Prototype active scanner for nighttime oil spill mapping and classification

A prototype, active, aerial scanner system was constructed for nighttime water pollution detection and nighttime multispectral imaging of the ground. An arc lamp was used to produce the transmitted light and four detector channels provided a multispectral measurement capability. The feasibility of the design concept was demonstrated by laboratory and flight tests of the prototype system

Opinions of Minnesota Choral Directors Regarding Classroom Management

A Plan B paper submitted to the faculty of the graduate school of the University of Minnesota in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music in music education, September 2005. Committee names: Judith A. Kritzmire, Stanley R. Wold, Jeanne Doty. This item has been modified from the original to remove the signature page present.The purpose of this study was to determine the views of public school choir directors regarding effective choral classroom management. Although it may be argued that a classroom management strategy may be central to a choir’s success, few research studies were found regarding the different methods choir directors might use. The subjects for this inquiry were eight choir directors from the upper Midwest (US). Interviews were conducted, inquiring about subject’s opinions regarding their pre-service training in classroom management, the classroom management strategies they employ, and the relationship between classroom management and ensemble success. Subjects were also asked to describe their grading policy (i.e., daily attendance, participation, and participation in concerts). Results were presented in narrative form and in tables. The results of this study highlighted the close relationship between effective teaching and classroom management. All the respondents agreed that a successful classroom management strategy is a critical element in helping choirs succeed, but that they did not receive adequate training in this area as undergraduate music education majors. When managing students’ behavior in the classroom, the majority of those interviewed indicated that speaking individually with disruptive students was preferable to a public confrontation. Maintaining a professional relationship with students and protecting the dignity of students were paramount. All of the directors interviewed included some assessment of student behavior in their grading policies, and indicated that this was an integral part of their classroom management systems. Most of the directors interviewed recommended that there should be more specific training in classroom management in the undergraduate curriculum, instead of new teachers having to learn classroom management skills “on the job”. Further discussion may lead to more undergraduate institutions requiring explicit instruction in this subject. It is also recommended that choir directors use this study to develop a classroom management strategy that is most appropriate for their choirs

A teleoperated system for remote site characterization

The detection and characterization of buried objects and materials is an important step in the restoration of burial sites containing chemical and radioactive waste materials at Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Defense (DOD) facilities. By performing these tasks with remotely controlled sensors, it is possible to obtain improved data quality and consistency as well as enhanced safety for on-site workers. Therefore, the DOE Office of Technology Development and the US Army Environmental Center have jointly supported the development of the Remote Characterization System (RCS). One of the main components of the RCS is a small remotely driven survey vehicle that can transport various combinations of geophysical and radiological sensors. Currently implemented sensors include ground-penetrating radar, magnetometers, an electromagnetic induction sensor, and a sodium iodide radiation detector. The survey vehicle was constructed predominantly of non-metallic materials to minimize its effect on the operation of its geophysical sensors. The system operator controls the vehicle from a remote, truck-mounted, base station. Video images are transmitted to the base station by a radio link to give the operator necessary visual information. Vehicle control commands, tracking information, and sensor data are transmitted between the survey vehicle and the base station by means of a radio ethernet link. Precise vehicle tracking coordinates are provided by a differential Global Positioning System (GPS)

A remote characterization system for subsurface mapping of buried waste sites

Mapping of buried objects and regions of chemical and radiological contamination is required at US Department of Energy (DOE) buried waste sites. The DOE Office of Technology Development Robotics Integrated Program has initiated a project to develop and demonstrate a remotely controlled subsurface sensing system, called the Remote Characterization System (RCS). This project, a collaborative effort by five of the National Laboratories, involves the development of a unique low-signature survey vehicle, a base station, radio telemetry data links, satellite-based vehicle tracking, stereo vision, and sensors for non-invasive inspection of the surface and subsurface. To minimize interference with on-board sensors, the survey vehicle has been constructed predominatantly of non-metallic materials. The vehicle is self-propelled and will be guided by an operator located at a remote base station. The RCS sensors will be environmentally sealed and internally cooled to preclude contamination during use. Ground-penetrating radar, magnetometers, and conductivity devices are planned for geophysical surveys. Chemical and radiological sensors will be provided to locate hot spots and to provide isotopic concentration data

Strategisk kompetanseplan for innføring av hverdagsrehabilitering i hjemmetjenesten 2013

Planen er utarbeidet for å sikre implementering av hverdagsrehabilitering i kommunen med vekt på forankring, holdningsendring og kompetanseheving

A Remote Characterization System and a fault-tolerant tracking system for subsurface mapping of buried waste sites

