Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Review Of Baobab (Adansonia Digitata) Products: Effect Of Processing Techniques, Medicinal Properties And Uses, Donatien Kabore, Hagrétou Sawadogo-Lingani, Bréhima Diawara, Clarise Compaoré, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof., Mogens Jacobsen

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

A general literature review including the effect of processing techniques, medicinal value and uses of baobab tree is reported in this manuscript. Baobab tree has multi-purpose uses, as it produces food and non-food products such as medicines, fuel, timber, fodder. Every part of the baobab tree is reported to be useful. The seeds, leaves, roots, flowers, fruit pulp and bark of baobab are edible. Baobab leaves are used in the preparation of soup. Seeds are used as a thickening agent in soups, but they can be fermented and used as a flavouring agent or roasted and eaten as snacks. The …

New Frontiers In Ocean Exploration: The 2011 E/V Nautilus Field Season, K. Bell, R. Ballard, D. Coleman, C. Roman, M. Brennan, T. Turanli, M. Duman, S. Carey, P. Nomikou, M. Marani, M. Rosi, J. Austin, M. Canals, J. Karson, L. Mayer, Y. Makovsky

Christopher N. Roman

In the summer of 2011, the Exploration Vessel NAUTILUS is undertaking a four-month expedition to the Black, Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, and North Atlantic Ocean. The primary goal of the NAUTILUS is to create a focus of international leadership for the development and integration of leading-edge technologies, educational programs, field operations, and public outreach programs for ocean exploration, in partnership with NOAA, National Geographic Society, Office of Naval Research, and other sponsors. To do so, the program uses a complement of deep submergence vehicle systems and “telepresence” technologies to engage scientists, educators and the public, both at sea and ashore, …

High Resolution Sea Floor Bathymetry Using High Frequency Multibeam Sonar And Structured Light Laser Imaging, C. Roman, G. Inglis, C. Smart, I. Vaughn, S. Carey

Christopher N. Roman

Detailed bathymetric maps of the sea floor with centimeter level resolution can be produced by underwater vehicles using multibeam sonars and structured light laser imaging. Over spatial scales up to tens of thousands of square meters it is possible to produce maps gridded to sub centimeter levels. This level of accuracy demands detailed treatments of the sensor relative data, the vehicle navigation data and the vehicle to sensor position and rotational offsets. The presented results will show comparisons between these two sensor modalities. Data have a been collected during recent field programs to the Kolumbo volcanic crater and the Southern …

Remote Analysis Of Grain Size Characteristic In Submarine Pyroclastic Deposits From Kolumbo Volcano, Greece, C. Smart, D. P. Whitesell, C. Roman, S. Carey

Christopher N. Roman

Grain size characteristics of pyroclastic deposits provide valuable information about source eruption energetics and depositional processes. Maximum size and sorting are often used to discriminate between fallout and sediment gravity flow processes during explosive eruptions. In the submarine environment the collection of such data in thick pyroclastic sequences is extremely challenging and potentially time consuming. A method has been developed to extract grain size information from stereo images collected by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). In the summer of 2010 the ROV Hercules collected a suite of stereo images from a thick pumice sequence in the caldera walls of Kolumbo …

Detection Of Diffuse Sea Floor Venting Using Structured Light Imaging, G. Inglis, C. Smart, C. Roman, S. Carey

Christopher N. Roman

Efficiently identifying and localizing diffuse sea floor venting at hydrothermal and cold seep sites is often difficult. Actively venting fluids are usually identified by a temperature induced optical shimmering seen during direct visual inspections or in video data collected by vehicles working close to the sea floor. Relying on such direct methods complicates establishing spatial relations between areas within a survey covering a broad area. Our recent work with a structured light laser system has shown that venting can also be detected in the image data in an automated fashion. A structured light laser system consists of a camera and …

The Hydra Filesystem: A Distrbuted Storage Famework, Benjamin Gonzalez, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

Hydra File System (HFS) is an experimental framework for constructing parallel and distributed filesystems. While parallel and distributed applications requiring scalable and flexible access to storage and retrieval are becoming more commonplace, parallel and distributed filesystems remain difficult to deploy easily and configure for different needs. HFS aims to be different by being true to the tradition of high-performance computing while employing modern design patterns to allow various policies to be configured on a per instance basis (e.g. storage, communication, security, and indexing schemes). We describe a working prototype (available for public download) that has been implemented in the Python …

