Structural health monitoring feature design by genetic programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, Dustin Y.; Todd, Michael D.

2014-09-01

Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems provide real-time damage and performance information for civil, aerospace, and other high-capital or life-safety critical structures. Conventional data processing involves pre-processing and extraction of low-dimensional features from in situ time series measurements. The features are then input to a statistical pattern recognition algorithm to perform the relevant classification or regression task necessary to facilitate decisions by the SHM system. Traditional design of signal processing and feature extraction algorithms can be an expensive and time-consuming process requiring extensive system knowledge and domain expertise. Genetic programming, a heuristic program search method from evolutionary computation, was recently adapted by the authors to perform automated, data-driven design of signal processing and feature extraction algorithms for statistical pattern recognition applications. The proposed method, called Autofead, is particularly suitable to handle the challenges inherent in algorithm design for SHM problems where the manifestation of damage in structural response measurements is often unclear or unknown. Autofead mines a training database of response measurements to discover information-rich features specific to the problem at hand. This study provides experimental validation on three SHM applications including ultrasonic damage detection, bearing damage classification for rotating machinery, and vibration-based structural health monitoring. Performance comparisons with common feature choices for each problem area are provided demonstrating the versatility of Autofead to produce significant algorithm improvements on a wide range of problems.

Feature-based component model for design of embedded systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zha, Xuan Fang; Sriram, Ram D.

2004-11-01

An embedded system is a hybrid of hardware and software, which combines software's flexibility and hardware real-time performance. Embedded systems can be considered as assemblies of hardware and software components. An Open Embedded System Model (OESM) is currently being developed at NIST to provide a standard representation and exchange protocol for embedded systems and system-level design, simulation, and testing information. This paper proposes an approach to representing an embedded system feature-based model in OESM, i.e., Open Embedded System Feature Model (OESFM), addressing models of embedded system artifacts, embedded system components, embedded system features, and embedded system configuration/assembly. The approach provides an object-oriented UML (Unified Modeling Language) representation for the embedded system feature model and defines an extension to the NIST Core Product Model. The model provides a feature-based component framework allowing the designer to develop a virtual embedded system prototype through assembling virtual components. The framework not only provides a formal precise model of the embedded system prototype but also offers the possibility of designing variation of prototypes whose members are derived by changing certain virtual components with different features. A case study example is discussed to illustrate the embedded system model.

Feature based Weld-Deposition for Additive Manufacturing of Complex Shapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panchagnula, Jayaprakash Sharma; Simhambhatla, Suryakumar

2018-06-01

Fabricating functional metal parts using Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a leading trend. However, realizing overhanging features has been a challenge due to the lack of support mechanism for metals. Powder-bed fusion techniques like, Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) employ easily-breakable-scaffolds made of the same material to realize the overhangs. However, the same approach is not extendible to deposition processes like laser or arc based direct energy deposition processes. Although it is possible to realize small overhangs by exploiting the inherent overhanging capability of the process or by blinding some small features like holes, the same cannot be extended for more complex geometries. The current work presents a novel approach for realizing complex overhanging features without the need of support structures. This is possible by using higher order kinematics and suitably aligning the overhang with the deposition direction. Feature based non-uniform slicing and non-uniform area-filling are some vital concepts required in realizing the same and are briefly discussed here. This method can be used to fabricate and/or repair fully dense and functional components for various engineering applications. Although this approach has been implemented for weld-deposition based system, the same can be extended to any other direct energy deposition processes also.

Evaluating public awareness of new currency design features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DiNunzio, Lisa; Church, Sara E.

2002-04-01

One of the goals of the 1996 series design was to integrate highly recognizable features that enable the general public to more easily distinguish counterfeit from genuine notes, thereby reducing the chance of counterfeit notes being passed. The purpose of this study is to evaluate how knowledgeable the public is concerning the new currency, to identify the channels through which the public learns about new currency design, and to assess the usefulness of the new currency's authentication features. Also, the study will serve as a baseline measurement for future design studies and in comparative analysis with other countries. The results of the qualitative research will be described in the following sections of this paper. The quantitative research is scheduled to begin in February 2002, at the same time as the Netherlands' opinion poll of the Euro and NLG-notes in an effort to compare results.

Design and Testing of a Hall Effect Thruster with Additively Manufactured Components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopping, Ethan

The UAH-78AM is a low-power Hall effect thruster developed at the University of Alabama in Huntsville to study the application of low-cost additive manufacturing in the design and fabrication of Hall thrusters. The goal of this project is to assess the feasibility of using unconventional materials to produce a low-cost functioning Hall effect thruster and consider how additive manufacturing can expand the design space and provide other benefits. The thruster features channel walls and a propellant distributor that were manufactured using 3D printing with a variety of materials including ABS, ULTEM, and glazed ceramic. A version of the thruster was tested at NASA Glenn Research Center to obtain performance metrics and to validate the ability of the thruster to produce thrust and sustain a discharge. The design of the thruster and the transient performance measurements are presented here. Measured thrust ranged from 17.2 mN to 30.4 mN over a discharge power of 280 W to 520 W with an anode Isp range of 870 s to 1450 s. Temperature limitations of materials used for the channel walls and propellant distributor limit the ability to run the thruster at thermal steady-state. While the current thruster design is not yet ready for continuous operation, revisions to the device that could enable longer duration tests are discussed.

Feature-based Approach in Product Design with Energy Efficiency Consideration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, D. D.; Zhang, Y. J.

2017-10-01

In this paper, a method to measure the energy efficiency and ecological footprint metrics of features is proposed for product design. First the energy consumption models of various manufacturing features, like cutting feature, welding feature, etc. are studied. Then, the total energy consumption of a product is modeled and estimated according to its features. Finally, feature chains that combined by several sequence features based on the producing operation orders are defined and analyzed to calculate global optimal solution. The corresponding assessment model is also proposed to estimate their energy efficiency and ecological footprint. Finally, an example is given to validate the proposed approach in the improvement of sustainability.

Embracing additive manufacture: implications for foot and ankle orthosis design

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The design of foot and ankle orthoses is currently limited by the methods used to fabricate the devices, particularly in terms of geometric freedom and potential to include innovative new features. Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, where objects are constructed via a series of sub-millimetre layers of a substrate material, may present the opportunity to overcome these limitations and allow novel devices to be produced that are highly personalised for the individual, both in terms of fit and functionality. Two novel devices, a foot orthosis (FO) designed to include adjustable elements to relieve pressure at the metatarsal heads, and an ankle foot orthosis (AFO) designed to have adjustable stiffness levels in the sagittal plane, were developed and fabricated using AM. The devices were then tested on a healthy participant to determine if the intended biomechanical modes of action were achieved. Results The adjustable, pressure relieving FO was found to be able to significantly reduce pressure under the targeted metatarsal heads. The AFO was shown to have distinct effects on ankle kinematics which could be varied by adjusting the stiffness level of the device. Conclusions The results presented here demonstrate the potential design freedom made available by AM, and suggest that it may allow novel personalised orthotic devices to be produced which are beyond the current state of the art. PMID:22642941

Examining the design features of a communication-rich, problem-centred mathematics professional development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Araujo, Zandra; Orrill, Chandra Hawley; Jacobson, Erik

2018-04-01

While there is considerable scholarship describing principles for effective professional development, there have been few attempts to examine these principles in practice. In this paper, we identify and examine the particular design features of a mathematics professional development experience provided for middle grades teachers over 14 weeks. The professional development was grounded in a set of mathematical tasks that each had one right answer, but multiple solution paths. The facilitator engaged participants in problem solving and encouraged participants to work collaboratively to explore different solution paths. Through analysis of this collaborative learning environment, we identified five design features for supporting teacher learning of important mathematics and pedagogy in a problem-solving setting. We discuss these design features in depth and illustrate them by presenting an elaborated example from the professional development. This study extends the existing guidance for the design of professional development by examining and operationalizing the relationships among research-based features of effective professional development and the enacted features of a particular design.

New features in the design code Tlie

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Zeijts, Johannes

1993-12-01

We present features recently installed in the arbitrary-order accelerator design code Tlie. The code uses the MAD input language, and implements programmable extensions modeled after the C language that make it a powerful tool in a wide range of applications: from basic beamline design to high precision-high order design and even control room applications. The basic quantities important in accelerator design are easily accessible from inside the control language. Entities like parameters in elements (strength, current), transfer maps (either in Taylor series or in Lie algebraic form), lines, and beams (either as sets of particles or as distributions) are among the type of variables available. These variables can be set, used as arguments in subroutines, or just typed out. The code is easily extensible with new datatypes.

Joint Feature Extraction and Classifier Design for ECG-Based Biometric Recognition.

PubMed

Gutta, Sandeep; Cheng, Qi

2016-03-01

Traditional biometric recognition systems often utilize physiological traits such as fingerprint, face, iris, etc. Recent years have seen a growing interest in electrocardiogram (ECG)-based biometric recognition techniques, especially in the field of clinical medicine. In existing ECG-based biometric recognition methods, feature extraction and classifier design are usually performed separately. In this paper, a multitask learning approach is proposed, in which feature extraction and classifier design are carried out simultaneously. Weights are assigned to the features within the kernel of each task. We decompose the matrix consisting of all the feature weights into sparse and low-rank components. The sparse component determines the features that are relevant to identify each individual, and the low-rank component determines the common feature subspace that is relevant to identify all the subjects. A fast optimization algorithm is developed, which requires only the first-order information. The performance of the proposed approach is demonstrated through experiments using the MIT-BIH Normal Sinus Rhythm database.

Design and fabrication of the progressive addition lenses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Linling; Qian, Lin; Yu, Jingchi

2011-11-01

The use of progressive addition lenses (PALs) for the correction of presbyopia has increased dramatically in recent years. These lenses are now being used as the preferred alternative to bifocal and trifocal lenses in many parts of the world. Progressive addition lenses are a kind of opthalmic lenses with freeform surface. The surface curvature of the Progressive addition lenses varies gradually from a minimum value in the upper area, to a maximum value in the lower area. Thus a PAL has a surface with three zones which have very small astigmatism: far-view zone, near-view zone, and intermediate zone. The far view zone and near view zone have relatively constant powers and connected by the intermediate zone with power varies progressively. The design and fabrication technologies of progressive addition lenses have fast progresses because of the massive development of the optical simulation software, multi-axis ultraprecision machining technologies and CNC machining technologies. The design principles of progressive addition lenses are discussed in a historic review. Several kinds of design methods are illustrated, and their advantages and disadvantages are also represented. In the current study, it is shown that the optical characteristics of the different progressive addition lenses designs are significantly different from one another. The different fabrication technologies of Progressive addition lenses are also discussed in the paper. Plastic injection molding and precision-machine turning are the common fabrication technologies for exterior PALs and Interior PALs respectively.

Kinetic Assessment of Golf Shoe Outer Sole Design Features

PubMed Central

Smith, Neal A.; Dyson, Rosemary J.

2009-01-01

This study assessed human kinetics in relation to golf shoe outer sole design features during the golf swing using a driver club by measuring both within the shoe, and beneath the shoe at the natural grass interface. Three different shoes were assessed: metal 7- spike shoe, alternative 7-spike shoe, and a flat soled shoe. In-shoe plantar pressure data were recorded using Footscan RS International pressure insoles and sampling at 500 Hz. Simultaneously ground reaction force at the shoe outer sole was measured using 2 natural grass covered Kistler force platforms and 1000 Hz data acquisition. Video recording of the 18 right-handed golfers at 200 Hz was undertaken while the golfer performed 5 golf shots with his own driver in each type of shoe. Front foot (nearest to shot direction) maximum vertical force and torque were greater than at the back foot, and there was no significant difference related to the shoe type. Wearing the metal spike shoe when using a driver was associated with more torque generation at the back foot (p < 0. 05) than when the flat soled shoe was worn. Within shoe regional pressures differed significantly with golf shoe outer sole design features (p < 0.05). Comparison of the metal spike and alternative spike shoe results provided indications of the quality of regional traction on the outer sole. Potential golf shoe outer sole design features and traction were presented in relation to phases of the golf swing movement. Application of two kinetic measurement methods identified that moderated (adapted) muscular control of foot and body movement may be induced by golf shoe outer sole design features. Ground reaction force measures inform comparisons of overall shoe functional performance, and insole pressure measurements inform comparisons of the underfoot conditions induced by specific regions of the golf shoe outer sole. Key points Assessments of within golf shoe pressures and beneath shoe forces at the natural grass interface were conducted

2015 Summer Design Challenge: Team A&E (2241) Additively Manufactured Discriminator.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miller, Sarah E.; Moore, Brandon James

Current discriminator designs are based on historical designs and traditional manufacturing methods. The goal of this project was to form non-traditional groups to create novel discriminator designs by taking advantage of additive manufacturing. These designs would expand current discriminator designs and provide insight on the applicability of additive manufacturing for future projects. Our design stretched the current abilities of additive manufacturing and noted desired improvements for the future. Through collaboration with NSC, we noted several additional technologies which work well with additive manufacturing such as topology optimization and CT scanning and determined how these technologies could be improved to bettermore » combine with additive manufacturing.« less

28 CFR 571.72 - Additional designated offenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... sexual contact with another person without obtaining permission to do so (forcible rape, sexual assault... (Assault) if it includes assault with the intent to commit first degree sexual abuse, second degree sexual... designated offenses. The following offenses are designated as additional sexual offenses for purposes of 18 U...

28 CFR 571.72 - Additional designated offenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... sexual contact with another person without obtaining permission to do so (forcible rape, sexual assault... (Assault) if it includes assault with the intent to commit first degree sexual abuse, second degree sexual... designated offenses. The following offenses are designated as additional sexual offenses for purposes of 18 U...

28 CFR 571.72 - Additional designated offenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... sexual contact with another person without obtaining permission to do so (forcible rape, sexual assault... (Assault) if it includes assault with the intent to commit first degree sexual abuse, second degree sexual... designated offenses. The following offenses are designated as additional sexual offenses for purposes of 18 U...

28 CFR 571.72 - Additional designated offenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... sexual contact with another person without obtaining permission to do so (forcible rape, sexual assault... (Assault) if it includes assault with the intent to commit first degree sexual abuse, second degree sexual... designated offenses. The following offenses are designated as additional sexual offenses for purposes of 18 U...

21 CFR 211.42 - Design and construction features.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Design and construction features. 211.42 Section 211.42 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) DRUGS: GENERAL CURRENT GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE FOR FINISHED PHARMACEUTICALS Buildings and Facilities...

Do Particular Design Features Assist People with Aphasia to Comprehend Text? An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Lucy; Read, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Background: Much of the evidence underlying guidelines for producing accessible information for people with aphasia focuses on client preference for particular design features. There is limited evidence regarding the effects of these features on comprehension. Aims: To examine the effects of specific design features on text comprehension. It was…

76 FR 25405 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-04

... Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. The list of additional designees is as follows: 1. SHAYESTEH, Bahram Ali (a.k.a. JADALI, Bahrami Ali; a.k.a. SHAYESTEH, Bahrami Ali), 80331 Muenchen, Bayern, Germany; DOB 6...

Content and Design Features of Academic Health Sciences Libraries' Home Pages.

PubMed

McConnaughy, Rozalynd P; Wilson, Steven P

2018-01-01

The goal of this content analysis was to identify commonly used content and design features of academic health sciences library home pages. After developing a checklist, data were collected from 135 academic health sciences library home pages. The core components of these library home pages included a contact phone number, a contact email address, an Ask-a-Librarian feature, the physical address listed, a feedback/suggestions link, subject guides, a discovery tool or database-specific search box, multimedia, social media, a site search option, a responsive web design, and a copyright year or update date.

Design Features in Games for Health: Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Expert Perspectives.

PubMed

Kelley, Christina; Wilcox, Lauren; Ng, Wendy; Schiffer, Jade; Hammer, Jessica

2017-06-01

Games for health (G4H) aim to improve health outcomes and encourage behavior change. While existing theoretical frameworks describe features of both games and health interventions, there has been limited systematic investigation into how disciplinary and interdisciplinary stakeholders understand design features in G4H. We recruited 18 experts from the fields of game design, behavioral health, and games for health, and prompted them with 16 sample games. Applying methods including open card sorting and triading, we elicited themes and features (e.g., real-world interaction, game mechanics) around G4H. We found evidence of conceptual differences suggesting that a G4H perspective is not simply the sum of game and health perspectives. At the same time, we found evidence of convergence in stakeholder views, including areas where game experts provided insights about health and vice versa. We discuss how this work can be applied to provide conceptual tools, improve the G4H design process, and guide approaches to encoding G4H-related data for large-scale empirical analysis.

Design Features in Games for Health: Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Expert Perspectives

PubMed Central

Kelley, Christina; Wilcox, Lauren; Ng, Wendy; Schiffer, Jade; Hammer, Jessica

2017-01-01

Games for health (G4H) aim to improve health outcomes and encourage behavior change. While existing theoretical frameworks describe features of both games and health interventions, there has been limited systematic investigation into how disciplinary and interdisciplinary stakeholders understand design features in G4H. We recruited 18 experts from the fields of game design, behavioral health, and games for health, and prompted them with 16 sample games. Applying methods including open card sorting and triading, we elicited themes and features (e.g., real-world interaction, game mechanics) around G4H. We found evidence of conceptual differences suggesting that a G4H perspective is not simply the sum of game and health perspectives. At the same time, we found evidence of convergence in stakeholder views, including areas where game experts provided insights about health and vice versa. We discuss how this work can be applied to provide conceptual tools, improve the G4H design process, and guide approaches to encoding G4H–related data for large-scale empirical analysis. PMID:28868523

A case study on topology optimized design for additive manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gebisa, A. W.; Lemu, H. G.

2017-12-01

Topology optimization is an optimization method that employs mathematical tools to optimize material distribution in a part to be designed. Earlier developments of topology optimization considered conventional manufacturing techniques that have limitations in producing complex geometries. This has hindered the topology optimization efforts not to fully be realized. With the emergence of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, the technology that builds a part layer upon a layer directly from three dimensional (3D) model data of the part, however, producing complex shape geometry is no longer an issue. Realization of topology optimization through AM provides full design freedom for the design engineers. The article focuses on topologically optimized design approach for additive manufacturing with a case study on lightweight design of jet engine bracket. The study result shows that topology optimization is a powerful design technique to reduce the weight of a product while maintaining the design requirements if additive manufacturing is considered.

Impact of design features upon perceived tool usability and safety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiker, Steven F.; Seol, Mun-Su

2005-11-01

While injuries from powered hand tools are caused by a number of factors, this study looks specifically at the impact of the tools design features on perceived tool usability and safety. The tools used in this study are circular saws, power drills and power nailers. Sixty-nine males and thirty-two females completed an anonymous web-based questionnaire that provided orthogonal view photographs of the various tools. Subjects or raters provided: 1) description of the respondents or raters, 2) description of the responses from the raters, and 3) analysis of the interrelationships among respondent ratings of tool safety and usability, physical metrics of the tool, and rater demographic information. The results of the study found that safety and usability were dependent materially upon rater history of use and experience, but not upon training in safety and usability, or quality of design features of the tools (e.g., grip diameters, trigger design, guards, etc.). Thus, positive and negative transfer of prior experience with use of powered hand tools is far more important than any expectancy that may be driven by prior safety and usability training, or from the visual cues that are provided by the engineering design of the tool.

The scope of additive manufacturing in cryogenics, component design, and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stautner, W.; Vanapalli, S.; Weiss, K.-P.; Chen, R.; Amm, K.; Budesheim, E.; Ricci, J.

2017-12-01

Additive manufacturing techniques using composites or metals are rapidly gaining momentum in cryogenic applications. Small or large, complex structural components are now no longer limited to mere design studies but can now move into the production stream thanks to new machines on the market that allow for light-weight, cost optimized designs with short turnaround times. The potential for cost reductions from bulk materials machined to tight tolerances has become obvious. Furthermore, additive manufacturing opens doors and design space for cryogenic components that to date did not exist or were not possible in the past, using bulk materials along with elaborate and expensive machining processes, e.g. micromachining. The cryogenic engineer now faces the challenge to design toward those new additive manufacturing capabilities. Additionally, re-thinking designs toward cost optimization and fast implementation also requires detailed knowledge of mechanical and thermal properties at cryogenic temperatures. In the following we compile the information available to date and show a possible roadmap for additive manufacturing applications of parts and components typically used in cryogenic engineering designs.

Learning from patients: Identifying design features of medicines that cause medication use problems.

PubMed

Notenboom, Kim; Leufkens, Hubert Gm; Vromans, Herman; Bouvy, Marcel L

2017-01-30

Usability is a key factor in ensuring safe and efficacious use of medicines. However, several studies showed that people experience a variety of problems using their medicines. The purpose of this study was to identify design features of oral medicines that cause use problems among older patients in daily practice. A qualitative study with semi-structured interviews on the experiences of older people with the use of their medicines was performed (n=59). Information on practical problems, strategies to overcome these problems and the medicines' design features that caused these problems were collected. The practical problems and management strategies were categorised into 'use difficulties' and 'use errors'. A total of 158 use problems were identified, of which 45 were categorized as use difficulties and 113 as use error. Design features that contributed the most to the occurrence of use difficulties were the dimensions and surface texture of the dosage form (29.6% and 18.5%, respectively). Design features that contributed the most to the occurrence of use errors were the push-through force of blisters (22.1%) and tamper evident packaging (12.1%). These findings will help developers of medicinal products to proactively address potential usability issues with their medicines. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Design, construction and operation features of high-rise structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mylnik, Alexey; Mylnik, Vladimir; Zubeeva, Elena; Mukhamedzhanova, Olga

2018-03-01

The article considers design, construction and operation features of high-rise facilities. The analysis of various situations, that come from improper designing, construction and operation of unique facilities, is carried out. The integrated approach is suggested, when the problems of choosing acceptable constructional solutions related to the functional purpose, architectural solutions, methods of manufacturing and installation, operating conditions for unique buildings and structures are being tackled. A number of main causes for the emergency destruction of objects under construction and operation is considered. A number of measures are proposed on the basis of factor classification in order to efficiently prevent the situations, when various negative options of design loads and emergency impacts occur.

Supporting Active Living Through Community Plans: The Association of Planning Documents With Design Standards and Features.

PubMed

Peterson, Erin L; Carlson, Susan A; Schmid, Thomas L; Brown, David R; Galuska, Deborah A

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the presence of supportive community planning documents in US municipalities with design standards and requirements supportive of active living. Cross-sectional study using data from the 2014 National Survey of Community-Based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living. Nationally representative sample of US municipalities. Respondents are 2005 local officials. Assessed: (1) The presence of design standards and feature requirements and (2) the association between planning documents and design standards and feature requirements supportive of active living in policies for development. Using logistic regression, significant trends were identified in the presence of design standards and feature requirements by plan and number of supportive objectives present. Prevalence of design standards ranged from 19% (developer dedicated right-of-way for bicycle infrastructure development) to 50% (traffic-calming features in areas with high pedestrian and bicycle volume). Features required in policies for development ranged from 14% (short/medium pedestrian-scale block sizes) to 44% (minimum sidewalk widths of 5 feet) of municipalities. As the number of objectives in municipal plans increased, there was a significant and positive trend ( P < .05) in the prevalence of each design standard and requirement. Municipal planning documents containing objectives supportive of physical activity are associated with design standards and feature requirements supportive of activity-friendly communities.

Tucson Diversion Channel. Phase I. Sport Fields & Picnic Area. Feature Design Memorandum Number 3.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-04-01

opportunities for picnicking, a variety of field sports and court games , archery, jogging, and bicycling. d. Rapid urban growth in the Tucson metropolitan area...AD’A136 927 TUCSON DIVERSION CHANNEL PHASE I SPORT FIELDS A PICNI IC J AREA FEATURE DESIGN MEMORANDUM NUMBER 3(U) ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT LOS ANGELES...TUCSON DIVERSION CHMNEL DESIGN EIORANDUK NO. 3 FEATURE DESIGN MNRORANDIJ PHASE I SPORT FIELDS & PICNIC AREA APRIL 1983 t1 US AM CORPS OF

Investigating Relationships between Features of Learning Designs and Student Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNaught, Carmel; Lam, Paul; Cheng, Kin Fai

2012-01-01

This article reports a study of eLearning in 21 courses in Hong Kong universities that had a blended design of face-to-face classes combined with online learning. The main focus of the study was to examine possible relationships between features of online learning designs and student learning outcomes. Data-collection strategies included expert…

Peculiar Features of Attaining the CERA Designation in Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fursenko, Tetiana

2018-01-01

The article sets out peculiar features of attaining the CERA credential from the Canadian Institute of Actuaries. The analysis results show that there are scores of ways available to candidates perusing the aim of becoming a CERA. There have been singled out the main models following which it is possible to get the designation which is…

Design Features and Commissioning of the Versatile Experiment Spherical Torus (VEST) at Seoul National University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

J. Chung, K.; H. An, Y.; K. Jung, B.; Y. Lee, H.; C., Sung; S. Na, Y.; S. Hahm, T.; S. Hwang, Y.

2013-03-01

A new spherical torus called VEST (Versatile Experiment Spherical Torus) is designed, constructed and successfully commissioned at Seoul National University. A unique design feature of the VEST is two partial solenoid coils installed at both vertical ends of a center stack, which can provide sufficient magnetic fluxes to initiate tokamak plasmas while keeping a low aspect ratio configuration in the central region. According to initial double null merging start-up scenario using the partial solenoid coils, appropriate power supplies for driving a toroidal field coil, outer poloidal field coils, and the partial solenoid coils are fabricated and successfully commissioned. For reliable start-up, a pre-ionization system with two cost-effective homemade magnetron power supplies is also prepared. In addition, magnetic and spectroscopic diagnostics with appropriate data acquisition and control systems are well prepared for initial operation of the device. The VEST is ready for tokamak plasma operation by completing and commissioning most of the designed components.

Effectiveness of training in organizations: a meta-analysis of design and evaluation features.

PubMed

Arthur, Winfred; Bennett, Winston; Edens, Pamela S; Bell, Suzanne T

2003-04-01

The authors used meta-analytic procedures to examine the relationship between specified training design and evaluation features and the effectiveness of training in organizations. Results of the meta-analysis revealed training effectiveness sample-weighted mean ds of 0.60 (k = 15, N = 936) for reaction criteria, 0.63 (k = 234, N = 15,014) for learning criteria, 0.62 (k = 122, N = 15,627) for behavioral criteria, and 0.62 (k = 26, N = 1,748) for results criteria. These results suggest a medium to large effect size for organizational training. In addition, the training method used, the skill or task characteristic trained, and the choice of evaluation criteria were related to the effectiveness of training programs. Limitations of the study along with suggestions for future research are discussed.

Design Reference Missions (DRM): Integrated ODM 'Air-Taxi' Mission Features

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kloesel, Kurt; Starr, Ginn; Saltzman, John A.

2017-01-01

Design Reference Missions (DRM): Integrated ODM Air-Taxi Mission Features, Hybrid Electric Integrated System Testbed (HEIST) flight control. Structural Health, Energy Storage, Electric Components, Loss of Control, Degraded Systems, System Health, Real-Time IO Operator Geo-Fencing, Regional Noise Abatement and Trusted Autonomy Inter-operability.

Dental Implant Macro-Design Features Can Impact the Dynamics of Osseointegration.

PubMed

Vivan Cardoso, Marcio; Vandamme, Katleen; Chaudhari, Amol; De Rycker, Judith; Van Meerbeek, Bart; Naert, Ignace; Duyck, Joke

2015-08-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical performance of two dental implant types possessing a different macro-design in the in vivo pig model. Titanium Aadva(TM) implants (GC, Tokyo, Japan) were compared with OsseoSpeed(TM) implants (Astra, Mölndal, Sweden), with the Aadva implant displaying significant larger inter-thread dimensions than the OsseoSpeed implant. Implants were installed in the parietal bone of 12 domestic pigs and left for healing for either 1 or 3 months. Implant osseointegration was evaluated by quantitative histology (bone volume relative to the tissue volume [BV/TV]; bone-to-implant contact [BIC]) for distinct implant regions (collar, body, total implant length) with specific implant thread features. The Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney nonparametric test with α = 0.05 was performed. An inferior amount of bone enveloping the Aadva implant compared with the OsseoSpeed implant was observed, in particular at the implant body part with its considerable inter-thread gaps (p < .05). Concomitantly, the Aadva macro-design negatively affected the amount of bone in direct contact with the implant for this specific implant part (p < .05), and resulted in an overall impaired implant osseointegration at the initial healing stage (total implant length; 1-month healing; p < .05). Although the Aadva implant displayed a clinically acceptable level of osseointegration, the findings demonstrate that implant macro-design features can impact the dynamics of implant osseointegration. Consideration of specific implant macro-design features should be made relative to the biological and mechanical microenvironment. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Integrated Optical Design Analysis (IODA): New Test Data and Modeling Features

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Jim; Troy, Ed; Patrick, Brian

2003-01-01

A general overview of the capabilities of the IODA ("Integrated Optical Design Analysis") exchange of data and modeling results between thermal, structures, optical design, and testing engineering disciplines. This presentation focuses on new features added to the software that allow measured test data to be imported into the IODA environment for post processing or comparisons with pretest model predictions. software is presented. IODA promotes efficient

An ontology design pattern for surface water features

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sinha, Gaurav; Mark, David; Kolas, Dave; Varanka, Dalia; Romero, Boleslo E.; Feng, Chen-Chieh; Usery, E. Lynn; Liebermann, Joshua; Sorokine, Alexandre

2014-01-01

Surface water is a primary concept of human experience but concepts are captured in cultures and languages in many different ways. Still, many commonalities exist due to the physical basis of many of the properties and categories. An abstract ontology of surface water features based only on those physical properties of landscape features has the best potential for serving as a foundational domain ontology for other more context-dependent ontologies. The Surface Water ontology design pattern was developed both for domain knowledge distillation and to serve as a conceptual building-block for more complex or specialized surface water ontologies. A fundamental distinction is made in this ontology between landscape features that act as containers (e.g., stream channels, basins) and the bodies of water (e.g., rivers, lakes) that occupy those containers. Concave (container) landforms semantics are specified in a Dry module and the semantics of contained bodies of water in a Wet module. The pattern is implemented in OWL, but Description Logic axioms and a detailed explanation is provided in this paper. The OWL ontology will be an important contribution to Semantic Web vocabulary for annotating surface water feature datasets. Also provided is a discussion of why there is a need to complement the pattern with other ontologies, especially the previously developed Surface Network pattern. Finally, the practical value of the pattern in semantic querying of surface water datasets is illustrated through an annotated geospatial dataset and sample queries using the classes of the Surface Water pattern.

Accessing microfluidics through feature-based design software for 3D printing.

PubMed

Shankles, Peter G; Millet, Larry J; Aufrecht, Jayde A; Retterer, Scott T

2018-01-01

Additive manufacturing has been a cornerstone of the product development pipeline for decades, playing an essential role in the creation of both functional and cosmetic prototypes. In recent years, the prospects for distributed and open source manufacturing have grown tremendously. This growth has been enabled by an expanding library of printable materials, low-cost printers, and communities dedicated to platform development. The microfluidics community has embraced this opportunity to integrate 3D printing into the suite of manufacturing strategies used to create novel fluidic architectures. The rapid turnaround time and low cost to implement these strategies in the lab makes 3D printing an attractive alternative to conventional micro- and nanofabrication techniques. In this work, the production of multiple microfluidic architectures using a hybrid 3D printing-soft lithography approach is demonstrated and shown to enable rapid device fabrication with channel dimensions that take advantage of laminar flow characteristics. The fabrication process outlined here is underpinned by the implementation of custom design software with an integrated slicer program that replaces less intuitive computer aided design and slicer software tools. Devices are designed in the program by assembling parameterized microfluidic building blocks. The fabrication process and flow control within 3D printed devices were demonstrated with a gradient generator and two droplet generator designs. Precise control over the printing process allowed 3D microfluidics to be printed in a single step by extruding bridge structures to 'jump-over' channels in the same plane. This strategy was shown to integrate with conventional nanofabrication strategies to simplify the operation of a platform that incorporates both nanoscale features and 3D printed microfluidics.

Accessing microfluidics through feature-based design software for 3D printing

PubMed Central

Shankles, Peter G.; Millet, Larry J.; Aufrecht, Jayde A.

2018-01-01

Additive manufacturing has been a cornerstone of the product development pipeline for decades, playing an essential role in the creation of both functional and cosmetic prototypes. In recent years, the prospects for distributed and open source manufacturing have grown tremendously. This growth has been enabled by an expanding library of printable materials, low-cost printers, and communities dedicated to platform development. The microfluidics community has embraced this opportunity to integrate 3D printing into the suite of manufacturing strategies used to create novel fluidic architectures. The rapid turnaround time and low cost to implement these strategies in the lab makes 3D printing an attractive alternative to conventional micro- and nanofabrication techniques. In this work, the production of multiple microfluidic architectures using a hybrid 3D printing-soft lithography approach is demonstrated and shown to enable rapid device fabrication with channel dimensions that take advantage of laminar flow characteristics. The fabrication process outlined here is underpinned by the implementation of custom design software with an integrated slicer program that replaces less intuitive computer aided design and slicer software tools. Devices are designed in the program by assembling parameterized microfluidic building blocks. The fabrication process and flow control within 3D printed devices were demonstrated with a gradient generator and two droplet generator designs. Precise control over the printing process allowed 3D microfluidics to be printed in a single step by extruding bridge structures to ‘jump-over’ channels in the same plane. This strategy was shown to integrate with conventional nanofabrication strategies to simplify the operation of a platform that incorporates both nanoscale features and 3D printed microfluidics. PMID:29596418

The Wavelet Element Method. Part 2; Realization and Additional Features in 2D and 3D

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Canuto, Claudio; Tabacco, Anita; Urban, Karsten

1998-01-01

The Wavelet Element Method (WEM) provides a construction of multiresolution systems and biorthogonal wavelets on fairly general domains. These are split into subdomains that are mapped to a single reference hypercube. Tensor products of scaling functions and wavelets defined on the unit interval are used on the reference domain. By introducing appropriate matching conditions across the interelement boundaries, a globally continuous biorthogonal wavelet basis on the general domain is obtained. This construction does not uniquely define the basis functions but rather leaves some freedom for fulfilling additional features. In this paper we detail the general construction principle of the WEM to the 1D, 2D and 3D cases. We address additional features such as symmetry, vanishing moments and minimal support of the wavelet functions in each particular dimension. The construction is illustrated by using biorthogonal spline wavelets on the interval.

Identification of design features to enhance utilization and acceptance of systems for Internet-based decision support at the point of care.

PubMed Central

Gadd, C. S.; Baskaran, P.; Lobach, D. F.

1998-01-01

Extensive utilization of point-of-care decision support systems will be largely dependent on the development of user interaction capabilities that make them effective clinical tools in patient care settings. This research identified critical design features of point-of-care decision support systems that are preferred by physicians, through a multi-method formative evaluation of an evolving prototype of an Internet-based clinical decision support system. Clinicians used four versions of the system--each highlighting a different functionality. Surveys and qualitative evaluation methodologies assessed clinicians' perceptions regarding system usability and usefulness. Our analyses identified features that improve perceived usability, such as telegraphic representations of guideline-related information, facile navigation, and a forgiving, flexible interface. Users also preferred features that enhance usefulness and motivate use, such as an encounter documentation tool and the availability of physician instruction and patient education materials. In addition to identifying design features that are relevant to efforts to develop clinical systems for point-of-care decision support, this study demonstrates the value of combining quantitative and qualitative methods of formative evaluation with an iterative system development strategy to implement new information technology in complex clinical settings. Images Figure 1 PMID:9929188

Identification of design features to enhance utilization and acceptance of systems for Internet-based decision support at the point of care.

PubMed

Gadd, C S; Baskaran, P; Lobach, D F

1998-01-01

Extensive utilization of point-of-care decision support systems will be largely dependent on the development of user interaction capabilities that make them effective clinical tools in patient care settings. This research identified critical design features of point-of-care decision support systems that are preferred by physicians, through a multi-method formative evaluation of an evolving prototype of an Internet-based clinical decision support system. Clinicians used four versions of the system--each highlighting a different functionality. Surveys and qualitative evaluation methodologies assessed clinicians' perceptions regarding system usability and usefulness. Our analyses identified features that improve perceived usability, such as telegraphic representations of guideline-related information, facile navigation, and a forgiving, flexible interface. Users also preferred features that enhance usefulness and motivate use, such as an encounter documentation tool and the availability of physician instruction and patient education materials. In addition to identifying design features that are relevant to efforts to develop clinical systems for point-of-care decision support, this study demonstrates the value of combining quantitative and qualitative methods of formative evaluation with an iterative system development strategy to implement new information technology in complex clinical settings.

Design and fabrication of a sleep apnea device using computer-aided design/additive manufacture technologies.

PubMed

Al Mortadi, Noor; Eggbeer, Dominic; Lewis, Jeffrey; Williams, Robert J

2013-04-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the latest innovations in additive manufacture techniques and uniquely apply them to dentistry, to build a sleep apnea device requiring rotating hinges. Laser scanning was used to capture the three-dimensional topography of an upper and lower dental cast. The data sets were imported into an appropriate computer-aided design software environment, which was used to design a sleep apnea device. This design was then exported as a stereolithography file and transferred for three-dimensional printing by an additive manufacture machine. The results not only revealed that the novel computer-based technique presented provides new design opportunities but also highlighted limitations that must be addressed before the techniques can become clinically viable.

Designing Feature and Data Parallel Stochastic Coordinate Descent Method forMatrix and Tensor Factorization

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-11

AFRL-AFOSR-JP-TR-2016-0046 Designing Feature and Data Parallel Stochastic Coordinate Descent Method for Matrix and Tensor Factorization U Kang Korea...maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or   any other aspect...Designing Feature and Data Parallel Stochastic Coordinate Descent Method for Matrix and Tensor Factorization 5a.  CONTRACT NUMBER 5b.  GRANT NUMBER FA2386

Design features to enhance external hip protector adherence in the nursing home setting.

PubMed

Honkanen, Lisa A; Dehner, Melissa L; Lachs, Mark S

2006-11-01

To determine the preferences for external hip protector (EHP) design features of both certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and nursing home laundry personnel, and to test the durability of favored model features. Cross-sectional descriptive study of CNAs' and laundry personnels' preferences and a prospective experimental study of EHP fastener durability under institutional laundry conditions. Three urban nursing homes and a hospital-based laundry service. Twenty-seven CNAs, 4 laundry service supervisors. Five focus groups with CNAs and a survey of laundry supervisors were conducted to elicit preferences of EHP design features with an emphasis on convenience and durability. A laundry test of 20 EHPs was conducted to compare these design features. There was wide agreement among CNAs and laundry personnel that EHPs with soft pads in garments of light neutral colors, and cotton-blend fabrics were most preferred. CNAs preferred sewn-in pads to removeable ones, but laundry personnel had no consensus on this issue. For dependent residents, wraparound (front opening) garments using Velcro were preferred by CNAs, whereas laundry supervisors preferred snap closures. When EHP underwent repeated washing in the laundry test, Velcro and snaps were functionally comparable at 52 cycles. Garments constructed of heavyweight cotton blends, polyester, or cotton with spandex maintained elasticity at 52 weeks, whereas the lightweight cotton blend stretched significantly. Based on CNAs' preferences, laundry personnels' input, and a laundry test, EHP design features that could enhance both caregiver efficiency and resident comfort include soft pads sewn into a light-colored (but non-white) heavier weight cotton-blend garment, with the availability of both a pull-up style and a wraparound style using Velcro fasteners. Snaps did not demonstrate superior durability in the laundry test, but further comparison with Velcro under clinical conditions is indicated. Education and inclusion of CNAs

Research design features and patient characteristics associated with the outcome of antidepressant clinical trials.

PubMed

Khan, Arif; Kolts, Russell L; Thase, Michael E; Krishnan, K Ranga Rama; Brown, Walter

2004-11-01

The authors examined which, if any, research design features and patient characteristics would significantly differ between successful and unsuccessful antidepressant trials. Clinical trial data were reviewed for nine antidepressants approved by the Food and Drug Administration between 1985 and 2000. From the antidepressant research programs on these medications, 52 clinical trials were included in the study. The authors evaluated trial design features, patient characteristics, and difference in response between placebo and antidepressant. Nine trial design features and patient characteristics were present in the research programs for all nine of the antidepressants. The severity of depressive symptoms before patient randomization, the dosing schedule (flexible versus fixed), the number of treatment arms, and the percentage of female patients were significantly associated with the difference in response to antidepressant and placebo. The duration of the antidepressant trial, number of patients per treatment arm, number of sites, and mean age of the patients were similar in successful trials (with a greater antidepressant-placebo difference) and less successful trials (with a smaller antidepressant-placebo difference). These findings may help in the design of future antidepressant trials.

Emergent features and perceptual objects: re-examining fundamental principles in analogical display design.

PubMed

Holt, Jerred; Bennett, Kevin B; Flach, John M

2015-01-01

Two sets of design principles for analogical visual displays, based on the concepts of emergent features and perceptual objects, are described. An interpretation of previous empirical findings for three displays (bar graph, polar graphic, alphanumeric) is provided from both perspectives. A fourth display (configural coordinate) was designed using principles of ecological interface design (i.e. direct perception). An experiment was conducted to evaluate performance (accuracy and latency of state identification) with these four displays. Numerous significant effects were obtained and a clear rank ordering of performance emerged (from best to worst): configural coordinate, bar graph, alphanumeric and polar graphic. These findings are consistent with principles of design based on emergent features; they are inconsistent with principles based on perceptual objects. Some limitations of the configural coordinate display are discussed and a redesign is provided. Practitioner Summary: Principles of ecological interface design, which emphasise the quality of very specific mappings between domain, display and observer constraints, are described; these principles are applicable to the design of all analogical graphical displays.

Design of a mechanical system in gait rehabilitation with progressive addition of weight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braidot, Ariel A. A.; Aleman, Guillermo L.

2011-12-01

In this paper we designed and developed a mechanical device for gait rehabilitation based on the application of "partial body weight reduction therapy". An evaluation of the characteristics of devices based on this therapy currently available on the market was carried out obtaining information of the different mechanisms used in it. The device was designed to adapt to different height and weight of patients and to be used with additional equipment in gait rehabilitation, for example, treadmills, elliptical trainers and vertical scalers. It was envisaged to be used by patients with asymmetry in the lower extremities capabilities. We developed a stable structure in steel ASTM A36 which does not depend on the building conditions of the installation site. RamAdvanse software was used to calculate structural stability. A winch with automatic brake mechanism was used to raise/lower the patient, who was tied to a comfortable harness which provided safety to the patient and therapist. It was possible to quantify precisely, using counterweights, the weight borne by the patient during therapy. We obtained a small-sized and ergonomic low-cost prototype, with similar features to those currently considered cutting-edge devices.

Ambient response of a unique performance-based design building with dynamic response modification features

USGS Publications Warehouse

Çelebi, Mehmet; Huang, Moh; Shakal, Antony; Hooper, John; Klemencic, Ron

2012-01-01

A 64-story, performance-based design building with reinforced concrete core shear-walls and unique dynamic response modification features (tuned liquid sloshing dampers and buckling-restrained braces) has been instrumented with a monitoring array of 72 channels of accelerometers. Ambient vibration data recorded are analyzed to identify modes and associated frequencies and damping. The low-amplitude dynamic characteristics are considerably different than those computed from design analyses, but serve as a baseline against which to compare with future strong shaking responses. Such studies help to improve our understanding of the effectiveness of the added features to the building and help improve designs in the future.

Using generalized additive (mixed) models to analyze single case designs.

PubMed

Shadish, William R; Zuur, Alain F; Sullivan, Kristynn J

2014-04-01

This article shows how to apply generalized additive models and generalized additive mixed models to single-case design data. These models excel at detecting the functional form between two variables (often called trend), that is, whether trend exists, and if it does, what its shape is (e.g., linear and nonlinear). In many respects, however, these models are also an ideal vehicle for analyzing single-case designs because they can consider level, trend, variability, overlap, immediacy of effect, and phase consistency that single-case design researchers examine when interpreting a functional relation. We show how these models can be implemented in a wide variety of ways to test whether treatment is effective, whether cases differ from each other, whether treatment effects vary over cases, and whether trend varies over cases. We illustrate diagnostic statistics and graphs, and we discuss overdispersion of data in detail, with examples of quasibinomial models for overdispersed data, including how to compute dispersion and quasi-AIC fit indices in generalized additive models. We show how generalized additive mixed models can be used to estimate autoregressive models and random effects and discuss the limitations of the mixed models compared to generalized additive models. We provide extensive annotated syntax for doing all these analyses in the free computer program R. Copyright © 2013 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multiple approaches to valuation of conservation design and low-impact development features in residential subdivisions.

