Fast pulse detection algorithms for digitized waveforms from scintillators

Advanced C++ programming methods as well as fast Pulse Detection Algorithms (PDA) have been implemented in order to increase the computing speed of a LabVIEW™ data processing software developed for a Digital Pulse Shape Discrimination (DPSD) system for liquid scintillators. The newly implemented PDAs are described and compared: the most efficient method has been implemented in the data processing software, which has also been ported into C++. The comparison of the computing speeds of the new and old versions of the PDAs are presented.

Program summary

Program title: DPDS – Digital Pulse Detection SoftwareCatalogue identifier: AEHQ_v1_0Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEHQ_v1_0.htmlProgram obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. IrelandLicensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.htmlNo. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 454 070No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 20 987 104Distribution format: tar.gzProgramming language: C++ (Borland Visual C++)Computer: IBM PCOperating system: MS Windows 2000 and later…RAM: <50 Mbytes, highly depends on settingsClassification: 4.12External routines: Only standard Borland Visual C++ librariesNature of problem: A very slow pulse detection algorithm, used as standard in LABView, is preventing the ability to process achieved data during the pause between plasma discharges in modern tokamaks.Solution method: Simple yet precise pulse detection algorithms implemented and the whole data processing software translated from LABView into C++. This speeded up the elaboration up to 30 times.Restrictions: Windows system decimal separator must be “.”, not “,”.Additional comments: Processing 300 MB data file should not take longer then 10 minutes.Running time: From 1 minute to 1 hour.     

Distal detubularized sigmoidoplasty. Description of the technique

OBJECTIVES: To describe a new technique for orthotopic bladder replacement using a short detubularized segment of the most distal portion of the sigmoid colon, termed "detubularized distal sigmoidoplasty'. METHODS: The surgical technique utilized 1) large bowel to provide a larger intestinal lumen, stronger muscle layer and minimum metabolic activity; 2) a short segment providing adequate volume in the sigmoid and a reduced surface of exchange; and 3) a distal segment close to the urethra so it can be easily advanced without stretching and with minimum sectioning of the mesosigmoid. A short segment (approximately 18 cms) of the distal sigmoid is separated with minimum mobilization of the mesentery. It is detubularized to obtain a centrally located rectangle. The ureter is reattached using the antireflux technique of direct retrograde submucosal tunneling with a symmetrical pseudotrigonal arrangement. The reservoir is constructed using a single transverse continuous suture that is interrupted 2 cms before complete closure of the neobladder to provide an orifice for urethral anastomosis. RESULTS: The technique is simple and utilizes a segment shorter than those described to date. Any segment of the sigmoid can be utilized. The neobladder can be shaped with a single continuous suture and the ureter can be reinserted in a more anatomic position. The reservoir has an adequate volume of approximately 300 cc. Voiding is accomplished by contraction of the reservoir and abdominal pressure. CONCLUSIONS: This neobladder technique is simple. It achieves excellent diurnal continence and maintains the contractile capacity which permits comfortable and compensated voiding.     

In vitro measurement of the ultraviolet protection factor of apparel textiles

The effect that ultraviolet radiation has on skin is a topic of growing interest. Textiles protect against ultraviolet radiation, but the protection provided is often not sufficient. The aim of the present review article is to clarify some basic concepts regarding the in vitro measurement of the protection factor against ultraviolet radiation provided by apparel textiles, paying special attention to the factors that are taken into account to measure it. The conditions for correct and reproducible measurement are described. The peculiarities of current standards and the details for their correct interpretation are also explained, including sample preparation and statistical calculations to determine measurement error and the adjustment of the results.     

Presence and digital tourism

This paper provides an introduction to digital tourism as mediated by presence research as a means to create substantive user experiences (UX) for visitors. Tourism is a rich and varied socio-economic activity that permeates our global society. Digital tourism is the digital support of the tourist experience. In this paper we introduce and survey both fields and introduce a number of examples of tourist experiences based on our blended spaces approach. Cutting across this is the sense of presence that visitors can experience in real or digital tourist experiences. We conclude the paper with a discussion of designing the user experience in blended tourist spaces.     

