [Centro de Instrumentacao, Dept. de Fisica, Universidade de Coimbra, 3004-516 Coimbra (Portugal)

2015-07-01

Latest Fusion energy experiments envision a quasi-continuous operation regime. In consequence, the largest experimental devices, currently in development, specify high-availability (HA) requirements for the whole plant infrastructure. HA features enable the whole facility to perform seamlessly in the case of failure of any of its components, coping with the increasing duration of plasma discharges (steady-state) and assuring safety of equipment, people, environment and investment. IPFN developed a control and data acquisition system, aiming for fast control of advanced Fusion devices, which is thus required to provide such HA features. The system is based on in-house developed Advanced Telecommunication Computing Architecture (ATCA) instrumentation modules - IO blades and data switch blades, establishing a PCIe network on the ATCA shelf's back-plane. The data switch communicates to an external host computer through a PCIe data network. At the hardware management level, the system architecture takes advantage of ATCA native redundancy and hot swap specifications to implement fail-over substitution of IO or data switch blades. A redundant host scheme is also supported by the ATCA/PCIe platform. At the software level, PCIe provides implementation of hot plug services, which translate the hardware changes to the corresponding software/operating system devices. The paper presents how the ATCA and PCIe based system can be setup to perform with the desired degree of HA, thus being suitable for advanced Fusion control and data acquisition systems. (authors)

Development of high-availability ATCA/PCIe data acquisition instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Correia, Miguel; Sousa, Jorge; Batista, Antonio J.N.; Combo, Alvaro; Santos, Bruno; Rodrigues, Antonio P.; Carvalho, Paulo F.; Goncalves, Bruno; Correia, Carlos M.B.A.

2015-01-01

Latest Fusion energy experiments envision a quasi-continuous operation regime. In consequence, the largest experimental devices, currently in development, specify high-availability (HA) requirements for the whole plant infrastructure. HA features enable the whole facility to perform seamlessly in the case of failure of any of its components, coping with the increasing duration of plasma discharges (steady-state) and assuring safety of equipment, people, environment and investment. IPFN developed a control and data acquisition system, aiming for fast control of advanced Fusion devices, which is thus required to provide such HA features. The system is based on in-house developed Advanced Telecommunication Computing Architecture (ATCA) instrumentation modules - IO blades and data switch blades, establishing a PCIe network on the ATCA shelf's back-plane. The data switch communicates to an external host computer through a PCIe data network. At the hardware management level, the system architecture takes advantage of ATCA native redundancy and hot swap specifications to implement fail-over substitution of IO or data switch blades. A redundant host scheme is also supported by the ATCA/PCIe platform. At the software level, PCIe provides implementation of hot plug services, which translate the hardware changes to the corresponding software/operating system devices. The paper presents how the ATCA and PCIe based system can be setup to perform with the desired degree of HA, thus being suitable for advanced Fusion control and data acquisition systems. (authors)

High-speed multiple-channel analog to digital data-acquisition module for microprocessor systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ethridge, C.D.

1977-01-01

Intelligent data acquisition and instrumentation systems established by the incorporation of microprocessor technology require high-speed analog to digital conversion of multiple-channel input signals. Sophisticated data systems or subsystems are enabled by the microprocessor software flexibility to establish adaptive input data procedures. These adaptive procedures are enhanced by versatile interface circuitry which is software controlled

Factors Associated with Medical Knowledge Acquisition During Internal Medicine Residency

Science.gov (United States)

Zeger, Scott L.; Kolars, Joseph C.

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND Knowledge acquisition is a goal of residency and is measurable by in-training exams. Little is known about factors associated with medical knowledge acquisition. OBJECTIVE To examine associations of learning habits on medical knowledge acquisition. DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS Cohort study of all 195 residents who took the Internal Medicine In-Training Examination (IM-ITE) 421 times over 4 years while enrolled in the Internal Medicine Residency, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. MEASUREMENTS Score (percent questions correct) on the IM-ITE adjusted for variables known or hypothesized to be associated with score using a random effects model. RESULTS When adjusting for demographic, training, and prior achievement variables, yearly advancement within residency was associated with an IM-ITE score increase of 5.1% per year (95%CI 4.1%, 6.2%; p international medical school graduation, −3.4% (95%CI −6.5%, −0.36%; p = .03). CONCLUSIONS Conference attendance and self-directed reading of an electronic knowledge resource had statistically and educationally significant independent associations with knowledge acquisition that were comparable to the benefit of a year in residency training. PMID:17468889

Evaluation of high performance data acquisition boards for simultaneous sampling of fast signals from PET detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Judenhofer, Martin S; Pichler, Bernd J; Cherry, Simon R

2005-01-01

Detectors used for positron emission tomography (PET) provide fast, randomly distributed signals that need to be digitized for further processing. One possibility is to sample the signals at the peak initiated by a trigger from a constant fraction discriminator (CFD). For PET detectors, simultaneous acquisition of many channels is often important. To develop and evaluate novel PET detectors, a flexible, relatively low cost and high performance laboratory data acquisition (DAQ) system is therefore required. The use of dedicated DAQ systems, such as a multi-channel analysers (MCAs) or continuous sampling boards at high rates, is expensive. This work evaluates the suitability of well-priced peripheral component interconnect (PCI)-based 8-channel DAQ boards (PD2-MFS-8 2M/14 and PD2-MFS-8-500k/14, United Electronic Industries Inc., Canton, MA, USA) for signal acquisition from novel PET detectors. A software package was developed to access the board, measure basic board parameters, and to acquire, visualize, and analyse energy spectra and position profiles from block detectors. The performance tests showed that the boards input linearity is >99.2% and the standard deviation is 22 Na source was 14.9% (FWHM) at 511 keV and is slightly better than the result obtained with a high-end single channel MCA (8000A, Amptek, USA) using the same detector (16.8%). The crystals (1.2 x 1.2 x 12 mm 3 ) within a 9 x 9 LSO block detector could be clearly separated in an acquired position profile. Thus, these boards are well suited for data acquisition with novel detectors developed for nuclear imaging

''FASTBUS'': status of development of a standard high speed data acquisition bus for high energy physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsen, R.S.

1977-11-01

In late 1975 the US NIM Committee initiated a study group, known as the Advanced System Study Group, to review the future data acquisition modular interface requirements for high-energy physics. The final report of this group recommended the development of a new standard system, now known as ''FASTBUS,'' which would have as principal features improved speed by a factor of 10 over CAMAC, more generalized architecture to accommodate distributed parallel processing and fast preprocessing, special scan modes of particular use in high-energy particle detection systems, and standardized bus structures and mechanics. A brief summary of current activity is given. 7 figures, 3 tables

The Bilingual Brain: Human Evolution and Second Language Acquisition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Kirk Hagen

2008-01-01

Full Text Available For the past half-century, psycholinguistic research has concerned itself with two mysteries of human cognition: (1 that children universally acquire a highly abstract, computationally complex set of linguistic rules rapidly and effortlessly, and (2 that second language acquisition (SLA among adults is, conversely, slow, laborious, highly variable, and virtually never results in native fluency. We now have a decent, if approximate, understanding of the biological foundations of first language acquisition, thanks in large part to Lenneberg's (1964, 1984 seminal work on the critical period hypothesis. More recently, the elements of a promising theory of language and evolution have emerged as well (see e.g. Bickerton, 1981, 1990; Leiberman, 1984, 1987. I argue here that the empirical foundations of an evolutionary theory of language are now solid enough to support an account of bilingualism and adult SLA as well. Specifically, I will show that evidence from the environment of evolutionary adaptation of paleolithic humans suggests that for our nomadic ancestors, the ability to master a language early in life was an eminently useful adaptation. However, the ability to acquire another language in adulthood was not, and consequently was not selected for propagation.

Real time data acquisition system for the High Current Test Facility proton accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langlais, C.E.; Erickson, P.D.; Caissie, L.P.

1975-01-01

A real time data acquisition system was developed to monitor and control the High Current Test Facility Proton Accelerator. It is a PDP-8/E computer system with virtual memory capability that is fully interrupt driven and operates under a real-time, multi-tasking executive. The application package includes mode selection to automatically modify programs and optimize operation under varying conditions. (U.S.)

High Variability in Outcome Reporting Patterns in High-Impact ACL Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Makhni, Eric C; Padaki, Ajay S; Petridis, Petros D; Steinhaus, Michael E; Ahmad, Christopher S; Cole, Brian J; Bach, Bernard R

2015-09-16

ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction is one of the most commonly performed and studied procedures in modern sports medicine. A multitude of objective and subjective patient outcome measures exists; however, nonstandardized reporting patterns of these metrics may create challenges in objectively analyzing pooled results from different studies. The goal of this study was to document the variability in outcome reporting patterns in high-impact orthopaedic studies of ACL reconstruction. All clinical studies pertaining to ACL reconstruction in four high-impact-factor orthopaedic journals over a five-year period were reviewed. Biomechanical, basic science, and imaging studies were excluded, as were studies with fewer than fifty patients, yielding 119 studies for review. Incorporation of various objective and subjective outcomes was noted for each study. Substantial variability in reporting of both objective and subjective measures was noted in the study cohort. Although a majority of studies reported instrumented laxity findings, there was substantial variability in the type and method of laxity reporting. Most other objective outcomes, including range of motion, strength, and complications, were reported in <50% of all studies. Return to pre-injury level of activity was infrequently reported (24% of studies), as were patient satisfaction and pain assessment following surgery (8% and 13%, respectively). Of the patient-reported outcomes, the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Lysholm, and Tegner scores were most often reported (71%, 63%, and 42%, respectively). Substantial variability in outcome reporting patterns exists among high-impact studies of ACL reconstruction. Such variability may create challenges in interpreting results and pooling them across different studies. Copyright © 2015 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

A general purpose program system for high energy physics experiment data acquisition and analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Shuren; Xing Yuguo; Jin Bingnian

1985-01-01

This paper introduced the functions, structure and system generation of a general purpose program system (Fermilab MULTI) for high energy physics experiment data acquisition and analysis. Works concerning the reconstruction of MULTI system level 0.5 which can be run on the computer PDP-11/23 are also introduced briefly

Developing Acquisition IS Integration Capabilities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wynne, Peter J.

2016-01-01

An under researched, yet critical challenge of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), is what to do with the two organisations’ information systems (IS) post-acquisition. Commonly referred to as acquisition IS integration, existing theory suggests that to integrate the information systems successfully......, an acquiring company must leverage two high level capabilities: diagnosis and integration execution. Through a case study, this paper identifies how a novice acquirer develops these capabilities in anticipation of an acquisition by examining its use of learning processes. The study finds the novice acquirer...... applies trial and error, experimental, and vicarious learning processes, while actively avoiding improvisational learning. The results of the study contribute to the acquisition IS integration literature specifically by exploring it from a new perspective: the learning processes used by novice acquirers...

Data acquisition interface for calculating heat diffusion in certain electronic circuits; Interface d`acquisition des donnees permettant le calcul de la diffusion de la chaleur dans certains circuits electroniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spiesser, Ph.

1996-05-01

A user interface has been developed for geometrical and thermal data acquisition, in order to allow calculations of heat diffusion in certain types of electronic circuits such as power hybrids and compact electronic modules, using computerized simulations. Data management, structure and organization, the data acquisition interface program, and variables and sources, are described

Motion-blurred star acquisition method of the star tracker under high dynamic conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Ting; Xing, Fei; You, Zheng; Wei, Minsong

2013-08-26

The star tracker is one of the most promising attitude measurement devices used in spacecraft due to its extremely high accuracy. However, high dynamic performance is still one of its constraints. Smearing appears, making it more difficult to distinguish the energy dispersive star point from the noise. An effective star acquisition approach for motion-blurred star image is proposed in this work. The correlation filter and mathematical morphology algorithm is combined to enhance the signal energy and evaluate slowly varying background noise. The star point can be separated from most types of noise in this manner, making extraction and recognition easier. Partial image differentiation is then utilized to obtain the motion parameters from only one image of the star tracker based on the above process. Considering the motion model, the reference window is adopted to perform centroid determination. Star acquisition results of real on-orbit star images and laboratory validation experiments demonstrate that the method described in this work is effective and the dynamic performance of the star tracker could be improved along with more identified stars and guaranteed position accuracy of the star point.

High-voltage variable-duration pulse generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anisimova, T.E.; Akkuratov, E.V.; Gromovenko, V.M.; Nikonov, Yu.P.; Malinin, A.N.

1988-01-01

A high-voltage generator is described that allows pulse duration tau to be varied within wide limits and has high efficiency (at least 50% for tau = 0.5 tau/sub max/) and an amplitude of up to 5 kV, a repetition frequency of up to 200 Hz,and a variable duration of 0-30 μsec. The generator is used in the controller of an electron accelerator

Real-Time Acquisition of High Quality Face Sequences from an Active Pan-Tilt-Zoom Camera

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haque, Mohammad A.; Nasrollahi, Kamal; Moeslund, Thomas B.

2013-01-01

-based real-time high-quality face image acquisition system, which utilizes pan-tilt-zoom parameters of a camera to focus on a human face in a scene and employs a face quality assessment method to log the best quality faces from the captured frames. The system consists of four modules: face detection, camera...... control, face tracking, and face quality assessment before logging. Experimental results show that the proposed system can effectively log the high quality faces from the active camera in real-time (an average of 61.74ms was spent per frame) with an accuracy of 85.27% compared to human annotated data.......Traditional still camera-based facial image acquisition systems in surveillance applications produce low quality face images. This is mainly due to the distance between the camera and subjects of interest. Furthermore, people in such videos usually move around, change their head poses, and facial...

Measuring Acquisition Workforce Quality Through Dynamic Knowledge and Performance: An Exploratory Investigation to Interrelate Acquisition Knowledge with Process Maturity

OpenAIRE

Nissen, Mark E.; Rendon, Rene G.

2013-01-01

Acquisition Research Program Sponsored Report Series Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The efficacy of defense acquisition is highly dependent upon acquisition workforce quality, but assessing such quality remains a major challenge, particularly given the knowledge-intensive and dynamic nature of acquisition organizations and processes. Hence, it is difficult to gauge?much less predict?the impact of leadership interventions in terms of policy, process, reg...

Knowledge acquisition and creation in the high-tech industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliano Pavanelli Stefanovitz

2007-10-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the new challenges that come with the emergence of knowledge-based approaches on organizational studies. It is widely recognized, in this context, the increasing importance of understanding the processes through which companys acquire, storage, disseminate and create knowledge. This research analysis the knowledge creation and external acquisition processes in the high-tech industry, environment in which intensive use of knowledge is made. For that, it presents a case study of an R&D Division of a company present in the industrial automation market. In recognition of its innovative competence, this company won the FINEP Prize – Technological Innovation. In this study, besides the identification of the main external knowledge sources, an analysis of the knowledge types conversion observed in its product development activities is made.

Sensors of a Beechcraft C90 Aircraft for Extension of Data Acquisition System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena BALMUS

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In-flight data acquisition is a key point in the aircraft design process. For the control of a simulated prototype using the control surfaces, state variables such as acceleration, pitch rate for longitudinal motion, and roll rate or slideslip angle for lateral-directional motion are commonly defined as control variables. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the risk of in -flight laboratory modification through extension of data acquisition system for collection of additional data related to pilot command input and the reaction of the system.

Design of data acquisition system for GEM detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Jianliang; Chen Ziyu; Shen Ji; Jin Xi

2011-01-01

It describes the design and realization of the USB 2.0 high speed data acquisition devise which is used in the readout electronics of the GEM (gas electron multiplier) detector. By using of the USB Microcontroller EZ-USB FX2 CY7C68013A, high speed ADC and FPGA, high-speed data rate of data acquisition and transmission was realized. The data rate reaches to 20 MByte/s, meeting the requirements of data acquisition and transmission of the detector. (authors)

Data acquisition and control system for the High-Level Waste Tank Farm at Hanford, Washington

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoida, H.W.; Hatcher, C.R.; Trujillo, L.T.; Holt, D.H.; Vargo, G.F.; Martin, J.; Stastny, G.; Echave, R.; Eldridge, K.

1993-01-01

The High-Level Nuclear Waste Storage Tank 241-SY-101 periodically releases flammable gasses. Mitigation experiments to release the gasses continuously to avoid a catastrophic build-up are planned for FY93 and beyond. Los Alamos has provided a data acquisition and control system (DACS) to monitor and control mitigation experiments on SY-101. The DACS consists of a data acquisition trailer to house the electronic components and computers in a friendly environment, a computer system running process control software for monitoring and controlling the tests, signal conditioners to convert the instrument signals to a usable form for the DACS, programmable logic controllers to process sensor signals and take action quickly, a fast data acquisition system for recording transient data, and a remote monitoring system to monitor the progress of the experiment. Equipment to monitor the release of the gasses was also provided. The first experiment involves a mixer pump to mix the waste and allow the gasses to be released at the surface of the liquid as the gas is being formed. The initial tests are scheduled for July 1993

Age Acquisition Norms from Elderly Spanish People: Characteristics and the Prediction of Word Recognition Performance in Alzheimer's Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Cuetos, Fernando; Samartino, Tamara; Ellis, Andrew W.

2012-01-01

Age of acquisition is possibly the single most potent variable affecting lexical access. It is also a variable that determines the retention or loss of words in patients who have suffered brain injury, and in patients with Alzheimer's disease. But the norms of age of acquisition currently available have largely been obtained from university…

Value Creation through Acquisition Strategy: A Study of Volvo’s Acquisition by Geely

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yane Chandera

2012-04-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the value creation on the acquisition of Volvo Car Corp by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. The acquisition of Volvo by Geely became an interesting topic to discuss since it was the first time in automotive industry that a Chinese company acquired an international company with a considerably high transaction amount. The paper examines the short term value creation using event study to calculate abnormal returns of each company’s stock during the announcement period and measuring the significance of the cumulative abnormal return. The findings are consistent with previous studies over the years which have shown that most acquisitions fail to add value for shareholders in the acquiring company. The paper discusses the broad managerial implications of the findings this paper discussion on marketing aspect after the acquisition by integrating two different brand perceptions.

Value Creation through Acquisition Strategy: A Study of Volvo’s Acquisition by Geely

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yane Chandera

2012-08-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the value creation on the acquisition of Volvo Car Corp by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. The acquisition of Volvo by Geely became an interesting topic to discuss since it was the first time in automotive industry that a Chinese company acquired an international company with a considerably high transaction amount. The paper examines the short term value creation using event study to calculate abnormal returns of each company’s stock during the announcement period and measuring the significance of the cumulative abnormal return. The findings are consistent with previous studies over the years which have shown that most acquisitions fail to add value for shareholders in the acquiring company. The paper discusses the broad managerial implications of the findings this paper discussion on marketing aspect after the acquisition by integrating two different brand perceptions.

Bayesian Multiresolution Variable Selection for Ultra-High Dimensional Neuroimaging Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yize; Kang, Jian; Long, Qi

2018-01-01

Ultra-high dimensional variable selection has become increasingly important in analysis of neuroimaging data. For example, in the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) study, neuroscientists are interested in identifying important biomarkers for early detection of the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using high resolution brain images that include hundreds of thousands voxels. However, most existing methods are not feasible for solving this problem due to their extensive computational costs. In this work, we propose a novel multiresolution variable selection procedure under a Bayesian probit regression framework. It recursively uses posterior samples for coarser-scale variable selection to guide the posterior inference on finer-scale variable selection, leading to very efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms. The proposed algorithms are computationally feasible for ultra-high dimensional data. Also, our model incorporates two levels of structural information into variable selection using Ising priors: the spatial dependence between voxels and the functional connectivity between anatomical brain regions. Applied to the resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI) data in the ABIDE study, our methods identify voxel-level imaging biomarkers highly predictive of the ASD, which are biologically meaningful and interpretable. Extensive simulations also show that our methods achieve better performance in variable selection compared to existing methods.

Software Switching for High Throughput Data Acquisition Networks

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2089787; Lehmann Miotto, Giovanna

The bursty many-to-one communication pattern, typical for data acquisition systems, is particularly demanding for commodity TCP/IP and Ethernet technologies. The problem arising from this pattern is widely known in the literature as \\emph{incast} and can be observed as TCP throughput collapse. It is a result of overloading the switch buffers, when a specific node in a network requests data from multiple sources. This will become even more demanding for future upgrades of the experiments at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. It is questionable whether commodity TCP/IP and Ethernet technologies in their current form will be still able to effectively adapt to bursty traffic without losing packets due to the scarcity of buffers in the networking hardware. This thesis provides an analysis of TCP/IP performance in data acquisition networks and presents a novel approach to incast congestion in these networks based on software-based packet forwarding. Our first contribution lies in confirming the strong analogies bet...

Design of FPGA based high-speed data acquisition and real-time data processing system on J-TEXT tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, W.; Liu, R.; Zhang, M.; Zhuang, G.; Yuan, T.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • It is a data acquisition system for polarimeter–interferometer diagnostic on J-TEXT tokamak based on FPGA and PXIe devices. • The system provides a powerful data acquisition and real-time data processing performance. • Users can implement different data processing applications on the FPGA in a short time. • This system supports EPICS and has been integrated into the J-TEXT CODAC system. - Abstract: Tokamak experiment requires high-speed data acquisition and processing systems. In traditional data acquisition system, the sampling rate, channel numbers and processing speed are limited by bus throughput and CPU speed. This paper presents a data acquisition and processing system based on FPGA. The data can be processed in real-time before it is passed to the CPU. It provides processing ability for more channels with higher sampling rates than the traditional data acquisition system while ensuring deterministic real-time performance. A working prototype is developed for the newly built polarimeter–interferometer diagnostic system on the Joint Texas Experimental Tokamak (J-TEXT). It provides 16 channels with 120 MHz maximum sampling rate and 16 bit resolution. The onboard FPGA is able to calculate the plasma electron density and Faraday rotation angel. A RAID 5 storage device is adopted providing 700 MB/s read–write speed to buffer the data to the hard disk continuously for better performance

Beta activity measurements in high, variable gamma backgrounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanga, D.; Sandu, E.; Craciun, L.

1997-01-01

In many cases beta activity measurements must be performed in high and variable gamma backgrounds. In such instances it is necessary to use well-shielded detectors but this technique is limited to laboratory equipment and frequently insufficient. In order to perform in a simple manner beta activity measurements in high and variable backgrounds a software-aided counting technique have been developed and a counting system have been constructed. This technique combines the different counting techniques with traditional method of successive measurement of the sample and background. The counting system is based on a programmable multi-scaler which is endowed with appropriate software and allow all operations to be performed via keyboard in an interactive fashion. Two large - area proportional detectors were selected in order to have the same background and the same gamma response within 5%. A program has been developed for the counting data analysis and beta activity computing. The software-aided counting technique has been implemented for beta activity measurement in high and variable backgrounds. (authors)

A Study on Improving Defense Acquisition through the Application of Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Concept to Defense Industry Workforce

Science.gov (United States)

2009-09-01

Executive CAIV Cost As an Independent Variable CAP Critical Acquisition Position CAPM Certified Associate in Project Management CCCM Certified...Professionals (PMP)............................33 b. Certified Associate in Project Management ( CAPM )............34 c. Program Management...34 Table 6. CAPM Requirements (After PMI CAPM , 2009). ...........................................34 Table 7

A user configurable data acquisition and signal processing system for high-rate, high channel count applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salim, Arwa; Crockett, Louise; McLean, John; Milne, Peter

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The development of a new digital signal processing platform is described. ► The system will allow users to configure the real-time signal processing through software routines. ► The architecture of the DRUID system and signal processing elements is described. ► A prototype of the DRUID system has been developed for the digital chopper-integrator. ► The results of acquisition on 96 channels at 500 kSamples/s per channel are presented. - Abstract: Real-time signal processing in plasma fusion experiments is required for control and for data reduction as plasma pulse times grow longer. The development time and cost for these high-rate, multichannel signal processing systems can be significant. This paper proposes a new digital signal processing (DSP) platform for the data acquisition system that will allow users to easily customize real-time signal processing systems to meet their individual requirements. The D-TACQ reconfigurable user in-line DSP (DRUID) system carries out the signal processing tasks in hardware co-processors (CPs) implemented in an FPGA, with an embedded microprocessor (μP) for control. In the fully developed platform, users will be able to choose co-processors from a library and configure programmable parameters through the μP to meet their requirements. The DRUID system is implemented on a Spartan 6 FPGA, on the new rear transition module (RTM-T), a field upgrade to existing D-TACQ digitizers. As proof of concept, a multiply-accumulate (MAC) co-processor has been developed, which can be configured as a digital chopper-integrator for long pulse magnetic fusion devices. The DRUID platform allows users to set options for the integrator, such as the number of masking samples. Results from the digital integrator are presented for a data acquisition system with 96 channels simultaneously acquiring data at 500 kSamples/s per channel.

Acquisition in different and special subject areas

CERN Document Server

Katz, Linda S

2013-01-01

Learn how acquisitions librarians successfully serve specialized users! In this book, you'll find profiles, methods, and processes for acquisitions in specialized subject areas, such as local and regional poetry, oceanography, educational information in electronic formats, popular fiction, regional and ethnic materials, and more. Seasoned acquisitions librarians share their experiences in gathering the hard-to-find materials their libraries' highly specialized clients need to access. You'll also examine issues surrounding the acquisition of new reference tools that are vital in today's emergi

High Turndown Ratio, High Delta-Emittance, Variable Emissivity Electrochromics, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Variable-emittance materials are in high demand for applications ranging from manned and unmanned space platforms (e.g. in radiators at the Moon's poles where damage...

Air temperature variability in a high-elevation Himalayan catchment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heynen, Martin; Miles, Evan; Ragettli, Silvan; Buri, Pascal; Immerzeel, Walter W.; Pellicciotti, Francesca

2016-01-01

Air temperature is a key control of processes affecting snow and glaciers in high-elevation catchments, including melt, snowfall and sublimation. It is therefore a key input variable to models of land-surface-atmosphere interaction. Despite this importance, its spatial variability is poorly

An embedded control and acquisition system for multichannel detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gori, L.; Tommasini, R.; Cautero, G.; Giuressi, D.; Barnaba, M.; Accardo, A.; Carrato, S.; Paolucci, G.

1999-01-01

We present a pulse counting multichannel data acquisition system, characterized by the high number of high speed acquisition channels, and by the modular, embedded system architecture. The former leads to very fast acquisitions and allows to obtain sequences of snapshots, for the study of time dependent phenomena. The latter, thanks to the integration of a CPU into the system, provides high computational capabilities, so that the interfacing with the user computer is very simple and user friendly. Moreover, the user computer is free from control and acquisition tasks. The system has been developed for one of the beamlines of the third generation synchrotron radiation sources ELETTRA, and because of the modular architecture can be useful in various other kinds of experiments, where parallel acquisition, high data rates, and user friendliness are required. First experimental results on a double pass hemispherical electron analyser provided with a 96 channel detector confirm the validity of the approach. (author)

MSCT versus CBCT: evaluation of high-resolution acquisition modes for dento-maxillary and skull-base imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dillenseger, Jean-Philippe; Goetz, Christian [Hopitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Imagerie Preclinique-UF6237, Pole d' imagerie, Strasbourg (France); Universite de Strasbourg, Icube, equipe MMB, CNRS, Strasbourg (France); Universite de Strasbourg, Federation de Medecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, Faculte de Medecine, Strasbourg (France); Matern, Jean-Francois [Hopitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Imagerie Preclinique-UF6237, Pole d' imagerie, Strasbourg (France); Universite de Strasbourg, Federation de Medecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, Faculte de Medecine, Strasbourg (France); Gros, Catherine-Isabelle; Bornert, Fabien [Universite de Strasbourg, Federation de Medecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, Faculte de Medecine, Strasbourg (France); Universite de Strasbourg, Faculte de Chirurgie Dentaire, Strasbourg (France); Le Minor, Jean-Marie [Universite de Strasbourg, Icube, equipe MMB, CNRS, Strasbourg (France); Universite de Strasbourg, Federation de Medecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, Faculte de Medecine, Strasbourg (France); Universite de Strasbourg, Institut d' Anatomie Normale, Strasbourg (France); Constantinesco, Andre [Hopitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Imagerie Preclinique-UF6237, Pole d' imagerie, Strasbourg (France); Choquet, Philippe [Hopitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Imagerie Preclinique-UF6237, Pole d' imagerie, Strasbourg (France); Universite de Strasbourg, Icube, equipe MMB, CNRS, Strasbourg (France); Universite de Strasbourg, Federation de Medecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, Faculte de Medecine, Strasbourg (France); Hopital de Hautepierre, Imagerie Preclinique, Biophysique et Medecine Nucleaire, Strasbourg Cedex (France)

2014-09-24

Our aim was to conduct a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of high-resolution skull-bone imaging for dentistry and otolaryngology using different architectures of recent X-ray computed tomography systems. Three multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) systems and one Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) system were used in this study. All apparatuses were tested with installed acquisition modes and proprietary reconstruction software enabling high-resolution bone imaging. Quantitative analyses were performed with small fields of view with the preclinical vmCT phantom, which permits to measure spatial resolution, geometrical accuracy, linearity and homogeneity. Ten operators performed visual qualitative analyses on the vmCT phantom images, and on dry human skull images. Quantitative analysis showed no significant differences between protocols in terms of linearity and geometric accuracy. All MSCT systems present a better homogeneity than the CBCT. Both quantitative and visual analyses demonstrate that CBCT acquisitions are not better than the collimated helical MSCT mode. Our results demonstrate that current high-resolution MSCT protocols could exceed the performance of a previous generation CBCT system for spatial resolution and image homogeneity. (orig.)

MSCT versus CBCT: evaluation of high-resolution acquisition modes for dento-maxillary and skull-base imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dillenseger, Jean-Philippe; Goetz, Christian; Matern, Jean-Francois; Gros, Catherine-Isabelle; Bornert, Fabien; Le Minor, Jean-Marie; Constantinesco, Andre; Choquet, Philippe

2015-01-01

Our aim was to conduct a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of high-resolution skull-bone imaging for dentistry and otolaryngology using different architectures of recent X-ray computed tomography systems. Three multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) systems and one Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) system were used in this study. All apparatuses were tested with installed acquisition modes and proprietary reconstruction software enabling high-resolution bone imaging. Quantitative analyses were performed with small fields of view with the preclinical vmCT phantom, which permits to measure spatial resolution, geometrical accuracy, linearity and homogeneity. Ten operators performed visual qualitative analyses on the vmCT phantom images, and on dry human skull images. Quantitative analysis showed no significant differences between protocols in terms of linearity and geometric accuracy. All MSCT systems present a better homogeneity than the CBCT. Both quantitative and visual analyses demonstrate that CBCT acquisitions are not better than the collimated helical MSCT mode. Our results demonstrate that current high-resolution MSCT protocols could exceed the performance of a previous generation CBCT system for spatial resolution and image homogeneity. (orig.)

Data acquisition system for high resolution chopper spectrometer (HRC) at J-PARC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yano, Shin-ichiro; Itoh, Shinichi; Satoh, Setsuo; Yokoo, Tetsuya; Kawana, Daichi; Sato, Taku J.

2011-01-01

We installed the data acquisition (DAQ) system on the High Resolution Chopper Spectrometer (HRC) at beamline BL12 at the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) of the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). In inelastic neutron scattering experiments with the HRC, the event data of the detected neutrons are processed in the DAQ system and visualized in the form of the dynamic structure factor. We confirmed that the data analysis process works well by visualizing excitations in single-crystal magnetic systems probed by inelastic neutron scattering.

The Effect of Visual Variability on the Learning of Academic Concepts.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourgoyne, Ashley; Alt, Mary

2017-06-10

The purpose of this study was to identify effects of variability of visual input on development of conceptual representations of academic concepts for college-age students with normal language (NL) and those with language-learning disabilities (LLD). Students with NL (n = 11) and LLD (n = 11) participated in a computer-based training for introductory biology course concepts. Participants were trained on half the concepts under a low-variability condition and half under a high-variability condition. Participants completed a posttest in which they were asked to identify and rate the accuracy of novel and trained visual representations of the concepts. We performed separate repeated measures analyses of variance to examine the accuracy of identification and ratings. Participants were equally accurate on trained and novel items in the high-variability condition, but were less accurate on novel items only in the low-variability condition. The LLD group showed the same pattern as the NL group; they were just less accurate. Results indicated that high-variability visual input may facilitate the acquisition of academic concepts in college students with NL and LLD. High-variability visual input may be especially beneficial for generalization to novel representations of concepts. Implicit learning methods may be harnessed by college courses to provide students with basic conceptual knowledge when they are entering courses or beginning new units.

A data acquisition architecture for the SSC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Partridge, R.

1990-01-01

An SSC data acquisition architecture applicable to high-p T detectors is described. The architecture is based upon a small set of design principles that were chosen to simplify communication between data acquisition elements while providing the required level of flexibility and performance. The architecture features an integrated system for data collection, event building, and communication with a large processing farm. The interface to the front end electronics system is also discussed. A set of design parameters is given for a data acquisition system that should meet the needs of high-p T detectors at the SSC

Midcourse Guidance Law Based on High Target Acquisition Probability Considering Angular Constraint and Line-of-Sight Angle Rate Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao Liu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Random disturbance factors would lead to the variation of target acquisition point during the long distance flight. To acquire a high target acquisition probability and improve the impact precision, missiles should be guided to an appropriate target acquisition position with certain attitude angles and line-of-sight (LOS angle rate. This paper has presented a new midcourse guidance law considering the influences of random disturbances, detection distance restraint, and target acquisition probability with Monte Carlo simulation. Detailed analyses of the impact points on the ground and the random distribution of the target acquisition position in the 3D space are given to get the appropriate attitude angles and the end position for the midcourse guidance. Then, a new formulation biased proportional navigation (BPN guidance law with angular constraint and LOS angle rate control has been derived to ensure the tracking ability when attacking the maneuvering target. Numerical simulations demonstrates that, compared with the proportional navigation guidance (PNG law and the near-optimal spatial midcourse guidance (NSMG law, BPN guidance law demonstrates satisfactory performances and can meet both the midcourse terminal angular constraint and the LOS angle rate requirement.

Environmental Correlates of Individual Differences in Language Acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Furrow, David; Nelson, Katherine

1984-01-01

Reports on a study of mothers' uses of nouns and pronouns and their references to objects and persons as environmental variables which might relate to children's nominal preferences. Findings suggest that environmental factors do contribute to stylistic differences in language acquisition and that the communicative functions of language are an…

High-Speed Photo-Polarimetry of Magnetic Cataclysmic Variables

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. B. Potter

2015-02-01

Full Text Available I review recent highlights of the SAAO High-speed Photo-POlarimeter (HIPPO on the study of magnetic Cataclysmic Variables. Its high-speed capabilities are demonstrated with example observations made of the intermediate polar NY Lup and the polar IGRJ14536-5522.

Short Communication. Using high resolution UAV imagery to estimate tree variables in Pinus pinea plantation in Portugal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guerra Hernandez, J.; Gonzalez-Ferreiro, E.; Sarmento, A.; Silva, J.; Nunes, A.; Correia, A.C.; Fontes, L.; Tomé, M.; Diaz-Varela, D.

2016-07-01

Aim of the study: The study aims to analyse the potential use of low‑cost unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery for the estimation of Pinus pinea L. variables at the individual tree level (position, tree height and crown diameter). Area of study: This study was conducted under the PINEA project focused on 16 ha of umbrella pine afforestation (Portugal) subjected to different treatments. Material and methods: The workflow involved: a) image acquisition with consumer‑grade cameras on board an UAV; b) orthomosaic and digital surface model (DSM) generation using structure-from-motion (SfM) image reconstruction; and c) automatic individual tree segmentation by using a mixed pixel‑ and region‑based based algorithm. Main results: The results of individual tree segmentation (position, height and crown diameter) were validated using field measurements from 3 inventory plots in the study area. All the trees of the plots were correctly detected. The RMSE values for the predicted heights and crown widths were 0.45 m and 0.63 m, respectively. Research highlights: The results demonstrate that tree variables can be automatically extracted from high resolution imagery. We highlight the use of UAV systems as a fast, reliable and cost‑effective technique for small scale applications. (Author)

Short Communication. Using high resolution UAV imagery to estimate tree variables in Pinus pinea plantation in Portugal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerra Hernandez, J.; Gonzalez-Ferreiro, E.; Sarmento, A.; Silva, J.; Nunes, A.; Correia, A.C.; Fontes, L.; Tomé, M.; Diaz-Varela, D.

2016-01-01

Aim of the study: The study aims to analyse the potential use of low‑cost unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery for the estimation of Pinus pinea L. variables at the individual tree level (position, tree height and crown diameter). Area of study: This study was conducted under the PINEA project focused on 16 ha of umbrella pine afforestation (Portugal) subjected to different treatments. Material and methods: The workflow involved: a) image acquisition with consumer‑grade cameras on board an UAV; b) orthomosaic and digital surface model (DSM) generation using structure-from-motion (SfM) image reconstruction; and c) automatic individual tree segmentation by using a mixed pixel‑ and region‑based based algorithm. Main results: The results of individual tree segmentation (position, height and crown diameter) were validated using field measurements from 3 inventory plots in the study area. All the trees of the plots were correctly detected. The RMSE values for the predicted heights and crown widths were 0.45 m and 0.63 m, respectively. Research highlights: The results demonstrate that tree variables can be automatically extracted from high resolution imagery. We highlight the use of UAV systems as a fast, reliable and cost‑effective technique for small scale applications. (Author)

AcquisitionFootprintAttenuationDrivenbySeismicAttributes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cuellar-Urbano Mayra

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Acquisition footprint, one of the major problems that PEMEX faces in seismic imaging, is noise highly correlated to the geometric array of sources and receivers used for onshore and offshore seismic acquisitions. It prevails in spite of measures taken during acquisition and data processing. This pattern, throughout the image, is easily confused with geological features and misguides seismic attribute computation. In this work, we use seismic data from PEMEX Exploración y Producción to show the conditioning process for removing random and coherent noise using linear filters. Geometric attributes used in a workflow were computed for obtaining an acquisition footprint noise model and adaptively subtract it from the seismic data.

