OMEGA Project Research Articles

Study a possibility to create superconducting dipole magnet for the project OMEGA

Recently, there has been a need to develop scientific and medical accelerators using fast-cycling magnetic fields. The article studies the possibility of creating superconducting magnets based on new materials for generating such fields. One of the main tasks in the development of such magnets is to provide high quality of the magnetic field and to minimize dynamic losses in the coil and in the iron yoke. Here it is described the attempt to find the previous design of dipole magnet which satisfies to specification for the magnet of the rapid cycled proton synchrotron of the OMEGA project. The operating frequency is 25 Hz. Such fast ramping superconducting magnets for particle accelerators have not been considered before. Therefore, presented information may be of particular interest. The following options were considered in this study: steels for the iron yoke, superconducting wires, cable designs and various magnet configurations.

Letter to the Editor: Concerns About Ring and Rosing's Omega Project

Letter from Ken R. Vincent to the editor of the Journal of Near-Death Studies on the topic "Concerns about Ring and Rosing's Omega Project."

Women's adjustment trajectories during IVF and impact on mental health 11-17 years later.

Do patients present different adjustment trajectories during and after IVF treatment? Most women show resilient trajectories during and after IVF treatment but 37% show temporary or chronic maladjustment during IVF and 10% are maladjusted 11-17 years after treatment. Research on patient psychosocial adjustment during treatment has contributed to identifying the most distressful stages of IVF treatment and profiling patients at risk for emotional maladjustment at these specific stages. This knowledge is currently driving the deliverance of psychosocial care at fertility clinics by tailoring it to patients' risk profiles and specific treatment stages. However, current care does not take into consideration how individuals adjust across the entire treatment pathway. This can be assessed by profiling individual adjustment trajectories. A longitudinal cohort study with five assessment moments that combines data from two different studies, the STRESSIVF and OMEGA projects. Participants enrolled in the STRESSIVF study (started IVF in 1998-2000) were assessed before and after the first IVF treatment cycle and 6 months and 2.5 years after the last IVF cycle. A subset participated in the OMEGA project (started IVF in 1995-2000) and reported on their mental health 11-17 years after treatment. Three hundred and forty-eight women participated in the STRESSIVF project and 108 of these in the OMEGA. Anxiety was measured with the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory, depression with the Beck Depression Inventory and mental health with the Mental Health Inventory. Latent class growth mixed modelling was carried out to identify distinct anxiety and depression trajectories over the four STRESSIVF study assessment moments. Multinominal logistic regressions were conducted to investigate predictors of trajectory membership, and stepwise linear regressions were performed to investigate if adjustment trajectories predicted mental health 11-17 years after IVF treatment. A total of 67 and 86% of women showed normal levels of anxiety and depression, respectively, throughout treatment (resilient trajectories), 24 and 33% experienced anxiety and depression only during treatment (recovery trajectories), 4.6 and 4.9% experienced anxiety and depression only after treatment (delayed trajectories), and 4.3% showed chronic anxiety (chronic trajectory, not identified for depression). Non-resilient trajectories were associated with unsuccessful treatment, marital dissatisfaction, lack of social support and negative infertility cognitions. One in 10 women had a delayed or chronic trajectory and these trajectories predicted serious mental health impairment 11-17 years after treatment. The study only focuses on women. In the OMEGA project adjustment was assessed using a mental health measure. Although we could investigate how trajectories predicted mental health, it would have been preferable to map anxiety and depression trajectories up to 11-17 years after treatment. Missing analysis showed selective dropout from the study but this was accounted for by using mixed models and imputation procedures. Finally, data on other life stressors were not collected; therefore any contribution from these events cannot be assessed. Fertility health-care providers have been called upon considering their responsibility in supporting patients in the aftermath of treatment. Results show it is possible to profile different groups of at-risk women at the start of the treatment and tailor psychosocial support to risk profile to promote health adjustment during treatment and thereafter. This study was supported by a grant from the Dutch Cancer Society (2006-3631) and the Praeventiefonds (28-3012). No competing interests exist.

Book Review: The Omega Project: Near-Death Experiences, UFO Encounters, and Mind at Large

Review of the book "The Omega Project: Near-Death Experiences, UFO Encounters, and Mind at Large" by researcher Kenneth Ring, discussing similarities between near-death experiences, UFO encounters, and other extraordinary experiences.

Storylines, Leadership and Risk, Some Findings from Australian Case Studies of Urban Transport Megaprojects

This article is about how storylines are interwoven with mega transport project success. It examines the animating stories that inspire support for a project, the leadership that carries forward and expresses these stories and in turn becomes defined by them, and one particular impact this has on the management of risk. In developing this article we have used data collected on three Australian mega urban transport projects (MUTPs) for OMEGA Project 2, an international project on MUTPs. Framing the discussion also are some wider questions of political ethics which the expenditure of large amounts of public funds entails. In this article we first discuss our interpretive theoretical framework. We adduce evidence on the three elements (storylines, leadership and risk) before reaching our conclusion that whether or not a project is subsequently judged a ‘success’ depends on the combination of a persuasive storyline, strong leadership and the effective management of risk. Finally, we turn to the wider normative ambitions of the OMEGA project and question whether these can be achieved in an Australian context in which infrastructure planning is so highly politicised.

Wireless Ion-Sensitive Field Effect Transistor PH Sensor Network for Offshore Microalgae Cultivation

One of the preeminent challenges facing scientists and engineers in the 21st century has been and will likely continue to be the development of economically and technically feasible renewable energy technologies. While many of these efforts, such as wind, solar, and geothermal, address electricity generation, there are relatively few options to consider for transportation fuels which account for over 1/3 of the US energy needs. Biofuels, from corn or other plant products, have tremendous promise as they can serve as a drop-in replacement for use in our existing infrastructure. However, there is real concern over whether “conventional” bio-feedstock can be viable replacements for fossil fuels due to their need for arable land, high water usage, and relatively long growth cycle. Microalgae, on the other hand, does not suffer from these same limitations and many researchers world-wide have started to explore the cultivation of microalgae for biofuel production. These efforts vary from open ponds to closed photo bioreactors. For example, one technology under development is the NASA OMEGA project. With roots in developing life support systems for long spaceflights, NASA has developed the OMEGA system. This system uses the nutrient content in treated wastewater and waste carbon dioxide from flue gas sources to cultivate microalgae in floating photo bioreactors. The resulting biomass can then be harvested for biofuels and other algae products .Regardless of the specific cultivation process, it is critical to monitor several operating parameters to ensure the health and maximum yield of the algae culture. Measurement of pH is especially important as it can be used a proxy for measuring the amount of carbon dioxide available to growing algae culture. As carbon dioxide is added to the system, carbonic acid is formed, and the pH decreases. Since the algae can only photosynthesize in daylight, during night the algae respire, using O2 and creating CO2. In light of these rapidly changing growth editions, it is critical that the pH in the system is monitored accurately and continuously for correct operation of the control systems responsible for maintaining the health of the algae culture. The sensor systems must be robust enough to maintain reliable operation in a harsh marine environment, and be well tolerant of biofueling both inside and outside the system. The accessibility challenges inherent in any large scale cultivation system also require that the system be easily and infrequently maintained. A wireless system provides additional advantages, such as reducing the cost and maintenance work associated with numerous sensor cables running throughout a large-scale cultivation system. The fragile and costly sensor cables are replaced with radio links. For example, damaged sensor cables needed frequent maintenance and/or replacement at the OMEGA system. A wireless system also allows greater flexibility in choosing the point of attachment to the system, without a need to consider the cable length or it’s physical accommodation. This work proposes the development of a wireless ISFETbased (Ion-Sensitive Field Effect Transistor) pH sensor network for use in an offshore microalgae cultivation system.

Preliminary Design of Dipole for the Omega Project

An accelerating complex of intensive beams of charged particles (Project Omega) is being developed at IHEP. The main part of this complex is a 3.5 GeV ring accelerator. The basic parameters of the dipole magnet for this ring are: 0.947 T central field in the rectangular region of 272 mm × 150 mm; the field ramp rate is 58 T/s; the injection field is 0.208 T; and the magnet length is 2 m. A comparative analysis of various designs of the dipole magnet is provided in this article for the purpose of selecting the most optimal geometry.

Evaluation of technological and socio-economic issues affecting the deployment of home networks: evidence from the ICT-OMEGA project

Home networks (HNs) are rapidly becoming the next battlefield for various telecom carriers and companies. The European project ICT-OMEGA seeks to enable the convergence of the diverse wireless and wireline technologies at the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. In such a world of converging, heterogeneous HN technologies, system designers needs to take into account several technical, economic and social aspects that will effect the development and the rate of adoption of HNs by the general public. Careful roadmapping is required to ensure a smooth transition from existing to the next generation HN systems. The objective of this paper is to provide an evaluation of the key technological and socio-economic issues, which may affect the deployment of HNs. Within the OMEGA project, such issues are addressed using surveys conducted by the project experts, designed based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). In this paper, the results of the surveys, conducted using pairwise comparison (which is an important ingredient of AHP) are presented. Several critical aspects are identified and their importance is weighted. The conclusions drawn are important for the overall roadmapping effort of future HN technologies.

