Nine Optical Black-Box Experiments for Lower-Secondary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rode, Henning; Friege, Gunnar

2017-01-01

In this paper a sequence of nine, easy to manufacture optical black-box experiments with increasing levels of difficulty, and supportive frameworks for physics classes are introduced. They have been evaluated in a lower-secondary school at the end of optics lessons. A black-box is a kind of experimental task where the inner structure is not…

The Mind as Black Box: A Simulation of Theory Building in Psychology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hildebrandt, Carolyn; Oliver, Jennifer

2000-01-01

Discusses an activity that uses the metaphor "the mind is a black box," in which students work in groups to discover what is inside a sealed, black, plastic box. States that the activity enables students to understand the need for theories in psychology and to comprehend how psychologists build, test, and refine those theories. (CMK)

MADS-box out of the black box

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The compelling elegance of using genome-wide scans to detect the signature of selection is difficult to resist, but is countered by the low demonstrated efficacy of pinpointing the actual genes and traits that are the targets of selection in non-model species. While the difficulty of going from a s...

"Kappan Classic": Inside the Black Box--Raising Standards through Classroom Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Paul; Wiliam, Dylan

2010-01-01

This September 2010 article is a reprint of the original October 1998 article. Few reform initiatives focus on what goes on in the "black box" of the classroom, on what really happens in the interaction between teachers and students. This article is about the inside of the black box. The authors focus on one aspect of teaching: formative…

Risk management policy and black-box warnings: a qualitative analysis of US FDA proceedings.

PubMed

Cook, Daniel M; Gurugubelli, Rama K; Bero, Lisa A

2009-01-01

The US FDA increasingly applies risk management to drug safety policy. Little is known about the process by which the FDA approves labelling changes. Although advisory committees can recommend any of the risk management tools, including the use of 'black-box warnings', it is unknown whether they deliberate on these questions or how they apply the principles of risk minimization or management during their considerations of drug licensing. To examine the process by which risk management is considered by the FDA, including the role of FDA advisory committees. We also aimed to identify and describe drug labelling changes and additions, including the prevalence of black-box warnings. We electronically obtained publicly available information regarding drug approvals, drug revisions and advisory committee meetings over 3 years (2004-6) from the FDA. Data in the form of meeting transcripts and full histories of labelling changes were collected on drugs discussed by advisory committees. We then searched and qualitatively analysed the meeting transcripts to identify themes in the discussion. We also created a database of all prescription drug labelling changes for 3 years and examined which drugs have had the most changes. We describe the risk management consideration process and report the frequency and characteristics of labelling changes. Excerpts from the transcripts are selected to illustrate both typical and atypical features of the discussion. A total of 174 black-box changes were made in the 3-year period of our study, of which 77 were new black-box warnings and 97 were revisions in black-box warnings. Of 77 new black-box warning additions, only 11 drugs were discussed by the advisory committees. Of the 17 most frequently revised drug labels in these 3 years, two were discussed in the advisory committee meetings. Advisory meeting discussions revealed confusion about black-box warnings and emphasized potential consequences of the warnings rather than their content. The safety labelling of drugs on the market is changed often. Panels of advisors consider only a few drugs, rarely discuss the labelling requirements, and display confusion about applying black-box warnings. The creation and application of black-box warnings on prescription medications should receive closer attention from the FDA and its advisors.

Children's Perception of Black and White Boxes and Bobo Dolls as a Reflection of How They Regard Their Own and Other's Racial Membership.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stabler, John R.; Johnson, Edward E.

Investigation of how children's responses to black and white objects reflect racial concepts is reported. One series of experiments asking Headstart children to guess which objects they liked or disliked were hidden in black or white boxes. Although white children guessed more often that positively evaluated objects were in white boxes, black…

Inside the black box: current policies and concerns with the United States Food and Drug Administration's highest drug safety warning system.

PubMed

Halloran, Kylene; Barash, Paul G

2010-06-01

To evaluate the United States Food and Drug Administration use of the black-box warning system to promote drug safety and to examine the droperidol black-box warning as a case study. Scientific studies report that there is no basis to issue a black-box warning for perioperative administration of droperidol for postoperative nausea and vomiting on the basis of the potential of adverse cardiac events (prolongation of the QT interval and/or development of torsades de pointes). Rather than relying on well conducted clinical investigations, the Food and Drug Administration subjectively issued a black-box warning to droperidol, which effectively removed droperidol from clinical practice for the indication of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Newer data suggest that the incidence of prolongation of the QT interval and the occurrence of torsades de pointes is similar to more expensive alternative medications used to treat postoperative nausea and vomiting.

Colouring in the "black-box": Alternative renderings of scientific visualisations in two comic book cosmologies.

PubMed

Locke, Simon

2013-04-01

Two somewhat contrasting views of public uses of scientific visualisations argue that they are "black-boxed" with meaning given by the scientific community or they are "polysemic" with meaning given by the context of presentation. This paper argues that whether they are treated as black-boxed or not and in what manner this is done is itself part of the meaning given by context. Thus, "black-boxing" is done not only by scientists but also by members of the public. The argument is illustrated by reference to two recent comic books, Dave Sim's Cerebus and Alan Moore's Promethea, in which the authors present cosmological visions of the universe using scientific visualisations to create a sense of realism. From analysis of their use of images of planet Earth and the human foetus it is argued that, although the images are black-boxed, the authors re-work them aesthetically to suit their specific moral and cosmological views.

On the Composition of Public-Coin Zero-Knowledge Protocols

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-31

only languages in BPP have public-coin black-box zero-knowledge protocols that are secure under an unbounded (polynomial) number of parallel...only languages in BPP have public-coin black-box zero-knowledge protocols that are secure under an unbounded (polynomial) number of parallel repetitions...and Krawczyk [GK96b] show that only languages in BPP have constant-round public-coin (stand-alone) black-box ZK protocols with negligible soundness

Interpreting Black-Box Classifiers Using Instance-Level Visual Explanations

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

Tamagnini, Paolo; Krause, Josua W.; Dasgupta, Aritra

2017-05-14

To realize the full potential of machine learning in diverse real- world domains, it is necessary for model predictions to be readily interpretable and actionable for the human in the loop. Analysts, who are the users but not the developers of machine learning models, often do not trust a model because of the lack of transparency in associating predictions with the underlying data space. To address this problem, we propose Rivelo, a visual analytic interface that enables analysts to understand the causes behind predictions of binary classifiers by interactively exploring a set of instance-level explanations. These explanations are model-agnostic, treatingmore » a model as a black box, and they help analysts in interactively probing the high-dimensional binary data space for detecting features relevant to predictions. We demonstrate the utility of the interface with a case study analyzing a random forest model on the sentiment of Yelp reviews about doctors.« less

Non-Black-Box Simulation from One-Way Functions and Applications to Resettable Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-11-05

from 2001, Barak (FOCS’01) introduced a novel non-black-box simulation technique. This technique enabled the construc- tion of new cryptographic...primitives, such as resettably-sound zero-knowledge arguments, that cannot be proven secure using just black-box simulation techniques. The work of Barak ... Barak requires the existence of collision-resistant hash functions, and a very recent result by Bitansky and Paneth (FOCS’12) instead requires the

On the thermodynamics of the black hole and hairy black hole transitions in the asymptotically flat spacetime with a box

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Yan; Wang, Bin; Liu, Yunqi

2018-03-01

We study the asymptotically flat quasi-local black hole/hairy black hole model with nonzero mass of the scalar field. We disclose effects of the scalar mass on transitions in a grand canonical ensemble with condensation behaviors of the parameter ψ 2, which is similar to approaches in holographic theories. We find that a more negative scalar mass makes the phase transition easier. We also obtain the analytical relation ψ 2∝ (Tc-T)^{1/2} around the critical phase transition points, implying a second order phase transition. Besides the parameter ψ 2, we show that metric solutions can be used to disclose properties of the transitions. In this work, we observe that phase transitions in a box are strikingly similar to holographic transitions in AdS gravity and the similarity provides insights into holographic theories.

Tensile strength and the mining of black holes.

PubMed

Brown, Adam R

2013-11-22

There are a number of important thought experiments that involve raising and lowering boxes full of radiation in the vicinity of black hole horizons. This Letter looks at the limitations placed on these thought experiments by the null energy condition, which imposes a fundamental bound on the tensile-strength-to-weight ratio of the materials involved, makes it impossible to build a box near the horizon that is wider than a single wavelength of the Hawking quanta, and puts a severe constraint on the operation of "space elevators" near black holes. In particular, it is shown that proposals for mining black holes by lowering boxes near the horizon, collecting some Hawking radiation, and dragging it out to infinity cannot proceed nearly as rapidly as has previously been claimed. As a consequence of this limitation, the boxes and all the moving parts are superfluous and black holes can be destroyed equally rapidly by threading the horizon with strings.

Learning Extended Finite State Machines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cassel, Sofia; Howar, Falk; Jonsson, Bengt; Steffen, Bernhard

2014-01-01

We present an active learning algorithm for inferring extended finite state machines (EFSM)s, combining data flow and control behavior. Key to our learning technique is a novel learning model based on so-called tree queries. The learning algorithm uses the tree queries to infer symbolic data constraints on parameters, e.g., sequence numbers, time stamps, identifiers, or even simple arithmetic. We describe sufficient conditions for the properties that the symbolic constraints provided by a tree query in general must have to be usable in our learning model. We have evaluated our algorithm in a black-box scenario, where tree queries are realized through (black-box) testing. Our case studies include connection establishment in TCP and a priority queue from the Java Class Library.

Using Dynamic Sensitivity Analysis to Assess Testability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Voas, Jeffrey; Morell, Larry; Miller, Keith

1990-01-01

This paper discusses sensitivity analysis and its relationship to random black box testing. Sensitivity analysis estimates the impact that a programming fault at a particular location would have on the program's input/output behavior. Locations that are relatively \\"insensitive" to faults can render random black box testing unlikely to uncover programming faults. Therefore, sensitivity analysis gives new insight when interpreting random black box testing results. Although sensitivity analysis is computationally intensive, it requires no oracle and no human intervention.

A look inside the actuarial black box.

PubMed

Math, S E; Youngerman, H

1992-12-01

Hospital executives often rely on actuaries (and their "black boxes") to determine self-insurance program liabilities and funding contributions. Typically, the hospital supplies the actuary with a myriad of statistics, and eventually the hospital receives a liability estimate and recommended funding level. The mysterious actuarial calculations that occur in between data reporting and receipt of the actuary's report are akin to a black box--a complicated device whose internal mechanism is hidden from or mysterious to the user.

Simulation-based training for thoracoscopic lobectomy: a randomized controlled trial: virtual-reality versus black-box simulation.

PubMed

Jensen, Katrine; Ringsted, Charlotte; Hansen, Henrik Jessen; Petersen, René Horsleben; Konge, Lars

2014-06-01

Video-assisted thoracic surgery is gradually replacing conventional open thoracotomy as the method of choice for the treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancers, and thoracic surgical trainees must learn and master this technique. Simulation-based training could help trainees overcome the first part of the learning curve, but no virtual-reality simulators for thoracoscopy are commercially available. This study aimed to investigate whether training on a laparoscopic simulator enables trainees to perform a thoracoscopic lobectomy. Twenty-eight surgical residents were randomized to either virtual-reality training on a nephrectomy module or traditional black-box simulator training. After a retention period they performed a thoracoscopic lobectomy on a porcine model and their performance was scored using a previously validated assessment tool. The groups did not differ in age or gender. All participants were able to complete the lobectomy. The performance of the black-box group was significantly faster during the test scenario than the virtual-reality group: 26.6 min (SD 6.7 min) versus 32.7 min (SD 7.5 min). No difference existed between the two groups when comparing bleeding and anatomical and non-anatomical errors. Simulation-based training and targeted instructions enabled the trainees to perform a simulated thoracoscopic lobectomy. Traditional black-box training was more effective than virtual-reality laparoscopy training. Thus, a dedicated simulator for thoracoscopy should be available before establishing systematic virtual-reality training programs for trainees in thoracic surgery.

The Black Box of Schooling: A Cultural History of the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braster, Sjaak, Ed.; Grosvenor, Ian, Ed.; del Mar del Pozo Andres, Maria, Ed.

2011-01-01

This book is about the classroom, the most important meeting place for teachers and pupils in an education building. Individuals' knowledge, however, about what happens inside this space is limited. In many respects the classroom is still the black box of the educational system. To open up this box, this volume brings together scholars from the…

Thermodynamic modeling of small scale biomass gasifiers: Development and assessment of the ''Multi-Box'' approach.

PubMed

Vakalis, Stergios; Patuzzi, Francesco; Baratieri, Marco

2016-04-01

Modeling can be a powerful tool for designing and optimizing gasification systems. Modeling applications for small scale/fixed bed biomass gasifiers have been interesting due to their increased commercial practices. Fixed bed gasifiers are characterized by a wide range of operational conditions and are multi-zoned processes. The reactants are distributed in different phases and the products from each zone influence the following process steps and thus the composition of the final products. The present study aims to improve the conventional 'Black-Box' thermodynamic modeling by means of developing multiple intermediate 'boxes' that calculate two phase (solid-vapor) equilibriums in small scale gasifiers. Therefore the model is named ''Multi-Box''. Experimental data from a small scale gasifier have been used for the validation of the model. The returned results are significantly closer with the actual case study measurements in comparison to single-stage thermodynamic modeling. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Excel Solver Exercise to Introduce Nonlinear Regression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinder, Jonathan P.

2013-01-01

Business students taking business analytics courses that have significant predictive modeling components, such as marketing research, data mining, forecasting, and advanced financial modeling, are introduced to nonlinear regression using application software that is a "black box" to the students. Thus, although correct models are…

Safeguards Approaches for Black Box Processes or Facilities

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

Diaz-Marcano, Helly; Gitau, Ernest TN; Hockert, John

2013-09-25

The objective of this study is to determine whether a safeguards approach can be developed for “black box” processes or facilities. These are facilities where a State or operator may limit IAEA access to specific processes or portions of a facility; in other cases, the IAEA may be prohibited access to the entire facility. The determination of whether a black box process or facility is safeguardable is dependent upon the details of the process type, design, and layout; the specific limitations on inspector access; and the restrictions placed upon the design information that can be provided to the IAEA. Thismore » analysis identified the necessary conditions for safeguardability of black box processes and facilities.« less

An Inductive Logic Programming Approach to Validate Hexose Binding Biochemical Knowledge.

PubMed

Nassif, Houssam; Al-Ali, Hassan; Khuri, Sawsan; Keirouz, Walid; Page, David

2010-01-01

Hexoses are simple sugars that play a key role in many cellular pathways, and in the regulation of development and disease mechanisms. Current protein-sugar computational models are based, at least partially, on prior biochemical findings and knowledge. They incorporate different parts of these findings in predictive black-box models. We investigate the empirical support for biochemical findings by comparing Inductive Logic Programming (ILP) induced rules to actual biochemical results. We mine the Protein Data Bank for a representative data set of hexose binding sites, non-hexose binding sites and surface grooves. We build an ILP model of hexose-binding sites and evaluate our results against several baseline machine learning classifiers. Our method achieves an accuracy similar to that of other black-box classifiers while providing insight into the discriminating process. In addition, it confirms wet-lab findings and reveals a previously unreported Trp-Glu amino acids dependency.

Quantum Steering Beyond Instrumental Causal Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nery, R. V.; Taddei, M. M.; Chaves, R.; Aolita, L.

2018-04-01

We theoretically predict, and experimentally verify with entangled photons, that outcome communication is not enough for hidden-state models to reproduce quantum steering. Hidden-state models with outcome communication correspond, in turn, to the well-known instrumental processes of causal inference but in the one-sided device-independent scenario of one black-box measurement device and one well-characterized quantum apparatus. We introduce one-sided device-independent instrumental inequalities to test against these models, with the appealing feature of detecting entanglement even when communication of the black box's measurement outcome is allowed. We find that, remarkably, these inequalities can also be violated solely with steering, i.e., without outcome communication. In fact, an efficiently computable formal quantifier—the robustness of noninstrumentality—naturally arises, and we prove that steering alone is enough to maximize it. Our findings imply that quantum theory admits a stronger form of steering than known until now, with fundamental as well as practical potential implications.

Camouflage in thermal IR: spectral design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pohl, Anna; Fagerström, Jan; Kariis, Hans; Lindell, Roland; Hallberg, Tomas; Högström, Herman

2016-10-01

In this work a spectral designed coating from SPECTROGON is evaluated. Spectral design in this case means that the coating has a reflectivity equal to one at 3-5 and 8-12 microns were sensors operate and a much lower reflectivity in the other wave length regions. Three boxes are evaluated: one metallic, one black-body and one with a spectral designed surface, all with a 15 W radiator inside the box. It is shown that the box with the spectral designed surface can combine the two good characteristics of the other boxes: low signature from the metallic box and reasonable inside temperature from the black-body box. The measurements were verified with calculations using RadThermIR.

Medical devices; ovarian adnexal mass assessment score test system; labeling; black box restrictions. Final rule.

PubMed

2011-12-30

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the regulation classifying ovarian adnexal mass assessment score test systems to restrict these devices so that a prescribed warning statement that addresses a risk identified in the special controls guidance document must be in a black box and must appear in all labeling, advertising, and promotional material. The black box warning mitigates the risk to health associated with off-label use as a screening test, stand-alone diagnostic test, or as a test to determine whether or not to proceed with surgery.

Trends in antidepressant prescribing to children and adolescents in Canadian primary care: A time-series analysis.

PubMed

Morkem, Rachael; Williamson, Tyler; Patten, Scott; Queenan, John A; Wong, Sabrina T; Manca, Donna; Barber, David

2017-09-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the trends and patterns of antidepressant (AD) prescribing to children and adolescents in Canadian primary care before and after the black-box warning in 2004. Prescription data from the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network, a repository of primary care data on over 1 million patients, was used to analyze AD prescribing to children (8-11 y) and adolescents (12-18 y) between 2000 and 2014. Interrupted time series analyses were used to assess the impact of the 2004 black-box warning on the prescribing levels of ADs. The 2004 black-box warning had a significant and immediate effect on the prescribing of AD. However, this drop was not sustained, and 5 years after the advisory AD prescribing rates reversed direction and started to rise. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors dominated as the most common AD prescribed throughout the study period, increasing from 66% prior to the black-box warning to 83.12% after 2009. The black-box warning effectively reduced AD prescribing in primary care for approximately 5 years before a reversal back to a positive rate of prescribing. This rebounding could reflect an emerging consensus about the trade-off in risks and benefits. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Changes of telemetry electrical activity in the infralimbic cortex of morphine-dependent rats with extinguished drug-seeking behavior].

PubMed

Li, Jing; Pan, Qunwan; Zhu, Zaiman; Li, Min; Bai, Yu; Yu, Ran

2015-05-01

To investigate the changes of telemetry electrical activity in the infralimbic cortex (IL) of morphine-dependent rats with extinguished drug-seeking behavior. SD rats were randomly divided into model group and control group and received operations of brain stereotaxic electrode embedding in the IL. The rats in the model group were induced to acquire morphine dependence and then received subsequent extinction training, and the changes of electrical activity in the IL were recorded with a physical wireless telemetry system. In rats with morphine dependence, the time staying in the white box was significantly longer on days 1 and 2 after withdrawal than that before morphine injection and that of the control rats, but was obviously reduced on days 1 and 2 after extinction training to the control level. Compared with the control group, the morphine-dependent rats on day 2 following withdrawal showed significantly increased β wave and decreased δ wave when they stayed in the white box but significantly increased δ wave and decreased α wave and β wave when they shuttled from the black to the white box. On day 2 of extinction, the model rats, when staying in the white box, showed significantly decreased θ wave compared with that of the control rats group but decreased β wave and θ wave and increased δ wave compared with those in the withdrawal period. When they shuttled from black to white box, the model rats showed decreased δ wave and increased α wave and β wave compared with those in the withdrawal period. Morphine-dependent rats have abnormal changes of electrical activity in the IL in drug-seeking extinction to affect their drug-seeking motive and inhibit the expression and maintenance of drug-seeking behaviors.

Refuting the ticagrelor-aspirin black box warning: and proposing a ticagrelor early-PCI black box warning.

PubMed

DiNicolantonio, James J; Serebruany, Victor L; Tomek, Ales

2013-10-03

Ticagrelor, a novel reversible antiplatelet agent, has a black box warning to avoid maintenance doses of aspirin>100mg. However, a significant ticagrelor-early percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) interaction exists. To discuss the inappropriateness of the black box warning for aspirin doses>100mg with ticagrelor and the appropriateness (and need) for a black box warning for ticagrelor patients needing early (within 24 hours of randomization) PCI. The FDA Complete Response Review for ticagrelor indicates that aspirin doses ≥ 300 mg/daily was not a significant interaction. In the ticagrelor-aspirin ≥ 300 mg cohort, all-cause mortality (through study end) and cardiovascular (CV) mortality (through study end) were not significantly increased (HR=1.27; 95% CI, 0.84-1.93, p=0.262 and HR=1.39; 95% CI:0.87-2.2, p=0.170), respectively. However, in patients treated with early (within 24 hours) PCI, ticagrelor significantly increased all-cause mortality (30 day: HR=1.89; 95% CI: 1.26-2.81, p=0.002, and through study end, HR=1.41; 95% CI,1.08-1.84, p=0.012) and increased CV mortality (30 day: HR=1.31; 95% CI: 0.97-1.77, p=0.075, and through study end, HR=1.35; 95% CI, 0.995-1.82, p=0.054) compared to clopidogrel. Early-PCI was more prevalent in the US versus outside-US regions (61% versus 49%). The black box warning for the use of maintenance aspirin doses over 100mg/daily with ticagrelor is inappropriate and ignores the more important, credible, and highly significant ticagrelor-early PCI adverse interaction in PLATO. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

SSL/TLS Vulnerability Detection Using Black Box Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunawan, D.; Sitorus, E. H.; Rahmat, R. F.; Hizriadi, A.

2018-03-01

Socket Secure Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) are cryptographic protocols that provide data encryption to secure the communication over a network. However, in some cases, there are vulnerability found in the implementation of SSL/TLS because of weak cipher key, certificate validation error or session handling error. One of the most vulnerable SSL/TLS bugs is heartbleed. As the security is essential in data communication, this research aims to build a scanner that detect the SSL/TLS vulnerability by using black box approach. This research will focus on heartbleed case. In addition, this research also gathers information about existing SSL in the server. The black box approach is used to test the output of a system without knowing the process inside the system itself. For testing purpose, this research scanned websites and found that some of the websites still have SSL/TLS vulnerability. Thus, the black box approach can be used to detect the vulnerability without considering the source code and the process inside the application.

myBlackBox: Blackbox Mobile Cloud Systems for Personalized Unusual Event Detection.

PubMed

Ahn, Junho; Han, Richard

2016-05-23

We demonstrate the feasibility of constructing a novel and practical real-world mobile cloud system, called myBlackBox, that efficiently fuses multimodal smartphone sensor data to identify and log unusual personal events in mobile users' daily lives. The system incorporates a hybrid architectural design that combines unsupervised classification of audio, accelerometer and location data with supervised joint fusion classification to achieve high accuracy, customization, convenience and scalability. We show the feasibility of myBlackBox by implementing and evaluating this end-to-end system that combines Android smartphones with cloud servers, deployed for 15 users over a one-month period.

myBlackBox: Blackbox Mobile Cloud Systems for Personalized Unusual Event Detection

PubMed Central

Ahn, Junho; Han, Richard

2016-01-01

We demonstrate the feasibility of constructing a novel and practical real-world mobile cloud system, called myBlackBox, that efficiently fuses multimodal smartphone sensor data to identify and log unusual personal events in mobile users’ daily lives. The system incorporates a hybrid architectural design that combines unsupervised classification of audio, accelerometer and location data with supervised joint fusion classification to achieve high accuracy, customization, convenience and scalability. We show the feasibility of myBlackBox by implementing and evaluating this end-to-end system that combines Android smartphones with cloud servers, deployed for 15 users over a one-month period. PMID:27223292

Black Box Testing: Experiments with Runway Incursion Advisory Alerting System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mukkamala, Ravi

2005-01-01

This report summarizes our research findings on the Black box testing of Runway Incursion Advisory Alerting System (RIAAS) and Runway Safety Monitor (RSM) system. Developing automated testing software for such systems has been a problem because of the extensive information that has to be processed. Customized software solutions have been proposed. However, they are time consuming to develop. Here, we present a less expensive, and a more general test platform that is capable of performing complete black box testing. The technique is based on the classification of the anomalies that arise during Monte Carlo simulations. In addition, we also discuss a generalized testing tool (prototype) that we have developed.

Experimental realization of a one-way quantum computer algorithm solving Simon's problem.

PubMed

Tame, M S; Bell, B A; Di Franco, C; Wadsworth, W J; Rarity, J G

2014-11-14

We report an experimental demonstration of a one-way implementation of a quantum algorithm solving Simon's problem-a black-box period-finding problem that has an exponential gap between the classical and quantum runtime. Using an all-optical setup and modifying the bases of single-qubit measurements on a five-qubit cluster state, key representative functions of the logical two-qubit version's black box can be queried and solved. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first experimental realization of the quantum algorithm solving Simon's problem. The experimental results are in excellent agreement with the theoretical model, demonstrating the successful performance of the algorithm. With a view to scaling up to larger numbers of qubits, we analyze the resource requirements for an n-qubit version. This work helps highlight how one-way quantum computing provides a practical route to experimentally investigating the quantum-classical gap in the query complexity model.

Identification and modeling of the electrohydraulic systems of the main gun of a main battle tank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campos, Luiz C. A.; Menegaldo, Luciano L.

2012-11-01

The black-box mathematical models of the electrohydraulic systems responsible for driving the two degrees of freedom (elevation and azimuth) of the main gun of a main battle tank (MBT) were identified. Such systems respond to gunner's inputs while acquiring and tracking targets. Identification experiments were designed to collect simultaneous data from two inertial measurement units (IMU) installed at the gunner's handle (input) and at the center of rotation of the turret (output), for the identification of the azimuth system. For the elevation system, IMUs were installed at the gunner's handle (input) and at the breech of the gun (output). Linear accelerations and angular rates were collected for both input and output. Several black-box model architectures were investigated. As a result, nonlinear autoregressive with exogenous variables (NARX) second order model and nonlinear finite impulse response (NFIR) fourth order model, demonstrate to best fit the experimental data, with low computational costs. The derived models are being employed in a broader research, aiming to reproduce such systems in a laboratory virtual main gun simulator.

Opening the black-box of person-centred care: An arts-informed narrative inquiry into mental health education and practice.

PubMed

Schwind, Jasna K; Lindsay, Gail M; Coffey, Sue; Morrison, Debbie; Mildon, Barb

2014-08-01

Nursing education has a history of encouraging students to know their patients and to negotiate the in-between of art/science, person/profession, and intuition/evidence. Nurse-teachers know that students may abandon some values and practices when they encounter practice environments that are complex and have competing agendas. We are concerned that nursing knowledge is black-boxed, invisible and taken-for-granted, in healthcare settings. Our research explores how nursing students and nurses are constructing and enacting person-centred care in mental health education and practice. We want to understand the nursing standpoint on this significant ontological issue and to make nursing knowledge construction and utilization visible; illuminating how person-centred theory emerges from practice. The process involved four 3-hour group meetings and an individual follow-up telephone conversation. Students and nurses met at a tertiary-care mental health organization. Fourteen nurses (Registered Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses) and nursing students (Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Practical Nursing) participated in our inquiry. We used arts-informed narrative inquiry to explore experience through the arts such as metaphor, collage, poems, letters, and group conversations. The black-box is opened as the inquiry reveals how nursing knowledge is constructed, assumptions are challenged and new practices emerge. Our research is significant for education and for practice and is transferable to other populations and settings. Nurses are affirmed in person-centred values and practices that include partnership with those in their care, role modeling for colleagues and mentoring students and new nurses. Students participate in transferring their learning from school to practice, in the company of experienced colleagues; together they open the black-box to show how nurses conceptualize and enact person-centred care. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inside the Black Box: Tracking Decision-Making in an Action Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Cathryn

2017-01-01

Action research has been described as "designing the plane while flying it" (Herr & Anderson, 2005, p. 69). A black box documented the researcher's decisions while facilitating leadership development sessions with teacher leaders. Ten process folio steps informed the study through six iterations. Planning steps included a design…

Apparatus Notes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eaton, Bruce G., Ed.

1977-01-01

Presents four short articles on: a power supply for the measurement of the charge-to-mass ratio of the electron; a modified centripetal force apparatus; a black box electronic unknown for the scientific instruments laboratory; and a simple scaling model for biological systems. (MLH)

The metoclopramide black box warning for tardive dyskinesia: effect on clinical practice, adverse event reporting, and prescription drug lawsuits.

PubMed

Ehrenpreis, Eli D; Deepak, Parakkal; Sifuentes, Humberto; Devi, Radha; Du, Hongyan; Leikin, Jerrold B

2013-06-01

We examined the effects of the black box warning about the risk of tardive dyskinesia (TD) with chronic use of metoclopramide on management of gastroparesis within a single clinical practice, and on reporting of adverse events. Medical records of gastroparesis patients were evaluated for physician management choices. The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) was analyzed for event reports, and for lawyer-initiated reports, with metoclopramide from 2004 to 2010. Google Scholar was searched for court opinions against metoclopramide manufacturers. Before the black box warning, 69.8% of patients received metoclopramide for gastroparesis, compared with 23.7% after the warning. Gastroenterologists prescribed domperidone more often after than before the warning. Metoclopramide prescriptions decreased after 2008. Adverse event reporting increased after the warning. Only 3.6% of all FAERS reports but 70% of TD reports were filed by lawyers, suggesting a distortion in signal. Forty-seven legal opinions were identified, 33 from 2009-2010. The black box warning for metoclopramide has decreased its usage and increased its rate of adverse event reporting. Lawyer-initiated reports of TD hinder pharmacovigilance.

Can black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata) solve object permanence tasks?