A Proposed Model of Jazz Theory Knowledge Acquisition

Science.gov (United States)

Ciorba, Charles R.; Russell, Brian E.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to test a hypothesized model that proposes a causal relationship between motivation and academic achievement on the acquisition of jazz theory knowledge. A reliability analysis of the latent variables ranged from 0.92 to 0.94. Confirmatory factor analyses of the motivation (standardized root mean square residual…

General-Purpose Data Acquisition Cards Based on FPGAs and High Speed Serial Protocols

OpenAIRE

Giannuzzi, Fabio

2016-01-01

This thesis exhibits the results of my PhD Apprenticeship Program, carried out at the “Marposs S.p.a.” firm, in the electronic research division, and at the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the Bologna University, in the INFN's electronics laboratories of the ATLAS group. During these three years of research, I worked on the development and realization of electronic boards dedicated to flexible data acquisition, designed to be applied in several contexts, that need to share high per...

Development of induction current acquisition device based on ARM

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Yanju; Liu, Xiyang; Huang, Wanyu; Yao, Jiang; Yuan, Guiyang; Hui, Luan; Guan, Shanshan

2018-03-01

We design an induction current acquisition device based on ARM in order to realize high resolution and high sampling rate of acquisition for the induction current in wire-loop. Considering its characteristics of fast attenuation and small signal amplitude, we use the method of multi-path fusion for noise suppression. In the paper, the design is carried out from three aspects of analog circuit and device selection, independent power supply structure and the electromagnetic interference suppression of high frequency. DMA and ping-pong buffer, as a new data transmission technology, solves real time storage problem of massive data. The performance parameters of ARM acquisition device are tested. The comparison test of ARM acquisition device and cRIO acquisition device is performed at different time constants. The results show that it has 120dB dynamic range, 47kHz bandwidth, 96kHz sampling rate, 5μV the smallest resolution, and its average error value is not more than 4%, which proves the high accuracy and stability of the device.

Right-Sizing the Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1997-01-01

.... Through the leadership of vigorous acquisition reform, astute management in a highly dynamic environment and great innovation, the acquisition workforce will be significantly smaller at the end of FY...

Dissociable effects of practice variability on learning motor and timing skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Caramiaux, Baptiste; Bevilacqua, Frédéric; Wanderley, Marcelo M; Palmer, Caroline

2018-01-01

Motor skill acquisition inherently depends on the way one practices the motor task. The amount of motor task variability during practice has been shown to foster transfer of the learned skill to other similar motor tasks. In addition, variability in a learning schedule, in which a task and its variations are interweaved during practice, has been shown to help the transfer of learning in motor skill acquisition. However, there is little evidence on how motor task variations and variability schedules during practice act on the acquisition of complex motor skills such as music performance, in which a performer learns both the right movements (motor skill) and the right time to perform them (timing skill). This study investigated the impact of rate (tempo) variability and the schedule of tempo change during practice on timing and motor skill acquisition. Complete novices, with no musical training, practiced a simple musical sequence on a piano keyboard at different rates. Each novice was assigned to one of four learning conditions designed to manipulate the amount of tempo variability across trials (large or small tempo set) and the schedule of tempo change (randomized or non-randomized order) during practice. At test, the novices performed the same musical sequence at a familiar tempo and at novel tempi (testing tempo transfer), as well as two novel (but related) sequences at a familiar tempo (testing spatial transfer). We found that practice conditions had little effect on learning and transfer performance of timing skill. Interestingly, practice conditions influenced motor skill learning (reduction of movement variability): lower temporal variability during practice facilitated transfer to new tempi and new sequences; non-randomized learning schedule improved transfer to new tempi and new sequences. Tempo (rate) and the sequence difficulty (spatial manipulation) affected performance variability in both timing and movement. These findings suggest that there is a

D0 data acquisition: High speed data paths for D0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cutts, D.; Hoftun, J.S.; Nesic, D.

1990-01-01

This poster is intended as a review of the Level-2 system architecture for D0, and to provide an overview of the new generation of hardware currently under development to accomplish these functions. Several operational prototypes of the system have been built and are currently in use for detector and software development, as well as cosmic ray and test beam data acquisition. Delivery of the first half of the acquisition system is scheduled for September 1990, to be used in the commissioning of the detector

L’acquisition du schwa en français L1 : analyse de corpus denses d’interactions parents – enfant

OpenAIRE

Liégeois, Loïc; Saddour, Inès; Chabanal, Damien

2015-01-01

Cet article se propose d’étudier, à partir d’un corpus d’interactions parents-enfant recueillies en situation naturelle et issues du projet ALIPE, l’acquisition de la variation phonologique entre réalisation et élision du schwa dans les monosyllabiques. Il a aussi pour objectif de comparer le discours parental et enfantin pour observer l’influence de l’input sur l’acquisition de la variable phonologique. Les analyses révèlent que l’évolution de l’acquisition de la variable phonologique serait...

Real-time UNIX in HEP data acquisition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buono, S.; Gaponenko, I.; Jones, R.; Mapelli, L.; Mornacchi, G.; Prigent, D.; Sanchez-Corral, E.; Skiadelli, M.; Toppers, A.; Duval, P.Y.; Ferrato, D.; Le Van Suu, A.; Qian, Z.; Rondot, C.; Ambrosini, G.; Fumagalli, G.; Aguer, M.; Huet, M.

1994-01-01

Today's experimentation in high energy physics is characterized by an increasing need for sensitivity to rare phenomena and complex physics signatures, which require the use of huge and sophisticated detectors and consequently a high performance readout and data acquisition. Multi-level triggering, hierarchical data collection and an always increasing amount of processing power, distributed throughout the data acquisition layers, will impose a number of features on the software environment, especially the need for a high level of standardization. Real-time UNIX seems, today, the best solution for the platform independence, operating system interface standards and real-time features necessary for data acquisition in HEP experiments. We present the results of the evaluation, in a realistic application environment, of a Real-Time UNIX operating system: the EP/LX real-time UNIX system. ((orig.))

Speed in Acquisitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meglio, Olimpia; King, David R.; Risberg, Annette

2017-01-01

The advantage of speed is often invoked by academics and practitioners as an essential condition during post-acquisition integration, frequently without consideration of the impact earlier decisions have on acquisition speed. In this article, we examine the role speed plays in acquisitions across...... the acquisition process using research organized around characteristics that display complexity with respect to acquisition speed. We incorporate existing research with a process perspective of acquisitions in order to present trade-offs, and consider the influence of both stakeholders and the pre......-deal-completion context on acquisition speed, as well as the organization’s capabilities to facilitating that speed. Observed trade-offs suggest both that acquisition speed often requires longer planning time before an acquisition and that associated decisions require managerial judgement. A framework for improving...

Fluoroscopic dose reduction by acquisition frame rate reduction and image processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fritz, S.L.; Mirvis, S.E.; Pals, S.O.

1986-01-01

A new design for fluoroscopic exposure reduction incorporates pulsed x-ray exposure, progressive scan video acquisition at frame rates below 30 Hz, interlaced video display at 30 Hz, and a video rate image processing. To evaluate this design, a variety of phantom systems have been developed to measure the impact of low frame rate pulsed digital fluoroscopy on the performance of several clinical tasks (e.g., catheter placement). The authors are currently using these phantoms with a digital fluoroscopy system using continuous x-ray, interlaced video acquisition and variable acquisition frame rate. The design of their target digital fluoroscopic system, sample image sequences, and the results of some preliminary phantom studies are reported

Anatomical variability in the cortical representation of first and second language.

Science.gov (United States)

Dehaene, S; Dupoux, E; Mehler, J; Cohen, L; Paulesu, E; Perani, D; van de Moortele, P F; Lehéricy, S; Le Bihan, D

1997-12-01

Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess inter-subject variability in the cortical representation of language comprehension processes. Moderately fluent French-English bilinguals were scanned while they listened to stories in their first language (L1 = French) or in a second language (L2 = English) acquired at school after the age of seven. In all subjects, listening to L1 always activated a similar set of areas in the left temporal lobe, clustered along the left superior temporal sulcus. Listening to L2, however, activated a highly variable network of left and right temporal and frontal areas, sometimes restricted only to right-hemispheric regions. These results support the hypothesis that first language acquisition relies on a dedicated left-hemispheric cerebral network, while late second language acquisition is not necessarily associated with a reproducible biological substrate. The postulated contribution of the right hemisphere to L2 comprehension is found to hold only on average, individual subjects varying from complete right lateralization to standard left lateralization for L2.

A proposed scalable parallel open architecture data acquisition system for low to high rate experiments, test beams and all SSC detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barsotti, E.; Booth, A.; Bowden, M.; Swoboda, C.; Lockyer, N.; Vanberg, R.

1990-01-01

A new era of high-energy physics research is beginning requiring accelerators with much higher luminosities and interaction rates in order to discover new elementary particles. As a consequence, both orders of magnitude higher data rates from the detector and online processing power, well beyond the capabilities of current high energy physics data acquisition systems, are required. This paper describes a proposed new data acquisition system architecture which draws heavily from the communications industry, is totally parallel (i.e., without any bottlenecks), is capable of data rates of hundreds of Gigabytes per second from the detector and into an array of online processors (i.e., processor farm), and uses an open systems architecture to guarantee compatibility with future commercially available online processor farms. The main features of the proposed Scalable Parallel Open Architecture data acquisition system are standard interface ICs to detector subsystems wherever possible, fiber optic digital data transmission from the near-detector electronics, a self-routing parallel event builder, and the use of industry-supported and high-level language programmable processors in the proposed BCD system for both triggers and online filters. A brief status report of an ongoing project at Fermilab to build a prototype of the proposed data acquisition system architecture is given in the paper. The major component of the system, a self-routing parallel event builder, is described in detail

On Shaft Data Acquisition System (OSDAS)

Science.gov (United States)

Pedings, Marc; DeHart, Shawn; Formby, Jason; Naumann, Charles

2012-01-01

On Shaft Data Acquisition System (OSDAS) is a rugged, compact, multiple-channel data acquisition computer system that is designed to record data from instrumentation while operating under extreme rotational centrifugal or gravitational acceleration forces. This system, which was developed for the Heritage Fuel Air Turbine Test (HFATT) program, addresses the problem of recording multiple channels of high-sample-rate data on most any rotating test article by mounting the entire acquisition computer onboard with the turbine test article. With the limited availability of slip ring wires for power and communication, OSDAS utilizes its own resources to provide independent power and amplification for each instrument. Since OSDAS utilizes standard PC technology as well as shared code interfaces with the next-generation, real-time health monitoring system (SPARTAA Scalable Parallel Architecture for Real Time Analysis and Acquisition), this system could be expanded beyond its current capabilities, such as providing advanced health monitoring capabilities for the test article. High-conductor-count slip rings are expensive to purchase and maintain, yet only provide a limited number of conductors for routing instrumentation off the article and to a stationary data acquisition system. In addition to being limited to a small number of instruments, slip rings are prone to wear quickly, and introduce noise and other undesirable characteristics to the signal data. This led to the development of a system capable of recording high-density instrumentation, at high sample rates, on the test article itself, all while under extreme rotational stress. OSDAS is a fully functional PC-based system with 48 channels of 24-bit, high-sample-rate input channels, phase synchronized, with an onboard storage capacity of over 1/2-terabyte of solid-state storage. This recording system takes a novel approach to the problem of recording multiple channels of instrumentation, integrated with the test

Data Acquisition and Real-Time Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, D. E., Ed.; Fenwick, P. M., Ed.

The first group of papers starts with a tutorial paper which surveys the methods used in data acquisition systems. Other papers in this group describe: (1) some problems involved in the computer acquisition of high-speed randomly-occurring data and the protection of this data from accidental corruption, (2) an input/output bus to allow an IBM…

Development of data acquisition system for CSNS 3He detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Dongxu; Zhang Hongyu

2012-01-01

This paper introduces the research and development of data acquisition system of CSNS 3 He detector prototype. This system provides high performance data acquisition capability of CSNS 3 He detector, as well as several performance tests of electronics prototype. This data acquisition system establishes foundation for the later data acquisition development. (authors)

Max CAPR: high-resolution 3D contrast-enhanced MR angiography with acquisition times under 5 seconds.

Science.gov (United States)

Haider, Clifton R; Borisch, Eric A; Glockner, James F; Mostardi, Petrice M; Rossman, Phillip J; Young, Phillip M; Riederer, Stephen J

2010-10-01

High temporal and spatial resolution is desired in imaging of vascular abnormalities having short arterial-to-venous transit times. Methods that exploit temporal correlation to reduce the observed frame time demonstrate temporal blurring, obfuscating bolus dynamics. Previously, a Cartesian acquisition with projection reconstruction-like (CAPR) sampling method has been demonstrated for three-dimensional contrast-enhanced angiographic imaging of the lower legs using two-dimensional sensitivity-encoding acceleration and partial Fourier acceleration, providing 1mm isotropic resolution of the calves, with 4.9-sec frame time and 17.6-sec temporal footprint. In this work, the CAPR acquisition is further undersampled to provide a net acceleration approaching 40 by eliminating all view sharing. The tradeoff of frame time and temporal footprint in view sharing is presented and characterized in phantom experiments. It is shown that the resultant 4.9-sec acquisition time, three-dimensional images sets have sufficient spatial and temporal resolution to clearly portray arterial and venous phases of contrast passage. It is further hypothesized that these short temporal footprint sequences provide diagnostic quality images. This is tested and shown in a series of nine contrast-enhanced MR angiography patient studies performed with the new method.

Electric Motors Maintenance Planning From Its Operating Variables

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, Francisco; Fonseca, Inácio; Farinha, José Torres; Ferreira, Luís; Galar, Diego

2017-09-01

The maintenance planning corresponds to an approach that seeks to maximize the availability of equipment and, consequently, increase the levels of competitiveness of companies by increasing production times. This paper presents a maintenance planning based on operating variables (number of hours worked, duty cycles, number of revolutions) to maximizing the availability of operation of electrical motors. The reading of the operating variables and its sampling is done based on predetermined sampling cycles and subsequently is made the data analysis through time series algorithms aiming to launch work orders before reaching the variables limit values. This approach is supported by tools and technologies such as logical applications that enable a graphical user interface for access to relevant information about their Physical Asset HMI (Human Machine Interface), including the control and supervision by acquisition through SCADA (Supervisory Control And data acquisition) data, also including the communication protocols among different logical applications.

Double prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch spiral acquisition for CT coronary angiography: Initial experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Q.; Qin, J.; He, B.; Zhou, Y.; Yang, J.-J.; Hou, X.-L.; Yang, X.-B.; Chen, J.-H.; Chen, Y.-D.

2013-01-01

Aim: To evaluate the feasibility of double prospectively electrocardiogram (ECG)-triggered high-pitch spiral acquisition mode (double high-pitch mode) for coronary computed tomography angiography (CTCA). Materials and methods: One hundred and forty-nine consecutive patients [40 women, 109 men; mean age 58.2 ± 9.2 years; sinus rhythm ≤70 beats/min (bpm) after pre-medication, body weight ≤100 kg] were enrolled for CTCA examinations using a dual-source CT system with 2 × 128 × 0.6 mm collimation, 0.28 s rotation time, and a pitch of 3.4. Double high-pitch mode was prospectively triggered first at 60% and later at 30% of the R–R interval within two cardiac cycles. Image quality was evaluated using a four-point scale (1 = excellent, 4 = non-assessable). Results: From 2085 coronary artery segments, 86.4% (1802/2085) were rated as having a score of 1, 12.3% (257/2085) as score of 2, 1.2% (26/2085) as score of 3, and none were rated as “non-assessable”. The average image quality score was 1.15 ± 0.26 on a per-segment basis. The effective dose was calculated by multiplying the coefficient factor of 0.028 by the dose–length product (DLP); the mean effective dose was 3.5 ± 0.8 mSv (range 1.7–7.6 mSv). The total dosage of contrast medium was 78.7 ± 2.9 ml. Conclusion: Double prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch spiral acquisition mode provides good image quality with an average effective dose of less than 5 mSv in patients with a heart rate ≤70 bpm

Clinical application of Half Fourier Acquisition Single Shot Turbo Spin Echo (HASTE) imaging accelerated by simultaneous multi-slice acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Schulz, Jenni; P Marques, José; Ter Telgte, Annemieke; van Dorst, Anouk; de Leeuw, Frank-Erik; Meijer, Frederick J A; Norris, David G

2018-01-01

As a single-shot sequence with a long train of refocusing pulses, Half-Fourier Acquisition Single-Shot Turbo-Spin-Echo (HASTE) suffers from high power deposition limiting use at high resolutions and high field strengths, particularly if combined with acceleration techniques such as simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) imaging. Using a combination of multiband (MB)-excitation and PINS-refocusing pulses will effectively accelerate the acquisition time while staying within the SAR limitations. In particular, uncooperative and young patients will profit from the speed of the MB-PINS HASTE sequence, as clinical diagnosis can be possible without sedation. Materials and MethodsMB-excitation and PINS-refocusing pulses were incorporated into a HASTE-sequence with blipped CAIPIRINHA and TRAPS including an internal FLASH reference scan for online reconstruction. Whole brain MB-PINS HASTE data were acquired on a Siemens 3T-Prisma system from 10 individuals and compared to a clinical HASTE protocol. ResultsThe proposed MB-PINS HASTE protocol accelerates the acquisition by about a factor 2 compared to the clinical HASTE. The diagnostic image quality proved to be comparable for both sequences for the evaluation of the overall aspect of the brain, the detection of white matter changes and areas of tissue loss, and for the evaluation of the CSF spaces although artifacts were more frequently encountered with MB-PINS HASTE. ConclusionsMB-PINS HASTE enables acquisition of slice accelerated highly T2-weighted images and provides good diagnostic image quality while reducing acquisition time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Concept Acquisition and Experiential Change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William S. Robinson

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Many have held the Acquisition of Concepts Thesis (ACT that concept acquisition can change perceptual experience. This paper explains the close relation of ACT to ADT, the thesis that acquisition of dispositions to quickly and reliably recognize a kind of thing can change perceptual experience. It then states a highly developed argument given by Siegel (2010 which, if successful, would offer strong support for ADT and indirect support for ACT. Examination of this argument, however, reveals difficulties that undermine its promise. Distinctions made in this examination help to clarify an alternative view that denies ADT and ACT while accepting that long exposure to a class of materials may induce changes in phenomenology that lie outside perceptual experience itself.

Market Designs for High Levels of Variable Generation: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Milligan, M.; Holttinen, H.; Kiviluoma, J.; Orths, A.; Lynch, M.; Soder, L.

2014-10-01

Variable renewable generation is increasing in penetration in modern power systems, leading to higher variability in the supply and price of electricity as well as lower average spot prices. This raises new challenges, particularly in ensuring sufficient capacity and flexibility from conventional technologies. Because the fixed costs and lifetimes of electricity generation investments are significant, designing markets and regulations that ensure the efficient integration of renewable generation is a significant challenge. This papers reviews the state of play of market designs for high levels of variable generation in the United States and Europe and considers new developments in both regions.

Data interpolation for vibration diagnostics using two-variable correlations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Branagan, L.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that effective machinery vibration diagnostics require a clear differentiation between normal vibration changes caused by plant process conditions and those caused by degradation. The normal relationship between vibration and a process parameter can be quantified by developing the appropriate correlation. The differences in data acquisition requirements between dynamic signals (vibration spectra) and static signals (pressure, temperature, etc.) result in asynchronous data acquisition; the development of any correlation must then be based on some form of interpolated data. This interpolation can reproduce or distort the original measured quantity depending on the characteristics of the data and the interpolation technique. Relevant data characteristics, such as acquisition times, collection cycle times, compression method, storage rate, and the slew rate of the measured variable, are dependent both on the data handling and on the measured variable. Linear and staircase interpolation, along with the use of clustering and filtering, provide the necessary options to develop accurate correlations. The examples illustrate the appropriate application of these options

The Chateau de Cristal data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villard, M.M.

1987-05-01

This data acquisition system is built on several dedicated data transfer busses: ADC data readout through the FERA bus, parallel data processing in two VME crates. High data rates and selectivities are performed via this acquisition structure and new developed processing units. The system modularity allows various experiments with additional detectors

Comparison of continuous with step and shoot acquisition in SPECT scanning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCarthy, L.; Cotterill, T.; Chu, J.M.G.

1998-01-01

Full text: Following the recent advent of continuous acquisition for performing SPECT scanning, it was decided to compare the commonly used Step and Shoot mode of acquisition with the new continuous acquisition mode. The aim of the study is to assess any difference in resolution from the resulting images acquired using the two modes of acquisition. Sequential series of studies were performed on a SPECT phantom using both modes of acquisition. Separate sets of data were collected for both high resolution parallel hole and ultra high resolution fan beam collimators. Clinical data was collected on patients undergoing routine gallium, 99m Tc-MDP bone and 99m Tc-HMPAO brain studies. Separate sequential acquisition in both modes were collected for each patient. The sequence of collection was also alternated. Reconstruction was performed utilising the same parameters for each acquisition. The reconstructed data were assessed visually by blinded observers to detect differences in resolution and image quality. No significant difference in the studies collected by either acquisition modes were detected. The time saved by continuous acquisition could be an advantage

A Double Dwell High Sensitivity GPS Acquisition Scheme Using Binarized Convolution Neural Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhen Wang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Conventional GPS acquisition methods, such as Max selection and threshold crossing (MAX/TC, estimate GPS code/Doppler by its correlation peak. Different from MAX/TC, a multi-layer binarized convolution neural network (BCNN is proposed to recognize the GPS acquisition correlation envelope in this article. The proposed method is a double dwell acquisition in which a short integration is adopted in the first dwell and a long integration is applied in the second one. To reduce the search space for parameters, BCNN detects the possible envelope which contains the auto-correlation peak in the first dwell to compress the initial search space to 1/1023. Although there is a long integration in the second dwell, the acquisition computation overhead is still low due to the compressed search space. Comprehensively, the total computation overhead of the proposed method is only 1/5 of conventional ones. Experiments show that the proposed double dwell/correlation envelope identification (DD/CEI neural network achieves 2 dB improvement when compared with the MAX/TC under the same specification.

Design of Tokamak synchronous data acquisition system based on PXI express

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Rui; Zheng Wei; Zhang Ming; Weng Chuqiao; Zhuang Ge; Ding Tonghai; Yu Kexun

2014-01-01

With the development of J-TEXT device, the original data acquisition system can't meet the experiment's requirement on stability, modularity and sampling rate, so a new data acquisition system needs to be built. This paper introduces the design and implementation of the distributed Tokamak synchronous high-speed data acquisition system based on PXI Express. The acquisition unit consists of PXIe case Nl PXIe 1062Q, PXIe controller NI PXIe-8133 and high-speed synchronous data acquisition card Nl PXIe-6368, compatible with the latest standard of ITER CODAC, so it has good mechanical sealing, strong modularity and high sampling rate etc. The system takes a synchronous difference acquisition for diagnosis signal. The data storage adopts MDSplus which is the general database in the nuclear fusion field. The test and experimental results show that the system can work continuously and stably at 2 MSps sampling rate, and meet the requirement of experiment device's operation well. (authors)

Do Strategic Alliances, Acquisitions, and R

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martynov Aleksey

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper studies possible complementarities and substitution effects between such strategic choices as alliances, acquisitions and internal R&D investments. The findings indicate that a firm’s absorptive capacity affects the presence of complementarities and substitution effects among those strategic choices. Firms with high absorptive capacity exhibit substitution effects between alliances and acquisitions and between alliances and internal R&D investments. Firms with high absorptive capacity also exhibit complementarities between acquisitions and additional R&D investments. These results were obtained from panel data of large and medium U.S. companies spanning the years 1998-2009. The results are robust to the use of different measures of performance: profitability, market-to-book value, and sales growth. This paper contributes to our understanding of the role of absorptive capacity for the optimal choice of inter-organizational strategy vs. greater internal R&D investments.

ELECTRIC MOTORS MAINTENANCE PLANNING FROM ITS OPERATING VARIABLES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco RODRIGUES

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The maintenance planning corresponds to an approach that seeks to maximize the availability of equipment and, conse-quently, increase the levels of competitiveness of companies by increasing production times. This paper presents a maintenance planning based on operating variables (number of hours worked, duty cycles, number of revolutions to maximizing the availability of operation of electrical motors. The reading of the operating variables and its sampling is done based on predetermined sampling cycles and subsequently is made the data analysis through time series algo-rithms aiming to launch work orders before reaching the variables limit values. This approach is supported by tools and technologies such as logical applications that enable a graphical user interface for access to relevant information about their Physical Asset HMI (Human Machine Interface, including the control and supervision by acquisition through SCADA (Supervisory Control And data acquisition data, also including the communication protocols among different logical applications.

Information acquisition and behavioral change: a social marketing application.

Science.gov (United States)

Golden, L L; Johnson, K

1991-01-01

Previous literature provides insight into the importance of beliefs and other intrapersonal variables for health-related information acquisition and behavioral change. The results of an empirical investigation evidence the unique strength of the role of core health beliefs for each of the multi-level measures. Directions for the development of effective marketing strategy are discussed.

Microcomputer data acquisition and control.

Science.gov (United States)

East, T D

1986-01-01

In medicine and biology there are many tasks that involve routine well defined procedures. These tasks are ideal candidates for computerized data acquisition and control. As the performance of microcomputers rapidly increases and cost continues to go down the temptation to automate the laboratory becomes great. To the novice computer user the choices of hardware and software are overwhelming and sadly most of the computer sales persons are not at all familiar with real-time applications. If you want to bill your patients you have hundreds of packaged systems to choose from; however, if you want to do real-time data acquisition the choices are very limited and confusing. The purpose of this chapter is to provide the novice computer user with the basics needed to set up a real-time data acquisition system with the common microcomputers. This chapter will cover the following issues necessary to establish a real time data acquisition and control system: Analysis of the research problem: Definition of the problem; Description of data and sampling requirements; Cost/benefit analysis. Choice of Microcomputer hardware and software: Choice of microprocessor and bus structure; Choice of operating system; Choice of layered software. Digital Data Acquisition: Parallel Data Transmission; Serial Data Transmission; Hardware and software available. Analog Data Acquisition: Description of amplitude and frequency characteristics of the input signals; Sampling theorem; Specification of the analog to digital converter; Hardware and software available; Interface to the microcomputer. Microcomputer Control: Analog output; Digital output; Closed-Loop Control. Microcomputer data acquisition and control in the 21st Century--What is in the future? High speed digital medical equipment networks; Medical decision making and artificial intelligence.

Language Acquisition without an Acquisition Device

Science.gov (United States)

O'Grady, William

2012-01-01

Most explanatory work on first and second language learning assumes the primacy of the acquisition phenomenon itself, and a good deal of work has been devoted to the search for an "acquisition device" that is specific to humans, and perhaps even to language. I will consider the possibility that this strategy is misguided and that language…

An integrated acquisition, display, and analysis system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, T.; Huckins, R.J.

1987-01-01

The design goal of the ND9900/Genuie was to integrate a high performance data acquisition and display subsystem with a state-of-the-art 32-bit supermicrocomputer. This was achieved by integrating a Digital Equipment Corporation MicroVAX II CPU board with acquisition and display controllers via the Q-bus. The result is a tightly coupled processing and analysis system for Pulse Height Analysis and other applications. The system architecture supports distributed processing, so that acquisition and display functions are semi-autonomous, making the VAX concurrently available for applications programs

Multiple-user data acquisition and analysis system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manzella, V.; Chrien, R.E.; Gill, R.L.; Liou, H.I.; Stelts, M.L.

1981-01-01

The nuclear physics program at the Brookhaven National Laboratory High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR) employs a pair of PDP-11 computers for the dual functions of data acquisition and analysis. The data acquisition is accomplished through CAMAC and features a microprogrammed branch driver to accommodate various experimental inputs. The acquisition computer performs the functions of multi-channel analyzers, multiscaling and time-sequenced multichannel analyzers and gamma-ray coincidence analyzers. The data analysis computer is available for rapid processing of data tapes written by the acquisition computer. The ability to accommodate many users is facilitated by separating the data acquisition and analysis functions, and allowing each user to tailor the analysis to the specific requirements of his own experiment. The system is to be upgraded soon by the introduction of a dual port disk to allow a data base to be available to each computer

Can Images Obtained With High Field Strength Magnetic Resonance Imaging Reduce Contouring Variability of the Prostate?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Usmani, Nawaid; Sloboda, Ron; Kamal, Wafa; Ghosh, Sunita; Pervez, Nadeem; Pedersen, John; Yee, Don; Danielson, Brita; Murtha, Albert; Amanie, John; Monajemi, Tara

2011-01-01

Purpose: The objective of this study is to determine whether there is less contouring variability of the prostate using higher-strength magnetic resonance images (MRI) compared with standard MRI and computed tomography (CT). Methods and Materials: Forty patients treated with prostate brachytherapy were accrued to a prospective study that included the acquisition of 1.5-T MR and CT images at specified time points. A subset of 10 patients had additional 3.0-T MR images acquired at the same time as their 1.5-T MR scans. Images from each of these patients were contoured by 5 radiation oncologists, with a random subset of patients repeated to quantify intraobserver contouring variability. To minimize bias in contouring the prostate, the image sets were placed in folders in a random order with all identifiers removed from the images. Results: Although there was less interobserver contouring variability in the overall prostate volumes in 1.5-T MRI compared with 3.0-T MRI (p < 0.01), there was no significant differences in contouring variability in the different regions of the prostate between 1.5-T MRI and 3.0-T MRI. MRI demonstrated significantly less interobserver contouring variability in both 1.5-T and 3.0-T compared with CT in overall prostate volumes (p < 0.01, p = 0.01), with the greatest benefits being appreciated in the base of the prostate. Overall, there was less intraobserver contouring variability than interobserver contouring variability for all of the measurements analyzed. Conclusions: Use of 3.0-T MRI does not demonstrate a significant improvement in contouring variability compared with 1.5-T MRI, although both magnetic strengths demonstrated less contouring variability compared with CT.

Data acquisition systems at Fermilab

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Votava, M.

1999-01-01

Experiments at Fermilab require an ongoing program of development for high speed, distributed data acquisition systems. The physics program at the lab has recently started the operation of a Fixed Target run in which experiments are running the DART[1] data acquisition system. The CDF and D experiments are preparing for the start of the next Collider run in mid 2000. Each will read out on the order of 1 million detector channels. In parallel, future experiments such as BTeV R ampersand D and Minos have already started prototype and test beam work. BTeV in particular has challenging data acquisition system requirements with an input rate of 1500 Gbytes/sec into Level 1 buffers and a logging rate of 200 Mbytes/sec. This paper will present a general overview of these data acquisition systems on three fronts those currently in use, those to be deployed for the Collider Run in 2000, and those proposed for future experiments. It will primarily focus on the CDF and D architectures and tools

Endogenous sources of variation in language acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Chung-Hye; Musolino, Julien; Lidz, Jeffrey

2016-01-26

A fundamental question in the study of human language acquisition centers around apportioning explanatory force between the experience of the learner and the core knowledge that allows learners to represent that experience. We provide a previously unidentified kind of data identifying children's contribution to language acquisition. We identify one aspect of grammar that varies unpredictably across a population of speakers of what is ostensibly a single language. We further demonstrate that the grammatical knowledge of parents and their children is independent. The combination of unpredictable variation and parent-child independence suggests that the relevant structural feature is supplied by each learner independent of experience with the language. This structural feature is abstract because it controls variation in more than one construction. The particular case we examine is the position of the verb in the clause structure of Korean. Because Korean is a head-final language, evidence for the syntactic position of the verb is both rare and indirect. We show that (i) Korean speakers exhibit substantial variability regarding this aspect of the grammar, (ii) this variability is attested between speakers but not within a speaker, (iii) this variability controls interpretation in two surface constructions, and (iv) it is independent in parents and children. According to our findings, when the exposure language is compatible with multiple grammars, learners acquire a single systematic grammar. Our observation that children and their parents vary independently suggests that the choice of grammar is driven in part by a process operating internal to individual learners.

Non-native Listeners’ Recognition of High-Variability Speech Using PRESTO

Science.gov (United States)

Tamati, Terrin N.; Pisoni, David B.

2015-01-01

Background Natural variability in speech is a significant challenge to robust successful spoken word recognition. In everyday listening environments, listeners must quickly adapt and adjust to multiple sources of variability in both the signal and listening environments. High-variability speech may be particularly difficult to understand for non-native listeners, who have less experience with the second language (L2) phonological system and less detailed knowledge of sociolinguistic variation of the L2. Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of high-variability sentences on non-native speech recognition and to explore the underlying sources of individual differences in speech recognition abilities of non-native listeners. Research Design Participants completed two sentence recognition tasks involving high-variability and low-variability sentences. They also completed a battery of behavioral tasks and self-report questionnaires designed to assess their indexical processing skills, vocabulary knowledge, and several core neurocognitive abilities. Study Sample Native speakers of Mandarin (n = 25) living in the United States recruited from the Indiana University community participated in the current study. A native comparison group consisted of scores obtained from native speakers of English (n = 21) in the Indiana University community taken from an earlier study. Data Collection and Analysis Speech recognition in high-variability listening conditions was assessed with a sentence recognition task using sentences from PRESTO (Perceptually Robust English Sentence Test Open-Set) mixed in 6-talker multitalker babble. Speech recognition in low-variability listening conditions was assessed using sentences from HINT (Hearing In Noise Test) mixed in 6-talker multitalker babble. Indexical processing skills were measured using a talker discrimination task, a gender discrimination task, and a forced-choice regional dialect categorization task. Vocabulary

High temporal resolution magnetic resonance imaging: development of a parallel three dimensional acquisition method for functional neuroimaging; Imagerie par resonance magnetique a haute resolution temporelle: developpement d'une methode d'acquisition parallele tridimensionnelle pour l'imagerie fonctionnelle cerebrale

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rabrait, C

2007-11-15

Echo Planar Imaging is widely used to perform data acquisition in functional neuroimaging. This sequence allows the acquisition of a set of about 30 slices, covering the whole brain, at a spatial resolution ranging from 2 to 4 mm, and a temporal resolution ranging from 1 to 2 s. It is thus well adapted to the mapping of activated brain areas but does not allow precise study of the brain dynamics. Moreover, temporal interpolation is needed in order to correct for inter-slices delays and 2-dimensional acquisition is subject to vascular in flow artifacts. To improve the estimation of the hemodynamic response functions associated with activation, this thesis aimed at developing a 3-dimensional high temporal resolution acquisition method. To do so, Echo Volume Imaging was combined with reduced field-of-view acquisition and parallel imaging. Indeed, E.V.I. allows the acquisition of a whole volume in Fourier space following a single excitation, but it requires very long echo trains. Parallel imaging and field-of-view reduction are used to reduce the echo train durations by a factor of 4, which allows the acquisition of a 3-dimensional brain volume with limited susceptibility-induced distortions and signal losses, in 200 ms. All imaging parameters have been optimized in order to reduce echo train durations and to maximize S.N.R., so that cerebral activation can be detected with a high level of confidence. Robust detection of brain activation was demonstrated with both visual and auditory paradigms. High temporal resolution hemodynamic response functions could be estimated through selective averaging of the response to the different trials of the stimulation. To further improve S.N.R., the matrix inversions required in parallel reconstruction were regularized, and the impact of the level of regularization on activation detection was investigated. Eventually, potential applications of parallel E.V.I. such as the study of non-stationary effects in the B.O.L.D. response

The hybrid UNIX controller for real-time data acquisition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huesman, R.H.; Klein, G.J.; Fleming, T.K.