Scalable Implementations Of Mpi Atomicity For Concurrent Overlapping I/O, Wei-Keng Liao, Alok Choudhary, Kenin Coloma, George K. Thiruvathukal, Lee Ward, Eric Russell, Neil Pundit

George K. Thiruvathukal

For concurrent I/O operations, atomicity defines the results in the overlapping file regions simultaneously read/written by requesting processes. Atomicity has been well studied at the file system level, such as POSIX standard. In this paper, we investigate the problems arising from the implementation of MPI atomicity for concurrent overlapping write access and provide a few programming solutions. Since the MPI definition of atomicity differs from the POSIX one, an implementation that simply relies on the POSIX file systems does not guarantee correct MPI semantics. To have a correct implementation of atomic I/O in MPI, we examine the efficiency of three …

Naked Object File System (Nofs): A Framework To Expose An Object-Oriented Domain Model As A File System, Joseph P. Kaylor, Konstantin Läufer, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

We present Naked Objects File System (NOFS), a novel framework that allows a developer to expose a domain model as a file system by leveraging the Naked Objects design principle. NOFS allows a developer to construct a file system without having to understand or implement all details related to normal file systems development. In this paper we explore file systems frameworks and object-oriented frameworks in a historical context and present an example domain model using the framework. This paper is based on a fully-functional implementation that is distributed as free/open source software, including virtual machine images to demonstrate and study …

Wind Charged Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle, John Patten, Nathan Christensen, Steven Srivastava, Gary Nola

john a patten

With the emergence of electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid vehicles HVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) from a variety of automotive manufacturers, the electrical grid will need to meet new challenges in supplying the electricity required to charge these vehicles. To help supply the electricity needed by these vehicles, we compared the electricity consumption of a modified Toyota Prius (PHEV) and the output of a small residential wind turbine over the course of one year. Our research seeks to determine whether a small residential wind turbine can supply the necessary electricity demanded by the PHEV annually.

The Impact Of Driving Conditions On Phev Battery Performance, Nathan Christensen, John Patten, Steven Srivastava, Gary P. Nola

john a patten

The battery performance of a modified Prius with a 5 kWh plug-in battery was documented for a year to determine the impact of environmental conditions and user attributes on vehicle performance. Both fuel economy and pure electrical efficiency were compared to ambient temperature. The fuel economy has a positive relationship with ambient temperature until approximately 70˚F where the efficiency begins to drop. Electrical performance has a positive linear relationship with ambient temperature. With the emergence of electric vehicles (EVs) and PHEVs from a variety of automotive manufacturers, information on EV and PHEV performance for consumers will become more important.

Location Constraints In Digital Rights Management, Adam Muhlbauer, Reihaneh Safavi-Naini, Farzad Salim, Nicholas Paul Sheppard, Martin Jan Surminen

Reihaneh Safavi-Naini

Digital rights management allows information owners to control the use and dissemination of electronic documents via a machine-readable licence. This paper describes the design and implementation of a system for creating and enforcing licences containing location constraints that can be used to restrict access to sensitive documents to a defined area. Documents can be loaded onto a portable device and used in the approved areas, but cannot be used if the device moves to another area. Our contribution includes a taxonomy for access control in the presence of requests to perform non-instantaneous controlled actions.

Transport And Magnetic Critical Current In Superconducting Mgb2 Wires, J. Horvat, W. K. Yeoh, J. H. Kim, S. X. Dou

Shi Xue Dou

Direct comparison of the magnetic and transport critical current density (Jc) for the same pieces of copper-sheathed MgB2 wires shows a large discrepancy in magnitude and field dependence of the two. The value of magnetic Jc can differ from the value of transport Jc by a factor of 10 or more. This discrepancy does not occur merely because of the difference in the voltage at which the magnetic and transport Jc are measured, but mainly because of the specific microstructure of MgB2. Such microstructure results in superconducting screening on at least two different length-scales, despite the absence of weak links …

Peeling Adhesive Tape Emits Electromagnetic Radiation At Terahertz Frequencies, J. Horvat, R. A. Lewis

Roger A. Lewis

An unusual concept for a simple and inexpensive terahertz source is presented: unpeeling adhesive tape. The observed spectrum of this terahertz radiation exhibits a peak at 2 THz and a broader peak at 18 THz. The radiation is not polarized. The mechanism of terahertz radiation is tribocharging of the adhesive tape and subsequent discharge, possibly bremsstrahlung with absorption or energy density focusing during the dielectric breakdown of a gas. The accompanying optical emission is also a consequence of tribocharging.