PubMed

Bowman, Troy; Tyndall, John C; Thompson, Janette; Kliebenstein, James; Colletti, Joe P

2012-08-15

Residents, developers and civic officials are often faced with difficult decisions about appropriate land uses in and around metropolitan boundaries. Urban expansion brings with it the potential for negative environmental impacts, but there are alternatives, such as conservation subdivision design (CSD) or low-impact development (LID), which offer the possibility of mitigating some of these effects at the development site. Many urban planning jurisdictions across the Midwest do not currently have any examples of these designs and lack information to identify public support or barriers to use of these methods. This is a case study examining consumer value for conservation and low-impact design features in one housing market by using four different valuation techniques to estimate residents' willingness to pay for CSD and LID features in residential subdivisions. A contingent valuation survey of 1804 residents in Ames, IA assessed familiarity with and perceptions of subdivision development and used an ordered value approach to estimate willingness to pay for CSD and LID features. A majority of residents were not familiar with CSD or LID practices. Residents indicated a willingness to pay for most CSD and LID features with the exception of clustered housing. Gender, age, income, familiarity with LID practices, perceptions of attractiveness of features and the perceived effect of CSD and LID features on ease of future home sales were important factors influencing residents' willingness to pay. A hypothetical referendum measured willingness to pay for tax-funded conservation land purchases and estimated that a property tax of around $50 would be the maximum increase that would pass. Twenty-seven survey respondents participated in a subsequent series of experimental real estate negotiations that used an experimental auction mechanism to estimate willingness to pay for CSD and LID features. Participants indicated that clustered housing (with interspersed preserved forest

Comparative effectiveness of instructional design features in simulation-based education: systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Cook, David A; Hamstra, Stanley J; Brydges, Ryan; Zendejas, Benjamin; Szostek, Jason H; Wang, Amy T; Erwin, Patricia J; Hatala, Rose

2013-01-01

Although technology-enhanced simulation is increasingly used in health professions education, features of effective simulation-based instructional design remain uncertain. Evaluate the effectiveness of instructional design features through a systematic review of studies comparing different simulation-based interventions. We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO, Scopus, key journals, and previous review bibliographies through May 2011. We included original research studies that compared one simulation intervention with another and involved health professions learners. Working in duplicate, we evaluated study quality and abstracted information on learners, outcomes, and instructional design features. We pooled results using random effects meta-analysis. From a pool of 10,903 articles we identified 289 eligible studies enrolling 18,971 trainees, including 208 randomized trials. Inconsistency was usually large (I2 > 50%). For skills outcomes, pooled effect sizes (positive numbers favoring the instructional design feature) were 0.68 for range of difficulty (20 studies; p < 0.001), 0.68 for repetitive practice (7 studies; p = 0.06), 0.66 for distributed practice (6 studies; p = 0.03), 0.65 for interactivity (89 studies; p < 0.001), 0.62 for multiple learning strategies (70 studies; p < 0.001), 0.52 for individualized learning (59 studies; p < 0.001), 0.45 for mastery learning (3 studies; p = 0.57), 0.44 for feedback (80 studies; p < 0.001), 0.34 for longer time (23 studies; p = 0.005), 0.20 for clinical variation (16 studies; p = 0.24), and -0.22 for group training (8 studies; p = 0.09). These results confirm quantitatively the effectiveness of several instructional design features in simulation-based education.

Circuit Design Features of a Stable Two-Cell System.

PubMed

Zhou, Xu; Franklin, Ruth A; Adler, Miri; Jacox, Jeremy B; Bailis, Will; Shyer, Justin A; Flavell, Richard A; Mayo, Avi; Alon, Uri; Medzhitov, Ruslan

2018-02-08

Cell communication within tissues is mediated by multiple paracrine signals including growth factors, which control cell survival and proliferation. Cells and the growth factors they produce and receive constitute a circuit with specific properties that ensure homeostasis. Here, we used computational and experimental approaches to characterize the features of cell circuits based on growth factor exchange between macrophages and fibroblasts, two cell types found in most mammalian tissues. We found that the macrophage-fibroblast cell circuit is stable and robust to perturbations. Analytical screening of all possible two-cell circuit topologies revealed the circuit features sufficient for stability, including environmental constraint and negative-feedback regulation. Moreover, we found that cell-cell contact is essential for the stability of the macrophage-fibroblast circuit. These findings illustrate principles of cell circuit design and provide a quantitative perspective on cell interactions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of prospective-user factors and sign design features on guessability of pharmaceutical pictograms.

PubMed

Chan, Alan H S; Chan, Ken W L

2013-02-01

To examine the associations between the guessing performance of 25 pharmaceutical pictograms and five sign features for naïve participants. The effect of prospective-user factors on guessing performance was also investigated. A total of 160 Hong Kong Chinese people, drawn largely from a young student population, guessed the meanings of 25 pharmaceutical pictograms that were generally not familiar to them. Participants then completed a questionnaire about their drug buying and drug label reading habits, and their demographics and medication history. Finally they rated five features (familiarity, concreteness, complexity, meaningfulness, and semantic distance) of the pharmaceutical pictograms using 0-100 scales. For all pharmaceutical pictograms, mean and standard deviation of guessability score were 64.8 and 17.1, respectively. Prospective-user factors of 'occupation', 'age' and 'education level' significantly affected guessing performance. For sign features, semantic closeness was the best predictor of guessability score, followed by simplicity, concreteness, meaningfulness and familiarity. User characteristics and sign features are critical for pharmaceutical pictograms. To be effective, pharmaceutical pictograms should have obvious and direct connections with familiar things and it is recommended that pharmaceutical pictograms should be designed with consideration of the five sign features investigated here. This study provides useful information and recommendations to assist interface designers to create and evaluate icons for pharmaceutical products and to design more user-friendly pharmaceutical pictograms. However, further work is needed to see how older people respond to such pharmaceutical pictograms. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language Evolution: Why Hockett's Design Features are a Non-Starter.

PubMed

Wacewicz, Sławomir; Żywiczyński, Przemysław

The set of design features developed by Charles Hockett in the 1950s and 1960s remains probably the most influential means of juxtaposing animal communication with human language. However, the general theoretical perspective of Hockett is largely incompatible with that of modern language evolution research. Consequently, we argue that his classificatory system-while useful for some descriptive purposes-is of very limited use as a theoretical framework for evolutionary linguistics. We see this incompatibility as related to the ontology of language, i.e. deriving from Hockett's interest in language as a product rather than a suite of sensorimotor, cognitive and social abilities that enable the use but also acquisition of language by biological creatures (the faculty of language ). After a reconstruction of Hockett's views on design features, we raise two criticisms: focus on the means at the expense of content and focus on the code itself rather than the cognitive abilities of its users . Finally, referring to empirical data, we illustrate some of the problems resulting from Hockett's approach by addressing three specific points-namely arbitrariness and semanticity , cultural transmission , and displacement -and show how the change of perspective allows to overcome those difficulties.

Design and physical features of inductive coaxial copper vapor lasers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Batenin, V. M.; Kazaryan, M. A.; Karpukhin, V. T.

A physical model of a copper vapor laser pumped by a pulse-periodic inductive (electrodeless) discharge is considered. The feasibility of efficient laser pumping by an inductive discharge and reaching high output parameters comparable to those of conventional copper vapor lasers pumped by a longitudinal electrode discharge is demonstrated. The design and physical features of an inductive copper vapor laser with an annular working volume are discussed.

The design and implementation of image query system based on color feature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Xu-Dong; Jia, Da-Chun; Li, Lin

2013-07-01

ASP.NET technology was used to construct the B/S mode image query system. The theory and technology of database design, color feature extraction from image, index and retrieval in the construction of the image repository were researched. The campus LAN and WAN environment were used to test the system. From the test results, the needs of user queries about related resources were achieved by system architecture design.

Expanding the Design Space: Forging the Transition from 3D Printing to Additive Manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amend, Matthew

The synergy of Additive Manufacturing and Computational Geometry has the potential to radically expand the "design space" of solutions available to designers. Additive Manufacturing (AM) is capable of fabricating objects that are highly complex both in geometry and material properties. However, the introduction of any new technology can have a disruptive effect on established design practices and organizations. Before "Design for Additive Manufacturing" (DFAM) is a commonplace means of producing objects employed in "real world" products, appropriate design knowledge must be sufficiently integrated within industry. First, materials suited to additive manufacturing methods must be developed to satisfy existing industry standards and specifications, or new standards must be developed. Second, a new class of design representation (CAD) tools will need to be developed. Third, designers and design organizations will need to develop strategies for employing such tools. This thesis describes three DFAM exercises intended to demonstrate the potential for innovative design when using advanced additive materials, tools, and printers. These design exercises included 1) a light-weight composite layup mold developed with topology optimization, 2) a low-pressure fluid duct enhanced with an external lattice structure, and 3) an airline seat tray designed using a non-uniform lattice structure optimized with topology optimization.

Exciting Action Photos, Feature Articles, Spread Designs Equal Exciting Sports Coverage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konkle, Bruce E.

1996-01-01

Discusses what a high school yearbook sports staff should deliver to their peers in overall sports coverage. Suggests that keys to good sports coverage are quality action photos that entice readers, "featurized" sports articles, attention to the overall design of the spreads, team photos that which show faces clearly, and a scoreboard on…

Base Stabilization Guidance and Additive Selection for Pavement Design and Rehabilitation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-12-01

Significant improvements have been made in base stabilization practice that include design specifications and methodology, experience with the selection of stabilizing additives, and equipment for distribution and uniform blending of additives. For t...

Determination of Secondary Students' Preferences Regarding Design Features Used in Digital Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Öngöz, Sakine; Mollamehmetoglu, Mehmet Zülküf

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine secondary school students' choice of design features for digital textbooks. As a part of the research--which was conducted using a mixed technique--a literature review was carried out to source points to consider in the designing of digital textbooks and experts' opinions were obtained. Based on the results,…

Teledesic Global Wireless Broadband Network: Space Infrastructure Architecture, Design Features and Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stuart, James R.

1995-01-01

The Teledesic satellites are a new class of small satellites which demonstrate the important commercial benefits of using technologies developed for other purposes by U.S. National Laboratories. The Teledesic satellite architecture, subsystem design features, and new technologies are described. The new Teledesic satellite manufacturing, integration, and test approaches which use modern high volume production techniques and result in surprisingly low space segment costs are discussed. The constellation control and management features and attendant software architecture features are addressed. After briefly discussing the economic and technological impact on the USA commercial space industries of the space communications revolution and such large constellation projects, the paper concludes with observations on the trend toward future system architectures using networked groups of much smaller satellites.

Observation chart design features affect the detection of patient deterioration: a systematic experimental evaluation.

PubMed

Christofidis, Melany J; Hill, Andrew; Horswill, Mark S; Watson, Marcus O

2016-01-01

To systematically evaluate the impact of several design features on chart-users' detection of patient deterioration on observation charts with early-warning scoring-systems. Research has shown that observation chart design affects the speed and accuracy with which abnormal observations are detected. However, little is known about the contribution of individual design features to these effects. A 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 mixed factorial design, with data-recording format (drawn dots vs. written numbers), scoring-system integration (integrated colour-based system vs. non-integrated tabular system) and scoring-row placement (grouped vs. separate) varied within-participants and scores (present vs. absent) varied between-participants by random assignment. 205 novice chart-users, tested between March 2011-March 2014, completed 64 trials where they saw real patient data presented on an observation chart. Each participant saw eight cases (four containing abnormal observations) on each of eight designs (which represented a factorial combination of the within-participants variables). On each trial, they assessed whether any of the observations were physiologically abnormal, or whether all observations were normal. Response times and error rates were recorded for each design. Participants responded faster (scores present and absent) and made fewer errors (scores absent) using drawn-dot (vs. written-number) observations and an integrated colour-based (vs. non-integrated tabular) scoring-system. Participants responded faster using grouped (vs. separate) scoring-rows when scores were absent, but separate scoring-rows when scores were present. Our findings suggest that several individual design features can affect novice chart-users' ability to detect patient deterioration. More broadly, the study further demonstrates the need to evaluate chart designs empirically. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Structural and compositional features of high-rise buildings: experimental design in Yekaterinburg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yankovskaya, Yulia; Lobanov, Yuriy; Temnov, Vladimir

2018-03-01

The study looks at the specifics of high-rise development in Yekaterinburg. High-rise buildings are considered in the context of their historical development, structural features, compositional and imaginative design techniques. Experience of Yekaterinburg architects in experimental design is considered and analyzed. Main issues and prospects of high-rise development within the Yekaterinburg structure are studied. The most interesting and significant conceptual approaches to the structural and compositional arrangement of high-rise buildings are discussed.

Designing Crane Controls with Applied Mechanical and Electrical Safety Features

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lytle, Bradford P.; Walczak, Thomas A.

2002-01-01

The use of overhead traveling bridge cranes in many varied applications is common practice. In particular, the use of cranes in the nuclear, military, commercial, aerospace, and other industries can involve safety critical situations. Considerations for Human Injury or Casualty, Loss of Assets, Endangering the Environment, or Economic Reduction must be addressed. Traditionally, in order to achieve additional safety in these applications, mechanical systems have been augmented with a variety of devices. These devices assure that a mechanical component failure shall reduce the risk of a catastrophic loss of the correct and/or safe load carrying capability. ASME NOG-1-1998, (Rules for Construction of Overhead and Gantry Cranes, Top Running Bridge, and Multiple Girder), provides design standards for cranes in safety critical areas. Over and above the minimum safety requirements of todays design standards, users struggle with obtaining a higher degree of reliability through more precise functional specifications while attempting to provide "smart" safety systems. Electrical control systems also may be equipped with protective devices similar to the mechanical design features. Demands for improvement of the cranes "control system" is often recognized, but difficult to quantify for this traditionally "mechanically" oriented market. Finite details for each operation must be examined and understood. As an example, load drift (or small motions) at close tolerances can be unacceptable (and considered critical). To meet these high functional demands encoders and other devices are independently added to control systems to provide motion and velocity feedback to the control drive. This paper will examine the implementation of Programmable Electronic Systems (PES). PES is a term this paper will use to describe any control system utilizing any programmable electronic device such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), or an Adjustable Frequency Drive (AID) 'smart' programmable

Wood lens design philosophy based on a binary additive manufacturing technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marasco, Peter L.; Bailey, Christopher

2016-04-01

Using additive manufacturing techniques in optical engineering to construct a gradient index (GRIN) optic may overcome a number of limitations of GRIN technology. Such techniques are maturing quickly, yielding additional design degrees of freedom for the engineer. How best to employ these degrees of freedom is not completely clear at this time. This paper describes a preliminary design philosophy, including assumptions, pertaining to a particular printing technique for GRIN optics. It includes an analysis based on simulation and initial component measurement.

The rationale and design features for the 40 by 80/80 by 120 foot wind tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mort, K. W.; Kelly, M. W.; Hickey, D. H.

1976-01-01

A substantial increase in the test capability of full scale wind tunnels is considered. In order to determine the most cost effective means for providing this desired increase in test capability, a series of design studies were conducted of various new facilities as well as of major modifications to the existing 40- by 80-foot wind tunnel. The most effective trade between test capability and facility cost was provided by repowering the existing 40 by 80 foot wind tunnel to increase the maximum speed from 200 knots to 300 knots and by the addition of a new 80- by 120-foot test section having a 110 knot maximum speed. The design of the facility is described with special emphasis on the unique features, such as the drive system which absorbs nearly four times the power without an increase in noise, and the large flow diversion devices required to interface the two test sections to a single drive.

Recent Development of the Two-Stroke Engine. 2 - Design Features

DTIC Science & Technology

1945-05-01

NATIONALADVISORYCOMMI~EE FOR AERONAUTICS. TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM No, 1082 R~CENT DEVELOPMENT OX’ THE TWO–STROKE ENGTNE II - DES IGN l’llATURliS By J...MEMORANDUM . ... . ,., . ,.!. .,, .,- ... —--— — FOR AERONAUTICS ‘ NO. 1082 , > ,. RECENT DEVELOPMENT OF THE TWO-STROKE ENGINE II - DESIGN FEATURES* ,“” By...lUOTE: Reprint of R.T.P.3 Translation No. 2382; issued by the Ministry of Aircraft Production, London, England. II: ._: 2 NACA TM NO. 1082 (=“) The

Fatigue and fail-safe design features of the DC-10 airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, M. E.

1972-01-01

The philosophy and methods used in the design of the DC-10 aircraft to assure structural reliability against cracks under repeated service loads are described in detail. The approach consists of three complementary parts: (1) the structure is designed to be fatigue resistant for a crack-free life of 60,000 flight hours; (2) inasmuch as small undetected cracks could develop from other sources, such as material flaws and manufacturing preloads, the structure also is designed to arrest and control cracks within a reasonable service-inspection interval; and (3) a meaningful service-inspection program has been defined on the basis of analysis and test experience from the design development program. This service-inspection program closes the loop to assure the structural integrity of the DC-10 airframe. Selected materials, fasteners, and structural arrangements are used to achieve these design features with minimum structural weight and with economy in manufacturing and maintenance. Extensive analyses and testing were performed to develop and verify the design. The basic design considerations for fatigue-resistant structure are illustrated in terms of material selection, design loads spectra, methods for accurate stress and fatigue damage analysis, and proven concepts for efficient detail design.

Acoustical features of two Mayan monuments at Chichen Itza: Accident or design?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubman, David

2002-11-01

Chichen Itza dominated the early postclassic Maya world, ca. 900-1200 C.E. Two of its colossal monuments, the Great Ball Court and the temple of Kukulkan, reflect the sophisticated, hybrid culture of a Mexicanized Maya civilization. The architecture seems intended for ceremony and ritual drama. Deducing ritual practices will advance the understanding of a lost civilization, but what took place there is largely unknown. Perhaps acoustical science can add value. Unexpected and unusual acoustical features can be interpreted as intriguing clues or irrelevant accidents. Acoustical advocates believe that, when combined with an understanding of the Maya worldview, acoustical features can provide unique insights into how the Maya designed and used theater spaces. At Chichen Itza's monuments, sound reinforcement features improve rulers and priests ability to address large crowds, and Ball Court whispering galleries permit speech communication over unexpectedly large distances. Handclaps at Kukulkan stimulate chirps that mimic a revered bird (''Kukul''), thus reinforcing cultic beliefs. A ball striking playing field wall stimulates flutter echoes at the Great Ball Court; their strength and duration arguably had dramatic, mythic, and practical significance. Interpretations of the possible mythic, magic, and political significance of sound phenomena at these Maya monuments strongly suggests intentional design.

Two decades (1993-2012) of adult intensive care unit design: a comparative study of the physical design features of the best practice examples.

PubMed

Rashid, Mahbub

2014-01-01

In 2006, Critical Care Nursing Quarterly published a study of the physical design features of a set of best practice example adult intensive care units (ICUs). These adult ICUs were awarded between 1993 and 2003 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, and the American Institute of Architects/Academy of Architecture for Health for their efforts to promote the critical care unit environment through design. Since 2003, several more adult ICUs were awarded by the same organizations for similar efforts. This study includes these newer ICUs along with those of the previous study to cover a period of 2 decades from 1993 to 2012. Like the 2006 study, this study conducts a systematic content analysis of the materials submitted by the award-winning adult ICUs. On the basis of the analysis, the study compares the 1993-2002 and 2003-2012 adult ICUs in relation to construction type, unit specialty, unit layout, unit size, patient room size and design, support and service area layout, and family space design. The study also compares its findings with the 2010 Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities of the Facility Guidelines Institute and the 2012 Guidelines for Intensive Care Unit Design of the SCCM. The study indicates that the award-winning ICUs of both decades used several design features that were associated with positive outcomes in research studies. The study also indicates that the award-winning ICUs of the second decade used more evidence-based design features than those of the first decades. In most cases, these ICUs exceeded the requirements of the Facility Guidelines Institute Guidelines to meet those of the SCCM Guidelines. Yet, the award-winning ICUs of both decades also used several features that had very little or no supporting research evidence. Since they all were able to create an optimal critical care environment for which they were awarded, having knowledge of the physical

DETAIL OF PLAQUE WITH ADDITIONAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION INFORMATION, SOUTHEAST ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

DETAIL OF PLAQUE WITH ADDITIONAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION INFORMATION, SOUTHEAST ABUTMENT - Connecticut Avenue Bridge, Spans Rock Creek & Potomac Parkway at Connecticut Avenue, Washington, District of Columbia, DC

19 CFR 115.7 - Designation of additional Certifying Authorities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Designation of additional Certifying Authorities. 115.7 Section 115.7 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CARGO CONTAINER AND ROAD VEHICLE CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS...

19 CFR 115.7 - Designation of additional Certifying Authorities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Designation of additional Certifying Authorities. 115.7 Section 115.7 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CARGO CONTAINER AND ROAD VEHICLE CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS...

19 CFR 115.7 - Designation of additional Certifying Authorities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Designation of additional Certifying Authorities. 115.7 Section 115.7 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CARGO CONTAINER AND ROAD VEHICLE CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS...

19 CFR 115.7 - Designation of additional Certifying Authorities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Designation of additional Certifying Authorities. 115.7 Section 115.7 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CARGO CONTAINER AND ROAD VEHICLE CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS...

19 CFR 115.7 - Designation of additional Certifying Authorities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Designation of additional Certifying Authorities. 115.7 Section 115.7 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CARGO CONTAINER AND ROAD VEHICLE CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS...

10 CFR 60.133 - Additional design criteria for the underground facility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Additional design criteria for the underground facility. 60.133 Section 60.133 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES IN GEOLOGIC REPOSITORIES Technical Criteria Design Criteria for the Geologic Repository...

A combined experimental and in silico characterization to highlight additional structural features and properties of a potentially new drug

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bastos, Isadora T. S.; Costa, Fanny N.; Silva, Tiago F.; Barreiro, Eliezer J.; Lima, Lídia M.; Braz, Delson; Lombardo, Giuseppe M.; Punzo, Francesco; Ferreira, Fabio F.; Barroso, Regina C.

2017-10-01

LASSBio-1755 is a new cycloalkyl-N-acylhydrazone parent compound designed for the development of derivatives with antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities. Although single crystal X-ray diffraction has been considered as the golden standard in structure determination, we successfully used X-ray powder diffraction data in the structural determination of new synthesized compounds, in order to overcome the bottle-neck due to the difficulties experienced in harvesting good quality single crystals of the compounds. We therefore unequivocally assigned the relative configuration (E) to the imine double bond and a s-cis conformation of the amide function of the N-acylhydrazone compound. These features are confirmed by a computational analysis performed on the basis of molecular dynamics calculations, which are extended not only to the structural characteristics but also to the analysis of the anisotropic atomic displacement parameters, a further information - missed in a typical powder diffraction analysis. The so inferred data were used to perform additional cycles of refinement and eventually generate a new cif file with additional physical information. Furthermore, crystal morphology prediction was performed, which is in agreement with the experimental images acquired by scanning electron microscopy, thus providing useful information on possible alternative paths for better crystallization strategies.

76 FR 7241 - Additional Designation of Entities Pursuant to Executive Order 13382

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-09

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of Foreign Assets Control Additional Designation of Entities... 4 newly-designated entities and one newly-designated individual whose property and interests in... of the 4 entities and one individual identified in this notice pursuant to Executive Order 13382 is...

75 FR 51876 - Additional Designation of Entities Pursuant to Executive Order 13382

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-23

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of Foreign Assets Control Additional Designation of Entities... 3 newly-designated entities whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to... Their Supporters.'' DATES: The designation by the Director of OFAC of the 3 entities identified in this...

76 FR 40772 - Additional Designation of Entities Pursuant to Executive Order 13382

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-11

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of Foreign Assets Control Additional Designation of Entities... 2 newly-designated entities whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to... Their Supporters.'' DATES: The designation by the Director of OFAC of the 2 entities identified in this...

75 FR 70352 - Additional Designation of Entities Pursuant to Executive Order 13382

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-17

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of Foreign Assets Control Additional Designation of Entities... 37 newly-designated entities and 5 newly-designated individuals whose property and interests in... of the 37 entities and 5 individuals identified in this notice pursuant to Executive Order 13382 is...

76 FR 12414 - Additional Designation of Entity Pursuant to Executive Order 13382

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-07

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of Foreign Assets Control Additional Designation of Entity... newly-designated entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Executive Order... Supporters.'' DATES: The designation by the Director of OFAC of the 1 entity identified in this notice...

77 FR 35114 - Additional Designation of Entity Pursuant to Executive Order 13382

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-12

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of Foreign Assets Control Additional Designation of Entity... newly-designated entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Executive Order... Supporters.'' DATES: The designation by the Director of OFAC of the 1 entity identified in this notice...

AiResearch QCGAT engine, airplane, and nacelle design features

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heldenbrand, R. W.

1980-01-01

The quiet, clean, general aviation turbofan engine and nacelle system was designed and tested. The engine utilized the core of the AiResearch model TFE731-3 engine and incorporated several unique noise- and emissions-reduction features. Components that were successfully adapted to this core include the fan, gearbox, combustor, low-pressure turbine, and associated structure. A highly versatile workhorse nacelle incorporating interchangeable acoustic and hardwall duct liners, showed that large-engine attenuation technology could be applied to small propulsion engines. The application of the mixer compound nozzle demonstrated both performance and noise advantages on the engine. Major performance, emissions, and noise goals were demonstrated.

Vibration isolation analysis of new design OEM damper for malaysia vehicle suspension system featuring MR fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unuh, M. H.; Muhamad, P.; Norfazrina, H. M. Y.; Ismail, M. A.; Tanasta, Z.

2018-01-01

The applications of semi-active damper employing magnetorheological (MR) fluids keep increasing in fulfilling the demand to control undesired vibration effect. The aim of this study is to introduce the new design of damper for Malaysian vehicle model as well to evaluate its effectiveness in promoting comfort. The vibration isolation performance of the OEM damper featuring MR fluid was analysed physically under real road profile excitation experimentally. An experiment using quarter car rig suspension and LMS SCADAS Mobile was conducted to demonstrate the influence of current in controlling the characteristics of MR fluid in alter the damping behaviour under 5 cm bump impact. Subsequently, the displacement values were measured with respect to time. The new design OEM damper featuring MR fluid was validated by comparing the data with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) passive damper results under the same approach of testing. Comparison of numerical data of the new design OEM damper shown that it can reduce the excitation amplitude up to 40% compared to those obtained by OEM passive damper. Finally, the new design OEM damper featuring MR fluid has effectively isolated the disturbance from the road profile and control the output force.

Gender Differences in Figural Matrices: The Moderating Role of Item Design Features

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arendasy, Martin E.; Sommer, Markus

2012-01-01

There is a heated debate on whether observed gender differences in some figural matrices in adults can be attributed to gender differences in inductive reasoning/G[subscript f] or differential item functioning and/or test bias. Based on previous studies we hypothesized that three specific item design features moderate the effect size of the gender…

Applying Additive Manufacturing to a New Liquid Oxygen Turbopump Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

O’Neal, T. Derek

2016-01-01

A liquid oxygen turbopump has been designed at Marshall Space Flight Center as part of the in-house, Advanced Manufacturing Demonstrator Engine (AMDE) project. Additive manufacturing, specifically direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) of Inconel 718, is used for 77% of the parts by mass. These parts include the impeller, turbine components, and housings. This paper discusses the impacts of the DMLS fabrication technique on the design of the turbopump and lessons learned during DMLS hardware fabrication and material testing.

Personalized Progressive Addition Lenses: Correlation between Performance and Design.

PubMed

Forkel, Johanne; Reiniger, Jenny Lorén; Muschielok, Adam; Welk, Andrea; Seidemann, Anne; Baumbach, Peter

2017-02-01

A continuous set of personalized designs (design space) for progressive addition lenses (PALs) is investigated. The main goals are (1) to study how the subjects' perception of a personalized design depends on its position in the design space and (2) to compare the performance of personalized PALs to a conventional PAL with a fixed design. In a double-blind study, 51 subjects compared Rodenstock Impression FreeSign 3, which is a family of PALs with a continuously controllable personalized design, and Rodenstock Progressiv Life Free, which is a conventional PAL with a single fixed design. The positions and sizes of viewing zones and the softness of gradients of mean power and astigmatism of personalized lenses were customized to individual viewing preferences. These designs were represented as points in a design space comprising a continuum of PAL designs. Subjective ratings and experimental measurements were used to study viewing zone widths, blur gradient smoothness, amount of distortion, the feeling of safety during motion, and overall wearing comfort. (1) Far viewing zone width (experiments and ratings), near viewing zone width (experiments), blur gradient smoothness, and the amount of distortion (ratings) were significantly dependent on the position of the personalized lens design in the design space. This was consistent with the structure of the design space. (2) 82% of the subjects chose personalized lenses as their favorite. Most subjects reported higher wearing comfort and tolerability with personalized lenses than with conventional lenses. The designs of the tested personalized lenses were perceived by the subjects as intended. This is a prerequisite to the successful customization of PALs to individual wearing preferences. Possible reasons for the preference of the tested personalized lenses are the optimization with respect to individual wearing conditions and the personalization.

14 CFR 35.7 - Features and characteristics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: PROPELLERS General § 35.7 Features and characteristics. (a) The propeller may not have... propeller. The applicant must make changes to the design and conduct additional tests that the Administrator finds necessary to establish the airworthiness of the propeller. [Amdt. No. 35-8, 73 FR 63346, Oct. 24...

14 CFR 35.7 - Features and characteristics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: PROPELLERS General § 35.7 Features and characteristics. (a) The propeller may not have... propeller. The applicant must make changes to the design and conduct additional tests that the Administrator finds necessary to establish the airworthiness of the propeller. [Amdt. 35-8, 73 FR 63346, Oct. 24, 2008] ...

14 CFR 35.7 - Features and characteristics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: PROPELLERS General § 35.7 Features and characteristics. (a) The propeller may not have... propeller. The applicant must make changes to the design and conduct additional tests that the Administrator finds necessary to establish the airworthiness of the propeller. [Amdt. 35-8, 73 FR 63346, Oct. 24, 2008] ...

14 CFR 35.7 - Features and characteristics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: PROPELLERS General § 35.7 Features and characteristics. (a) The propeller may not have... propeller. The applicant must make changes to the design and conduct additional tests that the Administrator finds necessary to establish the airworthiness of the propeller. [Amdt. No. 35-8, 73 FR 63346, Oct. 24...

14 CFR 35.7 - Features and characteristics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: PROPELLERS General § 35.7 Features and characteristics. (a) The propeller may not have... propeller. The applicant must make changes to the design and conduct additional tests that the Administrator finds necessary to establish the airworthiness of the propeller. [Amdt. 35-8, 73 FR 63346, Oct. 24, 2008] ...

Advanced Design Features of APR1400 and Realization in Shin Kori Construction Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

OH, S.J.; Park, K.C.; Kim, H.G.

2006-07-01

APR1400 adopted several advanced design features. To ensure their proper operation as a part of ShinKori 3,4 project, both experimental and analytical work are continuing. In this paper, work on the advanced design features related to enhanced safety is examined. APR1400 safety injection system consists of four independent trains which include four safety injection pump and tanks. A passive flow regulating device called fluidic device is installed in the safety injection tanks. Separate effect tests including a full scale fluidic device tests have been conducted. Integral system tests are in progress. Combination of these work with the analytical work usingmore » RELAP5/Mod3 would ensure the proper operation of the new safety injection systems. To mitigate severe accidents, hydrogen mitigation system using PARs and igniters is adopted. Also, active injection system and the streamlined insulation design are adopted to enhance the in-vessel retention capability with the external cooling of RPV strategy. Analytic work with supporting experiments is performed. We are certain that these preparatory work would help the successful adaptation of ADF in ShinKori project. (authors)« less

Design features of graphs in health risk communication: a systematic review.

PubMed

Ancker, Jessica S; Senathirajah, Yalini; Kukafka, Rita; Starren, Justin B

2006-01-01

This review describes recent experimental and focus group research on graphics as a method of communication about quantitative health risks. Some of the studies discussed in this review assessed effect of graphs on quantitative reasoning, others assessed effects on behavior or behavioral intentions, and still others assessed viewers' likes and dislikes. Graphical features that improve the accuracy of quantitative reasoning appear to differ from the features most likely to alter behavior or intentions. For example, graphs that make part-to-whole relationships available visually may help people attend to the relationship between the numerator (the number of people affected by a hazard) and the denominator (the entire population at risk), whereas graphs that show only the numerator appear to inflate the perceived risk and may induce risk-averse behavior. Viewers often preferred design features such as visual simplicity and familiarity that were not associated with accurate quantitative judgments. Communicators should not assume that all graphics are more intuitive than text; many of the studies found that patients' interpretations of the graphics were dependent upon expertise or instruction. Potentially useful directions for continuing research include interactions with educational level and numeracy and successful ways to communicate uncertainty about risk.

Relearning To Teach Arithmetic Addition and Subtraction: A Teacher's Study Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Susan Jo

This package features videotapes and a study guide that are designed to help teachers revisit the operations of addition and subtraction and consider how students can develop meaningful approaches to these operations. The study guides' sessions are on addition, subtraction, the teacher's role, and goals for students and teachers. The readings in…

Launch vehicle payload adapter design with vibration isolation features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Gareth R.; Fadick, Cynthia M.; Fram, Bryan J.

2005-05-01

Payloads, such as satellites or spacecraft, which are mounted on launch vehicles, are subject to severe vibrations during flight. These vibrations are induced by multiple sources that occur between liftoff and the instant of final separation from the launch vehicle. A direct result of the severe vibrations is that fatigue damage and failure can be incurred by sensitive payload components. For this reason a payload adapter has been designed with special emphasis on its vibration isolation characteristics. The design consists of an annular plate that has top and bottom face sheets separated by radial ribs and close-out rings. These components are manufactured from graphite epoxy composites to ensure a high stiffness to weight ratio. The design is tuned to keep the frequency of the axial mode of vibration of the payload on the flexibility of the adapter to a low value. This is the main strategy adopted for isolating the payload from damaging vibrations in the intermediate to higher frequency range (45Hz-200Hz). A design challenge for this type of adapter is to keep the pitch frequency of the payload above a critical value in order to avoid dynamic interactions with the launch vehicle control system. This high frequency requirement conflicts with the low axial mode frequency requirement and this problem is overcome by innovative tuning of the directional stiffnesses of the composite parts. A second design strategy that is utilized to achieve good isolation characteristics is the use of constrained layer damping. This feature is particularly effective at keeping the responses to a minimum for one of the most important dynamic loading mechanisms. This mechanism consists of the almost-tonal vibratory load associated with the resonant burn condition present in any stage powered by a solid rocket motor. The frequency of such a load typically falls in the 45-75Hz range and this phenomenon drives the low frequency design of the adapter. Detailed finite element analysis is

Examining the Design Features of a Communication-Rich, Problem-Centred Mathematics Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Araujo, Zandra; Orrill, Chandra Hawley; Jacobson, Erik

2018-01-01

While there is considerable scholarship describing principles for effective professional development, there have been few attempts to examine these principles in practice. In this paper, we identify and examine the particular design features of a mathematics professional development experience provided for middle grades teachers over 14 weeks. The…

76 FR 52384 - Designation of Additional Entities Pursuant to Executive Order 13405

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-22

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of Foreign Assets Control Designation of Additional Entities... Assets Control (``OFAC'') is publishing the names of four newly-designated entities whose property and... the Director of OFAC of the four entities identified in this notice, pursuant to Executive [[Page...

77 FR 54946 - Additional Designations of Individuals Pursuant to Executive Order 13581

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-06

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of Foreign Assets Control Additional Designations of Individuals... the names of five individuals whose property and interests in property have been blocked pursuant to... Order''). DATES: The designation by the Director of OFAC of the five individuals identified in this...

Design of an activity landscape view taking compound-based feature probabilities into account.

PubMed

Zhang, Bijun; Vogt, Martin; Bajorath, Jürgen

2014-09-01

Activity landscapes (ALs) of compound data sets are rationalized as graphical representations that integrate similarity and potency relationships between active compounds. ALs enable the visualization of structure-activity relationship (SAR) information and are thus computational tools of interest for medicinal chemistry. For AL generation, similarity and potency relationships are typically evaluated in a pairwise manner and major AL features are assessed at the level of compound pairs. In this study, we add a conditional probability formalism to AL design that makes it possible to quantify the probability of individual compounds to contribute to characteristic AL features. Making this information graphically accessible in a molecular network-based AL representation is shown to further increase AL information content and helps to quickly focus on SAR-informative compound subsets. This feature probability-based AL variant extends the current spectrum of AL representations for medicinal chemistry applications.

Design-Based Comparison of Spine Surgery Simulators: Optimizing Educational Features of Surgical Simulators.

PubMed

Ryu, Won Hyung A; Mostafa, Ahmed E; Dharampal, Navjit; Sharlin, Ehud; Kopp, Gail; Jacobs, W Bradley; Hurlbert, R John; Chan, Sonny; Sutherland, Garnette R

2017-10-01

Simulation-based education has made its entry into surgical residency training, particularly as an adjunct to hands-on clinical experience. However, one of the ongoing challenges to wide adoption is the capacity of simulators to incorporate educational features required for effective learning. The aim of this study was to identify strengths and limitations of spine simulators to characterize design elements that are essential in enhancing resident education. We performed a mixed qualitative and quantitative cohort study with a focused survey and interviews of stakeholders in spine surgery pertaining to their experiences on 3 spine simulators. Ten participants were recruited spanning all levels of training and expertise until qualitative analysis reached saturation of themes. Participants were asked to perform lumbar pedicle screw insertion on 3 simulators. Afterward, a 10-item survey was administrated and a focused interview was conducted to explore topics pertaining to the design features of the simulators. Overall impressions of the simulators were positive with regards to their educational benefit, but our qualitative analysis revealed differing strengths and limitations. Main design strengths of the computer-based simulators were incorporation of procedural guidance and provision of performance feedback. The synthetic model excelled in achieving more realistic haptic feedback and incorporating use of actual surgical tools. Stakeholders from trainees to experts acknowledge the growing role of simulation-based education in spine surgery. However, different simulation modalities have varying design elements that augment learning in distinct ways. Characterization of these design characteristics will allow for standardization of simulation curricula in spinal surgery, optimizing educational benefit. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A nonparametric method to generate synthetic populations to adjust for complex sampling design features.

PubMed

Dong, Qi; Elliott, Michael R; Raghunathan, Trivellore E

2014-06-01

Outside of the survey sampling literature, samples are often assumed to be generated by a simple random sampling process that produces independent and identically distributed (IID) samples. Many statistical methods are developed largely in this IID world. Application of these methods to data from complex sample surveys without making allowance for the survey design features can lead to erroneous inferences. Hence, much time and effort have been devoted to develop the statistical methods to analyze complex survey data and account for the sample design. This issue is particularly important when generating synthetic populations using finite population Bayesian inference, as is often done in missing data or disclosure risk settings, or when combining data from multiple surveys. By extending previous work in finite population Bayesian bootstrap literature, we propose a method to generate synthetic populations from a posterior predictive distribution in a fashion inverts the complex sampling design features and generates simple random samples from a superpopulation point of view, making adjustment on the complex data so that they can be analyzed as simple random samples. We consider a simulation study with a stratified, clustered unequal-probability of selection sample design, and use the proposed nonparametric method to generate synthetic populations for the 2006 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), which are stratified, clustered unequal-probability of selection sample designs.

A nonparametric method to generate synthetic populations to adjust for complex sampling design features

PubMed Central

Dong, Qi; Elliott, Michael R.; Raghunathan, Trivellore E.

2017-01-01

Outside of the survey sampling literature, samples are often assumed to be generated by a simple random sampling process that produces independent and identically distributed (IID) samples. Many statistical methods are developed largely in this IID world. Application of these methods to data from complex sample surveys without making allowance for the survey design features can lead to erroneous inferences. Hence, much time and effort have been devoted to develop the statistical methods to analyze complex survey data and account for the sample design. This issue is particularly important when generating synthetic populations using finite population Bayesian inference, as is often done in missing data or disclosure risk settings, or when combining data from multiple surveys. By extending previous work in finite population Bayesian bootstrap literature, we propose a method to generate synthetic populations from a posterior predictive distribution in a fashion inverts the complex sampling design features and generates simple random samples from a superpopulation point of view, making adjustment on the complex data so that they can be analyzed as simple random samples. We consider a simulation study with a stratified, clustered unequal-probability of selection sample design, and use the proposed nonparametric method to generate synthetic populations for the 2006 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), which are stratified, clustered unequal-probability of selection sample designs. PMID:29200608

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Parts with Staircase Feature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keya, Tahmina

This thesis focuses on a part with staircase feature that is made of Inconel 718 and fabricated by SLM process. The objective of the study was to observe build height effect on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the part. Due to the nature of SLM, there is possibility of different microstructure and mechanical properties in different locations depending on the design of the part. The objective was to compare microstructure and mechanical properties from different location and four comparison groups were considered: 1. Effect of thermal cycle; 2. External and internal surfaces; 3. Build height effect and 4. Bottom surfaces. To achieve the goals of this research, standard metallurgical procedure has been performed to prepare samples. Etching was done to reveal the microstructure of SLM processed Inconel 718 parts. Young's modulus and hardness were measured using nanoindentation technique. FEM analysis was performed to simulate nanoindentation. The conclusions drawn from this research are: 1. The microstructure of front and side surface of SLM processed Inconel 718 consists of arc shaped cut ends of melt pools with intermetallic phase at the border of the melt pool; 2. On top surface, melted tracks and scanning patterns can be observed and the average width of melted tracks is 100-150 microm; 3. The microstructure looks similar at different build height; 4. Microstructure on the top of a stair is more defined and organized than the internal surface; 5. The mechanical properties are highest at the bottom. OM images revealed slight difference in microstructure in terms of build height for this specific part, but mechanical properties seem to be vary noticeably. This is something to be kept in mind while designing or determining build orientation. External and internal surfaces of a stair at the same height showed difference in both microstructure and mechanical properties. To minimize that effect and to make it more uniform, gradual elevation can be

STEADY-STATE DESIGN OF VERTICAL WELLS FOR LIQUIDS ADDITION AT BIOREACTOR LANDFILLS

EPA Science Inventory

This paper presents design charts that a landfill engineer can use for the design of a vertical well system for liquids addition at bioreactor landfills. The flow rate and lateral and vertical zones of impact of a vertical well were estimated as a function of input variables su...

Optimal design of high damping force engine mount featuring MR valve structure with both annular and radial flow paths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Q. H.; Choi, S. B.; Lee, Y. S.; Han, M. S.

2013-11-01

This paper focuses on the optimal design of a compact and high damping force engine mount featuring magnetorheological fluid (MRF). In the mount, a MR valve structure with both annular and radial flows is employed to generate a high damping force. First, the configuration and working principle of the proposed MR mount is introduced. The MRF flows in the mount are then analyzed and the governing equations of the MR mount are derived based on the Bingham plastic behavior of the MRF. An optimal design of the MR mount is then performed to find the optimal structure of the MR valve to generate a maximum damping force with certain design constraints. In addition, the gap size of MRF ducts is empirically chosen considering the ‘lockup’ problem of the mount at high frequency. Performance of the optimized MR mount is then evaluated based on finite element analysis and discussions on performance results of the optimized MR mount are given. The effectiveness of the proposed MR engine mount is demonstrated via computer simulation by presenting damping force and power consumption.

Progressive addition spectacle lenses: Design preferences and head movements while reading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preston, Julie Lynn

In a subjective preference study, two key progressive addition lens parameters, near zone width and corridor length, were varied in a double-masked, randomized, clinical trial of 49 patients. Each subject received a complete eye examination and a new frame. Each wore 6 pairs of lenses for one week at a time and completed questionnaires relating to vision, adaptation, and satisfaction. The preferred lens was identified from the three near zone width lenses and from the three corridor length lenses. Patient characteristics were analyzed for their effect on design preference. Satisfaction ratings following a brief experience with each design were compared to ratings after one week of wear in order to ascertain the predictability of initial impressions. One lens design appeared twice in the preference trial, providing an assessment of the repeatability of the rating instrument. The lens design with the widest near zone was rated significantly lower than the other near zone width designs for nearly every question relating to vision, adaptation, and satisfaction. This lens was also least preferred of all the designs. Preferences for corridor length were evenly distributed among the three designs. Of patient characteristics, years of progressive addition lens wear and gender significantly affected design preference in this population. Initial impressions were not predictive of satisfaction after a week of wear. The rating instrument was judged to have low repeatability. In the head movement portion of the study, 18 participants from the preference study wore the three near zone width designs while reading three paragraphs of varying print size. From a 20 second recording for each of three different paragraphs with each lens, measures of head rotation and posture were collected. The amplitude of head rotation was significantly affected by print size but not by lens design. The effective zone widths on the lenses scanned by the eyes and the locations of the reading levels

Interactive Spacecraft Trajectory Design Strategies Featuring Poincare Map Topology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlei, Wayne R.