Highly reliable and high-yield 1300-nm InGaAlAs directly modulated ridge fabry-Perot lasers, operating at 10-gb/s, up to 110/spl deg/C, with constant current swing

Transceivers for 300-m multimode links, based on a serial 10-Gb/s laser source and incorporating a receiver based on electronic dispersion compensation (EDC), are creating the first high-volume application for a 10-Gb Fabry-Perot (FP). A highly reliable and high-yield uncooled ridge FP laser is presented. The device shows excellent power characteristics in the 25/spl divide/150/spl deg/C temperature range with very high T/sub 0/ (95 K in the temperature range 0/spl divide/85/spl deg/C and still 78 K at 150/spl deg/C). Outstanding dynamic performances are also shown: 6 dB of extinction ratio can be achieved up to 110/spl deg/C by using a constant current swing of 50 mA. Because of their enhanced performances, these devices have enabled single temperature setting of the optical module, leading to a significant test cost reduction.     

Chirality in metals: an asymmetrical journey among advanced functional materials

Chirality is a property of matter which manifests at any length scale and can equally appear as quantum phenomena and in three-dimensional macroscopic structures. However, while chirality can be easily achieved by removing the inversion symmetry operation in hexagonal or tetragonal metal structures, chirality in metals is an unusual and barely developed phenomenon. Nevertheless, chirality can greatly alter mechanical and functional features of materials, making them suitable for catalysis, optics, electromagnetism, thermoelectricity and superconductivity; properties strictly dependent on the anisotropy of the crystal and on the direction of the applied force. This review aims to extend the definition of chirality to describe nanoclusters, metal surfaces and crystals and to provide an interdisciplinary overview on how symmetry can affect their properties.

This review was submitted as part of the 2016 Materials Literature Review Prize of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining run by the Editorial Board of MST. Sponsorship of the prize by TWI Ltd is gratefully acknowledged.     

Virtual reality and 360° panorama technology: a media comparison to study changes in sense of presence,anxiety, and positive emotions

Virtual Reality - Recently, 360° panorama technologies have been used to create videos and pictures of real and virtual environments, thus opening new possibilities for psychological research....     

An open framework for translating portable applications into operating system‐specific wireless sensor networks applications

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are distributed systems integrated by tiny devices, called sensor nodes, with capabilities to monitor the environment and forward their measurements to a special node, the sink, where the results can be collected and further processed. The trend in WSN is moving towards heterogeneous networks that will contain different sensor nodes running different instances of custom operating systems. Given the growing demand of new hardware platforms and operating systems specifically designed for sensor nodes, the applications programming for sensor nodes is becoming a challenging process that needs to be alleviated. Currently, application programming for sensor nodes is a complex, ad hoc, and error‐prone process where the portability among different platforms has been sacrificed. In this paper, we propose an open framework aimed to achieve application portability in heterogeneous sensor networks. Our approach provides the programming abstractions needed to support the application development process for sensor nodes. We have implemented an open framework that provides a set of tools on top of the most popular WSN operating systems to translate portable applications to the native operating system in an automatic, simple, and transparent way for developers. We have also evaluated the applications thus generated in terms of productivity and overhead, by comparing their footprint to those originally developed in each specific operating system. The results show that the overhead is minimal—4% in the worst case—and in some cases, it was even possible to reduce the footprint by using code optimizations. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Aerobic Oxidation of Alcohols over Gold Catalysts: Role of Acid and Base

Gold nanoparticles are deposited on potassium titanate nanowires and used as heterogeneous catalysts in the aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol in methanol to methyl benzoate at ambient conditions. The presence of a catalytic amount of base promotes the reaction and the formation of free benzoic acid during the reaction poisons the catalyst. The activity however, of the catalyst can be restored again by addition of base.     

Optimisation of pressurised liquid extraction for the determination of monosaccharides and polyalcohols in woods used in wine aging

BACKGROUND: The carbohydrate profile of woods used to age wines and spirits is largely unstudied in spite of its possible influence on the quality of aged beverages. This experiment evaluated the feasibility of employing pressurised liquid extraction to isolate monosaccharides and polyalcohols from woods used in aging, yielding a reliable analytical extraction method for characterising these compounds. Various solvents were tested and the extraction procedure was optimised by a three‐level factorial experimental design based on two main factors: extraction temperature and extraction time. The total extraction yield of target compounds was taken as response variable, and model parameters were estimated by multiple linear regression. RESULTS: Methanol was best at extracting the target compounds and hence was selected as solvent. Temperature was the most important factor in the extraction process, and the optimal extraction conditions were 90 °C for 15 min. CONCLUSION: Pressurised liquid extraction proved to be a highly suitable and powerful technique for extracting the monosaccharides and polyalcohols from wood samples. Analysis of the carbohydrate profile of the woods revealed differences among samples of different species and types of wood. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry