text:
Layered Greek Bean Dip
Total Time
Prep 15 mins
Cook 0 mins
Here's a great starter to your Greek dinner, or just a different dip to take to a party!
Ingredients Nutrition
- 1 (19 ounce) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup tzatziki, Tzatziki
- 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 10 kalamata olives, pitted and slivered
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground pepper
- In a food processor puree together beans, garlic, vinegar and oregano until smooth, adding up to 2 T.
- water if needed.
- Spread in a shallow 8-inch serving dish or pie plate.
- Spread evenly with tzatziki.
- Sprinkle with tomatoes, green onions, feta, olives, parsley and pepper.
- Cover and chill up to 4 hours.
- Serve with crackers or pita wedges.
Most Helpful
Yummy! What an awesome flavor and a great alternative to the "usual" dip. Adults and teens wolfed this one down. Thanks for posting.
Di, I wish I would have known thuis was soooo good, I would have doubled this and kept some here at home. I made it for the 4th. and took it to my brothers BBQ it was one oif the first dishes that went right away. My DH didn't even get to try any of it. Great flavor!! Thanks, I will make this again, and again!
Excellent recipe Di! The kidney bean base mixture is nice and thick which makes for perfect dipping. I served it at a pot luck with sun-dried brad rounds to rave reviews. Thanks again.


text:
Top Definition
The 3rd largest university in the state of Kansas. Located in East Wichita, on the southeast corner of the intersection of 21st St. and Hillside St. University mascot is the Shocker.
guy: I go to wichita state university.
guy2: Do you mean WSU?
guy: Psh... Whatever.
guy2: Do you mean WSU?
guy: Psh... Whatever.
by Mcx_ks October 24, 2007
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
The home of the Shockers. The shockers are a group of men that wear shorts which appear to be covering an overfilled diaper. They also play with each others' balls while in court. Inexplicably, a large number of "fans" (translation from French slang: morons) pay actual money to see this. Thus money could be used for extra trash bags or maybe a subscription to "Hand washing your laundry Weekly". Apparently, they also teach some classes and such there, but the bureaucratic policy of Wichita State University is to treat students as nuisance parasites who should be annoyed until eradication.
Fan (moron): Did you see the Wichita State University Shockers made it to sweet sixteen?
Student: No, I was busy thinking about my future laundry experience, I have to prioritize.
Student: No, I was busy thinking about my future laundry experience, I have to prioritize.
by impartial_derivative April 06, 2015

subset: commoncrawl


text:
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- Authorities say four central Florida
deputies fatally shot a man who pointed a gun at them.
The Brevard County Sheriff's Office reports that 71-year-old Francis Howard Morrell had been causing a disturbance at a Cape Canaveral business complex Friday morning.
Deputies responded and confronted the retired dentist, who owned two units at the complex.
Sheriff Jack Parker says the man raised his firearm at the
deputies, so they shot him.The deputies were not injured.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


text:
Itĺs not too late to score some points with your family or last-minute Super Bowl party guests.
With the help of McCormick Chili Seasoning, this chili is so quick and easy to prepare that you wonĺt miss any of the big game. Then using a few simple ingredients, serve a Seven-Layer Fiesta Dip to serve with tortilla chips.
The Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos meet today for Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. on Fox.
Touchdown Chili
Makes five (1-cup) servings
Ľ 1 pound lean ground beef
Ľ 1 cup chopped onion
Ľ 1 package McCormick Chili Seasoning Mix, Original
Ľ 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained
Ľ 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
Ľ 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
Cook ground beef and onion in large skillet on medium-high heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain fat. Stir in seasoning mix and remaining ingredients. Bring to boil.
Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped onion, on the side if desired.
Cooking tips
Measure 2-1/2 cups of the chili. Separate 1 can (12 ounces) refrigerated biscuits into 10 biscuits. Press each biscuit into bottom and up sides of greased muffin cup. Spoon about 2 tablespoons chili into each cup. Bake in preheated 400 F oven 10 to 15 minutes or until edges of biscuits are golden brown. Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream or salsa.
Fiesta Dip
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Makes 8 cups or 64 (2-tablespoon) servings
Ľ 16 ounces refried beans
Ľ 1 container (16 ounces) sour cream
Ľ 1 package McCormick« Taco Seasoning Mix
Ľ 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
Ľ 1 cup guacamole
Ľ 1 cup chopped tomatoes
Ľ 1/2 cup green onions
Ľ 1/2 cup sliced black olives
Tortilla chips
Spread refried beans in shallow serving dish. Mix sour cream and seasoning mix in small bowl until well blended. Spread over refried beans. Top with layers of cheese, guacamole, tomatoes, onions and olives.
Nutritional information per serving: Total Calories 39; Sodium 111mg; Fat 3g; Carbohydrates 2g; Cholesterol 8mg; Protein 1g; Fiber 1g.
Recipes from McCormick
Metadata Information


text:
Petra Mare
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Historical Traveler Reviews Hotel Graaf Van Vlaanderen Aalst
Fab holiday
We went to petra mare on 6th may for 1 week 2 adults an 2 kids aged 8 & 3 years was a long journey from airport 1hour and 50 mins ,,but once there you soon forgot about that. Hotel sat on top on the sea great views of the sea the pool areas were lovely ,pools were cleaned everyday day we were there.The restaurant was good , not to bad you could always get something to eat from pool snack bar most of the day. kids really enjoyed the kids clubs also the different pools and slides. We would go back maybe go for 10 -14 days next time staff were also friendly.
Luvd it
we wera at this hotel in septenber 28 for two weeks the hotel is exellent the food is good loads of choice every thing about this hotel is good ive been to meny hotels but this is the best kids love it
Fantastic Time
Went to Petra Mare end of September for two weeks and had a wonderful time. The hotel and its surroundings were excellent and facilites great. Only let down was the Entertainment of an evening but they did their best. Organised trips out were good especially the safari into the mountains and Chrissi Island. We enjoyed it so much that we have already booked to go back next year...Can't wait.
Petra mare
Went to the petra mare at the end of september.
The hotel was exellent, food was ok, drinks great.
Went on some trips organised by the reps. All in all these were good with the safari into the mountains brill and chrissi island a must. The evening entertainment was not so good but the reps did their best. All in all a very good holiday, that good we are going back next year.
Fantastic Holiday
Eight of us, 4 adults, 3 11 year olds and a 15 year old stayed at the Petra Mare from the very end of September for 2 weeks. We were aware from early on that the transfer time would be long but were more than happy that they had managed to get travel time down to 1hr 30 mins. The hotel itself was everything I'd read about on this site, plus more. Very impressive, absolutely spotlessly clean and I can verify that the pool was emptied and scrubbed once a week. Again I would agree with most of the other reviews here, but with one reservation. The evening entertainment wasn't really up to scratch. It was probably the one thing that let the side down.. but that's my opinion. The food was very good, except maybe for the breakfasts. Bacon seemed to be on ration and the milk, according to the kids, wasn't very nice. which in turn made the cereals inedible. But these are only minor moans. Hotel staff were exceptionally friendly, the locals very hospitable - especially the evening we watched England play Wales in one of the local bars. That was a fantastic evening out. We also did some of the hotel-organised days out which were very good. Chrissi Island is a must for a chill-out day.
Great Holiday
We went to the Petra Mara hotel for a two week stay from Sept 14th. Transfer from airport took 1hr 40mins not that bad really soon went by. Hotel itself looked lovely from the outside and was very clean inside. The rooms were adequate and nice to have a fridge in the room they were cleaned on a daily basis. We had a great view of the sea and the the whole of the pool area which was fantastic. The food on the whole was good, after a week it did get a little boring but then who eats something different at home every day of their life!!!!!! There was always something that you could find to eat. We had our 3 year old son with us and he didn't have any problems with the food or finding something on the kids menu. The Kids pool area was a great layout with all the slides and then the soft play area next to it. The big pools were cleaned every week while we were there (and I mean they emptied them, scrubbed them and filled them back up again, which I can honestly say I have never seen in any other hotel I have stayed in over the years) They could have done with cleaning the little kids pool though as well. The reps were great, they helped you with anything you wanted and put on some great shows we had a laugh (especially at Deano does Queen) . The only thing I would say let the hotel down was the snack bar, we didn't eat anything out there as it was full of grease. It was also only cold snacks at night, a burger,hot dog or toasties would have gone down a treat of a night time. On a scale of 1-10 though I would say it scored an 8. A great holiday had by me and my family and we met some really lovely people there.
Best holiday in Greek Island
Best holiday we have had out of the greek islands.We stayed at petra mare for 10 nights in early august 2004.Hotel was very clean, staff very friendly.Plenty for our 2 children to do [ages 9 & 15 years].Plenty of food and drink [all inclusive]. Restaraunt catered for breakfast, lunch and dinner.Lots of choice in food. Snack bar open from early morning until 12 midnight.First choice entertainers were very good, although we missed the karioke, which was planned for the night after our departure. Slides near pool open twice a day.Pool was very clean, also pool area.Beach was shingle rather than sand, but still seemed to spend most of our days there, as it was very pleasant. Would reccommend it to all.Cretans are very friendly and warm people.
A great holiday
10 of us went to Petramare 6 adults 4 children we fully enjoyed are stay the people were nice and helpful the pool is nice and there is plenty for the children to do and adults the food was good and so was the beer the beach was empty as it was not sand but grit being to most parts of the island we found this to be very nice and unspoilt from turisium. I have been to many islands throughout Greece we find the Crete people the warmest. If you want to make it extra special, the trip to Crissi Island was fantastic a couple of trips makes up for the lack of beach
We had many excurtions (Knossos, musseums, Heraklion) the best being our safari into the Crete mountains absolutely brilliant thanx George and Micheal
would i go back........... without a doubt
We holidayed here from 18th May 2004 for 14 days. The childrens buffet was not very good and on occasions the surrounding areas of the hotel were strewn with rubbish from local building works. The lazy river did not move but on the whole the kids loved it. The beach was not overcrowded which was nice as sometimes you felt you had the beach to yourselves. People tended to stick to the pool. Not much to do of an evening once dinner was over. Unspoilt (as yet) from tourism and people were friendly. Didnt quite like the 2 hour transfer from Heraklion but in all fairness, the brochure was very honest about the transfer time. Would I return? Dont really know.
This hotel is excellent, the only downside was the food was slightly boring after a week. The facilities and cleanliness were outstanding. It was a lovely, relaxing place to spend a week chilling out.
TripAdvisor Reviews Hotel Graaf Van Vlaanderen Aalst
Travel Blogs from Ierapetra
It's all Greek to me !!!
Peter writes …..
We are now in the Ionian Islands of Greece and it has been a period of very mixed feelings for me as we visit the individual islands and anchorages. It has definitely been a time of 'deja vu'.
There are two reasons for this. Firstly, this was the area where we spent many months during our very early sailing years of about 11 years ago; and secondly, it was also the ...
Travels Begin
... then only have a 1 hour drive. Great let's do that. Booked our return for 4th July so we are sorted.
We thought the food would be silly prices - coffees and drinks are but dinner was 7 euro a plate, I had octopus stifado which was amazing and grilled zuchinni and eggplant - very impressed with the food on board. I had stopped at the supermarket and bought a couple of things - glad I didn't go overboard, pardon the ...
Olympic champions
... to see all day. It was just a simple area of dirt but we were excited as we wanted to race on it ourselves. We took in turns running and one of us would film it in slow motion for a laugh. We only ran a couple metres though as it was still really hot. After taking more photos we decided we had had enough of Olympia and wondered back to the taxi. We hopped in the taxi and drove ...
Acropolis and embark from Patras
... sun..... Even a few drops of rain ...........Weird !!! Finally boarded the "Zeus Palace" exciting to see it had a swimming pool and health centre !!! Cabins more spacious that our cruise ship. The excitement didnt last long :( empty dirty pool and no remnants of a health centre ... Ah well think the eating has been so excessive during the cruise that the body becoming beyond redemption. We finally cast off from the wharf. .. ...
The Ruins & Gulf of Korinthos
... no water that was easily accessible. This was another really depressing reminder of the state of Greece as the marina was really a boat graveyard for forgotten boats with one fairly large yacht having sunk at the jetty, just the masts sticking out of the water at a thirty degree angle. Eerie! There were people that lived there on a permanent basis just surviving in their rotting boats. We were glad to move on again.
To be continued…..


text:
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The feasibility of a force-balance interface based on a second-order delta-sigma (ΔΣ) modulator for capacitive sensors has been analyzed in order to delimit the requirements to assure system stability for a given set of constraints related to the sensor-modulator system. A ΔΣ modulator based on a switched-capacitor architecture with floating MOSFET capacitors has been implemented using a 0.7-μm CMOS process. Nonlinear effects related to voltage dependence of the floating MOSFET capacitors have been avoided using a modulator architecture based on charge integrators. The behavior of the new proposed modulator has been measured experimentally and compared with an equivalent interface made with lineal capacitors. Similar results were obtained from both systems. In both circuits, the modulator resolution was better than 14 bits at a sample frequency of 250 kHz, and oversampling ratio of 256.


text: Maxine started coughing the other day. It started with a runny nose, but she is getting four teeth so I thought it was just teething. Now she sounds like she has a head cold accompanied by a cough, that is worse at night. Its only been about two days of coughing so far and other than that no symptoms like a fever or anything. She is playing and eating and drinking fine. Would you take your baby to the pediatrician or wait it out a few days? I hate to ignore something that could be serious but I also hate to take her in for them to tell me its a cold and there isn't much I can do.


text:
With still nothing definitively known about the identity of the Munich, Germany attacker or attackers early Friday night, MSNBC's MTP Daily ushered the Brexit vote for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union into the conversation as an example of anti-refugee sentiment that, in their speculations, was behind the mall shooting in Germany.
MSNBC on Friday used the unfolding shooting spree in Munich to bash the Republican Party and connect the GOP convention to it. Regarding terror, Daily Beast editor Christopher Dickey talked to Brian Williams and lectured, "What we're looking at now in Europe and, to some extent, at the Republican convention and in the discourse in the United States, is a lot of talk about war as if we're talking about a massive operation."
In the midst of MSNBC's rolling coverage Friday afternoon of what appeared to be an act of terrorism in Germany, breaking news anchor Brian Williams and NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel used the occasion to lament the rise of "a rightward tilt" in Europe of "intolerant" ideologies and parties against Muslims and Middle Eastern refugees.
After a week of trashing Republicans as racist and "mutinous," a giddy Chris Matthews ended MSNBC's GOP convention on a high note, eagerly anticipating the way more "fun" Democratic convention next wee. Late Thursday night, Matthews enthused, "Philly's going to be fun. I think it's going to be a lot more celebrities, a lot more Hollywood, a lot more bold print."
Friday on Morning Joe, co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski sparred over the uncanny similarities between the reception of Barack Obama the candidate and Donald Trump the candidate. Scarborough reminded viewers that back in 2008, Obama supporters blindly followed the candidate's promise of "hope" and "change" to the polls. Contrast that with Donald Trump in 2016, who is constantly chastised for his lack of specificity amidst his loud promises to make America "great" again.
On Thursday evening, the curtains closed after the final act of the Republican National Convention. On Friday, the Morning Joe crew spent significant time dissecting the highly anticipated speech by GOP nominee Donald Trump, who channeled the modern day fears of Americans. Willie Geist hyperbolized the speech as one where Trump painted "a picture of an almost dystopian, Mad Max America." Similarly, Mike Barnicle asserted "you can't cover the country in a blanket of fear."
After her MSNBC colleagues determined that Donald Trump's convention speech Thursday night was a message derived from talk radio to "white America" that he would "protect" them, convention co-host Rachel Maddow stated just after the midnight Eastern mark that Trump serves as "a gateway drug" to transforming the GOP into one featuring people like David Duke (and by extension the KKK).
Reacting to Donald Trump's nomination acceptance speech to conclude the Republican National Convention (RNC), Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson and MSNBC's AM Joy host Joy Reid ruled late Thursday that Trump channeled a "conservative talk radio" culture in pledging "to white America" that he would "protect" them from illegal immigrants and secularists.
First it was MSNBC warning viewers before showing anti-Hillary Clinton buttons. On Thursday, Chris Matthews and Chuck Todd agreed that mentioning the names of big cities is racist "coded language." Matthews previewed Donald Trump's convention speech and was horrified over the presence of words such as "Baltimore" and "Washington D.C."
For years, MSNBC's Hardball host Chris Matthews has referred to Republican Senator Ted Cruz (Tex.) as Joe McCarthy or emulating McCarthyism and so he seized on Cruz's fiery convention speech to claim Thursday night that he's a McCarthyite playing "a perfect villain" for the Republican Party and Donald Trump. Matthews also went as far as dubbing Trump "Mr. Winner" who became a victim getting "punched around" by Cruz that Republicans have since rallied against to prop Trump back up.
The Republican National Convention isn't over yet, but MSNBC is already telegraphing how it will cover the Democratic Convention. Liberal host Chris Hayes, who has been anchoring live coverage this week, talked to a top aide of Hillary Clinton. Citing the "lock her up chant," Hayes whined, "Does it make you wonder about the intensity of negativity that will be this campaign stretch for about 100 days between the end of convention and Election Day?"
Making an early Thursday evening appearance on MSNBC, Morning Joe co-host Joe Scarborough briefly reminded both viewers and fellow media members that, contrary to the liberal media's uproar over the level of anti-Hillary Clinton rhetoric, the Democrats hurled plenty of ugly material in the direction of then-candidate and President George W. Bush at their 2000 and 2004 Democratic National Conventions.


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IMDb > Opechancanough (Character)
Top Linksmain detailsbiographyby votesphoto galleryquotes
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Opechancanough (Character)
from The New World (2005)
The content of this page was created by users. It has not been screened or verified by IMDb staff.
Alternate Names:
Opecanow / Opechanco
FilmographyEdit Credits
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- The New World (2005) Played by Wes Studi
- "Animated Hero Classics"
- Pocahontas (1994) TV episode, Played by Lorenzo Gonzalez (as Opecanow)
- Captain John Smith and Pocahontas (1953) Played by Stuart Randall (as Opechanco)
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Video Industry News Video Company News Technology Industry News Technology Company News Novelty Industry News Novelty Company News Gay Industry News Gay Company News Legal Industry News All Company News
Released: Oct 01st, 1992
Running Time: 71
Director: William Black
Company: VCA Platinum
Cast: Jake Steed, Bianca Trump, Peter North, Scott Irish, Lynette, Nikki Sinn, Stacy Nichols, Sonja, Marve
Critical Rating: AAA
Genre: Feature
An attractive black woman named Marve introduces five video clips (three of them anal), but never even gets naked herself. Basically, this is just a collection of sex loops set to churning rock music, filled with excellent close-ups. Peter North and Nikki Sinn heartily enjoy a backdoor probing atop the dining room table. Sonja can barely fit Jake Steed's sizable member into her teeny front orifice, so they don't even attempt the back. After her riveting masturbation sequence (complete with a huge dildo), Stacy Nichols is surprised by Scott Irish in a rousing condomized anal bout. Lynette and her guy are also present for a decent (but slightly messy) pooper prober. And in the last scene, Peter North squeezes the pretty, zaftig Bianca Trump out of her jeans.
When she gets blasted with one of North's legendary geyser shots, Trump frets that he's ruined her wristwatch with a jizz bath. Slightly above-average, mostly anal fare.


text:
The conference brochure
Our 4 plenary Speakers: Jamie Keddie, Michael Swan, Graham Stanley and Sheelagh Deller
Welcome everyone!
Edit Kozma and Tamas Lorincz welcoming the participants
Watching the live digital painting show
Live Digital Painting
It's a full house
Welcome address by Denise Lowery, Regional English Language Officer, US Embassy
Champagne reception celebrating Michael Swan sponsored by Oxford University Press
Boat Trip sponsored by the Regional English Language Office, US Embassy
Jamie Keddie in the middle, surrounded by Geoff Tranter, members of the old and new committee, some participants and student helpers - What a great combination!
Sheelagh Deller
Welcome address by Simon Ingram-Hill, the Director of the British Council, Hungary
Zsuzsa Lindner, President of IATEFL-Hungary - opening the conference
Mark Andrews representing SOL Sharing One LAnguage. SOL offered the two main raffle prizes: 2 two-week teacher training courses in Britain
Michael Swan
nice to see so many people enjoying the presentations
The Committee of 2010/2011 reporting on the previous year at the Annual General Meeting
Eszter Zsiros, member of the Election Committee at the Annual General Meeting
Aniko Wagner (former committee member) voting at the AGM
Pecha Kucha is FUN!
Pecha Kucha moments
Jasmina Sazdovska happy with her Pecha Kucha presentation and wine :-)
Closing event: Meet the Plenaries
Closing event: Meet the Plenaries
Sheelagh Deller having a chat with Peter Medgyes, the 1st president of IATEFL-Hungary
Annual General Meeting
Jamie Keddie
Frank Prescott (presenter then, committee member now)
a raffle prize is being handed to its owner
Student helpers are having fun, too
Wine and Cheese party


text:
A brand of packaged coleslaw that may have been tainted with salmonella has been pulled from Amarillo grocery store shelves, according to a spot check of stores on Monday.
Dole Fresh Vegetable Inc. recalled the coleslaw after New York food inspectors discovered a salmonella-contaminated package. No one has gotten sick, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
The tainted lot is in a 16-ounce plastic bag with an expiration code "Best if used by 02-05-01."
United Supermarkets and Albertson's officials said they pulled Dole branded cole slaw Saturday after receiving Dole's warning.
United Supermarkets Inc. pulled the product Saturday as a precautionary measure, said Jacky Pierce, vice president of produce companywide.
"Primarily, we got the information Saturday that Dole had done the recall. We instructed stores to pull it from the shelf if we had any," Pierce said. "We are not even sure we had it. My understanding is that it doesn't even come from the facility we pull salad from."
Dole said anyone who bought the coleslaw should return it to the place of purchase for a refund.
Salmonella can cause serious, sometimes fatal infections in young children, the elderly and people with weak immune systems. Healthy people suffer typical food-poisoning symptoms, including nausea and vomiting, but generally recover.
Amarillo Globe-News © 2016. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy / About Our Ads


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|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Sep 28, 2004
|Filing date
|Feb 1, 2002
|Priority date
|Feb 1, 2002
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Dao Hinh Nguyen, Stewart Berry, David L. Christensen, Chris Klymowsky
|Original Assignee
|Control Screening, Llc
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (26), Non-Patent Citations (14), Referenced by (45), Classifications (14), Legal Events (5)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of scanner apparatus and methods; and more particularly to inspection systems that scan luggage and cargo to detect residues of explosives or other contraband materials.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, the prevalence of criminal activity that entails transportation of weapons and contraband materials has been a significant public concern. It has thus become vital to develop systems for detecting the presence of these materials, both when shipped as luggage or cargo and when carried by an individual. Of particular concern is the need to detect items used as weapons by terrorists, including ordinary firearms and knives, items such as explosive or incendiary substances, and materials which present biological, chemical or radiological hazards to people and property. The detection of illicit drugs and narcotics being transported is also of concern.
The detection of contraband in the context of air and rail transportation is especially challenging, given the need to examine large numbers of people and articles of luggage and cargo within acceptable limits on throughput and intrusiveness. Although physical inspection is a widely practiced and important technique, it is slow, cumbersome, labor intensive, and dependent on the alertness and vigilance of the inspector.
Automated systems that screen for contraband have been sought for many years. Various techniques have been proposed to detect contraband objects and materials either directly or indirectly. Magnetometry is widely used, and is sometime effective in detecting metallic objects carried by persons, but is not suited for screening cargo, which legitimately may contain large amounts of metal. Nuclear techniques, including x-ray, gamma-ray, neutron activation, and nuclear magnetic resonance methods, are applicable for screening inanimate objects, but pose risks that generally preclude their use for screening humans. In some cases, they are able to detect metallic objects, including weapons and ancillary devices such as wires, power supplies, batteries, and triggering mechanisms for explosive devices. However, there increasingly exist threats posed by explosives associated with largely non-metallic objects, which the aforementioned methods are less able to detect. The advent of modern plastic explosives presents an especially significant threat. Even a modest, readily concealable amount of these substances can cause a substantial explosion. Moreover, miscreants have become increasingly adept at disguising weapons and explosive devices as ordinary, innocuous objects. As a result, more refined indirect methods for detection of explosives are urgently sought.
Many of the indirect methods rely on the presence of vapor emanating from suspect material. One such indirect method, widely used in law enforcement, employs dogs trained to sniff preferentially for explosives, drugs, and the like. The remarkable olfactory sensitivity of dogs has been known and exploited for centuries. However, they are subject to fatigue, behavior variations, and the need for careful handling, training, and reinforcement from their masters. It therefore remains highly desirable to have luggage scanning systems that are not subject to these limitations. Also needed are luggage and cargo scanning systems that rapidly and accurately discriminate among different substances and indicate the quantity and location of a critical substance.
The task of indirectly detecting the presence of suspect materials is further complicated by their wide variability in vapor pressure. Some explosives, including nitroglycerin, dynamite, EGDN, and EGTN, are comparatively volatile, exhibiting significant vapor pressure at room temperature. DNT and TNT have lower, but still appreciable room-temperature vapor pressure. However, some of the most critical materials for which detection is sought, e.g. drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, and plastic explosives, such as SEMTEX and C-4, are far less volatile, having room temperature vapor pressures as much as ten million times lower. It is virtually impossible to detect vapor naturally emanating from these low volatility materials. They are even more difficult to detect if sealed inside luggage or packaging.
It is known that certain contraband materials for which detection is sought are inherently sticky. This characteristic is a notable property of many plastic explosives. As a result, particulate residues are likely to be present (i) on the hands of a person who has even casually handled the contraband, even after repeated hand washing, (ii) in fingerprints on surfaces such a person has subsequently touched, and (iii) as cross-contamination on the surface of a vehicle, shipping container, or luggage in which the material has been placed. For example, a measurable amount of ammonium nitrate (AN) residue has been found on the lease documents for rental trucks; and significant amounts of the explosives PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate) and/or AN have also been found on clothing and inside vehicles of suspects in two well-publicized bombings. Therefore, explosive residue will likely persist in large amounts on the explosive packaging and its environs, as well as on the individuals involved in building, handling, and transporting the explosive device, thereby providing an avenue for detection of the presence of explosives. The detection of even trace residues of critical substances on a person, article, or vehicle suggests a strong likelihood of association with illicit activity warranting further investigation.
The dual challenges of sample collection and analysis continue to impede development of satisfactory screening systems for these materials. As previously described, many of the materials whose detection is most critical have extremely low vapor pressure. The equilibrium concentration in the atmosphere near a contaminated fingerprint may be only parts per billion or trillion, a value too low for known detection schemes. Hence, previous detection methods have generally required use of mechanical means for collecting and/or concentrating a sample to achieve delectability. In some cases, disposable swabs or wipes of dry paper or cloth are rubbed by an operator against luggage or shipping containers to pick up detectable amounts, if any, of particulate residue. Such wipes may also be wetted with a solvent to facilitate residue pickup. In either case, the wipe is subsequently transferred to a suitable detection system for chemical analysis. However, known wipe systems have a number of significant limitations. They generally require an operator and are not conveniently adapted to automation. Their throughput is limited by the cumulative time needed for the essential multiple operations—in addition to the actual analytical time, the process requires the prior intermediate steps of wiping the article under test and transferring the wipe to the detection system. The detection efficacy and success of wipe systems is generally dependent on human factors. Stress and the frequent confusion extant in a busy public facility may cause an operator to fail to carry out an adequate sampling. The wiping operation frequently fails to cover a sufficiently representative portion of an article to insure that whatever residues are present are actually captured. Lint, dirt, solvent, and other extraneous material of no interest are inevitably introduced into the detection system, reducing its sensitivity by diluting the concentration of the analyte and necessitating frequent, non-productive cleaning operations.
Other known systems have employed mechanical brushing or shaking of articles or impingement of a compressed gas stream to dislodge residue particles. While these methods are more amenable to automation than wiping-based methods, they still are not sufficiently fast and efficacious for the demanding requirements of inspecting items to be carried as cargo or hand luggage on aircraft, for example. Furthermore, regulation of the pressure and volume of the gas stream is a significant challenge, as the flow must be sufficient to dislodge particles but not so high that it is not possible to capture what is removed.
Systems have also been proposed for detecting the presence of residues on a human subject passing through a tunnel-like portal. The portal may include means for flowing gas across the subject to dislodge particulate residues, collecting the gas, filtering or otherwise concentrating the particulates to above a detection limit, and passing the concentrated sample to a suitable detector. However, improvement in these systems is still desired. Flowing gas is at best an inefficient vehicle for collecting adequate sample. Disruptions of the airflow owing to the motion of subjects passing through the portal further compromise sample collection. In addition, the need to pre-concentrate a sample limits the analysis rate, making it difficult to reliably associate detection of contraband substances of interest with a specific person passing through the sampling portal.
Each of the indirect screening systems previously discussed requires means for sample collection and analysis that discriminate suspect substances from components normally present in the atmosphere. To be effective, the sample collection and analysis means must additionally discriminate suspect substances from the myriad of vapors produced by items of ordinary commerce.
A number of vapor detection methods have been proposed. These vapor detection methods have found use in laboratory analysis. Among them are electron capture detection, gas chromatography detection, mass spectrometry detection, plasma chromatography detection, bio-sensor detection and laser photoacoustic detection.
There have also been suggested systems for detecting explosive residues that do not rely on vapor detection. One example is the use of a controlled burst of laser radiation to induce selective deflagration or micro-detonations of explosive residues on the surface of an article. The resulting reaction produces an optical signature characteristic of the explosive residue. The system relies on detection of this optical signature. As used herein, the term "deflagration" means a slow chemical oxidation of the material, with a burn front which propagates at less than the velocity of sound. The term "detonation" as used herein means a reaction similar to deflagration that occurs at a much faster rate. Detonation is characterized by wave propagation at a supersonic rate with respect to the unreacted material.
Notwithstanding the aforementioned schemes both for sample collection and analysis, there remains a need in the art for integrated systems capable of reliably, accurately, and rapidly detecting the presence of contraband substances, especially explosives, accelerants, and illicit drugs. More particularly, there is need for systems that are readily automated for semi-continuous or continuous inspection and detection of the presence of residues of such materials on luggage, cargo, vehicles, freight containers, and related items. Such systems are highly sought, especially in the context of airport screening, but would be equally valuable for courthouses, stadiums, schools, government offices, military installations, correctional institutions, and other public venues that might be targets of terrorist or similar criminal activity.
The present invention provides a compact scanning system that rapidly detects the presence of a wide variety of contraband substances in an accurate, reliable manner. The system rapidly and accurately discriminates among different substances and provides quantitative indication of the amount and location of a critical substance. It is especially well suited for use in applications which require high throughput and accuracy, such as security screening associated with airline and other forms of public transportation.
Advantageously, the system provides for automated screening. It automatically scans substantially the entire exterior surface of luggage and other hand-carried personal items, as well as cargo, without the need for hand wiping or sampling by an operator or other physical contact. Vagaries of human performance are virtually eliminated, and detection efficacy is improved. The system's greater speed, accuracy, reliability, and flexibility, as well as its lower cost, and expanded range of detectable substances overcome problems associated with commercial scanning systems. Importantly, the system of this invention markedly reduces or eliminates false alarms while maximizing detection sensitivity for actual contraband. Following detection of contraband, a traceable residue thereof is left on the article for use in subsequent forensic analysis by law enforcement or other agencies.
In one aspect the invention provides an apparatus for non-destructively detecting the presence of a contraband substance on a surface of an object. Generally stated, the apparatus comprises an infrared laser adapted to emit light. An optical system delivers a beam of light emitted from the infrared laser to illuminate an interrogation area of the surface. The illumination has sufficient intensity and duration to cause selective desorption of molecules of said contraband substance present on said surface without damaging the surface. A collection system collects at least a portion of the desorbed molecules. A chemical analysis system is associated with said collection system. The chemical analysis system has a detector responsive to the presence in the collection system of the desorbed molecules. The detector is adapted to output an electrical signal representative of the presence of the contraband substance. A signal means is connected to the chemical analysis system operates in response to the output of said electrical signal to provide an audible or visible alarm.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for detecting the presence of a preselected contraband substance on a surface of an object. Generally stated the method comprises the steps of (a) illuminating an interrogation area of the surface with a beam of light emitted from an infrared laser, the illumination having sufficient intensity and duration to cause selective desorption of molecules of the contraband substance present on the surface without damaging the surface; (b) collecting at least a portion of the desorbed molecules in a collection system; (c) analyzing the portion in a chemical analysis system, the system being associated with the collection system and comprising a detector responsive to the presence in the chemical analysis system of the contraband substance; (d) outputting an electrical signal representative of the presence of the contraband substance; and (e) activating signal means operably connected to said chemical analysis system in response to the output of said electrical signal, to thereby provide an audible or visible alarm.
The invention will be more fully understood and further advantages will become apparent when reference is had to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention and the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote similar elements throughout the several views and in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an explosive detection system of the invention; and
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an automated explosive detection system for screening items of luggage.
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for the detection of contraband substances on the surface of objects. Generally stated, a beam of infrared laser light is impinged on an interrogation area on the surface to be scanned to cause desorption or ablation of molecules or particles of the contraband substance. The portion of the contraband substance that is removed is sufficient to be detectable. The specific amount that must be removed to effect detectability depends both on the specific material and the chemical analysis system employed, but may be as low as the sub-nanogram level. The interrogation area may be substantially the spot size of the beam. Alternatively the beam may be variably deflected or the object moved to vary the point of impingement, thereby extending the interrogation area generally to a linear region or an extended, two-dimensional area. It is preferred that the interrogation zone comprise at least a substantial portion of the object under scrutiny. The ejected material is collected in a collection system and analyzed by a chemical analysis system adapted to detect the presence of at least one contraband substance. An audible or visual indication is provided upon detection of a contraband substance. The detection system of the invention can detect the presence of a wide variety of contraband substances. As used herein, the term "contraband" is intended to denote substances or articles whose transportation or possession is forbidden or improper. A wide variety of substances or articles may be considered as contraband, including non-exclusively: firearms and similar weapons; explosives and explosive devices; incendiaries, propellants, and accelerants; drugs such as heroin, cocaine, opium and its derivatives and other narcotics, cannabis (including marijuana and hashish), amphetamines and barbituates; hallucinogens and psychotropics; and other substances and articles which present biological, chemical or radiological hazards to people and property.
The system is capable of rapidly and accurately discriminating among different substances and providing quantitative indication of the amount and location of a critical substance. As a result, it is highly adapted for use in applications that require high throughput and accuracy, such as security screening associated with airline and other forms of public transportation. The system provides for automated screening that can scan substantially the entire exterior surface of luggage and other hand-carried personal items, as well as cargo, without the need for hand wiping or sampling by an operator or other physical contact. As a result, the inevitable vagaries of human performance are virtually eliminated, improving the efficacy of detection. The present system is also useful for screening in other contexts, including courthouses, stadiums, schools, government offices, military installations, correctional institutions, and similar public venues that might be targets of terrorist or similar criminal activity. The combination of speed, accuracy, reliability, flexibility, low cost, and range of substances detectable solves problems associated with prior art scanning systems and renders the present invention highly advantageous. Furthermore, the present invention markedly reduces or eliminates false alarms while maximizing the probability of detection of actual contraband.
The present system is also capable of detecting the presence of contraband in a nondestructive manner, such that the surface being studied is left substantially undamaged as a result of being scanned by the present laser desorption system. That is, the appearance and function of the scanned surface is not harmed. Although in some cases, minimal changes may occur that are detectable only by microscopic or other sophisticated analytical means, the overall presentation of the article to the ordinary human senses is unaffected.
The present system is adapted for the detection of a wide variety of contraband substances for which detection is desired. The chemical analysis systems disclosed herein can be readily be adjusted and suitably calibrated and operated to be sensitive and selective for detection of such materials.
An analysis system incorporating a GC/IMS detector is especially versatile. It can detect both positively and negatively ionized molecules of many classes. Each species detectable therein has a particular and characteristic ionic mobility that affords selective detection.
The GC/IMS detector can readily be optimized to detect drugs and narcotics, including amphetamine-type stimulants such as methamphetamine, amphetamine, and ecstasy, cocaine, cannabis-containing substances including marijuana and hashish, and opiates including heroin and morphine.
The GC/IMS detector is also particularly useful for the detection of common aromatic and aliphatic organo-nitro compounds found very commonly in modern high explosives for which detection is sought.
The present system is particularly suited for the detection of modern plastic explosives such as C4, SEMTEX, and DM12 which are generally composed of particles of high explosives like RDX, PETN, and HMX in a sticky, polymeric matrix. These materials pose a grave threat in the hands of terrorists. Since the plastic explosives have little if any content of metals or other heavy elements, they exhibit little signature for x-ray detection. Moreover, they are available in a variety of physical forms, including moldable, clay-like substance and as thin sheets, making them relatively easy to disperse and hide among seemingly innocuous, ordinary objects. On the other hand, the propensity of plastic explosives to transfer residues to the hands of a user and to their environs provides avenues for detection that are uniquely exploited by the laser desorption system disclosed herein.
Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is depicted an explosive detection system 10 of the invention. A CO2 gas laser 12 emits infrared laser light along optical path 14, which passes through focusing lens 16. The light strikes mirror 18, which is mounted on rotating shaft 19 of electric motor 20. The reflected light impinges on target 22 mounted on translation stage 24, which is movable by turning drive screw 26. Rotation of mirror 18 causes the point of impingement 28 of light on target 22 to move generally along a line 30 across target 22. Vapor and particles desorbed from target 22 are collected fill by vacuum 34 movably mounted on rail 36. A sample is collected on particle trap 38 mounted within vacuum 34 and analyzed by transferring it to an analyzer (not shown). In other embodiments the particle trap could be directly mounted on the analyzer or be located on a rotatable carousel allowing it to be selectively positioned for different functions, such as sample collection, analysis, and cleaning.
In another aspect of the invention, depicted by FIG. 2, there is provided an automated explosive detection system 60 for screening items of luggage 62. A CO2 gas laser 12 emits infrared laser light along optical path 14, which passes through an optical system comprising focusing lens 16 and mirror 18. The light strikes mirror 18, which is mounted on rotating shaft 19 of electric motor 20. Items of luggage 62 are placed on conveyor belt 64 appointed for motion along lengthwise direction 66. Rotation of mirror 18 causes the path of light reflected therefrom generally to traverse the width of conveyor belt 64. In operation of system 60, luggage 62 is conveyed to the region of traversal of light reflected from mirror 18. Upon impingement of light onto any point of luggage 62 at which contraband residue is present, vapor and/or particles thereof are desorbed in a plume that is collected by collection system 66 comprising vacuum heads 68 appointed for intake of the plume through inlet ports 69. Collection system 66 further comprises ducts 70 through which the plume is led. The plume enters chemical analysis system 72 comprising detector 74 adapted to detect the presence of at least one contraband substance. Detector 74 is connected by wire 75 to computer 76 associated with computer display terminal 78. Upon detection of a contraband substance, detector 74 outputs an electrical signal indicative of the detection to computer 76. Computer 76 is also operably connected to motor 20 and conveyor 64. Computer 76 is appointed to activate and control each of motor 20 and conveyor 64 and receive in real time signals indicative of the position and status of each. Software present and operable in computer 76 is appointed to operate motor 20 and conveyor 64 in a coordinated manner so as to raster scan the point of impingement of light reflected from mirror 18 onto luggage 62 to define an extended, two-dimensional interrogation zone. The raster scanning is carried out by simultaneously translating the luggage 62 longitudinally on conveyor belt 64 and transversely sweeping the light beam by rotating mirror 18. Signals fed in real time indicative of the positions of the conveyor belt and mirror are used by the software to provide real-time location of the light beam impingement and correlate it with the intensity of the contraband substance signal attributable to desorption from the corresponding region of the interrogation zone. The information may then be displayed as a mapping on computer display terminal 78 indicative of the positions on the luggage at which contraband is or is not detected. Preferably the mapping is displayed superimposed on a visual representation of the luggage to provide clear indication of the location on the actual article at which contraband is being detected.
The present explosive detection system affords a significant advance in its ability to indirectly detect explosives and other contraband concealed within luggage, packages, cargo, and the like. A very limited number of known explosive materials, e.g. nitroglycerin, have a sufficiently high room-temperature vapor pressure to cause emission of substantial vapor even if sequestered inside a package. However, other very common explosives carry equal or greater explosive energy; yet have vapor pressures that are orders of magnitude lower. As a result, materials posing enormous potential for harm, such as SEMTEX, DM12, and C-4, emit miniscule amounts of vapor whose concentration is too low to be detected by known methods. Most legitimate commercial and governmental producers of plastic explosives incorporate taggants having substantial vapor pressure such as dimethyldinitrobutane (DMNB) in plastic explosives to facilitate their tracing and enhance their detectability. The present system readily detects such taggants. However, illicit explosives made by terrorists or other criminal elements are highly unlikely to incorporate taggants. Moreover, the high volatility of taggants causes them to evaporate, often in a matter of minutes or a few hours, from trace sticky residues and/or contaminated fingerprints on the surface of items containing plastic explosives. The reliability of a luggage screening system that relies principally or exclusively on detection of taggants is thus dubious. The present system is highly advantageous in being able to detect residues of plastic explosives, whether or not so tagged. While it is highly likely that trace residues of the high explosive constituents are present on the surface of luggage or other parcel containing high explosive, enhancement in some form is still needed to assure their detectability. Prior art detection methods have relied on mechanical means, such as abrasion by a wipe or brush or a flow of gas to dislodge a sample large enough for analysis.
In contrast, the present system relies on impingement of thermal energy to desorb or ablate particles or vapor from the surface residue. The exact mechanism for the removal of material is not precisely known but is believed to depend on laser fluence and pulse length. A fluence ranging from about 1 to 50 mJ/cm2 is presently believed suitable for the practice of the invention. At low fluences, the laser is believed to heat the material locally and raise its vapor pressure accordingly, causing thermal desorption of a plume containing principally monomers. At higher fluences (e.g., fluences >3.7 mJ/cm2), it is believed that the ejection mechanism changes to ablation, in which sufficient heat is released to cause ablation of particles of material. In either case, a plume of vapor and/or particles is liberated that can be collected and transported to a chemical analysis detector system.
At low laser fluences thermal desorption from the surface is observed, the plume mostly contains monomers. At high fluences, the ejection mechanism changes to ablation, in which a volume of irradiated material is collectively ejected due to a phase explosion of the overheated material. Large clusters become a major constituent of the plume. At much higher fluences, several problems become apparent. Laser irradiation heretofore has generally been considered unsuitable for large-scale screening systems because of their propensity to cause perceptible damage to the substrate. Moreover, high fluence, especially in combination with long pulse duration, can produce local heating that is sufficient to cause substantial deflagration or detonation of explosive material on the surface of interest. It is preferred that the intensity and duration of the laser illumination used in the practice of the present invention not be sufficient to cause substantial deflagration or detonation of an explosive substance present on the surface being scanned. Excessive fluence may also cause decomposition of other substances of interest, such as drugs and narcotics, precluding their detection.
It is found that infrared laser radiation is effective in causing desorption of material such as explosive residues from a surface. A number of systems capable of lasing at infrared wavelengths are known, including Nd:YAG and CO2 gas, and are suitable for practice of the invention. The effectiveness of laser radiation in causing desorption is enhanced by selection of a wavelength which the suspect material is known to absorb strongly. Incident radiation having a wavelength that overlaps the absorption band is strongly absorbed, leading to strong, selective heating of the substances of interest. Laser light having a wavelength at or near a peak in a material's absorption spectrum is especially effective. Consequently, one aspect of the present invention employs a CO2 gas laser, which characteristically emits radiation at several frequencies in the 9-11 μm wavelength range. The C—NO2 bond, present in virtually all nitrogenous explosives, has a substantial resonant absorption in this range, making it especially suited for use in a system for the detection of nitrogenous explosives according to the present invention.
Moreover, other materials, including the substrate, whose spectra do not exhibit strong absorption at the wavelength of the incident light, will not absorb substantially and so will not experience undue heating or other damage. Appropriate selection of wavelength thus affords selectivity, in that the material of interest is strongly and efficiently desorbed, while other materials are not markedly affected. The selectivity allows the intensity and duration of the illumination of the substrate by the laser light to be held at low levels, thereby eliminating damage to the substrate but still allowing efficient desorption of enough sample to allow reliable detection. This selectivity is highly advantageous for a screening system and overcomes the problems of surface damage heretofore presumed to be an inevitable consequence of laser illumination. The inventors have found that careful control of both laser wavelength and pulse duration and repetition rate is a highly effective means of maximizing the generation of the desired sample plume and minimizing collateral damage.
In addition, good selectivity enhances detection sensitivity by more efficiently removing desired substances, while virtually eliminating the removal of extraneous or background material, e.g., lint, dirt, or solvent, which frequently swamps detectors in prior art systems and results in the need for frequent cleaning of the collection and analysis systems. Conventional wipe-based systems are especially vulnerable to these difficulties. Laser desorption is also particularly effective in removing residue lodged in cracks and crevices of the substrate which are inaccessible by wiping.
The efficiency and selectivity of desorption may be further enhanced by altering the isotopic content of the CO2 gas fill in the laser. It is known in the art that the spectral lines responsible for the laser action of a CO2 gas laser entail molecular vibrations. Naturally occurring carbon is predominantly composed of atoms of a stable isotope having an atomic weight of about 12, denoted as 12C, with a slight amount of the stable isotope having atomic weight of about 13, or 13C, and lesser amounts of the unstable radioisotope 14C. Likewise, atmospheric oxygen is predominantly composed of diatomic 16O2, with traces of 18O2 and the mixed species 16O18O. Thus, normal CO2 is predominantly composed of 12C and 16O, denoted as 12C16O2. However, techniques are known for the isotopic enrichment of both atoms, that is to say, the formation of a quantity of material in which the relative abundance of the various isotopes differs from the corresponding naturally occurring abundance. Thus, CO2 gas enriched in any of the species 12C16O2, 13C16O2, 12C18O2, and 13C18O2 may be obtained. Laser action may be established in a CO2 gas laser based on any of these species if present in sufficient concentration. The differences in atomic mass of the constituent atoms in each species give rise to a unique characteristic vibrational spectrum. Hence, laser operating frequencies not obtainable with normal 12C16O2 can be selected by altering the isotopic abundance in the gas charge. The efficiency and selectivity of desorption of a given contraband substance may be increased by selection of an illuminating wavelength matched as closely as possible to the particular absorption spectral lines of that substance. Thus, lasers based on CO2 gas with different isotopes may be preferred for detecting particular contraband substances.
It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the present detection system may employ multiple lasers or beam splitters to produce one or more additional beams. Use of multiple beams impinging different regions of a sample allows a plurality of locations to be screened simultaneously. In addition, the system may comprise multiple lasers operating at different wavelengths to enhance detection of different contraband substances preferentially desorbed at different wavelengths.
During practice of the present invention, the beam of light emitted from the laser is passed through an optical system that directs it to impinge on an interrogation area of the surface of the object to be analyzed. The optical system may comprise known optical components including apertures, lenses, mirrors, prisms, filters, and the like, appropriate for operation at the laser's wavelength. The system may be designed using principles known to those in the art. The optical system acts to focus the light to a spot size ranging from about 100 μm to 5 mm at the sample surface. The optical system may further include one or more deflecting optical components, such as a mirror, prism, diffraction grating, or other like means, at least one of which is moved to deflect the light beam, thereby changing the location at which the beam impinges on the surface of the object being scanned and creating an extended interrogation zone. Known electrical, pneumatic, or mechanical means may be used to impart linear or rotary motion to the component and thereby extend the interrogation zone. In one aspect, the beam is reflected from a rotating mirror affixed to the shaft of an electric motor to extend the interrogation zone.
The laser radiation used in practicing this invention may be emitted continuously. Preferably, the beam of light is pulsed. Such pulsing of the light beam is preferred because higher peak power and energy density can be employed without undesirable damage to the substrate or other similar thermal side effects. The use of a short pulse duration is preferred in that heating of the residue and underlying surface is thereby localized, minimizing or eliminating unwanted surface damage.
Pulsed beams may be obtained in several ways. Light from a continuously emitting laser may be passed through an interposed mechanical chopper, which may comprise a structure such as a disk, which has transparent portions and portions which are opaque to light having the wavelength of interest. The light beam is directed through the structure, which is rotated, as by an electric motor, to periodically interrupt the optical path. The repetition rate, pulse duration, and duty cycle may be varied by changing the rotational speed of the structure and the relative amounts of the structure that are transparent and opaque. Mechanical choppers generally have about a 50% duty cycle (i.e., the fraction of time during operation in which the chopper passes light). They are especially useful for obtaining pulse repetition rates of up to about 20 kHz. This rate is generally higher than may be obtained with a pulse-mode laser. Alternatively, electro-optic cells are known which may be made transparent or opaque in response to a suitable electrical input and operate at a higher pulse rate. A pulsed beam may be obtained by interposing such a cell in the optical path of the present system and providing a suitably varying electrical input, as would be known to one skilled in the art.
More preferably, a pulsed mode laser may be employed in the practice of the invention. CO2 gas lasers are known which typically give pulse duration of about 200 ns and pulse repetition rates up to about 1 kHz.
The present system comprises a collection system for collecting vapor or particles of contraband analyte substances. The system may comprise a blower or mild or substantial vacuum system, one or more inlet ports, and associated ducting that directs the flow of analyte to substantially transfer it to the chemical analysis system.
The chemical analysis system comprises at least one detector sensitive to the presence of at least one of the contraband substances of interest, but may also comprise a plurality of detectors to make it sensitive to a wider range of substances. Detectors capable of operating in multiple modes may also be used.
In one aspect of the invention, the detector provides an electrical output signal representative of the detection of a contraband substance. Preferably the output signal has a magnitude that is proportional to the amount of a substance being detected. The detector may be adjusted and calibrated by an appropriate protocol, such as by establishing a background electrical output when it is known that no substance is actually present or by exposing the detector to a sample with a known concentration. It is then presumed that any signal above a preselected background level is indicative of the presence of a substance of interest. Alternatively, a background level may be determined dynamically during scanner operation by a known averaging protocol.
Indication of the detector signal output may be given by a wide variety of signal means known in the art. A binary "go/no go" indication may be provided using known comparator circuitry, in which the magnitude of the signal actually outputted by the detector is compared with a pre-selected detection threshold, and in response, audible or visible signals are activated, indicative of the presence or absence of a signal above the pre-selected threshold. The output of the detector may also be displayed as a quantitative reading on a digital or analog meter. A quantitative output may also be given by the intensity or color displayed on a monitor such as a computer display screen or terminal. Such a visual display is preferred for embodiments of the invention in which an extended, two-dimensional interrogation area is screened. In one aspect of the invention, a visual representation of the object being scanned is presented on a computer display screen and superimposed on the visual representation is a pattern or mapping, which, by variation of intensity or color, indicates the amount of contraband substance of a given type found on the corresponding area of the article surface. A mapping may use a false-color scheme to indicate different amounts detected. Alternatively, the presence of different contraband substances may be represented by different colors, intensity, or shading patterns.
A variety of detector systems may be incorporated in the chemical analysis system used in practice of the present invention.
A chemical analysis system incorporating a combined gas chromatograph/ion mobility spectrometer (GC/IMS) is especially preferred for the detection of explosive molecules. In this system particles and/or vapors desorbed by the laser system are drawn by a vacuum system onto a sample collector adapted to adsorb the analyte. The sample thus collected is transferred for injection into the GC/IMS. One suitable GC/IMS system is sold under the brand Orion™ by Scintrex Trace Corporation, Ottawa, Canada.
In some embodiments of the invention that entail a GC/IMS detector it is preferred to use a laser fluence large enough to cause some decomposition of explosive residues. Most organo-nitro explosives release NO2 upon by decomposition, a product readily detected by a GC/IMS detector. Moreover, decomposition frequently results in a partially ionized plume. Such a partially ionized plume does not have to be ionized within the GC/IMS system itself, which relies on the mobility of an ionized molecular stream.
The chemical analysis system may also comprise a pyrolyzer/electrochemical sensor, which may operate in alternative sampling mode. In vapor mode, air is drawn by a vacuum system into a unit through a vapor absorber tube appointed to selectively absorb explosive vapor molecules. In particulate mode sample is first transferred to a sample screen and then inserted into the unit. The absorber tube is then rapidly heated by electrical or other means to convert organo-nitro based explosives molecules to simple by-product gases which are readily analyzed by the detector. The gases are picked up in an air stream and transferred to the detector. A signal is generated as the gases pass the detector's sensing surface, amplified, and passed to a microprocessor-based signal processing system. Based on the signal strength and delay time, the signal processing system recognizes the presence or absence of explosive vapor. This detector is also capable of detecting inorganic nitrate salts used as explosives, such as ammonium nitrate (AN) or mixtures of ammonium nitrate with fuel oil or the like (ANFO). One suitable system incorporating a pyrolyzer/electrochemical sensor is commercially available as an EVD3000™ system by Scintrex Trace Corporation, Ottawa, Canada.
In another aspect of the invention the chemical analysis system incorporates a gas chromatograph/surface surface ionization detection (GC/SID) detector. A sample is drawn into the analysis system and deposited onto a sample screen. The screen is then inserted into an inlet and heated to evaporate volatile material on the screen. The vaporized material is carried by an air flow generated by a pump into the gas chromatograph column. As molecules exit the column they are ionized by a hot filament and collected on a cathode. The resulting current is amplified and converted to a voltage signal by an electrometer. Each species has a characteristic time of passage, i.e. the interval between introduction of a molecule of that species into the gas chromatograph column and its detection at the column exit. A microprocessor-based signal processing system is used to sense the presence of a detected signal and the time of passage indicated thereby. A match between the known characteristic times of any of the molecules of contraband whose detection is sought and the actual times exhibited by molecules in a sample being analyzed is indicative of the presence of contraband in that sample. The microprocessor responds to determination of such a mach by activating a display on the control panel of the detector system. The display provides indication of the detection of contraband and its type. One suitable (GC/SID system is incorporated in the NDS2000™ unit sold by Scintrex Trace Corporation, Ottawa, Canada.
A variety of other detectors may be advantageously combined with the laser system described above for the practice of the present invention. They include gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), field ion spectrometry (FIS), photoacoustic detectors, and gas-phase infrared spectroscopy.
The present laser desorption and detection system may also be advantageously combined with other known scanning systems, such as magnetometric and x-ray systems. A system combining the detection methods can be made more compact and efficient, thereby satisfying the detection sensitivity and throughput required for screening of passengers and hand luggage in airports, for example.
The following examples are presented to provide a more complete understanding of the invention. The specific techniques, conditions, materials, proportions and reported data set forth to illustrate the principles and practice of the invention are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.
Test targets were made by dissolving a known quantity of explosive material in a solution, applying the solution to a substrate, and allowing the solution to dry. The amount of explosive present on the target was inferred from the amount of solution applied and the known concentration. The explosive RDX was dissolved in methanol/acetonitrile; the other samples were dissolved in pure methanol. The test targets are listed in Table I. The targets were each tested by placing them in a holder that allowed them to be illuminated by a pulsed CO2 gas laser and to be translated. The plume evolved was tested. The laser was a 500 mJ/pulse unit operating in TEA mode. A 0.2 cm2 aperture was interposed to limit the energy at the sample surface to a nominal value of 17 mJ. The pulse width was about 200 ns. The target was exposed to about 50 pulses of light distributed over the surface. The plume was drawn into a sampler situated about 10 cm from the focused spot. Sample was collected on a particle trap and subsequently analyzed for the presence of explosive with the detectors indicated, either an Orion GC/IMS detector or an EVD3000 pyrolyzer/electrochemical detector, both made commercially by Scintrex Trace Corporation.
(1 μg)
Glass slide
(100 ng)
(1 μg)
(500 ng)
Glass slide
(1 ng)
(500 ng)
(500 ng)
cotton cloth
(500 ng)
(500 ng)
Glass Slide
(500 ng)
Floppy disk
(500 ng)
(500 ng)
In each case, the presence of explosive material was detected reproducibly with a signal to noise ratio of at least about 50. The results demonstrate the ability of the system to detect the presence of explosive residues on a substrate without damage thereto.
Test targets were made an operator who handled various plastic explosives for one minute and then imposed his thumbprint onto the studied substrate. The test targets are listed in Table II. The targets were each tested as before by placing them in a holder that allowed them to be illuminated by a pulsed CO2 gas laser and to be translated. The plume evolved was tested. The laser was a 500 mJ/pulse unit operating in TEA mode. A 0.2 cm2 aperture was interposed to limit the energy at the sample surface to a nominal value of 17 mJ. The pulse width was about 200 ns. The target was exposed to about 50 pulses of light distributed over the surface. The plume was drawn into a sampler situated about 10 cm from the focused spot.
Sample was collected on a particle trap and subsequently analyzed for the presence of explosive with the detectors indicated, either an Orion GC/IMS detector or an EVD3000 pyrolyzer/electrochemical detector, both made commercially by Scintrex Trace Corporation. In the case of the plastic explosives, detection was based on the presence of organo nitro explosive, not on any taggant.
Sample No.
Aluminum foil
Semtex H
Boarding pass
Semtex H
Semtex H
Semtex H
Boarding pass
Glass slide
Glass slide
Aluminum foil
Aluminum foil
Aluminum foil
Black polyester
In each case, the presence of explosive material was detected reproducibly with a signal to noise ratio of at least about 50. The results demonstrate the ability of the system to detect the presence of explosive residues in contaminated fingerprints left on a substrate without causing damage thereto.
Having thus described the invention in rather full detail, it will be understood that such detail need not be strictly adhered to but that various changes and modifications may suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, all falling within the scope of the present invention as defined by the subjoined claims.
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|U.S. Classification
|250/286, 356/36
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Feb 1, 2002
Owner name: CONTROL SCREENING, LLC, NEW JERSEY
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:NGUYEN, DAO HINH;BERRY, STEWART;CHRISTENSEN, DAVID L.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:012562/0983
Effective date: 20020129
|Feb 21, 2008
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|May 14, 2012
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Sep 28, 2012
|Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
|Nov 20, 2012
|Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 20120928


text:
Eleventh-hour insurance switch saves school district $690,000
The Hartland-Lakeside School Board voted during a special meeting Thursday to switch insurance providers and save $690,000, despite an attempt by the executive committee of the union that represents teachers at Arrowhead High feeder schools to block the change.
Faced with a $1.2 million reduction in state aid for the 2011-'12 school year, the insurance plan change was one of several cost reductions by the School Board to avoid program cuts and increases in class sizes.
The board voted to switch teachers' health insurance from WEA Trust, the nonprofit company started 40 years ago by the state's largest teachers union, to United Healthcare. The contract with WEA Trust expired Thursday.
The Arrowhead United Teachers Organization's executive committee had tried to block the switch because it wanted the board to agree to bargain on wages and work rules as part of the insurance change. The union's executive committee wanted a full labor agreement, not a side agreement on insurance.
Other districts have switched from WEA Trust insurance to save money. The


text:
Hey all!
Ive been searching the topics with in_category questions to solve a little problem im encountering but i cant seem to find a solution.
Im using in_category() functions to change the layout of my site for some posts.
I have a "blog", "articles" and "classes" pages. When you see the "blog" you get all sorts of posts, whereas on "articles" you see posts that only appear on the "articles" page.
So far so good.
My problem is on the "classes" page, when listing the posts i get a specific color for my header an links, but once you click on a specific post it shows the "blog" color.
My guess is that, because those posts belong to more than one category (the "articles" posts have only the articles cat), its messing up with the color-choosing function.
In short: When using in_category(), if the post belongs to more than one category, the function doesnt help.
Is there a way to bypass this problem?
Thank you for your time.
ps: this is my function (cleaned up) and uses...
function getColorScheme() {
if (is_Page('articles') || in_category(4)) { $color = "articles"; }
elseif (is_Page('classes') || in_category(23)) { $color = "classes"; }
else { $color = "blog"; }
echo $color;
i put it as a class on my <body>
<body class="<?php echo getColorScheme(); ?>" >
so it changes my CSS
.blog A { color: #783e6e; }
.articles A { color: #842222; }