1996-01-01

The authors describe a hybrid data acquisition architecture integrating a conventional UNIX workstation with CAMAC-based real-time hardware. The system combines the high-level programming simplicity and user interface of a UNIX workstation with the low-level timing control available from conventional real-time hardware. They detail this architecture as it has been implemented for control of the Donner 600-Crystal Positron Tomograph (PET600). Low-level data acquisition is carried out in this system using eight LeCroy 3588 histogrammers, which together after derandomization, acquire events at rates up to 4 MHz, and two dedicated Motorola 6809 microprocessors, which arbitrate fine timing control during acquisition. A SUN Microsystems UNIX workstation is used for high-level control, allowing an easily extensible user interface in an X-Windows environment, as well as real-time communications to the low-level acquisition units. Communication between the high- and low-level units is carried out via a Jorway 73A SCSI-CAMAC crate controller and a serial interface. For this application, the hybrid configuration segments low from high-level control for ease of maintenance and provided a low-cost upgrade from dated high-level control hardware

Augmented kinematic feedback from haptic virtual reality for dental skill acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Suebnukarn, Siriwan; Haddawy, Peter; Rhienmora, Phattanapon; Jittimanee, Pannapa; Viratket, Piyanuch

2010-12-01

We have developed a haptic virtual reality system for dental skill training. In this study we examined several kinds of kinematic information about the movement provided by the system supplement knowledge of results (KR) in dental skill acquisition. The kinematic variables examined involved force utilization (F) and mirror view (M). This created three experimental conditions that received augmented kinematic feedback (F, M, FM) and one control condition that did not (KR-only). Thirty-two dental students were randomly assigned to four groups. Their task was to perform access opening on the upper first molar with the haptic virtual reality system. An acquisition session consisted of two days of ten trials of practice in which augmented kinematic feedback was provided for the appropriate experimental conditions after each trial. One week after, a retention test consisting of two trials without augmented feedback was completed. The results showed that the augmented kinematic feedback groups had larger mean performance scores than the KR-only group in Day 1 of the acquisition and retention sessions (ANOVA, p0.05). The trends in acquisition and retention sessions suggest that the augmented kinematic feedback can enhance the performance earlier in the skill acquisition and retention sessions.

North Atlantic Origin of Interdecadal variability of Siberian High

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Seon-Hwa; Sung, Mi-Kyung; Kim, Baek-Min

2017-04-01

We suggest that the changes in the mean atmospheric circulation structure in the North Atlantic Ocean upstream region of Eurasian continent play an important role in the interdecadal variability of Siberian High (SH) through the modulation of Ural blocking frequency. Previous studies suggested that the interdecadal variability of SH is partly explained by the Arctic Oscillation. However, in this study, we emphasize the role of 'Warm Arctic and Cold Eurasia (WACE)', which is the second mode of winter surface air temperature variability over Eurasia. We show that the correlation between SH and WACE is high in general compared to that between SH and AO. However, the correlation between SH and WACE does not always exhibit high constant value. It shows a distinctive interdecadal fluctuation in the correlation. We found that this fluctuation in the correlation is due to the interdecadal fluctuation of the continental trough over the North Atlantic and the resultant strengthening of in-situ atmospheric baroclinicity. This accompanies changes in the transient vorticity flux divergence which leads to the downstream wave development and anomalous anticyclonic flow near Ural region. Obviously, the existence of anticyclonic flow over Ural region helps more frequent occurrence of Ural blocking and it is shown that this condition favors positive WACE event, which links to an intensified SH.

Acquisition and extinction in autoshaping.

Science.gov (United States)

Kakade, Sham; Dayan, Peter

2002-07-01

C. R. Gallistel and J. Gibbon (2000) presented quantitative data on the speed with which animals acquire behavioral responses during autoshaping, together with a statistical model of learning intended to account for them. Although this model captures the form of the dependencies among critical variables, its detailed predictions are substantially at variance with the data. In the present article, further key data on the speed of acquisition are used to motivate an alternative model of learning, in which animals can be interpreted as paying different amounts of attention to stimuli according to estimates of their differential reliabilities as predictors.

BioDAQ--a simple biosignal acquisition system for didactic use.

Science.gov (United States)

Csaky, Z; Mihalas, G I; Focsa, M

2002-01-01

A simple non expensive device for biosignal acquisition is presented. It mainly meets the requirements for didactic purposes specific in medical informatics laboratory classes. The system has two main types of devices: 'student unit'--the simplest one, used during lessons on real signals and 'demo unit', which can be also used in medical practice or for collecting biological signals. It is able to record: optical pulse, sphygmogram, ECG (1-4 leads) EEG or EMG (1-4 channels). For didactical purposes it has a large scale of recording options: variable sampling rate, gain and filtering. It can also be used in tele-acquisition via Internet.

Data acquisition techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dougherty, R.C.

1976-01-01

Testing neutron generators and major subassemblies has undergone a transition in the past few years. Digital information is now used for storage and analysis. The key to the change is the availability of a high-speed digitizer system. The status of the Sandia Laboratory data acquisition and handling system as applied to this area is surveyed. 1 figure

Single cell proteomics in biomedicine: High-dimensional data acquisition, visualization, and analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Yapeng; Shi, Qihui; Wei, Wei

2017-02-01

New insights on cellular heterogeneity in the last decade provoke the development of a variety of single cell omics tools at a lightning pace. The resultant high-dimensional single cell data generated by these tools require new theoretical approaches and analytical algorithms for effective visualization and interpretation. In this review, we briefly survey the state-of-the-art single cell proteomic tools with a particular focus on data acquisition and quantification, followed by an elaboration of a number of statistical and computational approaches developed to date for dissecting the high-dimensional single cell data. The underlying assumptions, unique features, and limitations of the analytical methods with the designated biological questions they seek to answer will be discussed. Particular attention will be given to those information theoretical approaches that are anchored in a set of first principles of physics and can yield detailed (and often surprising) predictions. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The simulation of a data acquisition system for a proposed high resolution PET scanner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rotolo, C.; Larwill, M.; Chappa, S. [Fermi National Accelerator Lab., Batavia, IL (United States); Ordonez, C. [Chicago Univ., IL (United States)

1993-10-01

The simulation of a specific data acquisition (DAQ) system architecture for a proposed high resolution Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner is discussed. Stochastic processes are used extensively to model PET scanner signal timing and probable DAQ circuit limitations. Certain architectural parameters, along with stochastic parameters, are varied to quantatively study the resulting output under various conditions. The inclusion of the DAQ in the model represents a novel method of more complete simulations of tomograph designs, and could prove to be of pivotal importance in the optimization of such designs.

The simulation of a data acquisition system for a proposed high resolution PET scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rotolo, C.; Larwill, M.; Chappa, S.; Ordonez, C.

1993-10-01

The simulation of a specific data acquisition (DAQ) system architecture for a proposed high resolution Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner is discussed. Stochastic processes are used extensively to model PET scanner signal timing and probable DAQ circuit limitations. Certain architectural parameters, along with stochastic parameters, are varied to quantatively study the resulting output under various conditions. The inclusion of the DAQ in the model represents a novel method of more complete simulations of tomograph designs, and could prove to be of pivotal importance in the optimization of such designs

High Suicidal Ideation and Psychosocial Variables in University Students

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez-Teruel, David; Garcia-Leon, Ana; Muela-Martinez, Jose A.

2013-01-01

Introduction: The college students have high rates of suicidal ideation often associated with psychosocial factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether some of these psychosocial variables are related to the high prevalence of suicidal ideation in a College Spanish. Method: Participants (n = 40), aged between 21 and 34 years, Mean =…

Operational experience with a high speed video data acquisition system in Fermilab experiment E-687

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baumbaugh, A.E.; Knickerbocker, K.L.; Baumbaugh, B.; Ruchti, R.

1987-01-01

Operation of a high speed, triggerable, Video Data Acquisition System (VDAS) including a hardware data compactor and a 16 megabyte First-In-First-Out buffer memory (FIFO) will be discussed. Active target imaging techniques for High Energy Physics are described and preliminary experimental data is reported.. The hardware architecture for the imaging system and experiment will be discussed as well as other applications for the imaging system. Data rates for the compactor is over 30 megabytes/sec and the FIFO has been run at 100 megabytes/sec. The system can be operated at standard video rates or at any rate up to 30 million pixels/second. 7 refs., 3 figs

Mergers and Acquisitions

OpenAIRE

Frasch, Manfred; Leptin, Maria

2000-01-01

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are booming a strategy of choice for organizations attempting to maintain a competitive advantage. Previous research on mergers and acquisitions declares that acquirers do not normally benefit from acquisitions. Targets, on the other hand, have a tendency of gaining positive returns in the few days surrounding merger announcements due to several characteristic on the acquisitions deal. The announcement period wealth effect on acquiring firms, however, is as cle...

The NUSTAR data acquisition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loeher, B.; Toernqvist, H.T. [TU Darmstadt (Germany); GSI (Germany); Agramunt, J. [IFIC, CSIC (Spain); Bendel, M.; Gernhaeuser, R.; Le Bleis, T.; Winkel, M. [TU Muenchen (Germany); Charpy, A.; Heinz, A.; Johansson, H.T. [Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden); Coleman-Smith, P.; Lazarus, I.H.; Pucknell, V.F.E. [STFC Daresbury (United Kingdom); Czermak, A. [IFJ (Poland); Kurz, N.; Nociforo, C.; Pietri, S.; Schaffner, H.; Simon, H. [GSI (Germany); Scheit, H. [TU Darmstadt (Germany); Taieb, J. [CEA (France)

2015-07-01

The diversity of upcoming experiments within the NUSTAR collaboration, including experiments in storage rings, reactions at relativistic energies and high-precision spectroscopy, is reflected in the diversity of the required detection systems. A challenging task is to incorporate the different needs of individual detectors within the unified NUSTAR Data AcQuisition (NDAQ). NDAQ takes up this challenge by providing a high degree of availability via continuously running systems, high flexibility via experiment-specific configuration files for data streams and trigger logic, distributed timestamps and trigger information on km distances, all built on the solid basis of the GSI Multi-Branch System. NDAQ ensures interoperability between individual NUSTAR detectors and allows merging of formerly separate data streams according to the needs of all experiments, increasing reliability in NUSTAR data acquisition. An overview of the NDAQ infrastructure and the current progress is presented. The NUSTAR (NUclear STructure, Astrophysics and Reactions) collaboration represents one of the four pillars motivating the construction of the international FAIR facility. The diversity of NUSTAR experiments, including experiments in storage rings, reactions at relativistic energies and high-precision spectroscopy, is reflected in the diversity of the required detection systems. A challenging task is to incorporate the different needs of individual detectors and components under the umbrella of the unified NUSTAR Data AQuisition (NDAQ) infrastructure. NDAQ takes up this challenge by providing a high degree of availability via continuously running systems, high flexibility via experiment-specific configuration files for data streams and trigger logic, and distributed time stamps and trigger information on km distances, all built on the solid basis of the GSI Multi-Branch System (MBS). NDAQ ensures interoperability between individual NUSTAR detectors and allows merging of formerly separate

Knowledge Transfers following Acquisition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gammelgaard, Jens

2001-01-01

Prior relations between the acquiring firm and the target company pave the way for knowledge transfers subsequent to the acquisitions. One major reason is that through the market-based relations the two actors build up mutual trust and simultaneously they learn how to communicate. An empirical...... study of 54 Danish acquisitions taking place abroad from 1994 to 1998 demonstrated that when there was a high level of trust between the acquiring firm and the target firm before the take-over, then medium and strong tie-binding knowledge transfer mechanisms, such as project groups and job rotation......, were used more intensively. Further, the degree of stickiness was significantly lower in the case of prior trust-based relations....

Platform attitude data acquisition system

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Afzulpurkar, S.

A system for automatic acquisition of underwater platform attitude data has been designed, developed and tested in the laboratory. This is a micro controller based system interfacing dual axis inclinometer, high-resolution digital compass...

The image acquisition system design of floor grinder

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yang-jiang; Liu, Wei; Liu, Hui-qin

2018-01-01

Based on linear CCD, high resolution image real-time acquisition system serves as designing a set of image acquisition system for floor grinder through the calculation of optical imaging system. The entire image acquisition system can collect images of ground before and after the work of the floor grinder, and the data is transmitted through the Bluetooth system to the computer and compared to realize real-time monitoring of its working condition. The system provides technical support for the design of unmanned ground grinders.

Extended data acquisition support at GSI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marinescu, D.C.; Busch, F.; Hultzsch, H.; Lowsky, J.; Richter, M.

1984-01-01

The Experiment Data Acquisition and Analysis System (EDAS) of GSI, designed to support the data processing associated with nuclear physics experiments, provides three modes of operation: real-time, interactive replay and batch replay. The real-time mode is used for data acquisition and data analysis during an experiment performed at the heavy ion accelerator at GSI. An experiment may be performed either in Stand Alone Mode, using only the Experiment Computers, or in Extended Mode using all computing resources available. The Extended Mode combines the advantages of the real-time response of a dedicated minicomputer with the availability of computing resources in a large computing environment. This paper first gives an overview of EDAS and presents the GSI High Speed Data Acquisition Network. Data Acquisition Modes and the Extended Mode are then introduced. The structure of the system components, their implementation and the functions pertinent to the Extended Mode are presented. The control functions of the Experiment Computer sub-system are discussed in detail. Two aspects of the design of the sub-system running on the mainframe are stressed, namely the use of a multi-user installation for real-time processing and the use of a high level programming language, PL/I, as an implementation language for a system which uses parallel processing. The experience accumulated is summarized in a number of conclusions

Minicomputer data acquisition system for nuclear physics applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kouzes, R [Princeton Univ., NJ (USA). Joseph Henry Labs.

1978-09-15

The data acquisition system for the Princeton Cyclotron facility based on a Data General Eclipse computer is described. The program ACQUIRE is a highly flexible acquisition code able to support diverse experimental requirements and yet capable of sorting a repetitious pulser in a single ADC at up to 40 kHz without loss.

Signal enhancement due to high-Z nanofilm electrodes in parallel plate ionization chambers with variable microgaps.

Science.gov (United States)

Brivio, Davide; Sajo, Erno; Zygmanski, Piotr

2017-12-01

We developed a method for measuring signal enhancement produced by high-Z nanofilm electrodes in parallel plate ionization chambers with variable thickness microgaps. We used a laboratory-made variable gap parallel plate ionization chamber with nanofilm electrodes made of aluminum-aluminum (Al-Al) and aluminum-tantalum (Al-Ta). The electrodes were evaporated on 1 mm thick glass substrates. The interelectrode air gap was varied from 3 μm to 1 cm. The gap size was measured using a digital micrometer and it was confirmed by capacitance measurements. The electric field in the chamber was kept between 0.1 kV/cm and 1 kV/cm for all the gap sizes by applying appropriate compensating voltages. The chamber was exposed to 120 kVp X-rays. The current was measured using a commercial data acquisition system with temporal resolution of 600 Hz. In addition, radiation transport simulations were carried out to characterize the dose, D(x), high-energy electron current, J(x), and deposited charge, Q(x), as a function of distance, x, from the electrodes. A deterministic method was selected over Monte Carlo due to its ability to produce results with 10 nm spatial resolution without stochastic uncertainties. Experimental signal enhancement ratio, SER(G) which we defined as the ratio of signal for Al-air-Ta to signal for Al-air-Al for each gap size, was compared to computations. The individual contributions of dose, electron current, and charge deposition to the signal enhancement were determined. Experimental signals matched computed data for all gap sizes after accounting for several contributions to the signal: (a) charge carrier generated via ionization due to the energy deposited in the air gap, D(x); (b) high-energy electron current, J(x), leaking from high-Z electrode (Ta) toward low-Z electrode (Al); (c) deposited charge in the air gap, Q(x); and (d) the decreased collection efficiency for large gaps (>~500 μm). Q(x) accounts for the electrons below 100 eV, which are

The BaBar Data Acquisition System

CERN Document Server

Scott, I; Grosso, P; Huffer, M E; O'Grady, C; Russell, J J

1999-01-01

The BaBar experiment at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center is designed to perform a search for CP violation by ana-lyzing the decays of a very large sample of B and B(Bar) mesons produced at the high luminosity PEP-II accelerator. The data acquisition system must cope with a sustained high event rate, while supporting real time feature extraction and data compression with minimal dead time. The BaBar data acquisition system is based around a common VME interface to the electronics read-out of the separate detec-tor subsystems. Data from the front end electronics is read into commercial VME processors via a custom "Personality Card" and PCI interface. The commercial CPUs run the Tornado operating system to provide a platform for detector subsystem code to perform the necessary data processing. The data is read out via a non-blocking network switch to a farm of commercial UNIX processors. The current implementation of the BaBar data acquisition sys-tem has been shown to sustain a Level 1 trigger rate of 1.3...

A nuclear data acquisition system flow control model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hack, S.N.

1988-01-01

A general Petri Net representation of a nuclear data acquisition system model is presented. This model provides for the unique requirements of a nuclear data acquisition system including the capabilities of concurrently acquiring asynchronous and synchronous data, of providing multiple priority levels of flow control arbitration, and of permitting multiple input sources to reside at the same priority without the problem of channel lockout caused by a high rate data source. Finally, a previously implemented gamma camera/physiological signal data acquisition system is described using the models presented

High-speed data acquisition with the Solaris and Linux operating systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zilker, M.; Heimann, P.

2000-01-01

In this paper, we discuss whether Solaris and Linux are suitable for data acquisition systems in soft real time conditions. As an example we consider a plasma diagnostic (Mirnov coils), which collects data for a complete plasma discharge of about 10 s from up to 72 channels. Each ADC-Channel generates a data stream of 4 MB/s. To receive these data streams an eight-channel Hotlink PCI interface board was designed. With a prototype system using Solaris and the driver developed by us we investigate important properties of the operating system such as the I/O performance and scheduling of processes. We compare the Solaris operating system on the Ultra Sparc platform with Linux on the Intel platform. Finally, some points of user program development are mentioned to show how the application can make the most efficient use of the underlying high-speed I/O system

A tomograph VMEbus parallel processing data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atkins, M.S.; Wilkinson, N.A.; Rogers, J.G.

1988-11-01

This paper describes a VME based data acquisition system suitable for the development of Positron Volume Imaging tomographs which use 3-D data for improved image resolution over slice-oriented tomographs. The data acquisition must be flexible enough to accommodate several 3-D reconstruction algorithms; hence, a software-based system is most suitable. Furthermore, because of the increased dimensions and resolution of volume imaging tomographs, the raw data event rate is greater than that of slice-oriented machines. These dual requirements are met by our data acquisition systems. Flexibility is achieved through an array of processors connected over a VMEbus, operating asynchronously and in parallel. High raw data throughput is achieved using a dedicated high speed data transfer device available for the VMEbus. The device can attain a raw data rate of 2.5 million coincidence events per second for raw events per second for raw events which are 64 bits wide. Real-time data acquisition and pre-processing requirements can be met by about forty 20 MHz Motorola 68020/68881 processors

Mergers and Acquisitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Risberg, Annette

Introduction to the study of mergers and acquisitions. This book provides an understanding of the mergers and acquisitions process, how and why they occur, and also the broader implications for organizations. It presents issues including motives and planning, partner selection, integration......, employee experiences and communication. Mergers and acquisitions remain one of the most common forms of growth, yet they present considerable challenges for the companies and management involved. The effects on stakeholders, including shareholders, managers and employees, must be considered as well...... by editorial commentaries and reflects the important organizational and behavioural aspects which have often been ignored in the past. By providing this in-depth understanding of the mergers and acquisitions process, the reader understands not only how and why mergers and acquisitions occur, but also...

Variables associated with Grade R English Additional Language ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

reviewer 1

Since Grade R is the foundation for formal Grade 1 learning, research conducted ... There appears to be a paucity of research on variables relating to EAL acquisition in South Africa. In a ...... teacher can code switch and explain the meaning of.

Accelerator optimization using a network control and acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geddes, Cameron G.R.; Catravas, P.E.; Faure, Jerome; Toth, Csaba; Tilborg, J. van; Leemans, Wim P.

2002-01-01

Accelerator optimization requires detailed study of many parameters, indicating the need for remote control and automated data acquisition systems. A control and data acquisition system based on a network of commodity PCs and applications with standards based inter-application communication is being built for the l'OASIS accelerator facility. This system allows synchronous acquisition of data at high (> 1 Hz) rates and remote control of the accelerator at low cost, allowing detailed study of the acceleration process

Textural features and SUV-based variables assessed by dual time point 18F-FDG PET/CT in locally advanced breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Vicente, Ana María; Molina, David; Pérez-Beteta, Julián; Amo-Salas, Mariano; Martínez-González, Alicia; Bueno, Gloria; Tello-Galán, María Jesús; Soriano-Castrejón, Ángel

2017-12-01

To study the influence of dual time point 18F-FDG PET/CT in textural features and SUV-based variables and their relation among them. Fifty-six patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) were prospectively included. All of them underwent a standard 18F-FDG PET/CT (PET-1) and a delayed acquisition (PET-2). After segmentation, SUV variables (SUVmax, SUVmean, and SUVpeak), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were obtained. Eighteen three-dimensional (3D) textural measures were computed including: run-length matrices (RLM) features, co-occurrence matrices (CM) features, and energies. Differences between all PET-derived variables obtained in PET-1 and PET-2 were studied. Significant differences were found between the SUV-based parameters and MTV obtained in the dual time point PET/CT, with higher values of SUV-based variables and lower MTV in the PET-2 with respect to the PET-1. In relation with the textural parameters obtained in dual time point acquisition, significant differences were found for the short run emphasis, low gray-level run emphasis, short run high gray-level emphasis, run percentage, long run emphasis, gray-level non-uniformity, homogeneity, and dissimilarity. Textural variables showed relations with MTV and TLG. Significant differences of textural features were found in dual time point 18F-FDG PET/CT. Thus, a dynamic behavior of metabolic characteristics should be expected, with higher heterogeneity in delayed PET acquisition compared with the standard PET. A greater heterogeneity was found in bigger tumors.

Acquisition of Opposites and Cognitive Explanation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xudong Sun

2004-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an analysis of the acquisition sequence of two pairs of contrasting terms in English. The research is based on questionnaires completed by Chinese learners of English of various levels. The analysis concludes that easily-recognisable, unmarked, high-frequency terms, from which are derived concepts and terms that express an earlier stage of an action, tend to be easier to learn and enjoy a higher retention level during the first phase of acquisition while those terms which do not share these characteristics have a much lower retention level during the same stage. Given these conclusions, this study suggests that learners and teachers of a language should pay more attention to those terms which are in an unfavourable position in the vocabulary acquisition sequence of a language. (English text.

Data acquisition for PLT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, P.A.

1975-01-01

DA/PLT, the data acquisition system for the Princeton Large Torus (PLT) fusion research device, consists of a PDP-10 host computer, five satellite PDP-11s connected to the host by a special high-speed interface, miscellaneous other minicomputers and commercially supplied instruments, and much PPPL produced hardware. The software consists of the standard PDP-10 monitor with local modifications and the special systems and applications programs to customize the DA/PLT for the specific job of supporting data acquisition, analysis, display, and archiving, with concurrent off-line analysis, program development, and, in the background, general batch and timesharing. Some details of the over-all architecture are presented, along with a status report of the different PLT experiments being supported

Variable kernel density estimation in high-dimensional feature spaces

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Van der Walt, Christiaan M

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Estimating the joint probability density function of a dataset is a central task in many machine learning applications. In this work we address the fundamental problem of kernel bandwidth estimation for variable kernel density estimation in high...

Fast-Acquisition/Weak-Signal-Tracking GPS Receiver for HEO

Science.gov (United States)

Wintemitz, Luke; Boegner, Greg; Sirotzky, Steve

2004-01-01

A report discusses the technical background and design of the Navigator Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver -- . a radiation-hardened receiver intended for use aboard spacecraft. Navigator is capable of weak signal acquisition and tracking as well as much faster acquisition of strong or weak signals with no a priori knowledge or external aiding. Weak-signal acquisition and tracking enables GPS use in high Earth orbits (HEO), and fast acquisition allows for the receiver to remain without power until needed in any orbit. Signal acquisition and signal tracking are, respectively, the processes of finding and demodulating a signal. Acquisition is the more computationally difficult process. Previous GPS receivers employ the method of sequentially searching the two-dimensional signal parameter space (code phase and Doppler). Navigator exploits properties of the Fourier transform in a massively parallel search for the GPS signal. This method results in far faster acquisition times [in the lab, 12 GPS satellites have been acquired with no a priori knowledge in a Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) scenario in less than one second]. Modeling has shown that Navigator will be capable of acquiring signals down to 25 dB-Hz, appropriate for HEO missions. Navigator is built using the radiation-hardened ColdFire microprocessor and housing the most computationally intense functions in dedicated field-programmable gate arrays. The high performance of the algorithm and of the receiver as a whole are made possible by optimizing computational efficiency and carefully weighing tradeoffs among the sampling rate, data format, and data-path bit width.

Effects of the frame acquisition rate on the sensitivity of gastro-oesophageal reflux scintigraphy

Science.gov (United States)

Codreanu, I; Chamroonrat, W; Edwards, K

2013-01-01

Objective: To compare the sensitivity of gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) scintigraphy at 5-s and 60-s frame acquisition rates. Methods: GOR scintigraphy of 50 subjects (1 month–20 years old, mean 42 months) were analysed concurrently using 5-s and 60-s acquisition frames. Reflux episodes were graded as low if activity was detected in the distal half of the oesophagus and high if activity was detected in its upper half or in the oral cavity. For comparison purposes, detected GOR in any number of 5-s frames corresponding to one 60-s frame was counted as one episode. Results: A total of 679 episodes of GOR to the upper oesophagus were counted using a 5-s acquisition technique. Only 183 of such episodes were detected on 60-s acquisition images. To the lower oesophagus, a total of 1749 GOR episodes were detected using a 5-s acquisition technique and only 1045 episodes using 60-s acquisition frames (these also included the high-level GOR on 5-s frames counted as low level on 60-s acquisition frames). 10 patients had high-level GOR episodes that were detected only using a 5-s acquisition technique, leading to a different diagnosis in these patients. No correlation between the number of reflux episodes and the gastric emptying rates was noted. Conclusion: The 5-s frame acquisition technique is more sensitive than the 60-s frame acquisition technique for detecting both high- and low-level GOR. Advances in knowledge: Brief GOR episodes with a relatively low number of radioactive counts are frequently indistinguishable from intense background activity on 60-s acquisition frames. PMID:23520226

The movement kinematics and learning strategies associated with adopting different foci of attention during both acquisition and anxious performance.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gavin Peter Lawrence

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Research suggests that implicit strategies adopted during learning help prevent breakdown of automatic processes and subsequent performance decrements associated with the presence of pressure. According to the Constrained Action Hypothesis, automaticity of movement is promoted when adopting an external focus of attention. The purpose of the current experiment was to investigate if learning with an external focus of attention can enhance performance under subsequent pressure situations through promoting implicit learning and automaticity. Since previous research has generally used outcome measures of performance, the current study adopted measures of movement production. Specifically, we calculated within subject variability in trajectory velocity and distance travelled every 10% of movement time. This detailed kinematic analysis allowed investigation into some of the previously unexplored mechanisms responsible for the benefits of adopting an external focus of attention. Novice participants performed a 2.5m golf putt. Following a pre-test, participants were randomly assigned to one of three focus groups (internal, external, control. Participants then completed 400 acquisition trials over two consecutive days before being subjected to both a low-anxiety and high-anxiety transfer test. Dependent variables included variability, number of successful putts and mean radial error. Results revealed that variability was greater in the internal compared to the external and control groups. Putting performance revealed that all groups increased performance following acquisition. However, only the control group demonstrated a decrement in performance in the high-anxiety transfer test. These findings suggest that adopting an appropriate focus of attention during learning can prevent choking; with an external focus inhibiting the breakdown of automatic processes and an internal focus acting as a self-focus learning strategy and thus desensitizing individuals

Data acquisition for the Zeus central tracking detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quinton, S.; Allen, D.; Cambell, D.; Mcarthur, I.

1990-01-01

The Zeus experiment is being installed on the Hera electron-proton collider being built at the Desy laboratory in Hamburg. The high-beam crossover rate of the Hera machine will provide experience in data acquisition and triggering relevant to the environment of future accelerators such as the SSC. The Transputer-based data acquisition system for the Zeus central tracking detector is described

Helium-3 MR q-space imaging with radial acquisition and iterative highly constrained back-projection.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Halloran, Rafael L; Holmes, James H; Wu, Yu-Chien; Alexander, Andrew; Fain, Sean B

2010-01-01

An undersampled diffusion-weighted stack-of-stars acquisition is combined with iterative highly constrained back-projection to perform hyperpolarized helium-3 MR q-space imaging with combined regional correction of radiofrequency- and T1-related signal loss in a single breath-held scan. The technique is tested in computer simulations and phantom experiments and demonstrated in a healthy human volunteer with whole-lung coverage in a 13-sec breath-hold. Measures of lung microstructure at three different lung volumes are evaluated using inhaled gas volumes of 500 mL, 1000 mL, and 1500 mL to demonstrate feasibility. Phantom results demonstrate that the proposed technique is in agreement with theoretical values, as well as with a fully sampled two-dimensional Cartesian acquisition. Results from the volunteer study demonstrate that the root mean squared diffusion distance increased significantly from the 500-mL volume to the 1000-mL volume. This technique represents the first demonstration of a spatially resolved hyperpolarized helium-3 q-space imaging technique and shows promise for microstructural evaluation of lung disease in three dimensions. Copyright (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Data acquisition and control system in a heavy water detritiation installation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stefan, Iuliana; Balteanu, Ovidiu; Retevoi, Carmen; Stefan, Liviu

2002-01-01

The experimental installation for extracting tritium and deuterium from the tritiated heavy water used as moderator in CANDU type nuclear reactors is described. The separated tritium of high purity can be used in the fusion reactors of the future or in various laboratory researches. The fluids implied in operating this installation require special safety measures to be taken to protect both the operational personnel and the environment. Accordingly, in the technologic room no personnel is allowed and hence parameter monitoring, analyses and the testing must be done by remote control equipment. The computers for monitoring, warning and testing, as well as the sensors are housed in the data acquisition room, separated from the control room. The values generated by the process variables are converted in electrical or pneumatic signals and subsequently transmitted to the subsystems of monitoring, control and protection. Data acquisition in the control room is ensured by a computer provided with a FieldPoint interface. So, the connection between I/O modules from the data acquisition room and the computer ensures a 115.2 kb/s speed. Measured values of the parameters are recorded and displayed in the control room. Here these are compared with preset limits of the process parameters and in case of abnormal behavior, an alarm is triggered both optically and acoustically. At the same time, the program which controls the inputs and the outputs makes decisions and issues corrective or preventive commands for the technological process or installation protection, respectively. A diagram illustrating the monitoring, using a LabView platform is presented

The data acquisition system of ICT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Fuqiang; An Kang; Lu Hua; Cao Peng; Jiang Renqing; Gao Fubing

2008-01-01

The purpose of the design is to develop a data acquisition system which can be used to collect and transmit hundreds of channels of weak light signal data at the same time, so as to meet the need of industrial computer tomography. The system is composed of two parts, detection circuit and acquisition circuit. FPGA and 20 bit integral and conversion chips are the primary chips adopted in detection circuit, while the primary chips for acquisition circuit are FPGA and AMCCS5335. The problems, data jam-up and data drop were solved by using multilevel memorizer. A large number of experiments have proved that this system has very high precision and transmission reliability. The design has been applied in several industrial computer tomography machines produced by the industrial computer tomography research center of Chongqing University, and its effectiveness is well apprised. (authors)

Data Acquisition and Flux Calculations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rebmann, C.; Kolle, O; Heinesch, B

2012-01-01

In this chapter, the basic theory and the procedures used to obtain turbulent fluxes of energy, mass, and momentum with the eddy covariance technique will be detailed. This includes a description of data acquisition, pretreatment of high-frequency data and flux calculation....

2017 NAIP Acquisition Map

Data.gov (United States)

Farm Service Agency, Department of Agriculture — Planned States for 2017 NAIP acquisition and acquisition status layer (updated daily). Updates to the acquisition seasons may be made during the season to...

An original acquisition chain for the TOHR High Resolution Tomograph[OASIS]; Conception d'une chaine d'acqusition originale pour le Tomographe Haute Resolution TOHR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pinot, Laurent [Institut de Physique Nucleaire, Paris-11 Univ., 91 - Orsay (France)

1999-04-02

The framework of this work is part of a new approach of emission tomography adapted to small animals. The principle of our tomographic system TOHR (French acronym for High Resolution Tomograph) is based on the use of large solid angle and high resolution focusing collimators each mounted in front of a detection module of high efficiency. With a first-generation acquisition chain we were able to characterize TOHR, however, to take fully advantage of the TOHR possibilities, a completely new acquisition scheme had to be designed. This system, being the main topic of this work, makes use of temporal information. The detection of a particle that entered the detector is translated into temporal logical signals. These signals pass into a time coding circuitry and the coded results are transferred in a digital processor. According to the initial terms of delivery, the developed acquisition chain steers the detection of events dependent on the deposited energy and time of arrival. The latter is done by coincidence measurements. All elements are mounted on a special board included into a PC unit and a dedicated program controls the whole system. First experiments showed up the interest of the new acquisition unit for other application in physics or medical imaging.

Data acquisition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clout, P.N.

1982-01-01

Data acquisition systems are discussed for molecular biology experiments using synchrotron radiation sources. The data acquisition system requirements are considered. The components of the solution are described including hardwired solutions and computer-based solutions. Finally, the considerations for the choice of the computer-based solution are outlined. (U.K.)

Analysis of the Impacts of Distribution-Connected PV Using High-Speed Data Sets: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bank, J.; Mather, B.

2013-03-01

This paper, presented at the IEEE Green Technologies Conference 2013, utilizes information from high resolution data acquisition systems developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and deployed on a high-penetration PV distribution system to analyze the variability of different electrical parameters. High-resolution solar irradiance data is also available in the same area which is used to characterize the available resource and how it affects the electrical characteristics of the study circuit. This paper takes a data-driven look at the variability caused by load and compares those results against times when significant PV production is present. Comparisons between the variability in system load and the variability of distributed PV generation are made.

A tomograph VMEbus parallel processing data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkinson, N.A.; Rogers, J.G.; Atkins, M.S.

1989-01-01

This paper describes a VME based data acquisition system suitable for the development of Positron Volume Imaging tomographs which use 3-D data for improved image resolution over slice-oriented tomographs. the data acquisition must be flexible enough to accommodate several 3-D reconstruction algorithms; hence, a software-based system is most suitable. Furthermore, because of the increased dimensions and resolution of volume imaging tomographs, the raw data event rate is greater than that of slice-oriented machines. These dual requirements are met by our data acquisition system. Flexibility is achieved through an array of processors connected over a VMEbus, operating asynchronously and in parallel. High raw data throughput is achieved using a dedicated high speed data transfer device available for the VMEbus. The device can attain a raw data rate of 2.5 million coincidence events per second for raw events which are 64 bits wide

Multicohort Genomewide Association Study Reveals a New Signal of Protection Against HIV-1 Acquisition

Science.gov (United States)

Limou, Sophie; Delaneau, Olivier; van Manen, Daniëlle; An, Ping; Sezgin, Efe; Le Clerc, Sigrid; Coulonges, Cédric; Troyer, Jennifer L.; Veldink, Jan H.; van den Berg, Leonard H.; Spadoni, Jean-Louis; Taing, Lieng; Labib, Taoufik; Montes, Matthieu; Delfraissy, Jean-François; Schachter, François; O’Brien, Stephen J.; Buchbinder, Susan; van Natta, Mark L.; Jabs, Douglas A.; Froguel, Philippe; Schuitemaker, Hanneke; Winkler, Cheryl A.

2012-01-01

Background. To date, only mutations in CCR5 have been shown to confer resistance to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, and these explain only a small fraction of the observed variability in HIV susceptibility. Methods. We performed a meta-analysis between 2 independent European genomewide association studies, each comparing HIV-1 seropositive cases with normal population controls known to be HIV uninfected, to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with the HIV-1 acquisition phenotype. SNPs exhibiting P < 10−5 in this first stage underwent second-stage analysis in 2 independent US cohorts of European descent. Results. After the first stage, a single highly significant association was revealed for the chromosome 8 rs6996198 with HIV-1 acquisition and was replicated in both second-stage cohorts. Across the 4 groups, the rs6996198-T allele was consistently associated with a significant reduced risk of HIV-1 infection, and the global meta-analysis reached genomewide significance: Pcombined = 7.76 × 10−8. Conclusions. We provide strong evidence of association for a common variant with HIV-1 acquisition in populations of European ancestry. This protective signal against HIV-1 infection is the first identified outside the CCR5 nexus. First clues point to a potential functional role for a nearby candidate gene, CYP7B1, but this locus warrants further investigation. PMID:22362864

External factors affecting data acquisition during corneal topography examination.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Méijome, José Manuel; Queirós, Antonio; Jorge, Jorge; Fernandes, Paulo; Cerviño, Alejandro; de Almeida, José Borges

2007-03-01

To analyze the factors affecting data acquisition during corneal topography examination with the Medmont E-300 videokeratoscope and to provide strategies to minimize their effects. Sixty eyes from thirty young adults were examined. A second observer registered incidences with the potential to affect data acquisition. Those factors were correlated with the difficulty of measurements as judged subjectively by the practitioner who performed the examination. Measurements of axial curvature were analyzed to evaluate the variability expressed as intrasession and intersession coefficient of variation and the standard error of the mean (SEM). The level of difficulty rated by the practitioner was in general low, with 70% of the eyes being easy or very easy to measure. For the remaining 30% of the eyes, corneal topography measurements were considered to be difficult (27%) or very difficult (3%). Of the external parameters investigated, only fixation instability (PSEM improved when three readings from each session were considered. The level of subjective difficulty found during videokeratoscopy examination is correlated strongly with fixation instability and the need for head reorientation in the chin rest, whereas tear-related events seem to be less relevant in the practitioner perception of test ease or difficulty. Those factors have relevance in measurement variability.

Characterisation and correction of signal fluctuations in successive acquisitions of microarray images

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

François Nicolas

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There are many sources of variation in dual labelled microarray experiments, including data acquisition and image processing. The final interpretation of experiments strongly relies on the accuracy of the measurement of the signal intensity. For low intensity spots in particular, accurately estimating gene expression variations remains a challenge as signal measurement is, in this case, highly subject to fluctuations. Results To evaluate the fluctuations in the fluorescence intensities of spots, we used series of successive scans, at the same settings, of whole genome arrays. We measured the decrease in fluorescence and we evaluated the influence of different parameters (PMT gain, resolution and chemistry of the slide on the signal variability, at the level of the array as a whole and by intensity interval. Moreover, we assessed the effect of averaging scans on the fluctuations. We found that the extent of photo-bleaching was low and we established that 1 the fluorescence fluctuation is linked to the resolution e.g. it depends on the number of pixels in the spot 2 the fluorescence fluctuation increases as the scanner voltage increases and, moreover, is higher for the red as opposed to the green fluorescence which can introduce bias in the analysis 3 the signal variability is linked to the intensity level, it is higher for low intensities 4 the heterogeneity of the spots and the variability of the signal and the intensity ratios decrease when two or three scans are averaged. Conclusion Protocols consisting of two scans, one at low and one at high PMT gains, or multiple scans (ten scans can introduce bias or be difficult to implement. We found that averaging two, or at most three, acquisitions of microarrays scanned at moderate photomultiplier settings (PMT gain is sufficient to significantly improve the accuracy (quality of the data and particularly those for spots having low intensities and we propose this as a general

Sub-Hour X-Ray Variability of High-Energy Peaked BL Lacertae Objects

OpenAIRE

Bidzina Kapanadze

2018-01-01

The study of multi-wavelength flux variability in BL Lacertae objects is very important to discern unstable processes and emission mechanisms underlying their extreme observational features. While the innermost regions of these objects are not accessible from direct observations, we may draw conclusions about their internal structure via the detection of flux variations on various timescales, based on the light-travel argument. In this paper, we review the sub-hour X-ray variability in high-e...

Data Acquisition System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cirstea, C.D.; Buda, S.I.; Constantin, F.

2005-01-01

This paper deals with a multi parametric acquisition system developed for a four input Analog to Digital Converter working in CAMAC Standard. The acquisition software is built in MS Visual C++ on a standard PC with a USB interface. It has a visual interface which permits Start/Stop of the acquisition, setting the type of acquisition (True/Live time), the time and various menus for primary data acquisition. The spectrum is dynamically visualized with a moving cursor indicating the content and position. The microcontroller PIC16C765 is used for data transfer from ADC to PC; The microcontroller and the software create an embedded system which emulates the CAMAC protocol programming the 4 input ADC for operating modes ('zero suppression', 'addressed' and 'sequential') and handling the data transfers from ADC to its internal memory. From its memory the data is transferred into the PC by the USB interface. The work is in progress. (authors)

Data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cirstea, D.C.; Buda, S.I.; Constantin, F.

2005-01-01

The topic of this paper deals with a multi parametric acquisition system developed around a four input Analog to Digital Converter working in CAMAC Standard. The acquisition software is built in MS Visual C++ on a standard PC with a USB interface. It has a visual interface which permits Start/Stop of the acquisition, setting the type of acquisition (True/Live time), the time and various menus for primary data acquisition. The spectrum is dynamically visualized with a moving cursor indicating the content and position. The microcontroller PIC16C765 is used for data transfer from ADC to PC; The microcontroller and the software create an embedded system which emulates the CAMAC protocol programming, the 4 input ADC for operating modes ('zero suppression', 'addressed' and 'sequential') and handling the data transfers from ADC to its internal memory. From its memory the data is transferred into the PC by the USB interface. The work is in progress. (authors)

Learner Variables in Second Language Listening Comprehension: An Exploratory Path Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Vandergrift, Larry; Baker, Susan

2015-01-01

Listening comprehension plays a key role in language acquisition, yet little is known about the variables that contribute to the development of second language (L2) listening ability. This study sought to obtain empirical evidence for the impact of some of the learner variables and the degree to which they might predict success in L2 listening.…

Concentration of High Level Radioactive Liquid Waste. Basic data acquisition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Juvenelle, A.; Masson, M.; Garrido, M.H. [DEN/VRH/DRCP/SCPS/LPCP, BP 17171 - 30207 Bagnols sur Ceze Cedex (France)

2008-07-01

Full text of publication follows: In order to enhance its knowledge about the concentration of high level liquid waste (HLLW) from the nuclear fuel reprocessing process, a program of studies was defined by Cea. In a large field of acidity, it proposes to characterize the concentrated solution and the obtained precipitates versus the concentration factor. Four steps are considered: quantification of the salting-out effect on the concentrate acidity, acquisition of solubility data, precipitates characterisation versus the concentration factor through aging tests and concentration experimentation starting from simulated fission products solutions. The first results, reported here, connect the acidity of the concentrated solution to the concentration factor and allow us to precise the field of acidity (4 to 12 N) for the next experiments. In this field, solubility data of various elements (Ba, Sr, Zr...) are separately measured at room temperature, in nitric acid in a first time, then in the presence of various species present in medium (TBP, PO{sub 4}{sup 3-}). The reactions between these various elements are then investigated (formation of insoluble mixed compounds) by following the concentration cations in solution and characterising the precipitates. (authors)

Multi-channel data acquisition system with absolute time synchronization

Science.gov (United States)

Włodarczyk, Przemysław; Pustelny, Szymon; Budker, Dmitry; Lipiński, Marcin

2014-11-01

We present a low-cost, stand-alone global-time-synchronized data acquisition system. Our prototype allows recording up to four analog signals with a 16-bit resolution in variable ranges and a maximum sampling rate of 1000 S/s. The system simultaneously acquires readouts of external sensors e.g. magnetometer or thermometer. A complete data set, including a header containing timestamp, is stored on a Secure Digital (SD) card or transmitted to a computer using Universal Serial Bus (USB). The estimated time accuracy of the data acquisition is better than ±200 ns. The device is intended for use in a global network of optical magnetometers (the Global Network of Optical Magnetometers for Exotic physics - GNOME), which aims to search for signals heralding physics beyond the Standard Model, that can be generated by ordinary spin coupling to exotic particles or anomalous spin interactions.

The design of the Hyperon Data Acquisition System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gee, C.N.P.

1980-12-01

A new Native-mode Data Acquisition system, running on a VAX 11/780, has been designed for the SPS Hyperon Experiments at CERN. The system incorporates a variable number of communicating processes running under VAX/VMS, including user-written monitoring processes. Event handling has been implemented into the CAMAC Driver, and facilities are provided for using a data buffer much larger than the System Maximum Working-set Size. A generalised debugging facility for non terminal-oriented processes is also supported. (author)

Triggering and data acquisition general considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butler, Joel N.

2003-01-01

We provide a general introduction to trigger and data acquisition systems in High Energy Physics. We emphasize the new possibilities and new approaches that have been made possible by developments in computer technology and networking

Data Acquisition Backbone Core DABC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamczewski, J; Essel, H G; Kurz, N; Linev, S

2008-01-01

For the new experiments at FAIR new concepts of data acquisition systems have to be developed like the distribution of self-triggered, time stamped data streams over high performance networks for event building. The Data Acquisition Backbone Core (DABC) is a software package currently under development for FAIR detector tests, readout components test, and data flow investigations. All kinds of data channels (front-end systems) are connected by program plug-ins into functional components of DABC like data input, combiner, scheduler, event builder, analysis and storage components. After detailed simulations real tests of event building over a switched network (InfiniBand clusters with up to 110 nodes) have been performed. With the DABC software more than 900 MByte/s input and output per node can be achieved meeting the most demanding requirements. The software is ready for the implementation of various test beds needed for the final design of data acquisition systems at FAIR. The development of key components is supported by the FutureDAQ project of the European Union (FP6 I3HP JRA1)

Market information acquisition: a prerequisite for successful strategic entrepreneurship

OpenAIRE

Garri, Myropi; Konstantopoulos, N.

2013-01-01

This paper investigates on the types of information used by managers and entrepreneurs, so as to conduct market research and to evaluate market potential.The authors examine five major sets of variables to understand their impact on firms’ information market search effort. Empirical results based on a survey of Greek enterprises provide support for these factors in predicting firms’ market information acquisition. Findings on structural and administrative characteristics of the firms support ...

Organizational Learning through Knowledge Acquisitions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Amiryany Araghy, N.; Huysman, M.H.; de Man, A.P.; Cloodt, M.; Vrontis, D.; Weber, Y.; Kaufmann, R.; Tarba, S.

2008-01-01

Many acquisitions in the high-tech industry are motivated by a desire to share knowledge in order to stimulate organizational learning, with the ultimate aim of innovation. However, acquiring a firm does not guarantee that valuable knowledge will be successfully shared. Recent research has in fact

Variable Nitrogen Fixation in Wild Populus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharon L Doty

Full Text Available The microbiome of plants is diverse, and like that of animals, is important for overall health and nutrient acquisition. In legumes and actinorhizal plants, a portion of essential nitrogen (N is obtained through symbiosis with nodule-inhabiting, N2-fixing microorganisms. However, a variety of non-nodulating plant species can also thrive in natural, low-N settings. Some of these species may rely on endophytes, microorganisms that live within plants, to fix N2 gas into usable forms. Here we report the first direct evidence of N2 fixation in the early successional wild tree, Populus trichocarpa, a non-leguminous tree, from its native riparian habitat. In order to measure N2 fixation, surface-sterilized cuttings of wild poplar were assayed using both 15N2 incorporation and the commonly used acetylene reduction assay. The 15N label was incorporated at high levels in a subset of cuttings, suggesting a high level of N-fixation. Similarly, acetylene was reduced to ethylene in some samples. The microbiota of the cuttings was highly variable, both in numbers of cultured bacteria and in genetic diversity. Our results indicated that associative N2-fixation occurred within wild poplar and that a non-uniformity in the distribution of endophytic bacteria may explain the variability in N-fixation activity. These results point to the need for molecular studies to decipher the required microbial consortia and conditions for effective endophytic N2-fixation in trees.

Isolating second language learning factors in a computational study of bilingual construction acquisition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Matusevych, Y.; Alishahi, A.; Backus, A.M.; Bello, P.; Guarini, M.; McShane, M.; Scassellati, B.

2014-01-01

The study of second language acquisition (SLA) is often hindered by substantial variability in the background of learners, their learning process and the input they receive. This diversity often makes it difficult to isolate specific learning factors and study their impact on L2 development. We

Optimization of a variable-stiffness skin for morphing high-lift devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thuwis, G A A; Abdalla, M M; Gürdal, Z

2010-01-01

One of the possibilities for the next generation of smart high-lift devices is to use a seamless morphing structure. A passive composite variable-stiffness skin as a solution to the dilemma of designing the structure to have high enough stiffness to withstand aerodynamic loading and low stiffness to enable morphing is proposed. The variable-stiffness skin is achieved by allowing for a spatial fibre angle and skin thickness variation on a morphing high-lift system. The stiffness distribution is tailored to influence the deformation of the structure beneficially. To design a realistic stiffness distribution, it is important to take aerodynamic and actuation loads into account during the optimization. A two-dimensional aero-servo-elastic framework is created for this purpose. Skin optimization is performed using a gradient-based optimizer, where sensitivity information is found through application of the adjoint method. The implementation of the aero-servo-elastic environment is addressed and initial optimization results presented. The results indicate that a variable-stiffness skin increases the design space. Moreover, the importance of taking the change in aerodynamic loads due to morphing skin deformation into account during optimization is demonstrated

Mental Health Following Acquisition of Disability in Adulthood—The Impact of Wealth

Science.gov (United States)

Kavanagh, Anne Marie; Aitken, Zoe; Krnjacki, Lauren; LaMontagne, Anthony Daniel; Bentley, Rebecca; Milner, Allison

2015-01-01

Background Acquisition of a disability in adulthood has been associated with a reduction in mental health. We tested the hypothesis that low wealth prior to disability acquisition is associated with a greater deterioration in mental health than for people with high wealth. Methods We assess whether level of wealth prior to disability acquisition modifies this association using 12 waves of data (2001–2012) from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey–a population-based cohort study of working-age Australians. Eligible participants reported at least two consecutive waves of disability preceded by at least two consecutive waves without disability (1977 participants, 13,518 observations). Fixed-effects linear regression was conducted with a product term between wealth prior to disability (in tertiles) and disability acquisition with the mental health component score of the SF–36 as the outcome. Results In models adjusted for time-varying confounders, there was evidence of negative effect measure modification by prior wealth of the association between disability acquisition and mental health (interaction term for lowest wealth tertile: -2.2 points, 95% CI -3.1 points, -1.2, pwealth was associated with a greater decline in mental health following disability acquisition (-3.3 points, 95% CI -4.0, -2.5) than high wealth (-1.1 points, 95% CI -1.7, -0.5). Conclusion The findings suggest that low wealth prior to disability acquisition in adulthood results in a greater deterioration in mental health than among those with high wealth. PMID:26444990

Mental Health Following Acquisition of Disability in Adulthood--The Impact of Wealth.

Science.gov (United States)

Kavanagh, Anne Marie; Aitken, Zoe; Krnjacki, Lauren; LaMontagne, Anthony Daniel; Bentley, Rebecca; Milner, Allison

2015-01-01

Acquisition of a disability in adulthood has been associated with a reduction in mental health. We tested the hypothesis that low wealth prior to disability acquisition is associated with a greater deterioration in mental health than for people with high wealth. We assess whether level of wealth prior to disability acquisition modifies this association using 12 waves of data (2001-2012) from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey--a population-based cohort study of working-age Australians. Eligible participants reported at least two consecutive waves of disability preceded by at least two consecutive waves without disability (1977 participants, 13,518 observations). Fixed-effects linear regression was conducted with a product term between wealth prior to disability (in tertiles) and disability acquisition with the mental health component score of the SF-36 as the outcome. In models adjusted for time-varying confounders, there was evidence of negative effect measure modification by prior wealth of the association between disability acquisition and mental health (interaction term for lowest wealth tertile: -2.2 points, 95% CI -3.1 points, -1.2, pwealth was associated with a greater decline in mental health following disability acquisition (-3.3 points, 95% CI -4.0, -2.5) than high wealth (-1.1 points, 95% CI -1.7, -0.5). The findings suggest that low wealth prior to disability acquisition in adulthood results in a greater deterioration in mental health than among those with high wealth.

Data acquisition systems for high energy Physics experiments; Sistemas de adquisicion de datos en experimentos de Fisica de Particulas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duran, I; Olmos, P

1986-07-01

We describe here the Data Acquisition Systems most frequently used in High Energy Physics experiments. This report begins with a brief description of the main elements of a typical signal processing chain, following with a detailed exposition of the four most popular instrumentation standards used in this kind of experimental: NIM, CAMAC, FASTBUS and VME. (Author) 9 refs.

Adaptations to High Salt in a Halophilic Protist: Differential Expression and Gene Acquisitions through Duplications and Gene Transfers

Science.gov (United States)

Harding, Tommy; Roger, Andrew J.; Simpson, Alastair G. B.

2017-01-01

The capacity of halophiles to thrive in extreme hypersaline habitats derives partly from the tight regulation of ion homeostasis, the salt-dependent adjustment of plasma membrane fluidity, and the increased capability to manage oxidative stress. Halophilic bacteria, and archaea have been intensively studied, and substantial research has been conducted on halophilic fungi, and the green alga Dunaliella. By contrast, there have been very few investigations of halophiles that are phagotrophic protists, i.e., protozoa. To gather fundamental knowledge about salt adaptation in these organisms, we studied the transcriptome-level response of Halocafeteria seosinensis (Stramenopiles) grown under contrasting salinities. We provided further evolutionary context to our analysis by identifying genes that underwent recent duplications. Genes that were highly responsive to salinity variations were involved in stress response (e.g., chaperones), ion homeostasis (e.g., Na+/H+ transporter), metabolism and transport of lipids (e.g., sterol biosynthetic genes), carbohydrate metabolism (e.g., glycosidases), and signal transduction pathways (e.g., transcription factors). A significantly high proportion (43%) of duplicated genes were also differentially expressed, accentuating the importance of gene expansion in adaptation by H. seosinensis to high salt environments. Furthermore, we found two genes that were lateral acquisitions from bacteria, and were also highly up-regulated and highly expressed at high salt, suggesting that this evolutionary mechanism could also have facilitated adaptation to high salt. We propose that a transition toward high-salt adaptation in the ancestors of H. seosinensis required the acquisition of new genes via duplication, and some lateral gene transfers (LGTs), as well as the alteration of transcriptional programs, leading to increased stress resistance, proper establishment of ion gradients, and modification of cell structure properties like membrane

Adaptations to High Salt in a Halophilic Protist: Differential Expression and Gene Acquisitions through Duplications and Gene Transfers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tommy Harding

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The capacity of halophiles to thrive in extreme hypersaline habitats derives partly from the tight regulation of ion homeostasis, the salt-dependent adjustment of plasma membrane fluidity, and the increased capability to manage oxidative stress. Halophilic bacteria, and archaea have been intensively studied, and substantial research has been conducted on halophilic fungi, and the green alga Dunaliella. By contrast, there have been very few investigations of halophiles that are phagotrophic protists, i.e., protozoa. To gather fundamental knowledge about salt adaptation in these organisms, we studied the transcriptome-level response of Halocafeteria seosinensis (Stramenopiles grown under contrasting salinities. We provided further evolutionary context to our analysis by identifying genes that underwent recent duplications. Genes that were highly responsive to salinity variations were involved in stress response (e.g., chaperones, ion homeostasis (e.g., Na+/H+ transporter, metabolism and transport of lipids (e.g., sterol biosynthetic genes, carbohydrate metabolism (e.g., glycosidases, and signal transduction pathways (e.g., transcription factors. A significantly high proportion (43% of duplicated genes were also differentially expressed, accentuating the importance of gene expansion in adaptation by H. seosinensis to high salt environments. Furthermore, we found two genes that were lateral acquisitions from bacteria, and were also highly up-regulated and highly expressed at high salt, suggesting that this evolutionary mechanism could also have facilitated adaptation to high salt. We propose that a transition toward high-salt adaptation in the ancestors of H. seosinensis required the acquisition of new genes via duplication, and some lateral gene transfers (LGTs, as well as the alteration of transcriptional programs, leading to increased stress resistance, proper establishment of ion gradients, and modification of cell structure properties like

Data acquisition in the EUDET project

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

with emphasis on issues related to data acquisition for future test beam experiments. Keywords. ... working in the field of high energy physics. In addition .... processor for gas detectors, Open Access article, Published in: IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.

Recent developments of the RFX control and data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barana, O.; Luchetta, A.; Manduchi, G.; Taliercio, C.

2004-01-01

Although the new RFX machine is still under modification, most power supply systems have been used since early 2003 for testing an ITER high-power by-pass switch. This has given us the opportunity to verify the effectiveness of several choices we made in the development of the new data acquisition and control system of RFX. The system has been renewed both in its control and data acquisition components. For control, the new system employs Simatic S7 PLCs and a commercial Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) tool. Many improvements have been made to the MDSplus-based data acquisition system. The whole system has been ported from OpenVMS to Linux, using a server for data storage and CAMAC data acquisition, and a set of CompactPCI crates, each hosting a Linux PC board. Device-specific code is now entirely implemented in TDI, the scripting language of MDSplus. Our experience in the new system has been positive, especially for the data acquisition system

A progress report of the switch-based data acquisition system prototype project and the application of switches from industry to high-energy physics event building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barsotti, E.; Booth, A.; Bowden, M.; Swoboda, C.

1990-01-01

A prototype of a data acquisition system based on a new scalable, highly-parallel, open-system architecture is being developed at Fermilab. The major component of the new architecture, the parallel event builder, is based on a telecommunications industry technique used in the implementation of switching systems, a barrel-shift switch. The architecture is scalable both in the expandability of the number of input channels and in the throughput of the system. Because of its scalability, the system is well suited for low to high-rate experiments, test beams and all SSC detectors. The architecture is open in that as new technologies are developed and made into commercial products (e.g., arrays of processors and workstations and standard data links), these new products can be easily integrated into the system with minimal system modifications and no modifications to the system's basic architecture. Scalability and openness should guarantee that the data acquisition system does not become obsolete during the lifetime of the experiment. The paper first gives a description of the architecture and the prototype project and then details both the prototype project's software and hardware status including details of some architecture simulation studies. Suggestions for future R and D work on the new data acquisition system architecture are then described. The paper concludes by examining interconnection networks from industry and their application to event building and to other areas of high-energy physics data acquisition systems

Electronics engineering tools for modern data acquisition systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cardoso, Guilherme; Kwan, Simon; Vergara, Sergio; Sheaff, Marleigh

2003-01-01

The very large number of channels and high data rates in modern particle physics experiments put very stringent requirements on the acquisition of data. To reduce the cost as well as the number of cables required to transport the data from detector to counting room, it is necessary to use very large scale integrated circuits for pre-processing the data right on the front-end circuit boards. Also, very high speed optoelectronic circuits are needed to transport the data on to the counting room from the front-end circuits. Two techniques relevant to data acquisition are discussed. The first is Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), including using the Very High Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language (VHDL) to program them. The second is the design of a very high speed optoelectronic circuit for data transport

Optimal performance of data acquisition and processing for bone SPECT using Tc-99m

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tantawy, F.A.; Ziada, G.A.; Talaat, T.; Hassan, A.A.

1995-01-01

The present work deals with the physical factors that could affect the quality in the bone SPECT technique. The factors included different acquisition and processing variables such as matrix size, time for acquisition, preprocessing filter and reconstruction back projection filter. Our results revealed that the best matrix size was 64x64. The acquisition time was tested between 20 s/step to 40 s/step. It has been found that the optimal acquisition time was 20 s/step. Concerning the preprocessing filter, 9-Bw (8-0.3) and F-Bw (8-0.3) were the best. At the same time, back projection filters were applied by Ramp, Shepp and logan, medium and chesler. It has been found that the best reconstruction back projection filter was ramp filter. From the above results, the matrix size 64x64, acquisition time 20 s/step, preprocessing filter (9-Bw (8-0.3) and F-Bw (8-0.3)) and reconstruction back projection filter Ramp were selected as the optimum parameters to be taken into consideration in bone SPECT technique. Tc- 99 m was used a radioactive isotope. 9 figs

75 FR 54524 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Acquisition Strategies To Ensure Competition...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-08

...., because the changes are to internal Government organization and operating procedures only. The rule... 48 CFR Part 207 Government procurement. Ynette R. Shelkin, Editor, Defense Acquisition Regulations... Life Cycle of Major Defense Acquisition Programs (DFARS Case 2009-D014) AGENCY: Defense Acquisition...

High-Speed Data Acquisition and Digital Signal Processing System for PET Imaging Techniques Applied to Mammography

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, J. D.; Benlloch, J. M.; Cerda, J.; Lerche, Ch. W.; Pavon, N.; Sebastia, A.

2004-06-01

This paper is framed into the Positron Emission Mammography (PEM) project, whose aim is to develop an innovative gamma ray sensor for early breast cancer diagnosis. Currently, breast cancer is detected using low-energy X-ray screening. However, functional imaging techniques such as PET/FDG could be employed to detect breast cancer and track disease changes with greater sensitivity. Furthermore, a small and less expensive PET camera can be utilized minimizing main problems of whole body PET. To accomplish these objectives, we are developing a new gamma ray sensor based on a newly released photodetector. However, a dedicated PEM detector requires an adequate data acquisition (DAQ) and processing system. The characterization of gamma events needs a free-running analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with sampling rates of more than 50 Ms/s and must achieve event count rates up to 10 MHz. Moreover, comprehensive data processing must be carried out to obtain event parameters necessary for performing the image reconstruction. A new generation digital signal processor (DSP) has been used to comply with these requirements. This device enables us to manage the DAQ system at up to 80 Ms/s and to execute intensive calculi over the detector signals. This paper describes our designed DAQ and processing architecture whose main features are: very high-speed data conversion, multichannel synchronized acquisition with zero dead time, a digital triggering scheme, and high throughput of data with an extensive optimization of the signal processing algorithms.

Magnetic-Field-Response Measurement-Acquisition System

Science.gov (United States)

Woodward, Stanley E.; Shams, Qamar A.; Fox, Robert L.; Taylor, Bryant D.

2006-01-01

A measurement-acquisition system uses magnetic fields to power sensors and to acquire measurements from sensors. The system alleviates many shortcomings of traditional measurement-acquisition systems, which include a finite number of measurement channels, weight penalty associated with wires, use limited to a single type of measurement, wire degradation due to wear or chemical decay, and the logistics needed to add new sensors. Eliminating wiring for acquiring measurements can alleviate potential hazards associated with wires, such as damaged wires becoming ignition sources due to arcing. The sensors are designed as electrically passive inductive-capacitive or passive inductive-capacitive-resistive circuits that produce magnetic-field-responses. One or more electrical parameters (inductance, capacitance, and resistance) of each sensor can be variable and corresponds to a measured physical state of interest. The magnetic-field- response attributes (frequency, amplitude, and bandwidth) of the inductor correspond to the states of physical properties for which each sensor measures. For each sensor, the measurement-acquisition system produces a series of increasing magnetic-field harmonics within a frequency range dedicated to that sensor. For each harmonic, an antenna electrically coupled to an oscillating current (the frequency of which is that of the harmonic) produces an oscillating magnetic field. Faraday induction via the harmonic magnetic fields produces an electromotive force and therefore a current in the sensor. Once electrically active, the sensor produces its own harmonic magnetic field as the inductor stores and releases magnetic energy. The antenna of the measurement- acquisition system is switched from a transmitting to a receiving mode to acquire the magnetic-field response of the sensor. The rectified amplitude of the received response is compared to previous responses to prior transmitted harmonics, to ascertain if the measurement system has detected a

Multi-channel data acquisition system with absolute time synchronization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Włodarczyk, Przemysław, E-mail: pan.wlodarczyk@uj.edu.pl [Department of Electronics, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków (Poland); Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Reymonta 4, 30-059 Kraków (Poland); Pustelny, Szymon, E-mail: pustelny@uj.edu.pl [Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Reymonta 4, 30-059 Kraków (Poland); Budker, Dmitry [Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720-7300 (United States); Lipiński, Marcin [Department of Electronics, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków (Poland)

2014-11-01

We present a low-cost, stand-alone global-time-synchronized data acquisition system. Our prototype allows recording up to four analog signals with a 16-bit resolution in variable ranges and a maximum sampling rate of 1000 S/s. The system simultaneously acquires readouts of external sensors e.g. magnetometer or thermometer. A complete data set, including a header containing timestamp, is stored on a Secure Digital (SD) card or transmitted to a computer using Universal Serial Bus (USB). The estimated time accuracy of the data acquisition is better than ±200 ns. The device is intended for use in a global network of optical magnetometers (the Global Network of Optical Magnetometers for Exotic physics – GNOME), which aims to search for signals heralding physics beyond the Standard Model, that can be generated by ordinary spin coupling to exotic particles or anomalous spin interactions.

8-Channel acquisition system for Time-Correlated Single-Photon Counting.

Science.gov (United States)

Antonioli, S; Miari, L; Cuccato, A; Crotti, M; Rech, I; Ghioni, M

2013-06-01

Nowadays, an increasing number of applications require high-performance analytical instruments capable to detect the temporal trend of weak and fast light signals with picosecond time resolution. The Time-Correlated Single-Photon Counting (TCSPC) technique is currently one of the preferable solutions when such critical optical signals have to be analyzed and it is fully exploited in biomedical and chemical research fields, as well as in security and space applications. Recent progress in the field of single-photon detector arrays is pushing research towards the development of high performance multichannel TCSPC systems, opening the way to modern time-resolved multi-dimensional optical analysis. In this paper we describe a new 8-channel high-performance TCSPC acquisition system, designed to be compact and versatile, to be used in modern TCSPC measurement setups. We designed a novel integrated circuit including a multichannel Time-to-Amplitude Converter with variable full-scale range, a D∕A converter, and a parallel adder stage. The latter is used to adapt each converter output to the input dynamic range of a commercial 8-channel Analog-to-Digital Converter, while the integrated DAC implements the dithering technique with as small as possible area occupation. The use of this monolithic circuit made the design of a scalable system of very small dimensions (95 × 40 mm) and low power consumption (6 W) possible. Data acquired from the TCSPC measurement are digitally processed and stored inside an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), while a USB transceiver allows real-time transmission of up to eight TCSPC histograms to a remote PC. Eventually, the experimental results demonstrate that the acquisition system performs TCSPC measurements with high conversion rate (up to 5 MHz/channel), extremely low differential nonlinearity (<0.04 peak-to-peak of the time bin width), high time resolution (down to 20 ps Full-Width Half-Maximum), and very low crosstalk between channels.

Low-level-signal data acquisition for the MFTF superconducting-magnet system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montoya, C.R.

1981-01-01

Acquisition of low level signals from sensors mounted on the superconducting yin-yang magnet in the Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) imposes very strict requirements on the magnet signal conditioning and data acquisition system. Of the various types of sensors required, thermocouples, strain gages, and voltage taps produce very low level outputs. These low level outputs must be accurately measured in the harsh environment of slowly varying magnetic fields, cryogenic temperatures, high vacuum, pulse power and 60 Hz electrical noise, possible neutron radiation, and high common mode voltage resulting from superconducting magnet quench. Successful measurements require careful attention to grounding, shielding, signal handling and processing in the data acquisition system. The magnet instrumentation system provides a means of effectively measuring both low level signals and high level signals from all types of sensors

The skills related to the early reading acquisition in Spain and Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Sellés, Pilar; Ávila, Vicenta; Martínez, Tomás; Ysla, Liz

2018-01-01

This paper deals with the skills related to the early reading acquisition in two countries that share language. Traditionally on reading readiness research there is a great interest to find out what factors affect early reading ability, but differ from other academic skills that affect general school learnings. Furthermore, it is also known how the influence of pre-reading variables in two countries with the same language, affect the development of the reading. On the other hand, several studies have examined what skills are related to reading readiness (phonological awareness, alphabetic awareness, naming speed, linguistic skills, metalinguistic knowledge and basic cognitive processes), but there are no studies showing whether countries can also influence the development of these skills.Our main objective in this study was to establish whether there were differences in the degree of acquisition of these skills between Spanish (119 children) and Peruvian (128 children), five years old children assessed in their own countries and after controlling Economic, Social and Cultural Status (ESCS). The results show that there are significant differences in the degree of acquisition of these skills between these two samples. It's especially relevant, in these results, that the main predictor in a regression study was the country of origin, explaining a higher percentage of variance than other variables such as age differences, in months, or gender. These findings corroborate the results obtained in other studies with migrant population.

Optimization of a variable-stiffness skin for morphing high-lift devices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thuwis, G.A.A.; Abdalla, M.M.; Gürdal, Z.

2010-01-01

One of the possibilities for the next generation of smart high-lift devices is to use a seamless morphing structure. A passive composite variable-stiffness skin as a solution to the dilemma of designing the structure to have high enough stiffness to withstand aerodynamic loading and low stiffness to

Success and Failures of Acquisitions: A Case Study for a Chemical Company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shainaaz MOOSA MUSTAFFA

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to perform a universal inspection of the processes adopted in acquisitions by concentrating on attributes which are speedily implemented in the industry. The approach to this research study was based on literature reviews to gain knowledge on the causes of failure and the factors attributed to the success of acquisitions in the case study concerning a chemical company. This method was applied to identify if the failures and successes researched are shown in the case study. The research study firstly looked at various approaches to acquisitions, namely, the pre-acquisition, post-acquisition and integration phases together with the motives for acquisitions. The study delves further into factors influencing the failures and successes of acquisitions. A notable body of research was consulted to focus on these factors. The research study highlights a framework incorporating the management of post-integration strategy concurrently with the people and the organisational goals. The key findings showed that the company lacked a formal integration plan, cultural integration, ad proper communication plans. This resulted in staff unrest and high attrition of staff from deal announcement date up to post integration, leading to high resistance from staff and poor people integration. The company did however achieve financial success through synergy realisation. This positive outcome could have been achieved quicker with the proper integration plans within the different phases of the acquisition. The knowledge attained from this study will hopefully add to the body of knowledge on acquisitions.

Acquisitions Everywhere: Modeling an Acquisitions Data Standard to Connect a Distributed Environment

OpenAIRE

Hanson, Eric M.; Lightcap, Paul W.; Miguez, Matthew R.

2016-01-01

Acquisitions functions remain operationally crucial in providing access to paid information resources, but data formats and workflows utilized within library acquisitions remain primarily within the traditional integrated library system (ILS). As libraries have evolved to use distributed systems to manage information resources, so too must acquisitions functions adapt to an environment that may include the ILS, e‐resource management systems (ERMS), institutional repositories (IR), and other d...

Speaker Input Variability Does Not Explain Why Larger Populations Have Simpler Languages.

Science.gov (United States)

Atkinson, Mark; Kirby, Simon; Smith, Kenny

2015-01-01

A learner's linguistic input is more variable if it comes from a greater number of speakers. Higher speaker input variability has been shown to facilitate the acquisition of phonemic boundaries, since data drawn from multiple speakers provides more information about the distribution of phonemes in a speech community. It has also been proposed that speaker input variability may have a systematic influence on individual-level learning of morphology, which can in turn influence the group-level characteristics of a language. Languages spoken by larger groups of people have less complex morphology than those spoken in smaller communities. While a mechanism by which the number of speakers could have such an effect is yet to be convincingly identified, differences in speaker input variability, which is thought to be larger in larger groups, may provide an explanation. By hindering the acquisition, and hence faithful cross-generational transfer, of complex morphology, higher speaker input variability may result in structural simplification. We assess this claim in two experiments which investigate the effect of such variability on language learning, considering its influence on a learner's ability to segment a continuous speech stream and acquire a morphologically complex miniature language. We ultimately find no evidence to support the proposal that speaker input variability influences language learning and so cannot support the hypothesis that it explains how population size determines the structural properties of language.

Word-final stops in Brazilian Portuguese English: acquisition and pronunciation instruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walcir Cardoso

2010-11-01

Full Text Available This paper presents current research on the second language acquisition of English phonology and its implication for (and applications to pronunciation instruction in the language classroom. More specifically, the paper follows the development of English word-final consonants by Brazilian Portuguese speakers learning English as a foreign language. The findings of two parallel studies reveal that the acquisition of these constituents is motivated by both extralinguistic (proficiency, style and linguistic (word size, place of articulation factors, and that the process is mediated by an intermediate stage characterized by consonant lengthening or aspiration (Onset-Nucleus sharing. Based on these results, I propose that the segments and environments that seem to delay coda production (i.e., monosyllabic words, labial and dorsal consonants should be given priority in pronunciation instruction. Along the lines of Dickerson (1975, this paper proposes (what we believe is a more effective and socially realistic pedagogy for the teaching of English pronunciation within an approach that recognizes that "variability is the norm rather than the exception" in second language acquisition.

High-speed limnology: using advanced sensors to investigate spatial variability in biogeochemistry and hydrology.

Science.gov (United States)

Crawford, John T; Loken, Luke C; Casson, Nora J; Smith, Colin; Stone, Amanda G; Winslow, Luke A

2015-01-06

Advanced sensor technology is widely used in aquatic monitoring and research. Most applications focus on temporal variability, whereas spatial variability has been challenging to document. We assess the capability of water chemistry sensors embedded in a high-speed water intake system to document spatial variability. This new sensor platform continuously samples surface water at a range of speeds (0 to >45 km h(-1)) resulting in high-density, mesoscale spatial data. These novel observations reveal previously unknown variability in physical, chemical, and biological factors in streams, rivers, and lakes. By combining multiple sensors into one platform, we were able to detect terrestrial-aquatic hydrologic connections in a small dystrophic lake, to infer the role of main-channel vs backwater nutrient processing in a large river and to detect sharp chemical changes across aquatic ecosystem boundaries in a stream/lake complex. Spatial sensor data were verified in our examples by comparing with standard lab-based measurements of selected variables. Spatial fDOM data showed strong correlation with wet chemistry measurements of DOC, and optical NO3 concentrations were highly correlated with lab-based measurements. High-frequency spatial data similar to our examples could be used to further understand aquatic biogeochemical fluxes, ecological patterns, and ecosystem processes, and will both inform and benefit from fixed-site data.

48 CFR 434.004 - Acquisition strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Acquisition strategy. 434.004 Section 434.004 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING MAJOR SYSTEM ACQUISITION General 434.004 Acquisition strategy. (a) The program...

Comparison of two single-breath-held 3-D acquisitions with multi-breath-held 2-D cine steady-state free precession MRI acquisition in children with single ventricles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Atweh, Lamya A.; Dodd, Nicholas A.; Krishnamurthy, Ramkumar; Chu, Zili D. [Texas Children' s Hospital, EB Singleton Department of Pediatric Radiology, Cardiovascular Imaging, Houston, TX (United States); Pednekar, Amol [Philips Healthcare, Houston, TX (United States); Krishnamurthy, Rajesh [Texas Children' s Hospital, EB Singleton Department of Pediatric Radiology, Cardiovascular Imaging, Houston, TX (United States); Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Houston, TX (United States); Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Houston, TX (United States)

2016-05-15

Breath-held two-dimensional balanced steady-state free precession cine acquisition (2-D breath-held SSFP), accelerated with parallel imaging, is the method of choice for evaluating ventricular function due to its superior blood-to-myocardial contrast, edge definition and high intrinsic signal-to-noise ratio throughout the cardiac cycle. The purpose of this study is to qualitatively and quantitatively compare the two different single-breath-hold 3-D cine SSFP acquisitions using 1) multidirectional sensitivity encoding (SENSE) acceleration factors (3-D multiple SENSE SSFP), and 2) k-t broad-use linear acceleration speed-up technique (3-D k-t SSFP) with the conventional 2-D breath-held SSFP in non-sedated asymptomatic volunteers and children with single ventricle congenital heart disease. Our prospective study was performed on 30 non-sedated subjects (9 healthy volunteers and 21 functional single ventricle patients), ages 12.5 +/- 2.8 years. Two-dimensional breath-held SSFP with SENSE acceleration factor of 2, eight-fold accelerated 3-D k-t SSFP, and 3-D multiple SENSE SSFP with total parallel imaging factor of 4 were performed to evaluate ventricular volumes and mass in the short-axis orientation. Image quality scores (blood myocardial contrast, edge definition and interslice alignment) and volumetric analysis (end systolic volume, end diastolic volume and ejection fraction) were performed on the data sets by experienced users. Paired t-test was performed to compare each of the 3-D k-t SSFP and 3-D multiple SENSE SSFP clinical scores against 2-D breath-held SSFP. Bland-Altman analysis was performed on left ventricle (LV) and single ventricle volumetry. Interobserver and intraobserver variability in volumetric measurements were determined using intraclass coefficients. The clinical scores were highest for the 2-D breath-held SSFP images. Between the two 3-D sequences, 3-D multiple SENSE SSFP performed better than 3-D k-t SSFP. Bland-Altman analysis for volumes

Variable load failure mechanism for high-speed load sensing electro-hydrostatic actuator pump of aircraft

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cun SHI

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a novel transient lubrication model for the analysis of the variable load failure mechanism of high-speed pump used in Load Sensing Electro-Hydrostatic Actuator (LS-EHA. Focusing on the slipper/swashplate pair partial abrasion, which is considered as the dominant failure mode in the high-speed condition, slipper dynamic models are established. A forth sliding motion of the slipper on the swashplate surface is presented under the fact that the slipper center of mass will rotate around the center of piston ball when the swashplate angle is dynamically adjusted. Besides, extra inertial tilting moments will be produced for the slipper based on the theorem on translation of force, which will increase rapidly when LS-EHA pump operates under high-speed condition. Then, a dynamic lubricating model coupling with fluid film thickness field, temperature field and pressure field is proposed. The deformation effects caused by thermal deflection and hydrostatic pressure are considered. A numerical simulation model is established to validate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed model. Finally, based on the load spectrum of aircraft flight profile, the variable load conditions and the oil film characteristics are analyzed, and series of variable load rules of oil film thickness with variable speed/variable pressure/variable displacement are concluded. Keywords: Coupling lubrication model, Electro-Hydrostatic Actuator (EHA, High-speed pump, Partial abrasion, Slipper pair, Variable load

48 CFR 873.105 - Acquisition planning.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Acquisition planning. 873.105 Section 873.105 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT... planning. (a) Acquisition planning is an indispensable component of the total acquisition process. (b) For...

48 CFR 34.004 - Acquisition strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Acquisition strategy. 34... CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING MAJOR SYSTEM ACQUISITION General 34.004 Acquisition strategy. The program manager, as specified in agency procedures, shall develop an acquisition strategy tailored to the particular...

48 CFR 3034.004 - Acquisition strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Acquisition strategy. 3034.004 Section 3034.004 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, HOMELAND... Acquisition strategy. See (HSAR) 48 CFR 3009.570 for policy applicable to acquisition strategies that consider...

Clinical study of Whole Heart MRCA. Evaluation of acquisition method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwai, Mitsuhiro; Tateishi, Toshiki; Takeda, Soji; Hayashi, Ryuji

2006-01-01

In CT coronary angiography (CTCA), image reconstruction is performed using the optimal phase with either the relative or the absolute delaying methods. Whole Heart MRCA is generally considered to set up the signal acquisition time when is only the middle-diastolic phase in the standstill state of the right coronary artery per cardiac beat as the conventional method. However, in the case of high cardiac beats, such as arrhythmia respiratory instability, etc., image acquisition can take long time and a good quality image may not be maintained. We use not only the middle-diastolic acquisition (conventional method) but also the systolic phase acquisition (systolic phase method) and the shortening method (total acquisition shortening (TASH) method). The aim of this study was to examine the depiction ability and the image quality in the images of 585 Whole Heart MRCA(s) acquired by three methods described above. Seventy percent of all exhibited good quality images in the middle of extension. The remaining images obtained by the systolic phase (at the time of high cardiac beats) and the TASH methods (respiratory instability etc.) were better than those obtained using the conventional method. The sensitivity and the specificity of coronary stenosis (75%) in the TASH, systolic-phase and the conventional methods were 90% and 96%, 96% and 97%, and 87% and 96%, respectively. These findings proved that no significant differences in the depiction of the coronary stenosis were apparent using the three methods. It was concluded that it was necessary to establish suitable signal time acquisition and to change the acquisition method depending on cardiac beats or the state of breathing for Whole Heart MRCA. (author)

WEATHER ON OTHER WORLDS. III. A SURVEY FOR T DWARFS WITH HIGH-AMPLITUDE OPTICAL VARIABILITY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinze, Aren N.; Metchev, Stanimir; Kellogg, Kendra

2015-01-01

We have monitored 12 T dwarfs with the Kitt Peak 2.1 m telescope using an F814W filter (0.7-0.95 μm) to place in context the remarkable 10%-20% variability exhibited by the nearby T dwarf Luhman 16B in this wavelength regime. The motivation was the poorly known red optical behavior of T dwarfs, which have been monitored almost exclusively at infrared wavelengths, where variability amplitudes greater than 10% have been found to be very rare. We detect highly significant variability in two T dwarfs. The T2.5 dwarf 2MASS 13243559+6358284 shows consistent ∼17% variability on two consecutive nights. The T2 dwarf 2MASS J16291840+0335371 exhibits ∼10% variability that may evolve from night to night, similarly to Luhman 16B. Both objects were previously known to be variable in the infrared, but with considerably lower amplitudes. We also find evidence for variability in the T6 dwarf J162414.37+002915.6, but since it has lower significance, we conservatively refrain from claiming this object as a variable. We explore and rule out various telluric effects, demonstrating that the variations we detect are astrophysically real. We suggest that high-amplitude photometric variability for T dwarfs is likely more common in the red optical than at longer wavelengths. The two new members of the growing class of high-amplitude variable T dwarfs offer excellent prospects for further study of cloud structures and their evolution

WEATHER ON OTHER WORLDS. III. A SURVEY FOR T DWARFS WITH HIGH-AMPLITUDE OPTICAL VARIABILITY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heinze, Aren N.; Metchev, Stanimir [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3800 (United States); Kellogg, Kendra, E-mail: aren.heinze@stonybrook.edu, E-mail: smetchev@uwo.ca [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON N6A 3K7 (Canada)

2015-03-10

We have monitored 12 T dwarfs with the Kitt Peak 2.1 m telescope using an F814W filter (0.7-0.95 μm) to place in context the remarkable 10%-20% variability exhibited by the nearby T dwarf Luhman 16B in this wavelength regime. The motivation was the poorly known red optical behavior of T dwarfs, which have been monitored almost exclusively at infrared wavelengths, where variability amplitudes greater than 10% have been found to be very rare. We detect highly significant variability in two T dwarfs. The T2.5 dwarf 2MASS 13243559+6358284 shows consistent ∼17% variability on two consecutive nights. The T2 dwarf 2MASS J16291840+0335371 exhibits ∼10% variability that may evolve from night to night, similarly to Luhman 16B. Both objects were previously known to be variable in the infrared, but with considerably lower amplitudes. We also find evidence for variability in the T6 dwarf J162414.37+002915.6, but since it has lower significance, we conservatively refrain from claiming this object as a variable. We explore and rule out various telluric effects, demonstrating that the variations we detect are astrophysically real. We suggest that high-amplitude photometric variability for T dwarfs is likely more common in the red optical than at longer wavelengths. The two new members of the growing class of high-amplitude variable T dwarfs offer excellent prospects for further study of cloud structures and their evolution.

Age of Acquisition Effects in Chinese EFL learners’ Delexicalized Verb and Collocation Acquisition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miao Haiyan

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates age of acquisition (AoA effects and the acquisition of delexicalized verbs and collocations in Chinese EFL learners, and explores the underlying reasons from the connectionist model for these learners’ acquisition characteristics. The data were collected through a translation test consisted of delexialized verb information section and English-Chinese and Chinese-English collocation parts, aiming to focus on Chinese EFL learners’ receptive and productive abilities respectively. As Chinese EFL is a nationally classroom-based practice beginning from early primary school, the pedagogical value and different phases of acquisition are thus taken into consideration in designing the translation test. Research results show that the effects of AoA are significant not only in the learners’ acquisition of individual delexicalized verbs but also in delexicalized collocations. Although learners have long begun to learn delexicalized verbs, their production indicates that early learning does not guarantee total acquisition, because their grasp of delexicalized verbs still stay at the senior middle school level. AoA effects significantly affect the recognition but not the production of collocations. Furthermore, a plateau effect occurs in learners’ acquisition of college-level delexicalized collocations, as their recognition and production have no processing advantages over earlier learned collocations.

Testing hypotheses on frequency effects in first language acquisition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærbæk, Laila; Basbøll, Hans

2015-01-01

On the basis of extensive literature studies, Ambridge, Kidd, Rowland and Theakston (2015) present five theses on frequency effects on language acquisition: i) the Levels and Kinds Thesis argues that frequency effects exist at all levels and are of many different kinds (e.g., type and token...... frequency effects as well as absolute and relative frequency effects); ii) the Age of Acquisition Thesis argues that all other things being equal, frequent forms will be acquired before less frequent forms. Since all other things are not equal, this claim does not entail a one-to-one relationship between...... frequency and age of acquisition; iii) the Prevent Error Thesis argues that high-frequency forms prevent (or reduce) errors in contexts in which they are the target; iv) the Cause Error Thesis argues that high-frequency forms also cause errors in contexts in which a competing, related lower-frequency form...

Sustaining an Acquisition-based Growth Strategy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henningsson, Stefan; Toppenberg, Gustav; Shanks, Graeme

Value creating acquisitions are a major challenge for many firms. Our case study of Cisco Systems shows that an advanced Enterprise Architecture (EA) capability can contribute to the acquisition process through a) preparing the acquirer to become ‘acquisition ready’, b) identifying resource...... complementarity, c) directing and governing the integration process, and d) post-acquisition evaluation of the achieved integration and proposing ways forward. Using the EA capability in the acquisition process improves Cisco’s ability to rapidly capture value from its acquisitions and to sustain its acquisition...

48 CFR 234.004 - Acquisition strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Acquisition strategy. 234..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING MAJOR SYSTEM ACQUISITION 234.004 Acquisition strategy. (1) See 209.570 for policy applicable to acquisition strategies that consider the use of lead system...

PCI-VME bridge device driver design of a high-performance data acquisition and control system on LINUX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Yan; Ye Mei; Zhang Nan; Zhao Jingwei

2000-01-01

Data Acquisition and Control is an important part of Nuclear Electronic and Nuclear Detection application in HEP. The key methods are introduced for designing LINUX Device Driver of PCI-VME Bridge Device based on the realized Data Acquisition and Control System

An acquisition system for CMOS imagers with a genuine 10 Gbit/s bandwidth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guérin, C.; Mahroug, J.; Tromeur, W.; Houles, J.; Calabria, P.; Barbier, R.

2012-01-01

This paper presents a high data throughput acquisition system for pixel detector readout such as CMOS imagers. This CMOS acquisition board offers a genuine 10 Gbit/s bandwidth to the workstation and can provide an on-line and continuous high frame rate imaging capability. On-line processing can be implemented either on the Data Acquisition Board or on the multi-cores workstation depending on the complexity of the algorithms. The different parts composing the acquisition board have been designed to be used first with a single-photon detector called LUSIPHER (800×800 pixels), developed in our laboratory for scientific applications ranging from nano-photonics to adaptive optics. The architecture of the acquisition board is presented and the performances achieved by the produced boards are described. The future developments (hardware and software) concerning the on-line implementation of algorithms dedicated to single-photon imaging are tackled.

A new variable-resolution associative memory for high energy physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Annovi, A.; Amerio, S.; Beretta, M.; Bossini, E.; Crescioli, F.; Dell'Orso, M.; Giannetti, P.; Hoff, J.; Liu, T.; Magalotti, D.; Piendibene, M.; Sacco, I.; Schoening, A.; Soltveit, H. K.; Stabile, A.; Tripiccione, R.; Liberali, V.; Vitillo, R.; Volpi, G.

2011-01-01

We describe an important advancement for the Associative Memory device (AM). The AM is a VLSI processor for pattern recognition based on Content Addressable Memory (CAM) architecture. The AM is optimized for on-line track finding in high-energy physics experiments. Pattern matching is carried out by finding track candidates in coarse resolution 'roads'. A large AM bank stores all trajectories of interest, called 'patterns', for a given detector resolution. The AM extracts roads compatible with a given event during detector read-out. Two important variables characterize the quality of the AM bank: its 'coverage' and the level of fake roads. The coverage, which describes the geometric efficiency of a bank, is defined as the fraction of tracks that match at least one pattern in the bank. Given a certain road size, the coverage of the bank can be increased just adding patterns to the bank, while the number of fakes unfortunately is roughly proportional to the number of patterns in the bank. Moreover, as the luminosity increases, the fake rate increases rapidly because of the increased silicon occupancy. To counter that, we must reduce the width of our roads. If we decrease the road width using the current technology, the system will become very large and extremely expensive. We propose an elegant solution to this problem: the 'variable resolution patterns'. Each pattern and each detector layer within a pattern will be able to use the optimal width, but we will use a 'don't care' feature (inspired from ternary CAMs) to increase the width when that is more appropriate. In other words we can use patterns of variable shape. As a result we reduce the number of fake roads, while keeping the efficiency high and avoiding excessive bank size due to the reduced width. We describe the idea, the implementation in the new AM design and the implementation of the algorithm in the simulation. Finally we show the effectiveness of the 'variable resolution patterns' idea using simulated

Data-acquisition system of the reversed field pinch device REPUTE-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuzuki, N.; Aoki, H.; Shinohara, H.; Toyama, H.; Morikawa, J.

1988-01-01

The new, compact data-acquisition system of the reversed field pinch device, REPUTE-1, is reported. Its distinctive feature is high flexibility and easy handling. The interface between the computer and measurement devices is CAMAC. The computer and the CAMAC devices are connected to a CAMAC byte serial highway that transmits setup parameters and acquisition data. The computer carries out setup of CAMAC devices and data acquisition automatically by use of CAMAC parameters and the acquisition data base. The maintenance tools for the data base are also provided. The computer system, which consists of a ''TOSBAC DS-600,'' has been in operation for REPUTE-1 since 1985

48 CFR 307.104-70 - Acquisition strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Acquisition strategy. 307... AND ACQUISITION PLANNING ACQUISITION PLANNING Acquisition Planning 307.104-70 Acquisition strategy... designated by the HHS CIO, DASFMP, the CAO, or the cognizant HCA) shall prepare an acquisition strategy using...

PC based 8-parameter data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, J.D.; Naik, K.V.; Jain, S.K.; Pathak, R.V.; Suman, B.

1989-01-01

Multiparameter data acquisition (MPA) systems which analyse nuclear events with respect to more than one property of the event are essential tools for the study of some complex nuclear phenomena requiring analysis of time coincident spectra. For better throughput and accuracy each parameter is digitized by its own ADC. A stand alone low cost IBM PC based 8-parameter data acquisition system developed by the authors makes use of Address Recording technique for acquiring data from eight 12 bit ADC's in the PC Memory. Two memory buffers in the PC memory are used in ping-pong fashion so that data acquisition in one bank and dumping of data onto PC disk from the other bank can proceed simultaneously. Data is acquired in the PC memory through DMA mode for realising high throughput and hardware interrupt is used for switching banks for data acquisition. A comprehensive software package developed in Turbo-Pascal offers a set of menu-driven interactive commands to the user for setting-up system parameters and control of the system. The system is to be used with pelletron accelerator. (author). 5 figs

An original approach to data acquisition: CHADAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huppert, M.; Nayman, P.; Rivoal, M.

1981-01-01

Many labs try to boost existing data acquisition systems by inserting high performance intelligent devices in the important nodes of the system's structure. This strategy finds its limits in the system's architecture. The CHADAC project proposes a simple and efficient solution to this problem, using a multiprocessor modular architecture. CHADAC main features are: a) Parallel acquisition of data: CHADAC is fast; it dedicates one processor per branch; each processor can read and store one 16 bit word in 800 ns. b) Original structure: each processor can work in its own private memory, in its own shared memory (double access) and in the shared memory of any other processor (this feature being particulary useful to avoid wasteful data transfers). Simple and fast communications between processors are also provided by local DMA'S. c) Flexibility: each processor is autonomous and may be used as an independent acquisition system for a branch, by connecting local peripherals to it. Adjunction of fast trigger logic is possible. By its architecture and performances, CHADAC is designed to provide a good support for local intelligent devices and transfer operators developped elsewhere, providing a way to implement systems well fitted to various types of data acquisition. (orig.)

PCI-VME bridge device driver design of a high-performance data acquisition and control system on LINUX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Yan; Ye Mei; Zhang Nan; Zhao Jingwei

2001-01-01

Data acquisition and control is an important part of nuclear electronic and nuclear detection application in HEP. The key method has been introduced for designing LINUX device driver of PCI-VME bridge device based on realized by authors' data acquisition and control system

SCI based data acquisition architectures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bogaerts, J.A.C.; Divia, R.; Renardy, J.F.

1992-01-01

This paper discusses the Scalable Coherent Interface (SCI), an IEEE proposed standard (P1596) for interconnecting multiprocessor systems. The standard defines point to point connections between nodes, which can be processors, memories or I/O devices. Networks containing a maximum of 64K nodes with a bandwidth of one Gbyte/s between nodes, may be constructed. SCI is an attractive candidate to serve as a backbone for high speed, large volume data acquisition systems such as required by future experiments at the proposed Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. Work has started to simulate SCI based architectures for data acquisition systems. The simulation program proved to be a useful tool to study SCI systems. First results are reported on a model of a large LHC experiment containing over 1000 nodes

The MicroVAX-based data acquisition system for D0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cutts, D.; Hoftun, J.S.; McLean, J.; Johnson, C.R.; Zeller, R.T.

1987-01-01

A large array of Micro VAX computers will be used for high-speed data acquisition and online filtering in the D0 experiment at Fermi National Laboratory. Described is this system, as well as several smaller data acquisition systems now operational, with particular emphasis on the control and communication software. The computers in this array will run under VAXELN

Acquiring 3D indoor environments with variability and repetition

KAUST Repository

Kim, Youngmin; Mitra, Niloy J.; Yan, Dongming; Guibas, Leonidas J.

2012-01-01

Large-scale acquisition of exterior urban environments is by now a well-established technology, supporting many applications in search, navigation, and commerce. The same is, however, not the case for indoor environments, where access is often restricted and the spaces are cluttered. Further, such environments typically contain a high density of repeated objects (e.g., tables, chairs, monitors, etc.) in regular or non-regular arrangements with significant pose variations and articulations. In this paper, we exploit the special structure of indoor environments to accelerate their 3D acquisition and recognition with a low-end handheld scanner. Our approach runs in two phases: (i) a learning phase wherein we acquire 3D models of frequently occurring objects and capture their variability modes from only a few scans, and (ii) a recognition phase wherein from a single scan of a new area, we identify previously seen objects but in different poses and locations at an average recognition time of 200ms/model. We evaluate the robustness and limits of the proposed recognition system using a range of synthetic and real world scans under challenging settings. © 2012 ACM.

Acquiring 3D indoor environments with variability and repetition

KAUST Repository

Kim, Youngmin

2012-11-01

Large-scale acquisition of exterior urban environments is by now a well-established technology, supporting many applications in search, navigation, and commerce. The same is, however, not the case for indoor environments, where access is often restricted and the spaces are cluttered. Further, such environments typically contain a high density of repeated objects (e.g., tables, chairs, monitors, etc.) in regular or non-regular arrangements with significant pose variations and articulations. In this paper, we exploit the special structure of indoor environments to accelerate their 3D acquisition and recognition with a low-end handheld scanner. Our approach runs in two phases: (i) a learning phase wherein we acquire 3D models of frequently occurring objects and capture their variability modes from only a few scans, and (ii) a recognition phase wherein from a single scan of a new area, we identify previously seen objects but in different poses and locations at an average recognition time of 200ms/model. We evaluate the robustness and limits of the proposed recognition system using a range of synthetic and real world scans under challenging settings. © 2012 ACM.

Design of data acquisition system for 2D-ARRAY ionization chamber detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Chaohui; Xing Guilai; Wu Zhifang; Wang Zhentao

2012-01-01

The introduction is given on the design and development of data acquisition system for 2D-ARRAY ionization chamber detector, which is used for dose verification of tumor radiotherapy. The paper describes the structure and the principle of the 2D-ARRAY ionization chamber detector system in detail, and focuses on the discussion on the design process of the detector's data acquisition system and the development of data acquisition system which is constituted by preamplifier, preamplifier control board and data acquisition board. The client can setup the parameters of the detector system via TCP/IP and do data processing such as high speed data collection and acquisition, further operation and so on. (authors)

CAMAC interface for TPC data-acquisition electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sidman, S.; Olson, S.; Jared, R.

1983-06-01

The Time Projection Chamber (TPC) is a detector used for high-energy physics research at the Stanford PEP Accelerator. TPC requires about 17,000 channels of data acquisition, which samples on command the input to each channel at a 10 MHz rate. This high data rate is made possible by means of Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs), intelligent digitizers, and a sophisticated trigger system. The TPC-CAMAC interface described here was developed to allow experiments of smaller scale than the complete TPC to use the standard data acquisition portion of the TPC electronics, namely the amplifier, CCD and digitizer bins. These three bins, when properly interconnected and controlled by the interface control bin, form a transient digitizer with a depth of 455 samples and a maximum width of 256 channels per bin set

Resource Complementarity and Value Capture in Firm Acquisitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grimpe, Christoph; Hussinger, Katrin

2014-01-01

exclusion and freedom to operate in R&D. We argue that such property rights hold preemptive power allowing firms to capture the value from combining complementary technologies and to realize gains from trade in strategic factor markets. Our results for a sample of 1,428 acquisitions indicate that......—controlling for technological value—acquired preemptive power is an important determinant of the acquisition price, particularly when the acquirer is technology intensive and acquired patents are highly related to the acquirer's knowledge base....

An Overview of Advanced Data Acquisition System (ADAS)

Science.gov (United States)

Mata, Carlos T.; Steinrock, T. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The paper discusses the following: 1. Historical background. 2. What is ADAS? 3. R and D status. 4. Reliability/cost examples (1, 2, and 3). 5. What's new? 6. Technical advantages. 7. NASA relevance. 8. NASA plans/options. 9. Remaining R and D. 10. Applications. 11. Product benefits. 11. Commercial advantages. 12. intellectual property. Aerospace industry requires highly reliable data acquisition systems. Traditional Acquisition systems employ end-to-end hardware and software redundancy. Typically, redundancy adds weight, cost, power consumption, and complexity.

Design study and performance analysis of a high-speed multistage variable-geometry fan for a variable cycle engine

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, T. J.; Parker, D. E.

1979-01-01

A design technology study was performed to identify a high speed, multistage, variable geometry fan configuration capable of achieving wide flow modulation with near optimum efficiency at the important operating condition. A parametric screening study of the front and rear block fans was conducted in which the influence of major fan design features on weight and efficiency was determined. Key design parameters were varied systematically to determine the fan configuration most suited for a double bypass, variable cycle engine. Two and three stage fans were considered for the front block. A single stage, core driven fan was studied for the rear block. Variable geometry concepts were evaluated to provide near optimum off design performance. A detailed aerodynamic design and a preliminary mechanical design were carried out for the selected fan configuration. Performance predictions were made for the front and rear block fans.

Data Acquisition and Mass Storage

Science.gov (United States)

Vande Vyvre, P.

2004-08-01

The experiments performed at supercolliders will constitute a new challenge in several disciplines of High Energy Physics and Information Technology. This will definitely be the case for data acquisition and mass storage. The microelectronics, communication, and computing industries are maintaining an exponential increase of the performance of their products. The market of commodity products remains the largest and the most competitive market of technology products. This constitutes a strong incentive to use these commodity products extensively as components to build the data acquisition and computing infrastructures of the future generation of experiments. The present generation of experiments in Europe and in the US already constitutes an important step in this direction. The experience acquired in the design and the construction of the present experiments has to be complemented by a large R&D effort executed with good awareness of industry developments. The future experiments will also be expected to follow major trends of our present world: deliver physics results faster and become more and more visible and accessible. The present evolution of the technologies and the burgeoning of GRID projects indicate that these trends will be made possible. This paper includes a brief overview of the technologies currently used for the different tasks of the experimental data chain: data acquisition, selection, storage, processing, and analysis. The major trends of the computing and networking technologies are then indicated with particular attention paid to their influence on the future experiments. Finally, the vision of future data acquisition and processing systems and their promise for future supercolliders is presented.

A Plasma Diagnostic Set for the Study of a Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket

Science.gov (United States)

Squire, J. P.; Chang-Diaz, F. R.; Bengtson Bussell, R., Jr.; Jacobson, V. T.; Wootton, A. J.; Bering, E. A.; Jack, T.; Rabeau, A.

1997-11-01

The Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory (ASPL) is developing a Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) using an RF heated magnetic mirror operated asymmetrically. We will describe the initial set of plasma diagnostics and data acquisition system being developed and installed on the VASIMR experiment. A U.T. Austin team is installing two fast reciprocating probes: a quadruple Langmuir and a Mach probe. These measure electron density and temperature profiles, electrostatic plasma fluctuations, and plasma flow profiles. The University of Houston is developing an array of 20 highly directional Retarding Potential Analyzers (RPA) for measuring ion energy distribution function profiles in the rocket plume, giving a measurement of total thrust. We have also developed a CAMAC based data acquisition system using LabView running on a Power Macintosh communicating through a 2 MB/s serial highway. We will present data from initial plasma operations and discuss future diagnostic development.

Case Analysis Of The Joint High Speed Vessel Program: Defense Acquisition

Science.gov (United States)

2016-09-01

commercial environment and a military operating environment, simultaneously. Operating in commercial or non-military environments require compliance with...In the case of the individual technology demonstrations by the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, compliance with the acquisition principles outlined by...the USN considered outsourcing the management of the fleet, but concluded that the ships would continue to be manned by CIVMARs. The list of ships

Minicomputer evaluation for HEP data acquisition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hand, R.P.

1979-12-01

In 1978, a comprehensive market survey was carried out to select a computer for on-line data acquisition in a High Energy Physics particle experiment. Working parties consisting of Rutherford Laboratory personnel and UK based minicomputer users at CERN, were set up at RL and CERN to (a) compile a technical specification of the 'ideal' minicomputer for data acquisition, (b) prepare a technical questionnaire based on that specification for issue to computer manufacturers and (c) make recommendations based on the manufacturers' responses to the questionnaire. This paper outlines the criteria used in writing the specification and includes, as appendices, the specification and questionnaire as useful guidelines in any future exercise of this kind. (author)

Data Acquisition in a High Harmonic Generation Lab and at LCLS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirokawa, Takako; /U. Colorado, Boulder /SLAC

2011-06-22

In this paper, we examine data acquisition in a high harmonic generation (HHG) lab and preliminary data analysis with the Cyclohexadiene Collaboration at the Linac Coherent Lightsource (LCLS) at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. HHG experiments have a large number of parameters that need to be monitored constantly. In particular, the pressure of the target is critical to HHG yield. However, this pressure can fluctuate wildly and without a tool to monitor it, it is difficult to analyze the correlation between HHG yield and the pressure. I used the Arduino microcontroller board and created a complementary MATLAB graphical user interface (GUI), thereby enhancing the ease with which users can acquire time-stamped parameter data. Using the Arduino, it is much easier to match the pressure to the corresponding HHG yield. Collecting data by using the Arduino and the GUI is flexible, user-friendly, and cost-effective. In the future, we hope to be able to control and monitor parts of the lab with the Arduino alone. While more parameter information is needed in the HHG lab, we needed to reduce the amount of data during the cyclohexadiene collaboration. This was achieved by sorting the data into bins and filtering out unnecessary details. This method was highly effective in that it minimized the amount of data without losing any valuable information. This effective preliminary data analysis technique will continue to be used to decrease the size of the collected data.

Data Acquisition in a High Harmonic Generation Lab and at LCLS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

In this paper, we examine data acquisition in a high harmonic generation (HHG) lab and preliminary data analysis with the Cyclohexadiene Collaboration at the Linac Coherent Lightsource (LCLS) at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. HHG experiments have a large number of parameters that need to be monitored constantly. In particular, the pressure of the target is critical to HHG yield. However, this pressure can fluctuate wildly and without a tool to monitor it, it is difficult to analyze the correlation between HHG yield and the pressure. I used the Arduino microcontroller board and created a complementary MATLAB graphical user interface (GUI), thereby enhancing the ease with which users can acquire time-stamped parameter data. Using the Arduino, it is much easier to match the pressure to the corresponding HHG yield. Collecting data by using the Arduino and the GUI is flexible, user-friendly, and cost-effective. In the future, we hope to be able to control and monitor parts of the lab with the Arduino alone. While more parameter information is needed in the HHG lab, we needed to reduce the amount of data during the cyclohexadiene collaboration. This was achieved by sorting the data into bins and filtering out unnecessary details. This method was highly effective in that it minimized the amount of data without losing any valuable information. This effective preliminary data analysis technique will continue to be used to decrease the size of the collected data.

Optimisation of Data Acquisition in Wind Turbines with Data-Driven Conversion Functions for Sensor Measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Colone, Lorenzo; Reder, M.; Tautz-Weinert, J.

2017-01-01

and evaluate their performance. A subsequent sensitivity analysis measuring the impact of the input variables on the predicted response reveals hidden relationships between signals. The concept feasibility is tested in a case study using Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) data from an offshore...

A CAMAC-based data acquisition system with a Macintosh interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKisson, J.E.; Ely, D.W.; Weisenberger, A.G.; Piercy, R.B.; Haskins, P.S.

1990-01-01

This paper describes a commercially available Macintosh-based data acquisition system and its application to a specific measurement. Based on Computer Aided Measurement and Control (CAMAC) and Nuclear Instrumentation Module (NIM) standard modules, the data acquisition system features a hardware and software interface to a Macintosh computer. This system has been used both for laboratory and remote site measurements, and has been found to perform well as both a highly interactive laboratory system and as a very automatable system for long term data acquisition. Ease in configuration allows for flexibility in fast response applications where a data acquisition system is needed in short time. The system software also supports much of the data analysis and presentation of results with a versatile set of histogram display and manipulation tools. In a recent application, the system controlled data acquisition for two germanium detectors used as part of the whole- spacecraft induced activation measurements of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) satellite

The Representation and Execution of Articulatory Timing in First and Second Language Acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Redford, Melissa A; Oh, Grace E

2017-07-01

The early acquisition of language-specific temporal patterns relative to the late development of speech motor control suggests a dissociation between the representation and execution of articulatory timing. The current study tested for such a dissociation in first and second language acquisition. American English-speaking children (5- and 8-year-olds) and Korean-speaking adult learners of English repeatedly produced real English words in a simple carrier sentence. The words were designed to elicit different language-specific vowel length contrasts. Measures of absolute duration and variability in single vowel productions were extracted to evaluate the realization of contrasts (representation) and to index speech motor abilities (execution). Results were mostly consistent with a dissociation. Native English-speaking children produced the same language-specific temporal patterns as native English-speaking adults, but their productions were more variable than the adults'. In contrast, Korean-speaking adult learners of English typically produced different temporal patterns than native English-speaking adults, but their productions were as stable as the native speakers'. Implications of the results are discussed with reference to different models of speech production.

[First language acquisition research and theories of language acquisition].

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, S; Jungheim, M; Ptok, M

2014-04-01

In principle, a child can seemingly easily acquire any given language. First language acquisition follows a certain pattern which to some extent is found to be language independent. Since time immemorial, it has been of interest why children are able to acquire language so easily. Different disciplinary and methodological orientations addressing this question can be identified. A selective literature search in PubMed and Scopus was carried out and relevant monographies were considered. Different, partially overlapping phases can be distinguished in language acquisition research: whereas in ancient times, deprivation experiments were carried out to discover the "original human language", the era of diary studies began in the mid-19th century. From the mid-1920s onwards, behaviouristic paradigms dominated this field of research; interests were focussed on the determination of normal, average language acquisition. The subsequent linguistic period was strongly influenced by the nativist view of Chomsky and the constructivist concepts of Piaget. Speech comprehension, the role of speech input and the relevance of genetic disposition became the centre of attention. The interactionist concept led to a revival of the convergence theory according to Stern. Each of these four major theories--behaviourism, cognitivism, interactionism and nativism--have given valuable and unique impulses, but no single theory is universally accepted to provide an explanation of all aspects of language acquisition. Moreover, it can be critically questioned whether clinicians consciously refer to one of these theories in daily routine work and whether therapies are then based on this concept. It remains to be seen whether or not new theories of grammar, such as the so-called construction grammar (CxG), will eventually change the general concept of language acquisition.

Variable high gradient permanent magnet quadrupole (QUAPEVA)

Science.gov (United States)

Marteau, F.; Ghaith, A.; N'Gotta, P.; Benabderrahmane, C.; Valléau, M.; Kitegi, C.; Loulergue, A.; Vétéran, J.; Sebdaoui, M.; André, T.; Le Bec, G.; Chavanne, J.; Vallerand, C.; Oumbarek, D.; Cosson, O.; Forest, F.; Jivkov, P.; Lancelot, J. L.; Couprie, M. E.

2017-12-01

Different applications such as laser plasma acceleration, colliders, and diffraction limited light sources require high gradient quadrupoles, with strength that can reach up to 200 T/m for a typical 10 mm bore diameter. We present here a permanent magnet based quadrupole (so-called QUAPEVA) composed of a Halbach ring and surrounded by four permanent magnet cylinders. Its design including magnetic simulation modeling enabling us to reach 201 T/m with a gradient variability of 45% and mechanical issues are reported. Magnetic measurements of seven systems of different lengths are presented and confirmed the theoretical expectations. The variation of the magnetic center while changing the gradient strength is ±10 μm. A triplet of QUAPEVA magnets is used to efficiently focus a beam with large energy spread and high divergence that is generated by a Laser Plasma Acceleration source for a free electron laser demonstration and has enabled us to perform beam based alignment and control the dispersion of the beam.

The Evolution of Power System Planning with High Levels of Variable Renewable Generation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Katz, Jessica [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Milligan, Michael [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2016-09-01

Greening the Grid provides technical assistance to energy system planners, regulators, and grid operators to overcome challenges associated with integrating variable renewable energy into the grid. This document, part of the Greening the Grid introduces the evolution of power system planning with high levels of variable renewable generation.

Design of the M&S acquisition support effort of the SANDF GBADS acquisition programme

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Nel, JJ

2007-06-01

Full Text Available (AmADS) GBADS Phase 2 (MobADS) GBADS Phase 3 (LmADS) GBADS Phase 4 (C2 Optimisation) GBADS Phase 5 (MecADS) Figure 1: GBADS Phased Acquisition. The acquisition programme comprises five phases each addressing the acquisition of a specific... element of the GBADS. Phase 1 addresses an Air-mobile Air Defence System (AmADS) utilising man-portable missiles that can also be employed as a component of a Mobile Air Defence System (MobADS). Phase 2 involves the acquisition of the remainder...

Parents and Their Children's Variable Language: Is It Acquisition or More?

Science.gov (United States)

Habib, Rania

2017-01-01

This study compares the use of the variable (q), which is realized as rural [q] and urban [?], in the speech of twenty-two parents and their twenty-one children from the village of Oyoun Al-Wadi in Syria. The study shows that children acquire the general gendered linguistic pattern of the community but do not replicate the linguistic frequencies…

Solid state NMR of proteins at high MAS frequencies: symmetry-based mixing and simultaneous acquisition of chemical shift correlation spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellstedt, Peter; Herbst, Christian; Häfner, Sabine; Leppert, Jörg; Görlach, Matthias; Ramachandran, Ramadurai

2012-01-01

We have carried out chemical shift correlation experiments with symmetry-based mixing sequences at high MAS frequencies and examined different strategies to simultaneously acquire 3D correlation spectra that are commonly required in the structural studies of proteins. The potential of numerically optimised symmetry-based mixing sequences and the simultaneous recording of chemical shift correlation spectra such as: 3D NCAC and 3D NHH with dual receivers, 3D NC′C and 3D C′NCA with sequential 13 C acquisitions, 3D NHH and 3D NC′H with sequential 1 H acquisitions and 3D CANH and 3D C’NH with broadband 13 C– 15 N mixing are demonstrated using microcrystalline samples of the β1 immunoglobulin binding domain of protein G (GB1) and the chicken α-spectrin SH3 domain.

Development of an optical beam system for deep sea data acquisition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shibata, Yozo

1994-01-01

Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) are an ideal method for acquiring data from instruments located on the seabed. Electrical, acoustic or optical signals can be used to communicate with the data acquisition system. While optical signals have high capacity, the power of the optical beam decreases rapidly with distance in sea water; however, the ROV's ability to approach the instruments eliminates this problem. To investigate a feasibility of an optical beam system for underwater data acquisition, the author has developed and manufactured a prototype data acquisition instrument which the ROV can control. Based on the communication test results, he concludes that such a system is a practical means of short-range underwater data acquisition

CODA: A scalable, distributed data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watson, W.A. III; Chen, J.; Heyes, G.; Jastrzembski, E.; Quarrie, D.

1994-01-01

A new data acquisition system has been designed for physics experiments scheduled to run at CEBAF starting in the summer of 1994. This system runs on Unix workstations connected via ethernet, FDDI, or other network hardware to multiple intelligent front end crates -- VME, CAMAC or FASTBUS. CAMAC crates may either contain intelligent processors, or may be interfaced to VME. The system is modular and scalable, from a single front end crate and one workstation linked by ethernet, to as may as 32 clusters of front end crates ultimately connected via a high speed network to a set of analysis workstations. The system includes an extensible, device independent slow controls package with drivers for CAMAC, VME, and high voltage crates, as well as a link to CEBAF accelerator controls. All distributed processes are managed by standard remote procedure calls propagating change-of-state requests, or reading and writing program variables. Custom components may be easily integrated. The system is portable to any front end processor running the VxWorks real-time kernel, and to most workstations supplying a few standard facilities such as rsh and X-windows, and Motif and socket libraries. Sample implementations exist for 2 Unix workstation families connected via ethernet or FDDI to VME (with interfaces to FASTBUS or CAMAC), and via ethernet to FASTBUS or CAMAC

IT-based Value Creation in Serial Acquisitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henningsson, Stefan; Yetton, Philip

2013-01-01

serial acquirers realize IT-based value, we integrate and model the findings on individual acquisitions from the extant literature, and extend that model to explain the effects of sequential acquisitions in a growth-by-acquisition strategy. This extended model, drawing on the Resource-Based Theory......The extant research on post-acquisition IT integration analyzes how acquirers realize IT-based value in individual acquisitions. However, serial acquirers make 60% of acquisitions. These acquisitions are not isolated events, but are components in growth-by-acquisition programs. To explain how...

Distributed SCI-based data acquisition systems constructed from SCI bridges and SCI switches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Bin; Kristiansen, E.; Skaali, B.; Bogaerts, A.; Divia, R.; ); Perea, E.

1994-01-01

The IEEE standard 1596-1992, Scalable Coherent Interface (SCI) provides novel possibilities to build data acquisition systems for large and very high rate experiments in high energy physics. The RD24 project at CERN started two years ago to investigate applications of SCI to data acquisition at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). As part of the RD24 project, simulation of large SCI-based data acquisition systems is performed by a simulator written in the object-oriented language MODSIM II. The goal of this paper is to investigate the difference between SCI switch- and SCI-based systems, and to study some of the design criteria for the SCI switch element to form the interconnection of large scale SCI-based data acquisition systems. 15 refs., 14 figs., 2 tabs

48 CFR 970.2301 - Sustainable acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Sustainable acquisition. 970.2301 Section 970.2301 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AGENCY..., Renewable Energy Technologies, Occupational Safety and Drug-Free Work Place 970.2301 Sustainable acquisition...

Integrating High Levels of Variable Renewable Energy into Electric Power Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kroposki, Benjamin D. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-08-01

As more variable renewable energy is integrated into electric power systems, there are a range of challenges and solutions to accommodating very high penetration levels. This presentation highlights some of the recent research in this area.

Using VME to leverage legacy CAMAC electronics into a high speed data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anthony, P.L.

1997-06-01

The authors report on the first full scale implementation of a VME based Data Acquisition (DAQ) system at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). This system was designed for use in the End Station A (ESA) fixed target program. It was designed to handle interrupts at rates up to 120 Hz and event sizes up to 10,000 bytes per interrupt. One of the driving considerations behind the design of this system was to make use of existing CAMAC based electronics and yet deliver a high performance DAQ system. This was achieved by basing the DAQ system in a VME backplane allowing parallel control and readout of CAMAC branches and VME DAQ modules. This system was successfully used in the Spin Physics research program at SLAC (E154 and E155)

On the interannual variability of the Bonin high associated with the East Asian summer monsoon rain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ha, Kyung-Ja; Lee, Sun-Seon [Pusan National University, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Busan (Korea)

2007-01-15

In order to assess how the Bonin high affects interannual variability of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) around the Korean Peninsula, the pulsation of the Bonin high and its association with teleconnection patterns was examined. The major factor for the interannual intensity of the EASM is the center position of the Bonin high rather than its center pressure. Up to 12 harmonics over time can be used to reconstruct the Bonin high, demonstrating its intraseasonal variation. The interannual variability of the Bonin high correlates with the Tibet high. This correlation is dominant for the EASM onset time, though not its retreat. The primary teleconnection pattern, reliant up on the interannual variability of the Bonin high, is the Western Pacific oscillation (WPO) in April. In relation to long-term variability, the correlation between the WPO and the Bonin high appears to contribute to the retreat stage of the EASM, which has itself increased since the mid-1970s. Furthermore, the WPO in May and the Tibet correlation has marked the onset rather than the retreat of the EASM since the 1970s. This highly correlated pattern since the mid-1970s may be the result of El Nino. (orig.)

Acquisitions by EMNCs in Developed Markets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rabbiosi, Larissa; Elia, Stefano; Bertoni, Fabio

2012-01-01

Building on an organisational learning perspective, we argue that emerging market firms’ international experience and home-country characteristics are core sources of learning. Furthermore, we argue that these factors constitute important determinants of emerging market firms’ acquisition behaviour...... in developed countries (south-north acquisitions). We test our hypotheses on a sample of 808 south-north acquisitions. The acquisitions were undertaken in Europe, Japan and North America (Canada and the US) between 1999 and 2008 by firms from the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China....... As suggested by the internationalisation process model, our results show that emerging market firms undertake acquisitions in developed countries in an incremental fashion. Acquisition experience in developed markets increases the likelihood of exploitative expansion, while acquisition experience in developing...

Improving Acquisition Outcomes with Contextual Ambidexterity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meglio, Olimpia; King, David R.; Risberg, Annette

2015-01-01

The results of research on mergers and acquisitions often point to a need to improve acquisition outcomes and lessen the organizational turmoil that can often follow integration efforts. We assert that viewing acquisition integration through the lens of contextual ambidexterity may improve...... acquisition outcomes in two ways: by providing an integrated solution to the economic and social tensions in acquisitions, and by enabling managers to effectively confront the competing needs of task and human integration. We also posit that by building on contextual ambidexterity, we can extend...... the possibilities for both research and practice regarding task and human integration in acquisitions. We also emphasize the role of an integration manager and integration mechanisms in enabling contextual ambidexterity for successful acquisition integration. Finally, we identify implications for research...

Variables Predicting Foreign Language Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Acquisition in a Linear Hypermedia Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Akbulut, Yavuz

2007-01-01

Factors predicting vocabulary learning and reading comprehension of advanced language learners of English in a linear multimedia text were investigated in the current study. Predictor variables of interest were multimedia type, reading proficiency, learning styles, topic interest and background knowledge about the topic. The outcome variables of…

An original approach to data acquisition CHADAC

CERN Document Server

CERN. Geneva

1981-01-01

Many labs try to boost existing data acquisition systems by inserting high performance intelligent devices in the important nodes of the system's structure. This strategy finds its limits in the system's architecture. The CHADAC project proposes a simple and efficient solution to this problem, using a multiprocessor modular architecture. CHADAC main features are: parallel acquisition of data; CHADAC is fast, it dedicates one processor per branch and each processor can read and store one 16 bit word in 800 ns; original structure; each processor can work in its own private memory, in its own shared memory (double access) and in the shared memory of any other processor. Simple and fast communications between processors are also provided by local DMAs; flexibility; each processor is autonomous and may be used as an independent acquisition system for a branch, by connecting local peripherals to it. Adjunction of fast trigger logic is possible. By its architecture and performances, CHADAC is designed to provide a g...

The current state of the market for corporate acquisitions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korpach, A.N.

1998-01-01

The main factors which determine when the oil and gas industry is in a seller's market or a buyer's market mode were discussed. In a seller's market, the number of potential buyers for assets exceeds the number of sellers. Therefore, sellers could obtain good prices for their assets. Such was the case from 1995 to 1997. For 1998, the level of merger and acquisition activity was high and is expected to remain strong for 1999, but the market appears to be firmly a buyer's market (more sellers than potential buyers). The reasons for this are as follows: (1) restricted access to capital, (2) declining stock prices/values, (3) significant supply of assets, and (4) acquisition costs now in line with finding and development costs. The question of whether or not acquisitions add value was also discussed. It was noted that share price performance of those companies making acquisitions during the period was comparable to that of the TSE oil and gas producers index. A list of some Canadian and U.S. companies which completed significant acquisitions in 1997 and 1998 was included. 10 figs

Acquisition of HPLC-Mass Spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

2015-08-18

31-Jan-2015 Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited Final Report: Acquisition of HPLC -Mass Spectrometer The views, opinions and/or findings...published in peer-reviewed journals: Final Report: Acquisition of HPLC -Mass Spectrometer Report Title The acquisition of the mass spectrometer has been a

Network on chip master control board for neutron acquisition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruiz-Martinez, E.; Mary, T.; Mutti, P.; Ratel, J.; Rey, F.

2012-01-01

The acquisition master control board is designed to assemble the various acquisition modes in use at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL). The main goal is to make the card common for all the ILL's instruments in a simple, modular and open way, giving the possibility to add new functionalities in order to follow the evolving demand. It has been necessary to define a central element to provide synchronization to the rest of the units. The backbone of the proposed acquisition control system is the denominated master acquisition board. The master board consists on a VME64X configurable high density I/O connection carrier board based on the latest Xilinx Virtex-6T FPGA. The internal architecture of the FPGA is designed as a Network on Chip (NoC) approach. The complete system also includes a display board and n histogram modules for live display of the data from the detectors. (authors)

Word-final stops in Brazilian Portuguese English: acquisition and pronunciation instruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walcir Cardoso

2008-01-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2008n55p153 This paper presents current research on the second language acquisition of English phonology and its implication for (and applications to pronunciation instruction in the language classroom. More specifically, the paper follows the development of English word-final consonants by Brazilian Portuguese speakers learning English as a foreign language. The findings of two parallel studies reveal that the acquisition of these constituents is motivated by both extralinguistic (proficiency, style and linguistic (word size, place of articulation factors, and that the process is mediated by an intermediate stage characterized by consonant lengthening or aspiration (Onset-Nucleus sharing. Based on these results, I propose that the segments and environments that seem to delay coda production (i.e., monosyllabic words, labial and dorsal consonants should be given priority in pronunciation instruction. Along the lines of Dickerson (1975, this paper proposes (what we believe is a more effective and socially realistic pedagogy for the teaching of English pronunciation within an approach that recognizes that "variability is the norm rather than the exception" in second language acquisition.

Speech production accuracy and variability in young cochlear implant recipients: comparisons with typically developing age-peers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ertmer, David J; Goffman, Lisa

2011-02-01

The speech production accuracy and variability scores of 6 young cochlear implant (CI) recipients with 2 years of device experience were compared with those of typically developing (TD) age-peers. Words from the First Words Speech Test (FWST; Ertmer, 1999) were imitated 3 times to assess the accuracy and variability of initial consonants, vowels, and words. The initial consonants in the 4 sets of the FWST followed a typical order of development. The TD group produced targets with high accuracy and low variability. Their scores across FWST sets reflected the expected order of development. The CI group produced most targets less accurately and with more variability than the TD children. Relatively high accuracy for the consonants of Sets 1 and 2 indicated that these phonemes were acquired early and in a typical developmental order. A trend toward greater accuracy for Set 4 as compared with Set 3 suggested that later-emerging consonants were not acquired in the expected order. Variability was greatest for later-emerging initial consonants and whole words. Although considerable speech production proficiency was evident, age-level performance was not attained after 2 years of CI experience. Factors that might influence the order of consonant acquisition are discussed.

Apparatus and method for variable angle slant hole collimator

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seung Joon; Kross, Brian J.; McKisson, John E.

2017-07-18

A variable angle slant hole (VASH) collimator for providing collimation of high energy photons such as gamma rays during radiological imaging of humans. The VASH collimator includes a stack of multiple collimator leaves and a means of quickly aligning each leaf to provide various projection angles. Rather than rotate the detector around the subject, the VASH collimator enables the detector to remain stationary while the projection angle of the collimator is varied for tomographic acquisition. High collimator efficiency is achieved by maintaining the leaves in accurate alignment through the various projection angles. Individual leaves include unique angled cuts to maintain a precise target collimation angle. Matching wedge blocks driven by two actuators with twin-lead screws accurately position each leaf in the stack resulting in the precise target collimation angle. A computer interface with the actuators enables precise control of the projection angle of the collimator.

Comparative study of receiver-side ghost wavefield attenuation on different marine acquisition configurations

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hao; Liu, Qiancheng; Li, Hongyuan; Zhang, Yi

2018-04-01

In marine seismic exploration, the ghost energies (down-going waves), which arise from the reflection at the surface, are often treated as unwanted signals for data processing. The ghost wave fields interfere with the desired primary signals, leads to frequency notches and attenuation of low frequencies, which in turn downgrade the resolution of the recorded seismic data. There are two main categories of methods to solve the ghost or the so-called notch problem: the non-conventional acquisition configuration-based technique and a deghosting algorithm-based solution. The variable-depth streamer (VDS) acquisition solution is one of the most representative methods in the first category, which has become a popular solution for marine seismic acquisition to obtain broad data bandwidth. However, this approach is not as economic as the conventional constant depth streamer (CDS) acquisition, due to the precise control of the towing streamer. In addition, there are large quantities of conventionally-towed legacy data stored in the data library. Applying receiver deghosting to the CDS data thus becomes a more economical method. In theory, both types of data after deghosting should have the same bandwidth and S/N ratio, but in reality they are different. In this paper, we conduct a comparative study and evaluation to apply receiver deghosting to a set of real 2D marine data including both types of acquisition (CDS and VDS) corresponding to the same geology. The deghosting algorithm we employed is a self-sustained, inversion-based approach operated in the τ-p domain. This evaluation can help us to understand two questions: whether the VDS acquisition has more broadband characteristics compared to conventional CDS acquisition after deghosting, and whether we can achieve the identical or similar data quality (e.g., S/N ratio) through the proper deghosting algorithm for both types of data. The comparative results are illustrated and discussed.

Acquisition system for the CLIC Module

CERN Document Server

Vilalte, Sebastien

2011-01-01

The status of R&D activities for CLIC module acquisition are discussed [1]. LAPP is involved in the design of the local CLIC module acquisition crate, described in the document Study of the CLIC Module Front-End Acquisition and Evaluation Electronics [2]. This acquisition system is a project based on a local crate, assigned to the CLIC module, including several mother boards. These motherboards are foreseen to hold mezzanines dedicated to the different subsystems. This system has to work in radiation environment. LAPP is involved in the development of Drive Beam stripline position monitors read-out, described in the document Drive Beam Stripline BPM Electronics and Acquisition [3]. LAPP also develops a generic acquisition mezzanine that allows to perform all-around acquisition and components tests for drive beam stripline BPM read-out.

New partially parallel acquisition technique in cerebral imaging: preliminary findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tintera, Jaroslav; Gawehn, Joachim; Bauermann, Thomas; Vucurevic, Goran; Stoeter, Peter

2004-01-01

In MRI applications where short acquisition time is necessary, the increase of acquisition speed is often at the expense of image resolution and SNR. In such cases, the newly developed parallel acquisition techniques could provide images without mentioned limitations and in reasonably shortened measurement time. A newly designed eight-channel head coil array (i-PAT coil) allowing for parallel acquisition of independently reconstructed images (GRAPPA mode) has been tested for its applicability in neuroradiology. Image homogeneity was tested in standard phantom and healthy volunteers. BOLD signal changes were studied in a group of six volunteers using finger tapping stimulation. Phantom studies revealed an important drop of signal even after the use of a normalization filter in the center of the image and an important increase of artifact power with reduction of measurement time strongly depending on the combination of acceleration parameters. The additional application of a parallel acquisition technique such as GRAPPA decreases measurement time in the range of about 30%, but further reduction is often possible only at the expense of SNR. This technique performs best in conditions in which imaging speed is important, such as CE MRA, but time resolution still does not allow the acquisition of angiograms separating the arterial and venous phase. Significantly larger areas of BOLD activation were found using the i-PAT coil compared to the standard head coil. Being an eight-channel surface coil array, peripheral cortical structures profit from high SNR as high-resolution imaging of small cortical dysplasias and functional activation of cortical areas imaged by BOLD contrast. In BOLD contrast imaging, susceptibility artifacts are reduced, but only if an appropriate combination of acceleration parameters is used. (orig.)

New partially parallel acquisition technique in cerebral imaging: preliminary findings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tintera, Jaroslav [Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague (Czech Republic); Gawehn, Joachim; Bauermann, Thomas; Vucurevic, Goran; Stoeter, Peter [University Clinic Mainz, Institute of Neuroradiology, Mainz (Germany)

2004-12-01

In MRI applications where short acquisition time is necessary, the increase of acquisition speed is often at the expense of image resolution and SNR. In such cases, the newly developed parallel acquisition techniques could provide images without mentioned limitations and in reasonably shortened measurement time. A newly designed eight-channel head coil array (i-PAT coil) allowing for parallel acquisition of independently reconstructed images (GRAPPA mode) has been tested for its applicability in neuroradiology. Image homogeneity was tested in standard phantom and healthy volunteers. BOLD signal changes were studied in a group of six volunteers using finger tapping stimulation. Phantom studies revealed an important drop of signal even after the use of a normalization filter in the center of the image and an important increase of artifact power with reduction of measurement time strongly depending on the combination of acceleration parameters. The additional application of a parallel acquisition technique such as GRAPPA decreases measurement time in the range of about 30%, but further reduction is often possible only at the expense of SNR. This technique performs best in conditions in which imaging speed is important, such as CE MRA, but time resolution still does not allow the acquisition of angiograms separating the arterial and venous phase. Significantly larger areas of BOLD activation were found using the i-PAT coil compared to the standard head coil. Being an eight-channel surface coil array, peripheral cortical structures profit from high SNR as high-resolution imaging of small cortical dysplasias and functional activation of cortical areas imaged by BOLD contrast. In BOLD contrast imaging, susceptibility artifacts are reduced, but only if an appropriate combination of acceleration parameters is used. (orig.)

Are you paying too much for that acquisition?

Science.gov (United States)

Eccles, R G; Lanes, K L; Wilson, T C

1999-01-01

Despite 30 years of evidence demonstrating that most acquisitions don't create value for the acquiring company, executives continue to make more deals, and bigger deals, every year. There are plenty of reasons why value isn't created, but many times it's simply because the acquiring company paid too much. It's not, however, that acquirers pay too high a price in an absolute sense. Rather, they pay more than the acquisition is worth to them. What is that optimum price? The authors present a systematic way to arrive at it, involving several distinct concepts of value. In today's market, the purchase price of an acquisition will nearly always be higher than the intrinsic value of the company--the price of its stock before any acquisition intentions are announced. The key is to determine how much of that difference is "synergy value"--the value that will result from improvements made when the companies are combined. This value will accrue to the acquirer's shareholders rather than to the target's shareholders. The more synergy value a particular acquisition can generate, the higher the maximum price an acquirer is justified in paying. Just as important as correctly calculating the synergy value is having the discipline to walk away from a deal when the numbers don't add up. If returns to shareholders from acquisitions are no better in the next ten years than they've been in the past 30, the authors warn, it will be because companies have failed to create systematic corporate governance processes that put their simple lessons into practice.

High inter-specimen variability of baseline data for the tibio-talar contact area.

Science.gov (United States)

Matricali, Giovanni A; Bartels, Ward; Labey, Luc; Dereymaeker, Greta Ph E; Luyten, Frank P; Vander Sloten, Jos

2009-01-01

The tibio-talar contact area has been widely investigated to monitor biomechanical changes due to articular incongruities or an altered loading. This study aims to investigate for the first time in a systematic way the extent of the inter-specimen variability of the tibio-talar contact area, and its repercussions when analyzing data concerning this parameter. Ten specimens were loaded to record the tibio-talar contact characteristics by use of pressure sensitive film. The size of the talar dome area, the size of the (normalized) tibio-talar contact area, the position of the tibio-talar contact area, and the shape of the latter were determined and analyzed. Inter-specimen variability was expressed as the coefficient of variation and was calculated for the datasets of previous studies as well. The size of the tibio-talar contact area showed a very high inter-specimen variability, as is the case in previous studies. This high variability persisted when a normalized tibio-talar contact area was calculated. The shape of the tibio-talar contact area showed some basic characteristics, but a high variation in details could be observed. Every specimen can be considered to have its own "ankle print". By this variability, articular incongruities are expected to have a different effect on local biomechanical characteristics in every single individual. Therefore, every single case has to be evaluated and reported for significant changes. In case of modeling, this also underscores the need to use subject specific models fed by sets of parameters derived from a series of single specimens.

Automated Fringe Pattern Acquisition for Portable Laser Shearography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khairiah Yazid; Mohd Yusnisyam Yusof; Wan Saffiey Wan Abdullah

2013-01-01

In shearography system one of the most important tasks is the automatic, fast, reliable processing of the fringe patterns to allow real time inspection. Development of digital CCD cameras, the PC (fast and small data acquisition), high power lasers have led to dramatic performance improvements in shearography instruments and systems. This paper concentrates on development of fringe pattern acquisition using digital CCD camera for portable laser shearography system. A new program for fringe pattern processing which incorporates rapid methods for automatic fringe pattern acquisition and filtering has been developed. The algorithm is written using MATLAB. A graphical user interface with several functions was developed to ensure an easy adaptation in custom applications and providing a flexible way for additional functions. The preliminary results show that the developed algorithm can be used to generate good contrast and reliable fringe pattern. (author)

Automatic data-acquisition and communications computer network for fusion experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kemper, C.O.

1981-01-01

A network of more than twenty computers serves the data acquisition, archiving, and analysis requirements of the ISX, EBT, and beam-line test facilities at the Fusion Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The network includes PDP-8, PDP-12, PDP-11, PDP-10, and Interdata 8-32 processors, and is unified by a variety of high-speed serial and parallel communications channels. While some processors are dedicated to experimental data acquisition, and others are dedicated to later analysis and theoretical work, many processors perform a combination of acquisition, real-time analysis and display, and archiving and communications functions. A network software system has been developed which runs in each processor and automatically transports data files from point of acquisition to point or points of analysis, display, and storage, providing conversion and formatting functions are required

Forecasting short-run crude oil price using high- and low-inventory variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye, Michael; Zyren, John; Shore, Joanne

2006-01-01

Since inventories have a lower bound or a minimum operating level, economic literature suggests a nonlinear relationship between inventory level and commodity prices. This was found to be the case in the short-run crude oil market. In order to explore this inventory-price relationship, two nonlinear inventory variables are defined and derived from the monthly normal level and relative level of OECD crude oil inventories from post 1991 Gulf War to October 2003: one for the low inventory state and another for the high inventory state of the crude oil market. Incorporation of low- and high-inventory variables in a single equation model to forecast short-run WTI crude oil prices enhances the model fit and forecast ability

First Language Acquisition and Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz-Ferreira, Madalena

2011-01-01

"First language acquisition" commonly means the acquisition of a single language in childhood, regardless of the number of languages in a child's natural environment. Language acquisition is variously viewed as predetermined, wondrous, a source of concern, and as developing through formal processes. "First language teaching" concerns schooling in…

THE CURIOUS CASE OF GLASS I: HIGH IONIZATION AND VARIABILITY OF DIFFERENT TYPES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kruger, Andrew J. [Department of Physical Science, Wilbur Wright College, 4300 N. Narragansett Ave., Chicago, IL 60634 (United States); Richter, Matthew J. [Department of Physics, University of California at Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Carr, John S. [Remote Sensing Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Code 7210, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Najita, Joan R. [National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); Moerchen, Margaret M. [European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Santiago (Chile); Doppmann, Greg W. [W. M. Keck Observatory, 65-1120 Mamalahoa Hwy, Kamuela, HI 96743 (United States); Seifahrt, Andreas [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, 5640 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago, IL 60637 (United States)

2013-02-20

Our Spitzer IRS observation of the infrared companion Glass Ib revealed fine-structure emission with high ionization ([Ne III]/[Ne II] = 2.1 and [S IV]/[S III] = 0.6) that indicates that the gas is likely illuminated by hard radiation. While models suggest that extreme-ultraviolet radiation could be present in T Tauri stars, this is the first detection of [S IV] and such a high [Ne III]/[Ne II] ratio in a young star. We also find that Glass Ib displays the molecules HCN, CO{sub 2}, and H{sub 2}O in emission. Here we investigate the Glass I binary system and consider possible mechanisms that may have caused the high ionization, whether from an outflow or disk irradiation. We also model the spectral energy distributions of Glass Ia and Ib to test if the system is a young member of the Chameleon I star-forming region, and we consider other possible classifications for the system. We find that Glass Ib is highly variable, showing changes in continuum strength and emission features at optical, near-infrared, and mid-infrared wavelengths. The optical light curve indicates that a central stellar component in Glass Ib became entirely visible for 2.5 years beginning in mid-2002 and possibly displayed periodic variability with repeated, short-period dimming during that time. As the fine-structure emission was not detected in observations before or after our Spitzer IRS observation, we explore whether the variable nature of Glass Ib is related to the gas being highly ionized, possibly due to variable accretion or an X-ray flare.

Making Acquisition Measurable

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-30

Corporation. All rights reserved End Users Administrator/ Maintainer (A/M) Subject Matter Expert ( SME ) Trainer/ Instructor Manager, Evaluator, Supervisor... CMMI ) - Acquisition (AQ) © 2011 The MITRE Corporation. All rights reserved 13 CMMI -Development Incremental iterative development (planning & execution...objectives Constructing games highlighting particular aspects of proposed CCOD® acquisition, and conducting exercises with Subject Matter Experts ( SMEs

Match-to-match variability in high-speed running activity in a professional soccer team.

Science.gov (United States)

Carling, Christopher; Bradley, Paul; McCall, Alan; Dupont, Gregory

2016-12-01

This study investigated variability in competitive high-speed running performance in an elite soccer team. A semi-automated tracking system quantified running performance in 12 players over a season (median 17 matches per player, 207 observations). Variability [coefficient of variation (CV)] was compared for total sprint distance (TSD, >25.2 km/h), high-speed running (HSR, 19.8-25.2 km/h), total high-speed running (THSR, ≥19.8 km/h); THSR when the team was in and out of ball possession, in individual ball possession, in the peak 5 min activity period; and distance run according to individual maximal aerobic speed (MAS). Variability for % declines in THSR and distance covered at ≥80% MAS across halves, at the end of play (final 15 min vs. mean for all 15 min periods) and transiently (5 min period following peak 5 min activity period), was analysed. Collectively, variability was higher for TSD versus HSR and THSR and lowest for distance run at ≥80% MAS (CVs: 37.1%, 18.1%, 19.8% and 11.8%). THSR CVs when the team was in/out of ball possession, in individual ball possession and during the peak 5 min period were 31.5%, 26.1%, 60.1% and 23.9%. Variability in THSR declines across halves, at the end of play and transiently, ranged from 37.1% to 142.6%, while lower CVs were observed in these metrics for running at ≥80% MAS (20.9-53.3%).These results cast doubt on the appropriateness of general measures of high-speed activity for determining variability in an elite soccer team, although individualisation of HSR thresholds according to fitness characteristics might provide more stable indicators of running performance and fatigue occurrence.

A high dynamic range data acquisition system for a solid-state electron electric dipole moment experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Young Jin; Kunkler, Brandon; Liu, Chen-Yu; Visser, Gerard [CEEM, Physics Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47408 (United States)

2012-01-15

We have built a high precision (24-bit) data acquisition (DAQ) system capable of simultaneously sampling eight input channels for the measurement of the electric dipole moment of the electron. The DAQ system consists of two main components: a master board for DAQ control and eight individual analog-to-digital converter (ADC) boards for signal processing. This custom DAQ system provides galvanic isolation of the ADC boards from each other and the master board using fiber optic communication to reduce the possibility of ground loop pickup and attain ultimate low levels of channel cross-talk. In this paper, we describe the implementation of the DAQ system and scrutinize its performance.

76 FR 68044 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-54; Small Entity Compliance Guide

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-02

... Acquisition Circular 2005-54; Small Entity Compliance Guide AGENCY: Department of Defense (DoD), General... Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-54, which amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR... (FAR Case 2009-006) This final rule amends the FAR to implement Executive Order (E.O.) 13494, Economy...

75 FR 19179 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-41; Small Entity Compliance Guide

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-13

... Acquisition Circular 2005-41; Small Entity Compliance Guide AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DoD), General... Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-41 which amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR... projects where the total cost to the Government is $25 million or more in order to promote economy and...

Indexing mergers and acquisitions

OpenAIRE

Gang, Jianhua; Guo, Jie (Michael); Hu, Nan; Li, Xi

2017-01-01

We measure the efficiency of mergers and acquisitions by putting forward an index (the ‘M&A Index’) based on stochastic frontier analysis. The M&A Index is calculated for each takeover deal and is standardized between 0 and 1. An acquisition with a higher index encompasses higher efficiency. We find that takeover bids with higher M&A Indices are more likely to succeed. Moreover, the M&A Index shows a strong and positive relation with the acquirers’ post-acquisition stock perfo...

Solid state NMR of proteins at high MAS frequencies: symmetry-based mixing and simultaneous acquisition of chemical shift correlation spectra

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bellstedt, Peter [Fritz Lipmann Institute, Biomolecular NMR spectroscopy, Leibniz Institute for Age Research (Germany); Herbst, Christian [Ubon Ratchathani University, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science (Thailand); Haefner, Sabine; Leppert, Joerg; Goerlach, Matthias; Ramachandran, Ramadurai, E-mail: raman@fli-leibniz.de [Fritz Lipmann Institute, Biomolecular NMR spectroscopy, Leibniz Institute for Age Research (Germany)

2012-12-15

We have carried out chemical shift correlation experiments with symmetry-based mixing sequences at high MAS frequencies and examined different strategies to simultaneously acquire 3D correlation spectra that are commonly required in the structural studies of proteins. The potential of numerically optimised symmetry-based mixing sequences and the simultaneous recording of chemical shift correlation spectra such as: 3D NCAC and 3D NHH with dual receivers, 3D NC Prime C and 3D C Prime NCA with sequential {sup 13}C acquisitions, 3D NHH and 3D NC Prime H with sequential {sup 1}H acquisitions and 3D CANH and 3D C'NH with broadband {sup 13}C-{sup 15}N mixing are demonstrated using microcrystalline samples of the {beta}1 immunoglobulin binding domain of protein G (GB1) and the chicken {alpha}-spectrin SH3 domain.

75 FR 14057 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-40; Introduction

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-23

... the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) in..., consider all the information in FAPIIS and PPIRS when making a responsibility determination, and notify the... appropriate for the official's consideration; and Enter a non-responsibility determination into FAPIIS. The...

75 FR 53127 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-45; Introduction

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-30

... summarizes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rules agreed to by the Civilian Agency Acquisition... Chambers. Cost or Pricing Data. III American Recovery 2009-008 Davis. and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Recovery Act)-- Buy American Requirements for Construction Materials. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Summaries...

Calo trigger acquisition system

CERN Multimedia

Franchini, Matteo

2016-01-01

Calo trigger acquisition system - Evolution of the acquisition system from a multiple boards system (upper, orange cables) to a single board one (below, light blue cables) where all the channels are collected in a single board.

Playing at Serial Acquisitions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.T.J. Smit (Han); T. Moraitis (Thras)

2010-01-01

textabstractBehavioral biases can result in suboptimal acquisition decisions-with the potential for errors exacerbated in consolidating industries, where consolidators design serial acquisition strategies and fight escalating takeover battles for platform companies that may determine their future

Development of data acquisition system for tracing fast flow using GPIB

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jong Bum; Jung, Sung Hee

2003-12-01

Radiotracer data acquisition system which was developed by radiotracer group in Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has been used for field experiment since the late of 1990s. It has RS232C and 24 channel x10 sample. It was useful for radiotracer experiment whose period span from few second to few ten days. But the demand for tracing fast flow has been increasing. For example, to trace a fast gas flow in petro chemical industry or for application like computer aided radioactive particle tracking, high speed data acquisition system is necessary. The current commercial data acquisition systems have limited count channels. To solve above mentioned problem upgraded high speed data acquisition system using GPIB is developed. GPIB system is one method of control and communication. The data transmit speed of GPIB is 200k byte/sec which is faster then 20k bps of RS232C. In addition to that, GPIB has advantage of expanding up to 15 devices. It mean that 24 x15 channel is possible if one device has 24channel. It make possible to trace high fast flow or large number of channel. This technical report include details of the design of high speed multi-channel radiation detecting system which is consist of ratemeter module, display unit, mainboard with GPIB system and 24 channel counter board. The design of GPIB system developed here is also applicable to other measurement system for various applications.

Development of data acquisition system for tracing fast flow using GPIB

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jong Bum; Jung, Sung Hee

2003-12-01

Radiotracer data acquisition system which was developed by radiotracer group in Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has been used for field experiment since the late of 1990s. It has RS232C and 24 channel x10 sample. It was useful for radiotracer experiment whose period span from few second to few ten days. But the demand for tracing fast flow has been increasing. For example, to trace a fast gas flow in petro chemical industry or for application like computer aided radioactive particle tracking, high speed data acquisition system is necessary. The current commercial data acquisition systems have limited count channels. To solve above mentioned problem upgraded high speed data acquisition system using GPIB is developed. GPIB system is one method of control and communication. The data transmit speed of GPIB is 200k byte/sec which is faster then 20k bps of RS232C. In addition to that, GPIB has advantage of expanding up to 15 devices. It mean that 24 x15 channel is possible if one device has 24channel. It make possible to trace high fast flow or large number of channel. This technical report include details of the design of high speed multi-channel radiation detecting system which is consist of ratemeter module, display unit, mainboard with GPIB system and 24 channel counter board. The design of GPIB system developed here is also applicable to other measurement system for various applications

Increased variability of watershed areas in patients with high-grade carotid stenosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaczmarz, Stephan; Griese, Vanessa; Preibisch, Christine

2018-01-01

. Despite of high relevance for both clinical diagnostics and research, individual in vivo WSA definition is fairly limited to date. Thus, this study proposes a standardized segmentation approach to delineate individual WSAs by use of time-to-peak (TTP) maps and investigates spatial variability...... of individual WSAs. Methods: We defined individual watershed masks based on relative TTP increases in 30 healthy elderly persons and 28 patients with unilateral, high-grade carotid stenosis, being at risk for watershed-related hemodynamic impairment. Determined WSA location was confirmed by an arterial transit...... time atlas and individual super-selective arterial spin labeling. We compared spatial variability of WSA probability maps between groups and assessed TTP differences between hemispheres in individual and group-average watershed locations. Results: Patients showed significantly higher spatial...

Kiloampere, Variable-Temperature, Critical-Current Measurements of High-Field Superconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodrich, L F; Cheggour, N; Stauffer, T C; Filla, B J; Lu, X F

2013-01-01

We review variable-temperature, transport critical-current (I c) measurements made on commercial superconductors over a range of critical currents from less than 0.1 A to about 1 kA. We have developed and used a number of systems to make these measurements over the last 15 years. Two exemplary variable-temperature systems with coil sample geometries will be described: a probe that is only variable-temperature and a probe that is variable-temperature and variable-strain. The most significant challenge for these measurements is temperature stability, since large amounts of heat can be generated by the flow of high current through the resistive sample fixture. Therefore, a significant portion of this review is focused on the reduction of temperature errors to less than ±0.05 K in such measurements. A key feature of our system is a pre-regulator that converts a flow of liquid helium to gas and heats the gas to a temperature close to the target sample temperature. The pre-regulator is not in close proximity to the sample and it is controlled independently of the sample temperature. This allows us to independently control the total cooling power, and thereby fine tune the sample cooling power at any sample temperature. The same general temperature-control philosophy is used in all of our variable-temperature systems, but the addition of another variable, such as strain, forces compromises in design and results in some differences in operation and protocol. These aspects are analyzed to assess the extent to which the protocols for our systems might be generalized to other systems at other laboratories. Our approach to variable-temperature measurements is also placed in the general context of measurement-system design, and the perceived advantages and disadvantages of design choices are presented. To verify the accuracy of the variable-temperature measurements, we compared critical-current values obtained on a specimen immersed in liquid helium ("liquid" or I c liq) at 5

Seychelles Dome variability in a high resolution ocean model

Science.gov (United States)

Nyadjro, E. S.; Jensen, T.; Richman, J. G.; Shriver, J. F.