PubMed

Mallavarapu, Suma; Perdue, Bonnie M; Stoinski, Tara S; Maple, Terry L

2013-04-01

We examined object permanence in black-and-white-ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata) at Zoo Atlanta. A series of visible and invisible displacement tasks with suitable controls were presented to five adult subjects. Subjects performed significantly above chance on all regular tasks, except for the double invisible displacements. Subjects failed visible and invisible controls. Failure on the control trials did not appear to be because subjects used the "last box touched" strategy (subjects did not choose the last box touched significantly more than expected by chance). However, a substantial percentage of choices was made to the last box touched by the experimenter. There was no significant difference between this percentage, and the percentage of choices made to the baited box (on both visible and invisible controls), which indicates that subjects were drawn to both boxes which the experimenter visited/touched, and thus failed the controls. Based on the results from the present study, we believe that there is no evidence that black-and-white ruffed lemurs understand visible and invisible tasks in the traditional object permanence battery. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Black Box Thinking: Analysis of a Service Outsourcing Case in Insurance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witman, Paul D.; Njunge, Christopher

2016-01-01

Often, users of information systems (both automated and manual) must analyze those systems in a "black box" fashion, without being able to see the internals of how the system is supposed to work. In this case of business process outsourcing, an insurance industry customer encounters an ongoing stream of customer service issues, with both…

Experimental Determination of Unknown Masses and Their Positions in a Mechanical Black Box

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chakrabarti, Bhupati; Pathare, Shirish; Huli, Saurabhee; Nachane, Madhura

2013-01-01

An experiment with a mechanical black box containing unknown masses is presented. The experiment involves the determination of these masses and their locations by performing some nondestructive tests. The set-ups are inexpensive and easy to fabricate. They are very useful to gain an understanding of some well-known principles of mechanics.

Illuminating the NARS data entry black box: what happens between sample collection and data availability for use in assessments?

EPA Science Inventory

The steps between field collection of data and samples and availability of the resulting data from National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS) can appear to be a black box. This presentation is intended to shed some light on that process. The pathway for data depends on their source...

Antipsychotic drug use since the FDA black box warning: survey of nursing home policies.

PubMed

Lester, Paula; Kohen, Izchak; Stefanacci, Richard G; Feuerman, Martin

2011-10-01

To use a nationwide survey to assess changes in antipsychotic utilization patterns and usage policies in nursing homes (NHs) in the United States since the introduction of the black box warning by the FDA. A survey was distributed online and was completed by 250 directors of nursing of NH. The directors of nursing answered questions concerning policies about and use of antipsychotic medications. The most commonly reported intervention to manage symptoms in residents with dementia since the black box warning was to lower doses of antipsychotics. Over half of facilities report obtaining more frequent psychiatry/psychology consults. One-hundred seven facilities have a policy regarding informing family members of residents about the black box warning. Most facilities (63.6%) with a policy require family to sign consent. In the NH setting, the presence or absence of a policy did not correlate with the reported change in use of antipsychotics or types of alternative interventions. Notably, a large number of NH facilities have policies regarding informed consent on the use of antipsychotics. However, in our study, the rate of use of antipsychotics did not change in many facilities since the black box warning. In addition, having a policy did not correlate with decreased antipsychotic use or with use of alternate agents or nonpharmacologic methods to address symptoms. The results of this survey suggest that NH administrators should worry less about the legal exposure of using antipsychotics and focus on actions that result in improved patient care. Copyright © 2011 American Medical Directors Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Increasing the realism of a laparoscopic box trainer: a simple, inexpensive method.

PubMed

Hull, Louise; Kassab, Eva; Arora, Sonal; Kneebone, Roger

2010-01-01

Simulation-based training in medical education is increasing. Realism is an integral element of creating an engaging, effective training environment. Although physical trainers offer a low-cost alternative to expensive virtual reality (VR) simulators, many lack in realism. The aim of this research was to enhance the realism of a laparoscopic box trainer by using a simple, inexpensive method. Digital images of the abdominal cavity were captured from a VR simulator. The images were printed onto a laminated card that lined the bottom and sides of the box-trainer cavity. The standard black neoprene material that encloses the abdominal cavity was replaced with a skin-colored silicon model. The realism of the modified box trainer was assessed by surgeons, using quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Results suggest that the modified box trainer was more realistic than a standard box trainer alone. Incorporating this technique in the training of laparoscopic skills is an inexpensive means of emulating surgical reality that may enhance the engagement of the learner in simulation.

Two-Black Box Concept for Warhead Verification

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

Bates, Cameron Russell; Frame, Katherine Chiyoko; Mckigney, Edward Allen

2017-03-06

We have created a possible solution to meeting the requirements of certification/authentication while still employing complicated criteria. Technical solutions to protecting information from the host in an inspection environment needs to be assessed by those with specific expertise but, LANL can still study the verification problem. The two-black box framework developed provides another potential solution to the confidence vs. certification paradox.

Inside the Black Box of School Reform: Explaining the How and Why of Change at "Getting Results" Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDougall, Dennis; Saunders, William M.; Goldenberg, Claude

2007-01-01

This article reports key findings from a process-focused external evaluation that compared a subset of "Getting Results" project schools and comparison schools in order to understand the dynamics of school-wide reform efforts at these primary schools. Findings shed light on the "black box" of school reform and illuminate the…

Open the "Black Box" Creativity and Innovation: A Study of Activities in R&D Departments. Some Prospects for Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Millet, Charlyne; Oget, David; Cavallucci, Denis

2017-01-01

Innovation is a key component to the success and longevity of companies. Our research opens the "black box" of creativity and innovation in R&D teams. We argue that understanding the nature of R&D projects in terms of creativity/innovation, efficiency/inefficiency, is important for designing education policies and improving…

Getting Inside the Black Box of Technology Integration in Education: Teachers' Stimulated Recall of Classroom Observations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tondeur, Jo; Kershaw, L. H.; Vanderlinde, R.; van Braak, J.

2013-01-01

This study explored the black box of technology integration through the stimulated recall of teachers who showed proficiency in the use of technology to support teaching and learning. More particularly, the aim of the study was to examine how these teachers use technology in their lessons and to gain deeper insights into the multifaceted…

How accurate is accident data in road safety research? An application of vehicle black box data regarding pedestrian-to-taxi accidents in Korea.

PubMed

Chung, Younshik; Chang, IlJoon

2015-11-01

Recently, the introduction of vehicle black box systems or in-vehicle video event data recorders enables the driver to use the system to collect more accurate crash information such as location, time, and situation at the pre-crash and crash moment, which can be analyzed to find the crash causal factors more accurately. This study presents the vehicle black box system in brief and its application status in Korea. Based on the crash data obtained from the vehicle black box system, this study analyzes the accuracy of the crash data collected from existing road crash data recording method, which has been recorded by police officers based on accident parties' statements or eyewitness's account. The analysis results show that the crash data observed by the existing method have an average of 84.48m of spatial difference and standard deviation of 157.75m as well as average 29.05min of temporal error and standard deviation of 19.24min. Additionally, the average and standard deviation of crash speed errors were found to be 9.03km/h and 7.21km/h, respectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Opening the Black Box of Clinical Collaboration in Integrated Care Models for Frail, Elderly Patients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Stampa, Matthieu; Vedel, Isabelle; Bergman, Howard; Novella, Jean-Luc; Lechowski, Laurent; Ankri, Joel; Lapointe, Liette

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to understand better the clinical collaboration process among primary care physicians (PCPs), case managers (CMs), and geriatricians in integrated models of care. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study with semistructured interviews. A purposive sample of 35 PCPs, 7 CMs, and 4 geriatricians was selected in…

An easily implemented static condensation method for structural sensitivity analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gangadharan, S. N.; Haftka, R. T.; Nikolaidis, E.

1990-01-01

A black-box approach to static condensation for sensitivity analysis is presented with illustrative examples of a cube and a car structure. The sensitivity of the structural response with respect to joint stiffness parameter is calculated using the direct method, forward-difference, and central-difference schemes. The efficiency of the various methods for identifying joint stiffness parameters from measured static deflections of these structures is compared. The results indicate that the use of static condensation can reduce computation times significantly and the black-box approach is only slightly less efficient than the standard implementation of static condensation. The ease of implementation of the black-box approach recommends it for use with general-purpose finite element codes that do not have a built-in facility for static condensation.

Comparison of different estimation techniques for biomass concentration in large scale yeast fermentation.

PubMed

Hocalar, A; Türker, M; Karakuzu, C; Yüzgeç, U

2011-04-01

In this study, previously developed five different state estimation methods are examined and compared for estimation of biomass concentrations at a production scale fed-batch bioprocess. These methods are i. estimation based on kinetic model of overflow metabolism; ii. estimation based on metabolic black-box model; iii. estimation based on observer; iv. estimation based on artificial neural network; v. estimation based on differential evaluation. Biomass concentrations are estimated from available measurements and compared with experimental data obtained from large scale fermentations. The advantages and disadvantages of the presented techniques are discussed with regard to accuracy, reproducibility, number of primary measurements required and adaptation to different working conditions. Among the various techniques, the metabolic black-box method seems to have advantages although the number of measurements required is more than that for the other methods. However, the required extra measurements are based on commonly employed instruments in an industrial environment. This method is used for developing a model based control of fed-batch yeast fermentations. Copyright © 2010 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Opening the Black Box of Electronic Health: Collecting, Analyzing, and Interpreting Log Data

PubMed Central

Kelders, Saskia; Poel, Mannes; van Gemert-Pijnen, Lisette

2017-01-01

In electronic health (eHealth) research, limited insight has been obtained on process outcomes or how the use of technology has contributed to the users’ ability to have a healthier life, improved well-being, or activate new attitudes in their daily tasks. As a result, eHealth is often perceived as a black box. To open this black box of eHealth, methodologies must extend beyond the classic effect evaluations. The analyses of log data (anonymous records of real-time actions performed by each user) can provide continuous and objective insights into the actual usage of the technology. However, the possibilities of log data in eHealth research have not been exploited to their fullest extent. The aim of this paper is to describe how log data can be used to improve the evaluation and understand the use of eHealth technology with a broader approach than only descriptive statistics. This paper serves as a starting point for using log data analysis in eHealth research. Here, we describe what log data is and provide an overview of research questions to evaluate the system, the context, the users of a technology, as well as the underpinning theoretical constructs. We also explain the requirements for log data, the starting points for the data preparation, and methods for data collection. Finally, we describe methods for data analysis and draw a conclusion regarding the importance of the results for both scientific and practical applications. The analysis of log data can be of great value for opening the black box of eHealth. A deliberate log data analysis can give new insights into how the usage of the technology contributes to found effects and can thereby help to improve the persuasiveness and effectiveness of eHealth technology and the underpinning behavioral models. PMID:28784592

Black Box Activities for Grades Seven-Nine Science Programs and Beyond. A Supplement for Science 1, 2, &3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlenker, Richard M., Comp.

Many times science does not provide us with exact descriptions of phenomena or answers to questions but only allows us to make educated guesses. Black box activities encourage this method of scientific thinking because the activity is performed inside a sealed container requiring the students to hypothesize on the contents and operation of the…

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

Tang, Jason D.; Schroeppel, Richard Crabtree; Robertson, Perry J.

With the build-out of large transport networks utilizing optical technologies, more and more capacity is being made available. Innovations in Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) and the elimination of optical-electrical-optical conversions have brought on advances in communication speeds as we move into 10 Gigabit Ethernet and above. Of course, there is a need to encrypt data on these optical links as the data traverses public and private network backbones. Unfortunately, as the communications infrastructure becomes increasingly optical, advances in encryption (done electronically) have failed to keep up. This project examines the use of optical logic for implementing encryption in themore » photonic domain to achieve the requisite encryption rates. This paper documents the innovations and advances of work first detailed in 'Photonic Encryption using All Optical Logic,' [1]. A discussion of underlying concepts can be found in SAND2003-4474. In order to realize photonic encryption designs, technology developed for electrical logic circuits must be translated to the photonic regime. This paper examines S-SEED devices and how discrete logic elements can be interconnected and cascaded to form an optical circuit. Because there is no known software that can model these devices at a circuit level, the functionality of S-SEED devices in an optical circuit was modeled in PSpice. PSpice allows modeling of the macro characteristics of the devices in context of a logic element as opposed to device level computational modeling. By representing light intensity as voltage, 'black box' models are generated that accurately represent the intensity response and logic levels in both technologies. By modeling the behavior at the systems level, one can incorporate systems design tools and a simulation environment to aid in the overall functional design. Each black box model takes certain parameters (reflectance, intensity, input response), and models the optical ripple and time delay characteristics. These 'black box' models are interconnected and cascaded in an encrypting/scrambling algorithm based on a study of candidate encryption algorithms. Demonstration circuits show how these logic elements can be used to form NAND, NOR, and XOR functions. This paper also presents functional analysis of a serial, low gate count demonstration algorithm suitable for scrambling/encryption using S-SEED devices.« less

The effects of massive graviton on the equilibrium between the black hole and radiation gas in an isolated box

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Ya-Peng; Pan, Feng; Wu, Xin-Meng

2017-09-01

It is well known that the black hole can have temperature and radiate the particles with black body spectrum, i.e. Hawking radiation. Therefore, if the black hole is surrounded by an isolated box, there is a thermal equilibrium between the black hole and radiation gas. A simple case considering the thermal equilibrium between the Schwarzschild black hole and radiation gas in an isolated box has been well investigated previously in detail, i.e. taking the conservation of energy and principle of maximal entropy for the isolated system into account. In this paper, following the above spirit, the effects of massive graviton on the thermal equilibrium will be investigated. For the gravity with massive graviton, we will use the de Rham-Gabadadze-Tolley (dRGT) massive gravity which has been proven to be ghost free. Because the graviton mass depends on two parameters in the dRGT massive gravity, here we just investigate two simple cases related to the two parameters, respectively. Our results show that in the first case the massive graviton can suppress or increase the condensation of black hole in the radiation gas although the T-E diagram is similar as the Schwarzschild black hole case. For the second case, a new T-E diagram has been obtained. Moreover, an interesting and important prediction is that the condensation of black hole just increases from the zero radius of horizon in this case, which is very different from the Schwarzschild black hole case.

Is a rehabilitation treatment taxonomy the right answer to the rehabilitation black box?

PubMed

Cieza, Alarcos; Bickenbach, Jerome

2014-01-01

In this commentary on the development of an interventions taxonomy for medical rehabilitation, a rehabilitation treatment taxonomy (RTT), we acknowledge the authors' valuable contribution to rehabilitation science, and at the same time interrogate the assumption that a taxonomy has essential added value to address the challenge of rehabilitation's black box. The tripartite analytical structure of action of treatment, active ingredient, and mechanism of action, and not an RTT, is the key to addressing the rehabilitation black box. There is a need for clearly defined operationalized requirements of how the 3 components have to be expressed. We also recommend that this concerted effort be linked to all relevant stakeholders and all international endeavors that are pursuing a common goal of enhancing rehabilitation research. Copyright © 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Illuminating the Black Box of Entrepreneurship Education Programmes: Part 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maritz, Alex

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a justified, legitimate and validated model on entrepreneurship education programmes (EEPs), by combining recent research and scholarship in leading edge entrepreneurship education (EE). Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review of recent EE research and scholarship is followed by…

Toward a Political-Organizational Model of Gatekeeping: The Case of Elite Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karen, David

1990-01-01

Develops a gatekeeping theory by stepping inside the black box of Harvard university's admissions process. Stresses how political and organizational contexts influence selection (gatekeeping). Analyzes how student merit and social class-based factors mutually determine selection. Links an understanding of the organizational field with process…

Peering Inside the Black Box of Undergraduate Study Habits: The Centrality of Self-Regulated Learning in a Digitized World. WCER Working Paper No. 2015-3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hora, Matthew T.; Oleson, Amanda K.

2015-01-01

Research suggests which study strategies are effective but little descriptive research focuses on how undergraduate students study in real-world settings. Thus, the mechanisms of students' actual learning remain a black box for the field of higher education, with far more attention paid to inputs and outputs of the learning process. Using a…

A compositional framework for Markov processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baez, John C.; Fong, Brendan; Pollard, Blake S.

2016-03-01

We define the concept of an "open" Markov process, or more precisely, continuous-time Markov chain, which is one where probability can flow in or out of certain states called "inputs" and "outputs." One can build up a Markov process from smaller open pieces. This process is formalized by making open Markov processes into the morphisms of a dagger compact category. We show that the behavior of a detailed balanced open Markov process is determined by a principle of minimum dissipation, closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. Using this fact, we set up a functor mapping open detailed balanced Markov processes to open circuits made of linear resistors. We also describe how to "black box" an open Markov process, obtaining the linear relation between input and output data that holds in any steady state, including nonequilibrium steady states with a nonzero flow of probability through the system. We prove that black boxing gives a symmetric monoidal dagger functor sending open detailed balanced Markov processes to Lagrangian relations between symplectic vector spaces. This allows us to compute the steady state behavior of an open detailed balanced Markov process from the behaviors of smaller pieces from which it is built. We relate this black box functor to a previously constructed black box functor for circuits.

Linear relations in microbial reaction systems: a general overview of their origin, form, and use.

PubMed

Noorman, H J; Heijnen, J J; Ch A M Luyben, K

1991-09-01

In microbial reaction systems, there are a number of linear relations among net conversion rates. These can be very useful in the analysis of experimental data. This article provides a general approach for the formation and application of the linear relations. Two type of system descriptions, one considering the biomass as a black box and the other based on metabolic pathways, are encountered. These are defined in a linear vector and matrix algebra framework. A correct a priori description can be obtained by three useful tests: the independency, consistency, and observability tests. The independency are different. The black box approach provides only conservations relations. They are derived from element, electrical charge, energy, and Gibbs energy balances. The metabolic approach provides, in addition to the conservation relations, metabolic and reaction relations. These result from component, energy, and Gibbs energy balances. Thus it is more attractive to use the metabolic description than the black box approach. A number of different types of linear relations given in the literature are reviewed. They are classified according to the different categories that result from the black box or the metabolic system description. Validation of hypotheses related to metabolic pathways can be supported by experimental validation of the linear metabolic relations. However, definite proof from biochemical evidence remains indispensable.

Autonomous navigation using lunar beacons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khatib, A. R.; Ellis, J.; French, J.; Null, G.; Yunck, T.; Wu, S.

1983-01-01

The concept of using lunar beacon signal transmission for on-board navigation for earth satellites and near-earth spacecraft is described. The system would require powerful transmitters on the earth-side of the moon's surface and black box receivers with antennae and microprocessors placed on board spacecraft for autonomous navigation. Spacecraft navigation requires three position and three velocity elements to establish location coordinates. Two beacons could be soft-landed on the lunar surface at the limits of allowable separation and each would transmit a wide-beam signal with cones reaching GEO heights and be strong enough to be received by small antennae in near-earth orbit. The black box processor would perform on-board computation with one-way Doppler/range data and dynamical models. Alternatively, GEO satellites such as the GPS or TDRSS spacecraft can be used with interferometric techniques to provide decimeter-level accuracy for aircraft navigation.

On looking into the Black Box: Prospects and Limits in the Search for Mental Models

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-05-01

particularly in terms of the ways in which humans understand systems. Norman (19831 characterizes this understanding as messy, sloppy, incomplete, and...Kleinman, et al., 1971]). However, for tasks involving only monitoring [ Smallwood , 1967; Sheridan, 1970], especially when apparent discontinuities...18 Norman [1983] uses the word "conceptaalization" to characterize researchers’ models of humans’ mental models. This characterization serves to

The History of Venting (part I)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leiter, Stephen C.

2017-01-01

Venting techniques and design are an important implementation strategy for observatory and payload contamination control, and yet venting analysis has seen a topsey turvey history, at lease from the perspective of the simple Layman trying to design a black box. Additionally, designing the vent has competing controls from Safety and EMIEMC. In the days of Shuttle, Safety placed liens against the vents of blankets, boxes, and large structural items principally to protect cargo bay vents but also from a flammability perspective. What continues to elude the Designer Community is a stable, simple way of designing vents for black boxes that satisfies everybody. But we continue to try.

Black-box Brain Experiments, Causal Mathematical Logic, and the Thermodynamics of Intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pissanetzky, Sergio; Lanzalaco, Felix

2013-12-01

Awareness of the possible existence of a yet-unknown principle of Physics that explains cognition and intelligence does exist in several projects of emulation, simulation, and replication of the human brain currently under way. Brain simulation projects define their success partly in terms of the emergence of non-explicitly programmed biophysical signals such as self-oscillation and spreading cortical waves. We propose that a recently discovered theory of Physics known as Causal Mathematical Logic (CML) that links intelligence with causality and entropy and explains intelligent behavior from first principles, is the missing link. We further propose the theory as a roadway to understanding more complex biophysical signals, and to explain the set of intelligence principles. The new theory applies to information considered as an entity by itself. The theory proposes that any device that processes information and exhibits intelligence must satisfy certain theoretical conditions irrespective of the substrate where it is being processed. The substrate can be the human brain, a part of it, a worm's brain, a motor protein that self-locomotes in response to its environment, a computer. Here, we propose to extend the causal theory to systems in Neuroscience, because of its ability to model complex systems without heuristic approximations, and to predict emerging signals of intelligence directly from the models. The theory predicts the existence of a large number of observables (or "signals"), all of which emerge and can be directly and mathematically calculated from non-explicitly programmed detailed causal models. This approach is aiming for a universal and predictive language for Neuroscience and AGI based on causality and entropy, detailed enough to describe the finest structures and signals of the brain, yet general enough to accommodate the versatility and wholeness of intelligence. Experiments are focused on a black-box as one of the devices described above of which both the input and the output are precisely known, but not the internal implementation. The same input is separately supplied to a causal virtual machine, and the calculated output is compared with the measured output. The virtual machine, described in a previous paper, is a computer implementation of CML, fixed for all experiments and unrelated to the device in the black box. If the two outputs are equivalent, then the experiment has quantitatively succeeded and conclusions can be drawn regarding details of the internal implementation of the device. Several small black-box experiments were successfully performed and demonstrated the emergence of non-explicitly programmed cognitive function in each case

Prediction of black box warning by mining patterns of Convergent Focus Shift in clinical trial study populations using linked public data.

PubMed

Ma, Handong; Weng, Chunhua

2016-04-01

To link public data resources for predicting post-marketing drug safety label changes by analyzing the Convergent Focus Shift patterns among drug testing trials. We identified 256 top-selling prescription drugs between 2003 and 2013 and divided them into 83 BBW drugs (drugs with at least one black box warning label) and 173 ROBUST drugs (drugs without any black box warning label) based on their FDA black box warning (BBW) records. We retrieved 7499 clinical trials that each had at least one of these drugs for intervention from the ClinicalTrials.gov. We stratified all the trials by pre-marketing or post-marketing status, study phase, and study start date. For each trial, we retrieved drug and disease concepts from clinical trial summaries to model its study population using medParser and SNOMED-CT. Convergent Focus Shift (CFS) pattern was calculated and used to assess the temporal changes in study populations from pre-marketing to post-marketing trials for each drug. Then we selected 68 candidate drugs, 18 with BBW warning and 50 without, that each had at least nine pre-marketing trials and nine post-marketing trials for predictive modeling. A random forest predictive model was developed to predict BBW acquisition incidents based on CFS patterns among these drugs. Pre- and post-marketing trials of BBW and ROBUST drugs were compared to look for their differences in CFS patterns. Among the 18 BBW drugs, we consistently observed that the post-marketing trials focused more on recruiting patients with medical conditions previously unconsidered in the pre-marketing trials. In contrast, among the 50 ROBUST drugs, the post-marketing trials involved a variety of medications for testing their associations with target intervention(s). We found it feasible to predict BBW acquisitions using different CFS patterns between the two groups of drugs. Our random forest predictor achieved an AUC of 0.77. We also demonstrated the feasibility of the predictor for identifying long-term BBW acquisition events without compromising prediction accuracy. This study contributes a method for post-marketing pharmacovigilance using Convergent Focus Shift (CFS) patterns in clinical trial study populations mined from linked public data resources. These signals are otherwise unavailable from individual data resources. We demonstrated the added value of linked public data and the feasibility of integrating ClinicalTrials.gov summaries and drug safety labels for post-marketing surveillance. Future research is needed to ensure better accessibility and linkage of heterogeneous drug safety data for efficient pharmacovigilance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exploring the Black Box: An Analysis of Work Group Diversity, Conflict, and Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pelled, Lisa Hope; Eisenhardt, Kathleen M.; Xin, Katherine R.

1999-01-01

Tests an integrative model of the relationships among diversity, conflict, and performance, using a sample of 45 electronics-industry worker teams. Functional background diversity drives task conflict; multiple types of diversity drive emotional conflict. Task conflict affects task performance more favorably than does emotional conflict. (102…

14. CONTROL PANELS, EAST SIDE, MAIN FLOOR: TO LEFT (ORIGINAL ...

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

14. CONTROL PANELS, EAST SIDE, MAIN FLOOR: TO LEFT (ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT): UPPER FOUR GLASS BOXES ARE OVERCURRENT PROTECTIVE RELAYS; MIDDLE FOUR GLASS BOXES CONTAIN TESTING SWITCHES; LOWER TWO BOXES ARE DG1 METERING CHART RECORDERS TO RIGHT (MODERN EQUIPMENT): UPPER FOUR BLACK BOXES ARE PROTECTIVE SERVICE RELAYS; MIDDLE FOUR BOXES CONTAIN TESTING SWITCHES; LARGE BOX BELOW HOUSES REMOTE METERING SYSTEM METAL CABINETS (LABELED L-2 & L-4) BELOW CONTAIN ORIGINAL POWER CIRCUIT BREAKERS - Bonneville Power Administration South Bank Substation, I-84, South of Bonneville Dam Powerhouse, Bonneville, Multnomah County, OR

Analysis Of Dynamic Interactions Between Solar Array Simulators And Spacecraft Power Conditioning And Distribution Units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valdivia, V.; Barrado, A.; Lazaro, A.; Rueda, P.; Tonicello, F.; Fernandez, A.; Mourra, O.

2011-10-01

Solar array simulators (SASs) are hardware devices, commonly applied instead of actual solar arrays (SAs) during the design process of spacecrafts power conditioning and distribution units (PCDUs), and during spacecrafts assembly integration and tests. However, the dynamic responses between SASs and actual SAs are usually different. This fact plays an important role, since the dynamic response of the SAS may influence significantly the dynamic behaviour of the PCDU under certain conditions, even leading to instability. This paper deals with the dynamic interactions between SASs and PCDUs. Several methods for dynamic characterization of the SASs are discussed, and the response of commercial SASs widely applied in the space industry is compared to that of actual SAs. After that, the interactions are experimentally analyzed by using a boost converter connected to the aforementioned SASs, thus demonstrating their critical importance. The interactions are first tackled analytically by means of small-signal models, and finally a black-box modelling method of SASs is proposed as a useful tool to analyze the interactions by means of simulation. The capabilities of both the analytical method and the black- box model to predict the interactions are demonstrated.

Predictive Risk Modelling to Prevent Child Maltreatment and Other Adverse Outcomes for Service Users: Inside the 'Black Box' of Machine Learning.

PubMed

Gillingham, Philip

2016-06-01

Recent developments in digital technology have facilitated the recording and retrieval of administrative data from multiple sources about children and their families. Combined with new ways to mine such data using algorithms which can 'learn', it has been claimed that it is possible to develop tools that can predict which individual children within a population are most likely to be maltreated. The proposed benefit is that interventions can then be targeted to the most vulnerable children and their families to prevent maltreatment from occurring. As expertise in predictive modelling increases, the approach may also be applied in other areas of social work to predict and prevent adverse outcomes for vulnerable service users. In this article, a glimpse inside the 'black box' of predictive tools is provided to demonstrate how their development for use in social work may not be straightforward, given the nature of the data recorded about service users and service activity. The development of predictive risk modelling (PRM) in New Zealand is focused on as an example as it may be the first such tool to be applied as part of ongoing reforms to child protection services.

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

Blansett, Ethan L.; Schroeppel, Richard Crabtree; Tang, Jason D.

With the build-out of large transport networks utilizing optical technologies, more and more capacity is being made available. Innovations in Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) and the elimination of optical-electrical-optical conversions have brought on advances in communication speeds as we move into 10 Gigabit Ethernet and above. Of course, there is a need to encrypt data on these optical links as the data traverses public and private network backbones. Unfortunately, as the communications infrastructure becomes increasingly optical, advances in encryption (done electronically) have failed to keep up. This project examines the use of optical logic for implementing encryption in themore » photonic domain to achieve the requisite encryption rates. In order to realize photonic encryption designs, technology developed for electrical logic circuits must be translated to the photonic regime. This paper examines two classes of all optical logic (SEED, gain competition) and how each discrete logic element can be interconnected and cascaded to form an optical circuit. Because there is no known software that can model these devices at a circuit level, the functionality of the SEED and gain competition devices in an optical circuit were modeled in PSpice. PSpice allows modeling of the macro characteristics of the devices in context of a logic element as opposed to device level computational modeling. By representing light intensity as voltage, 'black box' models are generated that accurately represent the intensity response and logic levels in both technologies. By modeling the behavior at the systems level, one can incorporate systems design tools and a simulation environment to aid in the overall functional design. Each black box model of the SEED or gain competition device takes certain parameters (reflectance, intensity, input response), and models the optical ripple and time delay characteristics. These 'black box' models are interconnected and cascaded in an encrypting/scrambling algorithm based on a study of candidate encryption algorithms. We found that a low gate count, cascadable encryption algorithm is most feasible given device and processing constraints. The modeling and simulation of optical designs using these components is proceeding in parallel with efforts to perfect the physical devices and their interconnect. We have applied these techniques to the development of a 'toy' algorithm that may pave the way for more robust optical algorithms. These design/modeling/simulation techniques are now ready to be applied to larger optical designs in advance of our ability to implement such systems in hardware.« less

Understanding and Targeting Epigenetic Alterations in Acquired Bone Marrow Failure

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

Cre 1 2 P95H 3 Activated allele Neo Lox P Frt Long homology arm Short homology arm Neo cassette Probe primer P95H (GGC => GTG ) Reference: 297...right) (th indicates 95% confidence interval by bootstrapping. The schematic illustrates a p left to right, the features are the upstream exon ( gray box...and intron (black line), t (black line) and exon ( gray box). Horizontal axis, genomic coordinates defined with relative frequency of the indicated

Black box multigrid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dendy, J. E., Jr.