Peeling Adhesive Tape Emits Electromagnetic Radiation At Terahertz Frequencies, J. Horvat, R. A. Lewis

Josip Horvat

An unusual concept for a simple and inexpensive terahertz source is presented: unpeeling adhesive tape. The observed spectrum of this terahertz radiation exhibits a peak at 2 THz and a broader peak at 18 THz. The radiation is not polarized. The mechanism of terahertz radiation is tribocharging of the adhesive tape and subsequent discharge, possibly bremsstrahlung with absorption or energy density focusing during the dielectric breakdown of a gas. The accompanying optical emission is also a consequence of tribocharging.

Photolithographic Surface Micromachining Of Polydimethylsiloxane (Pdms), Weiqiang Chen, Raymond H. W. Lam, Jianping Fu

Weiqiang Chen

A major technical hurdle in microfluidics is the difficulty in achieving high fidelity lithographic patterning on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Here, we report a simple yet highly precise and repeatable PDMS surface micromachining method using direct photolithography followed by reactive ion etching (RIE). Our method to achieve surface patterning of PDMS applied an O2 plasma treatment to PDMS to activate its surface to overcome the challenge of poor photoresist adhesion on PDMS for photolithography. Our photolithographic PDMS surface micromachining technique is compatible with conventional soft lithography techniques and other silicon-based surface and bulk micromachining methods. To illustrate the general application of our …

Determining Nutrient And Sediment Critical Source Areas With Swat: Effect Of Lumped Calibration, Ruoyu Wang

Ruoyu Wang

A Tutorial On Bayesian Networks For System Health Management, Arthur Choi, Lu Zheng, Adnan Darwiche, Ole J. Mengshoel

Ole J Mengshoel

Bayesian networks have established themselves as an indispensable tool in artificial intelligence, and are being used effectively by researchers and practitioners more broadly in science and engineering. The domain of system health management, including diagnosis, is no exception. In fact, diagnostic applications have driven much of the developments in Bayesian networks over the past few decades. In this chapter, we provide a gentle and accessible introduction to modeling and reasoning with Bayesian networks, with the domain of system health management in mind.

Risk-Based Critical Infrastructure Priorities For Emp And Solar Storms, George H. Baker Iii

George H Baker

Two electromagnetic phenomena have the potential to create continental-scale disasters. The first, nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP), results from a nuclear detonation high above the tropopause. The second, a major solar storm, or "solar tsunami" occurs naturally when an intense wave of charged particles from the sun perturbs the earth's magnetic field. Both phenomena can debilitate electrical and electronic systems necessary for the operation of infrastructure systems and services. One reason why a U.S. protection program has yet to be initiated is that policy makers continue to wrestle with the question of where to begin, given the Department of Homeland Security’s …

Engaging Game Design Students Using Peer Evaluation, Amber Settle, Charles Wilcox, Chad Settle

Amber Settle

Issues In Human Capital Development : Lessons For Public Administration And Governance, Deogratias Harorimana Mr

Dr Deogratias Harorimana

With few minerals or other natural resources, Rwanda believes that she can still achieve her ambitions by investing in human capital - her unique resource. If this ambition can be achieved, then is this the next role model for international development? We used a case study design and analysis methods to examine development models used elsewhere in recent decades, using both qualitative and quantitative data on Rwanda to establish the comparative advantages in relation to Singapore’s economic development model. The implications for international development are that (1) an effective human capital development strategy should be inclusive enough to respond to …

Risk-Based Critical Infrastructure Protection Priorities For Emp And Solar Storms, George H. Baker Iii

George H Baker

The Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack has provided a compelling case for protecting civilian infrastructure against the effects of EMP. As with protecting infrastructure against any hazard, it will be important to take a risk-based priority approach for EMP, recognizing that it is fiscally impracticable to protect everything. In this regard, EMP is particularly challenging in that it interferes with electrical and electronic data, control, transmission, and communication systems organic to nearly all infrastructures in a simultaneous and wide-scale manner. And, for nuclear burst altitudes of 100s of kilometers, the exposed geography …

Bayesian Software Health Management For Aircraft Guidance, Navigation, And Control, Johann M. Schumann, Timmy Mbaya, Ole J. Mengshoel

Ole J Mengshoel

Modern aircraft — both piloted fly-by-wire commercial aircraft as well as UAVs — more and more depend on highly complex safety critical software systems with many sensors and computer-controlled actuators. Despite careful design and V&V of the software, severe incidents have happened due to malfunctioning software.