Space exploration efforts are shifting towards inexpensive and more agile vehicles. Versatility regarding spacecraft trajectories refers to the agility to correct deviations from an intended path or even the ability to adapt the future path to a new destination--all with limited spaceflight resources (i.e., small DeltaV budgets). Trajectory design methods for such nimble vehicles incorporate equally versatile procedures that allow for rapid and interactive decision making while attempting to reduce Delta V budgets, leading to a versatile trajectory design platform. A versatile design paradigm requires the exploitation of Poincare map topology , or the interconnected web of dynamical structures, existing within the chaotic dynamics of multi-body gravitational models to outline low-Delta V transfer options residing nearby to a current path. This investigation details an autonomous procedure to extract the periodic orbits (topology nodes) and correlated asymptotic flow structures (or the invariant manifolds representing topology links). The autonomous process summarized in this investigation (termed PMATE) overcomes discontinuities on the Poincare section that arise in the applied multi-body model (the planar circular restricted three-body problem) and detects a wide variety of novel periodic orbits. New interactive capabilities deliver a visual analytics foundation for versatile spaceflight design, especially for initial guess generation and manipulation. Such interactive strategies include the selection of states and arcs from Poincare section visualizations and the capabilities to draw and drag trajectories to remove dependency on initial state input. Furthermore, immersive selection is expanded to cull invariant manifold structures, yielding low-DeltaV or even DeltaV-free transfers between periodic orbits. The application of interactive design strategies featuring a dense extraction of Poincare map topology is demonstrated for agile spaceflight with a simple

Additional Remarks on Designing Category-Level Attributes for Discriminative Visual Recognition

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

Discriminative Visual Recognition ∗ Felix X. Yu†, Liangliang Cao§, Rogerio S. Feris§, John R. Smith§, Shih-Fu Chang† † Columbia University § IBM T. J...for Designing Category-Level Attributes for Dis- criminative Visual Recognition [3]. We first provide an overview of the proposed ap- proach in...2013 to 00-00-2013 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Additional Remarks on Designing Category-Level Attributes for Discriminative Visual Recognition 5a

Preliminary design features of the RASCAL - A NASA/Army rotorcraft in-flight simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aiken, Edwin W.; Jacobsen, Robert A.; Eshow, Michelle M.; Hindson, William S.; Doane, Douglas H.

1992-01-01

Salient design features of a new NASA/Army research rotorcraft - the Rotorcraft Aircrew Systems Concepts Airborne Laboratory (RASCAL) - are described. Using a UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter as a baseline vehicle, the RASCAL will be a flying laboratory capable of supporting the research requirements of major NASA and Army guidance, control, and display research programs. The paper describes the research facility requirements of these programs together with other critical constraints on the design of the research system, including safety-of-flight. Research program schedules demand a phased development approach, wherein specific research capability milestones are met and flight research projects are flown throughout the complete development cycle of the RASCAL. This development approach is summarized, and selected features of the research system are described. The research system includes a full-authority, programmable, fault-tolerant/fail-safe, fly-by-wire flight control system and a real-time obstacle detection and avoidance system which will generate low-latitude guidance commands to the pilot on a wide field-of-view, color helmet-mounted display.

Preliminary design features of the RASCAL: A NASA /Army rotorcraft in-flight simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aiken, Edwin W.; Jacobsen, Robert A.; Eshow, Michelle M.; Hindson, William S.; Doane, Douglas H.

1993-01-01

Salient design features of a new NASA/Army research rotorcraft - the Rotorcraft-Aircrew Systems Concepts Airborne Laboratory (RASCAL) - are described. Using a UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter as a baseline vehicle, the RASCAL will be a flying laboratory capable of supporting the research requirements of major NASA and Army guidance, control, and display research programs. The paper describes the research facility requirements of these programs together with other critical constraints on the design of the research system, including safety-of-flight. Research program schedules demand a phased development approach, wherein specific research capability milestones are met and flight research projects are flown throughout the complete development cycle of the RASCAL. This development approach is summarized, and selected features of the research system are described. The research system includes a full-authority, programmable, fault-tolerant/fail-safe, fly-by-wire flight control system and a real-time obstacle detection and avoidance system which will generate low-altitude guidance commands to the pilot on a wide field-of-view, color helmet-mounted display.

Identification and evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of highway design features to reduce nonrecurrent congestion. [supporting datasets

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

This project focused specifically on design treatments that can be used to improve travel time reliability. The objectives of this research were to (1) identify the full range of possible roadway design features used by transportation agencies to imp...

Topology optimization and laser additive manufacturing in design process of efficiency lightweight aerospace parts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fetisov, K. V.; Maksimov, P. V.

2018-05-01

The paper presents the application of topology optimization and laser additive manufacturing in the design of lightweight aerospace parts. At the beginning a brief overview of the topology optimization algorithm SIMP is given, one of the most commonly used algorithm in FEA software. After that, methodology of parts design with using topology optimization is discussed as well as issues related to designing for additive manufacturing. In conclusion, the practical application of the proposed methodologies is presented using the example of one complex assembly unit. As a result of the new design approach, the mass of product was reduced five times, and twenty parts were replaced by one.

Specific design features of an interpretative phenomenological analysis study.

PubMed

Wagstaff, Christopher; Williams, Bob

2014-01-01

Report of an innovative use of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to enable an in-depth study of the experiences of disengagement from mental health services of black men with diagnoses of severe and enduring mental illness. The aim of IPA is to explore the sense that participants make of their personal and social worlds, while recognising the contribution of the researcher in interpreting the participants' interpretations of their experiences. Seven black male research participants were recruited to the study. The components of the study that contribute to the body of literature on IPA research design include: an engagement stage in the research; a second clarifying interview; discussion of clarifying questions and emergent themes with two academic service-users; and a post-interview meeting to discuss the themes emerging from the research study. The paper focuses on the contribution of the four specific design features of the study and how these enabled the researcher to engage with a population that is often deemed 'hard to reach'. The four distinctive methodological developments in the study emphasise the flexibility of IPA. These innovations assisted the researcher in developing a broader double hermeneutic that enabled reporting of the experiences of disengagement from mental health services of black men with diagnoses of severe and enduring mental illness. The distinctive design of this study further emphasises the flexibility of IPA, while simultaneously showing fidelity to the core principles underlying the research methodology.

Effect of Proximity of Features on the Damage Threshold During Submicron Additive Manufacturing Via Two-Photon Polymerization

DOE PAGES

Saha, Sourabh K.; Divin, Chuck; Cuadra, Jefferson A.; ...

2017-05-12

Two-photon polymerization (TPP) is a laser writing process that enables fabrication of millimeter scale three-dimensional (3D) structures with submicron features. In TPP, writing is achieved via nonlinear two-photon absorption that occurs at high laser intensities. Thus, it is essential to carefully select the incident power to prevent laser damage during polymerization. Currently, the feasible range of laser power is identified by writing small test patterns at varying power levels. Here in this paper, we demonstrate that the results of these tests cannot be generalized, because the damage threshold power depends on the proximity of features and reduces by as muchmore » as 47% for overlapping features. We have identified that this reduction occurs primarily due to an increase in the single-photon absorptivity of the resin after curing. We have captured the damage from proximity effects via X-ray 3D computed tomography (CT) images of a non-homogenous part that has varying feature density. Part damage manifests as internal spherical voids that arise due to boiling of the resist. We have empirically quantified this proximity effect by identifying the damage threshold power at different writing speeds and feature overlap spacings. In addition, we present a first-order analytical model that captures the scaling of this proximity effect. Based on this model and the experiments, we have identified that the proximity effect is more significant at high writing speeds; therefore, it adversely affects the scalability of manufacturing. The scaling laws and the empirical data generated here can be used to select the appropriate TPP writing parameters.« less

Effect of Proximity of Features on the Damage Threshold During Submicron Additive Manufacturing Via Two-Photon Polymerization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saha, Sourabh K.; Divin, Chuck; Cuadra, Jefferson A.

Two-photon polymerization (TPP) is a laser writing process that enables fabrication of millimeter scale three-dimensional (3D) structures with submicron features. In TPP, writing is achieved via nonlinear two-photon absorption that occurs at high laser intensities. Thus, it is essential to carefully select the incident power to prevent laser damage during polymerization. Currently, the feasible range of laser power is identified by writing small test patterns at varying power levels. Here in this paper, we demonstrate that the results of these tests cannot be generalized, because the damage threshold power depends on the proximity of features and reduces by as muchmore » as 47% for overlapping features. We have identified that this reduction occurs primarily due to an increase in the single-photon absorptivity of the resin after curing. We have captured the damage from proximity effects via X-ray 3D computed tomography (CT) images of a non-homogenous part that has varying feature density. Part damage manifests as internal spherical voids that arise due to boiling of the resist. We have empirically quantified this proximity effect by identifying the damage threshold power at different writing speeds and feature overlap spacings. In addition, we present a first-order analytical model that captures the scaling of this proximity effect. Based on this model and the experiments, we have identified that the proximity effect is more significant at high writing speeds; therefore, it adversely affects the scalability of manufacturing. The scaling laws and the empirical data generated here can be used to select the appropriate TPP writing parameters.« less

Design and marketing features influencing choice of e-cigarettes and tobacco in the EU.

PubMed

Laverty, Anthony A; Vardavas, Constantine I; Filippidis, Filippos T

2016-10-01

Data were analysed from the 2014 Special Eurobarometer for Tobacco survey. We estimated self-rated importance of various factors in the choice of both tobacco and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) among tobacco smokers who had ever used an e-cigarette. Among ever users of tobacco and e-cigarettes (N = 2430), taste (39.4%), price (39.2%) and amount of nicotine (27.3%) were the most commonly cited reasons for choosing their brand of e-cigarettes. Those aged 15-24 were more likely to cite external packaging [adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR = 2.06, 95% CI 1.00-4.23)] and design features (aPR = 1.99, 1.20-3.29) as important. As further legislation is debated and enacted enhanced regulation of price, design and marketing features of e-cigarettes may help to reduce the appeal of e-cigarettes. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association.

Applying Additive Manufacturing to a New Liquid Oxygen Turbopump Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

O'Neal, Derek

2016-01-01

A liquid oxygen turbopump has been designed at Marshall Space Flight Center as part of the in-house, Advanced Manufacturing Demonstrator Engine (AMDE) project. Additive manufacturing, specifically direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) of Inconel 718, is used for 77% of the parts by mass. These parts include the impeller, turbine components, and housings. The near-net shape DMLS parts have been delivered and final machining is underway. Fabrication of the traditionally manufactured hardware is also proceeding. Testing in liquid oxygen is planned for Q2 of FY2017. This topic explores the design of the turbopump along with fabrication and material testing of the DMLS hardware.

Identification and evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of highway design features to reduce nonrecurrent congestion.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

This research report presents the findings on the identification and evaluation of the use of highway geometric design features on freeways to reduce nonrecurrent congestion and improve travel time reliability. General guidance is provided on the ran...

47 CFR 54.202 - Additional requirements for Commission designation of eligible telecommunications carriers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Additional requirements for Commission designation of eligible telecommunications carriers. 54.202 Section 54.202 Telecommunication FEDERAL... telecommunications carriers. (a) In order to be designated an eligible telecommunications carrier under section 214(e...

47 CFR 54.202 - Additional requirements for Commission designation of eligible telecommunications carriers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Additional requirements for Commission designation of eligible telecommunications carriers. 54.202 Section 54.202 Telecommunication FEDERAL... telecommunications carriers. (a) In order to be designated an eligible telecommunications carrier under section 214(e...

47 CFR 54.202 - Additional requirements for Commission designation of eligible telecommunications carriers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Additional requirements for Commission designation of eligible telecommunications carriers. 54.202 Section 54.202 Telecommunication FEDERAL... telecommunications carriers. (a) In order to be designated an eligible telecommunications carrier under section 214(e...

Characterizing mammographic images by using generic texture features

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Introduction Although mammographic density is an established risk factor for breast cancer, its use is limited in clinical practice because of a lack of automated and standardized measurement methods. The aims of this study were to evaluate a variety of automated texture features in mammograms as risk factors for breast cancer and to compare them with the percentage mammographic density (PMD) by using a case-control study design. Methods A case-control study including 864 cases and 418 controls was analyzed automatically. Four hundred seventy features were explored as possible risk factors for breast cancer. These included statistical features, moment-based features, spectral-energy features, and form-based features. An elaborate variable selection process using logistic regression analyses was performed to identify those features that were associated with case-control status. In addition, PMD was assessed and included in the regression model. Results Of the 470 image-analysis features explored, 46 remained in the final logistic regression model. An area under the curve of 0.79, with an odds ratio per standard deviation change of 2.88 (95% CI, 2.28 to 3.65), was obtained with validation data. Adding the PMD did not improve the final model. Conclusions Using texture features to predict the risk of breast cancer appears feasible. PMD did not show any additional value in this study. With regard to the features assessed, most of the analysis tools appeared to reflect mammographic density, although some features did not correlate with PMD. It remains to be investigated in larger case-control studies whether these features can contribute to increased prediction accuracy. PMID:22490545

49 CFR 173.466 - Additional tests for Type A packagings designed for liquids and gases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... for liquids and gases. 173.466 Section 173.466 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to...) Materials § 173.466 Additional tests for Type A packagings designed for liquids and gases. (a) In addition to the tests prescribed in § 173.465, Type A packagings designed for liquids and gases must be...

49 CFR 173.466 - Additional tests for Type A packagings designed for liquids and gases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... for liquids and gases. 173.466 Section 173.466 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to...) Materials § 173.466 Additional tests for Type A packagings designed for liquids and gases. (a) In addition to the tests prescribed in § 173.465, Type A packagings designed for liquids and gases must be...

49 CFR 173.466 - Additional tests for Type A packagings designed for liquids and gases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... for liquids and gases. 173.466 Section 173.466 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to...) Materials § 173.466 Additional tests for Type A packagings designed for liquids and gases. (a) In addition to the tests prescribed in § 173.465, Type A packagings designed for liquids and gases must be...

49 CFR 173.466 - Additional tests for Type A packagings designed for liquids and gases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... for liquids and gases. 173.466 Section 173.466 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to...) Materials § 173.466 Additional tests for Type A packagings designed for liquids and gases. (a) In addition to the tests prescribed in § 173.465, Type A packagings designed for liquids and gases must be...

49 CFR 173.466 - Additional tests for Type A packagings designed for liquids and gases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... for liquids and gases. 173.466 Section 173.466 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to...) Materials § 173.466 Additional tests for Type A packagings designed for liquids and gases. (a) In addition to the tests prescribed in § 173.465, Type A packagings designed for liquids and gases must be...

A prototype feature system for feature retrieval using relationships

USGS Publications Warehouse

Choi, J.; Usery, E.L.

2009-01-01

Using a feature data model, geographic phenomena can be represented effectively by integrating space, theme, and time. This paper extends and implements a feature data model that supports query and visualization of geographic features using their non-spatial and temporal relationships. A prototype feature-oriented geographic information system (FOGIS) is then developed and storage of features named Feature Database is designed. Buildings from the U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and subways in Chicago, Illinois are used to test the developed system. The results of the applications show the strength of the feature data model and the developed system 'FOGIS' when they utilize non-spatial and temporal relationships in order to retrieve and visualize individual features.

Impact of design features on pavement response and performance in rehabilitated flexible and rigid pavements.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-10-01

The primary focus of this research was to determine the effects of design and construction features, such as overlay : thickness and mix type, presence of milling, and type of restoration, on pavement response and performance and to : establish their...

EDA-gram: designing electrodermal activity fingerprints for visualization and feature extraction.

PubMed

Chaspari, Theodora; Tsiartas, Andreas; Stein Duker, Leah I; Cermak, Sharon A; Narayanan, Shrikanth S

2016-08-01

Wearable technology permeates every aspect of our daily life increasing the need of reliable and interpretable models for processing the large amount of biomedical data. We propose the EDA-Gram, a multidimensional fingerprint of the electrodermal activity (EDA) signal, inspired by the widely-used notion of spectrogram. The EDA-Gram is based on the sparse decomposition of EDA from a knowledge-driven set of dictionary atoms. The time axis reflects the analysis frames, the spectral dimension depicts the width of selected dictionary atoms, while intensity values are computed from the atom coefficients. In this way, EDA-Gram incorporates the amplitude and shape of Skin Conductance Responses (SCR), which comprise an essential part of the signal. EDA-Gram is further used as a foundation for signal-specific feature design. Our results indicate that the proposed representation can accentuate fine-grain signal fluctuations, which might not always be apparent through simple visual inspection. Statistical analysis and classification/regression experiments further suggest that the derived features can differentiate between multiple arousal levels and stress-eliciting environments for two datasets.

Design features of implants for direct skeletal attachment of limb prostheses

PubMed Central

Pitkin, M.

2013-01-01

In direct skeletal attachment (DSA) of limb prostheses, a construct is implanted into an amputee’s residuum bone and protrudes out of the residuum’s skin. This technology represents an alternative to traditional suspension of prostheses via various socket systems, with clear indications when the sockets cannot be properly fitted. Contemporary DSA was invented in the 1990s, and several implant systems have been introduced since then. The current review is intended to compare the design features of implants for DSA whose use in humans or in animal studies has been reported in the literature. PMID:23554122

Design Features and Capabilities of the First Materials Science Research Rack

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pettigrew, P. J.; Lehoczky, S. L.; Cobb, S. D.; Holloway, T.; Kitchens, L.

2003-01-01

The First Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR-1) aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will offer many unique capabilities and design features to facilitate a wide range of materials science investigations. The initial configuration of MSRR-1 will accommodate two independent Experiment Modules (EMS) and provide the capability for simultaneous on-orbit processing. The facility will provide the common subsystems and interfaces required for the operation of experiment hardware and accommodate telescience capabilities. MSRR1 will utilize an International Standard Payload Rack (ISPR) equipped with an Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS) for vibration isolation of the facility.

New Nomenclatures for Heat Treatments of Additively Manufactured Titanium Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Andrew H.; Collins, Peter C.; Williams, James C.

2017-07-01

The heat-treatment designations and microstructure nomenclatures for many structural metallic alloys were established for traditional metals processing, such as casting, hot rolling or forging. These terms do not necessarily apply for additively manufactured (i.e., three-dimensionally printed or "3D printed") metallic structures. The heat-treatment terminology for titanium alloys generally implies the heat-treatment temperatures and their sequence relative to a thermomechanical processing step (e.g., forging, rolling). These designations include: β-processing, α + β-processing, β-annealing, duplex annealing and mill annealing. Owing to the absence of a thermomechanical processing step, these traditional designations can pose a problem when titanium alloys are first produced via additive manufacturing, and then heat-treated. This communication proposes new nomenclatures for heat treatments of additively manufactured titanium alloys, and uses the distinct microstructural features to provide a correlation between traditional nomenclature and the proposed nomenclature.

Automated solar collector installation design

DOEpatents

Wayne, Gary; Frumkin, Alexander; Zaydman, Michael; Lehman, Scott; Brenner, Jules

2014-08-26

Embodiments may include systems and methods to create and edit a representation of a worksite, to create various data objects, to classify such objects as various types of pre-defined "features" with attendant properties and layout constraints. As part of or in addition to classification, an embodiment may include systems and methods to create, associate, and edit intrinsic and extrinsic properties to these objects. A design engine may apply of design rules to the features described above to generate one or more solar collectors installation design alternatives, including generation of on-screen and/or paper representations of the physical layout or arrangement of the one or more design alternatives.

Experimental Methodology in English Teaching and Learning: Method Features, Validity Issues, and Embedded Experimental Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jang Ho

2012-01-01

Experimental methods have played a significant role in the growth of English teaching and learning studies. The paper presented here outlines basic features of experimental design, including the manipulation of independent variables, the role and practicality of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in educational research, and alternative methods…

Design and calibration of zero-additional-phase SPIDER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baum, Peter; Riedle, Eberhard

2005-09-01

Zero-additional-phase spectral phase interferometry for direct electric field reconstruction (ZAP-SPIDER) is a novel technique for measuring the temporal shape and phase of ultrashort optical pulses directly at the interaction point of a spectroscopic experiment. The scheme is suitable for an extremely wide wavelength region from the ultraviolet to the near infrared. We present a comprehensive description of the experimental setup and design guidelines to effectively apply the technique to various wavelengths and pulse durations. The calibration of the setup and procedures to check the consistency of the measurement are discussed in detail. We show experimental data for various center wavelengthsmore » and pulse durations down to 7 fs to verify the applicability to a wide range of pulse parameters.« less

Iodine Atoms: A New Molecular Feature for the Design of Potent Transthyretin Fibrillogenesis Inhibitors

PubMed Central

Pinto, Marta; Almeida, Maria Rosário; Gales, Luis; Ballesteros, Alfredo; Barluenga, José; Pérez, Juan J.; Vázquez, Jesús T.; Centeno, Nuria B.; Saraiva, Maria Joao; Damas, Ana M.; Planas, Antoni; Arsequell, Gemma; Valencia, Gregorio

2009-01-01

The thyroid hormone and retinol transporter protein known as transthyretin (TTR) is in the origin of one of the 20 or so known amyloid diseases. TTR self assembles as a homotetramer leaving a central hydrophobic channel with two symmetrical binding sites. The aggregation pathway of TTR into amiloid fibrils is not yet well characterized but in vitro binding of thyroid hormones and other small organic molecules to TTR binding channel results in tetramer stabilization which prevents amyloid formation in an extent which is proportional to the binding constant. Up to now, TTR aggregation inhibitors have been designed looking at various structural features of this binding channel others than its ability to host iodine atoms. In the present work, greatly improved inhibitors have been designed and tested by taking into account that thyroid hormones are unique in human biochemistry owing to the presence of multiple iodine atoms in their molecules which are probed to interact with specific halogen binding domains sitting at the TTR binding channel. The new TTR fibrillogenesis inhibitors are based on the diflunisal core structure because diflunisal is a registered salicylate drug with NSAID activity now undergoing clinical trials for TTR amyloid diseases. Biochemical and biophysical evidence confirms that iodine atoms can be an important design feature in the search for candidate drugs for TTR related amyloidosis. PMID:19125186

Design of Unstructured Adaptive (UA) NAS Parallel Benchmark Featuring Irregular, Dynamic Memory Accesses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feng, Hui-Yu; VanderWijngaart, Rob; Biswas, Rupak; Biegel, Bryan (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

We describe the design of a new method for the measurement of the performance of modern computer systems when solving scientific problems featuring irregular, dynamic memory accesses. The method involves the solution of a stylized heat transfer problem on an unstructured, adaptive grid. A Spectral Element Method (SEM) with an adaptive, nonconforming mesh is selected to discretize the transport equation. The relatively high order of the SEM lowers the fraction of wall clock time spent on inter-processor communication, which eases the load balancing task and allows us to concentrate on the memory accesses. The benchmark is designed to be three-dimensional. Parallelization and load balance issues of a reference implementation will be described in detail in future reports.

Designing for adaptation to novelty and change: functional information, emergent feature graphics, and higher-level control.

PubMed

Hajdukiewicz, John R; Vicente, Kim J

2002-01-01

Ecological interface design (EID) is a theoretical framework that aims to support worker adaptation to change and novelty in complex systems. Previous evaluations of EID have emphasized representativeness to enhance generalizability of results to operational settings. The research presented here is complementary, emphasizing experimental control to enhance theory building. Two experiments were conducted to test the impact of functional information and emergent feature graphics on adaptation to novelty and change in a thermal-hydraulic process control microworld. Presenting functional information in an interface using emergent features encouraged experienced participants to become perceptually coupled to the interface and thereby to exhibit higher-level control and more successful adaptation to unanticipated events. The absence of functional information or of emergent features generally led to lower-level control and less success at adaptation, the exception being a minority of participants who compensated by relying on analytical reasoning. These findings may have practical implications for shaping coordination in complex systems and fundamental implications for the development of a general unified theory of coordination for the technical, human, and social sciences. Actual or potential applications of this research include the design of human-computer interfaces that improve safety in complex sociotechnical systems.

Design and implementation of a contactless multiple hand feature acquisition system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Qiushi; Bu, Wei; Wu, Xiangqian; Zhang, David

2012-06-01

In this work, an integrated contactless multiple hand feature acquisition system is designed. The system can capture palmprint, palm vein, and palm dorsal vein images simultaneously. Moreover, the images are captured in a contactless manner, that is, users need not to touch any part of the device when capturing. Palmprint is imaged under visible illumination while palm vein and palm dorsal vein are imaged under near infrared (NIR) illumination. The capturing is controlled by computer and the whole process is less than 1 second, which is sufficient for online biometric systems. Based on this device, this paper also implements a contactless hand-based multimodal biometric system. Palmprint, palm vein, palm dorsal vein, finger vein, and hand geometry features are extracted from the captured images. After similarity measure, the matching scores are fused using weighted sum fusion rule. Experimental results show that although the verification accuracy of each uni-modality is not as high as that of state-of-the-art, the fusion result is superior to most of the existing hand-based biometric systems. This result indicates that the proposed device is competent in the application of contactless multimodal hand-based biometrics.

The Process of Designing Task Features

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bauer, Malcolm

2014-01-01

Malcolm Bauer, from Education Testing Services, provides his comments on the Focus article in this issue of "Measurement" entitled : "How Task Features Impact Evidence from Assessments Embedded in Simulations and Games" (Russell G. Almond, Yoon Jeon Kim, Gertrudes Velasquez, Valerie J. Shute). Bauer begins his remarks by noting…

The feature-weighted receptive field: an interpretable encoding model for complex feature spaces.

PubMed

St-Yves, Ghislain; Naselaris, Thomas

2017-06-20

We introduce the feature-weighted receptive field (fwRF), an encoding model designed to balance expressiveness, interpretability and scalability. The fwRF is organized around the notion of a feature map-a transformation of visual stimuli into visual features that preserves the topology of visual space (but not necessarily the native resolution of the stimulus). The key assumption of the fwRF model is that activity in each voxel encodes variation in a spatially localized region across multiple feature maps. This region is fixed for all feature maps; however, the contribution of each feature map to voxel activity is weighted. Thus, the model has two separable sets of parameters: "where" parameters that characterize the location and extent of pooling over visual features, and "what" parameters that characterize tuning to visual features. The "where" parameters are analogous to classical receptive fields, while "what" parameters are analogous to classical tuning functions. By treating these as separable parameters, the fwRF model complexity is independent of the resolution of the underlying feature maps. This makes it possible to estimate models with thousands of high-resolution feature maps from relatively small amounts of data. Once a fwRF model has been estimated from data, spatial pooling and feature tuning can be read-off directly with no (or very little) additional post-processing or in-silico experimentation. We describe an optimization algorithm for estimating fwRF models from data acquired during standard visual neuroimaging experiments. We then demonstrate the model's application to two distinct sets of features: Gabor wavelets and features supplied by a deep convolutional neural network. We show that when Gabor feature maps are used, the fwRF model recovers receptive fields and spatial frequency tuning functions consistent with known organizational principles of the visual cortex. We also show that a fwRF model can be used to regress entire deep

Deep nets vs expert designed features in medical physics: An IMRT QA case study.

PubMed

Interian, Yannet; Rideout, Vincent; Kearney, Vasant P; Gennatas, Efstathios; Morin, Olivier; Cheung, Joey; Solberg, Timothy; Valdes, Gilmer

2018-03-30

The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of Deep Neural Networks against a technique designed by domain experts in the prediction of gamma passing rates for Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy Quality Assurance (IMRT QA). A total of 498 IMRT plans across all treatment sites were planned in Eclipse version 11 and delivered using a dynamic sliding window technique on Clinac iX or TrueBeam Linacs. Measurements were performed using a commercial 2D diode array, and passing rates for 3%/3 mm local dose/distance-to-agreement (DTA) were recorded. Separately, fluence maps calculated for each plan were used as inputs to a convolution neural network (CNN). The CNNs were trained to predict IMRT QA gamma passing rates using TensorFlow and Keras. A set of model architectures, inspired by the convolutional blocks of the VGG-16 ImageNet model, were constructed and implemented. Synthetic data, created by rotating and translating the fluence maps during training, was created to boost the performance of the CNNs. Dropout, batch normalization, and data augmentation were utilized to help train the model. The performance of the CNNs was compared to a generalized Poisson regression model, previously developed for this application, which used 78 expert designed features. Deep Neural Networks without domain knowledge achieved comparable performance to a baseline system designed by domain experts in the prediction of 3%/3 mm Local gamma passing rates. An ensemble of neural nets resulted in a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.70 ± 0.05 and the domain expert model resulted in a 0.74 ± 0.06. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with transfer learning can predict IMRT QA passing rates by automatically designing features from the fluence maps without human expert supervision. Predictions from CNNs are comparable to a system carefully designed by physicist experts. © 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Design and development of a layer-based additive manufacturing process for the realization of metal parts of designed mesostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Christopher Bryant

Low-density cellular materials, metallic bodies with gaseous voids, are a unique class of materials that are characterized by their high strength, low mass, good energy absorption characteristics, and good thermal and acoustic insulation properties. In an effort to take advantage of this entire suite of positive mechanical traits, designers are tailoring the cellular mesostructure for multiple design objectives. Unfortunately, existing cellular material manufacturing technologies limit the design space as they are limited to certain part mesostructure, material type, and macrostructure. The opportunity that exists to improve the design of existing products, and the ability to reap the benefits of cellular materials in new applications is the driving force behind this research. As such, the primary research goal of this work is to design, embody, and analyze a manufacturing process that provides a designer the ability to specify the material type, material composition, void morphology, and mesostructure topology for any conceivable part geometry. The accomplishment of this goal is achieved in three phases of research: (1) Design---Following a systematic design process and a rigorous selection exercise, a layer-based additive manufacturing process is designed that is capable of meeting the unique requirements of fabricating cellular material geometry. Specifically, metal parts of designed mesostructure are fabricated via three-dimensional printing of metal oxide ceramic powder followed by post-processing in a reducing atmosphere. (2) Embodiment ---The primary research hypothesis is verified through the use of the designed manufacturing process chain to successfully realize metal parts of designed mesostructure. (3) Modeling & Evaluation ---The designed manufacturing process is modeled in this final research phase so as to increase understanding of experimental results and to establish a foundation for future analytical modeling research. In addition to an analysis of

77 FR 2545 - Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-18

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the... of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: HHS gives notice of a decision to designate a class of employees from the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, as an addition to the Special...

SEMIPARAMETRIC ADDITIVE RISKS REGRESSION FOR TWO-STAGE DESIGN SURVIVAL STUDIES

PubMed Central

Li, Gang; Wu, Tong Tong

2011-01-01

In this article we study a semiparametric additive risks model (McKeague and Sasieni (1994)) for two-stage design survival data where accurate information is available only on second stage subjects, a subset of the first stage study. We derive two-stage estimators by combining data from both stages. Large sample inferences are developed. As a by-product, we also obtain asymptotic properties of the single stage estimators of McKeague and Sasieni (1994) when the semiparametric additive risks model is misspecified. The proposed two-stage estimators are shown to be asymptotically more efficient than the second stage estimators. They also demonstrate smaller bias and variance for finite samples. The developed methods are illustrated using small intestine cancer data from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) Program. PMID:21931467

The cognitive impact of interactive design features for learning complex materials in medical education.

PubMed

Song, Hyuksoon S; Pusic, Martin; Nick, Michael W; Sarpel, Umut; Plass, Jan L; Kalet, Adina L

2014-02-01

To identify the most effective way for medical students to interact with a browser-based learning module on the symptoms and neurological underpinnings of stroke syndromes, this study manipulated the way in which subjects interacted with a graphical model of the brain and examined the impact of functional changes on learning outcomes. It was hypothesized that behavioral interactions that were behaviorally more engaging and which required deeper consideration of the model would result in heightened cognitive interaction and better learning than those whose manipulation required less deliberate behavioral and cognitive processing. One hundred forty four students were randomly assigned to four conditions whose model controls incorporated features that required different levels of behavioral and cognitive interaction: Movie (low behavioral/low cognitive, n = 40), Slider (high behavioral/low cognitive, n = 36), Click (low behavioral/high cognitive, n = 30), and Drag (high behavioral/high cognitive, n = 38). Analysis of Covariates (ANCOVA) showed that students who received the treatments associated with lower cognitive interactivity (Movie and Slider) performed better on a transfer task than those receiving the module associated with high cognitive interactivity (Click and Drag, partial eta squared = .03). In addition, the students in the high cognitive interactivity conditions spent significantly more time on the stroke locator activity than other conditions (partial eta squared = .36). The results suggest that interaction with controls that were tightly coupled with the model and whose manipulation required deliberate consideration of the model's features may have overtaxed subjects' cognitive resources. Cognitive effort that facilitated manipulation of content, though directed at the model, may have resulted in extraneous cognitive load, impeding subjects in recognizing the deeper, global relationships in the materials. Instructional designers must, therefore, keep in

GATOR: Requirements capturing of telephony features

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dankel, Douglas D., II; Walker, Wayne; Schmalz, Mark

1992-01-01

We are developing a natural language-based, requirements gathering system called GATOR (for the GATherer Of Requirements). GATOR assists in the development of more accurate and complete specifications of new telephony features. GATOR interacts with a feature designer who describes a new feature, set of features, or capability to be implemented. The system aids this individual in the specification process by asking for clarifications when potential ambiguities are present, by identifying potential conflicts with other existing features, and by presenting its understanding of the feature to the designer. Through user interaction with a model of the existing telephony feature set, GATOR constructs a formal representation of the new, 'to be implemented' feature. Ultimately GATOR will produce a requirements document and will maintain an internal representation of this feature to aid in future design and specification. This paper consists of three sections that describe (1) the structure of GATOR, (2) POND, GATOR's internal knowledge representation language, and (3) current research issues.

The effects of sign design features on bicycle pictorial symbols for bicycling facility signs.

PubMed

Oh, Kyunghui; Rogoff, Aaron; Smith-Jackson, Tonya

2013-11-01

The inanimate bicycle symbol has long been used to indicate the animate activity of bicycling facility signs. In contrast, either the inanimate bicycle symbol or the animate bicycle symbol has been used interchangeably for the standard pavement symbols in bike lanes. This has led to confusion among pedestrians and cyclists alike. The purpose of this study was to examine two different designs (inanimate symbol vs. animate symbol) involved in the evaluation of perceived preference and glance legibility, and investigate sign design features on bicycle pictorial symbols. Thirty-five participants compared current bicycle signs (inanimate symbols) to alternative designs (animate symbols) in a controlled laboratory setting. The results indicated that the alternative designs (animate symbols) showed better performance in both preference and glance legibility tests. Conceptual compatibility, familiarity, and perceptual affordances were found to be important factors as well. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Automated solar collector installation design including ability to define heterogeneous design preferences

DOEpatents

Wayne, Gary; Frumkin, Alexander; Zaydman, Michael; Lehman, Scott; Brenner, Jules

2014-04-29

Embodiments may include systems and methods to create and edit a representation of a worksite, to create various data objects, to classify such objects as various types of pre -defined "features" with attendant properties and layout constraints. As part of or in addition to classification, an embodiment may include systems and methods to create, associate, and edit intrinsic and extrinsic properties to these objects. A design engine may apply of design rules to the features described above to generate one or more solar collectors installation design alternatives, including generation of on-screen and/or paper representations of the physical layout or arrangement of the one or more design alternatives. Embodiments may also include definition of one or more design apertures, each of which may correspond to boundaries in which solar collector layouts should comply with distinct sets of user-defined design preferences. Distinct apertures may provide heterogeneous regions of collector layout according to the user-defined design preferences.

Automated solar collector installation design including ability to define heterogeneous design preferences

DOEpatents

Wayne, Gary; Frumkin, Alexander; Zaydman, Michael; Lehman, Scott; Brenner, Jules

2013-01-08

Embodiments may include systems and methods to create and edit a representation of a worksite, to create various data objects, to classify such objects as various types of pre-defined "features" with attendant properties and layout constraints. As part of or in addition to classification, an embodiment may include systems and methods to create, associate, and edit intrinsic and extrinsic properties to these objects. A design engine may apply of design rules to the features described above to generate one or more solar collectors installation design alternatives, including generation of on-screen and/or paper representations of the physical layout or arrangement of the one or more design alternatives. Embodiments may also include definition of one or more design apertures, each of which may correspond to boundaries in which solar collector layouts should comply with distinct sets of user-defined design preferences. Distinct apertures may provide heterogeneous regions of collector layout according to the user-defined design preferences.

Design, Development and Hotfire Testing of Monolithic Copper and Bimetallic Additively Manufactured Combustion Chambers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gradl, Paul; Barnett, Greg; Brandsmeier, Will; Greene, Sandy Elam; Protz, Chris

2016-01-01

NASA and industry partners are working towards fabrication process development to reduce costs and schedules associated with manufacturing liquid rocket engine components with the goal of reducing overall mission costs. One such technique being evaluated is powder-bed fusion or selective laser melting (SLM) otherwise commonly referred to as additive manufacturing. The NASA Low Cost Upper Stage Propulsion (LCUSP) program was designed to develop processes and material characterization for the GRCop-84 copper-alloy commensurate with powder bed additive manufacturing, evaluate bimetallic deposition and complete testing of a full scale combustion chamber. As part of this development, the process has been transferred to industry partners to enable a long-term supply chain of monolithic copper combustion chambers. As a direct spin off of this program, NASA is working with industry partners to further develop the printing process for the GRCop-84 material in addition to the C-18150 (CuCrZr) material. To advance the process further and allow for optimization with multiple materials, NASA is also investigating the feasibility of bimetallic additively manufactured chambers. A 1.2k sized thrust-chamber was designed and developed to compare the printing process of the GRCop-84 and C-18150 SLM materials. A series of similar MCC liners also completed development with an Inconel 625 jacket bonded to the GRcop-84 liner evaluating direct metal deposition (DMD) laser and arc-based techniques. This paper describes the design, development, manufacturing and testing of these combustion chambers and associated lessons learned throughout the design and development process.

D-optimal experimental designs to test for departure from additivity in a fixed-ratio mixture ray.

PubMed

Coffey, Todd; Gennings, Chris; Simmons, Jane Ellen; Herr, David W

2005-12-01

Traditional factorial designs for evaluating interactions among chemicals in a mixture may be prohibitive when the number of chemicals is large. Using a mixture of chemicals with a fixed ratio (mixture ray) results in an economical design that allows estimation of additivity or nonadditive interaction for a mixture of interest. This methodology is extended easily to a mixture with a large number of chemicals. Optimal experimental conditions can be chosen that result in increased power to detect departures from additivity. Although these designs are used widely for linear models, optimal designs for nonlinear threshold models are less well known. In the present work, the use of D-optimal designs is demonstrated for nonlinear threshold models applied to a fixed-ratio mixture ray. For a fixed sample size, this design criterion selects the experimental doses and number of subjects per dose level that result in minimum variance of the model parameters and thus increased power to detect departures from additivity. An optimal design is illustrated for a 2:1 ratio (chlorpyrifos:carbaryl) mixture experiment. For this example, and in general, the optimal designs for the nonlinear threshold model depend on prior specification of the slope and dose threshold parameters. Use of a D-optimal criterion produces experimental designs with increased power, whereas standard nonoptimal designs with equally spaced dose groups may result in low power if the active range or threshold is missed.

3D additive manufactured 316L components microstructural features and changes induced by working life cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pace, M. L.; Guarnaccio, A.; Dolce, P.; Mollica, D.; Parisi, G. P.; Lettino, A.; Medici, L.; Summa, V.; Ciancio, R.; Santagata, A.

2017-10-01

The ability of processing through laser beams different kinds of metallic powders for direct production of 3D components with complex geometries has been gaining an impressive and growing attention for specific industrial applications. The process which can be distinguished as Selective Laser Sintering or Selective Laser Melting is even considered, more generally, as Additive Manufacturing where layer by layer material is built by the interaction between a laser beam and a powder bed. The rapid heating of the powder due to the laser beam energy transfer process followed by a rapid cooling rate induces within the manufactured material a cellular structure with fine sub-grains, which are in the range of few hundreds of micrometers. These metastable structures, which are smaller than the grain size in conventionally manufactured 316L stainless steel components, can undertake towards a recrystallization process due to either heat or mechanical treatments. For instance, when sub-grain boundaries of the cells are enriched with Mo and higher concentration of dislocation, dynamical processes occur generating local residual stresses. In these circumstances the segregation of Mo in cell boundaries is out of thermodynamic equilibrium conditions so that microstructures and phases are metastable. In the range of 1100-1400 °C heat treatments a complete dissolution of Mo in the Fe matrix with a gradual disappearance of sub-microns cell is observed feeding the growth of larger austenitic sub-grains formation. It follows a higher degree of Mo dissolution in the material matrix and a decrease of dislocation's concentration (Saeidi et al., 2015) [1]. In the work here presented we point out which are the microstructural features of stainless steel 316L components realized by Additive Manufacturing. Furthermore, the occurrence of a microstructural evolution is presented after experiencing to fatigue of 80000 cycles some door joints obtained by this technique. A decrease of dislocation

Mechanical characterization of structurally porous biomaterials built via additive manufacturing: experiments, predictive models, and design maps for load-bearing bone replacement implants.

PubMed

Melancon, D; Bagheri, Z S; Johnston, R B; Liu, L; Tanzer, M; Pasini, D

2017-11-01

Porous biomaterials can be additively manufactured with micro-architecture tailored to satisfy the stringent mechano-biological requirements imposed by bone replacement implants. In a previous investigation, we introduced structurally porous biomaterials, featuring strength five times stronger than commercially available porous materials, and confirmed their bone ingrowth capability in an in vivo canine model. While encouraging, the manufactured biomaterials showed geometric mismatches between their internal porous architecture and that of its as-designed counterpart, as well as discrepancies between predicted and tested mechanical properties, issues not fully elucidated. In this work, we propose a systematic approach integrating computed tomography, mechanical testing, and statistical analysis of geometric imperfections to generate statistical based numerical models of high-strength additively manufactured porous biomaterials. The method is used to develop morphology and mechanical maps that illustrate the role played by pore size, porosity, strut thickness, and topology on the relations governing their elastic modulus and compressive yield strength. Overall, there are mismatches between the mechanical properties of ideal-geometry models and as-manufactured porous biomaterials with average errors of 49% and 41% respectively for compressive elastic modulus and yield strength. The proposed methodology gives more accurate predictions for the compressive stiffness and the compressive strength properties with a reduction of the average error to 11% and 7.6%. The implications of the results and the methodology here introduced are discussed in the relevant biomechanical and clinical context, with insight that highlights promises and limitations of additively manufactured porous biomaterials for load-bearing bone replacement implants. In this work, we perform mechanical characterization of load-bearing porous biomaterials for bone replacement over their entire design

75 FR 2434 - Special Conditions: Boeing Model 747-8/-8F Series Airplanes; Design Roll Maneuver Requirement

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-15

... have novel or unusual design features when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the... standards. Additional special conditions will be issued for other novel or unusual design features of the... 747-8/-8F because of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed under the...

Green Infrastructure Design Based on Spatial Conservation Prioritization and Modeling of Biodiversity Features and Ecosystem Services.

PubMed

Snäll, Tord; Lehtomäki, Joona; Arponen, Anni; Elith, Jane; Moilanen, Atte

2016-02-01

There is high-level political support for the use of green infrastructure (GI) across Europe, to maintain viable populations and to provide ecosystem services (ES). Even though GI is inherently a spatial concept, the modern tools for spatial planning have not been recognized, such as in the recent European Environment Agency (EEA) report. We outline a toolbox of methods useful for GI design that explicitly accounts for biodiversity and ES. Data on species occurrence, habitats, and environmental variables are increasingly available via open-access internet platforms. Such data can be synthesized by statistical species distribution modeling, producing maps of biodiversity features. These, together with maps of ES, can form the basis for GI design. We argue that spatial conservation prioritization (SCP) methods are effective tools for GI design, as the overall SCP goal is cost-effective allocation of conservation efforts. Corridors are currently promoted by the EEA as the means for implementing GI design, but they typically target the needs of only a subset of the regional species pool. SCP methods would help to ensure that GI provides a balanced solution for the requirements of many biodiversity features (e.g., species, habitat types) and ES simultaneously in a cost-effective manner. Such tools are necessary to make GI into an operational concept for combating biodiversity loss and promoting ES.

Green Infrastructure Design Based on Spatial Conservation Prioritization and Modeling of Biodiversity Features and Ecosystem Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snäll, Tord; Lehtomäki, Joona; Arponen, Anni; Elith, Jane; Moilanen, Atte

2016-02-01

There is high-level political support for the use of green infrastructure (GI) across Europe, to maintain viable populations and to provide ecosystem services (ES). Even though GI is inherently a spatial concept, the modern tools for spatial planning have not been recognized, such as in the recent European Environment Agency (EEA) report. We outline a toolbox of methods useful for GI design that explicitly accounts for biodiversity and ES. Data on species occurrence, habitats, and environmental variables are increasingly available via open-access internet platforms. Such data can be synthesized by statistical species distribution modeling, producing maps of biodiversity features. These, together with maps of ES, can form the basis for GI design. We argue that spatial conservation prioritization (SCP) methods are effective tools for GI design, as the overall SCP goal is cost-effective allocation of conservation efforts. Corridors are currently promoted by the EEA as the means for implementing GI design, but they typically target the needs of only a subset of the regional species pool. SCP methods would help to ensure that GI provides a balanced solution for the requirements of many biodiversity features (e.g., species, habitat types) and ES simultaneously in a cost-effective manner. Such tools are necessary to make GI into an operational concept for combating biodiversity loss and promoting ES.

