Clinical Pilot Study and Computational Modeling of Bitemporal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, and Safety of Repeated Courses of Treatment, in Major Depression.

PubMed

Ho, Kerrie-Anne; Bai, Siwei; Martin, Donel; Alonzo, Angelo; Dokos, Socrates; Loo, Colleen K

2015-12-01

This study aimed to examine a bitemporal (BT) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) electrode montage for the treatment of depression through a clinical pilot study and computational modeling. The safety of repeated courses of stimulation was also examined. Four participants with depression who had previously received multiple courses of tDCS received a 4-week course of BT tDCS. Mood and neuropsychological function were assessed. The results were compared with previous courses of tDCS given to the same participants using different electrode montages. Computational modeling examined the electric field maps produced by the different montages. Three participants showed clinical improvement with BT tDCS (mean [SD] improvement, 49.6% [33.7%]). There were no adverse neuropsychological effects. Computational modeling showed that the BT montage activates the anterior cingulate cortices and brainstem, which are deep brain regions that are important for depression. However, a fronto-extracephalic montage stimulated these areas more effectively. No adverse effects were found in participants receiving up to 6 courses of tDCS. Bitemporal tDCS was safe and led to clinically meaningful efficacy in 3 of 4 participants. However, computational modeling suggests that the BT montage may not activate key brain regions in depression more effectively than another novel montage--fronto-extracephalic tDCS. There is also preliminary evidence to support the safety of up to 6 repeated courses of tDCS.

Cinema, Poetry, Pedagogy: Montage as Metaphor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Mark

2005-01-01

This paper is an exploration of the ways in which the concept of montage (a principle of film editing developed first by a group of Russian film makers in the 1920s) might be mobilised in support of the teaching of English, in particular the teaching of poetry. I will argue that montage can be used as the basis of a different kind of pedagogy in…

STS 51-L Memorial Montage designed by Bill Corey of TGS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The STS 51-L Memorial Montage designed by Bill Corey of TGS Technology. The montage contains portraits of each of the STS 51-L crewmembers, a view of the Challenger at liftoff, the mission patch and a statement which reads 'They slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God'. At the end of the statement is a bird flying.

A Study of the Effects of Electrode Number and Decoding Algorithm on Online EEG-Based BCI Behavioral Performance

PubMed Central

Meng, Jianjun; Edelman, Bradley J.; Olsoe, Jaron; Jacobs, Gabriel; Zhang, Shuying; Beyko, Angeliki; He, Bin

2018-01-01

Motor imagery–based brain–computer interface (BCI) using electroencephalography (EEG) has demonstrated promising applications by directly decoding users' movement related mental intention. The selection of control signals, e.g., the channel configuration and decoding algorithm, plays a vital role in the online performance and progressing of BCI control. While several offline analyses report the effect of these factors on BCI accuracy for a single session—performance increases asymptotically by increasing the number of channels, saturates, and then decreases—no online study, to the best of our knowledge, has yet been performed to compare for a single session or across training. The purpose of the current study is to assess, in a group of forty-five subjects, the effect of channel number and decoding method on the progression of BCI performance across multiple training sessions and the corresponding neurophysiological changes. The 45 subjects were divided into three groups using Laplacian Filtering (LAP/S) with nine channels, Common Spatial Pattern (CSP/L) with 40 channels and CSP (CSP/S) with nine channels for online decoding. At the first training session, subjects using CSP/L displayed no significant difference compared to CSP/S but a higher average BCI performance over those using LAP/S. Despite the average performance when using the LAP/S method was initially lower, but LAP/S displayed improvement over first three sessions, whereas the other two groups did not. Additionally, analysis of the recorded EEG during BCI control indicates that the LAP/S produces control signals that are more strongly correlated with the target location and a higher R-square value was shown at the fifth session. In the present study, we found that subjects' average online BCI performance using a large EEG montage does not show significantly better performance after the first session than a smaller montage comprised of a common subset of these electrodes. The LAP/S method with a small EEG montage allowed the subjects to improve their skills across sessions, but no improvement was shown for the CSP method. PMID:29681792

A Study of the Effects of Electrode Number and Decoding Algorithm on Online EEG-Based BCI Behavioral Performance.

PubMed

Meng, Jianjun; Edelman, Bradley J; Olsoe, Jaron; Jacobs, Gabriel; Zhang, Shuying; Beyko, Angeliki; He, Bin

2018-01-01

Motor imagery-based brain-computer interface (BCI) using electroencephalography (EEG) has demonstrated promising applications by directly decoding users' movement related mental intention. The selection of control signals, e.g., the channel configuration and decoding algorithm, plays a vital role in the online performance and progressing of BCI control. While several offline analyses report the effect of these factors on BCI accuracy for a single session-performance increases asymptotically by increasing the number of channels, saturates, and then decreases-no online study, to the best of our knowledge, has yet been performed to compare for a single session or across training. The purpose of the current study is to assess, in a group of forty-five subjects, the effect of channel number and decoding method on the progression of BCI performance across multiple training sessions and the corresponding neurophysiological changes. The 45 subjects were divided into three groups using Laplacian Filtering (LAP/S) with nine channels, Common Spatial Pattern (CSP/L) with 40 channels and CSP (CSP/S) with nine channels for online decoding. At the first training session, subjects using CSP/L displayed no significant difference compared to CSP/S but a higher average BCI performance over those using LAP/S. Despite the average performance when using the LAP/S method was initially lower, but LAP/S displayed improvement over first three sessions, whereas the other two groups did not. Additionally, analysis of the recorded EEG during BCI control indicates that the LAP/S produces control signals that are more strongly correlated with the target location and a higher R-square value was shown at the fifth session. In the present study, we found that subjects' average online BCI performance using a large EEG montage does not show significantly better performance after the first session than a smaller montage comprised of a common subset of these electrodes. The LAP/S method with a small EEG montage allowed the subjects to improve their skills across sessions, but no improvement was shown for the CSP method.

Testing assumptions on prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation: Comparison of electrode montages using multimodal fMRI.

PubMed

Wörsching, Jana; Padberg, Frank; Goerigk, Stephan; Heinz, Irmgard; Bauer, Christine; Plewnia, Christian; Hasan, Alkomiet; Ertl-Wagner, Birgit; Keeser, Daniel

2018-05-04

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been widely applied in cognitive neurosciences and advocated as a therapeutic intervention, e.g. in major depressive disorder. Although several targets and protocols have been suggested, comparative studies of tDCS parameters, particularly electrode montages and their cortical targets, are still lacking. This study investigated a priori hypotheses on specific effects of prefrontal-tDCS montages by using multimodal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in healthy participants. 28 healthy male participants underwent three common active-tDCS montages and sham tDCS in a pseudo-randomized order, comprising a total of 112 tDCS-fMRI sessions. Active tDCS was applied at 2 mA for 20 min. Before and after tDCS, a resting-state fMRI (RS fMRI) was recorded, followed by a task fMRI with a delayed-response working-memory (DWM) task for assessing cognitive control over emotionally negative or neutral distractors. After tDCS with a cathode-F3/anode-F4 montage, RS-fMRI connectivity decreased in a medial part of the left PFC. Also, after the same stimulation condition, regional brain activity during DWM retrieval decreased more in this area after negative than after neutral distraction, and responses to the DWM task were faster, independent of distractor type. The current study does not confirm our a priori hypotheses on direction and localization of polarity-dependent tDCS effects using common bipolar electrode montages over PFC regions, but it provides evidence for montage-specific effects on multimodal neurophysiological and behavioral outcome measures. Systematic research on the actual targets and the respective dose-response relationships of prefrontal tDCS is warranted. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The value and cost of complexity in predictive modelling: role of tissue anisotropic conductivity and fibre tracts in neuromodulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salman Shahid, Syed; Bikson, Marom; Salman, Humaira; Wen, Peng; Ahfock, Tony

2014-06-01

Objectives. Computational methods are increasingly used to optimize transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) dose strategies and yet complexities of existing approaches limit their clinical access. Since predictive modelling indicates the relevance of subject/pathology based data and hence the need for subject specific modelling, the incremental clinical value of increasingly complex modelling methods must be balanced against the computational and clinical time and costs. For example, the incorporation of multiple tissue layers and measured diffusion tensor (DTI) based conductivity estimates increase model precision but at the cost of clinical and computational resources. Costs related to such complexities aggregate when considering individual optimization and the myriad of potential montages. Here, rather than considering if additional details change current-flow prediction, we consider when added complexities influence clinical decisions. Approach. Towards developing quantitative and qualitative metrics of value/cost associated with computational model complexity, we considered field distributions generated by two 4 × 1 high-definition montages (m1 = 4 × 1 HD montage with anode at C3 and m2 = 4 × 1 HD montage with anode at C1) and a single conventional (m3 = C3-Fp2) tDCS electrode montage. We evaluated statistical methods, including residual error (RE) and relative difference measure (RDM), to consider the clinical impact and utility of increased complexities, namely the influence of skull, muscle and brain anisotropic conductivities in a volume conductor model. Main results. Anisotropy modulated current-flow in a montage and region dependent manner. However, significant statistical changes, produced within montage by anisotropy, did not change qualitative peak and topographic comparisons across montages. Thus for the examples analysed, clinical decision on which dose to select would not be altered by the omission of anisotropic brain conductivity. Significance. Results illustrate the need to rationally balance the role of model complexity, such as anisotropy in detailed current flow analysis versus value in clinical dose design. However, when extending our analysis to include axonal polarization, the results provide presumably clinically meaningful information. Hence the importance of model complexity may be more relevant with cellular level predictions of neuromodulation.

Precise montaging and metric quantification of retinal surface area from ultra-widefield fundus photography and fluorescein angiography.

PubMed

Croft, Daniel E; van Hemert, Jano; Wykoff, Charles C; Clifton, David; Verhoek, Michael; Fleming, Alan; Brown, David M

2014-01-01

Accurate quantification of retinal surface area from ultra-widefield (UWF) images is challenging due to warping produced when the retina is projected onto a two-dimensional plane for analysis. By accounting for this, the authors sought to precisely montage and accurately quantify retinal surface area in square millimeters. Montages were created using Optos 200Tx (Optos, Dunfermline, U.K.) images taken at different gaze angles. A transformation projected the images to their correct location on a three-dimensional model. Area was quantified with spherical trigonometry. Warping, precision, and accuracy were assessed. Uncorrected, posterior pixels represented up to 79% greater surface area than peripheral pixels. Assessing precision, a standard region was quantified across 10 montages of the same eye (RSD: 0.7%; mean: 408.97 mm(2); range: 405.34-413.87 mm(2)). Assessing accuracy, 50 patients' disc areas were quantified (mean: 2.21 mm(2); SE: 0.06 mm(2)), and the results fell within the normative range. By accounting for warping inherent in UWF images, precise montaging and accurate quantification of retinal surface area in square millimeters were achieved. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

Solar System Montage

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-01-15

This is a montage of planetary images taken by spacecraft managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. Included are from top to bottom images of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Solar System Montage Updated

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-03

This is an updated montage of planetary images taken by spacecraft managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. Included are from top to bottom images of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Enhancing motor performance improvement by personalizing non-invasive cortical stimulation with concurrent functional near-infrared spectroscopy and multi-modal motor measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Bilal; Hodics, Timea; Hervey, Nathan; Kondraske, George; Stowe, Ann; Alexandrakis, George

2015-03-01

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive cortical stimulation technique that can facilitate task specific plasticity that can improve motor performance. Current tDCS interventions uniformly apply a chosen electrode montage to a subject population without personalizing electrode placement for optimal motor gains. We propose a novel perturbation tDCS (ptDCS) paradigm for determining a personalized electrode montage in which tDCS intervention yields maximal motor performance improvements during stimulation. PtDCS was applied to ten healthy adults and five stroke patients with upper hemiparesis as they performed an isometric wrist flexion task with their non-dominant arm. Simultaneous recordings of torque applied to a stationary handle, muscle activity by electromyography (EMG), and cortical activity by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during ptDCS helped interpret how cortical activity perturbations by any given electrode montage related to changes in muscle activity and task performance quantified by a Reaction Time (RT) X Error product. PtDCS enabled quantifying the effect on task performance of 20 different electrode pair montages placed over the sensorimotor cortex. Interestingly, the electrode montage maximizing performance in all healthy adults did not match any of the ones being explored in current literature as a means of improving the motor performance of stroke patients. Furthermore, the optimal montage was found to be different in each stroke patient and the resulting motor gains were very significant during stimulation. This study supports the notion that task-specific ptDCS optimization can lend itself to personalizing the rehabilitation of patients with brain injury.

Brain-computer interface (BCI) evaluation in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

McCane, Lynn M; Sellers, Eric W; McFarland, Dennis J; Mak, Joseph N; Carmack, C Steve; Zeitlin, Debra; Wolpaw, Jonathan R; Vaughan, Theresa M

2014-06-01

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) might restore communication to people severely disabled by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or other disorders. We sought to: 1) define a protocol for determining whether a person with ALS can use a visual P300-based BCI; 2) determine what proportion of this population can use the BCI; and 3) identify factors affecting BCI performance. Twenty-five individuals with ALS completed an evaluation protocol using a standard 6 × 6 matrix and parameters selected by stepwise linear discrimination. With an 8-channel EEG montage, the subjects fell into two groups in BCI accuracy (chance accuracy 3%). Seventeen averaged 92 (± 3)% (range 71-100%), which is adequate for communication (G70 group). Eight averaged 12 (± 6)% (range 0-36%), inadequate for communication (L40 subject group). Performance did not correlate with disability: 11/17 (65%) of G70 subjects were severely disabled (i.e. ALSFRS-R < 5). All L40 subjects had visual impairments (e.g. nystagmus, diplopia, ptosis). P300 was larger and more anterior in G70 subjects. A 16-channel montage did not significantly improve accuracy. In conclusion, most people severely disabled by ALS could use a visual P300-based BCI for communication. In those who could not, visual impairment was the principal obstacle. For these individuals, auditory P300-based BCIs might be effective.

Equalization filters for multiple-channel electromyogram arrays

PubMed Central

Clancy, Edward A.; Xia, Hongfang; Christie, Anita; Kamen, Gary

2007-01-01

Multiple channels of electromyogram activity are frequently transduced via electrodes, then combined electronically to form one electrophysiologic recording, e.g. bipolar, linear double difference and Laplacian montages. For high quality recordings, precise gain and frequency response matching of the individual electrode potentials is achieved in hardware (e.g., an instrumentation amplifier for bipolar recordings). This technique works well when the number of derived signals is small and the montages are pre-determined. However, for array electrodes employing a variety of montages, hardware channel matching can be expensive and tedious, and limits the number of derived signals monitored. This report describes a method for channel matching based on the concept of equalization filters. Monopolar potentials are recorded from each site without precise hardware matching. During a calibration phase, a time-varying linear chirp voltage is applied simultaneously to each site and recorded. Based on the calibration recording, each monopolar channel is digitally filtered to “correct” for (equalize) differences in the individual channels, and then any derived montages subsequently created. In a hardware demonstration system, the common mode rejection ratio (at 60 Hz) of bipolar montages improved from 35.2 ± 5.0 dB (prior to channel equalization) to 69.0 ± 5.0 dB (after equalization). PMID:17614134

Frontoparietal tDCS Benefits Visual Working Memory in Older Adults With Low Working Memory Capacity.

PubMed

Arciniega, Hector; Gözenman, Filiz; Jones, Kevin T; Stephens, Jaclyn A; Berryhill, Marian E

2018-01-01

Working memory (WM) permits maintenance of information over brief delays and is an essential executive function. Unfortunately, WM is subject to age-related decline. Some evidence supports the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to improve visual WM. A gap in knowledge is an understanding of the mechanism characterizing these tDCS linked effects. To address this gap, we compared the effects of two tDCS montages designed on visual working memory (VWM) performance. The bifrontal montage was designed to stimulate the heightened bilateral frontal activity observed in aging adults. The unilateral frontoparietal montage was designed to stimulate activation patterns observed in young adults. Participants completed three sessions (bilateral frontal, right frontoparietal, sham) of anodal tDCS (20 min, 2 mA). During stimulation, participants performed a visual long-term memory (LTM) control task and a visual WM task. There was no effect of tDCS on the LTM task. Participants receiving right unilateral tDCS showed a WM benefit. This pattern was most robust in older adults with low WM capacity. To address the concern that the key difference between the two tDCS montages could be tDCS over the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), we included new analyses from a previous study applying tDCS targeting the PPC paired with a recognition VWM task. No significant main effects were found. A subsequent experiment in young adults found no significant effect of either tDCS montage on either task. These data indicate that tDCS montage, age and WM capacity should be considered when designing tDCS protocols. We interpret these findings as suggestive that protocols designed to restore more youthful patterns of brain activity are superior to those that compensate for age-related changes.

The Montage Image Mosaic Toolkit As A Visualization Engine.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berriman, G. Bruce; Lerias, Angela; Good, John; Mandel, Eric; Pepper, Joshua

2018-01-01

The Montage toolkit has since 2003 been used to aggregate FITS images into mosaics for science analysis. It is now finding application as an engine for image visualization. One important reason is that the functionality developed for creating mosaics is also valuable in image visualization. An equally important (though perhaps less obvious) reason is that Montage is portable and is built on standard astrophysics toolkits, making it very easy to integrate into new environments. Montage models and rectifies the sky background to a common level and thus reveals faint, diffuse features; it offers an adaptive image stretching method that preserves the dynamic range of a FITS image when represented in PNG format; it provides utilities for creating cutouts of large images and downsampled versions of large images that can then be visualized on desktops or in browsers; it contains a fast reprojection algorithm intended for visualization; and it resamples and reprojects images to a common grid for subsequent multi-color visualization.This poster will highlight these visualization capabilities with the following examples:1. Creation of down-sampled multi-color images of a 16-wavelength Infrared Atlas of the Galactic Plane, sampled at 1 arcsec when created2. Integration into web-based image processing environment: JS9 is an interactive image display service for web browsers, desktops and mobile devices. It exploits the flux-preserving reprojection algorithms in Montage to transform diverse images to common image parameters for display. Select Montage programs have been compiled to Javascript/WebAssembly using the Emscripten compiler, which allows our reprojection algorithms to run in browsers at close to native speed.3. Creation of complex sky coverage maps: an multicolor all-sky map that shows the sky coverage of the Kepler and K2, KELT and TESS projects, overlaid on an all-sky 2MASS image.Montage is funded by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number ACI-1642453. JS9 is funded by the Chandra X-ray Center (NAS8-03060) and NASA's Universe of Learning (STScI-509913).

Neonatal Auditory Brainstem Responses Recorded from Four Electrode Montages.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuart, Andrew; And Others

1996-01-01

Simultaneous auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) to click stimuli at 30 and 60 decibels were recorded from 16 full-term neonates with 4 different electrode arrays. Results indicated that ABR waveforms were morphologically similar to those recorded in adults. Waveform expression was variable with different electrode recording montages. (Author/DB)

Montage: Improvising in the Land of Action Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Windle, Sheila; Sefton, Terry

2011-01-01

This paper and its appended multi-media production describe the rationale and process of creating and presenting a "digitally saturated" (Lankshear & Knobel, 2003), multi-layered, synchronous "montage" (Denzin & Lincoln, 2003) of educational Action Research findings. The authors contend that this type of presentation, arising from the fusion of…

Viewers' Interpretations of Associational Montage: The Influence of "Visual Literacy" and Educational Background.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Messaris, Paul; Nielsen, Karen O.

A study examined the influence of viewers' backgrounds on their interpretation of "associational montage" in television advertising (editing which seeks to imply an analogy between the product and a juxtaposed image possessing desirable qualities). Subjects, 32 television professionals from two urban television stations and 95 customers…

A GRAND VIEW OF THE BIRTH OF 'HEFTY' STARS - 30 DORADUS NEBULA MONTAGE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

This picture, taken in visible light with the Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2), represents a sweeping view of the 30 Doradus Nebula. But Hubble's infrared camera - the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) - has probed deeper into smaller regions of this nebula to unveil the stormy birth of massive stars. The montages of images in the upper left and upper right represent this deeper view. Each square in the montages is 15.5 light-years (19 arcseconds) across. The brilliant cluster R136, containing dozens of very massive stars, is at the center of this image. The infrared and visible-light views reveal several dust pillars that point toward R136, some with bright stars at their tips. One of them, at left in the visible-light image, resembles a fist with an extended index finger pointing directly at R136. The energetic radiation and high-speed material emitted by the massive stars in R136 are responsible for shaping the pillars and causing the heads of some of them to collapse, forming new stars. The infrared montage at upper left is enlarged in an accompanying image. Credits for NICMOS montages: NASA/Nolan Walborn (Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.) and Rodolfo Barba' (La Plata Observatory, La Plata, Argentina) Credits for WFPC2 image: NASA/John Trauger (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.) and James Westphal (California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif.)

Probing for hemispheric specialization for motor skill learning: a transcranial direct current stimulation study

PubMed Central

Schambra, Heidi M.; Abe, Mitsunari; Luckenbaugh, David A.; Reis, Janine; Krakauer, John W.

2011-01-01

Convergent findings point to a left-sided specialization for the representation of learned actions in right-handed humans, but it is unknown whether analogous hemispheric specialization exists for motor skill learning. In the present study, we explored this question by comparing the effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over either left or right motor cortex (M1) on motor skill learning in either hand, using a tDCS montage to better isolate stimulation to one hemisphere. Results were compared with those previously found with a montage more commonly used in the field. Six groups trained for three sessions on a visually guided sequential pinch force modulation task with their right or left hand and received right M1, left M1, or sham tDCS. A linear mixed-model analysis for motor skill showed a significant main effect for stimulation group (left M1, right M1, sham) but not for hand (right, left) or their interaction. Left M1 tDCS induced significantly greater skill learning than sham when hand data were combined, a result consistent not only with the hypothesized left hemisphere specialization for motor skill learning but also with possible increased left M1 responsiveness to tDCS. The unihemispheric montage effect size was one-half that of the more common montage, and subsequent power analysis indicated that 75 subjects per group would be needed to detect differences seen with only 12 subjects with the customary bihemispheric montage. PMID:21613597

Radial Peripapillary Capillary Network Visualized Using Wide-Field Montage Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography.

PubMed

Mase, Tomoko; Ishibazawa, Akihiro; Nagaoka, Taiji; Yokota, Harumasa; Yoshida, Akitoshi

2016-07-01

We quantitatively analyzed the features of a radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) network visualized using wide-field montage optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography in healthy human eyes. Twenty eyes of 20 healthy subjects were recruited. En face 3 × 3-mm OCT angiograms of multiple locations in the posterior pole were acquired using the RTVue XR Avanti, and wide-field montage images of the RPC were created. To evaluate the RPC density, the montage images were binarized and skeletonized. The correlation between the RPC density and the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measured by an OCT circle scan was investigated. The RPC at the temporal retina was detected as far as 7.6 ± 0.7 mm from the edge of the optic disc but not around the perifoveal area within 0.9 ± 0.1 mm of the fovea. Capillary-free zones beside the first branches of the arterioles were significantly (P < 0.0001) narrower than those beside the second ones. The RPC densities at 0.5, 2.5, and 5 mm from the optic disc edge were 13.6 ± 0.8, 11.9 ± 0.9, and 10.4 ± 0.9 mm-1. The RPC density also was correlated significantly (r = 0.64, P < 0.0001) with the RNFL thickness, with the greatest density in the inferotemporal region. Montage OCT angiograms can visualize expansion of the RPC network. The RPC is present in the superficial peripapillary retina in proportion to the RNFL thickness, supporting the idea that the RPC may be the vascular network primarily responsible for RNFL nourishment.

The Nimbus 4 data catalog. Volume 3: Data orbits 1124-1956, 1 July - 31 August 1970

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

The Nimbus 4 satellite catalog for the period of 1 July through 31 August, 1970 is presented. The subjects discussed are: (1) summary of operations, (2) orbital elements and daily sensors on table, (3) image dissector camera system montages, and (4) temperature-humidity infrared radiometer montages. Data are presented as tables and photographs.

Montage Version 3.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacob, Joseph; Katz, Daniel; Prince, Thomas; Berriman, Graham; Good, John; Laity, Anastasia

2006-01-01

The final version (3.0) of the Montage software has been released. To recapitulate from previous NASA Tech Briefs articles about Montage: This software generates custom, science-grade mosaics of astronomical images on demand from input files that comply with the Flexible Image Transport System (FITS) standard and contain image data registered on projections that comply with the World Coordinate System (WCS) standards. This software can be executed on single-processor computers, multi-processor computers, and such networks of geographically dispersed computers as the National Science Foundation s TeraGrid or NASA s Information Power Grid. The primary advantage of running Montage in a grid environment is that computations can be done on a remote supercomputer for efficiency. Multiple computers at different sites can be used for different parts of a computation a significant advantage in cases of computations for large mosaics that demand more processor time than is available at any one site. Version 3.0 incorporates several improvements over prior versions. The most significant improvement is that this version is accessible to scientists located anywhere, through operational Web services that provide access to data from several large astronomical surveys and construct mosaics on either local workstations or remote computational grids as needed.

Mystery Montage: A Holistic, Visual, and Kinesthetic Process for Expanding Horizons and Revealing the Core of a Teaching Philosophy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ennis, Kim; Priebe, Carly; Sharipova, Mayya; West, Kim

2012-01-01

Revealing the core of a teaching philosophy is the key to a concise and meaningful philosophy statement, but it can be an elusive goal. This paper offers a visual, kinesthetic, and holistic process for expanding the horizons of self-reflection, self-analysis, and self-knowledge. Mystery montage, a variation of visual mapping, storyboarding, and…

Transcranial direct current stimulation improves isometric time to exhaustion of the knee extensors.

PubMed

Angius, L; Pageaux, B; Hopker, J; Marcora, S M; Mauger, A R

2016-12-17

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can increase cortical excitability of a targeted brain area, which may affect endurance exercise performance. However, optimal electrode placement for tDCS remains unclear. We tested the effect of two different tDCS electrode montages for improving exercise performance. Nine subjects underwent a control (CON), placebo (SHAM) and two different tDCS montage sessions in a randomized design. In one tDCS session, the anodal electrode was placed over the left motor cortex and the cathodal on contralateral forehead (HEAD), while for the other montage the anodal electrode was placed over the left motor cortex and cathodal electrode above the shoulder (SHOULDER). tDCS was delivered for 10min at 2.0mA, after which participants performed an isometric time to exhaustion (TTE) test of the right knee extensors. Peripheral and central neuromuscular parameters were assessed at baseline, after tDCS application and after TTE. Heart rate (HR), ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), and leg muscle exercise-induced muscle pain (PAIN) were monitored during the TTE. TTE was longer and RPE lower in the SHOULDER condition (P<0.05). Central and peripheral parameters, and HR and PAIN did not present any differences between conditions after tDCS stimulation (P>0.05). In all conditions maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) significantly decreased after the TTE (P<0.05) while motor-evoked potential area (MEP) increased after TTE (P<0.05). These findings demonstrate that SHOULDER montage is more effective than HEAD montage to improve endurance performance, likely through avoiding the negative effects of the cathode on excitability. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Pediatric stroke and transcranial direct current stimulation: methods for rational individualized dose optimization

PubMed Central

Gillick, Bernadette T.; Kirton, Adam; Carmel, Jason B.; Minhas, Preet; Bikson, Marom

2014-01-01

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been investigated mainly in adults and doses may not be appropriate in pediatric applications. In perinatal stroke where potential applications are promising, rational adaptation of dosage for children remains under investigation. Objective: Construct child-specific tDCS dosing parameters through case study within a perinatal stroke tDCS safety and feasibility trial. Methods: 10-year-old subject with a diagnosis of presumed perinatal ischemic stroke and hemiparesis was identified. T1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans used to derive computerized model for current flow and electrode positions. Workflow using modeling results and consideration of dosage in previous clinical trials was incorporated. Prior ad hoc adult montages vs. de novo optimized montages provided distinct risk benefit analysis. Approximating adult dose required consideration of changes in both peak brain current flow and distribution which further tradeoff between maximizing efficacy and adding safety factors. Electrode size, position, current intensity, compliance voltage, and duration were controlled independently in this process. Results: Brain electric fields modeled and compared to values previously predicted models (Datta et al., 2011; Minhas et al., 2012). Approximating conservative brain current flow patterns and intensities used in previous adult trials for comparable indications, the optimal current intensity established was 0.7 mA for 10 min with a tDCS C3/C4 montage. Specifically 0.7 mA produced comparable peak brain current intensity of an average adult receiving 1.0 mA. Electrode size of 5 × 7 cm2 with 1.0 mA and low-voltage tDCS was employed to maximize tolerability. Safety and feasibility confirmed with subject tolerating the session well and no serious adverse events. Conclusion: Rational approaches to dose customization, with steps informed by computational modeling, may improve guidance for pediatric stroke tDCS trials. PMID:25285077

STS-130 Nationals Park Visit

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-04-20

The crew of STS-130 present the principal owner of the Washington Nationals, Debra Lerner Cohen (holding montage) with a montage of their mission, Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at Nationals Park in Washington. From left are seen Commander George Zamka, Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick, Pilot Terry Virts, Debra Lerner Cohen, Edward Cohen, Mission Specialist Kathryn Hire, Mission Specialist Robert Behnken, Lauren Lerner, Jacob Lerner and Alan Gottlieb. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Non-Invasive Electrical Brain Stimulation Montages for Modulation of Human Motor Function.

PubMed

Curado, Marco; Fritsch, Brita; Reis, Janine

2016-02-04

Non-invasive electrical brain stimulation (NEBS) is used to modulate brain function and behavior, both for research and clinical purposes. In particular, NEBS can be applied transcranially either as direct current stimulation (tDCS) or alternating current stimulation (tACS). These stimulation types exert time-, dose- and in the case of tDCS polarity-specific effects on motor function and skill learning in healthy subjects. Lately, tDCS has been used to augment the therapy of motor disabilities in patients with stroke or movement disorders. This article provides a step-by-step protocol for targeting the primary motor cortex with tDCS and transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), a specific form of tACS using an electrical current applied randomly within a pre-defined frequency range. The setup of two different stimulation montages is explained. In both montages the emitting electrode (the anode for tDCS) is placed on the primary motor cortex of interest. For unilateral motor cortex stimulation the receiving electrode is placed on the contralateral forehead while for bilateral motor cortex stimulation the receiving electrode is placed on the opposite primary motor cortex. The advantages and disadvantages of each montage for the modulation of cortical excitability and motor function including learning are discussed, as well as safety, tolerability and blinding aspects.

Photoreceptor counting and montaging of en-face retinal images from an adaptive optics fundus camera

PubMed Central

Xue, Bai; Choi, Stacey S.; Doble, Nathan; Werner, John S.

2008-01-01

A fast and efficient method for quantifying photoreceptor density in images obtained with an en-face flood-illuminated adaptive optics (AO) imaging system is described. To improve accuracy of cone counting, en-face images are analyzed over extended areas. This is achieved with two separate semiautomated algorithms: (1) a montaging algorithm that joins retinal images with overlapping common features without edge effects and (2) a cone density measurement algorithm that counts the individual cones in the montaged image. The accuracy of the cone density measurement algorithm is high, with >97% agreement for a simulated retinal image (of known density, with low contrast) and for AO images from normal eyes when compared with previously reported histological data. Our algorithms do not require spatial regularity in cone packing and are, therefore, useful for counting cones in diseased retinas, as demonstrated for eyes with Stargardt’s macular dystrophy and retinitis pigmentosa. PMID:17429482

Photoreceptor counting and montaging of en-face retinal images from an adaptive optics fundus camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Bai; Choi, Stacey S.; Doble, Nathan; Werner, John S.

2007-05-01

A fast and efficient method for quantifying photoreceptor density in images obtained with an en-face flood-illuminated adaptive optics (AO) imaging system is described. To improve accuracy of cone counting, en-face images are analyzed over extended areas. This is achieved with two separate semiautomated algorithms: (1) a montaging algorithm that joins retinal images with overlapping common features without edge effects and (2) a cone density measurement algorithm that counts the individual cones in the montaged image. The accuracy of the cone density measurement algorithm is high, with >97% agreement for a simulated retinal image (of known density, with low contrast) and for AO images from normal eyes when compared with previously reported histological data. Our algorithms do not require spatial regularity in cone packing and are, therefore, useful for counting cones in diseased retinas, as demonstrated for eyes with Stargardt's macular dystrophy and retinitis pigmentosa.

Developpement d'un montage simulant l'erosion par la pluie pour l'evaluation des revetements glaciophobes dans le domaine aerospatial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tremblay, Sarah-Eve

Ce memoire presente le developpement d’un montage simulant l’erosion par la pluie afin d’effectuer l’evaluation de differents revetements glaciophobes dans le domaine aerospatial. Bien que plusieurs revetements presentent une bonne efficacite a reduire l’adherence et/ou l’accumulation de glace, ils ne repondent pas necessairement aux normes de resistance a l’erosion simulee par les gouttes de pluie les frappant a grande vitesse. Il n’existe qu’une installation en Amerique du Nord offrant un service d’essai qui evalue la resistance a l’erosion par la pluie suivant les normes aerospatiales. Etant l’unique institution pouvant faire la certification de peintures utilisees sur les avions en ce qui a trait a l’erosion par la pluie, ce service est donc difficile d’acces et couteux. Le laboratoire international des materiaux antigivre (LIMA) a developpe un essai plus rapide et moins couteux, facilitant ainsi le developpement de revetements glaciophobes devant resister a l’erosion par la pluie. Dans cette etude, le developpement du montage d’erosion par la pluie effectue au laboratoire des materiaux antigivre (LIMA) est presente. En particulier, des essais sur quatre (4) revetements dont la resistance a l’erosion est connue, et sur trois revetements industriels, ont ete effectues afin d’ajuster les differents parametres du montage comme la pression et la temperature de l’eau ainsi que la robustesse du montage. Ensuite, des essais de sensibilite et de reproductibilite des resultats ont egalement ete effectues pour fin de validation du montage et du protocole experimental. Pour ce faire, le montage de type jet d’eau developpe consiste principalement en une pompe a haute pression qui projette un jet d’eau continu passant par les orifices d’un disque tournant. Cette operation permet de generer une goutte de pluie simulee qui est projetee sur un echantillon de revetement statique. L’essai est base sur la norme standard ASTM (Liquid Impingement Erosion Testing, G73-82). La resistance a l’erosion du materiau est determinee a l’aide du nombre d’impacts subi par l’echantillon obtenu avant la production de dommages visibles. Donc, pour determiner le niveau d’erosion, quatre sites d’impacts doivent etre erodes sur cinq sur le meme rang pour le meme nombre d’impact. L’analyse des quatre revetements de resistance a l’erosion connus a ete completee par l’examen microscopique de chaque site d’impact et d’une photo. Le choix des quatre revetements de resistance a l’erosion connue, allant du plus resistant au moins resistant, a permis de verifier que le montage etait assez sensible pour evaluer les revetements souvent utilises dans le domaine aerospatial. De plus, l’evaluation des trois revetements industriels a permis, pour sa part, de confirmer les resultats obtenus precedemment. Finalement, pour evaluer la sensibilite et la reproductibilite des resultats, de deux a six repetitions pour chaque revetement a ete effectuees donnant des taux d’erosion allant de 100 a 100 000 impacts. L’intervalle des ecarts-types varie de ± 0% a ± 47% pour une moyenne de ± 17%. Le critere d’echec a ete determine a l’aide du nombre d’impacts avant l’apparition de dommage visible ainsi que de la repetabilite des resultats.

Physiological and modeling evidence for focal transcranial electrical brain stimulation in humans: A basis for high-definition tDCS

PubMed Central

Edwards, Dylan; Cortes, Mar; Datta, Abhishek; Minhas, Preet; Wassermann, Eric M.; Bikson, Marom

2015-01-01

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive, low-cost, well-tolerated technique producing lasting modulation of cortical excitability. Behavioral and therapeutic outcomes of tDCS are linked to the targeted brain regions, but there is little evidence that current reaches the brain as intended. We aimed to: (1) validate a computational model for estimating cortical electric fields in human transcranial stimulation, and (2) assess the magnitude and spread of cortical electric field with a novel High-Definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) scalp montage using a 4×1-Ring electrode configuration. In three healthy adults, Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (TES) over primary motor cortex (M1) was delivered using the 4×1 montage (4× cathode, surrounding a single central anode; montage radius ~3 cm) with sufficient intensity to elicit a discrete muscle twitch in the hand. The estimated current distribution in M1 was calculated using the individualized MRI-based model, and compared with the observed motor response across subjects. The response magnitude was quantified with stimulation over motor cortex as well as anterior and posterior to motor cortex. In each case the model data were consistent with the motor response across subjects. The estimated cortical electric fields with the 4×1 montage were compared (area, magnitude, direction) for TES and tDCS in each subject. We provide direct evidence in humans that TES with a 4×1-Ring configuration can activate motor cortex and that current does not substantially spread outside the stimulation area. Computational models predict that both TES and tDCS waveforms using the 4×1-Ring configuration generate electric fields in cortex with comparable gross current distribution, and preferentially directed normal (inward) currents. The agreement of modeling and experimental data for both current delivery and focality support the use of the HD-tDCS 4×1-Ring montage for cortically targeted neuromodulation. PMID:23370061

The Nimbus 4 data catalog. Volume 5: 1 November - 31 December 1970, data orbits 2776-3594

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

A catalog of data acquired from the Nimbus 4 meteorological satellite is presented. The volume covers the period 1 November through 31 December 1970. The Nimbus 4 catalog presents the type of data available, anomalies in the data, and geographic location and time of the data. The subjects discussed are: (1) summary of operations, (2) orbital elements and daily sensors on table, (3) image dissector camera system montages, and (4) temperature-humidity infrared radiometer montages.

The Application of the Montage Image Mosaic Engine To The Visualization Of Astronomical Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berriman, G. Bruce; Good, J. C.

2017-05-01

The Montage Image Mosaic Engine was designed as a scalable toolkit, written in C for performance and portability across *nix platforms, that assembles FITS images into mosaics. This code is freely available and has been widely used in the astronomy and IT communities for research, product generation, and for developing next-generation cyber-infrastructure. Recently, it has begun finding applicability in the field of visualization. This development has come about because the toolkit design allows easy integration into scalable systems that process data for subsequent visualization in a browser or client. The toolkit it includes a visualization tool suitable for automation and for integration into Python: mViewer creates, with a single command, complex multi-color images overlaid with coordinate displays, labels, and observation footprints, and includes an adaptive image histogram equalization method that preserves the structure of a stretched image over its dynamic range. The Montage toolkit contains functionality originally developed to support the creation and management of mosaics, but which also offers value to visualization: a background rectification algorithm that reveals the faint structure in an image; and tools for creating cutout and downsampled versions of large images. Version 5 of Montage offers support for visualizing data written in HEALPix sky-tessellation scheme, and functionality for processing and organizing images to comply with the TOAST sky-tessellation scheme required for consumption by the World Wide Telescope (WWT). Four online tutorials allow readers to reproduce and extend all the visualizations presented in this paper.

No significant effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) found on simple motor reaction time comparing 15 different simulation protocols.

PubMed

Horvath, Jared Cooney; Carter, Olivia; Forte, Jason D

2016-10-01

Research exploring the behavioral impact of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over M1 has produced homogenous results. The most common explanations to address this homogeneity concerns the differential impact of varied tDCS parameters (such as stimulation intensity or electrode montage). To explore this, we systematically examined the effects of 15 different tDCS protocols on a well-elucidated neurobehavioral system: simple visual motor reaction time (smRT). For the initial phase of this study, 150 healthy participants were randomly assigned to one of 5 experimental groups (2mA anodal, 2mA cathodal, 1mA anodal, 1mA cathodal, or sham) across 3 different conditions (orbitofrontal, bilateral, or extracephalic reference electrode location). The active electrode was always placed over M1 and tDCS lasted for 20min. Starting ~5min prior to stimulation and running continuously for ~30min, participants were repeatedly presented with a visual cue centered on a computer monitor and asked to press a response button as quickly as possible at stimulus onset (stimuli number: 100 pre-, 400 during-, and 100-post stimulation - interstimulus interval: 1-3s). Ex-gaussian distribution curves, miss, and error rates were determined for each normalized batch of 100 RTs and compared using a two-way ANOVA. As the largest group differences were seen with 2mA anodal (compared to sham) stimulation using an orbitofrontal montage, an additional 60 healthy participants were recruited to further test for significance in this condition. No significant impact of tDCS was seen on any parameter of smRT distribution, error rate, or miss rate, regardless of polarity, stimulation intensity, electrode montage, or stimulation-to-task relationship. Our results suggest that tDCS over M1 might not have a predictable or reliable effect on short duration smRT. Our results raise interesting questions regarding the mechanisms by which tDCS might modulate more complex motor behaviors. Additional research utilizing multiple tDCS protocols as undertaken here will help address and clarify these concerns. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MRI-Guided Regional Personalized Electrical Stimulation in Multisession and Home Treatments

PubMed Central

Cancelli, Andrea; Cottone, Carlo; Giordani, Alessandro; Asta, Giampiero; Lupoi, Domenico; Pizzella, Vittorio; Tecchio, Franca

2018-01-01

The shape and position of the electrodes is a key factor for the efficacy of transcranial electrical stimulations (tES). We have recently introduced the Regional Personalized Electrode (RePE), a tES electrode fitting the personal cortical folding, that has been able to differentiate the stimulation of close by regions, in particular the primary sensory (S1) and motor (M1) cortices, and to personalize tES onto such an extended cortical district. However, neuronavigation on individual brain was compulsory for the correct montage. Here, we aimed at developing and testing a neuronavigation-free procedure for easy and quick positioning RePE, enabling multisession RePE-tES at home. We used off-line individual MRI to shape RePE via an ad-hoc computerized procedure, while an ad-hoc developed Adjustable Helmet Frame (AHF) was used to properly position it in multisession treatments, even at home. We used neuronavigation to test the RePE shape and position obtained by the new computerized procedure and the re-positioning obtained via the AHF. Using Finite Element Method (FEM) model, we also estimated the intra-cerebral current distribution induced by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) comparing RePE vs. non-RePE with fixed reference. Additionally, we tested, using FEM, various shapes, and positions of the reference electrode taking into account possible small displacements of RePE, to test feasibility of RePE-tES sessions at home. The new RePE neuronavigation-free positioning relies on brain MRI space distances, and produced a mean displacement of 3.5 ± 0.8 mm, and the re-positioning of 4.8 ± 1.1 mm. Higher electric field in S1 than in M1 was best obtained with the occipital reference electrode, a montage that proved to feature low sensitivity to typical RePE millimetric displacements. Additionally, a new tES accessory was developed to enable repositioning the electrodes over the scalp also at home, with a precision which is acceptable according to the modeling-estimated intracerebral currents. Altogether, we provide here a procedure to simplify and make easily applicable RePE-tDCS, which enables efficacious personalized treatments. PMID:29867308

The electric field distributions in anatomical head models during transcranial direct current stimulation for post-stroke rehabilitation.

PubMed

Manoli, Zoi; Parazzini, Marta; Ravazzani, Paolo; Samaras, Theodoros

2017-01-01

The lack of knowledge of the electric field distribution inside the brain of stroke patients receiving transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) calls for estimating it computationally. Moreover, the impact on this distribution of a novel clinical management approach which involves secondary motor areas (SMA) in stroke rehabilitation needs to be evaluated. Finally, the differences in the electric field distributions due to gender and age need to be investigated. This work presents the development of two different anatomical models (young adult female and elderly male) with an ischemic stroke region of spherical volume 10 cm 3 or 50 cm 3 , using numerical models of the Virtual Population (ViP). The stroke phase was considered as acute or chronic, resulting in different electrical properties of the area. Two different electrode montages were used - One over the lesion area and the contralateral supra-orbital region and the other over the SMA and the contralateral supra-orbital region. A quasi-electrostatic solver was used to numerically solve the Laplace equation with the finite-difference technique. Both the 99th percentile of the electric field intensity distribution ("E peak value") and the percentage of the tissue volumes with electric field intensity over 50% and 70% of the E peak value were assessed inside the target areas of the primary motor cortex (M1) and the SMA, as well as in other brain tissues (hypothalamus and cerebellum). In the acute phase of an ischemic stroke, the normalized electric field intensity distributions do not differ noticeably compared to those in the brain of a healthy person (mean square difference < 2%). The difference becomes larger (up to 4.5%) for the chronic phase of a large ischemic lesion. Moreover, the maximum values of the induced electric field in the tissues in the SMA are almost equal for both electrode montages. The peak values of the electric field distribution ("E peak values") in cerebellum and hypothalamus for both electrode montages are rather small but different from those of healthy patients. The largest difference of 21% decrease with respect to a healthy subject was noticed in the elder adult model with a large chronic lesion. The comparison of the different electrode montages shows that the use of a stimulating electrode over the affected area creates larger values of the electric field in M1, by up to 26% for a small chronic lesion in the young female model. On the contrary, the montage does not affect considerably (change less than 8%) the E peak values in the SMA. This implies that for exciting M1, the M1-Fp2 montage should be favored. The presence and the phase of an ischemic stroke lesion, as well as the configuration of electrode montages affect the distribution and the maximum value of the electric field induced in tissues. Moreover, patients whom seem to benefit most from tDCS are those in the chronic phase of an ischemic stroke, since contrasts in the tissue conductivity result in a higher electric field induced around the lesion volume, which could stimulate the remaining healthy tissue in the area. © 2016 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

The Next Generation of the Montage Image Mopsaic Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berriman, G. Bruce; Good, John; Rusholme, Ben; Robitaille, Thomas

2016-01-01

We have released a major upgrade of the Montage image mosaic engine (http://montage.ipac.caltech.edu) , as part of a program to develop the next generation of the engine in response to the rapid changes in the data processing landscape in Astronomy, which is generating ever larger data sets in ever more complex formats . The new release (version 4) contains modules dedicated to creating and managing mosaics of data stored as multi-dimensional arrays ("data cubes"). The new release inherits the architectural benefits of portability and scalability of the original design. The code is publicly available on Git Hub and the Montage web page. The release includes a command line tool that supports visualization of large images, and the beta-release of a Python interface to the visualization tool. We will provide examples on how to use these these features. We are generating a mosaic of the Galactic Arecibo L-band Feed Array HI (GALFA-HI) Survey maps of neutral hydrogen in and around our Milky Way Galaxy, to assess the performance at scale and to develop tools and methodologies that will enable scientists inexpert in cloud processing to exploit could platforms for data processing and product generation at scale. Future releases include support for an R-tree based mechanism for fast discovery of and access to large data sets and on-demand access to calibrated SDSS DR9 data that exploits it; support for the Hierarchical Equal Area isoLatitude Pixelization (HEALPix) scheme, now standard for projects investigating cosmic background radiation (Gorski et al 2005); support fort the Tessellated Octahedral Adaptive Subdivision Transform (TOAST), the sky partitioning sky used by the WorldWide Telescope (WWT); and a public applications programming interface (API) in C that can be called from other languages, especially Python.

Digital imaging and image analysis applied to numerical applications in forensic hair examination.

PubMed

Brooks, Elizabeth; Comber, Bruce; McNaught, Ian; Robertson, James

2011-03-01

A method that provides objective data to complement the hair analysts' microscopic observations, which is non-destructive, would be of obvious benefit in the forensic examination of hairs. This paper reports on the use of objective colour measurement and image analysis techniques of auto-montaged images. Brown Caucasian telogen scalp hairs were chosen as a stern test of the utility of these approaches. The results show the value of using auto-montaged images and the potential for the use of objective numerical measures of colour and pigmentation to complement microscopic observations. 2010. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pharmaceutical structure montages as catalysts for design and discovery.

PubMed

Njarðarson, Jon T

2012-05-01

Majority of pharmaceuticals are small molecule organic compounds. Their structures are most effectively described and communicated using the graphical language of organic chemistry. A few years ago we decided to harness this powerful language to create new educational tools that could serve well for data mining and as catalysts for discovery. The results were the Top 200 drug posters, which we have posted online for everyone to enjoy and update yearly. This article details the origin and motivation for our design and highlights the value of this graphical format by presenting and analyzing a new pharmaceutical structure montage (poster) focused on US FDA approved drugs in 2011.

Movement Along the Spine Induced by Transcranial Electrical Stimulation Related Electrode Positioning.

PubMed

Hoebink, Eric A; Journée, Henricus L; de Kleuver, Marinus; Berends, Hanneke; Racz, Ilona; van Hal, Chantal

2016-07-15

A prospective, nonrandomized cohort study. To describe a technique quantifying movement induced by transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) induced movement in relation to the positioning of electrodes during spinal deformity surgery. TES induced movement may cause injuries and delay surgical procedures. When TES movements are evoked, muscles other than those being monitored any adjustments in stimulation protocols and electrode positioning may be expected to minimize movement whereas preserving quality of monitoring. In this study, seismic evoked responses (SER) induced through TES were studied at different electrode positions. Intraoperative TES-motor evoked potentials were carried out in 12 patients undergoing corrective spine surgery. Accelerometer transducers recorded SER in two directions at four different locations of the spine for TES-electrode montage groups Cz-Fz and C3-C4. A paired t test was used to compare the means of SER and the relationship between movement and TES electrode positioning. SERs were strongest in the upper body. All mean SERs values for the Cz-Fz group were up to five times larger when compared with the C3-C4 group. However, there were no differences between the C3-C4 and Cz-Fz groups in the lower body locations. Both electrode montage groups showed a gradual stepwise reduction in all mean SER values along the spine from the cranial to caudal region. For the upper body locations, there were no significant associations between SER and both montages; in contrast, a significant association SER was demonstrated in the lumbar region. At supramaximum levels, movements resulting from multipulse TES are likely caused by relatively strong contractions from muscles in the neck resulting from direct extracranial stimulation. When interchanging electrode montages in individual cases, the movement in the neck may become reduced. At lumbar levels transcranial evoked muscle contractions dominate movement in the surgically exposed areas. 4.

Titan Despeckled Montage

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-02-12

This montage of Cassini Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images of the surface of Titan shows four examples of how a newly developed technique for handling noise results in clearer, easier to interpret views. The top row of images was produced in the manner used since the mission arrived in the Saturn system a decade ago; the row at bottom was produced using the new technique. The three leftmost image pairs show bays and spits of land in Ligea Mare, one of Titan's large hydrocarbon seas. The rightmost pair shows a valley network along Jingpo Lacus, one of Titan's larger northern lakes. North is toward the left in these images. Each thumbnail represents an area 70 miles (112 kilometers) wide. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19053

Galactic Train Wrecks

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-25

This montage combines observations from NASA Spitzer Space Telescope and NASA Galaxy Evolution Explorer GALEX spacecraft showing three examples of colliding galaxies from a new photo atlas of galactic train wrecks.

Mapping owl's eye cells of patients with cytomegalovirus corneal endotheliitis using in vivo laser confocal microscopy.

PubMed

Yokogawa, Hideaki; Kobayashi, Akira; Sugiyama, Kazuhisa

2013-01-01

To produce a two-dimensional reconstruction map of owl's eye cells using in vivo laser confocal microscopy in patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) corneal endotheliitis, and to demonstrate any association between owl's eye cells and coin-shaped lesions observed with slit-lamp biomicroscopy. Two patients (75- and 77-year-old men) with polymerase chain reaction-proven CMV corneal endotheliitis were evaluated in this study. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy and in vivo laser confocal microscopy were performed. Images of owl's eye cells in the endothelial cell layer were arranged and mapped into subconfluent montages. Montage images of owl's eye cells were then superimposed on a slit-lamp photo of the corresponding coin-shaped lesion. Degree of concordance between the confocal microscopic images and slit-lamp photos was evaluated. In both eyes, a two-dimensional reconstruction map of the owl's eye cells was created by computer software using acquired confocal images; the maps showed circular patterns. Superimposing montage images of owl's eye cells onto the photos of a coin-shaped lesion showed good concordance in the two eyes. This study suggests that there is an association between owl's eye cells observed by confocal microscopy and coin-shaped lesions observed by slit-lamp biomicroscopy in patients with CMV corneal endotheliitis. The use of in vivo laser confocal microscopy may provide clues as to the underlying causes of CMV corneal endotheliitis.

Focal Hemodynamic Responses in the Stimulated Hemisphere During High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation.

PubMed

Muthalib, Makii; Besson, Pierre; Rothwell, John; Perrey, Stéphane

2017-07-17

High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) using a 4 × 1 electrode montage has been previously shown using modeling and physiological studies to constrain the electric field within the spatial extent of the electrodes. The aim of this proof-of-concept study was to determine if functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) neuroimaging can be used to determine a hemodynamic correlate of this 4 × 1 HD-tDCS electric field on the brain. In a three session cross-over study design, 13 healthy males received one sham (2 mA, 30 sec) and two real (HD-tDCS-1 and HD-tDCS-2, 2 mA, 10 min) anodal HD-tDCS targeting the left M1 via a 4 × 1 electrode montage (anode on C3 and 4 return electrodes 3.5 cm from anode). The two real HD-tDCS sessions afforded a within-subject replication of the findings. fNIRS was used to measure changes in brain hemodynamics (oxygenated hemoglobin integral-O 2 Hb int ) during each 10 min session from two regions of interest (ROIs) in the stimulated left hemisphere that corresponded to "within" (L in ) and "outside" (L out ) the spatial extent of the 4 × 1 electrode montage, and two corresponding ROIs (R in and R out ) in the right hemisphere. The ANOVA showed that both real anodal HD-tDCS compared to sham induced a significantly greater O 2 Hb int in the L in than L out ROIs of the stimulated left hemisphere; while there were no significant differences between the real and sham sessions for the right hemisphere ROIs. Intra-class correlation coefficients showed "fair-to-good" reproducibility for the left stimulated hemisphere ROIs. The greater O 2 Hb int "within" than "outside" the spatial extent of the 4 × 1 electrode montage represents a hemodynamic correlate of the electrical field distribution, and thus provides a prospective reliable method to determine the dose of stimulation that is necessary to optimize HD-tDCS parameters in various applications. © 2017 International Neuromodulation Society.

Fab Five

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-11-04

This montage from NASA EPOXI mission shows the only five comets imaged up close with spacecraft. The comets vary in shape and size. Comet Hartley 2 is by far the smallest and the most active of small comets.

National Anthem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

A montage of video clips over the years, footage shows the spacecrews, launch, and landing for different orbiters and missions. Clips include the Endeavour and Atlantis Orbiters and are shown to the music of the American National Anthem.

Which Brain Regions are Important for Seizure Dynamics in Epileptic Networks? Influence of Link Identification and EEG Recording Montage on Node Centralities.

PubMed

Geier, Christian; Lehnertz, Klaus

2017-02-01

Nodes in large-scale epileptic networks that are crucial for seizure facilitation and termination can be regarded as potential targets for individualized focal therapies. Graph-theoretical approaches based on centrality concepts can help to identify such important nodes, however, they may be influenced by the way networks are derived from empirical data. Here we investigate evolving functional epileptic brain networks during 82 focal seizures with different anatomical onset locations that we derive from multichannel intracranial electroencephalographic recordings from 51 patients. We demonstrate how the various methodological steps (from the recording montage via node and link inference to the assessment of node centralities) affect importance estimation and discuss their impact on the interpretability of findings in the context of pathophysiological aspects of seizure dynamics.

Jupiter-Io Montage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

This is a montage of New Horizons images of Jupiter and its volcanic moon Io, taken during the spacecraft's Jupiter flyby in early 2007. The Jupiter image is an infrared color composite taken by the spacecraft's near-infrared imaging spectrometer, the Linear Etalon Imaging Spectral Array (LEISA) at 1:40 UT on Feb. 28, 2007. The infrared wavelengths used (red: 1.59 um, green: 1.94 um, blue: 1.85 um) highlight variations in the altitude of the Jovian cloud tops, with blue denoting high-altitude clouds and hazes, and red indicating deeper clouds. The prominent bluish-white oval is the Great Red Spot. The observation was made at a solar phase angle of 75 degrees but has been projected onto a crescent to remove distortion caused by Jupiter's rotation during the scan. The Io image, taken at 00:25 UT on March 1st 2007, is an approximately true-color composite taken by the panchromatic Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), with color information provided by the 0.5 um ('blue') and 0.9 um ('methane') channels of the Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC). The image shows a major eruption in progress on Io's night side, at the northern volcano Tvashtar. Incandescent lava glows red beneath a 330-kilometer high volcanic plume, whose uppermost portions are illuminated by sunlight. The plume appears blue due to scattering of light by small particles in the plume

This montage appears on the cover of the Oct. 12, 2007, issue of Science magazine.

Brain tumor presenting as somnambulism in an adolescent.

PubMed

Prashad, Priya S; Marcus, Carole L; Brown, Lawrence W; Dlugos, Dennis J; Feygin, Tamara; Harding, Brian N; Heuer, Gregory G; Mason, Thornton B Alexander

2013-09-01

Sleepwalking is typically a benign and self-limited non-rapid eye movement parasomnia of childhood. We describe an unusual 15-year-old boy referred to our sleep center for new-onset sleepwalking. An overnight polysomnogram was normal from a respiratory standpoint, but a concurrent extended electroencephalogram montage showed frequent epileptiform discharges from the right parietal-temporal region and two electroclinical seizures arising from the right-frontal-central-temporal region during sleep. Magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed a right parasagittal parietal region lesion consistent with a low-grade neoplasm, and surgical resection of the lesion demonstrated a right parietal dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor. Complex partial seizures and sleepwalking remitted completely with anticonvulsant therapy following surgery. This patient highlights the differential diagnosis of nocturnal events appearing to be typical parasomnias, especially when they arise abruptly at an older age. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Topographic distribution of EEG alpha attractor correlation dimension values in wake and drowsy states in humans.

PubMed

Kalauzi, Aleksandar; Vuckovic, Aleksandra; Bojić, Tijana

2015-03-01

Organization of resting state cortical networks is of fundamental importance for the phenomenon of awareness, which is altered in the first part of hypnagogic period (Hori stages 1-4). Our aim was to investigate the change in brain topography pattern of EEG alpha attractor correlation dimension (CD) in the period of transition from Hori stage 1 to 4. EEG of ten healthy adult individuals was recorded in the wake and drowsy states, using a 14 channel average reference montage, from which 91 bipolar channels were derived and filtered in the wider alpha (6-14 Hz) range. Sixty 1s long epochs of each state and individual were subjected to CD calculation according to the Grassberger-Procaccia method. For such a collection of signals, two embedding dimensions, d={5, 10}, and 22 time delays τ=2-23 samples were explored. Optimal values were d=10 and τ=18, where both saturation and second zero crossing of the autocorrelation function occurred. Bipolar channel CD underwent a significant decrease during the transition and showed a positive linear correlation with electrode distance, stronger in the wake individuals. Topographic distribution of bipolar channels with above median CD changed from longitudinal anterior-posterior pattern (awake) to a more diagonal pattern, with localization in posterior regions (drowsiness). Our data are in line with the literature reporting functional segregation of neuronal assemblies in anterior and posterior regions during this transition. Our results should contribute to understanding of complex reorganization of the cortical part of alpha generators during the wake/drowsy transition. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

UNIQUE CHEMISTRY SOLUTIONS TO REGIONAL ISSUES

EPA Science Inventory

Many of ORD's research projects relate to broad scientific themes, such as biological and chemical indicators or computational toxicology .Others are discrete studies resulting from requests from or informal contacts with clients and collaborators. This poster presents a montage ...

Downhole well log and core montages from the Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collett, T.S.; Lewis, R.E.; Winters, W.J.; Lee, M.W.; Rose, K.K.; Boswell, R.M.

2011-01-01

The BPXA-DOE-USGS Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well was an integral part of an ongoing project to determine the future energy resource potential of gas hydrates on the Alaska North Slope. As part of this effort, the Mount Elbert well included an advanced downhole geophysical logging program. Because gas hydrate is unstable at ground surface pressure and temperature conditions, a major emphasis was placed on the downhole-logging program to determine the occurrence of gas hydrates and the in-situ physical properties of the sediments. In support of this effort, well-log and core data montages have been compiled which include downhole log and core-data obtained from the gas-hydrate-bearing sedimentary section in the Mount Elbert well. Also shown are numerous reservoir parameters, including gas-hydrate saturation and sediment porosity log traces calculated from available downhole well log and core data. ?? 2010.

Cranial electrotherapy stimulation and transcranial pulsed current stimulation: a computer based high-resolution modeling study.

PubMed

Datta, Abhishek; Dmochowski, Jacek P; Guleyupoglu, Berkan; Bikson, Marom; Fregni, Felipe

2013-01-15

The field of non-invasive brain stimulation has developed significantly over the last two decades. Though two techniques of noninvasive brain stimulation--transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)--are becoming established tools for research in neuroscience and for some clinical applications, related techniques that also show some promising clinical results have not been developed at the same pace. One of these related techniques is cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES), a class of transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS). In order to understand further the mechanisms of CES, we aimed to model CES using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived finite element head model including cortical and also subcortical structures. Cortical electric field (current density) peak intensities and distributions were analyzed. We evaluated different electrode configurations of CES including in-ear and over-ear montages. Our results confirm that significant amounts of current pass the skull and reach cortical and subcortical structures. In addition, depending on the montage, induced currents at subcortical areas, such as midbrain, pons, thalamus and hypothalamus are of similar magnitude than that of cortical areas. Incremental variations of electrode position on the head surface also influence which cortical regions are modulated. The high-resolution modeling predictions suggest that details of electrode montage influence current flow through superficial and deep structures. Finally we present laptop based methods for tPCS dose design using dominant frequency and spherical models. These modeling predictions and tools are the first step to advance rational and optimized use of tPCS and CES. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation for treating depression: A modeling study.

PubMed

Csifcsák, Gábor; Boayue, Nya Mehnwolo; Puonti, Oula; Thielscher, Axel; Mittner, Matthias

2018-07-01

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) above the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (lDLPFC) has been widely used to improve symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the effects of different stimulation protocols in the entire frontal lobe have not been investigated in a large sample including patient data. We used 38 head models created from structural magnetic resonance imaging data of 19 healthy adults and 19 MDD patients and applied computational modeling to simulate the spatial distribution of tDCS-induced electric fields (EFs) in 20 frontal regions. We evaluated effects of seven bipolar and two multi-electrode 4 × 1 tDCS protocols. For bipolar montages, EFs were of comparable strength in the lDLPFC and in the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC). Depending on stimulation parameters, EF cortical maps varied to a considerable degree, but were found to be similar in controls and patients. 4 × 1 montages produced more localized, albeit weaker effects. White matter anisotropy was not modeled. The relationship between EF strength and clinical response to tDCS could not be evaluated. In addition to lDLPFC stimulation, excitability changes in the MPFC should also be considered as a potential mechanism underlying clinical efficacy of bipolar montages. MDD-associated anatomical variations are not likely to substantially influence current flow. Individual modeling of tDCS protocols can substantially improve cortical targeting. We make recommendations for future research to explicitly test the contribution of lDLPFC vs. MPFC stimulation to therapeutic outcomes of tDCS in this disorder. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Signs of a Martian Ice Age

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-05-26

This image montage features a two-dimensional radar cross section of Mars north polar cap collected by SHARAD instrument on NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft top, and a color image mosaic of the polar cap from NASA Viking project bottom

Art in Aquatic Education: Materials and Methods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whann, Maryann Smeyda

1983-01-01

Described are activities which utilize marine science subjects. These include: assemblage, bas-relief, batik, collage, mobile, montage, paper-mache, and play-dough activities. Includes a list of general suggestions for teachers using aquatic art activities in the classroom. (JN)

Evaluation of noise impact mitigation protocols to support CSS : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-03-01

This research project developed and evaluated practical ways of involving the public in context sensitive sound mitigation strategies. The integrated use of photo montage, PowerPoint presentation, linked traffic sound files, and audience response sys...