text:
Multimodal Acoustic Mixing Process for Carbon Nanotube Polymer Composites
Award Information
Small Business Information
Resodyn Corporation
130 N. Main Street, Butte, MT, 59701
Principal Investigator:
Joel Pierce
(406) 723-2222
(406) 723-2222
Business Contact:
Lawrence Farrar
(406) 497-5252
(406) 497-5252
Research Institution:
Abstract79430S Conventional, industrial polymer mixers, such as kneaders and twin screws, do not provide sufficient carbon nanotube dispersion to realize the full potential of nanotube reinforcements in polymers. Although laboratory researchers commonly disperse carbon nanotubes into solvents and polymers, only modest systematic work has been conducted to make the hardware more effective or energy efficient, and the transfer of these bench-scale practices to industrial processes for the manufacture of carbon nanotube polymer composites has received even less attention. This project will investigate mixing small diameter carbon nanotubes into a polymer matrix using a high intensity, multimodal (multifrequency) acoustic field. In Phase I, data will be gathered on the interaction of acoustic energy with a heterogeneous medium comprised of carbon nanotubes and an epoxy polymer. Experiments will be conducted to compare mixing performance against existing ¿silent¿ mixing methods, by evaluating the mixedness of the nanocomposites and the mechanical properties of the test specimens. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The mixing technology should allow higher performance products to be produced by incorporating nanotube additives with limited capital expense. The replacement of conventional polymers or alloys with nanocomposite polymers offers the potential to reduce weight substantially without sacrificing properties. One benefit would be improved fuel economy in cars and airplanes constructed with nanocomposite polymers.
* information listed above is at the time of submission.
An Official Website of the United States Government