The Omega Project. Improving patient care through reclassification of non-emergent calls.

The Omega Project. Improving patient care through reclassification of non-emergent calls.

Eddy transport of Western Mediterranean Intermediate Water to the Alboran Sea

During the second cruise of the EU funded OMEGA project the towed undulating vehicle SeaSoar, was deployed to survey the upper 350 m of the water column in the eastern Alboran Sea and extreme western Algerian basin. With an effective along‐track resolution of 4 km, the data sets enabled a detailed description of the different upper ocean water types and the fronts that separate them. The Almeria Oran front forms at the eastern boundary of the Alboran Sea gyre system, in the upper 150–200 m of the water column, and separates waters of predominantly Atlantic origin from those formed in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Below these surface waters, but above the Levantine Intermediate Water, Western Mediterranean Intermediate Waters, believed to be formed to the north of the Balearic Sea, are normally observed in this region. However, to our knowledge, this is the first time a discrete eddy of Western Mediterranean Intermediate Water, a “weddy,” has been described in the extreme western Algerian basin. Repeated surveys of the region allowed us to observe the evolution of the eddy over a period of 40 d. A climatological analysis of historical data in the MEDAR/MEDATLAS database provides evidence for the repeatability of this observation and the significance of the estimated transport.

Estimation of heading gyrocompass error using a GPS 3DF system: Impact on ADCP measurements

Traditionally the horizontal orientation in a ship (heading) has been obtained from a gyrocompass. This instrument is still used on research vessels but has an estimated error of about 2-3 degrees, inducing a systematic error in the cross-track velocity measured by an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). The three-dimensional positioning system (GPS 3DF) provides an independent heading measurement with accuracy better than 0.1 degree. The Spanish research vessel BIO Hesperides has been operating with this new system since 1996. For the first time on this vessel, the data from this new instrument are used to estimate gyrocompass error. The methodology we use follows the scheme developed by Griffiths (1994), which compares data from the gyrocompass and the GPS system in order to obtain an interpolated error function. In the present work we apply this methodology on mesoscale surveys performed during the observational phase of the OMEGA project, in the Alboran Sea. The heading-dependent gyrocompass error dominated. Errors in gyrocompass heading of 1.4-3.4 degrees have been found, which give a maximum error in measured cross-track ADCP velocity of 24 cm s-1.

Regional bio‐optical algorithms for the Alboran Sea from a reflectance model and in situ data

Regional bio‐optical algorithms for SeaWiFS and MERIS over the Alboran Sea are retrieved by computational inversion of an ocean colour model. The input to the model is a set of in situ measurements of the water constituents from the OMEGA Project. The algorithms for the estimation of phytoplankton chlorophyll and dissolved organic matter are robust with respect to the variation of the internal parameters of the model. The regional chlorophyll algorithm for SeaWiFS is compared to the global one used by NASA, and an example of the application of the chlorophyll and yellow substance algorithms to SeaWiFS imagery over the study area is shown and discussed.

The OMEGA Project: Open Market Energy Generation Allocation in deregulated electricity markets

The OMEGA project is part of the 5th Framework Programme for R&D that the European Union has started in the year 2000. It is a highly complex and interdisciplinary project, with five countries and several companies involved. The project aims at developing a decision support system for electricity producers to support energy management and energy trading groups within these companies in the commercial activities on open and competitive electricity markets using an e-commerce framework. This paper presents the OMEGA project, describes the objectives pursued, evaluates the project workplan, shows the complex project management structure, highlights the management problems, and presents relevant conclusions.

Mesoscale subduction at the Almeria–Oran front: Part 1: Ageostrophic flow

This paper presents a detailed diagnostic analysis of hydrographic and current meter data from three, rapidly repeated, fine-scale surveys of the Almeria–Oran front. Instability of the frontal boundary, between surface waters of Atlantic and Mediterranean origin, is shown to provide a mechanism for significant heat transfer from the surface layers to the deep ocean in winter. The data were collected during the second observational phase of the EU funded OMEGA project on RRS Discovery cruise 224 during December 1996. High resolution hydrographic measurements using the towed undulating CTD vehicle, SeaSoar, traced the subduction of Mediterranean Surface Water across the Almeria–Oran front. This subduction is shown to result from a significant baroclinic component to the instability of the frontal jet. The Q-vector formulation of the omega equation is combined with a scale analysis to quantitatively diagnose vertical transport resulting from mesoscale ageostrophic circulation. The analyses are presented and discussed in the presence of satellite and airborne remotely sensed data; which provide the basis for a thorough and novel approach to the determination of observational error.