Thermochemical Processes | Bioenergy | NREL

Science.gov Websites

model catalysts appear on a montage of images of wood chips, liquid gasoline, a gas tanker truck, and a , pipes, and hoses, pouring a liquid from a large hose into a bucket. Integration, Scale-Up, and Piloting

Working Toward Seamless Infrared Maps of Titan

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-24

Each of these two montages shows four synthetic views of Titan created using data acquired by NASA Cassini spacecraft between 2004 and 2015. With each flyby, a brief opportunity to add small pieces to the overall mapping coverage of Titan.

Automated detection and labeling of high-density EEG electrodes from structural MR images.

PubMed

Marino, Marco; Liu, Quanying; Brem, Silvia; Wenderoth, Nicole; Mantini, Dante

2016-10-01

Accurate knowledge about the positions of electrodes in electroencephalography (EEG) is very important for precise source localizations. Direct detection of electrodes from magnetic resonance (MR) images is particularly interesting, as it is possible to avoid errors of co-registration between electrode and head coordinate systems. In this study, we propose an automated MR-based method for electrode detection and labeling, particularly tailored to high-density montages. Anatomical MR images were processed to create an electrode-enhanced image in individual space. Image processing included intensity non-uniformity correction, background noise and goggles artifact removal. Next, we defined a search volume around the head where electrode positions were detected. Electrodes were identified as local maxima in the search volume and registered to the Montreal Neurological Institute standard space using an affine transformation. This allowed the matching of the detected points with the specific EEG montage template, as well as their labeling. Matching and labeling were performed by the coherent point drift method. Our method was assessed on 8 MR images collected in subjects wearing a 256-channel EEG net, using the displacement with respect to manually selected electrodes as performance metric. Average displacement achieved by our method was significantly lower compared to alternative techniques, such as the photogrammetry technique. The maximum displacement was for more than 99% of the electrodes lower than 1 cm, which is typically considered an acceptable upper limit for errors in electrode positioning. Our method showed robustness and reliability, even in suboptimal conditions, such as in the case of net rotation, imprecisely gathered wires, electrode detachment from the head, and MR image ghosting. We showed that our method provides objective, repeatable and precise estimates of EEG electrode coordinates. We hope our work will contribute to a more widespread use of high-density EEG as a brain-imaging tool.

Automated detection and labeling of high-density EEG electrodes from structural MR images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marino, Marco; Liu, Quanying; Brem, Silvia; Wenderoth, Nicole; Mantini, Dante

2016-10-01

Objective. Accurate knowledge about the positions of electrodes in electroencephalography (EEG) is very important for precise source localizations. Direct detection of electrodes from magnetic resonance (MR) images is particularly interesting, as it is possible to avoid errors of co-registration between electrode and head coordinate systems. In this study, we propose an automated MR-based method for electrode detection and labeling, particularly tailored to high-density montages. Approach. Anatomical MR images were processed to create an electrode-enhanced image in individual space. Image processing included intensity non-uniformity correction, background noise and goggles artifact removal. Next, we defined a search volume around the head where electrode positions were detected. Electrodes were identified as local maxima in the search volume and registered to the Montreal Neurological Institute standard space using an affine transformation. This allowed the matching of the detected points with the specific EEG montage template, as well as their labeling. Matching and labeling were performed by the coherent point drift method. Our method was assessed on 8 MR images collected in subjects wearing a 256-channel EEG net, using the displacement with respect to manually selected electrodes as performance metric. Main results. Average displacement achieved by our method was significantly lower compared to alternative techniques, such as the photogrammetry technique. The maximum displacement was for more than 99% of the electrodes lower than 1 cm, which is typically considered an acceptable upper limit for errors in electrode positioning. Our method showed robustness and reliability, even in suboptimal conditions, such as in the case of net rotation, imprecisely gathered wires, electrode detachment from the head, and MR image ghosting. Significance. We showed that our method provides objective, repeatable and precise estimates of EEG electrode coordinates. We hope our work will contribute to a more widespread use of high-density EEG as a brain-imaging tool.

Dosage Considerations for Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Children: A Computational Modeling Study

PubMed Central

Kessler, Sudha Kilaru; Minhas, Preet; Woods, Adam J.; Rosen, Alyssa; Gorman, Casey; Bikson, Marom

2013-01-01

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is being widely investigated in adults as a therapeutic modality for brain disorders involving abnormal cortical excitability or disordered network activity. Interest is also growing in studying tDCS in children. Limited empirical studies in children suggest that tDCS is well tolerated and may have a similar safety profile as in adults. However, in electrotherapy as in pharmacotherapy, dose selection in children requires special attention, and simple extrapolation from adult studies may be inadequate. Critical aspects of dose adjustment include 1) differences in neurophysiology and disease, and 2) variation in brain electric fields for a specified dose due to gross anatomical differences between children and adults. In this study, we used high-resolution MRI derived finite element modeling simulations of two healthy children, ages 8 years and 12 years, and three healthy adults with varying head size to compare differences in electric field intensity and distribution. Multiple conventional and high-definition tDCS montages were tested. Our results suggest that on average, children will be exposed to higher peak electrical fields for a given applied current intensity than adults, but there is likely to be overlap between adults with smaller head size and children. In addition, exposure is montage specific. Variations in peak electrical fields were seen between the two pediatric models, despite comparable head size, suggesting that the relationship between neuroanatomic factors and bioavailable current dose is not trivial. In conclusion, caution is advised in using higher tDCS doses in children until 1) further modeling studies in a larger group shed light on the range of exposure possible by applied dose and age and 2) further studies correlate bioavailable dose estimates from modeling studies with empirically tested physiologic effects, such as modulation of motor evoked potentials after stimulation. PMID:24086698

ARC-2006-ACD06-0230-021

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-12-15

Kick-off event for Google NASA collaboration (held in the Ames Exploration Center 943A) with Chris Kemp, Ames Business Development (L) Ames Center Director Pete Worden (L-M) Tiffany Montage, Project Manager Engineering, Google (R-M) and Dan Clancy, Director of engineering Google (R)

Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation of the right anterior temporal lobe did not significantly affect verbal insight.

PubMed

Aihara, Takatsugu; Ogawa, Takeshi; Shimokawa, Takeaki; Yamashita, Okito

2017-01-01

Humans often utilize past experience to solve difficult problems. However, if past experience is insufficient to solve a problem, solvers may reach an impasse. Insight can be valuable for breaking an impasse, enabling the reinterpretation or re-representation of a problem. Previous studies using between-subjects designs have revealed a causal relationship between the anterior temporal lobes (ATLs) and non-verbal insight, by enhancing the right ATL while inhibiting the left ATL using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). In addition, neuroimaging studies have reported a correlation between right ATL activity and verbal insight. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that the right ATL is causally related to both non-verbal and verbal insight. To test this hypothesis, we conducted an experiment with 66 subjects using a within-subjects design, which typically has greater statistical power than a between-subjects design. Subjects participated in tDCS experiments across 2 days, in which they solved both non-verbal and verbal insight problems under active or sham stimulation conditions. To dissociate the effects of right ATL stimulation from those of left ATL stimulation, we used two montage types; anodal tDCS of the right ATL together with cathodal tDCS of the left ATL (stimulating both ATLs) and anodal tDCS of the right ATL with cathodal tDCS of the left cheek (stimulating only the right ATL). The montage used was counterbalanced across subjects. Statistical analyses revealed that, regardless of the montage type, there were no significant differences between the active and sham conditions for either verbal or non-verbal insight, although the finding for non-verbal insight was inconclusive because of a lack of statistical power. These results failed to support previous findings suggesting that the right ATL is the central locus of insight.

Modulation by EEG features of BOLD responses to interictal epileptiform discharges

PubMed Central

LeVan, Pierre; Tyvaert, Louise; Gotman, Jean

2013-01-01

Introduction EEG-fMRI of interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) usually assumes a fixed hemodynamic response function (HRF). This study investigates HRF variability with respect to IED amplitude fluctuations using independent component analysis (ICA), with the goal of improving the specificity of EEG-fMRI analyses. Methods We selected EEG-fMRI data from 10 focal epilepsy patients with a good quality EEG. IED amplitudes were calculated in an average reference montage. The fMRI data were decomposed by ICA and a deconvolution method identified IED-related components by detecting time courses with a significant HRF time-locked to the IEDs (F-test, p<0.05). Individual HRF amplitudes were then calculated for each IED. Components with a significant HRF/IED amplitude correlation (Spearman test, p< 0.05) were compared to the presumed epileptogenic focus and to results of a general linear model (GLM) analysis. Results In 7 patients, at least one IED-related component was concordant with the focus, but many IED-related components were at distant locations. When considering only components with a significant HRF/IED amplitude correlation, distant components could be discarded, significantly increasing the relative proportion of activated voxels in the focus (p=0.02). In the 3 patients without concordant IED-related components, no HRF/IED amplitude correlations were detected inside the brain. Integrating IED-related amplitudes in the GLM significantly improved fMRI signal modeling in the epileptogenic focus in 4 patients (p< 0.05). Conclusion Activations in the epileptogenic focus appear to show significant correlations between HRF and IED amplitudes, unlike distant responses. These correlations could be integrated in the analysis to increase the specificity of EEG-fMRI studies in epilepsy. PMID:20026222

Obstructive Sleep Apnea during REM Sleep and Cardiovascular Disease.

PubMed

Aurora, R Nisha; Crainiceanu, Ciprian; Gottlieb, Daniel J; Kim, Ji Soo; Punjabi, Naresh M

2018-03-01

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) during REM sleep is a common disorder. Data on whether OSA that occurs predominantly during REM sleep is associated with health outcomes are limited. The present study examined the association between OSA during REM sleep and a composite cardiovascular endpoint in a community sample with and without prevalent cardiovascular disease. Full-montage home polysomnography was conducted as part of the Sleep Heart Health Study. The study cohort was followed for an average of 9.5 years, during which time cardiovascular events were assessed. Only participants with a non-REM apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of less than 5 events/h were included. A composite cardiovascular endpoint was determined as the occurrence of nonfatal or fatal events, including myocardial infarction, coronary artery revascularization, congestive heart failure, and stroke. Proportional hazards regression was used to derive the adjusted hazards ratios for the composite cardiovascular endpoint. The sample consisted of 3,265 subjects with a non-REM AHI of less than 5.0 events/h. Using a REM AHI of less than 5.0 events/h as the reference group (n = 1,758), the adjusted hazards ratios for the composite cardiovascular endpoint in those with severe REM OSA (≥30 events/h; n = 180) was 1.35 (95% confidence interval, 0.98-1.85). Stratified analyses demonstrated that the association was most notable in those with prevalent cardiovascular disease and severe OSA during REM sleep with an adjusted hazards ratio of 2.56 (95% confidence interval, 1.46-4.47). Severe OSA that occurs primarily during REM sleep is associated with higher incidence of a composite cardiovascular endpoint, but in only those with prevalent cardiovascular disease.

The Nimbus 6 data catalog. Volume 7: 1 July - 31 August 1976. Data orbits 5156 - 5985

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Operations of various experiments during the reporting period are summarized. Orbital elements, data availability times, anomalies in the data, geographic location, and time of data are tabulated. Montages obtained by infrared and microwave radiometers are included.

Progressive Education for the 1990s: Transforming Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jervis, Kathe, Ed.; Montag, Carol, Ed.

In this collection, educators examine progressive education from both historical and practical standpoints, addressing the daily struggles confronting progressively oriented teachers as they create classrooms to support their values. After an introduction, "Class Values," by C. Montag, the following essays are presented: (1) "Large…

Gaspra Approach Sequence

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-01-29

This montage of 11 images taken by NASA Galileo spacecraft as it flew by the asteroid Gaspra on Oct. 1991, shows Gaspra growing progressively larger in the field of view of Galileo solid-state imaging camera as the spacecraft approached the asteroid. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00079

Topographic EEG activations during timbre and pitch discrimination tasks using musical sounds.

PubMed

Auzou, P; Eustache, F; Etevenon, P; Platel, H; Rioux, P; Lambert, J; Lechevalier, B; Zarifian, E; Baron, J C

1995-01-01

Successive auditory stimulation sequences were presented binaurally to 18 young normal volunteers. Five conditions were investigated: two reference tasks, assumed to involve passive listening to couples of musical sounds, and three discrimination tasks, one dealing with pitch, and two with timbre (either with or without the attack). A symmetrical montage of 16 EEG channels was recorded for each subject across the different conditions. Two quantitative parameters of EEG activity were compared among the different sequences within five distinct frequency bands. As compared to a rest (no stimulation) condition, both passive listening conditions led to changes in primary auditory cortex areas. Both discrimination tasks for pitch and timbre led to right hemisphere EEG changes, organized in two poles: an anterior one and a posterior one. After discussing the electrophysiological aspects of this work, these results are interpreted in terms of a network including the right temporal neocortex and the right frontal lobe to maintain the acoustical information in an auditory working memory necessary to carry out the discrimination task.

Linnaeus' restless system: translation as textual engineering in eighteenth-century botany.

PubMed

Dietz, Bettina

2016-04-01

In this essay, translations of Linnaeus' Systema naturae into various European languages will be placed into the context of successively expanded editions of Linnaeus' writings. The ambition and intention of most translators was not only to make the Systema naturae accessible for practical botanical use by a wider readership, but also to supplement and correct it, and thus to shape it. By recruiting more users, translations made a significant contribution to keeping the Systema up to date and thus maintaining its practical value for decades. The need to incorporate countless additions and corrections into an existing text, to document their provenance, to identify inconsistencies, and to refer to relevant observations, descriptions, and illustrations in the botanical literature all helped to develop and refine techniques of textual montage. This form of textual engineering, becoming increasingly complex with each translation cycle, shaped the external appearance of new editions of the Systema, and reflected the modular architecture of a botanical system designed for expansion.

Amplitude-integrated EEG and the newborn infant.

PubMed

Shah, Divyen K; Mathur, Amit

2014-01-01

There is emerging recognition of the need for continuous long term electrographic monitoring of the encephalopathic neonate. While full-montage EEG with video remains the gold standard for monitoring, it is limited in application due to the complexity of lead application and specialized interpretation of results. Amplitude integrated EEG (aEEG) is derived from limited channels (usually C3-P3, C4-P4) and is filtered, rectified and time-compressed to serve as a bedside electrographic trend monitor. Its simple application and interpretation has resulted in increasing use in neonatal units across the world. Validation studies with full montage EEG have shown reliable results in interpretation of EEG background and electrographic seizures, especially when used with the simultaneously displayed raw EEG trace. Several aEEG monitors are commercially available and seizure algorithms are being developed for use on these monitors. These aEEG monitors, complement conventional EEG and offer a significant advance in the feasibility of long term electrographic monitoring of the encephalopathic neonate.

Clinician accessible tools for GUI computational models of transcranial electrical stimulation: BONSAI and SPHERES.

PubMed

Truong, Dennis Q; Hüber, Mathias; Xie, Xihe; Datta, Abhishek; Rahman, Asif; Parra, Lucas C; Dmochowski, Jacek P; Bikson, Marom

2014-01-01

Computational models of brain current flow during transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), including transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), are increasingly used to understand and optimize clinical trials. We propose that broad dissemination requires a simple graphical user interface (GUI) software that allows users to explore and design montages in real-time, based on their own clinical/experimental experience and objectives. We introduce two complimentary open-source platforms for this purpose: BONSAI and SPHERES. BONSAI is a web (cloud) based application (available at neuralengr.com/bonsai) that can be accessed through any flash-supported browser interface. SPHERES (available at neuralengr.com/spheres) is a stand-alone GUI application that allow consideration of arbitrary montages on a concentric sphere model by leveraging an analytical solution. These open-source tES modeling platforms are designed go be upgraded and enhanced. Trade-offs between open-access approaches that balance ease of access, speed, and flexibility are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Importance of the Numerical Resolution of the Laplace Equation in the optimization of a Neuronal Stimulation Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faria, Paula

2010-09-01

For the past few years, the potential of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for the treatment of several pathologies has been investigated. Knowledge of the current density distribution is an important factor in optimizing such applications of tDCS. For this goal, we used the finite element method to solve the Laplace equation in a spherical head model in order to investigate the three dimensional distribution of the current density and the variation of its intensity with depth using different electrodes montages: the traditional one with two sponge electrodes and new electrode montages: with sponge and EEG electrodes and with EEG electrodes varying the numbers of electrodes. The simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the mixed system which may allow the use of tDCS and EEG recording concomitantly and may help to optimize this neuronal stimulation technique. The numerical results were used in a promising application of tDCS in epilepsy.

Contesting Contained Bodily Coaching Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Richard

2013-01-01

Through critical readings of several images and texts, including photographs and artifacts in this collected montage, my aim here is to use multiple interactional analyses (visual culture techniques and deconstructive techniques) to assist in the critique of these presented visual images that represent current coaching policies in the USA.

A/r/t: A Poetic Montage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leavy, Patricia

2010-01-01

The following poetic installation reflects on the artistic-scientistic divide that permeates how research practice is carried out and assessed even within the qualitative paradigm. Some poems question the art-science dichotomy and how it shapes truth-telling practices in both research and teaching. Other poems challenge the mind-body dichotomy.…

Building United Judgment: A Handbook for Consensus Decision Making.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avery, Michel; And Others

This handbook contains techniques that will help community groups or other organizations use consensus decision making. The layout of the handbook is a scrambled montage of "main text" and boxes containing personal statements, examples, artifacts from the writing process, and additional bits of information. Chapter one introduces…

It's Only a Movie.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKowen, Clark; Sparke, William

A montage of thought and comment on motion pictures is presented, from short articles to cartoons, quotes, poems, drawings and pictures. Included are descriptions of how movies are possible, techniques of filming and editing, criticisms, history, the effects of films on the people who watch them, and personalities of the people involved in films.…

Some Structural Characteristics of Music Television Videos.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fry, Donald L.; Fry, Virginia H.

1987-01-01

Indicates, by analyzing two types of montage structures, that music television is a hybrid form of television programing displaying visual characteristics of both television commercials and drama. Argues that this amalgam of different characteristics gives music television its distinctive look and power as a promotional tool for the record…

[Rehabilitation of hand injured co-workers from the occupational medicine viewpoint (exemplified by a chassis and montage automobile industry].

PubMed

Harwerth, A

1997-07-01

The majority (about 25%) of work-related accidents involves injuries to the hands and fingers. Depending on type and severity of the injury, it can have profound consequences to an individual's professional future. Due to this basic insight, hand rehabilitation must include vocational rehabilitation.

Primary Art Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newton Unified School District 373, KS.

GRADES OR AGES: Primary Grades. SUBJECT MATTER: Art. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: The guide begins with a list of topics for art expression. The main body of the guide contains 15 color-coded sections on the following subjects: 1) mobiles and folded paper; 2) collage and photo montage; 3) square paper and mosaics; 4) wax paper and…

Cultural Collage Paintings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coy, Mary

2011-01-01

In this article, the author describes a cultural collage painting project. Three things served as the impetus for this project: (1) a desire for students to explore the theme of "culture"; (2) an appreciation for the photo-montaged, layered images one sees in print media; and (3) noticing that projects from core subject areas hanging on the walls…

Syntactic Complexity Effects in Sentence Production: A Reply to MacDonald, Montag, and Gennari (2016)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scontras, Gregory; Badecker, William; Fedorenko, Evelina

2017-01-01

In our article, "Syntactic complexity effects in sentence production" [Scontras, Badecker, Shank, Lim, & Fedorenko, 2015 (EJ1057757)], we reported two elicited production experiments and argued that there is a cost associated with planning and uttering syntactically complex, object-extracted structures that contain a non-local…

Cover art complementing article: "secondary metabolites from entomopathogenic Hypocrealean fungi" by Istvan Molnar

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This contribution is a set of three images of entomopathogenic fungi that were taken and composited by RA Humber from individual specimens. Each of these images is a montage of many individual planes of focus integrated by software and then adjusted for realistic color, to further sharpen the images...

Utilization of independent component analysis for accurate pathological ripple detection in intracranial EEG recordings recorded extra- and intra-operatively

PubMed Central

Shimamoto, Shoichi; Waldman, Zachary J.; Orosz, Iren; Song, Inkyung; Bragin, Anatol; Fried, Itzhak; Engel, Jerome; Staba, Richard; Sharan, Ashwini; Wu, Chengyuan; Sperling, Michael R.; Weiss, Shennan A.

2018-01-01

Objective To develop and validate a detector that identifies ripple (80–200 Hz) events in intracranial EEG (iEEG) recordings in a referential montage and utilizes independent component analysis (ICA) to eliminate or reduce high-frequency artifact contamination. Also, investigate the correspondence of detected ripples and the seizure onset zone (SOZ). Methods iEEG recordings from 16 patients were first band-pass filtered (80–600 Hz) and Infomax ICA was next applied to derive the first independent component (IC1). IC1 was subsequently pruned, and an artifact index was derived to reduce the identification of high-frequency events introduced by the reference electrode signal. A Hilbert detector identified ripple events in the processed iEEG recordings using amplitude and duration criteria. The identified ripple events were further classified and characterized as true or false ripple on spikes, or ripples on oscillations by utilizing a topographical analysis to their time-frequency plot, and confirmed by visual inspection. Results The signal to noise ratio was improved by pruning IC1. The precision of the detector for ripple events was 91.27 ± 4.3%, and the sensitivity of the detector was 79.4 ± 3.0% (N = 16 patients, 5842 ripple events). The sensitivity and precision of the detector was equivalent in iEEG recordings obtained during sleep or intra-operatively. Across all the patients, true ripple on spike rates and also the rates of false ripple on spikes, that were generated due to filter ringing, classified the seizure onset zone (SOZ) with an area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) of >76%. The magnitude and spectral content of true ripple on spikes generated in the SOZ was distinct as compared with the ripples generated in the NSOZ (p < .001). Conclusions Utilizing ICA to analyze iEEG recordings in referential montage provides many benefits to the study of high-frequency oscillations. The ripple rates and properties defined using this approach may accurately delineate the seizure onset zone. Significance Strategies to improve the spatial resolution of intracranial EEG and reduce artifact can help improve the clinical utility of HFO biomarkers. PMID:29113719

Transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation of the lumbar and sacral spinal cord: a modelling study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandes, Sofia R.; Salvador, Ricardo; Wenger, Cornelia; de Carvalho, Mamede; Miranda, Pedro C.

2018-06-01

Objective. Our aim was to perform a computational study of the electric field (E-field) generated by transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) applied over the thoracic, lumbar and sacral spinal cord, in order to assess possible neuromodulatory effects on spinal cord circuitry related with lower limb functions. Approach. A realistic volume conductor model of the human body consisting of 14 tissues was obtained from available databases. Rubber pad electrodes with a metallic connector and a conductive gel layer were modelled. The finite element (FE) method was used to calculate the E-field when a current of 2.5 mA was passed between two electrodes. The main characteristics of the E-field distributions in the spinal grey matter (spinal-GM) and spinal white matter (spinal-WM) were compared for seven montages, with the anode placed either over T10, T8 or L2 spinous processes (s.p.), and the cathode placed over right deltoid (rD), umbilicus (U) and right iliac crest (rIC) areas or T8 s.p. Anisotropic conductivity of spinal-WM and of a group of dorsal muscles near the vertebral column was considered. Main results. The average E-field magnitude was predicted to be above 0.15 V m-1 in spinal cord regions located between the electrodes. L2-T8 and T8-rIC montages resulted in the highest E-field magnitudes in lumbar and sacral spinal segments (>0.30 V m-1). E-field longitudinal component is 3 to 6 times higher than the ventral-dorsal and right-left components in both the spinal-GM and WM. Anatomical features such as CSF narrowing due to vertebrae bony edges or disks intrusions in the spinal canal correlate with local maxima positions. Significance. Computational modelling studies can provide detailed information regarding the electric field in the spinal cord during tsDCS. They are important to guide the design of clinical tsDCS protocols that optimize stimulation of application-specific spinal targets.

Safety parameter considerations of anodal transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in rats.

PubMed

Jackson, Mark P; Truong, Dennis; Brownlow, Milene L; Wagner, Jessica A; McKinley, R Andy; Bikson, Marom; Jankord, Ryan

2017-08-01

A commonly referenced transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) safety threshold derives from tDCS lesion studies in the rat and relies on electrode current density (and related electrode charge density) to support clinical guidelines. Concerns about the role of polarity (e.g. anodal tDCS), sub-lesion threshold injury (e.g. neuroinflammatory processes), and role of electrode montage across rodent and human studies support further investigation into animal models of tDCS safety. Thirty-two anesthetized rats received anodal tDCS between 0 and 5mA for 60min through one of three epicranial electrode montages. Tissue damage was evaluated using hemotoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, Iba-1 immunohistochemistry, and computational brain current density modeling. Brain lesion occurred after anodal tDCS at and above 0.5mA using a 25.0mm 2 electrode (electrode current density: 20.0A/m 2 ). Lesion initially occurred using smaller 10.6mm 2 or 5.3mm 2 electrodes at 0.25mA (23.5A/m 2 ) and 0.5mA (94.2A/m 2 ), respectively. Histological damage was correlated with computational brain current density predictions. Changes in microglial phenotype occurred in higher stimulation groups. Lesions were observed using anodal tDCS at an electrode current density of 20.0A/m 2 , which is below the previously reported safety threshold of 142.9A/m 2 using cathodal tDCS. The lesion area is not simply predicted by electrode current density (and so not by charge density as duration was fixed); rather computational modeling suggests average brain current density as a better predictor for anodal tDCS. Nonetheless, under the assumption that rodent epicranial stimulation is a hypersensitive model, an electrode current density of 20.0A/m 2 represents a conservative threshold for clinical tDCS, which typically uses an electrode current density of 2A/m 2 when electrodes are placed on the skin (resulting in a lower brain current density). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation of the right anterior temporal lobe did not significantly affect verbal insight

PubMed Central

Ogawa, Takeshi; Shimokawa, Takeaki; Yamashita, Okito

2017-01-01

Humans often utilize past experience to solve difficult problems. However, if past experience is insufficient to solve a problem, solvers may reach an impasse. Insight can be valuable for breaking an impasse, enabling the reinterpretation or re-representation of a problem. Previous studies using between-subjects designs have revealed a causal relationship between the anterior temporal lobes (ATLs) and non-verbal insight, by enhancing the right ATL while inhibiting the left ATL using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). In addition, neuroimaging studies have reported a correlation between right ATL activity and verbal insight. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that the right ATL is causally related to both non-verbal and verbal insight. To test this hypothesis, we conducted an experiment with 66 subjects using a within-subjects design, which typically has greater statistical power than a between-subjects design. Subjects participated in tDCS experiments across 2 days, in which they solved both non-verbal and verbal insight problems under active or sham stimulation conditions. To dissociate the effects of right ATL stimulation from those of left ATL stimulation, we used two montage types; anodal tDCS of the right ATL together with cathodal tDCS of the left ATL (stimulating both ATLs) and anodal tDCS of the right ATL with cathodal tDCS of the left cheek (stimulating only the right ATL). The montage used was counterbalanced across subjects. Statistical analyses revealed that, regardless of the montage type, there were no significant differences between the active and sham conditions for either verbal or non-verbal insight, although the finding for non-verbal insight was inconclusive because of a lack of statistical power. These results failed to support previous findings suggesting that the right ATL is the central locus of insight. PMID:28902872

The critical role of cognitive-based trait differences in transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) suppression of food craving and eating in frank obesity.

PubMed

Ray, Mary Katherine; Sylvester, Maria D; Osborn, Lauren; Helms, Joel; Turan, Bulent; Burgess, Emilee E; Boggiano, Mary M

2017-09-01

Obesity remains a major public health concern and novel treatments are needed. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulation technique shown to reduce food craving and consumption, especially when targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) with a right anode/left cathode electrode montage. Despite the implications to treat frank (non-bingeeating) obesity, no study has tested the right anode/left cathode montage in this population. Additionally, most tDCS appetite studies have not controlled for differences in traits under DLPFC control that may influence how well one responds to tDCS. Hence, N = 18 (10F/8M) adults with frank obesity completed the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire-Restraint and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, and received 20 min of 2 mA active tDCS and control tDCS session. Craving and eating was assessed at both sessions with a food photo "wanting" test and in-lab measures of total, preferred, and less-preferred kilocalories consumed of three highly palatable snack foods. While main effects of tDCS vs. control were not found, significant differences emerged when trait scores were controlled. tDCS reduced food craving in females with lower attention-type impulsiveness (p = 0.047), reduced preferred-food consumption in males with lower intent to restrict calories (p = 0.024), and reduced total food consumption in males with higher non-planning-type impulsiveness (p = 0.009) compared to control tDCS. This is the first study to find significant reductions in food craving and consumption in a sample with frank obesity using the most popular tDCS montage in appetite studies. The results also highlight the cognitive-based heterogeneity of individuals with obesity and the importance of considering these differences when evaluating the efficacy of DLPFC-targeted tDCS in future studies aimed at treating obesity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimized methods for epilepsy therapy development using an etiologically realistic model of focal epilepsy in the rat

PubMed Central

Eastman, Clifford L.; Fender, Jason S.; Temkin, Nancy R.; D’Ambrosio, Raimondo

2015-01-01

Conventionally developed antiseizure drugs fail to control epileptic seizures in about 30% of patients, and no treatment prevents epilepsy. New etiologically realistic, syndrome-specific epilepsy models are expected to identify better treatments by capturing currently unknown ictogenic and epileptogenic mechanisms that operate in the corresponding patient populations. Additionally, the use of electrocorticography permits better monitoring of epileptogenesis and the full spectrum of acquired seizures, including focal nonconvulsive seizures that are typically difficult to treat in humans. Thus, the combined use of etiologically realistic models and electrocorticography may improve our understanding of the genesis and progression of epilepsy, and facilitate discovery and translation of novel treatments. However, this approach is labor intensive and must be optimized. To this end, we used an etiologically realistic rat model of posttraumatic epilepsy, in which the initiating fluid percussion injury closely replicates contusive closed-head injury in humans, and has been adapted to maximize epileptogenesis and focal non-convulsive seizures. We obtained week-long 5-electrode electrocorticography 1 month post-injury, and used a Monte-Carlo-based non-parametric bootstrap strategy to test the impact of electrode montage design, duration-based seizure definitions, group size and duration of recordings on the assessment of posttraumatic epilepsy, and on statistical power to detect antiseizure and antiepileptogenic treatment effects. We found that use of seizure definition based on clinical criteria rather than event duration, and of recording montages closely sampling the activity of epileptic foci, maximize the power to detect treatment effects. Detection of treatment effects was marginally improved by prolonged recording, and 24 h recording epochs were sufficient to provide 80% power to detect clinically interesting seizure control or prevention of seizures with small groups of animals. We conclude that appropriate electrode montage and clinically relevant seizure definition permit convenient deployment of fluid percussion injury and electrocorticography for epilepsy therapy development. PMID:25523813

Topographic ERP analyses: a step-by-step tutorial review.

PubMed

Murray, Micah M; Brunet, Denis; Michel, Christoph M

2008-06-01

In this tutorial review, we detail both the rationale for as well as the implementation of a set of analyses of surface-recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) that uses the reference-free spatial (i.e. topographic) information available from high-density electrode montages to render statistical information concerning modulations in response strength, latency, and topography both between and within experimental conditions. In these and other ways these topographic analysis methods allow the experimenter to glean additional information and neurophysiologic interpretability beyond what is available from canonical waveform analyses. In this tutorial we present the example of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in response to stimulation of each hand to illustrate these points. For each step of these analyses, we provide the reader with both a conceptual and mathematical description of how the analysis is carried out, what it yields, and how to interpret its statistical outcome. We show that these topographic analysis methods are intuitive and easy-to-use approaches that can remove much of the guesswork often confronting ERP researchers and also assist in identifying the information contained within high-density ERP datasets.

Technology Innovation at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Text

Science.gov Websites

market, new processes out in the fields, and to make an impact." A photo montage of six different Version) | NREL Technology Innovation at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Text Version ) Technology Innovation at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Text Version) This is the text version for

MONTAGE: A Methodology for Designing Composable End-to-End Secure Distributed Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

83 7.6 Formal Model of Loc Separation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 7.6.1 Static Partitions...Next, we derive five requirements (called Loc Separation, Implicit Parameter Separation, Error Signaling Separation, Conf Separation, and Next Call...hypervisors and hardware) and a real cloud (with shared hypervisors and hardware) that satisfies these requirements. Finally we study Loc Separation

50TH Project Air Force, 1946 - 1996.

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-01-01

the study results challenged current doctrine on the uses of airpower by suggesting...FORCE gives us a unique opportunity to reflect on past achieve- ments and the legacy they provide for the future. The essays in this volume offer a...montage of per- sonal perspectives on that legacy. While they do not present a comprehensive history they help us grasp the significance of

Macro-microscopic anatomy: obtaining a composite view of barrier zone formation in Acer saccharum

Treesearch

Kenneth Dudzik

1988-01-01

The technique for constructing a montage of large wood sections cut on a sliding microtome is discussed. Briefly, the technique involves photographing many serial micrographs in a pattern under a light microscope similar to the way flight lines are run in aerial photography. Assembly of the resulting overlapping photographs requires careful trimming. A composite of...

Le montage d'une grammaire seconde (The Construction of a Second Grammar)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adamczewski, Henri

1975-01-01

Discusses the influence of modern linguistic research on foreign language instruction. Shows the role of grammar 1 in the acquisition of grammar 2, and specifically when French is 1 and English is 2. Considers that conscious, systematic knowledge of L2, learned through L1, is positive for second language acquisition. (Text is in French.) (TL)

The Technique of Film Editing. Enlarged Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reisz, Karel; Millar, Gavin

Film editing is discussed from the point of view, not only of the person in the cutting room, but also of the person who has responsibility for the final film. Part I outlines the history of editing from the silent film to 1953. It discusses the practice of editing for action, dialogue, comedy, and montage sequences, as well as in documentaries,…

Film as Film; Understanding and Judging Movies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perkins, V. F.

The criteria for judging movies which are presented here are based on the belief that film criticism becomes rational, if not "objective", when it displays and inspects the nature of its evidence and the bases of its arguments. The author dissents from the view of early film theorists that montage is the essence of cinema, and that cinema is to be…

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-09-01

This montage shows changing faces of the Sun, recorded daily during the 59 days spent in orbit by Skylab's second crew. The Sun spun more than two full turns around its axis. Solar rotation is apparent in these daily portraits, as are real changes on the Sun. Bright features are centers of activity on the Sun. This image contains daily records from September 6, 1973 through September 24, 1973.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-08-01

This montage shows changing faces of the Sun, recorded daily during the 59 days spent in orbit by Skylab's second crew. The Sun spun more than two full turns around its axis. Solar rotation is apparent in these daily portraits, as are real changes on the Sun. Bright features are centers of activity on the Sun. This image contains daily records from August 17, 1973 through September 5, 1973.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-07-01

This montage shows changing faces of the Sun, recorded daily during the 59 days spent in orbit by Skylab's second crew. The Sun spun more than two full turns around its axis. Solar rotation is apparent in these daily portraits, as are real changes on the Sun. Bright features are centers of activity on the Sun. This image contains daily records from July 28, 1973 through August 16, 1973.

STS-133 Crew Meets with President Obama

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-09

STS-133 Commander Steven Lindsey, far left, presents a montage to President Barack Obama as crew members Michael Barratt, Pilot Eric Boe, Nicole Stott, and Stephen Bowen look on during a visit to the Oval Office in the White House, Monday, May 9, 2011, in Washington. Also in attendance but not seen, was Mission Specialist Alvin Drew. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

Stimulus and recording variables and their effects on mammalian vestibular evoked potentials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Sherri M.; Subramanian, Geetha; Avniel, Wilma; Guo, Yuqing; Burkard, Robert F.; Jones, Timothy A.

2002-01-01

Linear vestibular evoked potentials (VsEPs) measure the collective neural activity of the gravity receptor organs in the inner ear that respond to linear acceleration transients. The present study examined the effects of electrode placement, analog filtering, stimulus polarity and stimulus rate on linear VsEP thresholds, latencies and amplitudes recorded from mice. Two electrode-recording montages were evaluated, rostral (forebrain) to 'mastoid' and caudal (cerebellum) to 'mastoid'. VsEP thresholds and peak latencies were identical between the two recording sites; however, peak amplitudes were larger for the caudal recording montage. VsEPs were also affected by filtering. Results suggest optimum high pass filter cutoff at 100-300 Hz, and low pass filter cutoff at 10,000 Hz. To evaluate stimulus rate, linear jerk pulses were presented at 9.2, 16, 25, 40 and 80 Hz. At 80 Hz, mean latencies were longer (0.350-0.450 ms) and mean amplitudes reduced (0.8-1.8 microV) for all response peaks. In 50% of animals, late peaks (P3, N3) disappeared at 80 Hz. The results offer options for VsEP recording protocols. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.

Extended axial imaging range, widefield swept source optical coherence tomography angiography.

PubMed

Liu, Gangjun; Yang, Jianlong; Wang, Jie; Li, Yan; Zang, Pengxiao; Jia, Yali; Huang, David

2017-11-01

We developed a high-speed, swept source OCT system for widefield OCT angiography (OCTA) imaging. The system has an extended axial imaging range of 6.6 mm. An electrical lens is used for fast, automatic focusing. The recently developed split-spectrum amplitude and phase-gradient angiography allow high-resolution OCTA imaging with only two B-scan repetitions. An improved post-processing algorithm effectively removed trigger jitter artifacts and reduced noise in the flow signal. We demonstrated high contrast 3 mm×3 mm OCTA image with 400×400 pixels acquired in 3 seconds and high-definition 8 mm×6 mm and 12 mm×6 mm OCTA images with 850×400 pixels obtained in 4 seconds. A widefield 8 mm×11 mm OCTA image is produced by montaging two 8 mm×6 mm scans. An ultra-widefield (with a maximum of 22 mm along both vertical and horizontal directions) capillary-resolution OCTA image is obtained by montaging six 12 mm×6 mm scans. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The state of everyday quantitative EEG use in Canada: A national technologist survey.

PubMed

Ng, Marcus C; Gillis, Kara

2017-07-01

This study sought to determine the state of quantitative EEG (QEEG) use in Canada, as QEEG may provide a partial solution to the issue of escalating EEG demand against insufficient health care resources. A 10-item survey questionnaire was administered to participants at the annual meeting of the Canadian Association of Electroneurophysiology Technologists, which was held in parallel with the annual meeting of the Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation. At least 70% of the Canadian population has QEEG access through academic medical institutions with applicability to adults and children. QEEG was clinically used 50% in real-time and 50% retrospectively in the critical care and epilepsy monitoring units for long-term monitoring and automated seizure detection. QEEG trend use, montage use, and duration were variable. To cope with insufficient health care resources, QEEG is in surprisingly frequent clinical use across Canada. There is no consensus on optimal QEEG trends and montages. The relative ubiquity of QEEG affords an excellent opportunity for research as increasing EEG demand outpaces dwindling health care resources into the foreseeable future. Copyright © 2017 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wanting It: Acquisition Lessons from Cheesy Cinema

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

musician , actor, dancer, or wizard. Whether the hero is a young hopeful or a washed-up has-been, he or she inevitably...featuring a series of attractively lit, picturesque settings, accompanied by stirring music . But before the training montage can begin, there is always...we reaching for? Such a simple question, so many possible answers. Let’s consider a few, shall we? CUE STIRRING MUSIC Does the defense

High-Performance Compute Infrastructure in Astronomy: 2020 Is Only Months Away

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berriman, B.; Deelman, E.; Juve, G.; Rynge, M.; Vöckler, J. S.

2012-09-01

By 2020, astronomy will be awash with as much as 60 PB of public data. Full scientific exploitation of such massive volumes of data will require high-performance computing on server farms co-located with the data. Development of this computing model will be a community-wide enterprise that has profound cultural and technical implications. Astronomers must be prepared to develop environment-agnostic applications that support parallel processing. The community must investigate the applicability and cost-benefit of emerging technologies such as cloud computing to astronomy, and must engage the Computer Science community to develop science-driven cyberinfrastructure such as workflow schedulers and optimizers. We report here the results of collaborations between a science center, IPAC, and a Computer Science research institute, ISI. These collaborations may be considered pathfinders in developing a high-performance compute infrastructure in astronomy. These collaborations investigated two exemplar large-scale science-driver workflow applications: 1) Calculation of an infrared atlas of the Galactic Plane at 18 different wavelengths by placing data from multiple surveys on a common plate scale and co-registering all the pixels; 2) Calculation of an atlas of periodicities present in the public Kepler data sets, which currently contain 380,000 light curves. These products have been generated with two workflow applications, written in C for performance and designed to support parallel processing on multiple environments and platforms, but with different compute resource needs: the Montage image mosaic engine is I/O-bound, and the NASA Star and Exoplanet Database periodogram code is CPU-bound. Our presentation will report cost and performance metrics and lessons-learned for continuing development. Applicability of Cloud Computing: Commercial Cloud providers generally charge for all operations, including processing, transfer of input and output data, and for storage of data, and so the costs of running applications vary widely according to how they use resources. The cloud is well suited to processing CPU-bound (and memory bound) workflows such as the periodogram code, given the relatively low cost of processing in comparison with I/O operations. I/O-bound applications such as Montage perform best on high-performance clusters with fast networks and parallel file-systems. Science-driven Cyberinfrastructure: Montage has been widely used as a driver application to develop workflow management services, such as task scheduling in distributed environments, designing fault tolerance techniques for job schedulers, and developing workflow orchestration techniques. Running Parallel Applications Across Distributed Cloud Environments: Data processing will eventually take place in parallel distributed across cyber infrastructure environments having different architectures. We have used the Pegasus Work Management System (WMS) to successfully run applications across three very different environments: TeraGrid, OSG (Open Science Grid), and FutureGrid. Provisioning resources across different grids and clouds (also referred to as Sky Computing), involves establishing a distributed environment, where issues of, e.g, remote job submission, data management, and security need to be addressed. This environment also requires building virtual machine images that can run in different environments. Usually, each cloud provides basic images that can be customized with additional software and services. In most of our work, we provisioned compute resources using a custom application, called Wrangler. Pegasus WMS abstracts the architectures of the compute environments away from the end-user, and can be considered a first-generation tool suitable for scientists to run their applications on disparate environments.

Utilization of independent component analysis for accurate pathological ripple detection in intracranial EEG recordings recorded extra- and intra-operatively.

PubMed

Shimamoto, Shoichi; Waldman, Zachary J; Orosz, Iren; Song, Inkyung; Bragin, Anatol; Fried, Itzhak; Engel, Jerome; Staba, Richard; Sharan, Ashwini; Wu, Chengyuan; Sperling, Michael R; Weiss, Shennan A

2018-01-01

To develop and validate a detector that identifies ripple (80-200 Hz) events in intracranial EEG (iEEG) recordings in a referential montage and utilizes independent component analysis (ICA) to eliminate or reduce high-frequency artifact contamination. Also, investigate the correspondence of detected ripples and the seizure onset zone (SOZ). iEEG recordings from 16 patients were first band-pass filtered (80-600 Hz) and Infomax ICA was next applied to derive the first independent component (IC1). IC1 was subsequently pruned, and an artifact index was derived to reduce the identification of high-frequency events introduced by the reference electrode signal. A Hilbert detector identified ripple events in the processed iEEG recordings using amplitude and duration criteria. The identified ripple events were further classified and characterized as true or false ripple on spikes, or ripples on oscillations by utilizing a topographical analysis to their time-frequency plot, and confirmed by visual inspection. The signal to noise ratio was improved by pruning IC1. The precision of the detector for ripple events was 91.27 ± 4.3%, and the sensitivity of the detector was 79.4 ± 3.0% (N = 16 patients, 5842 ripple events). The sensitivity and precision of the detector was equivalent in iEEG recordings obtained during sleep or intra-operatively. Across all the patients, true ripple on spike rates and also the rates of false ripple on spikes, that were generated due to filter ringing, classified the seizure onset zone (SOZ) with an area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) of >76%. The magnitude and spectral content of true ripple on spikes generated in the SOZ was distinct as compared with the ripples generated in the NSOZ (p < .001). Utilizing ICA to analyze iEEG recordings in referential montage provides many benefits to the study of high-frequency oscillations. The ripple rates and properties defined using this approach may accurately delineate the seizure onset zone. Strategies to improve the spatial resolution of intracranial EEG and reduce artifact can help improve the clinical utility of HFO biomarkers. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Computational Electromagnetic Analysis in a Human Head Model with EEG Electrodes and Leads Exposed to RF-Field Sources at 915 MHz and 1748 MHz

PubMed Central

Angelone, Leonardo M.; Bit-Babik, Giorgi; Chou, Chung-Kwang

2010-01-01

An electromagnetic analysis of a human head with EEG electrodes and leads exposed to RF-field sources was performed by means of Finite-Difference Time-Domain simulations on a 1-mm3 MRI-based human head model. RF-field source models included a half-wave dipole, a patch antenna, and a realistic CAD-based mobile phone at 915 MHz and 1748 MHz. EEG electrodes/leads models included two configurations of EEG leads, both a standard 10–20 montage with 19 electrodes and a 32-electrode cap, and metallic and high resistive leads. Whole-head and peak 10-g average SAR showed less than 20% changes with and without leads. Peak 1-g and 10-g average SARs were below the ICNIRP and IEEE guideline limits. Conversely, a comprehensive volumetric assessment of changes in the RF field with and without metallic EEG leads showed an increase of two orders of magnitude in single-voxel power absorption in the epidermis and a 40-fold increase in the brain during exposure to the 915 MHz mobile phone. Results varied with the geometry and conductivity of EEG electrodes/leads. This enhancement confirms the validity of the question whether any observed effects in studies involving EEG recordings during RF-field exposure are directly related to the RF fields generated by the source or indirectly to the RF-field-induced currents due to the presence of conductive EEG leads. PMID:20681803

Vande Hei and Acaba at Walt Whitman Middle School

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-06-14

NASA astronauts Joe Acaba, left, and Mark Vande Hei, right, present Walt Whitman Middle School Principal Craig Herring with a montage from their Expedition 54 mission, Thursday, June 14, 2018 in Alexandria, Va. Acaba and astronaut Mark Vande Hei answered questions from the audience and spoke about their experiences aboard the International Space Station for 168 days as part of Expedition 53 and 54. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

STS-133 Crew Meets with President Obama

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-09

STS-133 Commander Steven Lindsey, far left, presents a montage to President Barack Obama as crew members Michael Barratt, Pilot Eric Boe, Nicole Stott, and Stephen Bowen along with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, far right, look on during a visit to the Oval Office in the White House, Monday, May 9, 2011, in Washington. Also in attendance but not seen, was Mission Specialist Alvin Drew.Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

The role of patient narratives in healthcare innovation: supporting translation and meaning making.

PubMed

Pedersen, Anne Reff

2016-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the process and impact of patient involvement in locally defined improvement projects in two hospital clinics. The paper particularly aims to examine how patient narratives, in the form of diaries and radio montage, help to create new insights into patient experience for healthcare professionals, and support professionals' enrolment and mobilisation in innovation projects. Two case studies were undertaken. These drew upon qualitative interviews with staff and participant observation during innovation workshops. Patient diaries and a recorded montage of patient voices were also collected. The findings illuminate translation processes in healthcare innovation and the emergence of meaning making process for staff through the active use of patient narratives. The paper highlights the critical role of meaning making as an enabler of patient-centred change processes in healthcare via: local clinic mangers defining problems and ideas; collecting and sharing patient narratives in innovation workshops; and healthcare professionals' interpretation of patient narratives supporting new insights into patient experience. This study demonstrates how healthcare professionals' meaning making can be supported by articulating, constructing, listening and interpreting patient narratives. The two cases demonstrate how patient narratives serve as reflective devices for healthcare professionals. This study presents a novel demonstration of the importance of patient narratives for translating healthcare innovation in a clinical practice setting.

eMontage: An Architecture for Rapid Integration of Situational Awareness Data at the Edge

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-01

Request Response Interaction Android Client Dispatcher Servlet Spring MVC Controller Camel Producer Template Camel Route Remote Data Service - REST...8SATURN 2013© 2013 Carnegie Mellon University Publish Subscribe Interaction Android Client Dispatcher Servlet Spring MVC Controller Remote Data...set ..., "’"C oUkRelw•b J’- - ’ ~ ’~------’ ~-------- ’-------~ , Parse XML into a single Java XML Document object. -=--:=’ Software Engineering

Customizing Perimetric Locations Based on En Face Images of Retinal Nerve Fiber Bundles With Glaucomatous Damage

PubMed Central

Alluwimi, Muhammed S.; Swanson, William H.; Malinovsky, Victor E.; King, Brett J.

2018-01-01

Purpose Prior studies suggested the use of customized perimetric locations in glaucoma; these studies were limited by imaging only the superficial depths of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and by prolonged perimetric testing. We aimed to develop a rapid perimetric test guided by high-resolution images of RNFL bundles. Methods We recruited 10 patients with glaucoma, ages 56 to 80 years, median 68 years, and 10 controls, ages 55 to 77 years, median 68 years. The patients were selected based on discrepancies between locations of glaucomatous damage for perimetric and structural measures. Montaging was used to produce optical coherence tomography en face images of the RNFL covering much of the 24-2 grid locations. In experiment 1, we presented the Goldmann size III stimulus at preselected retinal locations of glaucomatous damage, using just two contrasts. In experiment 2, we developed an elongated sinusoidal stimulus, aligned within the defect, to measure contrast sensitivities; abnormalities were defined based on lower 95% reference limits derived from the controls. Results The percentage of predicted locations where size III was not seen at 28 dB ranged from 16% to 80%, with a median of 48%. Contrast sensitivity for the sinusoidal stimulus was below the 95% reference range for 37 of 44 stimuli aligned within the defects. Conclusions We developed methods for rapid perimetric testing guided by en face images of the RNFL bundles in patients with glaucoma. Results indicated ganglion cell damage under all of the visible RNFL defects. Translational Relevance Customized perimetric locations have potential to improve clinical assessment of glaucoma. PMID:29576929

Next-generation morphological character discovery and evaluation: an X-ray micro-CT enhanced revision of the ant genus Zasphinctus Wheeler (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dorylinae) in the Afrotropics.

PubMed

Garcia, Francisco Hita; Fischer, Georg; Liu, Cong; Audisio, Tracy L; Economo, Evan P

2017-01-01

New technologies for imaging and analysis of morphological characters offer opportunities to enhance revisionary taxonomy and better integrate it with the rest of biology. In this study, we revise the Afrotropical fauna of the ant genus Zasphinctus Wheeler, and use high-resolution X-ray microtomography (micro-CT) to analyse a number of morphological characters of taxonomic and biological interest. We recognise and describe three new species: Z. obamai sp. n. , Z. sarowiwai sp. n. , and Z. wilsoni sp. n. The species delimitations are based on the morphological examination of all physical specimens in combination with 3D scans and volume reconstructions. Based on this approach, we present a new taxonomic discrimination system for the regional fauna that consists of a combination of easily observable morphological characters visible at magnifications of around 80-100 ×, less observable characters that require higher magnifications, as well as characters made visible through virtual dissections that would otherwise require destructive treatment. Zasphinctus are rarely collected ants and the material available to us is comparatively scarce. Consequently, we explore the use of micro-CT as a non-invasive tool for the virtual examination, manipulation, and dissection of such rare material. Furthermore, we delineate the treated species by providing a diagnostic character matrix illustrated by numerous images and supplement that with additional evidence in the form of stacked montage images, 3D PDFs and 3D rotation videos of scans of major body parts and full body (in total we provide 16 stacked montage photographs, 116 images of 3D reconstructions, 15 3D rotation videos, and 13 3D PDFs). In addition to the comparative morphology analyses used for species delimitations, we also apply micro-CT data to examine certain traits, such as mouthparts, cuticle thickness, and thoracic and abdominal muscles in order to assess their taxonomic usefulness or gain insights into the natural history of the genus. The complete datasets comprising the raw micro-CT data, 3D PDFs, 3D rotation videos, still images of 3D models, and coloured montage photos have been made available online as cybertypes (Dryad, http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.4s3v1).

Next-generation morphological character discovery and evaluation: an X-ray micro-CT enhanced revision of the ant genus Zasphinctus Wheeler (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dorylinae) in the Afrotropics

PubMed Central

Garcia, Francisco Hita; Fischer, Georg; Liu, Cong; Audisio, Tracy L.; Economo, Evan P.

2017-01-01

Abstract New technologies for imaging and analysis of morphological characters offer opportunities to enhance revisionary taxonomy and better integrate it with the rest of biology. In this study, we revise the Afrotropical fauna of the ant genus Zasphinctus Wheeler, and use high-resolution X-ray microtomography (micro-CT) to analyse a number of morphological characters of taxonomic and biological interest. We recognise and describe three new species: Z. obamai sp. n., Z. sarowiwai sp. n., and Z. wilsoni sp. n. The species delimitations are based on the morphological examination of all physical specimens in combination with 3D scans and volume reconstructions. Based on this approach, we present a new taxonomic discrimination system for the regional fauna that consists of a combination of easily observable morphological characters visible at magnifications of around 80–100 ×, less observable characters that require higher magnifications, as well as characters made visible through virtual dissections that would otherwise require destructive treatment. Zasphinctus are rarely collected ants and the material available to us is comparatively scarce. Consequently, we explore the use of micro-CT as a non-invasive tool for the virtual examination, manipulation, and dissection of such rare material. Furthermore, we delineate the treated species by providing a diagnostic character matrix illustrated by numerous images and supplement that with additional evidence in the form of stacked montage images, 3D PDFs and 3D rotation videos of scans of major body parts and full body (in total we provide 16 stacked montage photographs, 116 images of 3D reconstructions, 15 3D rotation videos, and 13 3D PDFs). In addition to the comparative morphology analyses used for species delimitations, we also apply micro-CT data to examine certain traits, such as mouthparts, cuticle thickness, and thoracic and abdominal muscles in order to assess their taxonomic usefulness or gain insights into the natural history of the genus. The complete datasets comprising the raw micro-CT data, 3D PDFs, 3D rotation videos, still images of 3D models, and coloured montage photos have been made available online as cybertypes (Dryad, http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.4s3v1). PMID:29362522

Morphological evidence for parallel processing of information in rat macula.

PubMed

Ross, M D

1988-01-01

Study of montages, tracings and reconstructions prepared from a series of 570 consecutive ultrathin sections shows that rat maculas are morphologically organized for parallel processing of linear acceleratory information. Type II cells of one terminal field distribute information to neighboring terminals as well. The findings are examined in light of physiological data which indicate that macular receptor fields have a preferred directional vector, and are interpreted by analogy to a computer technology known as an information network.

Sub-Saharan Africa Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-31

White Teachers Should Teach in Black Schools (Keith Abendroth; THE CITIZEN, 2 Dec 85) 88 Materials Sector Seen as Major Money-Maker , (Malcolm...these seen in the montage /Photo not included/. But in practice what effect has it really had on race discrimination in the country? To judge by the...South Africa by cheating ä bet - ter understanding. ■■,;•■’ • .. :.’:!, ..•: «Major Williamson, the former• "superb■•’’’ spy", is

Air and Space Museum Apollo 40th Celebration

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-19

Jazz pianist and singer Diana Krall holds a montage given to her by the STS-125 space shuttle crew along with Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil Armstrong at the Apollo 40th anniversary celebration held at the National Air and Space Museum, Monday, July 20, 2009 in Washington. From left, Michael J. Massimino, Michael T. Good, Gregory C. Johnson, Andrew J. Feustel, Krall, Scott D. Altman, Neil Armstrong, John M. Grunsfeld and Megan McArthur. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

R. Louise Mcmanus and Mildred Montag Create the Associate Degree Model for the Education of Nurses: The Right Leaders, the Right Time, the Right Place: 1947 to 1959

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McAllister, Annemarie

2012-01-01

The development of the Associate Degree model for the education of nurses (ADN) in the United States is a significant milestone for the nursing profession. The purpose of this historical study was to examine how nurse leaders developed the model in the 1950s and to explore the contextual factors that fueled the growth of the model. Emphasis was…

Heat transfer due to electroconvulsive therapy: Influence of anisotropic thermal and electrical skull conductivity.

PubMed

Menezes de Oliveira, Marilia; Wen, Peng; Ahfock, Tony

2016-09-01

This paper focuses on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and head models to investigate temperature profiles arising when anisotropic thermal and electrical conductivities are considered in the skull layer. The aim was to numerically investigate the threshold for which this therapy operates safely to the brain, from the thermal point of view. A six-layer spherical head model consisting of scalp, fat, skull, cerebro-spinal fluid, grey matter and white matter was developed. Later on, a realistic human head model was also implemented. These models were built up using the packages from COMSOL Inc. and Simpleware Ltd. In these models, three of the most common electrode montages used in ECT were applied. Anisotropic conductivities were derived using volume constraint and included in both spherical and realistic head models. The bio-heat transferring problem governed by Laplace equation was solved numerically. The results show that both the tensor eigenvalues of electrical conductivity and the electrode montage affect the maximum temperature, but thermal anisotropy does not have a significant influence. Temperature increases occur mainly in the scalp and fat, and no harm is caused to the brain by the current applied during ECT. The work assures the thermal safety of ECT and also provides a numerical method to investigate other non-invasive therapies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Troiage Aesthetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Sheldon

As the world around us is transformed into digitally enabled forms and processes, aesthetic strategies are required that articulate this underlying condition. A method for doing so involves a formal and conceptual strategy that is derived from collage, montage and assemblage. This triple "age" is termed "troiage", and it uses a style of computational apparency which articulates the edges of our current representational forms and processes as the semantic elements of culture. Each of these component aesthetics has previously had an important effect upon different areas of contemporary art and culture. Collage in painting, montage in film, assemblage in sculpture and architecture, are recombined via algorithmic methods, forefronting the structure of the algorithmic itself. The dynamic of the aesthetic is put into play by examining binary relationships such as: nature/culture, personal/public, U.S/Mexico, freedom/coercion, mediation/experience, etc. Through this process, the pervasiveness of common algorithmic approaches across cultural and social operations is revealed. This aesthetic is used in the project "The Scalable City" in which a virtual urban landscape is created by users interacting with data taken from the physical world in the form of different photographic techniques. This data is transformed by algorithmic methods which have previously been unfamiliar to the types of data that they are utilizing. The Scalable City project creates works across many media; such as prints, procedural animations, digital cinema and interactive 3D computer graphic installations.

Is the Surface Potential Integral of a Dipole in a Volume Conductor Always Zero? A Cloud Over the Average Reference of EEG and ERP.

PubMed

Yao, Dezhong

2017-03-01

Currently, average reference is one of the most widely adopted references in EEG and ERP studies. The theoretical assumption is the surface potential integral of a volume conductor being zero, thus the average of scalp potential recordings might be an approximation of the theoretically desired zero reference. However, such a zero integral assumption has been proved only for a spherical surface. In this short communication, three counter-examples are given to show that the potential integral over the surface of a dipole in a volume conductor may not be zero. It depends on the shape of the conductor and the orientation of the dipole. This fact on one side means that average reference is not a theoretical 'gold standard' reference, and on the other side reminds us that the practical accuracy of average reference is not only determined by the well-known electrode array density and its coverage but also intrinsically by the head shape. It means that reference selection still is a fundamental problem to be fixed in various EEG and ERP studies.

The Nimbus 6 data catalog. Volume 1: 12 June 1975 through 31 August 1975. Data orbits 1 through 1082

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Subsections 1.2 through 1.10 of this catalog summarize the operational highlights of the individual experiments, present preliminary experiment results, and call attention to known data anamolies. Section 2 lists the on-off times for each experiment and provides a method for determining the geographical coverage of each experiment. Section 3 shows selected HIRS, SCAMS and ESMR images, and Section 4 presents THIR montages. Section 5 presents corrections to The Nimbus 6 User's Guide.

IFLA General Conference, 1989. Division of Collections and Services. Open Forum of the Division; Section on Acquisition and Exchange; Section on Interlending and Document Delivery; Section on Serial Publications; Section on Rare and Precious Books and Documents. Booklet 50.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1989

There are 20 papers in this collection from the Division of Collections and Services: "IFLA Division of Collections and Services" (Hope E. A. Clement); "Divisional Open Forum Reports" ("Section of Acquisition and Exchange" by Ulrich Montag; "Section of Government Information and Official Publications" by Bernadine Abbott Hoduski; "Section on…

Celebrating National Women's History Month

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-03-14

Dr. Woodrow Whitlow, Jr. (left), Associate Administrator for Mission Support Directorate at NASA Headquarters presents Donna Brazile, keynote speaker at a program celebrating National Women's History Month, with a framed NASA montage, Thursday, March 14, 2013 in Washington. The theme of theprogram was "Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination," and was sponsored by the HQ Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management Division at NASA Headquarters. The event also commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the Women's Suffrage March on Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

R. Louise McManus and Mildred Montag Create the Associate Degree Model for the Education of Nurses: The Right Leaders, the Right Time, the Right Place--1947 to 1959

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McAllister, Annemarie

2012-01-01

The development of the Associate Degree model for the education of nurses (ADN) in the United States is a significant milestone for the nursing profession. The purpose of this historical study was to examine how nurse leaders developed the model in the 1950s and to explore the contextual factors that fueled the growth of the model. Emphasis was…

Rational manipulation of digital EEG: pearls and pitfalls.

PubMed

Seneviratne, Udaya

2014-12-01

The advent of digital EEG has provided greater flexibility and more opportunities in data analysis to optimize the diagnostic yield. Changing the filter settings, sensitivity, montages, and time-base are possible rational manipulations to achieve this goal. The options to use polygraphy, video, and quantification are additional useful features. Aliasing and loss of data are potential pitfalls in the use of digital EEG. This review illustrates some common clinical scenarios where rational manipulations can enhance the diagnostic EEG yield and potential pitfalls in the process.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1975-01-01

This montage illustrates the various configurations and missions of the three classes of the Saturn vehicles developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center. The missions for the Saturn I included atmospheric science investigations and the deployment of the Pegasus meteroid-detection satellite as well as launch vehicle development. The Saturn IB vehicle tested the Apollo spacecraft and launched the three marned Skylab missions as well as the Apollo Soyuz test project. The Saturn V vehicle launched the manned lunar orbital/landing missions, and the Skylab Orbital Workshop in 1973.

Individualized model predicts brain current flow during transcranial direct-current stimulation treatment in responsive stroke patient.