1981-01-01

The black box multigrid (BOXMG) code, which only needs specification of the matrix problem for application in the multigrid method was investigated. It is contended that a major problem with the multigrid method is that each new grid configuration requires a major programming effort to develop a code that specifically handles that grid configuration. The SOR and ICCG methods only specify the matrix problem, no matter what the grid configuration. It is concluded that the BOXMG does everything else necessary to set up the auxiliary coarser problems to achieve a multigrid solution.

Alternative Metal Hot Cutting Operations for Opacity

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-01

Hydrogen regulator $232.00 1,250 $0.19 Cutting torch $453.00 1,250 $0.36 Fuel and oxygen hoses $148.00* 500 $0.30 Water hose & spray nozzle $56.00... spray nozzle $56* 500 $0.11 Black box $1088* 1,250 $0.87 4 Black box hoses $780* 500 $1.56 2 Full face respirator $310* 750 $0.42 Total: $3.22...compliance with air pollution and clean water requirements when used in combustion processes. To specifically investigate its visible PM emissions in

Operators manual for the magnetograph program (section 2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

November, L.; Title, A. M.

1974-01-01

This manual for use of the magnetograph program describes: (1) black box use of the programs; (2) the magtape data formats used; (3) the adjustable control parameters in the program; and (4) the algorithms. With no adjustments on the control parameters this program may be used purely as a black box. For optimal use, however, the control parameters may be varied. The magtape data formats are of use in adopting other programs to look at raw data or final magnetograph data.

Users Guide for Smooth-Prop: A Program for Smoothing Propeller Tip Geometry

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-01

Research and Development Canada – Atlantic Technical Memorandum DRDC Atlantic TM 2013-179 October 2013 c© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada...a window You can magnify any region of the Blade or Plane Intersection windows by clicking and dragging with the left mouse button. A red rectangle...display. Each slider is a long rectangle containing a smaller black box: see Fig. 9. The black box is a handle that can be dragged back and forth

A Simple Illustrative Model of a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santillo, Michael F.

2009-01-01

Many students (as well as the general public) use modern technology without an understanding of how these devices actually work. They are what scientists refer to in the laboratory as "black boxes." Students often wonder how physics relates to the technology used in the real world and are interested in such applications. An example of one such…

An Evaluation of Output Quality of Machine Translation (Padideh Software vs. Google Translate)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azer, Haniyeh Sadeghi; Aghayi, Mohammad Bagher

2015-01-01

This study aims to evaluate the translation quality of two machine translation systems in translating six different text-types, from English to Persian. The evaluation was based on criteria proposed by Van Slype (1979). The proposed model for evaluation is a black-box type, comparative and adequacy-oriented evaluation. To conduct the evaluation, a…

Using Mathematical Software to Introduce Fourier Transforms in Physical Chemistry to Develop Improved Understanding of Their Applications in Analytical Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Tierney C.; Richardson, John N.; Kegerreis, Jeb S.

2016-01-01

This manuscript presents an exercise that utilizes mathematical software to explore Fourier transforms in the context of model quantum mechanical systems, thus providing a deeper mathematical understanding of relevant information often introduced and treated as a "black-box" in analytical chemistry courses. The exercise is given to…

Era of faster FDA drug approval has also seen increased black-box warnings and market withdrawals.

PubMed

Frank, Cassie; Himmelstein, David U; Woolhandler, Steffie; Bor, David H; Wolfe, Sidney M; Heymann, Orlaith; Zallman, Leah; Lasser, Karen E

2014-08-01

After approval, many prescription medications that patients rely on subsequently receive new black-box warnings or are withdrawn from the market because of safety concerns. We examined whether the frequency of these safety problems has increased since 1992, when the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, legislation designed to accelerate the drug approval process at the Food and Drug Administration, was passed. We found that drugs approved after the act's passage were more likely to receive a new black-box warning or be withdrawn than drugs approved before its passage (26.7 per 100.0 drugs versus 21.2 per 100.0 drugs at up to sixteen years of follow-up). We could not establish causality, however. Our findings suggest the need for reforms to reduce patients' exposure to unsafe drugs, such as a statement or symbol in the labeling, medication guides for patients, and marketing materials indicating that a drug was approved only recently. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Constrained optimization by radial basis function interpolation for high-dimensional expensive black-box problems with infeasible initial points

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regis, Rommel G.

2014-02-01

This article develops two new algorithms for constrained expensive black-box optimization that use radial basis function surrogates for the objective and constraint functions. These algorithms are called COBRA and Extended ConstrLMSRBF and, unlike previous surrogate-based approaches, they can be used for high-dimensional problems where all initial points are infeasible. They both follow a two-phase approach where the first phase finds a feasible point while the second phase improves this feasible point. COBRA and Extended ConstrLMSRBF are compared with alternative methods on 20 test problems and on the MOPTA08 benchmark automotive problem (D.R. Jones, Presented at MOPTA 2008), which has 124 decision variables and 68 black-box inequality constraints. The alternatives include a sequential penalty derivative-free algorithm, a direct search method with kriging surrogates, and two multistart methods. Numerical results show that COBRA algorithms are competitive with Extended ConstrLMSRBF and they generally outperform the alternatives on the MOPTA08 problem and most of the test problems.

Gene expression profiling--Opening the black box of plant ecosystem responses to global change

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

Leakey, A.D.B.; Ainsworth, E.A.; Bernard, S.M.

The use of genomic techniques to address ecological questions is emerging as the field of genomic ecology. Experimentation under environmentally realistic conditions to investigate the molecular response of plants to meaningful changes in growth conditions and ecological interactions is the defining feature of genomic ecology. Since the impact of global change factors on plant performance are mediated by direct effects at the molecular, biochemical and physiological scales, gene expression analysis promises important advances in understanding factors that have previously been consigned to the 'black box' of unknown mechanism. Various tools and approaches are available for assessing gene expression in modelmore » and non-model species as part of global change biology studies. Each approach has its own unique advantages and constraints. A first generation of genomic ecology studies in managed ecosystems and mesocosms have provided a testbed for the approach and have begun to reveal how the experimental design and data analysis of gene expression studies can be tailored for use in an ecological context.« less

Inside the "Black Box" of a Knowledge Translation Program in Applied Health Research.

PubMed

Heaton, Janet; Day, Jo; Britten, Nicky

2015-11-01

In this article, we present the findings of a participatory realistic evaluation of a 5-year program of health care research intended to promote the translation of knowledge into routine clinical practice. The program was one of the nine pilot Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care funded by the English National Institute for Health Research between 2008 and 2013. Our aim was to delineate the mechanisms by which, and circumstances in which, some projects carried out under the program achieved success in knowledge translation while others were frustrated. Using qualitative methods, we examined how closer collaboration between academics and clinicians worked in four purposefully chosen case studies. In a synthesis of the findings, we produced a "black box" model of how knowledge translation was enabled by the activation of nine mechanisms. These are summarized in the form of five simple rules for promoting knowledge translation through collaborations based on principles of coproduction. © The Author(s) 2015.

From a black-box to a glass-box system: the attempt towards a plant-wide automation concept for full-scale biogas plants.

PubMed

Wiese, J; König, R

2009-01-01

Biogas plants gain worldwide increasing importance due to several advantages. However, concerning the equipment most of the existing biogas plants are low-tech plants. E.g., from the point of view of instrumentation, control and automation (ICA) most plants are black-box systems. Consequently, practice shows that many biogas plants are operated sub-optimally and/or in critical (load) ranges. To solve these problems, some new biogas plants have been equipped with modern machines and ICA equipment. In this paper, the authors will show details and discuss operational results of a modern agricultural biogas plant and the resultant opportunities for the implementation of a plant-wide automation.

The Terry-Wiseman Security Policy Model and Examples of Its Use

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-01

Wiseman Security Policy Model and Examples of Its Use Author: C L Harrold Date: March 1990 Abstract This paper presents a model of security for computer ...Evolution of the Model 7. Summary and References Annex: An Overviev , of the Z N-,,tion Ace5sston For N?.1S (tRA&1DTIC TM-, [ U mr, ),inced El ,v l I...a computer . The files, objects or register locations in which the information may be stored are modelled by the black boxes. The robots model the

Modelling the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation.

PubMed

Korla, Kalyani; Mitra, Chanchal K

2014-01-01

The Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation are the two most important sets of reactions in a eukaryotic cell that meet the major part of the total energy demands of a cell. In this paper, we present a computer simulation of the coupled reactions using open source tools for simulation. We also show that it is possible to model the Krebs cycle with a simple black box with a few inputs and outputs. However, the kinetics of the internal processes has been modelled using numerical tools. We also show that the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation together can be combined in a similar fashion - a black box with a few inputs and outputs. The Octave script is flexible and customisable for any chosen set-up for this model. In several cases, we had no explicit idea of the underlying reaction mechanism and the rate determining steps involved, and we have used the stoichiometric equations that can be easily changed as and when more detailed information is obtained. The script includes the feedback regulation of the various enzymes of the Krebs cycle. For the electron transport chain, the pH gradient across the membrane is an essential regulator of the kinetics and this has been modelled empirically but fully consistent with experimental results. The initial conditions can be very easily changed and the simulation is potentially very useful in a number of cases of clinical importance.

Scales of variability of black carbon plumes and their dependence on resolution of ECHAM6-HAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weigum, Natalie; Stier, Philip; Schutgens, Nick; Kipling, Zak

2015-04-01

Prediction of the aerosol effect on climate depends on the ability of three-dimensional numerical models to accurately estimate aerosol properties. However, a limitation of traditional grid-based models is their inability to resolve variability on scales smaller than a grid box. Past research has shown that significant aerosol variability exists on scales smaller than these grid-boxes, which can lead to discrepancies between observations and aerosol models. The aim of this study is to understand how a global climate model's (GCM) inability to resolve sub-grid scale variability affects simulations of important aerosol features. This problem is addressed by comparing observed black carbon (BC) plume scales from the HIPPO aircraft campaign to those simulated by ECHAM-HAM GCM, and testing how model resolution affects these scales. This study additionally investigates how model resolution affects BC variability in remote and near-source regions. These issues are examined using three different approaches: comparison of observed and simulated along-flight-track plume scales, two-dimensional autocorrelation analysis, and 3-dimensional plume analysis. We find that the degree to which GCMs resolve variability can have a significant impact on the scales of BC plumes, and it is important for models to capture the scales of aerosol plume structures, which account for a large degree of aerosol variability. In this presentation, we will provide further results from the three analysis techniques along with a summary of the implication of these results on future aerosol model development.

--No Title--

Science.gov Websites

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Analysis of large system black box verification test data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clapp, Kenneth C.; Iyer, Ravishankar Krishnan

1993-01-01

Issues regarding black box, large systems verification are explored. It begins by collecting data from several testing teams. An integrated database containing test, fault, repair, and source file information is generated. Intuitive effectiveness measures are generated using conventional black box testing results analysis methods. Conventional analysts methods indicate that the testing was effective in the sense that as more tests were run, more faults were found. Average behavior and individual data points are analyzed. The data is categorized and average behavior shows a very wide variation in number of tests run and in pass rates (pass rates ranged from 71 percent to 98 percent). The 'white box' data contained in the integrated database is studied in detail. Conservative measures of effectiveness are discussed. Testing efficiency (ratio of repairs to number of tests) is measured at 3 percent, fault record effectiveness (ratio of repairs to fault records) is measured at 55 percent, and test script redundancy (ratio of number of failed tests to minimum number of tests needed to find the faults) ranges from 4.2 to 15.8. Error prone source files and subsystems are identified. A correlational mapping of test functional area to product subsystem is completed. A new adaptive testing process based on real-time generation of the integrated database is proposed.

Statistical mechanics of gravitons in a box and the black hole entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viaggiu, Stefano

2017-05-01

This paper is devoted to the study of the statistical mechanics of trapped gravitons obtained by 'trapping' a spherical gravitational wave in a box. As a consequence, a discrete spectrum dependent on the Legendre index ℓ similar to the harmonic oscillator one is obtained and a statistical study is performed. The mean energy 〈 E 〉 results as a sum of two discrete Planck distributions with different dependent frequencies. As an important application, we derive the semiclassical Bekenstein-Hawking entropy formula for a static Schwarzschild black hole by only requiring that the black hole internal energy U is provided by its ADM rest energy, without invoking particular quantum gravity theories. This seriously suggests that the interior of a black hole can be composed of trapped gravitons at a thermodynamical temperature proportional by a factor ≃ 2 to the horizon temperature Th.

Modeling Hidden Circuits: An Authentic Research Experience in One Lab Period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, J. Christopher; Rubbo, Louis J.

2016-10-01

Two wires exit a black box that has three exposed light bulbs connected together in an unknown configuration. The task for students is to determine the circuit configuration without opening the box. In the activity described in this paper, we navigate students through the process of making models, developing and conducting experiments that can support or falsify models, and confronting ways of distinguishing between two different models that make similar predictions. We also describe a twist that forces students to confront new phenomena, requiring revision of their mental model of electric circuits. This activity is designed to mirror the practice of science by actual scientists and expose students to the "messy" side of science, where our simple explanations of reality often require expansion and/or revision based on new evidence. The purpose of this paper is to present a simple classroom activity within the context of electric circuits that supports students as they learn to test hypotheses and refine and revise models based on evidence.

Self-organization in the limb: a Turing mechanism for digit development.

PubMed

Cooper, Kimberly L

2015-06-01

The statistician George E. P. Box stated, 'Essentially all models are wrong, but some are useful.' (Box GEP, Draper NR: Empirical Model-Building and Response Surfaces. Wiley; 1987). Modeling biological processes is challenging for many of the reasons classically trained developmental biologists often resist the idea that black and white equations can explain the grayscale subtleties of living things. Although a simplified mathematical model of development will undoubtedly fall short of precision, a good model is exceedingly useful if it raises at least as many testable questions as it answers. Self-organizing Turing models that simulate the pattern of digits in the hand replicate events that have not yet been explained by classical approaches. The union of theory and experimentation has recently identified and validated the minimal components of a Turing network for digit pattern and triggered a cascade of questions that will undoubtedly be well-served by the continued merging of disciplines. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Feature combination networks for the interpretation of statistical machine learning models: application to Ames mutagenicity.

PubMed

Webb, Samuel J; Hanser, Thierry; Howlin, Brendan; Krause, Paul; Vessey, Jonathan D

2014-03-25

A new algorithm has been developed to enable the interpretation of black box models. The developed algorithm is agnostic to learning algorithm and open to all structural based descriptors such as fragments, keys and hashed fingerprints. The algorithm has provided meaningful interpretation of Ames mutagenicity predictions from both random forest and support vector machine models built on a variety of structural fingerprints.A fragmentation algorithm is utilised to investigate the model's behaviour on specific substructures present in the query. An output is formulated summarising causes of activation and deactivation. The algorithm is able to identify multiple causes of activation or deactivation in addition to identifying localised deactivations where the prediction for the query is active overall. No loss in performance is seen as there is no change in the prediction; the interpretation is produced directly on the model's behaviour for the specific query. Models have been built using multiple learning algorithms including support vector machine and random forest. The models were built on public Ames mutagenicity data and a variety of fingerprint descriptors were used. These models produced a good performance in both internal and external validation with accuracies around 82%. The models were used to evaluate the interpretation algorithm. Interpretation was revealed that links closely with understood mechanisms for Ames mutagenicity. This methodology allows for a greater utilisation of the predictions made by black box models and can expedite further study based on the output for a (quantitative) structure activity model. Additionally the algorithm could be utilised for chemical dataset investigation and knowledge extraction/human SAR development.

A black box optimization approach to parameter estimation in a model for long/short term variations dynamics of commodity prices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Santis, Alberto; Dellepiane, Umberto; Lucidi, Stefano

2012-11-01

In this paper we investigate the estimation problem for a model of the commodity prices. This model is a stochastic state space dynamical model and the problem unknowns are the state variables and the system parameters. Data are represented by the commodity spot prices, very seldom time series of Futures contracts are available for free. Both the system joint likelihood function (state variables and parameters) and the system marginal likelihood (the state variables are eliminated) function are addressed.

Role of metabolism in drug-induced idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity.

PubMed

Walgren, Jennie L; Mitchell, Michael D; Thompson, David C

2005-01-01

Rare adverse reactions to drugs that are of unknown etiology, or idiosyncratic reactions, can produce severe medical complications or even death in patients. Current hypotheses suggest that metabolic activation of a drug to a reactive intermediate is a necessary, yet insufficient, step in the generation of an idiosyncratic reaction. We review evidence for this hypothesis with drugs that are associated with hepatotoxicity, one of the most common types of idiosyncratic reactions in humans. We identified 21 drugs that have either been withdrawn from the U.S. market due to hepatotoxicity or have a black box warning for hepatotoxicity. Evidence for the formation of reactive metabolites was found for 5 out of 6 drugs that were withdrawn, and 8 out of 15 drugs that have black box warnings. For the other drugs, either evidence was not available or suitable studies have not been carried out. We also review evidence for reactive intermediate formation from a number of additional drugs that have been associated with idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity but do not have black box warnings. Finally, we consider the potential role that high dosages may play in these adverse reactions.

Multivariate calibration in Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy quantitative analysis: The dangers of a 'black box' approach and how to avoid them

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safi, A.; Campanella, B.; Grifoni, E.; Legnaioli, S.; Lorenzetti, G.; Pagnotta, S.; Poggialini, F.; Ripoll-Seguer, L.; Hidalgo, M.; Palleschi, V.

2018-06-01

The introduction of multivariate calibration curve approach in Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) quantitative analysis has led to a general improvement of the LIBS analytical performances, since a multivariate approach allows to exploit the redundancy of elemental information that are typically present in a LIBS spectrum. Software packages implementing multivariate methods are available in the most diffused commercial and open source analytical programs; in most of the cases, the multivariate algorithms are robust against noise and operate in unsupervised mode. The reverse of the coin of the availability and ease of use of such packages is the (perceived) difficulty in assessing the reliability of the results obtained which often leads to the consideration of the multivariate algorithms as 'black boxes' whose inner mechanism is supposed to remain hidden to the user. In this paper, we will discuss the dangers of a 'black box' approach in LIBS multivariate analysis, and will discuss how to overcome them using the chemical-physical knowledge that is at the base of any LIBS quantitative analysis.

Black box warning: is ketorolac safe for use after cardiac surgery?

PubMed

Oliveri, Lisa; Jerzewski, Katie; Kulik, Alexander

2014-04-01

In 2005, after the identification of cardiovascular safety concerns with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the FDA issued a black box warning recommending against the use of NSAIDs following cardiac surgery. The goal of this study was to assess the postoperative safety of ketorolac, an intravenously administered NSAID, after cardiac surgery. Retrospective observational study. Single center, regional hospital. A total of 1,309 cardiac surgical patients (78.1% coronary bypass, 28.0% valve) treated between 2006 and 2012. A total of 488 of these patients received ketorolac for postoperative analgesia within 72 hours of surgery. Ketorolac-treated patients were younger, had better preoperative renal function, and underwent less complex operations compared with non-ketorolac patients. Ketorolac was administered, on average, 8.7 hours after surgery (mean doses: 3.1). Postoperative outcomes for ketorolac-treated patients were similar to those expected using Society of Thoracic Surgery database risk-adjusted outcomes. In unadjusted analysis, patients who received ketorolac had similar or better postoperative outcomes compared with patients who did not receive ketorolac, including gastrointestinal bleeding (1.2% v 1.3%; p = 1.0), renal failure requiring dialysis (0.4% v 3.0%; p = 0.001), perioperative myocardial infarction (1.0% v 0.6%; p = 0.51), stroke or transient ischemic attack (1.0% v 1.7%; p = 0.47), and death (0.4% v 5.8%; p<0.0001). With adjustment in a multivariate model, treatment with ketorolac was not a predictor for adverse outcome in this cohort (odds ratio: 0.72; p = 0.23). Ketorolac appears to be well-tolerated for use when administered selectively after cardiac surgery. Although a black box warning exists, the data highlights the need for further research regarding its perioperative administration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Source monitoring in Korsakoff's syndrome: "Did I touch the toothbrush or did I imagine doing so?"

PubMed

El Haj, Mohamad; Nandrino, Jean Louis; Coello, Yann; Miller, Ralph; Antoine, Pascal

2017-06-01

There is a body of research suggesting compromised ability to distinguish between different external sources of information (i.e., external monitoring) in Korsakoff's syndrome. Here we replicate and extend this literature by assessing the ability of patients with Korsakoff's syndrome to distinguish between different external sources of information (i.e., external monitoring), between internal and external sources of information (i.e., reality monitoring), and between different internal sources of information (i.e., internal monitoring). On the external monitoring assessment, patients with Korsakoff's syndrome and controls watched the experimenter place objects (e.g., a toothbrush) in either a black or white box; afterward, they were asked to remember where the objects had been placed. On the reality monitoring assessment, participants had to either place objects or watch the experimenter place objects in a black box; afterward, they were asked to remember whether the objects had been placed in the box by themselves or by the experimenter. On the internal monitoring assessment, participants had to either place objects or imagine themselves placing objects in a black box; afterward, they were asked to remember whether they had previously placed the objects in the box or imagined doing so. Analyses demonstrated lower external and internal monitoring in patients with Korsakoff's syndrome than in controls, but no significant difference was observed between the two populations on the reality monitoring condition. Our data provide preliminary evidence that the ability to recognize oneself as the author of one's own actions may be relatively preserved in Korsakoff's syndrome. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

COSAL: A black-box compressible stability analysis code for transition prediction in three-dimensional boundary layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malik, M. R.

1982-01-01

A fast computer code COSAL for transition prediction in three dimensional boundary layers using compressible stability analysis is described. The compressible stability eigenvalue problem is solved using a finite difference method, and the code is a black box in the sense that no guess of the eigenvalue is required from the user. Several optimization procedures were incorporated into COSAL to calculate integrated growth rates (N factor) for transition correlation for swept and tapered laminar flow control wings using the well known e to the Nth power method. A user's guide to the program is provided.

A Model for Assessing the Liability of Seemingly Correct Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Voas, Jeffrey M.; Voas, Larry K.; Miller, Keith W.

1991-01-01

Current research on software reliability does not lend itself to quantitatively assessing the risk posed by a piece of life-critical software. Black-box software reliability models are too general and make too many assumptions to be applied confidently to assessing the risk of life-critical software. We present a model for assessing the risk caused by a piece of software; this model combines software testing results and Hamlet's probable correctness model. We show how this model can assess software risk for those who insure against a loss that can occur if life-critical software fails.

Issues in Engineering Self-Aware and Self-Expressive Ensembles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hölzl, Matthias; Wirsing, Martin

The following sections are included: * Introduction * Classifying Awareness and Self-Expression * Elements of the awareness mechanism * A white-box definition of awareness * Self-expression * A black-box definition of awareness * Awareness Engineering * Socio-Technical Issues * Privacy, ownership and control of data * Discrimination and responsibility * Failuremodes * Summary and Conclusions

Black Boxes in Workplace Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Julian; Wake, Geoff

2007-01-01

We ground Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) in studies of workplace practices from a mathematical point of view. We draw on multiple case study visits by college students and teacher-researchers to workplaces. By asking questions that "open boxes", we "outsiders and boundary-crossers" sought to expose contradictions between College and…

Diversity and activity of biosurfactant-producing Pseudomonas in the rhizosphere of black pepper in Vietnam.

PubMed

Tran, H; Kruijt, M; Raaijmakers, J M

2008-03-01

Phytophthora capsici is a major pathogen of black pepper and zoospores play an important role in the infection process. Fluorescent pseudomonads that produce biosurfactants with zoosporicidal activities were isolated from the black pepper rhizosphere in Vietnam, and their genotypic diversity and potential to control Phy. capsici root rot was determined. Biosurfactant-producing pseudomonads were genotypically and biochemically characterized by BOX-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), 16S-rDNA sequencing, reverse-phase-high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses. Biosurfactant-producing fluorescent pseudomonads make up c. 1.3% of the culturable Pseudomonas population in the rhizosphere of black pepper. Although BOX-PCR revealed substantial genotypic diversity, the isolates were shown to produce the same biosurfactants and were all identified as Pseudomonas putida. When applied to black pepper stem cuttings, several of the biosurfactant-producing strains provided significant disease control. In absence of the disease, several of the bacterial strains promoted shoot and root growth of black pepper stem cuttings. Biosurfactant-producing pseudomonads indigenous to the rhizosphere of black pepper plants are genotypically diverse and provide a novel resource for the control of Phy. capsici root rot and growth promotion of black pepper stem cuttings. The results of this study provide a strong basis for further development of supplementary strategies with antagonistic bacteria to control foot and root rot of black pepper and to promote plant growth.

Black-Box System Testing of Real-Time Embedded Systems Using Random and Search-Based Testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arcuri, Andrea; Iqbal, Muhammad Zohaib; Briand, Lionel

Testing real-time embedded systems (RTES) is in many ways challenging. Thousands of test cases can be potentially executed on an industrial RTES. Given the magnitude of testing at the system level, only a fully automated approach can really scale up to test industrial RTES. In this paper we take a black-box approach and model the RTES environment using the UML/MARTE international standard. Our main motivation is to provide a more practical approach to the model-based testing of RTES by allowing system testers, who are often not familiar with the system design but know the application domain well-enough, to model the environment to enable test automation. Environment models can support the automation of three tasks: the code generation of an environment simulator, the selection of test cases, and the evaluation of their expected results (oracles). In this paper, we focus on the second task (test case selection) and investigate three test automation strategies using inputs from UML/MARTE environment models: Random Testing (baseline), Adaptive Random Testing, and Search-Based Testing (using Genetic Algorithms). Based on one industrial case study and three artificial systems, we show how, in general, no technique is better than the others. Which test selection technique to use is determined by the failure rate (testing stage) and the execution time of test cases. Finally, we propose a practical process to combine the use of all three test strategies.

Physical and numerical sources of computational inefficiency in integration of chemical kinetic rate equations: Etiology, treatment and prognosis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pratt, D. T.; Radhakrishnan, K.

1986-01-01

The design of a very fast, automatic black-box code for homogeneous, gas-phase chemical kinetics problems requires an understanding of the physical and numerical sources of computational inefficiency. Some major sources reviewed in this report are stiffness of the governing ordinary differential equations (ODE's) and its detection, choice of appropriate method (i.e., integration algorithm plus step-size control strategy), nonphysical initial conditions, and too frequent evaluation of thermochemical and kinetic properties. Specific techniques are recommended (and some advised against) for improving or overcoming the identified problem areas. It is argued that, because reactive species increase exponentially with time during induction, and all species exhibit asymptotic, exponential decay with time during equilibration, exponential-fitted integration algorithms are inherently more accurate for kinetics modeling than classical, polynomial-interpolant methods for the same computational work. But current codes using the exponential-fitted method lack the sophisticated stepsize-control logic of existing black-box ODE solver codes, such as EPISODE and LSODE. The ultimate chemical kinetics code does not exist yet, but the general characteristics of such a code are becoming apparent.

A local framework for calculating coupled cluster singles and doubles excitation energies (LoFEx-CCSD)

DOE PAGES

Baudin, Pablo; Bykov, Dmytro; Liakh, Dmitry I.; ...

2017-02-22

Here, the recently developed Local Framework for calculating Excitation energies (LoFEx) is extended to the coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) model. In the new scheme, a standard CCSD excitation energy calculation is carried out within a reduced excitation orbital space (XOS), which is composed of localised molecular orbitals and natural transition orbitals determined from time-dependent Hartree–Fock theory. The presented algorithm uses a series of reduced second-order approximate coupled cluster singles and doubles (CC2) calculations to optimise the XOS in a black-box manner. This ensures that the requested CCSD excitation energies have been determined to a predefined accuracy compared tomore » a conventional CCSD calculation. We present numerical LoFEx-CCSD results for a set of medium-sized organic molecules, which illustrate the black-box nature of the approach and the computational savings obtained for transitions that are local compared to the size of the molecule. In fact, for such local transitions, the LoFEx-CCSD scheme can be applied to molecular systems where a conventional CCSD implementation is intractable.« less

Multi-strategy coevolving aging particle optimization.

PubMed

Iacca, Giovanni; Caraffini, Fabio; Neri, Ferrante

2014-02-01

We propose Multi-Strategy Coevolving Aging Particles (MS-CAP), a novel population-based algorithm for black-box optimization. In a memetic fashion, MS-CAP combines two components with complementary algorithm logics. In the first stage, each particle is perturbed independently along each dimension with a progressively shrinking (decaying) radius, and attracted towards the current best solution with an increasing force. In the second phase, the particles are mutated and recombined according to a multi-strategy approach in the fashion of the ensemble of mutation strategies in Differential Evolution. The proposed algorithm is tested, at different dimensionalities, on two complete black-box optimization benchmarks proposed at the Congress on Evolutionary Computation 2010 and 2013. To demonstrate the applicability of the approach, we also test MS-CAP to train a Feedforward Neural Network modeling the kinematics of an 8-link robot manipulator. The numerical results show that MS-CAP, for the setting considered in this study, tends to outperform the state-of-the-art optimization algorithms on a large set of problems, thus resulting in a robust and versatile optimizer.

Mortality of riparian box elder from sediment mobilization and extended inundation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friedman, Jonathan M.; Auble, Gregor T.

