Environmental

A method for calculating an image quality metric for evaluating the quality of a digital image including the steps of denoising the data of the image, identifying edges in the denoised data, determining an edge profile of the edges, determining a grayscale angle for each identified edge in the edge profile that is associated with the edge, and calculating the image quality metric based on a weighted average of the grayscale angles for all the edges.

An acoustic source for use in a saltwater environment includes a transducer for projecting acoustic energy. The transducer is positioned within a semi-permeable membrane. The volume around the transducer within the membrane is filled with water having a lower concentration of a solute such as salt. When positioned in the saltwater environment, an osmotic pressure is created within the membrane. This osmotic pressure acts to suppress cavitation such as that which could be generated by the transducer.

Apparatus for dispensing water or other liquids to a bicyclist while riding. Invention provides a means for dispensing fluids from its bottom end so as to eliminate the need for inverting. Contents of the bottle are gravity-dispensed so as to eliminate repeated squeezing of bottle to discharge contents.

The invention relates to methods and products enabling decontamination of chemical warfare agents and/or toxic industrial chemicals. More particularly, the invention pertains to improvements of surface decontamination processes using novel sorbents such as nanotubular titania.

A device for deflecting acoustic waves for an object in a liquid environment includes a heating grid and a cooling grid. The heating grid is positioned about the object and increases the temperature in the liquid environment. The cooling grid is positioned about the object to cool the liquid environment outside the heating grid. Jointly, these grids establish a temperature gradient in the liquid environment that is capable of bending acoustic waves in the environment. The cooling grid and heating grid can be established through mechanical, electrical or chemical methods.

A method for reducing noise in a towed acoustic array includes providing a towed array having a length, diameter, frequency range and tow speed. The relationship between tension in the towed array and wall pressure fluctuation spectral levels is determined. Wall pressure fluctuation spectral levels are related to the noise in the array. An optimal towed array tension is calculated using the determined relationship. Tension is increased to the optimal towed array tension by either provided additional towed array hose or a drogue at the end of the towed array.

An improved system for collecting, detecting, and classifying submicron-sized particles in a sample comprising an Integrated Virus Detection System (IVDS) of the type wherein the detecting means includes a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) and condensation particle counter (CPC), the improvement comprising positioning an aerosol collector or an electrostatic collector between the differential mobility analyzer and the condensation particle counter wherein submicron-sized particles from the environmental sample are collected for further analysis.

A method for preventing accumulation of organisms on a surface exposed to a marine environment. Nano-particles are provided in a water soluble polymer. The nano-particles have a thickness of about 2 nanometers and a major surface area of about 3 microns and are treated by a quaternary ammonium salt. The treated nano-particles are mixed into the water soluble polymer material. This mixture can be applied to the exposed surface. Biofouling is prevented by the sharpness of the nano-particles, sloughing of the water soluble material, and biocidal action caused by the quaternary ammonium salt.

The hand-held inspection tool enhances the ability of an on-site inspector to detect and communicate the presence of contamination on an object or in an area. An on-site inspector directs an excitation light in the sensing head of the tool into an area of interest. If the targeted contamination is present, the excitation light causes the contamination to emit fluorescence. The emitted fluorescent light passes through a narrow spectral band-pass video camera filter and is detected by a video camera mounted in the tool sensing head.

A computer-implemented method for accurately estimating plasma velocities on the photosphere based on magnetic field data from vector magnetograms. Spatial and temporal derivatives of the magnetic field components are computed and a structure tensor containing terms that specifically include the horizontal magnetic field components is constructed. The structure tensor is convolved with a window function and a least-squares solution based on the convolved structure tensor is found. The solution includes the plasma velocities in the horizontal and vertical directions at the center of the window.