PubMed

Datta, Abhishek; Baker, Julie M; Bikson, Marom; Fridriksson, Julius

2011-07-01

Although numerous published reports have demonstrated the beneficial effects of transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) on task performance, fundamental questions remain regarding the optimal electrode configuration on the scalp. Moreover, it is expected that lesioned brain tissue will influence current flow and should therefore be considered (and perhaps leveraged) in the design of individualized tDCS therapies for stroke. The current report demonstrates how different electrode configurations influence the flow of electrical current through brain tissue in a patient who responded positively to a tDCS treatment targeting aphasia. The patient, a 60-year-old man, sustained a left hemisphere ischemic stroke (lesion size = 87.42 mL) 64 months before his participation. In this study, we present results from the first high-resolution (1 mm(3)) model of tDCS in a brain with considerable stroke-related damage; the model was individualized for the patient who received anodal tDCS to his left frontal cortex with the reference cathode electrode placed on his right shoulder. We modeled the resulting brain current flow and also considered three additional reference electrode positions: right mastoid, right orbitofrontal cortex, and a "mirror" configuration with the anode over the undamaged right cortex. Our results demonstrate the profound effect of lesioned tissue on resulting current flow and the ability to modulate current pattern through the brain, including perilesional regions, through electrode montage design. The complexity of brain current flow modulation by detailed normal and pathologic anatomy suggest: (1) That computational models are critical for the rational interpretation and design of individualized tDCS stroke-therapy; and (2) These models must accurately reproduce head anatomy as shown here. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Small Wonders

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-28

This montage of views from NASA's Cassini spacecraft shows three of Saturn's small ring moons: Atlas, Daphnis and Pan at the same scale for ease of comparison. Two differences between Atlas and Pan are obvious in this montage. Pan's equatorial band is much thinner and more sharply defined, and the central mass of Atlas (the part underneath the smooth equatorial band) appears to be smaller than that of Pan. Images of Atlas and Pan taken using infrared, green and ultraviolet spectral filters were combined to create enhanced-color views, which highlight subtle color differences across the moons' surfaces at wavelengths not visible to human eyes. (The Daphnis image was colored using the same green filter image for all three color channels, adjusted to have a realistic appearance next to the other two moons.) All of these images were taken using the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera. The images of Atlas were acquired on April 12, 2017, at a distance of 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) and at a sun-moon-spacecraft angle (or phase angle) of 37 degrees. The images of Pan were taken on March 7, 2017, at a distance of 16,000 miles (26,000 kilometers) and a phase angle of 21 degrees. The Daphnis image was obtained on Jan. 16, 2017, at a distance of 17,000 miles (28,000 kilometers) and at a phase angle of 71 degrees. All images are oriented so that north is up. A monochrome version is available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21449

Mapping of dendritic lesions in patients with herpes simplex keratitis using in vivo confocal microscopy

PubMed Central

Yokogawa, Hideaki; Kobayashi, Akira; Mori, Natsuko; Sugiyama, Kazuhisa

2015-01-01

Purpose To produce a two-dimensional reconstruction map of dendritic lesions in patients with herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) using in vivo confocal microscopy. Methods Four eyes of four patients (mean 65.8 years) with HSK presenting with a dendritic lesion were enrolled. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy and in vivo laser confocal microscopy were performed. Acquired confocal images at the level of the epithelium were arranged and mapped into subconfluent montages. Changes in the shape and degree of light reflection of abnormal cells and deposits around dendritic lesions as well as other corneal layers were qualitatively evaluated. Results Mapping of dendritic lesion was successful in all cases, and the subconfluent montages clearly showed the larger image of dendritic lesion. In all cases, the dendritic lesion consisted of hyperreflective irregular epithelial cells, and was surrounded by distorted and elongated epithelial cells. In three cases, hyperreflective deposits were noted at the midline of the lesion. The corneal stroma showed a hyperreflective honeycomb pattern. In two cases, inflammatory cells were observed at the level of endothelial cell layer. Conclusion Mapping of dendritic lesions in patients with HSK was successful in all patients using in vivo confocal microscopy. Cellular level observation of dendritic lesion at a relatively larger magnification may help understand the in vivo morphological change of HSK. Further study in more patients with HSK and nonherpetic dendritic lesion is needed to utilize confocal microscopy images in differential diagnosis and follow-up of the epithelial lesions with dendrite. PMID:26445524

Mapping of dendritic lesions in patients with herpes simplex keratitis using in vivo confocal microscopy.

PubMed

Yokogawa, Hideaki; Kobayashi, Akira; Mori, Natsuko; Sugiyama, Kazuhisa

2015-01-01

To produce a two-dimensional reconstruction map of dendritic lesions in patients with herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) using in vivo confocal microscopy. Four eyes of four patients (mean 65.8 years) with HSK presenting with a dendritic lesion were enrolled. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy and in vivo laser confocal microscopy were performed. Acquired confocal images at the level of the epithelium were arranged and mapped into subconfluent montages. Changes in the shape and degree of light reflection of abnormal cells and deposits around dendritic lesions as well as other corneal layers were qualitatively evaluated. Mapping of dendritic lesion was successful in all cases, and the subconfluent montages clearly showed the larger image of dendritic lesion. In all cases, the dendritic lesion consisted of hyperreflective irregular epithelial cells, and was surrounded by distorted and elongated epithelial cells. In three cases, hyperreflective deposits were noted at the midline of the lesion. The corneal stroma showed a hyperreflective honeycomb pattern. In two cases, inflammatory cells were observed at the level of endothelial cell layer. Mapping of dendritic lesions in patients with HSK was successful in all patients using in vivo confocal microscopy. Cellular level observation of dendritic lesion at a relatively larger magnification may help understand the in vivo morphological change of HSK. Further study in more patients with HSK and nonherpetic dendritic lesion is needed to utilize confocal microscopy images in differential diagnosis and follow-up of the epithelial lesions with dendrite.

Manual for the GAW Precipitation Chemistry Programme: Guidelines, Data Quality Objectives and Standard Operating Procedures

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-11-01

J . Geophys. Res. 101, 6883-6897. Galloway, J . N., Keene, W. C., Artz, R. S., Church, T . M. and Knap, A. H. (1989) Processes controlling the...remote areas of the world. J . Geophys. Res. 88(C9), 5122-5130. Keene, W. C., Montag, J . A., Maben, J . R., Southwell, M., Leonard, J ., Church, T . M...6883-6897. Galloway, J . N., Keene, W. C., Artz, R. S., Church, T . M. and Knap, A. H. (1989) Processes controlling the concentrations of SO42-, NO3

IFLA General Conference, 1991. Division of Collections and Services: Open Forum of Division of Collections and Services; Section of Acquisition and Exchange; Section of Interlending and Document Delivery; Section of Serial Publications; Newspapers; Section of Government Information and Official Publications; Section of Rare [Books] and Manuscripts. Booklet 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, The Hague (Netherlands).

The 14 papers in this collection were presented at 6 sections of the Division of Collections and Services: (1) "Open Forum of the Division of Collections and Services Report of the Section on Acquisition and Exchange" (Ulrich Montag); (2) "Acquisition Policy of the USSR National Library Collection" (Z. P. Sorokina and S. M.…

An atlas of optical spectrophotometry of Wolf-Rayet carbon and oxygen stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Torres, Ana V.; Massey, Philip

1987-01-01

The atlas contains a homogeneous set of optical spectrophotometric observations (3300-7300 A) at moderate resolution (about 10 A) of almost all WC and WO stars in the Galaxy, the LMC, and the SMC. The data are presented in the form of spectral tracings (in magnitude units) arranged by subtype, with no correction for interstellar reddening. A montage of prototype stars of each spectral class is also shown. Comprehensive line identifications are given for the optical lines of WC and WO spectra, with major contributions tabulated and unidentified lines noted.

A study on ground truth data for impact damaged polymer matrix composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallentine, Sarah M.; Uchic, Michael D.

2018-04-01

This study presents initial results toward correlative characterization of barely-visible impact damage (BVID) in unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced polymer matrix composite laminate plates using nondestructive ultrasonic testing (UT) and destructive serial sectioning microscopy. To produce damage consistent with BVID, plates were impacted using an instrumented drop-weight tower with pneumatic anti-rebound brake. High-resolution, normal-incidence, single-sided, pulse-echo, immersion UT scans were performed to verify and map internal damage after impact testing. UT C-scans were registered to optical images of the specimen via landmark registration and the use of an affine transformation, allowing location of internal damage in reference to the overall plate and enabling specimen preparation for subsequent serial sectioning. The impact-damaged region was extracted from each plate, prepared and mounted for materialographic sectioning. A modified RoboMet.3D version 2 was employed for serial sectioning and optical microscopy characterization of the impact damaged regions. Automated montage capture of sub-micron resolution, bright-field reflection, 12-bit monochrome optical images was performed over the entire specimen cross-section. These optical images were post- processed to produce 3D data sets, including segmentation to improve visualization of damage features. Impact-induced delaminations were analyzed and characterized using both serial sectioning and ultrasonic methods. Those results and conclusions are presented, as well as future direction of the current study.

Detrended fluctuation analysis for major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Mumtaz, Wajid; Malik, Aamir Saeed; Ali, Syed Saad Azhar; Yasin, Mohd Azhar Mohd; Amin, Hafeezullah

2015-01-01

Clinical utility of Electroencephalography (EEG) based diagnostic studies is less clear for major depressive disorder (MDD). In this paper, a novel machine learning (ML) scheme was presented to discriminate the MDD patients and healthy controls. The proposed method inherently involved feature extraction, selection, classification and validation. The EEG data acquisition involved eyes closed (EC) and eyes open (EO) conditions. At feature extraction stage, the de-trended fluctuation analysis (DFA) was performed, based on the EEG data, to achieve scaling exponents. The DFA was performed to analyzes the presence or absence of long-range temporal correlations (LRTC) in the recorded EEG data. The scaling exponents were used as input features to our proposed system. At feature selection stage, 3 different techniques were used for comparison purposes. Logistic regression (LR) classifier was employed. The method was validated by a 10-fold cross-validation. As results, we have observed that the effect of 3 different reference montages on the computed features. The proposed method employed 3 different types of feature selection techniques for comparison purposes as well. The results show that the DFA analysis performed better in LE data compared with the IR and AR data. In addition, during Wilcoxon ranking, the AR performed better than LE and IR. Based on the results, it was concluded that the DFA provided useful information to discriminate the MDD patients and with further validation can be employed in clinics for diagnosis of MDD.

Robust, Globally Consistent, and Fully-automatic Multi-image Registration and Montage Synthesis for 3-D Multi-channel Images

PubMed Central

Tsai, Chia-Ling; Lister, James P.; Bjornsson, Christopher J; Smith, Karen; Shain, William; Barnes, Carol A.; Roysam, Badrinath

2013-01-01

The need to map regions of brain tissue that are much wider than the field of view of the microscope arises frequently. One common approach is to collect a series of overlapping partial views, and align them to synthesize a montage covering the entire region of interest. We present a method that advances this approach in multiple ways. Our method (1) produces a globally consistent joint registration of an unorganized collection of 3-D multi-channel images with or without stage micrometer data; (2) produces accurate registrations withstanding changes in scale, rotation, translation and shear by using a 3-D affine transformation model; (3) achieves complete automation, and does not require any parameter settings; (4) handles low and variable overlaps (5 – 15%) between adjacent images, minimizing the number of images required to cover a tissue region; (5) has the self-diagnostic ability to recognize registration failures instead of delivering incorrect results; (6) can handle a broad range of biological images by exploiting generic alignment cues from multiple fluorescence channels without requiring segmentation; and (7) is computationally efficient enough to run on desktop computers regardless of the number of images. The algorithm was tested with several tissue samples of at least 50 image tiles, involving over 5,000 image pairs. It correctly registered all image pairs with an overlap greater than 7%, correctly recognized all failures, and successfully joint-registered all images for all tissue samples studied. This algorithm is disseminated freely to the community as included with the FARSIGHT toolkit for microscopy (www.farsight-toolkit.org). PMID:21361958

Determinants of the electric field during transcranial direct current stimulation.

PubMed

Opitz, Alexander; Paulus, Walter; Will, Susanne; Antunes, Andre; Thielscher, Axel

2015-04-01

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) causes a complex spatial distribution of the electric current flow in the head which hampers the accurate localization of the stimulated brain areas. In this study we show how various anatomical features systematically shape the electric field distribution in the brain during tDCS. We constructed anatomically realistic finite element (FEM) models of two individual heads including conductivity anisotropy and different skull layers. We simulated a widely employed electrode montage to induce motor cortex plasticity and moved the stimulating electrode over the motor cortex in small steps to examine the resulting changes of the electric field distribution in the underlying cortex. We examined the effect of skull thickness and composition on the passing currents showing that thinner skull regions lead to higher electric field strengths. This effect is counteracted by a larger proportion of higher conducting spongy bone in thicker regions leading to a more homogenous current over the skull. Using a multiple regression model we could identify key factors that determine the field distribution to a significant extent, namely the thicknesses of the cerebrospinal fluid and the skull, the gyral depth and the distance to the anode and cathode. These factors account for up to 50% of the spatial variation of the electric field strength. Further, we demonstrate that individual anatomical factors can lead to stimulation "hotspots" which are partly resistant to electrode positioning. Our results give valuable novel insights in the biophysical foundation of tDCS and highlight the importance to account for individual anatomical factors when choosing an electrode montage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evidence of transcranial direct current stimulation-generated electric fields at subthalamic level in human brain in vivo.

PubMed

Chhatbar, Pratik Y; Kautz, Steven A; Takacs, Istvan; Rowland, Nathan C; Revuelta, Gonzalo J; George, Mark S; Bikson, Marom; Feng, Wuwei

2018-03-13

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising brain modulation technique for several disease conditions. With this technique, some portion of the current penetrates through the scalp to the cortex and modulates cortical excitability, but a recent human cadaver study questions the amount. This insufficient intracerebral penetration of currents may partially explain the inconsistent and mixed results in tDCS studies to date. Experimental validation of a transcranial alternating current stimulation-generated electric field (EF) in vivo has been performed on the cortical (using electrocorticography, ECoG, electrodes), subcortical (using stereo electroencephalography, SEEG, electrodes) and deeper thalamic/subthalamic levels (using DBS electrodes). However, tDCS-generated EF measurements have never been attempted. We aimed to demonstrate that tDCS generates biologically relevant EF as deep as the subthalamic level in vivo. Patients with movement disorders who have implanted deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes serve as a natural experimental model for thalamic/subthalamic recordings of tDCS-generated EF. We measured voltage changes from DBS electrodes and body resistance from tDCS electrodes in three subjects while applying direct current to the scalp at 2 mA and 4 mA over two tDCS montages. Voltage changes at the level of deep nuclei changed proportionally with the level of applied current and varied with different tDCS montages. Our findings suggest that scalp-applied tDCS generates biologically relevant EF. Incorporation of these experimental results may improve finite element analysis (FEA)-based models. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of prefrontal bipolar and high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation on cortical reactivity and working memory in healthy adults.

PubMed

Hill, Aron T; Rogasch, Nigel C; Fitzgerald, Paul B; Hoy, Kate E

2017-05-15

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a well-recognised neuromodulatory technology which has been shown to induce short-lasting changes in motor-cortical excitability. The recent and rapid expansion of tDCS into the cognitive domain, however, necessitates deeper mechanistic understanding of its neurophysiological effects over non-motor brain regions. The present study utilised transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) to probe the immediate and longer-term effects of both a bipolar (BP-tDCS) and more focal 4×1 High-Definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) montage applied over the left DLPFC on TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) and oscillations in 19 healthy adult participants. 2-back working memory (WM) performance was also assessed as a marker of cognitive function. Region of interest (ROI) analyses taken from the F1 electrode directly adjacent to the stimulation site revealed increased P60 TEP amplitudes at this location 5min following BP-tDCS and 30min following HD-tDCS. Further global cluster based analyses of all scalp electrodes revealed widespread neuromodulatory changes following HD-tDCS, but not BP-tDCS, both five and 30min after stimulation, with reductions also detected in both beta and gamma oscillatory power over parieto-occipital channels 30min after stimulation. No significant changes in WM performance were observed following either HD-tDCS or BP-tDCS. This study highlights the capacity for single-session prefrontal anodal tDCS montages to modulate neurophysiological processes, as assessed with TMS-EEG. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Moonwalk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waite, C. T.

2013-04-01

Moonwalk is a stroll on the Moon through time and space, a lyrical history of humanity's scientific and allegorical relationship with the Moon from the beginnings of culture to the Space Age and the memories of the Cold-War generation. It is an experimental film in both genre and form, a computer animation designed for projection on a planetarium cupola. A hemispherical film, Moonwalk creates an immersive experience. The fulldome format presents aesthetic and technical challenges to create a new form of imagery and spatial montage. A seven-minute excerpt of the work-in-progress was shown at INSAPV in the Adler Planetarium, Chicago.

Effects of prefrontal tDCS on executive function: Methodological considerations revealed by meta-analysis.

PubMed

Imburgio, Michael J; Orr, Joseph M

2018-05-01

A meta-analysis of studies using single-session transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to target the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was undertaken to examine the effect of stimulation on executive function (EF) in healthy samples. 27 studies were included in analyses, yielding 71 effect sizes. The most relevant measure for each task was determined a priori and used to calculate Hedge's g. Methodological characteristics of each study were examined individually as potential moderators of effect size. Stimulation effects on three domains of EF (inhibition of prepotent responses, mental set shifting, and information updating and monitoring) were analyzed separately. In line with previous work, the current study found no significant effect of anodal unilateral tDCS, cathodal unilateral tDCS, or bilateral tDCS on EF. Further moderator and subgroup analyses were only carried out for anodal unilateral montages due to the small number of studies using other montages. Subgroup analyses revealed a significant effect of anodal unilateral tDCS on updating tasks, but not on inhibition or set-shifting tasks. Cathode location significantly moderated the effect of anodal unilateral tDCS. Extracranial cathodes yielded a significant effect on EF while cranial cathodes yielded no effect. Anode size also significantly moderated effect of anodal unilateral tDCS, with smaller anodes being more effective than larger anodes. In summary, anodal DLPFC stimulation is more effective at improving updating ability than inhibition and set-shifting ability, but anodal stimulation can significantly improve general executive function when extracranial cathodes or small anodes are used. Future meta-analyses may examine how stimulation's effects on specific behavioral tasks, rather than broader domains, might be affected by methodological moderators. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced locomotor adaptation aftereffect in the “broken escalator” phenomenon using anodal tDCS

PubMed Central

Kaski, D.; Quadir, S.; Patel, M.; Yousif, N.

2012-01-01

The everyday experience of stepping onto a stationary escalator causes a stumble, despite our full awareness that the escalator is broken. In the laboratory, this “broken escalator” phenomenon is reproduced when subjects step onto an obviously stationary platform (AFTER trials) that was previously experienced as moving (MOVING trials) and attests to a process of motor adaptation. Given the critical role of M1 in upper limb motor adaptation and the potential for transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to increase cortical excitability, we hypothesized that anodal tDCS over leg M1 and premotor cortices would increase the size and duration of the locomotor aftereffect. Thirty healthy volunteers received either sham or real tDCS (anodal bihemispheric tDCS; 2 mA for 15 min at rest) to induce excitatory effects over the primary motor and premotor cortex before walking onto the moving platform. The real tDCS group, compared with sham, displayed larger trunk sway and increased gait velocity in the first AFTER trial and a persistence of the trunk sway aftereffect into the second AFTER trial. We also used transcranial magnetic stimulation to probe changes in cortical leg excitability using different electrode montages and eyeblink conditioning, before and after tDCS, as well as simulating the current flow of tDCS on the human brain using a computational model of these different tDCS montages. Our data show that anodal tDCS induces excitability changes in lower limb motor cortex with resultant enhancement of locomotor adaptation aftereffects. These findings might encourage the use of tDCS over leg motor and premotor regions to improve locomotor control in patients with neurological gait disorders. PMID:22323638

Modulating oscillatory brain activity correlates of behavioral inhibition using transcranial direct current stimulation.

PubMed

Jacobson, Liron; Ezra, Adi; Berger, Uri; Lavidor, Michal

2012-05-01

Studies have mainly documented behavioral changes induced by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), but recently cortical modulations of tDCS have also been investigated. Our previous work revealed behavioral inhibition modulation by anodal tDCS over the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG); however, the electrophysiological correlates underlying this stimulation montage have yet to be established. The current work aimed to evaluate the distribution of neuronal oscillations changes following anodal tDCS over rIFG coupled with cathodal tDCS over left orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC) using spectral power analysis. Healthy subjects underwent sham and real tDCS (15 min, 1.5 mA, anodal rIFG; cathodal lOFC) stimulation conditions in a single-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial. Following tDCS session, resting EEG recordings were collected during 15 min. Analysis showed a significant and selective diminution of the power of theta band. The theta diminution was observed in the rIFG area (represented the anode electrode), and was not found in the lOFC area (represented the cathode electrode). A significant effect was observed only in the theta but not in other bands. These results are the first demonstration of modulating oscillatory activity as measured by EEG with tDCS over rIFG in general, and documenting theta band reduction with this montage in particular. Our results may explain the improvement in behavioral inhibition reported in our previous work, and although this study was conducted with healthy subjects, the findings suggest that tDCS may also modulate electrophysiological changes among ADHD patients, where decreasing theta activity is the target of neuro-feedback methods aimed to improve cognitive control. Copyright © 2011 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Etude de la dynamique des porteurs dans des nanofils de silicium par spectroscopie terahertz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaudoin, Alexandre

Ce memoire presente une etude des proprietes de conduction electrique et de la dynamique temporelle des porteurs de charges dans des nanofils de silicium sondes par rayonnement terahertz. Les cas de nanofils de silicium non intentionnellement dopes et dopes type n sont compares pour differentes configurations du montage experimental. Les mesures de spectroscopie terahertz en transmission montre qu'il est possible de detecter la presence de dopants dans les nanofils via leur absorption du rayonnement terahertz (˜ 1--12 meV). Les difficultes de modelisation de la transmission d'une impulsion electromagnetique dans un systeme de nanofils sont egalement discutees. La detection differentielle, une modification au systeme de spectroscopie terahertz, est testee et ses performances sont comparees au montage de caracterisation standard. Les instructions et des recommendations pour la mise en place de ce type de mesure sont incluses. Les resultats d'une experience de pompe optique-sonde terahertz sont egalement presentes. Dans cette experience, les porteurs de charge temporairement crees suite a l'absorption de la pompe optique (lambda ˜ 800 nm) dans les nanofils (les photoporteurs) s'ajoutent aux porteurs initialement presents et augmentent done l'absorption du rayonnement terahertz. Premierement, l'anisotropie de l'absorption terahertz et de la pompe optique par les nanofils est demontree. Deuxiemement, le temps de recombinaison des photoporteurs est etudie en fonction du nombre de photoporteurs injectes. Une hypothese expliquant les comportements observes pour les nanofils non-dopes et dopes-n est presentee. Troisiemement, la photoconductivite est extraite pour les nanofils non-dopes et dopes-n sur une plage de 0.5 a 2 THz. Un lissage sur la photoconductivite permet d'estimer le nombre de dopants dans les nanofils dopes-n. Mots-cles: nanofil, silicium, terahertz, conductivite, spectroscopie, photoconductivite.

A comparative view of the new journal: Assessment.

PubMed

Blashfield, R K; Archer, G

2001-09-01

The reference sections from all articles in the 1997 volumes of Assessment, Journal of Personality Assessment, and Psychological Assessment were entered into a database and analyzed. An article published in Assessment averaged almost 31 references. An article published in Journal of Personality Assessment contained an average of 33 references. Psychological Assessment averaged 38 references per article. The median age of the references in the three journals was 8 years with an interquartile range of 4 to 14 years. The Journal of Personality Assessment had the largest number of citations in this database of 5,316 references. Each of these received a relatively large number of their citations from articles published in the same journal (self-citations). Randomly selected articles from the 1997 volume of Assessment received fewer citations in the Social Science Citation Index than a similar set of articles from the other two journals. However, the data on Assessment, when compared with data available on other new scientific publications, suggests that Assessment is doing as well as other fledgling journals.

Validation of a Wireless, Self-Application, Ambulatory Electroencephalographic Sleep Monitoring Device in Healthy Volunteers.

PubMed

Finan, Patrick H; Richards, Jessica M; Gamaldo, Charlene E; Han, Dingfen; Leoutsakos, Jeannie Marie; Salas, Rachel; Irwin, Michael R; Smith, Michael T

2016-11-15

To evaluate the validity of an ambulatory electroencephalographic (EEG) monitor for the estimation of sleep continuity and architecture in healthy adults. Healthy, good sleeping participants (n = 14) were fit with both an ambulatory EEG monitor (Sleep Profiler) and a full polysomnography (PSG) montage. EEG recordings were gathered from both devices on the same night, during which sleep was permitted uninterrupted for eight hours. The study was set in an inpatient clinical research suite. PSG and Sleep Profiler records were scored by a neurologist board certified in sleep medicine, blinded to record identification. Agreement between the scored PSG record, the physician-scored Sleep Profiler record, and the Sleep Profiler record scored by an automatic algorithm was evaluated for each sleep stage, with the PSG record serving as the reference. Results indicated strong percent agreement across stages. Kappa was strongest for Stage N3 and REM. Specificity was high for all stages; sensitivity was low for Wake and Stage N1, and high for Stage N2, Stage N3, and REM. Agreement indices improved for the manually scored Sleep Profiler record relative to the autoscore record. Overall, the Sleep Profiler yields an EEG record with comparable sleep architecture estimates to PSG. Future studies should evaluate agreement between devices with a clinical sample that has greater periods of wake in order to better understand utility of this device for estimating sleep continuity indices, such as sleep onset latency and wake after sleep onset. © 2016 American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Stability and Control of Tactical Missile Systems Held in Ankara (Turkey) on 9-12 May 1988

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-01

basic body for the systematic tests consisted of a cylindrical body with an ogive nose 3.0 calibers long for a total body length of 12.5 calibers A...Portance et stabilittd d’un Aiulege (ogies / iei 4 cylindre ) A N - 2.8. Compareison celcul "Euler" eec 1 d~~w~~hR~~t -- x~ine CALCUL -EULERV OPUP...toujours repr~sentatifs de Ia r~alit6. Compte tenu des pr~cisions recher- ch~es, lea effets du montage, d’un jet propulsif, du nombre de Reynolds, ou de

KSC-04PD-1192

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut Dom Gorie presents a photo montage to Jo Peukert, principal of Trojan Intermediate School in Potosi, Mo. Gorie accompanied KSC Deputy Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow on a visit to the school to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. They are talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space. Students from three area schools Potosi High School, John Evans Middle School and Trojan are on a team taking part in NASAs Explorer Schools program.

Narcolepsy-cataplexy and loss of sphincter control.

PubMed Central

Vgontzas, A. N.; Sollenberger, S. E.; Kales, A.; Bixler, E. O.; Vela-Bueno, A.

1996-01-01

We describe the case of a 34-year-old man who presented intermittent faecal incontinence as a manifestation of cataplexy. The patient's sleep history was positive for the full narcoleptic tetrad (sleep attacks, cataplexy, sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations) while extensive neuropsychiatric work up was negative for any neurologic or psychiatric illness. Repeat polysomnograms (including a polysomnogram with a full seizure montage) were positive for pathologic sleepiness, but there was no evidence of a seizure disorder. The course of the patient's symptomatology and the favourable response of his symptoms to stimulants and imipramine support the theory that his intermittent loss of sphincter control is part of his narcolepsy-cataplexy. PMID:8796217

Common EEG features for behavioral estimation in disparate, real-world tasks.

PubMed

Touryan, Jon; Lance, Brent J; Kerick, Scott E; Ries, Anthony J; McDowell, Kaleb

2016-02-01

In this study we explored the potential for capturing the behavioral dynamics observed in real-world tasks from concurrent measures of EEG. In doing so, we sought to develop models of behavior that would enable the identification of common cross-participant and cross-task EEG features. To accomplish this we had participants perform both simulated driving and guard duty tasks while we recorded their EEG. For each participant we developed models to estimate their behavioral performance during both tasks. Sequential forward floating selection was used to identify the montage of independent components for each model. Linear regression was then used on the combined power spectra from these independent components to generate a continuous estimate of behavior. Our results show that oscillatory processes, evidenced in EEG, can be used to successfully capture slow fluctuations in behavior in complex, multi-faceted tasks. The average correlation coefficients between the actual and estimated behavior was 0.548 ± 0.117 and 0.701 ± 0.154 for the driving and guard duty tasks respectively. Interestingly, through a simple clustering approach we were able to identify a number of common components, both neural and eye-movement related, across participants and tasks. We used these component clusters to quantify the relative influence of common versus participant-specific features in the models of behavior. These findings illustrate the potential for estimating complex behavioral dynamics from concurrent measures from EEG using a finite library of universal features. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The stability of M(max) and H (max) amplitude over time.

PubMed

McNulty, Penelope A; Shiner, Christine T; Thayaparan, Ganesha K; Burke, David

2012-05-01

The stability of the maximal muscle response (M(max)) is critical to H reflex methodology. It has previously been reported that the amplitude of M(max) declines over time. If reproducible, this finding would have implications for all experimental studies that normalise the output of the motoneurone pool against the M wave. We investigated the effect of time on changes in M(max) and the maximal H reflex (H(max)) evoked at 4-s intervals over 60 min. To identify an influence of homosynaptic depression, we extended the interstimulus interval to 10 s and the time to 100 min. Two recording montages over soleus were used to ensure that interelectrode distance was not a critical factor. The soleus M(max) and H reflex were evoked by stimulation of the tibial nerve in the popliteal fossa in 7 subjects who sat with the knee flexed to 30° and the ankle plantar flexed by ~30°. We found no change in the pooled data for M(max), H(max), a reflex 50% of maximal, or the current required to produce it. However, one subject had a statistically significant increase in M(max) and a concurrent decrease in H(max) regardless of the interstimulus interval. On average, there was no change in the H(max)/M(max) ratio over time. While both M(max) and H(max) may change in response to many factors, these results suggest that, typically, time is not one of them.

Identification of scalp EEG circadian variation using a novel correlation sum measure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahidi Zandi, Ali; Boudreau, Philippe; Boivin, Diane B.; Dumont, Guy A.

2015-10-01

Objective. In this paper, we propose a novel method to determine the circadian variation of scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) in both individual and group levels using a correlation sum measure, quantifying self-similarity of the EEG relative energy across waking epochs. Approach. We analysed EEG recordings from central-parietal and occipito-parietal montages in nine healthy subjects undergoing a 72 h ultradian sleep-wake cycle protocol. Each waking epoch (˜1 s) of every nap opportunity was decomposed using the wavelet packet transform, and the relative energy for that epoch was calculated in the desired frequency band using the corresponding wavelet coefficients. Then, the resulting set of energy values was resampled randomly to generate different subsets with equal number of elements. The correlation sum of each subset was then calculated over a range of distance thresholds, and the average over all subsets was computed. This average value was finally scaled for each nap opportunity and considered as a new circadian measure. Main results. According to the evaluation results, a clear circadian rhythm was identified in some EEG frequency ranges, particularly in 4-8 Hz and 10-12 Hz. The correlation sum measure not only was able to disclose the circadian rhythm on the group data but also revealed significant circadian variations in most individual cases, as opposed to previous studies only reporting the circadian rhythms on a population of subjects. Compared to a naive measure based on the EEG absolute energy in the frequency band of interest, the proposed measure showed a clear superiority using both individual and group data. Results also suggested that the acrophase (i.e., the peak) of the circadian rhythm in 10-12 Hz occurs close to the core body temperature minimum. Significance. These results confirm the potential usefulness of the proposed EEG-based measure as a non-invasive circadian marker.

20 CFR 654.5 - Classification of labor surplus areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... unemployment rate for all civilian workers in the civil jurisdiction for the reference period is (1) 120 percent of the national average unemployment rate for civilian workers or higher for the reference period... shall be classified as a labor surplus area if the average unemployment rate for all civilian workers...

40 CFR 63.652 - Emissions averaging provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... emissions average. This must include any Group 1 emission points to which the reference control technology... controls for a Group 1 emission point, the pollution prevention measure alone does not have to reduce... in control after November 15, 1990; (2) Group 1 emission points that are controlled by a reference...

40 CFR 63.652 - Emissions averaging provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... emissions average. This must include any Group 1 emission points to which the reference control technology... controls for a Group 1 emission point, the pollution prevention measure alone does not have to reduce... in control after November 15, 1990; (2) Group 1 emission points that are controlled by a reference...

Global Positioning System Use in the Community to Evaluate Improvements in Walking After Revascularization

PubMed Central

Gernigon, Marie; Le Faucheur, Alexis; Fradin, Dominique; Noury-Desvaux, Bénédicte; Landron, Cédric; Mahe, Guillaume; Abraham, Pierre

2015-01-01

Abstract Revascularization aims at improving walking ability in patients with arterial claudication. The highest measured distance between 2 stops (highest-MDCW), the average walking speed (average-WSCW), and the average stop duration (average-DSCW) can be measured by global positioning system, but their evolution after revascularization is unknown. We included 251 peripheral artery diseased patients with self-reported limiting claudication. The patients performed a 1-hour stroll, recorded by a global positioning system receiver. Patients (n = 172) with confirmed limitation (highest-MDCW <2000m) at inclusion were reevaluated after 6 months. Patients revascularized during the follow-up period were compared with reference patients (ie, with unchanged lifestyle medical or surgical status). Other patients (lost to follow-up or treatment change) were excluded (n = 89). We studied 44 revascularized and 39 reference patients. Changes in highest-MDCW (+442 vs. +13 m) and average-WSCW (+0.3 vs. −0.2 km h−1) were greater in revascularized than in reference patients (both P < 0.01). In contrast, no significant difference in average-DSCW changes was found between the groups. Among the revascularized patients, 13 (29.5%) had a change in average-WSCW, but not in highest-MDCW, greater than the mean + 1 standard deviation of the change observed for reference patients. Revascularization may improve highest-MDCW and/or average-WSCW. This first report of changes in community walking ability in revascularized patients suggests that, beyond measuring walking distances, average-WSCW measurement is essential to monitor these changes. Applicability to other surgical populations remains to be evaluated. Registration: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01141361 PMID:25950694

Global positioning system use in the community to evaluate improvements in walking after revascularization: a prospective multicenter study with 6-month follow-up in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

PubMed

Gernigon, Marie; Le Faucheur, Alexis; Fradin, Dominique; Noury-Desvaux, Bénédicte; Landron, Cédric; Mahe, Guillaume; Abraham, Pierre

2015-05-01

Revascularization aims at improving walking ability in patients with arterial claudication. The highest measured distance between 2 stops (highest-MDCW), the average walking speed (average-WSCW), and the average stop duration (average-DSCW) can be measured by global positioning system, but their evolution after revascularization is unknown.We included 251 peripheral artery diseased patients with self-reported limiting claudication. The patients performed a 1-hour stroll, recorded by a global positioning system receiver. Patients (n = 172) with confirmed limitation (highest-MDCW <2000m) at inclusion were reevaluated after 6 months. Patients revascularized during the follow-up period were compared with reference patients (ie, with unchanged lifestyle medical or surgical status). Other patients (lost to follow-up or treatment change) were excluded (n = 89).We studied 44 revascularized and 39 reference patients. Changes in highest-MDCW (+442 vs. +13 m) and average-WSCW (+0.3 vs. -0.2 km h) were greater in revascularized than in reference patients (both P < 0.01). In contrast, no significant difference in average-DSCW changes was found between the groups. Among the revascularized patients, 13 (29.5%) had a change in average-WSCW, but not in highest-MDCW, greater than the mean + 1 standard deviation of the change observed for reference patients.Revascularization may improve highest-MDCW and/or average-WSCW. This first report of changes in community walking ability in revascularized patients suggests that, beyond measuring walking distances, average-WSCW measurement is essential to monitor these changes. Applicability to other surgical populations remains to be evaluated. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01141361.

Referring to the social performance promotes cooperation in spatial prisoner's dilemma games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shigaki, Keizo; Tanimoto, Jun; Wang, Zhen; Kokubo, Satoshi; Hagishima, Aya; Ikegaya, Naoki

2012-09-01

We propose a new pairwise Fermi updating rule by considering a social average payoff when an agent copies a neighbor's strategy. In the update rule, a focal agent compares her payoff with the social average payoff of the same strategy that her pairwise opponent has. This concept might be justified by the fact that people reference global and, somehow, statistical information, not local information when imitating social behaviors. We presume several possible ways for the social average. Simulation results prove that the social average of some limited agents realizes more significant cooperation than that of the entire population.

30 CFR 203.74 - When will MMS reconsider its determination?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Sulfur General Royalty Relief for Pre-Act Deep Water Leases and for Development and Expansion Projects... as calculated under this paragraph. (1) Your current reference price is a weighted-average of daily... calendar months; (2) Your base reference price is a weighted average of daily closing prices on the NYMEX...

40 CFR Table 1a to Subpart Ce of... - Emissions Limits for Small, Medium, and Large HMIWI at Designated Facilities as Defined in § 60...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) (grains per dry standard cubic foot (gr/dscf)) 115 (0.05) 69 (0.03) 34 (0.015) 3-run average (1-hour minimum sample time per run) EPA Reference Method 5 of appendix A-3 of part 60, or EPA Reference Method...-run average (1-hour minimum sample time per run) EPA Reference Method 10 or 10B of appendix A-4 of...

40 CFR Table 1a to Subpart Ce of... - Emissions Limits for Small, Medium, and Large HMIWI at Designated Facilities as Defined in § 60...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) (grains per dry standard cubic foot (gr/dscf)) 115 (0.05) 69 (0.03) 34 (0.015) 3-run average (1-hour minimum sample time per run) EPA Reference Method 5 of appendix A-3 of part 60, or EPA Reference Method...-run average (1-hour minimum sample time per run) EPA Reference Method 10 or 10B of appendix A-4 of...

Individualized adjustments to reference phantom internal organ dosimetry—scaling factors given knowledge of patient external anatomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wayson, Michael B.; Bolch, Wesley E.

2018-04-01

Internal radiation dose estimates for diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures are typically calculated for a reference individual. Resultantly, there is uncertainty when determining the organ doses to patients who are not at 50th percentile on either height or weight. This study aims to better personalize internal radiation dose estimates for individual patients by modifying the dose estimates calculated for reference individuals based on easily obtainable morphometric characteristics of the patient. Phantoms of different sitting heights and waist circumferences were constructed based on computational reference phantoms for the newborn, 10 year-old, and adult. Monoenergetic photons and electrons were then simulated separately at 15 energies. Photon and electron specific absorbed fractions (SAFs) were computed for the newly constructed non-reference phantoms and compared to SAFs previously generated for the age-matched reference phantoms. Differences in SAFs were correlated to changes in sitting height and waist circumference to develop scaling factors that could be applied to reference SAFs as morphometry corrections. A further set of arbitrary non-reference phantoms were then constructed and used in validation studies for the SAF scaling factors. Both photon and electron dose scaling methods were found to increase average accuracy when sitting height was used as the scaling parameter (~11%). Photon waist circumference-based scaling factors showed modest increases in average accuracy (~7%) for underweight individuals, but not for overweight individuals. Electron waist circumference-based scaling factors did not show increases in average accuracy. When sitting height and waist circumference scaling factors were combined, modest average gains in accuracy were observed for photons (~6%), but not for electrons. Both photon and electron absorbed doses are more reliably scaled using scaling factors computed in this study. They can be effectively scaled using sitting height alone as patient-specific morphometric parameter.

Individualized adjustments to reference phantom internal organ dosimetry-scaling factors given knowledge of patient external anatomy.

PubMed

Wayson, Michael B; Bolch, Wesley E

2018-04-13

Internal radiation dose estimates for diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures are typically calculated for a reference individual. Resultantly, there is uncertainty when determining the organ doses to patients who are not at 50th percentile on either height or weight. This study aims to better personalize internal radiation dose estimates for individual patients by modifying the dose estimates calculated for reference individuals based on easily obtainable morphometric characteristics of the patient. Phantoms of different sitting heights and waist circumferences were constructed based on computational reference phantoms for the newborn, 10 year-old, and adult. Monoenergetic photons and electrons were then simulated separately at 15 energies. Photon and electron specific absorbed fractions (SAFs) were computed for the newly constructed non-reference phantoms and compared to SAFs previously generated for the age-matched reference phantoms. Differences in SAFs were correlated to changes in sitting height and waist circumference to develop scaling factors that could be applied to reference SAFs as morphometry corrections. A further set of arbitrary non-reference phantoms were then constructed and used in validation studies for the SAF scaling factors. Both photon and electron dose scaling methods were found to increase average accuracy when sitting height was used as the scaling parameter (~11%). Photon waist circumference-based scaling factors showed modest increases in average accuracy (~7%) for underweight individuals, but not for overweight individuals. Electron waist circumference-based scaling factors did not show increases in average accuracy. When sitting height and waist circumference scaling factors were combined, modest average gains in accuracy were observed for photons (~6%), but not for electrons. Both photon and electron absorbed doses are more reliably scaled using scaling factors computed in this study. They can be effectively scaled using sitting height alone as patient-specific morphometric parameter.

Three Averaging Techniques for Reduction of Antenna Temperature Variance Measured by a Dicke Mode, C-Band Radiometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackenzie, Anne I.; Lawrence, Roland W.

2000-01-01

As new radiometer technologies provide the possibility of greatly improved spatial resolution, their performance must also be evaluated in terms of expected sensitivity and absolute accuracy. As aperture size increases, the sensitivity of a Dicke mode radiometer can be maintained or improved by application of any or all of three digital averaging techniques: antenna data averaging with a greater than 50% antenna duty cycle, reference data averaging, and gain averaging. An experimental, noise-injection, benchtop radiometer at C-band showed a 68.5% reduction in Delta-T after all three averaging methods had been applied simultaneously. For any one antenna integration time, the optimum 34.8% reduction in Delta-T was realized by using an 83.3% antenna/reference duty cycle.

Asteroid Ida Rotation Sequence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This montage of 14 images (the time order is right to left, bottom to top) shows Ida as it appeared in the field of view of Galileo's camera on August 28, 1993. Asteroid Ida rotates once every 4 hours, 39 minutes and clockwise when viewed from above the north pole; these images cover about one Ida 'day.' This sequence has been used to create a 3-D model that shows Ida to be almost croissant shaped. The earliest view (lower right) was taken from a range of 240,000 kilometers (150,000 miles), 5.4 hours before closest approach. The asteroid Ida draws its name from mythology, in which the Greek god Zeus was raised by the nymph Ida.

Mexican Space Agency and NASA Agreement

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-03-18

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden (center) presents Dr. Francisco Javier Mendieta Jimenez, Director General of the Mexican Space Agency, a NASA montage in honor of the Reimbursable Space Act Agreement (RSAA) signed between the two agencies, Monday, March 18, 2013 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Leland Melvin (right), NASA Associate Administrator for Education looks on. The International Internship Program is a pilot program developed at NASA which will provide and avenue for non-US students to come to NASA for an internship. US students will be paired with a foreign student to work on a NASA research project under the guidance of a mentor. This is the first NASA-Mexico agreement signed. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Earth

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-30

Behold one of the more detailed images of the Earth yet created. This Blue Marble Earth montage shown above -- created from photographs taken by the Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument on board the new Suomi NPP satellite -- shows many stunning details of our home planet. The Suomi NPP satellite was launched last October and renamed last week after Verner Suomi, commonly deemed the father of satellite meteorology. The composite was created from the data collected during four orbits of the robotic satellite taken earlier this month and digitally projected onto the globe. Many features of North America and the Western Hemisphere are particularly visible on a high resolution version of the image. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA18033

Computer-Aided Design and Fabrication of Wire-Wrap (Trademark) Type Circuit Boards: A New Symbolism and Its Implementation (Conception et Fabrication Automatisees de Circuits par Cablage Enroule: un Nouveau Symbolisme et son Application),

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-02-01

facilitant la transition entre les plans d’ing~nierie 6lectronique et la matrice pertinente d’interconnexions requise pour le montage par c~blage enroul6 Wire...Wrap. Le d~veloppement de prototypes 6lectroniques s’est vu consid6rablement acc6l6r6 par la preparation plus rapide des donn~es d’interconnexions...directory, all located in *APL files (Sect. 7.0). A matrix called BANQUE is also formed by the program L to regroup those chip descriptions of the main

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-01-01

This montage is a sequence of soft x-ray photographs of the boot-shaped coronal hole rotating with the sun. The individual pictures were taken about 2 days apart by the Skylab telescope. Most of the apparent changes in this 6-day period resulted from a changing perspective. Skylab data helped demonstrate that coronal holes are sources of high-velocity streams in the solar wind. These high-velocity streams can be electrons, protons, and atomic nuclei that spray out from the Sun into interplanetary space. When the coronal hole is near the center of the Sun, as in view 2, the sprinkler is directed at Earth. These high-speed streams of solar wind distort Earth's magnetic field and disturb it's upper atmosphere.

A reference estimator based on composite sensor pattern noise for source device identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ruizhe; Li, Chang-Tsun; Guan, Yu

2014-02-01

It has been proved that Sensor Pattern Noise (SPN) can serve as an imaging device fingerprint for source camera identification. Reference SPN estimation is a very important procedure within the framework of this application. Most previous works built reference SPN by averaging the SPNs extracted from 50 images of blue sky. However, this method can be problematic. Firstly, in practice we may face the problem of source camera identification in the absence of the imaging cameras and reference SPNs, which means only natural images with scene details are available for reference SPN estimation rather than blue sky images. It is challenging because the reference SPN can be severely contaminated by image content. Secondly, the number of available reference images sometimes is too few for existing methods to estimate a reliable reference SPN. In fact, existing methods lack consideration of the number of available reference images as they were designed for the datasets with abundant images to estimate the reference SPN. In order to deal with the aforementioned problem, in this work, a novel reference estimator is proposed. Experimental results show that our proposed method achieves better performance than the methods based on the averaged reference SPN, especially when few reference images used.

40 CFR Table 1b to Subpart Ce of... - Emissions Limits for Small, Medium, and Large HMIWI at Designated Facilities as Defined in § 60...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

....011) 3-run average (1-hour minimum sample time per run) EPA Reference Method 5 of appendix A-3 of part... by volume (ppmv) 20 5.5 11 3-run average (1-hour minimum sample time per run) EPA Reference Method 10... dscf) 16 (7.0) or 0.013 (0.0057) 0.85 (0.37) or 0.020 (0.0087) 9.3 (4.1) or 0.054 (0.024) 3-run average...

Genetics Home Reference: 7q11.23 duplication syndrome

MedlinePlus

... with this condition have low-average to average intelligence. Intellectual disability or borderline intellectual ability occur in ... Rarely, people with this disorder have above-average intelligence. Behavioral problems associated with this condition include anxiety ...

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) reveals a dissociation between SNARC and MARC effects: Implication for the polarity correspondence account.

PubMed

Di Rosa, Elisa; Bardi, Lara; Umiltà, Carlo; Masina, Fabio; Forgione, Margherita; Mapelli, Daniela

2017-08-01

The concept of stimulus response compatibility (SRC) refers to the existence of a privileged association between a specific stimulus feature and a specific response feature. Two examples of SRC are the Spatial Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC) and the Markedness Association of Response Codes (MARC) effects. According to the polarity correspondence principle, these two SRC effects occur because of a match between the most salient dimensions of stimulus and response. Specifically, the SNARC effect would be caused by a match between right-sided responses and large numbers, while a match between right-sided responses and even numbers would give rise to the MARC effect. The aim of the present study was to test the validity of the polarity correspondence principle in explaining these two SRC effects. To this end, we applied transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over left and right posterior parietal cortex (PPC), which is thought to be the neural basis of salience processing, during a parity judgement task. Results showed that cathodal tDCS over the PPC significantly reduced the MARC effect but did not affect the SNARC effect, suggesting a dissociation between the two effects. That is, the MARC would rely on a salience processing mechanism, whereas the SNARC would not. Despite this interpretation is in need of further experimental confirmations (i.e., testing different tasks or using different tDCS montages), our results suggest that the polarity correspondence principle can be a plausible explanation only for the MARC effect but not for the SNARC effect. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Proposed reference models for atomic oxygen in the terrestrial atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Llewellyn, E. J.; Mcdade, I. C.; Lockerbie, M. D.

1989-01-01

A provisional Atomic Oxygen Reference model was derived from average monthly ozone profiles and the MSIS-86 reference model atmosphere. The concentrations are presented in tabular form for the altitude range 40 to 130 km.

Alcohol References on Undergraduate Males’ Facebook Profiles

PubMed Central

Egan, Katie G.; Moreno, Megan A.

2011-01-01

Perceived peer alcohol use is a predictor of consumption in college males; frequent references to alcohol on Facebook may encourage alcohol consumption. Content analysis of college males’ Facebook profiles identified references to alcohol. The average age of 225 identified profiles was 19.9 years. Alcohol references were present on 85.3% of the profiles; the prevalence of alcohol was similar across each undergraduate grade. The average number of alcohol references per profile was 8.5 but increased with undergraduate year (p = .003; confidence interval = 1.5, 7.5). Students who were of legal drinking age referenced alcohol 4.5 times more than underage students, and an increase in number of Facebook friends was associated with an increase in displayed alcohol references (p < .001; confidence interval = 0.009, 0.02). Facebook is widely used in the college population; widespread alcohol displays on Facebook may influence social norms and cause increases in male college students’ alcohol use. PMID:21406490

Effects of High-Definition and Conventional tDCS on Response Inhibition.

PubMed

Hogeveen, J; Grafman, J; Aboseria, M; David, A; Bikson, M; Hauner, K K

2016-01-01

Response inhibition is a critical executive function, enabling the adaptive control of behavior in a changing environment. The inferior frontal cortex (IFC) is considered to be critical for response inhibition, leading researchers to develop transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) montages attempting to target the IFC and improve inhibitory performance. However, conventional tDCS montages produce diffuse current through the brain, making it difficult to establish causality between stimulation of any one given brain region and resulting behavioral changes. Recently, high-definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) methods have been developed to target brain regions with increased focality relative to conventional tDCS. Remarkably few studies have utilized HD-tDCS to improve cognitive task performance, however, and no study has directly compared the behavioral effects of HD-tDCS to conventional tDCS. In the present study, participants received either HD-tDCS or conventional tDCS to the IFC during performance of a response inhibition task (stop-signal task, SST) or a control task (choice reaction time task, CRT). A third group of participants completed the same behavioral protocols, but received tDCS to a control site (mid-occipital cortex). Post-stimulation improvement in SST performance was analyzed as a function of tDCS group and the task performed during stimulation using both conventional and Bayesian parameter estimation analyses. Bayesian estimation of the effects of HD- and conventional tDCS to IFC relative to control site stimulation demonstrated enhanced response inhibition for both conditions. No improvements were found after control task (CRT) training in any tDCS condition. Results support the use of both HD- and conventional tDCS to the IFC for improving response inhibition, providing empirical evidence that HD-tDCS can be used to facilitate performance on an executive function task. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adaptation of the cortical somatosensory evoked potential following pulsed pneumatic stimulation of the lower face in adults.

PubMed

Custead, Rebecca; Oh, Hyuntaek; Rosner, Austin Oder; Barlow, Steven

2015-10-05

Cortical adaptation to sustained sensory input is a pervasive form of short-term plasticity in neurological systems. Its role in sensory perception in health and disease, or predicting long-term plastic changes resulting from sensory training offers insight into the mechanisms of somatosensory and sensorimotor processing. A 4-channel electroencephalography (EEG) recording montage was placed bilaterally (C3-P3, C4-P4, F7-P3, F8-P4) to characterize the short-term effects of pulsed pneumatic orofacial stimulation on the cortical somatosensory evoked potential (cSEP) in twenty neurotypical adults (mean age=21±2.88 years). A servo-controlled pneumatic amplifier was used to deliver a repetitive series of pneumatic pulse trains (six 50-ms pulses, 5-second intertrain interval) through a linked pair of custom acetal homopolymer probes (aka TAC-Cells) adhered to the nonglabrous skin of the lower face proximal to the right oral angle to synchronously activate mechanoreceptive afferents in the trigeminal nerve. Blocks of pulse trains were counterbalanced among participants and delivered at two rates, 2 and 4Hz. TAC-Cell stimulation of the lower face consistently evoked a series of cSEPs at P7, N20, P28, N38, P75, N85, and P115. The spatial organization and adaptation of the evoked cSEP was dependent on stimulus pulse index (1-6 within the pulse train, p=.012), frequency of stimulus presentation (2 vs 4Hz, p<.001), component (P7-P115, p<.001), and recording montage (channels 1-4, p<.001). Early component latencies (P7-N20) were highly stable in polarity (sign) and latency, and consistent with putative far-field generators (e.g., trigeminal brainstem, ventroposteromedial thalamus). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of Smoking Scenes in Films on Immediate Smoking

PubMed Central

Shmueli, Dikla; Prochaska, Judith J.; Glantz, Stanton A.

2010-01-01

Background The National Cancer Institute has concluded that exposure to smoking in movies causes adolescent smoking and there are similar results for young adults. Purpose This study investigated whether exposure of young adult smokers to images of smoking in films stimulated smoking behavior. Methods 100 cigarette smokers aged 18–25 years were randomly assigned to watch a movie montage composed with or without smoking scenes and paraphernalia followed by a10-minute recess. The outcome was whether or not participants smoked during the recess. Data were collected and analyzed in 2008 and 2009. Results Smokers who watched the smoking scenes were more likely to smoke during the break (OR3.06, 95% CI=1.01, 9.29). In addition to this acute effect of exposure, smokers who had seen more smoking in movies before the day of the experiment were more likely to smoke during the break (OR 6.73; 1.00–45.25 comparing the top to bottom percentiles of exposure) were more likely to smoke during the break. Level of nicotine dependence (OR 1.71; 1.27–2.32 per point on the FTND scale), “contemplation” (OR 9.07; 1.71–47.99) and “precontemplation” (OR 7.30; 1.39–38.36) stages of change, and impulsivity (OR 1.21; 1.03–1.43), were also associated with smoking during the break. Participants who watched the montage with smoking scenes and those with a higher level of nicotine dependence were also more likely to have smoked within 30 minutes after the study. Conclusions There is a direct link between viewing smoking scenes and immediate subsequent smoking behavior. This finding suggests that individuals attempting to limit or quit smoking should be advised to refrain from or reduce their exposure to movies that contain smoking. PMID:20307802

Effect of smoking scenes in films on immediate smoking: a randomized controlled study.

PubMed

Shmueli, Dikla; Prochaska, Judith J; Glantz, Stanton A

2010-04-01

The National Cancer Institute has concluded that exposure to smoking in movies causes adolescent smoking and there are similar results for young adults. This study investigated whether exposure of young adult smokers to images of smoking in films stimulated smoking behavior. 100 cigarette smokers aged 18-25 years were randomly assigned to watch a movie montage composed with or without smoking scenes and paraphernalia followed by a 10-minute recess. The outcome was whether or not participants smoked during the recess. Data were collected and analyzed in 2008 and 2009. Smokers who watched the smoking scenes were more likely to smoke during the break (OR=3.06, 95% CI=1.01, 9.29). In addition to this acute effect of exposure, smokers who had seen more smoking in movies before the day of the experiment were more likely to smoke during the break (OR=6.73, 95% CI=1.00, 45.25, comparing the top to bottom 5th percentiles of exposure). Level of nicotine dependence (OR=1.71, 95% CI=1.27, 2.32 per point on the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence scale); contemplation (OR=9.07, 95% CI=1.71, 47.99) and precontemplation (OR=7.30, 95% CI=1.39, 38.36) stages of change; and impulsivity (OR=1.21, 95% CI=1.03, 1.43) were also associated with smoking during the break. Participants who watched the montage with smoking scenes and those with a higher level of nicotine dependence were also more likely to have smoked within 30 minutes after the study. There is a direct link between viewing smoking scenes and immediate subsequent smoking behavior. This finding suggests that individuals attempting to limit or quit smoking should be advised to refrain from or reduce their exposure to movies that contain smoking. 2010 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. All rights reserved.

Tvashtar Montage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

The Tvashtar plume on Io, seen by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and by New Horizons.

(A): The image in which the plume was discovered, taken by HST in ultraviolet light on Feb. 14, 2007, at a wavelength of 260 nm. The red diamond indicates location of the Tvashtar hot spot seen later by New Horizons. (B): An HST image of Io and the Tvashtar plume seen against Jupiter; sulfur gas in the plume absorbs ultraviolet light, making the plume look reddish in this color composite. The composite is composed of images taken at 260 nm (blue), 330 nm (green), and 410 nm (red). Other images in this montage are in visible light from the Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI). The scale bar is 200 kilometers long and the yellow star indicates the projected location of the hot spot at the Tvashtar plume source. The dashed line is the terminator, the line dividing day from night on Io. (C): The highest-resolution view of the full plume, at a resolution of 12.4 kilometers (7.7 miles) per pixel and a solar phase angle of 102 degrees, showing the complex filamentary structure of the plume. The images are sharpened by un-sharp masking; the dark line at the edge of the disk is an artifact of this sharpening. (D): An image at 145-degree phase angle at 22.4 kilometers (13.8 miles) per pixel, showing the time variability of the details of the plume structure and its persistent bright top. (F-J): Sequence of frames at 2-minute intervals showing dynamics in the upper part of the plume (the source is on the far side of Io). Colored diamonds track individual features whose speeds, projected on the plane of the sky, are shown in (E).

This image appears in the Oct. 12, 2007, issue of Science magazine, in a paper by John Spencer, et al.

Io Eclipse Montage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

New Horizons took this montage of images of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io, glowing in the dark of Jupiter's shadow, as the Pluto-bound spacecraft sped through the Jupiter system on Feb. 27, 2007.

(A): In this picture from the Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), dark blotches and straight lines are artifacts. The brightest spots (including the volcanoes Pele [P] and East Girru [EG]) are incandescent lava from active volcanoes. The more diffuse glows, and the many faint spots, are from gas in the plumes and atmosphere, glowing due to bombardment by plasma in Jupiter's magnetosphere, in a display similar to the Earth's aurorae. (B): The same image with a latitude/longitude grid, showing that the cluster of faint spots is centered near longitude 0 degrees, the point on Io that faces Jupiter. The image also shows the locations of the plumes seen in sunlit images (indicated by red diamonds), which glow with auroral emission in eclipse. (C): Simulated sunlit view of Io with the same geometry, based on sunlit LORRI images. (D): A combination of the sunlit image (in cyan) and the eclipse image (in red), showing that all point-like glows in the eclipse image arise from dark volcanoes in the eclipse image. (E): This infrared image, at a wavelength of 2.3 microns, obtained by New Horizons Linear Etalon Spectral Imaging Array (LEISA) an hour after the LORRI image, showing thermal emission from active volcanoes. Elongation of the hot spots is an artifact. (F): Combined visible albedo (cyan) and LEISA thermal emission (red) image, showing the sources of the volcanic emission. That most of the faint point-like glows near longitude zero, seen in visible light in images A, B, and D, do not appear in the infrared view of volcanic heat radiation, is one reason scientists believe that these glows are due to auroral emission, not heat radiation.

This image appears in the Oct. 12, 2007, issue of Science magazine, in a paper by John Spencer, et al.

No Effects of Bilateral tDCS over Inferior Frontal Gyrus on Response Inhibition and Aggression

PubMed Central

Lobbestael, Jill; Arntz, Arnoud; Brugman, Suzanne; Sack, Alexander T.

2015-01-01

Response inhibition is defined as the capacity to adequately withdraw pre-planned responses. It has been shown that individuals with deficits in inhibiting pre-planned responses tend to display more aggressive behaviour. The prefrontal cortex is involved in both, response inhibition and aggression. While response inhibition is mostly associated with predominantly right prefrontal activity, the neural components underlying aggression seem to be left-lateralized. These differences in hemispheric dominance are conceptualized in cortical asymmetry theories on motivational direction, which assign avoidance motivation (relevant to inhibit responses) to the right and approach motivation (relevant for aggressive actions) to the left prefrontal cortex. The current study aimed to directly address the inverse relationship between response inhibition and aggression by assessing them within one experiment. Sixty-nine healthy participants underwent bilateral transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to the inferior frontal cortex. In one group we induced right-hemispheric fronto-cortical dominance by means of a combined right prefrontal anodal and left prefrontal cathodal tDCS montage. In a second group we induced left-hemispheric fronto-cortical dominance by means of a combined left prefrontal anodal and right prefrontal cathodal tDCS montage. A control group received sham stimulation. Response inhibition was assessed with a go/no-go task (GNGT) and aggression with the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP). We revealed that participants with poorer performance in the GNGT displayed more aggression during the TAP. No effects of bilateral prefrontal tDCS on either response inhibition or aggression were observed. This is at odds with previous brain stimulation studies applying unilateral protocols. Our results failed to provide evidence in support of the prefrontal cortical asymmetry model in the domain of response inhibition and aggression. The absence of tDCS effects might also indicate that the methodological approach of shifting cortical asymmetry by means of bilateral tDCS protocols has failed. PMID:26161664

Task-specificity of unilateral anodal and dual-M1 tDCS effects on motor learning.

PubMed

Karok, Sophia; Fletcher, David; Witney, Alice G

2017-01-08

Task-specific effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on motor learning were investigated in 30 healthy participants. In a sham-controlled, mixed design, participants trained on 3 different motor tasks (Purdue Pegboard Test, Visuomotor Grip Force Tracking Task and Visuomotor Wrist Rotation Speed Control Task) over 3 consecutive days while receiving either unilateral anodal over the right primary motor cortex (M1), dual-M1 or sham stimulation. Retention sessions were administered 7 and 28 days after the end of training. In the Purdue Pegboard Test, both anodal and dual-M1 stimulation reduced average completion time approximately equally, an improvement driven by online learning effects and maintained for about 1 week. The Visuomotor Grip Force Tracking Task and the Visuomotor Wrist Rotation Speed Control Task were associated with an advantage of dual-M1 tDCS in consolidation processes both between training sessions and when testing at long-term retention; both were maintained for at least 1 month. This study demonstrates that M1-tDCS enhances and sustains motor learning with different electrode montages. Stimulation-induced effects emerged at different learning phases across the tasks, which strongly suggests that the influence of tDCS on motor learning is dynamic with respect to the functional recruitment of the distributed motor system at the time of stimulation. Divergent findings regarding M1-tDCS effects on motor learning may partially be ascribed to task-specific consequences and the effects of offline consolidation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

30 CFR 203.54 - How does my relief arrangement for an oil and gas lease operate if prices rise sharply?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... reference price, you must pay the effective royalty rate on all monthly production. (a) Your current reference price is a weighted average of daily closing prices on the NYMEX for light sweet crude oil and... average of daily closing prices on the NYMEX for light sweet crude oil and natural gas during the...

Producing an Infrared Multiwavelength Galactic Plane Atlas Using Montage, Pegasus, and Amazon Web Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rynge, M.; Juve, G.; Kinney, J.; Good, J.; Berriman, B.; Merrihew, A.; Deelman, E.