1999-01-01

To explore how high flows limit the streamward extent of riparian vegetation we quantified the effects of sediment mobilization and extended inundation on box elder (Acer negundo) saplings along the cobble-bed Gunnison River in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument, Colorado, USA. We counted and aged box elders in 144 plots of 37.2 m2, and combined a hydraulic model with the hydrologic record to determine the maximum shear stress and number of growing-season days inundated for each plot in each year of the record. We quantified the effects of the two mortality factors by calculating the extreme values survived during the lifetime of trees sampled in 1994 and by recounting box elders in the plots following a high flow in 1995. Both mortality factors can be modeled as threshold functions; box elders are killed either by inundation for more than 85 days during the growing season or by shear stress that exceeds the critical value for mobilization of the underlying sediment particles. Construction of upstream reservoirs in the 1960s and 1970s reduced the proportion of the canyon bottom annually cleared of box elders by high flows. Furthermore, because the dams decreased the magnitude of high flows more than their duration, flow regulation has decreased the importance of sediment mobilization relative to extended inundation. We use the threshold functions and cross-section data to develop a response surface predicting the proportion of the canyon bottom cleared at any combination of flow magnitude and duration. This response surface allows vegetation removal to be incorporated into quantitative multi-objective water management decisions.

Dosing of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in children and adults before and after the FDA black-box warning

PubMed Central

Bushnell, Greta A; Stürmer, Til; Swanson, Sonja A; White, Alice; Azrael, Deborah; Pate, Virginia; Miller, Matthew

2016-01-01

Objective Prior research evaluated various effects of the antidepressant black-box warning on the risk of suicidality in children, but the dosing of antidepressants has not been considered. This study estimated, relative to the FDA warnings, whether the initial antidepressant dose prescribed decreased and the proportion augmenting dose on the second fill increased. Method The study utilized the LifeLink Health Plan Claims Database. The study cohort consisted of commercially insured children (5–17 years), young adults (18–24 years), and adults (25–64 years) initiating an SSRI (citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, or sertraline) from 1/1/2000 to 12/31/2009. Dose-per-day was determined by days supply, strength, and quantity dispensed. Initiation on low dose, defined based on guidelines, and dose augmentations (dose increase >1mg/day) on the second prescription were considered across time periods related to the antidepressant warnings. Results Of 51,948 children who initiated an SSRI, 15% initiated on low dose in the period before the 2004 black-box warning and 31% in the period after the warning (a 16 percentage-point change); there was a smaller percentage-point change in young adults (6%) and adults (3%). The overall increase in dose augmentations in children and young adults was driven by the increase in patients initiating on a low dose. Conclusions As guidelines recommend children initiate antidepressant treatment on low dose, findings that an increased proportion of commercially insured children initiated an SSRI on low dose after the 2004 black-box warning suggest prescribing practices surrounding SSRI dosing improved in children following the warning but dosing practices still fall short of guidelines. PMID:26567938

A Statistician's View of Upcoming Grand Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Xiao Li

2010-01-01

In this session we have seen some snapshots of the broad spectrum of challenges, in this age of huge, complex, computer-intensive models, data, instruments,and questions. These challenges bridge astronomy at many wavelengths; basic physics; machine learning; -- and statistics. At one end of our spectrum, we think of 'compressing' the data with non-parametric methods. This raises the question of creating 'pseudo-replicas' of the data for uncertainty estimates. What would be involved in, e.g. boot-strap and related methods? Somewhere in the middle are these non-parametric methods for encapsulating the uncertainty information. At the far end, we find more model-based approaches, with the physics model embedded in the likelihood and analysis. The other distinctive problem is really the 'black-box' problem, where one has a complicated e.g. fundamental physics-based computer code, or 'black box', and one needs to know how changing the parameters at input -- due to uncertainties of any kind -- will map to changing the output. All of these connect to challenges in complexity of data and computation speed. Dr. Meng will highlight ways to 'cut corners' with advanced computational techniques, such as Parallel Tempering and Equal Energy methods. As well, there are cautionary tales of running automated analysis with real data -- where "30 sigma" outliers due to data artifacts can be more common than the astrophysical event of interest.

A global sensitivity analysis approach for morphogenesis models.

PubMed

Boas, Sonja E M; Navarro Jimenez, Maria I; Merks, Roeland M H; Blom, Joke G

2015-11-21

Morphogenesis is a developmental process in which cells organize into shapes and patterns. Complex, non-linear and multi-factorial models with images as output are commonly used to study morphogenesis. It is difficult to understand the relation between the uncertainty in the input and the output of such 'black-box' models, giving rise to the need for sensitivity analysis tools. In this paper, we introduce a workflow for a global sensitivity analysis approach to study the impact of single parameters and the interactions between them on the output of morphogenesis models. To demonstrate the workflow, we used a published, well-studied model of vascular morphogenesis. The parameters of this cellular Potts model (CPM) represent cell properties and behaviors that drive the mechanisms of angiogenic sprouting. The global sensitivity analysis correctly identified the dominant parameters in the model, consistent with previous studies. Additionally, the analysis provided information on the relative impact of single parameters and of interactions between them. This is very relevant because interactions of parameters impede the experimental verification of the predicted effect of single parameters. The parameter interactions, although of low impact, provided also new insights in the mechanisms of in silico sprouting. Finally, the analysis indicated that the model could be reduced by one parameter. We propose global sensitivity analysis as an alternative approach to study the mechanisms of morphogenesis. Comparison of the ranking of the impact of the model parameters to knowledge derived from experimental data and from manipulation experiments can help to falsify models and to find the operand mechanisms in morphogenesis. The workflow is applicable to all 'black-box' models, including high-throughput in vitro models in which output measures are affected by a set of experimental perturbations.

NARMAX model identification of a palm oil biodiesel engine using multi-objective optimization differential evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mansor, Zakwan; Zakaria, Mohd Zakimi; Nor, Azuwir Mohd; Saad, Mohd Sazli; Ahmad, Robiah; Jamaluddin, Hishamuddin

2017-09-01

This paper presents the black-box modelling of palm oil biodiesel engine (POB) using multi-objective optimization differential evolution (MOODE) algorithm. Two objective functions are considered in the algorithm for optimization; minimizing the number of term of a model structure and minimizing the mean square error between actual and predicted outputs. The mathematical model used in this study to represent the POB system is nonlinear auto-regressive moving average with exogenous input (NARMAX) model. Finally, model validity tests are applied in order to validate the possible models that was obtained from MOODE algorithm and lead to select an optimal model.

The Chemical Engineer's Toolbox: A Glass Box Approach to Numerical Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coronell, Daniel G.; Hariri, M. Hossein

2009-01-01

Computer programming in undergraduate engineering education all too often begins and ends with the freshman programming course. Improvements in computer technology and curriculum revision have improved this situation, but often at the expense of the students' learning due to the use of commercial "black box" software. This paper describes the…

"Can" the Black Box

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lestingi, Francis S.

1975-01-01

Describes the use of the "Arcane (mysterious) Can" which is a "tin" can which is permanently sealed, both air- and water-tight, by means of a home canning device. The canning procedure permits the use of a large variety of materials which can not be utilized in the ordinary mystery box. This Can activity is valuable for…

A deterministic global optimization using smooth diagonal auxiliary functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sergeyev, Yaroslav D.; Kvasov, Dmitri E.

2015-04-01

In many practical decision-making problems it happens that functions involved in optimization process are black-box with unknown analytical representations and hard to evaluate. In this paper, a global optimization problem is considered where both the goal function f (x) and its gradient f‧ (x) are black-box functions. It is supposed that f‧ (x) satisfies the Lipschitz condition over the search hyperinterval with an unknown Lipschitz constant K. A new deterministic 'Divide-the-Best' algorithm based on efficient diagonal partitions and smooth auxiliary functions is proposed in its basic version, its convergence conditions are studied and numerical experiments executed on eight hundred test functions are presented.

Pothole Detection System Using a Black-box Camera.

PubMed

Jo, Youngtae; Ryu, Seungki

2015-11-19

Aging roads and poor road-maintenance systems result a large number of potholes, whose numbers increase over time. Potholes jeopardize road safety and transportation efficiency. Moreover, they are often a contributing factor to car accidents. To address the problems associated with potholes, the locations and size of potholes must be determined quickly. Sophisticated road-maintenance strategies can be developed using a pothole database, which requires a specific pothole-detection system that can collect pothole information at low cost and over a wide area. However, pothole repair has long relied on manual detection efforts. Recent automatic detection systems, such as those based on vibrations or laser scanning, are insufficient to detect potholes correctly and inexpensively owing to the unstable detection of vibration-based methods and high costs of laser scanning-based methods. Thus, in this paper, we introduce a new pothole-detection system using a commercial black-box camera. The proposed system detects potholes over a wide area and at low cost. We have developed a novel pothole-detection algorithm specifically designed to work with the embedded computing environments of black-box cameras. Experimental results are presented with our proposed system, showing that potholes can be detected accurately in real-time.

Changes in antidepressant medications prescribing trends in children and adolescents in Hawai'i following the FDA black box warning.

PubMed

Hassanin, Hanan; Harbi, Al; Saif, Abdullah; Davis, Jim; Easa, David; Harrigan, Rosanne

2010-01-01

To study prescribing trends for antidepressants in Hawai'i following the FDA black box warning regarding the possible risk of suicide in children and adolescents. We also explored relationships between changes in prescribing trends and patient and provider characteristics. Analysis of an existing insurance data set of prescriptions to children and adolescents within the State of Hawai'i. Children and adolescents under 18-years-old insured through the largest (>60%) third-party insurance company in the state. Our results showed variations in changes in prescribing trends for different selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) following the FDA black box warning. SSRIs with more evidence-based research supporting their safety and efficacy were least affected as were those that were less implicated by the FDA analysis of the possible link between SSRIs and Suicidality. Trends were apparent for all age groups examined and for both females and males. Changes in prescribing patterns of psychiatric medications for children and adolescents in Hawai'i were identified. Differing patterns have evolved since 2003 following the series of concerns raised regarding SSRIs and suicidality in children and adolescents.

Coverage Metrics for Requirements-Based Testing: Evaluation of Effectiveness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Staats, Matt; Whalen, Michael W.; Heindahl, Mats P. E.; Rajan, Ajitha

2010-01-01

In black-box testing, the tester creates a set of tests to exercise a system under test without regard to the internal structure of the system. Generally, no objective metric is used to measure the adequacy of black-box tests. In recent work, we have proposed three requirements coverage metrics, allowing testers to objectively measure the adequacy of a black-box test suite with respect to a set of requirements formalized as Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) properties. In this report, we evaluate the effectiveness of these coverage metrics with respect to fault finding. Specifically, we conduct an empirical study to investigate two questions: (1) do test suites satisfying a requirements coverage metric provide better fault finding than randomly generated test suites of approximately the same size?, and (2) do test suites satisfying a more rigorous requirements coverage metric provide better fault finding than test suites satisfying a less rigorous requirements coverage metric? Our results indicate (1) only one coverage metric proposed -- Unique First Cause (UFC) coverage -- is sufficiently rigorous to ensure test suites satisfying the metric outperform randomly generated test suites of similar size and (2) that test suites satisfying more rigorous coverage metrics provide better fault finding than test suites satisfying less rigorous coverage metrics.

Black Willow

Treesearch

R. M. Krinard

1980-01-01

Black willow and other species of Salix together comprise a majority of the stocking. Cottonwood is the chief associate, particularly in the early stages, but green ash, sycamore, pecan, persimmon, waterlocust, American elm, baldcypress, red maple, sugarberry, box-elder, and in some areas, silver maple are invaders preceding the next successional stage.

Letter box line blackener for the HDTV/conventional-analog hybrid system

DOEpatents

Wysocki, Frederick J.; Nickel, George H.

2006-07-18

A blackener for letter box lines associated with a HDTV/conventional-analog hybrid television transmission where the blackener counts horizontal sync pulses contained in the HDTV/conventional-analog hybrid television transmission and determines when the HDTV/conventional-analog hybrid television transmission is in letter-box lines: if it is, then the blackener sends substitute black signal to an output; and if it is not, then the blackener sends the HDTV/conventional-analog hybrid television transmission to the output.

Improving Robot Locomotion Through Learning Methods for Expensive Black-Box Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-01

development of a class of “gradient free” optimization techniques; these include local approaches, such as a Nelder- Mead simplex search (c.f. [73]), and global...1Note that this simple method differs from the Nelder Mead constrained nonlinear optimization method [73]. 39 the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm...Kober, and Jan Peters. Model-free inverse reinforcement learning. In International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics, 2011. [12] George

21 CFR 866.6050 - Ovarian adnexal mass assessment score test system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... ovarian/adnexal mass assessment test system is a device that measures one or more proteins in serum or... § 866.1(e). (c) Black box warning. Under section 520(e) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act... box and must appear in all advertising, labeling, and promotional material for these devices. That...

21 CFR 866.6050 - Ovarian adnexal mass assessment score test system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... ovarian/adnexal mass assessment test system is a device that measures one or more proteins in serum or... § 866.1(e). (c) Black box warning. Under section 520(e) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act... box and must appear in all advertising, labeling, and promotional material for these devices. That...

Developing a Fundamental Model for an Integrated GPS/INS State Estimation System with Kalman Filtering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Canfield, Stephen

1999-01-01

This work will demonstrate the integration of sensor and system dynamic data and their appropriate models using an optimal filter to create a robust, adaptable, easily reconfigurable state (motion) estimation system. This state estimation system will clearly show the application of fundamental modeling and filtering techniques. These techniques are presented at a general, first principles level, that can easily be adapted to specific applications. An example of such an application is demonstrated through the development of an integrated GPS/INS navigation system. This system acquires both global position data and inertial body data, to provide optimal estimates of current position and attitude states. The optimal states are estimated using a Kalman filter. The state estimation system will include appropriate error models for the measurement hardware. The results of this work will lead to the development of a "black-box" state estimation system that supplies current motion information (position and attitude states) that can be used to carry out guidance and control strategies. This black-box state estimation system is developed independent of the vehicle dynamics and therefore is directly applicable to a variety of vehicles. Issues in system modeling and application of Kalman filtering techniques are investigated and presented. These issues include linearized models of equations of state, models of the measurement sensors, and appropriate application and parameter setting (tuning) of the Kalman filter. The general model and subsequent algorithm is developed in Matlab for numerical testing. The results of this system are demonstrated through application to data from the X-33 Michael's 9A8 mission and are presented in plots and simple animations.

Qualitative Assessment of Pregnant Women’s Perceptions of Infant Sleep Boxes

PubMed Central

Ahlers-Schmidt, Carolyn R.; Schunn, Christy; Redmond, Michelle L.; Smith, Sharla; Brown, Molly; Kuhlmann, Stephanie N.; Engel, Matthew; Benton, Mary

2017-01-01

Although several states have implemented programs providing boxes for infant sleep, safe sleep experts express concern regarding the paucity of safety and efficacy research on boxes. The purpose of this study was to assess pregnant women’s perceptions regarding use of baby sleep boxes. A convenience sample was recruited from a community prenatal education program. Twenty-eight women were administered a brief semistructured interview about their knowledge of baby sleep boxes, opinions about the boxes, and questions they would have. For most (n = 15, 54%), this was their first pregnancy. Participants self-identified as white (43%), black (36%), Hispanic (18%), and “other” (4%). Ten subthemes emerged related to previous knowledge of boxes (useful for families in need, historic precedent in other countries), positive attributes (portable, compact, affordable, decorative), and negative attributes (low to ground, structural integrity/design, stability, stigma). Research on safety and efficacy could reduce concerns, but issues of stigma may persist. PMID:29226192

ShapeShop: Towards Understanding Deep Learning Representations via Interactive Experimentation.

PubMed

Hohman, Fred; Hodas, Nathan; Chau, Duen Horng

2017-05-01

Deep learning is the driving force behind many recent technologies; however, deep neural networks are often viewed as "black-boxes" due to their internal complexity that is hard to understand. Little research focuses on helping people explore and understand the relationship between a user's data and the learned representations in deep learning models. We present our ongoing work, ShapeShop, an interactive system for visualizing and understanding what semantics a neural network model has learned. Built using standard web technologies, ShapeShop allows users to experiment with and compare deep learning models to help explore the robustness of image classifiers.

Automatic Black-Box Model Order Reduction using Radial Basis Functions

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

Stephanson, M B; Lee, J F; White, D A

Finite elements methods have long made use of model order reduction (MOR), particularly in the context of fast freqeucny sweeps. In this paper, we discuss a black-box MOR technique, applicable to a many solution methods and not restricted only to spectral responses. We also discuss automated methods for generating a reduced order model that meets a given error tolerance. Numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness and wide applicability of the method. With the advent of improved computing hardware and numerous fast solution techniques, the field of computational electromagnetics are progressed rapidly in terms of the size and complexity of problems thatmore » can be solved. Numerous applications, however, require the solution of a problem for many different configurations, including optimization, parameter exploration, and uncertainly quantification, where the parameters that may be changed include frequency, material properties, geometric dimensions, etc. In such cases, thousands of solutions may be needed, so solve times of even a few minutes can be burdensome. Model order reduction (MOR) may alleviate this difficulty by creating a small model that can be evaluated quickly. Many MOR techniques have been applied to electromagnetic problems over the past few decades, particularly in the context of fast frequency sweeps. Recent works have extended these methods to allow more than one parameter and to allow the parameters to represent material and geometric properties. There are still limitations with these methods, however. First, they almost always assume that the finite element method is used to solve the problem, so that the system matrix is a known function of the parameters. Second, although some authors have presented adaptive methods (e.g., [2]), the order of the model is often determined before the MOR process begins, with little insight about what order is actually needed to reach the desired accuracy. Finally, it not clear how to efficiently extend most methods to the multiparameter case. This paper address the above shortcomings be developing a method that uses a block-box approach to the solution method, is adaptive, and is easily extensible to many parameters.« less

Modeling of yield and environmental impact categories in tea processing units based on artificial neural networks.

PubMed

Khanali, Majid; Mobli, Hossein; Hosseinzadeh-Bandbafha, Homa

2017-12-01

In this study, an artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed for predicting the yield and life cycle environmental impacts based on energy inputs required in processing of black tea, green tea, and oolong tea in Guilan province of Iran. A life cycle assessment (LCA) approach was used to investigate the environmental impact categories of processed tea based on the cradle to gate approach, i.e., from production of input materials using raw materials to the gate of tea processing units, i.e., packaged tea. Thus, all the tea processing operations such as withering, rolling, fermentation, drying, and packaging were considered in the analysis. The initial data were obtained from tea processing units while the required data about the background system was extracted from the EcoInvent 2.2 database. LCA results indicated that diesel fuel and corrugated paper box used in drying and packaging operations, respectively, were the main hotspots. Black tea processing unit caused the highest pollution among the three processing units. Three feed-forward back-propagation ANN models based on Levenberg-Marquardt training algorithm with two hidden layers accompanied by sigmoid activation functions and a linear transfer function in output layer, were applied for three types of processed tea. The neural networks were developed based on energy equivalents of eight different input parameters (energy equivalents of fresh tea leaves, human labor, diesel fuel, electricity, adhesive, carton, corrugated paper box, and transportation) and 11 output parameters (yield, global warming, abiotic depletion, acidification, eutrophication, ozone layer depletion, human toxicity, freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity, marine aquatic ecotoxicity, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and photochemical oxidation). The results showed that the developed ANN models with R 2 values in the range of 0.878 to 0.990 had excellent performance in predicting all the output variables based on inputs. Energy consumption for processing of green tea, oolong tea, and black tea were calculated as 58,182, 60,947, and 66,301 MJ per ton of dry tea, respectively.

Building dynamical models from data and prior knowledge: the case of the first period-doubling bifurcation.

PubMed

Aguirre, Luis Antonio; Furtado, Edgar Campos

2007-10-01

This paper reviews some aspects of nonlinear model building from data with (gray box) and without (black box) prior knowledge. The model class is very important because it determines two aspects of the final model, namely (i) the type of nonlinearity that can be accurately approximated and (ii) the type of prior knowledge that can be taken into account. Such features are usually in conflict when it comes to choosing the model class. The problem of model structure selection is also reviewed. It is argued that such a problem is philosophically different depending on the model class and it is suggested that the choice of model class should be performed based on the type of a priori available. A procedure is proposed to build polynomial models from data on a Poincaré section and prior knowledge about the first period-doubling bifurcation, for which the normal form is also polynomial. The final models approximate dynamical data in a least-squares sense and, by design, present the first period-doubling bifurcation at a specified value of parameters. The procedure is illustrated by means of simulated examples.

Noncontextual Wirings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amaral, Barbara; Cabello, Adán; Cunha, Marcelo Terra; Aolita, Leandro

2018-03-01

Contextuality is a fundamental feature of quantum theory necessary for certain models of quantum computation and communication. Serious steps have therefore been taken towards a formal framework for contextuality as an operational resource. However, the main ingredient of a resource theory—a concrete, explicit form of free operations of contextuality—was still missing. Here we provide such a component by introducing noncontextual wirings: a class of contextuality-free operations with a clear operational interpretation and a friendly parametrization. We characterize them completely for general black-box measurement devices with arbitrarily many inputs and outputs. As applications, we show that the relative entropy of contextuality is a contextuality monotone and that maximally contextual boxes that serve as contextuality bits exist for a broad class of scenarios. Our results complete a unified resource-theoretic framework for contextuality and Bell nonlocality.

Noncontextual Wirings.

PubMed

Amaral, Barbara; Cabello, Adán; Cunha, Marcelo Terra; Aolita, Leandro

2018-03-30

Contextuality is a fundamental feature of quantum theory necessary for certain models of quantum computation and communication. Serious steps have therefore been taken towards a formal framework for contextuality as an operational resource. However, the main ingredient of a resource theory-a concrete, explicit form of free operations of contextuality-was still missing. Here we provide such a component by introducing noncontextual wirings: a class of contextuality-free operations with a clear operational interpretation and a friendly parametrization. We characterize them completely for general black-box measurement devices with arbitrarily many inputs and outputs. As applications, we show that the relative entropy of contextuality is a contextuality monotone and that maximally contextual boxes that serve as contextuality bits exist for a broad class of scenarios. Our results complete a unified resource-theoretic framework for contextuality and Bell nonlocality.

A modified multi-objective particle swarm optimization approach and its application to the design of a deepwater composite riser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Y.; Chen, J.

2017-09-01

A modified multi-objective particle swarm optimization method is proposed for obtaining Pareto-optimal solutions effectively. Different from traditional multi-objective particle swarm optimization methods, Kriging meta-models and the trapezoid index are introduced and integrated with the traditional one. Kriging meta-models are built to match expensive or black-box functions. By applying Kriging meta-models, function evaluation numbers are decreased and the boundary Pareto-optimal solutions are identified rapidly. For bi-objective optimization problems, the trapezoid index is calculated as the sum of the trapezoid's area formed by the Pareto-optimal solutions and one objective axis. It can serve as a measure whether the Pareto-optimal solutions converge to the Pareto front. Illustrative examples indicate that to obtain Pareto-optimal solutions, the method proposed needs fewer function evaluations than the traditional multi-objective particle swarm optimization method and the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II method, and both the accuracy and the computational efficiency are improved. The proposed method is also applied to the design of a deepwater composite riser example in which the structural performances are calculated by numerical analysis. The design aim was to enhance the tension strength and minimize the cost. Under the buckling constraint, the optimal trade-off of tensile strength and material volume is obtained. The results demonstrated that the proposed method can effectively deal with multi-objective optimizations with black-box functions.

Opening the black box in nursing work and management practice: the role of ward managers.

PubMed

Townsend, Keith; Wilkinson, Adrian; Kellner, Ashlea

2015-03-01

This paper aims to identify and explore key obstacles preventing ward managers from effectively performing the human resource management (HRM) responsibilities required in their role. In the context of increasing costs and the decentralisation of responsibility to ward level, the relevance of the ward manager role within the 'black box' between human resource management and firm performance is becoming increasingly pertinent. This paper presents an intensive case study including 37 interviews across all levels of a hospital where senior management attempted to shift to a high performance model of human resource management. The findings indicated that ward managers played a critical role in maintaining and improving employee performance, although they were restricted from effectively performing their responsibilities due to budget pressure and limited managerial skill development. Our findings support the contention that hospitals would benefit from focusing on the critical role of the ward manager as the central locus of influence in high performance human resource management (HPHRM) systems. Investment into high performance human resource management is discouraged if the hospital cannot adequately enable ward managers who are responsible for implementation. Introduction of managerial skills training to potential and existing ward managers is critical. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Opening the "Black Box": Nonresidential African American Fathers on Black Men's Educational Outcomes: During the Period of Three Federal Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fletcher, Stephanie A.

2015-01-01

The study investigates the education phenomenon of nonresidential African American fathers as boys across educational policy. These fathers give narratives of their lived education experiences as children through various education reforms. Described in the research are restrictive learning environments, education socialization, and the…

Characterization and Scaling of Black Carbon Aerosol Concentration with City Population Based on In-Situ Measurements and Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paredes-Miranda, G.; Arnott, W. P.; Moosmuller, H.

2010-12-01

The global trend toward urbanization and the resulting increase in city population has directed attention toward air pollution in megacities. A closely related question of importance for urban planning and attainment of air quality standards is how pollutant concentrations scale with city population. In this study, we use measurements of light absorption and light scattering coefficients as proxies for primary (i.e., black carbon; BC) and total (i.e., particulate matter; PM) pollutant concentration, to start addressing the following questions: What patterns and generalizations are emerging from our expanding data sets on urban air pollution? How does the per-capita air pollution vary with economic, geographic, and meteorological conditions of an urban area? Does air pollution provide an upper limit on city size? Diurnal analysis of black carbon concentration measurements in suburban Mexico City, Mexico, Las Vegas, NV, USA, and Reno, NV, USA for similar seasons suggests that commonly emitted primary air pollutant concentrations scale approximately as the square root of the urban population N, consistent with a simple 2-d box model. The measured absorption coefficient Babs is approximately proportional to the BC concentration (primary pollution) and thus scales with the square root of population (N). Since secondary pollutants form through photochemical reactions involving primary pollutants, they scale also with square root of N. Therefore the scattering coefficient Bsca, a proxy for PM concentration is also expected to scale with square root of N. Here we present light absorption and scattering measurements and data on meteorological conditions and compare the population scaling of these pollutant measurements with predictions from the simple 2-d box model. We find that these basin cities are connected by the square root of N dependence. Data from other cities will be discussed as time permits.

The Past, Present, and Future of Configuration Management

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-07-01

surveying the tools and environments, it is possible to extract a set of 15 CM concepts [12] that capture the essence of automated support for CM. These...tools in maintaining the configuration’s integrity, as in Jasmine [20]. 9. Subsystem: provide a means to limit the effect of changes and recompilation...workspace facility. Thus, the ser- vices model, in essence , is intended to provide plug in/plug out, "black box" capabilities. The initial set of 50

FIEFDom: A Transparent Domain Boundary Recognition System using a Fuzzy Mean Operator

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-04

to search for matching fragments by running the PSI-BLAST program a second time. During this step, the expectation value threshold ( e -value) is set at...statistical significance (or low e -value), and therefore have low scores. Finally, the domain boundaries (if any) are predicted using the scored...neighbor (match) is weighted by its e -value, the relative contribution of each neighbor is apparent. This is contrary to black-box models in which the

Information technology: opening the box.

PubMed

Nussbaum, G M

1998-09-01

If you thought managed care was a tough nut to crack, wait until you have to start making decisions about your organization's information technology (IT). Information systems are complex and expensive, they can take years to implement, and, once installed, they need costly and regular upgrades. But for a contemporary clinical organization to function, this technology is as essential as power and water. For many years, information technology was seen as a black box, impenetrable and beyond real understanding. If done with knowledge and care, however, cracking the box opens up possibilities, not ruin.

Injury severity analysis in taxi-pedestrian crashes: An application of reconstructed crash data using a vehicle black box.

PubMed

Chung, Younshik

2018-02-01

In-vehicle recording devices have enabled recent changes in methodological paradigms for traffic safety research. Such devices include event data recorders (EDRs), vehicle black boxes (VBBs), and various sensors used in naturalistic driving studies (NDSs). These technologies may help improve the validity of models used to assess impacts on traffic safety. The objective of this study is to analyze the injury severity in taxi-pedestrian crashes using the accurate crash data from VBBs, such as the time-to-collision (TTC), speed, angle, and region of the crash. VBB data from a two-year period (2010-2011) were collected from taxis operating in Incheon, South Korea. An ordered probit model was then applied to analyze the injury severity in crashes. Five variables were found to have a greater effect on injury severity: crash speed, crashes in no-median sections, crashes where the secondary impact object of pedestrians was the crash vehicle, crashes where the third impact object of pedestrians was another moving vehicle, and crashes where the third impact region of pedestrians was their head. However, injuries were less severe in crashes where the first impact region on the pedestrian was their leg, crashes with the car moving in a straight line, and crashes involving junior high school students. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stochastic optimization of GeantV code by use of genetic algorithms

DOE PAGES

Amadio, G.; Apostolakis, J.; Bandieramonte, M.; ...

2017-10-01

GeantV is a complex system based on the interaction of different modules needed for detector simulation, which include transport of particles in fields, physics models simulating their interactions with matter and a geometrical modeler library for describing the detector and locating the particles and computing the path length to the current volume boundary. The GeantV project is recasting the classical simulation approach to get maximum benefit from SIMD/MIMD computational architectures and highly massive parallel systems. This involves finding the appropriate balance between several aspects influencing computational performance (floating-point performance, usage of off-chip memory bandwidth, specification of cache hierarchy, etc.) andmore » handling a large number of program parameters that have to be optimized to achieve the best simulation throughput. This optimization task can be treated as a black-box optimization problem, which requires searching the optimum set of parameters using only point-wise function evaluations. Here, the goal of this study is to provide a mechanism for optimizing complex systems (high energy physics particle transport simulations) with the help of genetic algorithms and evolution strategies as tuning procedures for massive parallel simulations. One of the described approaches is based on introducing a specific multivariate analysis operator that could be used in case of resource expensive or time consuming evaluations of fitness functions, in order to speed-up the convergence of the black-box optimization problem.« less

Stochastic optimization of GeantV code by use of genetic algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amadio, G.; Apostolakis, J.; Bandieramonte, M.; Behera, S. P.; Brun, R.; Canal, P.; Carminati, F.; Cosmo, G.; Duhem, L.; Elvira, D.; Folger, G.; Gheata, A.; Gheata, M.; Goulas, I.; Hariri, F.; Jun, S. Y.; Konstantinov, D.; Kumawat, H.; Ivantchenko, V.; Lima, G.; Nikitina, T.; Novak, M.; Pokorski, W.; Ribon, A.; Seghal, R.; Shadura, O.; Vallecorsa, S.; Wenzel, S.