A Novel Multiscale Design of Interfaces for Polymeric Composites and Bonded Joints using Additive Manufacturing

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-13

AFRL-AFOSR-VA-TR-2016-0317 A Novel Multiscale Design of Interfaces for Polymeric Composites and Bonded Joints using Additive Manufacturing Pavana...Composites and Bonded Joints using Additive Manufacturing AWARD NO.: FA9550-15-1-0216 AGENCY NAME: The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), Ar...20 3 Additive Manufacturing for Bonded Composite Joints 21 3.1 Introduction

Developing design methods of concrete mix with microsilica additives for road construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dmitrienko, Vladimir; Shrivel, Igor; Kokunko, Irina; Pashkova, Olga

2017-10-01

Based on the laboratory test results, regression equations having standard cone and concrete strength, to determine the available amount of cement, water and microsilica were obtained. The joint solution of these equations allowed the researchers to develop the algorithm of designing heavy concrete compositions with microsilica additives for road construction.

Biomaterial design for specific cellular interactions: Role of surface functionalization and geometric features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolhar, Poornima

The areas of drug delivery and tissue engineering have experienced extraordinary growth in recent years with the application of engineering principles and their potential to support and improve the field of medicine. The tremendous progress in nanotechnology and biotechnology has lead to this explosion of research and development in biomedical applications. Biomaterials can now be engineered at a nanoscale and their specific interactions with the biological tissues can be modulated. Various design parameters are being established and researched for design of drug-delivery carriers and scaffolds to be implanted into humans. Nanoparticles made from versatile biomaterial can deliver both small-molecule drugs and various classes of bio-macromolecules, such as proteins and oligonucleotides. Similarly in the field of tissue engineering, current approaches emphasize nanoscale control of cell behavior by mimicking the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) unlike, traditional scaffolds. Drug delivery and tissue engineering are closely connected fields and both of these applications require materials with exceptional physical, chemical, biological, and biomechanical properties to provide superior therapy. In the current study the surface functionalization and the geometric features of the biomaterials has been explored. In particular, a synthetic surface for culture of human embryonic stem cells has been developed, demonstrating the importance of surface functionalization in maintaining the pluripotency of hESCs. In the second study, the geometric features of the drug delivery carriers are investigated and the polymeric nanoneedles mediated cellular permeabilization and direct cytoplasmic delivery is reported. In the third study, the combined effect of surface functionalization and geometric modification of carriers for vascular targeting is enunciated. These studies illustrate how the biomaterials can be designed to achieve various cellular behaviors and control the

Design Optimization of Irregular Cellular Structure for Additive Manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Guo-Hua; Jing, Shi-Kai; Zhao, Fang-Lei; Wang, Ye-Dong; Xing, Hao; Zhou, Jing-Tao

2017-09-01

Irregularcellular structurehas great potential to be considered in light-weight design field. However, the research on optimizing irregular cellular structures has not yet been reporteddue to the difficulties in their modeling technology. Based on the variable density topology optimization theory, an efficient method for optimizing the topology of irregular cellular structures fabricated through additive manufacturing processes is proposed. The proposed method utilizes tangent circles to automatically generate the main outline of irregular cellular structure. The topological layoutof each cellstructure is optimized using the relative density informationobtained from the proposed modified SIMP method. A mapping relationship between cell structure and relative densityelement is builtto determine the diameter of each cell structure. The results show that the irregular cellular structure can be optimized with the proposed method. The results of simulation and experimental test are similar for irregular cellular structure, which indicate that the maximum deformation value obtained using the modified Solid Isotropic Microstructures with Penalization (SIMP) approach is lower 5.4×10-5 mm than that using the SIMP approach under the same under the same external load. The proposed research provides the instruction to design the other irregular cellular structure.

When friendship formation goes down the toilet: design features of shared accommodation influence interpersonal bonds and well-being.

PubMed

Easterbrook, Matthew J; Vignoles, Vivian L

2015-03-01

Despite its omnipresence, the influence of the built environment on human psychology is not well understood. In a five-wave longitudinal study, we investigated whether physical design features within shared student accommodation predicted the frequency of coincidental meetings between new flatmates, and whether these meetings predicted the strength of their interpersonal bonds and psychological well-being. Multilevel latent growth modelling on responses from 462 new university residents supported our hypotheses: Respondents living in flats with design features that encouraged the use of communal areas--a shared common area and an absence of ensuite toilets--reported unintentionally meeting their flatmates more frequently within their flats. This in turn predicted the initial strength of their interpersonal bonds with their flatmates, which in turn positively predicted their well-being. These effects were maintained throughout the 10-week study. Our findings provide an empirical basis for the development of shared housing designed to foster positive relationships and well-being among residents. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

Implementation of Novel Design Features for qPCR-Based eDNA Assessment

PubMed Central

Veldhoen, Nik; Hobbs, Jared; Ikonomou, Georgios; Hii, Michael; Lesperance, Mary; Helbing, Caren C.

2016-01-01

Environmental stewardship requires timely, accurate information related to the status of a given ecosystem and the species that occupy it. Recent advances in the application of the highly sensitive real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) towards identification of constituents within environmental DNA (eDNA) now allow targeted detection of the presence of species-specific biological material within a localized geographic region. However, as with all molecular techniques predicated on the specificity and sensitivity of the PCR assay, careful validation of each eDNA qPCR assay in development must be performed both under controlled laboratory conditions and when challenged with field-derived eDNA samples. Such a step-wise approach forms the basis for incorporation of innovative qPCR design features that strengthen the implementation and interpretation of the eDNA assay. This includes empirical determination that the qPCR assay is refractory to the presence of human DNA and the use of a tripartite assay approach comprised of 1) a primer set targeting plant chloroplast that evaluates the presence of amplifiable DNA from field samples to increase confidence in a negative result, 2) an animal group primer set to increase confidence in the assay result, and 3) a species-specific primer set to assess presence of DNA from the target species. To demonstrate this methodology, we generated eDNA assays specific for the North American bullfrog (Lithobates (Rana) catesbeiana) and the Rocky Mountain tailed frog (Ascaphus montanus) and characterized each with respect to detection sensitivity and specificity with demonstrated performance in a field survey scenario. The qPCR design features presented herein address specific challenges of eDNA assays thereby increasing their interpretative power. PMID:27802293

Defeating feature fatigue.

PubMed

Rust, Roland T; Thompson, Debora Viana; Hamilton, Rebecca W

2006-02-01

Consider a coffeemaker that offers 12 drink options, a car with more than 700 features on the dashboard, and a mouse pad that's also a clock, calculator, and FM radio. All are examples of "feature bloat", or "featuritis", the result of an almost irresistible temptation to load products with lots of bells and whistles. The problem is that the more features a product boasts, the harder it is to use. Manufacturers that increase a product's capability--the number of useful functions it can perform--at the expense of its usability are exposing their customers to feature fatigue. The authors have conducted three studies to gain a better understanding of how consumers weigh a product's capability relative to its usability. They found that even though consumers know that products with more features are harder to use, they initially choose high-feature models. They also pile on more features when given the chance to customize a product for their needs. Once consumers have actually worked with a product, however, usability starts to matter more to them than capability. For managers in consumer products companies, these findings present a dilemma: Should they maximize initial sales by designing high-feature models, which consumers consistently choose, or should they limit the number of features in order to enhance the lifetime value of their customers? The authors' analytical model guides companies toward a happy middle ground: maximizing the net present value of the typical customer's profit stream. The authors also advise companies to build simpler products, help consumers learn which products suit their needs, develop products that do one thing very well, and design market research in which consumers use actual products or prototypes.

The use of semantic- and phonological-based feature approaches to treat naming deficits in aphasia.

PubMed

Hashimoto, Naomi

2012-06-01

The aim of the study was to compare approaches highlighting either semantic or phonological features to treat naming deficits in aphasia. Treatment focused on improving picture naming. An alternating treatments design was used with a multiple baseline design across stimuli to examine effects of both approaches in two participants with varying degrees of anomia. The features approaches were modified in that three, rather than six, features were used. Significant differential effects were found across participants; this appeared to be a function of each participant's strengths or preferences over the course of treatment. Modest generalization effects were obtained for one participant. Naming error analyses revealed patterns suggestive of increased lexical access for both participants. These findings provide evidence that using a modified features-based protocol can improve naming when incorporating both semantic and phonological feature cues. Naming error patterns can provide additional evidence of improved naming during treatment.

[The morphological features of skin wounds inflicted by joinery hand saws designed for different types of sawing].

PubMed

Sarkisian, B A; Azarov, P A

2014-01-01

The objective of the present work was to study the morphological features of skin wounds inflicted by joinery hand saws designed for longitudinal, transverse, and mixed sawing. A total of 60 injuries to the thigh skin inflicted by the recurring and reciprocating saw movements were simulated. The hand saws had 5 mm high "sharp" and "blunt"-tipped teeth. The analysis of the morphological features of the wounds revealed differences in their length and depth, shape of edge cuts and defects, and the relief of the walls depending on the sawtooth sharpness and the mode of sawing. It is concluded that morphological features of the wounds may be used to determine the type of the saw, the sharpness of its teeth, the direction and frequency of its movements.

Design of free patterns of nanocrystals with ad hoc features via templated dewetting

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aouassa, M.; Berbezier, I.; Favre, L.

Design of monodisperse ultra-small nanocrystals (NCs) into large scale patterns with ad hoc features is demonstrated. The process makes use of solid state dewetting of a thin film templated through alloy liquid metal ion source focused ion beam (LMIS-FIB) nanopatterning. The solid state dewetting initiated at the edges of the patterns controllably creates the ordering of NCs with ad hoc placement and periodicity. The NC size is tuned by varying the nominal thickness of the film while their position results from the association of film retraction from the edges of the lay out and Rayleigh-like instability. The use of ultra-highmore » resolution LMIS-FIB enables to produce monocrystalline NCs with size, periodicity, and placement tunable as well. It provides routes for the free design of nanostructures for generic applications in nanoelectronics.« less

Information presentation features and comprehensibility of hospital report cards: design analysis and online survey among users.

PubMed

Sander, Uwe; Emmert, Martin; Dickel, Jochen; Meszmer, Nina; Kolb, Benjamin

2015-03-16

Improving the transparency of information about the quality of health care providers is one way to improve health care quality. It is assumed that Internet information steers patients toward better-performing health care providers and will motivate providers to improve quality. However, the effect of public reporting on hospital quality is still small. One of the reasons is that users find it difficult to understand the formats in which information is presented. We analyzed the presentation of risk-adjusted mortality rate (RAMR) for coronary angiography in the 10 most commonly used German public report cards to analyze the impact of information presentation features on their comprehensibility. We wanted to determine which information presentation features were utilized, were preferred by users, led to better comprehension, and had similar effects to those reported in evidence-based recommendations described in the literature. The study consisted of 5 steps: (1) identification of best-practice evidence about the presentation of information on hospital report cards; (2) selection of a single risk-adjusted quality indicator; (3) selection of a sample of designs adopted by German public report cards; (4) identification of the information presentation elements used in public reporting initiatives in Germany; and (5) an online panel completed an online questionnaire that was conducted to determine if respondents were able to identify the hospital with the lowest RAMR and if respondents' hospital choices were associated with particular information design elements. Evidence-based recommendations were made relating to the following information presentation features relevant to report cards: evaluative table with symbols, tables without symbols, bar charts, bar charts without symbols, bar charts with symbols, symbols, evaluative word labels, highlighting, order of providers, high values to indicate good performance, explicit statements of whether high or low values indicate

From path models to commands during additive printing of large-scale architectural designs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chepchurov, M. S.; Zhukov, E. M.; Yakovlev, E. A.; Matveykin, V. G.

2018-05-01

The article considers the problem of automation of the formation of large complex parts, products and structures, especially for unique or small-batch objects produced by a method of additive technology [1]. Results of scientific research in search for the optimal design of a robotic complex, its modes of operation (work), structure of its control helped to impose the technical requirements on the technological process for manufacturing and design installation of the robotic complex. Research on virtual models of the robotic complexes allowed defining the main directions of design improvements and the main goal (purpose) of testing of the the manufactured prototype: checking the positioning accuracy of the working part.

With the Design in Mind: "High School Reform Model Features That Matter in Implementation." Conference Paper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shiffman, Catherine Dunn

2015-01-01

This paper proposes a framework for analyzing program design features that seem to matter in implementation. The framework is based on findings from a study conducted by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) between 2004 and 2007 that explored how reform ideas and practices created by five external provider organizations were…

Relationship of Cigarette-Related Perceptions to Cigarette Design Features: Findings From the 2009 ITC U.S. Survey

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Introduction: Many governments around the world have banned the use of misleading cigarette descriptors such as “light” and “mild” because the cigarettes so labeled were found not to reduce smokers’ health risks. However, underlying cigarette design features, which are retained in many brands, likely contribute to ongoing belief that these cigarettes are less harmful by producing perceptions of lightness/smoothness through lighter taste and reduced harshness and irritation. Methods: Participants (N = 320) were recruited from the International Tobacco Control U.S. Survey conducted in 2009 and 2010, when they answered questions about smoking behavior, attitudes and beliefs about tobacco products, and key mediators and moderators of tobacco use behaviors. Participants also submitted an unopened pack of their usual brand of cigarettes for analysis using established methods. Results: Own-brand filter ventilation level (M 29%, range 0%–71%) was consistently associated with perceived lightness (p < .001) and smoothness (p = .005) of own brand. Those whose brand bore a light/mild label (55% of participants) were more likely to report their cigarettes were lighter [71.9% vs. 41.9%; χ2(2) = 38.1, p < .001] and smoother than other brands [75.5% vs. 68.7%; χ2(2) = 7.8, p = .020]. Conclusion: Product design features, particularly filter ventilation, influence smokers’ beliefs about product attributes such as lightness and smoothness, independent of package labels. Regulation of cigarette design features such as filter ventilation should be considered as a complement to removal of misleading terms in order to reduce smokers’ misperceptions regarding product risks. PMID:23943847

JCE Feature Columns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmes, Jon L.

1999-05-01

The Features area of JCE Online is now readily accessible through a single click from our home page. In the Features area each column is linked to its own home page. These column home pages also have links to them from the online Journal Table of Contents pages or from any article published as part of that feature column. Using these links you can easily find abstracts of additional articles that are related by topic. Of course, JCE Online+ subscribers are then just one click away from the entire article. Finding related articles is easy because each feature column "site" contains links to the online abstracts of all the articles that have appeared in the column. In addition, you can find the mission statement for the column and the email link to the column editor that I mentioned above. At the discretion of its editor, a feature column site may contain additional resources. As an example, the Chemical Information Instructor column edited by Arleen Somerville will have a periodically updated bibliography of resources for teaching and using chemical information. Due to the increase in the number of these resources available on the WWW, it only makes sense to publish this information online so that you can get to these resources with a simple click of the mouse. We expect that there will soon be additional information and resources at several other feature column sites. Following in the footsteps of the Chemical Information Instructor, up-to-date bibliographies and links to related online resources can be made available. We hope to extend the online component of our feature columns with moderated online discussion forums. If you have a suggestion for an online resource you would like to see included, let the feature editor or JCE Online (jceonline@chem.wisc.edu) know about it. JCE Internet Features JCE Internet also has several feature columns: Chemical Education Resource Shelf, Conceptual Questions and Challenge Problems, Equipment Buyers Guide, Hal's Picks, Mathcad

Microstructure design for fast oxygen conduction

DOE PAGES

Aidhy, Dilpuneet S.; Weber, William J.

2015-11-11

Research from the last decade has shown that in designing fast oxygen conducting materials for electrochemical applications has largely shifted to microstructural features, in contrast to material-bulk. In particular, understanding oxygen energetics in heterointerface materials is currently at the forefront, where interfacial tensile strain is being considered as the key parameter in lowering oxygen migration barriers. Nanocrystalline materials with high densities of grain boundaries have also gathered interest that could possibly allow leverage over excess volume at grain boundaries, providing fast oxygen diffusion channels similar to those previously observed in metals. In addition, near-interface phase transformations and misfit dislocations aremore » other microstructural phenomenon/features that are being explored to provide faster diffusion. In this review, the current understanding on oxygen energetics, i.e., thermodynamics and kinetics, originating from these microstructural features is discussed. Moreover, our experimental observations, theoretical predictions and novel atomistic mechanisms relevant to oxygen transport are highlighted. In addition, the interaction of dopants with oxygen vacancies in the presence of these new microstructural features, and their future role in the design of future fast-ion conductors, is outlined.« less

SCW Pressure-Channel Nuclear Reactor Some Design Features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pioro, Igor L.; Khan, Mosin; Hopps, Victory; Jacobs, Chris; Patkunam, Ruban; Gopaul, Sandeep; Bakan, Kurtulus

Concepts of nuclear reactors cooled with water at supercritical pressures were studied as early as the 1950s and 1960s in the USA and Russia. After a 30-year break, the idea of developing nuclear reactors cooled with SuperCritical Water (SCW) became attractive again as the ultimate development path for water cooling. The main objectives of using SCW in nuclear reactors are: 1) to increase the thermal efficiency of modern Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) from 30-35% to about 45-48%, and 2) to decrease capital and operational costs and hence decrease electrical energy costs (˜1000 US/kW or even less). SCW NPPs will have much higher operating parameters compared to modern NPPs (pressure about 25 MPa and outlet temperature up to 625°C), and a simplified flow circuit, in which steam generators, steam dryers, steam separators, etc., can be eliminated. Also, higher SCW temperatures allow direct thermo-chemical production of hydrogen at low cost, due to increased reaction rates. Pressure-tube or pressure-channel SCW nuclear reactor concepts are being developed in Canada and Russia for some time. Some design features of the Canadian concept related to fuel channels are discussed in this paper. The main conclusion is that the development of SCW pressure-tube nuclear reactors is feasible and significant benefits can be expected over other thermal-energy systems.

Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Cigarette Design Feature Influence on ISO TNCO Yields.

PubMed

Agnew-Heard, Kimberly A; Lancaster, Vicki A; Bravo, Roberto; Watson, Clifford; Walters, Matthew J; Holman, Matthew R

2016-06-20

The aim of this study is to explore how differences in cigarette physical design parameters influence tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide (TNCO) yields in mainstream smoke (MSS) using the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) smoking regimen. Standardized smoking methods were used to evaluate 50 U.S. domestic brand cigarettes and a reference cigarette representing a range of TNCO yields in MSS collected from linear smoking machines using a nonintense smoking regimen. Multivariate statistical methods were used to form clusters of cigarettes based on their ISO TNCO yields and then to explore the relationship between the ISO generated TNCO yields and the nine cigarette physical design parameters between and within each cluster simultaneously. The ISO generated TNCO yields in MSS are 1.1-17.0 mg tar/cigarette, 0.1-2.2 mg nicotine/cigarette, and 1.6-17.3 mg CO/cigarette. Cluster analysis divided the 51 cigarettes into five discrete clusters based on their ISO TNCO yields. No one physical parameter dominated across all clusters. Predicting ISO machine generated TNCO yields based on these nine physical design parameters is complex due to the correlation among and between the nine physical design parameters and TNCO yields. From these analyses, it is estimated that approximately 20% of the variability in the ISO generated TNCO yields comes from other parameters (e.g., filter material, filter type, inclusion of expanded or reconstituted tobacco, and tobacco blend composition, along with differences in tobacco leaf origin and stalk positions and added ingredients). A future article will examine the influence of these physical design parameters on TNCO yields under a Canadian Intense (CI) smoking regimen. Together, these papers will provide a more robust picture of the design features that contribute to TNCO exposure across the range of real world smoking patterns.

Just-in-time Design and Additive Manufacture of Patient-specific Medical Implants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shidid, Darpan; Leary, Martin; Choong, Peter; Brandt, Milan

Recent advances in medical imaging and manufacturing science have enabled the design and production of complex, patient-specific orthopaedic implants. Additive Manufacture (AM) generates three-dimensional structures layer by layer, and is not subject to the constraints associated with traditional manufacturing methods. AM provides significant opportunities for the design of novel geometries and complex lattice structures with enhanced functional performance. However, the design and manufacture of patient-specific AM implant structures requires unique expertise in handling various optimization platforms. Furthermore, the design process for complex structures is computationally intensive. The primary aim of this research is to enable the just-in-time customisation of AM prosthesis; whereby AM implant design and manufacture be completed within the time constraints of a single surgical procedure, while minimising prosthesis mass and optimising the lattice structure to match the stiffness of the surrounding bone tissue. In this research, a design approach using raw CT scan data is applied to the AM manufacture of femoral prosthesis. Using the proposed just-in-time concept, the mass of the prosthesis was rapidly designed and manufactured while satisfying the associated structural requirements. Compressive testing of lattice structures manufactured using proposed method shows that the load carrying capacity of the resected composite bone can be recovered by up to 85% and the compressive stiffness of the AM prosthesis is statistically indistinguishable from the stiffness of the initial bone.

76 FR 3907 - Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-21

... addition to the SEC: All Atomic Weapons Employer employees who worked at Texas City Chemicals, Inc., from... designate a class of employees from Texas City Chemicals, Inc., Texas City, Texas, as an addition to the...

Pill testing or drug checking in Australia: Acceptability of service design features.

PubMed

Barratt, Monica J; Bruno, Raimondo; Ezard, Nadine; Ritter, Alison

2018-02-01

This study aimed to determine design features of a drug-checking service that would be feasible, attractive and likely to be used by Australian festival and nightlife attendees. Web survey of 851 Australians reporting use of psychostimulants and/or hallucinogens and attendance at licensed venues past midnight and/or festivals in the past year (70% male; median age 23 years). A drug-checking service located at festivals or clubs would be used by 94%; a fixed-site service external to such events by 85%. Most (80%) were willing to wait an hour for their result. Almost all (94%) would not use a service if there was a possibility of arrest, and a majority (64%) would not use a service that did not provide individual feedback of results. Drug-checking results were only slightly more attractive if they provided comprehensive quantitative results compared with qualitative results of key ingredients. Most (93%) were willing to pay up to $5, and 68% up to $10, per test. One-third (33%) reported willingness to donate a whole dose for testing: they were more likely to be male, younger, less experienced, use drugs more frequently and attend venues/festivals less frequently. In this sample, festival- or club-based drug-checking services with low wait times and low cost appear broadly attractive under conditions of legal amnesty and individualised feedback. Quantitative analysis of ecstasy pills requiring surrender of a whole pill may appeal to a minority in Australia where pills are more expensive than elsewhere. [Barratt MJ, Bruno R, Ezard N, Ritter A. Pill testing or drug checking in Australia: Acceptability of service design features. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;00:000-000]. © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Realistic Free-Spins Features Increase Preference for Slot Machines.

PubMed

Taylor, Lorance F; Macaskill, Anne C; Hunt, Maree J

2017-06-01

Despite increasing research into how the structural characteristics of slot machines influence gambling behaviour there have been no experimental investigations into the effect of free-spins bonus features-a structural characteristic that is commonly central to the design of slot machines. This series of three experiments investigated the free-spins feature using slot machine simulations to determine whether participants allocate more wagers to a machine with free spins, and, which components of free-spins features drive this preference. In each experiment, participants were exposed to two computer-simulated slot machines-one with a free-spins feature or similar bonus feature and one without. Participants then completed a testing phase where they could freely switch between the two machines. In Experiment 1, participants did not prefer the machine with a simple free-spins feature. In Experiment 2 the free-spins feature incorporated additional elements such as sounds, animations, and an increased win frequency; participants preferred to gamble on this machine. The Experiment 3 "bonus feature" machine resembled the free spins machine in Experiment 2 except spins were not free; participants showed a clear preference for this machine also. These findings indicate that (1) free-spins features have a major influence over machine choice and (2) the "freeness" of the free-spins bonus features is not an important driver of preference, contrary to self-report and interview research with gamblers.

Nutrition warnings as front-of-pack labels: influence of design features on healthfulness perception and attentional capture.

PubMed

Cabrera, Manuel; Machín, Leandro; Arrúa, Alejandra; Antúnez, Lucía; Curutchet, María Rosa; Giménez, Ana; Ares, Gastón

2017-12-01

Warnings are a new directive front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labelling scheme that highlights products with high content of key nutrients. The design of warnings influences their ability to catch consumers' attention and to clearly communicate their intended meaning, which are key determinants of their effectiveness. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the influence of design features of warnings as a FOP nutrition labelling scheme on perceived healthfulness and attentional capture. Five studies with a total of 496 people were carried out. In the first study, the association of colour and perceived healthfulness was evaluated in an online survey in which participants had to rate their perceived healthfulness of eight colours. In the second study, the influence of colour, shape and textual information on perceived healthfulness was evaluated using choice-conjoint analysis. The third study focused on implicit associations between two design features (shape and colour) on perceived healthfulness. The fourth and fifth studies used visual search to evaluate the influence of colour, size and position of the warnings on attentional capture. Perceived healthfulness was significantly influenced by shape, colour and textual information. Colour was the variable with the largest contribution to perceived healthfulness. Colour, size and position of the warnings on the labels affected attentional capture. Results from the experiments provide recommendations for the design of warnings to identify products with unfavourable nutrient profile.

Effects of two hospital bed design features on physical demands and usability during brake engagement and patient transportation: a repeated measures experimental study.

PubMed

Kim, Sunwook; Barker, Linsey M; Jia, Bochen; Agnew, Michael J; Nussbaum, Maury A

2009-03-01

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are prevalent among healthcare workers worldwide. While existing research has focused on patient-handling techniques during activities which require direct patient contact (e.g., patient transfer), nursing tasks also involve other patient-handling activities, such as engaging bed brakes and transporting patients in beds, which could render healthcare workers at risk of developing WMSDs. Effectiveness of hospital bed design features (brake pedal location and steering-assistance) was evaluated in terms of physical demands and usability during brake engagement and patient transportation tasks. Two laboratory-based studies were conducted. In simulated brake engagement tasks, three brake pedal locations (head-end vs. foot-end vs. side of a bed) and two hands conditions (hands-free vs. hands-occupied) were manipulated. Additionally, both in-room and corridor patient transportation tasks were simulated, in which activation of steering-assistance features (5th wheel and/or front wheel caster lock) and two patient masses were manipulated. Nine novice participants were recruited from the local student population and community for each study. During brake engagement, trunk flexion angle, task completion time, and questionnaires were used to quantify postural comfort and usability. For patient transportation, dependent measures were hand forces and questionnaire responses. Brake pedal locations and steering-assistance features in hospital beds had significant effects on physical demands and usability during brake engagement and patient transportation tasks. Specifically, a brake pedal at the head-end of a bed increased trunk flexion by 74-224% and completion time by 53-74%, compared to other pedal locations. Participants reported greater overall perceived difficulty and less postural comfort with the brake pedal at the head-end. During in-room transportation, participants generally reported "Neither Low nor High" physical demands

Structural Mass Saving Potential of a 5-MW Direct-Drive Generator Designed for Additive Manufacturing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sethuraman, Latha; Fingersh, Lee J; Dykes, Katherine L

As wind turbine blade diameters and tower height increase to capture more energy in the wind, higher structural loads results in more structural support material increasing the cost of scaling. Weight reductions in the generator transfer to overall cost savings of the system. Additive manufacturing facilitates a design-for-functionality approach, thereby removing traditional manufacturing constraints and labor costs. The most feasible additive manufacturing technology identified for large, direct-drive generators in this study is powder-binder jetting of a sand cast mold. A parametric finite element analysis optimization study is performed, optimizing for mass and deformation. Also, topology optimization is employed for eachmore » parameter-optimized design.The optimized U-beam spoked web design results in a 24 percent reduction in structural mass of the rotor and 60 percent reduction in radial deflection.« less

13 CFR 108.1940 - Procedures for designation of additional Low-Income Geographic Areas

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Procedures for designation of additional Low-Income Geographic Areas 108.1940 Section 108.1940 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION NEW MARKETS VENTURE CAPITAL (âNMVCâ) PROGRAM Miscellaneous § 108.1940 Procedures...

About the features of the design of X-ray systems for nondestructive control in industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bessonov, V. B.; Obodovskiy, A. V.; Potrakhov, Y. N.

2018-02-01

X-ray methods for nondestructive control take the priority place if necessary to exercise quality control of a product, to define presence of defects and to execute expert researches. In the present work, an attempt is made to systematize some features in the design and construction of installations for X-ray non-destructive control using the example of developments conducted at St. Petersburg State Electrotechnical University “LETI”.

Wellness Partners: Design and Evaluation of a Web-Based Physical Activity Diary with Social Gaming Features for Adults

PubMed Central

Wang, Hua; Spruijt-Metz, Donna; Jordan-Marsh, Maryalice; Valente, Thomas William

2013-01-01

Background The United States is currently in an age of obesity and inactivity despite increasing public awareness and scientific knowledge of detrimental long-term health effects of this lifestyle. Behavior-tracking diaries offer an effective strategy for physical activity adherence and weight management. Furthermore, Web-based physical activity diaries can engage meaningful partners in people’s social networks through fun online gaming interactions and generate motivational mechanisms for effective behavioral change and positive health outcomes. Objective Wellness Partners (WP) is a Web-based intervention in the form of a physical activity diary with social networking and game features. Two versions were designed and developed for the purpose of this study—“Diary” only and “Diary+Game”. The objectives of this study included pilot testing the research process of this intervention design, implementation, evaluation, and exploring the effectiveness of social gaming features on adult participants’ physical activity and anthropometric measures. Methods We conducted a field experiment with randomized crossover design. Assessments occurred at baseline, first follow-up (FU, 5-8 weeks after using one version of WP), and second FU (5-8 weeks of using the other version of WP). In the control condition, participants started with the “Diary” version of WP while in the experimental condition, participants started with the “Diary+Game” version of WP. A total of 54 adults (egos) ages 44-88, and their family and friends (alters) ages 17-69 participated in the study in ego-network groups. Both egos and their alters completed online surveys about their exercise habits. In addition, egos completed anthropometric measurements of BMI, fat percentage, and fat mass by bioimpedance. Results From October 2009 to May 2010, flyers, emails, and Web advertisements yielded 335 volunteers who were screened. Rolling recruitment resulted in enrollment of 142 qualified

Wellness partners: design and evaluation of a web-based physical activity diary with social gaming features for adults.

PubMed

Gotsis, Marientina; Wang, Hua; Spruijt-Metz, Donna; Jordan-Marsh, Maryalice; Valente, Thomas William

2013-02-01

The United States is currently in an age of obesity and inactivity despite increasing public awareness and scientific knowledge of detrimental long-term health effects of this lifestyle. Behavior-tracking diaries offer an effective strategy for physical activity adherence and weight management. Furthermore, Web-based physical activity diaries can engage meaningful partners in people's social networks through fun online gaming interactions and generate motivational mechanisms for effective behavioral change and positive health outcomes. Wellness Partners (WP) is a Web-based intervention in the form of a physical activity diary with social networking and game features. Two versions were designed and developed for the purpose of this study-"Diary" only and "Diary+Game". The objectives of this study included pilot testing the research process of this intervention design, implementation, evaluation, and exploring the effectiveness of social gaming features on adult participants' physical activity and anthropometric measures. We conducted a field experiment with randomized crossover design. Assessments occurred at baseline, first follow-up (FU, 5-8 weeks after using one version of WP), and second FU (5-8 weeks of using the other version of WP). In the control condition, participants started with the "Diary" version of WP while in the experimental condition, participants started with the "Diary+Game" version of WP. A total of 54 adults (egos) ages 44-88, and their family and friends (alters) ages 17-69 participated in the study in ego-network groups. Both egos and their alters completed online surveys about their exercise habits. In addition, egos completed anthropometric measurements of BMI, fat percentage, and fat mass by bioimpedance. From October 2009 to May 2010, flyers, emails, and Web advertisements yielded 335 volunteers who were screened. Rolling recruitment resulted in enrollment of 142 qualified participants in 54 ego-network groups, which were randomly

A novel design solution to the fraenal notch of maxillary dentures.

PubMed

White, J A P; Bond, I P; Jagger, D C

2013-09-01

This study investigates a novel design feature for the fraenal notch of maxillary dentures, using computational and experimental methods, and shows that its use could significantly increase the longevity of the prosthesis. A two-step process can be used to create the design feature with current denture base materials, but would be highly dependent on the individual skill of the dental technician. Therefore, an alternative form of manufacture, multi-material additive layer manufacture (or '3D printing'), has been proposed as a future method for the direct production of complete dentures with multi-material design features.

Design of an Orthopedic Product by Using Additive Manufacturing Technology: The Arm Splint.

PubMed

Blaya, Fernando; Pedro, Pilar San; Silva, Julia López; D'Amato, Roberto; Heras, Enrique Soriano; Juanes, Juan Antonio

2018-02-05

The traditional fabrication process of custom-made splints has hardly undergone any progress since the beginning of its use at the end of the eighteenth century. New manufacturing techniques and the new materials can help to modernize this treatment method of fractures. The use of Additive Manufacturing has been proposed in recent years as an alternative process for the manufacture of splints and there has been an increase in public awareness and exploration. For this reason, in this study a splint model printed in 3D, that replaces the deficiencies of the cast maintaining its virtues, has been proposed. The proposed methodology is based on three-dimensional digitalization techniques and 3D modeling with reverse engineering software. The work integrates different scientific disciplines to achieve its main goal: to improve life quality of the patient. In addition, the splint has been designed based on the principles of sustainable development. The design of splint is made of Polycarbonate by technique of Additive Manufacturing with fused deposition manufacturing, and conceived with organic shapes, customizing openings and closing buttons with rubber. In this preliminary study the final result is a prototype of the 3D printed arm splint in a reduced scale by using PLA as material.

Prediction of troponin-T degradation using color image texture features in 10d aged beef longissimus steaks.

PubMed

Sun, X; Chen, K J; Berg, E P; Newman, D J; Schwartz, C A; Keller, W L; Maddock Carlin, K R

2014-02-01

The objective was to use digital color image texture features to predict troponin-T degradation in beef. Image texture features, including 88 gray level co-occurrence texture features, 81 two-dimension fast Fourier transformation texture features, and 48 Gabor wavelet filter texture features, were extracted from color images of beef strip steaks (longissimus dorsi, n = 102) aged for 10d obtained using a digital camera and additional lighting. Steaks were designated degraded or not-degraded based on troponin-T degradation determined on d 3 and d 10 postmortem by immunoblotting. Statistical analysis (STEPWISE regression model) and artificial neural network (support vector machine model, SVM) methods were designed to classify protein degradation. The d 3 and d 10 STEPWISE models were 94% and 86% accurate, respectively, while the d 3 and d 10 SVM models were 63% and 71%, respectively, in predicting protein degradation in aged meat. STEPWISE and SVM models based on image texture features show potential to predict troponin-T degradation in meat. © 2013.

10 CFR 60.132 - Additional design criteria for surface facilities in the geologic repository operations area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... geologic repository operations area. 60.132 Section 60.132 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES IN GEOLOGIC REPOSITORIES Technical Criteria Design Criteria for the Geologic Repository Operations Area § 60.132 Additional design criteria for surface facilities in...

Utilizing gamma band to improve mental task based brain-computer interface design.

PubMed

Palaniappan, Ramaswamy

2006-09-01

A common method for designing brain-computer Interface (BCI) is to use electroencephalogram (EEG) signals extracted during mental tasks. In these BCI designs, features from EEG such as power and asymmetry ratios from delta, theta, alpha, and beta bands have been used in classifying different mental tasks. In this paper, the performance of the mental task based BCI design is improved by using spectral power and asymmetry ratios from gamma (24-37 Hz) band in addition to the lower frequency bands. In the experimental study, EEG signals extracted during five mental tasks from four subjects were used. Elman neural network (ENN) trained by the resilient backpropagation algorithm was used to classify the power and asymmetry ratios from EEG into different combinations of two mental tasks. The results indicated that ((1) the classification performance and training time of the BCI design were improved through the use of additional gamma band features; (2) classification performances were nearly invariant to the number of ENN hidden units or feature extraction method.

Extraction of Airport Features from High Resolution Satellite Imagery for Design and Risk Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Chris; Qiu, You-Liang; Jensen, John R.; Schill, Steven R.; Floyd, Mike

2001-01-01

The LPA Group, consisting of 17 offices located throughout the eastern and central United States is an architectural, engineering and planning firm specializing in the development of Airports, Roads and Bridges. The primary focus of this ARC project is concerned with assisting their aviation specialists who work in the areas of Airport Planning, Airfield Design, Landside Design, Terminal Building Planning and design, and various other construction services. The LPA Group wanted to test the utility of high-resolution commercial satellite imagery for the purpose of extracting airport elevation features in the glide path areas surrounding the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. By incorporating remote sensing techniques into their airport planning process, LPA wanted to investigate whether or not it is possible to save time and money while achieving the equivalent accuracy as traditional planning methods. The Affiliate Research Center (ARC) at the University of South Carolina investigated the use of remotely sensed imagery for the extraction of feature elevations in the glide path zone. A stereo pair of IKONOS panchromatic satellite images, which has a spatial resolution of 1 x 1 m, was used to determine elevations of aviation obstructions such as buildings, trees, towers and fence-lines. A validation dataset was provided by the LPA Group to assess the accuracy of the measurements derived from the IKONOS imagery. The initial goal of this project was to test the utility of IKONOS imagery in feature extraction using ERDAS Stereo Analyst. This goal was never achieved due to problems with ERDAS software support of the IKONOS sensor model and the unavailability of imperative sensor model information from Space Imaging. The obstacles encountered in this project pertaining to ERDAS Stereo Analyst and IKONOS imagery will be reviewed in more detail later in this report. As a result of the technical difficulties with Stereo Analyst, ERDAS OrthoBASE was used to derive aviation

Key features for ATA / ATR database design in missile systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Özertem, Kemal Arda

2017-05-01

Automatic target acquisition (ATA) and automatic target recognition (ATR) are two vital tasks for missile systems, and having a robust detection and recognition algorithm is crucial for overall system performance. In order to have a robust target detection and recognition algorithm, an extensive image database is required. Automatic target recognition algorithms use the database of images in training and testing steps of algorithm. This directly affects the recognition performance, since the training accuracy is driven by the quality of the image database. In addition, the performance of an automatic target detection algorithm can be measured effectively by using an image database. There are two main ways for designing an ATA / ATR database. The first and easy way is by using a scene generator. A scene generator can model the objects by considering its material information, the atmospheric conditions, detector type and the territory. Designing image database by using a scene generator is inexpensive and it allows creating many different scenarios quickly and easily. However the major drawback of using a scene generator is its low fidelity, since the images are created virtually. The second and difficult way is designing it using real-world images. Designing image database with real-world images is a lot more costly and time consuming; however it offers high fidelity, which is critical for missile algorithms. In this paper, critical concepts in ATA / ATR database design with real-world images are discussed. Each concept is discussed in the perspective of ATA and ATR separately. For the implementation stage, some possible solutions and trade-offs for creating the database are proposed, and all proposed approaches are compared to each other with regards to their pros and cons.

Five features of value-based insurance design plans were associated with higher rates of medication adherence.

PubMed

Choudhry, Niteesh K; Fischer, Michael A; Smith, Benjamin F; Brill, Gregory; Girdish, Charmaine; Matlin, Olga S; Brennan, Troyen A; Avorn, Jerry; Shrank, William H

2014-03-01

Value-based insurance design (VBID) plans selectively lower cost sharing to increase medication adherence. Existing plans have been structured in a variety of ways, and these variations could influence the effectiveness of VBID plans. We evaluated seventy-six plans introduced by a large pharmacy benefit manager during 2007-10. We found that after we adjusted for the other features and baseline trends, VBID plans that were more generous, targeted high-risk patients, offered wellness programs, did not offer disease management programs, and made the benefit available only for medication ordered by mail had a significantly greater impact on adherence than plans without these features. The effects were as large as 4-5 percentage points. These findings can provide guidance for the structure of future VBID plans.

[Design and Preparation of Plant Bionic Materials Based on Optical and Infrared Features Simulation].

PubMed

Jiang, Xiao-jun; Lu, Xu-liang; Pan, Jia-liang; Zhang, Shuan-qin

2015-07-01

Due to the life characteristics such as physiological structure and transpiration, plants have unique optical and infrared features. In the optical band, because of the common effects of chlorophyll and water, plant leafs show spectral reflectance characteristics change in 550, 680, 1400 and 1900 nm significantly. In the infrared wave band, driven by transpiration, plants could regulate temperature on their own initiative, which make the infrared characteristics of plants different from artificial materials. So palnt bionic materials were proposed to simulate optical and infrared characteristics of plants. By analyzing formation mechanism of optical and infrared features about green plants, the component design and heat-transfer process of plants bionic materials were studied, above these the heat-transfer control formulation was established. Based on water adsorption/release compound, optical pigments and other man-made materials, plant bionic materials preparation methods were designed which could simulate the optical and infrared features of green plants. By chemical casting methods plant bionic material films were prepared, which use polyvinyl alcohol as film forming and water adsorption/release compound, and use optical pigments like chrome green and macromolecule yellow as colouring materials. The research conclusions achieved by testings figured out: water adsorption/release testing showed that the plant bionic materials with a certain thickness could absorb 1.3 kg water per square meter, which could satisfy the water usage of transpiration simulation one day; the optical and infrared simulated effect tests indicated that the plant bionic materials could preferably simulate the spectral reflective performance of green plants in optical wave band (380-2500 nm, expecially in 1400 and 1900 nm which were water absorption wave band of plants), and also it had similar daily infrared radiation variations with green plants, daily average radiation temperature

Housing Stakeholder Preferences for the "Soft" Features of Sustainable and Healthy Housing Design in the UK.

PubMed

Prochorskaite, Agne; Couch, Chris; Malys, Naglis; Maliene, Vida

2016-01-07

It is widely recognised that the quantity and sustainability of new homes in the UK need to increase. However, it is important that sustainable housing is regarded holistically, and not merely in environmental terms, and incorporates elements that enhance the quality of life, health and well-being of its users. This paper focuses on the "soft" features of sustainable housing, that is, the non-technological components of sustainable housing and neighbourhood design that can impact occupants' health and well-being. Aims of the study are to ascertain the relative level of importance that key housing stakeholders attach to these features and to investigate whether the opinions of housing users and housing providers are aligned with regards to their importance. An online survey was carried out to gauge the level of importance that the key stakeholders, such as housing users, local authorities, housing associations, and developers (n = 235), attach to these features. Results revealed that while suitable indoor space was the feature regarded as most important by all stakeholders, there were also a number of disparities in opinion between housing users and housing providers (and among the different types of providers). This implies a scope for initiatives to achieve a better alignment between housing users and providers.

Additional security features for optically variable foils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, Allan C.; Russo, Frank

1998-04-01

For thousands of years, man has exploited the attraction and radiance of pure gold to adorn articles of great significance. Today, designers decorate packaging with metallic gold foils to maintain the prestige of luxury items such as perfumes, chocolates, wine and whisky, and to add visible appeal and value to wide range of products. However, today's products do not call for the hand beaten gold leaf of the Ancient Egyptians, instead a rapid production technology exists which makes use of accurately coated thin polymer films and vacuum deposited metallic layers. Stamping Foils Technology is highly versatile since several different layers may be combined into one product, each providing a different function. Not only can a foil bring visual appeal to an article, it can provide physical and chemical resistance properties and also protect an article from human forms of interference, such as counterfeiting, copying or tampering. Stamping foils have proved to be a highly effective vehicle for applying optical devices to items requiring this type of protection. Credit cards, bank notes, personal identification documents and more recently high value packaged items such as software and perfumes are protected by optically variable devices applied using stamping foil technology.

77 FR 58911 - Additional Identifying Information for One (1) Individual Designated Pursuant to Executive Order...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-24

... Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (``SDN List'') on September 13, 2012. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION... and Facsimile Availability The SDN List and additional information concerning OFAC are available from...