2014-05-01

In this paper, we describe how to leverage cloud resources to generate large-scale mosaics of the galactic plane in multiple wavelengths. Our goal is to generate a 16-wavelength infrared Atlas of the Galactic Plane at a common spatial sampling of 1 arcsec, processed so that they appear to have been measured with a single instrument. This will be achieved by using the Montage image mosaic engine process observations from the 2MASS, GLIMPSE, MIPSGAL, MSX and WISE datasets, over a wavelength range of 1 μm to 24 μm, and by using the Pegasus Workflow Management System for managing the workload. When complete, the Atlas will be made available to the community as a data product. We are generating images that cover ±180° in Galactic longitude and ±20° in Galactic latitude, to the extent permitted by the spatial coverage of each dataset. Each image will be 5°x5° in size (including an overlap of 1° with neighboring tiles), resulting in an atlas of 1,001 images. The final size will be about 50 TBs. This paper will focus on the computational challenges, solutions, and lessons learned in producing the Atlas. To manage the computation we are using the Pegasus Workflow Management System, a mature, highly fault-tolerant system now in release 4.2.2 that has found wide applicability across many science disciplines. A scientific workflow describes the dependencies between the tasks and in most cases the workflow is described as a directed acyclic graph, where the nodes are tasks and the edges denote the task dependencies. A defining property for a scientific workflow is that it manages data flow between tasks. Applied to the galactic plane project, each 5 by 5 mosaic is a Pegasus workflow. Pegasus is used to fetch the source images, execute the image mosaicking steps of Montage, and store the final outputs in a storage system. As these workflows are very I/O intensive, care has to be taken when choosing what infrastructure to execute the workflow on. In our setup, we choose to use dynamically provisioned compute clusters running on the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). All our instances are using the same base image, which is configured to come up as a master node by default. The master node is a central instance from where the workflow can be managed. Additional worker instances are provisioned and configured to accept work assignments from the master node. The system allows for adding/removing workers in an ad hoc fashion, and could be run in large configurations. To-date we have performed 245,000 CPU hours of computing and generated 7,029 images and totaling 30 TB. With the current set up our runtime would be 340,000 CPU hours for the whole project. Using spot m2.4xlarge instances, the cost would be approximately $5,950. Using faster AWS instances, such as cc2.8xlarge could potentially decrease the total CPU hours and further reduce the compute costs. The paper will explore these tradeoffs.

Impact Site: Infrared Image

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-09-15

This montage of images, made from data obtained by Cassini's visual and infrared mapping spectrometer, shows the location on Saturn where the NASA spacecraft entered Saturn's atmosphere on Sept. 15, 2017. This view shows Saturn in the thermal infrared, at a wavelength of 5 microns. Here, the instrument is sensing heat coming from Saturn's interior, in red. Clouds in the atmosphere are silhouetted against that inner glow. This location -- the site of Cassini's atmospheric entry -- was at this time on the night side of the planet, but would rotate into daylight by the time Cassini made its final dive into Saturn's upper atmosphere, ending its remarkable 13-year exploration of Saturn. Both an annotated version and an animation are available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21896

[Claude Bernard and the Comptes Rendus de la Société de Biologie: the movie of the physiological revolution by him who made it (1849-1878)].

PubMed

Hainaut, Jean

2009-01-01

Claude Bernard presented most of his fundamental results to the Société de Biologie, including proof of the modulation of the nervous system by the internal micromilieu. However, he did not describe the principle of a stable internal milieu as a condition for free life. Physiology, which is a part of biology, was not founded on cellular biology. Rather, Claude Bernard considered chemistry, anatomy and histology as the necessary auxiliary sciences for physiology. His articles are direct pictures, and not isolated ones, despite possible limitations, from a pre-montage movie of the physiological revolution he thought he had initiated, but not finished.

The people side of MRP (materiel requirements planning).

PubMed

Lunn, T

1994-05-01

A montage of ideas and concepts have been successfully used to train and motivate people to use MRP II systems more effectively. This is important today because many companies are striving to achieve World Class Manufacturing status. Closed loop Materiel Requirements Planning (MRP) systems are an integral part of the process of continuous improvement. Successfully using a formal management planning system, such as MRP II, is a fundamental stepping stone on the path toward World Class Excellence. Included in this article are techniques that companies use to reduce lead time, simplify bills of materiel, and improve schedule adherence. These and other steps all depend on the people who use the system. The focus will be on how companies use the MRP tool more effectively.

21 CFR 801.420 - Hearing aid devices; professional and patient labeling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

.... (ii) History of active drainage from the ear within the previous 90 days. (iii) History of sudden or...). (ii) Frequency response curve. (iii) Average saturation output (HF-Average SSPL 90). (iv) Average full-on gain (HF-Average full-on gain). (v) Reference test gain. (vi) Frequency range. (vii) Total...

21 CFR 801.420 - Hearing aid devices; professional and patient labeling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

.... (ii) History of active drainage from the ear within the previous 90 days. (iii) History of sudden or...). (ii) Frequency response curve. (iii) Average saturation output (HF-Average SSPL 90). (iv) Average full-on gain (HF-Average full-on gain). (v) Reference test gain. (vi) Frequency range. (vii) Total...

SPARSE—A subgrid particle averaged Reynolds stress equivalent model: testing with a priori closure

PubMed Central

Davis, Sean L.; Sen, Oishik; Udaykumar, H. S.

2017-01-01

A Lagrangian particle cloud model is proposed that accounts for the effects of Reynolds-averaged particle and turbulent stresses and the averaged carrier-phase velocity of the subparticle cloud scale on the averaged motion and velocity of the cloud. The SPARSE (subgrid particle averaged Reynolds stress equivalent) model is based on a combination of a truncated Taylor expansion of a drag correction function and Reynolds averaging. It reduces the required number of computational parcels to trace a cloud of particles in Eulerian–Lagrangian methods for the simulation of particle-laden flow. Closure is performed in an a priori manner using a reference simulation where all particles in the cloud are traced individually with a point-particle model. Comparison of a first-order model and SPARSE with the reference simulation in one dimension shows that both the stress and the averaging of the carrier-phase velocity on the cloud subscale affect the averaged motion of the particle. A three-dimensional isotropic turbulence computation shows that only one computational parcel is sufficient to accurately trace a cloud of tens of thousands of particles. PMID:28413341

SPARSE-A subgrid particle averaged Reynolds stress equivalent model: testing with a priori closure.

PubMed

Davis, Sean L; Jacobs, Gustaaf B; Sen, Oishik; Udaykumar, H S

2017-03-01

A Lagrangian particle cloud model is proposed that accounts for the effects of Reynolds-averaged particle and turbulent stresses and the averaged carrier-phase velocity of the subparticle cloud scale on the averaged motion and velocity of the cloud. The SPARSE (subgrid particle averaged Reynolds stress equivalent) model is based on a combination of a truncated Taylor expansion of a drag correction function and Reynolds averaging. It reduces the required number of computational parcels to trace a cloud of particles in Eulerian-Lagrangian methods for the simulation of particle-laden flow. Closure is performed in an a priori manner using a reference simulation where all particles in the cloud are traced individually with a point-particle model. Comparison of a first-order model and SPARSE with the reference simulation in one dimension shows that both the stress and the averaging of the carrier-phase velocity on the cloud subscale affect the averaged motion of the particle. A three-dimensional isotropic turbulence computation shows that only one computational parcel is sufficient to accurately trace a cloud of tens of thousands of particles.

Occupational exposure assessment of magnetic fields generated by induction heating equipment-the role of spatial averaging.

PubMed

Kos, Bor; Valič, Blaž; Kotnik, Tadej; Gajšek, Peter

2012-10-07

Induction heating equipment is a source of strong and nonhomogeneous magnetic fields, which can exceed occupational reference levels. We investigated a case of an induction tempering tunnel furnace. Measurements of the emitted magnetic flux density (B) were performed during its operation and used to validate a numerical model of the furnace. This model was used to compute the values of B and the induced in situ electric field (E) for 15 different body positions relative to the source. For each body position, the computed B values were used to determine their maximum and average values, using six spatial averaging schemes (9-285 averaging points) and two averaging algorithms (arithmetic mean and quadratic mean). Maximum and average B values were compared to the ICNIRP reference level, and E values to the ICNIRP basic restriction. Our results show that in nonhomogeneous fields, the maximum B is an overly conservative predictor of overexposure, as it yields many false positives. The average B yielded fewer false positives, but as the number of averaging points increased, false negatives emerged. The most reliable averaging schemes were obtained for averaging over the torso with quadratic averaging, with no false negatives even for the maximum number of averaging points investigated.

A finite element analysis of the effect of electrode area and inter-electrode distance on the spatial distribution of the current density in tDCS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faria, Paula; Hallett, Mark; Cavaleiro Miranda, Pedro

2011-12-01

We investigated the effect of electrode area and inter-electrode distance on the spatial distribution of the current density in transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). For this purpose, we used the finite element method to compute the distribution of the current density in a four-layered spherical head model using various electrode montages, corresponding to a range of electrode sizes and inter-electrode distances. We found that smaller electrodes required slightly less current to achieve a constant value of the current density at a reference point on the brain surface located directly under the electrode center. Under these conditions, smaller electrodes also produced a more focal current density distribution in the brain, i.e. the magnitude of the current density fell more rapidly with distance from the reference point. The combination of two electrodes with different areas produced an asymmetric current distribution that could lead to more effective and localized neural modulation under the smaller electrode than under the larger one. Focality improved rapidly with decreasing electrode size when the larger electrode sizes were considered but the improvement was less marked for the smaller electrode sizes. Also, focality was not affected significantly by inter-electrode distance unless two large electrodes were placed close together. Increasing the inter-electrode distance resulted in decreased shunting of the current through the scalp and the cerebrospinal fluid, and decreasing electrode area resulted in increased current density on the scalp under the edges of the electrode. Our calculations suggest that when working with conventional electrodes (25-35 cm2), one of the electrodes should be placed just 'behind' the target relative to the other electrode, for maximum current density on the target. Also electrodes with areas in the range 3.5-12 cm2 may provide a better compromise between focality and current density in the scalp than the traditional electrodes. Finally, the use of multiple small return electrodes may be more efficient than the use of a single large return electrode.

Stable fiber-optic time transfer by active radio frequency phase locking.

PubMed

Yin, Feifei; Wu, Zhongle; Dai, Yitang; Ren, Tianpeng; Xu, Kun; Lin, Jintong; Tang, Geshi

2014-05-15

In this Letter we demonstrate a fiber link capable of stable time signal transfer utilizing our active long-distance radio frequency (RF) stabilization technology. Taking advantage of the chromatic dispersion in optical fiber, our scheme compensates dynamically the link delay variation by tuning the optical carrier wavelength to phase lock a round-trip RF reference. Since the time signal and the RF reference are carried by the same optical carrier, a highly stable time transfer is achieved at the same time. Experimentally, we demonstrate a stability of the time signal transfer over 50-km fiber with a time deviation of 40 ps at 1-s average and 2.3 ps at 1000-s average. The performance of the RF reference delivery is also tested, with an Allan deviation of 2×10(-15) at 1000-s average. According to our proposal, a simultaneous stable time and frequency transfer is expected.

Robust Averaging of Covariances for EEG Recordings Classification in Motor Imagery Brain-Computer Interfaces.

PubMed

Uehara, Takashi; Sartori, Matteo; Tanaka, Toshihisa; Fiori, Simone

2017-06-01

The estimation of covariance matrices is of prime importance to analyze the distribution of multivariate signals. In motor imagery-based brain-computer interfaces (MI-BCI), covariance matrices play a central role in the extraction of features from recorded electroencephalograms (EEGs); therefore, correctly estimating covariance is crucial for EEG classification. This letter discusses algorithms to average sample covariance matrices (SCMs) for the selection of the reference matrix in tangent space mapping (TSM)-based MI-BCI. Tangent space mapping is a powerful method of feature extraction and strongly depends on the selection of a reference covariance matrix. In general, the observed signals may include outliers; therefore, taking the geometric mean of SCMs as the reference matrix may not be the best choice. In order to deal with the effects of outliers, robust estimators have to be used. In particular, we discuss and test the use of geometric medians and trimmed averages (defined on the basis of several metrics) as robust estimators. The main idea behind trimmed averages is to eliminate data that exhibit the largest distance from the average covariance calculated on the basis of all available data. The results of the experiments show that while the geometric medians show little differences from conventional methods in terms of classification accuracy in the classification of electroencephalographic recordings, the trimmed averages show significant improvement for all subjects.

Data mining and visualization of average images in a digital hand atlas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Aifeng; Gertych, Arkadiusz; Liu, Brent J.; Huang, H. K.

2005-04-01

We have collected a digital hand atlas containing digitized left hand radiographs of normally developed children grouped accordingly by age, sex, and race. A set of features stored in a database reflecting patient's stage of skeletal development has been calculated by automatic image processing procedures. This paper addresses a new concept, "average" image in the digital hand atlas. The "average" reference image in the digital atlas is selected for each of the groups of normal developed children with the best representative skeletal maturity based on bony features. A data mining procedure was designed and applied to find the average image through average feature vector matching. It also provides a temporary solution for the missing feature problem through polynomial regression. As more cases are added to the digital hand atlas, it can grow to provide clinicians accurate reference images to aid the bone age assessment process.

Do generic firms and the Spanish public purchaser respond to consumer price differences of generics under reference pricing?

PubMed

Puig-Junoy, Jaume; Moreno-Torres, Iván

2010-12-01

To assess the impact of competition on the consumer price and the average price paid by the National Health System (NHS) under reference pricing in the Spanish generic market. Descriptive analysis of the time trend in consumer prices before and after the application of reference pricing for the eight most sold active ingredients from 1997 to 2009. The entry of a generic at a lower consumer price than that of the brand-name pharmaceutical or the first generic does not cause a voluntary reduction in the consumer price of either the brand drug or the first generic, either before or after the application of RP. Generic entry at a lower consumer price than previously existing pharmaceuticals always causes a slight reduction in the average price paid by the NHS; however, the average price paid by the NHS is always notably higher than the lowest, the difference being greater in relative terms under reference pricing. The Spanish RP system results in very little consumer price competition between generic firms, price reduction thus being limited to regulatory measures. NHS purchases show little sensitivity to price differences between equivalent drugs priced at or below the reference price. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global methylmercury exposure from seafood consumption and risk of developmental neurotoxicity: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Burke, Thomas A; Navas-Acien, Ana; Breysse, Patrick N; McGready, John; Fox, Mary A

2014-01-01

Abstract Objective To examine biomarkers of methylmercury (MeHg) intake in women and infants from seafood-consuming populations globally and characterize the comparative risk of fetal developmental neurotoxicity. Methods A search was conducted of the published literature reporting total mercury (Hg) in hair and blood in women and infants. These biomarkers are validated proxy measures of MeHg, a neurotoxin found primarily in seafood. Average and high-end biomarkers were extracted, stratified by seafood consumption context, and pooled by category. Medians for average and high-end pooled distributions were compared with the reference level established by a joint expert committee of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Findings Selection criteria were met by 164 studies of women and infants from 43 countries. Pooled average biomarkers suggest an intake of MeHg several times over the FAO/WHO reference in fish-consuming riparians living near small-scale gold mining and well over the reference in consumers of marine mammals in Arctic regions. In coastal regions of south-eastern Asia, the western Pacific and the Mediterranean, average biomarkers approach the reference. Although the two former groups have a higher risk of neurotoxicity than the latter, coastal regions are home to the largest number at risk. High-end biomarkers across all categories indicate MeHg intake is in excess of the reference value. Conclusion There is a need for policies to reduce Hg exposure among women and infants and for surveillance in high-risk populations, the majority of which live in low-and middle-income countries. PMID:24700993

Global methylmercury exposure from seafood consumption and risk of developmental neurotoxicity: a systematic review.

PubMed

Sheehan, Mary C; Burke, Thomas A; Navas-Acien, Ana; Breysse, Patrick N; McGready, John; Fox, Mary A

2014-04-01

To examine biomarkers of methylmercury (MeHg) intake in women and infants from seafood-consuming populations globally and characterize the comparative risk of fetal developmental neurotoxicity. A search was conducted of the published literature reporting total mercury (Hg) in hair and blood in women and infants. These biomarkers are validated proxy measures of MeHg, a neurotoxin found primarily in seafood. Average and high-end biomarkers were extracted, stratified by seafood consumption context, and pooled by category. Medians for average and high-end pooled distributions were compared with the reference level established by a joint expert committee of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Selection criteria were met by 164 studies of women and infants from 43 countries. Pooled average biomarkers suggest an intake of MeHg several times over the FAO/WHO reference in fish-consuming riparians living near small-scale gold mining and well over the reference in consumers of marine mammals in Arctic regions. In coastal regions of south-eastern Asia, the western Pacific and the Mediterranean, average biomarkers approach the reference. Although the two former groups have a higher risk of neurotoxicity than the latter, coastal regions are home to the largest number at risk. High-end biomarkers across all categories indicate MeHg intake is in excess of the reference value. There is a need for policies to reduce Hg exposure among women and infants and for surveillance in high-risk populations, the majority of which live in low-and middle-income countries.

40 CFR Table 2a to Subpart Ce of... - Emissions Limits for Small HMIWI Which Meet the Criteria Under § 60.33e(b)(1)

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... time 1 Method for demonstrating compliance 2 Particulate matter mg/dscm (gr/dscf) 197 (0.086) 3-run average (1-hour minimum sample time per run) EPA Reference Method 5 of appendix A-3 of part 60, or EPA Reference Method 26A or 29 of appendix A-8 of part 60. Carbon monoxide ppmv 40 3-run average (1-hour minimum...

40 CFR Table 2b to Subpart Ce of... - Emissions Limits for Small HMIWI Which Meet the Criteria Under § 60.33e(b)(2)

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... time 1 Method for demonstrating compliance 2 Particulate matter mg/dscm (gr/dscf) 87 (0.038) 3-run average (1-hour minimum sample time per run) EPA Reference Method 5 of appendix A-3 of part 60, or EPA Reference Method 26A or 29 of appendix A-8 of part 60. Carbon monoxide ppmv 20 3-run average (1-hour minimum...

A Frequency Domain Approach to Pretest Analysis Model Correlation and Model Updating for the Mid-Frequency Range

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-01

range of modal analysis and the high frequency region of statistical energy analysis , is referred to as the mid-frequency range. The corresponding...frequency range of modal analysis and the high frequency region of statistical energy analysis , is referred to as the mid-frequency range. The...predictions. The averaging process is consistent with the averaging done in statistical energy analysis for stochastic systems. The FEM will always

[Relationship between reference values of fibrinogen and geographical factors based on neural network analysis].

PubMed

Li, Meng-Jiao; Ge, Miao; Wang, Cong-Xia; Cen, Min-Yi; Jiang, Ji-Lin; He, Jin-Wei; Lin, Qian-Yi; Liu, Xin

2016-08-20

To analyze the relationship between the reference values of fibrinogen (FIB) in healthy Chinese adults and geographical factors to provide scientific evidences for establishing the uniform standard. The reference values of FIB of 10701 Chinese healthy adults from 103 cities were collected to investigate their relationship with 18 geographical factors including spatial index, terrain index, climate index, and soil index. Geographical factors that significantly correlated with the reference values were selected for constructing the BP neural network model. The spatial distribution map of the reference value of FIB of healthy Chinese adults was fitted by disjunctive kriging interpolation. We used the 5-layer neural network and selected 2000 times of training covering 11 hidden layers to build the simulation rule for simulating the relationship between FIB and geographical environmental factors using the MATLAB software. s The reference value of FIB in healthy Chinese adults was significantly correlated with the latitude, sunshine duration, annual average temperature, annual average relative humidity, annual precipitation, annual range of air temperature, average annual soil gravel content, and soil cation exchange capacity (silt). The artificial neural networks were created to analyze the simulation of the selected indicators of geographical factors. The spatial distribution map of the reference values of FIB in healthy Chinese adults showed a distribution pattern that FIB levels were higher in the South and lower in the North, and higher in the East and lower in the West. When the geographical factors of a certain area are known, the reference values of FIB in healthy Chinese adults can be obtained by establishing the neural network mode or plotting the spatial distribution map.

Authenticity examination of compressed audio recordings using detection of multiple compression and encoders' identification.

PubMed

Korycki, Rafal

2014-05-01

Since the appearance of digital audio recordings, audio authentication has been becoming increasingly difficult. The currently available technologies and free editing software allow a forger to cut or paste any single word without audible artifacts. Nowadays, the only method referring to digital audio files commonly approved by forensic experts is the ENF criterion. It consists in fluctuation analysis of the mains frequency induced in electronic circuits of recording devices. Therefore, its effectiveness is strictly dependent on the presence of mains signal in the recording, which is a rare occurrence. Recently, much attention has been paid to authenticity analysis of compressed multimedia files and several solutions were proposed for detection of double compression in both digital video and digital audio. This paper addresses the problem of tampering detection in compressed audio files and discusses new methods that can be used for authenticity analysis of digital recordings. Presented approaches consist in evaluation of statistical features extracted from the MDCT coefficients as well as other parameters that may be obtained from compressed audio files. Calculated feature vectors are used for training selected machine learning algorithms. The detection of multiple compression covers up tampering activities as well as identification of traces of montage in digital audio recordings. To enhance the methods' robustness an encoder identification algorithm was developed and applied based on analysis of inherent parameters of compression. The effectiveness of tampering detection algorithms is tested on a predefined large music database consisting of nearly one million of compressed audio files. The influence of compression algorithms' parameters on the classification performance is discussed, based on the results of the current study. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design and validation of a wearable "DRL-less" EEG using a novel fully-reconfigurable architecture.

PubMed

Mahajan, Ruhi; Morshed, Bashir I; Bidelman, Gavin M

2016-08-01

The conventional EEG system consists of a driven-right-leg (DRL) circuit, which prohibits modularization of the system. We propose a Lego-like connectable fully reconfigurable architecture of wearable EEG that can be easily customized and deployed at naturalistic settings for collecting neurological data. We have designed a novel Analog Front End (AFE) that eliminates the need for DRL while maintaining a comparable signal quality of EEG. We have prototyped this AFE for a single channel EEG, referred to as Smart Sensing Node (SSN), that senses brain signals and sends it to a Command Control Node (CCN) via an I2C bus. The AFE of each SSN (referential-montage) consists of an off-the-shelf instrumentation amplifier (gain=26), an active notch filter fc = 60Hz), 2nd-order active Butterworth low-pass filter followed by a passive low pass filter (fc = 47.5 Hz, gain = 1.61) and a passive high pass filter fc = 0.16 Hz, gain = 0.83). The filtered signals are digitized using a low-power microcontroller (MSP430F5528) with a 12-bit ADC at 512 sps, and transmitted to the CCN every 1 s at a bus rate of 100 kbps. The CCN can further transmit this data wirelessly using Bluetooth to the paired computer at a baud rate of 115.2 kbps. We have compared temporal and frequency-domain EEG signals of our system with a research-grade EEG. Results show that the proposed reconfigurable EEG captures comparable signals, and is thus promising for practical routine neurological monitoring in non-clinical settings where a flexible number of EEG channels are needed.

Transcranial Electric Stimulation for Precision Medicine: A Spatiomechanistic Framework

PubMed Central

Yavari, Fatemeh; Nitsche, Michael A.; Ekhtiari, Hamed

2017-01-01

During recent years, non-invasive brain stimulation, including transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) in general, and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in particular, have created new hopes for treatment of neurological and psychiatric diseases. Despite promising primary results in some brain disorders, a more widespread application of tES is hindered by the unsolved question of determining optimum stimulation protocols to receive meaningful therapeutic effects. tES has a large parameter space including various montages and stimulation parameters. Moreover, inter- and intra-individual differences in responding to stimulation protocols have to be taken into account. These factors contribute to the complexity of selecting potentially effective protocols for each disorder, different clusters of each disorder, and even each single patient. Expanding knowledge in different dimensions of basic and clinical neuroscience could help researchers and clinicians to select potentially effective protocols based on tES modulatory mechanisms for future clinical studies. In this article, we propose a heuristic spatiomechanistic framework which contains nine levels to address tES effects on brain functions. Three levels refer to the spatial resolution (local, small-scale networks and large-scale networks) and three levels of tES modulatory effects based on its mechanisms of action (neurochemical, neuroelectrical and oscillatory modulations). At the group level, this framework could be helpful to enable an informed and systematic exploration of various possible protocols for targeting a brain disorder or its neuroscience-based clusters. Considering recent advances in exploration of neurodiversity at the individual level with different brain mapping technologies, the proposed framework might also be used in combination with personal data to design individualized protocols for tES in the context of precision medicine in the future. PMID:28450832

Transcranial direct current stimulation facilitates cognitive multi-task performance differentially depending on anode location and subtask

PubMed Central

Scheldrup, Melissa; Greenwood, Pamela M.; McKendrick, Ryan; Strohl, Jon; Bikson, Marom; Alam, Mahtab; McKinley, R. Andy; Parasuraman, Raja

2014-01-01

There is a need to facilitate acquisition of real world cognitive multi-tasks that require long periods of training (e.g., air traffic control, intelligence analysis, medicine). Non-invasive brain stimulation—specifically transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)—has promise as a method to speed multi-task training. We hypothesized that during acquisition of the complex multi-task Space Fortress, subtasks that require focused attention on ship control would benefit from tDCS aimed at the dorsal attention network while subtasks that require redirection of attention would benefit from tDCS aimed at the right hemisphere ventral attention network. We compared effects of 30 min prefrontal and parietal stimulation to right and left hemispheres on subtask performance during the first 45 min of training. The strongest effects both overall and for ship flying (control and velocity subtasks) were seen with a right parietal (C4, reference to left shoulder) montage, shown by modeling to induce an electric field that includes nodes in both dorsal and ventral attention networks. This is consistent with the re-orienting hypothesis that the ventral attention network is activated along with the dorsal attention network if a new, task-relevant event occurs while visuospatial attention is focused (Corbetta et al., 2008). No effects were seen with anodes over sites that stimulated only dorsal (C3) or only ventral (F10) attention networks. The speed subtask (update memory for symbols) benefited from an F9 anode over left prefrontal cortex. These results argue for development of tDCS as a training aid in real world settings where multi-tasking is critical. PMID:25249958

Transcranial direct current stimulation facilitates cognitive multi-task performance differentially depending on anode location and subtask.

PubMed

Scheldrup, Melissa; Greenwood, Pamela M; McKendrick, Ryan; Strohl, Jon; Bikson, Marom; Alam, Mahtab; McKinley, R Andy; Parasuraman, Raja

2014-01-01

There is a need to facilitate acquisition of real world cognitive multi-tasks that require long periods of training (e.g., air traffic control, intelligence analysis, medicine). Non-invasive brain stimulation-specifically transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)-has promise as a method to speed multi-task training. We hypothesized that during acquisition of the complex multi-task Space Fortress, subtasks that require focused attention on ship control would benefit from tDCS aimed at the dorsal attention network while subtasks that require redirection of attention would benefit from tDCS aimed at the right hemisphere ventral attention network. We compared effects of 30 min prefrontal and parietal stimulation to right and left hemispheres on subtask performance during the first 45 min of training. The strongest effects both overall and for ship flying (control and velocity subtasks) were seen with a right parietal (C4, reference to left shoulder) montage, shown by modeling to induce an electric field that includes nodes in both dorsal and ventral attention networks. This is consistent with the re-orienting hypothesis that the ventral attention network is activated along with the dorsal attention network if a new, task-relevant event occurs while visuospatial attention is focused (Corbetta et al., 2008). No effects were seen with anodes over sites that stimulated only dorsal (C3) or only ventral (F10) attention networks. The speed subtask (update memory for symbols) benefited from an F9 anode over left prefrontal cortex. These results argue for development of tDCS as a training aid in real world settings where multi-tasking is critical.

Binaural pitch fusion: Pitch averaging and dominance in hearing-impaired listeners with broad fusion.

PubMed

Oh, Yonghee; Reiss, Lina A J

2017-08-01

Both bimodal cochlear implant and bilateral hearing aid users can exhibit broad binaural pitch fusion, the fusion of dichotically presented tones over a broad range of pitch differences between ears [Reiss, Ito, Eggleston, and Wozny. (2014). J. Assoc. Res. Otolaryngol. 15(2), 235-248; Reiss, Eggleston, Walker, and Oh. (2016). J. Assoc. Res. Otolaryngol. 17(4), 341-356; Reiss, Shayman, Walker, Bennett, Fowler, Hartling, Glickman, Lasarev, and Oh. (2017). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 143(3), 1909-1920]. Further, the fused binaural pitch is often a weighted average of the different pitches perceived in the two ears. The current study was designed to systematically measure these pitch averaging phenomena in bilateral hearing aid users with broad fusion. The fused binaural pitch of the reference-pair tone combination was initially measured by pitch-matching to monaural comparison tones presented to the pair tone ear. The averaged results for all subjects showed two distinct trends: (1) The fused binaural pitch was dominated by the lower-pitch component when the pair tone was either 0.14 octaves below or 0.78 octaves above the reference tone; (2) pitch averaging occurred when the pair tone was between the two boundaries above, with the most equal weighting at 0.38 octaves above the reference tone. Findings from two subjects suggest that randomization or alternation of the comparison ear can eliminate this asymmetry in the pitch averaging range. Overall, these pitch averaging phenomena suggest that spectral distortions and thus binaural interference may arise during binaural stimulation in hearing-impaired listeners with broad fusion.

Demonizing in children's television cartoons and Disney animated films.

PubMed

Fouts, Gregory; Callan, Mitchell; Piasentin, Kelly; Lawson, Andrea

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of demonizing in the two major media that young children use (television and movies). Two content analyses were conducted using the animated feature films (n = 34) of the Walt Disney Company and after-school cartoons (n = 41). Each was coded for the modeling of the use of "evil" words when referring to a person, e.g., monster, devil, demon, wicked. Seventy-four percent of the Disney films contained "evil" references, with an average of 5.6 references per film. Forty-four percent of the after-school cartoons contained "evil" references, with an average of one per cartoon. The results are discussed within the context of children's repeated exposure to popular animated movies and cartoons and their learning to demonize people who engage in perceived "bad" behaviors.

Basic Restriction and Reference Level in Anatomically-based Japanese Models for Low-Frequency Electric and Magnetic Field Exposures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takano, Yukinori; Hirata, Akimasa; Fujiwara, Osamu

Human exposed to electric and/or magnetic fields at low frequencies may cause direct effect such as nerve stimulation and excitation. Therefore, basic restriction is regulated in terms of induced current density in the ICNIRP guidelines and in-situ electric field in the IEEE standard. External electric or magnetic field which does not produce induced quantities exceeding the basic restriction is used as a reference level. The relationship between the basic restriction and reference level for low-frequency electric and magnetic fields has been investigated using European anatomic models, while limited for Japanese model, especially for electric field exposures. In addition, that relationship has not well been discussed. In the present study, we calculated the induced quantities in anatomic Japanese male and female models exposed to electric and magnetic fields at reference level. A quasi static finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method was applied to analyze this problem. As a result, spatially averaged induced current density was found to be more sensitive to averaging algorithms than that of in-situ electric field. For electric and magnetic field exposure at the ICNIRP reference level, the maximum values of the induced current density for different averaging algorithm were smaller than the basic restriction for most cases. For exposures at the reference level in the IEEE standard, the maximum electric fields in the brain were larger than the basic restriction in the brain while smaller for the spinal cord and heart.

Congressional Black Caucus meets with NASA

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-01-13

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, space shuttle crew STS-129 and members of the Congressional Black Caucus pose for a group photo at the Capitol Building, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010, in Washington. Back row from left to right: U.S. Rep Donna Edwards (D-MD), U.S. Rep Diane Watson (D-CA), NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, astronauts Leland Melvin, Mike Foreman, Robert Satcher, Barry Wilmore, Randy Breznik, and U.S. Rep Mel Watt (D-NC). Front row from left to right: U.S. Rep Robert Scott (D-VA), U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla), U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), U.S. Rep. Donna Christensen (D-VI) and U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ). The crew of STS-129 presented the CBC with a montage commemorating their mission. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

Bio-heat transfer model of electroconvulsive therapy: Effect of biological properties on induced temperature variation.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Marilia M; Wen, Paul; Ahfock, Tony

2016-08-01

A realistic human head model consisting of six tissue layers was modelled to investigate the behavior of temperature profile and magnitude when applying electroconvulsive therapy stimulation and different biological properties. The thermo-electrical model was constructed with the use of bio-heat transfer equation and Laplace equation. Three different electrode montages were analyzed as well as the influence of blood perfusion, metabolic heat and electric and thermal conductivity in the scalp. Also, the effect of including the fat layer was investigated. The results showed that temperature increase is inversely proportional to electrical and thermal conductivity increase. Furthermore, the inclusion of blood perfusion slightly drops the peak temperature. Finally, the inclusion of fat is highly recommended in order to acquire more realistic results from the thermo-electrical models.

Hemodynamic Response to Interictal Epileptiform Discharges Addressed by Personalized EEG-fNIRS Recordings

PubMed Central

Pellegrino, Giovanni; Machado, Alexis; von Ellenrieder, Nicolas; Watanabe, Satsuki; Hall, Jeffery A.; Lina, Jean-Marc; Kobayashi, Eliane; Grova, Christophe

2016-01-01

Objective: We aimed at studying the hemodynamic response (HR) to Interictal Epileptic Discharges (IEDs) using patient-specific and prolonged simultaneous ElectroEncephaloGraphy (EEG) and functional Near InfraRed Spectroscopy (fNIRS) recordings. Methods: The epileptic generator was localized using Magnetoencephalography source imaging. fNIRS montage was tailored for each patient, using an algorithm to optimize the sensitivity to the epileptic generator. Optodes were glued using collodion to achieve prolonged acquisition with high quality signal. fNIRS data analysis was handled with no a priori constraint on HR time course, averaging fNIRS signals to similar IEDs. Cluster-permutation analysis was performed on 3D reconstructed fNIRS data to identify significant spatio-temporal HR clusters. Standard (GLM with fixed HRF) and cluster-permutation EEG-fMRI analyses were performed for comparison purposes. Results: fNIRS detected HR to IEDs for 8/9 patients. It mainly consisted oxy-hemoglobin increases (seven patients), followed by oxy-hemoglobin decreases (six patients). HR was lateralized in six patients and lasted from 8.5 to 30 s. Standard EEG-fMRI analysis detected an HR in 4/9 patients (4/9 without enough IEDs, 1/9 unreliable result). The cluster-permutation EEG-fMRI analysis restricted to the region investigated by fNIRS showed additional strong and non-canonical BOLD responses starting earlier than the IEDs and lasting up to 30 s. Conclusions: (i) EEG-fNIRS is suitable to detect the HR to IEDs and can outperform EEG-fMRI because of prolonged recordings and greater chance to detect IEDs; (ii) cluster-permutation analysis unveils additional HR features underestimated when imposing a canonical HR function (iii) the HR is often bilateral and lasts up to 30 s. PMID:27047325

Spine surgery cost reduction at a specialized treatment center

PubMed Central

Viola, Dan Carai Maia; Lenza, Mario; de Almeida, Suze Luize Ferraz; dos Santos, Oscar Fernando Pavão; Cendoroglo, Miguel; Lottenberg, Claudio Luiz; Ferretti, Mario

2013-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective To compare the estimated cost of treatment of spinal disorders to those of this treatment in a specialized center. Methods An evaluation of average treatment costs of 399 patients referred by a Health Insurance Company for evaluation and treatment at the Spine Treatment Reference Center of Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein. All patients presented with an indication for surgical treatment before being referred for assessment. Of the total number of patients referred, only 54 underwent surgical treatment and 112 received a conservative treatment with motor physical therapy and acupuncture. The costs of both treatments were calculated based on a previously agreed table of values for reimbursement for each phase of treatment. Results Patients treated non-surgically had an average treatment cost of US$ 1,650.00, while patients treated surgically had an average cost of US$ 18,520.00. The total estimated cost of the cohort of patients treated was US$ 1,184,810.00, which represents a 158.5% decrease relative to the total cost projected for these same patients if the initial type of treatment indicated were performed. Conclusion Treatment carried out within a center specialized in treating spine pathologies has global costs lower than those regularly observed. PMID:23579752

[Geographical distribution of the Serum creatinine reference values of healthy adults].

PubMed

Wei, De-Zhi; Ge, Miao; Wang, Cong-Xia; Lin, Qian-Yi; Li, Meng-Jiao; Li, Peng

2016-11-20

To explore the relationship between serum creatinine (Scr) reference values in healthy adults and geographic factors and provide evidence for establishing Scr reference values in different regions. We collected 29 697 Scr reference values from healthy adults measured by 347 medical facilities from 23 provinces, 4 municipalities and 5 autonomous regions. We chose 23 geographical factors and analyzed their correlation with Scr reference values to identify the factors correlated significantly with Scr reference values. According to the Principal component analysis and Ridge regression analysis, two predictive models were constructed and the optimal model was chosen after comparison of the two model's fitting degree of predicted results and measured results. The distribution map of Scr reference values was drawn using the Kriging interpolation method. Seven geographic factors, including latitude, annual sunshine duration, annual average temperature, annual average relative humidity, annual precipitation, annual temperature range and topsoil (silt) cation exchange capacity were found to correlate significantly with Scr reference values. The overall distribution of Scr reference values featured a pattern that the values were high in the south and low in the north, varying consistently with the latitude change. The data of the geographic factors in a given region allows the prediction of the Scr values in healthy adults. Analysis of these geographical factors can facilitate the determination of the reference values specific to a region to improve the accuracy for clinical diagnoses.

Resonance behaviour of whole-body averaged specific energy absorption rate (SAR) in the female voxel model, NAOMI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimbylow, Peter

2005-09-01

Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations have been performed of the whole-body averaged specific energy absorption rate (SAR) in a female voxel model, NAOMI, under isolated and grounded conditions from 10 MHz to 3 GHz. The 2 mm resolution voxel model, NAOMI, was scaled to a height of 1.63 m and a mass of 60 kg, the dimensions of the ICRP reference adult female. Comparison was made with SAR values from a reference male voxel model, NORMAN. A broad SAR resonance in the NAOMI values was found around 900 MHz and a resulting enhancement, up to 25%, over the values for the male voxel model, NORMAN. This latter result confirmed previously reported higher values in a female model. The effect of differences in anatomy was investigated by comparing values for 10-, 5- and 1-year-old phantoms rescaled to the ICRP reference values of height and mass which are the same for both sexes. The broad resonance in the NAOMI child values around 1 GHz is still a strong feature. A comparison has been made with ICNIRP guidelines. The ICNIRP occupational reference level provides a conservative estimate of the whole-body averaged SAR restriction. The linear scaling of the adult phantom using different factors in longitudinal and transverse directions, in order to match the ICRP stature and weight, does not exactly reproduce the anatomy of children. However, for public exposure the calculations with scaled child models indicate that the ICNIRP reference level may not provide a conservative estimate of the whole-body averaged SAR restriction, above 1.2 GHz for scaled 5- and 1-year-old female models, although any underestimate is by less than 20%.

Resonance behaviour of whole-body averaged specific energy absorption rate (SAR) in the female voxel model, NAOMI.

PubMed

Dimbylow, Peter

2005-09-07

Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations have been performed of the whole-body averaged specific energy absorption rate (SAR) in a female voxel model, NAOMI, under isolated and grounded conditions from 10 MHz to 3 GHz. The 2 mm resolution voxel model, NAOMI, was scaled to a height of 1.63 m and a mass of 60 kg, the dimensions of the ICRP reference adult female. Comparison was made with SAR values from a reference male voxel model, NORMAN. A broad SAR resonance in the NAOMI values was found around 900 MHz and a resulting enhancement, up to 25%, over the values for the male voxel model, NORMAN. This latter result confirmed previously reported higher values in a female model. The effect of differences in anatomy was investigated by comparing values for 10-, 5- and 1-year-old phantoms rescaled to the ICRP reference values of height and mass which are the same for both sexes. The broad resonance in the NAOMI child values around 1 GHz is still a strong feature. A comparison has been made with ICNIRP guidelines. The ICNIRP occupational reference level provides a conservative estimate of the whole-body averaged SAR restriction. The linear scaling of the adult phantom using different factors in longitudinal and transverse directions, in order to match the ICRP stature and weight, does not exactly reproduce the anatomy of children. However, for public exposure the calculations with scaled child models indicate that the ICNIRP reference level may not provide a conservative estimate of the whole-body averaged SAR restriction, above 1.2 GHz for scaled 5- and 1-year-old female models, although any underestimate is by less than 20%.

The importance of group-wise registration in tract based spatial statistics study of neurodegeneration: a simulation study in Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Keihaninejad, Shiva; Ryan, Natalie S; Malone, Ian B; Modat, Marc; Cash, David; Ridgway, Gerard R; Zhang, Hui; Fox, Nick C; Ourselin, Sebastien

2012-01-01

Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) is a popular method for the analysis of diffusion tensor imaging data. TBSS focuses on differences in white matter voxels with high fractional anisotropy (FA), representing the major fibre tracts, through registering all subjects to a common reference and the creation of a FA skeleton. This work considers the effect of choice of reference in the TBSS pipeline, which can be a standard template, an individual subject from the study, a study-specific template or a group-wise average. While TBSS attempts to overcome registration error by searching the neighbourhood perpendicular to the FA skeleton for the voxel with maximum FA, this projection step may not compensate for large registration errors that might occur in the presence of pathology such as atrophy in neurodegenerative diseases. This makes registration performance and choice of reference an important issue. Substantial work in the field of computational anatomy has shown the use of group-wise averages to reduce biases while avoiding the arbitrary selection of a single individual. Here, we demonstrate the impact of the choice of reference on: (a) specificity (b) sensitivity in a simulation study and (c) a real-world comparison of Alzheimer's disease patients to controls. In (a) and (b), simulated deformations and decreases in FA were applied to control subjects to simulate changes of shape and WM integrity similar to what would be seen in AD patients, in order to provide a "ground truth" for evaluating the various methods of TBSS reference. Using a group-wise average atlas as the reference outperformed other references in the TBSS pipeline in all evaluations.

The Importance of Group-Wise Registration in Tract Based Spatial Statistics Study of Neurodegeneration: A Simulation Study in Alzheimer's Disease

PubMed Central

Keihaninejad, Shiva; Ryan, Natalie S.; Malone, Ian B.; Modat, Marc; Cash, David; Ridgway, Gerard R.; Zhang, Hui; Fox, Nick C.; Ourselin, Sebastien

2012-01-01

Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) is a popular method for the analysis of diffusion tensor imaging data. TBSS focuses on differences in white matter voxels with high fractional anisotropy (FA), representing the major fibre tracts, through registering all subjects to a common reference and the creation of a FA skeleton. This work considers the effect of choice of reference in the TBSS pipeline, which can be a standard template, an individual subject from the study, a study-specific template or a group-wise average. While TBSS attempts to overcome registration error by searching the neighbourhood perpendicular to the FA skeleton for the voxel with maximum FA, this projection step may not compensate for large registration errors that might occur in the presence of pathology such as atrophy in neurodegenerative diseases. This makes registration performance and choice of reference an important issue. Substantial work in the field of computational anatomy has shown the use of group-wise averages to reduce biases while avoiding the arbitrary selection of a single individual. Here, we demonstrate the impact of the choice of reference on: (a) specificity (b) sensitivity in a simulation study and (c) a real-world comparison of Alzheimer's disease patients to controls. In (a) and (b), simulated deformations and decreases in FA were applied to control subjects to simulate changes of shape and WM integrity similar to what would be seen in AD patients, in order to provide a “ground truth” for evaluating the various methods of TBSS reference. Using a group-wise average atlas as the reference outperformed other references in the TBSS pipeline in all evaluations. PMID:23139736

Spatial averaging of fields from half-wave dipole antennas and corresponding SAR calculations in the NORMAN human voxel model between 65 MHz and 2 GHz.

PubMed

Findlay, R P; Dimbylow, P J

2009-04-21

If an antenna is located close to a person, the electric and magnetic fields produced by the antenna will vary in the region occupied by the human body. To obtain a mean value of the field for comparison with reference levels, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) recommend spatially averaging the squares of the field strength over the height the body. This study attempts to assess the validity and accuracy of spatial averaging when used for half-wave dipoles at frequencies between 65 MHz and 2 GHz and distances of lambda/2, lambda/4 and lambda/8 from the body. The differences between mean electric field values calculated using ten field measurements and that of the true averaged value were approximately 15% in the 600 MHz to 2 GHz range. The results presented suggest that the use of modern survey equipment, which takes hundreds rather than tens of measurements, is advisable to arrive at a sufficiently accurate mean field value. Whole-body averaged and peak localized SAR values, normalized to calculated spatially averaged fields, were calculated for the NORMAN voxel phantom. It was found that the reference levels were conservative for all whole-body SAR values, but not for localized SAR, particularly in the 1-2 GHz region when the dipole was positioned very close to the body. However, if the maximum field is used for normalization of calculated SAR as opposed to the lower spatially averaged value, the reference levels provide a conservative estimate of the localized SAR basic restriction for all frequencies studied.

Are chirps better than clicks and tonebursts for evoking middle latency responses?

PubMed

Atcherson, Samuel R; Moore, Page C

2014-06-01

The middle latency response (MLR) is considered a valid clinical tool for assessing the integrity of cortical and subcortical structures. Several investigators have demonstrated that a rising frequency chirp stimulus is capable of eliciting not only larger wave V amplitudes but larger MLR components as well. However, the chirp has never been specifically examined in a hemispheric electrode montage setup that is typical for neurodiagnostic application and site-of-lesion testing. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of chirp, click, and toneburst stimuli on MLR waveform peak latency and peak-to-peak amplitude in a hemispheric electrode montage setup. This study used a repeated-measures design. A total of 10 young adult participants (3 males, 7 females) with normal hearing were recruited and had negative histories of audiologic, otologic, and neurologic involvement, and no reported language or learning difficulties. MLR latencies (Na, Pa, Nb, and Pb) and peak-to-peak amplitudes (Na-Pa, Pa-Nb, and Nb-Pb) were measured for all conditions and were statistically evaluated for left hemisphere-right ear (C3-A2) and right hemisphere-left ear (C4-A1) recordings. Statistical analyses revealed no significant difference between C3-A2 and C4-A1 peak-to-peak amplitudes; therefore, data were collapsed. Stimulus comparisons revealed that Na evoked by tonebursts were statistically prolonged compared with both chirp and click, and that both Na-Pa and Pa-Nb peak-to-peak amplitudes were statistically larger for chirps compared with both clicks and tonebursts, and for clicks compared with tonebursts. The results of this study support the hypothesis that a chirp would offer a clinical advantage to the click and toneburst in overall peak-to-peak amplitude. As expected, normal-hearing participants did not exhibit hemispheric differences when comparing C3-A2 and C4-A1 peak-to-peak amplitudes demonstrating symmetric auditory brain function. However, chirp-evoked MLRs will require further study to determine its usefulness in clinical practice. American Academy of Audiology.

[Nursing care time in a teaching hospital].

PubMed

Rogenski, Karin Emília; Fugulin, Fernanda Maria Togeiro; Gaidzinski, Raquel Rapone; Rogenski, Noemi Marisa Brunet

2011-03-01

This is a quantitative exploratory, descriptive study performed with the objective to identify and analyze the performance of the average time of nursing care delivered to patients of the Inpatient Units of the University Hospital at University of São Paulo (UH-USP), from 2001 to 2005. The average nursing care time delivered to patients of the referred units was identified by applying of a mathematical equation proposed in the literature, after surveying data from the Medical and Statistical Service and based on the monthly working shifts of the nursing professionals. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics. The average nursing care time observed in most units, despite some variations, remained stable during the analyzed period. Based on this observed stability, it is concluded that the nursing staff in the referred HU-USP units has been continuously evaluated with the purposes of maintaining the average time of assistance and, thus, the quality of the care being delivered.

Death of Reference or Birth of a New Marketing Age?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, Jo

2011-01-01

Reference transactions in academic libraries have been on the decline since mid-1990. The Academic Library Survey from the National Center for Education Statistics shows an average drop of 25% in reference use from 1996-2004 with higher numbers at some institutions such as the University of Maryland which plummeted 47% (Martell, 2008). The…

[Low caloric value and high salt content in the meals served in school canteens].

PubMed

Paiva, Isabel; Pinto, Carlos; Queirós, Laurinda; Meister, Maria Cristina; Saraiva, Margarida; Bruno, Paula; Antunes, Delfina; Afonso, Manuel

2011-01-01

School lunch can contribute to aggravate food quality, by excess or deficiency, or it can contribute to compensate and alleviate them. This school meal should be an answer to combating the epidemic of obesity, and to feed some grace children. The objective was to study the nutritional composition of catering in canteens of public schools, from Northern municipalities in the District of Porto: Vila do Conde, Póvoa de Varzim, Santo Tirso and Trofa. Meals were subjected to laboratory analysis. Thirty two meals, four per each school were analysed, reference values for the analysis of the nutritional composition of meals were dietary reference intakes (USA) and eating well at school (UK). The average energy meal content was 447 kcal and the median 440 kcal (22% of daily calories). The average values of nutrients, per meal, were: lipids 9, 8 g, carbohydrate 65,7 g and proteins 24,0 g. In average the contribution for the meal energy was: 20% fat, 59% carbohydrate and 21% protein. In more than 75% of meals the contribution of lipid content was below the lower bound of the reference range. The average content of sodium chloride per meal was 3.4 g, and the confidence interval 95% to average 3.0 to 3.8 g, well above the recommended maximum value of 1.5 grams. The average content fiber per meal was 10.8 g higher than the minimum considered appropriate. In conclusion, the value low caloric meals was mainly due to the low fat content, and content salt of any of the components of the meal was very high.

[Psychoactive drug advertising: analysis of scientific information].

PubMed

Mastroianni, Patrícia C; Noto, Ana Regina; Galduróz, José Carlos F

2008-06-01

According to the World Health Organization, medicinal drug promotion should be reliable, accurate, truthful, informative, balanced, up-to-date and capable of substantiation. The objective of the present study was to review psychoactive drug advertisements to physicians as for information consistency with the related references and accessibility of the cited references. Data was collected in the city of Araraquara, Southeastern Brazil, in 2005. There were collected and reviewed 152 drug advertisements, a total of 304 references. References were requested directly from pharmaceutical companies' customer services and searched in UNESP (Ibict, Athenas) and BIREME (SciELO, PubMed, free-access indexed journals) library network and CAPES journals. Advertisement statements were checked against references using content analysis. Of all references cited in the advertisements studied, 66.7% were accessed. Of 639 promotional statements identified, 346 (54%) were analyzed. The analysis showed that 67.7% of promotional statements in the advertisements were consistent with their references, while the remaining was either partially consistent or inconsistent. Of the material analyzed, an average 2.5 (1-28) references was cited per advertisement. In the text body, there were identified 639 pieces of information clearly associated with at least one cited reference (average 3.5 pieces of information per advertisement). The study results evidenced difficult access to the references. Messages on efficacy, safety and cost, among others, are not always supported by scientific studies. There is a need for regulation changes and effective monitoring of drug promotional materials.

Development of Chinese reference man deformable surface phantom and its application to the influence of physique on electromagnetic dosimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, D.; Wang, M.; Liu, Q.

2015-09-01

A reference man is a theoretical individual that represents the average anatomical structure and physiological and metabolic features of a specific group of people and has been widely used in radiation safety research. With the help of an advantage in deformation, the present work proposed a Chinese reference man adult-male polygon-mesh surface phantom based on the Visible Chinese Human segment image dataset by surface rendering and deforming. To investigate the influence of physique on electromagnetic dosimetry in humans, a series of human phantoms with 10th, 50th and 90th body mass index and body circumference percentile physiques for Chinese adult males were further constructed by deforming the Chinese reference man surface phantom. All the surface phantoms were then voxelized to perform electromagnetic field simulation in a frequency range of 20 MHz to 3 GHz using the finite-difference time-domain method and evaluate the whole-body average and organ average specific absorption rate and the ratios of absorbed energy in skin, fat and muscle to the whole body. The results indicate thinner physique leads to higher WBSAR and the volume of subcutaneous fat, the penetration depth of the electromagnetic field in tissues and standing-wave occurrence may be the influence factors of physique on electromagnetic dosimetry.

Measuring Changes in Salaries and Wages in Public Schools: 1988 Edition. ERS School Management Reference Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Educational Research Service, Arlington, VA.

The Educational Research Service annually reports an important statistical measure, the Composite Indicator of Changes in Average Salaries and Wages Paid by Public School Systems (CIC), which is designed to reflect overall changes in average salaries and wages paid by school systems in much the same way that the Dow Jones Average or the Standard…

Observations on the predictive value of short-term stake tests

Treesearch

Stan Lebow; Bessie Woodward; Patricia Lebow

2008-01-01

This paper compares average ratings of test stakes after 3, 4, 5, and 7 years exposure to their subsequent ratings after 11 years. Average ratings from over 200 treatment groups exposed in plots in southern Mississippi were compared to average ratings of a reference preservative. The analysis revealed that even perfect ratings after three years were not a reliable...

Measuring the differences in work ratios between pediatric and adult ophthalmologic examinations.

PubMed

Hyun, Joo; Chang, Jee Ho; Kim, Seung Hoon; Park, Song Hee; Kim, Sunghoon

2017-06-01

To assess the differences in work needed for pediatric and adult ophthalmologic examinations. Seven ophthalmology residents conducted slit-lamp and refraction examinations on children 3-7 years of age and adults 20-69 years of age. The examiners reported the magnitude estimate (ME) of their work in relation to two references (cross-reference ME): average adult examination and average pediatric examination. The examination time was also measured. For the slit-lamp examination, 50 children and 58 adults were recruited. The ME was 1.45 (95% CI, 1.30-1.62) times higher for the pediatric examinations than for the adult examinations when the reference was an average adult case. With respect to time, the pediatric examinations took 1.22 (95% CI, 1.06-1.41) times longer than the adult examinations. For the refraction examinations, 58 children and 96 adults were recruited. The ME was 1.35 (95% CI, 1.21-1.52) times higher for the pediatric examinations. The pediatric examination took 1.32 (95% CI, 1.16-1.50) times longer than the adult examination. The cross-reference ME ratios measuring the pediatric over adult examinations against both the pediatric and adult reference cases were equivalent in both the slit-lamp and the refraction examinations; however, the ME and time ratios of the pediatric over the adult examinations were not equivalent for the slit-lamp or for the refraction examinations. The cross-reference ME showed that pediatric ophthalmologic examinations require more work than the adult examination with validity and reliability. The time estimate was insufficient as a single indicator for work estimation. Copyright © 2017 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reference layer adaptive filtering (RLAF) for EEG artifact reduction in simultaneous EEG-fMRI.

PubMed

Steyrl, David; Krausz, Gunther; Koschutnig, Karl; Edlinger, Günter; Müller-Putz, Gernot R

2017-04-01

Simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) combines advantages of both methods, namely high temporal resolution of EEG and high spatial resolution of fMRI. However, EEG quality is limited due to severe artifacts caused by fMRI scanners. To improve EEG data quality substantially, we introduce methods that use a reusable reference layer EEG cap prototype in combination with adaptive filtering. The first method, reference layer adaptive filtering (RLAF), uses adaptive filtering with reference layer artifact data to optimize artifact subtraction from EEG. In the second method, multi band reference layer adaptive filtering (MBRLAF), adaptive filtering is performed on bandwidth limited sub-bands of the EEG and the reference channels. The results suggests that RLAF outperforms the baseline method, average artifact subtraction, in all settings and also its direct predecessor, reference layer artifact subtraction (RLAS), in lower (<35 Hz) frequency ranges. MBRLAF is computationally more demanding than RLAF, but highly effective in all EEG frequency ranges. Effectivity is determined by visual inspection, as well as root-mean-square voltage reduction and power reduction of EEG provided that physiological EEG components such as occipital EEG alpha power and visual evoked potentials (VEP) are preserved. We demonstrate that both, RLAF and MBRLAF, improve VEP quality. For that, we calculate the mean-squared-distance of single trial VEP to the mean VEP and estimate single trial VEP classification accuracies. We found that the average mean-squared-distance is lowest and the average classification accuracy is highest after MBLAF. RLAF was second best. In conclusion, the results suggests that RLAF and MBRLAF are potentially very effective in improving EEG quality of simultaneous EEG-fMRI. Highlights We present a new and reusable reference layer cap prototype for simultaneous EEG-fMRI We introduce new algorithms for reducing EEG artifacts due to simultaneous fMRI The algorithms combine a reference layer and adaptive filtering Several evaluation criteria suggest superior effectivity in terms of artifact reduction We demonstrate that physiological EEG components are preserved.

Reference layer adaptive filtering (RLAF) for EEG artifact reduction in simultaneous EEG-fMRI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steyrl, David; Krausz, Gunther; Koschutnig, Karl; Edlinger, Günter; Müller-Putz, Gernot R.

2017-04-01

Objective. Simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) combines advantages of both methods, namely high temporal resolution of EEG and high spatial resolution of fMRI. However, EEG quality is limited due to severe artifacts caused by fMRI scanners. Approach. To improve EEG data quality substantially, we introduce methods that use a reusable reference layer EEG cap prototype in combination with adaptive filtering. The first method, reference layer adaptive filtering (RLAF), uses adaptive filtering with reference layer artifact data to optimize artifact subtraction from EEG. In the second method, multi band reference layer adaptive filtering (MBRLAF), adaptive filtering is performed on bandwidth limited sub-bands of the EEG and the reference channels. Main results. The results suggests that RLAF outperforms the baseline method, average artifact subtraction, in all settings and also its direct predecessor, reference layer artifact subtraction (RLAS), in lower (<35 Hz) frequency ranges. MBRLAF is computationally more demanding than RLAF, but highly effective in all EEG frequency ranges. Effectivity is determined by visual inspection, as well as root-mean-square voltage reduction and power reduction of EEG provided that physiological EEG components such as occipital EEG alpha power and visual evoked potentials (VEP) are preserved. We demonstrate that both, RLAF and MBRLAF, improve VEP quality. For that, we calculate the mean-squared-distance of single trial VEP to the mean VEP and estimate single trial VEP classification accuracies. We found that the average mean-squared-distance is lowest and the average classification accuracy is highest after MBLAF. RLAF was second best. Significance. In conclusion, the results suggests that RLAF and MBRLAF are potentially very effective in improving EEG quality of simultaneous EEG-fMRI. Highlights We present a new and reusable reference layer cap prototype for simultaneous EEG-fMRI We introduce new algorithms for reducing EEG artifacts due to simultaneous fMRI The algorithms combine a reference layer and adaptive filtering Several evaluation criteria suggest superior effectivity in terms of artifact reduction We demonstrate that physiological EEG components are preserved

Recruiting Human Microbiome Shotgun Data to Site-Specific Reference Genomes

PubMed Central

Xie, Gary; Lo, Chien-Chi; Scholz, Matthew; Chain, Patrick S. G.

2014-01-01

The human body consists of innumerable multifaceted environments that predispose colonization by a number of distinct microbial communities, which play fundamental roles in human health and disease. In addition to community surveys and shotgun metagenomes that seek to explore the composition and diversity of these microbiomes, there are significant efforts to sequence reference microbial genomes from many body sites of healthy adults. To illustrate the utility of reference genomes when studying more complex metagenomes, we present a reference-based analysis of sequence reads generated from 55 shotgun metagenomes, selected from 5 major body sites, including 16 sub-sites. Interestingly, between 13% and 92% (62.3% average) of these shotgun reads were aligned to a then-complete list of 2780 reference genomes, including 1583 references for the human microbiome. However, no reference genome was universally found in all body sites. For any given metagenome, the body site-specific reference genomes, derived from the same body site as the sample, accounted for an average of 58.8% of the mapped reads. While different body sites did differ in abundant genera, proximal or symmetrical body sites were found to be most similar to one another. The extent of variation observed, both between individuals sampled within the same microenvironment, or at the same site within the same individual over time, calls into question comparative studies across individuals even if sampled at the same body site. This study illustrates the high utility of reference genomes and the need for further site-specific reference microbial genome sequencing, even within the already well-sampled human microbiome. PMID:24454771

49 CFR 525.6 - Requirements for petition.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EXEMPTIONS FROM AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY STANDARDS § 525.6 Requirements... arguments of the petitioner supporting the exemption and alternative average fuel economy standard requested... analyses used to develop that information and data. No documents may be incorporated by reference in a...

18 CFR 301.6 - Appendix 1 instructions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REGULATIONS FOR FEDERAL POWER MARKETING ADMINISTRATIONS AVERAGE SYSTEM COST METHODOLOGY... 4: Average System Cost (f) The filing Utility must reference and attach work papers, documentation... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Appendix 1 instructions...

18 CFR 301.6 - Appendix 1 instructions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REGULATIONS FOR FEDERAL POWER MARKETING ADMINISTRATIONS AVERAGE SYSTEM COST METHODOLOGY... 4: Average System Cost (f) The filing Utility must reference and attach work papers, documentation... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Appendix 1 instructions...

18 CFR 301.6 - Appendix 1 instructions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REGULATIONS FOR FEDERAL POWER MARKETING ADMINISTRATIONS AVERAGE SYSTEM COST METHODOLOGY... 4: Average System Cost (f) The filing Utility must reference and attach work papers, documentation... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Appendix 1 instructions...

18 CFR 301.6 - Appendix 1 instructions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REGULATIONS FOR FEDERAL POWER MARKETING ADMINISTRATIONS AVERAGE SYSTEM COST METHODOLOGY... 4: Average System Cost (f) The filing Utility must reference and attach work papers, documentation... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Appendix 1 instructions...

A spectral measurement method for determining white OLED average junction temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Yiting; Narendran, Nadarajah

2016-09-01

The objective of this study was to investigate an indirect method of measuring the average junction temperature of a white organic light-emitting diode (OLED) based on temperature sensitivity differences in the radiant power emitted by individual emitter materials (i.e., "blue," "green," and "red"). The measured spectral power distributions (SPDs) of the white OLED as a function of temperature showed amplitude decrease as a function of temperature in the different spectral bands, red, green, and blue. Analyzed data showed a good linear correlation between the integrated radiance for each spectral band and the OLED panel temperature, measured at a reference point on the back surface of the panel. The integrated radiance ratio of the spectral band green compared to red, (G/R), correlates linearly with panel temperature. Assuming that the panel reference point temperature is proportional to the average junction temperature of the OLED panel, the G/R ratio can be used for estimating the average junction temperature of an OLED panel.

International reference ionosphere 1990

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bilitza, Dieter; Rawer, K.; Bossy, L.; Kutiev, I.; Oyama, K.-I.; Leitinger, R.; Kazimirovsky, E.

1990-01-01

The International Reference Ionosphere 1990 (IRI-90) is described. IRI described monthly averages of the electron density, electron temperature, ion temperature, and ion composition in the altitude range from 50 to 1000 km for magnetically quiet conditions in the non-auroral ionosphere. The most important improvements and new developments are summarized.

A systematic review of the angular values obtained by computerized photogrammetry in sagittal plane: a proposal for reference values.