2017-10-01

GeantV is a complex system based on the interaction of different modules needed for detector simulation, which include transport of particles in fields, physics models simulating their interactions with matter and a geometrical modeler library for describing the detector and locating the particles and computing the path length to the current volume boundary. The GeantV project is recasting the classical simulation approach to get maximum benefit from SIMD/MIMD computational architectures and highly massive parallel systems. This involves finding the appropriate balance between several aspects influencing computational performance (floating-point performance, usage of off-chip memory bandwidth, specification of cache hierarchy, etc.) and handling a large number of program parameters that have to be optimized to achieve the best simulation throughput. This optimization task can be treated as a black-box optimization problem, which requires searching the optimum set of parameters using only point-wise function evaluations. The goal of this study is to provide a mechanism for optimizing complex systems (high energy physics particle transport simulations) with the help of genetic algorithms and evolution strategies as tuning procedures for massive parallel simulations. One of the described approaches is based on introducing a specific multivariate analysis operator that could be used in case of resource expensive or time consuming evaluations of fitness functions, in order to speed-up the convergence of the black-box optimization problem.

Stochastic optimization of GeantV code by use of genetic algorithms

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

Amadio, G.; Apostolakis, J.; Bandieramonte, M.

GeantV is a complex system based on the interaction of different modules needed for detector simulation, which include transport of particles in fields, physics models simulating their interactions with matter and a geometrical modeler library for describing the detector and locating the particles and computing the path length to the current volume boundary. The GeantV project is recasting the classical simulation approach to get maximum benefit from SIMD/MIMD computational architectures and highly massive parallel systems. This involves finding the appropriate balance between several aspects influencing computational performance (floating-point performance, usage of off-chip memory bandwidth, specification of cache hierarchy, etc.) andmore » handling a large number of program parameters that have to be optimized to achieve the best simulation throughput. This optimization task can be treated as a black-box optimization problem, which requires searching the optimum set of parameters using only point-wise function evaluations. Here, the goal of this study is to provide a mechanism for optimizing complex systems (high energy physics particle transport simulations) with the help of genetic algorithms and evolution strategies as tuning procedures for massive parallel simulations. One of the described approaches is based on introducing a specific multivariate analysis operator that could be used in case of resource expensive or time consuming evaluations of fitness functions, in order to speed-up the convergence of the black-box optimization problem.« less

The ISES: A non-intrusive medium for in-space experiments in on-board information extraction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murray, Nicholas D.; Katzberg, Stephen J.; Nealy, Mike

1990-01-01

The Information Science Experiment System (ISES) represents a new approach in applying advanced systems technology and techniques to on-board information extraction in the space environment. Basically, what is proposed is a 'black box' attached to the spacecraft data bus or local area network. To the spacecraft the 'black box' appears to be just another payload requiring power, heat rejection, interfaces, adding weight, and requiring time on the data management and communication system. In reality, the 'black box' is a programmable computational resource which eavesdrops on the data network, taking and producing selectable, real-time science data back on the network. This paper will present a brief overview of the ISES Concept and will discuss issues related to applying the ISES to the polar platform and Space Station Freedom. Critical to the operation of ISES is the viability of a payload-like interface to the spacecraft data bus or local area network. Study results that address this question will be reviewed vis-a-vis the solar platform and the core space station. Also, initial results of processing science and other requirements for onboard, real-time information extraction will be presented with particular emphasis on the polar platform. Opportunities for a broader range of applications on the core space station will also be discussed.

“Fit” inside the Work-Family Black Box: An Ecology of the Life Course, Cycles of Control Reframing1

PubMed Central

Moen, Phyllis; Kelly, Erin; Huang, Reiping

2009-01-01

Scholars have not fully theorized the multifaceted, interdependent dimensions within the work-family “black box.” Taking an ecology of the life course approach, we theorize common work-family and adequacy constructs as capturing different components of employees' cognitive appraisals of fit between their demands and resources at the interface between home and work. Employees' appraisals of their work-family linkages and of their relative resource adequacy are not made independently but, rather, co-occur as identifiable constellations of fit. The life course approach hypothesizes that shifts in objective demands/ resources at work and at home over the life course result in employees experiencing cycles of control, that is, corresponding shifts in their cognitive assessments of fit. We further theorize patterned appraisals of fit are key mediators between objective work-family conditions and employees' health, well-being and strategic adaptations. As a case example, we examine whether employees' assessments on ten dimensions cluster together as patterned fit constellations, using data from a middle-class sample of 753 employees working at Best Buy's corporate headquarters. We find no single linear construct of fit that captures the complexity within the work-family black box. Instead, respondents experience six distinctive constellations of fit: one optimal, two poor, and three moderate fit constellations. PMID:19809532

Unpacking the black box of improvement

PubMed Central

Ramaswamy, Rohit; Reed, Julie; Livesley, Nigel; Boguslavsky, Victor; Garcia-Elorrio, Ezequiel; Sax, Sylvia; Houleymata, Diarra; Kimble, Leighann; Parry, Gareth

2018-01-01

Abstract During the Salzburg Global Seminar Session 565—‘Better Health Care: How do we learn about improvement?’, participants discussed the need to unpack the ‘black box’ of improvement. The ‘black box’ refers to the fact that when quality improvement interventions are described or evaluated, there is a tendency to assume a simple, linear path between the intervention and the outcomes it yields. It is also assumed that it is enough to evaluate the results without understanding the process of by which the improvement took place. However, quality improvement interventions are complex, nonlinear and evolve in response to local settings. To accurately assess the effectiveness of quality improvement and disseminate the learning, there must be a greater understanding of the complexity of quality improvement work. To remain consistent with the language used in Salzburg, we refer to this as ‘unpacking the black box’ of improvement. To illustrate the complexity of improvement, this article introduces four quality improvement case studies. In unpacking the black box, we present and demonstrate how Cynefin framework from complexity theory can be used to categorize and evaluate quality improvement interventions. Many quality improvement projects are implemented in complex contexts, necessitating an approach defined as ‘probe-sense-respond’. In this approach, teams experiment, learn and adapt their changes to their local setting. Quality improvement professionals intuitively use the probe-sense-respond approach in their work but document and evaluate their projects using language for ‘simple’ or ‘complicated’ contexts, rather than the ‘complex’ contexts in which they work. As a result, evaluations tend to ask ‘How can we attribute outcomes to the intervention?’, rather than ‘What were the adaptations that took place?’. By unpacking the black box of improvement, improvers can more accurately document and describe their interventions, allowing evaluators to ask the right questions and more adequately evaluate quality improvement interventions. PMID:29462325

Opening the black box: measuring hospital information technology capability.

PubMed

Burke, Darrell E; Menachemi, Nir

2004-01-01

Recently, health care investment in information technology (IT) has experienced a significant increase. Paralleling this increase has been an increase in IT capabilities. Despite the interest in and promises of IT in the health care setting, there is a paucity of empirical research that has attempted to define an organizational measure of IT capability. The dearth of research has contributed to the traditional belief that IT is perceived as a "black box," whereby organizational resources enter the box as "inputs" and are somehow transformed into positive outcomes for an organization. However, for positive outcomes to be realized, these outcomes must be measurable. This research uses a stakeholder perspective to develop a theoretically specified measure of IT capability. A latent construct, IT munificence, is proposed using tenets from diffusion of innovation theory and strategic contingency theory. The construct is tested using a sample of 1,545 acute care hospitals located in the United States. IT munificence fits the study data well, supporting the hypothesis that IT munificence represents a strategy of hospital IT capability.

Instability of enclosed horizons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kay, Bernard S.

2015-03-01

We point out that there are solutions to the scalar wave equation on dimensional Minkowski space with finite energy tails which, if they reflect off a uniformly accelerated mirror due to (say) Dirichlet boundary conditions on it, develop an infinite stress-energy tensor on the mirror's Rindler horizon. We also show that, in the presence of an image mirror in the opposite Rindler wedge, suitable compactly supported arbitrarily small initial data on a suitable initial surface will develop an arbitrarily large stress-energy scalar near where the two horizons cross. Also, while there is a regular Hartle-Hawking-Israel-like state for the quantum theory between these two mirrors, there are coherent states built on it for which there are similar singularities in the expectation value of the renormalized stress-energy tensor. We conjecture that in other situations with analogous enclosed horizons such as a (maximally extended) Schwarzschild black hole in equilibrium in a (stationary spherical) box or the (maximally extended) Schwarzschild-AdS spacetime, there will be similar stress-energy singularities and almost-singularities—leading to instability of the horizons when gravity is switched on and matter and gravity perturbations are allowed for. All this suggests it is incorrect to picture a black hole in equilibrium in a box or a Schwarzschild-AdS black hole as extending beyond the past and future horizons of a single Schwarzschild (/Schwarzschild-AdS) wedge. It would thus provide new evidence for 't Hooft's brick wall model while seeming to invalidate the picture in Maldacena's ` Eternal black holes in AdS'. It would thereby also support the validity of the author's matter-gravity entanglement hypothesis and of the paper ` Brick walls and AdS/CFT' by the author and Ortíz.

The First Derivative of an Exponential Function with the "White Box/Black Box" Didactical Principle and Observations with GeoGebra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Budinski, Natalija; Subramaniam, Stephanie

2013-01-01

This paper shows how GeoGebra--a dynamic mathematics software--can be used to experiment, visualize and connect various concepts such as function, first derivative, slope, and tangent line. Students were given an assignment to determine the first derivative of the exponential function that they solved while experimenting with GeoGebra. GeoGebra…

The Story of Kyle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dyson, Nancy I.; Jordan, Nancy C.; Hassinger-Das, Brenna L.

2015-01-01

Kyle, a kindergartner from a low-income family, is shown a set of three black dots on a white mat. His teacher then hides the dots with a small box lid and lays down an additional set of two dots. She pushes the two dots under the cover, one at a time. Kyle must now choose the number of dots "hiding" under the box from a set of four…

Enterprise Architecture Planning in developing A planning Information System: a Case Study of Semarang State University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budiman, Kholiq; Prahasto, Toni; Kusumawardhani, Amie

2018-02-01

This research has applied an integrated design and development of planning information system, which is been designed using Enterprise Architecture Planning. Frequent discrepancy between planning and realization of the budget that has been made, resulted in ineffective planning, is one of the reason for doing this research. The design using EAP aims to keep development aligned and in line with the strategic direction of the organization. In the practice, EAP is carried out in several stages of the planning initiation, identification and definition of business functions, proceeded with architectural design and EA implementation plan that has been built. In addition to the design of the Enterprise Architecture, this research carried out the implementation, and was tested by several methods of black box and white box. Black box testing method is used to test the fundamental aspects of the software, tested by two kinds of testing, first is using User Acceptance Testing and the second is using software functionality testing. White box testing method is used to test the effectiveness of the code in the software, tested using unit testing. Tests conducted using white box and black box on the integrated planning information system, is declared successful. Success in the software testing can not be ascertained if the software built has not shown any distinction from prior circumstance to the development of this integrated planning information system. For ensuring the success of this system implementation, the authors test consistency between the planning of data and the realization of prior-use of the information system, until after-use information system. This consistency test is done by reducing the time data of the planning and realization time. From the tabulated data, the planning information system that has been built reduces the difference between the planning time and the realization time, in which indicates that the planning information system can motivate the planner unit in realizing the budget that has been designed. It also proves that the value chain of the information planning system has brought implications for budget realization.

Combining glass box and black box evaluations in the identification of heart disease risk factors and their temporal relations from clinical records.

PubMed

Grouin, Cyril; Moriceau, Véronique; Zweigenbaum, Pierre

2015-12-01

The determination of risk factors and their temporal relations in natural language patient records is a complex task which has been addressed in the i2b2/UTHealth 2014 shared task. In this context, in most systems it was broadly decomposed into two sub-tasks implemented by two components: entity detection, and temporal relation determination. Task-level ("black box") evaluation is relevant for the final clinical application, whereas component-level evaluation ("glass box") is important for system development and progress monitoring. Unfortunately, because of the interaction between entity representation and temporal relation representation, glass box and black box evaluation cannot be managed straightforwardly at the same time in the setting of the i2b2/UTHealth 2014 task, making it difficult to assess reliably the relative performance and contribution of the individual components to the overall task. To identify obstacles and propose methods to cope with this difficulty, and illustrate them through experiments on the i2b2/UTHealth 2014 dataset. We outline several solutions to this problem and examine their requirements in terms of adequacy for component-level and task-level evaluation and of changes to the task framework. We select the solution which requires the least modifications to the i2b2 evaluation framework and illustrate it with our system. This system identifies risk factor mentions with a CRF system complemented by hand-designed patterns, identifies and normalizes temporal expressions through a tailored version of the Heideltime tool, and determines temporal relations of each risk factor with a One Rule classifier. Giving a fixed value to the temporal attribute in risk factor identification proved to be the simplest way to evaluate the risk factor detection component independently. This evaluation method enabled us to identify the risk factor detection component as most contributing to the false negatives and false positives of the global system. This led us to redirect further effort to this component, focusing on medication detection, with gains of 7 to 20 recall points and of 3 to 6 F-measure points depending on the corpus and evaluation. We proposed a method to achieve a clearer glass box evaluation of risk factor detection and temporal relation detection in clinical texts, which can provide an example to help system development in similar tasks. This glass box evaluation was instrumental in refocusing our efforts and obtaining substantial improvements in risk factor detection. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Beyond the Black Box: An Assessment of Strategic War Gaming

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-01

they are frequently expressed in the form of a model. In contrast, gaming is process-oriented. R ~pication may not be as important as realism, so games...will base its decisions in part on knowledge of opponent attitudes, intentions, and resources. 38 -I . r & VLPIL- A.’K. * % % N. Thus the flow of...Institute Press, 1987. Bennett, Bruce W. and Davis, Paul K., The Role of Automated War Gaming in Strategic Analysis, Rand Corporation Report P-7053, December

Home Energy Saver

Science.gov Websites

(heating, cooling, water heating, major appliances, small appliances, and lighting) are included. HES ;black box"-we extensively document all methodologies and assumptions. Users begin their exploration

Can the History of Science Contribute to Modelling in Physics Teaching?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machado, Juliana; Braga, Marco Antônio Barbosa

2016-10-01

A characterization of the modelling process in science is proposed for science education, based on Mario Bunge's ideas about the construction of models in science. Galileo's Dialogues are analysed as a potentially fruitful starting point to implement strategies aimed at modelling in the classroom in the light of that proposal. It is argued that a modelling process for science education can be conceived as the evolution from phenomenological approaches towards more representational ones, emphasizing the role of abstraction and idealization in model construction. The shift of reference of theories—from sensible objects to conceptual objects—and the black-box models construction process, which are both explicitly presented features in Galileo's Dialogues, are indicated as highly relevant aspects for modelling in science education.

A solution to the biodiversity paradox by logical deterministic cellular automata.

PubMed

Kalmykov, Lev V; Kalmykov, Vyacheslav L

2015-06-01

The paradox of biological diversity is the key problem of theoretical ecology. The paradox consists in the contradiction between the competitive exclusion principle and the observed biodiversity. The principle is important as the basis for ecological theory. On a relatively simple model we show a mechanism of indefinite coexistence of complete competitors which violates the known formulations of the competitive exclusion principle. This mechanism is based on timely recovery of limiting resources and their spatio-temporal allocation between competitors. Because of limitations of the black-box modeling there was a problem to formulate the exclusion principle correctly. Our white-box multiscale model of two-species competition is based on logical deterministic individual-based cellular automata. This approach provides an automatic deductive inference on the basis of a system of axioms, and gives a direct insight into mechanisms of the studied system. It is one of the most promising methods of artificial intelligence. We reformulate and generalize the competitive exclusion principle and explain why this formulation provides a solution of the biodiversity paradox. In addition, we propose a principle of competitive coexistence.

Validation of an intermediate-complexity model for simulating marine biogeochemistry under anoxic conditions in the modern Black Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romaniello, Stephen J.; Derry, Louis A.

2010-08-01

We test the ability of a new 1-D intermediate-complexity box model (ICBM) that includes process-based C, N, P, O, and S biogeochemistry to simulate profiles and fluxes of biogeochemically reactive species across a wide range of ocean redox states. The ICBM was developed to simulate whole ocean processes for paleoceanographic applications and has been tested with data from the modern global ocean. Here we adapt the circulation submodel of the ICBM to simulate water mass exchange and eddy diffusion processes in the Black Sea but make only very minor changes to the biogeochemical submodel. We force the model with estimated natural and anthropogenic inputs of tracers and nutrients to the Black Sea and compare the results of the simulations to modern observations. Ventilation of the Black Sea is modeled by depth-dependent entrainment of Cold Intermediate Layer water into Bosphorus plume water and subsequent intrusion into deep layers. The simulated profiles of circulation tracers θ, salinity, CFC-12, and radiocarbon agree well with available data, suggesting that the model does a reasonable job of representing physical exchange. Vertical profiles of biogeochemically active components are in good overall agreement with observations. The lack of trace metal (Mn and Fe) cycling in the model results in some discrepancies between the simulated profiles and observation across the suboxic zone; however, the overall redox balance is not sensitive to this difference. We compare modeled basin-wide biogeochemical fluxes to available estimates, but in a number of cases uncertainties in modern budgets limit our ability to test the model rigorously. In agreement with earlier work we find that fixed N losses via thiodenitrification are likely a major pathway in the Black Sea N cycle. Overall, the same biogeochemical submodel used to simulate the modern global ocean appears to perform well in simulating Black Sea processes without requiring significant modification. The ability of a single model to perform across a wide range of redox states is an important prerequisite for applying the ICBM to deep time paleoceanographic problems. The model source code is available as MATLAB™ 7 m-files provided as auxiliary material.

Discriminative and informative features for biomolecular text mining with ensemble feature selection.

PubMed

Van Landeghem, Sofie; Abeel, Thomas; Saeys, Yvan; Van de Peer, Yves

2010-09-15

In the field of biomolecular text mining, black box behavior of machine learning systems currently limits understanding of the true nature of the predictions. However, feature selection (FS) is capable of identifying the most relevant features in any supervised learning setting, providing insight into the specific properties of the classification algorithm. This allows us to build more accurate classifiers while at the same time bridging the gap between the black box behavior and the end-user who has to interpret the results. We show that our FS methodology successfully discards a large fraction of machine-generated features, improving classification performance of state-of-the-art text mining algorithms. Furthermore, we illustrate how FS can be applied to gain understanding in the predictions of a framework for biomolecular event extraction from text. We include numerous examples of highly discriminative features that model either biological reality or common linguistic constructs. Finally, we discuss a number of insights from our FS analyses that will provide the opportunity to considerably improve upon current text mining tools. The FS algorithms and classifiers are available in Java-ML (http://java-ml.sf.net). The datasets are publicly available from the BioNLP'09 Shared Task web site (http://www-tsujii.is.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/GENIA/SharedTask/).

Inside the Black Box: Magnetic Reconnection and the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cassak, P. A.

2016-03-01

The motivation for the recently launched Magnetospheric Multiscale mission is learning about the process of magnetic reconnection, especially the physics of what is called the diffusion region. The diffusion region is often treated as a black box but is the home of very important physics, which is of great significance to understanding space weather. This article is a brief review of what is known—and not known—about the diffusion region in magnetic reconnection, written for the broad space weather community and its stakeholders (with an appendix for readers interested in more technical matters). The focus is on the physics of magnetic reconnection and the diffusion region, why it has been challenging to study, how MMS will contribute, and how the community will benefit from its measurements.

The MassiveBlack-II simulation: The evolution of haloes and galaxies to z ~ 0

DOE PAGES

Khandai, Nishikanta; Di Matteo, Tiziana; Croft, Rupert; ...

2015-04-24

We investigate the properties and clustering of halos, galaxies and blackholes to z = 0 in the high resolution hydrodynamical simulation MassiveBlack-II (MBII). MBII evolves a ΛCDM cosmology in a cubical comoving volume V box = (100Mpc/h)³. It is the highest resolution simulation of this size which includes a self-consistent model for star formation, black hole accretion and associated feedback. We provide a simulation browser web application which enables interactive search and tagging of the halos, subhalos and their properties and publicly release our galaxy catalogs to the scientific community. Our analysis of the halo mass function in MBII revealsmore » that baryons have strong effects with changes in the halo abundance of 20–35% below the knee of the mass function (M halo 10 13.2 M ⊙ h at z = 0) when compared to dark-matter-only simulations. We provide a fitting function for the halo MF out to redshift z = 11 and discuss its limitations.« less

MODAL TRACKING of A Structural Device: A Subspace Identification Approach

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

Candy, J. V.; Franco, S. N.; Ruggiero, E. L.

Mechanical devices operating in an environment contaminated by noise, uncertainties, and extraneous disturbances lead to low signal-to-noise-ratios creating an extremely challenging processing problem. To detect/classify a device subsystem from noisy data, it is necessary to identify unique signatures or particular features. An obvious feature would be resonant (modal) frequencies emitted during its normal operation. In this report, we discuss a model-based approach to incorporate these physical features into a dynamic structure that can be used for such an identification. The approach we take after pre-processing the raw vibration data and removing any extraneous disturbances is to obtain a representation ofmore » the structurally unknown device along with its subsystems that capture these salient features. One approach is to recognize that unique modal frequencies (sinusoidal lines) appear in the estimated power spectrum that are solely characteristic of the device under investigation. Therefore, the objective of this effort is based on constructing a black box model of the device that captures these physical features that can be exploited to “diagnose” whether or not the particular device subsystem (track/detect/classify) is operating normally from noisy vibrational data. Here we discuss the application of a modern system identification approach based on stochastic subspace realization techniques capable of both (1) identifying the underlying black-box structure thereby enabling the extraction of structural modes that can be used for analysis and modal tracking as well as (2) indicators of condition and possible changes from normal operation.« less

Efficiency of colored modified box traps for sampling of tabanids

PubMed Central

Krčmar, Stjepan; Radolić, Vanja; Lajoš, Petar; Lukačević, Igor

2014-01-01

The efficiency of ten differently colored modified box traps for collecting tabanids was studied in the Monjoroš Forest in eastern Croatia. A total of 5,436 specimens belonging to 16 species of tabanids grouped into six genera were collected. The genus Tabanus was the most represented with 98% of all collected tabanids. Tabanus bromius comprised 90% of tabanids collected, and was the most abundant species collected in all box traps. The majority of tabanids (74%) were collected from black, brown, bordeaux, red, and blue traps (dark group), whereas 26% were collected from green, light violet, white, orange, and yellow traps (light group). The black modified trap was the most successful and collected 20% of all collected tabanids, whereas the yellow trap was the least effective with 1%. The number of collected specimens of species T. bromius differed significantly between the dark and light group of traps. Traps with lower reflectance from green color collected 77% of T. bromius. The most species of tabanids (12) was collected in the brown trap, whereas the least number of species (6) was collected in the yellow trap. PMID:25514593

An analysis of legal warnings after drug approval in Thailand.

PubMed

Sriphiromya, Pakawadee; Theeraroungchaisri, Anuchai

2015-02-01

Drug risk management has many tools for minimizing risk and black-boxed warnings (BBWs) are one of those tools. Some serious adverse drug reactions (ADRs) emerge only after a drug is marketed and used in a larger population. In Thailand, additional legal warnings after drug approval, in the form of black-boxed warnings, may be applied. Review of their characteristics can assist in the development of effective risk mitigation. This study was a cross sectional review of all legal warnings imposed in Thailand after drug approval (2003-2012). Any boxed warnings for biological products and revised warnings which were not related to safety were excluded. Nine legal warnings were evaluated. Seven related to drugs classes and two to individual drugs. The warnings involved four main types of predictable ADRs: drug-disease interactions, side effects, overdose and drug-drug interactions. The average time from first ADRs reported to legal warnings implementation was 12 years. The triggers were from both safety signals in Thailand and regulatory measures in other countries outside Thailand. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Black Box Privacy Protection Act

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Capuano, Michael E. [D-MA-7

2013-06-18

House - 07/15/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

"I Have Goals to Prove All Those People Wrong and Not Fit into Any One of Those Boxes": Paths of Resistance to Stereotypes among Black Adolescent Males

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Leoandra Onnie; Way, Niobe

2016-01-01

Adolescents form their identities by both accommodating (endorsing) and resisting (challenging) cultural stereotypes. Most research on Black males focuses on how they accommodate to negative stereotypes (e.g., delinquency, aggression), but a growing literature emphasizes how youth resist stereotypes. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed to…

Entropy bounds, acceleration radiation, and the generalized second law

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unruh, William G.; Wald, Robert M.

1983-05-01

We calculate the net change in generalized entropy occurring when one attempts to empty the contents of a thin box into a black hole in the manner proposed recently by Bekenstein. The case of a "thick" box also is treated. It is shown that, as in our previous analysis, the effects of acceleration radiation prevent a violation of the generalized second law of thermodynamics. Thus, in this example, the validity of the generalized second law is shown to rest only on the validity of the ordinary second law and the existence of acceleration radiation. No additional assumptions concerning entropy bounds on the contents of the box need to be made.

Extraction of anthocyanins and polyphenols from black rice (Oryza sativa L.) by modeling and assessing their reversibility and stability.

PubMed

Pedro, Alessandra Cristina; Granato, Daniel; Rosso, Neiva Deliberali

2016-01-15

This study was aimed the extraction of total flavonoids, anthocyanins and phenolics, as well as the antioxidant activity of black rice (Oryza sativa) and to study the stability in relation to pH, light and copigmentation. Variations in temperature (10-50°C), time (20-80min), and solid-solvent ratio (1:15-1:45) were studied using a Box-Behnken design. The regression models were significant (P<0.001) and determination coefficients ⩾0.900. Extraction at 34.7°C for 80min using a solid:solvent ratio of 1:30 rendered an extract with 51.26mg 100g(-1) of flavonoids, 116.58mg 100g(-1) of anthocyanins, 520.17mg 100g(-1) of phenolics and 46.50% inhibition of the DPPH radical. A decrease in the color intensity was observed when pH values were changed while anthocyanins were reversible in the process of protonation/deprotonation. The addition of glucose, phytic and gallic acids in the optimized extract exposed to light displayed an intermolecular copigmentation. The main anthocyanin identified in black rice was cyanidin-3-glucoside. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Open loop model for WDM links

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D, Meena; Francis, Fredy; T, Sarath K.; E, Dipin; Srinivas, T.; K, Jayasree V.

2014-10-01

Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) techniques overfibrelinks helps to exploit the high bandwidth capacity of single mode fibres. A typical WDM link consisting of laser source, multiplexer/demultiplexer, amplifier and detectoris considered for obtaining the open loop gain model of the link. The methodology used here is to obtain individual component models using mathematical and different curve fitting techniques. These individual models are then combined to obtain the WDM link model. The objective is to deduce a single variable model for the WDM link in terms of input current to system. Thus it provides a black box solution for a link. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) associated with each of the approximated models is given for comparison. This will help the designer to select the suitable WDM link model during a complex link design.

Field Medical Surveillance System User’s Manual

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-12-14

SSN: Last Name: First Initial: DOB: (mm-dd-yiiyy) -" Sex -- <!• Male C Female Branch: | US Marine Corps jj Rank: JlTl 3 r Status: I...instructions. 6. Click on the male ox female option in the Sex option box. 7. Click on the white, black, or other option in the Race option box. 8...carnivores are incidental hosts Aninftequent and sporadic human infection in most mdustnalned countries. Pnmanly an occupational hazard of workers who

Exploring the use of grounded theory as a methodological approach to examine the 'black box' of network leadership in the national quality forum.

PubMed

Hoflund, A Bryce

2013-01-01

This paper describes how grounded theory was used to investigate the "black box" of network leadership in the creation of the National Quality Forum. Scholars are beginning to recognize the importance of network organizations and are in the embryonic stages of collecting and analyzing data about network leadership processes. Grounded theory, with its focus on deriving theory from empirical data, offers researchers a distinctive way of studying little-known phenomena and is therefore well suited to exploring network leadership processes. Specifically, this paper provides an overview of grounded theory, a discussion of the appropriateness of grounded theory to investigating network phenomena, a description of how the research was conducted, and a discussion of the limitations and lessons learned from using this approach.

Open the `black box' creativity and innovation: a study of activities in R&D departments. Some prospects for engineering education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millet, Charlyne; Oget, David; Cavallucci, Denis

2017-11-01

Innovation is a key component to the success and longevity of companies. Our research opens the 'black box' of creativity and innovation in R&D teams. We argue that understanding the nature of R&D projects in terms of creativity/innovation, efficiency/inefficiency, is important for designing education policies and improving engineering curriculum. Our research addresses the inventive design process, a lesser known aspect of the innovation process, in 197 R&D departments of industrial sector companies in France. One fundamental issue facing companies is to evaluate processes and results of innovation. Results show that the evaluation of innovation is confined by a lack of methodology of inventive projects. We will be establishing the foundations of a formal ontology for inventive design projects and finally some recommendations for engineering education.

First-year Analysis of the Operating Room Black Box Study.