Additive Manufacturing for Cost Efficient Production of Compact Ceramic Heat Exchangers and Recuperators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shulman, Holly; Ross, Nicole

2015-10-30

An additive manufacture technique known as laminated object manufacturing (LOM) was used to fabricate compact ceramic heat exchanger prototypes. LOM uses precision CO2 laser cutting of ceramic green tapes, which are then precision stacked to build a 3D object with fine internal features. Modeling was used to develop prototype designs and predict the thermal response, stress, and efficiency in the ceramic heat exchangers. Build testing and materials analyses were used to provide feedback for the design selection. During this development process, laminated object manufacturing protocols were established. This included laser optimization, strategies for fine feature integrity, lamination fluid control, greenmore » handling, and firing profile. Three full size prototypes were fabricated using two different designs. One prototype was selected for performance testing. During testing, cross talk leakage prevented the application of a high pressure differential, however, the prototype was successful at withstanding the high temperature operating conditions (1300 °F). In addition, analysis showed that the bulk of the part did not have cracks or leakage issues. This led to the development of a module method for next generation LOM heat exchangers. A scale-up cost analysis showed that given a purpose built LOM system, these ceramic heat exchangers would be affordable for the applications.« less

Program design features that can improve participation in health education interventions

PubMed Central

Gucciardi, Enza; Cameron, Jill I; Liao, Chen Di; Palmer, Alison; Stewart, Donna E

2007-01-01

Background Although there have been reported benefits of health education interventions across various health issues, the key to program effectiveness is participation and retention. Unfortunately, not everyone is willing to participate in health interventions upon invitation. In fact, health education interventions are vulnerable to low participation rates. The objective of this study was to identify design features that may increase participation in health education interventions and evaluation surveys, and to maximize recruitment and retention efforts in a general ambulatory population. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to 175 individuals in waiting rooms of two hospitals diagnostic centres in Toronto, Canada. Subjects were asked about their willingness to participate, in principle, and the extent of their participation (frequency and duration) in health education interventions under various settings and in intervention evaluation surveys using various survey methods. Results The majority of respondents preferred to participate in one 30–60 minutes education intervention session a year, in hospital either with a group or one-on-one with an educator. Also, the majority of respondents preferred to spend 20–30 minutes each time, completing one to two evaluation surveys per year in hospital or by mail. Conclusion When designing interventions and their evaluation surveys, it is important to consider the preferences for setting, length of participation and survey method of your target population, in order to maximize recruitment and retention efforts. Study respondents preferred short and convenient health education interventions and surveys. Therefore, brevity, convenience and choice appear to be important when designing education interventions and evaluation surveys from the perspective of our target population. PMID:17996089

A regularized variable selection procedure in additive hazards model with stratified case-cohort design.

PubMed

Ni, Ai; Cai, Jianwen

2018-07-01

Case-cohort designs are commonly used in large epidemiological studies to reduce the cost associated with covariate measurement. In many such studies the number of covariates is very large. An efficient variable selection method is needed for case-cohort studies where the covariates are only observed in a subset of the sample. Current literature on this topic has been focused on the proportional hazards model. However, in many studies the additive hazards model is preferred over the proportional hazards model either because the proportional hazards assumption is violated or the additive hazards model provides more relevent information to the research question. Motivated by one such study, the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, we investigate the properties of a regularized variable selection procedure in stratified case-cohort design under an additive hazards model with a diverging number of parameters. We establish the consistency and asymptotic normality of the penalized estimator and prove its oracle property. Simulation studies are conducted to assess the finite sample performance of the proposed method with a modified cross-validation tuning parameter selection methods. We apply the variable selection procedure to the ARIC study to demonstrate its practical use.

78 FR 77686 - Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-24

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the... Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: HHS gives notice of a decision to designate a class of employees from the Rocky Flats Plant in Golden...

78 FR 64501 - Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-29

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the... Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: HHS gives notice of a decision to designate a class of employees from the Pantex Plant in Amarillo...

77 FR 76489 - Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-28

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the... Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: HHS gives notice of a decision to designate a class of employees from the Mound Plant in Miamisburg...

The Computer Aided Aircraft-design Package (CAAP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yalif, Guy U.

1994-01-01

The preliminary design of an aircraft is a complex, labor-intensive, and creative process. Since the 1970's, many computer programs have been written to help automate preliminary airplane design. Time and resource analyses have identified, 'a substantial decrease in project duration with the introduction of an automated design capability'. Proof-of-concept studies have been completed which establish 'a foundation for a computer-based airframe design capability', Unfortunately, today's design codes exist in many different languages on many, often expensive, hardware platforms. Through the use of a module-based system architecture, the Computer aided Aircraft-design Package (CAAP) will eventually bring together many of the most useful features of existing programs. Through the use of an expert system, it will add an additional feature that could be described as indispensable to entry level engineers and students: the incorporation of 'expert' knowledge into the automated design process.

The Identification, Implementation, and Evaluation of Critical User Interface Design Features of Computer-Assisted Instruction Programs in Mathematics for Students with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seo, You-Jin; Woo, Honguk

2010-01-01

Critical user interface design features of computer-assisted instruction programs in mathematics for students with learning disabilities and corresponding implementation guidelines were identified in this study. Based on the identified features and guidelines, a multimedia computer-assisted instruction program, "Math Explorer", which delivers…

Systems for deep brain stimulation: review of technical features.

PubMed

Amon, A; Alesch, F

2017-09-01

The use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an important treatment option for movement disorders and other medical conditions. Today, three major manufacturers provide implantable systems for DBS. Although the underlying principle is basically the same for all available systems, the differences in the technical features vary considerably. This article outlines aspects regarding the technical features of DBS systems. The differences between voltage and current sources are addressed and their effect on stimulation is shown. To maintain clinical benefit and minimize side effects the stimulation field has to be adapted to the requirements of the patient. Shaping of the stimulation field can be achieved by the electrode design and polarity configuration. Furthermore, the electric signal consisting of stimulation rate, stimulation amplitude and pulse width affect the stimulation field. Interleaving stimulation is an additional concept, which permits improved treatment outcomes. Therefore, the electrode design, the polarity, the electric signal, and the concept of interleaving stimulation are presented. The investigated systems can be also categorized as rechargeable and non-rechargeable, which is briefly discussed. Options for interconnecting different system components from various manufacturers are presented. The present paper summarizes the technical features and their combination possibilities, which can have a major impact on the therapeutic effect.

Generating One Biometric Feature from Another: Faces from Fingerprints

PubMed Central

Ozkaya, Necla; Sagiroglu, Seref

2010-01-01

This study presents a new approach based on artificial neural networks for generating one biometric feature (faces) from another (only fingerprints). An automatic and intelligent system was designed and developed to analyze the relationships among fingerprints and faces and also to model and to improve the existence of the relationships. The new proposed system is the first study that generates all parts of the face including eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, ears and face border from only fingerprints. It is also unique and different from similar studies recently presented in the literature with some superior features. The parameter settings of the system were achieved with the help of Taguchi experimental design technique. The performance and accuracy of the system have been evaluated with 10-fold cross validation technique using qualitative evaluation metrics in addition to the expanded quantitative evaluation metrics. Consequently, the results were presented on the basis of the combination of these objective and subjective metrics for illustrating the qualitative properties of the proposed methods as well as a quantitative evaluation of their performances. Experimental results have shown that one biometric feature can be determined from another. These results have once more indicated that there is a strong relationship between fingerprints and faces. PMID:22399877

Recognizing human activities using appearance metric feature and kinematics feature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Huimin; Zhou, Jun; Lu, Xinbiao; Wu, Xinye

2017-05-01

The problem of automatically recognizing human activities from videos through the fusion of the two most important cues, appearance metric feature and kinematics feature, is considered. And a system of two-dimensional (2-D) Poisson equations is introduced to extract the more discriminative appearance metric feature. Specifically, the moving human blobs are first detected out from the video by background subtraction technique to form a binary image sequence, from which the appearance feature designated as the motion accumulation image and the kinematics feature termed as centroid instantaneous velocity are extracted. Second, 2-D discrete Poisson equations are employed to reinterpret the motion accumulation image to produce a more differentiated Poisson silhouette image, from which the appearance feature vector is created through the dimension reduction technique called bidirectional 2-D principal component analysis, considering the balance between classification accuracy and time consumption. Finally, a cascaded classifier based on the nearest neighbor classifier and two directed acyclic graph support vector machine classifiers, integrated with the fusion of the appearance feature vector and centroid instantaneous velocity vector, is applied to recognize the human activities. Experimental results on the open databases and a homemade one confirm the recognition performance of the proposed algorithm.

Main Oxidizer Valve Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Addona, Brad; Eddleman, David

2015-01-01

A developmental Main Oxidizer Valve (MOV) was designed by NASA-MSFC using additive manufacturing processes. The MOV is a pneumatically actuated poppet valve to control the flow of liquid oxygen to an engine's injector. A compression spring is used to return the valve to the closed state when pneumatic pressure is removed from the valve. The valve internal parts are cylindrical in shape, which lends itself to traditional lathe and milling operations. However, the valve body represents a complicated shape and contains the majority of the mass of the valve. Additive manufacturing techniques were used to produce a part that optimized mass and allowed for design features not practical with traditional machining processes.

Comparison of patellofemoral outcomes after TKA using two prostheses with different patellofemoral design features.

PubMed

Bae, Dae Kyung; Baek, Jong Hun; Yoon, Kyung Tack; Son, Hyuck Sung; Song, Sang Jun

2017-12-01

The purpose of the present study was to compare the clinical and radiographic results after TKA using two prostheses with different sagittal patellofemoral design features, including outcomes related to compatibility of the patellofemoral joint. The clinical and radiographic results of 81 patients (100 knees) who underwent TKA using the specific prosthesis (group A) were compared with those in a control group who underwent TKA using the other prosthesis (group B). The presence of anterior knee joint pain, patellar crepitation, and patellar clunk syndrome was also checked. The function score and maximum flexion angle at the last follow-up were slightly better in group A than those in group B (92.0 ± 2.3 vs. 90.6 ± 4.2) (133.6° ± 8.4° vs. 129.6° ± 11.4°). Anterior knee pain was observed in 6 knees and patellar crepitation in four knees in group A. In group B, these symptoms were observed in 22 knees and 18 knees, respectively. There was no patellar clunk syndrome in either group. The alignment was corrected with satisfactory positioning of components. The patellar height remained unchanged after TKA in the two groups. The differences between preoperative and postoperative patellar tilt angle and patellar translation were small. When comparing the clinical and radiographic results after TKA using two prostheses with different sagittal patellofemoral design features, TKA using the specific prosthesis provided satisfactory results with less clinical symptoms related to the patellofemoral kinematics with TKA using the other prosthesis. III.

Perspectives for Practice: A New JOSPT Feature to Facilitate Translation of Research Into Practice.

PubMed

Abbott, J Haxby

2016-03-01

In this month's issue, we introduce a new feature, Perspectives for Practice, which aims to interpret new research in the context of established best practice. This 2-page feature is designed to offer clinicians insight into the state of the art: what was known before, what research was done before, what new evidence the present study found, and how we should interpret this new evidence in light of what was known before. The second page of the Perspectives for Practice will provide additional material useful for teaching and discussion. The structure and content of these features will undergo continued development in response to reader feedback, which we welcome.

Features and machine learning classification of connected speech samples from patients with autopsy proven Alzheimer's disease with and without additional vascular pathology.

PubMed

Rentoumi, Vassiliki; Raoufian, Ladan; Ahmed, Samrah; de Jager, Celeste A; Garrard, Peter

2014-01-01

Mixed vascular and Alzheimer-type dementia and pure Alzheimer's disease are both associated with changes in spoken language. These changes have, however, seldom been subjected to systematic comparison. In the present study, we analyzed language samples obtained during the course of a longitudinal clinical study from patients in whom one or other pathology was verified at post mortem. The aims of the study were twofold: first, to confirm the presence of differences in language produced by members of the two groups using quantitative methods of evaluation; and secondly to ascertain the most informative sources of variation between the groups. We adopted a computational approach to evaluate digitized transcripts of connected speech along a range of language-related dimensions. We then used machine learning text classification to assign the samples to one of the two pathological groups on the basis of these features. The classifiers' accuracies were tested using simple lexical features, syntactic features, and more complex statistical and information theory characteristics. Maximum accuracy was achieved when word occurrences and frequencies alone were used. Features based on syntactic and lexical complexity yielded lower discrimination scores, but all combinations of features showed significantly better performance than a baseline condition in which every transcript was assigned randomly to one of the two classes. The classification results illustrate the word content specific differences in the spoken language of the two groups. In addition, those with mixed pathology were found to exhibit a marked reduction in lexical variation and complexity compared to their pure AD counterparts.

Feature Selection Method Based on Neighborhood Relationships: Applications in EEG Signal Identification and Chinese Character Recognition

PubMed Central

Zhao, Yu-Xiang; Chou, Chien-Hsing

2016-01-01

In this study, a new feature selection algorithm, the neighborhood-relationship feature selection (NRFS) algorithm, is proposed for identifying rat electroencephalogram signals and recognizing Chinese characters. In these two applications, dependent relationships exist among the feature vectors and their neighboring feature vectors. Therefore, the proposed NRFS algorithm was designed for solving this problem. By applying the NRFS algorithm, unselected feature vectors have a high priority of being added into the feature subset if the neighboring feature vectors have been selected. In addition, selected feature vectors have a high priority of being eliminated if the neighboring feature vectors are not selected. In the experiments conducted in this study, the NRFS algorithm was compared with two feature algorithms. The experimental results indicated that the NRFS algorithm can extract the crucial frequency bands for identifying rat vigilance states and identifying crucial character regions for recognizing Chinese characters. PMID:27314346

A combined Fisher and Laplacian score for feature selection in QSAR based drug design using compounds with known and unknown activities.

PubMed

Valizade Hasanloei, Mohammad Amin; Sheikhpour, Razieh; Sarram, Mehdi Agha; Sheikhpour, Elnaz; Sharifi, Hamdollah

2018-02-01

Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) is an effective computational technique for drug design that relates the chemical structures of compounds to their biological activities. Feature selection is an important step in QSAR based drug design to select the most relevant descriptors. One of the most popular feature selection methods for classification problems is Fisher score which aim is to minimize the within-class distance and maximize the between-class distance. In this study, the properties of Fisher criterion were extended for QSAR models to define the new distance metrics based on the continuous activity values of compounds with known activities. Then, a semi-supervised feature selection method was proposed based on the combination of Fisher and Laplacian criteria which exploits both compounds with known and unknown activities to select the relevant descriptors. To demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed semi-supervised feature selection method in selecting the relevant descriptors, we applied the method and other feature selection methods on three QSAR data sets such as serine/threonine-protein kinase PLK3 inhibitors, ROCK inhibitors and phenol compounds. The results demonstrated that the QSAR models built on the selected descriptors by the proposed semi-supervised method have better performance than other models. This indicates the efficiency of the proposed method in selecting the relevant descriptors using the compounds with known and unknown activities. The results of this study showed that the compounds with known and unknown activities can be helpful to improve the performance of the combined Fisher and Laplacian based feature selection methods.

A combined Fisher and Laplacian score for feature selection in QSAR based drug design using compounds with known and unknown activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valizade Hasanloei, Mohammad Amin; Sheikhpour, Razieh; Sarram, Mehdi Agha; Sheikhpour, Elnaz; Sharifi, Hamdollah

2018-02-01

Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) is an effective computational technique for drug design that relates the chemical structures of compounds to their biological activities. Feature selection is an important step in QSAR based drug design to select the most relevant descriptors. One of the most popular feature selection methods for classification problems is Fisher score which aim is to minimize the within-class distance and maximize the between-class distance. In this study, the properties of Fisher criterion were extended for QSAR models to define the new distance metrics based on the continuous activity values of compounds with known activities. Then, a semi-supervised feature selection method was proposed based on the combination of Fisher and Laplacian criteria which exploits both compounds with known and unknown activities to select the relevant descriptors. To demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed semi-supervised feature selection method in selecting the relevant descriptors, we applied the method and other feature selection methods on three QSAR data sets such as serine/threonine-protein kinase PLK3 inhibitors, ROCK inhibitors and phenol compounds. The results demonstrated that the QSAR models built on the selected descriptors by the proposed semi-supervised method have better performance than other models. This indicates the efficiency of the proposed method in selecting the relevant descriptors using the compounds with known and unknown activities. The results of this study showed that the compounds with known and unknown activities can be helpful to improve the performance of the combined Fisher and Laplacian based feature selection methods.

Automatic feature design for optical character recognition using an evolutionary search procedure.

PubMed

Stentiford, F W

1985-03-01

An automatic evolutionary search is applied to the problem of feature extraction in an OCR application. A performance measure based on feature independence is used to generate features which do not appear to suffer from peaking effects [17]. Features are extracted from a training set of 30 600 machine printed 34 class alphanumeric characters derived from British mail. Classification results on the training set and a test set of 10 200 characters are reported for an increasing number of features. A 1.01 percent forced decision error rate is obtained on the test data using 316 features. The hardware implementation should be cheap and fast to operate. The performance compares favorably with current low cost OCR page readers.

Design, methodology, and baseline data of the Personalized Addition Lenses Clinical Trial (PACT)

PubMed Central

Yu, Xinping; Zhang, Binjun; Bao, Jinhua; Zhang, Junxiao; Wu, Ge; Xu, Jinling; Zheng, Jingwei; Drobe, Björn; Chen, Hao

2017-01-01

Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to describe the design, methods, and baseline characteristics of children enrolled in the Personalized Addition lenses Clinical Trial (PACT). PACT aims to test the myopia control efficacy of progressive addition lenses (PALs) with personalized addition values compared with standard (+2.00 D) addition PALs and single vision lenses (SVLs). Methods: PACT is a randomized, controlled, double-masked clinical trial. Two hundred eleven myopic Chinese children (7–12 years) were enrolled and randomized into 1 of the 3 following groups: personalized addition PALs; +2.00 addition PALs; and SVLs. Personalized addition values were determined based on the highest addition that satisfied Sheard criterion. Axial length and other biometric data were also recorded. Results: At baseline, no differences were found between the right and left eyes for any of the main parameters. The enrolled children were 9.7 ± 1.1 years’ old with cycloplegic autorefraction (right eye [OD]: −2.36 ± 0.64 D), near phoria (1.0 ± 5.0 prism diopter esophoria), lag of accommodation (1.40 ± 0.50 D) and axial length (OD: 24.58 ± 0.74 mm). The personalized addition values ranged from +0.75 to +3.00 (average ± SD: 2.19 ± 0.73 D). Conclusion: PACT is a clinical trial evaluating whether myopia progression in children can be slowed by wearing personalized addition PALs compared with fixed addition PALs and SVLs as measured by cycloplegic autorefraction and axial length. Baseline data were comparable with those of previous myopia control studies in children. Subjects will be followed up every 6 months for 2 years. PMID:28296722

Modeling OPC complexity for design for manufacturability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Puneet; Kahng, Andrew B.; Muddu, Swamy; Nakagawa, Sam; Park, Chul-Hong

2005-11-01

Increasing design complexity in sub-90nm designs results in increased mask complexity and cost. Resolution enhancement techniques (RET) such as assist feature addition, phase shifting (attenuated PSM) and aggressive optical proximity correction (OPC) help in preserving feature fidelity in silicon but increase mask complexity and cost. Data volume increase with rise in mask complexity is becoming prohibitive for manufacturing. Mask cost is determined by mask write time and mask inspection time, which are directly related to the complexity of features printed on the mask. Aggressive RET increase complexity by adding assist features and by modifying existing features. Passing design intent to OPC has been identified as a solution for reducing mask complexity and cost in several recent works. The goal of design-aware OPC is to relax OPC tolerances of layout features to minimize mask cost, without sacrificing parametric yield. To convey optimal OPC tolerances for manufacturing, design optimization should drive OPC tolerance optimization using models of mask cost for devices and wires. Design optimization should be aware of impact of OPC correction levels on mask cost and performance of the design. This work introduces mask cost characterization (MCC) that quantifies OPC complexity, measured in terms of fracture count of the mask, for different OPC tolerances. MCC with different OPC tolerances is a critical step in linking design and manufacturing. In this paper, we present a MCC methodology that provides models of fracture count of standard cells and wire patterns for use in design optimization. MCC cannot be performed by designers as they do not have access to foundry OPC recipes and RET tools. To build a fracture count model, we perform OPC and fracturing on a limited set of standard cells and wire configurations with all tolerance combinations. Separately, we identify the characteristics of the layout that impact fracture count. Based on the fracture count (FC) data

The performance improvement of automatic classification among obstructive lung diseases on the basis of the features of shape analysis, in addition to texture analysis at HRCT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Youngjoo; Kim, Namkug; Seo, Joon Beom; Lee, JuneGoo; Kang, Suk Ho

2007-03-01

In this paper, we proposed novel shape features to improve classification performance of differentiating obstructive lung diseases, based on HRCT (High Resolution Computerized Tomography) images. The images were selected from HRCT images, obtained from 82 subjects. For each image, two experienced radiologists selected rectangular ROIs with various sizes (16x16, 32x32, and 64x64 pixels), representing each disease or normal lung parenchyma. Besides thirteen textural features, we employed additional seven shape features; cluster shape features, and Top-hat transform features. To evaluate the contribution of shape features for differentiation of obstructive lung diseases, several experiments were conducted with two different types of classifiers and various ROI sizes. For automated classification, the Bayesian classifier and support vector machine (SVM) were implemented. To assess the performance and cross-validation of the system, 5-folding method was used. In comparison to employing only textural features, adding shape features yields significant enhancement of overall sensitivity(5.9, 5.4, 4.4% in the Bayesian and 9.0, 7.3, 5.3% in the SVM), in the order of ROI size 16x16, 32x32, 64x64 pixels, respectively (t-test, p<0.01). Moreover, this enhancement was largely due to the improvement on class-specific sensitivity of mild centrilobular emphysema and bronchiolitis obliterans which are most hard to differentiate for radiologists. According to these experimental results, adding shape features to conventional texture features is much useful to improve classification performance of obstructive lung diseases in both Bayesian and SVM classifiers.

Housing Stakeholder Preferences for the “Soft” Features of Sustainable and Healthy Housing Design in the UK

PubMed Central

Prochorskaite, Agne; Couch, Chris; Malys, Naglis; Maliene, Vida

2016-01-01

It is widely recognised that the quantity and sustainability of new homes in the UK need to increase. However, it is important that sustainable housing is regarded holistically, and not merely in environmental terms, and incorporates elements that enhance the quality of life, health and well-being of its users. This paper focuses on the “soft” features of sustainable housing, that is, the non-technological components of sustainable housing and neighbourhood design that can impact occupants’ health and well-being. Aims of the study are to ascertain the relative level of importance that key housing stakeholders attach to these features and to investigate whether the opinions of housing users and housing providers are aligned with regards to their importance. An online survey was carried out to gauge the level of importance that the key stakeholders, such as housing users, local authorities, housing associations, and developers (n = 235), attach to these features. Results revealed that while suitable indoor space was the feature regarded as most important by all stakeholders, there were also a number of disparities in opinion between housing users and housing providers (and among the different types of providers). This implies a scope for initiatives to achieve a better alignment between housing users and providers. PMID:26751465

Theoretical and experimental investigation of design for multioptical-axis freeform progressive addition lenses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, HuaZhong; Chen, JiaBi; Zhu, TianFen; Wei, YeFei; Fu, DongXiang

2015-11-01

A freeform progressive addition lens (PAL) provides a good solution to correct presbyopia and prevent juvenile myopia by distributing pupils' optical powers of distance zone, near zone, and intermediate zone and is more widely adopted in the present optometric study. However, there is still a lack of a single-optical-axis system for the design of a PAL. This paper focuses on the research for an approach for designing a freeform PAL. A multioptical-axis system based on real viewing conditions using the eyes is employed for the representation of the freeform surface. We filled small pupils in the intermediate zone as a progressive corridor and the distance- and near-vision portions were defined as the standard spherical surfaces delimited by quadratic curves. Three freeform PALs with a spherical surface as the front side and a freeform surface as the backside were designed. We demonstrate the fabrication and measurement technologies for the PAL surface using computer numerical control machine tools from Schneider Smart and a Visionix VM-2000 Lens Power Mapper. Surface power and astigmatic values were obtained. Preliminary results showed that the approach for the design and fabrication is helpful to advance the design procedure optimization and mass production of PALs in optometry.

Design features of a low-disturbance supersonic wind tunnel for transition research at low supersonic Mach numbers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolf, Stephen W. D.; Laub, James A.; King, Lyndell S.; Reda, Daniel C.

1992-01-01

A unique, low-disturbance supersonic wind tunnel is being developed at NASA-Ames to support supersonic laminar flow control research at cruise Mach numbers of the High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT). The distinctive design features of this new quiet tunnel are a low-disturbance settling chamber, laminar boundary layers along the nozzle/test section walls, and steady supersonic diffuser flow. This paper discusses these important aspects of our quiet tunnel design and the studies necessary to support this design. Experimental results from an 1/8th-scale pilot supersonic wind tunnel are presented and discussed in association with theoretical predictions. Natural laminar flow on the test section walls is demonstrated and both settling chamber and supersonic diffuser performance is examined. The full-scale wind tunnel should be commissioned by the end of 1993.

Novel Features for Brain-Computer Interfaces

PubMed Central

Woon, W. L.; Cichocki, A.

2007-01-01

While conventional approaches of BCI feature extraction are based on the power spectrum, we have tried using nonlinear features for classifying BCI data. In this paper, we report our test results and findings, which indicate that the proposed method is a potentially useful addition to current feature extraction techniques. PMID:18364991

LC-IMS-MS Feature Finder

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

2013-03-07

LC-IMS-MS Feature Finder is a command line software application which searches for possible molecular ion signatures in multidimensional liquid chromatography, ion mobility spectrometry, and mass spectrometry data by clustering deisotoped peaks with similar monoisotopic mass values, charge states, elution times, and drift times. The software application includes an algorithm for detecting multiple conformations and co-eluting species in the ion mobility dimension. LC-IMS-MS Feature Finder is designed to create an output file with detected features that includes associated information about the detected features.

Peripheral Design of Progressive Addition Lenses and the Lag of Accommodation in Myopes.

PubMed

Schilling, Tim; Ohlendorf, Arne; Varnas, Saulius R; Wahl, Siegfried

2017-07-01

Insufficient accommodative response is assumed to result in myopia progression. We have investigated if the accommodative lag in myopes is different between a single vision lens (SVL) and the progressive addition lens PAL 2, clinically trialled for its ability to reduce progression of myopia, and if there exist differences in accommodative lag between PAL 2 and other PALs with the same addition power (+1.50 D). The influence of spherical SVL and four different designs of PALs that differ in the near zone width (PAL 1) or that have different signs and magnitude of horizontal gradients of mean power adjacent to their near vision zones (PAL 3 and PAL 4) on the accommodative response was investigated for different near viewing distances (40, 33, and 25 cm) in 31 subjects, aged 18 to 25 years. The SVL correction resulted in insufficient accommodative response for the near object viewing distances tested. PAL 2 did significantly reduce accommodative lag for all near object distances tested. The PAL design with a more negative horizontal mean power gradient (PAL 4) provided a lower lag of accommodation when compared with PAL 2 at the shortest object distance of 25 cm (P = 0.03) and was able to reduce the lag of accommodation to a level below the depth of focus for the higher near working distances tested. Designs of PAL with more negative horizontal mean power gradients are the most effective in lowering the lag of accommodation in myopes. This could make them good test candidates for myopia control applications.

Identifying Medication Management Smartphone App Features Suitable for Young Adults With Developmental Disabilities: Delphi Consensus Study

PubMed Central

Salgado, Teresa M; Fedrigon, Alexa; Riccio Omichinski, Donna; Meade, Michelle A

2018-01-01

Background Smartphone apps can be a tool to facilitate independent medication management among persons with developmental disabilities. At present, multiple medication management apps exist in the market, but only 1 has been specifically designed for persons with developmental disabilities. Before initiating further app development targeting this population, input from stakeholders including persons with developmental disabilities, caregivers, and professionals regarding the most preferred features should be obtained. Objective The aim of this study was to identify medication management app features that are suitable to promote independence in the medication management process by young adults with developmental disabilities using a Delphi consensus method. Methods A compilation of medication management app features was performed by searching the iTunes App Store, United States, in February 2016, using the following terms: adherence, medication, medication management, medication list, and medication reminder. After identifying features within the retrieved apps, a final list of 42 features grouped into 4 modules (medication list, medication reminder, medication administration record, and additional features) was included in a questionnaire for expert consensus rating. A total of 52 experts in developmental disabilities, including persons with developmental disabilities, caregivers, and professionals, were invited to participate in a 3-round Delphi technique. The purpose was to obtain consensus on features that are preferred and suitable to promote independence in the medication management process among persons with developmental disabilities. Consensus for the first, second, and third rounds was defined as ≥90%, ≥80%, and ≥75% agreement, respectively. Results A total of 75 responses were received over the 3 Delphi rounds—30 in the first round, 24 in the second round, and 21 in the third round. At the end of the third round, cumulative consensus was achieved

Laser and electron-beam powder-bed additive manufacturing of metallic implants: A review on processes, materials and designs.

PubMed

Sing, Swee Leong; An, Jia; Yeong, Wai Yee; Wiria, Florencia Edith

2016-03-01

Additive manufacturing (AM), also commonly known as 3D printing, allows the direct fabrication of functional parts with complex shapes from digital models. In this review, the current progress of two AM processes suitable for metallic orthopaedic implant applications, namely selective laser melting (SLM) and electron beam melting (EBM) are presented. Several critical design factors such as the need for data acquisition for patient-specific design, design dependent porosity for osteo-inductive implants, surface topology of the implants and design for reduction of stress-shielding in implants are discussed. Additive manufactured biomaterials such as 316L stainless steel, titanium-6aluminium-4vanadium (Ti6Al4V) and cobalt-chromium (CoCr) are highlighted. Limitations and future potential of such technologies are also explored. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Purification of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplast ClpP complex: additional subunits and structural features

PubMed Central

Derrien, Benoît; Majeran, Wojciech; Effantin, Grégory; Ebenezer, Joseph; Friso, Giulia; van Wijk, Klaas J.; Steven, Alasdair C.; Maurizi, Michael R.; Vallon, Olivier

2012-01-01

The ClpP peptidase is a major constituent of the proteolytic machinery of bacteria and organelles. The chloroplast ClpP complex is unusual, in that it associates a large number of subunits, one of which (ClpP1) is encoded in the chloroplast, the others in the nucleus. The complexity of these large hetero-oligomeric complexes has been a major difficulty in their overproduction and biochemical characterization. In this paper, we describe the purification of native chloroplast ClpP complex from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, using a strain that carries the Strep-tag II at the C-terminus of the ClpP1 subunit. Similar to land plants, the algal complex comprises active and inactive subunits (3 ClpP and 5 ClpR, respectively). Evidence is presented that a sub-complex can be produced by dissociation, comprising ClpP1 and ClpR1, 2, 3 and 4, similar to the ClpR-ring described in land plants. Our Chlamydomonas ClpP preparation also contains two ClpT subunits, ClpT3 and ClpT4, which like the land plant ClpT1 and ClpT2 show 2 Clp-N domains. ClpTs are believed to function in substrate binding and/or assembly of the two heptameric rings. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that ClpT subunits have appeared independently in Chlorophycean algae, in land plants and in dispersed cyanobacterial genomes. Negative staining electron microscopy shows that the Chlamydomonas complex retains the barrel-like shape of homo-oligomeric ClpPs, with 4 additional peripheral masses that we speculate represent either the additional IS1 domain of ClpP1 (a feature unique to algae) or ClpTs or extensions of ClpR subunits PMID:22772861

Design features that affect the maneuverability of wheelchairs and scooters.

PubMed

Koontz, Alicia M; Brindle, Eric D; Kankipati, Padmaja; Feathers, David; Cooper, Rory A

2010-05-01

To determine the minimum space required for wheeled mobility device users to perform 4 maneuverability tasks and to investigate the impact of selected design attributes on space. Case series. University laboratory, Veterans Affairs research facility, vocational training center, and a national wheelchair sport event. The sample of convenience included manual wheelchair (MWC; n=109), power wheelchair (PWC; n=100), and scooter users (n=14). A mock environment was constructed to create passageways to form an L-turn, 360 degrees -turn in place, and a U-turn with and without a barrier. Passageway openings were increased in 5-cm increments until the user could successfully perform each task without hitting the walls. Structural dimensions of the device and user were collected using an electromechanical probe. Mobility devices were grouped into categories based on design features and compared using 1-way analysis of variance and post hoc pairwise Bonferroni-corrected tests. Minimum passageway widths for the 4 maneuverability tasks. Ultralight MWCs with rear axles posterior to the shoulder had the shortest lengths and required the least amount of space compared with all other types of MWCs (P<.05). Mid-wheel-drive PWCs required the least space for the 360 degrees -turn in place compared with front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive PWCs (P<.01) but performed equally as well as front-wheel-drive models on all other turning tasks. PWCs with seat functions required more space to perform the tasks. Between 10% and 100% of users would not be able to maneuver in spaces that meet current Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities specifications. This study provides data that can be used to support wheelchair prescription and home modifications and to update standards to improve the accessibility of public areas.

Integrating valve-inspired design features into poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel scaffolds for heart valve tissue engineering.

PubMed

Zhang, Xing; Xu, Bin; Puperi, Daniel S; Yonezawa, Aline L; Wu, Yan; Tseng, Hubert; Cuchiara, Maude L; West, Jennifer L; Grande-Allen, K Jane

2015-03-01

The development of advanced scaffolds that recapitulate the anisotropic mechanical behavior and biological functions of the extracellular matrix in leaflets would be transformative for heart valve tissue engineering. In this study, anisotropic mechanical properties were established in poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels by crosslinking stripes of 3.4 kDa PEG diacrylate (PEGDA) within 20 kDa PEGDA base hydrogels using a photolithographic patterning method. Varying the stripe width and spacing resulted in a tensile elastic modulus parallel to the stripes that was 4.1-6.8 times greater than that in the perpendicular direction, comparable to the degree of anisotropy between the circumferential and radial orientations in native valve leaflets. Biomimetic PEG-peptide hydrogels were prepared by tethering the cell-adhesive peptide RGDS and incorporating the collagenase-degradable peptide PQ (GGGPQG↓IWGQGK) into the polymer network. The specific amounts of RGDS and PEG-PQ within the resulting hydrogels influenced the elongation, de novo extracellular matrix deposition and hydrogel degradation behavior of encapsulated valvular interstitial cells (VICs). In addition, the morphology and activation of VICs grown atop PEG hydrogels could be modulated by controlling the concentration or micro-patterning profile of PEG-RGDS. These results are promising for the fabrication of PEG-based hydrogels using anatomically and biologically inspired scaffold design features for heart valve tissue engineering. Copyright © 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design and additive manufacture for flow chemistry.

PubMed

Capel, Andrew J; Edmondson, Steve; Christie, Steven D R; Goodridge, Ruth D; Bibb, Richard J; Thurstans, Matthew

2013-12-07

We review the use of additive manufacturing (AM) as a novel manufacturing technique for the production of milli-scale reactor systems. Five well-developed additive manufacturing techniques: stereolithography (SL), multi-jet modelling (MJM), selective laser melting (SLM), laser sintering (LS) and fused deposition modelling (FDM) were used to manufacture a number of miniaturised reactors which were tested using a range of organic and inorganic reactions.

ASTROS: A multidisciplinary automated structural design tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neill, D. J.

1989-01-01

ASTROS (Automated Structural Optimization System) is a finite-element-based multidisciplinary structural optimization procedure developed under Air Force sponsorship to perform automated preliminary structural design. The design task is the determination of the structural sizes that provide an optimal structure while satisfying numerous constraints from many disciplines. In addition to its automated design features, ASTROS provides a general transient and frequency response capability, as well as a special feature to perform a transient analysis of a vehicle subjected to a nuclear blast. The motivation for the development of a single multidisciplinary design tool is that such a tool can provide improved structural designs in less time than is currently needed. The role of such a tool is even more apparent as modern materials come into widespread use. Balancing conflicting requirements for the structure's strength and stiffness while exploiting the benefits of material anisotropy is perhaps an impossible task without assistance from an automated design tool. Finally, the use of a single tool can bring the design task into better focus among design team members, thereby improving their insight into the overall task.

Design features of offshore oil production platforms influence their susceptibility to biocorrosion.

PubMed

Duncan, Kathleen E; Davidova, Irene A; Nunn, Heather S; Stamps, Blake W; Stevenson, Bradley S; Souquet, Pierre J; Suflita, Joseph M

2017-08-01

Offshore oil-producing platforms are designed for efficient and cost-effective separation of oil from water. However, design features and operating practices may create conditions that promote the proliferation and spread of biocorrosive microorganisms. The microbial communities and their potential for metal corrosion were characterized for three oil production platforms that varied in their oil-water separation processes, fluid recycling practices, and history of microbially influenced corrosion (MIC). Microbial diversity was evaluated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and numbers of total bacteria, archaea, and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were estimated by qPCR. The rates of 35 S sulfate reduction assay (SRA) were measured as a proxy for metal biocorrosion potential. A variety of microorganisms common to oil production facilities were found, but distinct communities were associated with the design of the platform and varied with different locations in the processing stream. Stagnant, lower temperature (<37 °C) sites in all platforms had more SRB and higher SRA compared to samples from sites with higher temperatures and flow rates. However, high (5 mmol L -1 ) levels of hydrogen sulfide and high numbers (10 7  mL -1 ) of SRB were found in only one platform. This platform alone contained large separation tanks with long retention times and recycled fluids from stagnant sites to the beginning of the oil separation train, thus promoting distribution of biocorrosive microorganisms. These findings tell us that tracking microbial sulfate-reducing activity and community composition on off-shore oil production platforms can be used to identify operational practices that inadvertently promote the proliferation, distribution, and activity of biocorrosive microorganisms.

78 FR 70630 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-26

... FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Assistant Director, Sanctions Compliance & Evaluation, Office of Foreign..., a person designated pursuant to the Kingpin Act; or (3) playing a significant role in international...

76 FR 6056 - Additional Air Quality Designations for the 2006 24-Hour Fine Particle National Ambient Air...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-03

...-9261-3] RIN 2060-AQ30 Additional Air Quality Designations for the 2006 24-Hour Fine Particle National..., and Decisions Related to the 1997 Air Quality Designations and Classifications for the Annual Fine... nationwide for all but three areas for the 2006 24-hour fine particle (PM 2.5 ) National Ambient Air Quality...

Detection of Coronal Mass Ejections Using Multiple Features and Space-Time Continuity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ling; Yin, Jian-qin; Lin, Jia-ben; Feng, Zhi-quan; Zhou, Jin

2017-07-01

Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) release tremendous amounts of energy in the solar system, which has an impact on satellites, power facilities and wireless transmission. To effectively detect a CME in Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) C2 images, we propose a novel algorithm to locate the suspected CME regions, using the Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) method and taking into account the features of the grayscale and the texture. Furthermore, space-time continuity is used in the detection algorithm to exclude the false CME regions. The algorithm includes three steps: i) define the feature vector which contains textural and grayscale features of a running difference image; ii) design the detection algorithm based on the ELM method according to the feature vector; iii) improve the detection accuracy rate by using the decision rule of the space-time continuum. Experimental results show the efficiency and the superiority of the proposed algorithm in the detection of CMEs compared with other traditional methods. In addition, our algorithm is insensitive to most noise.

Coding visual features extracted from video sequences.

PubMed

Baroffio, Luca; Cesana, Matteo; Redondi, Alessandro; Tagliasacchi, Marco; Tubaro, Stefano

2014-05-01

Visual features are successfully exploited in several applications (e.g., visual search, object recognition and tracking, etc.) due to their ability to efficiently represent image content. Several visual analysis tasks require features to be transmitted over a bandwidth-limited network, thus calling for coding techniques to reduce the required bit budget, while attaining a target level of efficiency. In this paper, we propose, for the first time, a coding architecture designed for local features (e.g., SIFT, SURF) extracted from video sequences. To achieve high coding efficiency, we exploit both spatial and temporal redundancy by means of intraframe and interframe coding modes. In addition, we propose a coding mode decision based on rate-distortion optimization. The proposed coding scheme can be conveniently adopted to implement the analyze-then-compress (ATC) paradigm in the context of visual sensor networks. That is, sets of visual features are extracted from video frames, encoded at remote nodes, and finally transmitted to a central controller that performs visual analysis. This is in contrast to the traditional compress-then-analyze (CTA) paradigm, in which video sequences acquired at a node are compressed and then sent to a central unit for further processing. In this paper, we compare these coding paradigms using metrics that are routinely adopted to evaluate the suitability of visual features in the context of content-based retrieval, object recognition, and tracking. Experimental results demonstrate that, thanks to the significant coding gains achieved by the proposed coding scheme, ATC outperforms CTA with respect to all evaluation metrics.

Validating continuous digital light processing (cDLP) additive manufacturing accuracy and tissue engineering utility of a dye-initiator package.

PubMed

Wallace, Jonathan; Wang, Martha O; Thompson, Paul; Busso, Mallory; Belle, Vaijayantee; Mammoser, Nicole; Kim, Kyobum; Fisher, John P; Siblani, Ali; Xu, Yueshuo; Welter, Jean F; Lennon, Donald P; Sun, Jiayang; Caplan, Arnold I; Dean, David

2014-03-01

This study tested the accuracy of tissue engineering scaffold rendering via the continuous digital light processing (cDLP) light-based additive manufacturing technology. High accuracy (i.e., <50 µm) allows the designed performance of features relevant to three scale spaces: cell-scaffold, scaffold-tissue, and tissue-organ interactions. The biodegradable polymer poly (propylene fumarate) was used to render highly accurate scaffolds through the use of a dye-initiator package, TiO2 and bis (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phenylphosphine oxide. This dye-initiator package facilitates high accuracy in the Z dimension. Linear, round, and right-angle features were measured to gauge accuracy. Most features showed accuracies between 5.4-15% of the design. However, one feature, an 800 µm diameter circular pore, exhibited a 35.7% average reduction of patency. Light scattered in the x, y directions by the dye may have reduced this feature's accuracy. Our new fine-grained understanding of accuracy could be used to make further improvements by including corrections in the scaffold design software. Successful cell attachment occurred with both canine and human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Highly accurate cDLP scaffold rendering is critical to the design of scaffolds that both guide bone regeneration and that fully resorb. Scaffold resorption must occur for regenerated bone to be remodeled and, thereby, achieve optimal strength.

Testing Map Features Designed to Convey the Uncertainty of Cancer Risk: Insights Gained From Assessing Judgments of Information Adequacy and Communication Goals

PubMed Central

Severtson, Dolores J.

2015-01-01

Barriers to communicating the uncertainty of environmental health risks include preferences for certain information and low numeracy. Map features designed to communicate the magnitude and uncertainty of estimated cancer risk from air pollution were tested among 826 participants to assess how map features influenced judgments of adequacy and the intended communication goals. An uncertain versus certain visual feature was judged as less adequate but met both communication goals and addressed numeracy barriers. Expressing relative risk using words communicated uncertainty and addressed numeracy barriers but was judged as highly inadequate. Risk communication and visual cognition concepts were applied to explain findings. PMID:26412960

Testing Map Features Designed to Convey the Uncertainty of Cancer Risk: Insights Gained From Assessing Judgments of Information Adequacy and Communication Goals.

PubMed

Severtson, Dolores J

2015-02-01

Barriers to communicating the uncertainty of environmental health risks include preferences for certain information and low numeracy. Map features designed to communicate the magnitude and uncertainty of estimated cancer risk from air pollution were tested among 826 participants to assess how map features influenced judgments of adequacy and the intended communication goals. An uncertain versus certain visual feature was judged as less adequate but met both communication goals and addressed numeracy barriers. Expressing relative risk using words communicated uncertainty and addressed numeracy barriers but was judged as highly inadequate. Risk communication and visual cognition concepts were applied to explain findings.

Image ratio features for facial expression recognition application.

PubMed

Song, Mingli; Tao, Dacheng; Liu, Zicheng; Li, Xuelong; Zhou, Mengchu

2010-06-01

Video-based facial expression recognition is a challenging problem in computer vision and human-computer interaction. To target this problem, texture features have been extracted and widely used, because they can capture image intensity changes raised by skin deformation. However, existing texture features encounter problems with albedo and lighting variations. To solve both problems, we propose a new texture feature called image ratio features. Compared with previously proposed texture features, e.g., high gradient component features, image ratio features are more robust to albedo and lighting variations. In addition, to further improve facial expression recognition accuracy based on image ratio features, we combine image ratio features with facial animation parameters (FAPs), which describe the geometric motions of facial feature points. The performance evaluation is based on the Carnegie Mellon University Cohn-Kanade database, our own database, and the Japanese Female Facial Expression database. Experimental results show that the proposed image ratio feature is more robust to albedo and lighting variations, and the combination of image ratio features and FAPs outperforms each feature alone. In addition, we study asymmetric facial expressions based on our own facial expression database and demonstrate the superior performance of our combined expression recognition system.

Additive manufacturing capabilities applied to inertial confinement confusion at Los Alamos National Laboratory

DOE PAGES

Cardenas, Tana; Schmidt, Derek William; Peterson, Dominic S.

2016-08-01

We describe the use at Los Alamos National Laboratory of additive manufacturing (AM) for a variety of jigs and coating, assembly, and radiography fixtures. Additive manufacturing has also been used to produce shipping containers of complex design that would be too costly to have fabricated using traditional techniques. The current goal for AM use in target fabrication is to increase target accuracy and rigidity. This has been realized by implementing AM into target stalk fabrication, allowing increased complexity to address target strength and the addition of features for alignment at facilities. As a result, we will describe the fabrication ofmore » these components and our plans to utilize AM in the future.« less

Text feature extraction based on deep learning: a review.