PubMed

Krawczky, Bruna; Pacheco, Antonio G; Mainenti, Míriam R M

2014-05-01

Reference values for postural alignment in the coronal plane, as measured by computerized photogrammetry, have been established but not for the sagittal plane. The objective of this study is to propose reference values for angular measurements used for postural analysis in the sagittal plane for healthy adults. Electronic databases (PubMed, BVS, Cochrane, Scielo, and Science Direct) were searched using the following key words: evaluation, posture, photogrammetry, and software. Articles published between 2006 and 2012 that used the PAS/SAPO (postural assessment software) were selected. Another inclusion criterion was the presentation of, at least, one of the following measurements: head horizontal alignment, pelvic horizontal alignment, hip angle, vertical alignment of the body, thoracic kyphosis, and lumbar lordosis. Angle samples of the selected articles were grouped 2 by 2 in relation to an overall average, which made possible total average, variance, and SD calculations. Six articles were included, and the following average angular values were found: 51.42° ± 4.87° (head horizontal alignment), -12.26° ± 5.81° (pelvic horizontal alignment), -6.40° ± 3.86° (hip angle), and 1.73° ± 0.94° (vertical alignment of the body). None of the articles contained the measurements for thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis. The reference values can be adopted as reference for postural assessment in future researches if the same anatomical points are considered. Copyright © 2014 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Variation in the reference Shields stress for bed load transport in gravel‐bed streams and rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, Erich R.; Pitlick, John; Nelson, Jonathan M.

2005-01-01

The present study examines variations in the reference shear stress for bed load transport (τr) using coupled measurements of flow and bed load transport in 45 gravel‐bed streams and rivers. The study streams encompass a wide range in bank‐full discharge (1–2600 m3/s), average channel gradient (0.0003–0.05), and median surface grain size (0.027–0.21 m). A bed load transport relation was formed for each site by plotting individual values of the dimensionless transport rate W* versus the reach‐average dimensionless shear stress τ*. The reference dimensionless shear stress τ*r was then estimated by selecting the value of τ* corresponding to a reference transport rate of W* = 0.002. The results indicate that the discharge corresponding to τ*r averages 67% of the bank‐full discharge, with the variation independent of reach‐scale morphologic and sediment properties. However, values of τ*r increase systematically with average channel gradient, ranging from 0.025–0.035 at sites with slopes of 0.001–0.006 to values greater than 0.10 at sites with slopes greater than 0.02. A corresponding relation for the bank‐full dimensionless shear stress τ*bf, formulated with data from 159 sites in North America and England, mirrors the relation between τ*r and channel gradient, suggesting that the bank‐full channel geometry of gravel‐ and cobble‐bedded streams is adjusted to a relatively constant excess shear stress, τ*bf − τ*r, across a wide range of slopes.

Corrections to the Thomson cross section caused by relativistic effects and by the presence of the drift velocity of a classical charged particle in the field of a monochromatic plane wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perestoronin, A. V.

2017-03-01

An approach to the solution of the relativistic problem of the motion of a classical charged particle in the field of a monochromatic plane wave with an arbitrary polarization (linear, circular, or elliptic) is proposed. It is based on the analysis of the 4-vector equation of motion of the charged particle together with the 4-vector and tensor equations for the components of the electromagnetic field tensor of a monochromatic plane wave. This approach provides analytical expressions for the time-averaged square of the 4-acceleration of the charge, as well as for the averaged values of any quantities periodic in the time of the reference frame. Expressions for the integral power of scattered radiation, which is proportional to the time-averaged square of the 4-acceleration of the charge, and for the integral scattering cross section, which is the ratio of the power of scattered radiation to the intensity of incident radiation, are obtained for an arbitrary inertial reference frame. An expression for the scattering cross section, which coincides with the known results at the circular and linear polarizations of the incident waves and describes the case of elliptic polarization of the incident wave, is obtained for the reference frame where the charged particle is on average at rest. An expression for the scattering cross section including relativistic effects and the nonzero drift velocity of a particle in this system is obtained for the laboratory reference frame, where the initial velocity of the charged particle is zero. In the case of the circular polarization of the incident wave, the scattering cross section in the laboratory frame is equal to the Thompson cross section.

The Magnitude and Time Course of IOP Change in Response to Body Position Change in Nonhuman Primates Measured Using Continuous IOP Telemetry

PubMed Central

Turner, Daniel C.; Samuels, Brian C.; Huisingh, Carrie; Girkin, Christopher A.

2017-01-01

Purpose To study the effect and time course of body position changes on IOP in nonhuman primates. Methods We recorded continuous bilateral IOP measurements with a wireless telemetry implant in three rhesus macaques in seven different body positions. IOP measurements were acquired in the seated-upright, standing, prone, supine, right and left lateral decubitus positions (LDPs), and head-down inverted positions. Continuous IOP was recorded for 90 seconds in each position before returning to a supine reference position until IOP stabilized; measurements were averaged after IOP stabilized at each position. Results Head-down inversion increased IOP an average of 8.9 mm Hg, compared to the supine reference. In the LDP, IOP decreased an average of 0.5 mm Hg in the nondependent eye (i.e., the higher eye), while the fellow dependent (i.e., lower) eye increased an average of 0.5 mm Hg, compared to supine reference. Standing and seated positions decreased IOP 1.5 and 2.2 mm Hg, respectively, compared with supine reference. IOP changes occurred within 4 to 15 seconds of a body position change, and timing was affected by the speed at which body position was changed. Compared to the IOP in the supine position, the IOP in the inverted, prone, and seated positions was significantly different (P = 0.0313 for all). The IOP in the standing position was not statistically different from the IOP in the supine position (P = 0.094). In addition, the IOP was significantly different between the nondependent eye and the dependent eye in the LDPs compared to the supine position (P = 0.0313). Conclusions Body position has a significant effect on IOP and those changes persist over time. PMID:29228251

Simulation studies of the fidelity of biomolecular structure ensemble recreation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lätzer, Joachim; Eastwood, Michael P.; Wolynes, Peter G.

2006-12-01

We examine the ability of Bayesian methods to recreate structural ensembles for partially folded molecules from averaged data. Specifically we test the ability of various algorithms to recreate different transition state ensembles for folding proteins using a multiple replica simulation algorithm using input from "gold standard" reference ensembles that were first generated with a Gō-like Hamiltonian having nonpairwise additive terms. A set of low resolution data, which function as the "experimental" ϕ values, were first constructed from this reference ensemble. The resulting ϕ values were then treated as one would treat laboratory experimental data and were used as input in the replica reconstruction algorithm. The resulting ensembles of structures obtained by the replica algorithm were compared to the gold standard reference ensemble, from which those "data" were, in fact, obtained. It is found that for a unimodal transition state ensemble with a low barrier, the multiple replica algorithm does recreate the reference ensemble fairly successfully when no experimental error is assumed. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test as well as principal component analysis show that the overlap of the recovered and reference ensembles is significantly enhanced when multiple replicas are used. Reduction of the multiple replica ensembles by clustering successfully yields subensembles with close similarity to the reference ensembles. On the other hand, for a high barrier transition state with two distinct transition state ensembles, the single replica algorithm only samples a few structures of one of the reference ensemble basins. This is due to the fact that the ϕ values are intrinsically ensemble averaged quantities. The replica algorithm with multiple copies does sample both reference ensemble basins. In contrast to the single replica case, the multiple replicas are constrained to reproduce the average ϕ values, but allow fluctuations in ϕ for each individual copy. These fluctuations facilitate a more faithful sampling of the reference ensemble basins. Finally, we test how robustly the reconstruction algorithm can function by introducing errors in ϕ comparable in magnitude to those suggested by some authors. In this circumstance we observe that the chances of ensemble recovery with the replica algorithm are poor using a single replica, but are improved when multiple copies are used. A multimodal transition state ensemble, however, turns out to be more sensitive to large errors in ϕ (if appropriately gauged) and attempts at successful recreation of the reference ensemble with simple replica algorithms can fall short.

Applications of high average power nonlinear optics

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

Velsko, S.P.; Krupke, W.F.

1996-02-05

Nonlinear optical frequency convertors (harmonic generators and optical parametric oscillators are reviewed with an emphasis on high average power performance and limitations. NLO materials issues and NLO device designs are discussed in reference to several emerging scientific, military and industrial commercial applications requiring {approx} 100 watt average power level in the visible and infrared spectral regions. Research efforts required to enable practical {approx} 100 watt class NLO based laser systems are identified.

Citation analysis of five journals in andrology.

PubMed

Yang, H; Pan, B-C; Chen, J

2006-01-01

To find out features in literature demand by researchers in the field of andrology and to offer advice on literature utilization and journal management. Five andrology journals indexed by Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-E) (Andrologia, Archives of Andrology, Asian Journal of Andrology, International Journal of Andrology, and Journal of Andrology) were included in the study. Original articles, editorials, reviews, corrections and letters from these journals were analyzed with bibliometric method for document loading, citations, information absorbing ability, and geographical coverage. The average number of references in each paper was 28.78. The main type of references was periodicals (94.32%), while books and other sources accounted for only 5.68%. Average Price index was 30.14%. The number of references in the first ranking 10 periodicals cited by the five journals made up 34.53% of the total references cited. Geographically, the five journals covered 6 continents with 42 countries or regions. Andrology journals have a wide coverage of literatures, which are related to reproductive medicine, urology, endocrinology and biochemistry. References in andrology journals are mainly periodicals and are relatively old. US, China and Japan lead the world in andrology researches for the number of papers published.

Falling into language life: a montage of pre-faces in search of a text-ual body.

PubMed

Schenk, Ronald

2016-11-01

Clinical work, as all of consciousness, is steeped in and emerges out of language. Language is the medium of our knowing, and knowing the medium of our relating. Language has us; words dream us. For the mythical Navajo as for John of the New Testament, in the Beginning was the Word. Before any kind of distinction of thought, feeling, sensation or intuition comes language - language, not as 'just words', but as image. Words are images, and images as encompassing worlds present themselves as and through language. As a determinant of identity, language undermines all cues as to individual subjectivity, Yahweh's 'I am here' rendering time and place relative, and subjectivity co-constituted. This paper is a meditation on language for clinicians in the form that language presents itself, as a meandering flow of consciousness with associations and signposts leading onward. © 2016, The Society of Analytical Psychology.

Taxonomy of the ant genus Proceratium Roger (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the Afrotropical region with a revision of the P.arnoldi clade and description of four new species.

PubMed

Hita Garcia, Francisco; Hawkes, Peter G; Alpert, Gary D

2014-01-01

The taxonomy of the genus Proceratium Roger is updated for the Afrotropical region. We give an overview of the genus in the region, provide an illustrated identification key to the three clades (Proceratiumarnoldi, Proceratiumstictum and Proceratiumtoschii clades) and revise the Proceratiumarnoldi clade. Four new species from the Proceratiumarnoldi clade are described as new: Proceratiumsokoke sp. n. from Kenya, Proceratiumcarri sp. n. from Mozambique, and Proceratiumnilo sp. n. and Proceratiumsali sp. n. from Tanzania. In order to integrate the new species into the existing taxonomic system we present an illustrated identification key to distinguish the seven Afrotropical species of the Proceratiumarnoldi clade. In addition, we provide accounts for all members of the Proceratiumarnoldi clade including detailed descriptions, diagnoses, taxonomic discussions, distribution data and high quality montage images.

Taxonomy of the ant genus Proceratium Roger (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the Afrotropical region with a revision of the P. arnoldi clade and description of four new species

PubMed Central

Hita Garcia, Francisco; Hawkes, Peter G.; Alpert, Gary D.

2014-01-01

Abstract The taxonomy of the genus Proceratium Roger is updated for the Afrotropical region. We give an overview of the genus in the region, provide an illustrated identification key to the three clades (Proceratium arnoldi, Proceratium stictum and Proceratium toschii clades) and revise the Proceratium arnoldi clade. Four new species from the Proceratium arnoldi clade are described as new: Proceratium sokoke sp. n. from Kenya, Proceratium carri sp. n. from Mozambique, and Proceratium nilo sp. n. and Proceratium sali sp. n. from Tanzania. In order to integrate the new species into the existing taxonomic system we present an illustrated identification key to distinguish the seven Afrotropical species of the Proceratium arnoldi clade. In addition, we provide accounts for all members of the Proceratium arnoldi clade including detailed descriptions, diagnoses, taxonomic discussions, distribution data and high quality montage images. PMID:25349516

NASA/IPAC Infrared Archive's General Image Cutouts Service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexov, A.; Good, J. C.

2006-07-01

The NASA/IPAC Infrared Archive (IRSA) ``Cutouts" Service (http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/applications/Cutouts) is a general tool for creating small ``cutout" FITS images and JPEGs from collections of data archived at IRSA. This service is a companion to IRSA's Atlas tool (http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/applications/Atlas/), which currently serves over 25 different data collections of various sizes and complexity and returns entire images for a user-defined region of the sky. The Cutouts Services sits on top of Atlas and extends the Atlas functionality by generating subimages at locations and sizes requested by the user from images already identified by Atlas. These results can be downloaded individually, in batch mode (using the program wget), or as a tar file. Cutouts re-uses IRSA's software architecture along with the publicly available Montage mosaicking tools. The advantages and disadvantages of this approach to generic cutout serving will be discussed.

[Electroencephalography (EEG) recording techniques and artifact detection in early premature babies].

PubMed

Wallois, F; Vecchierini, M-F; Héberlé, C; Walls-Esquivel, E

2007-01-01

EEG recording techniques in early premature babies are not very different from those used for full-term neonates. Here, we emphasise the most important points: asepsis precautions, full knowledge of the clinical data and drug therapies, the fundamental role of a well-trained technician in supervising the EEG recording and monitoring the baby. The best electrode positions, the most informative montages and their standardisation between neurophysiological laboratories, are suggested. Artifact detection constitutes an important aspect of EEG signal analysis in preterm babies of less than 30 weeks. It is obviously necessary to discriminate between meaningful information and artefacts. The complexity of the signal in neonates makes artifact detection difficult. We present some characteristic features and describe some methods for eliminating them. We underline the positive aspect of some artifacts and their clinical use. We emphasise the crucial role of the technicians.

[Mental images: towards a media history of the psyche around 1900].

PubMed

Rall, Veronika

2014-12-01

Presupposing that visual practices are inherent to the social constitution of knowledge, this article suggests juxtaposing photographs and films produced in a psychiatric environment to popular films run in theaters around 1900, thus identifying cinema's particular "Denkstil" (Fleck). Rejecting science's dominating paradigm of visual objectivity (Daston/Galison), the visual apparatus [dispositif] of early cinema facilitates subjective experience of unreason and irrationality and thus initiates a different epistemological approach to knowledge as self-knowledge of a modern, self-reflexive subject. This is particularly evident in early cinema's depiction of the psyche, which does not solely focus on the physical manifestation of the 'mad', 'insane' body, but also visualizes the subject's inner life: technical means like montage, multiple exposure or stop motion can be employed to illustrate subjective visions, fantasies or dreams. Thus, the invisible mind becomes visible as the "unthinkable within thinking" (Deleuze), while the subject is invited to participate in cinema's "gay science" (Nietzsche).

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

Aoki, Sadao; Namikawa, Tadahiro; Hoshino, Masato

A Zernike-type phase contrast hard X-ray microscope was constructed at the Photon Factory BL3C2 (KEK). A white beam from a bending magnet was monochromatized by a silicon double crystal monochromator. Monochromatic parallel X-ray beam illuminated a sample, and transmitted and diffracted X-ray beams were imaged by a Fresnel zone plate (FZP) which had the outer zone width of 100 nm. A phase plate made of a thin aluminum foil with a pinhole was set at the back focal plane of the FZP. The phase plate modulated the diffraction beam from the FZP, whereas a direct beam passed through the pinhole.more » The resolution of the microscope was measured by observing a tantalum test pattern at an X-ray energy of 9 keV. A 100nm line-and-space pattern could be resolved. X-ray montage pictures of growing eggs of artemia (plankton) were obtained.« less

Thinking in z-space: flatness and spatial narrativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zone, Ray

2012-03-01

Now that digital technology has accessed the Z-space in cinema, narrative artistry is at a loss. Motion picture professionals no longer can readily resort to familiar tools. A new language and new linguistics for Z-axis storytelling are necessary. After first examining the roots of monocular thinking in painting, prior modes of visual narrative in twodimensional cinema obviating true binocular stereopsis can be explored, particularly montage, camera motion and depth of field, with historic examples. Special attention is paid to the manner in which monocular cues for depth have been exploited to infer depth on a planar screen. Both the artistic potential and visual limitations of actual stereoscopic depth as a filmmaking language are interrogated. After an examination of the historic basis of monocular thinking in visual culture, a context for artistic exploration of the use of the z-axis as a heightened means of creating dramatic and emotional impact upon the viewer is illustrated.

Astronaut Candiates - 1978 Shuttle Program

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-01-25

S78-26481 (January 1978) --- This is a montage of the individual portraits of the 35-member 1978 class of astronaut candidates. From left to right are Guion S. Bluford, Daniel C. Brandenstein, James F. Buchli, Michael L. Coats, Richard O. Covey, John O. Creighton, John M. Fabian, Anna L. Fisher, Dale A. Gardner, Robert L. Gibson, Frederick D. Gregory, S. David Griggs, Terry J. Hart, Frederick H. (Rick) Hauck, Steven A. Hawley, Jeffrey A. Hoffman, Shannon W. Lucid, Jon A. McBride, Ronald E. McNair, Richard M. (Mike) Mullane, Steven R. Nagel, George D. Nelson, Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnik, Sally K. Ride, Francis R. (Dick) Scobee, Rhea Seddon, Brewster H. Shaw Jr., Loren J. Shriver, Robert L. Stewart, Kathryn D. Sullivan, Norman E. Thagard, James D. Van Hoften, David M. Walker and Donald E. Williams. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Ultraviolet and optical spectral morphology of Melnick 42 and Radcliffe 136a in 30 Doradus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walborn, Nolan R.; Ebbets, Dennis C.; Parker, Joel WM.; Nichols-Bohlin, Joy; White, Richard L.

1992-01-01

HST/GHRS ultraviolet spectrograms of the individual O3 If*/WN6-A object Mk 42 in 30 Dor and the adjacent, central multiple system R136a are compared with each other and with an appropriate sequence of O3 If* and WN6-A standards from the IUE archive. The analogous spectral montages covering the blue-violet regino, based on new, homogeneous, digital observations of the same stars with the CTIO 4 m telescope, are also presented. These comparisons show clearly the intermediate O3/WN nature of the Mk 42 spectrum, in terms of both emission-line strength (increasing with envelope density) and stellar-wind velocity (decreasing with envelope density). It is also shown that R136a possesses stronger WN spectral characteristics than Mk 42, in agreement with HST narrow-band imaging by the WF/PC Team.

Retinal changes in rats flown on Cosmos 936 - A cosmic ray experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Philpott, D. E.; Corbett, R.; Turnbill, C.; Black, S.; Dayhoff, D.; Mcgourty, J.; Lee, R.; Harrison, G.; Savik, L.

1980-01-01

Ten rats, five centrifuged during flight to simulate gravity and five stationary in flight and experiencing hypogravity, orbited the Earth. No differences were noted between flight-stationary and flight-centrifuged animals, but changes were seen between these two groups and ground controls. Morphological alterations were observed comparable to those in the experiment flown on Cosmos 782 and to the retinal cells exposed to high-energy particles at Berkeley. Affected cells in the outer nuclear layer showed swelling, clearing of cytoplasm, and disruption of the membranes. Tissue channels were again found, similar to those seen on 782. After space flight, preliminary data indicated an increase in cell size in montages of the nuclear layer of both groups of flight animals. This experiment shows that weightlessness and environmental conditions other than cosmic radiation do not contribute to the observed damage of retinal cells.

Time Series ARIMA Models of Undergraduate Grade Point Average.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Bruce G.

The Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) Models, often referred to as Box-Jenkins models, are regression methods for analyzing sequential dependent observations with large amounts of data. The Box-Jenkins approach, a three-stage procedure consisting of identification, estimation and diagnosis, was used to select the most appropriate…

Calculation of conversion coefficients using Chinese adult reference phantoms for air submersion and ground contamination.

PubMed

Lu, Wei; Qiu, Rui; Wu, Zhen; Li, Chunyan; Yang, Bo; Liu, Huan; Ren, Li; Li, Junli

2017-03-21

The effective and organ equivalent dose coefficients have been widely used to provide assessment of doses received by adult members of the public and by workers exposed to environmental radiation from nuclear facilities under normal or accidental situations. Advancements in phantom types, weighting factors, decay data, etc, have led to the publication of newer results in this regard. This paper presents a new set of conversion coefficients for air submersion and ground contamination (with the use of Geant4) for photons from 15 keV to 10 MeV using the Chinese and International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) adult reference male and female phantoms. The radiation fields, except for energy spectrum at low energies, were validated by the data obtained from the Monte Carlo code YURI. The effective dose coefficients of monoenergetic photons, obtained for the ICRP adult reference phantoms, agree well with recently published data for air submersion and ground contamination with a plane source at a depth of 0.5 g cm -2 in soil, but an average difference of 36.5% is observed for ground surface contamination with the abovementioned radiation field. The average differences in organ equivalent dose coefficients between the Chinese and the ICRP adult reference phantoms are within 6% for most organs, but noticeable differences of up to 70% or even higher are found at photon energies below 30 keV under air submersion. The effective dose coefficients obtained with the Chinese adult reference phantoms are greater than those of the ICRP adult reference phantoms above 30 keV and 0.5 MeV for ground contamination and air submersion, respectively; the average differences from the Chinese adult reference phantoms are about 3.6% and 0.4% in the whole energy range with maximum differences of 31.8% and 27.6% at 15 keV for air submersion and ground contamination respectively. These differences are attributed to anatomical discrepancies in overlying tissue mass of an individual organ and the body mass between the Chinese and the ICRP adult reference phantoms. These monoenergetic photon conversion coefficients are subsequently used to evaluate radionuclides with decay data from ICRP publication 107.

Calculation of conversion coefficients using Chinese adult reference phantoms for air submersion and ground contamination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Wei; Qiu, Rui; Wu, Zhen; Li, Chunyan; Yang, Bo; Liu, Huan; Ren, Li; Li, Junli

2017-03-01

The effective and organ equivalent dose coefficients have been widely used to provide assessment of doses received by adult members of the public and by workers exposed to environmental radiation from nuclear facilities under normal or accidental situations. Advancements in phantom types, weighting factors, decay data, etc, have led to the publication of newer results in this regard. This paper presents a new set of conversion coefficients for air submersion and ground contamination (with the use of Geant4) for photons from 15 keV to 10 MeV using the Chinese and International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) adult reference male and female phantoms. The radiation fields, except for energy spectrum at low energies, were validated by the data obtained from the Monte Carlo code YURI. The effective dose coefficients of monoenergetic photons, obtained for the ICRP adult reference phantoms, agree well with recently published data for air submersion and ground contamination with a plane source at a depth of 0.5 g cm-2 in soil, but an average difference of 36.5% is observed for ground surface contamination with the abovementioned radiation field. The average differences in organ equivalent dose coefficients between the Chinese and the ICRP adult reference phantoms are within 6% for most organs, but noticeable differences of up to 70% or even higher are found at photon energies below 30 keV under air submersion. The effective dose coefficients obtained with the Chinese adult reference phantoms are greater than those of the ICRP adult reference phantoms above 30 keV and 0.5 MeV for ground contamination and air submersion, respectively; the average differences from the Chinese adult reference phantoms are about 3.6% and 0.4% in the whole energy range with maximum differences of 31.8% and 27.6% at 15 keV for air submersion and ground contamination respectively. These differences are attributed to anatomical discrepancies in overlying tissue mass of an individual organ and the body mass between the Chinese and the ICRP adult reference phantoms. These monoenergetic photon conversion coefficients are subsequently used to evaluate radionuclides with decay data from ICRP publication 107.

Variability analysis of SAR from 20 MHz to 2.4 GHz for different adult and child models using finite-difference time-domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conil, E.; Hadjem, A.; Lacroux, F.; Wong, M. F.; Wiart, J.

2008-03-01

This paper deals with the variability of body models used in numerical dosimetry studies. Six adult anthropomorphic voxel models have been collected and used to build 5-, 8- and 12-year-old children using a morphing method respecting anatomical parameters. Finite-difference time-domain calculations of a specific absorption rate (SAR) have been performed for a range of frequencies from 20 MHz to 2.4 GHz for isolated models illuminated by plane waves. A whole-body-averaged SAR is presented as well as the average on specific tissues such as skin, muscles, fat or bones and the average on specific parts of the body such as head, legs, arms or torso. Results point out the variability of adult models. The standard deviation of whole-body-averaged SAR of adult models can reach 40%. All phantoms are exposed to the ICNIRP reference levels. Results show that for adults, compliance with reference levels ensures compliance with basic restrictions, but concerning children models involved in this study, the whole-body-averaged SAR goes over the fundamental safety limits up to 40%. For more information on this article, see medicalphysicsweb.org

A Comparative Study of Average, Linked Mastoid, and REST References for ERP Components Acquired during fMRI

PubMed Central

Yang, Ping; Fan, Chenggui; Wang, Min; Li, Ling

2017-01-01

In simultaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, average reference (AR), and digitally linked mastoid (LM) are popular re-referencing techniques in event-related potential (ERP) analyses. However, they may introduce their own physiological signals and alter the EEG/ERP outcome. A reference electrode standardization technique (REST) that calculated a reference point at infinity was proposed to solve this problem. To confirm the advantage of REST in ERP analyses of synchronous EEG-fMRI studies, we compared the reference effect of AR, LM, and REST on task-related ERP results of a working memory task during an fMRI scan. As we hypothesized, we found that the adopted reference did not change the topography map of ERP components (N1 and P300 in the present study), but it did alter the task-related effect on ERP components. LM decreased or eliminated the visual working memory (VWM) load effect on P300, and the AR distorted the distribution of VWM location-related effect at left posterior electrodes as shown in the statistical parametric scalp mapping (SPSM) of N1. ERP cortical source estimates, which are independent of the EEG reference choice, were used as the golden standard to infer the relative utility of different references on the ERP task-related effect. By comparison, REST reference provided a more integrated and reasonable result. These results were further confirmed by the results of fMRI activations and a corresponding EEG-only study. Thus, we recommend the REST, especially with a realistic head model, as the optimal reference method for ERP data analysis in simultaneous EEG-fMRI studies. PMID:28529472

A Comparative Study of Standardized Infinity Reference and Average Reference for EEG of Three Typical Brain States

PubMed Central

Zheng, Gaoxing; Qi, Xiaoying; Li, Yuzhu; Zhang, Wei; Yu, Yuguo

2018-01-01

The choice of different reference electrodes plays an important role in deciphering the functional meaning of electroencephalography (EEG) signals. In recent years, the infinity zero reference using the reference electrode standard technique (REST) has been increasingly applied, while the average reference (AR) was generally advocated as the best available reference option in previous classical EEG studies. Here, we designed EEG experiments and performed a direct comparison between the influences of REST and AR on EEG-revealed brain activity features for three typical brain behavior states (eyes-closed, eyes-open and music-listening). The analysis results revealed the following observations: (1) there is no significant difference in the alpha-wave-blocking effect during the eyes-open state compared with the eyes-closed state for both REST and AR references; (2) there was clear frontal EEG asymmetry during the resting state, and the degree of lateralization under REST was higher than that under AR; (3) the global brain functional connectivity density (FCD) and local FCD have higher values for REST than for AR under different behavior states; and (4) the value of the small-world network characteristic in the eyes-closed state is significantly (in full, alpha, beta and gamma frequency bands) higher than that in the eyes-open state, and the small-world effect under the REST reference is higher than that under AR. In addition, the music-listening state has a higher small-world network effect than the eyes-closed state. The above results suggest that typical EEG features might be more clearly presented by applying the REST reference than by applying AR when using a 64-channel recording. PMID:29593490

A Comparative Study of Average, Linked Mastoid, and REST References for ERP Components Acquired during fMRI.

PubMed

Yang, Ping; Fan, Chenggui; Wang, Min; Li, Ling

2017-01-01

In simultaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, average reference (AR), and digitally linked mastoid (LM) are popular re-referencing techniques in event-related potential (ERP) analyses. However, they may introduce their own physiological signals and alter the EEG/ERP outcome. A reference electrode standardization technique (REST) that calculated a reference point at infinity was proposed to solve this problem. To confirm the advantage of REST in ERP analyses of synchronous EEG-fMRI studies, we compared the reference effect of AR, LM, and REST on task-related ERP results of a working memory task during an fMRI scan. As we hypothesized, we found that the adopted reference did not change the topography map of ERP components (N1 and P300 in the present study), but it did alter the task-related effect on ERP components. LM decreased or eliminated the visual working memory (VWM) load effect on P300, and the AR distorted the distribution of VWM location-related effect at left posterior electrodes as shown in the statistical parametric scalp mapping (SPSM) of N1. ERP cortical source estimates, which are independent of the EEG reference choice, were used as the golden standard to infer the relative utility of different references on the ERP task-related effect. By comparison, REST reference provided a more integrated and reasonable result. These results were further confirmed by the results of fMRI activations and a corresponding EEG-only study. Thus, we recommend the REST, especially with a realistic head model, as the optimal reference method for ERP data analysis in simultaneous EEG-fMRI studies.

The Stagger-grid: A grid of 3D stellar atmosphere models. II. Horizontal and temporal averaging and spectral line formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magic, Z.; Collet, R.; Hayek, W.; Asplund, M.

2013-12-01

Aims: We study the implications of averaging methods with different reference depth scales for 3D hydrodynamical model atmospheres computed with the Stagger-code. The temporally and spatially averaged (hereafter denoted as ⟨3D⟩) models are explored in the light of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) spectral line formation by comparing spectrum calculations using full 3D atmosphere structures with those from ⟨3D⟩ averages. Methods: We explored methods for computing mean ⟨3D⟩ stratifications from the Stagger-grid time-dependent 3D radiative hydrodynamical atmosphere models by considering four different reference depth scales (geometrical depth, column-mass density, and two optical depth scales). Furthermore, we investigated the influence of alternative averages (logarithmic, enforced hydrostatic equilibrium, flux-weighted temperatures). For the line formation we computed curves of growth for Fe i and Fe ii lines in LTE. Results: The resulting ⟨3D⟩ stratifications for the four reference depth scales can be very different. We typically find that in the upper atmosphere and in the superadiabatic region just below the optical surface, where the temperature and density fluctuations are highest, the differences become considerable and increase for higher Teff, lower log g, and lower [Fe / H]. The differential comparison of spectral line formation shows distinctive differences depending on which ⟨3D⟩ model is applied. The averages over layers of constant column-mass density yield the best mean ⟨3D⟩ representation of the full 3D models for LTE line formation, while the averages on layers at constant geometrical height are the least appropriate. Unexpectedly, the usually preferred averages over layers of constant optical depth are prone to increasing interference by reversed granulation towards higher effective temperature, in particular at low metallicity. Appendix A is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgMean ⟨3D⟩ models are available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/560/A8 as well as at http://www.stagger-stars.net

Delay in Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer among Women Attending a Reference Service in Brazil

PubMed

Romeiro Lopes, Tiara Cristina; Gravena, Angela Andréia França; Demitto, Marcela de Oliveira; Borghesan, Deise Helena Pelloso; Dell`Agnolo, Cátia Millene; Brischiliari, Sheila Cristina Rocha; Carvalho, Maria Dalva de Barros; Pelloso, Sandra Marisa

2017-11-26

Background: Cancer is a major public health problem. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for reducing mortality. This study aimed to analyze factors associated with delay in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment among women attending a reference cancer service. Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study was performed with data collected from medical records and interviews conducted with women diagnosed with breast cancer and treated from October 2013 to October 2014 at a cancer reference hospital in Paraná, Southern Brazil. Results: A total of 82 participants were enrolled during the study period; their average age was 58.2 ± 11.5 years. The average time taken for final diagnosis of breast cancer was 102.5 ± 165.5 days. Treatment onset was delayed in the majority of cases, and the average time elapsing from diagnostic biopsy to onset of primary treatment was 72.3 ± 54.0 days. The odds of treatment delay were higher among the women with a low educational level. Conclusions: The results underline the need for proposals aimed at early detection, identification of risk factors and timely provision of treatment by health managers that focus on this group. Creative Commons Attribution License

An additional reference axis improves femoral rotation alignment in image-free computer navigation assisted total knee arthroplasty.

PubMed

Inui, Hiroshi; Taketomi, Shuji; Nakamura, Kensuke; Sanada, Takaki; Tanaka, Sakae; Nakagawa, Takumi

2013-05-01

Few studies have demonstrated improvement in accuracy of rotational alignment using image-free navigation systems mainly due to the inconsistent registration of anatomical landmarks. We have used an image-free navigation for total knee arthroplasty, which adopts the average algorithm between two reference axes (transepicondylar axis and axis perpendicular to the Whiteside axis) for femoral component rotation control. We hypothesized that addition of another axis (condylar twisting axis measured on a preoperative radiograph) would improve the accuracy. One group using the average algorithm (double-axis group) was compared with the other group using another axis to confirm the accuracy of the average algorithm (triple-axis group). Femoral components were more accurately implanted for rotational alignment in the triple-axis group (ideal: triple-axis group 100%, double-axis group 82%, P<0.05). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Study on Relationship between Personality and Socio Economic Status of Student Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Srinivasan, Prakash; Xavier, Amaladoss

2015-01-01

Personality covers the whole nature of the individual. Socio Economic Status refers to the position that an individual and family occupies with reference to prevailing average standards, cultural possession and participation in group activity of community. This paper reports on relationship between Personality and Socio Economic Status of student…

[Reference values of energy for the Venezuelan population].

PubMed

Landaeta-Jiménez, Maritza; Aliaga, Carla; Sifontes, Yaritza; Vásquez, Maura; Ramírez, Guillermo; Falque Madrid, Luís; Herrera, Marianella; María Reyes, Ana; Emilia, Elzakem; Herrera, Ctor; Bernal, Jennifer

2013-12-01

The project of updating the Venezuelan energy reference values respond to the recommendations made by an FAO experts committee, several decades ago for the countries assuming this work. Because of the dramatic changes experienced globally regarding energy intake/expenditure and particularly variations on the Venezuelan nutritional scenario with the presence of "the double burden of malnutrition" it a review of Energy Reference Values (VRE) from a more integral approach is pertinent. This report follows the methodology proposed by FAO/WHO/UNU 2004 experts committee and energy reference values were established by group of age and gender, also average energy values for Venezuelan population were obtained. For calculation of these requirements, the energy expenditure was included by taking into account Basal Metabolic Rate and physical activity level for some specific groups. The score average values updated in 2012 of 2.200 kcal/dia reported to be lower than those of 2000 at all ages for masculine gender except for the 16-17 age group and for feminine gender just until ages 10-12 years and from there are slightly above the values obtained in 2000.

Comparison of the Vitek 2 Antifungal Susceptibility System with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) Broth Microdilution Reference Methods and with the Sensititre YeastOne and Etest Techniques for In Vitro Detection of Antifungal Resistance in Yeast Isolates ▿ ‖

PubMed Central

Cuenca-Estrella, Manuel; Gomez-Lopez, Alicia; Alastruey-Izquierdo, Ana; Bernal-Martinez, Leticia; Cuesta, Isabel; Buitrago, Maria J.; Rodriguez-Tudela, Juan L.

2010-01-01

The commercial technique Vitek 2 system for antifungal susceptibility testing of yeast species was evaluated. A collection of 154 clinical yeast isolates, including amphotericin B- and azole-resistant organisms, was tested. Results were compared with those obtained by the reference procedures of both the CLSI and the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). Two other commercial techniques approved for clinical use, the Etest and the Sensititre YeastOne, were included in the comparative exercise as well. The average essential agreement (EA) between the Vitek 2 system and the reference procedures was >95%, comparable with the average EAs observed between the reference procedures and the Sensititre YeastOne and Etest. The EA values were >97% for Candida spp. and stood at 92% for Cryptococcus neoformans. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) between the commercial techniques and the reference procedures were statistically significant (P < 0.01). Percentages of very major errors were 2.6% between Vitek 2 and the EUCAST technique and 1.6% between Vitek 2 and the CLSI technique. The Vitek 2 MIC results were available after 14 to 18 h of incubation for all Candida spp. (average time to reading, 15.5 h). The Vitek 2 system was shown to be a reliable technique to determine antifungal susceptibility testing of yeast species and a more rapid and easier alternative for clinical laboratories than the procedures developed by either the CLSI or EUCAST. PMID:20220169

Localized Energy-Based Normalization of Medical Images: Application to Chest Radiography.

PubMed

Philipsen, R H H M; Maduskar, P; Hogeweg, L; Melendez, J; Sánchez, C I; van Ginneken, B

2015-09-01

Automated quantitative analysis systems for medical images often lack the capability to successfully process images from multiple sources. Normalization of such images prior to further analysis is a possible solution to this limitation. This work presents a general method to normalize medical images and thoroughly investigates its effectiveness for chest radiography (CXR). The method starts with an energy decomposition of the image in different bands. Next, each band's localized energy is scaled to a reference value and the image is reconstructed. We investigate iterative and local application of this technique. The normalization is applied iteratively to the lung fields on six datasets from different sources, each comprising 50 normal CXRs and 50 abnormal CXRs. The method is evaluated in three supervised computer-aided detection tasks related to CXR analysis and compared to two reference normalization methods. In the first task, automatic lung segmentation, the average Jaccard overlap significantly increased from 0.72±0.30 and 0.87±0.11 for both reference methods to with normalization. The second experiment was aimed at segmentation of the clavicles. The reference methods had an average Jaccard index of 0.57±0.26 and 0.53±0.26; with normalization this significantly increased to . The third experiment was detection of tuberculosis related abnormalities in the lung fields. The average area under the Receiver Operating Curve increased significantly from 0.72±0.14 and 0.79±0.06 using the reference methods to with normalization. We conclude that the normalization can be successfully applied in chest radiography and makes supervised systems more generally applicable to data from different sources.

Improved UUV Positioning Using Acoustic Communications and a Potential for Real-Time Networking and Collaboration

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

12 III. ACOUSTIC WAVE TRAVEL TIME ESTIMATION...Mission ...............................125 Table 8. Average Horizontal Distance from the UUV to the Reference Points when a Travel Time Measurement is...Taken ............................................126 Table 9. Average UUV Depth when a Travel Time Measurement is Taken .........126 Table 10. Ratio

76 FR 28998 - Implementation of Revised Passenger Weight Standards for Existing Passenger Vessels

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-19

... Inspection prior to a change in the assumed average weight per person standard that will become effective in... several factors, including the total weight of people carried based on an Assumed Average Weight per... reason, the policy letter referred to in this notice provides supplemental guidance to the implementation...

Chroma Shift and Gamut Shape: Going Beyond Average Color Fidelity and Gamut Area

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

Royer, Michael P.; Houser, Kevin W.; David, Aurélien

Though sometimes referred to as a two-measure system for evaluating color rendition, IES TM-30-15 includes other key components that go beyond the high-level average values IES Rf and IES Rg. This article focuses on the Color Vector Graphic and Local Chroma Shift (IES Rcs,hj), discussing the calculation methods for these evaluation tools and providing context for the interpretation of the values. It also presents alternatives for quantifying the same characteristics, which can inform the development of future measures. The Color Vector Graphic (CVG) is a visual representation of hue and chroma shifts across different hues. It quickly communicates complex informationmore » about how object colors will be rendered by a light source, although it is difficult or impossible to use for writing a specification. CVGs demonstrate that increases in chroma for certain hues sometimes means a decrease in chroma for other hues, and illustrates hue shifts for intermediate colors. The combination of shifts over different hues can be referred to as gamut shape. Complementing this information are the IES Rcs,hj values, which quantify the average relative chroma shift for samples in each of the 16 hue-angle bins (j) specified in IES TM-30-15. Unlike measures of average color fidelity and gamut area, gamut shape and hue-specific chroma shift are new concepts with no directly-comparable historical references. It will be critical to incorporate the Color Vector Graphic and Local Chroma Shift values into practice because they capture information about color rendition that is impossible to describe with average measures (such as CIE Ra, IES Rf, or IES Rg), but that is critical to understanding human evaluations of color quality in architectural environments.« less

Comparing The Effects Of Reference Pricing And Centers-Of-Excellence Approaches To Value-Based Benefit Design.

PubMed

Zhang, Hui; Cowling, David W; Facer, Matthew

2017-12-01

Various health insurance benefit designs based on value-based purchasing have been promoted to steer patients to high-value providers, but little is known about the designs' relative effectiveness and underlying mechanisms. We compared the impact of two designs implemented by the California Public Employees' Retirement System on inpatient hospital total hip or knee replacement: a reference-based pricing design for preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and a centers-of-excellence design for health maintenance organizations (HMOs). Payment and utilization data for the procedures in the period 2008-13 were evaluated using pre-post and quasi-experimental designs at the system and health plan levels, adjusting for demographic characteristics, case-mix, and other confounders. We found that both designs prompted higher use of designated low-price high-quality facilities and reduced average replacement expenses per member at the plan and system levels. However, the designs used different routes: The reference-based pricing design reduced average replacement payments per case in PPOs by 26.7 percent in the first year, compared to HMOs, but did not lower PPO members' utilization rates. In contrast, the centers-of-excellence design lowered HMO members' utilization rates by 29.2 percent in the first year, compared to PPOs, but did not reduce HMO average replacement payments per case. The reference-based pricing design appears more suitable for reducing price variation, and the centers-of-excellence design for addressing variation in use.

An analysis of reference laboratory (send out) testing: an 8-year experience in a large academic medical center.

PubMed

MacMillan, Donna; Lewandrowski, Elizabeth; Lewandrowski, Kent

2004-01-01

Utilization of outside reference laboratories for selected laboratory testing is common in the United States. However, relatively little data exist in the literature describing the scope and impact of these services. In this study, we reviewed use of reference laboratory testing at the Massachusetts General Hospital, a large urban academic medical center in Boston, Massachusetts. A retrospective review of hospital and laboratory administrative records over an 8-year period from fiscal years (FY) 1995-2002. Over the 8 years studied, reference laboratory expenses increased 4.2-fold and totaled 12.4% of the total laboratory budget in FY 2002. Total reference laboratory test volume increased 4-fold to 68,328 tests in FY 2002 but represented only 1.06% of the total test volume in the hospital. The menu of reference laboratory tests comprised 946 tests (65.7% of the hospital test menu) compared to 494 (34.3%) of tests performed in house. The average unit cost of reference laboratory tests was essentially unchanged but was approximately 13 times greater than the average unit cost in the hospital laboratory. Much of the growth in reference laboratory cost can be attributed to the addition of new molecular, genetic, and microbiological assays. Four of the top 10 tests with the highest total cost in 2002 were molecular diagnostic tests that were recently added to the test menu. Reference laboratory testing comprises a major component of hospital clinical laboratory services. Although send out tests represent a small percentage of the total test volume, these services account for the majority of the hospital laboratory test menu and a disproportionate percentage of laboratory costs.

Electrophysiological Responses to Expectancy Violations in Semantic and Gambling Tasks: A Comparison of Different EEG Reference Approaches

PubMed Central

Li, Ya; Wang, Yongchun; Zhang, Baoqiang; Wang, Yonghui; Zhou, Xiaolin

2018-01-01

Dynamically evaluating the outcomes of our actions and thoughts is a fundamental cognitive ability. Given its excellent temporal resolution, the event-related potential (ERP) technology has been used to address this issue. The feedback-related negativity (FRN) component of ERPs has been studied intensively with the averaged linked mastoid reference method (LM). However, it is unknown whether FRN can be induced by an expectancy violation in an antonym relations context and whether LM is the most suitable reference approach. To address these issues, the current research directly compared the ERP components induced by expectancy violations in antonym expectation and gambling tasks with a within-subjects design and investigated the effect of the reference approach on the experimental effects. Specifically, we systematically compared the influence of the LM, reference electrode standardization technique (REST) and average reference (AVE) approaches on the amplitude, scalp distribution and magnitude of ERP effects as a function of expectancy violation type. The expectancy deviation in the antonym expectation task elicited an N400 effect that differed from the FRN effect induced in the gambling task; this difference was confirmed by all the three reference methods. Both the amplitudes of the ERP effects (N400 and FRN) and the magnitude as the expectancy violation increased were greater under the LM approach than those under the REST approach, followed by those under the AVE approach. Based on the statistical results, the electrode sites that showed the N400 and FRN effects critically depended on the reference method, and the results of the REST analysis were consistent with previous ERP studies. Combined with evidence from simulation studies, we suggest that REST is an optional reference method to be used in future ERP data analysis. PMID:29615858

Accuracy of Referring Provider and Endoscopist Impressions of Colonoscopy Indication.

PubMed

Naveed, Mariam; Clary, Meredith; Ahn, Chul; Kubiliun, Nisa; Agrawal, Deepak; Cryer, Byron; Murphy, Caitlin; Singal, Amit G

2017-07-01

Background: Referring provider and endoscopist impressions of colonoscopy indication are used for clinical care, reimbursement, and quality reporting decisions; however, the accuracy of these impressions is unknown. This study assessed the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and overall accuracy of methods to classify colonoscopy indication, including referring provider impression, endoscopist impression, and administrative algorithm compared with gold standard chart review. Methods: We randomly sampled 400 patients undergoing a colonoscopy at a Veterans Affairs health system between January 2010 and December 2010. Referring provider and endoscopist impressions of colonoscopy indication were compared with gold-standard chart review. Indications were classified into 4 mutually exclusive categories: diagnostic, surveillance, high-risk screening, or average-risk screening. Results: Of 400 colonoscopies, 26% were performed for average-risk screening, 7% for high-risk screening, 26% for surveillance, and 41% for diagnostic indications. Accuracy of referring provider and endoscopist impressions of colonoscopy indication were 87% and 84%, respectively, which were significantly higher than that of the administrative algorithm (45%; P <.001 for both). There was substantial agreement between endoscopist and referring provider impressions (κ=0.76). All 3 methods showed high sensitivity (>90%) for determining screening (vs nonscreening) indication, but specificity of the administrative algorithm was lower (40.3%) compared with referring provider (93.7%) and endoscopist (84.0%) impressions. Accuracy of endoscopist, but not referring provider, impression was lower in patients with a family history of colon cancer than in those without (65% vs 84%; P =.001). Conclusions: Referring provider and endoscopist impressions of colonoscopy indication are both accurate and may be useful data to incorporate into algorithms classifying colonoscopy indication. Copyright © 2017 by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Technical Note: Modification of the standard gain correction algorithm to compensate for the number of used reference flat frames in detector performance studies

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

Konstantinidis, Anastasios C.; Olivo, Alessandro; Speller, Robert D.

2011-12-15

Purpose: The x-ray performance evaluation of digital x-ray detectors is based on the calculation of the modulation transfer function (MTF), the noise power spectrum (NPS), and the resultant detective quantum efficiency (DQE). The flat images used for the extraction of the NPS should not contain any fixed pattern noise (FPN) to avoid contamination from nonstochastic processes. The ''gold standard'' method used for the reduction of the FPN (i.e., the different gain between pixels) in linear x-ray detectors is based on normalization with an average reference flat-field. However, the noise in the corrected image depends on the number of flat framesmore » used for the average flat image. The aim of this study is to modify the standard gain correction algorithm to make it independent on the used reference flat frames. Methods: Many publications suggest the use of 10-16 reference flat frames, while other studies use higher numbers (e.g., 48 frames) to reduce the propagated noise from the average flat image. This study quantifies experimentally the effect of the number of used reference flat frames on the NPS and DQE values and appropriately modifies the gain correction algorithm to compensate for this effect. Results: It is shown that using the suggested gain correction algorithm a minimum number of reference flat frames (i.e., down to one frame) can be used to eliminate the FPN from the raw flat image. This saves computer memory and time during the x-ray performance evaluation. Conclusions: The authors show that the method presented in the study (a) leads to the maximum DQE value that one would have by using the conventional method and very large number of frames and (b) has been compared to an independent gain correction method based on the subtraction of flat-field images, leading to identical DQE values. They believe this provides robust validation of the proposed method.« less

Testosterone Trajectories and Reference Ranges in a Large Longitudinal Sample of Male Adolescents

PubMed Central

Khairullah, Ammar; Cousino Klein, Laura; Ingle, Suzanne M.; May, Margaret T.; Whetzel, Courtney A.; Susman, Elizabeth J.; Paus, Tomáš

2014-01-01

Purpose Pubertal dynamics plays an important role in physical and psychological development of children and adolescents. We aim to provide reference ranges of plasma testosterone in a large longitudinal sample. Furthermore, we describe a measure of testosterone trajectories during adolescence that can be used in future investigations of development. Methods We carried out longitudinal measurements of plasma testosterone in 2,216 samples obtained from 513 males (9 to 17 years of age) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. We used integration of a model fitted to each participant’s testosterone trajectory to calculate a measure of average exposure to testosterone over adolescence. We pooled these data with corresponding values reported in the literature to provide a reference range of testosterone levels in males between the ages of 6 and 19 years. Results The average values of total testosterone in the ALSPAC sample range from 0.82 nmol/L (Standard Deviation [SD]: 0.09) at 9 years of age to 16.5 (SD: 2.65) nmol/L at 17 years of age; these values are congruent with other reports in the literature. The average exposure to testosterone is associated with different features of testosterone trajectories such as Peak Testosterone Change, Age at Peak Testosterone Change, and Testosterone at 17 years of age as well as the timing of the growth spurt during puberty. Conclusions The average exposure to testosterone is a useful measure for future investigations using testosterone trajectories to examine pubertal dynamics. PMID:25268961

Shaded relief aeromagnetic map of the Santa Clara Valley and vicinity, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roberts, Carter W.; Jachens, Robert C.

2003-01-01

This aeromagnetic map covers the southern portion of San Francisco Bay, the Santa Clara Valley and surrounding mountains, part of which has been modelled in threedimensions (Jachens and other, 2001). The magnetic anomaly map has been compiled from existing digital data. Data was obtained from six aeromagnetic surveys that were flown at different times, spacings and elevations. The International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) for the date of each survey had been removed in the initial processing. The resulting residual magnetic anomalies were analytically continued onto a common surface 305 m (1000 ft) above terrain. Portions of each survey were substantially above the specified flight height listed in the table. The surveys were then merged together using a commercial software package called Oasis Montage. The gray lines on the map indicate the extent of each survey. The program used these regions of overlap to determine the best fit between surveys. Black dots show probable edges of magnetic bodies defined by the maximum horizontal gradient determined using a computer program by Blakely (1995). Crystalline rocks generally contain sufficient magnetic minerals to cause variations in the Earth’s magnetic field that can be mapped by aeromagnetic surveys. Sedimentary rocks are generally weakly magnetized and consequently have a small effect on the magnetic field: thus a magnetic anomaly map can be used to “see through” the sedimentary rock cover and can convey information on lithologic contrasts and structural trends related to the underlying crystalline basement (see Nettleton,1971; Blakely, 1995). Faults often cut magnetic bodies and offset magnetic anomalies can thus be used to help determine fault motion. Serpentinite, which is highly magnetic, is often found along faults. On this map areas of low magnetic anomalies are shown in blues and green while highs are shown in reds and magentas. Faults are from Brabb and others, 1998a,1998b, Graymer and others 1996, Lienkaemper, 1992 and Wentworth and others 1998.

Consequences of splitting whole-genome sequencing effort over multiple breeds on imputation accuracy.

PubMed

Bouwman, Aniek C; Veerkamp, Roel F

2014-10-03

The aim of this study was to determine the consequences of splitting sequencing effort over multiple breeds for imputation accuracy from a high-density SNP chip towards whole-genome sequence. Such information would assist for instance numerical smaller cattle breeds, but also pig and chicken breeders, who have to choose wisely how to spend their sequencing efforts over all the breeds or lines they evaluate. Sequence data from cattle breeds was used, because there are currently relatively many individuals from several breeds sequenced within the 1,000 Bull Genomes project. The advantage of whole-genome sequence data is that it carries the causal mutations, but the question is whether it is possible to impute the causal variants accurately. This study therefore focussed on imputation accuracy of variants with low minor allele frequency and breed specific variants. Imputation accuracy was assessed for chromosome 1 and 29 as the correlation between observed and imputed genotypes. For chromosome 1, the average imputation accuracy was 0.70 with a reference population of 20 Holstein, and increased to 0.83 when the reference population was increased by including 3 other dairy breeds with 20 animals each. When the same amount of animals from the Holstein breed were added the accuracy improved to 0.88, while adding the 3 other breeds to the reference population of 80 Holstein improved the average imputation accuracy marginally to 0.89. For chromosome 29, the average imputation accuracy was lower. Some variants benefitted from the inclusion of other breeds in the reference population, initially determined by the MAF of the variant in each breed, but even Holstein specific variants did gain imputation accuracy from the multi-breed reference population. This study shows that splitting sequencing effort over multiple breeds and combining the reference populations is a good strategy for imputation from high-density SNP panels towards whole-genome sequence when reference populations are small and sequencing effort is limiting. When sequencing effort is limiting and interest lays in multiple breeds or lines this provides imputation of each breed.

Everything You Need To Know about Math Homework. A Desk Reference for Students and Parents. Fourth to Sixth Grades. Scholastic Homework Reference Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeman, Anne; Kelly, Kate

This book is written to answer commonly asked homework questions of fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. Included are facts, charts, definitions, explanations, examples, and illustrations. Topics include ancient number systems; decimal system; math symbols; addition; subtraction; multiplication; division; fractions; estimation; averages; properties;…

Reference test methods for total water in lint cotton by Karl Fischer Titration and low temperature distillation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In a study of comparability of total water contents (%) of conditioned cottons by Karl Fischer Titration (KFT) and Low Temperature Distillation (LTD) reference methods, we demonstrated a match of averaged results based on a large number of replications and weighing the test specimens at the same tim...

76 FR 31787 - United States Standards for Grades of Potatoes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-02

... from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the average potato crop value for 2006-2008... Table VII in 5Sec. 1.1565. 0 8. Section 51.1564 is amended by: 0 A. Amending the introductory text by... introductory text by removing the reference ``Table IV'', and by adding the reference ``Table VII'', in its...

Effects of a common transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) protocol on motor evoked potentials found to be highly variable within individuals over 9 testing sessions.

PubMed

Horvath, Jared Cooney; Vogrin, Simon J; Carter, Olivia; Cook, Mark J; Forte, Jason D

2016-09-01

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) uses a weak electric current to modulate neuronal activity. A neurophysiologic outcome measure to demonstrate reliable tDCS modulation at the group level is transcranial magnetic stimulation engendered motor evoked potentials (MEPs). Here, we conduct a study testing the reliability of individual MEP response patterns following a common tDCS protocol. Fourteen participants (7m/7f) each underwent nine randomized sessions of 1 mA, 10 min tDCS (3 anode; 3 cathode; 3 sham) delivered using an M1/orbito-frontal electrode montage (sessions separated by an average of ~5.5 days). Fifteen MEPs were obtained prior to, immediately following and in 5 min intervals for 30 min following tDCS. TMS was delivered at 130 % resting motor threshold using neuronavigation to ensure consistent coil localization. A number of non-experimental variables were collected during each session. At the individual level, considerable variability was seen among different testing sessions. No participant demonstrated an excitatory response ≥20 % to all three anodal sessions, and no participant demonstrated an inhibitory response ≥20 % to all three cathodal sessions. Intra-class correlation revealed poor anodal and cathodal test-retest reliability [anode: ICC(2,1) = 0.062; cathode: ICC(2,1) = 0.055] and moderate sham test-retest reliability [ICC(2,1) = 0.433]. Results also revealed no significant effect of tDCS at the group level. Using this common protocol, we found the effects of tDCS on MEP amplitudes to be highly variable at the individual level. In addition, no significant effects of tDCS on MEP amplitude were found at the group level. Future studies should consider utilizing a more strict experimental protocol to potentially account for intra-individual response variations.

Under What Assumptions Do Site-by-Treatment Instruments Identify Average Causal Effects?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reardon, Sean F.; Raudenbush, Stephen W.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the assumptions that must be met if this--multiple site, multiple mediator--strategy, hereafter referred to as "MSMM," is to identify the average causal effects (ATE) in the populations of interest. The authors' investigation of the assumptions of the multiple-mediator, multiple-site IV model demonstrates…

Accuracy and the Effect of Possible Subject-Based Confounders of Magnitude-Based MRI for Estimating Hepatic Proton Density Fat Fraction in Adults, Using MR Spectroscopy as Reference

PubMed Central

Heba, Elhamy R.; Desai, Ajinkya; Zand, Kevin A.; Hamilton, Gavin; Wolfson, Tanya; Schlein, Alexandra N.; Gamst, Anthony; Loomba, Rohit; Sirlin, Claude B.; Middleton, Michael S.

2016-01-01

Purpose To determine the accuracy and the effect of possible subject-based confounders of magnitude-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for estimating hepatic proton density fat fraction (PDFF) for different numbers of echoes in adults with known or suspected nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, using MR spectroscopy (MRS) as a reference. Materials and Methods In this retrospective analysis of 506 adults, hepatic PDFF was estimated by unenhanced 3.0T MRI, using right-lobe MRS as reference. Regions of interest placed on source images and on six-echo parametric PDFF maps were colocalized to MRS voxel location. Accuracy using different numbers of echoes was assessed by regression and Bland–Altman analysis; slope, intercept, average bias, and R2 were calculated. The effect of age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) on hepatic PDFF accuracy was investigated using multivariate linear regression analyses. Results MRI closely agreed with MRS for all tested methods. For three- to six-echo methods, slope, regression intercept, average bias, and R2 were 1.01–0.99, 0.11–0.62%, 0.24–0.56%, and 0.981–0.982, respectively. Slope was closest to unity for the five-echo method. The two-echo method was least accurate, underestimating PDFF by an average of 2.93%, compared to an average of 0.23–0.69% for the other methods. Statistically significant but clinically nonmeaningful effects on PDFF error were found for subject BMI (P range: 0.0016 to 0.0783), male sex (P range: 0.015 to 0.037), and no statistically significant effect was found for subject age (P range: 0.18–0.24). Conclusion Hepatic magnitude-based MRI PDFF estimates using three, four, five, and six echoes, and six-echo parametric maps are accurate compared to reference MRS values, and that accuracy is not meaningfully confounded by age, sex, or BMI. PMID:26201284

Aquarius Instrument Science Calibration During the Risk Reduction Phase

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruf, Christopher S.

2004-01-01

This final report presents the results of work performed under NASA Grant NAG512726 during the period 15 January 2003 through 30 June 2004. An analysis was performed of a possible vicarious calibration method for use by Aquarius to monitor and stabilize the absolute and relative calibration of its microwave radiometer. Stationary statistical properties of the brightness temperature (T(sub B)) measured by a low Earth orbiting radiometer operating at 1.4135 GHz are considered as a means of validating its absolute calibration. The global minimum, maximum, and average T(sub B) are considered, together with a vicarious cold reference method that detects the presence of a sharp lower bound on naturally occurring values for T(sub B). Of particular interest is the reliability with which these statistics can be extracted from a realistic distribution of T(sub B) measurements that would be observed by a typical sensor. Simulations of measurements are performed that include the effects of instrument noise and variable environmental factors such as the global water vapor and ocean surface temperature, salinity and wind distributions. Global minima can vary widely due to instrument noise and are not a reliable calibration reference. Global maxima are strongly influenced by several environmental factors as well as instrument noise and are even less stationary. Global averages are largely insensitive to instrument noise and, in most cases, to environmental conditions as well. The global average T(sub B) varies at only the 0.1 K RMS level except in cases of anomalously high winds, when it can increase considerably more. The vicarious cold reference is similarly insensitive to instrument effects and most environmental factors. It is not significantly affected by high wind conditions. The stability of the vicarious reference is, however, found to be somewhat sensitive (at the several tenths of Kelvins level) to variations in the background cold space brightness, T(sub c). The global average is much less sensitive to this parameter and so using two approaches together can be mutually beneficial.

Sharing reference data and including cows in the reference population improve genomic predictions in Danish Jersey.

PubMed

Su, G; Ma, P; Nielsen, U S; Aamand, G P; Wiggans, G; Guldbrandtsen, B; Lund, M S

2016-06-01

Small reference populations limit the accuracy of genomic prediction in numerically small breeds, such like Danish Jersey. The objective of this study was to investigate two approaches to improve genomic prediction by increasing size of reference population in Danish Jersey. The first approach was to include North American Jersey bulls in Danish Jersey reference population. The second was to genotype cows and use them as reference animals. The validation of genomic prediction was carried out on bulls and cows, respectively. In validation on bulls, about 300 Danish bulls (depending on traits) born in 2005 and later were used as validation data, and the reference populations were: (1) about 1050 Danish bulls, (2) about 1050 Danish bulls and about 1150 US bulls. In validation on cows, about 3000 Danish cows from 87 young half-sib families were used as validation data, and the reference populations were: (1) about 1250 Danish bulls, (2) about 1250 Danish bulls and about 1150 US bulls, (3) about 1250 Danish bulls and about 4800 cows, (4) about 1250 Danish bulls, 1150 US bulls and 4800 Danish cows. Genomic best linear unbiased prediction model was used to predict breeding values. De-regressed proofs were used as response variables. In the validation on bulls for eight traits, the joint DK-US bull reference population led to higher reliability of genomic prediction than the DK bull reference population for six traits, but not for fertility and longevity. Averaged over the eight traits, the gain was 3 percentage points. In the validation on cows for six traits (fertility and longevity were not available), the gain from inclusion of US bull in reference population was 6.6 percentage points in average over the six traits, and the gain from inclusion of cows was 8.2 percentage points. However, the gains from cows and US bulls were not accumulative. The total gain of including both US bulls and Danish cows was 10.5 percentage points. The results indicate that sharing reference data and including cows in reference population are efficient approaches to increase reliability of genomic prediction. Therefore, genomic selection is promising for numerically small population.

Evaluating physical habitat and water chemistry data from statewide stream monitoring programs to establish least-impacted conditions in Washington State

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilmoth, Siri K.; Irvine, Kathryn M.; Larson, Chad

2015-01-01

Various GIS-generated land-use predictor variables, physical habitat metrics, and water chemistry variables from 75 reference streams and 351 randomly sampled sites throughout Washington State were evaluated for effectiveness at discriminating reference from random sites within level III ecoregions. A combination of multivariate clustering and ordination techniques were used. We describe average observed conditions for a subset of predictor variables as well as proposing statistical criteria for establishing reference conditions for stream habitat in Washington. Using these criteria, we determined whether any of the random sites met expectations for reference condition and whether any of the established reference sites failed to meet expectations for reference condition. Establishing these criteria will set a benchmark from which future data will be compared.

Efficiency in wood and fiber utilization in OECD countries

Treesearch

Hiroko Kando; Joseph Buongiorno

2009-01-01

Utilization efficiency has been defined as the ratio of the amount of industrial roundwood (or wood pulp) consumed in a country and year to the amount that would have been consumed to produce the same output with a reference technology.  The reference technology was described by the average input-output relationships in countries of the Organization for Economic...