text:
Note: Serve the pork with black beans and rice. This recipe requires a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
Cuban-Style Pork Shoulder
9 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp. salt
4 tsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. ground chile pepper
2 dried bay leaves, finely crumbled
1 tbsp. grated orange zest
2 tbsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. fresh orange juice
2 tbsp. lime juice
5 pounds pork shoulder, bone and skin removed and cut into 2-inch cubes
3 onions
1/3 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1. In a large bowl, combine the garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, black pepper, chili pepper, crumbled bay leaves and orange zest. Stir in the vinegar, orange and lime juices to make a coarse paste. Add the pork pieces and toss until the pieces are evenly coated with the spice paste. Set aside to marinate while you finish the other preparations.
2. Trim and cut the onions lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices in an even layer on the bottom of the slow cooker insert. Pour the broth over the onions. Arrange the pork in an even layer over the onions, pouring over any reserved marinade.
3. Cover the insert and place it in the slow cooker. Set the cooker to high heat and cook 4 to 4 1/2 hours until the pork is fork-tender. Remove from heat and crack the lid to allow the mixture to cool slightly. Gently stir the pork with the onions and serve.
Total time: 20 minutes, plus cooking time (4 hours on high; 8 hours on low).
Servings: 8
Each serving: 456 calories; 47 grams protein; 8 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 25 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 165 milligrams cholesterol; 2,015 milligrams sodium.
© 2016. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us


text:
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An anal probe is when you stick a hoopajoop up your ass
by Lord Nym August 23, 2003
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by eagor of the shepards pie August 15, 2008
an alien satellite probe
thats no hemerroid thats an alien hoopa joop


text:
Mr / Alpha Water Pocket Screw - 18-3229-9 - Sierra
This item is found in the following Product Families
Water Pocket Screw for Mercruiser Mr / Alpha
Replaces: 10-28668
Mercruiser Sterndrive I/I-R/MR/Alpha One Drive Shaft Housing Components Exploded View
Mercruiser Sterndrive Typical Drive Shaft Housing Components Exploded View Diagram and Parts Fits I / I-R / MR / Alpha One (Typical) Figure # …
Replaces OEM part #
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text:
New Investigators Events
HYPERTENSION SEOUL 2016 (26th Scientific Meeting of the ISH)
COEX, Seoul, Korea
Early bird registration closes on 31 May. Reduced registration fees are available for ISH members, participants coming from developing countries, as well as those who are under 35 in age.
Read More September 24th 2016 to September 29th 2016


text:
Heavener Runestone Park
Heavener, OK 74937
Phone: 918-653-2241
Heavener Runestone Park is a day-use only park offering group shelters for picnics, picnic tables, outdoor grills, comfort stations, amphitheater, playground, hiking, and educational programs about the Runestone. The park offers a park office, gift shop and interpretative center with educational information.
Facility Amenities: Amphitheater, Campsites, Concessions, Credit Cards Accepted, Gift Shop, Grills, Handicapped Parking, Lodging On Site, Meeting Space Available, Pets Allowed, Picnic Area, Playground, Restrooms
General Information: Free admission
Group Amenities: Accommodates Tour Groups, Advance Group Reservations Required, Bus/Motorcoach Parking
On-site Activities: Hiking, Rock Climbing/Rappelling
Suitable for Ages: Adults (18+), Children (up to 12), Teens (13-18)
Tour Information: Customized tours, Group Tours, Guided Tours, Self-guided tours
8:00 am
8:00 pm
8:00 am
8:00 pm
8:00 am
8:00 pm
8:00 am
8:00 pm
8:00 am
8:00 pm
8:00 am
8:00 pm
8:00 am
8:00 pm
Park manager on premises; after hours service available.
Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the pricing listed above, prices are subject to change without notice.
Located 2.5 miles north on Hwy 59 at Hwy 270 junction.
Primary Contacts:
Erin Bruesch
Sep 24, 2016
From Oct 8, 2016
to Oct 9, 2016
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