PubMed

Liang, Hong; Sun, Xiao; Sun, Yunlei; Gao, Yuan

2017-01-01

Selection of text feature item is a basic and important matter for text mining and information retrieval. Traditional methods of feature extraction require handcrafted features. To hand-design, an effective feature is a lengthy process, but aiming at new applications, deep learning enables to acquire new effective feature representation from training data. As a new feature extraction method, deep learning has made achievements in text mining. The major difference between deep learning and conventional methods is that deep learning automatically learns features from big data, instead of adopting handcrafted features, which mainly depends on priori knowledge of designers and is highly impossible to take the advantage of big data. Deep learning can automatically learn feature representation from big data, including millions of parameters. This thesis outlines the common methods used in text feature extraction first, and then expands frequently used deep learning methods in text feature extraction and its applications, and forecasts the application of deep learning in feature extraction.

Feature Interactions Enable Decoding of Sensorimotor Transformations for Goal-Directed Movement

PubMed Central

Barany, Deborah A.; Della-Maggiore, Valeria; Viswanathan, Shivakumar; Cieslak, Matthew

2014-01-01

Neurophysiology and neuroimaging evidence shows that the brain represents multiple environmental and body-related features to compute transformations from sensory input to motor output. However, it is unclear how these features interact during goal-directed movement. To investigate this issue, we examined the representations of sensory and motor features of human hand movements within the left-hemisphere motor network. In a rapid event-related fMRI design, we measured cortical activity as participants performed right-handed movements at the wrist, with either of two postures and two amplitudes, to move a cursor to targets at different locations. Using a multivoxel analysis technique with rigorous generalization tests, we reliably distinguished representations of task-related features (primarily target location, movement direction, and posture) in multiple regions. In particular, we identified an interaction between target location and movement direction in the superior parietal lobule, which may underlie a transformation from the location of the target in space to a movement vector. In addition, we found an influence of posture on primary motor, premotor, and parietal regions. Together, these results reveal the complex interactions between different sensory and motor features that drive the computation of sensorimotor transformations. PMID:24828640

Coding of visual object features and feature conjunctions in the human brain.

PubMed

Martinovic, Jasna; Gruber, Thomas; Müller, Matthias M

2008-01-01

Object recognition is achieved through neural mechanisms reliant on the activity of distributed coordinated neural assemblies. In the initial steps of this process, an object's features are thought to be coded very rapidly in distinct neural assemblies. These features play different functional roles in the recognition process--while colour facilitates recognition, additional contours and edges delay it. Here, we selectively varied the amount and role of object features in an entry-level categorization paradigm and related them to the electrical activity of the human brain. We found that early synchronizations (approx. 100 ms) increased quantitatively when more image features had to be coded, without reflecting their qualitative contribution to the recognition process. Later activity (approx. 200-400 ms) was modulated by the representational role of object features. These findings demonstrate that although early synchronizations may be sufficient for relatively crude discrimination of objects in visual scenes, they cannot support entry-level categorization. This was subserved by later processes of object model selection, which utilized the representational value of object features such as colour or edges to select the appropriate model and achieve identification.

75 FR 64781 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-20

... Act. The list of additional designees is as follows: 1. JR CONTROLADORA DE RESTAURANTES, S.A. DE C.V...; Folio Mercantil No. 345497 (Mexico); (ENTITY) [BPI-SDNTK] 3. FLORBEL OPERADORA DE RESTAURANTES, S.A. DE...

Comparison of design features and mechanical properties of commercially available Veress needles.

PubMed

Schramel, Johannes P; Kindslehner, Angelika; Bockstahler, Barbara A; Dupré, Gilles P

2017-10-01

To compare design features and mechanical properties of 13 commercially available Veress needles (VN). In vitro biomechanical study. Veress needles from 9 manufacturers (6 reusable, 6 disposable, and 1 with a reusable stylet combined with a disposable cannula) were included in the study. Veress needles are designed with a spring-loaded stylet to protect the tip of the cannula following insertion into the abdomen. Stylet forces were measured with a scale in a test jig by moving the stylet in 0.5 mm steps into the hollow cannula. Forces and spring rates were derived from force-displacement plots. Mass, mechanical dimensions, and the bevel angle and geometry were assessed. Differences between VN models were analyzed with a univariate analysis of variance. Results are reported as mean ± SD or median (range). Physical and mechanical parameters differed between models. The exposed stylet length was 3.5 mm (2-7). Three bevel geometries (bias, lancet type, and back-cut) with angles between 20° and 40° were identified. Reusable VN weigh more (24.9 ± 2.2 g) than disposable designs (6.0 ± 2.3 g). The mean values for the spring rate and the residual stylet force were 0.23 ± 0.08 Nmm -1 and 0.94 ± 0.28 N, respectively. The mean force required to move the stylet to the cannula tip was 1.81 ± 0.29 N and 2.77 ± 0.54 N to move to the proximal end of the bevel. Commercially available VN use diverse bevel geometries and have different mechanical characteristics. Studies investigating laparoscopic entry complications should explicitly report the type of VN model used. © 2017 The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

A feature refinement approach for statistical interior CT reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Zhanli; Zhang, Yunwan; Liu, Jianbo; Ma, Jianhua; Zheng, Hairong; Liang, Dong

2016-07-01

Interior tomography is clinically desired to reduce the radiation dose rendered to patients. In this work, a new statistical interior tomography approach for computed tomography is proposed. The developed design focuses on taking into account the statistical nature of local projection data and recovering fine structures which are lost in the conventional total-variation (TV)—minimization reconstruction. The proposed method falls within the compressed sensing framework of TV minimization, which only assumes that the interior ROI is piecewise constant or polynomial and does not need any additional prior knowledge. To integrate the statistical distribution property of projection data, the objective function is built under the criteria of penalized weighed least-square (PWLS-TV). In the implementation of the proposed method, the interior projection extrapolation based FBP reconstruction is first used as the initial guess to mitigate truncation artifacts and also provide an extended field-of-view. Moreover, an interior feature refinement step, as an important processing operation is performed after each iteration of PWLS-TV to recover the desired structure information which is lost during the TV minimization. Here, a feature descriptor is specifically designed and employed to distinguish structure from noise and noise-like artifacts. A modified steepest descent algorithm is adopted to minimize the associated objective function. The proposed method is applied to both digital phantom and in vivo Micro-CT datasets, and compared to FBP, ART-TV and PWLS-TV. The reconstruction results demonstrate that the proposed method performs better than other conventional methods in suppressing noise, reducing truncated and streak artifacts, and preserving features. The proposed approach demonstrates its potential usefulness for feature preservation of interior tomography under truncated projection measurements.

A feature refinement approach for statistical interior CT reconstruction.

PubMed

Hu, Zhanli; Zhang, Yunwan; Liu, Jianbo; Ma, Jianhua; Zheng, Hairong; Liang, Dong

2016-07-21

Interior tomography is clinically desired to reduce the radiation dose rendered to patients. In this work, a new statistical interior tomography approach for computed tomography is proposed. The developed design focuses on taking into account the statistical nature of local projection data and recovering fine structures which are lost in the conventional total-variation (TV)-minimization reconstruction. The proposed method falls within the compressed sensing framework of TV minimization, which only assumes that the interior ROI is piecewise constant or polynomial and does not need any additional prior knowledge. To integrate the statistical distribution property of projection data, the objective function is built under the criteria of penalized weighed least-square (PWLS-TV). In the implementation of the proposed method, the interior projection extrapolation based FBP reconstruction is first used as the initial guess to mitigate truncation artifacts and also provide an extended field-of-view. Moreover, an interior feature refinement step, as an important processing operation is performed after each iteration of PWLS-TV to recover the desired structure information which is lost during the TV minimization. Here, a feature descriptor is specifically designed and employed to distinguish structure from noise and noise-like artifacts. A modified steepest descent algorithm is adopted to minimize the associated objective function. The proposed method is applied to both digital phantom and in vivo Micro-CT datasets, and compared to FBP, ART-TV and PWLS-TV. The reconstruction results demonstrate that the proposed method performs better than other conventional methods in suppressing noise, reducing truncated and streak artifacts, and preserving features. The proposed approach demonstrates its potential usefulness for feature preservation of interior tomography under truncated projection measurements.

76 FR 5857 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-02

... Act. The list of additional designees is as follows: 1. KHARROUBI, Ali Mohamed (a.k.a. KHAROUBI, Ali; a.k.a. ``KAROBY, Ali''), c/o SOLMAR, Lebanon; c/o ELLISSA HOLDING, Lebanon; c/o ELLISSA GROUP SA...

Designing Online Courses: A Taxonomy to Guide Strategic Use of Features Available in Course Management Systems (CMS) in Distance Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koszalka, Tiffany A.; Ganesan, Radha

2004-01-01

Course developers can be distracted from applying sound instructional design principles by the amount of flexibility offered through online course development resources (Kidney & Puckett, "Quarterly Review of Distance Education," 4 (2003), 203-212). Distance education course management systems (CMS) provide multiple features that can be easily…

Flexible feature interface for multimedia sources

DOEpatents

Coffland, Douglas R [Livermore, CA

2009-06-09

A flexible feature interface for multimedia sources system that includes a single interface for the addition of features and functions to multimedia sources and for accessing those features and functions from remote hosts. The interface utilizes the export statement: export "C" D11Export void FunctionName(int argc, char ** argv,char * result, SecureSession *ctrl) or the binary equivalent of the export statement.

Design and simulation of a new bidirectional actuator for haptic systems featuring MR fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hung, Nguyen Quoc; Tri, Diep Bao; Cuong, Vo Van; Choi, Seung-Bok

2017-04-01

In this research, a new configuration of bidirectional actuator featuring MR fluid (BMRA) is proposed for haptic application. The proposed BMRA consists of a driving disc, a driving housing and a driven disc. The driving disc is placed inside the driving housing and rotates counter to each other by a servo DC motor and a bevel gear system. The driven shaft is also placed inside the housing and next to the driving disc. The gap between the two disc and the gap between the discs and the housing are filled with MR fluid. On the driven disc, two mutual magnetic coils are placed. By applying currents to the two coils mutually, the torque at the output shaft, which is fixed to the driven disc, can be controlled with positive, zero or negative value. This make the actuator be suitable for haptic application. After a review of MR fluid and its application, configuration of the proposed BMRA is presented. The modeling of the actuator is then derived based on Bingham rheological model of MRF and magnetic finite element analysis (FEA). The optimal design of the actuator is then performed to minimize the mass of the BMRA. From the optimal design result, performance characteristics of the actuator is simulated and detailed design of a prototype actuator is conducted.

76 FR 68459 - Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-04

... designate a class of employees from W.R. Grace and Company in Curtis Bay, Maryland, as an addition to the... by W.R. Grace and Company in Curtis Bay, Maryland, for the operational period from May 1, 1956...

Community perceptions of health insurance and their preferred design features: implications for the design of universal health coverage reforms in Kenya

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Health insurance is currently being considered as a mechanism for promoting progress to universal health coverage (UHC) in many African countries. The concept of health insurance is relatively new in Africa, it is hardly well understood and remains unclear how it will function in countries where the majority of the population work outside the formal sector. Kenya has been considering introducing a national health insurance scheme (NHIS) since 2004. Progress has been slow, but commitment to achieve UHC through a NHIS remains. This study contributes to this process by exploring communities’ understanding and perceptions of health insurance and their preferred designs features. Communities are the major beneficiaries of UHC reforms. Kenyans should understand the implications of health financing reforms and their preferred design features considered to ensure acceptability and sustainability. Methods Data presented in this paper are part of a study that explored feasibility of health insurance in Kenya. Data collection methods included a cross-sectional household survey (n = 594 households) and focus group discussions (n = 16). Results About half of the household survey respondents had at least one member in a health insurance scheme. There was high awareness of health insurance schemes but limited knowledge of how health insurance functions as well as understanding of key concepts related to income and risk cross-subsidization. Wide dissatisfaction with the public health system was reported. However, the government was the most preferred and trusted agency for collecting revenue as part of a NHIS. People preferred a comprehensive benefit package that included inpatient and outpatient care with no co-payments. Affordability of premiums, timing of contributions and the extent to which population needs would be met under a contributory scheme were major issues of concern for a NHIS design. Possibilities of funding health care through tax instead of

Community perceptions of health insurance and their preferred design features: implications for the design of universal health coverage reforms in Kenya.

PubMed

Mulupi, Stephen; Kirigia, Doris; Chuma, Jane

2013-11-12

Health insurance is currently being considered as a mechanism for promoting progress to universal health coverage (UHC) in many African countries. The concept of health insurance is relatively new in Africa, it is hardly well understood and remains unclear how it will function in countries where the majority of the population work outside the formal sector. Kenya has been considering introducing a national health insurance scheme (NHIS) since 2004. Progress has been slow, but commitment to achieve UHC through a NHIS remains. This study contributes to this process by exploring communities' understanding and perceptions of health insurance and their preferred designs features. Communities are the major beneficiaries of UHC reforms. Kenyans should understand the implications of health financing reforms and their preferred design features considered to ensure acceptability and sustainability. Data presented in this paper are part of a study that explored feasibility of health insurance in Kenya. Data collection methods included a cross-sectional household survey (n = 594 households) and focus group discussions (n = 16). About half of the household survey respondents had at least one member in a health insurance scheme. There was high awareness of health insurance schemes but limited knowledge of how health insurance functions as well as understanding of key concepts related to income and risk cross-subsidization. Wide dissatisfaction with the public health system was reported. However, the government was the most preferred and trusted agency for collecting revenue as part of a NHIS. People preferred a comprehensive benefit package that included inpatient and outpatient care with no co-payments. Affordability of premiums, timing of contributions and the extent to which population needs would be met under a contributory scheme were major issues of concern for a NHIS design. Possibilities of funding health care through tax instead of NHIS were raised and preferred

Additively Manufactured Combustion Devices Components for LOX/Methane Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greene, Sandra Elam; Protz, Christopher; Garcia, Chance; Goodman, Dwight; Baker, Kevin

2016-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has designed, fabricated, and hot-fire tested a variety of successful injectors, chambers, and igniters for potential liquid oxygen (LOX) and methane (CH4) systems since 2005. The most recent efforts have focused on components with additive manufacturing (AM) to include unique design features, minimize joints, and reduce final machining efforts. Inconel and copper alloys have been used with AM processes to produce a swirl coaxial injector and multiple methane cooled thrust chambers. The initial chambers included unique thermocouple ports for measuring local coolant channel temperatures along the length of the chamber. Results from hot-fire testing were used to anchor thermal models and generate a regeneratively cooled thruster for a 4,000 lbf LOX/CH4 engine. The completed thruster will be hot-fire tested in the summer of 2016 at MSFC. The thruster design can also be easily scaled and used on a 25,000 lbf engine. To further support the larger engine design, an AM gas generator injector has been designed. Hot-fire testing on this injector is planned for the summer of 2016 at MSFC.

78 FR 9997 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-12

... the President to impose sanctions against significant foreign narcotics traffickers and their... controlled by significant foreign narcotics traffickers as identified by the President. In addition, the..., Rio Grande, Zacatecas 98400, Mexico; Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico; Rio Grande, Zacatecas, Mexico; DOB...

Binding the Electronic Book: Design Features for Bibliophiles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruecker, Stan; Uszkalo, Kirsten C.

2007-01-01

This paper proposes a design for the electronic book based on discussions with frequent book readers. We adopted a conceptual framework for this project consisting of a spectrum of possible designs, with the conventional bound book at one difference pole, and the laptop computer at the other; the design activity then consisted of appropriately…

D-OPTIMAL EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS TO TEST FOR DEPARTURE FROM ADDITIVITY IN A FIXED-RATIO MIXTURE RAY.

EPA Science Inventory

Humans are exposed to mixtures of environmental compounds. A regulatory assumption is that the mixtures of chemicals act in an additive manner. However, this assumption requires experimental validation. Traditional experimental designs (full factorial) require a large number of e...

Design features of fans, blowers, and compressors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheremisinoff, N. P.; Cheremisinoff, P. N.

Fan engineering and compression machines are discussed. Basic aspects of fan performance and design are reviewed, and the design and performance characteristics of radial-flow fans, axial-flow fans, and controllable pitch fans are examined in detail. Air-conditioning systems are discussed, and noise, vibration, and mechanical considerations in fans are extensively examined. The thermodynamic principles governing compression machines are reviewed, and piston compressors, rotary compressors, blowers, and centrifugal compressors are discussed.

AQUATOX Features and Tools

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Numerous features have been included to facilitate the modeling process, from model setup and data input, presentation and analysis of results, to easy export of results to spreadsheet programs for additional analysis.

Topological design and additive manufacturing of porous metals for bone scaffolds and orthopaedic implants: A review.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaojian; Xu, Shanqing; Zhou, Shiwei; Xu, Wei; Leary, Martin; Choong, Peter; Qian, M; Brandt, Milan; Xie, Yi Min

2016-03-01

One of the critical issues in orthopaedic regenerative medicine is the design of bone scaffolds and implants that replicate the biomechanical properties of the host bones. Porous metals have found themselves to be suitable candidates for repairing or replacing the damaged bones since their stiffness and porosity can be adjusted on demands. Another advantage of porous metals lies in their open space for the in-growth of bone tissue, hence accelerating the osseointegration process. The fabrication of porous metals has been extensively explored over decades, however only limited controls over the internal architecture can be achieved by the conventional processes. Recent advances in additive manufacturing have provided unprecedented opportunities for producing complex structures to meet the increasing demands for implants with customized mechanical performance. At the same time, topology optimization techniques have been developed to enable the internal architecture of porous metals to be designed to achieve specified mechanical properties at will. Thus implants designed via the topology optimization approach and produced by additive manufacturing are of great interest. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art of topological design and manufacturing processes of various types of porous metals, in particular for titanium alloys, biodegradable metals and shape memory alloys. This review also identifies the limitations of current techniques and addresses the directions for future investigations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Additive-manufactured patient-specific titanium templates for thoracic pedicle screw placement: novel design with reduced contact area.

PubMed

Takemoto, Mitsuru; Fujibayashi, Shunsuke; Ota, Eigo; Otsuki, Bungo; Kimura, Hiroaki; Sakamoto, Takeshi; Kawai, Toshiyuki; Futami, Tohru; Sasaki, Kiyoyuki; Matsushita, Tomiharu; Nakamura, Takashi; Neo, Masashi; Matsuda, Shuich

2016-06-01

Image-based navigational patient-specific templates (PSTs) for pedicle screw (PS) placement have been described. With recent advances in three-dimensional computer-aided designs and additive manufacturing technology, various PST designs have been reported, although the template designs were not optimized. We have developed a novel PST design that reduces the contact area without sacrificing stability. It avoids susceptibility to intervening soft tissue, template geometric inaccuracy, and difficulty during template fitting. Fourteen candidate locations on the posterior aspect of the vertebra were evaluated. Among them, locations that had high reproducibility on computed tomography (CT) images and facilitated accurate PS placement were selected for the final PST design. An additive manufacturing machine (EOSINT M270) fabricated the PSTs using commercially pure titanium powder. For the clinical study, 36 scoliosis patients and 4 patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) were treated with thoracic PSs using our newly developed PSTs. We intraoperatively and postoperatively evaluated the accuracy of the PS hole created by the PST. Based on the segmentation reproducibility and stability analyses, we selected seven small, round contact points for our PST: bilateral superior and inferior points on the transverse process base, bilateral inferior points on the laminar, and a superior point on the spinous process. Clinically, the success rates of PS placement using this PST design were 98.6 % (414/420) for scoliosis patients and 100 % (46/46) for OPLL patients. This study provides a useful design concept for the development and introduction of patient-specific navigational templates for placing PSs.

Interior design for passive solar homes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breen, J. C.

1981-07-01

The increasing emphasis on refinement of passive solar systems brought recognition to interior design as an integral part of passive solar architecture. Interior design can be used as a finetuning tool minimizing many of the problems associated with passive solar energy use in residential buildings. In addition, treatment of interior space in solar model homes may be a prime factor in determining sales success. A new style of interior design is evolving in response to changes in building from incorporating passive solar design features. The psychology behind passive solar architecture is reflected in interiors, and selection of interior components increasingly depends on the functional suitably of various interior elements.

Feature Selection for Motor Imagery EEG Classification Based on Firefly Algorithm and Learning Automata

PubMed Central

Liu, Aiming; Liu, Quan; Ai, Qingsong; Xie, Yi; Chen, Anqi

2017-01-01

Motor Imagery (MI) electroencephalography (EEG) is widely studied for its non-invasiveness, easy availability, portability, and high temporal resolution. As for MI EEG signal processing, the high dimensions of features represent a research challenge. It is necessary to eliminate redundant features, which not only create an additional overhead of managing the space complexity, but also might include outliers, thereby reducing classification accuracy. The firefly algorithm (FA) can adaptively select the best subset of features, and improve classification accuracy. However, the FA is easily entrapped in a local optimum. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a method of combining the firefly algorithm and learning automata (LA) to optimize feature selection for motor imagery EEG. We employed a method of combining common spatial pattern (CSP) and local characteristic-scale decomposition (LCD) algorithms to obtain a high dimensional feature set, and classified it by using the spectral regression discriminant analysis (SRDA) classifier. Both the fourth brain–computer interface competition data and real-time data acquired in our designed experiments were used to verify the validation of the proposed method. Compared with genetic and adaptive weight particle swarm optimization algorithms, the experimental results show that our proposed method effectively eliminates redundant features, and improves the classification accuracy of MI EEG signals. In addition, a real-time brain–computer interface system was implemented to verify the feasibility of our proposed methods being applied in practical brain–computer interface systems. PMID:29117100

Feature Selection for Motor Imagery EEG Classification Based on Firefly Algorithm and Learning Automata.

PubMed

Liu, Aiming; Chen, Kun; Liu, Quan; Ai, Qingsong; Xie, Yi; Chen, Anqi

2017-11-08

Motor Imagery (MI) electroencephalography (EEG) is widely studied for its non-invasiveness, easy availability, portability, and high temporal resolution. As for MI EEG signal processing, the high dimensions of features represent a research challenge. It is necessary to eliminate redundant features, which not only create an additional overhead of managing the space complexity, but also might include outliers, thereby reducing classification accuracy. The firefly algorithm (FA) can adaptively select the best subset of features, and improve classification accuracy. However, the FA is easily entrapped in a local optimum. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a method of combining the firefly algorithm and learning automata (LA) to optimize feature selection for motor imagery EEG. We employed a method of combining common spatial pattern (CSP) and local characteristic-scale decomposition (LCD) algorithms to obtain a high dimensional feature set, and classified it by using the spectral regression discriminant analysis (SRDA) classifier. Both the fourth brain-computer interface competition data and real-time data acquired in our designed experiments were used to verify the validation of the proposed method. Compared with genetic and adaptive weight particle swarm optimization algorithms, the experimental results show that our proposed method effectively eliminates redundant features, and improves the classification accuracy of MI EEG signals. In addition, a real-time brain-computer interface system was implemented to verify the feasibility of our proposed methods being applied in practical brain-computer interface systems.

77 FR 36041 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-15

... identified by the President. In addition, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney.... 222, Colonia Ciudad del Sol, Zapopan, Jalisco 45050, Mexico; Calle Quebec 606 B, Prados Providencia, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico; Calle Mango 2129, Colonia Paraisos del Colli, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico...

76 FR 58562 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-21

... controlled by significant foreign narcotics traffickers as identified by the President. In addition, the..., Jalisco, Mexico; Plaza Del Sol Local 28, Zona R, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico; Paseo Del Heliotropo 3426, Monraz, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico; DOB 09 Aug 1955; POB Jalisco, Mexico; Citizen Mexico; Nationality...

77 FR 71480 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-30

... controlled by significant foreign narcotics traffickers as identified by the President. In addition, the... IBARRA, Mayela), Calle Lago de La Doga 5312, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico; DOB 24 Feb 1961; POB Coahuila, Mexico; Passport 99020046985 (Mexico); R.F.C. CAIM610224 (Mexico) (individual) [SDNTK]. 2...

Design Features for Linguistically-Mediated Meaning Construction: The Relative Roles of the Linguistic and Conceptual Systems in Subserving the Ideational Function of Language

PubMed Central

Evans, Vyvyan

2016-01-01

Recent research in language and cognitive science proposes that the linguistic system evolved to provide an “executive” control system on the evolutionarily more ancient conceptual system (e.g., Barsalou et al., 2008; Evans, 2009, 2015a,b; Bergen, 2012). In short, the claim is that embodied representations in the linguistic system interface with non-linguistic representations in the conceptual system, facilitating rich meanings, or simulations, enabling linguistically mediated communication. In this paper I build on these proposals by examining the nature of what I identify as design features for this control system. In particular, I address how the ideational function of language—our ability to deploy linguistic symbols to convey meanings of great complexity—is facilitated. The central proposal of this paper is as follows. The linguistic system of any given language user, of any given linguistic system—spoken or signed—facilitates access to knowledge representation—concepts—in the conceptual system, which subserves this ideational function. In the most general terms, the human meaning-making capacity is underpinned by two distinct, although tightly coupled representational systems: the conceptual system and the linguistic system. Each system contributes to meaning construction in qualitatively distinct ways. This leads to the first design feature: given that the two systems are representational—they are populated by semantic representations—the nature and function of the representations are qualitatively different. This proposed design feature I term the bifurcation in semantic representation. After all, it stands to reason that if a linguistic system has a different function, vis-à-vis the conceptual system, which is of far greater evolutionary antiquity, then the semantic representations will be complementary, and as such, qualitatively different, reflecting the functional distinctions of the two systems, in collectively giving rise to

Design Features for Linguistically-Mediated Meaning Construction: The Relative Roles of the Linguistic and Conceptual Systems in Subserving the Ideational Function of Language.

PubMed

Evans, Vyvyan

2016-01-01

Recent research in language and cognitive science proposes that the linguistic system evolved to provide an "executive" control system on the evolutionarily more ancient conceptual system (e.g., Barsalou et al., 2008; Evans, 2009, 2015a,b; Bergen, 2012). In short, the claim is that embodied representations in the linguistic system interface with non-linguistic representations in the conceptual system, facilitating rich meanings, or simulations, enabling linguistically mediated communication. In this paper I build on these proposals by examining the nature of what I identify as design features for this control system. In particular, I address how the ideational function of language-our ability to deploy linguistic symbols to convey meanings of great complexity-is facilitated. The central proposal of this paper is as follows. The linguistic system of any given language user, of any given linguistic system-spoken or signed-facilitates access to knowledge representation-concepts-in the conceptual system, which subserves this ideational function. In the most general terms, the human meaning-making capacity is underpinned by two distinct, although tightly coupled representational systems: the conceptual system and the linguistic system. Each system contributes to meaning construction in qualitatively distinct ways. This leads to the first design feature: given that the two systems are representational-they are populated by semantic representations-the nature and function of the representations are qualitatively different. This proposed design feature I term the bifurcation in semantic representation. After all, it stands to reason that if a linguistic system has a different function, vis-à-vis the conceptual system, which is of far greater evolutionary antiquity, then the semantic representations will be complementary, and as such, qualitatively different, reflecting the functional distinctions of the two systems, in collectively giving rise to meaning. I consider the

A design study for the addition of higher order parametric discrete elements to NASTRAN

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanton, E. L.

1972-01-01

The addition of discrete elements to NASTRAN poses significant interface problems with the level 15.1 assembly modules and geometry modules. Potential problems in designing new modules for higher-order parametric discrete elements are reviewed in both areas. An assembly procedure is suggested that separates grid point degrees of freedom on the basis of admissibility. New geometric input data are described that facilitate the definition of surfaces in parametric space.

Analysis of Latest Experience in Design of Industrial Buildings Reconstruction by Constructing Additional Interfloor Overlaps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peshnina, I.; Sinitsina, O.

2017-11-01

The study relevance is determined by the increasing interest in reconstruction of city historical centers and located in the area of industrial buildings the functional profile of which needs to be changed. The problem of obtaining extra usable spaces in the historical centers of cities is solved by raising the number of storeys in the buildings which can be achieved by the construction of additional built-in inter-floor overlaps. The article is dedicated to the analysis of the recent years’ experience in reconstruction design involving this method in our country and abroad, in the Netherlands, in particular. The article presents the results of the analysis of the experience in reconstruction of the objects by constructing additional inter-floor overlaps and aims to define the optimum construction solution for built-in inter-floor overlapping and to develop non-existing solutions for wide application of this method in the reconstruction of a building with non-unified and unmodulated parameters. It was determined as expedient to apply a monolith reinforced concrete slab with the use of steel profiled flooring as a formwork and reinforcement and steel beams designed as “Built-in Beams” for the construction of built-in inter-floor overlaps in reconstruction. The article will be useful for specialists doing research in the sphere of reconstruction of the buildings and for the practical activity of design engineers.

78 FR 68687 - Final Additional Airworthiness Design Standards: Advanced Avionics Under the Special Class (JAR...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-15

... under Sec. 21.17(b), to Day-VFR operations. Additionally, the FAA also published design criteria to allow expansion of the Aquila AT01-100 airplane to include Night-VFR as shown in NPRM 75 FR 32576. In conjunction with the expansion to Night-VFR operations integrated avionic displays are to be installed on the...

75 FR 34214 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-16

... organizations on a worldwide basis. It provides a statutory framework for the President to impose sanctions... traffickers as identified by the President. In addition, the Secretary of the Treasury consults with the... Italia, Michoac[aacute]n, Mexico; Calle Articulo 123 Numero 103, Colonia Centro, Nueva Italia, Michoac...

77 FR 2347 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-17

... identified by the President. In addition, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney.... 80010, Mexico; Boulevard Universitarios No. 789, Local 4, Colonia Villa Universidad, Culiacan, Sinaloa C.P. 80010, Mexico; Localidad San Jose del Barranco S/N, Badiraguato, Sinaloa C.P. 80500, Mexico; DOB...

78 FR 8701 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-06

... Security may designate and block the property and interests in property, subject to U.S. jurisdiction, of persons who are found to be: (1) Materially assisting in, or providing financial or technological support.... ``DIEGO RASTROJO''); DOB 07 Apr 1971; POB Bolivar, Valle de Cauca, Colombia; nationality Colombia; citizen...

77 FR 14859 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-13

... of State, and the Secretary of Homeland Security when designating and blocking the property and... assisting in, or providing financial or technological support for or to, or providing goods or services in.... BAQBANI, Mohammad Akhusa); DOB 5 Jan 1961; alt. DOB 1947; POB Zabol, Iran; citizen Iran; Islamic...

77 FR 48609 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-14

... the names of three individuals and five entities whose property and interests in property have been... designation by the Director of OFAC of the three individuals and five entities identified in this notice... transactions involving U.S. companies and individuals. The Kingpin Act blocks all property and interests in...

Effect of Inquiry-Based Computer Simulation Modeling on Pre-Service Teachers' Understanding of Homeostasis and Their Perceptions of Design Features

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chabalengula, Vivien; Fateen, Rasheta; Mumba, Frackson; Ochs, Laura Kathryn

2016-01-01

This study investigated the effect of an inquiry-based computer simulation modeling (ICoSM) instructional approach on pre-service science teachers' understanding of homeostasis and its related concepts, and their perceived design features of the ICoSM and simulation that enhanced their conceptual understanding of these concepts. Fifty pre-service…

A Sparsity-Promoted Method Based on Majorization-Minimization for Weak Fault Feature Enhancement

PubMed Central

Hao, Yansong; Song, Liuyang; Tang, Gang; Yuan, Hongfang

2018-01-01

Fault transient impulses induced by faulty components in rotating machinery usually contain substantial interference. Fault features are comparatively weak in the initial fault stage, which renders fault diagnosis more difficult. In this case, a sparse representation method based on the Majorzation-Minimization (MM) algorithm is proposed to enhance weak fault features and extract the features from strong background noise. However, the traditional MM algorithm suffers from two issues, which are the choice of sparse basis and complicated calculations. To address these challenges, a modified MM algorithm is proposed in which a sparse optimization objective function is designed firstly. Inspired by the Basis Pursuit (BP) model, the optimization function integrates an impulsive feature-preserving factor and a penalty function factor. Second, a modified Majorization iterative method is applied to address the convex optimization problem of the designed function. A series of sparse coefficients can be achieved through iterating, which only contain transient components. It is noteworthy that there is no need to select the sparse basis in the proposed iterative method because it is fixed as a unit matrix. Then the reconstruction step is omitted, which can significantly increase detection efficiency. Eventually, envelope analysis of the sparse coefficients is performed to extract weak fault features. Simulated and experimental signals including bearings and gearboxes are employed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. In addition, comparisons are made to prove that the proposed method outperforms the traditional MM algorithm in terms of detection results and efficiency. PMID:29597280

A Sparsity-Promoted Method Based on Majorization-Minimization for Weak Fault Feature Enhancement.

PubMed

Ren, Bangyue; Hao, Yansong; Wang, Huaqing; Song, Liuyang; Tang, Gang; Yuan, Hongfang

2018-03-28

Fault transient impulses induced by faulty components in rotating machinery usually contain substantial interference. Fault features are comparatively weak in the initial fault stage, which renders fault diagnosis more difficult. In this case, a sparse representation method based on the Majorzation-Minimization (MM) algorithm is proposed to enhance weak fault features and extract the features from strong background noise. However, the traditional MM algorithm suffers from two issues, which are the choice of sparse basis and complicated calculations. To address these challenges, a modified MM algorithm is proposed in which a sparse optimization objective function is designed firstly. Inspired by the Basis Pursuit (BP) model, the optimization function integrates an impulsive feature-preserving factor and a penalty function factor. Second, a modified Majorization iterative method is applied to address the convex optimization problem of the designed function. A series of sparse coefficients can be achieved through iterating, which only contain transient components. It is noteworthy that there is no need to select the sparse basis in the proposed iterative method because it is fixed as a unit matrix. Then the reconstruction step is omitted, which can significantly increase detection efficiency. Eventually, envelope analysis of the sparse coefficients is performed to extract weak fault features. Simulated and experimental signals including bearings and gearboxes are employed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. In addition, comparisons are made to prove that the proposed method outperforms the traditional MM algorithm in terms of detection results and efficiency.

A synergistic approach to the design, fabrication and evaluation of 3D printed micro and nano featured scaffolds for vascularized bone tissue repair

PubMed Central

Holmes, Benjamin; Bulusu, Kartik; Plesniak, Michael; Zhang, Lijie Grace

2016-01-01

3D bioprinting has begun to show great promise in advancing the development of functional tissue/organ replacements. However, to realize the true potential of 3D bioprinted tissues for clinical use requires the fabrication of an interconnected and effective vascular network. Solving this challenge is critical, as human tissue relies on an adequate network of blood vessels to transport oxygen, nutrients, other chemicals, biological factors and waste, in and out of the tissue. Here, we have successfully designed and printed a series of novel 3D bone scaffolds with both bone formation supporting structures and highly interconnected 3D microvascular mimicking channels, for efficient and enhanced osteogenic bone regeneration as well as vascular cell growth. Using a chemical functionalization process, we have conjugated our samples with nano hydroxyapatite (nHA), for the creation of novel micro and nano featured devices for vascularized bone growth. We evaluated our scaffolds with mechanical testing, hydrodynamic measurements and in vitro human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) adhesion (4 h), proliferation (1, 3 and 5 d) and osteogenic differentiation (1, 2 and 3 weeks). These tests confirmed bone-like physical properties and vascular-like flow profiles, as well as demonstrated enhanced hMSC adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. Additional in vitro experiments with human umbilical vein endothelial cells also demonstrated improved vascular cell growth, migration and organization on micro-nano featured scaffolds. PMID:26758780

A synergistic approach to the design, fabrication and evaluation of 3D printed micro and nano featured scaffolds for vascularized bone tissue repair.

PubMed

Holmes, Benjamin; Bulusu, Kartik; Plesniak, Michael; Zhang, Lijie Grace

2016-02-12

3D bioprinting has begun to show great promise in advancing the development of functional tissue/organ replacements. However, to realize the true potential of 3D bioprinted tissues for clinical use requires the fabrication of an interconnected and effective vascular network. Solving this challenge is critical, as human tissue relies on an adequate network of blood vessels to transport oxygen, nutrients, other chemicals, biological factors and waste, in and out of the tissue. Here, we have successfully designed and printed a series of novel 3D bone scaffolds with both bone formation supporting structures and highly interconnected 3D microvascular mimicking channels, for efficient and enhanced osteogenic bone regeneration as well as vascular cell growth. Using a chemical functionalization process, we have conjugated our samples with nano hydroxyapatite (nHA), for the creation of novel micro and nano featured devices for vascularized bone growth. We evaluated our scaffolds with mechanical testing, hydrodynamic measurements and in vitro human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) adhesion (4 h), proliferation (1, 3 and 5 d) and osteogenic differentiation (1, 2 and 3 weeks). These tests confirmed bone-like physical properties and vascular-like flow profiles, as well as demonstrated enhanced hMSC adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. Additional in vitro experiments with human umbilical vein endothelial cells also demonstrated improved vascular cell growth, migration and organization on micro-nano featured scaffolds.

A synergistic approach to the design, fabrication and evaluation of 3D printed micro and nano featured scaffolds for vascularized bone tissue repair

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmes, Benjamin; Bulusu, Kartik; Plesniak, Michael; Zhang, Lijie Grace

2016-02-01

3D bioprinting has begun to show great promise in advancing the development of functional tissue/organ replacements. However, to realize the true potential of 3D bioprinted tissues for clinical use requires the fabrication of an interconnected and effective vascular network. Solving this challenge is critical, as human tissue relies on an adequate network of blood vessels to transport oxygen, nutrients, other chemicals, biological factors and waste, in and out of the tissue. Here, we have successfully designed and printed a series of novel 3D bone scaffolds with both bone formation supporting structures and highly interconnected 3D microvascular mimicking channels, for efficient and enhanced osteogenic bone regeneration as well as vascular cell growth. Using a chemical functionalization process, we have conjugated our samples with nano hydroxyapatite (nHA), for the creation of novel micro and nano featured devices for vascularized bone growth. We evaluated our scaffolds with mechanical testing, hydrodynamic measurements and in vitro human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) adhesion (4 h), proliferation (1, 3 and 5 d) and osteogenic differentiation (1, 2 and 3 weeks). These tests confirmed bone-like physical properties and vascular-like flow profiles, as well as demonstrated enhanced hMSC adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. Additional in vitro experiments with human umbilical vein endothelial cells also demonstrated improved vascular cell growth, migration and organization on micro-nano featured scaffolds.

78 FR 29814 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-21

... identified by the President. In addition, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney..., Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila, Mexico; DOB 30 Dec 1973; POB Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila, Mexico; alt. POB Coahuila, Mexico; nationality Mexico; citizen Mexico; C.U.R.P. AAPA731230HCLNRL07 (Mexico) (individual) [SDNTK...

78 FR 62946 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-22

... significant foreign narcotics traffickers as identified by the President. In addition, the Secretary of the...; R.F.C. PAPA751109870 (Mexico); C.U.R.P. PAPA751109HNEDSL04 (Mexico) (individual) [SDNTK] (Linked To... No. 279, Supermanzana 50, Manzana 14, Lote 17, Residencial San Angel, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico...

78 FR 47828 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-06

... significant foreign narcotics traffickers as identified by the President. In addition, the Secretary of the..., Colonia Centro, Culiacan, Sinaloa 80000, Mexico; DOB 21 Dec 1941; POB Sinaloa, Mexico; nationality Mexico; citizen Mexico; R.F.C. NUBA411221867 (Mexico); C.U.R.P. NUBA411221HSLXDN05 (Mexico) (individual) [SDNTK...

Flight control system design factors for applying automated testing techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sitz, Joel R.; Vernon, Todd H.

1990-01-01

The principal design features and operational experiences of the X-29 forward-swept-wing aircraft and F-18 high alpha research vehicle (HARV) automated test systems are discussed. It is noted that operational experiences in developing and using these automated testing techniques have highlighted the need for incorporating target system features to improve testability. Improved target system testability can be accomplished with the addition of nonreal-time and real-time features. Online access to target system implementation details, unobtrusive real-time access to internal user-selectable variables, and proper software instrumentation are all desirable features of the target system. Also, test system and target system design issues must be addressed during the early stages of the target system development. Processing speeds of up to 20 million instructions/s and the development of high-bandwidth reflective memory systems have improved the ability to integrate the target system and test system for the application of automated testing techniques. It is concluded that new methods of designing testability into the target systems are required.

75 FR 44311 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-28

... basis. It provides a statutory framework for the President to impose sanctions against significant... identified by the President. In addition, the Secretary of the Treasury consults with the Attorney General... of designees is as follows: Entities: 1. ARTE Y DISENO DE CULIACAN S.A. DE C.V., Calle Rio Santa...

Metrology test object for dimensional verification in additive manufacturing of metals for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Teeter, Matthew G; Kopacz, Alexander J; Nikolov, Hristo N; Holdsworth, David W

2015-01-01

Additive manufacturing continues to increase in popularity and is being used in applications such as biomaterial ingrowth that requires sub-millimeter dimensional accuracy. The purpose of this study was to design a metrology test object for determining the capabilities of additive manufacturing systems to produce common objects, with a focus on those relevant to medical applications. The test object was designed with a variety of features of varying dimensions, including holes, cylinders, rectangles, gaps, and lattices. The object was built using selective laser melting, and the produced dimensions were compared to the target dimensions. Location of the test objects on the build plate did not affect dimensions. Features with dimensions less than 0.300 mm did not build or were overbuilt to a minimum of 0.300 mm. The mean difference between target and measured dimensions was less than 0.100 mm in all cases. The test object is applicable to multiple systems and materials, tests the effect of location on the build, uses a minimum of material, and can be measured with a variety of efficient metrology tools (including measuring microscopes and micro-CT). Investigators can use this test object to determine the limits of systems and adjust build parameters to achieve maximum accuracy. © IMechE 2014.

The Pedagogical, Linguistic, and Content Features of Popular English Language Learning Websites in China: A Framework for Analysis and Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kettle, Margaret; Yuan, Yifeng; Luke, Allan; Ewing, Robyn; Shen, Huizhong

2012-01-01

As increasing numbers of Chinese language learners choose to learn English online, there is a need to investigate popular websites and their language learning designs. This paper reports on the first stage of a study that analyzed the pedagogical, linguistic, and content features of 25 Chinese English Language Learning (ELL) websites ranked…

Optimal number of features as a function of sample size for various classification rules.

PubMed

Hua, Jianping; Xiong, Zixiang; Lowey, James; Suh, Edward; Dougherty, Edward R

2005-04-15

Given the joint feature-label distribution, increasing the number of features always results in decreased classification error; however, this is not the case when a classifier is designed via a classification rule from sample data. Typically (but not always), for fixed sample size, the error of a designed classifier decreases and then increases as the number of features grows. The potential downside of using too many features is most critical for small samples, which are commonplace for gene-expression-based classifiers for phenotype discrimination. For fixed sample size and feature-label distribution, the issue is to find an optimal number of features. Since only in rare cases is there a known distribution of the error as a function of the number of features and sample size, this study employs simulation for various feature-label distributions and classification rules, and across a wide range of sample and feature-set sizes. To achieve the desired end, finding the optimal number of features as a function of sample size, it employs massively parallel computation. Seven classifiers are treated: 3-nearest-neighbor, Gaussian kernel, linear support vector machine, polynomial support vector machine, perceptron, regular histogram and linear discriminant analysis. Three Gaussian-based models are considered: linear, nonlinear and bimodal. In addition, real patient data from a large breast-cancer study is considered. To mitigate the combinatorial search for finding optimal feature sets, and to model the situation in which subsets of genes are co-regulated and correlation is internal to these subsets, we assume that the covariance matrix of the features is blocked, with each block corresponding to a group of correlated features. Altogether there are a large number of error surfaces for the many cases. These are provided in full on a companion website, which is meant to serve as resource for those working with small-sample classification. For the companion website, please

Effects of anodizing parameters and heat treatment on nanotopographical features, bioactivity, and cell culture response of additively manufactured porous titanium.

PubMed

Amin Yavari, S; Chai, Y C; Böttger, A J; Wauthle, R; Schrooten, J; Weinans, H; Zadpoor, A A

2015-06-01

Anodizing could be used for bio-functionalization of the surfaces of titanium alloys. In this study, we use anodizing for creating nanotubes on the surface of porous titanium alloy bone substitutes manufactured using selective laser melting. Different sets of anodizing parameters (voltage: 10 or 20V anodizing time: 30min to 3h) are used for anodizing porous titanium structures that were later heat treated at 500°C. The nanotopographical features are examined using electron microscopy while the bioactivity of anodized surfaces is measured using immersion tests in the simulated body fluid (SBF). Moreover, the effects of anodizing and heat treatment on the performance of one representative anodized porous titanium structures are evaluated using in vitro cell culture assays using human periosteum-derived cells (hPDCs). It has been shown that while anodizing with different anodizing parameters results in very different nanotopographical features, i.e. nanotubes in the range of 20 to 55nm, anodized surfaces have limited apatite-forming ability regardless of the applied anodizing parameters. The results of in vitro cell culture show that both anodizing, and thus generation of regular nanotopographical feature, and heat treatment improve the cell culture response of porous titanium. In particular, cell proliferation measured using metabolic activity and DNA content was improved for anodized and heat treated as well as for anodized but not heat-treated specimens. Heat treatment additionally improved the cell attachment of porous titanium surfaces and upregulated expression of osteogenic markers. Anodized but not heat-treated specimens showed some limited signs of upregulated expression of osteogenic markers. In conclusion, while varying the anodizing parameters creates different nanotube structure, it does not improve apatite-forming ability of porous titanium. However, both anodizing and heat treatment at 500°C improve the cell culture response of porous titanium

Democratizing science with the aid of parametric design and additive manufacturing: Design and fabrication of a versatile and low-cost optical instrument for scattering measurement.