The Effect of Talker and Intonation Variability on Speech Perception in Noise in Children with Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazan, Valerie; Messaoud-Galusi, Souhila; Rosen, Stuart

2013-01-01

Purpose: In this study, the authors aimed to determine whether children with dyslexia (hereafter referred to as "DYS children") are more affected than children with average reading ability (hereafter referred to as "AR children") by talker and intonation variability when perceiving speech in noise. Method: Thirty-four DYS and 25 AR children were…

Certification and uncertainty evaluation of the certified reference materials of poly(ethylene glycol) for molecular mass fractions by using supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

Takahashi, Kayori; Kishine, Kana; Matsuyama, Shigetomo; Saito, Takeshi; Kato, Haruhisa; Kinugasa, Shinichi

2008-07-01

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is a useful water-soluble polymer that has attracted considerable interest in medical and biological science applications as well as in polymer physics. Through the use of a well-calibrated evaporative light-scattering detector coupled with high performance supercritical fluid chromatography, we are able to determine exactly not only the average mass but also all of the molecular mass fractions of PEG samples needed for certified reference materials issued by the National Metrology Institute of Japan. In addition, experimental uncertainty was determined in accordance with the Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement (GUM). This reference material can be used to calibrate measuring instruments, to control measurement precision, and to confirm the validity of measurement methods when determining molecular mass distributions and average molecular masses. Especially, it is suitable for calibration against both masses and intensities for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

The Qatar genome: a population-specific tool for precision medicine in the Middle East

PubMed Central

Fakhro, Khalid A; Staudt, Michelle R; Ramstetter, Monica Denise; Robay, Amal; Malek, Joel A; Badii, Ramin; Al-Marri, Ajayeb Al-Nabet; Khalil, Charbel Abi; Al-Shakaki, Alya; Chidiac, Omar; Stadler, Dora; Zirie, Mahmoud; Jayyousi, Amin; Salit, Jacqueline; Mezey, Jason G; Crystal, Ronald G; Rodriguez-Flores, Juan L

2016-01-01

Reaching the full potential of precision medicine depends on the quality of personalized genome interpretation. In order to facilitate precision medicine in regions of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a population-specific genome for the indigenous Arab population of Qatar (QTRG) was constructed by incorporating allele frequency data from sequencing of 1,161 Qataris, representing 0.4% of the population. A total of 20.9 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 3.1 million indels were observed in Qatar, including an average of 1.79% novel variants per individual genome. Replacement of the GRCh37 standard reference with QTRG in a best practices genome analysis workflow resulted in an average of 7* deeper coverage depth (an improvement of 23%) and 756,671 fewer variants on average, a reduction of 16% that is attributed to common Qatari alleles being present in QTRG. The benefit for using QTRG varies across ancestries, a factor that should be taken into consideration when selecting an appropriate reference for analysis. PMID:27408750

Metals in agricultural produce associated with acid-mine drainage in Mount Morgan (Queensland, Australia).

PubMed

Vicente-Beckett, Victoria A; McCauley, Gaylene J Taylor; Duivenvoorden, Leo J

2016-01-01

Acid-mine drainage (AMD) into the Dee River from the historic gold and copper mine in Mount Morgan, Queensland (Australia) has been of concern to farmers in the area since 1925. This study sought to determine the levels of AMD-related metals and sulfur in agricultural produce grown near the mine-impacted Dee River, compare these with similar produce grown in reference fields (which had no known AMD influence), and assess any potential health risk using relevant Australian or US guidelines. Analyses of lucerne (Medicago sativa; also known as alfalfa) from five Dee fields showed the following average concentrations (mg/kg dry basis): Cd < 1, Cu 11, Fe 106, Mn 52, Pb < 5, Zn 25 and S 3934; similar levels were found in lucerne hay (used as cattle feed) from two Dee fields. All lucerne and lucerne hay data were generally comparable with levels found in the lucerne reference fields, suggesting no AMD influence; the levels were within the US National Research Council (US NRC) guidelines for maximum tolerable cattle dietary intake. Pasture grass (also cattle feed) from two fields in the Dee River floodplains gave mean concentrations (mg/kg dry) of Cd 0.14, Cu 12, Fe 313, Mn 111, Pb 1.4, Zn 86 and S 2450. All metal levels from the Dee and from reference sites were below the US NRC guidelines for maximum tolerable cattle dietary intake; however, the average Cd, Cu and Fe levels in Dee samples were significantly greater than the corresponding levels in the pasture grass reference sites, suggesting AMD influence in the Dee samples. The average levels in the edible portions of mandarin oranges (Citrus reticulata) from Dee sites (mg/kg wet weight) were Cd 0.011, Cu 0.59, Fe 2.2, Mn 0.56, Pb 0.18, S 91 and Zn 0.96. Cd and Zn were less than or close to, average Fe and Mn levels were at most twice, Cd 1.8 or 6.5 times, and Pb 8.5 or 72 times the maximum levels in raw oranges reported in the US total diet study (TDS) or the Australian TDS, respectively. Average Cd, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn levels in the citrus reference samples were found to exceed the maximum reported in one or both TDS surveys. Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn plant-soil transfer factor (TF) values were < 1 for all agricultural samples from both Dee and reference sites, suggesting relatively poor transfer of these metals from soil to plant. In the case of Cd, TF values for Dee pasture grass and citrus fruit samples were 0.14 and 0.73, respectively; lucerne and lucerne hay from both Dee and reference sites gave TF = 10, suggesting some potential risk to cattle, although this conclusion is tentative because Cd levels were close to or less than the detection limit. TF values for S in lucerne, lucerne hay, pasture grass and mandarin oranges from Dee sites were 18, 14, 3 and 3.6, respectively, indicating that S in soil was readily available to plant or fruit. Sulfur in pasture grass and citrus fruit (TF = 11 for both) was apparently more bioavailable at the reference sites than at the Dee sites (TF = 3.0 for pasture grass; TF = 3.6 for citrus fruit).

A Comparison of Patients Absorption Doses with Bone Deformity Due to the EOS Imaging and Digital Radiology

PubMed Central

Abrisham, Seyed Mohammad J.; Bouzarjomehri, Fathollah; Nafisi-Moghadam, Reza; Sobhan, Mohammad R.; Gadimi, Mahdie; Omidvar, Fereshte

2017-01-01

Background: This study has aimed to measure the patient dose in entire spine radiography by EOS system in comparison with the digital radiography. Methods: EOS stereo-radiography was used for frontal and lateral view spine imaging in 41 patients in a prospective analytical study. A calibrated dose area product (DAP) meter was used for calibration of the DAP in EOS system. The accuracy and precision of the system was confirmed according to the acceptance testing. The same procedure was used for 18 patients referred for lumbar spine digital radiology (overall 36 images). Results: Although radiation fields in the EOS were almost twice of that in digital radiology, and the average peak tube voltage (kVp), current supply to the tube (mA), and the average size and age of the patients referred for EOS imaging were greater than digital radiology, however, the average DAP in EOS was 1/5 of that in digital radiology system. Also, the average dose in the EOS was about 1/20 of that in digital radiology. Conclusion: The patient dose in EOS imaging system was lower in comparison with digital radiology (1/20). PMID:28656161

A Comparison of Patients Absorption Doses with Bone Deformity Due to the EOS Imaging and Digital Radiology.

PubMed

Abrisham, Seyed Mohammad J; Bouzarjomehri, Fathollah; Nafisi-Moghadam, Reza; Sobhan, Mohammad R; Gadimi, Mahdie; Omidvar, Fereshte

2017-05-01

This study has aimed to measure the patient dose in entire spine radiography by EOS system in comparison with the digital radiography. EOS stereo-radiography was used for frontal and lateral view spine imaging in 41 patients in a prospective analytical study. A calibrated dose area product (DAP) meter was used for calibration of the DAP in EOS system. The accuracy and precision of the system was confirmed according to the acceptance testing. The same procedure was used for 18 patients referred for lumbar spine digital radiology (overall 36 images). Although radiation fields in the EOS were almost twice of that in digital radiology, and the average peak tube voltage (kV p ), current supply to the tube (mA), and the average size and age of the patients referred for EOS imaging were greater than digital radiology, however, the average DAP in EOS was 1/5 of that in digital radiology system. Also, the average dose in the EOS was about 1/20 of that in digital radiology. The patient dose in EOS imaging system was lower in comparison with digital radiology (1/20).

Cost of practice in a tertiary/quaternary referral center: is it sustainable?

PubMed

Cologne, K G; Hwang, G S; Senagore, A J

2014-11-01

Third-party payers are moving toward a bundled care payment system. This means that there will need to be a warranty cost of care-where the cost of complexity and complication rates is built into the bundled payment. The theoretical benefit of this system is that providers with lower complication rates will be able to provide care with lower warranty costs and lower overall costs. This may also result in referring riskier patients to tertiary or quaternary referral centers. Unless the payment model truly covers the higher cost of managing such referred cases, the economic risk may be unsustainable for these centers. We took the last seven patients that were referred by other surgeons as "too high risk" for colectomy at other centers. A contribution margin was calculated using standard Medicare reimbursement rates at our institution and cost of care based on our administrative database. We then recalculated a contribution margin assuming a 3 % reduction in payment for a higher than average readmission rate, like that which will take effect in 2014. Finally, we took into account the cost of any readmissions. Seven patients with diagnosis related group (DRG) 330 were reviewed with an average age of 66.8 ± 16 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists score 2.3 ± 1.0, body mass index 31.6 ± 9.8 kg/m(2) (range 22-51 kg/m(2)). There was a 57 % readmission rate, 29 % reoperation rate, 10.8 ± 7.7 day average initial length of stay with 14 ± 8.6 day average readmission length of stay. Forty-two percent were discharged to a location other than home. Seventy-one percent of these patients had Medicare insurance. The case mix index was 2.45. Average reimbursement for DRG 330 was $17,084 (based on Medicare data) for our facility in 2012, with the national average being $12,520. The total contribution margin among all cases collectively was -$19,122 ± 13,285 (average per patient -$2,731, range -$21,905-$12,029). Assuming a 3 % reimbursement reduction made the overall contribution margin -$22,122 ± 13,285 (average -$3,244). Including the cost of readmission in the variable cost made the contribution margin -$115,741 ± 16,023 (average -$16,534). Care of high-risk patients at tertiary and quaternary referral centers is a very expensive proposition and can lead to financial ruin under the current reimbursement system.

Ray Effect Mitigation Through Reference Frame Rotation

DOE PAGES

Tencer, John

2016-05-01

The discrete ordinates method is a popular and versatile technique for solving the radiative transport equation, a major drawback of which is the presence of ray effects. Mitigation of ray effects can yield significantly more accurate results and enhanced numerical stability for combined mode codes. Moreover, when ray effects are present, the solution is seen to be highly dependent upon the relative orientation of the geometry and the global reference frame. It is an undesirable property. A novel ray effect mitigation technique of averaging the computed solution for various reference frame orientations is proposed.

Quality assurance of reference standards from nine European solar-ultraviolet monitoring laboratories.

PubMed

Gröbner, Julian; Rembges, Diana; Bais, Alkiviadis F; Blumthaler, Mario; Cabot, Thierry; Josefsson, Weine; Koskela, Tapani; Thorseth, Trond M; Webb, Ann R; Wester, Ulf

2002-07-20

A program for quality assurance of reference standards has been initiated among nine solar-UV monitoring laboratories. By means of a traveling lamp package that comprises several 1000-W ANSI code DXW-type quartz-halogen lamps, a 0.1-ohm shunt, and a 6-1/2 digit voltmeter, the irradiance scales used by the nine laboratories were compared with one another; a relative uncertainty of 1.2% was found. The comparison of 15 reference standards yielded differences of as much as 9%; the average difference was less than 3%.

Operational Exploitation of Satellite-Based Sounding Data and Numerical Weather Prediction Models for Directed Energy Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

Verification Tool for Laser Environmental Effects Definition and Reference (LEEDR) Development ................................... 45 3.5 Gap Filling with NWP... effective cloud cover for all cloud layers within the AIRS field-of-view. ......................................... 59 Figure 37. Average wind...IR Infrared JPL Jet Propulsion Lab LEEDR Laser Environmental Effects Definition and Reference LIDAR Light Detection and Ranging MODIS Moderate

The Prime Time Diet: A Content Analysis of Eating Behavior and Food Messages in Television Program Content and Commercials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Story, Mary; Faulkner, Patricia

1990-01-01

Identifies and analyzes messages related to food and eating behavior as presented on prime time television programing and commercials. Finds that food references occur an average of 4.8 times per 30 minutes and that over half of all food references were for low nutrient beverages and sweets, which is inconsistent with healthy dietary guidelines.…

Artificial Immune System for Flight Envelope Estimation and Protection

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-31

Throttle Failure 103 5.3. Estimation Algorithms for Sensor AC 108 5.3.1. Roll Rate Sensor Bias 108...4.13. Reference Features-Pattern for a Roll Rate Sensor Under Low Severity Failure 93 Figure 4.14. Reference Features-Pattern for a Roll Rate...Average PI for Different ACs 134 Figure 6.9. Roll Response Under High Magnitude Stabilator Failure 135 Figure 6.10. Pitch

Unified Bayesian Estimator of EEG Reference at Infinity: rREST (Regularized Reference Electrode Standardization Technique).

PubMed

Hu, Shiang; Yao, Dezhong; Valdes-Sosa, Pedro A

2018-01-01

The choice of reference for the electroencephalogram (EEG) is a long-lasting unsolved issue resulting in inconsistent usages and endless debates. Currently, both the average reference (AR) and the reference electrode standardization technique (REST) are two primary, apparently irreconcilable contenders. We propose a theoretical framework to resolve this reference issue by formulating both (a) estimation of potentials at infinity, and (b) determination of the reference, as a unified Bayesian linear inverse problem, which can be solved by maximum a posterior estimation. We find that AR and REST are very particular cases of this unified framework: AR results from biophysically non-informative prior; while REST utilizes the prior based on the EEG generative model. To allow for simultaneous denoising and reference estimation, we develop the regularized versions of AR and REST, named rAR and rREST, respectively. Both depend on a regularization parameter that is the noise to signal variance ratio. Traditional and new estimators are evaluated with this framework, by both simulations and analysis of real resting EEGs. Toward this end, we leverage the MRI and EEG data from 89 subjects which participated in the Cuban Human Brain Mapping Project. Generated artificial EEGs-with a known ground truth, show that relative error in estimating the EEG potentials at infinity is lowest for rREST. It also reveals that realistic volume conductor models improve the performances of REST and rREST. Importantly, for practical applications, it is shown that an average lead field gives the results comparable to the individual lead field. Finally, it is shown that the selection of the regularization parameter with Generalized Cross-Validation (GCV) is close to the "oracle" choice based on the ground truth. When evaluated with the real 89 resting state EEGs, rREST consistently yields the lowest GCV. This study provides a novel perspective to the EEG reference problem by means of a unified inverse solution framework. It may allow additional principled theoretical formulations and numerical evaluation of performance.

The error of L5/S1 joint moment calculation in a body-centered non-inertial reference frame when the fictitious force is ignored.

PubMed

Xu, Xu; Faber, Gert S; Kingma, Idsart; Chang, Chien-Chi; Hsiang, Simon M

2013-07-26

In ergonomics studies, linked segment models are commonly used for estimating dynamic L5/S1 joint moments during lifting tasks. The kinematics data input to these models are with respect to an arbitrary stationary reference frame. However, a body-centered reference frame, which is defined using the position and the orientation of human body segments, is sometimes used to conveniently identify the location of the load relative to the body. When a body-centered reference frame is moving with the body, it is a non-inertial reference frame and fictitious force exists. Directly applying a linked segment model to the kinematics data with respect to a body-centered non-inertial reference frame will ignore the effect of this fictitious force and introduce errors during L5/S1 moment estimation. In the current study, various lifting tasks were performed in the laboratory environment. The L5/S1 joint moments during the lifting tasks were calculated by a linked segment model with respect to a stationary reference frame and to a body-centered non-inertial reference frame. The results indicate that applying a linked segment model with respect to a body-centered non-inertial reference frame will result in overestimating the peak L5/S1 joint moments of the coronal plane, sagittal plane, and transverse plane during lifting tasks by 78%, 2%, and 59% on average, respectively. The instant when the peak moment occurred was delayed by 0.13, 0.03, and 0.09s on average, correspondingly for the three planes. The root-mean-square errors of the L5/S1 joint moment for the three planes are 21Nm, 19Nm, and 9Nm, correspondingly. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Attempt to Standardize the Calculation of Growth Velocity of Preterm Infants-Evaluation of Practical Bedside Methods.

PubMed

Fenton, Tanis R; Anderson, Diane; Groh-Wargo, Sharon; Hoyos, Angela; Ehrenkranz, Richard A; Senterre, Thibault

2018-05-01

To examine how well growth velocity recommendations for preterm infants fit with current growth references: Fenton 2013, Olsen 2010, INTERGROWTH 2015, and the World Health Organization Growth Standard 2006. The Average (2-point), Exponential (2-point), Early (1-point) method weight-gains were calculated for 1,4,8,12, and 16-week time-periods. Growth references' weekly velocities (g/kg/d, gram/day and cm/week) were illustrated graphically with frequently-quoted 15 g/kg/d, 10-30 grams/day and 1 cm/week rates superimposed. The 15 g/kg/d and 1 cm/week growth velocity rates were calculated from 24-50 weeks, superimposed on the Fenton and Olsen preterm growth charts. The Average and Exponential g/kg/d estimates showed close agreement for all ages (range 5.0-18.9 g/kg/d), while the Early method yielded values as high as 41 g/kg/d. All 3 preterm growth references were similar to 15 g/kg/d rate at 34 weeks, but rates were higher prior and lower at older ages. For gram/day, the growth references changed from 10 to 30 grams/day for 24-33 weeks. Head growth rates generally fit the 1 cm/week velocity for 23-30 weeks, and length growth rates fit for 37-40 weeks. The calculated g/kg/d curves deviated from the growth charts, first downward, then steeply crossed the median curves near term. Human growth is not constant through gestation and early infancy. The frequently-quoted 15 g/kg/d, 10-30 gram/day and 1 cm/week only fit current growth references for limited time periods. Rates of 15-20 g/kg/d (calculated using average or exponential methods) are a reasonable goal for infants 23-36 weeks, but not beyond. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reduced Current Spread by Concentric Electrodes in Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES).

PubMed

Bortoletto, M; Rodella, C; Salvador, R; Miranda, P C; Miniussi, C

2016-01-01

We propose the use of a new montage for transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), called concentric electrodes tDCS (CE-tDCS), involving two concentric round electrodes that may improve stimulation focality. To test efficacy and focality of CE-tDCS, we modelled the current distribution and tested physiological effects on cortical excitability. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and abductor digiti minimi (ADM) were recorded before and after the delivery of anodal, cathodal and sham stimulation on the FDI hotspot for 10 minutes. MEP amplitude of FDI increased after anodal-tDCS and decreased after cathodal-tDCS, supporting the efficacy of CE-tDCS in modulating cortical excitability. Moreover, modelled current distribution and no significant effects of stimulation on MEP amplitude of ADM suggest high focality of CE-tDCS. CE-tDCS may allow a better control of current distribution and may represent a novel tool for applying tDCS and other transcranial current stimulation approaches. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Data-mining for sulfur and fluorine: an evaluation of pharmaceuticals to reveal opportunities for drug design and discovery.

PubMed

Ilardi, Elizabeth A; Vitaku, Edon; Njardarson, Jon T

2014-04-10

Among carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, sulfur and fluorine are both leading constituents of the pharmaceuticals that comprise our medicinal history. In efforts to stimulate the minds of both the general public and expert scientist, statistics were collected from the trends associated with therapeutics spanning 12 disease categories (a total of 1969 drugs) from our new graphical montage compilation: disease focused pharmaceuticals posters. Each poster is a vibrant display of a collection of pharmaceuticals (including structural image, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval date, international nonproprietary name (INN), initial market name, and a color-coded subclass of function) organized chronologically and classified according to an association with a particular clinical indication. Specifically, the evolution and structural diversity of sulfur and the popular integration of fluorine into drugs introduced over the past 50 years are evaluated. The presented qualitative conclusions in this article aim to promote innovative insights into drug development.

Automated identification of cone photoreceptors in adaptive optics retinal images.

PubMed

Li, Kaccie Y; Roorda, Austin

2007-05-01

In making noninvasive measurements of the human cone mosaic, the task of labeling each individual cone is unavoidable. Manual labeling is a time-consuming process, setting the motivation for the development of an automated method. An automated algorithm for labeling cones in adaptive optics (AO) retinal images is implemented and tested on real data. The optical fiber properties of cones aided the design of the algorithm. Out of 2153 manually labeled cones from six different images, the automated method correctly identified 94.1% of them. The agreement between the automated and the manual labeling methods varied from 92.7% to 96.2% across the six images. Results between the two methods disagreed for 1.2% to 9.1% of the cones. Voronoi analysis of large montages of AO retinal images confirmed the general hexagonal-packing structure of retinal cones as well as the general cone density variability across portions of the retina. The consistency of our measurements demonstrates the reliability and practicality of having an automated solution to this problem.

Internality and externality correlates of potential drivers among high school pupils in Holon (Israel).

PubMed

Brook, U; Weitzman, A

1994-01-01

Car accidents are the leading causes of death and handicap among adolescents and young adults. Thirty-six pupils from the last class in high school (in the age group 17-18 years) have attended lectures with explanations concerning the consequences of car accidents by physicians of rehabilitation centers. They also were taken on a one-day visit to such a center. They have seen and talked with persons who were severely handicapped because of car accidents, and have followed the physical therapists and occupational healing therapists throughout their work day. The pupils completed the Rotter and Montag Internality-Externality Scale questionnaire before and after the meeting and staging with the handicaps, and the results showed an increase of 10.28% in their Internal focus of control. The conclusion is that confrontation of young future drivers with handicaps as a result of car accidents in rehabilitation centers should be a routine and regular habit during the last classes of high school.

Space Science

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-01-16

This montage consists of 8 individual STS-35 crew member portraits surrounding the mission’s insignia. Starting from top center, clockwise, are Vance D. Brand, commander; mission specialists Dr. Robert A. R. Parker, John M. (Mike) Lounge, and Dr. Jeffery A. Hoffman; Colonel Guy S. Gardner, pilot; and payload specialists Dr. Kenneth H. Nordsieck, Dr. Samual T. Durrance, and Dr. Ronald A. Parise. The crew of 8 launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia on December 2, 1990 at 1:19:01am (EST). The primary objective of the mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultrviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, Marshall Space Flight Center ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew.

JuxtaView - A tool for interactive visualization of large imagery on scalable tiled displays

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krishnaprasad, N.K.; Vishwanath, V.; Venkataraman, S.; Rao, A.G.; Renambot, L.; Leigh, J.; Johnson, A.E.; Davis, B.

2004-01-01

JuxtaView is a cluster-based application for viewing ultra-high-resolution images on scalable tiled displays. We present in JuxtaView, a new parallel computing and distributed memory approach for out-of-core montage visualization, using LambdaRAM, a software-based network-level cache system. The ultimate goal of JuxtaView is to enable a user to interactively roam through potentially terabytes of distributed, spatially referenced image data such as those from electron microscopes, satellites and aerial photographs. In working towards this goal, we describe our first prototype implemented over a local area network, where the image is distributed using LambdaRAM, on the memory of all nodes of a PC cluster driving a tiled display wall. Aggressive pre-fetching schemes employed by LambdaRAM help to reduce latency involved in remote memory access. We compare LambdaRAM with a more traditional memory-mapped file approach for out-of-core visualization. ?? 2004 IEEE.

Comparison of mapping quantitative theta encephalograms during directed and required visual-verbal activity and passive period in children with different disorders of speech-language functioning.

PubMed

Radicevic, Zoran; Jelicic Dobrijevic, Ljiljana; Sovilj, Mirjana; Barlov, Ivana

2009-06-01

Aim of the research was to examine similarities and differences between the periods of experiencing visually stimulated directed speech-language information and periods of undirected attention. The examined group comprised N = 64 children, aged 4-5, with different speech-language disorders (developmental dysphasia, hyperactive syndrome with attention disorder, children with borderline intellectual abilities, autistic complex). Theta EEG was registered in children in the period of watching and describing the picture ("task"), and in the period of undirected attention ("passive period"). The children were recorded in standard EEG conditions, at 19 points of EEG registration and in longitudinal bipolar montage. Results in the observed age-operative theta rhythm indicated significant similarities and differences in the prevalence of spatial engagement of certain regions between the two hemispheres at the input and output of processing, which opens the possibility for more detailed analysis of conscious control of speech-language processing and its disorders.

Rapid, automated mosaicking of the human corneal subbasal nerve plexus.

PubMed

Vaishnav, Yash J; Rucker, Stuart A; Saharia, Keshav; McNamara, Nancy A

2017-11-27

Corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) is an in vivo technique used to study corneal nerve morphology. The largest proportion of nerves innervating the cornea lie within the subbasal nerve plexus, where their morphology is altered by refractive surgery, diabetes and dry eye. The main limitations to clinical use of CCM as a diagnostic tool are the small field of view of CCM images and the lengthy time needed to quantify nerves in collected images. Here, we present a novel, rapid, fully automated technique to mosaic individual CCM images into wide-field maps of corneal nerves. We implemented an OpenCV image stitcher that accounts for corneal deformation and uses feature detection to stitch CCM images into a montage. The method takes 3-5 min to process and stitch 40-100 frames on an Amazon EC2 Micro instance. The speed, automation and ease of use conferred by this technique is the first step toward point of care evaluation of wide-field subbasal plexus (SBP) maps in a clinical setting.

Neural correlates of mathematical problem solving.

PubMed

Lin, Chun-Ling; Jung, Melody; Wu, Ying Choon; She, Hsiao-Ching; Jung, Tzyy-Ping

2015-03-01

This study explores electroencephalography (EEG) brain dynamics associated with mathematical problem solving. EEG and solution latencies (SLs) were recorded as 11 neurologically healthy volunteers worked on intellectually challenging math puzzles that involved combining four single-digit numbers through basic arithmetic operators (addition, subtraction, division, multiplication) to create an arithmetic expression equaling 24. Estimates of EEG spectral power were computed in three frequency bands - θ (4-7 Hz), α (8-13 Hz) and β (14-30 Hz) - over a widely distributed montage of scalp electrode sites. The magnitude of power estimates was found to change in a linear fashion with SLs - that is, relative to a base of power spectrum, theta power increased with longer SLs, while alpha and beta power tended to decrease. Further, the topographic distribution of spectral fluctuations was characterized by more pronounced asymmetries along the left-right and anterior-posterior axes for solutions that involved a longer search phase. These findings reveal for the first time the topography and dynamics of EEG spectral activities important for sustained solution search during arithmetical problem solving.

Autonomic specificity of basic emotions: evidence from pattern classification and cluster analysis.

PubMed

Stephens, Chad L; Christie, Israel C; Friedman, Bruce H

2010-07-01

Autonomic nervous system (ANS) specificity of emotion remains controversial in contemporary emotion research, and has received mixed support over decades of investigation. This study was designed to replicate and extend psychophysiological research, which has used multivariate pattern classification analysis (PCA) in support of ANS specificity. Forty-nine undergraduates (27 women) listened to emotion-inducing music and viewed affective films while a montage of ANS variables, including heart rate variability indices, peripheral vascular activity, systolic time intervals, and electrodermal activity, were recorded. Evidence for ANS discrimination of emotion was found via PCA with 44.6% of overall observations correctly classified into the predicted emotion conditions, using ANS variables (z=16.05, p<.001). Cluster analysis of these data indicated a lack of distinct clusters, which suggests that ANS responses to the stimuli were nomothetic and stimulus-specific rather than idiosyncratic and individual-specific. Collectively these results further confirm and extend support for the notion that basic emotions have distinct ANS signatures. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Third International Reference Preparation of Egg Lecithin

PubMed Central

Krag, P.; Bentzon, M. Weis

1961-01-01

The Third International Reference Preparation of Egg Lecithin was produced (in a quantity of 5000 ml) at the WHO Serological Reference Centre, Copenhagen, and assayed in 1958 against the Second International Reference Preparation by four laboratories in three countries. Complement-fixation and slide-flocculation tests were used. The new preparation was found acceptable, and its establishment was authorized by the WHO Expert Committee on Biological Standardization. The average log10 titres and results of analyses of variances are shown. The variances were of the usual order of magnitude, and the differences in titre between antigens containing the Second and the Third International Reference Preparations varied from -0.011 to 0.116; only one of the differences exceeded the 5% limit of significance. The use of the Third International Reference Preparation in tests for the acceptability of lecithin preparations is described. PMID:13753864

Hematological indices of injury to lightly oiled birds from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fallon, Jesse A.; Smith, Eric P.; Schoch, Nina; Paruk, James D.; Adams, Evan A.; Evers, David C.; Jodice, Patrick G. R.; Perkins, Christopher; Schulte, Shiloh A.; Hopkins, William A.

2018-01-01

Avian mortality events are common following large‐scale oil spills. However, the sublethal effects of oil on birds exposed to light external oiling are not clearly understood. We found that American oystercatchers (area of potential impact n = 42, reference n = 21), black skimmers (area of potential impact n = 121, reference n = 88), brown pelicans (area of potential impact n = 91, reference n = 48), and great egrets (area of potential impact n = 57, reference n = 47) captured between 20 June 2010 and 23 February 2011 following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill experienced oxidative injury to erythrocytes, had decreased volume of circulating erythrocytes, and showed evidence of a regenerative hematological response in the form of increased reticulocytes compared with reference populations. Erythrocytic inclusions consistent with Heinz bodies were present almost exclusively in birds from sites impacted with oil, a finding pathognomonic for oxidative injury to erythrocytes. Average packed cell volumes were 4 to 19% lower and average reticulocyte counts were 27 to 40% higher in birds with visible external oil than birds from reference sites. These findings provide evidence that small amounts of external oil exposure are associated with hemolytic anemia. Furthermore, we found that some birds captured from the area impacted by the spill but with no visible oiling also had erythrocytic inclusion bodies, increased reticulocytes, and reduced packed cell volumes when compared with birds from reference sites. Thus, birds suffered hematologic injury despite no visible oil at the time of capture. Together, these findings suggest that adverse effects of oil spills on birds may be more widespread than estimates based on avian mortality or severe visible oiling.

Effect of defuzzification method of fuzzy modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lapohos, Tibor; Buchal, Ralph O.

1994-10-01

Imprecision can arise in fuzzy relational modeling as a result of fuzzification, inference and defuzzification. These three sources of imprecision are difficult to separate. We have determined through numerical studies that an important source of imprecision is the defuzzification stage. This imprecision adversely affects the quality of the model output. The most widely used defuzzification algorithm is known by the name of `center of area' (COA) or `center of gravity' (COG). In this paper, we show that this algorithm not only maps the near limit values of the variables improperly but also introduces errors for middle domain values of the same variables. Furthermore, the behavior of this algorithm is a function of the shape of the reference sets. We compare the COA method to the weighted average of cluster centers (WACC) procedure in which the transformation is carried out based on the values of the cluster centers belonging to each of the reference membership functions instead of using the functions themselves. We show that this procedure is more effective and computationally much faster than the COA. The method is tested for a family of reference sets satisfying certain constraints, that is, for any support value the sum of reference membership function values equals one and the peak values of the two marginal membership functions project to the boundaries of the universe of discourse. For all the member sets of this family of reference sets the defuzzification errors do not get bigger as the linguistic variables tend to their extreme values. In addition, the more reference sets that are defined for a certain linguistic variable, the less the average defuzzification error becomes. In case of triangle shaped reference sets there is no defuzzification error at all. Finally, an alternative solution is provided that improves the performance of the COA method.

[Do laymen understand information about hospital quality? An empirical verification using risk-adjusted mortality rates as an example].

PubMed

Sander, Uwe; Kolb, Benjamin; Taheri, Fatemeh; Patzelt, Christiane; Emmert, Martin

2017-11-01

The effect of public reporting to improve quality in healthcare is reduced by the limited intelligibility of information about the quality of healthcare providers. This may result in worse health-related choices especially for older people and those with lower levels of education. There is, as yet, little information as to whether laymen understand the concepts behind quality comparisons and if this comprehension is correlated with hospital choices. An instrument with 20 items was developed to analyze the intelligibility of five technical terms which were used in German hospital report cards to explain risk-adjusted death rates. Two online presentations of risk-adjusted death rates for five hospitals in the style of hospital report cards were developed. An online survey of 353 volunteers tested the comprehension of the risk-adjusted mortality rates and included an experimental hospital choice. The intelligibility of five technical terms was tested: risk-adjusted, actual and expected death rate, reference range and national average. The percentages of correct answers for the five technical terms were in the range of 75.0-60.2%. Between 23.8% and 5.1% of the respondents were not able to answer the question about the technical term itself. The least comprehensible technical terms were "risk-adjusted death rate" and "reference range". The intelligibility of the 20 items that were used to test the comprehension of the risk-adjusted mortality was between 89.5% and 14.2%. The two items that proved to be least comprehensible were related to the technical terms "risk-adjusted death rate" and "reference range". For all five technical terms it was found that a better comprehension correlated significantly with better hospital choices. We found a better than average intelligibility for the technical terms "actual and expected death rate" and for "national average". The least understandable were "risk-adjusted death rate" and "reference range". Since the self-explanatory technical terms "actual and expected death rate" and "national average" are easy to understand and the comprehension is correlated with hospitals choices, we recommend using them for the presentation of measures which contain risk-adjusted mortality. The technical terms "risk-adjusted death rate" and "reference range" should stay in the background, since comprehension problems can be expected and explanations would have to be provided. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Accuracy evaluation of intraoral optical impressions: A clinical study using a reference appliance.

PubMed

Atieh, Mohammad A; Ritter, André V; Ko, Ching-Chang; Duqum, Ibrahim

2017-09-01

Trueness and precision are used to evaluate the accuracy of intraoral optical impressions. Although the in vivo precision of intraoral optical impressions has been reported, in vivo trueness has not been evaluated because of limitations in the available protocols. The purpose of this clinical study was to compare the accuracy (trueness and precision) of optical and conventional impressions by using a novel study design. Five study participants consented and were enrolled. For each participant, optical and conventional (vinylsiloxanether) impressions of a custom-made intraoral Co-Cr alloy reference appliance fitted to the mandibular arch were obtained by 1 operator. Three-dimensional (3D) digital models were created for stone casts obtained from the conventional impression group and for the reference appliances by using a validated high-accuracy reference scanner. For the optical impression group, 3D digital models were obtained directly from the intraoral scans. The total mean trueness of each impression system was calculated by averaging the mean absolute deviations of the impression replicates from their 3D reference model for each participant, followed by averaging the obtained values across all participants. The total mean precision for each impression system was calculated by averaging the mean absolute deviations between all the impression replicas for each participant (10 pairs), followed by averaging the obtained values across all participants. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA (α=.05), first to assess whether a systematic difference in trueness or precision of replicate impressions could be found among participants and second to assess whether the mean trueness and precision values differed between the 2 impression systems. Statistically significant differences were found between the 2 impression systems for both mean trueness (P=.010) and mean precision (P=.007). Conventional impressions had higher accuracy with a mean trueness of 17.0 ±6.6 μm and mean precision of 16.9 ±5.8 μm than optical impressions with a mean trueness of 46.2 ±11.4 μm and mean precision of 61.1 ±4.9 μm. Complete arch (first molar-to-first molar) optical impressions were less accurate than conventional impressions but may be adequate for quadrant impressions. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measuring Changes in Salaries and Wages in Public Schools: A Basic Handbook. ERS School Management Reference Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Educational Research Service, Arlington, VA.

A new statistical measure termed the Composite Indicator of Changes (CIC) reflects overall changes in average salaries and wages paid by public school systems in much the same way that the Dow-Jones averages reflect price changes in the stock market. The CIC is useful for comparing salary trends among various categories of personnel, among…

Life Science's Average Publishable Unit (APU) Has Increased over the Past Two Decades.

PubMed

Cordero, Radames J B; de León-Rodriguez, Carlos M; Alvarado-Torres, John K; Rodriguez, Ana R; Casadevall, Arturo

2016-01-01

Quantitative analysis of the scientific literature is important for evaluating the evolution and state of science. To study how the density of biological literature has changed over the past two decades we visually inspected 1464 research articles related only to the biological sciences from ten scholarly journals (with average Impact Factors, IF, ranging from 3.8 to 32.1). By scoring the number of data items (tables and figures), density of composite figures (labeled panels per figure or PPF), as well as the number of authors, pages and references per research publication we calculated an Average Publishable Unit or APU for 1993, 2003, and 2013. The data show an overall increase in the average ± SD number of data items from 1993 to 2013 of approximately 7±3 to 14±11 and PPF ratio of 2±1 to 4±2 per article, suggesting that the APU has doubled in size over the past two decades. As expected, the increase in data items per article is mainly in the form of supplemental material, constituting 0 to 80% of the data items per publication in 2013, depending on the journal. The changes in the average number of pages (approx. 8±3 to 10±3), references (approx. 44±18 to 56±24) and authors (approx. 5±3 to 8±9) per article are also presented and discussed. The average number of data items, figure density and authors per publication are correlated with the journal's average IF. The increasing APU size over time is important when considering the value of research articles for life scientists and publishers, as well as, the implications of these increasing trends in the mechanisms and economics of scientific communication.

Life Science’s Average Publishable Unit (APU) Has Increased over the Past Two Decades

PubMed Central

Cordero, Radames J. B.; de León-Rodriguez, Carlos M.; Alvarado-Torres, John K.; Rodriguez, Ana R.; Casadevall, Arturo

2016-01-01

Quantitative analysis of the scientific literature is important for evaluating the evolution and state of science. To study how the density of biological literature has changed over the past two decades we visually inspected 1464 research articles related only to the biological sciences from ten scholarly journals (with average Impact Factors, IF, ranging from 3.8 to 32.1). By scoring the number of data items (tables and figures), density of composite figures (labeled panels per figure or PPF), as well as the number of authors, pages and references per research publication we calculated an Average Publishable Unit or APU for 1993, 2003, and 2013. The data show an overall increase in the average ± SD number of data items from 1993 to 2013 of approximately 7±3 to 14±11 and PPF ratio of 2±1 to 4±2 per article, suggesting that the APU has doubled in size over the past two decades. As expected, the increase in data items per article is mainly in the form of supplemental material, constituting 0 to 80% of the data items per publication in 2013, depending on the journal. The changes in the average number of pages (approx. 8±3 to 10±3), references (approx. 44±18 to 56±24) and authors (approx. 5±3 to 8±9) per article are also presented and discussed. The average number of data items, figure density and authors per publication are correlated with the journal’s average IF. The increasing APU size over time is important when considering the value of research articles for life scientists and publishers, as well as, the implications of these increasing trends in the mechanisms and economics of scientific communication. PMID:27310929

Ethnic Differences in Gestational Weight Gain: A Population-Based Cohort Study in Norway.

PubMed

Kinnunen, Tarja I; Waage, Christin W; Sommer, Christine; Sletner, Line; Raitanen, Jani; Jenum, Anne Karen

2016-07-01

Objectives To explore ethnic differences in gestational weight gain (GWG). Methods This was a population-based cohort study conducted in primary care child health clinics in Groruddalen, Oslo, Norway. Participants were healthy pregnant women (n = 632) categorised to six ethnic groups (43 % were Western European women, the reference group). Body weight was measured at 15 and 28 weeks' gestation on average. Data on pre-pregnancy weight and total GWG until delivery were self-reported. The main method of analysis was linear regression adjusting for age, weeks' gestation, pre-pregnancy body mass index, education and severe nausea. Results No ethnic differences were observed in GWG by 15 weeks' gestation. By 28 weeks' gestation, Eastern European women had gained 2.71 kg (95 % confidence interval, CI 1.10-4.33) and Middle Eastern women 1.32 kg (95 % CI 0.14-2.50) more weight on average than the Western European women in the fully adjusted model. Among Eastern European women, the total adjusted GWG was 3.47 kg (95 % CI 1.33-5.61) above the reference group. Other ethnic groups (South Asian, East Asian and African) did not differ from the reference group. When including non-smokers (n = 522) only, observed between-group differences increased and Middle Eastern women gained more weight than the reference group by all time points. Conclusions Eastern European and Middle Eastern women had higher GWG on average than Western European women, especially among the non-smokers. Although prevention of excessive GWG is important for all pregnant women, these ethnic groups might need special attention during pregnancy.

Changes in lung function of granite crushers exposed to moderately high silica concentrations: a 12 year follow up.

PubMed Central

Malmberg, P; Hedenström, H; Sundblad, B M

1993-01-01

45 granite crushers and 45 age and smoking matched referents underwent pulmonary function tests in 1976 and 1988. On average, the granite crushers at follow up had worked for 22 years, were 52 (range 36-78) years old, and had inhaled a cumulated amount of 7 mg of silica in the respirable dust fraction. Between 1976 and 1988 the average concentration of respirable quartz in air was 0.16 mg/m3 (threshold limit value (TLV) = 0.10 mg/m3). In 1988 the granite crushers had somewhat lower forced expiratory flows (forced expiratory volume in one second/vital capacity (FEV1/VC) -4.5% and forced midexpiratory flow FEF50 -15%) compared with the referents and a more uneven ventilation distribution (17% higher slope of phase III in the nitrogen single breath curve). Five smoking granite crushers, but none of the referents, had an FEV1 < 80% of the predicted. During the 12 year interval the granite crushers had--compared with the matched referents--a greater decrease in FEV1 (-4.6%), FEV1/VC (-5.4%), maximal expiratory flow, (-8%) and FEF50 (-14%), and a larger increase in phase III and static compliance (p < 0.02 in all variables). The functional changes suggest the presence of airways obstruction and increased compliance of the lungs. Exposure to silica at concentrations of about twice the present TLV was thus associated with airways obstruction and loss of elastic recoil rather than fibrosis and a restrictive function loss as seen in silicosis. The changes were on average small, but in some tobacco smokers more pronounced changes were found. PMID:8398859

Partitioning and bioavailability of mercury in an experimentally acidified Wisconsin lake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wiener, James G.; Fitzgerald, William F.; Watras, Carl J.; Rada, Ronald G.

1990-01-01

We studied the partitioning of mercury (Hg) among air, water, sediments and fish at Little Rock Lake, a clear water seepage lake in north-central Wisconsin. The lake was divided with a sea curtain into two basins, one acidified with sulfuric acid to pH 5.6 for two years and the other an untreated reference site (mean pH 6.1), to document the effects of acidification. Trace-metal-free protocols were used to measure Hg at the picomolar level in air and water. Total gaseous Hg in air samples averaged 2.0 ng/m3. Total Hg in unfiltered water samples collected in 1986 after the fall overturn averaged about 1 ng/L in the acidified and reference basins. Mercury in surficial sediments was strongly correlated with volatile matter content and ranged from 10 to about 170 ng/g (dry weight) in both basins. Total Hg concentrations in whole, calendar age-1 yellow perch (Perca flavescens), sampled after one year of residence in the lake, averaged 114 ng/g (fresh weight) in the reference basin and 135 ng/g in the acidified basin – a highly significant (p < 0.01) difference. The mean whole-body burden (quantity) of Hg in age-1 perch did not differ between basins after the first year, but was significantly greater in the treatment basin than in the reference basin after the second year of acidification. Differences between the two basins in the bioaccumulation of Hg were attributed to internal (within-lake) processes that influence the bioavailability of the metal. An initial Hg budget for the treatment basin of Little Rock Lake showed that atmospheric deposition and sedimentary remobilization of Hg are potentially important processes influencing its biogeochemical cycling and uptake by fish.

Spread of the dust temperature distribution in circumstellar disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heese, S.; Wolf, S.; Dutrey, A.; Guilloteau, S.

2017-07-01

Context. Accurate temperature calculations for circumstellar disks are particularly important for their chemical evolution. Their temperature distribution is determined by the optical properties of the dust grains, which, among other parameters, depend on their radius. However, in most disk studies, only average optical properties and thus an average temperature is assumed to account for an ensemble of grains with different radii. Aims: We investigate the impact of subdividing the grain radius distribution into multiple sub-intervals on the resulting dust temperature distribution and spectral energy distribution (SED). Methods: The temperature distribution, the relative grain surface below a certain temperature, the freeze-out radius, and the SED were computed for two different scenarios: (1) Radius distribution represented by 16 logarithmically distributed radius intervals, and (2) radius distribution represented by a single grain species with averaged optical properties (reference). Results: Within the considered parameter range, I.e., of grain radii between 5 nm and 1 mm and an optically thin and thick disk with a parameterized density distribution, we obtain the following results: in optically thin disk regions, the temperature spread can be as large as 63% and the relative grain surface below a certain temperature is lower than in the reference disk. With increasing optical depth, the difference in the midplane temperature and the relative grain surface below a certain temperature decreases. Furthermore, below 20 K, this fraction is higher for the reference disk than for the case of multiple grain radii, while it shows the opposite behavior for temperatures above this threshold. The thermal emission in the case of multiple grain radii at short wavelengths is stronger than for the reference disk. The freeze-out radius (snowline) is a function of grain radius, spanning a radial range between the coldest and warmest grain species of 30 AU.

Future Scenarios of Livestock and Land Use in Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, M. H.; Abrahão, G. M.

2016-12-01

Brazil currently has about 213 M cattle heads in 151 M ha of pastures. In the last 40 years, both the top 5% and the average stocking rate are increasing exponentially in Brazil, while the relative yield gap has been constant. Using these historical relationships, we estimate future scenarios of livestock and land use in Brazil. We assume a reference scenario for the top 5%, in which pasturelands are adequately fertilized, soil is not compacted and well drained, grasses are never burned, pastures are divided in 8 subdivisions of regular area, are cattle is rotated through the subdivisions. The reference scenario does not consider irrigation or feed supplementation. We calibrate a computer model and run it for the pasturelands throughout the entire country. We conclude that current pastures have about 20% efficiency to raise cattle compared to the reference scenario. Considering the reference scenario, we predict an equilibrium will be reached in about 100 years, with top 5% with about 9.3 heads per ha and the average 4.3 heads per ha, or 600 M heads of livestock. Considering a more pessimistic scenario, which considers an inflection of the curve in present times, we predict an equilibrium will be reached in about 60 years, with the top 5% stocking rate equal to 4.3 heads per ha and the average equal to 2.2 heads per ha, or 300 M heads of livestock. Both cases represent a considerable expansion of the livestock, maybe even higher than the growth of the global demands for beef. These scenarios indicate that not all existing pasturelands need to be used in the future - a significant part of them may be converted to croplands, which will also contribute to the reduction of deforestation.

Low-head sea lamprey barrier effects on stream habitat and fish communities in the Great Lakes basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dodd, H.R.; Hayes, D.B.; Baylis, J.R.; Carl, L.M.; Goldstein, J.D.; McLaughlin, R.L.; Noakes, D.L.G.; Porto, L.M.; Jones, M.L.

2003-01-01

Low-head barriers are used to block adult sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) from upstream spawning habitat. However, these barriers may impact stream fish communities through restriction of fish movement and habitat alteration. During the summer of 1996, the fish community and habitat conditions in twenty-four stream pairs were sampled across the Great Lakes basin. Seven of these stream pairs were re-sampled in 1997. Each pair consisted of a barrier stream with a low-head barrier and a reference stream without a low-head barrier. On average, barrier streams were significantly deeper (df = 179, P = 0.0018) and wider (df = 179, P = 0.0236) than reference streams, but temperature and substrate were similar (df = 183, P = 0.9027; df = 179, P = 0.999). Barrier streams contained approximately four more fish species on average than reference streams. However, streams with low-head barriers showed a greater upstream decline in species richness compared to reference streams with a net loss of 2.4 species. Barrier streams also showed a peak in richness directly downstream of the barriers, indicating that these barriers block fish movement upstream. Using S??renson's similarity index (based on presence/absence), a comparison of fish community assemblages above and below low-head barriers was not significantly different than upstream and downstream sites on reference streams (n = 96, P > 0.05), implying they have relatively little effect on overall fish assemblage composition. Differences in the frequency of occurrence and abundance between barrier and reference streams was apparent for some species, suggesting their sensitivity to barriers.

Ice-Accretion Scaling Using Water-Film Thickness Parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, David N.; Feo, Alejandro

2003-01-01

Studies were performed at INTA in Spain to determine water-film thickness on a stagnation-point probe inserted in a simulated cloud. The measurements were correlated with non-dimensional parameters describing the flow and the cloud conditions. Icing scaling tests in the NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel were then conducted using the Ruff scaling method with the scale velocity found by matching scale and reference values of either the INTA non-dimensional water-film thickness or a Weber number based on that film thickness. For comparison, tests were also performed using the constant drop-size Weber number and the average-velocity methods. The reference and scale models were both aluminum, 61-cm-span, NACA 0012 airfoil sections at 0 deg. AOA. The reference had a 53-cm-chord and the scale, 27 cm (1/2 size). Both models were mounted vertically in the center of the IRT test section. Tests covered a freezing fraction range of 0.28 to 1.0. Rime ice (n = 1.0) tests showed the consistency of the IRT calibration over a range of velocities. At a freezing fraction of 0.76, there was no significant difference in the scale ice shapes produced by the different methods. For freezing fractions of 0.40, 0.52 and 0.61, somewhat better agreement with the reference horn angles was typically achieved with the average-velocity and constant-film thickness methods than when either of the two Weber numbers was matched to the reference value. At a freezing fraction of 0.28, the four methods were judged equal in providing simulations of the reference shape.

The Structure and Evolution of a CM2 Regolith: A Three-dimensional Study of Cold Bokkeveld

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenwood, R. C.; Hutchison, R.; Jones, C. G.

1993-07-01

The matrices of CM2 chondrites are a complex assemblage of high- and low-temperature components, some of which may have formed in a nebular environment, others by reprocessing in an asteroidal regolith. A necessary first step in identifying the primitive components is to understand the processes by which they were modified following incorporation into their parent bodies. Here we report the results of a textural investigation of Cold Bokkeveld. This work follows an earlier study [1] that had identified a planar fabric within Cold Bokkeveld, defined by the alignment of the long axes of various macroscopic objects. However, on sectioning the meteorite it was realized that it is composed of a more diverse range of lithic material than had been previously recognized. The nature and origin of these lithic fragments have therefore been examined in some detail. Method: To study the structure and fabric of Cold Bokkeveld a single fusion-crusted stone (maximum diameter 8cm) was cut along three directions at right angles and a series of slices removed. The stone was photographed before and after cutting to record the relationships between the slices and to document the major structural features. A polished section from each of the orthogonal cuts was prepared (total area 9 cm^2) and these were photographed using a Hitachi S2500 SEM. Montages of back- scattered electron images (x30 magnification), covering the full area of each section, were assembled. Results: Cold Bokkeveld is an inhomogeneous breccia comprising lithic fragments enclosed in a matrix of comminuted clastic material. Two end-member lithic fragment-types are present, fine- grained dark clasts and lighter-colored, coarse-grained fragments. Dark clasts are up to 1.2 cm diameter and consist predominantly of fine-grained Mg-phyllosilicate-rich material with a variable Fe-Ni sulphide content; coarser-grained, anhedral olivine grains (Fo(sub)98.1-99.5) are sometimes present. Raster- beam analysis of the four largest dark clasts examined indicates that they have a major element composition similar to dust mantles [2]. Light-colored, coarse-grained lithic fragments are up to 1.3 cm diameter, consist of abundant high-temperature objects (chondrules, etc.) enclosed by dust mantles. Features present on cut surfaces and on back-scattered montages demonstrate clearly that Cold Bokkeveld possesses a weakly- developed planar fabric defined by the alignment of the long axes of most components. Dark clasts are generally more deformed than light-colored fragments, a feature that presumably reflects the higher phyllosilicate content of dark clasts. In general the fabric within individual lithic fragments is parallel to that in the meteorite as a whole, however, in a few cases foliations are present, which show a marked discordance to that in the host. Discussion: The results of this and previous studies [2] indicate that clastic matrix in CM2 chondrites is produced within a parent body regolith by disaggregation of lithic fragments. Since it has been shown that clastic matrix in Cold Bokkeveld and Murchison is the host to interstellar silicon carbide [3] it is clearly important to identify the full range of lithic material that contributed to its formation. It remains a possibility that presolar grains may be present in one lithic component and not others. It has been proposed by [2] that clastic matrix in CM2s was formed from only a single lithic component termed by them 'primary accretionary rock' and equivalent to the light-colored lithic fragments described here. However, our evidence suggests that at least two lithic components are required to produce clastic matrix, namely i) fine-grained phyllosilicate dark clasts and ii) coarse-grained light colored fragments. References: [1] Greenwood R. C. et al. (1991) Meteoritics, 26, 340. [2] Metzler K. et al. (1992) GCA, 56, 2873-2897. [3] Alexander C. M. O'D. et al. (1990) Nature, 348, 715-717.

Comparison of ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography with the Heidelberg Spectralis(®) noncontact ultra-widefield module versus the Optos(®) Optomap(®).

PubMed

Witmer, Matthew T; Parlitsis, George; Patel, Sarju; Kiss, Szilárd

2013-01-01

To compare ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography imaging using the Optos(®) Optomap(®) and the Heidelberg Spectralis(®) noncontact ultra-widefield module. Five patients (ten eyes) underwent ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography using the Optos(®) panoramic P200Tx imaging system and the noncontact ultra-widefield module in the Heidelberg Spectralis(®) HRA+OCT system. The images were obtained as a single, nonsteered shot centered on the macula. The area of imaged retina was outlined and quantified using Adobe(®) Photoshop(®) C5 software. The total area and area within each of four visualized quadrants was calculated and compared between the two imaging modalities. Three masked reviewers also evaluated each quadrant per eye (40 total quadrants) to determine which modality imaged the retinal vasculature most peripherally. Optos(®) imaging captured a total retinal area averaging 151,362 pixels, ranging from 116,998 to 205,833 pixels, while the area captured using the Heidelberg Spectralis(®) was 101,786 pixels, ranging from 73,424 to 116,319 (P = 0.0002). The average area per individual quadrant imaged by Optos(®) versus the Heidelberg Spectralis(®) superiorly was 32,373 vs 32,789 pixels, respectively (P = 0.91), inferiorly was 24,665 vs 26,117 pixels, respectively (P = 0.71), temporally was 47,948 vs 20,645 pixels, respectively (P = 0.0001), and nasally was 46,374 vs 22,234 pixels, respectively (P = 0.0001). The Heidelberg Spectralis(®) was able to image the superior and inferior retinal vasculature to a more distal point than was the Optos(®), in nine of ten eyes (18 of 20 quadrants). The Optos(®) was able to image the nasal and temporal retinal vasculature to a more distal point than was the Heidelberg Spectralis(®), in ten of ten eyes (20 of 20 quadrants). The ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography obtained with the Optos(®) and Heidelberg Spectralis(®) ultra-widefield imaging systems are both excellent modalities that provide views of the peripheral retina. On a single nonsteered image, the Optos(®) Optomap(®) covered a significantly larger total retinal surface area, with greater image variability, than did the Heidelberg Spectralis(®) ultra-widefield module. The Optos(®) captured an appreciably wider view of the retina temporally and nasally, albeit with peripheral distortion, while the ultra-widefield Heidelberg Spectralis(®) module was able to image the superior and inferior retinal vasculature more peripherally. The clinical significance of these findings as well as the area imaged on steered montaged images remains to be determined.

A straightforward method to compute average stochastic oscillations from data samples.

PubMed

Júlvez, Jorge

2015-10-19

Many biological systems exhibit sustained stochastic oscillations in their steady state. Assessing these oscillations is usually a challenging task due to the potential variability of the amplitude and frequency of the oscillations over time. As a result of this variability, when several stochastic replications are averaged, the oscillations are flattened and can be overlooked. This can easily lead to the erroneous conclusion that the system reaches a constant steady state. This paper proposes a straightforward method to detect and asses stochastic oscillations. The basis of the method is in the use of polar coordinates for systems with two species, and cylindrical coordinates for systems with more than two species. By slightly modifying these coordinate systems, it is possible to compute the total angular distance run by the system and the average Euclidean distance to a reference point. This allows us to compute confidence intervals, both for the average angular speed and for the distance to a reference point, from a set of replications. The use of polar (or cylindrical) coordinates provides a new perspective of the system dynamics. The mean trajectory that can be obtained by averaging the usual cartesian coordinates of the samples informs about the trajectory of the center of mass of the replications. In contrast to such a mean cartesian trajectory, the mean polar trajectory can be used to compute the average circular motion of those replications, and therefore, can yield evidence about sustained steady state oscillations. Both, the coordinate transformation and the computation of confidence intervals, can be carried out efficiently. This results in an efficient method to evaluate stochastic oscillations.

Reference Concepts in Ecosystem Restoration and Environmental Benefits Analysis (EBA): Principles and Practices

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour...and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information... stratification by narrowing selection of reference ecosystem metrics. 5. Aids in identifying natural variability and thresholds within an ecosystem

Mineralogy and instrumental neutron activation analysis of seven National Bureau of Standards and three Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnologicas clay reference samples

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hosterman, John W.; Flanagan, F.J.; Bragg, Anne; Doughten, M.W.; Filby, R.H.; Grimm, Catherine; Mee, J.S.; Potts, P.J.; Rogers, N.W.

1987-01-01

The concentrations of 3 oxides and 29 elements in 7 National Bureau of Standards (NBS) and 3 Instituto de Pesquisas Techno16gicas (IPT) reference clay samples were etermined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The analytical work was designed to test the homogeneity of constituents in three new NBS reference clays, NBS-97b, NBS-98b, and NBS-679. The analyses of variance of 276 sets of data for these three standards show that the constituents are distributed homogeneously among bottles of samples for 94 percent of the sets of data. Three of the reference samples (NBS-97, NBS-97a, and NBS-97b) are flint clays; four of the samples (NBS-98, NBS-98a, NBS-98b, and IPT-32) are plastic clays, and three of the samples (NBS-679, IPT-28, and IPT-42) are miscellaneous clays (both sedimentary and residual). Seven clays are predominantly kaolinite; the other three clays contain illite and kaolinite in the approximate ratio 3:2. Seven clays contain quartz as the major nonclay mineral. The mineralogy of the flint and plastic clays from Missouri (NBS-97a and NBS-98a) differs markedly from that of the flint and plastic clays from Pennsylvania (NBS-97, NBS-97b, NBS-98, and NBS-98b). The flint clay NBS-97 has higher average chromium, hafnium, lithium, and zirconium contents than its replacement, reference sample NBS-97b. The differences between the plastic clay NBS-98 and its replacement, NBS-98b, are not as pronounced. The trace element contents of the flint and plastic clays from Missouri, NBS-97a and NBS-98a, differ significantly from those of the clays from Pennsylvania, especially the average rare earth element (REE) contents. The trace element contents of clay sample IPT-32 differ from those of the other plastic clays. IPT-28 and IPT-42 have some average trace element contents that differ not only between these two samples but also from all the other clays. IPT-28 has the highest summation of the average REE contents of the 10 samples. The uranium content of NBS-98a, 46 parts per million, is very much higher than that of the other clays. Plots of average REE contents of the flint and plastic clays, normalized to chondritic abundances, show that the clays from Missouri differ from the same types of clay from Pennsylvania. The plot of REE contents for the miscellaneous clays shows that the normalized means for the elements lanthanum through samarium for IPT-28 are much greater than those for the other miscellaneous clays. The means for the elements europium through lutetium are similar for all three miscellaneous clays.

Assessing fundamental motor skills in Belgian children aged 3-8 years highlights differences to US reference sample.

PubMed

Bardid, Farid; Huyben, Floris; Lenoir, Matthieu; Seghers, Jan; De Martelaer, Kristine; Goodway, Jacqueline D; Deconinck, Frederik J A

2016-06-01

This study aimed to understand the fundamental motor skills (FMS) of Belgian children using the process-oriented Test of Gross Motor Development, Second Edition (TGMD-2) and to investigate the suitability of using the United States (USA) test norms in Belgium. FMS were assessed using the TGMD-2. Gender, age and motor performance were examined in 1614 Belgian children aged 3-8 years (52.1% boys) and compared with the US reference sample. More proficient FMS performance was found with increasing age, from 3 to 6 years for locomotor skills and 3 to 7 years for object control skills. Gender differences were observed in object control skills, with boys performing better than girls. In general, Belgian children had lower levels of motor competence than the US reference sample, specifically for object control skills. The score distribution of the Belgian sample was skewed, with 37.4% scoring below average and only 6.9% scoring above average. This study supported the usefulness of the TGMD-2 as a process-oriented instrument to measure gross motor development in early childhood in Belgium. However, it also demonstrated that caution is warranted when using the US reference norms. ©2016 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Instrumentation optique pour l'identification per-operatoire des tissus durant les chirurgies de la thyroide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Montigny, Etienne

Cette these traite du developpement d'instrumentation pour l'imagerie medicale optique. Ces travaux sont centres sur une application particuliere ; faciliter l'identification des tissus durant les chirurgies de la thyroide et de la parathyroide. La thyroide est une glande situee dans le cou, attachee au larynx a la hauteur de la pomme d'Adam. Elle est entouree de plusieurs structures importantes : muscles, nerfs et glandes parathyroides. Ces dernieres controlent la calcemie et jouent donc un role essentiel dans le corps. Elles sont toutefois de petite taille et sont tres difficiles a distinguer du gras et des ganglions environnants. L'objectif principal de cette these est de developper une instrumentation basee sur la microscopie optique pour permettre l'identification des tissus : thyroide, parathyroide, gras et ganglions, durant les chirurgies. Les choix sont donc faits en fonction de cette application et du contexte specifique des mesures intra-operatoires sur des patients humains. Plusieurs modalites d'imagerie optique sont identifiees pour atteindre l'objectif : microscopie confocale en reflectance, tomographique par coherence optique, et mesure de l'autofluorescence des glandes parathyroides. Dans le but d'ameliorer leur compatibilite avec l'environnement clinique qui requiert stabilite dans le temps et resistance aux vibrations et aux conditions environnementales, ce projet se concentre sur les implementations miniaturisables et basees sur des fibres optiques. Pour implementer un systeme d'imagerie en fluorescence a balayage laser rapide, un systeme d'imagerie en fluorescence par encodage spectral est propose. Bien que l'utilisation de l'encodage spectral semble a priori incompatible avec le contraste en fluorescence, une implementation facile a realiser est proposee. Une seconde version du montage, compatible avec la clinique et facilitant le developpement d'un endoscope, est presentee. La preuve de principe de cette methode est faite a 1300nm, une longueur d'onde qui n'est pas appropriee pour la fluorescence intrinseque des parathyroides. Pour adresser cette lacune, une nouvelle source laser a balayage centree a 780nm a haute puissance (100mW) est montree. Ces developpements sont compatibles avec l'implementation de la microscopie confocale en reflectance identifiee pour l'identification des tissus durant les chirurgies de la thyroide. Cela permet de developper un montage combinant le contraste en reflectance et en fluorescence dans le meme instrument. La microscopie confocale en reflectance possede une tres grande resolution permettant l'examen au niveau cellulaire des tissus. Cette technique souffre toutefois d'un faible rapport signal sur bruit et d'un bruit de tavelure important, reduisant l'interpretabilite des images.

Bulk Crystal Growth, and High-Resolution X-ray Diffraction Results of LiZnAs Semiconductor Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montag, Benjamin W.; Reichenberger, Michael A.; Sunder, Madhana; Ugorowski, Philip B.; Nelson, Kyle A.; Henson, Luke C.; McGregor, Douglas S.