PubMed

Jung, James J; Jüni, Peter; Lebovic, Gerald; Grantcharov, Teodor

2018-06-18

To characterize intraoperative errors, events, and distractions, and measure technical skills of surgeons in minimally invasive surgery practice. Adverse events in the operating room (OR) are common contributors of morbidity and mortality in surgical patients. Adverse events often occur due to deviations in performance and environmental factors. Although comprehensive intraoperative data analysis and transparent disclosure have been advocated to better understand how to improve surgical safety, they have rarely been done. We conducted a prospective cohort study in 132 consecutive patients undergoing elective laparoscopic general surgery at an academic hospital during the first year after the definite implementation of a multiport data capture system called the OR Black Box to identify intraoperative errors, events, and distractions. Expert analysts characterized intraoperative distractions, errors, and events, and measured trainee involvement as main operator. Technical skills were compared, crude and risk-adjusted, among the attending surgeon and trainees. Auditory distractions occurred a median of 138 times per case [interquartile range (IQR) 96-190]. At least 1 cognitive distraction appeared in 84 cases (64%). Medians of 20 errors (IQR 14-36) and 8 events (IQR 4-12) were identified per case. Both errors and events occurred often in dissection and reconstruction phases of operation. Technical skills of residents were lower than those of the attending surgeon (P = 0.015). During elective laparoscopic operations, frequent intraoperative errors and events, variation in surgeons' technical skills, and a high amount of environmental distractions were identified using the OR Black Box.

Chips in black boxes? Convenience life span, parafood, brandwidth, families, and co-creation.

PubMed

Jacobs, Marc

2015-11-01

Any consumer who opens a bag of potato or corn chips (or crisps in the UK) knows there is no time to waste to enjoy or share them. The convenience life span of chips is limited: it is the shelf or storage life and a very limited time once outside the bag. Many technologies converge to generate the desired effect as a black box, not only of the packaging but also of the chips themselves. The concept of paratext can be applied to printed messages on the package, including the brand name and other texts like advertising (epitexts), which can be expanded into the concept of parafood. These concepts help to discuss technological developments and interpret why this has recently become a negotiation zone for co-creation (see the Do us a flavor campaigns). They are symptoms of changing relations between production, research and development, marketing, and consumption. This paper pays special attention to back stories, underdog brand biographies and narratives about origin. The concept of brandwidth is introduced to sensitize about the limits of combining different stories about chips. A recent brand biography, a family history and a cookery book are used to discuss the phenomenon of cooking with Fritos. Together with the concepts of parafood, brandwidth and black boxes, more reflection and dialogue about the role of history and heritage in marketing put new challenging perspectives on the agenda. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DP97, a DEAD box DNA/RNA helicase, is a target gene-selective co-regulator of the constitutive androstane receptor

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

Kanno, Yuichiro, E-mail: ykanno@phar.toho-u.ac.jp; Serikawa, Takafumi; Inajima, Jun

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer DP97 interacts with nuclear receptor CAR. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer DP97 enhances CAR-mediated transcriptional activation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer DP97 synergistically enhances transactivity of CAR by the co-expression of SRC-1 or PGC1{alpha}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer DP97 is a gene-selective co-activator for hCAR. -- Abstract: The constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) plays a key role in the expression of xenobiotic/steroid and drug metabolizing enzymes and their transporters. In this study, we demonstrated that DP97, a member of the DEAD box DNA/RNA helicase protein family, is a novel CAR-interacting protein. Using HepG2 cells expressing human CAR in the presence of tetracycline, we showed that knockdown of DP97 with smallmore » interfering RNAs suppressed tetracycline-inducible mRNA expression of CYP2B6 and UGT1A1 but not CYP3A4. Thus, DP97 was found to be a gene (or promoter)-selective co-activator for hCAR. DP97-mediated CAR transactivation was synergistically enhanced by the co-expression of SRC-1 or PGC1{alpha}, therefore it might act as mediator between hCAR and appropriate co-activators.« less

Stored program concept for analog computers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hannauer, G., III; Patmore, J. R.

1971-01-01

Optimization of three-stage matrices, modularization, and black boxes design techniques provides for automatically interconnecting computing component inputs and outputs in general purpose analog computer. Design also produces relatively inexpensive and less complex automatic patching system.

Efficiency of colored modified box traps for sampling of tabanids.

PubMed

Krčmar, Stjepan; Radolić, Vanja; Lajoš, Petar; Lukačević, Igor

2014-01-01

The efficiency of ten differently colored modified box traps for collecting tabanids was studied in the Monjoroš Forest in eastern Croatia. A total of 5,436 specimens belonging to 16 species of tabanids grouped into six genera were collected. The genus Tabanus was the most represented with 98% of all collected tabanids. Tabanus bromius comprised 90% of tabanids collected, and was the most abundant species collected in all box traps. The majority of tabanids (74%) were collected from black, brown, bordeaux, red, and blue traps (dark group), whereas 26% were collected from green, light violet, white, orange, and yellow traps (light group). The black modified trap was the most successful and collected 20% of all collected tabanids, whereas the yellow trap was the least effective with 1%. The number of collected specimens of species T. bromius differed significantly between the dark and light group of traps. Traps with lower reflectance from green color collected 77% of T. bromius. The most species of tabanids (12) was collected in the brown trap, whereas the least number of species (6) was collected in the yellow trap. © S. Krčmar et al., published by EDP Sciences, 2014.

Numerical simulation for horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands: A short review including geothermal effects and solution bounding in biodegradation procedures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liolios, K.; Tsihrintzis, V.; Angelidis, P.; Georgiev, K.; Georgiev, I.

2016-10-01

Current developments on modeling of groundwater flow and contaminant transport and removal in the porous media of Horizontal Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetlands (HSF CWs) are first reviewed in a short way. The two usual environmental engineering approaches, the black-box and the process-based one, are briefly presented. Next, recent research results obtained by using these two approaches are briefly discussed as application examples, where emphasis is given to the evaluation of the optimal design and operation parameters concerning HSF CWs. For the black-box approach, the use of Artificial Neural Networks is discussed for the formulation of models, which predict the removal performance of HSF CWs. A novel mathematical prove is presented, which concerns the dependence of the first-order removal coefficient on the Temperature and the Hydraulic Residence Time. For the process-based approach, an application example is first discussed which concerns procedures to evaluate the optimal range of values for the removal coefficient, dependent on either the Temperature or the Hydraulic Residence Time. This evaluation is based on simulating available experimental results of pilot-scale units operated in Democritus University of Thrace, Xanthi, Greece. Further, in a second example, a novel enlargement of the system of Partial Differential Equations is presented, in order to include geothermal effects. Finally, in a third example, the case of parameters uncertainty concerning biodegradation procedures is considered and the use of upper and a novel approach is presented, which concerns the upper and the lower solution bound for the practical draft design of HSF CWs.

"Despair" induced by extinction trials in the water maze: relationship with measures of anxiety in aged and adult rats.

PubMed

Schulz, Daniela; Huston, Joseph P; Buddenberg, Tim; Topic, Bianca

2007-03-01

We have previously reported that extinction of escape behavior in the water maze due to the removal of the platform coincided with the development of behavioral "despair" in aged and adult rats, as assessed by immobility. The present study examines further predictions derived from the hypothesis that the withholding of reinforcement induces behaviors akin to depression. We tested for correlations between extinction performance and immobility, as well as between immobility and measures of anxiety in aged and adult rats. Age comparisons were also performed on these variables. Forty aged and 29 adult male Wistar rats (24 and 3 months old, respectively) were examined in the open field, black/white box and elevated-plus maze followed by 6 days of training in the water maze hidden platform task and 8 days of extinction without the platform. Indices of immobility increased over trials of extinction, with the aged showing higher levels, earlier onsets and larger slope increases of immobility than the adults. A lower resistance-to-extinction was predictive of more "despair" in both age groups. Between-group differences in the open field, black/white box and elevated-plus maze indicated that the aged showed more anxiety-like behavior than the adults and/or explored these environments less. Within the aged group, indicators of fearfulness in the three tests were predictive of higher levels of "despair". The extinction-despair model is held to provide the promise of a conceptual and empirical model of human depression that is the consequence of withdrawal of reinforcement.

Photographic copy of July 30, 1934 black and white photograph. ...

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

Photographic copy of July 30, 1934 black and white photograph. Loose in oversized box located at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. 1934 PHOTOGRAPH OF PIER IV LOOKING NORTHWEST FROM BEST BANK TOWARD EAST BANK. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of early black and white photograph. Located loose ...

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

Photographic copy of early black and white photograph. Located loose in oversized box at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. EARLY PHOTOGRAPH OF BRIDGE TAKEN FROM WEST BANK APPROACH LOOKING NORTH TOWARD EAST BANK. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

25. Black and white photograph, 8 1/4" x 10" on ...

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

25. Black and white photograph, 8 1/4" x 10" on glossy paper. Night view of the ground floor, central display window showing an exhibit of gas ranges. On bottom right margin in blue ink, "10-8-58", on reverse in rubber stamp black ink, "Indiana Gas Company, Incorporated, 511-513 Honey Creek Drive, P.O. Box 1647, Terre Haute, Indiana 47808". Rubber stamp in blue ink, "Terre Haute Gas Corporation". Property of Indiana Gas Company, located in Terre Haute office. - John T. Beasley Building, 632 Cherry Street (between Sixth & Seventh Streets), Terre Haute, Vigo County, IN

Pigment analyses of a portrait and paint box of Turkish artist Feyhaman Duran (1886-1970): The EDXRF, FT-IR and micro Raman spectroscopic studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akyuz, Sevim; Akyuz, Tanil; Emre, Gulder; Gulec, Ahmet; Basaran, Sait

2012-04-01

The samples obtained from nine different places of Ataturk portrait (oil on canvas, 86 cm × 136 cm) by Feyhaman Duran (1886-1970), one of the famous Turkish painters of the 20th century, together with five pigment samples (two different white, two different yellow and blue), obtained as powders from artist's paint box, were analysed by EDXRF, FT-IR and micro-Raman spectroscopic methods, in order to characterise the pigments used by the artist. Informative Raman signals were not obtained from most of the samples of the portrait, due to huge fluorescence caused by the presence of impurities and organic materials in the samples, however the Raman spectrum of the sample from skin coloured part of the portrait and the pigment samples obtained from the paint box of the artist were found to be very informative to shed light on the determination of the pigments used. Analysis revealed the presences of chrome yellow (PbCrO4), strontium yellow (SrCrO4) and Cadmium yellow (CdS) as yellow, chromium oxides (Cr2O3 and Cr2O3·2H2O) as green, natural red ochre as red, brown ochre as brown and ivory black or bone black (C + Ca3(PO4)2) and manganese oxides (Mn2O3 and MnO2) as black pigments, in the composition of the Ataturk portrait. Lead white (2PbCO3·Pb(OH)2), calcite (CaCO3), barite (BaSO4), zinc white (ZnO) and titanium white (TiO2) were used as extenders to lighten the colours and/or as for ground level painting. Powder pigment samples, obtained from the paint box of artist, were found to be mixed pigments rather than pure ones.

Destination memory for self-generated actions.

PubMed

El Haj, Mohamad

2016-10-01

There is a substantial body of literature showing memory enhancement for self-generated information in normal aging. The present paper investigated this outcome for destination memory or memory for outputted information. In Experiment 1, younger adults and older adults had to place (self-generated actions) and observe an experimenter placing (experiment-generated actions) items into two different destinations (i.e., a black circular box and a white square box). On a subsequent recognition task, the participants had to decide into which box each item had originally been placed. These procedures showed better destination memory for self- than experimenter-generated actions. In Experiment 2, destination and source memory were assessed for self-generated actions. Younger adults and older adults had to place items into the two boxes (self-generated actions), take items out of the boxes (self-generated actions), and observe an experimenter taking items out of the boxes (experiment-generated actions). On a subsequent recognition task, they had to decide into which box (destination memory)/from which box (source memory) each item had originally been placed/taken. For both populations, source memory was better than destination memory for self-generated actions, and both were better than source memory for experimenter-generated actions. Taken together, these findings highlight the beneficial effect of self-generation on destination memory in older adults.

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

Clough, Katy; Figueras, Pau; Finkel, Hal

In this work, we introduce GRChombo: a new numerical relativity code which incorporates full adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) using block structured Berger-Rigoutsos grid generation. The code supports non-trivial 'many-boxes-in-many-boxes' mesh hierarchies and massive parallelism through the message passing interface. GRChombo evolves the Einstein equation using the standard BSSN formalism, with an option to turn on CCZ4 constraint damping if required. The AMR capability permits the study of a range of new physics which has previously been computationally infeasible in a full 3 + 1 setting, while also significantly simplifying the process of setting up the mesh for these problems. Wemore » show that GRChombo can stably and accurately evolve standard spacetimes such as binary black hole mergers and scalar collapses into black holes, demonstrate the performance characteristics of our code, and discuss various physics problems which stand to benefit from the AMR technique.« less

Gaussian interferometric power and Black box estimation of Unruh temperature

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

Wang, Jieci, E-mail: jcwang@hunnu.edu.cn; Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190; Cao, Haixin

2016-10-15

We present a black box estimation paradigm of Unruh temperature in a relativistic bosonic continuous-variable setting. It is shown that the guaranteed precision for the estimation of Unruh temperature can be evaluated by the Gaussian interferometric power for a given probe state. We demonstrate that the amount of interferometric power is always beyond the entanglement type quantum correlations in a relativistic setting. It is found that due to the fact that Unruh radiation acts as a thermal bath on the probe system, it destroys available resources of the probe system and reduces the guaranteed precision of the estimation of Unruhmore » temperature. We also find that the thermal noise induced by Unruh effect will generate interferometric power between accelerated Bob and his auxiliary partner anti-Bob, while it does not generate any correlation between inertial Alice and anti-Bob.« less

Opening the black box of ethics policy work: evaluating a covert practice.

PubMed

Frolic, Andrea; Drolet, Katherine; Bryanton, Kim; Caron, Carole; Cupido, Cynthia; Flaherty, Barb; Fung, Sylvia; McCall, Lori

2012-01-01

Hospital ethics committees (HECs) and ethicists generally describe themselves as engaged in four domains of practice: case consultation, research, education, and policy work. Despite the increasing attention to quality indicators, practice standards, and evaluation methods for the other domains, comparatively little is known or published about the policy work of HECs or ethicists. This article attempts to open the "black box" of this health care ethics practice by providing two detailed case examples of ethics policy reviews. We also describe the development and application of an evaluation strategy to assess the quality of ethics policy review work, and to enable continuous improvement of ethics policy review processes. Given the potential for policy work to impact entire patient populations and organizational systems, it is imperative that HECs and ethicists develop clearer roles, responsibilities, procedural standards, and evaluation methods to ensure the delivery of consistent, relevant, and high-quality ethics policy reviews.

Cheap but accurate calculation of chemical reaction rate constants from ab initio data, via system-specific, black-box force fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steffen, Julien; Hartke, Bernd

2017-10-01

Building on the recently published quantum-mechanically derived force field (QMDFF) and its empirical valence bond extension, EVB-QMDFF, it is now possible to generate a reliable potential energy surface for any given elementary reaction step in an essentially black box manner. This requires a limited and pre-defined set of reference data near the reaction path and generates an accurate approximation of the reference potential energy surface, on and off the reaction path. This intermediate representation can be used to generate reaction rate data, with far better accuracy and reliability than with traditional approaches based on transition state theory (TST) or variational extensions thereof (VTST), even if those include sophisticated tunneling corrections. However, the additional expense at the reference level remains very modest. We demonstrate all this for three arbitrarily chosen example reactions.

Surgical videos for accident analysis, performance improvement, and complication prevention: time for a surgical black box?

PubMed

Gambadauro, Pietro; Magos, Adam

2012-03-01

Conventional audit of surgical records through review of surgical results provides useful knowledge but hardly helps identify the technical reasons lying behind specific outcomes or complications. Surgical teams not only need to know that a complication might happen but also how and when it is most likely to happen. Functional awareness is therefore needed to prevent complications, know how to deal with them, and improve overall surgical performance. The authors wish to argue that the systematic recording and reviewing of surgical videos, a "surgical black box," might improve surgical care, help prevent complications, and allow accident analysis. A possible strategy to test this hypothesis is presented and discussed. Recording and reviewing surgical interventions, apart from helping us achieve functional awareness and increasing the safety profile of our performance, allows us also to effectively share our experience with colleagues. The authors believe that those potential implications make this hypothesis worth testing.

The Safety of Adjuvanted Vaccines Revisited: Vaccine-Induced Narcolepsy.

PubMed

Ahmed, S Sohail; Montomoli, Emanuele; Pasini, Franco Laghi; Steinman, Lawrence

2016-01-01

Despite the very high benefit-to-risk ratio of vaccines, the fear of negative side effects has discouraged many people from getting vaccinated, resulting in the reemergence of previously controlled diseases such as measles, pertussis and diphtheria. This fear has been amplified more recently by multiple epidemiologic studies that confirmed the link of an AS03-adjuvanted pandemic influenza vaccine (Pandemrix, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Germany) used in Europe during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic [A(H1N1) pdm09] with the development of narcolepsy, a chronic sleep disorder, in children and adolescents. However, public misperceptions of what adjuvants are and why they are used in vaccines has created in some individuals a closed "black box" attitude towards all vaccines. The focus of this review article is to revisit this "black box" using the example of narcolepsy associated with the European AS03-adjuvanted pandemic influenza vaccine.

SU-F-T-540: Comprehensive Fluence Delivery Optimization with Multileaf Collimation

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

Weppler, S; Villarreal-Barajas, J; Department of Medical Physics, Tom Baker Cancer Center, Calgary, Alberta

2016-06-15

Purpose: Multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf sequencing is performed via commercial black-box implementations, on which a user has limited to no access. We have developed an explicit, generic MLC sequencing model to serve as a tool for future investigations of fluence map optimization, fluence delivery optimization, and rotational collimator delivery methods. Methods: We have developed a novel, comprehensive model to effectively account for a variety of transmission and penumbra effects previously treated on an ad hoc basis in the literature. As the model is capable of quantifying a variety of effects, we utilize the asymmetric leakage intensity across each leaf tomore » deliver fluence maps with pixel size smaller than the narrowest leaf width. Developed using linear programming and mixed integer programming formulations, the model is implemented using state of the art open-source solvers. To demonstrate the versatility of the algorithm, a graphical user interface (GUI) was developed in MATLAB capable of accepting custom leaf specifications and transmission parameters. As a preliminary proof-ofconcept, we have sequenced the leaves of a Varian 120 Leaf Millennium MLC for five prostate cancer patient fields and one head and neck field. Predetermined fluence maps have been processed by data smoothing methods to obtain pixel sizes of 2.5 cm{sup 2}. The quality of output was analyzed using computer simulations. Results: For the prostate fields, an average root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.82 and gamma (0.5mm/0.5%) of 91.4% were observed compared to RMSE and gamma (0.5mm/0.5%) values of 7.04 and 34.0% when the leakage considerations were omitted. Similar results were observed for the head and neck case. Conclusion: A model to sequence MLC leaves to optimality has been proposed. Future work will involve extensive testing and evaluation of the method on clinical MLCs and comparison with black-box leaf sequencing algorithms currently used by commercial treatment planning systems.« less

Unlocking the black box: teaching mathematical modeling with popular culture.

PubMed

Lofgren, Eric T

2016-10-01

Mathematical modeling is an important tool in biological research, allowing for the synthesis of results from many studies into an understanding of a system. Despite this, the need for extensive subject matter knowledge and complex mathematics often leaves modeling as an esoteric subspecialty. A 2-fold approach can be used to make modeling more approachable for students and those interested in obtaining a functional knowledge of modeling. The first is the use of a popular culture disease system-a zombie epidemic-to allow for exploration of the concepts of modeling using a flexible framework. The second is the use of available interactive and non-calculus-based tools to allow students to work with and implement models to cement their understanding. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Robust control of drag and lateral dynamic response for road vehicles exposed to cross-wind gusts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfeiffer, Jens; King, Rudibert

2018-03-01

A robust closed-loop active flow control strategy for road vehicles under unsteady cross-wind conditions is presented. It is designed based on black-box models identified from experimental data for a 3D bluff body equipped with Coanda actuators along the rear edges. The controller adjusts the blowing rates of the actuators individually, achieving a drag reduction of about 15% while simultaneously improving cross-wind sensitivity. Hereby, the lateral vehicle dynamics and driver behavior are taken into account and replicated in the wind tunnel via a novel model support system. The effectiveness of the control strategy is demonstrated via cross-wind gust experiments.

Paediatric Patient Safety and the Need for Aviation Black Box Thinking to Learn From and Prevent Medication Errors.

PubMed

Huynh, Chi; Wong, Ian C K; Correa-West, Jo; Terry, David; McCarthy, Suzanne

2017-04-01

Since the publication of To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System in 1999, there has been much research conducted into the epidemiology, nature and causes of medication errors in children, from prescribing and supply to administration. It is reassuring to see growing evidence of improving medication safety in children; however, based on media reports, it can be seen that serious and fatal medication errors still occur. This critical opinion article examines the problem of medication errors in children and provides recommendations for research, training of healthcare professionals and a culture shift towards dealing with medication errors. There are three factors that we need to consider to unravel what is missing and why fatal medication errors still occur. (1) Who is involved and affected by the medication error? (2) What factors hinder staff and organisations from learning from mistakes? Does the fear of litigation and criminal charges deter healthcare professionals from voluntarily reporting medication errors? (3) What are the educational needs required to prevent medication errors? It is important to educate future healthcare professionals about medication errors and human factors to prevent these from happening. Further research is required to apply aviation's 'black box' principles in healthcare to record and learn from near misses and errors to prevent future events. There is an urgent need for the black box investigations to be published and made public for the benefit of other organisations that may have similar potential risks for adverse events. International sharing of investigations and learning is also needed.

Performance Evaluation of 3d Modeling Software for Uav Photogrammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanagi, H.; Chikatsu, H.

2016-06-01

UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) photogrammetry, which combines UAV and freely available internet-based 3D modeling software, is widely used as a low-cost and user-friendly photogrammetry technique in the fields such as remote sensing and geosciences. In UAV photogrammetry, only the platform used in conventional aerial photogrammetry is changed. Consequently, 3D modeling software contributes significantly to its expansion. However, the algorithms of the 3D modelling software are black box algorithms. As a result, only a few studies have been able to evaluate their accuracy using 3D coordinate check points. With this motive, Smart3DCapture and Pix4Dmapper were downloaded from the Internet and commercial software PhotoScan was also employed; investigations were performed in this paper using check points and images obtained from UAV.

Beyond the Methanogenic Black-Box: Greenhouse Gas Fluxes (CO2, CH4, N2O) as Evidence for Wetlands as Dynamic Redox Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mcnicol, G.; Knox, S. H.; Sturtevant, C. S.; Baldocchi, D. D.; Silver, W. L.

2015-12-01

Seminal wetland research in the 1990s demonstrated that annual methane (CH4) fluxes scaled positively with ecosystem production across distinctive wetlands globally. This relationship implies a model of flooded wetland ecosystems as 'methanogenic black-boxes'; poised at a low redox state, and tending to release a fixed fraction of incoming annual productivity as CH4. In contrast, recent studies have reported high ratios of carbon dioxide (CO2) to CH4 emissions, and are adding to a body of evidence suggesting wetlands can vary more widely in their redox state. To explore this apparent incongruence we used principles of redox thermodynamics and laboratory experiments to develop predictions of wetland greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes under different redox regimes. We then used a field study to test the hypothesis that ecosystem seasonality in gross primary productivity (GPP) and temperature would drive changes in GHG emissions, mediated by a dynamic - as opposed to static - redox regime. We estimated wetland GHG emissions from an emergent marsh in the Sacramento Delta, CA from March 2014-2015. We measured CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions via diffusion and ebullition with manual sampling, and whole-ecosystem fluxes of CO2 and CH4 using eddy-covariance. Ebullition and diffusive CH4 fluxes were strongly seasonal, with minimum rates (0.86 and 0.35 mg C-CH­­4 m-2 yr-1, respectively) during winter, and maximum rates (1.3 and 1.8 g C-CH­­4 m-2 yr-1, respectively) during the summer growing season. In contrast, winter diffusive CO2 fluxes (494 g C-CO2 m-2 yr-1) and fall bubble CO2 concentrations (1.49%) were highest, despite being seasons of lower GPP, temperature, and CH4 flux. Further, diffusive and ebullition fluxes of N2O showed zero net flux only during spring and summer months, whereas the wetland was a significant source of N2O during winter (81.2 ± 24.4 mg N-N2O m-2 yr-1). These seasonal flux dynamics contradict a 'methanogenic black box' model of wetland redox, which predicts carbon limitation of, and concurrent maxima in, heterotrophic CO2 and CH4 emissions, and no significant N2O emissions. Rather these results suggest that wetlands can function as dynamic redox environments where GHG emission rate and composition varies predictably in time with seasonal changes in GPP and temperature.

Photographic copy of circa, 1934 black and white photograph. Loose ...

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

Photographic copy of circa, 1934 black and white photograph. Loose in oversized box located at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. DECK TRUSS UNDER CONSTRUCTION BETWEEN PIERS C, B, AND V TAKEN AT GROUND LEVEL FROM EAST BANK. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Cost of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering in the context of extremal boxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Debarshi; Datta, Shounak; Jebaratnam, C.; Majumdar, A. S.

2018-02-01

Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering is a form of quantum nonlocality, which is weaker than Bell nonlocality, but stronger than entanglement. Here we present a method to check Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering in the scenario where the steering party performs two black-box measurements and the trusted party performs projective qubit measurements corresponding to two arbitrary mutually unbiased bases. This method is based on decomposing the measurement correlations in terms of extremal boxes of the steering scenario. In this context, we propose a measure of steerability called steering cost. We show that our steering cost is a convex steering monotone. We illustrate our method to check steerability with two families of measurement correlations and find out their steering cost.

Getting the right answers for the right reasons: Linking measurements, analyses, and models to advance the science of hydrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirchner, James W.

2006-03-01

The science of hydrology is on the threshold of major advances, driven by new hydrologic measurements, new methods for analyzing hydrologic data, and new approaches to modeling hydrologic systems. Here I suggest several promising directions forward, including (1) designing new data networks, field observations, and field experiments, with explicit recognition of the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of hydrologic processes, (2) replacing linear, additive "black box" models with "gray box" approaches that better capture the nonlinear and non-additive character of hydrologic systems, (3) developing physically based governing equations for hydrologic behavior at the catchment or hillslope scale, recognizing that they may look different from the equations that describe the small-scale physics, (4) developing models that are minimally parameterized and therefore stand some chance of failing the tests that they are subjected to, and (5) developing ways to test models more comprehensively and incisively. I argue that scientific progress will mostly be achieved through the collision of theory and data, rather than through increasingly elaborate and parameter-rich models that may succeed as mathematical marionettes, dancing to match the calibration data even if their underlying premises are unrealistic. Thus advancing the science of hydrology will require not only developing theories that get the right answers but also testing whether they get the right answers for the right reasons.

Black branes in a box: hydrodynamics, stability, and criticality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emparan, Roberto; Martınez, Marina

2012-07-01

We study the effective hydrodynamics of neutral black branes enclosed in a finite cylindrical cavity with Dirichlet boundary conditions. We focus on how the Gregory-Laflamme instability changes as we vary the cavity radius R. Fixing the metric at the cavity wall increases the rigidity of the black brane by hindering gradients of the redshift on the wall. In the effective fluid, this is reflected in the growth of the squared speed of sound. As a consequence, when the cavity is smaller than a critical radius the black brane becomes dynamically stable. The correlation with the change in thermodynamic stability is transparent in our approach. We compute the bulk and shear viscosities of the black brane and find that they do not run with R. We find mean-field theory critical exponents near the critical point.

[Phosphorus transfer between mixed poplar and black locust seedlings].

PubMed

He, Wei; Jia, Liming; Hao, Baogang; Wen, Xuejun; Zhai, Mingpu

2003-04-01

In this paper, the 32P radio-tracer technique was applied to study the ways of phosphorus transfer between poplar (Populus euramericana cv. 'I-214') and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). A five compartment root box (18 cm x 18 cm x 26 cm) was used for testing the existence of the hyphal links between the roots of two tree species when inoculated with vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungus (Glomus mosseae). Populus I-214 (donor) and Robinia pseudoacacia (receiver) were grown in two terminal compartments, separated by a 2 cm root-free soil layer. The root compartments were lined with bags of nylon mesh (38 microns) that allowed the passage of hyphae but not roots. The top soil of a mixed stand of poplar and black locust, autoclaved at 121 degrees C for one hour, was used for growing seedlings for testing. In 5 compartment root box, mycorrhizal root colonization of poplar was 34%, in which VA mycorrhizal fungus was inoculated, whereas 26% mycorrhizal root colonization was observed in black locust, the other terminal compartment, 20 weeks after planting. No root colonization was observed in non-inoculated plant pairs. This indicated that the mycorrhizal root colonization of black locust was caused by hyphal spreading from the poplar. Test of tracer isotope of 32P showed that the radioactivity of the treatment significantly higher than that of the control (P < 0.05), 14 days from the tracer applied, to 27 days after, when VA mycorrhizal fungus was inoculated in poplar root. Furthermore, mycorrhizal interconnections between the roots of poplar and black locust seedlings was observed in situ by binocular in root box. All these experiments showed that the hyphal links was formed between the roots of two species of trees inoculated by VA mycorrhizal fungus. Four treatments were designed according to if there were two nets (mesh 38 microns), 2 cm apart, between the poplar and black locust, and if the soil in root box was pasteurized. Most significant differences of radioactivity among four treatments appeared 44 days after feeding 32P, the radioactivity of the day was applied to estimating the contribution of the various possible transfer ways to the total amount of nutrient transfer. Level of 32P radioactivity was found to be significantly (P < 0.05) higher in leaves of the treatment of "no separated and soil non-pasteurized" (17.1 pulse.g-1.s-1) than in leaves of "net separated and soil non-pasteurized" (5.3 pulse.g-1.s-1), and also significantly higher in leaves of "no net separated and soil pasteurized" (11.5 pulse.g.s-1) than in leaves of "net separated and soil pasteurized" (2.3 pulse.g-1.s-1), and very significantly (P < 0.01) higher in leaves of "no net separated and soil non-pasteurized" than in leaves of "net separated and soil pasteurized", whereas the levels of 32P radioactivity were not significantly different between the other treatments. The results showed that root contact and root exudations were the main ways of phosphorus transfer between the two species and the amount of phosphorus transfer through these two ways accounted for 62% of the total. The activity of the microorganisms including VA mycorrhizal fungi and the interaction between the microorganisms and root contact and root exudations made up 38% of total amount of phosphorus. The effect of mycorrhizal hyphal links in the direct nutrient transfer between poplar and black locust through separate mesh (38 microns) was little.