PubMed

Nadal-Serrano, Jose M; Nadal-Serrano, Adolfo; Lopez-Vallejo, Marisa

2017-01-01

This paper focuses on the application of rapid prototyping techniques using additive manufacturing in combination with parametric design to create low-cost, yet accurate and reliable instruments. The methodology followed makes it possible to make instruments with a degree of customization until now available only to a narrow audience, helping democratize science. The proposal discusses a holistic design-for-manufacturing approach that comprises advanced modeling techniques, open-source design strategies, and an optimization algorithm using free parametric software for both professional and educational purposes. The design and fabrication of an instrument for scattering measurement is used as a case of study to present the previous concepts.

Democratizing science with the aid of parametric design and additive manufacturing: Design and fabrication of a versatile and low-cost optical instrument for scattering measurement

PubMed Central

Lopez-Vallejo, Marisa

2017-01-01

This paper focuses on the application of rapid prototyping techniques using additive manufacturing in combination with parametric design to create low-cost, yet accurate and reliable instruments. The methodology followed makes it possible to make instruments with a degree of customization until now available only to a narrow audience, helping democratize science. The proposal discusses a holistic design-for-manufacturing approach that comprises advanced modeling techniques, open-source design strategies, and an optimization algorithm using free parametric software for both professional and educational purposes. The design and fabrication of an instrument for scattering measurement is used as a case of study to present the previous concepts. PMID:29112987

77 FR 14592 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-12

... controlled by significant foreign narcotics traffickers as identified by the President. In addition, the...''), DOB 13 Aug 1961; POB Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico; citizen Mexico; nationality Mexico; C.U.R.P. ZAGJ610813HSLMRS05 (Mexico) (individual) [SDNTK] Entities 2. ZARKA DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., Miguel Hidalgo No. 348 Pte...

Product information representation for feature conversion and implementation of group technology automated coding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medland, A. J.; Zhu, Guowang; Gao, Jian; Sun, Jian

1996-03-01

Feature conversion, also called feature transformation and feature mapping, is defined as the process of converting features from one view of an object to another view of the object. In a relatively simple implementation, for each application the design features are automatically converted into features specific for that application. All modifications have to be made via the design features. This is the approach that has attracted most attention until now. In the ideal situation, however, conversions directly from application views to the design view, and to other applications views, are also possible. In this paper, some difficulties faced in feature conversion are discussed. A new representation scheme of feature-based parts models has been proposed for the purpose of one-way feature conversion. The parts models consist of five different levels of abstraction, extending from an assembly level and its attributes, single parts and their attributes, single features and their attributes, one containing the geometric reference element and finally one for detailed geometry. One implementation of feature conversion for rotational components within GT (Group Technology) has already been undertaken using an automated coding procedure operating on a design-feature database. This database has been generated by a feature-based design system, and the GT coding scheme used in this paper is a specific scheme created for a textile machine manufacturing plant. Such feature conversion techniques presented here are only in their early stages of development and further research is underway.

Confidence-Based Feature Acquisition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagstaff, Kiri L.; desJardins, Marie; MacGlashan, James

2010-01-01

Confidence-based Feature Acquisition (CFA) is a novel, supervised learning method for acquiring missing feature values when there is missing data at both training (learning) and test (deployment) time. To train a machine learning classifier, data is encoded with a series of input features describing each item. In some applications, the training data may have missing values for some of the features, which can be acquired at a given cost. A relevant JPL example is that of the Mars rover exploration in which the features are obtained from a variety of different instruments, with different power consumption and integration time costs. The challenge is to decide which features will lead to increased classification performance and are therefore worth acquiring (paying the cost). To solve this problem, CFA, which is made up of two algorithms (CFA-train and CFA-predict), has been designed to greedily minimize total acquisition cost (during training and testing) while aiming for a specific accuracy level (specified as a confidence threshold). With this method, it is assumed that there is a nonempty subset of features that are free; that is, every instance in the data set includes these features initially for zero cost. It is also assumed that the feature acquisition (FA) cost associated with each feature is known in advance, and that the FA cost for a given feature is the same for all instances. Finally, CFA requires that the base-level classifiers produce not only a classification, but also a confidence (or posterior probability).

77 FR 56271 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-12

... identified by the President. In addition, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney..., Fraccionamiento Colinas de San Miguel, Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico; DOB 19 Aug 1959; alt. DOB 30 Dec 1966; POB Sinaloa, Mexico; nationality Mexico; citizen Mexico; C.U.R.P. LOPG590819MSLPRR04 (Mexico); alt. C.U.R.P...

77 FR 9251 - Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-16

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for..., for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days, occurring either solely under this...

Bladder cancer treatment response assessment with radiomic, clinical, and radiologist semantic features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordon, Marshall N.; Cha, Kenny H.; Hadjiiski, Lubomir M.; Chan, Heang-Ping; Cohan, Richard H.; Caoili, Elaine M.; Paramagul, Chintana; Alva, Ajjai; Weizer, Alon Z.

2018-02-01

We are developing a decision support system for assisting clinicians in assessment of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for bladder cancer. Accurate treatment response assessment is crucial for identifying responders and improving quality of life for non-responders. An objective machine learning decision support system may help reduce variability and inaccuracy in treatment response assessment. We developed a predictive model to assess the likelihood that a patient will respond based on image and clinical features. With IRB approval, we retrospectively collected a data set of pre- and post- treatment CT scans along with clinical information from surgical pathology from 98 patients. A linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifier was used to predict the likelihood that a patient would respond to treatment based on radiomic features extracted from CT urography (CTU), a radiologist's semantic feature, and a clinical feature extracted from surgical and pathology reports. The classification accuracy was evaluated using the area under the ROC curve (AUC) with a leave-one-case-out cross validation. The classification accuracy was compared for the systems based on radiomic features, clinical feature, and radiologist's semantic feature. For the system based on only radiomic features the AUC was 0.75. With the addition of clinical information from examination under anesthesia (EUA) the AUC was improved to 0.78. Our study demonstrated the potential of designing a decision support system to assist in treatment response assessment. The combination of clinical features, radiologist semantic features and CTU radiomic features improved the performance of the classifier and the accuracy of treatment response assessment.

Feature Grouping and Selection Over an Undirected Graph.

PubMed

Yang, Sen; Yuan, Lei; Lai, Ying-Cheng; Shen, Xiaotong; Wonka, Peter; Ye, Jieping

2012-01-01

High-dimensional regression/classification continues to be an important and challenging problem, especially when features are highly correlated. Feature selection, combined with additional structure information on the features has been considered to be promising in promoting regression/classification performance. Graph-guided fused lasso (GFlasso) has recently been proposed to facilitate feature selection and graph structure exploitation, when features exhibit certain graph structures. However, the formulation in GFlasso relies on pairwise sample correlations to perform feature grouping, which could introduce additional estimation bias. In this paper, we propose three new feature grouping and selection methods to resolve this issue. The first method employs a convex function to penalize the pairwise l ∞ norm of connected regression/classification coefficients, achieving simultaneous feature grouping and selection. The second method improves the first one by utilizing a non-convex function to reduce the estimation bias. The third one is the extension of the second method using a truncated l 1 regularization to further reduce the estimation bias. The proposed methods combine feature grouping and feature selection to enhance estimation accuracy. We employ the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) and difference of convex functions (DC) programming to solve the proposed formulations. Our experimental results on synthetic data and two real datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

Designing an in-situ ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation system for ultrasonic additive manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadimpalli, Venkata K.; Nagy, Peter B.

2018-04-01

Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM) is a solid-state layer by layer manufacturing process that utilizes vibration induced plastic deformation to form a metallurgical bond between a thin layer and an existing base structure. Due to the vibration based bonding mechanism, the quality of components at each layer depends on the geometry of the structure. In-situ monitoring during and between UAM manufacturing steps offers the potential for closed-loop control to optimize process parameters and to repair existing defects. One interface that is most prone to delamination is the base/build interface and often UAM component height and quality are limited by failure at the base/build interface. Low manufacturing temperatures and favorable orientation of typical interface defects in UAM make ultrasonic NDE an attractive candidate for online monitoring. Two approaches for in-situ NDE are discussed and the design of the monitoring system optimized so that the quality of UAM components is not affected by the addition of the NDE setup. Preliminary results from in-situ ultrasonic NDE indicate the potential to be utilized for online qualification, closed-loop control and offline certification of UAM components.

75 FR 37812 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-30

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health... and Human Services (HHS) gives notice concerning the final effect of the HHS decision to designate a...

75 FR 27784 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-18

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health... concerning the final effect of the decision to designate a class of employees from Westinghouse Electric Corp...

77 FR 15759 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-16

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health...). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: HHS gives notice concerning the final effect of the HHS decision to designate a...

77 FR 60438 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-03

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health...). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: HHS gives notice concerning the final effect of the HHS decision to designate a...

77 FR 60437 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-03

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health...). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: HHS gives notice concerning the final effect of the HHS decision to designate a...

77 FR 69845 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-21

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health...). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: HHS gives notice concerning the final effect of the HHS decision to designate a...

78 FR 70949 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-27

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health...). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: HHS gives notice concerning the final effect of the HHS decision to designate a...

78 FR 21955 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-12

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health...). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: HHS gives notice concerning the final effect of the HHS decision to designate a...

78 FR 21954 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-12

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health...). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: HHS gives notice concerning the final effect of the HHS decision to designate a...

75 FR 27784 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-18

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health... concerning the final effect of the decision to designate a class of employees from Lawrence Livermore...

75 FR 27784 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-18

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health... concerning the final effect of the decision to designate a class of employees at the Lawrence Berkeley...

Additive Manufacturing for Affordable Rocket Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

West, Brian; Robertson, Elizabeth; Osborne, Robin; Calvert, Marty

2016-01-01

Additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing) technology has the potential to drastically reduce costs and lead times associated with the development of complex liquid rocket engine systems. NASA is using 3D printing to manufacture rocket engine components including augmented spark igniters, injectors, turbopumps, and valves. NASA is advancing the process to certify these components for flight. Success Story: MSFC has been developing rocket 3D-printing technology using the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) process. Over the last several years, NASA has built and tested several injectors and combustion chambers. Recently, MSFC has 3D printed an augmented spark igniter for potential use the RS-25 engines that will be used on the Space Launch System. The new design is expected to reduce the cost of the igniter by a factor of four. MSFC has also 3D printed and tested a liquid hydrogen turbopump for potential use on an Upper Stage Engine. Additive manufacturing of the turbopump resulted in a 45% part count reduction. To understanding how the 3D printed parts perform and to certify them for flight, MSFC built a breadboard liquid rocket engine using additive manufactured components including injectors, turbomachinery, and valves. The liquid rocket engine was tested seven times in 2016 using liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. In addition to exposing the hardware to harsh environments, engineers learned to design for the new manufacturing technique, taking advantage of its capabilities and gaining awareness of its limitations. Benefit: The 3D-printing technology promises reduced cost and schedule for rocket engines. Cost is a function of complexity, and the most complicated features provide the largest opportunities for cost reductions. This is especially true where brazes or welds can be eliminated. The drastic reduction in part count achievable with 3D printing creates a waterfall effect that reduces the number of processes and drawings, decreases the amount of touch

Homomorphic encryption-based secure SIFT for privacy-preserving feature extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Chao-Yung; Lu, Chun-Shien; Pei, Soo-Chang

2011-02-01

Privacy has received much attention but is still largely ignored in the multimedia community. Consider a cloud computing scenario, where the server is resource-abundant and is capable of finishing the designated tasks, it is envisioned that secure media retrieval and search with privacy-preserving will be seriously treated. In view of the fact that scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) has been widely adopted in various fields, this paper is the first to address the problem of secure SIFT feature extraction and representation in the encrypted domain. Since all the operations in SIFT must be moved to the encrypted domain, we propose a homomorphic encryption-based secure SIFT method for privacy-preserving feature extraction and representation based on Paillier cryptosystem. In particular, homomorphic comparison is a must for SIFT feature detection but is still a challenging issue for homomorphic encryption methods. To conquer this problem, we investigate a quantization-like secure comparison strategy in this paper. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed homomorphic encryption-based SIFT performs comparably to original SIFT on image benchmarks, while preserving privacy additionally. We believe that this work is an important step toward privacy-preserving multimedia retrieval in an environment, where privacy is a major concern.

Semantic image segmentation with fused CNN features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geng, Hui-qiang; Zhang, Hua; Xue, Yan-bing; Zhou, Mian; Xu, Guang-ping; Gao, Zan

2017-09-01

Semantic image segmentation is a task to predict a category label for every image pixel. The key challenge of it is to design a strong feature representation. In this paper, we fuse the hierarchical convolutional neural network (CNN) features and the region-based features as the feature representation. The hierarchical features contain more global information, while the region-based features contain more local information. The combination of these two kinds of features significantly enhances the feature representation. Then the fused features are used to train a softmax classifier to produce per-pixel label assignment probability. And a fully connected conditional random field (CRF) is used as a post-processing method to improve the labeling consistency. We conduct experiments on SIFT flow dataset. The pixel accuracy and class accuracy are 84.4% and 34.86%, respectively.

Current use and potential of additive manufacturing for optical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunelle, Matthew; Ferralli, Ian; Whitsitt, Rebecca; Medicus, Kate

2017-10-01

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, has become widely used in recent years for the creation of both prototype and end-use parts. Because the parts are created in a layer-by-layer manner, the flexibility of additive manufacturing is unparalleled and has opened the design space to enable features like undercuts and internal channels which cannot exist on traditional, subtractively manufactured parts. This flexibility can also be leveraged for optical applications. This paper outlines some of the current uses of 3D printing in the optical manufacturing process at Optimax. Several materials and additive technologies are utilized, including polymer printing through fused deposition modeling, which creates parts by depositing a softened thermoplastic filament in a layerwise fashion. Stereolithography, which uses light to cure layers of a photopolymer resin, will also be discussed. These technologies are used to manufacture functional prototypes, fixtures, sealed housings, and other components. Additionally, metal printing through selective laser melting, which uses a laser to melt metal powder layers into a dense solid, will be discussed due to the potential to manufacture thermally stable opticalmechanical assembly frameworks and functional optics. Examples of several additively manufactured optical components will be shown.

75 FR 27785 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-18

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health... concerning the final effect of the decision to designate a class of employees from Area IV of the Santa...

75 FR 67364 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-02

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health... concerning the final effect of the HHS decision to designate a class of employees from the Blockson Chemical...

76 FR 7852 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-11

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health... concerning the final effect of the HHS decision to designate a class of employees from Texas City Chemicals...

76 FR 59701 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-27

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health... concerning the final effect of the HHS decision to designate a class of employees from the Sandia National...

76 FR 7852 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-11

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health... concerning the final effect of the HHS decision to designate a class of employees from Simonds Saw and Steel...

76 FR 7852 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-11

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health... concerning the final effect of the HHS decision to designate a class of employees from BWX Technologies, Inc...

U.S. Seismic Design Maps Web Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, E.; Fee, J.

2015-12-01

The application computes earthquake ground motion design parameters compatible with the International Building Code and other seismic design provisions. It is the primary method for design engineers to obtain ground motion parameters for multiple building codes across the country. When designing new buildings and other structures, engineers around the country use the application. Users specify the design code of interest, location, and other parameters to obtain necessary ground motion information consisting of a high-level executive summary as well as detailed information including maps, data, and graphs. Results are formatted such that they can be directly included in a final engineering report. In addition to single-site analysis, the application supports a batch mode for simultaneous consideration of multiple locations. Finally, an application programming interface (API) is available which allows other application developers to integrate this application's results into larger applications for additional processing. Development on the application has proceeded in an iterative manner working with engineers through email, meetings, and workshops. Each iteration provided new features, improved performance, and usability enhancements. This development approach positioned the application to be integral to the structural design process and is now used to produce over 1800 reports daily. Recent efforts have enhanced the application to be a data-driven, mobile-first, responsive web application. Development is ongoing, and source code has recently been published into the open-source community on GitHub. Open-sourcing the code facilitates improved incorporation of user feedback to add new features ensuring the application's continued success.

Additive manufacturing of biologically-inspired materials.

PubMed

Studart, André R

2016-01-21

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies offer an attractive pathway towards the fabrication of functional materials featuring complex heterogeneous architectures inspired by biological systems. In this paper, recent research on the use of AM approaches to program the local chemical composition, structure and properties of biologically-inspired materials is reviewed. A variety of structural motifs found in biological composites have been successfully emulated in synthetic systems using inkjet-based, direct-writing, stereolithography and slip casting technologies. The replication in synthetic systems of design principles underlying such structural motifs has enabled the fabrication of lightweight cellular materials, strong and tough composites, soft robots and autonomously shaping structures with unprecedented properties and functionalities. Pushing the current limits of AM technologies in future research should bring us closer to the manufacturing capabilities of living organisms, opening the way for the digital fabrication of advanced materials with superior performance, lower environmental impact and new functionalities.

Associations between park features and adolescent park use for physical activity.

PubMed

Edwards, Nicole; Hooper, Paula; Knuiman, Matthew; Foster, Sarah; Giles-Corti, Billie

2015-02-18

Eighty per cent of adolescents globally do insufficient physical activity. Parks are a popular place for adolescents to be active. However, little is known about which park features are associated with higher levels of park use by adolescents. This study aimed to examine which environmental park features, and combination of features, were correlated with higher levels of park use for physical activity among adolescents. By examining park features in parks used by adolescents for physical activity, this study also aimed to create a park 'attractiveness' score predictive of adolescent park use, and to identify factors that might predict use of their closest park. Adolescents (n = 1304) living in Geraldton, a large rural centre of Western Australia, completed a survey that measured physical activity behaviour, perceptions of park availability and the main park used for physical activity. All parks in the study area (n = 58) were digitized using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and features audited using the Public Open Space Desktop Auditing Tool (POSDAT). Only 27% of participants reported using their closest park for physical activity. Park use was associated with seven features: presence of a skate park, walking paths, barbeques, picnic table, public access toilets, lighting around courts and equipment and number of trees >25. When combined to create an overall attractiveness score, every additional 'attractive' feature present, resulted in a park being nearly three times more likely to be in the high use category. To increase park use for physical activity, urban planners and designers should incorporate park features attractive to adolescents.

76 FR 68460 - Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-04

... designate a class of employees from the Ames Laboratory at Iowa State University as an addition to the... contractors and subcontractors who worked in any area of the Ames Laboratory at Iowa State University [email protected] . John Howard, Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. [FR Doc. 2011...

10 CFR 60.132 - Additional design criteria for surface facilities in the geologic repository operations area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... conversion to a form suitable for disposal at an alternative site in accordance with any regulations that are... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Additional design criteria for surface facilities in the geologic repository operations area. 60.132 Section 60.132 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED...

10 CFR 60.132 - Additional design criteria for surface facilities in the geologic repository operations area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... conversion to a form suitable for disposal at an alternative site in accordance with any regulations that are... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Additional design criteria for surface facilities in the geologic repository operations area. 60.132 Section 60.132 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED...

10 CFR 60.132 - Additional design criteria for surface facilities in the geologic repository operations area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... conversion to a form suitable for disposal at an alternative site in accordance with any regulations that are... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Additional design criteria for surface facilities in the geologic repository operations area. 60.132 Section 60.132 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED...

10 CFR 60.132 - Additional design criteria for surface facilities in the geologic repository operations area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... conversion to a form suitable for disposal at an alternative site in accordance with any regulations that are... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Additional design criteria for surface facilities in the geologic repository operations area. 60.132 Section 60.132 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED...

75 FR 27784 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-18

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health... concerning the final effect of the decision to designate a class of employees from the Nevada Test Site as an...

Design Features of Pedagogically-Sound Software in Mathematics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haase, Howard; And Others

Weaknesses in educational software currently available in the domain of mathematics are discussed. A technique that was used for the design and production of mathematics software aimed at improving problem-solving skills which combines sound pedagogy and innovative programming is presented. To illustrate the design portion of this technique, a…

Distributed cable sensors with memory feature for post-disaster damage assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Genda; McDaniel, Ryan D.; Pommerenke, David J.; Sun, Shishuang

2005-05-01

A new design of distributed crack sensors is presented for the condition assessment of reinforced concrete (RC) structures during and immediately after an earthquake event. This study is mainly focused on the performance of cable sensors under dynamic loading, particularly their ability to memorize the crack history of an RC member. This unique memory feature enables the post-earthquake condition assessment of structural members such as RC columns, in which the earthquake-induced cracks are closed immediately after an earthquake event due to gravity loads and they are visually undetectable. Factors affecting the onset of the memory feature were investigated experimentally with small-scale RC beams under cyclic loading. Test results indicated that both crack width and the number of loading cycles were instrumental in the onset of the memory feature of cable sensors. Practical issues related to dynamic acquisition with the sensors were discussed. The sensors were proven to be fatigue resistant from the shake table tests of RC columns. They continued to show useful signal after the columns can no longer support additional loads.

Optimized and Automated design of Plasma Diagnostics for Additive Manufacture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stuber, James; Quinley, Morgan; Melnik, Paul; Sieck, Paul; Smith, Trevor; Chun, Katherine; Woodruff, Simon

2016-10-01

Despite having mature designs, diagnostics are usually custom designed for each experiment. Most of the design can be now be automated to reduce costs (engineering labor, and capital cost). We present results from scripted physics modeling and parametric engineering design for common optical and mechanical components found in many plasma diagnostics and outline the process for automated design optimization that employs scripts to communicate data from online forms through proprietary and open-source CAD and FE codes to provide a design that can be sent directly to a printer. As a demonstration of design automation, an optical beam dump, baffle and optical components are designed via an automated process and printed. Supported by DOE SBIR Grant DE-SC0011858.

Automated microbial metabolism laboratory. [design of advanced labeled release experiment based on single addition of soil and multiple sequential additions of media into test chambers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

The design and rationale of an advanced labeled release experiment based on single addition of soil and multiple sequential additions of media into each of four test chambers are outlined. The feasibility for multiple addition tests was established and various details of the methodology were studied. The four chamber battery of tests include: (1) determination of the effect of various atmospheric gases and selection of that gas which produces an optimum response; (2) determination of the effect of incubation temperature and selection of the optimum temperature for performing Martian biochemical tests; (3) sterile soil is dosed with a battery of C-14 labeled substrates and subjected to experimental temperature range; and (4) determination of the possible inhibitory effects of water on Martian organisms is performed initially by dosing with 0.01 ml and 0.5 ml of medium, respectively. A series of specifically labeled substrates are then added to obtain patterns in metabolic 14CO2 (C-14)O2 evolution.

Direct fabrication of bio-inspired gecko-like geometries with vat polymerization additive manufacturing method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davoudinejad, A.; Ribo, M. M.; Pedersen, D. B.; Islam, A.; Tosello, G.

2018-08-01

Functional surfaces have proven their potential to solve many engineering problems, attracting great interest among the scientific community. Bio-inspired multi-hierarchical micro-structures grant the surfaces with new properties, such as hydrophobicity, adhesion, unique optical properties and so on. The geometry and fabrication of these surfaces are still under research. In this study, the feasibility of using direct fabrication of microscale features by additive manufacturing (AM) processes was investigated. The investigation was carried out using a specifically designed vat photopolymerization AM machine-tool suitable for precision manufacturing at the micro dimensional scale which has previously been developed, built and validated at the Technical University of Denmark. It was shown that it was possible to replicate a simplified surface inspired by the Tokay gecko, the geometry was previously designed and replicated by a complex multi-step micromanufacturing method extracted from the literature and used as benchmark. Ultimately, the smallest printed features were analyzed by conducting a sensitivity analysis to obtain the righteous parameters in terms of layer thickness and exposure time. Moreover, two more intricate designs were fabricated with the same parameters to assess the surfaces functionality by its wettability. The surface with increased density and decreased feature size showed a water contact angle (CA) of 124°  ±  0.10°, agreeing with the Cassie–Baxter model. These results indicate the possibility of using precision AM for a rapid, easy and reliable fabrication method for functional surfaces.

Progress in the planar CPn SOFC system design verification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elangovan, S.; Hartvigsen, J.; Khandkar, A.

1996-04-01

SOFCo is developing a high efficiency, modular and scaleable planar SOFC module termed the CPn design. This design has been verified in a 1.4 kW module test operated directly on pipeline natural gas. The design features multistage oxidation of fuel wherein the fuel is consumed incrementally over several stages. High efficiency is achieved by uniform current density distribution per stage, which lowers the stack resistance. Additional benefits include thermal regulation and compactness. Test results from stack modules operating in pipeline natural gas are presented.

Experience improves feature extraction in Drosophila.

PubMed

Peng, Yueqing; Xi, Wang; Zhang, Wei; Zhang, Ke; Guo, Aike

2007-05-09

Previous exposure to a pattern in the visual scene can enhance subsequent recognition of that pattern in many species from honeybees to humans. However, whether previous experience with a visual feature of an object, such as color or shape, can also facilitate later recognition of that particular feature from multiple visual features is largely unknown. Visual feature extraction is the ability to select the key component from multiple visual features. Using a visual flight simulator, we designed a novel protocol for visual feature extraction to investigate the effects of previous experience on visual reinforcement learning in Drosophila. We found that, after conditioning with a visual feature of objects among combinatorial shape-color features, wild-type flies exhibited poor ability to extract the correct visual feature. However, the ability for visual feature extraction was greatly enhanced in flies trained previously with that visual feature alone. Moreover, we demonstrated that flies might possess the ability to extract the abstract category of "shape" but not a particular shape. Finally, this experience-dependent feature extraction is absent in flies with defective MBs, one of the central brain structures in Drosophila. Our results indicate that previous experience can enhance visual feature extraction in Drosophila and that MBs are required for this experience-dependent visual cognition.

Designing algorithm visualization on mobile platform: The proposed guidelines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Supli, A. A.; Shiratuddin, N.

2017-09-01

This paper entails an ongoing study about the design guidelines of algorithm visualization (AV) on mobile platform, helping students learning data structures and algorithm (DSA) subject effectively. Our previous review indicated that design guidelines of AV on mobile platform are still few. Mostly, previous guidelines of AV are developed for AV on desktop and website platform. In fact, mobile learning has been proved to enhance engagement in learning circumstances, and thus effect student's performance. In addition, the researchers highly recommend including UI design and Interactivity in designing effective AV system. However, the discussions of these two aspects in previous AV design guidelines are not comprehensive. The UI design in this paper describes the arrangement of AV features in mobile environment, whereas interactivity is about the active learning strategy features based on learning experiences (how to engage learners). Thus, this study main objective is to propose design guidelines of AV on mobile platform (AVOMP) that entails comprehensively UI design and interactivity aspects. These guidelines are developed through content analysis and comparative analysis from various related studies. These guidelines are useful for AV designers to help them constructing AVOMP for various topics on DSA.

Process Control and Development for Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing with Embedded Fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hehr, Adam J.

Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) is a recent additive manufacturing technology which combines ultrasonic metal welding, CNC machining, and mechanized foil layering to create large gapless near net-shape metallic parts. The process has been attracting much attention lately due to its low formation temperature, the capability to join dissimilar metals, and the ability to create complex design features not possible with traditional subtractive processes alone. These process attributes enable light-weighting of structures and components in an unprecedented way. However, UAM is currently limited to niche areas due to the lack of quality tracking and inadequate scientific understanding of the process. As a result, this thesis work is focused on improving both component quality tracking and process understanding through the use of average electrical power input to the welder. Additionally, the understanding and application space of embedding fibers into metals using UAM is investigated, with particular focus on NiTi shape memory alloy fibers.

A short feature vector for image matching: The Log-Polar Magnitude feature descriptor

PubMed Central

Hast, Anders; Wählby, Carolina; Sintorn, Ida-Maria

2017-01-01

The choice of an optimal feature detector-descriptor combination for image matching often depends on the application and the image type. In this paper, we propose the Log-Polar Magnitude feature descriptor—a rotation, scale, and illumination invariant descriptor that achieves comparable performance to SIFT on a large variety of image registration problems but with much shorter feature vectors. The descriptor is based on the Log-Polar Transform followed by a Fourier Transform and selection of the magnitude spectrum components. Selecting different frequency components allows optimizing for image patterns specific for a particular application. In addition, by relying only on coordinates of the found features and (optionally) feature sizes our descriptor is completely detector independent. We propose 48- or 56-long feature vectors that potentially can be shortened even further depending on the application. Shorter feature vectors result in better memory usage and faster matching. This combined with the fact that the descriptor does not require a time-consuming feature orientation estimation (the rotation invariance is achieved solely by using the magnitude spectrum of the Log-Polar Transform) makes it particularly attractive to applications with limited hardware capacity. Evaluation is performed on the standard Oxford dataset and two different microscopy datasets; one with fluorescence and one with transmission electron microscopy images. Our method performs better than SURF and comparable to SIFT on the Oxford dataset, and better than SIFT on both microscopy datasets indicating that it is particularly useful in applications with microscopy images. PMID:29190737

Cryogenic Propellant Management Device: Conceptual Design Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wollen, Mark; Merino, Fred; Schuster, John; Newton, Christopher

2010-01-01

Concepts of Propellant Management Devices (PMDs) were designed for lunar descent stage reaction control system (RCS) and lunar ascent stage (main and RCS propulsion) missions using liquid oxygen (LO2) and liquid methane (LCH4). Study ground rules set a maximum of 19 days from launch to lunar touchdown, and an additional 210 days on the lunar surface before liftoff. Two PMDs were conceptually designed for each of the descent stage RCS propellant tanks, and two designs for each of the ascent stage main propellant tanks. One of the two PMD types is a traditional partial four-screen channel device. The other type is a novel, expanding volume device which uses a stretched, flexing screen. It was found that several unique design features simplified the PMD designs. These features are (1) high propellant tank operating pressures, (2) aluminum tanks for propellant storage, and (3) stringent insulation requirements. Consequently, it was possible to treat LO2 and LCH4 as if they were equivalent to Earth-storable propellants because they would remain substantially subcooled during the lunar mission. In fact, prelaunch procedures are simplified with cryogens, because any trapped vapor will condense once the propellant tanks are pressurized in space.

Work plan for special design features and crack sealing maintenance.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-09-01

The Alaska DOT&PF wants to construct and maintain asphalt concrete (AC) paved highways in a way that minimizes roadway lifecycle costs while preserving acceptable : performance. Thermal cracking is a natural feature of most paved Alaska roadways that...

Testing for Additivity in Chemical Mixtures Using a Fixed-Ratio Ray Design and Statistical Equivalence Testing Methods

EPA Science Inventory

Fixed-ratio ray designs have been used for detecting and characterizing interactions of large numbers of chemicals in combination. Single chemical dose-response data are used to predict an “additivity curve” along an environmentally relevant ray. A “mixture curve” is estimated fr...

The Effects of State Policy Design Features on Take-Up and Crowd-Out Rates for the Sate Children's Health Insurance Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bansak, Cynthia; Raphael, Steven

2007-01-01

We evaluate the effects of state policy design features on SCHIP take-up rates and on the degree to which SCHIP benefits crowd out private benefits. The results indicate overall program take-up rates of approximately 10 percent. However, there is considerable heterogeneity across states, suggesting a potential role of inter-state variation in…

How to build institutionalization on students: a pilot experiment on a didactical design of addition and subtraction involving negative integers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuadiah, N. F.; Suryadi, D.; Turmudi

2018-05-01

This study focuses on the design of a didactical situation in addition and subtraction involving negative integers at the pilot experiment phase. As we know, negative numbers become an obstacle for students in solving problems related to them. This study aims to create a didactical design that can assist students in understanding the addition and subtraction. Another expected result in this way is that students are introduced to the characteristics of addition and subtraction of integers. The design was implemented on 32 seventh grade students in one of the classes in a junior secondary school as the pilot experiment. Learning activities were observed thoroughly including the students’ responses that emerged during the learning activities. The written documentation of the students was also used to support the analysis in the learning activities. The results of the analysis showed that this method could help the students perform a large number of integer operations that could not be done with a number line. The teacher’s support as a didactical potential contract was still needed to encourage institutionalization processes. The results of the design analysis used as the basis of the revision are expected to be implemented by the teacher in the teaching experiment.

Automated Feature Identification and Classification Using Automated Feature Weighted Self Organizing Map (FWSOM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starkey, Andrew; Usman Ahmad, Aliyu; Hamdoun, Hassan

2017-10-01

This paper investigates the application of a novel method for classification called Feature Weighted Self Organizing Map (FWSOM) that analyses the topology information of a converged standard Self Organizing Map (SOM) to automatically guide the selection of important inputs during training for improved classification of data with redundant inputs, examined against two traditional approaches namely neural networks and Support Vector Machines (SVM) for the classification of EEG data as presented in previous work. In particular, the novel method looks to identify the features that are important for classification automatically, and in this way the important features can be used to improve the diagnostic ability of any of the above methods. The paper presents the results and shows how the automated identification of the important features successfully identified the important features in the dataset and how this results in an improvement of the classification results for all methods apart from linear discriminatory methods which cannot separate the underlying nonlinear relationship in the data. The FWSOM in addition to achieving higher classification accuracy has given insights into what features are important in the classification of each class (left and right-hand movements), and these are corroborated by already published work in this area.

World Wide Web Based Image Search Engine Using Text and Image Content Features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Bo; Wang, Xiaogang; Tang, Xiaoou

2003-01-01

Using both text and image content features, a hybrid image retrieval system for Word Wide Web is developed in this paper. We first use a text-based image meta-search engine to retrieve images from the Web based on the text information on the image host pages to provide an initial image set. Because of the high-speed and low cost nature of the text-based approach, we can easily retrieve a broad coverage of images with a high recall rate and a relatively low precision. An image content based ordering is then performed on the initial image set. All the images are clustered into different folders based on the image content features. In addition, the images can be re-ranked by the content features according to the user feedback. Such a design makes it truly practical to use both text and image content for image retrieval over the Internet. Experimental results confirm the efficiency of the system.

Modeling process-structure-property relationships for additive manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Wentao; Lin, Stephen; Kafka, Orion L.; Yu, Cheng; Liu, Zeliang; Lian, Yanping; Wolff, Sarah; Cao, Jian; Wagner, Gregory J.; Liu, Wing Kam

2018-02-01

This paper presents our latest work on comprehensive modeling of process-structure-property relationships for additive manufacturing (AM) materials, including using data-mining techniques to close the cycle of design-predict-optimize. To illustrate the processstructure relationship, the multi-scale multi-physics process modeling starts from the micro-scale to establish a mechanistic heat source model, to the meso-scale models of individual powder particle evolution, and finally to the macro-scale model to simulate the fabrication process of a complex product. To link structure and properties, a highefficiency mechanistic model, self-consistent clustering analyses, is developed to capture a variety of material response. The model incorporates factors such as voids, phase composition, inclusions, and grain structures, which are the differentiating features of AM metals. Furthermore, we propose data-mining as an effective solution for novel rapid design and optimization, which is motivated by the numerous influencing factors in the AM process. We believe this paper will provide a roadmap to advance AM fundamental understanding and guide the monitoring and advanced diagnostics of AM processing.

Internal versus external features in triggering the brain waveforms for conjunction and feature faces in recognition.

PubMed

Nie, Aiqing; Jiang, Jingguo; Fu, Qiao

2014-08-20

Previous research has found that conjunction faces (whose internal features, e.g. eyes, nose, and mouth, and external features, e.g. hairstyle and ears, are from separate studied faces) and feature faces (partial features of these are studied) can produce higher false alarms than both old and new faces (i.e. those that are exactly the same as the studied faces and those that have not been previously presented) in recognition. The event-related potentials (ERPs) that relate to conjunction and feature faces at recognition, however, have not been described as yet; in addition, the contributions of different facial features toward ERPs have not been differentiated. To address these issues, the present study compared the ERPs elicited by old faces, conjunction faces (the internal and the external features were from two studied faces), old internal feature faces (whose internal features were studied), and old external feature faces (whose external features were studied) with those of new faces separately. The results showed that old faces not only elicited an early familiarity-related FN400, but a more anterior distributed late old/new effect that reflected recollection. Conjunction faces evoked similar late brain waveforms as old internal feature faces, but not to old external feature faces. These results suggest that, at recognition, old faces hold higher familiarity than compound faces in the profiles of ERPs and internal facial features are more crucial than external ones in triggering the brain waveforms that are characterized as reflecting the result of familiarity.

Topology reduction in deep convolutional feature extraction networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiatowski, Thomas; Grohs, Philipp; Bölcskei, Helmut

2017-08-01

Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) used in practice employ potentially hundreds of layers and 10,000s of nodes. Such network sizes entail significant computational complexity due to the large number of convolutions that need to be carried out; in addition, a large number of parameters needs to be learned and stored. Very deep and wide CNNs may therefore not be well suited to applications operating under severe resource constraints as is the case, e.g., in low-power embedded and mobile platforms. This paper aims at understanding the impact of CNN topology, specifically depth and width, on the network's feature extraction capabilities. We address this question for the class of scattering networks that employ either Weyl-Heisenberg filters or wavelets, the modulus non-linearity, and no pooling. The exponential feature map energy decay results in Wiatowski et al., 2017, are generalized to O(a-N), where an arbitrary decay factor a > 1 can be realized through suitable choice of the Weyl-Heisenberg prototype function or the mother wavelet. We then show how networks of fixed (possibly small) depth N can be designed to guarantee that ((1 - ɛ) · 100)% of the input signal's energy are contained in the feature vector. Based on the notion of operationally significant nodes, we characterize, partly rigorously and partly heuristically, the topology-reducing effects of (effectively) band-limited input signals, band-limited filters, and feature map symmetries. Finally, for networks based on Weyl-Heisenberg filters, we determine the prototype function bandwidth that minimizes - for fixed network depth N - the average number of operationally significant nodes per layer.

Design features of on-line anatomy information resources: a comparison with the Digital Anatomist.

PubMed

Kim, S; Brinkley, J F; Rosse, C

1999-01-01

In order to update the design of the next generation of the Digital Anatomist, we have surveyed teaching assistants who have used the Digital Anatomist for learning and teaching anatomy as medical students, and have also examined available anatomy web sites with sufficient content to support learning. The majority of web sites function in an atlas mode and provide for the identification of structures. These atlases incorporate a variety of features for interactivity with 2D images, some of which are not available in the Digital Anatomist. The surveys suggest that the greatest need is for on-line access to comprehensive and detailed anatomical information and for the development of knowledge-based methods that allow the direct manipulation of segmented 3D graphical models by the user. The requirement for such interactivity is a comprehensive symbolic model of the physical organization of the body that can support inference.

A UWB Radar Signal Processing Platform for Real-Time Human Respiratory Feature Extraction Based on Four-Segment Linear Waveform Model.

PubMed

Hsieh, Chi-Hsuan; Chiu, Yu-Fang; Shen, Yi-Hsiang; Chu, Ta-Shun; Huang, Yuan-Hao

2016-02-01

This paper presents an ultra-wideband (UWB) impulse-radio radar signal processing platform used to analyze human respiratory features. Conventional radar systems used in human detection only analyze human respiration rates or the response of a target. However, additional respiratory signal information is available that has not been explored using radar detection. The authors previously proposed a modified raised cosine waveform (MRCW) respiration model and an iterative correlation search algorithm that could acquire additional respiratory features such as the inspiration and expiration speeds, respiration intensity, and respiration holding ratio. To realize real-time respiratory feature extraction by using the proposed UWB signal processing platform, this paper proposes a new four-segment linear waveform (FSLW) respiration model. This model offers a superior fit to the measured respiration signal compared with the MRCW model and decreases the computational complexity of feature extraction. In addition, an early-terminated iterative correlation search algorithm is presented, substantially decreasing the computational complexity and yielding negligible performance degradation. These extracted features can be considered the compressed signals used to decrease the amount of data storage required for use in long-term medical monitoring systems and can also be used in clinical diagnosis. The proposed respiratory feature extraction algorithm was designed and implemented using the proposed UWB radar signal processing platform including a radar front-end chip and an FPGA chip. The proposed radar system can detect human respiration rates at 0.1 to 1 Hz and facilitates the real-time analysis of the respiratory features of each respiration period.

Study design features affecting outcome in antidepressant trials.

PubMed

Henkel, Verena; Casaulta, Flurina; Seemüller, Florian; Krähenbühl, Stephan; Obermeier, Michael; Hüsler, Jürg; Möller, Hans-Jürgen

2012-12-10

A key issue in the approval process of antidepressants is the inconsistency of results between antidepressant clinical phase III trials. Identifying factors influencing efficacy data is needed to facilitate interpretation of the results. We reviewed data packages submitted as new drug applications to Swissmedic focusing on pivotal, short-term antidepressant trials. Included studies used HAMD-17 or HAMD-21 as primary measures and enrolled patients aged 18-65 years with a diagnosis of major depression. Due to the hierarchical structure of the data a mixed-effect regression model has been applied with responder rates as primary outcome criterion. Random intercepts were estimated for the different trials, while study design factors were assigned as explanatory fixed effects. The final dataset was based upon 35 study reports with a total of N=10,835 patients. Significant results were found for study arm (placebo vs. active compound, p<0.001), sample size (p=0.002), duration of treatment (p=0.024), two or more active treatment arms (p=0.022) and the individual drug (p=0.029). Furthermore, a tendency to an association with the outcome was observed for baseline disease severity (p=0.077) and possibility of dosing adaptation (p=0.076). Due to strict confidentiality agreements, individual drugs are not reported here. Further research should consider additional variables that might have an impact on the results of antidepressant trials. Efficacy data in antidepressant trials is significantly affected by various factors. These factors and their potentially confounding role have to be considered in the interpretation of the results. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

IAU nomenclature for albedo features on the planet Mercury

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dollfus, A.; Chapman, C. R.; Davies, M. E.; Gingerich, O.; Goldstein, R.; Guest, J.; Morrison, D.; Smith, B. A.

1978-01-01

The International Astronomical Union has endorsed a nomenclature for the albedo features on Mercury. Designations are based upon the mythological names related to the god Hermes; they are expressed in Latin form. The dark-hued albedo features are associated with the generic term Solitudo. The light-hued areas are designated by a single name without generic term. The 32 names adopted are allocated on the Mercury map.

Image Feature Types and Their Predictions of Aesthetic Preference and Naturalness

PubMed Central

Ibarra, Frank F.; Kardan, Omid; Hunter, MaryCarol R.; Kotabe, Hiroki P.; Meyer, Francisco A. C.; Berman, Marc G.

2017-01-01

Previous research has investigated ways to quantify visual information of a scene in terms of a visual processing hierarchy, i.e., making sense of visual environment by segmentation and integration of elementary sensory input. Guided by this research, studies have developed categories for low-level visual features (e.g., edges, colors), high-level visual features (scene-level entities that convey semantic information such as objects), and how models of those features predict aesthetic preference and naturalness. For example, in Kardan et al. (2015a), 52 participants provided aesthetic preference and naturalness ratings, which are used in the current study, for 307 images of mixed natural and urban content. Kardan et al. (2015a) then developed a model using low-level features to predict aesthetic preference and naturalness and could do so with high accuracy. What has yet to be explored is the ability of higher-level visual features (e.g., horizon line position relative to viewer, geometry of building distribution relative to visual access) to predict aesthetic preference and naturalness of scenes, and whether higher-level features mediate some of the association between the low-level features and aesthetic preference or naturalness. In this study we investigated these relationships and found that low- and high- level features explain 68.4% of the variance in aesthetic preference ratings and 88.7% of the variance in naturalness ratings. Additionally, several high-level features mediated the relationship between the low-level visual features and aaesthetic preference. In a multiple mediation analysis, the high-level feature mediators accounted for over 50% of the variance in predicting aesthetic preference. These results show that high-level visual features play a prominent role predicting aesthetic preference, but do not completely eliminate the predictive power of the low-level visual features. These strong predictors provide powerful insights for future research

Which Features Make Illustrations in Multimedia Learning Interesting?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magner, Ulrike Irmgard Elisabeth; Glogger, Inga; Renkl, Alexander

2016-01-01

How can illustrations motivate learners in multimedia learning? Which features make illustrations interesting? Beside the theoretical relevance of addressing these questions, these issues are practically relevant when instructional designers are to decide which features of illustrations can trigger situational interest irrespective of individual…

48 CFR 452.236-70 - Additive or Deductive Items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Additive or Deductive... Additive or Deductive Items. As prescribed in 436.205, insert the following provision: Additive or... listed in the schedule) those additive or deductive bid items providing the most features of the work...

48 CFR 452.236-70 - Additive or Deductive Items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Additive or Deductive... Additive or Deductive Items. As prescribed in 436.205, insert the following provision: Additive or... listed in the schedule) those additive or deductive bid items providing the most features of the work...