2017-08-01

LiZnAs is being explored as a candidate for solid-state neutron detectors. The compact form, solid-state device would have greater efficiency than present day gas-filled 3He and 10BF3 detectors. Devices fabricated from LiZnAs having either natural Li (nominally 7.5% 6Li) or enriched 6Li (usually 95% 6Li) as constituent atoms may provide a material for compact high efficiency neutron detectors. The 6Li( n, t)4He reaction yields a total Q-value of 4.78 MeV, an energy larger than that of the 10B reaction, which can easily be identified above background radiations. LiZnAs material was synthesized by preparing equimolar portions of Li, Zn, and As sealed under vacuum (10-6 Torr) in quartz ampoules lined with boron nitride and subsequently reacted in a compounding furnace (Montag et al. in J Cryst Growth 412:103, 2015). The raw synthesized LiZnAs was purified by a static vacuum sublimation in quartz (Montag et al. in J Cryst Growth 438:99, 2016). Bulk crystalline LiZnAs ingots were grown from the purified material with a high-temperature Bridgman-style growth process described here. One of the largest LiZnAs ingots harvested was 9.6 mm in diameter and 4.2 mm in length. Samples were harvested from the ingot and were characterized for crystallinity using a Bruker AXS Inc. D8 AXS Inc. D2 CRYSO, energy dispersive x-ray diffractometer, and a Bruker AXS Inc. D8 DISCOVER, high-resolution x-ray diffractometer equipped with molybdenum radiation, Gobel mirror, four bounce germanium monochromator and a scintillation detector. The primary beam divergence was determined to be 0.004°, using a single crystal Si standard. The x-ray based characterization revealed that the samples nucleated in the (110) direction and a high-resolution open detector rocking curve recorded on the (220) LiZnAs yielded a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 0.235°. Sectional pole figures using off-axis reflections of the (211) LiZnAs confirmed in-plane ordering, and also indicated the presence of multiple domains. The LiZnAs bulk crystals exhibited a Primitive Cubic Bravais lattice instead of the commonly reported Face-centered Cubic Bravais lattice. The lattice constant was determined to be 5.5146 ± 0.0003 Å.

Himalayan Glacier Disasters: Changing Geomorphological Process Landscape, or a Changing Human Landscape?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kargel, J. S.; Leonard, G. J.

2012-12-01

Recent deadly glacier-related disasters in the Himalayan-Karakoram region—the Attabad landslide and formation of glacier meltwater-fed Lake Gojal, the Gayari ice avalanche/landslide and burial of a Pakistani Army base, and the Seti River outburst disaster—beg the question of whether disasters may be on the rise. Science is not yet ready to offer a full answer, but it is an important one to resolve, because future land-use planning and mitigative measures may be affected. Natural disasters have been commonplace throughout the long human history of the Himalaya-Karakoram region. The broad outlines of the changing natural process, natural hazard, and risk environment may be established. The risk is rising rapidly primarily due to increased human presence in these once-forbidding mountains. Risk is shifting also because climate change is modifying the land surface process system. Rapidly changing glaciers cause a destabilization of the landscape. Glaciers are fundamentally a mestastable phenomenon put in motion by the high gravitational potential energies of the components of glacial systems: snow, ice, water, and debris. Any change in the climate-land-glacier system MUST result in a change in the land process system, with hazards and risks rising or falling or changing location or type. Most commonly, glacier-related disasters include a natural process cascade; as the factors affecting land surface processes and the frequency or magnitude of any one of the elements of the process cascade changes, the net hazard and risk to people changes. Otherwise similar glaciers and glacierized basins have differing sets of hazardous conditions and processes depending on whether the glacier is stable, advancing or retreating. The consequences for the overall risk to people will depend on the details of a specific glacier near a particular village or bridge or railroad. One size does not fit all. Generalizations about trends in natural hazards as related to climate change impacts on glaciers are possible, but any particular locality may buck the general trends. Hence, climate change is affecting the natural process, natural hazard, and human risk environment. However, changing glaciers exhibit a montage of different response behaviors, so the natural hazards and shifting hazards are also a montage. Overwhelmingly, changing land use has the largest impact on the natural hazard and risk environment. We will take recent examples of natural disasters--using both remote sensing data and field data-- and discuss how changing climate, the changing cryosphere, and changing human relationships to the land in Himalayan realms may have contributed to or altered those events.

Intra prediction using face continuity in 360-degree video coding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanhart, Philippe; He, Yuwen; Ye, Yan

2017-09-01

This paper presents a new reference sample derivation method for intra prediction in 360-degree video coding. Unlike the conventional reference sample derivation method for 2D video coding, which uses the samples located directly above and on the left of the current block, the proposed method considers the spherical nature of 360-degree video when deriving reference samples located outside the current face to which the block belongs, and derives reference samples that are geometric neighbors on the sphere. The proposed reference sample derivation method was implemented in the Joint Exploration Model 3.0 (JEM-3.0) for the cubemap projection format. Simulation results for the all intra configuration show that, when compared with the conventional reference sample derivation method, the proposed method gives, on average, luma BD-rate reduction of 0.3% in terms of the weighted spherical PSNR (WS-PSNR) and spherical PSNR (SPSNR) metrics.

Choosing relatives for DNA identification of missing persons.

PubMed

Ge, Jianye; Budowle, Bruce; Chakraborty, Ranajit

2011-01-01

DNA-based analysis is integral to missing person identification cases. When direct references are not available, indirect relative references can be used to identify missing persons by kinship analysis. Generally, more reference relatives render greater accuracy of identification. However, it is costly to type multiple references. Thus, at times, decisions may need to be made on which relatives to type. In this study, pedigrees for 37 common reference scenarios with 13 CODIS STRs were simulated to rank the information content of different combinations of relatives. The results confirm that first-order relatives (parents and fullsibs) are the most preferred relatives to identify missing persons; fullsibs are also informative. Less genetic dependence between references provides a higher on average likelihood ratio. Distant relatives may not be helpful solely by autosomal markers. But lineage-based Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA markers can increase the likelihood ratio or serve as filters to exclude putative relationships. © 2010 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Cycle-Averaged Phase-Space States for the Harmonic and the Morse Oscillators, and the Corresponding Uncertainty Relations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicolaides, Cleanthes A.; Constantoudis, Vasilios

2009-01-01

In Planck's model of the harmonic oscillator (HO) a century ago, both the energy and the phase space were quantized according to epsilon[subscript n] = nhv, n = 0, 1, 2..., and [double integral]dp[subscript x] dx = h. By referring to just these two relations, we show how the adoption of "cycle-averaged phase-space states" (CAPSSs) leads to the…

Effects of Average Signed Area Between Two Item Characteristic Curves and Test Purification Procedures on the DIF Detection via the Mantel-Haenszel Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Wen-Chung; Su, Ya-Hui

2004-01-01

In this study we investigated the effects of the average signed area (ASA) between the item characteristic curves of the reference and focal groups and three test purification procedures on the uniform differential item functioning (DIF) detection via the Mantel-Haenszel (M-H) method through Monte Carlo simulations. The results showed that ASA,…

Underwater Sound Radiation from Large Raindrops

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-01

decreasing shape of the impact spectrum, one must pick a reference point rather that a peak value to compare one drop with another. For comparison of...34 1. Type I Bubble Spectral Density and Peak Pressure ............... 34 2. Type II Bubble Average Spectral Densities at 1 m on Axis (20 C...32 Table 4. TYPE II BUBBLE AVERAGE PEAK SPECTRAL DENSITY SU M M A RY ............................................. 39 Table 5. SUMMARY

Simulation of multistage turbine flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adamczyk, John J.; Mulac, Richard A.

1987-01-01

A flow model has been developed for analyzing multistage turbomachinery flows. This model, referred to as the average passage flow model, describes the time-averaged flow field with a typical passage of a blade row embedded within a multistage configuration. Computer resource requirements, supporting empirical modeling, formulation code development, and multitasking and storage are discussed. Illustrations from simulations of the space shuttle main engine (SSME) fuel turbine performed to date are given.

Improving timing sensitivity in the microhertz frequency regime: limits from PSR J1713+0747 on gravitational waves produced by supermassive black hole binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perera, B. B. P.; Stappers, B. W.; Babak, S.; Keith, M. J.; Antoniadis, J.; Bassa, C. G.; Caballero, R. N.; Champion, D. J.; Cognard, I.; Desvignes, G.; Graikou, E.; Guillemot, L.; Janssen, G. H.; Karuppusamy, R.; Kramer, M.; Lazarus, P.; Lentati, L.; Liu, K.; Lyne, A. G.; McKee, J. W.; Osłowski, S.; Perrodin, D.; Sanidas, S. A.; Sesana, A.; Shaifullah, G.; Theureau, G.; Verbiest, J. P. W.; Taylor, S. R.

2018-07-01

We search for continuous gravitational waves (CGWs) produced by individual supermassive black hole binaries in circular orbits using high-cadence timing observations of PSR J1713+0747. We observe this millisecond pulsar using the telescopes in the European Pulsar Timing Array with an average cadence of approximately 1.6 d over the period between 2011 April and 2015 July, including an approximately daily average between 2013 February and 2014 April. The high-cadence observations are used to improve the pulsar timing sensitivity across the gravitational wave frequency range of 0.008-5μHz. We use two algorithms in the analysis, including a spectral fitting method and a Bayesian approach. For an independent comparison, we also use a previously published Bayesian algorithm. We find that the Bayesian approaches provide optimal results and the timing observations of the pulsar place a 95 per cent upper limit on the sky-averaged strain amplitude of CGWs to be ≲3.5 × 10-13 at a reference frequency of 1 μHz. We also find a 95 per cent upper limit on the sky-averaged strain amplitude of low-frequency CGWs to be ≲1.4 × 10-14 at a reference frequency of 20 nHz.

Managing risks of noncancer health effects at hazardous waste sites: A case study using the Reference Concentration (RfC) of trichloroethylene (TCE).

PubMed

Dourson, Michael L; Gadagbui, Bernard K; Thompson, Rod B; Pfau, Edward J; Lowe, John

2016-10-01

A method for determining a safety range for non-cancer risks is proposed, similar in concept to the range used for cancer in the management of waste sites. This safety range brings transparency to the chemical specific Reference Dose or Concentration by replacing their "order of magnitude" definitions with a scientifically-based range. EPA's multiple RfCs for trichloroethylene (TCE) were evaluated as a case study. For TCE, a multi-endpoint safety range was judged to be 3 μg/m(3) to 30 μg/m,(3) based on a review of kidney effects found in NTP (1988), thymus effects found in Keil et al. (2009) and cardiac effects found in the Johnson et al. (2003) study. This multi-endpoint safety range is derived from studies for which the appropriate averaging time corresponds to different exposure durations, and, therefore, can be applied to both long- and short-term exposures with appropriate consideration of exposure averaging times. For shorter-term exposures, averaging time should be based on the time of cardiac development in humans during fetal growth, an average of approximately 20-25 days. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improving timing sensitivity in the microhertz frequency regime: limits from PSR J1713+0747 on gravitational waves produced by super-massive black-hole binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perera, B. B. P.; Stappers, B. W.; Babak, S.; Keith, M. J.; Antoniadis, J.; Bassa, C. G.; Caballero, R. N.; Champion, D. J.; Cognard, I.; Desvignes, G.; Graikou, E.; Guillemot, L.; Janssen, G. H.; Karuppusamy, R.; Kramer, M.; Lazarus, P.; Lentati, L.; Liu, K.; Lyne, A. G.; McKee, J. W.; Osłowski, S.; Perrodin, D.; Sanidas, S. A.; Sesana, A.; Shaifullah, G.; Theureau, G.; Verbiest, J. P. W.; Taylor, S. R.

2018-05-01

We search for continuous gravitational waves (CGWs) produced by individual super-massive black-hole binaries (SMBHBs) in circular orbits using high-cadence timing observations of PSR J1713+0747. We observe this millisecond pulsar using the telescopes in the European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA) with an average cadence of approximately 1.6 days over the period between April 2011 and July 2015, including an approximately daily average between February 2013 and April 2014. The high-cadence observations are used to improve the pulsar timing sensitivity across the GW frequency range of 0.008 - 5 μHz. We use two algorithms in the analysis, including a spectral fitting method and a Bayesian approach. For an independent comparison, we also use a previously published Bayesian algorithm. We find that the Bayesian approaches provide optimal results and the timing observations of the pulsar place a 95 per cent upper limit on the sky-averaged strain amplitude of CGWs to be ≲ 3.5 × 10-13 at a reference frequency of 1 μHz. We also find a 95 per cent upper limit on the sky-averaged strain amplitude of low-frequency CGWs to be ≲ 1.4 × 10-14 at a reference frequency of 20 nHz.

Analysis of reference sources used in drug-related Wikipedia articles.

PubMed

Koppen, Laura; Phillips, Jennifer; Papageorgiou, Renee

2015-07-01

References from drug-related Wikipedia articles and a drug information database were compared. Drugs in Food and Drug Administration (FDA) MedWatch alerts from January-July 2013 were searched in Wikipedia and Lexicomp to compare reference types and to assess the time for drug safety information to be incorporated into Wikipedia articles. Wikipedia most commonly cited peer-reviewed journal articles (49.2%) and news articles (12.0%). MedWatch citations were incorporated into Wikipedia on average in 5.9 days. Wikipedia cited various sources but may not be a reliable, up-to-date resource for drug safety information.

On the safety assessment of human exposure in the proximity of cellular communications base-station antennas at 900, 1800 and 2170 MHz.

PubMed

Martínez-Búrdalo, M; Martín, A; Anguiano, M; Villar, R

2005-09-07

In this work, the procedures for safety assessment in the close proximity of cellular communications base-station antennas at three different frequencies (900, 1800 and 2170 MHz) are analysed. For each operating frequency, we have obtained and compared the distances to the antenna from the exposure places where electromagnetic fields are below reference levels and the distances where the specific absorption rate (SAR) values in an exposed person are below the basic restrictions, according to the European safety guidelines. A high-resolution human body model has been located, in front of each base-station antenna as a worst case, at different distances, to compute whole body averaged SAR and maximum 10 g averaged SAR inside the exposed body. The finite-difference time-domain method has been used for both electromagnetic fields and SAR calculations. This paper shows that, for antenna-body distances in the near zone of the antenna, the fact that averaged field values be below the reference levels could, at certain frequencies, not guarantee guidelines compliance based on basic restrictions.

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

Isotalo, Aarno

A method referred to as tally nuclides is presented for accurately and efficiently calculating the time-step averages and integrals of any quantities that are weighted sums of atomic densities with constant weights during the step. The method allows all such quantities to be calculated simultaneously as a part of a single depletion solution with existing depletion algorithms. Some examples of the results that can be extracted include step-average atomic densities and macroscopic reaction rates, the total number of fissions during the step, and the amount of energy released during the step. Furthermore, the method should be applicable with several depletionmore » algorithms, and the integrals or averages should be calculated with an accuracy comparable to that reached by the selected algorithm for end-of-step atomic densities. The accuracy of the method is demonstrated in depletion calculations using the Chebyshev rational approximation method. Here, we demonstrate how the ability to calculate energy release in depletion calculations can be used to determine the accuracy of the normalization in a constant-power burnup calculation during the calculation without a need for a reference solution.« less

Determination of total tin in geological materials by electrothermal atomic-absorption spectrophotometry using a tungsten-impregnated graphite furnace

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhou, L.; Chao, T.T.; Meier, A.L.

1984-01-01

An electrothermal atomic-absorption spectrophotometric method is described for the determination of total tin in geological materials, with use of a tungsten-impregnated graphite furnace. The sample is decomposed by fusion with lithium metaborate and the melt is dissolved in 10% hydrochloric acid. Tin is then extracted into trioctylphosphine oxide-methyl isobutyl ketone prior to atomization. Impregnation of the furnace with a sodium tungstate solution increases the sensitivity of the determination and improves the precision of the results. The limits of determination are 0.5-20 ppm of tin in the sample. Higher tin values can be determined by dilution of the extract. Replicate analyses of eighteen geological reference samples with diverse matrices gave relative standard deviations ranging from 2.0 to 10.8% with an average of 4.6%. Average tin values for reference samples were in general agreement with, but more precise than, those reported by others. Apparent recoveries of tin added to various samples ranged from 95 to 111% with an average of 102%. ?? 1984.

Calculating Time-Integral Quantities in Depletion Calculations

DOE PAGES

Isotalo, Aarno

2016-06-02

A method referred to as tally nuclides is presented for accurately and efficiently calculating the time-step averages and integrals of any quantities that are weighted sums of atomic densities with constant weights during the step. The method allows all such quantities to be calculated simultaneously as a part of a single depletion solution with existing depletion algorithms. Some examples of the results that can be extracted include step-average atomic densities and macroscopic reaction rates, the total number of fissions during the step, and the amount of energy released during the step. Furthermore, the method should be applicable with several depletionmore » algorithms, and the integrals or averages should be calculated with an accuracy comparable to that reached by the selected algorithm for end-of-step atomic densities. The accuracy of the method is demonstrated in depletion calculations using the Chebyshev rational approximation method. Here, we demonstrate how the ability to calculate energy release in depletion calculations can be used to determine the accuracy of the normalization in a constant-power burnup calculation during the calculation without a need for a reference solution.« less

The relationship between total cholinesterase activity and mortality in four butterfly species

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bargar, Timothy A.

2012-01-01

The relationship between total cholinesterase activity (TChE) and mortality in four butterfly species (great southern white [Ascia monuste], common buckeye [Junonia coenia], painted lady [Vanessa cardui], and julia butterflies [Dryas julia]) was investigated. Acute contact toxicity studies were conducted to evaluate the response (median lethal dose [LD50] and TChE) of the four species following exposure to the organophosphate insecticide naled. The LD50 for these butterflies ranged from 2.3 to 7.6 μg/g. The average level of TChE inhibition associated with significant mortality ranged from 26 to 67%, depending on the species. The lower bounds of normal TChE activity (2 standard deviations less than the average TChE for reference butterflies) ranged from 8.4 to 12.3 μM/min/g. As a percentage of the average reference TChE activity for the respective species, the lower bounds were similar to the inhibition levels associated with significant mortality, indicating there was little difference between the dose resulting in significant TChE inhibition and that resulting in mortality.

Theoretical Studies Relating to the Interaction of Radiation with Matter: Atomic Collision Processes Occurring in the Presence of Radiation Fields.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-09-15

u, the assumption Iy I << I no longer holds. As a rough approximation, however, we can average the exponent in Eq. (68) over y rather than the...averaging the exponent in Eq. sions usually produce a shift as well as a broadening (68), it is easier to perform the averaging in the ex- of the profiles...in the second term in the exponent in transitions which enter (see Refs. 2 and 3). Eq. (A4) of this reference and that, in Eq. 0 8), one should

Reduction of Averaging Time for Evaluation of Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields from Cellular Base Stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Byung Chan; Park, Seong-Ook

In order to determine exposure compliance with the electromagnetic fields from a base station's antenna in the far-field region, we should calculate the spatially averaged field value in a defined space. This value is calculated based on the measured value obtained at several points within the restricted space. According to the ICNIRP guidelines, at each point in the space, the reference levels are averaged over any 6min (from 100kHz to 10GHz) for the general public. Therefore, the more points we use, the longer the measurement time becomes. For practical application, it is very advantageous to spend less time for measurement. In this paper, we analyzed the difference of average values between 6min and lesser periods and compared it with the standard uncertainty for measurement drift. Based on the standard deviation from the 6min averaging value, the proposed minimum averaging time is 1min.

Genetics Home Reference: warfarin sensitivity

MedlinePlus

... it thins the blood, preventing blood clots from forming . Warfarin is often prescribed to prevent blood clots ... much drug to prevent clots because their clot forming process is already slower than average and can ...

The Mobile Reference Service: a case study of an onsite reference service program at the School of Public Health.

PubMed

Tao, Donghua; McCarthy, Patrick G; Krieger, Mary M; Webb, Annie B

2009-01-01

The School of Public Health at Saint Louis University is located at a greater distance from the library than other programs on the main medical center campus. Physical distance diminishes the ease of access to direct reference services for public health users. To bridge the gap, the library developed the Mobile Reference Service to deliver on-site information assistance with regular office hours each week. Between September 2006 and April 2007, a total of 57 in-depth reference transactions took place over 25 weeks, averaging 2 transactions per week in a 2-hour period. Overall reference transactions from public health users went up 28%, while liaison contacts with public health users doubled compared to the same period the year before. The Mobile Reference Service program has improved library support for research and scholarship, cultivated and strengthened liaison relationships, and enhanced marketing and delivery of library resources and services to the Saint Louis University School of Public Health.

The Mobile Reference Service: a case study of an onsite reference service program at the school of public health*

PubMed Central

Tao, Donghua; McCarthy, Patrick G.; Krieger, Mary M.; Webb, Annie B.

2009-01-01

The School of Public Health at Saint Louis University is located at a greater distance from the library than other programs on the main medical center campus. Physical distance diminishes the ease of access to direct reference services for public health users. To bridge the gap, the library developed the Mobile Reference Service to deliver onsite information assistance with regular office hours each week. Between September 2006 and April 2007, a total of 57 in-depth reference transactions took place over 25 weeks, averaging 2 transactions per week in a 2-hour period. Overall reference transactions from public health users went up 28%, while liaison contacts with public health users doubled compared to the same period the year before. The Mobile Reference Service program has improved library support for research and scholarship, cultivated and strengthened liaison relationships, and enhanced marketing and delivery of library resources and services to the Saint Louis University School of Public Health. PMID:19159004

Defense Acquisition Research Journal. Volume 18, Number 2, Issue 58, April 2011

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-01

submit your manuscript with references in APA format (author- date-page number form of citation) as outlined in the Publication Manual of the American...Psychological Association ( 6th Edition ). For all other style questions, please refer to the Chicago Manual of Style (15th Edition ). Contributors are...Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour

Defense AR Journal. Volume 18, Number 1, Issue 57

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

Manual of the American Psychological Association ( 6th Edition ). For all other style questions, please refer to the Chicago Manual of Style (15th Edition ...112 Format Please submit your manuscript with references in APA format (author- date-page number form of citation) as outlined in the Publication ...Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour

Marine Fuel Cell Technology Verification Trainer Program: Operator Curriculum Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-01

collection of tnormiratin is estimiate to average 1 hour per response, Including the time INr reviewing InatruCtlona. ear-ching existing =ata aourcas...guidelines and standards are provided. With the anticipation that up to several years’ delay will occur between the time of this report and the maturity of...reference only, given as foundation sources available at the time of this project. The supplemental references to published materials are considered the

Certification of biological candidates reference materials by neutron activation analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kabanov, Denis V.; Nesterova, Yulia V.; Merkulov, Viktor G.

2018-03-01

The paper gives the results of interlaboratory certification of new biological candidate reference materials by neutron activation analysis recommended by the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology (Warsaw, Poland). The correctness and accuracy of the applied method was statistically estimated for the determination of trace elements in candidate reference materials. The procedure of irradiation in the reactor thermal fuel assembly without formation of fast neutrons was carried out. It excluded formation of interfering isotopes leading to false results. The concentration of more than 20 elements (e.g., Ba, Br, Ca, Co, Ce, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, La, Lu, Rb, Sb, Sc, Ta, Th, Tb, Yb, U, Zn) in candidate references of tobacco leaves and bottom sediment compared to certified reference materials were determined. It was shown that the average error of the applied method did not exceed 10%.

Regional curve development and selection of a reference reach in the non-urban, lowland sections of the Piedmont physiographic province, Pennsylvania and Maryland

USGS Publications Warehouse

White, Kirk E.

2001-01-01

Stream-restoration projects utilizing naturalstream designs frequently are based on the bankfull- channel characteristics of a stream reach that is accommodating streamflow and sediment transport without excessive erosion or deposition. The bankfull channel is identified by the use of field indicators and confirmed with tools such as regional curves. Channel dimensions were surveyed at six streamflow-measurement stations operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in the Gettysburg-Newark Lowlands Section and Piedmont Lowlands Section of the Piedmont Physiographic Province in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Regional curves were developed from regression analyses of the relation between drainage area and cross-sectional area, mean depth, width, and streamflow of the bankfull channel. Regional curves were used to confirm the identification of the bankfull channel at a reference reach. Stream dimensions and characteristics of the reference reach were measured for extrapolation into the design of a steam-restoration project on Bermudian Creek in Adams County, Pa.Dimensions for cross-sectional area, mean depth, width, and computed streamflow of the bankfull channel in all surveyed riffle cross sections in the reference reach were within the 95-percent confidence interval bounding the regression line representing bankfull channel geometry in the Lowland Sections of the Piedmont Physiographic Province. The average bankfull cross-sectional area, bankfull mean depth, and computed bankfull discharge for riffle cross sections in the reference reach ranged from 15.4 to 16.5 percent less than estimates determined from the lowland regional curves. Average bankfull channel width was about 2 percent greater than estimates. Cross-sectional area, mean depth, and computed streamflow corresponding to the bankfull stage at the reference reach were 31.4, 44.4, and 9.6 percent less, respectively, than estimates derived from the regional curves developed by Dunne and Leopold in 1978. Average bankfull channel width at the reference reach was 16.7 percent greater than the Dunne and Leopold estimate.The concepts of regional curves and reference reaches can be valuable tools to support efforts in stream restoration. Practitioners of stream restoration need to recognize them as such and realize their limitations. The small number of stations available for analysis is a major limiting factor in the strength of the results of this investigation. Subjective selection criteria may have unnecessarily eliminated streamflow-measurement stations that could have been included in the regional curves. A bankfull discharge with a recurrence interval within the 1- to 2-year range was used as a criteria for confirmation of the bankfull stage at each streamflow-measurement station. Many researchers accept this range for recurrence interval of the bankfull discharge; however, literature provides contradictory evidence. The use of channel-characteristics data from a reference reach without any monitoring data to document the stability of the reference reach over time is a topic of debate.

Communication: Density functional theory model for multi-reference systems based on the exact-exchange hole normalization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laqua, Henryk; Kussmann, Jörg; Ochsenfeld, Christian

2018-03-01

The correct description of multi-reference electronic ground states within Kohn-Sham density functional theory (DFT) requires an ensemble-state representation, employing fractionally occupied orbitals. However, the use of fractional orbital occupation leads to non-normalized exact-exchange holes, resulting in large fractional-spin errors for conventional approximative density functionals. In this communication, we present a simple approach to directly include the exact-exchange-hole normalization into DFT. Compared to conventional functionals, our model strongly improves the description for multi-reference systems, while preserving the accuracy in the single-reference case. We analyze the performance of our proposed method at the example of spin-averaged atoms and spin-restricted bond dissociation energy surfaces.

Communication: Density functional theory model for multi-reference systems based on the exact-exchange hole normalization.

PubMed

Laqua, Henryk; Kussmann, Jörg; Ochsenfeld, Christian

2018-03-28

The correct description of multi-reference electronic ground states within Kohn-Sham density functional theory (DFT) requires an ensemble-state representation, employing fractionally occupied orbitals. However, the use of fractional orbital occupation leads to non-normalized exact-exchange holes, resulting in large fractional-spin errors for conventional approximative density functionals. In this communication, we present a simple approach to directly include the exact-exchange-hole normalization into DFT. Compared to conventional functionals, our model strongly improves the description for multi-reference systems, while preserving the accuracy in the single-reference case. We analyze the performance of our proposed method at the example of spin-averaged atoms and spin-restricted bond dissociation energy surfaces.

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

None

This document was developed to track and manage progress toward multi-year, average whole-building energy reduction research goals for new construction and existing homes, using a consistent reference point. This report corrects editorial errors that were in the original publication.

42 CFR 438.114 - Emergency and poststabilization services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... severe pain) that a prudent layperson, who possesses an average knowledge of health and medicine, could... management system regardless of whether the case manager referred the enrollee to the provider that furnishes...

42 CFR 438.114 - Emergency and poststabilization services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... severe pain) that a prudent layperson, who possesses an average knowledge of health and medicine, could... management system regardless of whether the case manager referred the enrollee to the provider that furnishes...

42 CFR 438.114 - Emergency and poststabilization services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... severe pain) that a prudent layperson, who possesses an average knowledge of health and medicine, could... management system regardless of whether the case manager referred the enrollee to the provider that furnishes...

42 CFR 438.114 - Emergency and poststabilization services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... severe pain) that a prudent layperson, who possesses an average knowledge of health and medicine, could... management system regardless of whether the case manager referred the enrollee to the provider that furnishes...

47 CFR 73.701 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... equivalent to mean solar time at the prime meridian (0° longitude), formerly expressed in GMT. (RR) (f... for 50 percent of the days of the reference month. (r) Carrier power. The average power supplied to...

47 CFR 73.701 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... equivalent to mean solar time at the prime meridian (0° longitude), formerly expressed in GMT. (RR) (f... for 50 percent of the days of the reference month. (r) Carrier power. The average power supplied to...

47 CFR 73.701 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... equivalent to mean solar time at the prime meridian (0° longitude), formerly expressed in GMT. (RR) (f... for 50 percent of the days of the reference month. (r) Carrier power. The average power supplied to...

47 CFR 73.701 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... equivalent to mean solar time at the prime meridian (0° longitude), formerly expressed in GMT. (RR) (f... for 50 percent of the days of the reference month. (r) Carrier power. The average power supplied to...

47 CFR 73.701 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... equivalent to mean solar time at the prime meridian (0° longitude), formerly expressed in GMT. (RR) (f... for 50 percent of the days of the reference month. (r) Carrier power. The average power supplied to...

Intelligibility assessment in developmental phonological disorders: accuracy of caregiver gloss.

PubMed

Kwiatkowski, J; Shriberg, L D

1992-10-01

Fifteen caregivers each glossed a simultaneously videotaped and audiotaped sample of their child with speech delay engaged in conversation with a clinician. One of the authors generated a reference gloss for each sample, aided by (a) prior knowledge of the child's speech-language status and error patterns, (b) glosses from the child's clinician and the child's caregiver, (c) unlimited replays of the taped sample, and (d) the information gained from completing a narrow phonetic transcription of the sample. Caregivers glossed an average of 78% of the utterances and 81% of the words. A comparison of their glosses to the reference glosses suggested that they accurately understood an average of 58% of the utterances and 73% of the words. Discussion considers the implications of such findings for methodological and theoretical issues underlying children's moment-to-moment intelligibility breakdowns during speech-language processing.

Validation of IRDFF in 252Cf standard and IRDF-2002 reference neutron fields

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

Simakov, Stanislav; Capote Noy, Roberto; Greenwood, Lawrence R.

The results of validation of the latest release of International Reactor Dosimetry and Fusion File, IRDFF-1.03, in the standard 252Cf(s.f.) and reference 235U(nth,f) neutron benchmark fields are presented. The spectrum-averaged cross sections were shown to confirm the recommended spectrum for 252Cf spontaneous fission source; that was not the case for the current recommended spectra for 235U(nth,f). IRDFF was also validated in the spectra of the research reactor facilities ISNF, Sigma-Sigma and YAYOI, which are available in the IRDF- 2002 collection. Before this analysis, the ISFN spectrum was resimulated to remove unphysical oscillations in spectrum. IRDFF-1.03 was shown to reasonably reproducemore » the spectrum-averaged data measured in these fields except for the case of YAYOI.« less

Vapor-pressure osmometric study of the molecular weight and aggregation tendency of a reference-soil fulvic acid

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marinsky, J.A.; Reddy, M.M.

1990-01-01

The molecular weight and aggregation tendency of a reference-soil fulvic acid in Armadale horizon Bh were determined by vapor-pressure osmometry using tetrahydrofuran and water as solvents. With tetrahydrofuran, number-average molecular weight values of 767 ?? 34 and 699 ?? 8 daltons were obtained from two separate sets of measurements. Two sets of measurements with water also yielded values within this range (754 ?? 70 daltons) provided that the fulvic acid concentration in water did not exceed 7 mg ml-1; at higher concentrations (9.1-13.7 mg ml-1) a number-average molecular weight of 956 ?? 25 daltons was resolved, providing evidence of molecular aggregation. Extension of these studies to 80% neutralized fulvic acid showed that a sizeable fraction of the sodium counter ion is not osmotically active.

Comprehensive time average digital holographic vibrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Psota, Pavel; Lédl, Vít; Doleček, Roman; Mokrý, Pavel; Vojtíšek, Petr; Václavík, Jan

2016-12-01

This paper presents a method that simultaneously deals with drawbacks of time-average digital holography: limited measurement range, limited spatial resolution, and quantitative analysis of the measured Bessel fringe patterns. When the frequency of the reference wave is shifted by an integer multiple of frequency at which the object oscillates, the measurement range of the method can be shifted either to smaller or to larger vibration amplitudes. In addition, phase modulation of the reference wave is used to obtain a sequence of phase-modulated fringe patterns. Such fringe patterns can be combined by means of phase-shifting algorithms, and amplitudes of vibrations can be straightforwardly computed. This approach independently calculates the amplitude values in every single pixel. The frequency shift and phase modulation are realized by proper control of Bragg cells and therefore no additional hardware is required.

Defining level A IVIVC dissolution specifications based on individual in vitro dissolution profiles of a controlled release formulation.

PubMed

González-García, I; García-Arieta, A; Merino-Sanjuan, M; Mangas-Sanjuan, V; Bermejo, M

2018-07-01

Regulatory guidelines recommend that, when a level A IVIVC is established, dissolution specification should be established using averaged data and the maximum difference between AUC and C max between the reference and test formulations cannot be greater than 20%. However, averaging data assumes a loss of information and may reflect a bias in the results. The objective of the current work is to present a new approach to establish dissolution specifications using a new methodology (individual approach) instead of average data (classical approach). Different scenarios were established based on the relationship between in vitro-in vivo dissolution rate coefficient using a level A IVIVC of a controlled release formulation. Then, in order to compare this new approach with the classical one, six additional batches were simulated. For each batch, 1000 simulations of a dissolution assay were run. C max ratios between the reference formulation and each batch were calculated showing that the individual approach was more sensitive and able to detect differences between the reference and the batch formulation compared to the classical approach. Additionally, the new methodology displays wider dissolution specification limits than the classical approach, ensuring that any tablet from the new batch would generate in vivo profiles which its AUC or C max ratio will be out of the 0.8-1.25 range, taking into account the in vitro and in vivo variability of the new batches developed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mesoscopic quantum cryptography

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

Molotkov, S. N., E-mail: sergei.molotkov@gmail.com

Since a strictly single-photon source is not yet available, in quantum cryptography systems, one uses, as information quantum states, coherent radiation of a laser with an average number of photons of μ ≈ 0.1–0.5 in a pulse, attenuated to the quasi-single-photon level. The linear independence of a set of coherent quasi-single-photon information states leads to the possibility of unambiguous measurements that, in the presence of losses in the line, restrict the transmission range of secret keys. Starting from a certain value of critical loss (the length of the line), the eavesdropper knows the entire key, does not make errors, andmore » is not detected—the distribution of secret keys becomes impossible. This problem is solved by introducing an additional reference state with an average number of photons of μ{sub cl} ≈ 10{sup 3}–10{sup 6}, depending on the length of the communication line. It is shown that the use of a reference state does not allow the eavesdropper to carry out measurements with conclusive outcome while remaining undetected. A reference state guarantees detecting an eavesdropper in a channel with high losses. In this case, information states may contain a mesoscopic average number of photons in the range of μ{sub q} ≈ 0.5–10{sup 2}. The protocol proposed is easy to implement technically, admits flexible adjustment of parameters to the length of the communication line, and is simple and transparent for proving the secrecy of keys.« less

Soy foods have low glycemic and insulin response indices in normal weight subjects.

PubMed

Blair, Robert M; Henley, E C; Tabor, Aaron

2006-12-27

Foods with a low glycemic index (GI) may provide a variety of health benefits. The objective of the present study was to measure the GI and insulin index (II) of select soy foods. The study was conducted in two parts with low-carbohydrate products being tested separately. In Experiment 1, subjects averaged 23.2 years of age with BMI = 22.0 kg/m2, while subjects in Experiment 2 averaged 23.9 years of age with BMI = 21.6 kg/m2. The reference (glucose) and test foods were served in portions containing 10 g of carbohydrates in Experiment 1 (two test foods) and 25 g of carbohydrates in Experiment 2 (four test foods). Subjects consumed the reference food twice and each test food once. For each test, subjects were instructed to consume a fixed portion of the reference food or test food together with 250 g of water within 12 min. Blood samples were collected before each test and at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min after consumption of reference or test foods to quantify glucose and insulin. Two-hour blood glucose and plasma insulin curves were constructed and areas under the curves were calculated. GI and II values for each subject and test food were calculated. In Experiment 1, both low-carbohydrate soy foods were shown to have significantly (P < 0.05) lower GI and II values than the reference food. In Experiment 2, three of the four test foods had significantly (P < 0.05) lower GI and II values than the reference food. All but one of the soy foods tested had a low GI, suggesting that soy foods may be an appropriate part of diets intended to improve control of blood glucose and insulin levels.

Soy foods have low glycemic and insulin response indices in normal weight subjects

PubMed Central

2006-01-01

Background Foods with a low glycemic index (GI) may provide a variety of health benefits. The objective of the present study was to measure the GI and insulin index (II) of select soy foods. Methods The study was conducted in two parts with low-carbohydrate products being tested separately. In Experiment 1, subjects averaged 23.2 years of age with BMI = 22.0 kg/m2, while subjects in Experiment 2 averaged 23.9 years of age with BMI = 21.6 kg/m2. The reference (glucose) and test foods were served in portions containing 10 g of carbohydrates in Experiment 1 (two test foods) and 25 g of carbohydrates in Experiment 2 (four test foods). Subjects consumed the reference food twice and each test food once. For each test, subjects were instructed to consume a fixed portion of the reference food or test food together with 250 g of water within 12 min. Blood samples were collected before each test and at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min after consumption of reference or test foods to quantify glucose and insulin. Two-hour blood glucose and plasma insulin curves were constructed and areas under the curves were calculated. GI and II values for each subject and test food were calculated. Results In Experiment 1, both low-carbohydrate soy foods were shown to have significantly (P < 0.05) lower GI and II values than the reference food. In Experiment 2, three of the four test foods had significantly (P < 0.05) lower GI and II values than the reference food. Conclusion All but one of the soy foods tested had a low GI, suggesting that soy foods may be an appropriate part of diets intended to improve control of blood glucose and insulin levels. PMID:17192192

'Sportmotorische Bestandesaufnahme': criterion- vs. norm-based reference values of fitness tests for Swiss first grade children.

PubMed

Tomatis, Laura; Krebs, Andreas; Siegenthaler, Jessica; Murer, Kurt; de Bruin, Eling D

2015-01-01

Health is closely linked to physical activity and fitness. It is therefore important to monitor fitness in children. Although many reports on physical tests have been published, data comparison between studies is an issue. This study reports Swiss first grade norm values of fitness tests and compares these with criterion reference data. A total of 10,565 boys (7.18 ± 0.42 years) and 10,204 girls (7.14 ± 0.41 years) were tested for standing long jump, plate tapping, 20-m shuttle run, lateral jump and 20-m sprint. Average values for six-, seven- and eight-year-olds were analysed and reference curves for age were constructed. Z-values were generated for comparisons with criterion references reported in the literature. Results were better for all disciplines in seven-year-old first grade children compared to six-year-old children (p < 0.01). Eight-year-old children did not perform better compared to seven-year-old children in the sprint run (p = 0.11), standing long jump (p > 0.99) and shuttle run (p = 0.43), whereas they were better in all other disciplines compared to their younger peers. The average performance of boys was better than girls except for tapping at the age of 8 (p = 0.06). Differences in performance due to testing protocol and setting must be considered when test values from a first grade setting are compared to criterion-based benchmarks. In a classroom setting, younger children tended to have better results and older children tended to have worse outcomes when compared to their age group criterion reference values. Norm reference data are valid allowing comparison with other data generated by similar test protocols applied in a classroom setting.

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

Edmondson, Philip D.; Miller, Michael K.; Powers, K. A.

In our recent paper entitled “Atom probe tomography characterization of neutron irradiated surveillance samples from the R. E. Ginna reactor pressure vessel”, we make reference to a table within the article as providing the average compositions of the precipitates, when in fact the bulk compositions were given. In this correction, we present the average precipitate compositions for the data presented in Ref. [1]. These correct compositions are provided for information and do not alter the conclusions of the original manuscript.

Beam-modulation methods in quantitative and flow visualization holographic interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Decker, A.

1986-01-01

This report discusses heterodyne holographic interferometry and time-average holography with a frequency shifted reference beam. Both methods will be used for the measurement and visualization of internal transonic flows, where the target facility is a flutter cascade. The background and experimental requirements for both methods are reviewed. Measurements using heterodyne holographic interferometry are presented. The performance of the laser required for time-average holography of time-varying transonic flows is discussed.

Beam-modulation methods in quantitative and flow-visualization holographic interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Decker, Arthur J.

1986-01-01

Heterodyne holographic interferometry and time-average holography with a frequency shifted reference beam are discussed. Both methods will be used for the measurement and visualization of internal transonic flows where the target facility is a flutter cascade. The background and experimental requirements for both methods are reviewed. Measurements using heterodyne holographic interferometry are presented. The performance of the laser required for time-average holography of time-varying transonic flows is discussed.

Role of self-caught fish in total fish consumption rates for recreational fishermen: Average consumption for some species exceeds allowable intake.

PubMed

Burger, Joanna

2013-01-01

Studies of fish consumption focus on recreational or subsistence fishing, on awareness and adherence to advisories, consumption patterns, and contaminants in fish. Yet the general public obtains their fish from commercial sources. In this paper I examine fish consumption patterns of recreational fishermen in New Jersey to determine: 1) consumption rates for self-caught fish and for other fish, 2) meals consumed per year, 3) average meal size, and average daily intake of mercury, and 4) variations in these parameters for commonly-consumed fish, and different methods of computing intake. Over 300 people were interviewed at fishing sites and fishing clubs along the New Jersey shore. Consumption patterns of anglers varied by species of fish. From 2 to 90 % of the anglers ate the different fish species, and between 9 and 75 % gave fish away to family or friends. Self-caught fish made up 7 to 92 % of fish diets. On average, self-caught fish were eaten for only 2 to 6 months of the year, whereas other fish (commercial or restaurant) were eaten up to 10 months a year. Anglers consumed from 5 to 36 meals of different fish a year, which resulted in intake of mercury ranging from 0.01 to 0.22 ug/kg/day. Average intake of Mako shark, swordfish, and tuna (sushi, canned tuna, self-caught tuna) exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's oral, chronic reference dose for mercury of 0.1 ug/kg/day. However, computing intake using consumption for the highest month results in average mercury intake exceeding the reference dose for striped bass and bluefish as well. These data, and the variability in consumption patterns, have implications for risk assessors, risk managers, and health professionals.

Role of self-caught fish in total fish consumption rates for recreational fishermen: Average consumption for some species exceeds allowable intake

PubMed Central

Burger, Joanna

2013-01-01

Studies of fish consumption focus on recreational or subsistence fishing, on awareness and adherence to advisories, consumption patterns, and contaminants in fish. Yet the general public obtains their fish from commercial sources. In this paper I examine fish consumption patterns of recreational fishermen in New Jersey to determine: 1) consumption rates for self-caught fish and for other fish, 2) meals consumed per year, 3) average meal size, and average daily intake of mercury, and 4) variations in these parameters for commonly-consumed fish, and different methods of computing intake. Over 300 people were interviewed at fishing sites and fishing clubs along the New Jersey shore. Consumption patterns of anglers varied by species of fish. From 2 to 90 % of the anglers ate the different fish species, and between 9 and 75 % gave fish away to family or friends. Self-caught fish made up 7 to 92 % of fish diets. On average, self-caught fish were eaten for only 2 to 6 months of the year, whereas other fish (commercial or restaurant) were eaten up to 10 months a year. Anglers consumed from 5 to 36 meals of different fish a year, which resulted in intake of mercury ranging from 0.01 to 0.22 ug/kg/day. Average intake of Mako shark, swordfish, and tuna (sushi, canned tuna, self-caught tuna) exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s oral, chronic reference dose for mercury of 0.1 ug/kg/day. However, computing intake using consumption for the highest month results in average mercury intake exceeding the reference dose for striped bass and bluefish as well. These data, and the variability in consumption patterns, have implications for risk assessors, risk managers, and health professionals. PMID:23914136

Unified Bayesian Estimator of EEG Reference at Infinity: rREST (Regularized Reference Electrode Standardization Technique)

PubMed Central

Hu, Shiang; Yao, Dezhong; Valdes-Sosa, Pedro A.

2018-01-01

The choice of reference for the electroencephalogram (EEG) is a long-lasting unsolved issue resulting in inconsistent usages and endless debates. Currently, both the average reference (AR) and the reference electrode standardization technique (REST) are two primary, apparently irreconcilable contenders. We propose a theoretical framework to resolve this reference issue by formulating both (a) estimation of potentials at infinity, and (b) determination of the reference, as a unified Bayesian linear inverse problem, which can be solved by maximum a posterior estimation. We find that AR and REST are very particular cases of this unified framework: AR results from biophysically non-informative prior; while REST utilizes the prior based on the EEG generative model. To allow for simultaneous denoising and reference estimation, we develop the regularized versions of AR and REST, named rAR and rREST, respectively. Both depend on a regularization parameter that is the noise to signal variance ratio. Traditional and new estimators are evaluated with this framework, by both simulations and analysis of real resting EEGs. Toward this end, we leverage the MRI and EEG data from 89 subjects which participated in the Cuban Human Brain Mapping Project. Generated artificial EEGs—with a known ground truth, show that relative error in estimating the EEG potentials at infinity is lowest for rREST. It also reveals that realistic volume conductor models improve the performances of REST and rREST. Importantly, for practical applications, it is shown that an average lead field gives the results comparable to the individual lead field. Finally, it is shown that the selection of the regularization parameter with Generalized Cross-Validation (GCV) is close to the “oracle” choice based on the ground truth. When evaluated with the real 89 resting state EEGs, rREST consistently yields the lowest GCV. This study provides a novel perspective to the EEG reference problem by means of a unified inverse solution framework. It may allow additional principled theoretical formulations and numerical evaluation of performance. PMID:29780302

Lessons for livestock genomics from genome and transcriptome sequencing in cattle and other mammals.

PubMed

Taylor, Jeremy F; Whitacre, Lynsey K; Hoff, Jesse L; Tizioto, Polyana C; Kim, JaeWoo; Decker, Jared E; Schnabel, Robert D

2016-08-17

Decreasing sequencing costs and development of new protocols for characterizing global methylation, gene expression patterns and regulatory regions have stimulated the generation of large livestock datasets. Here, we discuss experiences in the analysis of whole-genome and transcriptome sequence data. We analyzed whole-genome sequence (WGS) data from 132 individuals from five canid species (Canis familiaris, C. latrans, C. dingo, C. aureus and C. lupus) and 61 breeds, three bison (Bison bison), 64 water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and 297 bovines from 17 breeds. By individual, data vary in extent of reference genome depth of coverage from 4.9X to 64.0X. We have also analyzed RNA-seq data for 580 samples representing 159 Bos taurus and Rattus norvegicus animals and 98 tissues. By aligning reads to a reference assembly and calling variants, we assessed effects of average depth of coverage on the actual coverage and on the number of called variants. We examined the identity of unmapped reads by assembling them and querying produced contigs against the non-redundant nucleic acids database. By imputing high-density single nucleotide polymorphism data on 4010 US registered Angus animals to WGS using Run4 of the 1000 Bull Genomes Project and assessing the accuracy of imputation, we identified misassembled reference sequence regions. We estimate that a 24X depth of coverage is required to achieve 99.5 % coverage of the reference assembly and identify 95 % of the variants within an individual's genome. Genomes sequenced to low average coverage (e.g., <10X) may fail to cover 10 % of the reference genome and identify <75 % of variants. About 10 % of genomic DNA or transcriptome sequence reads fail to align to the reference assembly. These reads include loci missing from the reference assembly and misassembled genes and interesting symbionts, commensal and pathogenic organisms. Assembly errors and a lack of annotation of functional elements significantly limit the utility of the current draft livestock reference assemblies. The Functional Annotation of Animal Genomes initiative seeks to annotate functional elements, while a 70X Pac-Bio assembly for cow is underway and may result in a significantly improved reference assembly.

Bioequivalence of generic alendronate sodium tablets (70 mg) to Fosamax® tablets (70 mg) in fasting, healthy volunteers: a randomized, open-label, three-way, reference-replicated crossover study

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yifan; Chen, Xiaoyan; Tang, Yunbiao; Lu, Youming; Guo, Lixia; Zhong, Dafang

2017-01-01

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the bioequivalence of a generic product 70 mg alendronate sodium tablets with the reference product Fosamax® 70 mg tablet. Materials and methods A single-center, open-label, randomized, three-period, three-sequence, reference-replicated crossover study was performed in 36 healthy Chinese male volunteers under fasting conditions. In each study period, the volunteers received a single oral dose of the generic or reference product (70 mg). Blood samples were collected at pre-dose and up to 8 h after administration. The bioequivalence of the generic product to the reference product was assessed using the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) reference-scaled average bioequivalence (RSABE) methods. Results The average maximum concentrations (Cmax) of alendronic acid were 64.78±43.76, 56.62±31.95, and 60.15±37.12 ng/mL after the single dose of the generic product and the first and second doses of the reference product, respectively. The areas under the plasma concentration–time curves from time 0 to the last timepoint (AUC0–t) were 150.36±82.90, 148.15±85.97, and 167.11±110.87 h⋅ng/mL, respectively. Reference scaling was used because the within-subject standard deviations of the reference product (sWR) for Cmax and AUC0–t were all higher than the cutoff value of 0.294. The 95% upper confidence bounds were −0.16 and −0.17 for Cmax and AUC0–t, respectively, and the point estimates for the generic/reference product ratio were 1.08 and 1.00, which satisfied the RSABE acceptance criteria of the FDA. The 90% CIs for Cmax and AUC0–t were 90.35%–129.04% and 85.31%–117.15%, respectively, which were within the limits of the EMA for the bioequivalence of 69.84%–143.19% and 80.00%–125.00%. Conclusion The generic product was bioequivalent to the reference product in terms of the rate and extent of alendronate absorption after a single 70 mg oral dose under fasting conditions. PMID:28744102

40 CFR 63.2500 - How do I comply with emissions averaging?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... existing source, you may elect to comply with the percent reduction emission limitations in Tables 1, 2, 4... 63.2490, including applicable monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting. (d) References to “periodic...

40 CFR 63.2500 - How do I comply with emissions averaging?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... existing source, you may elect to comply with the percent reduction emission limitations in Tables 1, 2, 4... 63.2490, including applicable monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting. (d) References to “periodic...

40 CFR 63.2500 - How do I comply with emissions averaging?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... existing source, you may elect to comply with the percent reduction emission limitations in Tables 1, 2, 4... 63.2490, including applicable monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting. (d) References to “periodic...

Genetics Home Reference: hereditary antithrombin deficiency

MedlinePlus

... at higher than average risk for developing abnormal blood clots, particularly a type of clot that occurs in ... in the lungs. In hereditary antithrombin deficiency , abnormal blood clots usually form only in veins, although they may ...

Alternative Fuels Data Center

Science.gov Websites

gross vehicle weight limits by a weight equal to the difference between the average weight of the diesel tank and fueling system. The NGV maximum gross weight may not exceed 82,000 pounds. (Reference

10 CFR Appendix R to Subpart B of... - Uniform Test Method for Measuring Average Lamp Efficacy (LE), Color Rendering Index (CRI), and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... the following reference ballast settings: T10 or T12 lamps are to use 236 volts, 0.43 amps, and 439 ohms; T8 lamps are to use 300 volts, 0.265 amps, and 910 ohms. 4.1.2.22-Foot U-shaped lamps shall be operated using the following reference ballast settings: T12 lamps are to use 236 volts, 0.430 amps, and...

The Influence of Hydrofoil Oscillation on Boundary Layer Transition and Cavitation Noise.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-04-01

p., and V. are fluid density, reference free-stream AVERAGED static pressure and reference free-stream velocity, respec- ORSPL3. Lair tively. S3.1...of cavitation on a propeller in both uni- ly, the location of boundary layer transition with the foil in form and nonuniform flow. He concluded that...the presence of oscillation must be determined either theoretically or ex- sheet and bubble cavitation in nonuniform flow can be perimentally. Thirdly

Maximum likelihood convolutional decoding (MCD) performance due to system losses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Webster, L.

1976-01-01

A model for predicting the computational performance of a maximum likelihood convolutional decoder (MCD) operating in a noisy carrier reference environment is described. This model is used to develop a subroutine that will be utilized by the Telemetry Analysis Program to compute the MCD bit error rate. When this computational model is averaged over noisy reference phase errors using a high-rate interpolation scheme, the results are found to agree quite favorably with experimental measurements.

Children and adults exposed to electromagnetic fields at the ICNIRP reference levels: theoretical assessment of the induced peak temperature increase.

PubMed

Bakker, J F; Paulides, M M; Neufeld, E; Christ, A; Kuster, N; van Rhoon, G C

2011-08-07

To avoid potentially adverse health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF), the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) has defined EMF reference levels. Restrictions on induced whole-body-averaged specific absorption rate (SAR(wb)) are provided to keep the whole-body temperature increase (T(body, incr)) under 1 °C during 30 min. Additional restrictions on the peak 10 g spatial-averaged SAR (SAR(10g)) are provided to prevent excessive localized tissue heating. The objective of this study is to assess the localized peak temperature increase (T(incr, max)) in children upon exposure at the reference levels. Finite-difference time-domain modeling was used to calculate T(incr, max) in six children and two adults exposed to orthogonal plane-wave configurations. We performed a sensitivity study and Monte Carlo analysis to assess the uncertainty of the results. Considering the uncertainties in the model parameters, we found that a peak temperature increase as high as 1 °C can occur for worst-case scenarios at the ICNIRP reference levels. Since the guidelines are deduced from temperature increase, we used T(incr, max) as being a better metric to prevent excessive localized tissue heating instead of localized peak SAR. However, we note that the exposure time should also be considered in future guidelines. Hence, we advise defining limits on T(incr, max) for specified durations of exposure.

Reference data on reaction time and aging using the Nintendo Wii Balance Board: A cross-sectional study of 354 subjects from 20 to 99 years of age.

PubMed

Blomkvist, Andreas W; Eika, Fredrik; Rahbek, Martin T; Eikhof, Karin D; Hansen, Mette D; Søndergaard, Malene; Ryg, Jesper; Andersen, Stig; Jørgensen, Martin G

2017-01-01

Falls among older adults is one of the major public health challenges facing the rapidly changing demography. The valid assessment of reaction time (RT) and other well-documented risk factors for falls are mainly restricted to specialized clinics due to the equipment needed. The Nintendo Wii Balance Board has the potential to be a multi-modal test and intervention instrument for these risk factors, however, reference data are lacking. To provide RT reference data and to characterize the age-related changes in RT measured by the Nintendo Wii Balance Board. Healthy participants were recruited at various locations and their RT in hands and feet were tested by six assessors using the Nintendo Wii Balance Board. Reference data were analysed and presented in age-groups, while the age-related change in RT was tested and characterized with linear regression models. 354 participants between 20 and 99 years of age were tested. For both hands and feet, mean RT and its variation increased with age. There was a statistically significant non-linear increase in RT with age. The averaged difference between male and female was significant, with males being faster than females for both hands and feet. The averaged difference between dominant and non-dominant side was non-significant. This study reported reference data with percentiles for a new promising method for reliably testing RT. The RT data were consistent with previously known effects of age and gender on RT.

Reference data on reaction time and aging using the Nintendo Wii Balance Board: A cross-sectional study of 354 subjects from 20 to 99 years of age

PubMed Central

Rahbek, Martin T.; Eikhof, Karin D.; Hansen, Mette D.; Søndergaard, Malene; Ryg, Jesper; Andersen, Stig; Jørgensen, Martin G.

2017-01-01

Background Falls among older adults is one of the major public health challenges facing the rapidly changing demography. The valid assessment of reaction time (RT) and other well-documented risk factors for falls are mainly restricted to specialized clinics due to the equipment needed. The Nintendo Wii Balance Board has the potential to be a multi-modal test and intervention instrument for these risk factors, however, reference data are lacking. Objective To provide RT reference data and to characterize the age-related changes in RT measured by the Nintendo Wii Balance Board. Method Healthy participants were recruited at various locations and their RT in hands and feet were tested by six assessors using the Nintendo Wii Balance Board. Reference data were analysed and presented in age-groups, while the age-related change in RT was tested and characterized with linear regression models. Results 354 participants between 20 and 99 years of age were tested. For both hands and feet, mean RT and its variation increased with age. There was a statistically significant non-linear increase in RT with age. The averaged difference between male and female was significant, with males being faster than females for both hands and feet. The averaged difference between dominant and non-dominant side was non-significant. Conclusion This study reported reference data with percentiles for a new promising method for reliably testing RT. The RT data were consistent with previously known effects of age and gender on RT. PMID:29287063

The Control Based on Internal Average Kinetic Energy in Complex Environment for Multi-robot System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Mao; Tian, Yantao; Yin, Xianghua

In this paper, reference trajectory is designed according to minimum energy consumed for multi-robot system, which nonlinear programming and cubic spline interpolation are adopted. The control strategy is composed of two levels, which lower-level is simple PD control and the upper-level is based on the internal average kinetic energy for multi-robot system in the complex environment with velocity damping. Simulation tests verify the effectiveness of this control strategy.

Global energy and water cycle experiment (GEWEX) continental-scale international project (GCIP); reference data sets CD-ROM

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rea, Alan; Cederstrand, Joel R.

1994-01-01

The data sets on this compact disc are a compilation of several geographic reference data sets of interest to the global-change research community. The data sets were chosen with input from the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Continental-Scale International Project (GCIP) Data Committee and the GCIP Hydrometeorology and Atmospheric Subpanels. The data sets include: locations and periods of record for stream gages, reservoir gages, and meteorological stations; a 500-meter-resolution digital elevation model; grid-node locations for the Eta numerical weather-prediction model; and digital map data sets of geology, land use, streams, large reservoirs, average annual runoff, average annual precipitation, average annual temperature, average annual heating and cooling degree days, hydrologic units, and state and county boundaries. Also included are digital index maps for LANDSAT scenes, and for the U.S. Geological Survey 1:250,000, 1:100,000, and 1:24,000-scale map series. Most of the data sets cover the conterminous United States; the digital elevation model also includes part of southern Canada. The stream and reservoir gage and meteorological station files cover all states having area within the Mississippi River Basin plus that part of the Mississippi River Basin lying within Canada. Several data-base retrievals were processed by state, therefore many sites outside the Mississippi River Basin are included.

Combining near- and far-field exposure for an organ-specific and whole-body RF-EMF proxy for epidemiological research: a reference case.

PubMed

Lauer, Oliver; Frei, Patrizia; Gosselin, Marie-Christine; Joseph, Wout; Röösli, Martin; Fröhlich, Jürg

2013-07-01

A framework for the combination of near-field (NF) and far-field (FF) radio frequency electromagnetic exposure sources to the average organ and whole-body specific absorption rates (SARs) is presented. As a reference case, values based on numerically derived SARs for whole-body and individual organs and tissues are combined with realistic exposure data, which have been collected using personal exposure meters during the Swiss Qualifex study. The framework presented can be applied to any study region where exposure data is collected by appropriate measurement equipment. Based on results derived from the data for the region of Basel, Switzerland, the relative importance of NF and FF sources to the personal exposure is examined for three different study groups. The results show that a 24-h whole-body averaged exposure of a typical mobile phone user is dominated by the use of his or her own mobile phone when a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) 900 or GSM 1800 phone is used. If only Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) phones are used, the user would experience a lower exposure level on average caused by the lower average output power of UMTS phones. Data presented clearly indicate the necessity of collecting band-selective exposure data in epidemiological studies related to electromagnetic fields. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Quantitative Radiology: Automated CT Liver Volumetry Compared With Interactive Volumetry and Manual Volumetry

PubMed Central

Suzuki, Kenji; Epstein, Mark L.; Kohlbrenner, Ryan; Garg, Shailesh; Hori, Masatoshi; Oto, Aytekin; Baron, Richard L.

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate automated CT volumetry in the assessment of living-donor livers for transplant and to compare this technique with software-aided interactive volumetry and manual volumetry. MATERIALS AND METHODS Hepatic CT scans of 18 consecutively registered prospective liver donors were obtained under a liver transplant protocol. Automated liver volumetry was developed on the basis of 3D active-contour segmentation. To establish reference standard liver volumes, a radiologist manually traced the contour of the liver on each CT slice. We compared the results obtained with automated and interactive volumetry with those obtained with the reference standard for this study, manual volumetry. RESULTS The average interactive liver volume was 1553 ± 343 cm3, and the average automated liver volume was 1520 ± 378 cm3. The average manual volume was 1486 ± 343 cm3. Both interactive and automated volumetric results had excellent agreement with manual volumetric results (intraclass correlation coefficients, 0.96 and 0.94). The average user time for automated volumetry was 0.57 ± 0.06 min/case, whereas those for interactive and manual volumetry were 27.3 ± 4.6 and 39.4 ± 5.5 min/case, the difference being statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION Both interactive and automated volumetry are accurate for measuring liver volume with CT, but automated volumetry is substantially more efficient. PMID:21940543

Quantitative radiology: automated CT liver volumetry compared with interactive volumetry and manual volumetry.

PubMed

Suzuki, Kenji; Epstein, Mark L; Kohlbrenner, Ryan; Garg, Shailesh; Hori, Masatoshi; Oto, Aytekin; Baron, Richard L

2011-10-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate automated CT volumetry in the assessment of living-donor livers for transplant and to compare this technique with software-aided interactive volumetry and manual volumetry. Hepatic CT scans of 18 consecutively registered prospective liver donors were obtained under a liver transplant protocol. Automated liver volumetry was developed on the basis of 3D active-contour segmentation. To establish reference standard liver volumes, a radiologist manually traced the contour of the liver on each CT slice. We compared the results obtained with automated and interactive volumetry with those obtained with the reference standard for this study, manual volumetry. The average interactive liver volume was 1553 ± 343 cm(3), and the average automated liver volume was 1520 ± 378 cm(3). The average manual volume was 1486 ± 343 cm(3). Both interactive and automated volumetric results had excellent agreement with manual volumetric results (intraclass correlation coefficients, 0.96 and 0.94). The average user time for automated volumetry was 0.57 ± 0.06 min/case, whereas those for interactive and manual volumetry were 27.3 ± 4.6 and 39.4 ± 5.5 min/case, the difference being statistically significant (p < 0.05). Both interactive and automated volumetry are accurate for measuring liver volume with CT, but automated volumetry is substantially more efficient.

ESTABLISHMENT OF A FIBRINOGEN REFERENCE INTERVAL IN ORNATE BOX TURTLES (TERRAPENE ORNATA ORNATA).