In this paper, we discuss the use of Bayesian networks to monitor the health of the on-board software and sensor system, and to perform advanced on-board diagnostic reasoning. We focus on the development of reliable and robust health models for combined software and sensor systems, with application to guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C). Our …

Integrating Probabilistic Reasoning And Statistical Quality Control Techniques For Fault Diagnosis In Hybrid Domains, Brian Ricks, Craig Harrison, Ole J. Mengshoel

Ole J Mengshoel

Recommendations For Australia’S Implementation Of The National Emergency Warning System Using Location-Based Services, Anas Aloudat, Katina Michael, Roba Abbas

Professor Katina Michael

Mobile alerts, notifications and location-based emergency warning systems are now an established part of mobile government strategies in an increasing number of countries worldwide. In Australia the national emergency warning system (NEWS) was instituted after the tragic Black Saturday Victorian Bushfires of February 2009. In the first phase, NEWS has enabled the provision of public information from the government to the citizen during emergencies anywhere and any time. Moving on from traditional short message service (SMS) notifications and cell broadcasting to more advanced location-based services, this paper provides executive-level recommendations about the viability of location-based mobile phone services in NEWS …

Pandaa: Physical Arrangement Detection Of Networked Devices Through Ambient-Sound Awareness, Zheng Sun, Aveek Purohit, Kaifei Chen, Shijia Pan, Trevor Pering, Pei Zhang

Zheng Sun

Future ubiquitous home environments can contain 10s or 100s of devices. Ubiquitous services running on these devices (i.e. localizing users, routing, security algorithms) will commonly require an accurate location of each device. In order to obtain these locations, existing techniques require either a manual survey, active sound sources, or estimation using wireless radios. These techniques, however, need additional hardware capabilities and are intrusive to the user. Non-intrusive, automatic localization of ubiquitous computing devices in the home has the potential to greatly facilitate device deployments.

This paper presents the PANDAA system, a zero-configuration spatial localization system for networked devices based on …

Pandaa: Physical Arrangement Detection Of Networked Devices Through Ambient-Sound Awareness, Zheng Sun, Aveek Purohit, Kaifei Chen, Shijia Pan, Trevor Pering, Pei Zhang

Aveek Purohit

Future ubiquitous home environments can contain 10s or 100s of devices. Ubiquitous services running on these devices (i.e. localizing users, routing, security algorithms) will commonly require an accurate location of each device. In order to obtain these locations, existing techniques require either a manual survey, active sound sources, or estimation using wireless radios. These techniques, however, need additional hardware capabilities and are intrusive to the user. Non-intrusive, automatic localization of ubiquitous computing devices in the home has the potential to greatly facilitate device deployments.

This paper presents the PANDAA system, a zero-configuration spatial localization system for networked devices based on …

Patient Safety: What Can Be Done About It?, Steven Dain

Steven L Dain

Much is said and written about patient safety. In Canada, a small group of dedicated physicians, nurses and engineers participates in the Canadian Standards Association and Standards Council of Canada Advisory Committees writing basic safety and essential performance requirements for a large range of anesthesia, respiratory care and critical care equipment. Over the past several years, in recognition of the globalization of trade and the international nature of medical device design and manufacturing, Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society members Dr Steven Dain, Dr Karen Brown, Dr Matt Kurrek, Dr Ken LeDez, and Dr Jeremy Sloan have primarily participated in Organization for International …

The Fall-Out From Emerging Technologies: On Matters Of Surveillance, Social Networks And Suicide, M.G. Michael, Katina Michael

M. G. Michael

No abstract provided.

The Fall-Out From Emerging Technologies: On Matters Of Surveillance, Social Networks And Suicide, M.G. Michael, Katina Michael

Professor Katina Michael

No abstract provided.

Pandaa: A Physical Arrangement Detection Technique For Networked Devices Through Ambient-Sound Awareness, Zheng Sun, Aveek Purohit, Philippe De Wagter, Irina Brinster, Chorom Hamm, Pei Zhang

Zheng Sun

This demo presents PANDAA, a zero-configuration automatic spatial localization technique for networked devices based on ambient sound sensing. We will demonstrate that after initial placement of the devices, ambient sounds, such as human speech, music, footsteps, finger snaps, hand claps, or coughs and sneezes, can be used to autonomously resolve the spatial relative arrangement of devices, such as mobile phones, using trigonometric bounds and successive approximation.