2016-02-01

The Seychelles-Chagos Thermocline Ridge (SCTR; 5ºS-10ºS, 50ºE-80ºE) in the tropical Southwest Indian Ocean (SWIO) has been recognized as a region of prominence with regards to climate variability in the Indian Ocean. Convective activities in this region have regional consequences as it affect socio-economic livelihood of the people especially in the countries along the Indian Ocean rim. The SCTR is characterized by a quasi-permanent upwelling that is often associated with thermocline shoaling. This upwelling affects sea surface temperature (SST) variability. We present results on the variability and dynamics of the SCTR as simulated by the 1/12º high resolution HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). It is observed that locally, wind stress affects SST via Ekman pumping of cooler subsurface waters, mixing and anomalous zonal advection. Remotely, wind stress curl in the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean generates westward-propagating Rossby waves that impacts the depth of the thermocline which in turn impacts SST variability in the SCTR region. The variability of the contributions of these processes, especially with regard to the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) are further examined. In a typical positive IOD (PIOD) year, the net vertical velocity in the SCTR is negative year-round as easterlies along the region are intensified leading to a strong positive curl. This vertical velocity is caused mainly by anomalous local Ekman downwelling (with peak during September-November), a direct opposite to the climatology scenario when local Ekman pumping is positive (upwelling favorable) year-round. The anomalous remote contribution to the vertical velocity changes is minimal especially during the developing and peak stages of PIOD events. In a typical negative IOD (NIOD) year, anomalous vertical velocity is positive almost year-round with peaks in May and October. The remote contribution is positive, in contrast to the climatology and most of the PIOD years.

High-resolution regional climate model evaluation using variable-resolution CESM over California

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, X.; Rhoades, A.; Ullrich, P. A.; Zarzycki, C. M.

2015-12-01

Understanding the effect of climate change at regional scales remains a topic of intensive research. Though computational constraints remain a problem, high horizontal resolution is needed to represent topographic forcing, which is a significant driver of local climate variability. Although regional climate models (RCMs) have traditionally been used at these scales, variable-resolution global climate models (VRGCMs) have recently arisen as an alternative for studying regional weather and climate allowing two-way interaction between these domains without the need for nudging. In this study, the recently developed variable-resolution option within the Community Earth System Model (CESM) is assessed for long-term regional climate modeling over California. Our variable-resolution simulations will focus on relatively high resolutions for climate assessment, namely 28km and 14km regional resolution, which are much more typical for dynamically downscaled studies. For comparison with the more widely used RCM method, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model will be used for simulations at 27km and 9km. All simulations use the AMIP (Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project) protocols. The time period is from 1979-01-01 to 2005-12-31 (UTC), and year 1979 was discarded as spin up time. The mean climatology across California's diverse climate zones, including temperature and precipitation, is analyzed and contrasted with the Weather Research and Forcasting (WRF) model (as a traditional RCM), regional reanalysis, gridded observational datasets and uniform high-resolution CESM at 0.25 degree with the finite volume (FV) dynamical core. The results show that variable-resolution CESM is competitive in representing regional climatology on both annual and seasonal time scales. This assessment adds value to the use of VRGCMs for projecting climate change over the coming century and improve our understanding of both past and future regional climate related to fine

On detecting variables using ROTSE-IIId archival data

Science.gov (United States)

Yesilyaprak, C.; Yerli, S. K.; Aksaker, N.; Gucsav, B. B.; Kiziloglu, U.; Dikicioglu, E.; Coker, D.; Aydin, E.; Ozeren, F. F.

ROTSE (Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment) telescopes can also be used for variable star detection. As explained in the system description tep{2003PASP..115..132A}, they have a good sky coverage and they allow a fast data acquisition. The optical magnitude range varies between 7^m to 19^m. Thirty percent of the telescope time of north-eastern leg of the network, namely ROTSE-IIId (located at TUBITAK National Observatory, Bakirlitepe, Turkey http://www.tug.tubitak.gov.tr/) is owned by Turkish researchers. Since its first light (May 2004) considerably a large amount of data has been collected (around 2 TB) from the Turkish time and roughly one million objects have been identified from the reduced data. A robust pipeline has been constructed to discover new variables, transients and planetary nebulae from this archival data. In the detection process, different statistical methods were applied to the archive. We have detected thousands of variable stars by applying roughly four different tests to light curve of each star. In this work a summary of the pipeline is presented. It uses a high performance computing (HPC) algorithm which performs inhomogeneous ensemble photometry of the data on a 36 core cluster. This study is supported by TUBITAK (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) with the grant number TBAG-108T475.

Neural convergence for language comprehension and grammatical class production in highly proficient bilinguals is independent of age of acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Consonni, Monica; Cafiero, Riccardo; Marin, Dario; Tettamanti, Marco; Iadanza, Antonella; Fabbro, Franco; Perani, Daniela

2013-05-01

In bilinguals, native (L1) and second (L2) languages are processed by the same neural resources that can be modulated by age of second language acquisition (AOA), proficiency level, and daily language exposure and usage. AOA seems to particularly affect grammar processing, where a complete neural convergence has been shown only in bilinguals with parallel language acquisition from birth. Despite the fact that proficiency-related neuroanatomical differences have been well documented in language comprehension (LC) and production, few reports have addressed the influence of language exposure. A still unanswered question pertains to the role of AOA, when proficiency is comparably high across languages, with respect to its modulator effects both on LC and production. Here, we evaluated with fMRI during sentence comprehension and verb and noun production tasks, two groups of highly proficient bilinguals only differing in AOA. One group learned Italian and Friulian in parallel from birth, whereas the second group learned Italian between 3 and 6 years. All participants were highly exposed to both languages, but more to Italian than Friulian. The results indicate a complete overlap of neural activations for the comprehension of both languages, not only in bilinguals from birth, but also in late bilinguals. A slightly extra activation in the left thalamus for the less-exposed language confirms that exposure may affect language processing. Noteworthy, we report for the first time that, when proficiency and exposure are kept high, noun and verb production recruit the same neural networks for L1 and L2, independently of AOA. These results support the neural convergence hypothesis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microcomputer-controlled ultrasonic data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simpson, W.A. Jr.

1978-11-01

The large volume of ultrasonic data generated by computer-aided test procedures has necessitated the development of a mobile, high-speed data acquisition and storage system. This approach offers the decided advantage of on-site data collection and remote data processing. It also utilizes standard, commercially available ultrasonic instrumentation. This system is controlled by an Intel 8080A microprocessor. The MCS80-SDK microcomputer board was chosen, and magnetic tape is used as the storage medium. A detailed description is provided of both the hardware and software developed to interface the magnetic tape storage subsystem to Biomation 8100 and Biomation 805 waveform recorders. A boxcar integrator acquisition system is also described for use when signal averaging becomes necessary. Both assembly language and machine language listings are provided for the software

Parallel preprocessing in a nuclear data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pichot, G.; Auriol, E.; Lemarchand, G.; Millaud, J.

1977-01-01

The appearance of microprocessors and large memory chips has somewhat modified the spectrum of tools usable by the data acquisition system designer. This is particular true in the nuclear research field where the data flow has been continuously growing as a consequence of the increasing capabilities of new detectors. This paper deals with the insertion, between a data acquisition system and a computer, of a preprocessing structure based on microprocessors and large capacity high speed memories. The results shows a significant improvement on several aspects in the operation of the system with returns paying back the investments in 18 months

Modelling live forensic acquisition

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Grobler, MM

2009-06-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the development of a South African model for Live Forensic Acquisition - Liforac. The Liforac model is a comprehensive model that presents a range of aspects related to Live Forensic Acquisition. The model provides forensic...

Data acquisition electronics for positron emission mammography (PEM) detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, J.D.; Sebastia, A.; Cerda, J.; Esteve, R.; Mora, F.J.; Toledo, J.F.; Benlloch, J.M.; Gimenez, N.; Gimenez, M.; Lerche, Ch. W.; Pavon, N.; Sanchez, F.

2005-01-01

Positron emission mammography (PEM) is an innovative technique to increase sensitivity and overcome the main drawbacks of conventional X-ray screening. However, dedicated PET imaging systems demand specific hardware solutions for data acquisition and processing that can take advantage of the reduction in the number of channels. Data acquisition issues can affect PEM scanners performance and they should be exhaustively addressed in order to exploit the increment in the event count rate. This is crucial in order to reduce both the scanning time and the total injected dose. This paper presents the electronics for our PEM camera prototype that enables us to achieve very high-count rates and perform comprehensive online processing. Results about acquisition in our detector for a typical clinical setup are studied using Monte Carlo simulation of hot lesion phantoms

Variability of bronchial measurements obtained by sequential CT using two computer-based methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brillet, Pierre-Yves; Fetita, Catalin I.; Mitrea, Mihai; Preteux, Francoise; Capderou, Andre; Dreuil, Serge; Simon, Jean-Marc; Grenier, Philippe A.

2009-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate the variability of lumen (LA) and wall area (WA) measurements obtained on two successive MDCT acquisitions using energy-driven contour estimation (EDCE) and full width at half maximum (FWHM) approaches. Both methods were applied to a database of segmental and subsegmental bronchi with LA > 4 mm 2 containing 42 bronchial segments of 10 successive slices that best matched on each acquisition. For both methods, the 95% confidence interval between repeated MDCT was between -1.59 and 1.5 mm 2 for LA, and -3.31 and 2.96 mm 2 for WA. The values of the coefficient of measurement variation (CV 10 , i.e., percentage ratio of the standard deviation obtained from the 10 successive slices to their mean value) were strongly correlated between repeated MDCT data acquisitions (r > 0.72; p 2 , whereas WA values were lower for bronchi with WA 2 ; no systematic EDCE underestimation or overestimation was observed for thicker-walled bronchi. In conclusion, variability between CT examinations and assessment techniques may impair measurements. Therefore, new parameters such as CV 10 need to be investigated to study bronchial remodeling. Finally, EDCE and FWHM are not interchangeable in longitudinal studies. (orig.)

Industry Relatedness and Post-Acquisition Innovative Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cefis, Elena; Marsili, Orietta; Rigamonti, Damiana

2015-01-01

This paper examines how characteristics of acquiring and acquired firms influence the curvilinear (inverted U-shaped) relationship between relatedness and post-acquisition innovative performance. Using a relatedness index based on industry co-occurrence in a sample of 1,736 Dutch acquisitions, we...... find that acquirer's internal R&D and acquisition experience, and the small size of acquired firms, help to reach a balance between exploration of novelty and exploitation of synergies in unrelated acquisitions, and to achieve higher post-acquisition performance. However, while the acquirer's R......&D increases flexibility in the acquisition process in presence of deviations from the optimal level of relatedness, acquisition experience may enhance rigidities....

Detection of latent fingerprints using high-resolution 3D confocal microscopy in non-planar acquisition scenarios

Science.gov (United States)

Kirst, Stefan; Vielhauer, Claus

2015-03-01

In digitized forensics the support of investigators in any manner is one of the main goals. Using conservative lifting methods, the detection of traces is done manually. For non-destructive contactless methods, the necessity for detecting traces is obvious for further biometric analysis. High resolutional 3D confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) grants the possibility for a detection by segmentation approach with improved detection results. Optimal scan results with CLSM are achieved on surfaces orthogonal to the sensor, which is not always possible due to environmental circumstances or the surface's shape. This introduces additional noise, outliers and a lack of contrast, making a detection of traces even harder. Prior work showed the possibility of determining angle-independent classification models for the detection of latent fingerprints (LFP). Enhancing this approach, we introduce a larger feature space containing a variety of statistical-, roughness-, color-, edge-directivity-, histogram-, Gabor-, gradient- and Tamura features based on raw data and gray-level co-occurrence matrices (GLCM) using high resolutional data. Our test set consists of eight different surfaces for the detection of LFP in four different acquisition angles with a total of 1920 single scans. For each surface and angles in steps of 10, we capture samples from five donors to introduce variance by a variety of sweat compositions and application influences such as pressure or differences in ridge thickness. By analyzing the present test set with our approach, we intend to determine angle- and substrate-dependent classification models to determine optimal surface specific acquisition setups and also classification models for a general detection purpose for both, angles and substrates. The results on overall models with classification rates up to 75.15% (kappa 0.50) already show a positive tendency regarding the usability of the proposed methods for LFP detection on varying surfaces in non

Antibodies with High Avidity to the gp120 Envelope Protein in Protection from Simian Immunodeficiency Virus SIVmac251 Acquisition in an Immunization Regimen That Mimics the RV-144 Thai Trial

Science.gov (United States)

Pegu, Poonam; Vaccari, Monica; Gordon, Shari; Keele, Brandon F.; Doster, Melvin; Guan, Yongjun; Ferrari, Guido; Pal, Ranajit; Ferrari, Maria Grazia; Whitney, Stephen; Hudacik, Lauren; Billings, Erik; Rao, Mangala; Montefiori, David; Tomaras, Georgia; Alam, S. Munir; Fenizia, Claudio; Lifson, Jeffrey D.; Stablein, Donald; Tartaglia, Jim; Michael, Nelson; Kim, Jerome; Venzon, David

2013-01-01

The recombinant canarypox vector, ALVAC-HIV, together with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) gp120 envelope glycoprotein, has protected 31.2% of Thai individuals from HIV acquisition in the RV144 HIV vaccine trial. This outcome was unexpected, given the limited ability of the vaccine components to induce CD8+ T-cell responses or broadly neutralizing antibodies. We vaccinated macaques with an immunization regimen intended to mimic the RV144 trial and exposed them intrarectally to a dose of the simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmac251 that transmits few virus variants, similar to HIV transmission to humans. Vaccination induced anti-envelope antibodies in all vaccinees and CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses. Three of the 11 macaques vaccinated with ALVAC-SIV/gp120 were protected from SIVmac251 acquisition, but the result was not significant. The remaining vaccinees were infected and progressed to disease. The magnitudes of vaccine-induced SIVmac251-specific T-cell responses and binding antibodies were not significantly different between protected and infected animals. However, sera from protected animals had higher avidity antibodies to gp120, recognized the variable envelope regions V1/V2, and reduced SIVmac251 infectivity in cells that express high levels of α4β7 integrins, suggesting a functional role of antibodies to V2. The current results emphasize the utility of determining the titer of repeated mucosal challenge in the preclinical evaluation of HIV vaccines. PMID:23175374

High resolution data acquisition

Science.gov (United States)

Thornton, Glenn W.; Fuller, Kenneth R.

1993-01-01

A high resolution event interval timing system measures short time intervals such as occur in high energy physics or laser ranging. Timing is provided from a clock (38) pulse train (37) and analog circuitry (44) for generating a triangular wave (46) synchronously with the pulse train (37). The triangular wave (46) has an amplitude and slope functionally related to the time elapsed during each clock pulse in the train. A converter (18, 32) forms a first digital value of the amplitude and slope of the triangle wave at the start of the event interval and a second digital value of the amplitude and slope of the triangle wave at the end of the event interval. A counter (26) counts the clock pulse train (37) during the interval to form a gross event interval time. A computer (52) then combines the gross event interval time and the first and second digital values to output a high resolution value for the event interval.

Acquisition of wild-type HIV-1 infection in a patient on pre-exposure prophylaxis with high intracellular concentrations of tenofovir diphosphate: a case report.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoornenborg, Elske; Prins, Maria; Achterbergh, Roel C A; Woittiez, Lycke R; Cornelissen, Marion; Jurriaans, Suzanne; Kootstra, Neeltje A; Anderson, Peter L; Reiss, Peter; de Vries, Henry J C; Prins, Jan M; de Bree, Godelieve J

2017-01-01

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate is highly effective against acquisition of HIV infection, and only two cases of infection with a multidrug-resistant virus have been reported under adequate long-term adherence, as evidenced by tenofovir diphosphate

Non-destructive forensic latent fingerprint acquisition with chromatic white light sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Leich, Marcus; Kiltz, Stefan; Dittmann, Jana; Vielhauer, Claus

2011-02-01

Non-destructive latent fingerprint acquisition is an emerging field of research, which, unlike traditional methods, makes latent fingerprints available for additional verification or further analysis like tests for substance abuse or age estimation. In this paper a series of tests is performed to investigate the overall suitability of a high resolution off-the-shelf chromatic white light sensor for the contact-less and non-destructive latent fingerprint acquisition. Our paper focuses on scanning previously determined regions with exemplary acquisition parameter settings. 3D height field and reflection data of five different latent fingerprints on six different types of surfaces (HDD platter, brushed metal, painted car body (metallic and non-metallic finish), blued metal, veneered plywood) are experimentally studied. Pre-processing is performed by removing low-frequency gradients. The quality of the results is assessed subjectively; no automated feature extraction is performed. Additionally, the degradation of the fingerprint during the acquisition period is observed. While the quality of the acquired data is highly dependent on surface structure, the sensor is capable of detecting the fingerprint on all sample surfaces. On blued metal the residual material is detected; however, the ridge line structure dissolves within minutes after fingerprint placement.

Accelerated dynamic EPR imaging using fast acquisition and compressive recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Rizwan; Samouilov, Alexandre; Zweier, Jay L

2016-12-01

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) allows quantitative imaging of tissue redox status, which provides important information about ischemic syndromes, cancer and other pathologies. For continuous wave EPR imaging, however, poor signal-to-noise ratio and low acquisition efficiency limit its ability to image dynamic processes in vivo including tissue redox, where conditions can change rapidly. Here, we present a data acquisition and processing framework that couples fast acquisition with compressive sensing-inspired image recovery to enable EPR-based redox imaging with high spatial and temporal resolutions. The fast acquisition (FA) allows collecting more, albeit noisier, projections in a given scan time. The composite regularization based processing method, called spatio-temporal adaptive recovery (STAR), not only exploits sparsity in multiple representations of the spatio-temporal image but also adaptively adjusts the regularization strength for each representation based on its inherent level of the sparsity. As a result, STAR adjusts to the disparity in the level of sparsity across multiple representations, without introducing any tuning parameter. Our simulation and phantom imaging studies indicate that a combination of fast acquisition and STAR (FASTAR) enables high-fidelity recovery of volumetric image series, with each volumetric image employing less than 10 s of scan. In addition to image fidelity, the time constants derived from FASTAR also match closely to the ground truth even when a small number of projections are used for recovery. This development will enhance the capability of EPR to study fast dynamic processes that cannot be investigated using existing EPR imaging techniques. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

COLDEX New Data Acquisition Framework

CERN Document Server

Grech, Christian

2015-01-01

COLDEX (COLD bore EXperiment) is an experiment of the TE-VSC group installed in the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) which mimics a LHC type cryogenic vacuum system. In the framework of the High Luminosity upgrade of the LHC (HL-LHC project), COLDEX has been recommissioned in 2014 in order to validate carbon coatings performances at cryogenic temperature with LHC type beams. To achieve this mission, a data acquisition system is needed to retrieve and store information from the different experiment’s systems (vacuum, cryogenics, controls, safety) and perform specific calculations. This work aimed to completely redesign, implement, test and operate a brand new data acquisition framework based on communication with the experiment’s PLCs for the devices potentially available over network. The communication protocol to the PLCs is based on data retrieval both from CERN middleware infrastructures (CMW, JAPC) and on a novel open source Simatic S7 data exchange package over TCP/IP (libnodave).

The ALICE data acquisition system

CERN Document Server

Carena, F; Chapeland, S; Chibante Barroso, V; Costa, F; Dénes, E; Divià, R; Fuchs, U; Grigore, A; Kiss, T; Simonetti, G; Soós, C; Telesca, A; Vande Vyvre, P; Von Haller, B

2014-01-01

In this paper we describe the design, the construction, the commissioning and the operation of the Data Acquisition (DAQ) and Experiment Control Systems (ECS) of the ALICE experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The DAQ and the ECS are the systems used respectively for the acquisition of all physics data and for the overall control of the experiment. They are two computing systems made of hundreds of PCs and data storage units interconnected via two networks. The collection of experimental data from the detectors is performed by several hundreds of high-speed optical links. We describe in detail the design considerations for these systems handling the extreme data throughput resulting from central lead ions collisions at LHC energy. The implementation of the resulting requirements into hardware (custom optical links and commercial computing equipment), infrastructure (racks, cooling, power distribution, control room), and software led to many innovative solutions which are described together with ...

Spanish norms for age of acquisition, concept familiarity, lexical frequency, manipulability, typicality, and other variables for 820 words from 14 living/nonliving concepts.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno-Martínez, F Javier; Montoro, Pedro R; Rodríguez-Rojo, Inmaculada C

2014-12-01

This article presents a new corpus of 820 words pertaining to 14 semantic categories, 7 natural (animals, body parts, insects, flowers, fruits, trees, and vegetables) and 7 man-made (buildings, clothing, furniture, kitchen utensils, musical instruments, tools, and vehicles); each word in the database was collected empirically in a previous exemplar generation study. In the present study, 152 Spanish speakers provided data for four psycholinguistic variables known to affect lexical-semantic processing in both neurologically intact and brain-damaged participants: age of acquisition, familiarity, manipulability, and typicality. Furthermore, we collected lexical frequency data derived from Internet search hits, plus three additional Spanish lexical frequency indexes. Word length, number of syllables, and the proportion of respondents citing the exemplar as a category member-which can be useful as an additional measure of typicality-are also provided. Reliability and validity indexes showed that our items display characteristics similar to those of other corpora. Overall, this new corpus of words provides a useful tool for scientists engaged in cognitive- and neuroscience-based research focused on examining language, memory, and object processing. The full set of norms can be downloaded from www.psychonomic.org/archive.

A first-generation software product line for data acquisition systems in astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

López-Ruiz, J. C.; Heradio, Rubén; Cerrada Somolinos, José Antonio; Coz Fernandez, José Ramón; López Ramos, Pablo

2008-07-01

This article presents a case study on developing a software product line for data acquisition systems in astronomy based on the Exemplar Driven Development methodology and the Exemplar Flexibilization Language tool. The main strategies to build the software product line are based on the domain commonality and variability, the incremental scope and the use of existing artifacts. It consists on a lean methodology with little impact on the organization, suitable for small projects, which reduces product line start-up time. Software Product Lines focuses on creating a family of products instead of individual products. This approach has spectacular benefits on reducing the time to market, maintaining the know-how, reducing the development costs and increasing the quality of new products. The maintenance of the products is also enhanced since all the data acquisition systems share the same product line architecture.

Development of a multi platform and multi parameter data acquisition interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lapolli, Andre L.; Zahn, Guilherme S.

2013-01-01

The process of nuclear data acquisition is evolving continuously. Today data could be digitized from the pre-amplifier or be processed electronically until the digitalisation. Besides, some labs have more than one spectrometer and different data acquisition. Depending on the form of the data acquisition, the researcher will have access to the results only after this process. In some cases, to follow up the process of data acquisition, the operator needs specific knowledge of the different data types used by each system. Consequently, the researcher have to gather a lot of skills in different areas other than his' own, interfering in the analysis process and possibly taking away the efficacy of the research. This work consists in the development of an interface for simultaneous data acquisition of high flexibility and ease of use, which can be programmed by an untrained operator. It is a multi platform interface and it can make data acquisition in real time. Therefore this system has two major tasks: The human machine interface, using the keyboard, mouse, touch screen or the distance (by internet), with the definition made by user according to the equipment. The other task is related to the connection with acquisition system or other peripherals. So, it's possible to link one or more systems of different data or process of the acquisition. This system has been developed for different operating systems with concept of using the Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) concept, enabling integrations of new interfaces and acquisition systems without the need for user training. The system is under development and the implantation in the Laboratorio de Interacao Hiperfinas (LIH) in IPEN, with two different acquisition systems, one using an Ortec® MCA (Model 920-16) and the other a ADC Camberra® ADC (Model 8715) with one National Intruments® (Model 6251) interface, besides several modules of temperature control. (author)

Development of a multi platform and multi parameter data acquisition interface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lapolli, Andre L.; Zahn, Guilherme S., E-mail: alapolli@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2013-07-01

The process of nuclear data acquisition is evolving continuously. Today data could be digitized from the pre-amplifier or be processed electronically until the digitalisation. Besides, some labs have more than one spectrometer and different data acquisition. Depending on the form of the data acquisition, the researcher will have access to the results only after this process. In some cases, to follow up the process of data acquisition, the operator needs specific knowledge of the different data types used by each system. Consequently, the researcher have to gather a lot of skills in different areas other than his' own, interfering in the analysis process and possibly taking away the efficacy of the research. This work consists in the development of an interface for simultaneous data acquisition of high flexibility and ease of use, which can be programmed by an untrained operator. It is a multi platform interface and it can make data acquisition in real time. Therefore this system has two major tasks: The human machine interface, using the keyboard, mouse, touch screen or the distance (by internet), with the definition made by user according to the equipment. The other task is related to the connection with acquisition system or other peripherals. So, it's possible to link one or more systems of different data or process of the acquisition. This system has been developed for different operating systems with concept of using the Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) concept, enabling integrations of new interfaces and acquisition systems without the need for user training. The system is under development and the implantation in the Laboratorio de Interacao Hiperfinas (LIH) in IPEN, with two different acquisition systems, one using an Ortec® MCA (Model 920-16) and the other a ADC Camberra® ADC (Model 8715) with one National Intruments® (Model 6251) interface, besides several modules of temperature control. (author)

[[Streptococcus mutans Acquisition and Dental Caries Development in First-Born Children].

Science.gov (United States)

Noce, Erica; Rubira, Cassia Maria Fischer; da Silva Rosa, Odila Pereira; da Silva, Salete Moura Bonifácio; Bretz, Walter Antonio

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the moment of streptococcus mutans (SM) acquisition, caries development and their associate variables along 23 months, in first-born children of low socioeconomic status families, starting at 7 months of age. METHOD: The sample was chosen based on highly SM-colonized mothers, including all members of 14 families living in the same houses. The study included 14 mothers, 14 fathers and 14 first-borns and 8 relatives (mostly grandparents). Initial clinical examinations and radiographs determined the caries indices and periodontal conditions of the adults. SM count in all adults was made in the first 2 visits. The children were examined for SM count, number of teeth and number of carious lesions, in 4 visits. RESULTS: SM prevalence was high in the adults, being absent in only one of the parents. SM was found in 1, 2, 3 and 10 children in the first, second, third and fourth visits. Dental caries was detected in only 3 children in the last visit (at 30 months), who presented significantly higher SM scores than the children without caries in the same visit. CONCLUSION: A low income social condition and mothers highly colonized by SM do not mean necessarily early SM colonization and high caries activity in children with oral homecare. Caries development is significantly associated with high SM scores in the children.

Automatic creation of LabVIEW network shared variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kluge, T.; Schroeder, H.

2012-01-01

We are in the process of preparing the LabVIEW controlled system components of our Solid State Direct Drive experiments for the integration into a Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) or distributed control system. The predetermined route to this is the generation of LabVIEW network shared variables that can easily be exported by LabVIEW to the SCADA system using OLE for Process Control (OPC) or other means. Many repetitive tasks are associated with the creation of the shared variables and the required code. We are introducing an efficient and inexpensive procedure that automatically creates shared variable libraries and sets default values for the shared variables. Furthermore, LabVIEW controls are created that are used for managing the connection to the shared variable inside the LabVIEW code operating on the shared variables. The procedure takes as input an XML spread-sheet defining the required input. The procedure utilizes XSLT and LabVIEW scripting. In a later state of the project the code generation can be expanded to also create code and configuration files that will become necessary in order to access the shared variables from the SCADA system of choice. (authors)

Modeling the factors that influence knowledge transfer in mergers and acquisitions

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

YU Haiyan; LIANG Zhanping

2010-01-01

This paper constructs a model on the factors that influence knowledge transfer in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and validates it via questionnaire surveys.Using 125 valid collected questionnaires,multiple linear regression analysis and hierarchical regression analysis showed that five out of the ten factors had a positive effect on knowledge transfer effect.The ranking of factor importance,from high to low,was knowledge explicitness,relationship quality,learning intent,advanced transfer activities,and learning capability,which is fairly consistent with positive factors observed in other interorganizational knowledge transfer researches.Our results also showed that one of the control variables (size of acquired firm) had neither a direct or indirect effect on knowledge transfer in M&A.Additionally,our research found that knowledge distance and degree of M&A integration had a positive influence on knowledge transfer effect at the early stage after M&A,but had a negative influence at the late stage.Based on this research,several suggestions for knowledge transfer in M&A are proposed.

Modeling the factors that influence knowledge transfer in mergers and acquisitions

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

YU; Haiyan; LIANG; Zhanping

2010-01-01

This paper constructs a model on the factors that influence knowledge transfer in mergers and acquisitions(M&A)and validates it via questionnaire surveys.Using 125valid collected questionnaires,multiple linear regression analysis and hierarchical regression analysis showed that five out of the ten factors had a positive effect on knowledge transfer effect.The ranking of factor importance,from high to low,was knowledge explicitness,relationship quality,learning intent,advanced transfer activities,and learning capability,which is fairly consistent with positive factors observed in other interorganizational knowledge transfer researches.Our results also showed that one of the control variables(size of acquired firm)had neither a direct or indirect effect on knowledge transfer in M&A.Additionally,our research found that knowledge distance and degree of M&A integration had a positive influence on knowledge transfer effect at the early stage after M&A,but had a negative influence at the late stage.Based on this research,several suggestions for knowledge transfer in M&A are proposed.

Acquisition Workforce Annual Report 2006

Data.gov (United States)

General Services Administration — This is the Federal Acquisition Institute's (FAI's) Annual demographic report on the Federal acquisition workforce, showing trends by occupational series, employment...

Acquisition Workforce Annual Report 2008

Data.gov (United States)

General Services Administration — This is the Federal Acquisition Institute's (FAI's) Annual demographic report on the Federal acquisition workforce, showing trends by occupational series, employment...

The GRIFFIN data acquisition system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garnsworthy, A.B., E-mail: garns@triumf.ca [Physical Sciences Division, TRIUMF, 4004 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 2A3 (Canada); Pearson, C.J.; Bishop, D.; Shaw, B.; Smith, J.K.; Bowry, M. [Physical Sciences Division, TRIUMF, 4004 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 2A3 (Canada); Bildstein, V. [Department of Physics, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1 (Canada); Hackman, G. [Physical Sciences Division, TRIUMF, 4004 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 2A3 (Canada); Garrett, P.E. [Department of Physics, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1 (Canada); Linn, Y. [Physical Sciences Division, TRIUMF, 4004 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 2A3 (Canada); Martin, J.-P. [Department of Physics, Université de Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Edouard-Montpetit, Montréal, QC, Canada H3T 1J4 (Canada); Mills, W.J. [Physical Sciences Division, TRIUMF, 4004 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 2A3 (Canada); Svensson, C.E. [Department of Physics, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1 (Canada)

2017-05-01

Gamma-Ray Infrastructure For Fundamental Investigations of Nuclei, GRIFFIN, is a new experimental facility for radioactive decay studies at the TRIUMF-ISAC laboratory. This article describes the details of the custom designed GRIFFIN digital data acquisition system. The features of the system that will enable high-precision half-life and branching ratio measurements with levels of uncertainty better than 0.05% are described. The system has demonstrated the ability to effectively collect signals from High-purity germanium crystals at counting rates up to 50 kHz while maintaining good energy resolution, detection efficiency and spectral quality.

Behavior problems at ages 6 and 11 and high school academic achievement: longitudinal latent variable modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Breslau, Naomi; Breslau, Joshua; Miller, Elizabeth; Raykov, Tenko

2011-02-28

Previous studies documented long-run effects of behavior problems at the start of school on academic achievement. However, these studies did not examine whether the observed effects of early behavior problems are explained by more proximate behavior problems, given the tendency of children's behavior problems to persist. Latent variable modeling was applied to estimate the effects of behavior problems at ages 6 and 11 on academic achievement at age 17, using data from a longitudinal study (n=823). Behavior problems at ages 6 and 11, each stage independently of the other, predicted lower math and reading test scores at age 17, controlling for intelligence quotient (IQ), birth weight, maternal characteristics, family and community environment, and taking into account behavior problems at age 17. Behavior problems at the start of school, independent of later behavior problems, exert lingering effects on achievement by impeding the acquisition of cognitive skills that are the foundation for later academic progress. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Use of Variable Q1 Isolation Windows Improves Selectivity in LC-SWATH-MS Acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ying; Bilbao, Aivett; Bruderer, Tobias; Luban, Jeremy; Strambio-De-Castillia, Caterina; Lisacek, Frédérique; Hopfgartner, Gérard; Varesio, Emmanuel

2015-10-02

As tryptic peptides and metabolites are not equally distributed along the mass range, the probability of cross fragment ion interference is higher in certain windows when fixed Q1 SWATH windows are applied. We evaluated the benefits of utilizing variable Q1 SWATH windows with regards to selectivity improvement. Variable windows based on equalizing the distribution of either the precursor ion population (PIP) or the total ion current (TIC) within each window were generated by an in-house software, swathTUNER. These two variable Q1 SWATH window strategies outperformed, with respect to quantification and identification, the basic approach using a fixed window width (FIX) for proteomic profiling of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDCs). Thus, 13.8 and 8.4% additional peptide precursors, which resulted in 13.1 and 10.0% more proteins, were confidently identified by SWATH using the strategy PIP and TIC, respectively, in the MDDC proteomic sample. On the basis of the spectral library purity score, some improvement warranted by variable Q1 windows was also observed, albeit to a lesser extent, in the metabolomic profiling of human urine. We show that the novel concept of "scheduled SWATH" proposed here, which incorporates (i) variable isolation windows and (ii) precursor retention time segmentation further improves both peptide and metabolite identifications.

Working Papers in Acquisition of Knowledge for Image Understanding Research,

Science.gov (United States)

1976-12-15

Rmvt 112,7,P IM Y. K3p ’Of’ z4-" odK zw Mw; OW, ev 6 "ONO T;I 11; "VI lip, IA wo 44 jo . ... . ...... I I WORKING PAPERS IN ACQUISITION OF...paradigm than any other. They have collected protocolt on subjects verbally describing scenes, after examining them visually. The control variable they... collection of Elements of Control Flow (ECF). To avoid creation of either file, the user presses the return key without typing a name to the respective

The effects of variable practice on locomotor adaptation to a novel asymmetric gait.

Science.gov (United States)

Hinkel-Lipsker, Jacob W; Hahn, Michael E

2017-09-01

Very little is known about the effects of specific practice on motor learning of predictive balance control during novel bipedal gait. This information could provide an insight into how the direction and magnitude of predictive errors during acquisition of a novel gait task influence transfer of balance control, as well as yield a practice protocol for the restoration of balance for those with locomotor impairments. This study examined the effect of a variable practice paradigm on transfer of a novel asymmetric gait pattern in able-bodied individuals. Using a split-belt treadmill, one limb was driven at a constant velocity (constant limb) and the other underwent specific changes in velocity (variable limb) during practice according to one of three prescribed practice paradigms: serial, where the variable limb velocity increased linearly; random blocked, where variable limb underwent random belt velocity changes every 20 strides; and random practice, where the variable limb underwent random step-to-step changes in velocity. Random practice showed the highest balance control variability during acquisition compared to serial and random blocked practice which demonstrated the best transfer of balance control on one transfer test. Both random and random blocked practices showed significantly less balance control variability during a second transfer test compared to serial practice. These results indicate that random blocked practice may be best for generalizability of balance control while learning a novel gait, perhaps, indicating that individuals who underwent this practice paradigm were able to find the most optimal balance control solution during practice.

Acquisition Research Program Homepage

OpenAIRE

2015-01-01

Includes an image of the main page on this date and compressed file containing additional web pages. Established in 2003, Naval Postgraduate School’s (NPS) Acquisition Research Program provides leadership in innovation, creative problem solving and an ongoing dialogue, contributing to the evolution of Department of Defense acquisition strategies.

Performance Confirmation Data Acquisition System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D.W. Markman

2000-01-01

The purpose of this analysis is to identify and analyze concepts for the acquisition of data in support of the Performance Confirmation (PC) program at the potential subsurface nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. The scope and primary objectives of this analysis are to: (1) Review the criteria for design as presented in the Performance Confirmation Data Acquisition/Monitoring System Description Document, by way of the Input Transmittal, Performance Confirmation Input Criteria (CRWMS M and O 1999c). (2) Identify and describe existing and potential new trends in data acquisition system software and hardware that would support the PC plan. The data acquisition software and hardware will support the field instruments and equipment that will be installed for the observation and perimeter drift borehole monitoring, and in-situ monitoring within the emplacement drifts. The exhaust air monitoring requirements will be supported by a data communication network interface with the ventilation monitoring system database. (3) Identify the concepts and features that a data acquisition system should have in order to support the PC process and its activities. (4) Based on PC monitoring needs and available technologies, further develop concepts of a potential data acquisition system network in support of the PC program and the Site Recommendation and License Application

48 CFR Appendix - Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Index

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Index Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION CONTRACT... (IFMS) Contract clause. FAR Index Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Index Editorial Note: This...

The power of imageability: How the acquisition of inflected forms is facilitated in highly imageable verbs and nouns in Czech children

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Smolík, Filip; Kříž, A.

2015-01-01

Roč. 35, č. 6 (2015), s. 446-465 ISSN 0142-7237 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-26779S Institutional support: RVO:68081740 Keywords : acquisition of inflections * imageability * language acquisition * grammar acquisition * morphology Subject RIV: AN - Psychology Impact factor: 1.254, year: 2015 http://fla.sagepub.com/content/35/6/446.full.pdf+html

Reinventing the Platform Core Through Acquisition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toppenberg, Gustav; Henningsson, Stefan; Eaton, Ben

2016-01-01

the acquisition and integration of companies presenting innovative technologies of relevance to the platform core. Using a revelatory case study of Cisco Systems, we develop the explanatory notion of ‘coring acquisition’. In this type of acquisition value is created through the acquisition of companies...