PubMed

Parkinson, Lily; Olea-Popelka, Francisco; Klaphake, Eric; Dadone, Liza; Johnston, Matthew

2016-09-01

This study sought to establish a reference interval for fibrinogen in healthy ornate box turtles ( Terrapene ornata ornata). A total of 48 turtles were enrolled, with 42 turtles deemed to be noninflammatory and thus fitting the inclusion criteria and utilized to estimate a fibrinogen reference interval. Turtles were excluded based upon physical examination and blood work abnormalities. A Shapiro-Wilk normality test indicated that the noninflammatory turtle fibrinogen values were normally distributed (Gaussian distribution) with an average of 108 mg/dl and a 95% confidence interval of the mean of 97.9-117 mg/dl. Those turtles excluded from the reference interval because of abnormalities affecting their health had significantly different fibrinogen values (P = 0.313). A reference interval for healthy ornate box turtles was calculated. Further investigation into the utility of fibrinogen measurement for clinical usage in ornate box turtles is warranted.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: The distance modulus of the LMC (Kovacs, 2000)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovacs, G.

2000-11-01

This table provides periods, intensity averaged V magnitudes and magnitude averaged V-Rc (Johnson V & Kron-Cousins R) colors of the MACHO LMC double-mode RR Lyrae variables employed in the above paper. For the calculation of the averages, an iterative 3-sigma condition was used to omit outliers. Further references (coordinates, amplitude ratios, etc.) to these variables can be found in Alcock et al. (1997ApJ...482...89A) and in Alcock et al. (2000, Cat. ). Trasformation to the standard system has been performed in accordance with Alcock et al. (1999PASP..111.1539A). (1 data file).

On the cooperativity of association and reference energy scales in thermodynamic perturbation theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, Bennett D.

2016-11-01

Equations of state for hydrogen bonding fluids are typically described by two energy scales. A short range highly directional hydrogen bonding energy scale as well as a reference energy scale which accounts for dispersion and orientationally averaged multi-pole attractions. These energy scales are always treated independently. In recent years, extensive first principles quantum mechanics calculations on small water clusters have shown that both hydrogen bond and reference energy scales depend on the number of incident hydrogen bonds of the water molecule. In this work, we propose a new methodology to couple the reference energy scale to the degree of hydrogen bonding in the fluid. We demonstrate the utility of the new approach by showing that it gives improved predictions of water-hydrocarbon mutual solubilities.

New perspectives on the Li isotopic composition of the upper continental crust and its weathering signature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauzéat, Lucie; Rudnick, Roberta L.; Chauvel, Catherine; Garçon, Marion; Tang, Ming

2015-10-01

Lithium isotopes are increasingly used to trace both present-day and past weathering processes at the surface of the Earth, and could potentially be used to evaluate the average degree of past weathering recorded by the upper continental crust (UCC). Yet the previous estimate of average δ7Li of the UCC has a rather large uncertainty, hindering the use of Li isotopes for this purpose. New δ7Li for desert and periglacial loess deposits (windblown dust) from several parts of the world (Europe, Argentina, China and Tajikistan) demonstrate that the former are more homogeneous than the latter, and may therefore serve as excellent proxies of the average composition of large tracts of the UCC. The Li isotopic compositions and concentrations of desert loess samples are controlled by eolian sorting that can be quantified by a binary mixing between a weathered, fine-grained end-member, dominated by phyllosilicates and having low δ7Li, and an unweathered, coarse-grained end-member, that is a mixture of quartz and plagioclase having higher δ7Li. We use correlations between insoluble elements (REE, Nd/Hf and Fe2O3/SiO2), Li concentrations (henceforth referred as [Li]), and δ7Li to estimate a new, more precise, average Li isotopic composition and concentration for the UCC: [ Li ] = 30.5 ± 3.6 (2 σ) ppm, and δ7Li = + 0.6 ± 0.6 (2 σ). The δ7Li for desert loess deposits is anti-correlated with the chemical index of alteration (CIA). Using this relationship, along with our average δ7Li, we infer that (1) the present-day CIA of the average UCC is 61-2+4 (2 σ), higher than the common reference value of 53, and (2) the average proportion of chemically weathered components is as high as 37-10+17 (2 σ)% at the surface of the Earth.

The Reviewers Reviewed.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaBorie, Tim; Halperin, Michael

1983-01-01

Reports results of comparison of seven journals which review popular music recordings, including number of reviews, length of reviews, favorable versus unfavorable reviews, reading score, journal subscription price and average review cost, and music styles covered. Ten references are cited. (EJS)

Referent group proximity, social norms, and context: alcohol use in a low-use environment.

PubMed

Cox, Jared M; Bates, Scott C

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived normative use of alcohol and reported consumption in an environment where relatively little alcohol use occurs. A total of 585 undergraduate students completed an online survey on alcohol use in March 2006. Participants reported personal alcohol use and perceptions of use by "friends," "the average student," and "the average student who drinks." Due to the large number of students reporting zero alcohol use, zero-inflated negative binomial regression was used to analyze the data. Results showed that perceptions of use and beliefs about the acceptability of use by proximal groups were strongly and positively correlated with personal alcohol use. Perceptions of distal groups were either not correlated or were correlated negatively with personal use. These findings suggest that the use of distal referent groups for a social norms campaign in a low-use environment may have paradoxical effects.

Adaptive interference cancel filter for evoked potential using high-order cumulants.

PubMed

Lin, Bor-Shyh; Lin, Bor-Shing; Chong, Fok-Ching; Lai, Feipei

2004-01-01

This paper is to present evoked potential (EP) processing using adaptive interference cancel (AIC) filter with second and high order cumulants. In conventional ensemble averaging method, people have to conduct repetitively experiments to record the required data. Recently, the use of AIC structure with second statistics in processing EP has proved more efficiency than traditional averaging method, but it is sensitive to both of the reference signal statistics and the choice of step size. Thus, we proposed higher order statistics-based AIC method to improve these disadvantages. This study was experimented in somatosensory EP corrupted with EEG. Gradient type algorithm is used in AIC method. Comparisons with AIC filter on second, third, fourth order statistics are also presented in this paper. We observed that AIC filter with third order statistics has better convergent performance for EP processing and is not sensitive to the selection of step size and reference input.

Axially staged combustion system for a gas turbine engine

DOEpatents

Bland, Robert J [Oviedo, FL

2009-12-15

An axially staged combustion system is provided for a gas turbine engine comprising a main body structure having a plurality of first and second injectors. First structure provides fuel to at least one of the first injectors. The fuel provided to the one first injector is adapted to mix with air and ignite to produce a flame such that the flame associated with the one first injector defines a flame front having an average length when measured from a reference surface of the main body structure. Each of the second injectors comprising a section extending from the reference surface of the main body structure through the flame front and having a length greater than the average length of the flame front. Second structure provides fuel to at least one of the second injectors. The fuel passes through the one second injector and exits the one second injector at a location axially spaced from the flame front.

Optimized nested Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling: theory

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

Coe, Joshua D; Shaw, M Sam; Sewell, Thomas D

2009-01-01

Metropolis Monte Carlo sampling of a reference potential is used to build a Markov chain in the isothermal-isobaric ensemble. At the endpoints of the chain, the energy is reevaluated at a different level of approximation (the 'full' energy) and a composite move encompassing all of the intervening steps is accepted on the basis of a modified Metropolis criterion. By manipulating the thermodynamic variables characterizing the reference system we maximize the average acceptance probability of composite moves, lengthening significantly the random walk made between consecutive evaluations of the full energy at a fixed acceptance probability. This provides maximally decorrelated samples ofmore » the full potential, thereby lowering the total number required to build ensemble averages of a given variance. The efficiency of the method is illustrated using model potentials appropriate to molecular fluids at high pressure. Implications for ab initio or density functional theory (DFT) treatment are discussed.« less

Improving Signal-to-Noise Ratio in Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy Energy-Dispersive X-Ray (STEM-EDX) Spectrum Images Using Single-Atomic-Column Cross-Correlation Averaging.

PubMed

Jeong, Jong Seok; Mkhoyan, K Andre

2016-06-01

Acquiring an atomic-resolution compositional map of crystalline specimens has become routine practice, thus opening possibilities for extracting subatomic information from such maps. A key challenge for achieving subatomic precision is the improvement of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of compositional maps. Here, we report a simple and reliable solution for achieving high-SNR energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy spectrum images for individual atomic columns. The method is based on standard cross-correlation aided by averaging of single-column EDX maps with modifications in the reference image. It produces EDX maps with minimal specimen drift, beam drift, and scan distortions. Step-by-step procedures to determine a self-consistent reference map with a discussion on the reliability, stability, and limitations of the method are presented here.

Activity Levels in Healthy Older Adults: Implications for Joint Arthroplasty

PubMed Central

Thorp, Laura E.; Orozco, Diego; Block, Joel A.; Sumner, Dale R.; Wimmer, Markus A.

2012-01-01

This work evaluated activity levels in a group of healthy older adults to establish a target activity level for adults of similar age after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). With the decreasing age of TJA patients, it is essential to have a reference for activity level in younger patients as activity level affects quality of life and implant design. 54 asymptomatic, healthy older adults with no clinical evidence of lower extremity OA participated. The main outcome measure, average daily step count, was measured using an accelerometer-based activity monitor. On average the group took 8813 ± 3611 steps per day, approximately 4000 more steps per day than has been previously reported in patients following total joint arthroplasty. The present work provides a reference for activity after joint arthroplasty which is relevant given the projected number of people under the age of 65 who will undergo joint arthroplasty in the coming years. PMID:23577274

Relativistic MR–MP Energy Levels for L-shell Ions of Silicon

DOE PAGES

Santana, Juan A.; Lopez-Dauphin, Nahyr A.; Beiersdorfer, Peter

2018-01-15

Level energies are reported for Si v, Si vi, Si vii, Si viii, Si ix, Si x, Si xi, and Si xii. The energies have been calculated with the relativistic Multi-Reference Møller–Plesset Perturbation Theory method and include valence and K-vacancy states with nl up to 5f. The accuracy of the calculated level energies is established by comparison with the recommended data listed in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) online database. The average deviation of valence level energies ranges from 0.20 eV in Si v to 0.04 eV in Si xii. For K-vacancy states, the available values recommendedmore » in the NIST database are limited to Si xii and Si xiii. The average energy deviation is below 0.3 eV for K-vacancy states. The extensive and accurate data set presented here greatly augments the amount of available reference level energies. Here, we expect our data to ease the line identification of L-shell ions of Si in celestial sources and laboratory-generated plasmas, and to serve as energy references in the absence of more accurate laboratory measurements.« less

Validation of the Australian diagnostic reference levels for paediatric multi detector computed tomography: a comparison of RANZCR QUDI data and subsequent NDRLS data from 2012 to 2015.

PubMed

Anna, Hayton; Wallace, Anthony; Thomas, Peter

2017-03-01

The national diagnostic reference level service (NDRLS), was launched in 2011, however no paediatric data were submitted during the first calendar year of operation. As such, Australian national diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), for paediatric multi detector computed tomography (MDCT), were established using data obtained from a Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR), Quality Use of Diagnostic Imaging (QUDI), study. Paediatric data were submitted to the NDRLS in 2012 through 2015. An analysis has been made of the NDRLS paediatric data using the same method as was used to analyse the QUDI data to establish the Australian national paediatric DRLs for MDCT. An analysis of the paediatric NDRLS data has also been made using the method used to calculate the Australian national adult DRLs for MDCT. A comparison between the QUDI data and subsequent NDRLS data shows the NDRLS data to be lower on average for the Head and AbdoPelvis protocol and similar for the chest protocol. Using an average of NDRLS data submitted between 2012 and 2015 implications for updated paediatric DRLS are considered.

Common lines modeling for reference free Ab-initio reconstruction in cryo-EM.

PubMed

Greenberg, Ido; Shkolnisky, Yoel

2017-11-01

We consider the problem of estimating an unbiased and reference-free ab initio model for non-symmetric molecules from images generated by single-particle cryo-electron microscopy. The proposed algorithm finds the globally optimal assignment of orientations that simultaneously respects all common lines between all images. The contribution of each common line to the estimated orientations is weighted according to a statistical model for common lines' detection errors. The key property of the proposed algorithm is that it finds the global optimum for the orientations given the common lines. In particular, any local optima in the common lines energy landscape do not affect the proposed algorithm. As a result, it is applicable to thousands of images at once, very robust to noise, completely reference free, and not biased towards any initial model. A byproduct of the algorithm is a set of measures that allow to asses the reliability of the obtained ab initio model. We demonstrate the algorithm using class averages from two experimental data sets, resulting in ab initio models with resolutions of 20Å or better, even from class averages consisting of as few as three raw images per class. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Methodological evaluation and comparison of five urinary albumin measurements.

PubMed

Liu, Rui; Li, Gang; Cui, Xiao-Fan; Zhang, Dong-Ling; Yang, Qing-Hong; Mu, Xiao-Yan; Pan, Wen-Jie

2011-01-01

Microalbuminuria is an indicator of kidney damage and a risk factor for the progression kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and so on. Therefore, accurate and precise measurement of urinary albumin is critical. However, there are no reference measurement procedures and reference materials for urinary albumin. Nephelometry, turbidimetry, colloidal gold method, radioimmunoassay, and chemiluminescence immunoassay were performed for methodological evaluation, based on imprecision test, recovery rate, linearity, haemoglobin interference rate, and verified reference interval. Then we tested 40 urine samples from diabetic patients by each method, and compared the result between assays. The results indicate that nephelometry is the method with best analytical performance among the five methods, with an average intraassay coefficient of variation (CV) of 2.6%, an average interassay CV of 1.7%, a mean recovery of 99.6%, a linearity of R=1.00 from 2 to 250 mg/l, and an interference rate of <10% at haemoglobin concentrations of <1.82 g/l. The correlation (r) between assays was from 0.701 to 0.982, and the Bland-Altman plots indicated each assay provided significantly different results from each other. Nephelometry is the clinical urinary albumin method with best analytical performance in our study. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Relativistic MR–MP Energy Levels for L-shell Ions of Silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santana, Juan A.; Lopez-Dauphin, Nahyr A.; Beiersdorfer, Peter

2018-01-01

Level energies are reported for Si V, Si VI, Si VII, Si VIII, Si IX, Si X, Si XI, and Si XII. The energies have been calculated with the relativistic Multi-Reference Møller–Plesset Perturbation Theory method and include valence and K-vacancy states with nl up to 5f. The accuracy of the calculated level energies is established by comparison with the recommended data listed in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) online database. The average deviation of valence level energies ranges from 0.20 eV in Si V to 0.04 eV in Si XII. For K-vacancy states, the available values recommended in the NIST database are limited to Si XII and Si XIII. The average energy deviation is below 0.3 eV for K-vacancy states. The extensive and accurate data set presented here greatly augments the amount of available reference level energies. We expect our data to ease the line identification of L-shell ions of Si in celestial sources and laboratory-generated plasmas, and to serve as energy references in the absence of more accurate laboratory measurements.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Relativistic MR-MP energy levels for Si (Santana+, 2018)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santana, J. A.; Lopez-Dauphin, N. A.; Beiersdorfer, P.

2018-03-01

Level energies are reported for Si V, Si VI, Si VII, Si VIII, Si IX, Si X, Si XI, and Si XII. The energies have been calculated with the relativistic Multi- Reference Moller-Plesset Perturbation Theory method and include valence and K-vacancy states with nl up to 5f. The accuracy of the calculated level energies is established by comparison with the recommended data listed in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) online database. The average deviation of valence level energies ranges from 0.20eV in SiV to 0.04eV in SiXII. For K-vacancy states, the available values recommended in the NIST database are limited to Si XII and Si XIII. The average energy deviation is below 0.3eV for K-vacancy states. The extensive and accurate data set presented here greatly augments the amount of available reference level energies. We expect our data to ease the line identification of L-shell ions of Si in celestial sources and laboratory-generated plasmas, and to serve as energy references in the absence of more accurate laboratory measurements. (1 data file).

Relativistic MR–MP Energy Levels for L-shell Ions of Silicon

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

Santana, Juan A.; Lopez-Dauphin, Nahyr A.; Beiersdorfer, Peter

Level energies are reported for Si v, Si vi, Si vii, Si viii, Si ix, Si x, Si xi, and Si xii. The energies have been calculated with the relativistic Multi-Reference Møller–Plesset Perturbation Theory method and include valence and K-vacancy states with nl up to 5f. The accuracy of the calculated level energies is established by comparison with the recommended data listed in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) online database. The average deviation of valence level energies ranges from 0.20 eV in Si v to 0.04 eV in Si xii. For K-vacancy states, the available values recommendedmore » in the NIST database are limited to Si xii and Si xiii. The average energy deviation is below 0.3 eV for K-vacancy states. The extensive and accurate data set presented here greatly augments the amount of available reference level energies. Here, we expect our data to ease the line identification of L-shell ions of Si in celestial sources and laboratory-generated plasmas, and to serve as energy references in the absence of more accurate laboratory measurements.« less

Measurement systems and indices of miners' exposure to radon daughter products in the air of mines.

PubMed

Domański, T

1990-01-01

This paper presents the classification of measurement systems that may be used for the assessment of miners' exposure to radiation in mines. The following systems were described and characterized as the Air Sampling System (ASS), the Environmental Control System (ECS), the Individual Dosimetry System (IDS), the Stream Monitoring System (SMS) and the Exhaust Monitoring System (EMS). The indices for evaluation of miners' working environments, or for assessment of individual or collective miners' exposure, were selected and determined. These are: average expected concentration (CAE), average observed concentration (CAO), average expected rate of exposure cumulation rate (EEXP), average observed exposure cumulation rate (EOBS), average effective exposure cumulation rate (EEFF). Mathematical formulae for determining all these indicators, according to the type of measurement system used in particular mines, are presented. The reliability of assessment of miners' exposure in particular measurement systems, as well as the role of the possible reference system, are discussed.

Robust averaging protects decisions from noise in neural computations

PubMed Central

Herce Castañón, Santiago; Solomon, Joshua A.; Vandormael, Hildward

2017-01-01

An ideal observer will give equivalent weight to sources of information that are equally reliable. However, when averaging visual information, human observers tend to downweight or discount features that are relatively outlying or deviant (‘robust averaging’). Why humans adopt an integration policy that discards important decision information remains unknown. Here, observers were asked to judge the average tilt in a circular array of high-contrast gratings, relative to an orientation boundary defined by a central reference grating. Observers showed robust averaging of orientation, but the extent to which they did so was a positive predictor of their overall performance. Using computational simulations, we show that although robust averaging is suboptimal for a perfect integrator, it paradoxically enhances performance in the presence of “late” noise, i.e. which corrupts decisions during integration. In other words, robust decision strategies increase the brain’s resilience to noise arising in neural computations during decision-making. PMID:28841644

Analysis of Mass Averaged Tissue Doses in CAM, CAF, MAX, and FAX

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slaba, Tony C.; Qualls, Garry D.; Clowdsley, Martha S.; Blattnig, Steve R.; Simonsen, Lisa C.; Walker, Steven A.; Singleterry, Robert C.

2009-01-01

To estimate astronaut health risk due to space radiation, one must have the ability to calculate exposure-related quantities averaged over specific organs and tissue types. In this study, we first examine the anatomical properties of the Computerized Anatomical Man (CAM), Computerized Anatomical Female (CAF), Male Adult voXel (MAX), and Female Adult voXel (FAX) models by comparing the masses of various tissues to the reference values specified by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). Major discrepancies are found between the CAM and CAF tissue masses and the ICRP reference data for almost all of the tissues. We next examine the distribution of target points used with the deterministic transport code HZETRN to compute mass averaged exposure quantities. A numerical algorithm is used to generate multiple point distributions for many of the effective dose tissues identified in CAM, CAF, MAX, and FAX. It is concluded that the previously published CAM and CAF point distributions were under-sampled and that the set of point distributions presented here should be adequate for future studies involving CAM, CAF, MAX, or FAX. It is concluded that MAX and FAX are more accurate than CAM and CAF for space radiation analyses.

Trigger point-related sympathetic nerve activity in chronic sciatic leg pain: a case study.

PubMed

Skorupska, Elżbieta; Rychlik, Michał; Pawelec, Wiktoria; Bednarek, Agata; Samborski, Włodzimierz

2014-10-01

Sciatica has classically been associated with irritation of the sciatic nerve by the vertebral disc and consequent inflammation. Some authors suggest that active trigger points in the gluteus minimus muscle can refer pain in similar way to sciatica. Trigger point diagnosis is based on Travel and Simons criteria, but referred pain and twitch response are significant confirmatory signs of the diagnostic criteria. Although vasoconstriction in the area of a latent trigger point has been demonstrated, the vasomotor reaction of active trigger points has not been examined. We report the case of a 22-year-old Caucasian European man who presented with a 3-year history of chronic sciatic-type leg pain. In the third year of symptoms, coexistent myofascial pain syndrome was diagnosed. Acupuncture needle stimulation of active trigger points under infrared thermovisual camera showed a sudden short-term vasodilatation (an autonomic phenomenon) in the area of referred pain. The vasodilatation spread from 0.2 to 171.9 cm(2) and then gradually decreased. After needling, increases in average and maximum skin temperature were seen as follows: for the thigh, changes were +2.6°C (average) and +3.6°C (maximum); for the calf, changes were +0.9°C (average) and +1.4°C (maximum). It is not yet known whether the vasodilatation observed was evoked exclusively by dry needling of active trigger points. The complex condition of the patient suggests that other variables might have influenced the infrared thermovision camera results. We suggest that it is important to check if vasodilatation in the area of referred pain occurs in all patients with active trigger points. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Using Free Navigation Reference Points and Prefabricated Bone Plates for Zygoma Fracture Model Surgeries.

PubMed

Wang, Tien-Hsiang; Ma, Hsu; Tseng, Ching-Shiow; Chou, Yi-Hong; Cai, Kun-Lin

Surgical navigation systems have been an important tool in maxillofacial surgery, helping surgeons create a presurgical plan, locate lesions, and provide guidance. For secondary facial bone reductions, a good presurgical plan and proper execution are the key to success. Previous studies used predetermined markers and screw holes as navigation references; however, unexpected situations may occur, making the predetermined surgical plan unreliable. Instead of determining positions preoperatively, this study proposes a method that surgeons can use intraoperatively to choose surface markers in a more flexible manner. Eight zygomatic fractures were created in four skull models, and preoperative computed tomography (CT) image data were imported into a self-developed navigation program for presurgical planning. This program also calculates the ideal positions of navigation references points for screw holes. During reduction surgery, markers on fractured bone are selected, registered, and calculated as free navigation reference points (FNRPs). The surface markers and FNRPs are used to monitor the position of the dislocated bone. Titanium bone plates were prefabricated on stereolithography models for osteosynthesis. Two reductions with only FNRPs, as well as six reductions with FNRPs and prefabricated bone plates, were successfully performed. Postoperative CT data were obtained, and surgical errors in the six-reduction group were evaluated. The average deviation from the screw hole drilling positions was 0.92 ± 0.38 mm. The average deviation included displacement and rotation of the zygomas. The mean displacement was 0.83 ± 0.38 mm, and the average rotations around the x, y, and z axes were 0.66 ± 0.59°, 0.77 ± 0.54°, and 0.79 ± 0.42°, respectively. The results show that combining presurgical planning and the developed navigation program to generate FNRPs for assisting in secondary zygoma reduction is an accurate and practical method. Further study is necessary to prove its clinical value.

Averaging the Equations of a Planetary Problem in an Astrocentric Reference Frame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikryukov, D. V.

2018-05-01

A system of averaged equations of planetary motion around a central star is constructed. An astrocentric coordinate system is used. The two-planet problem is considered, but all constructions are easily generalized to an arbitrary number N of planets. The motion is investigated in modified (complex) Poincarécanonical elements. The averaging is performed by the Hori-Deprit method over the fast mean longitudes to the second order relative to the planetary masses. An expansion of the disturbing function is constructed using the Laplace coefficients. Some terms of the expansion of the disturbing function and the first terms of the expansion of the averaged Hamiltonian are given. The results of this paper can be used to investigate the evolution of orbits with moderate eccentricities and inclinations in various planetary systems.

Spatial disaggregation of POWER-NASA air temperatures and effects on grass reference evapotranspiration in Sicily, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Negm, Amro; Minacapilli, Mario; Provenzano, Giuseppe

2017-04-01

The accurate estimation of grass reference evapotranspiration (ET0) is important for many fields, including hydrology and irrigation water management. Being direct measure of ET0 difficult, expensive and time consuming, application of simplified approaches and web-based meteorological information are often preferred. The Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resource project developed by the American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (POWER-NASA) provides meteorological observations and surface energy fluxes on 1° latitude by 1° longitude grid, with a continuous daily coverage and for the entire globe. However, the broad spatial resolution of these data represents a limiting factor, for example when they have to be used for local estimations of reference ET0. In this work, a procedure for the spatial disaggregation of POWER-NASA daily average air temperature was proposed. In particular, a daily scaling factor was initially defined as the ratio between disaggregated average air temperature and the corresponding native value. This ratio was then modeled with a cosine function, characterized by three parameters depending on elevation, so to account for seasonal and regional variability. The proposed model was calibrated with three years of ground measurements (2006-2008) and then validated over six years (2009-2014). The suitability of the procedure was finally assessed by applying two simplified empirical models to estimate ET0 (Turc, 1961; Hargreaves, 1975). When compared to ET0 values obtained with FAO-56 PM equation, both simplified equations associated to downscaled meteorological observations, were characterized by RMSE ranging between 0.44 and 1.08 mm (average of 0.72-0.74 mm), and average MBE of -0.06 (Turc equation) and 0.13 mm (Hargreaves equation). These results indicated the strength of the proposed procedure to estimate ET0, even for regions characterized by the lack of detailed meteorological information.

The Reynolds-stress tensor in diffusion flames; An experimental and theoretical investigation

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

Schneider, F.; Janicka, J.

1990-07-01

The authors present measurements and predictions of Reynolds-stress components and mean velocities in a CH{sub 4}-air diffusion flame. A reference beam LDA technique is applied for measuring all Reynolds-stress components. A hologram with dichromated gelatine as recording medium generates strictly coherent reference beams. The theoretical part describes a Reynolds-stress model based on Favre-averaged quantities, paying special attention to modeling the pressure-shear correlation and the dissipation equation in flames. Finally, measurement/prediction comparisons are presented.

A two-dimensional proteome reference map of Herbaspirillum seropedicae proteins.

PubMed

Chaves, Daniela Fojo Seixas; Ferrer, Pércio Pereira; de Souza, Emanuel Maltempi; Gruz, Leonardo Magalhães; Monteiro, Rose Adele; de Oliveira Pedrosa, Fábio

2007-10-01

Herbaspirillum seropedicae is an endophytic diazotroph associated with economically important crops such as rice, sugarcane, and wheat. Here, we present a 2-D reference map for H. seropedicae. Using MALDI-TOF-MS we identified 205 spots representing 173 different proteins with a calculated average of 1.18 proteins/gene. Seventeen hypothetical or conserved hypothetical ORFs were shown to code for true gene products. These data will support the genome annotation process and provide a basis on which to undertake comparative proteomic studies.

The Hygiene Hypothesis and Breast Cancer a Novel Application of an Etiologic Theory for Allergies, Asthma, and Other Immune Disorders

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-01

REFERENCE YEAR-2] and [REFERENCE YEAR], on average, how many days per month did you eat the following kinds of foods: Q68. Yogurt (not the frozen...kind)? days/month Q69. Kim chee or sauerkraut ( fermented cabbage) days/month Q70. Lactobacillus or probiotic supplements...entre [AÑO DE REFERENCIA-2] y [AÑO DE REFERENCIA]: Q68. Yogurt (no del tipo congelado)? días / mes Q69. Kim chee o chukrut (repollo

Study on characteristics of the aperture-averaging factor of atmospheric scintillation in terrestrial optical wireless communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Hong; Liu, Wen-xing; Zhou, Xue-yun; Zhou, Li-ling; Yu, Long-Kun

2018-02-01

In order to thoroughly understand the characteristics of the aperture-averaging effect of atmospheric scintillation in terrestrial optical wireless communication and provide references for engineering design and performance evaluation of the optics system employed in the atmosphere, we have theoretically deduced the generally analytic expression of the aperture-averaging factor of atmospheric scintillation, and numerically investigated characteristics of the apertureaveraging factor under different propagation conditions. The limitations of the current commonly used approximate calculation formula of aperture-averaging factor have been discussed, and the results showed that the current calculation formula is not applicable for the small receiving aperture under non-uniform turbulence link. Numerical calculation has showed that aperture-averaging factor of atmospheric scintillation presented an exponential decline model for the small receiving aperture under non-uniform turbulent link, and the general expression of the model was given. This model has certain guiding significance for evaluating the aperture-averaging effect in the terrestrial optical wireless communication.

Weight outcomes audit for 34,271 adults referred to a primary care/commercial weight management partnership scheme.

PubMed

Stubbs, R James; Pallister, Carolyn; Whybrow, Stephen; Avery, Amanda; Lavin, Jacquie

2011-01-01

This project audited rate and extent of weight loss in a primary care/commercial weight management organisation partnership scheme. 34,271 patients were referred to Slimming World for 12 weekly sessions. Data were analysed using individual weekly weight records. Average (SD) BMI change was -1.5 kg/m² (1.3), weight change -4.0 kg (3.7), percent weight change -4.0% (3.6), rate of weight change -0.3 kg/week, and number of sessions attended 8.9 (3.6) of 12. For patients attending at least 10 of 12 sessions (n = 19,907 or 58.1%), average (SD) BMI change was -2.0 kg/m² (1.3), weight change -5.5 kg (3.8), percent weight change -5.5% (3.5), rate of weight change -0.4 kg/week, and average number of sessions attended was 11.5 (0.7) (p < 0.001, compared to all patients). Weight loss was greater in men (n = 3,651) than in women (n = 30,620) (p < 0.001). 35.8% of all patients enrolled and 54.7% in patients attending 10 or more sessions achieved at least 5% weight loss. Weight gain was prevented in 92.1% of all patients referred. Attendance explained 29.6% and percent weight lost in week 1 explained 18.4% of the variance in weight loss. Referral to a commercial organisation is a practical option for National Health Service (NHS) weight management strategies, which achieves clinically safe and effective weight loss. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Paleoclimatological context and reference level of the 2°C and 1.5°C Paris Agreement long-term temperature limits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lüning, Sebastian; Vahrenholt, Fritz

2017-12-01

The Paris Agreement adopted in December 2015 during the COP21 conference stipulates that the increase in the global average temperature is to be kept well below 2°C above “pre-industrial levels” and that efforts are pursued to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above “pre-industrial levels”. In order to further increase public acceptance of these limits it is important to transparently place the target levels and their baselines in a paleoclimatic context of the past 150,000 years (Last Interglacial, LIG) and in particular of the last 10,000 years (Holocene; Present Interglacial, PIG). Intense paleoclimatological research of the past decade has firmed up that pre-industrial temperatures have been highly variable which needs to be reflected in the pre-industrial climate baseline definitions. The currently used reference level 1850-1900 represents the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA).The LIA represents the coldest phase of the last 10,000 years when mean temperatures deviated strongly negatively from the Holocene average and which therefore are hard to justify as a representative pre-industrial baseline. The temperature level reached during the interval 1940-1970 may serve as a better reference level as it appears to roughly correspond to the average pre-industrial temperature of the past two millennia. Placing the climate limits in an enlarged paleoclimatic context will help to demonstrate that the chosen climate targets are valid and represent dangerous extremes of the known natural range of Holocene temperature variability.

The influence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae enzyme ratio on preparation virgin coconut oil for candidate in-house reference materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohyami, Yuli; Anjani, Rafika Debby; Purwanti, Napthalina Putri

2017-03-01

Virgin coconut oil is an excellent product which has result of oil processing business opportunities in the international market. Standardization of virgin coconut oil necessary to satisfy the requirements industry needs. This research is expected as procedure preparation of reference materials. Preparation of virgin coconut oil by Sacharomycescerevisiaeenzyme. Based on the results of this study concluded that the ratio of Saccharomyces cerevisiae can affect the yield of virgin coconut oil produced. The preparation of virgin coconut oil enzymatically using a variety of mass ratio of 0.001 to 0.006% is obtained yield average of 12.40%. The optimum separation of virgin coconut oil on the use of enzymes with a mass ratio of 0.002%. The average water content at a ratio of 0.002% is 0.04 % with a value of uncertainty is 0.005%. The average iodine number in virgin coconut oil produced is 2.4403 ± 0,1974 grams of iodine per 100 grams of oil and optimum iodine number is obtained from the manufacturing process virgin coconut oil with a ratio of 0.006% Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Sacharomycescerevisiae with a ratio of 0.002% results virgin coconut oil with acid number 0.3068 ± 0.1098%. The peroxide value of virgin coconut oil between 0.0108 ± 0.009 to 0.0114 ± 0015milli-equivalent per kilograms. Organoleptic test results and test chemical parameters can be used as the test data that can be developed in prototype preparation of candidate in-house reference material in the testing standards of quality virgin coconut oil.

Complex signal-based optical coherence tomography angiography enables in vivo visualization of choriocapillaris in human choroid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Zhongdi; Chen, Chieh-Li; Zhang, Qinqin; Pepple, Kathryn; Durbin, Mary; Gregori, Giovanni; Wang, Ruikang K.

2017-12-01

The choriocapillaris (CC) plays an essential role in maintaining the normal functions of the human eye. There is increasing interest in the community to develop an imaging technique for visualizing the CC, yet this remains underexplored due to technical limitations. We propose an approach for the visualization of the CC in humans via a complex signal-based optical microangiography (OMAG) algorithm, based on commercially available spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). We show that the complex signal-based OMAG was superior to both the phase and amplitude signal-based approaches in detailing the vascular lobules previously seen with histological analysis. With this improved ability to visualize the lobular vascular networks, it is possible to identify the feeding arterioles and draining venules around the lobules, which is important in understanding the role of the CC in the pathogenesis of ocular diseases. With built-in FastTrac™ and montage scanning capabilities, we also demonstrate wide-field SD-OCT angiograms of the CC with a field of view at 9×11 mm2.

Ganymede in Visible and Infrared Light

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

This montage compares New Horizons' best views of Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon, gathered with the spacecraft's Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) and its infrared spectrometer, the Linear Etalon Imaging Spectral Array (LEISA).

LEISA observes its targets in more than 200 separate wavelengths of infrared light, allowing detailed analysis of their surface composition. The LEISA image shown here combines just three of these wavelengths -- 1.3, 1.8 and 2.0 micrometers -- to highlight differences in composition across Ganymede's surface. Blue colors represent relatively clean water ice, while brown colors show regions contaminated by dark material.

The right panel combines the high-resolution grayscale LORRI image with the color-coded compositional information from the LEISA image, producing a picture that combines the best of both data sets.

The LEISA and LORRI images were taken at 9:48 and 10:01 Universal Time, respectively, on February 27, 2007, from a range of 3.5 million kilometers (2.2 million miles). The longitude of the disk center is 38 degrees west. With a diameter of 5,268 kilometers (3,273 miles), Ganymede is the largest satellite in the solar system.

Dynamics of plankton populations in upwelling areas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Szekielda, K. (Principal Investigator)

1972-01-01

There are no author-identified significant results in this report. Repeated coverage over the test site along the northwest coast of Africa showed that the structure of chlorophyll distribution is much more complicated than expected from continuous recordings. ERTS-1 data showed a very fast change in the chlorophyll distribution and it seems that also the concentration changes quickly. ERTS-1 showed on some frames offshore transportation of dust from the Sahara. All frames from Channel 7 will be arranged as a montage to derive the transportation pattern of dust. This step is important in biological aspects of interpreting ERTS-1 data, because the dissolution kinetics of eolian dust particles may influence significantly the chemistry of the surface water. Since visibility and the biochemistry of the test site off Africa are influenced by the dust transport, dust collection will be included in the ground truth program. Besides chlorophyll and other hydrographical parameters, the dust load in the test area will be measured. The collection plan is discussed along with a description of the high volume air sampler and the Anderson particle sizing head sampler to be used for the dust measurements.

[Decompensated valvular disease and coarctation. One-stage repair using a median approach with an ascending aorta-abdominal aorta shunt].

PubMed

Baille, Y; Sigwalt, M; Vaillant, A; Sicard Desnuelle, M P; Varnet, B

1981-11-01

The tactical decision in patients with decompensated valvular disease associated with a severe stenosis of the aortic isthmus is always difficult. One stage surgical repair using two separate approaches is a long and high risk procedure. It would seem more logical and safer to treat the lesions in two stages a few weeks apart, the severest lesion being managed first. In the two cases reported. The isthmic stenoses and valvular lesions were of the same severity and made both classical techniques impracticable. Therefore the patients underwent a single stage procedure by a median approach associating valve replacement under cardiopulmonary bypass (mitral and tricuspid in one and aortic in the other case) and an ascending aorta-abdominal aorta dacron conduit. The present postoperative survival periods are 30 and 9 months. The functional result was good (Class 1 and 0) and postoperative angiography has shown the montage to be working satisfactorily. This technique is exceptional but may be useful in borderline cases with decompensated valvular disease and severe isthmic stenosis.

X-Ray microtomography for ant taxonomy: An exploration and case study with two new Terataner (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae) species from Madagascar

PubMed Central

Fischer, Georg; Liu, Cong; Audisio, Tracy L.; Alpert, Gary D.; Fisher, Brian L.; Economo, Evan P.

2017-01-01

We explore the potential of x-ray micro computed tomography (μCT) for the field of ant taxonomy by using it to enhance the descriptions of two remarkable new species of the ant genus Terataner: T. balrog sp. n. and T. nymeria sp. n.. We provide an illustrated worker-based species identification key for all species found on Madagascar, as well as detailed taxonomic descriptions, which include diagnoses, discussions, measurements, natural history data, high-quality montage images and distribution maps for both new species. In addition to conventional morphological examination, we have used virtual reconstructions based on volumetric μCT scanning data for the species descriptions. We also include 3D PDFs, still images of virtual reconstructions, and 3D rotation videos for both holotype workers and one paratype queen. The complete μCT datasets have been made available online (Dryad, https://datadryad.org) and represent the first cybertypes in ants (and insects). We discuss the potential of μCT scanning and critically assess the usefulness of cybertypes for ant taxonomy. PMID:28328931

Effect of synchronized or desynchronized music listening during osteopathic treatment: an EEG study.

PubMed

Mercadié, Lolita; Caballe, Julie; Aucouturier, Jean-Julien; Bigand, Emmanuel

2014-01-01

While background music is often used during osteopathic treatment, it remains unclear whether it facilitates treatment, and, if it does, whether it is listening to music or jointly listening to a common stimulus that is most important. We created three experimental situations for a standard osteopathic procedure in which patients and practitioner listened either to silence, to the same music in synchrony, or (unknowingly) to different desynchronized montages of the same material. Music had no effect on heart rate and arterial pressure pre- and posttreatment compared to silence, but EEG measures revealed a clear effect of synchronized versus desynchronized listening: listening to desynchronized music was associated with larger amounts of mu-rhythm event-related desynchronization (ERD), indicating decreased sensorimotor fluency compared to what was gained in the synchronized music listening condition. This result suggests that, if any effect can be attributed to music for osteopathy, it is related to its capacity to modulate empathy between patient and therapist and, further, that music does not systematically create better conditions for empathy than silence. Copyright © 2013 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Neuroplasticity in post-stroke gait recovery and noninvasive brain stimulation

PubMed Central

Xu, Yi; Hou, Qing-hua; Russell, Shawn D.; Bennett, Bradford C.; Sellers, Andrew J.; Lin, Qiang; Huang, Dong-feng

2015-01-01

Gait disorders drastically affect the quality of life of stroke survivors, making post-stroke rehabilitation an important research focus. Noninvasive brain stimulation has potential in facilitating neuroplasticity and improving post-stroke gait impairment. However, a large inter-individual variability in the response to noninvasive brain stimulation interventions has been increasingly recognized. We first review the neurophysiology of human gait and post-stroke neuroplasticity for gait recovery, and then discuss how noninvasive brain stimulation techniques could be utilized to enhance gait recovery. While post-stroke neuroplasticity for gait recovery is characterized by use-dependent plasticity, it evolves over time, is idiosyncratic, and may develop maladaptive elements. Furthermore, noninvasive brain stimulation has limited reach capability and is facilitative-only in nature. Therefore, we recommend that noninvasive brain stimulation be used adjunctively with rehabilitation training and other concurrent neuroplasticity facilitation techniques. Additionally, when noninvasive brain stimulation is applied for the rehabilitation of gait impairment in stroke survivors, stimulation montages should be customized according to the specific types of neuroplasticity found in each individual. This could be done using multiple mapping techniques. PMID:26889202

A new Agraecina spider species from the Balkan Peninsula (FYR Macedonia) (Araneae: Liocranidae).

PubMed

Deltshev, Christo; Wang, Chunxia

2016-05-30

        Specimens were collected using pitfall traps. Coloration is described from alcohol-preserved specimens. Specimens were examined and measured using a Wild M5A stereomicroscope. Further details were studied and measured under an Olympus BX41 compound microscope. All drawings were made using a drawing apparatus attached to a Leica stereomicroscope. Male palps and female genitalia were examined and illustrated after they were dissected from the spiders' bodies. Photos were taken with an Olympus C7070 wide zoom digital camera mounted on an Olympus SZX12 stereomicroscope. The images were montaged using Helicon Focus image stacking software. Measurements of the legs are taken from the dorsal side. Total length of the body includes the chelicerae. All measurements were taken in mm. Abbreviations used in text include: AME, anterior median eyes; ALE, anterior lateral eyes; EM, embolus; MA, median apophysis; CD, copulatory duct; ST, spermatheca; fe, femur; pa, patella; ti, tibia; mt, metatarsus; p, prolateral; d, dorsal; r, retrolateral; v, ventral. Type specimens are deposited in the National Museum of Natural History (NMNHS), Sofia, Bulgaria.

Brain Monitoring with Electroencephalography and the Electroencephalogram-Derived Bispectral Index During Cardiac Surgery

PubMed Central

Kertai, Miklos D.; Whitlock, Elizabeth L.; Avidan, Michael S.

2011-01-01

Cardiac surgery presents particular challenges for the anesthesiologist. In addition to standard and advanced monitors typically used during cardiac surgery, anesthesiologists may consider monitoring the brain with raw or processed electroencephalography (EEG). There is strong evidence that a protocol incorporating the processed EEG Bispectral Index (BIS) decreases the incidence intraoperative awareness compared with standard practice. However there is conflicting evidence that incorporating the BIS into cardiac anesthesia practice improves “fast-tracking,” decreases anesthetic drug use, or detects cerebral ischemia. Recent research, including many cardiac surgical patients, shows that a protocol based on BIS monitoring is not superior to a protocol based on end tidal anesthetic concentration monitoring in preventing awareness. There has been a resurgence of interest in the anesthesia literature in limited montage EEG monitoring, including nonproprietary processed indices. This has been accompanied by research showing that with structured training, anesthesiologists can glean useful information from the raw EEG trace. In this review, we discuss both the hypothesized benefits and limitations of BIS and frontal channel EEG monitoring in the cardiac surgical population. PMID:22253267

Anodal tDCS Over the Left DLPFC Did Not Affect the Encoding and Retrieval of Verbal Declarative Information.

PubMed

de Lara, Gabriel A; Knechtges, Philipp N; Paulus, Walter; Antal, Andrea

2017-01-01

Several studies imply that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) can modulate the formation of verbal episodic memories. The aim of this study was to test if tDCS through a multi-electrode Laplacian montage over the left DLPFC could differentially modulate declarative memory performance depending on the application phase. Two groups of healthy participants ( n = 2 × 15) received 1 mA anodal or sham stimulation for 20 min during the encoding or during the recall phase on a delayed cued-recall, using a randomized, double-blinded, repeated-measures experimental design. Memory performance was assessed at two time points: 10 min and 24 h after learning. We found no significant difference between anodal and sham stimulation with regard to the memory scores between conditions (stimulation during encoding or recall) or between time points, suggesting that anodal tDCS over the left DLPFC with these stimulation parameters had no effect on the encoding and the consolidation of associative verbal content.

Taxonomic revision of Stigmatomma Roger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Malagasy region

PubMed Central

Fisher, Brian L.

2016-01-01

Abstract In this study we present the first taxonomic revision of the ant genus Stigmatomma in the Malagasy biogeographic region, re­describe the previously known S. besucheti Baroni-Urbani, and describe seven new species to science (S. bolabola sp. n., S. irayhady sp. n., S. janovitsika sp. n., S. liebe sp. n., S. roahady sp. n., S. sakalava sp. n., and S. tsyhady sp. n.). The revision is based on the worker caste, but we provide brief descriptions of gynes and males for some species. Species descriptions, diagnosis, character discussion, identification key, and glossary are illustrated with 360 high-quality montage and SEM images. The distribution of Stigmatomma species in Madagascar are mapped and discussed within the context of the island’s biomes and ecoregions. We also discuss how some morphometric variables describe the differences among the species in the bioregion. Open science is supported by providing access to R scripts, raw measurement data, and all specimen data used. All specimens used in this study were given unique identifies, and holotypes were imaged. Specimens and images are made accessible on AntWeb.org. PMID:27433124

Le patrimoine astronomique provençal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rous, M.; Figon, P.; Guyot, S.

2012-12-01

L'OSU OAMP/Institut Pythéas porte les missions de conservation, inventaire et valorisation du patrimoine. Suite à la fusion de l'Observatoire de Marseille et du Laboratoire d'Astronomie Spatiale en 2000 pour créer le Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, le déménagement des équipes sur le site de Château-Gombert en 2008 a soulevé le problème du devenir des collections des deux sites d'origine. Nous ferons le bilan des actions passées en matière de conservation et de valorisation de ce riche patrimoine : versement à l'inventaire général du Ministère de la Culture, classement de 22 instruments au titre des Monuments Historiques, inventaire et numérisation des archives anciennes, montage d'expositions et réalisation du catalogue Telescopium, 400 ans de lunettes et de télescopes. Nous présenterons les actions en cours: mesures de conservation préventive, inventaire des archives et des instruments. Nous parlerons enfin des projets: création d'un espace d'exposition permanente, participation à des expositions temporaires.

Anodal tDCS Over the Left DLPFC Did Not Affect the Encoding and Retrieval of Verbal Declarative Information

PubMed Central

de Lara, Gabriel A.; Knechtges, Philipp N.; Paulus, Walter; Antal, Andrea

2017-01-01

Several studies imply that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) can modulate the formation of verbal episodic memories. The aim of this study was to test if tDCS through a multi-electrode Laplacian montage over the left DLPFC could differentially modulate declarative memory performance depending on the application phase. Two groups of healthy participants (n = 2 × 15) received 1 mA anodal or sham stimulation for 20 min during the encoding or during the recall phase on a delayed cued-recall, using a randomized, double-blinded, repeated-measures experimental design. Memory performance was assessed at two time points: 10 min and 24 h after learning. We found no significant difference between anodal and sham stimulation with regard to the memory scores between conditions (stimulation during encoding or recall) or between time points, suggesting that anodal tDCS over the left DLPFC with these stimulation parameters had no effect on the encoding and the consolidation of associative verbal content. PMID:28848378

Electrodiagnosis of ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (Une): a Bayesian approach.

PubMed

Logigian, Eric L; Villanueva, Raissa; Twydell, Paul T; Myers, Bennett; Downs, Marlene; Preston, David C; Kothari, Milind J; Herrmann, David N

2014-03-01

In ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE), we determined how electrodiagnostic cutoffs [across-elbow ulnar motor conduction velocity slowing (AECV-slowing), drop in across-elbow vs. forearm CV (AECV-drop)] depend on pretest probability (PreTP). Fifty clinically defined UNE patients and 50 controls underwent ulnar conduction testing recording abductor digiti minimi (ADM) and first dorsal interosseous (FDI), stimulating wrist, below-elbow, and 6-, 8-, and 10-cm more proximally. For various PreTPs of UNE, the cutoffs required to confirm UNE (defined as posttest probability = 95%) were determined with receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves and Bayes Theorem. On ROC and Bayesian analyses, the ADM 10-cm montage was optimal. For PreTP = 0.25, the confirmatory cutoffs were >23 m/s (AECV-drop), and <38 m/s (AECV-slowing); for PreTP = 0.75, they were much less conservative: >14 m/s, and <47 m/s, respectively. (1) In UNE, electrodiagnostic cutoffs are critically dependent on PreTP; rigid cutoffs are problematic. (2) AE distances should be standardized and at least 10 cm. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

How Conoco uses GIS technology to map geology, geography through time

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

Foley, D.C.; Ghazi, T.Y.

1995-05-08

Conoco Inc.`s Advanced Exploration Organization (AEO) is in the business of studying foreign sedimentary basins from a regional perspective to evaluate their potential for petroleum exploration. Recently the company decided to focus some of the AEO`s resources on developing a global ranking system for those areas of the world where hydrocarbons might occur. AEO obtained software from the University of Texas, Arlington that rotates continents or portions of continents through time. Using the software, company geoscientists have created a series of maps, known as a PaleoAtlas, that depicts the geography and selected geological features for different periods in Phanerozoic time.more » In addition, the AEO has developed a software package based on ARC/INFO (ESRI Inc., Redlands, Calif.), a commercial GIS platform, to manage, integrate, and analyze those time-slice maps. Entitled PaleoAtlas Geographic Evaluation system (Pages), this software also sequences portions of the maps in a montage effect that geoscientists can use to study the geological evolution of petroleum source rocks. The paper describes the AEO project and its software.« less

Modeling EEG fractal dimension changes in wake and drowsy states in humans--a preliminary study.

PubMed

Bojić, Tijana; Vuckovic, Aleksandra; Kalauzi, Aleksandar

2010-01-21

Aim of this preliminary study was to examine and compare topographic distribution of Higuchi's fractal dimension (FD, measure of signal complexity) of EEG signals between states of relaxed wakefulness and drowsiness, as well as their FD differences. The experiments were performed on 10 healthy individuals using a fourteen-channel montage. An explanation is offered on the causes of the detected FD changes. FD values of 60s records belonging to wake (Hori's stage 1) and drowsy (Hori's stages 2-4) states were calculated for each channel and each subject. In 136 out of 140 epochs an increase in FD was obtained. Relationship between signal FD and its relative alpha amplitude was mathematically modeled and we quantitatively demonstrated that the increase in FD was predominantly due to a reduction in alpha activity. The model was generalized to include other EEG oscillations. By averaging FD values for each channel across 10 subjects, four clusters (O2O1; T6P4T5P3; C3F3F4C4F8F7; T4T3) for the wake and two clusters (O2O1P3T6P4T5; C3C4F4F3F8T4T3F7) for the drowsy state were statistically verified. Topographic distribution of FD values in wakefulness showed a lateral symmetry and a partial fronto-occipital gradient. In drowsiness, a reduction in the number of clusters was detected, due to regrouping of channels T3, T4, O1 and O2. Topographic distribution of absolute FD differences revealed largest values at F7, O1 and F3. Reorganization of channel clusters showed that regionalized brain activity, specific for wakefulness, became more global by entering into drowsiness. Since the global increase in FD during wake-to-drowsy transition correlated with the decrease of alpha power, we inferred that increase of EEG complexity may not necessarily be an index of brain activation.

Developing and Testing a Robust, Multi-Scale Framework for the Recovery of Longleaf Pine Understory Communities

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

Model averaging for species richness on post-agricultural sites (1000 m2) with a landscape radius of 150 m. Table 3.4.8. Model selection for species ... richness on post-agricultural sites (1000 m2) with a landscape radius of 150 m. Table 3.4.9. Model averaging for proportion of reference species on...Direct, indirect, and total standardized effects on species richness . Table 4.1.1. Species and number of seeds added to the experimental plots at

40 CFR 63.2500 - How do I comply with emissions averaging?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., you may elect to comply with the percent reduction emission limitations in Tables 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7 to..., including applicable monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting. (d) References to “periodic reports” in § 63...

40 CFR 63.2500 - How do I comply with emissions averaging?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., you may elect to comply with the percent reduction emission limitations in Tables 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7 to..., including applicable monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting. (d) References to “periodic reports” in § 63...

With Reference to Reference Genes: A Systematic Review of Endogenous Controls in Gene Expression Studies.

PubMed

Chapman, Joanne R; Waldenström, Jonas

2015-01-01

The choice of reference genes that are stably expressed amongst treatment groups is a crucial step in real-time quantitative PCR gene expression studies. Recent guidelines have specified that a minimum of two validated reference genes should be used for normalisation. However, a quantitative review of the literature showed that the average number of reference genes used across all studies was 1.2. Thus, the vast majority of studies continue to use a single gene, with β-actin (ACTB) and/or glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) being commonly selected in studies of vertebrate gene expression. Few studies (15%) tested a panel of potential reference genes for stability of expression before using them to normalise data. Amongst studies specifically testing reference gene stability, few found ACTB or GAPDH to be optimal, whereby these genes were significantly less likely to be chosen when larger panels of potential reference genes were screened. Fewer reference genes were tested for stability in non-model organisms, presumably owing to a dearth of available primers in less well characterised species. Furthermore, the experimental conditions under which real-time quantitative PCR analyses were conducted had a large influence on the choice of reference genes, whereby different studies of rat brain tissue showed different reference genes to be the most stable. These results highlight the importance of validating the choice of normalising reference genes before conducting gene expression studies.

Selection of suitable reference genes for normalization of genes of interest in canine soft tissue sarcomas using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

PubMed

Zornhagen, K W; Kristensen, A T; Hansen, A E; Oxboel, J; Kjaer, A

2015-12-01

Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is a sensitive technique for quantifying gene expression. Stably expressed reference genes are necessary for normalization of RT-qPCR data. Only a few articles have been published on reference genes in canine tumours. The objective of this study was to demonstrate how to identify suitable reference genes for normalization of genes of interest in canine soft tissue sarcomas using RT-qPCR. Primer pairs for 17 potential reference genes were designed and tested in archival tumour biopsies from six dogs. The geNorm algorithm was used to analyse the most suitable reference genes. Eight potential reference genes were excluded from this final analysis because of their dissociation curves. β-Glucuronidase (GUSB) and proteasome subunit, beta type, 6 (PSMB6) were most stably expressed with an M value of 0.154 and a CV of 0.053 describing their average stability. We suggest that choice of reference genes should be based on specific testing in every new experimental set-up. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A frequency domain global parameter estimation method for multiple reference frequency response measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shih, C. Y.; Tsuei, Y. G.; Allemang, R. J.; Brown, D. L.

1988-10-01

A method of using the matrix Auto-Regressive Moving Average (ARMA) model in the Laplace domain for multiple-reference global parameter identification is presented. This method is particularly applicable to the area of modal analysis where high modal density exists. The method is also applicable when multiple reference frequency response functions are used to characterise linear systems. In order to facilitate the mathematical solution, the Forsythe orthogonal polynomial is used to reduce the ill-conditioning of the formulated equations and to decouple the normal matrix into two reduced matrix blocks. A Complex Mode Indicator Function (CMIF) is introduced, which can be used to determine the proper order of the rational polynomials.

Image classification at low light levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wernick, Miles N.; Morris, G. Michael

1986-12-01

An imaging photon-counting detector is used to achieve automatic sorting of two image classes. The classification decision is formed on the basis of the cross correlation between a photon-limited input image and a reference function stored in computer memory. Expressions for the statistical parameters of the low-light-level correlation signal are given and are verified experimentally. To obtain a correlation-based system for two-class sorting, it is necessary to construct a reference function that produces useful information for class discrimination. An expression for such a reference function is derived using maximum-likelihood decision theory. Theoretically predicted results are used to compare on the basis of performance the maximum-likelihood reference function with Fukunaga-Koontz basis vectors and average filters. For each method, good class discrimination is found to result in milliseconds from a sparse sampling of the input image.

IONIZING RADIATION EXPOSURE OF THE POPULATION OF THE U.S.

EPA Science Inventory

This report updates information published by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) in 1987. NCRP reports are considered the authoritative reference for the sources and magnitude of average background exposure to the U.S. population.

47 CFR 2.1049 - Measurements required: Occupied bandwidth.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... established for the characteristic baseband frequency. (Modulation reference level is defined as the average....1049 Section 2.1049 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL FREQUENCY ALLOCATIONS... Certification § 2.1049 Measurements required: Occupied bandwidth. The occupied bandwidth, that is the frequency...

Exact and Heuristic Minimization of the Average Path Length in Decision Diagrams

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

34$&%’ (*) &+#-,./&%1023 ’+/4%! 5637& 158+#&9 1 SHINOBU NAGAYAMA∗ , ALAN ...reviewers for constructive comments. REFERENCES [1] Ashar , P. and Malik, S. (1995). Fast functional simulation using branching programs, ICCAD’95, 408–412. [2

A model for closing the inviscid form of the average-passage equation system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adamczyk, J. J.; Mulac, R. A.; Celestina, M. L.

1985-01-01

A mathematical model is proposed for closing or mathematically completing the system of equations which describes the time average flow field through the blade passages of multistage turbomachinery. These equations referred to as the average passage equation system govern a conceptual model which has proven useful in turbomachinery aerodynamic design and analysis. The closure model is developed so as to insure a consistency between these equations and the axisymmetric through flow equations. The closure model was incorporated into a computer code for use in simulating the flow field about a high speed counter rotating propeller and a high speed fan stage. Results from these simulations are presented.

Innovative application of the moisture analyzer for determination of dry mass content of processed cheese

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kowalska, Małgorzata; Janas, Sławomir; Woźniak, Magdalena

2018-04-01

The aim of this work was the presentation of an alternative method of determination of the total dry mass content in processed cheese. The authors claim that the presented method can be used in industry's quality control laboratories for routine testing and for quick in-process control. For the test purposes both reference method of determination of dry mass in processed cheese and moisture analyzer method were used. The tests were carried out for three different kinds of processed cheese. In accordance with the reference method, the sample was placed on a layer of silica sand and dried at the temperature of 102 °C for about 4 h. The moisture analyzer test required method validation, with regard to drying temperature range and mass of the analyzed sample. Optimum drying temperature of 110 °C was determined experimentally. For Hochland cream processed cheese sample, the total dry mass content, obtained using the reference method, was 38.92%, whereas using the moisture analyzer method, it was 38.74%. An average analysis time in case of the moisture analyzer method was 9 min. For the sample of processed cheese with tomatoes, the reference method result was 40.37%, and the alternative method result was 40.67%. For the sample of cream processed cheese with garlic the reference method gave value of 36.88%, and the alternative method, of 37.02%. An average time of those determinations was 16 min. Obtained results confirmed that use of moisture analyzer is effective. Compliant values of dry mass content were obtained for both of the used methods. According to the authors, the fact that the measurement took incomparably less time for moisture analyzer method, is a key criterion of in-process control and final quality control method selection.

MEMS squeezer for the measurement of single cell rupture force, stiffness change, and hysteresis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barazani, B.; Warnat, S.; Fine, A.; Hubbard, T.

2017-02-01

A MEMS squeezer able to compress single living cells underwater until rupture was designed and tested. The relatively large motion range of the device in aqueous media (~2.5 µm) allows provoking cell disruption while measuring cell mechanical properties before and after membrane rupture. An AC driven electrothermal micro actuator with mechanical amplification pressed single cells against a reference back spring. Deformations of the cell and the reference spring were measured with nanoscale resolution using optical Fourier transform techniques. The motion of the reference spring divided by the cell deformation provides the cell stiffness relative to the reference spring constant. An abrupt change in the cell stiffness and the appearance of cracks indicated the cell wall rupture force was reached. A total of 22 baker’s yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were squeezed with the micro device. The average force necessary to rupture the cell membrane was 0.47  ±  0.1 µN. Before rupture the cells had an average stiffness of 9.3  ±  3.1 N m-1 the post-rupture stiffness dropped to 0.94  ±  0.57 N m-1. Cell hysteresis was also measured: cells squeezed and released before reaching the rupture force showed residual deformations below 100 nm, while cells squeezed past the rupture force and then released showed residual deformations between 490 and 990 nm.

Montage of Apollo Crew Patches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

This montage depicts the flight crew patches for the manned Apollo 7 thru Apollo 17 missions. The Apollo 7 through 10 missions were basically manned test flights that paved the way for lunar landing missions. Primary objectives met included the demonstration of the Command Service Module (CSM) crew performance; crew/space vehicle/mission support facilities performance and testing during a manned CSM mission; CSM rendezvous capability; translunar injection demonstration; the first manned Apollo docking, the first Apollo Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA), performance of the first manned flight of the lunar module (LM); the CSM-LM docking in translunar trajectory, LM undocking in lunar orbit, LM staging in lunar orbit, and manned LM-CSM docking in lunar orbit. Apollo 11 through 17 were lunar landing missions with the exception of Apollo 13 which was forced to circle the moon without landing due to an onboard explosion. The craft was,however, able to return to Earth safely. Apollo 11 was the first manned lunar landing mission and performed the first lunar surface EVA. Landing site was the Sea of Tranquility. A message for mankind was delivered, the U.S. flag was planted, experiments were set up and 47 pounds of lunar surface material was collected for analysis back on Earth. Apollo 12, the 2nd manned lunar landing mission landed in the Ocean of Storms and retrieved parts of the unmanned Surveyor 3, which had landed on the Moon in April 1967. The Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) was deployed, and 75 pounds of lunar material was gathered. Apollo 14, the 3rd lunar landing mission landed in Fra Mauro. ALSEP and other instruments were deployed, and 94 pounds of lunar materials were gathered, using a hand cart for first time to transport rocks. Apollo 15, the 4th lunar landing mission landed in the Hadley-Apennine region. With the first use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), the crew was bale to gather 169 pounds of lunar material. Apollo 16, the 5th lunar landing mission, landed in the Descartes Highlands for the first study of highlands area. Selected surface experiments were deployed, the ultraviolet camera/spectrograph was used for first time on the Moon, and the LRV was used for second time for a collection of 213 pounds of lunar material. The Apollo program came to a close with Apollo 17, the 6th and final manned lunar landing mission that landed in the Taurus-Littrow highlands and valley area. This mission hosted the first scientist-astronaut, Schmitt, to land on the Moon. The 6th automated research station was set up, and 243 ponds of lunar material was gathered using the LRV.

Associations between body weight and depression, social phobia, insomnia, and self-esteem among Taiwanese adolescents.

PubMed

Lee, Jia-In; Yen, Cheng-Fang

2014-12-01

The aims of this cross-sectional study were to examine the associations between body weight and mental health indicators including depression, social phobia, insomnia, and self-esteem among Taiwanese adolescents in Grades 7-12. The body mass index (BMI) of 5254 adolescents was calculated based on self-reported weight and height measurements. Body weight status was determined by the age- and gender-specific International Obesity Task Force reference tables. By using participants of average weight as the reference group, the association between body weight status (underweight, overweight, and obesity) and mental health indicators (depression, social phobia, insomnia, and self-esteem) were examined by using multiple regression analysis. The possible moderating effects of sociodemographic characteristics on the association were also examined. After controlling for the effects of sociodemographic characteristics, both overweight (p < 0.05) and obese adolescents (p < 0.001) had a lower level of self-esteem than did those of average weight; however, no significant differences in depression, social phobia, or insomnia were found between those who were overweight/obese and those of average weight. No significant differences in the four mental health indicators were found between those who were underweight and those of average weight. Sociodemographic characteristics had no moderating effect on the association between body weight and mental health indicators. In conclusion, mental health and school professionals must take the association between overweight/obesity and self-esteem into consideration when approaching the issue of mental health among adolescents. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Taiwan.