Human Factors and Safety Evaluation of the Automatic Test and Repair System (AN/MSM-105(V)1)

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-07-01

box and the main breaker box In both the ETF and ERF did not conform to military standards In that they consisted of black letters on a gold ...transportable test and repair system for electronic equipment that consists of an electronic test facility ( ETF ) and an electronic repair facility (ERF...personal gear in both the ETF and the ERF, and in the ETF there was not nearly enough room for the storage of the interconnect devices, tapes and manuals

Allergy epidemiology in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. III. Trees.

PubMed

Lewis, W H; Imber, W E

1975-08-01

A population skin-tested with pollen from twelve wind pollinated tree species showed a variable level of allergenicity, particularly among adults. Pollen extracts of Box Elder, Willow and Hickory elicited the highest allergic reactions, Oak, Birch, Sycamore, Black Walnut and Poplar more moderate reactions, while allergens from Cottonwood, Maple, Elm and White Ash were less reactive. Since Box Elder is ubiquitous and produces a strongly positive reaction among adults, it should be included among skin tests of those patients known to be allergic to early spring pollen.

A sigmoidal model for biosorption of heavy metal cations from aqueous media.

PubMed

Özen, Rümeysa; Sayar, Nihat Alpagu; Durmaz-Sam, Selcen; Sayar, Ahmet Alp

2015-07-01

A novel multi-input single output (MISO) black-box sigmoid model is developed to simulate the biosorption of heavy metal cations by the fission yeast from aqueous medium. Validation and verification of the model is done through statistical chi-squared hypothesis tests and the model is evaluated by uncertainty and sensitivity analyses. The simulated results are in agreement with the data of the studied system in which Schizosaccharomyces pombe biosorbs Ni(II) cations at various process conditions. Experimental data is obtained originally for this work using dead cells of an adapted variant of S. Pombe and represented by Freundlich isotherms. A process optimization scheme is proposed using the present model to build a novel application of a cost-merit objective function which would be useful to predict optimal operation conditions. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Reduction of Sulfuryl Chloride at Teflon-Bonded Carbon Cathodes

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-07-01

titrated mulating cathodes, along with their BET surface potentiometrically with standardized silver nitrate areas. Shawinigan black possesses the...assembly steps when individually dissolved can be titrated through were accomplished in the glove box. iodimetry or iodometry, respectively (7). If

Photographic copy of 8” x 10” black and white photograph ...

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

Photographic copy of 8” x 10” black and white photograph of photograph of Franklin M. Masters (1883–1974). Photographer unknown: Loose in separate folder in oversized box located at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. PHOTOGRAPH OF FRANKLIN M. MASTERS (1883-1974). - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of 10” x 15”, black and white, proof ...

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

Photographic copy of 10” x 15”, black and white, proof photograph. Located loose in oversized box at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Photographer, The Billings Studio. PROOF PHOTOGRAPH OF COMPLETED BRIDGE TAKEN FROM WEST BANK LEVEE LOOKING NORTH DOWN RIVER TOWARD EAST BANK. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of circa 1933, 10” x 15” black and ...

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

Photographic copy of circa 1933, 10” x 15” black and white aerial photograph. Loose in oversized box located at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING CONSTRUCTION OF PIERS A, I, II, AND III BEGINNING ON EAST BANK OF RIVER. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of 8” x 10” black and white photograph ...

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

Photographic copy of 8” x 10” black and white photograph of photograph of Ralph Modjeski (1861–1940). Photographer unknown: Loose in separate folder in oversized box located at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. PHOTOGRAPH OF RALPH MODJESKI (1861 - 1940). - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of circa 1933, 10” x 15” black and ...

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

Photographic copy of circa 1933, 10” x 15” black and white aerial photograph. Loose in oversized box located at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING CONSTRUCTION OF EAST BANK RAILROAD AND BRIDGE APPROACH AT JEFFERSON HIGHWAY INTERSECTION. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of circa 1934, black and white photograph. Located ...

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

Photographic copy of circa 1934, black and white photograph. Located loose in oversized box at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. CIRCA 1934 PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN ON WEST BANK APPROACH ROADWAY LOOKING NORTHEAST TOWARD EAST BANK SHOWING DETAIL OF RAILING AND DECORATIVE LIGHT STANDARD AND FIXTURE. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of circa 1933, 10” x 15” black and ...

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

Photographic copy of circa 1933, 10” x 15” black and white aerial photograph. Loose in oversized box located at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING EAST BANK CONSTRUCTION OF PIER A AND I AND COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION TRESTLE. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

General Reevaluation Report and Environmental Impact Statement for the Blanchard River, Ottawa, Ohio Flood Protection Project

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-04-01

Black locust Black willow Honey locust Mulberry Slippery elm Box elder Cottonwood Multiflora rose Green ash Hackberry The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service...flows in the Blanchard River at Ottawa. The Perry Street bridge was removed in 1951 and replaced by a new bridge at Elm Street that is less restrictive...flood plain. The present tree growth commonly consists of a second growth of spe- cies of elm , maple, and oak. All of the Blanchard River basin lies

New and incremental FDA black box warnings from 2008 to 2015.

PubMed

Solotke, Michael T; Dhruva, Sanket S; Downing, Nicholas S; Shah, Nilay D; Ross, Joseph S

2018-02-01

The boxed warning (also known as 'black box warning [BBW]') is one of the strongest drug safety actions that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) can implement, and often warns of serious risks. The objective of this study was to comprehensively characterize BBWs issued for drugs after FDA approval. We identified all post-marketing BBWs from January 2008 through June 2015 listed on FDA's MedWatch and Drug Safety Communications websites. We used each drug's prescribing information to classify its BBW as new, major update to a preexisting BBW, or minor update. We then characterized these BBWs with respect to pre-specified BBW-specific and drug-specific features. There were 111 BBWs issued to drugs on the US market, of which 29% (n = 32) were new BBWs, 32% (n = 35) were major updates, and 40% (n = 44) were minor updates. New BBWs and major updates were most commonly issued for death (51%) and cardiovascular risk (27%). The new BBWs and major updates impacted 200 drug formulations over the study period, of which 64% were expected to be used chronically and 58% had available alternatives without a BBW. New BBWs and incremental updates to existing BBWs are frequently added to drug labels after regulatory approval.

Beyond Black Boxes: Bringing Transparency and Aesthetics Back to Scientific Investigation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Resnick, Mitchel; Berg, Robbie; Eisenberg, Michael

2000-01-01

Presents a set of case studies in which students create, customize, and personalize their own scientific instruments. Finds that students become engaged in scientific inquiry not only through observing and measuring, but also through designing and building. (Author/CCM)

Filling the Black Box of Implementation for Health-Promoting Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowling, Louise; Samdal, Oddrun

2011-01-01

Purpose: Achieving organisational learning and greater specificity for implementation action for health-promoting schools requires detailed understanding of the necessary components. They include: preparing and planning for school development, policy and institutional anchoring, professional development and learning, leadership and management…

Anxiolytic effects of environmental enrichment attenuate sex-related anxiogenic effects of scopolamine in rats.

PubMed

Hughes, Robert N; Otto, Maria T

2013-01-10

In groups of four same-sexed animals, PVG/c hooded rats were housed for 4.5 months in standard or enriched cages containing several objects that could be explored and manipulated. On separate occasions, each rat then experienced two consecutive daily trials in an open field, a light-dark box or a Y maze with arm inserts that enabled an acquisition trial comprising one black and one white arm to be changed for a retention trial consisting of two black arms. Before their trials in the open field and light-dark box, and following each acquisition trial in the Y maze, the rats received an intraperitoneal injection of 2 mg/kg scopolamine or isotonic saline. In the open field, enrichment led to higher levels of ambulation, walking, rearing and occupancy of the center of the apparatus and shorter emergence latencies from the dark into the light compartment of the light-dark box accompanied by more entries of this compartment. Enrichment also increased entries of and time spent in the changed (or novel) Y-maze arm only for male rats treated with scopolamine. The drug decreased rearing and increased grooming in the open field as well as increasing emergence latencies and decreasing entries of and the time spent on the light compartment of the light-dark box. The main results were interpreted as enrichment having attenuated anxiogenic effects of the behavioral testing and the action of scopolamine for male (but not female) rats in their choices of the novel arm in the Y maze. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The black box in somatization: unexplained physical symptoms, culture, and narratives of trauma.

PubMed

Waitzkin, H; Magaña, H

1997-09-01

Stimulated by our clinical work with patients who manifest unexplained "somatoform" symptoms in the primary care setting, this article addresses a theoretical black box in our understanding of somatization: how does culture mediate severe stress to produce symptoms that cannot be explained by the presence of physical illness? Despite various problems in his explanation of hysteria, Freud broke new ground by emphasizing narratives of traumatic experiences in the development and treatment of unexplained physical symptoms. Except in anthropologically oriented cultural psychiatry, contemporary psychiatry has traveled away from a focus on narrative in the study of somatization. On the other hand, recent interest in narrative has spread across many intellectual disciplines, including the humanities and literary criticism, psychology, history, anthropology, and sociology. We operationally define narratives as attempts at storytelling that portray the interrelationships among physical symptoms and the psychologic, social, or cultural context of these symptoms. Regarding somatization and trauma, we focus on the ways that narrative integrates the cultural context with traumatic life events. In explaining the black box, we postulate that extreme stress (torture, rape, witnessing deaths of relatives, forced migration, etc.) is processed psychologically as a terrible, largely incoherent narrative of events too awful to hold in consciousness. Culture patterns the psychologic and somatic expression of the terrible narrative. Methodologically, we have developed some techniques for eliciting narratives of severe stress and somatic symptoms, which we illustrate with observations from an ongoing research project. In designing interventions to improve the care of somatizing patients, we are focusing on the creation of social situations where patients may feel empowered to express more coherent narratives of their prior traumatic experiences.

Challenging the FDA black box warning for high aspirin dose with ticagrelor in patients with diabetes.

PubMed

DiNicolantonio, James J; Serebruany, Victor L

2013-03-01

Ticagrelor, a novel reversible antiplatelet agent, has a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) black box warning to avoid maintenance doses of aspirin (ASA) >100 mg/daily. This restriction is based on the hypothesis that ASA doses >100 mg somehow decreased ticagrelor's benefit in the Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes (PLATO) U.S. cohort. However, these data are highly postrandomized, come from a very small subgroup in PLATO (57% of patients in the U.S. site), and make no biological sense. Moreover, the ticagrelor-ASA interaction was not significant by any multivariate Cox regression analyses. The Complete Response Review for ticagrelor indicates that for U.S. PLATO patients, an ASA dose >300 mg was not a significant interaction for vascular outcomes. In the ticagrelor-ASA >300 mg cohort, all-cause and vascular mortality were not significantly increased (hazard ratio [HR] 1.27 [95% CI 0.84-1.93], P = 0.262 and 1.39 [0.87-2.2], P = 0.170), respectively. Furthermore, for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), 30-day all-cause mortality, and 30-day vascular mortality, the strongest interaction is the diabetes-ASA interaction. That is, patients who had diabetes had significantly fewer MACEs through study end (0.49 [0.34-0.63], P < 0.0001), significantly less 30-day all-cause mortality (0.33 [0.20-0.56], P < 0.0001), and significantly less 30-day vascular mortality (0.35 [0.22-0.55], P < 0.0001), respectively, when given high-dose (300-325 mg) ASA, regardless of treatment (clopidogrel or ticagrelor) assignment. The black box warning for the use of maintenance ASA doses >100 mg with ticagrelor is inappropriate for patients with diabetes and not evidence based.

Forecast Method of Solar Irradiance with Just-In-Time Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Takanobu; Goto, Yusuke; Terazono, Takahiro; Wakao, Shinji; Oozeki, Takashi

PV power output mainly depends on the solar irradiance which is affected by various meteorological factors. So, it is required to predict solar irradiance in the future for the efficient operation of PV systems. In this paper, we develop a novel approach for solar irradiance forecast, in which we introduce to combine the black-box model (JIT Modeling) with the physical model (GPV data). We investigate the predictive accuracy of solar irradiance over wide controlled-area of each electric power company by utilizing the measured data on the 44 observation points throughout Japan offered by JMA and the 64 points around Kanto by NEDO. Finally, we propose the application forecast method of solar irradiance to the point which is difficulty in compiling the database. And we consider the influence of different GPV default time on solar irradiance prediction.

On Looking into the Black Box: Prospects and Limits in the Search for Mental Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rouse, W. B.; Morris, N. M.

1984-01-01

To place the arguments advanced in this paper in alternative points of view with regard to mental models are reviewed. Use of the construct in areas such as neural information processing, manual control, decision making, problem solving, and cognitive science are discussed. Also reviewed are several taxonomies of mental models. The available empirical evidence for answering questions concerning the nature and usage of mental models is then discussed. A variety of studies are reviewed where the type and form of humans' knowledge have been manipulated. Also considered are numerous transfer of training studies whose results provide indirect evidence of the nature of mental models. The alternative perspectives considered and the spectrum of empirical evidence are combined to suggest a framework within which research on mental models can be viewed. By considering interactions of dimensions of this framework, the most salient unanswered questions can be identified.

Semiparametric Identification of Human Arm Dynamics for Flexible Control of a Functional Electrical Stimulation Neuroprosthesis

PubMed Central

Schearer, Eric M.; Liao, Yu-Wei; Perreault, Eric J.; Tresch, Matthew C.; Memberg, William D.; Kirsch, Robert F.; Lynch, Kevin M.

2016-01-01

We present a method to identify the dynamics of a human arm controlled by an implanted functional electrical stimulation neuroprosthesis. The method uses Gaussian process regression to predict shoulder and elbow torques given the shoulder and elbow joint positions and velocities and the electrical stimulation inputs to muscles. We compare the accuracy of torque predictions of nonparametric, semiparametric, and parametric model types. The most accurate of the three model types is a semiparametric Gaussian process model that combines the flexibility of a black box function approximator with the generalization power of a parameterized model. The semiparametric model predicted torques during stimulation of multiple muscles with errors less than 20% of the total muscle torque and passive torque needed to drive the arm. The identified model allows us to define an arbitrary reaching trajectory and approximately determine the muscle stimulations required to drive the arm along that trajectory. PMID:26955041

Should we trust build-up/wash-off water quality models at the scale of urban catchments?

PubMed

Bonhomme, Céline; Petrucci, Guido

2017-01-01

Models of runoff water quality at the scale of an urban catchment usually rely on build-up/wash-off formulations obtained through small-scale experiments. Often, the physical interpretation of the model parameters, valid at the small-scale, is transposed to large-scale applications. Testing different levels of spatial variability, the parameter distributions of a water quality model are obtained in this paper through a Monte Carlo Markov Chain algorithm and analyzed. The simulated variable is the total suspended solid concentration at the outlet of a periurban catchment in the Paris region (2.3 km 2 ), for which high-frequency turbidity measurements are available. This application suggests that build-up/wash-off models applied at the catchment-scale do not maintain their physical meaning, but should be considered as "black-box" models. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Empirical Human Controller Model for Preview Tracking Tasks.

PubMed

van der El, Kasper; Pool, Daan M; Damveld, Herman J; van Paassen, Marinus Rene M; Mulder, Max

2016-11-01

Real-life tracking tasks often show preview information to the human controller about the future track to follow. The effect of preview on manual control behavior is still relatively unknown. This paper proposes a generic operator model for preview tracking, empirically derived from experimental measurements. Conditions included pursuit tracking, i.e., without preview information, and tracking with 1 s of preview. Controlled element dynamics varied between gain, single integrator, and double integrator. The model is derived in the frequency domain, after application of a black-box system identification method based on Fourier coefficients. Parameter estimates are obtained to assess the validity of the model in both the time domain and frequency domain. Measured behavior in all evaluated conditions can be captured with the commonly used quasi-linear operator model for compensatory tracking, extended with two viewpoints of the previewed target. The derived model provides new insights into how human operators use preview information in tracking tasks.

Predictor-based multivariable closed-loop system identification of the EXTRAP T2R reversed field pinch external plasma response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olofsson, K. Erik J.; Brunsell, Per R.; Rojas, Cristian R.; Drake, James R.; Hjalmarsson, Håkan

2011-08-01

The usage of computationally feasible overparametrized and nonregularized system identification signal processing methods is assessed for automated determination of the full reversed-field pinch external plasma response spectrum for the experiment EXTRAP T2R. No assumptions on the geometry of eigenmodes are imposed. The attempted approach consists of high-order autoregressive exogenous estimation followed by Markov block coefficient construction and Hankel matrix singular value decomposition. It is seen that the obtained 'black-box' state-space models indeed can be compared with the commonplace ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) resistive thin-shell model in cylindrical geometry. It is possible to directly map the most unstable autodetected empirical system pole to the corresponding theoretical resistive shell MHD eigenmode.

LIGO Finds Lightest Black-Hole Binary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-11-01

Wednesdayevening the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) collaboration quietly mentioned that theyd found gravitational waves from yet another black-hole binary back in June. This casual announcement reveals what is so far the lightest pair of black holes weve watched merge opening the door for comparisons to the black holes weve detected by electromagnetic means.A Routine DetectionThe chirp signal of GW170608 detected by LIGO Hanford and LIGO Livingston. [LIGO collaboration 2017]After the fanfare of the previous four black-hole-binary merger announcements over the past year and a half as well as the announcement of the one neutron-star binary merger in August GW170608 marks our entry into the era in which gravitational-wave detections are officially routine.GW170608, a gravitational-wave signal from the merger of two black holes roughly a billion light-years away, was detected in June of this year. This detection occurred after wed already found gravitational waves from several black-hole binaries with the two LIGO detectors in the U.S., but before the Virgo interferometer came online in Europe and increased the joint ability of the detectors to localize sources.Mass estimates for the two components of GW170608 using different models. [LIGO collaboration 2017]Overall, GW170608 is fairly unremarkable: it was detected by both LIGO Hanford and LIGO Livingston some 7 ms apart, and the signal looks not unlike those of the previous LIGO detections. But because were still in the early days of gravitational-wave astronomy, every discovery is still remarkable in some way! GW170608 stands out as being the lightest pair of black holes weve yet to see merge, with component masses before the merger estimated at 12 and 7 times the mass of the Sun.Why Size MattersWith the exception of GW151226, the gravitational-wave signal discovered on Boxing Day last year, all of the black holes that have been discovered by LIGO/Virgo have been quite large: the masses of the components have all been estimated at 20 solar masses or more. This has made it difficult to compare these black holes to those detected by electromagnetic means which are mostly under 10 solar masses in size.GW170608 is the lowest-mass of the LIGO/Virgo black-hole mergers shown in blue. The primary mass is comparable to the masses of black holes we have measured by electromagnetic means (purple detections). [LIGO-Virgo/Frank Elavsky/Northwestern]One type of electromagnetically detected black hole are those in low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs). LMXBs consist of a black hole and a non-compact companion: a low-mass donor star that overflows its Roche lobe, feeding material onto the black hole. It is thought that these black holes form without significant spin, and are later spun up as a result of the mass accretion. Before LIGO, however, we didnt have any non-accreting black holes of this size to observe for comparison.Now, detections like GW170608 and the Boxing Day event (which was also on the low end of the mass scale) are allowing us to start exploring spin distributions of non-accreting black holes to determine if were right in our understanding of black-hole spins. We dont yet have a large enough comparison sample to make a definitive statement, but GW170608 is indicative of a wealth of more discoveries we can hope to find in LIGOs next observing run, after a series of further design upgrades scheduled to conclude in 2018. The future of gravitational wave astronomy continues to look promising!CitationLIGO collaboration, submitted to ApJL. https://arxiv.org/abs/1711.05578

Opening the black box: evaluation of nutrient nonpoint source management for estuarine watersheds

EPA Science Inventory

Over the last 40 years, there have been significant improvements in water quality and ecosystem condition in estuaries stressed by nutrient enrichment. However, documented improvements have been largely attributed to reductions in point sources. In contrast, improvement of coasta...

Black Boxes in Analytical Chemistry: University Students' Misconceptions of Instrumental Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carbo, Antonio Domenech; Adelantado, Jose Vicente Gimeno; Reig, Francisco Bosch

2010-01-01

Misconceptions of chemistry and chemical engineering university students concerning instrumental analysis have been established from coordinated tests, tutorial interviews and laboratory lessons. Misconceptions can be divided into: (1) formal, involving specific concepts and formulations within the general frame of chemistry; (2)…

Towards black-box calculations of tunneling splittings obtained from vibrational structure methods based on normal coordinates.

PubMed

Neff, Michael; Rauhut, Guntram

2014-02-05

Multidimensional potential energy surfaces obtained from explicitly correlated coupled-cluster calculations and further corrections for high-order correlation contributions, scalar relativistic effects and core-correlation energy contributions were generated in a fully automated fashion for the double-minimum benchmark systems OH3(+) and NH3. The black-box generation of the potentials is based on normal coordinates, which were used in the underlying multimode expansions of the potentials and the μ-tensor within the Watson operator. Normal coordinates are not the optimal choice for describing double-minimum potentials and the question remains if they can be used for accurate calculations at all. However, their unique definition is an appealing feature, which removes remaining errors in truncated potential expansions arising from different choices of curvilinear coordinate systems. Fully automated calculations are presented, which demonstrate, that the proposed scheme allows for the determination of energy levels and tunneling splittings as a routine application. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During power-up of the orbiter Discovery in the Orbiter Processing Facility, a technician moves a switch. Discovery has been undergoing Orbiter Major Modifications in the past year, ranging from wiring, control panels and black boxes to gaseous and fluid systems tubing and components. These systems were deserviced, disassembled, inspected, modified, reassembled, checked out and reserviced, as were most other systems onboard. The work includes the installation of the Multifunction Electronic Display Subsystem (MEDS) - a state-of-the-art “glass cockpit.”

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-27

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During power-up of the orbiter Discovery in the Orbiter Processing Facility, a technician moves a switch. Discovery has been undergoing Orbiter Major Modifications in the past year, ranging from wiring, control panels and black boxes to gaseous and fluid systems tubing and components. These systems were deserviced, disassembled, inspected, modified, reassembled, checked out and reserviced, as were most other systems onboard. The work includes the installation of the Multifunction Electronic Display Subsystem (MEDS) - a state-of-the-art “glass cockpit.”

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During power-up of the orbiter Discovery in the Orbiter Processing Facility, a technician turns on a switch. Discovery has been undergoing Orbiter Major Modifications in the past year, ranging from wiring, control panels and black boxes to gaseous and fluid systems tubing and components. These systems were deserviced, disassembled, inspected, modified, reassembled, checked out and reserviced, as were most other systems onboard. The work includes the installation of the Multifunction Electronic Display Subsystem (MEDS) - a state-of-the-art “glass cockpit.”

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-27

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During power-up of the orbiter Discovery in the Orbiter Processing Facility, a technician turns on a switch. Discovery has been undergoing Orbiter Major Modifications in the past year, ranging from wiring, control panels and black boxes to gaseous and fluid systems tubing and components. These systems were deserviced, disassembled, inspected, modified, reassembled, checked out and reserviced, as were most other systems onboard. The work includes the installation of the Multifunction Electronic Display Subsystem (MEDS) - a state-of-the-art “glass cockpit.”

Comparison between different direct search optimization algorithms in the calibration of a distributed hydrological model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campo, Lorenzo; Castelli, Fabio; Caparrini, Francesca

2010-05-01

The modern distributed hydrological models allow the representation of the different surface and subsurface phenomena with great accuracy and high spatial and temporal resolution. Such complexity requires, in general, an equally accurate parametrization. A number of approaches have been followed in this respect, from simple local search method (like Nelder-Mead algorithm), that minimize a cost function representing some distance between model's output and available measures, to more complex approaches like dynamic filters (such as the Ensemble Kalman Filter) that carry on an assimilation of the observations. In this work the first approach was followed in order to compare the performances of three different direct search algorithms on the calibration of a distributed hydrological balance model. The direct search family can be defined as that category of algorithms that make no use of derivatives of the cost function (that is, in general, a black box) and comprehend a large number of possible approaches. The main benefit of this class of methods is that they don't require changes in the implementation of the numerical codes to be calibrated. The first algorithm is the classical Nelder-Mead, often used in many applications and utilized as reference. The second algorithm is a GSS (Generating Set Search) algorithm, built in order to guarantee the conditions of global convergence and suitable for a parallel and multi-start implementation, here presented. The third one is the EGO algorithm (Efficient Global Optimization), that is particularly suitable to calibrate black box cost functions that require expensive computational resource (like an hydrological simulation). EGO minimizes the number of evaluations of the cost function balancing the need to minimize a response surface that approximates the problem and the need to improve the approximation sampling where prediction error may be high. The hydrological model to be calibrated was MOBIDIC, a complete balance distributed model developed at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the University of Florence. Discussion on the comparisons between the effectiveness of the different algorithms on different cases of study on Central Italy basins is provided.

Unpacking the Black Box of the CSRP Intervention: The Mediating Roles of Teacher-child Relationship Quality and Self-regulation

PubMed Central

Jones, Stephanie M.; Bub, Kristen L.; Raver, C. Cybele

2014-01-01

This study examines the theory of change of the Chicago School Readiness Project (CSRP), testing a sequence of theory-derived mediating mechanisms including the quality of teacher-child relationships and children’s self-regulation. The CSRP is a multi-component teacher- and classroom-focused intervention, and its cluster-randomized efficacy trial was conducted in 35 Head Start-funded classrooms. A series of increasingly complex and conservative structural equation models indicate that the CSRP carries its effects on children’s academic and behavioral outcomes through changes in teacher-child relationship quality and children’s self-regulation. PMID:24729666

Accurate and Efficient Approximation to the Optimized Effective Potential for Exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryabinkin, Ilya G.; Kananenka, Alexei A.; Staroverov, Viktor N.

2013-07-01

We devise an efficient practical method for computing the Kohn-Sham exchange-correlation potential corresponding to a Hartree-Fock electron density. This potential is almost indistinguishable from the exact-exchange optimized effective potential (OEP) and, when used as an approximation to the OEP, is vastly better than all existing models. Using our method one can obtain unambiguous, nearly exact OEPs for any reasonable finite one-electron basis set at the same low cost as the Krieger-Li-Iafrate and Becke-Johnson potentials. For all practical purposes, this solves the long-standing problem of black-box construction of OEPs in exact-exchange calculations.

The plant perceptron connects environment to development.

PubMed

Scheres, Ben; van der Putten, Wim H

2017-03-15

Plants cope with the environment in a variety of ways, and ecological analyses attempt to capture this through life-history strategies or trait-based categorization. These approaches are limited because they treat the trade-off mechanisms that underlie plant responses as a black box. Approaches that involve the molecular or physiological analysis of plant responses to the environment have elucidated intricate connections between developmental and environmental signals, but in only a few well-studied model species. By considering diversity in the plant response to the environment as the adaptation of an information-processing network, new directions can be found for the study of life-history strategies, trade-offs and evolution in plants.

Decision Support System for Evaluation of Gunnison River Flow Regimes With Respect To Resources of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Auble, Gregor T.; Wondzell, Mark; Talbert, Colin

2009-01-01

This report describes and documents a decision support system for the Gunnison River in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. It is a macro-embedded EXCEL program that calculates and displays indicators representing valued characteristics or processes in the Black Canyon based on daily flows of the Gunnison River. The program is designed to easily accept input from downloaded stream gage records or output from the RIVERWARE reservoir operations model being used for the upstream Aspinall Unit. The decision support system is structured to compare as many as eight alternative flow regimes, where each alternative is represented by a daily sequence of at least 20 calendar years of streamflow. Indicators include selected flow statistics, riparian plant community distribution, clearing of box elder by inundation and scour, several measures of sediment mobilization, trout fry habitat, and federal reserved water rights. Calculation of variables representing National Park Service federal reserved water rights requires additional secondary input files pertaining to forecast and actual basin inflows and storage levels in Blue Mesa reservoir. Example input files representing a range of situations including historical, reconstructed natural, and simulated alternative reservoir operations are provided with the software.

Electric Power Distribution System Model Simplification Using Segment Substitution

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

Reiman, Andrew P.; McDermott, Thomas E.; Akcakaya, Murat

Quasi-static time-series (QSTS) simulation is used to simulate the behavior of distribution systems over long periods of time (typically hours to years). The technique involves repeatedly solving the load-flow problem for a distribution system model and is useful for distributed energy resource (DER) planning. When a QSTS simulation has a small time step and a long duration, the computational burden of the simulation can be a barrier to integration into utility workflows. One way to relieve the computational burden is to simplify the system model. The segment substitution method of simplifying distribution system models introduced in this paper offers modelmore » bus reduction of up to 98% with a simplification error as low as 0.2% (0.002 pu voltage). In contrast to existing methods of distribution system model simplification, which rely on topological inspection and linearization, the segment substitution method uses black-box segment data and an assumed simplified topology.« less

Risk-Based Object Oriented Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenberg, Linda H.; Stapko, Ruth; Gallo, Albert

2000-01-01

Software testing is a well-defined phase of the software development life cycle. Functional ("black box") testing and structural ("white box") testing are two methods of test case design commonly used by software developers. A lesser known testing method is risk-based testing, which takes into account the probability of failure of a portion of code as determined by its complexity. For object oriented programs, a methodology is proposed for identification of risk-prone classes. Risk-based testing is a highly effective testing technique that can be used to find and fix the most important problems as quickly as possible.

Quantification of black carbon mixing state from traffic: Implications for aerosol optical properties

DOE PAGES

Willis, Megan D.; Healy, Robert M.; Riemer, Nicole; ...