This paper describes two closely related projects that will provide new technology for characterizing hazardous waste burial sites. The first project, a collaborative effort by five of the national laboratories, involves the development and demonstration of a remotely controlled site characterization system. The Remote Characterization System (RCS) includes a unique low-signature survey vehicle, a base station, radio telemetry data links, satellite-based vehicle tracking, stereo vision, and sensors for noninvasive inspection of the surface and subsurface. The second project, conducted by the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), involves the development of a position sensing system that can track a survey vehicle or instrument in the field. This system can coordinate updates at a rate of 200/s with an accuracy better than 0.1% of the distance separating the target and the sensor. It can employ acoustic or electromagnetic signals in a wide range of frequencies and can be operated as a passive or active device

Polymorphisms in SLC44A1 are associated with cognitive improvement in children diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: an exploratory study of oral choline supplementation

Background: The essential nutrient choline provides one-carbon units for metabolite synthesis and epigenetic regulation in tissues including brain. Dietary choline intake is often inadequate, and higher intakes are associated with improved cognitive function. Objective: Choline supplements confer cognitive improvement for those diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a common set of neurodevelopmental impairments; however, the effect sizes have been modest. In this retrospective analysis, we report that genetic polymorphisms affecting choline utilization are associated with cognitive improvement following choline intervention. Methods: Fifty-two children from the upper midwestern United States and diagnosed with FASD, ages 2-5 y, were randomly assigned to receive choline (500 mg/d; n = 26) or placebo (n = 26) for 9 mo, and were genotyped for 384 choline-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Memory and cognition were assessed at enrollment, study terminus, and at 4-y follow-up for a subset. Results: When stratified by intervention (choline vs. placebo), 14-16 SNPs within the cellular choline transporter gene solute carrier family 44 member 1 (SLC44A1) were significantly associated with performance in an elicited imitation sequential memory task, wherein the effect alleles were associated with the greatest pre-/postintervention improvement. Of these, rs3199966 is a structural variant (S644A) and rs2771040 is a single-nucleotide variant within the 3′ untranslated region of the plasma membrane isoform. An additive genetic model best explained the genotype associations. Lesser associations were observed for cognitive outcome and polymorphisms in flavin monooxygenase-3 (FMO3), methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase-1 (MTHFD1), fatty acid desaturase-2 (FADS2), and adiponectin receptor 1 (ADIPOR1). Conclusions: These SLC44A1 variants were previously associated with greater vulnerability to choline deficiency. Our data potentially support the use of choline supplements to improve cognitive function in individuals diagnosed with FASD who carry these effect alleles. Although these findings require replication in both retrospective and prospective confirmatory trials, they emphasize the need to incorporate similar genetic analyses of choline-related polymorphisms in other FASD-choline trials, and to test for similar associations within the general FASD population. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01149538

Analysis of International Commodity Shipping Data and the Shipment of NORM to the United States

As part of the Spreader Bar Radiation Detector project, PNNL analyzed US import data shipped through US ports collected over the 12 months of 2006 (over 4.5 million containers). Using these data, we extracted a variety of distributions that are of interest to modelers and developers of active and passive detection systems used to 'scan' IMCCs for potential contraband. This report expands on some of the analysis presented in an earlier report from LLNL, by investigation the foreign port distribution of commodities shipped to the US. The majority of containers shipped to the United States are 40 ft containers ({approx}70%); about 25% are 20 ft; and about 3.6% are 45 ft containers. A small fraction (<1%) of containers are of other more specialized sizes, and very few ports actually ship these unique size containers (a full distribution for all foreign ports is shown in Appendix A below). The primary foreign ports that ship the largest fraction of each container are shown in the table below. Given that 45 ft containers comprise 1 of out every 27 containers shipped to the US, and given the foreign ports from which they are shipped, they should not be ignored in screening; further testing and analysis of radiation measurements for national security with this size container is warranted. While a large amount of NORM is shipped in IMCCs, only a few specific commodities are shipped with enough frequency to present potential issues in screening IMCCs at ports. The majority of containers with NORM will contain fertilizers (5,700 containers), granite (59,000 containers), or ceramic (225,000 containers) materials. Fertilizers were generally shipping in either 20- or 40 ft containers with equal frequency. While granite is mostly shipped in 20 ft containers, ceramic materials can be shipped in either 20- or 40 ft containers. The size of container depended on the specific use of the ceramic or porcelain material. General construction ceramics (such as floor and roofing tiles) tend to be shipped in 20 ft containers. Consumer products made from ceramic materials (e.g., tableware, sinks, and toilets) are generally shipped in 40 ft containers. This distinct discrepancy is due in large part to the packaging of the commodity. Consumer products are generally shipped packed in a box loaded with Styrofoam or other packing material to protect the product from breakage. Construction ceramic materials are generally shipped in less packing material, many times consisting of only a cardboard or wooden box. Granite is almost always shipped in a 20 ft container, given its very high density

Memories from VII World Congress of Music Therapy, Vitoria Gasteiz, 1993

Some of the participants share their memories and photos from the VII World Congress of Music Therapy, held in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain in 1993