Damage invariant and high security acquisition of the internal fingerprint using optical coherence tomography

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Darlow, Luke N

2016-11-01

Full Text Available representation they offer. Using an emerging fingerprint acquisition technology – optical coherence tomography – to access an internal fingerprint under the skin surface, this paper serves to address two limitations of conventional scanners: fingertip skin damage...

SU-G-IeP4-13: PET Image Noise Variability and Its Consequences for Quantifying Tumor Hypoxia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kueng, R [Division of Medical Radiation Physics and Department of Radiation Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern (Switzerland); Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Manser, P; Fix, M K [Division of Medical Radiation Physics and Department of Radiation Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern (Switzerland); Driscoll, B; Keller, H [Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Stampanoni, M F M [Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) (Switzerland)

2016-06-15

Purpose: The values in a PET image which represent activity concentrations of a radioactive tracer are influenced by a large number of parameters including patient conditions as well as image acquisition and reconstruction. This work investigates noise characteristics in PET images for various image acquisition and image reconstruction parameters. Methods: Different phantoms with homogeneous activity distributions were scanned using several acquisition parameters and reconstructed with numerous sets of reconstruction parameters. Images from six PET scanners from different vendors were analyzed and compared with respect to quantitative noise characteristics. Local noise metrics, which give rise to a threshold value defining the metric of hypoxic fraction, as well as global noise measures in terms of noise power spectra (NPS) were computed. In addition to variability due to different reconstruction parameters, spatial variability of activity distribution and its noise metrics were investigated. Patient data from clinical trials were mapped onto phantom scans to explore the impact of the scanner’s intrinsic noise variability on quantitative clinical analysis. Results: Local noise metrics showed substantial variability up to an order of magnitude for different reconstruction parameters. Investigations of corresponding NPS revealed reconstruction dependent structural noise characteristics. For the acquisition parameters, noise metrics were guided by Poisson statistics. Large spatial non-uniformity of the noise was observed in both axial and radial direction of a PET image. In addition, activity concentrations in PET images of homogeneous phantom scans showed intriguing spatial fluctuations for most scanners. The clinical metric of the hypoxic fraction was shown to be considerably influenced by the PET scanner’s spatial noise characteristics. Conclusion: We showed that a hypoxic fraction metric based on noise characteristics requires careful consideration of the

10 CFR 626.4 - General acquisition strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false General acquisition strategy. 626.4 Section 626.4 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) SALES REGULATION PROCEDURES FOR ACQUISITION OF PETROLEUM FOR THE STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE § 626.4 General acquisition strategy. (a) Criteria for commencing acquisition. To reduce...

48 CFR 1.102-3 - Acquisition team.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... service. By identifying the team members in this manner, teamwork, unity of purpose, and open... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Acquisition team. 1.102-3... ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM Purpose, Authority, Issuance 1.102-3 Acquisition team. The purpose of defining...

Antibodies with high avidity to the gp120 envelope protein in protection from simian immunodeficiency virus SIV(mac251) acquisition in an immunization regimen that mimics the RV-144 Thai trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Pegu, Poonam; Vaccari, Monica; Gordon, Shari; Keele, Brandon F; Doster, Melvin; Guan, Yongjun; Ferrari, Guido; Pal, Ranajit; Ferrari, Maria Grazia; Whitney, Stephen; Hudacik, Lauren; Billings, Erik; Rao, Mangala; Montefiori, David; Tomaras, Georgia; Alam, S Munir; Fenizia, Claudio; Lifson, Jeffrey D; Stablein, Donald; Tartaglia, Jim; Michael, Nelson; Kim, Jerome; Venzon, David; Franchini, Genoveffa

2013-02-01

The recombinant canarypox vector, ALVAC-HIV, together with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) gp120 envelope glycoprotein, has protected 31.2% of Thai individuals from HIV acquisition in the RV144 HIV vaccine trial. This outcome was unexpected, given the limited ability of the vaccine components to induce CD8(+) T-cell responses or broadly neutralizing antibodies. We vaccinated macaques with an immunization regimen intended to mimic the RV144 trial and exposed them intrarectally to a dose of the simian immunodeficiency virus SIV(mac251) that transmits few virus variants, similar to HIV transmission to humans. Vaccination induced anti-envelope antibodies in all vaccinees and CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell responses. Three of the 11 macaques vaccinated with ALVAC-SIV/gp120 were protected from SIV(mac251) acquisition, but the result was not significant. The remaining vaccinees were infected and progressed to disease. The magnitudes of vaccine-induced SIV(mac251)-specific T-cell responses and binding antibodies were not significantly different between protected and infected animals. However, sera from protected animals had higher avidity antibodies to gp120, recognized the variable envelope regions V1/V2, and reduced SIV(mac251) infectivity in cells that express high levels of α(4)β(7) integrins, suggesting a functional role of antibodies to V2. The current results emphasize the utility of determining the titer of repeated mucosal challenge in the preclinical evaluation of HIV vaccines.

Modeling the Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions of Companies on their Capitalization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kolodiazhna Tatiana V.

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In the context of economic globalization, the most common approaches to creating powerful companies that have high market value are those that use mergers and acquisitions. In Ukraine, such processes also have been considerably intensified in recent years. However, in the national economic science, the problems of evaluating the impact of mergers and acquisitions of companies on their capitalization, as well as on the concentration and competitiveness of the country’s economy, have not been solved to date. The article is aimed at analyzing the market capitalization of the world’s largest companies and modeling the impact of their mergers and acquisitions on the capitalization of their economies. As a result of the study, it has been determined that modeling the impact of the mergers and acquisitions of the world’s companies on the level of capitalization of their economies has proved the hypothesis that the countries of the world, where mergers and acquisitions of companies are more extensive, also have larger capitalization level.

Flexible data acquisition system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clout, P N; Ridley, P A [Science Research Council, Daresbury (UK). Daresbury Lab.

1978-06-01

A data acquisition system has been developed which enables several independent experiments to be controlled by a 24 K word PDP-11 computer. Significant features of the system are the use of CAMAC, a high level language (RTL/2) and a general-purpose operating system executive which assist the rapid implementation of new experiments. This system has been used successfully for EXAFS and photo-electron spectroscopy experiments. It is intended to provide powerful concurrent data analysis and feedback facilities to the experimenter by on-line connection to the central IBM 370/165 computer.

Embedded multi-channel data acquisition system on FPGA for Aditya Tokamak

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rajpal, Rachana, E-mail: rachana@ipr.res.in [Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat (India); Mandaliya, Hitesh, E-mail: hitesh@ipr.res.in [ITER, Cadarache (France); Patel, Jignesh, E-mail: jjp@ipr.res.in [ITER, Cadarache (France); Kumari, Praveena, E-mail: praveena@ipr.res.in [Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat (India); Gautam, Pramila, E-mail: pramila@ipr.res.in [Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat (India); Raulji, Vismaysinh, E-mail: vismay@ipr.res.in [Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat (India); Edappala, Praveenlal, E-mail: praveen@ipr.res.in [Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat (India); Pujara, H.D, E-mail: pujara@ipr.res [Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat (India); Jha, R., E-mail: jha@ipr.res.in [Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat (India)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • 64 channel data acquisition, interface to PC/104 bus, using single board computer. • Integration of all components in single hardware to make it standalone and portable. • Development of application software in Qt on Linux platform for better performance and low cost compared to Windows. • Explored and utilized FPGA resources for hardware interfacing. - Abstract: The 64 channel data acquisition board is designed to meet the future demand of acquisition channels for plasma diagnostics. The inherent features of the board are 16 bit resolution, programmable sampling rate upto 200 kS/s/ch and simultaneous acquisition. To make system embedded and compact, 8 Analog Inputs ADC chip, 4M × 16 bit RAM memory, Field Programmable Gate Arrays, PC/104 platform and single board computer are used. High speed timing control signals for all ADCs and RAMs are generated by FPGA. The system is standalone, portable and interface through Ethernet. The acquisition application is developed in Qt. on Linux platform, in SBC. Due to ethernet connectivity and onboard processing, system can be integrated into Aditya and SST-1 data acquisition system. The performance of hardware is tested on Linux and Windows Embedded OS. The paper describes design, hardware and software architecture, implementation and results of 64 channel DAQ system.

Embedded multi-channel data acquisition system on FPGA for Aditya Tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajpal, Rachana; Mandaliya, Hitesh; Patel, Jignesh; Kumari, Praveena; Gautam, Pramila; Raulji, Vismaysinh; Edappala, Praveenlal; Pujara, H.D; Jha, R.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • 64 channel data acquisition, interface to PC/104 bus, using single board computer. • Integration of all components in single hardware to make it standalone and portable. • Development of application software in Qt on Linux platform for better performance and low cost compared to Windows. • Explored and utilized FPGA resources for hardware interfacing. - Abstract: The 64 channel data acquisition board is designed to meet the future demand of acquisition channels for plasma diagnostics. The inherent features of the board are 16 bit resolution, programmable sampling rate upto 200 kS/s/ch and simultaneous acquisition. To make system embedded and compact, 8 Analog Inputs ADC chip, 4M × 16 bit RAM memory, Field Programmable Gate Arrays, PC/104 platform and single board computer are used. High speed timing control signals for all ADCs and RAMs are generated by FPGA. The system is standalone, portable and interface through Ethernet. The acquisition application is developed in Qt. on Linux platform, in SBC. Due to ethernet connectivity and onboard processing, system can be integrated into Aditya and SST-1 data acquisition system. The performance of hardware is tested on Linux and Windows Embedded OS. The paper describes design, hardware and software architecture, implementation and results of 64 channel DAQ system.

Acquisition of i.v. cocaine self-administration in adolescent and adult male rats selectively bred for high and low saccharin intake.

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Jennifer L; Anderson, Marissa M; Nelson, Sarah E; Carroll, Marilyn E

2007-05-16

Adolescence and excessive intake of saccharin have each been previously associated with enhanced vulnerability to drug abuse. In the present study, we focused on the relationship between these two factors using male adolescent and adult rats selectively bred for high (HiS) and low (LoS) levels of saccharin intake. On postnatal day 25 (adolescents) or 150 (adults), rats were implanted with an intravenous catheter and trained to self-administer cocaine (0.4 mg/kg) using an autoshaping procedure that consisted of two 6-h sessions. In the first 6 h, rats were given non-contingent cocaine infusions at random intervals 10 times per hour, and during the second 6-h session, rats were allowed to self-administer cocaine under a fixed ratio 1 (FR 1) lever-response contingency. Acquisition was defined as a total of at least 250 infusions over 5 consecutive days, and rats were given 30 days to meet the acquisition criterion. Subsequently, saccharin phenotype scores were determined by comparing 24-h saccharin and water consumption in two-bottle tests to verify HiS/LoS status. Adolescent LoS rats had a faster rate of acquisition of cocaine self-administration than adult LoS rats; however, adolescent and adult HiS rats acquired at the same rate. Both HiS and LoS adolescents had significantly higher saccharin phenotype scores than HiS and LoS adults, respectively. Additionally, saccharin score was negatively correlated with the number of days to meet the acquisition criterion for cocaine self-administration, but this was mostly accounted for by the HiS adolescents. These results suggest that during adolescence, compared with adulthood, rats have both an increased avidity for sweets and vulnerability to initiate drug abuse.

Data Acquisition for Modular Biometric Monitoring System

Science.gov (United States)

Chmiel, Alan J. (Inventor); Humphreys, Bradley T. (Inventor); Grodsinsky, Carlos M. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A modular system for acquiring biometric data includes a plurality of data acquisition modules configured to sample biometric data from at least one respective input channel at a data acquisition rate. A representation of the sampled biometric data is stored in memory of each of the plurality of data acquisition modules. A central control system is in communication with each of the plurality of data acquisition modules through a bus. The central control system is configured to collect data asynchronously, via the bus, from the memory of the plurality of data acquisition modules according to a relative fullness of the memory of the plurality of data acquisition modules.

The implementation of a data acquisition and service system based on HDF5

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Y., E-mail: cheny@ipp.ac.cn [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui (China); Wang, F.; Li, S. [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui (China); Xiao, B.J. [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui (China); School of nuclear science and technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui (China); Yang, F. [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui (China); Department of Computer Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui (China)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • A new data acquisition and service system has been designed and implemented for a new reversed field pinch (RFP) magnetic confinement device. • The new data acquisition and service system is based on HDF5. • It is an entire system including acquisition, storage and data retrieval. • The system is easy to extend and maintain for its modularization design. - Abstract: A data acquisition and service system based on HDF5 has been designed. It includes four components: data acquisition console, data acquisition subsystem, data archive system and data service. The data acquisition console manages all DAQ information and controls the acquisition process. The data acquisition subsystem supports continuous data acquisition with different sampling rates which can be divided into low, medium and high level. All experimental data will be remotely transferred to the data archive system. It adopts HDF5 as its low-level data storage format. The hierarchical data structure of HDF5 is useful for efficiently managing the experimental data and allows users to define special data types and compression filter which can be useful to deal with special signals. Several data service tools have also been developed so that users can get data service via Client/Server or Brower/Server. The system will be demonstrated on Keda Torus eXperiment (KTX) device, which is a new Reversed Field Pinch (RFP) magnetic confinement device. The details are presented in the paper.

The implementation of a data acquisition and service system based on HDF5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Y.; Wang, F.; Li, S.; Xiao, B.J.; Yang, F.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A new data acquisition and service system has been designed and implemented for a new reversed field pinch (RFP) magnetic confinement device. • The new data acquisition and service system is based on HDF5. • It is an entire system including acquisition, storage and data retrieval. • The system is easy to extend and maintain for its modularization design. - Abstract: A data acquisition and service system based on HDF5 has been designed. It includes four components: data acquisition console, data acquisition subsystem, data archive system and data service. The data acquisition console manages all DAQ information and controls the acquisition process. The data acquisition subsystem supports continuous data acquisition with different sampling rates which can be divided into low, medium and high level. All experimental data will be remotely transferred to the data archive system. It adopts HDF5 as its low-level data storage format. The hierarchical data structure of HDF5 is useful for efficiently managing the experimental data and allows users to define special data types and compression filter which can be useful to deal with special signals. Several data service tools have also been developed so that users can get data service via Client/Server or Brower/Server. The system will be demonstrated on Keda Torus eXperiment (KTX) device, which is a new Reversed Field Pinch (RFP) magnetic confinement device. The details are presented in the paper.

ACP/R3000 processors in data acquisition systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deppe, J.; Areti, H.; Atac, R.

1989-02-01

We describe ACP/R3000 processor based data acquisition systems for high energy physics. This VME bus compatible processor board, with a computational power equivalent to 15 VAX 11/780s or better, contains 8 Mb of memory for event buffering and has a high speed secondary bus that allows data gathering from front end electronics. 2 refs., 3 figs

Child predictors of learning to control variables via instruction or self-discovery

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wagensveld, B.; Segers, P.C.J.; Kleemans, M.A.J.; Verhoeven, L.T.W.

2015-01-01

We examined the role child factors on the acquisition and transfer of learning the control of variables strategy (CVS) via instruction or self-discovery. Seventy-six fourth graders and 43 sixth graders were randomly assigned to a group receiving direct CVS instruction or a discovery learning group.

Incorporation of gene-specific variability improves expression analysis using high-density DNA microarrays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Spitznagel Edward

2003-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The assessment of data reproducibility is essential for application of microarray technology to exploration of biological pathways and disease states. Technical variability in data analysis largely depends on signal intensity. Within that context, the reproducibility of individual probe sets has not been hitherto addressed. Results We used an extraordinarily large replicate data set derived from human placental trophoblast to analyze probe-specific contribution to variability of gene expression. We found that signal variability, in addition to being signal-intensity dependant, is probe set-specific. Importantly, we developed a novel method to quantify the contribution of this probe set-specific variability. Furthermore, we devised a formula that incorporates a priori-computed, replicate-based information on probe set- and intensity-specific variability in determination of expression changes even without technical replicates. Conclusion The strategy of incorporating probe set-specific variability is superior to analysis based on arbitrary fold-change thresholds. We recommend its incorporation to any computation of gene expression changes using high-density DNA microarrays. A Java application implementing our T-score is available at http://www.sadovsky.wustl.edu/tscore.html.

The control and data acquisition system of a laser in-vessel viewing system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira, Rita C.; Cruz, Nuno; Neri, C.; Riva, M.; Correia, C.; Varandas, C.A.F.

2000-01-01

This paper presents the dedicated control and data acquisition system (CADAS) of a new laser in-vessel viewing system that has been developed for inspection purposes in fusion experiments. CADAS is based on a MC68060 microprocessor and on-site developed VME instrumentation. Its main aims are to simultaneously control the laser alignment system as well as the laser beam deflection for in-vessel scanning, acquire a high-resolution image and support real-time data flow rates up to 2 Mbyte/s from the acquisition modules to the hard disk and network. The hardware (modules for control and alignment acquisition, scanning acquisition and monitoring) as well as the three levels of software are described

New KENS data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arai, M.; Furusaka, M.; Satoh, S.

1989-01-01

In this report, the authors discuss a data acquisition system, KENSnet, which is newly introduced to the KENS facility. The criteria for the data acquisition system was about 1 MIPS for CPU speed and 150 Mbytes for storage capacity for a computer per spectrometer. VAX computers were chosen with their propreitary operating system, VMS. The Vax computers are connected by a DECnet network mediated by Ethernet. Front-end computers, Apple Macintosh Plus and Macintosh II, were chosen for their user-friendly manipulation and intelligence. New CAMAC-based data acquisition electronics were developed. The data acquisition control program (ICP) and the general data analysis program (Genie) were both developed at ISIS and have been installed. 2 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

A low-power data acquisition system for geomagnetic observatories and variometer stations

Science.gov (United States)

Morschhauser, Achim; Haseloff, Jürgen; Bronkalla, Oliver; Müller-Brettschneider, Carsten; Matzka, Jürgen

2017-09-01

A modern geomagnetic observatory must provide data of high stability, continuity, and resolution. The INTERMAGNET network has therefore specified quantitative criteria to ensure a high quality standard of geomagnetic observatories. Here, we present a new data acquisition system which was designed to meet these criteria, in particular with respect to 1 Hz data. This system is based on a Raspberry Pi embedded PC and runs a C+ + data acquisition software. As a result, the data acquisition system is modular, cheap, and flexible, and it can be operated in remote areas with limited power supply. In addition, the system is capable of near-real-time data transmission, using a reverse SSH tunnel to work with any network available. The system hardware was successfully tested at the Niemegk observatory for a period of 1 year and subsequently installed at the Tatuoca observatory in Brazil.

Program design of data acquisition in Windows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Jianxin; Yan Huawen

2004-01-01

Several methods for the design of data acquisition program based on Microsoft Windows are introduced. Then their respective advantages and disadvantages are totally analyzed. At the same time, the data acquisition modes applicable to each method are also pointed out. It is convenient for data acquisition programmers to develop data acquisition systems. (authors)

Studies in Filipino Second Language Acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Teresita V.

Very little research has been done on first or second language acquisition in the Philippines. Most second language learning studies cited in the literature concern acquisition of English in English-speaking communities, and most American studies of Filipino language acquisition are superficial, consisting primarily of morpheme analysis. The…

Collection assessment and acquisitions budgets

CERN Document Server

Lee, Sul H

2013-01-01

This invaluable new book contains timely information about the assessment of academic library collections and the relationship of collection assessment to acquisition budgets. The rising cost of information significantly influences academic libraries'abilities to acquire the necessary materials for students and faculty, and public libraries'abilities to acquire material for their clientele. Collection Assessment and Acquisitions Budgets examines different aspects of the relationship between the assessment of academic library collections and the management of library acquisition budgets. Librar

A system design of data acquisition and processing for side-scatter lidar

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, ZhanYe; Xie, ChenBo; Wang, ZhenZhu; Kuang, ZhiQiang; Deng, Qian; Tao, ZongMing; Liu, Dong; Wang, Yingjian

2018-03-01

A system for collecting data of Side-Scatter lidar based on Charge Coupled Device (CCD),is designed and implemented. The system of data acquisition is based on Microsoft. Net structure and the language of C# is used to call dynamic link library (DLL) of CCD for realization of the real-time data acquisition and processing. The software stores data as txt file for post data acquisition and analysis. The system has ability to operate CCD device in all-day, automatic, continuous and high frequency data acquisition and processing conditions, which will catch 24-hour information of the atmospheric scatter's light intensity and retrieve the spatial and temporal properties of aerosol particles. The experimental result shows that the system is convenient to observe the aerosol optical characteristics near surface.

Sub-Hour X-Ray Variability of High-Energy Peaked BL Lacertae Objects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bidzina Kapanadze

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The study of multi-wavelength flux variability in BL Lacertae objects is very important to discern unstable processes and emission mechanisms underlying their extreme observational features. While the innermost regions of these objects are not accessible from direct observations, we may draw conclusions about their internal structure via the detection of flux variations on various timescales, based on the light-travel argument. In this paper, we review the sub-hour X-ray variability in high-energy peaked BL Lacertae sources (HBLs that are bright at X-rays and provide us with an effective tool to study the details related to the physics of the emitting particles. The X-ray emission of these sources is widely accepted to be a synchrotron radiation from the highest-energy electrons, and the complex spectral variability observed in this band reflects the injection and radiative evolution of freshly-accelerated particles. The detection of sub-hour X-ray flux variability is very important since it can be related to the small-scale jet turbulent structures or triggered by unstable processes occurring in the vicinity of a central supermassive black hole. We summarize the fastest X-ray variability instances detected in bright HBLs and discuss their physical implications.

Snowpack spatial and temporal variability assessment using SMP high-resolution penetrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Komarov, Anton; Seliverstov, Yuriy; Sokratov, Sergey; Grebennikov, Pavel

2017-04-01

This research is focused on study of spatial and temporal variability of structure and characteristics of snowpack, quick identification of layers based on hardness and dispersion values received from snow micro penetrometer (SMP). We also discuss the detection of weak layers and definition of their parameters in non-alpine terrain. As long as it is the first SMP tool available in Russia, our intent is to test it in different climate and weather conditions. During two separate snowpack studies in plain and mountain landscapes, we derived density and grain size profiles by comparing snow density and grain size from snowpits and SMP measurements. The first case study was MSU meteorological observatory test site in Moscow. SMP data was obtained by 6 consecutive measurements along 10 m transects with a horizontal resolution of approximately 50 cm. The detailed description of snowpack structure, density, grain size, air and snow temperature was also performed. By comparing this information, the detailed scheme of snowpack evolution was created. The second case study was in Khibiny mountains. One 10-meter-long transect was made. SMP, density, grain size and snow temperature data was obtained with horizontal resolution of approximately 50 cm. The high-definition profile of snowpack density variation was acquired using received data. The analysis of data reveals high spatial and temporal variability in snow density and layer structure in both horizontal and vertical dimensions. It indicates that the spatial variability is exhibiting similar spatial patterns as surface topology. This suggests a strong influence from such factors as wind and liquid water pressure on the temporal and spatial evolution of snow structure. It was also defined, that spatial variation of snowpack characteristics is substantial even within homogeneous plain landscape, while in high-latitude mountain regions it grows significantly.

Rapid Material Appearance Acquisition Using Consumer Hardware

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiří Filip

2014-10-01

Full Text Available A photo-realistic representation of material appearance can be achieved by means of bidirectional texture function (BTF capturing a material’s appearance for varying illumination, viewing directions, and spatial pixel coordinates. BTF captures many non-local effects in material structure such as inter-reflections, occlusions, shadowing, or scattering. The acquisition of BTF data is usually time and resource-intensive due to the high dimensionality of BTF data. This results in expensive, complex measurement setups and/or excessively long measurement times. We propose an approximate BTF acquisition setup based on a simple, affordable mechanical gantry containing a consumer camera and two LED lights. It captures a very limited subset of material surface images by shooting several video sequences. A psychophysical study comparing captured and reconstructed data with the reference BTFs of seven tested materials revealed that results of our method show a promising visual quality. Speed of the setup has been demonstrated on measurement of human skin and measurement and modeling of a glue dessication time-varying process. As it allows for fast, inexpensive, acquisition of approximate BTFs, this method can be beneficial to visualization applications demanding less accuracy, where BTF utilization has previously been limited.

High-contrast 3D image acquisition using HiLo microscopy with an electrically tunable lens

Science.gov (United States)

Philipp, Katrin; Smolarski, André; Fischer, Andreas; Koukourakis, Nektarios; Stürmer, Moritz; Wallrabe, Ulricke; Czarske, Jürgen

2016-04-01

We present a HiLo microscope with an electrically tunable lens for high-contrast three-dimensional image acquisition. HiLo microscopy combines wide field and speckled illumination images to create optically sectioned images. Additionally, the depth-of-field is not fixed, but can be adjusted between wide field and confocal-like axial resolution. We incorporate an electrically tunable lens in the HiLo microscope for axial scanning, to obtain three-dimensional data without the need of moving neither the sample nor the objective. The used adaptive lens consists of a transparent polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane into which an annular piezo bending actuator is embedded. A transparent fluid is filled between the membrane and the glass substrate. When actuated, the piezo generates a pressure in the lens which deflects the membrane and thus changes the refractive power. This technique enables a large tuning range of the refractive power between 1/f = (-24 . . . 25) 1/m. As the NA of the adaptive lens is only about 0.05, a fixed high-NA lens is included in the setup to provide high resolution. In this contribution, the scan properties and capabilities of the tunable lens in the HiLo microscope are analyzed. Eventually, exemplary measurements are presented and discussed.

Acquisition of MDMA self-administration: pharmacokinetic factors and MDMA-induced serotonin release.

Science.gov (United States)

Bradbury, Sarah; Bird, Judith; Colussi-Mas, Joyce; Mueller, Melanie; Ricaurte, George; Schenk, Susan

2014-09-01

The current study aimed to elucidate the role of pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters and neurotransmitter efflux in explaining variability in (±) 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) self-administration in rats. PK profiles of MDMA and its major metabolites were determined after the administration of 1.0 mg/kg MDMA (iv) prior to, and following, the acquisition of MDMA self-administration. Synaptic levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) and dopamine (DA) in the nucleus accumbens were measured following administration of MDMA (1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg, iv) using in vivo microdialysis and compared for rats that acquired or failed to acquire MDMA self-administration. Effects of the 5HT neurotoxin, 5,7 dihydroxytryptamine (5, 7-DHT), on the acquisition of MDMA and cocaine self-administration were also determined. In keeping with previous findings, approximately 50% of rats failed to meet a criterion for acquisition of MDMA self-administration. The PK profiles of MDMA and its metabolites did not differ between rats that acquired or failed to acquire MDMA self-administration. MDMA produced more overflow of 5HT than DA. The MDMA-induced 5HT overflow was lower in rats that acquired MDMA self-administration compared with those that did not acquire self-administration. In contrast, MDMA-induced DA overflow was comparable for the two groups. Prior 5,7-DHT lesions reduced tissue levels of 5HT and markedly increased the percentage of rats that acquired MDMA self-administration and also decreased the latency to acquisition of cocaine self-administration. These data suggest that 5HT limits the initial sensitivity to the positively reinforcing effects of MDMA and delays the acquisition of reliable self-administration. © 2013 Society for the Study of Addiction.

High interannual variability of sea ice thickness in the Arctic region.

Science.gov (United States)

Laxon, Seymour; Peacock, Neil; Smith, Doug

2003-10-30

Possible future changes in Arctic sea ice cover and thickness, and consequent changes in the ice-albedo feedback, represent one of the largest uncertainties in the prediction of future temperature rise. Knowledge of the natural variability of sea ice thickness is therefore critical for its representation in global climate models. Numerical simulations suggest that Arctic ice thickness varies primarily on decadal timescales owing to changes in wind and ocean stresses on the ice, but observations have been unable to provide a synoptic view of sea ice thickness, which is required to validate the model results. Here we use an eight-year time-series of Arctic ice thickness, derived from satellite altimeter measurements of ice freeboard, to determine the mean thickness field and its variability from 65 degrees N to 81.5 degrees N. Our data reveal a high-frequency interannual variability in mean Arctic ice thickness that is dominated by changes in the amount of summer melt, rather than by changes in circulation. Our results suggest that a continued increase in melt season length would lead to further thinning of Arctic sea ice.

Transition of NOAA's GPS-Met Data Acquisition and Processing System to the Commercial Sector

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, M. E.; Holub, K.; Callahan, W.; Blatt, S.

2014-12-01

In April of 2014, NOAA/OAR/ESRL Global Systems Division (GSD) and Trimble, in collaboration with Earth Networks, Inc. (ENI) signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to transfer the existing NOAA GPS-Met Data Acquisition and Processing System (GPS-Met DAPS) technology to a commercial Trimble/ENI partnership. NOAA's GPS-Met DAPS is currently operated in a pseudo-operational mode but has proven highly reliable and running at over 95% uptime. The DAPS uses the GAMIT software to ingest dual frequency carrier phase GPS/GNSS observations and ancillary information such as real-time satellite orbits to estimate the zenith-scaled tropospheric (ZTD) signal delays and, where surface MET data are available, retrieve integrated precipitable water vapor (PWV). The NOAA data and products are made available to end users in near real-time. The Trimble/ENI partnership will use the Trimble Pivot™ software with the Atmosphere App to calculate zenith tropospheric (ZTD), tropospheric slant delay, and integrated precipitable water vapor (PWV). Evaluation of the Trimble software is underway starting with a comparison of ZTD and PWV values determined from GPS stations located near NOAA Radiosonde Observation (Upper-Air Observation) launch sites. A success metric was established that requires Trimble's PWV estimates to match ESRL/GSD's to within 1.5 mm 95% of the time, which corresponds to a ZTD uncertainty of less than 10 mm 95% of the time. Initial results indicate that Trimble/ENI data meet and exceed the ZTD metric, but for some stations PWV estimates are out of specification. These discrepancies are primarily due to how offsets between MET and GPS stations are handled and are easily resolved. Additional test networks are proposed that include low terrain/high moisture variability stations, high terrain/low moisture variability stations, as well as high terrain/high moisture variability stations. We will present results from further testing along with a timeline

Design of remote laser-induced fluorescence system's acquisition circuit

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Guoqing; Lou, Yue; Wang, Ran; Yan, Debao; Li, Xin; Zhao, Xin; Chen, Dong; Zhao, Qi

2017-10-01

Laser-induced fluorescence system(LIfS) has been found its significant application in identifying one kind of substance from another by its properties even it's thimbleful, and becomes useful in plenty of fields. Many superior works have reported LIfS' theoretical analysis , designs and uses. However, the usual LIPS is always constructed in labs to detect matter quite closely, for the system using low-power laser as excitation source and charge coupled device (CCD) as detector. Promoting the detectivity of LIfS is of much concern to spread its application. Here, we take a high-energy narrow-pulse laser instead of commonly used continuous wave laser to operate sample, thus we can get strong fluorescent. Besides, photomultiplier (PMT) with high sensitivity is adopted in our system to detect extremely weak fluorescence after a long flight time from the sample to the detector. Another advantage in our system, as the fluorescence collected into spectroscopy, multiple wavelengths of light can be converted to the corresponding electrical signals with the linear array multichannel PMT. Therefore, at the cost of high-powered incentive and high-sensitive detector, a remote LIFS is get. In order to run this system, it is of importance to turn light signal to digital signal which can be processed by computer. The pulse width of fluorescence is deeply associated with excitation laser, at the nanosecond(ns) level, which has a high demand for acquisition circuit. We design an acquisition circuit including, I/V conversion circuit, amplifying circuit and peak-holding circuit. The simulation of circuit shows that peak-holding circuit can be one effective approach to reducing difficulty of acquisition circuit.

Merging Platform Ecosystems in Technology Acquisitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dowie, Jamie; Henningsson, Stefan; Kude, Thomas

2017-01-01

of the merging companies. Given the increasing importance of platforms and value co-creation with third-party providers for companies making technology acquisitions, we complement existing literature by reframing the analysis of technology acquisitions to include the merger of the broader partner ecosystems....... Specifically, we draw on theories of ecosystem governance to analyze how ecosystem tensions unfolded during the ecosystem merger and how the acquirer governed these tensions in SAP SE’s acquisition of the e-commerce provider Hybris AG. Our findings suggest that the governance of ecosystem tensions...... is an important aspect of managing technology acquisitions. We identify the pre-acquisition relation between the acquired company’s ecosystem partners and the acquirer as an important context factor for explaining how a partner company is exposed to the ecosystem tensions during the merger....

IT Consultants in Acquisition IT Integration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henningsson, Stefan; Øhrgaard, Christian

2016-01-01

strategic IT initiatives and how companies can draw effectively on their services. The paper investigates the use of consultants in relation to one type of major strategic IT initiative: acquisition IT integration. Acquisition IT integration, which is the integration of the acquirer’s and target......’s IT following a corporate acquisition, presents a difficult but crucial IT challenge for the many acquiring organizations. Through a comparative case study of four acquirers, theoretically grounded in the resource-based view of the firm, it is analyzed how acquirers draw on external consultants to realize...... acquisition IT integration. Two complementary and two supplementary roles consultants assume in these projects are identified. Additionally, three characteristics of the acquisition IT integration strategy are identified that influence how the acquirers assign different roles to IT consultants. The resulting...

Volume measurement variability in three-dimensional high-frequency ultrasound images of murine liver metastases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wirtzfeld, L A; Graham, K C; Groom, A C; MacDonald, I C; Chambers, A F; Fenster, A; Lacefield, J C

2006-01-01

The identification and quantification of tumour volume measurement variability is imperative for proper study design of longitudinal non-invasive imaging of pre-clinical mouse models of cancer. Measurement variability will dictate the minimum detectable volume change, which in turn influences the scheduling of imaging sessions and the interpretation of observed changes in tumour volume. In this paper, variability is quantified for tumour volume measurements from 3D high-frequency ultrasound images of murine liver metastases. Experimental B16F1 liver metastases were analysed in different size ranges including less than 1 mm 3 , 1-4 mm 3 , 4-8 mm 3 and 8-70 mm 3 . The intra- and inter-observer repeatability was high over a large range of tumour volumes, but the coefficients of variation (COV) varied over the volume ranges. The minimum and maximum intra-observer COV were 4% and 14% for the 1-4 mm 3 and 3 tumours, respectively. For tumour volumes measured by segmenting parallel planes, the maximum inter-slice distance that maintained acceptable measurement variability increased from 100 to 600 μm as tumour volume increased. Comparison of free breathing versus ventilated animals demonstrated that respiratory motion did not significantly change the measured volume. These results enable design of more efficient imaging studies by using the measured variability to estimate the time required to observe a significant change in tumour volume

The Impact of Topic Interest, L2 Proficiency, and Gender on EFL Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition through Reading

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sunjung; Pulido, Diana

2017-01-01

This study investigated the impact of topic interest, alongside L2 proficiency and gender, on L2 vocabulary acquisition through reading. A repeated-measures design was used with 135 Korean EFL students. Control variables included topic familiarity, prior target-word knowledge, and target-word difficulty (word length, class, and concreteness).…

The Influence of the Antecedent Variable on the Teachers' Performance through Achievement Motivation in Senior High School

Science.gov (United States)

Dewi, Erni R.; Bundu, Patta; Tahmir, Suradi

2016-01-01

This study aims at analysing whether the antecedent variable directly affects the performance of the high school teachers or not. In addition, this research strives to find out whether the antecedent variable indirectly affects the teachers' performance through the achievement motivation of the high school teachers. It was a quantitative research…

Information Acquisition and Strategic Disclosure in Oligopoly

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jansen, Jos

2008-01-01

I study the incentives of oligopolists to acquire and disclose information on a common demand intercept. Because firms may fail to acquire information even when they invest in information acquisition, firms can credibly conceal unfavorable news while disclosing favorable news. Firms may earn high...... Cournot duopolists prefer strategic disclosure, if their goods are sufficiently differentiated....

A Conceptual Methodology for Assessing Acquisition Requirements Robustness against Technology Uncertainties

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Shuo-Ju

2011-12-01

In recent years the United States has shifted from a threat-based acquisition policy that developed systems for countering specific threats to a capabilities-based strategy that emphasizes the acquisition of systems that provide critical national defense capabilities. This shift in policy, in theory, allows for the creation of an "optimal force" that is robust against current and future threats regardless of the tactics and scenario involved. In broad terms, robustness can be defined as the insensitivity of an outcome to "noise" or non-controlled variables. Within this context, the outcome is the successful achievement of defense strategies and the noise variables are tactics and scenarios that will be associated with current and future enemies. Unfortunately, a lack of system capability, budget, and schedule robustness against technology performance and development uncertainties has led to major setbacks in recent acquisition programs. This lack of robustness stems from the fact that immature technologies have uncertainties in their expected performance, development cost, and schedule that cause to variations in system effectiveness and program development budget and schedule requirements. Unfortunately, the Technology Readiness Assessment process currently used by acquisition program managers and decision-makers to measure technology uncertainty during critical program decision junctions does not adequately capture the impact of technology performance and development uncertainty on program capability and development metrics. The Technology Readiness Level metric employed by the TRA to describe program technology elements uncertainties can only provide a qualitative and non-descript estimation of the technology uncertainties. In order to assess program robustness, specifically requirements robustness, against technology performance and development uncertainties, a new process is needed. This process should provide acquisition program managers and decision