The Omegahat Environment: New Possibilities for Statistical Computing

Statistical environments such as S, R, XLisp-Stat, and others have had a dramatic effect on the way we, statistics practitioners, think about data and statistical methodology. However, the possibilities and challenges introduced by recent technological developments and the general ways we use computing conflict with the computational model of these systems. This article explores some of these challenges and identifies the need to support easy integration of functionality from other domains, and to export statistical methodology to other audiences and applications, both statically and dynamically. Existing systems can be improved in these domains with some already implemented extensions (see Section 5). However, the development of a new environment and computational model that exploits modern tools designed to handle many general aspects of these challenges appears more promising as a long-term approach. We present the architecture for such a new model named Omegahat. It lends itself to entirely new statistical computing paradigms. It is highly extensible at both the user and programmer level, and also encourages the development of new environments for different user groups. The Omegahat interactive language offers a continuity between the different programming tasks and levels via optional type checking and seamless access between the interpreted user language and the implementation language, Java. Parallel and distributed computing, network and database access, interactive graphics, and many other aspects of statistical computing are directly accessible to the user as a consequence of this seamless access. We describe the benefits of using Java as the implementation language for the environment and several innovative features of the user-level language which promise to assist development of software that can be used in many contexts. We also outline how this architecture can be integrated with existing environments such as R and S. The ideas are drawn from work within the Omega Project for Statistical Computing. The project provides open-source software for researching and developing next generation statistical computing tools.

OPEN: toward method convergence?

In the object-oriented (OO) field, methods for analysis and design are a major area of interest. Many such methods have been proposed in the past few years, leading to numerous requests for convergence or unification. The authors describe such an effort. Theirs is not the only ongoing attempt at unification, but it has already attracted considerable interest. The aim of the Omega project, leading to the OPEN (Object-oriented Process, Environment and Notation) methodology, is a process model for system development across the full life cycle, including reuse strategies and legacy systems. In addition, OPEN will support human-computer interaction, concurrency, databases, distributed systems, fuzzy logic, artificial intelligence and intelligent agents. OPEN is a true third-generation methodology, incorporating many ideas from other methodologies. These include BON, FOOM, Martin/Odell, MOSES, OBA, OOram, RDD, ROOM, SOMA and Syntropy. Thus, OPEN is not just another methodology. Rather than adding one more to the overall count of current OO methodologies, the OPEN framework will significantly decrease the number of available available methods by superseding MOSES, SOMA, Martin/Odell and others.

The Omega Project: Near-death experiences, UFO encounters, and mind at large

In The Omega Project Kenneth Ring has taken another major step into previously untested waters. One may or may not agree with all of his conclusions, but one must admit they are thought-provoking. Ring begins with an apologia for having entered the Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) domain after years of eschewing 'weird phenomena and studying the relatively 'straight field of near-death studies. His pioneering work in near-death experiences (NDEs) should be well known to all readers of this Journal. In Heading Toward Omega (1984) he began to expand the NDE horizons and examined reports of extraordinary experiences that were similar to those reported by NDErs but were instead reported by individuals who were not close to death at the time. Further, and more importantly, he went on to address the meaning behind these experiences. In many ways The Omega Project is a continuation of that work. The reader should be aware that Ring makes assertions that will be regarded as truly profound or extremely outrageous, depending on one's point of view. As a scientist he has issued appropriate caveats about his findings and statements; some may find this more like waffling. He does admit his theoretical constructs do not answer all the questions raised by the study of these diverse phenomena. Given the complexity

Review of the book The Omega Project: Near-death experiences, UFO encounters, and mind at large, by K. Ring

Review of the book "The Omega Project: Near-Death Experiences, UFO Encounters, and Mind at Large" by researcher Kenneth Ring, discussing similarities between near-death experiences, UFO encounters, and other extraordinary experiences.

The Omega Project: near-death experiences, UFO encounters, and mind at large

The Omega Project: near-death experiences, UFO encounters, and mind at large

Prediction of Distress in the First Six Months After a Cancer Diagnosis

The article describes a prospective study of the Omega Screening Instrument (OSI) as a tool to predict subsequent emotional distress in newly diagnosed cancer patients in semirural west Texas. The measure of subsequent emotional distress was the Total Mood Disturbance score from the Profile of Mood States. The OSI was predictive of later mood disturbance in the patients, but not as accurately as in Boston, where the OSI was developed. Even though the patient population in west Texas differed in many ways from the population of the original Omega Project, the authors believe that the OSI will be useful in selecting high-risk patients for a psychosocial intervention study.