48 CFR 452.236-70 - Additive or Deductive Items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Additive or Deductive... Additive or Deductive Items. As prescribed in 436.205, insert the following provision: Additive or... listed in the schedule) those additive or deductive bid items providing the most features of the work...

48 CFR 452.236-70 - Additive or Deductive Items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Additive or Deductive... Additive or Deductive Items. As prescribed in 436.205, insert the following provision: Additive or... listed in the schedule) those additive or deductive bid items providing the most features of the work...

48 CFR 452.236-70 - Additive or Deductive Items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Additive or Deductive... Additive or Deductive Items. As prescribed in 436.205, insert the following provision: Additive or... listed in the schedule) those additive or deductive bid items providing the most features of the work...

40 CFR 79.31 - Additives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Additives. 79.31 Section 79.31... OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Designation of Fuels and Additives § 79.31 Additives. (a) All additives... persons or property on a street or highway. For purposes of this registration, however, additives...

40 CFR 79.31 - Additives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Additives. 79.31 Section 79.31... OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Designation of Fuels and Additives § 79.31 Additives. (a) All additives... persons or property on a street or highway. For purposes of this registration, however, additives...

40 CFR 79.31 - Additives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Additives. 79.31 Section 79.31... OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Designation of Fuels and Additives § 79.31 Additives. (a) All additives... persons or property on a street or highway. For purposes of this registration, however, additives...

40 CFR 79.31 - Additives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Additives. 79.31 Section 79.31... OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Designation of Fuels and Additives § 79.31 Additives. (a) All additives... persons or property on a street or highway. For purposes of this registration, however, additives...

40 CFR 79.31 - Additives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Additives. 79.31 Section 79.31... OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Designation of Fuels and Additives § 79.31 Additives. (a) All additives... persons or property on a street or highway. For purposes of this registration, however, additives...

Recent developments in BWR fuel design

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Congdon, S.P.; Noble, L.D.; Wood, J.E.

1991-11-01

Substantial increases in the cost effectiveness and performance capability of boiling water reactor (BWR) fuel designs have been implemented in the past 5 to 7 yr. This increase has been driven by (a) utility desires to lower fuel and operating costs and (b) design innovations that have lowered enrichment requirements, improved thermal-hydraulic performance, and increased discharge exposure. Higher discharge exposures reduce disposal costs for European and Asian utilities and enable US utilities to lengthen operating cycles. A typical BWR reload fuel bundle fabricated today has 25% higher {sup 235}U enrichment and a factor of 2 higher gadolinium loading than onemore » made several years ago. Today's BWR fuel bundles also contain more unheated water reduces the axial water density variation, lowers the void coefficient, and enhances the neutron efficiency of the bundle, reducing both the gadolinium poison and the enrichment requirements. In addition to these general trends, the following unique design innovations have further enhanced the fuel cost efficiency and performance characteristics of BWR fuel: ferrule spacer, part length rods, interactive channel, and bundle enhanced spectral shift. GE's fuel designs offer the flexibility for modern BWR fuel requirements and contain unique design features that enhance flexibility for modern BWR fuel requirements and contain unique design features that enhance flexibility and fuel cycle economics.« less

Validation of Underwater Sensor Package Using Feature Based SLAM

PubMed Central

Cain, Christopher; Leonessa, Alexander

2016-01-01

Robotic vehicles working in new, unexplored environments must be able to locate themselves in the environment while constructing a picture of the objects in the environment that could act as obstacles that would prevent the vehicles from completing their desired tasks. In enclosed environments, underwater range sensors based off of acoustics suffer performance issues due to reflections. Additionally, their relatively high cost make them less than ideal for usage on low cost vehicles designed to be used underwater. In this paper we propose a sensor package composed of a downward facing camera, which is used to perform feature tracking based visual odometry, and a custom vision-based two dimensional rangefinder that can be used on low cost underwater unmanned vehicles. In order to examine the performance of this sensor package in a SLAM framework, experimental tests are performed using an unmanned ground vehicle and two feature based SLAM algorithms, the extended Kalman filter based approach and the Rao-Blackwellized, particle filter based approach, to validate the sensor package. PMID:26999142

Advanced Computational Techniques for Power Tube Design.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-07-01

fixturing applications, in addition to the existing computer-aided engineering capabilities. o Helix TWT Manufacturing has Implemented a tooling and fixturing...illustrates the ajor features of this computer network. ) The backbone of our system is a Sytek Broadband Network (LAN) which Interconnects terminals and...automatic network analyzer (FANA) which electrically characterizes the slow-wave helices of traveling-wave tubes ( TWTs ) -- both for engineering design

76 FR 14812 - Additional Air Quality Designations for the 2006 24-Hour Fine Particle National Ambient Air...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-18

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 81 [EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-0562; EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0163; FRL-9261-3] RIN-2060-AQ30 Additional Air Quality Designations for the 2006 24-Hour Fine Particle National... Particles National Ambient Air Quality Standards Correction In rule document 2011-2269 appearing on pages...

A method for real-time implementation of HOG feature extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Hai-bo; Yu, Xin-rong; Liu, Hong-mei; Ding, Qing-hai

2011-08-01

Histogram of oriented gradient (HOG) is an efficient feature extraction scheme, and HOG descriptors are feature descriptors which is widely used in computer vision and image processing for the purpose of biometrics, target tracking, automatic target detection(ATD) and automatic target recognition(ATR) etc. However, computation of HOG feature extraction is unsuitable for hardware implementation since it includes complicated operations. In this paper, the optimal design method and theory frame for real-time HOG feature extraction based on FPGA were proposed. The main principle is as follows: firstly, the parallel gradient computing unit circuit based on parallel pipeline structure was designed. Secondly, the calculation of arctangent and square root operation was simplified. Finally, a histogram generator based on parallel pipeline structure was designed to calculate the histogram of each sub-region. Experimental results showed that the HOG extraction can be implemented in a pixel period by these computing units.

Cloud-Based Automated Design and Additive Manufacturing: A Usage Data-Enabled Paradigm Shift

PubMed Central

Lehmhus, Dirk; Wuest, Thorsten; Wellsandt, Stefan; Bosse, Stefan; Kaihara, Toshiya; Thoben, Klaus-Dieter; Busse, Matthias

2015-01-01

Integration of sensors into various kinds of products and machines provides access to in-depth usage information as basis for product optimization. Presently, this large potential for more user-friendly and efficient products is not being realized because (a) sensor integration and thus usage information is not available on a large scale and (b) product optimization requires considerable efforts in terms of manpower and adaptation of production equipment. However, with the advent of cloud-based services and highly flexible additive manufacturing techniques, these obstacles are currently crumbling away at rapid pace. The present study explores the state of the art in gathering and evaluating product usage and life cycle data, additive manufacturing and sensor integration, automated design and cloud-based services in manufacturing. By joining and extrapolating development trends in these areas, it delimits the foundations of a manufacturing concept that will allow continuous and economically viable product optimization on a general, user group or individual user level. This projection is checked against three different application scenarios, each of which stresses different aspects of the underlying holistic concept. The following discussion identifies critical issues and research needs by adopting the relevant stakeholder perspectives. PMID:26703606

Cloud-Based Automated Design and Additive Manufacturing: A Usage Data-Enabled Paradigm Shift.

PubMed

Lehmhus, Dirk; Wuest, Thorsten; Wellsandt, Stefan; Bosse, Stefan; Kaihara, Toshiya; Thoben, Klaus-Dieter; Busse, Matthias

2015-12-19

Integration of sensors into various kinds of products and machines provides access to in-depth usage information as basis for product optimization. Presently, this large potential for more user-friendly and efficient products is not being realized because (a) sensor integration and thus usage information is not available on a large scale and (b) product optimization requires considerable efforts in terms of manpower and adaptation of production equipment. However, with the advent of cloud-based services and highly flexible additive manufacturing techniques, these obstacles are currently crumbling away at rapid pace. The present study explores the state of the art in gathering and evaluating product usage and life cycle data, additive manufacturing and sensor integration, automated design and cloud-based services in manufacturing. By joining and extrapolating development trends in these areas, it delimits the foundations of a manufacturing concept that will allow continuous and economically viable product optimization on a general, user group or individual user level. This projection is checked against three different application scenarios, each of which stresses different aspects of the underlying holistic concept. The following discussion identifies critical issues and research needs by adopting the relevant stakeholder perspectives.

Designing healthy communities: creating evidence on metrics for built environment features associated with walkable neighbourhood activity centres.

PubMed

Gunn, Lucy Dubrelle; Mavoa, Suzanne; Boulangé, Claire; Hooper, Paula; Kavanagh, Anne; Giles-Corti, Billie

2017-12-04

requirement that residents live within 1km of a local supermarket. Built environment features surrounding NACs must reach certain levels to encourage walking and deliver walkable communities. Research and metrics about the type and quantity of built environment features around both walking trip origins and destinations is needed to inform urban planning policies and urban design guidelines.

Polylactides in additive biomanufacturing.

PubMed

Poh, Patrina S P; Chhaya, Mohit P; Wunner, Felix M; De-Juan-Pardo, Elena M; Schilling, Arndt F; Schantz, Jan-Thorsten; van Griensven, Martijn; Hutmacher, Dietmar W

2016-12-15

New advanced manufacturing technologies under the alias of additive biomanufacturing allow the design and fabrication of a range of products from pre-operative models, cutting guides and medical devices to scaffolds. The process of printing in 3 dimensions of cells, extracellular matrix (ECM) and biomaterials (bioinks, powders, etc.) to generate in vitro and/or in vivo tissue analogue structures has been termed bioprinting. To further advance in additive biomanufacturing, there are many aspects that we can learn from the wider additive manufacturing (AM) industry, which have progressed tremendously since its introduction into the manufacturing sector. First, this review gives an overview of additive manufacturing and both industry and academia efforts in addressing specific challenges in the AM technologies to drive toward AM-enabled industrial revolution. After which, considerations of poly(lactides) as a biomaterial in additive biomanufacturing are discussed. Challenges in wider additive biomanufacturing field are discussed in terms of (a) biomaterials; (b) computer-aided design, engineering and manufacturing; (c) AM and additive biomanufacturing printers hardware; and (d) system integration. Finally, the outlook for additive biomanufacturing was discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Online feature selection with streaming features.

PubMed

Wu, Xindong; Yu, Kui; Ding, Wei; Wang, Hao; Zhu, Xingquan

2013-05-01

We propose a new online feature selection framework for applications with streaming features where the knowledge of the full feature space is unknown in advance. We define streaming features as features that flow in one by one over time whereas the number of training examples remains fixed. This is in contrast with traditional online learning methods that only deal with sequentially added observations, with little attention being paid to streaming features. The critical challenges for Online Streaming Feature Selection (OSFS) include 1) the continuous growth of feature volumes over time, 2) a large feature space, possibly of unknown or infinite size, and 3) the unavailability of the entire feature set before learning starts. In the paper, we present a novel Online Streaming Feature Selection method to select strongly relevant and nonredundant features on the fly. An efficient Fast-OSFS algorithm is proposed to improve feature selection performance. The proposed algorithms are evaluated extensively on high-dimensional datasets and also with a real-world case study on impact crater detection. Experimental results demonstrate that the algorithms achieve better compactness and higher prediction accuracy than existing streaming feature selection algorithms.

Experimental procedure for measuring and comparing head-neck-trunk posture and movements caused by different progressive addition lens designs.

PubMed

Mateo, B; Porcar-Seder, R; Solaz, J S; Dürsteler, J C

2010-07-01

This study demonstrates that appropriate measurement procedures can detect differences in head movement in a near reading task when using three different progressive addition lenses (PALs). The movements were measured using an anatomical reference system with a biomechanical rationale. This reference system was capable of representing rotations for comparing head flexion relative to trunk, head flexion relative to neck, head rotation relative to trunk and trunk flexion. The subject sample comprised 31 volunteers and three PAL designs with different viewing zones were selected. Significant differences were found between the lenses for three of the seven movement parameters examined. The differences occurred for both vertical and horizontal head movements and could be attributed to aspects of the PAL design. The measurement of the complete kinematic trunk-neck-head chain improved the number of differences that were found over those in previous studies. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: The study proposes a methodology based on a biomechanical rationale able to differentiate head-neck-trunk posture and movements caused by different progressive addition lens designs with minimum invasiveness. This methodology could also be applied to analyse the ergonomics of other devices that restrict the user's field of view, such as helmets, personal protective equipment or helmet-mounted displays for pilots. This analysis will allow designers to optimise designs offering higher comfort and performance.

Enhancement of ELDA Tracker Based on CNN Features and Adaptive Model Update.

PubMed

Gao, Changxin; Shi, Huizhang; Yu, Jin-Gang; Sang, Nong

2016-04-15

Appearance representation and the observation model are the most important components in designing a robust visual tracking algorithm for video-based sensors. Additionally, the exemplar-based linear discriminant analysis (ELDA) model has shown good performance in object tracking. Based on that, we improve the ELDA tracking algorithm by deep convolutional neural network (CNN) features and adaptive model update. Deep CNN features have been successfully used in various computer vision tasks. Extracting CNN features on all of the candidate windows is time consuming. To address this problem, a two-step CNN feature extraction method is proposed by separately computing convolutional layers and fully-connected layers. Due to the strong discriminative ability of CNN features and the exemplar-based model, we update both object and background models to improve their adaptivity and to deal with the tradeoff between discriminative ability and adaptivity. An object updating method is proposed to select the "good" models (detectors), which are quite discriminative and uncorrelated to other selected models. Meanwhile, we build the background model as a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) to adapt to complex scenes, which is initialized offline and updated online. The proposed tracker is evaluated on a benchmark dataset of 50 video sequences with various challenges. It achieves the best overall performance among the compared state-of-the-art trackers, which demonstrates the effectiveness and robustness of our tracking algorithm.

Enhancement of ELDA Tracker Based on CNN Features and Adaptive Model Update

PubMed Central

Gao, Changxin; Shi, Huizhang; Yu, Jin-Gang; Sang, Nong

2016-01-01

Appearance representation and the observation model are the most important components in designing a robust visual tracking algorithm for video-based sensors. Additionally, the exemplar-based linear discriminant analysis (ELDA) model has shown good performance in object tracking. Based on that, we improve the ELDA tracking algorithm by deep convolutional neural network (CNN) features and adaptive model update. Deep CNN features have been successfully used in various computer vision tasks. Extracting CNN features on all of the candidate windows is time consuming. To address this problem, a two-step CNN feature extraction method is proposed by separately computing convolutional layers and fully-connected layers. Due to the strong discriminative ability of CNN features and the exemplar-based model, we update both object and background models to improve their adaptivity and to deal with the tradeoff between discriminative ability and adaptivity. An object updating method is proposed to select the “good” models (detectors), which are quite discriminative and uncorrelated to other selected models. Meanwhile, we build the background model as a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) to adapt to complex scenes, which is initialized offline and updated online. The proposed tracker is evaluated on a benchmark dataset of 50 video sequences with various challenges. It achieves the best overall performance among the compared state-of-the-art trackers, which demonstrates the effectiveness and robustness of our tracking algorithm. PMID:27092505

Additive manufacturing of tunable lenses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlichting, Katja; Novak, Tobias; Heinrich, Andreas

2017-02-01

Individual additive manufacturing of optical systems based on 3D Printing offers varied possibilities in design and usage. In addition to the additive manufacturing procedure, the usage of tunable lenses allows further advantages for intelligent optical systems. Our goal is to bring the advantages of additive manufacturing together with the huge potential of tunable lenses. We produced tunable lenses as a bundle without any further processing steps, like polishing. The lenses were designed and directly printed with a 3D Printer as a package. The design contains the membrane as an optical part as well as the mechanical parts of the lens, like the attachments for the sleeves which contain the oil. The dynamic optical lenses were filled with an oil. The focal length of the lenses changes due to a change of the radius of curvature. This change is caused by changing the pressure in the inside of the lens. In addition to that, we designed lenses with special structures to obtain different areas with an individual optical power. We want to discuss the huge potential of this technology for several applications. Further, an appropriate controlling system is needed. Wéll show the possibilities to control and regulate the optical power of the lenses. The lenses could be used for illumination tasks, and in the future, for individual measurement tasks. The main advantage is the individuality and the possibility to create an individual design which completely fulfills the requirements for any specific application.

Designing action games for appealing to buyers.

PubMed

Hsu, Shang Hwa; Lee, Feng-Liang; Wu, Muh-Cherng

2005-12-01

This study aims to identify design features for action games that would appeal to game-buyers, rather than game-players. Sixteen frequent-buyers of computer games identified 39 design features that appeal to buyers by contrasting different versions of Pacman games. Twenty-eight versions of Pacman were then evaluated in terms of the identified design features by 45 participants (27 male and 18 female college students). Qnet2000 neural network software was used to determine the relative importance of these design features. The results indicated that the top 10 most important design features could account for more than 50% of "perceived fun" among these 39 design features. The feature of avatar is important to game-buyers, yet not revealed in previous player-oriented studies. Moreover, six design factors underlying the 39 features were identified through factor analysis. These factors included "novelty and powerfulness," "appealing presentation," "interactivity," "challenging," "sense of control," and "rewarding," and could account for 54% of total variance. Among these six factors, appealing presentation has not been emphasized by player-oriented research. Implications of the findings were discussed.

Modular Design Features of a Peptide Amphiphile Micelle Vaccine Platform and Their Impact on an Immune Response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrett, John Christopher

Inducing a strong and specific immune response is the hallmark of a successful vaccine. Nanoparticles have emerged as promising vaccine delivery devices to discover and elicit immune responses. Modular platforms are attractive for their engineerability and broad potential applications. Fine-tuning a nanoparticle vaccine to create an immune response with specific antibody and other cellular responses is influenced by many factors such as shape, size and composition. Peptide amphiphile micelles are a unique biomaterials platform that can function as a modular vaccine delivery system, enabling control over many of these important factors. Peptide amphiphiles (PAs) consist of a hydrophilic peptide antigen conjugated to a hydrophobic lipid tail. The PAs then self-assemble into micelles, with the micelle characteristics determined by the chemical composition of the PA and micelle preparation methods. PA micelles contain a large design space, so it is important to have a basic understanding of how each design feature can affect the platform's interaction with the immune system. In this dissertation, the structure, composition, and biodistribution properties of PA micelles are evaluated for their ability to impact an immune response against a Group A Streptococcus B cell antigen (J8). Through structural design and physical characterization, micelles are shown to self-assemble into either short rod-like or long cylindrical shapes. Analyzing these shape effects on the immune response showed that cylindrical micelles induced higher antibody titers than rod-like micelles, providing evidence that the cylindrical micelle shape is important to induce immune responses and a possible mechanism of action. Shape was also seen to impact the activation profile of dendritic cells, B cells and T cells. Assembly into cylindrical micelles also stabilizes the secondary structure of peptide antigens, which may impact the immune response raised. In composition, the hydrophobic

Data related to the experimental design for powder bed binder jetting additive manufacturing of silicone.

PubMed

Liravi, Farzad; Vlasea, Mihaela

2018-06-01

The data included in this article provides additional supporting information on our recent publication (Liravi et al., 2018 [1]) on a novel hybrid additive manufacturing (AM) method for fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) structures from silicone powder. A design of experiments (DoE) study has been carried out to optimize the geometrical fidelity of AM-made parts. This manuscript includes the details of a multi-level factorial DOE and the response optimization results. The variation in the temperature of powder-bed when exposed to heat is plotted as well. Furthermore, the effect of blending ratio of two parts of silicone binder on its curing speed was investigated by conducting DSC tests on a silicone binder with 100:2 precursor to curing agent ratio. The hardness of parts fabricated with non-optimum printing conditions are included and compared.

Higher criticism thresholding: Optimal feature selection when useful features are rare and weak.

PubMed

Donoho, David; Jin, Jiashun

2008-09-30

In important application fields today-genomics and proteomics are examples-selecting a small subset of useful features is crucial for success of Linear Classification Analysis. We study feature selection by thresholding of feature Z-scores and introduce a principle of threshold selection, based on the notion of higher criticism (HC). For i = 1, 2, ..., p, let pi(i) denote the two-sided P-value associated with the ith feature Z-score and pi((i)) denote the ith order statistic of the collection of P-values. The HC threshold is the absolute Z-score corresponding to the P-value maximizing the HC objective (i/p - pi((i)))/sqrt{i/p(1-i/p)}. We consider a rare/weak (RW) feature model, where the fraction of useful features is small and the useful features are each too weak to be of much use on their own. HC thresholding (HCT) has interesting behavior in this setting, with an intimate link between maximizing the HC objective and minimizing the error rate of the designed classifier, and very different behavior from popular threshold selection procedures such as false discovery rate thresholding (FDRT). In the most challenging RW settings, HCT uses an unconventionally low threshold; this keeps the missed-feature detection rate under better control than FDRT and yields a classifier with improved misclassification performance. Replacing cross-validated threshold selection in the popular Shrunken Centroid classifier with the computationally less expensive and simpler HCT reduces the variance of the selected threshold and the error rate of the constructed classifier. Results on standard real datasets and in asymptotic theory confirm the advantages of HCT.

Higher criticism thresholding: Optimal feature selection when useful features are rare and weak

PubMed Central

Donoho, David; Jin, Jiashun

2008-01-01

In important application fields today—genomics and proteomics are examples—selecting a small subset of useful features is crucial for success of Linear Classification Analysis. We study feature selection by thresholding of feature Z-scores and introduce a principle of threshold selection, based on the notion of higher criticism (HC). For i = 1, 2, …, p, let πi denote the two-sided P-value associated with the ith feature Z-score and π(i) denote the ith order statistic of the collection of P-values. The HC threshold is the absolute Z-score corresponding to the P-value maximizing the HC objective (i/p − π(i))/i/p(1−i/p). We consider a rare/weak (RW) feature model, where the fraction of useful features is small and the useful features are each too weak to be of much use on their own. HC thresholding (HCT) has interesting behavior in this setting, with an intimate link between maximizing the HC objective and minimizing the error rate of the designed classifier, and very different behavior from popular threshold selection procedures such as false discovery rate thresholding (FDRT). In the most challenging RW settings, HCT uses an unconventionally low threshold; this keeps the missed-feature detection rate under better control than FDRT and yields a classifier with improved misclassification performance. Replacing cross-validated threshold selection in the popular Shrunken Centroid classifier with the computationally less expensive and simpler HCT reduces the variance of the selected threshold and the error rate of the constructed classifier. Results on standard real datasets and in asymptotic theory confirm the advantages of HCT. PMID:18815365

Fault tolerant features and experiments of ANTS distributed real-time system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dominic-Savio, Patrick; Lo, Jien-Chung; Tufts, Donald W.

1995-01-01

The ANTS project at the University of Rhode Island introduces the concept of Active Nodal Task Seeking (ANTS) as a way to efficiently design and implement dependable, high-performance, distributed computing. This paper presents the fault tolerant design features that have been incorporated in the ANTS experimental system implementation. The results of performance evaluations and fault injection experiments are reported. The fault-tolerant version of ANTS categorizes all computing nodes into three groups. They are: the up-and-running green group, the self-diagnosing yellow group and the failed red group. Each available computing node will be placed in the yellow group periodically for a routine diagnosis. In addition, for long-life missions, ANTS uses a monitoring scheme to identify faulty computing nodes. In this monitoring scheme, the communication pattern of each computing node is monitored by two other nodes.

Feature Inference and the Causal Structure of Categories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rehder, B.; Burnett, R.C.

2005-01-01

The purpose of this article was to establish how theoretical category knowledge-specifically, knowledge of the causal relations that link the features of categories-supports the ability to infer the presence of unobserved features. Our experiments were designed to test proposals that causal knowledge is represented psychologically as Bayesian…

Towards the Improved Discovery and Design of Functional Peptides: Common Features of Diverse Classes Permit Generalized Prediction of Bioactivity

PubMed Central

Mooney, Catherine; Haslam, Niall J.; Pollastri, Gianluca; Shields, Denis C.

2012-01-01

The conventional wisdom is that certain classes of bioactive peptides have specific structural features that endow their particular functions. Accordingly, predictions of bioactivity have focused on particular subgroups, such as antimicrobial peptides. We hypothesized that bioactive peptides may share more general features, and assessed this by contrasting the predictive power of existing antimicrobial predictors as well as a novel general predictor, PeptideRanker, across different classes of peptides. We observed that existing antimicrobial predictors had reasonable predictive power to identify peptides of certain other classes i.e. toxin and venom peptides. We trained two general predictors of peptide bioactivity, one focused on short peptides (4–20 amino acids) and one focused on long peptides ( amino acids). These general predictors had performance that was typically as good as, or better than, that of specific predictors. We noted some striking differences in the features of short peptide and long peptide predictions, in particular, high scoring short peptides favour phenylalanine. This is consistent with the hypothesis that short and long peptides have different functional constraints, perhaps reflecting the difficulty for typical short peptides in supporting independent tertiary structure. We conclude that there are general shared features of bioactive peptides across different functional classes, indicating that computational prediction may accelerate the discovery of novel bioactive peptides and aid in the improved design of existing peptides, across many functional classes. An implementation of the predictive method, PeptideRanker, may be used to identify among a set of peptides those that may be more likely to be bioactive. PMID:23056189

Established Designs For Advanced Ground Based Astronomical Telescopes In The 1-meter To 4-meter Domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hull, Anthony B.; Barentine, J.; Legters, S.

2012-01-01

The same technology and analytic approaches that led to cost-effective unmitigated successes for the spaceborne Kepler and WISE telescopes are now being applied to meter-class to 4-meter-class ground telescopes, providing affordable solutions to ground astronomy, with advanced features as needed for the application. The range of optical and mechanical performance standards and features that can be supplied for ground astronomy shall be described. Both classical RC designs, as well as unobscured designs are well represented in the IOS design library, allowing heritage designs for both night time and day time operations, the latter even in the proximity of the sun. In addition to discussing this library of mature features, we will also describe a process for working with astronomers early in the definition process to provide the best-value solution. Solutions can include remote operation and astronomical data acquisition and transmission.

Contrasting effects of feature-based statistics on the categorisation and identification of visual objects

PubMed Central

Taylor, Kirsten I.; Devereux, Barry J.; Acres, Kadia; Randall, Billi; Tyler, Lorraine K.

2013-01-01

Conceptual representations are at the heart of our mental lives, involved in every aspect of cognitive functioning. Despite their centrality, a long-standing debate persists as to how the meanings of concepts are represented and processed. Many accounts agree that the meanings of concrete concepts are represented by their individual features, but disagree about the importance of different feature-based variables: some views stress the importance of the information carried by distinctive features in conceptual processing, others the features which are shared over many concepts, and still others the extent to which features co-occur. We suggest that previously disparate theoretical positions and experimental findings can be unified by an account which claims that task demands determine how concepts are processed in addition to the effects of feature distinctiveness and co-occurrence. We tested these predictions in a basic-level naming task which relies on distinctive feature information (Experiment 1) and a domain decision task which relies on shared feature information (Experiment 2). Both used large-scale regression designs with the same visual objects, and mixed-effects models incorporating participant, session, stimulus-related and feature statistic variables to model the performance. We found that concepts with relatively more distinctive and more highly correlated distinctive relative to shared features facilitated basic-level naming latencies, while concepts with relatively more shared and more highly correlated shared relative to distinctive features speeded domain decisions. These findings demonstrate that the feature statistics of distinctiveness (shared vs. distinctive) and correlational strength, as well as the task demands, determine how concept meaning is processed in the conceptual system. PMID:22137770

DETERMINING A ROBUST D-OPTIMAL DESIGN FOR TESTING FOR DEPARTURE FROM ADDITIVITY IN A MIXTURE OF FOUR PFAAS

EPA Science Inventory

Our objective was to determine an optimal experimental design for a mixture of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) that is robust to the assumption of additivity. Of particular focus to this research project is whether an environmentally relevant mixture of four PFAAs with long half-liv...

Features of Wisdom: Prototypical Attributes of Wise People.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maciel, Anna G.; And Others

Features of everyday conceptions of a "wise person" were examined, based on a model of wisdom-related knowledge (Baltes & Smith, 1990). The goal was to examine whether the psychological theory underlying this model is consistent with lay conceptions of wisdom, and whether everyday conceptions contain additional features not contained…

Poliosis overlying a nevus with blue nevus features.

PubMed

Young, Lorraine C; Van Dyke, Gregory S; Lipton, Shira; Binder, Scott W

2008-02-28

Poliosis is a localized patch of gray or white hair. Because it can be seen with a variety of disorders and drugs, a full history and exam is indicated. Additionally, it can be associated with underlying benign and malignant tumors, necessitating histological identification. We review the lesions that are reported with poliosis. In addition, we will report a case of poliosis overlying an intradermal nevus with congenital as well as blue nevus features. To the best of our knowledge, blue nevus features associated with poliosis have not been previously described.

Final mission design for IRAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mclaughlin, W. I.

1984-01-01

The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) was operated on orbit from 26 January to 22 November 1983 (GMT). Its primary purpose, successfully accomplished, was to conduct an all-sky survey in the infrared from 8 to 120 microns. The mission design for this project featured orbit selection; numerous exercises in the geometry of the sphere; computer simulation of mission, sky, and telescope; and an active interface with the IRAS Science Team. In addition to mission design, the subject of mission planning after launch is addressed. The paper makes extensive use of reference to other works on the topic and seeks to derive some general conclusions on the subject based upon the IRAS experience.

Clustering-based Feature Learning on Variable Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackenzie, Cristóbal; Pichara, Karim; Protopapas, Pavlos

2016-04-01

The success of automatic classification of variable stars depends strongly on the lightcurve representation. Usually, lightcurves are represented as a vector of many descriptors designed by astronomers called features. These descriptors are expensive in terms of computing, require substantial research effort to develop, and do not guarantee a good classification. Today, lightcurve representation is not entirely automatic; algorithms must be designed and manually tuned up for every survey. The amounts of data that will be generated in the future mean astronomers must develop scalable and automated analysis pipelines. In this work we present a feature learning algorithm designed for variable objects. Our method works by extracting a large number of lightcurve subsequences from a given set, which are then clustered to find common local patterns in the time series. Representatives of these common patterns are then used to transform lightcurves of a labeled set into a new representation that can be used to train a classifier. The proposed algorithm learns the features from both labeled and unlabeled lightcurves, overcoming the bias using only labeled data. We test our method on data sets from the Massive Compact Halo Object survey and the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment; the results show that our classification performance is as good as and in some cases better than the performance achieved using traditional statistical features, while the computational cost is significantly lower. With these promising results, we believe that our method constitutes a significant step toward the automation of the lightcurve classification pipeline.

Advanced Thermoplastic Polymers and Additive Manufacturing Applied to ISS Columbus Toolbox: Lessons Learnt and Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrino, Marinella; Secondo, Ottaviano; Sabbagh, Amir; Della Sala, Emilio

2014-06-01

In the frame of the International Space Station (ISS) Exploitation Program a new toolbox has been realized by TAS-I to accommodate the tools currently in use on the ISS Columbus Module utilizing full-scale prototypes obtained with 3D rapid prototyping. The manufacturing of the flight hardware by means of advanced thermoplastic polymer UL TEM 9085 and additive manufacturing Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) technology represent innovative elements. In this paper, the results achieved and the lessons learned are analyzed to promote future technology know-how. The acquired experience confirmed that the additive manufacturing process allows to save time/cost and to realize new shapes/features to introduce innovation in products and future design processes for space applications.

Perception Of "Features" And "Objects": Applications To The Design Of Instrument Panel Displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poynter, Douglas; Czarnomski, Alan J.

1988-10-01

An experiment was conducted to determine whether socalled feature displays allow for faster and more accurate processing compared to object displays. Previous psychological studies indicate that features can be processed in parallel across the visual field, whereas objects must be processed one at a time with the aid of attentional focus. Numbers and letters are examples of objects; line orientation and color are examples of features. In this experiment, subjects were asked to search displays composed of up to 16 elements for the presence of specific elements. The ability to detect, localize, and identify targets was influenced by display format. Digital errors increased with the number of elements, the number of targets, and the distance of the target from the fixation point. Line orientation errors increased only with the number of targets. Several other display types were evaluated, and each produced a pattern of errors similar to either digital or line orientation format. Results of the study were discussed in terms of Feature Integration Theory, which distinguishes between elements that are processed with parallel versus serial mechanisms.

Half a degree additional warming, prognosis and projected impacts (HAPPI): background and experimental design

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mitchell, Daniel; AchutaRao, Krishna; Allen, Myles

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has accepted the invitation from the UNFCCC to provide a special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and on related global greenhouse-gas emission pathways. Many current experiments in, for example, the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP), are not specifically designed for informing this report. Here, we document the design of the half a degree additional warming, projections, prognosis and impacts (HAPPI) experiment. HAPPI provides a framework for the generation of climate data describing how the climate, and in particular extreme weather, might differ from the presentmore » day in worlds that are 1.5 and 2.0 °C warmer than pre-industrial conditions. Output from participating climate models includes variables frequently used by a range of impact models. The key challenge is to separate the impact of an additional approximately half degree of warming from uncertainty in climate model responses and internal climate variability that dominate CMIP-style experiments under low-emission scenarios.Large ensembles of simulations (> 50 members) of atmosphere-only models for three time slices are proposed, each a decade in length: the first being the most recent observed 10-year period (2006–2015), the second two being estimates of a similar decade but under 1.5 and 2 °C conditions a century in the future. We use the representative concentration pathway 2.6 (RCP2.6) to provide the model boundary conditions for the 1.5 °C scenario, and a weighted combination of RCP2.6 and RCP4.5 for the 2 °C scenario.« less

Half a degree additional warming, prognosis and projected impacts (HAPPI): background and experimental design

DOE PAGES

Mitchell, Daniel; AchutaRao, Krishna; Allen, Myles; ...

2017-02-08

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has accepted the invitation from the UNFCCC to provide a special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and on related global greenhouse-gas emission pathways. Many current experiments in, for example, the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP), are not specifically designed for informing this report. Here, we document the design of the half a degree additional warming, projections, prognosis and impacts (HAPPI) experiment. HAPPI provides a framework for the generation of climate data describing how the climate, and in particular extreme weather, might differ from the presentmore » day in worlds that are 1.5 and 2.0 °C warmer than pre-industrial conditions. Output from participating climate models includes variables frequently used by a range of impact models. The key challenge is to separate the impact of an additional approximately half degree of warming from uncertainty in climate model responses and internal climate variability that dominate CMIP-style experiments under low-emission scenarios.Large ensembles of simulations (> 50 members) of atmosphere-only models for three time slices are proposed, each a decade in length: the first being the most recent observed 10-year period (2006–2015), the second two being estimates of a similar decade but under 1.5 and 2 °C conditions a century in the future. We use the representative concentration pathway 2.6 (RCP2.6) to provide the model boundary conditions for the 1.5 °C scenario, and a weighted combination of RCP2.6 and RCP4.5 for the 2 °C scenario.« less

Design of a multi-spectral imager built using the compressive sensing single-pixel camera architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McMackin, Lenore; Herman, Matthew A.; Weston, Tyler

2016-02-01

We present the design of a multi-spectral imager built using the architecture of the single-pixel camera. The architecture is enabled by the novel sampling theory of compressive sensing implemented optically using the Texas Instruments DLP™ micro-mirror array. The array not only implements spatial modulation necessary for compressive imaging but also provides unique diffractive spectral features that result in a multi-spectral, high-spatial resolution imager design. The new camera design provides multi-spectral imagery in a wavelength range that extends from the visible to the shortwave infrared without reduction in spatial resolution. In addition to the compressive imaging spectrometer design, we present a diffractive model of the architecture that allows us to predict a variety of detailed functional spatial and spectral design features. We present modeling results, architectural design and experimental results that prove the concept.

Current trends in the design of scaffolds for computer-aided tissue engineering.

PubMed

Giannitelli, S M; Accoto, D; Trombetta, M; Rainer, A

2014-02-01

Advances introduced by additive manufacturing have significantly improved the ability to tailor scaffold architecture, enhancing the control over microstructural features. This has led to a growing interest in the development of innovative scaffold designs, as testified by the increasing amount of research activities devoted to the understanding of the correlation between topological features of scaffolds and their resulting properties, in order to find architectures capable of optimal trade-off between often conflicting requirements (such as biological and mechanical ones). The main aim of this paper is to provide a review and propose a classification of existing methodologies for scaffold design and optimization in order to address key issues and help in deciphering the complex link between design criteria and resulting scaffold properties. Copyright © 2013 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Local Feature Selection for Data Classification.

PubMed

Armanfard, Narges; Reilly, James P; Komeili, Majid

2016-06-01

Typical feature selection methods choose an optimal global feature subset that is applied over all regions of the sample space. In contrast, in this paper we propose a novel localized feature selection (LFS) approach whereby each region of the sample space is associated with its own distinct optimized feature set, which may vary both in membership and size across the sample space. This allows the feature set to optimally adapt to local variations in the sample space. An associated method for measuring the similarities of a query datum to each of the respective classes is also proposed. The proposed method makes no assumptions about the underlying structure of the samples; hence the method is insensitive to the distribution of the data over the sample space. The method is efficiently formulated as a linear programming optimization problem. Furthermore, we demonstrate the method is robust against the over-fitting problem. Experimental results on eleven synthetic and real-world data sets demonstrate the viability of the formulation and the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. In addition we show several examples where localized feature selection produces better results than a global feature selection method.

Graphical augmentations to the funnel plot assess the impact of additional evidence on a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Langan, Dean; Higgins, Julian P T; Gregory, Walter; Sutton, Alexander J

2012-05-01

We aim to illustrate the potential impact of a new study on a meta-analysis, which gives an indication of the robustness of the meta-analysis. A number of augmentations are proposed to one of the most widely used of graphical displays, the funnel plot. Namely, 1) statistical significance contours, which define regions of the funnel plot in which a new study would have to be located to change the statistical significance of the meta-analysis; and 2) heterogeneity contours, which show how a new study would affect the extent of heterogeneity in a given meta-analysis. Several other features are also described, and the use of multiple features simultaneously is considered. The statistical significance contours suggest that one additional study, no matter how large, may have a very limited impact on the statistical significance of a meta-analysis. The heterogeneity contours illustrate that one outlying study can increase the level of heterogeneity dramatically. The additional features of the funnel plot have applications including 1) informing sample size calculations for the design of future studies eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis; and 2) informing the updating prioritization of a portfolio of meta-analyses such as those prepared by the Cochrane Collaboration. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optical filter for highlighting spectral features part I: design and development of the filter for discrimination of human skin with and without an application of cosmetic foundation.

PubMed

Nishino, Ken; Nakamura, Mutsuko; Matsumoto, Masayuki; Tanno, Osamu; Nakauchi, Shigeki

2011-03-28

Light reflected from an object's surface contains much information about its physical and chemical properties. Changes in the physical properties of an object are barely detectable in spectra. Conventional trichromatic systems, on the other hand, cannot detect most spectral features because spectral information is compressively represented as trichromatic signals forming a three-dimensional subspace. We propose a method for designing a filter that optically modulates a camera's spectral sensitivity to find an alternative subspace highlighting an object's spectral features more effectively than the original trichromatic space. We designed and developed a filter that detects cosmetic foundations on human face. Results confirmed that the filter can visualize and nondestructively inspect the foundation distribution.

The Effects of Varying Electronic Cigarette Warning Label Design Features On Attention, Recall, and Product Perceptions Among Young Adults.

PubMed

Mays, Darren; Villanti, Andrea; Niaura, Raymond S; Lindblom, Eric N; Strasser, Andrew A

2017-12-13

This study was a 3 (Brand: Blu, MarkTen, Vuse) by 3 (Warning Size: 20%, 30%, or 50% of advertisement surface) by 2 (Warning Background: White, Red) experimental investigation of the effects of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) warning label design features. Young adults aged 18-30 years (n = 544) were recruited online, completed demographic and tobacco use history measures, and randomized to view e-cigarette advertisements with warning labels that varied by the experimental conditions. Participants completed a task assessing self-reported visual attention to advertisements with a-priori regions of interest defined around warning labels. Warning message recall and perceived addictiveness of e-cigarettes were assessed post-exposure. Approximately half of participants reported attending to warning labels and reported attention was greater for warnings on red versus white backgrounds. Recall of the warning message content was also greater among those reporting attention to the warning label. Overall, those who viewed warnings on red backgrounds reported lower perceived addictiveness than those who viewed warnings on white backgrounds, and e-cigarette users reported lower perceived addictiveness than non-users. Among e-cigarette users, viewing warnings on white backgrounds produced perceptions more similar to non-users. Greater recall was significantly correlated with greater perceived addictiveness. This study provides some of the first evidence that e-cigarette warning label design features including size and coloring affect self-reported attention and content recall.

The addition of STEPPS in the treatment of patients with bipolar disorder and comorbid borderline personality features: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Bipolar disorder (BD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) both are severe and chronic psychiatric disorders. Both disorders have overlapping symptoms, and current research shows that the presence of a BPD has an adverse effect on the course of BD. The limited research available shows an unfavorable illness course, a worse prognosis and response to medication, longer treatment duration, more frequent psychiatric admissions, higher drop-out, increased risk of substance abuse, increased risk of suicide, and more impairment of social and occupational functioning. However, there is no research available on the effect of specific psychotherapeutic treatment for this patients. Methods/Design This paper presents the protocol of a RCT to investigate the presence of borderline personality features in patients treated for BD (study part 1) and the effectiveness of STEPPS (Systems Training for Emotional Predictability and Problem Solving) added to treatment as usual (TAU) for BD compared to TAU in patients with BD and comorbid borderline personality features (study part 2). STEPPS is a validated and effective intervention for BPD. The study population consists of patients treated for BD at specialized outpatient clinics for BD in the Netherlands. At first the prevalence of comorbid borderline personality features in outpatients with BD is investigated. Inclusion criteria for study part 2 is defined as having three or more of the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria of BPD, including impulsivity and anger bursts. Primary outcomes will be the frequency and severity of manic and depressive recurrences as well as severity, course and burden of borderline personality features. Secondary outcomes will be quality of life, utilizing mental healthcare and psychopathologic symptoms not primarily related to BD or BPD. Assessment will be at baseline, at the end of the intervention, and at 12 and 18 months follow-up. Discussion This will be the first randomized controlled trial

AP1000{sup R} severe accident features and post-Fukushima considerations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scobel, J. H.; Schulz, T. L.; Williams, M. G.

2012-07-01

The AP1000{sup R} passive nuclear power plant is uniquely equipped to withstand an extended station blackout scenario such as the events following the earthquake and tsunami at Fukushima without compromising core and containment integrity. The AP1000 plant shuts down the reactor, cools the core, containment and spent fuel pool for more than 3 days using passive systems that do not require AC or DC power or operator actions. Following this passive coping period, minimal operator actions are needed to extend the operation of the passive features to 7 days using installed equipment. To provide defense-in-depth for design extension conditions, themore » AP1000 plant has engineered features that mitigate the effects of core damage. Engineered features retain damaged core debris within the reactor vessel as a key feature. Other aspects of the design protect containment integrity during severe accidents, including unique features of the AP1000 design relative to passive containment cooling with water and air, and hydrogen management. (authors)« less

Controlling the extrudate swell in melt extrusion additive manufacturing of 3D scaffolds: a designed experiment.

PubMed

Yousefi, Azizeh-Mitra; Smucker, Byran; Naber, Alex; Wyrick, Cara; Shaw, Charles; Bennett, Katelyn; Szekely, Sarah; Focke, Carlie; Wood, Katherine A

2018-02-01

Tissue engineering using three-dimensional porous scaffolds has shown promise for the restoration of normal function in injured and diseased tissues and organs. Rigorous control over scaffold architecture in melt extrusion additive manufacturing is highly restricted mainly due to pronounced variations in the deposited strand diameter upon any variations in process conditions and polymer viscoelasticity. We have designed an I-optimal, split-plot experiment to study the extrudate swell in melt extrusion additive manufacturing and to control the scaffold architecture. The designed experiment was used to generate data to relate three responses (swell, density, and modulus) to a set of controllable factors (plotting needle diameter, temperature, pressure, and the dispensing speed). The fitted regression relationships were used to optimize the three responses simultaneously. The swell response was constrained to be close to 1 while maximizing the modulus and minimizing the density. Constraining the extrudate swell to 1 generates design-driven scaffolds, with strand diameters equal to the plotting needle diameter, and allows a greater control over scaffold pore size. Hence, the modulus of the scaffolds can be fully controlled by adjusting the in-plane distance between the deposited strands. To the extent of the model's validity, we can eliminate the effect of extrudate swell in designing these scaffolds, while targeting a range of porosity and modulus appropriate for bone tissue engineering. The result of this optimization was a predicted modulus of 14 MPa and a predicted density of 0.29 g/cm 3 (porosity ≈ 75%) using polycaprolactone as scaffold material. These predicted responses corresponded to factor levels of 0.6 μm for the plotting needle diameter, plotting pressure of 2.5 bar, melt temperature of 113.5 °C, and dispensing speed of 2 mm/s. The validation scaffold enabled us to quantify the percentage difference for the predictions, which was 9.5% for the