2016-04-14

The climatic impacts of black carbon (BC) aerosol, an important absorber of solar radiation in the atmosphere, remain poorly constrained and are intimately related to its particle-scale physical and chemical properties. Using particle-resolved modelling informed by quantitative measurements from a soot-particle aerosol mass spectrometer, we confirm that the mixing state (the distribution of co-emitted aerosol amongst fresh BC-containing particles) at the time of emission significantly affects BC-aerosol optical properties even after a day of atmospheric processing. Both single particle and ensemble aerosol mass spectrometry observations indicate that BC near the point of emission co-exists with hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA) inmore » two distinct particle types: HOA-rich and BC-rich particles. The average mass fraction of black carbon in HOA-rich and BC-rich particle classes was < 0.1 and 0.8, respectively. Notably, approximately 90 % of BC mass resides in BC-rich particles. This new measurement capability provides quantitative insight into the physical and chemical nature of BC-containing particles and is used to drive a particle-resolved aerosol box model. Lastly, significant differences in calculated single scattering albedo (an increase of 0.1) arise from accurate treatment of initial particle mixing state as compared to the assumption of uniform aerosol composition at the point of BC injection into the atmosphere.« less

A look inside 'black box' hydrograph separation models: A study at the hydrohill catchment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kendall, C.; McDonnell, Jeffery J.; Gu, W.

2001-01-01

Runoff sources and dominant flowpaths are still poorly understood in most catchments; consequently, most hydrograph separations are essentially 'black box' models where only external information is used. The well-instrumented 490 m2 Hydrohill artificial grassland catchment located near Nanjing (China) was used to examine internal catchment processes. Since groundwater levels never reach the soil surface at this site, two physically distinct flowpaths can unambiguously be defined: surface and subsurface runoff. This study combines hydrometric, isotopic and geochemical approaches to investigating the relations between the chloride, silica, and oxygen isotopic compositions of subsurface waters and rainfall. During a 120 mm storm over a 24 h period in 1989, 55% of event water input infiltrated and added to soil water storage; the remainder ran off as infiltration-excess overland flow. Only about 3-5% of the pre-event water was displaced out of the catchment by in-storm rainfall. About 80% of the total flow was quickflow, and 10% of the total flow was pre-event water, mostly derived from saturated flow from deeper soils. Rain water with high ??18O values from the beginning of the storm appeared to be preferentially stored in shallow soils. Groundwater at the end of the storm shows a wide range of isotopic and chemical compositions, primarily reflecting the heterogeneous distribution of the new and mixed pore waters. High chloride and silica concentrations in quickflow runoff derived from event water indicate that these species are not suitable conservative tracers of either water sources or flowpaths in this catchment. Determining the proportion of event water alone does not constrain the possible hydrologic mechanisms sufficiently to distinguish subsurface and surface flowpaths uniquely, even in this highly controlled artificial catchment. We reconcile these findings with a perceptual model of stormflow sources and flowpaths that explicitly accounts for water, isotopic, and chemical mass balance. Copyright ?? 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Modern Analytical Chemistry in the Contemporary World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Šíma, Jan

2016-01-01

Students not familiar with chemistry tend to misinterpret analytical chemistry as some kind of the sorcery where analytical chemists working as modern wizards handle magical black boxes able to provide fascinating results. However, this approach is evidently improper and misleading. Therefore, the position of modern analytical chemistry among…

Watermark Estimation through Detector Observations

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-03-01

electronic watermark detection is only feasible if the watermark detector is aware of the secret K. In many watermarking business scenarios the watermark...detector will be available to the public as a black box D. The following question is therefore justified: Can the secret K be deduced from the

Illuminating the Black Box of Entrepreneurship Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maritz, Alex; Brown, Christopher R.

2013-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to explore the components of entrepreneurship education programs (EEPs) and their interrelationships to develop a conceptual framework through which entrepreneurship education may be contextually evaluated and developed. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents an extensive literature review of the…

Rough flows and homogenization in stochastic turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailleul, I.; Catellier, R.

2017-10-01

We provide in this work a tool-kit for the study of homogenisation of random ordinary differential equations, under the form of a friendly-user black box based on the technology of rough flows. We illustrate the use of this setting on the example of stochastic turbulence.

Film Canister Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferstl, Andrew; Schneider, Jamie L.

2007-01-01

Opaque film canisters are readily available, cheap, and useful for scientific inquiry in the classroom. They can also be surprisingly versatile and useful as a tool for stimulating scientific inquiry. In this article, the authors describe inquiry activities using film canisters for preservice teachers, including a "black box" activity and several…

A New Approach to Strategy Formulation: Opening the Black Box.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, Lynn; Gupta, Mahesh; Sussman, Lyle

2001-01-01

An approach to teaching business strategy formulation uses the thinking process tools of the theory of constraints: current reality tree for situational analysis, evaporating cloud and future reality tree to identify change outcomes, and prerequisite tree and transition tree to identify implementation strategies. (SK)

Auto-Relevancy Baseline: A Hybrid System Without Human Feedback

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-11-01

classical Bayes algorithm upon the pseudo-hybridization of SemanticA and Latent Semantic IndexingBC systems should smooth out historically high yet...black box emulated a machine learning topic expert. Similar to some Web methods, the initial topics within the legal document were expanded upon

Photographic copy of circa 1934 black and white aerial photograph. ...

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

Photographic copy of circa 1934 black and white aerial photograph. Loose in oversized box located at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. CIRCA 1934 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN FROM EAST BANK LOOKING SOUTH TOWARD WEST BANK SHOWING COMPLETED BRIDGE PIERS AND DECK TRUSS BETWEEN PIERS C, B, AND V. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of black and white, 4” x 8” photograph. ...

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

Photographic copy of black and white, 4” x 8” photograph. Located loose in oversized box at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. EARLY PHOTOGRAPH OF BRIDGE TAKEN AT NIGHT FROM WEST BANK APPROACH LOOKING NORTH TOWARD EAST BANK SHOWING ILLUMINATED LIGHT FIXTURES AT EDGE OF ROADWAY. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of 10” x 14”, black and white photograph ...

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

Photographic copy of 10” x 14”, black and white photograph mounted on card stock. Loose in oversized box located at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. PHOTOGRAPH OF WEST BOUND DESCENDING ROADWAY LOOKING SOUTHEAST TOWARD THE WEST BANK. BRIDGE ROADWAY NEAR COMPLETION, LIGHT POLES IN PLACE, NO FIXTURES. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of circa 1934, 10” x 15”, black and ...

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

Photographic copy of circa 1934, 10” x 15”, black and white aerial photograph. Loose in oversized box located at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH OF BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION FROM WEST BANK LOOKING NORTH TOWARD EAST BANK DOWN RIVER SHOWING OVERALL VIEW OF BRIDGE PIER CONSTRUCTION. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of circa, 1934 black and white photograph. Loose ...

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

Photographic copy of circa, 1934 black and white photograph. Loose in oversized box located at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. VIEW FROM EAST BANK LOOKING SOUTH TOWARD WEST BANK AT BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION SHOWING COMPLETED THROUGH TRUSS SPAN BETWEEN PIER III AND IV AND THE UNCOMPLETED DECK TRUSS SPAN BETWEEN PIER IV AND V. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of early 20” x 33”, black and white ...

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

Photographic copy of early 20” x 33”, black and white photograph. Located loose in oversized box at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. EARLY PHOTOGRAPH OF BRIDGE TAKEN FROM DOWN RIVER NEAR EAST BANK LOOKING SOUTHWEST UP RIVER TOWARD WEST BANK SHOWING STEAM LOCOMOTIVE TRAIN CROSSING BRIDGE. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of circa 1933, 10” x 15” black and ...

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

Photographic copy of circa 1933, 10” x 15” black and white aerial photograph. Loose in oversized box located at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING CONSTRUCTION OF PIER NO.’S V AND B LOOKING AT WEST BANK APPROACH UNDER CONSTRUCTION. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of circa 1933, 10” x 15” black and ...

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

Photographic copy of circa 1933, 10” x 15” black and white aerial photograph. Loose in oversized box located at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING CONSTRUCTION OF PIER NO.’S III, 1V, V, AND B WITH WEST BANK APPROACH AT LOWER EDGE. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of circa 1935, black and white, 10” x ...

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

Photographic copy of circa 1935, black and white, 10” x 14” photograph. Loose in Huey P. Long folder in oversized box located at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Photographer, Lionel T. Berryhill, Apple Valley, California. CIRCA 1935 PHOTOGRAPH OF BRIDGE TAKEN FROM WEST BANK LOOKING NORTH AT PIER “A” NEAR LEVEE. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of 7” x 12” black and white photograph ...

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

Photographic copy of 7” x 12” black and white photograph of 1927 pencil drawing mounted on card stock by artist Hugh Ferris. Loose in oversized box located at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. 1927 PENCIL DRAWING MOUNTED ON CARD STOCK BY ARTIST HUGH FERRIS SHOWING EARLY DESIGN OF PROPOSED MISSISSIPPI RIVER BRIDGE. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Development of Extinction Imagers for the Determination of Atmospheric Optical Extinction

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-01

system resulting from the effects of both the optics and the camera system (including the electronics). The MSI sensor includes a fiber optic taper...small dots in Fig. 7-1 are due to the fiber optic taper in the system. The brighter region near the center is due to the lens optics. To apply the...a black target wliich was a hollow black box. Clearly it would be a major advantage if we could use "targets of opportunity" from a ship, and in

Mass quantization of the Schwarzschild black hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaz, Cenalo; Witten, Louis

1999-07-01

We examine the Wheeler-DeWitt equation for a static, eternal Schwarzschild black hole in Kuchař-Brown variables and obtain its energy eigenstates. Consistent solutions vanish in the exterior of the Kruskal manifold and are nonvanishing only in the interior. The system is reminiscent of a particle in a box. States of definite parity avoid the singular geometry by vanishing at the origin. These definite parity states admit a discrete energy spectrum, depending on one quantum number which determines the Arnowitt-Deser-Misner mass of the black hole according to a relation conjectured long ago by Bekenstein M~nMp. If attention is restricted only to these quantized energy states, a black hole is described not only by its mass but also by its parity. States of indefinite parity do not admit a quantized mass spectrum.

Disease management interventions: what's in the black box?

PubMed

Linden, Ariel; Roberts, Nancy

2004-01-01

In discussing evaluation techniques to assess disease management (DM) program outcomes, it is often assumed that DM program interventions are premised on sound clinical judgment, an understanding of the disease process, and knowledge of the psychosocial models of behavioral change that must be used to effect those processes and ultimately improve the health outcomes that are being evaluated. This paper describes eight commonly used behavioral change models applied in the healthcare industry today. They represent programs designed to address individual, interpersonal, and community level factors as well as "packaged" comprehensive approaches. These models illustrate the breadth of approaches to consider when designing or assessing DM program interventions. Careful consideration of the type of behavioral change desired and the theories of how to effect such change should be an integral part of designing disease management program interventions.

Parameter reduction in nonlinear state-space identification of hysteresis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fakhrizadeh Esfahani, Alireza; Dreesen, Philippe; Tiels, Koen; Noël, Jean-Philippe; Schoukens, Johan

2018-05-01

Recent work on black-box polynomial nonlinear state-space modeling for hysteresis identification has provided promising results, but struggles with a large number of parameters due to the use of multivariate polynomials. This drawback is tackled in the current paper by applying a decoupling approach that results in a more parsimonious representation involving univariate polynomials. This work is carried out numerically on input-output data generated by a Bouc-Wen hysteretic model and follows up on earlier work of the authors. The current article discusses the polynomial decoupling approach and explores the selection of the number of univariate polynomials with the polynomial degree. We have found that the presented decoupling approach is able to reduce the number of parameters of the full nonlinear model up to about 50%, while maintaining a comparable output error level.

Unpacking the "Black Box" of Social Programs and Policies: Introduction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solmeyer, Anna R.; Constance, Nicole

2015-01-01

Traditionally, evaluation has primarily tried to answer the question "Does a program, service, or policy work?" Recently, more attention is given to questions about variation in program effects and the mechanisms through which program effects occur. Addressing these kinds of questions requires moving beyond assessing average program…

The Relevance of Science in a "Black Box" Technological World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abrahams, Ian; Constantinou, Marina; Fotou, Nikolaos; Potterton, Bev

2017-01-01

This article questions the need for relatively shallow, widespread, scientific literacy across a broad range of topics if it lacks the conceptual depth, and/or intellectual rigour, to provide any basis for rational, scientifically informed choices. We suggest that "functional," widespread scientific literacy should only be taught in key…

Four Tools for Science Fair Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Sherry Weaver; Messmer, Barbara; Storm, Bill; Weaver, Cheryl

2007-01-01

These teacher-tested ideas will guide students in creating true inquiry-based projects. Two of the ideas, the Topic Selection Wizard and Science Project Timeline, are appropriate for all science fair programs, even new ones. For existing programs, the Black Box of Project Improvement and After-School Project Clinic improve project quality and…

Conditions for Effective Application of Analysis of Symmetrically-Predicted Endogenous Subgroups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peck, Laura R.

2015-01-01

Several analytic strategies exist for opening up the "black box" to reveal more about what drives policy and program impacts. This article focuses on one of these strategies: the Analysis of Symmetrically-Predicted Endogenous Subgroups (ASPES). ASPES uses exogenous baseline data to identify endogenously-defined subgroups, keeping the…

Architecture-Based Reliability Analysis of Web Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rahmani, Cobra Mariam

2012-01-01

In a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), the hierarchical complexity of Web Services (WS) and their interactions with the underlying Application Server (AS) create new challenges in providing a realistic estimate of WS performance and reliability. The current approaches often treat the entire WS environment as a black-box. Thus, the sensitivity…

Brain Resilience: Shedding Light into the Black Box of Adventure Procesess

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allan, John F.; McKenna, Jim; Hind, Karen

2012-01-01

Understanding of the active beneficial processes of adventure learning remains elusive. Resilience may provide one foundation for understanding the positive adaptation derived from Outdoor Adventure Education (OAE) and Adventure Therapy (AT) programming. From a neurological perspective, resilience may be explained by the brain's innate capability…

Spaces to Speak: Photovoice and the Reimagination of Girls' Education in India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shah, Payal

2015-01-01

Delving into the "black box" of schooling can help us better understand the paradoxical reality that schooling for girls can be simultaneously empowering and disempowering. Despite recent interest in developing innovative research methodologies within the field of comparative education, there has been less attention to and reflexivity…

Cloning and characterization of prunus serotina AGAMOUS, a putative flower homeotic gene

Treesearch

Xiaomei Liu; Joseph Anderson; Paula Pijut

2010-01-01

Members of the AGAMOUS subfamily of MADS-box transcription factors play an important role in regulating the development of reproductive organs in flowering plants. To help understand the mechanism of floral development in black cherry (Prunus serotina), PsAG (a putative flower homeotic identity gene) was isolated...

Integrating Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes: Conceptualising Learning Processes towards Vocational Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baartman, Liesbeth K. J.; de Bruijn, Elly

2011-01-01

Current research focuses on competence development and complex professional tasks. However, "learning processes" towards the integration of knowledge, skills and attitudes largely remain a black box. This article conceptualises three integration processes, in analogy to theories on transfer. Knowledge, skills and attitudes are defined, reconciling…

Negative Treatment Effects: Is It Time for a Black Box Warning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boisvert, Charles M.

2010-01-01

Comments on Negative effects from psychological treatments: A perspective by David Barlow. The author addresses negative treatment effects in the psychotherapy field by stating that Barlow provided a historical perspective of clinical psychology's long-standing interest in studying the positive effects of psychotherapy, and he indicated that…

A global exploration of fine-root trait variation: opening the black box

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A major part of ecosystem functioning relies on processes below ground, which are governed by fine root traits. This study synthesizes published and unpublished fine-root trait data available worldwide (>9000 observations from >1100 species on 14 traits) and examines their ecological value and globa...

Inside the Black Box--An Implementation Evaluation Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rector, Patricia; Bakacs, Michele; Rowe, Amy; Barbour, Bruce

2016-01-01

The case study presented in this article is an example of an implementation evaluation. The evaluation investigated significant components of the implementation of a long-term environmental educational program. Direct observation, evaluation-specific survey data, and historical data were used to determine program integrity as identified by…

Views from inside the "Black Box": A Q-Methodology Study of Mentoring Support for Entrepreneurs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanigar, Jennifer Jill

2016-01-01

Aspiring entrepreneurs give and receive support in growth-fostering interactions with seasoned entrepreneurs, mentors, peers, and others. This dissertation investigates viewpoints held by entrepreneurs about their experiences of effective mentoring support. Little is known about how an entrepreneur learns through interacting with different…

To Honor Fechner and Obey Stevens: Relationships between Psychophysical and Neural Nonlinearities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Billock, Vincent A.; Tsou, Brian H.

2011-01-01

G. T. Fechner (1860/1966) famously described two kinds of psychophysics: "Outer psychophysics" captures the black box relationship between sensory inputs and perceptual magnitudes, whereas "inner psychophysics" contains the neural transformations that Fechner's outer psychophysics elided. The relationship between the two has never been clear.…

Explicit Instructional Interactions: Exploring the Black Box of a Tier 2 Mathematics Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doabler, Christian T.; Clarke, Ben; Stoolmiller, Mike; Kosty, Derek B.; Fien, Hank; Smolkowski, Keith; Baker, Scott K.

2017-01-01

A critical aspect of intervention research is investigating the active ingredients that underlie intensive interventions and their theories of change. This study explored the rate of instructional interactions within treatment groups to determine whether they offered explanatory power of an empirically validated Tier 2 kindergarten mathematics…

E-Learning Systems Requirements Elicitation: Perspectives and Considerations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AlKhuder, Shaikha B.; AlAli, Fatma H.

2017-01-01

Training and education have evolved far beyond black boards and chalk boxes. The environment of knowledge exchange requires more than simple materials and assessments. This article is an attempt of parsing through the different aspects of e-learning, understanding the real needs, and conducting the right requirements to build the appropriate…

A neuro-inspired model-based closed-loop neuroprosthesis for the substitution of a cerebellar learning function in anesthetized rats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogri, Roni; Bamford, Simeon A.; Taub, Aryeh H.; Magal, Ari; Giudice, Paolo Del; Mintz, Matti

2015-02-01

Neuroprostheses could potentially recover functions lost due to neural damage. Typical neuroprostheses connect an intact brain with the external environment, thus replacing damaged sensory or motor pathways. Recently, closed-loop neuroprostheses, bidirectionally interfaced with the brain, have begun to emerge, offering an opportunity to substitute malfunctioning brain structures. In this proof-of-concept study, we demonstrate a neuro-inspired model-based approach to neuroprostheses. A VLSI chip was designed to implement essential cerebellar synaptic plasticity rules, and was interfaced with cerebellar input and output nuclei in real time, thus reproducing cerebellum-dependent learning in anesthetized rats. Such a model-based approach does not require prior system identification, allowing for de novo experience-based learning in the brain-chip hybrid, with potential clinical advantages and limitations when compared to existing parametric ``black box'' models.

From patterns to causal understanding: Structural equation modeling (SEM) in soil ecology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eisenhauer, Nico; Powell, Jeff R; Grace, James B.; Bowker, Matthew A.

2015-01-01

In this perspectives paper we highlight a heretofore underused statistical method in soil ecological research, structural equation modeling (SEM). SEM is commonly used in the general ecological literature to develop causal understanding from observational data, but has been more slowly adopted by soil ecologists. We provide some basic information on the many advantages and possibilities associated with using SEM and provide some examples of how SEM can be used by soil ecologists to shift focus from describing patterns to developing causal understanding and inspiring new types of experimental tests. SEM is a promising tool to aid the growth of soil ecology as a discipline, particularly by supporting research that is increasingly hypothesis-driven and interdisciplinary, thus shining light into the black box of interactions belowground.

Reliability enhancement through optimal burn-in

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuo, W.

1984-06-01

A numerical reliability and cost model is defined for production line burn-in tests of electronic components. The necessity of burn-in is governed by upper and lower bounds: burn-in is mandatory for operation-critical or nonreparable component; no burn-in is needed when failure effects are insignificant or easily repairable. The model considers electronic systems in terms of a series of components connected by a single black box. The infant mortality rate is described with a Weibull distribution. Performance reaches a steady state after burn-in, and the cost of burn-in is a linear function for each component. A minimum cost is calculated among the costs and total time of burn-in, shop repair, and field repair, with attention given to possible losses in future sales from inadequate burn-in testing.

Characteristics of sprinklers and water spray mists for fire safety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackman, Louise A.; Lavelle, Stephen P.; Nolan, P. F.

1991-04-01

In order to predict the type of sprinkler or spray head required for fire safety in buildings and transport systems (e.g. aircraft) it is necessary to model the interaction of water droplets with the thermally buoyant fire gases. Such modelling requires a detailed knowledge of the mean droplet size, the droplet size distribution, droplet velocity and trajectory. Many existing systems for the characterisation of droplets are indirect in that an optical property is measured and the results are subject to "black box" data processing. A direct method can be developed using a synchronised metal vapour laser and high speed cine camera with appropriate optics. Results on both sprinkler and spray mist will be presented and a basis for the choice of active fire protection systems will be outlined.

Disease management interventions II: What else is in the black box?

PubMed

Linden, Ariel; Butterworth, Susan W; Roberts, Nancy

2006-04-01

The success of any disease management (DM) program ultimately depends upon the ability and willingness of participants to change and maintain desired health behaviors. To achieve those results, DM program administrators have several issues to consider, including the type of behavioral change desired, the scope of intervention that the organization is willing and capable of implementing, and whether the appropriate support structures are available to ensure successful achievement of program goals. An understanding of these issues will assist program designers in selecting the appropriate change models. This paper serves as an extension of our prior paper in which eight core psychosocial behavioral change models were described. Here, five more recently developed theory-based approaches are introduced, providing readers with up-to-date information in this area.

Bayesian molecular dating: opening up the black box.

PubMed

Bromham, Lindell; Duchêne, Sebastián; Hua, Xia; Ritchie, Andrew M; Duchêne, David A; Ho, Simon Y W

2018-05-01

Molecular dating analyses allow evolutionary timescales to be estimated from genetic data, offering an unprecedented capacity for investigating the evolutionary past of all species. These methods require us to make assumptions about the relationship between genetic change and evolutionary time, often referred to as a 'molecular clock'. Although initially regarded with scepticism, molecular dating has now been adopted in many areas of biology. This broad uptake has been due partly to the development of Bayesian methods that allow complex aspects of molecular evolution, such as variation in rates of change across lineages, to be taken into account. But in order to do this, Bayesian dating methods rely on a range of assumptions about the evolutionary process, which vary in their degree of biological realism and empirical support. These assumptions can have substantial impacts on the estimates produced by molecular dating analyses. The aim of this review is to open the 'black box' of Bayesian molecular dating and have a look at the machinery inside. We explain the components of these dating methods, the important decisions that researchers must make in their analyses, and the factors that need to be considered when interpreting results. We illustrate the effects that the choices of different models and priors can have on the outcome of the analysis, and suggest ways to explore these impacts. We describe some major research directions that may improve the reliability of Bayesian dating. The goal of our review is to help researchers to make informed choices when using Bayesian phylogenetic methods to estimate evolutionary rates and timescales. © 2017 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Ignorance is a bliss: Mathematical structure of many-box models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tylec, Tomasz I.; Kuś, Marek

2018-03-01

We show that the propositional system of a many-box model is always a set-representable effect algebra. In particular cases of 2-box and 1-box models, it is an orthomodular poset and an orthomodular lattice, respectively. We discuss the relation of the obtained results with the so-called Local Orthogonality principle. We argue that non-classical properties of box models are the result of a dual enrichment of the set of states caused by the impoverishment of the set of propositions. On the other hand, quantum mechanical models always have more propositions as well as more states than the classical ones. Consequently, we show that the box models cannot be considered as generalizations of quantum mechanical models and seeking additional principles that could allow us to "recover quantum correlations" in box models are, at least from the fundamental point of view, pointless.

Estimating ICU bed capacity using discrete event simulation.

PubMed

Zhu, Zhecheng; Hen, Bee Hoon; Teow, Kiok Liang

2012-01-01

The intensive care unit (ICU) in a hospital caters for critically ill patients. The number of the ICU beds has a direct impact on many aspects of hospital performance. Lack of the ICU beds may cause ambulance diversion and surgery cancellation, while an excess of ICU beds may cause a waste of resources. This paper aims to develop a discrete event simulation (DES) model to help the healthcare service providers determine the proper ICU bed capacity which strikes the balance between service level and cost effectiveness. The DES model is developed to reflect the complex patient flow of the ICU system. Actual operational data, including emergency arrivals, elective arrivals and length of stay, are directly fed into the DES model to capture the variations in the system. The DES model is validated by open box test and black box test. The validated model is used to test two what-if scenarios which the healthcare service providers are interested in: the proper number of the ICU beds in service to meet the target rejection rate and the extra ICU beds in service needed to meet the demand growth. A 12-month period of actual operational data was collected from an ICU department with 13 ICU beds in service. Comparison between the simulation results and the actual situation shows that the DES model accurately captures the variations in the system, and the DES model is flexible to simulate various what-if scenarios. DES helps the healthcare service providers describe the current situation, and simulate the what-if scenarios for future planning.

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

Petiteau, Antoine; Babak, Stanislav; Sesana, Alberto

Gravitational wave (GW) signals from coalescing massive black hole (MBH) binaries could be used as standard sirens to measure cosmological parameters. The future space-based GW observatory Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will detect up to a hundred of those events, providing very accurate measurements of their luminosity distances. To constrain the cosmological parameters, we also need to measure the redshift of the galaxy (or cluster of galaxies) hosting the merger. This requires the identification of a distinctive electromagnetic event associated with the binary coalescence. However, putative electromagnetic signatures may be too weak to be observed. Instead, we study here themore » possibility of constraining the cosmological parameters by enforcing statistical consistency between all the possible hosts detected within the measurement error box of a few dozen of low-redshift (z < 3) events. We construct MBH populations using merger tree realizations of the dark matter hierarchy in a {Lambda}CDM universe, and we use data from the Millennium simulation to model the galaxy distribution in the LISA error box. We show that, assuming that all the other cosmological parameters are known, the parameter w describing the dark energy equation of state can be constrained to a 4%-8% level (2{sigma} error), competitive with current uncertainties obtained by type Ia supernovae measurements, providing an independent test of our cosmological model.« less

A scale-invariant cellular-automata model for distributed seismicity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barriere, Benoit; Turcotte, Donald L.

1991-01-01

In the standard cellular-automata model for a fault an element of stress is randomly added to a grid of boxes until a box has four elements, these are then redistributed to the adjacent boxes on the grid. The redistribution can result in one or more of these boxes having four or more elements in which case further redistributions are required. On the average added elements are lost from the edges of the grid. The model is modified so that the boxes have a scale-invariant distribution of sizes. The objective is to model a scale-invariant distribution of fault sizes. When a redistribution from a box occurs it is equivalent to a characteristic earthquake on the fault. A redistribution from a small box (a foreshock) can trigger an instability in a large box (the main shock). A redistribution from a large box always triggers many instabilities in the smaller boxes (aftershocks). The frequency-size statistics for both main shocks and aftershocks satisfy the Gutenberg-Richter relation with b = 0.835 for main shocks and b = 0.635 for aftershocks. Model foreshocks occur 28 percent of the time.

Optimization Based Efficiencies in First Order Reliability Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peck, Jeffrey A.; Mahadevan, Sankaran

2003-01-01

This paper develops a method for updating the gradient vector of the limit state function in reliability analysis using Broyden's rank one updating technique. In problems that use commercial code as a black box, the gradient calculations are usually done using a finite difference approach, which becomes very expensive for large system models. The proposed method replaces the finite difference gradient calculations in a standard first order reliability method (FORM) with Broyden's Quasi-Newton technique. The resulting algorithm of Broyden updates within a FORM framework (BFORM) is used to run several example problems, and the results compared to standard FORM results. It is found that BFORM typically requires fewer functional evaluations that FORM to converge to the same answer.

ChemTS: an efficient python library for de novo molecular generation.

PubMed

Yang, Xiufeng; Zhang, Jinzhe; Yoshizoe, Kazuki; Terayama, Kei; Tsuda, Koji

2017-01-01

Automatic design of organic materials requires black-box optimization in a vast chemical space. In conventional molecular design algorithms, a molecule is built as a combination of predetermined fragments. Recently, deep neural network models such as variational autoencoders and recurrent neural networks (RNNs) are shown to be effective in de novo design of molecules without any predetermined fragments. This paper presents a novel Python library ChemTS that explores the chemical space by combining Monte Carlo tree search and an RNN. In a benchmarking problem of optimizing the octanol-water partition coefficient and synthesizability, our algorithm showed superior efficiency in finding high-scoring molecules. ChemTS is available at https://github.com/tsudalab/ChemTS.

ChemTS: an efficient python library for de novo molecular generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xiufeng; Zhang, Jinzhe; Yoshizoe, Kazuki; Terayama, Kei; Tsuda, Koji

2017-12-01

Automatic design of organic materials requires black-box optimization in a vast chemical space. In conventional molecular design algorithms, a molecule is built as a combination of predetermined fragments. Recently, deep neural network models such as variational autoencoders and recurrent neural networks (RNNs) are shown to be effective in de novo design of molecules without any predetermined fragments. This paper presents a novel Python library ChemTS that explores the chemical space by combining Monte Carlo tree search and an RNN. In a benchmarking problem of optimizing the octanol-water partition coefficient and synthesizability, our algorithm showed superior efficiency in finding high-scoring molecules. ChemTS is available at https://github.com/tsudalab/ChemTS.

Developing End-User Innovation from Circuits of Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fosstenløkken, Siw M.

2015-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to raise the question of how end-user product innovation is developed by exploring the underlying learning mechanisms that drive such idea realization in practice. A trialogical learning perspective from educational science is applied as an analytical approach to enlighten the black box of learning dynamics in user…

Power in the Production of Spaces Transformed by Rural Tourism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frisvoll, Svein

2012-01-01

The article critiques Halfacree's conceptualisation of rural space for masking the workings of power within "black boxes" such as "structural coherence" and "trial by space". One consequence is that rural change's social activities and also their social and personal consequences are cloaked, thereby rendering the localised fault lines of rurality…

Inside the Black Box

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kao, Yvonne S.; Cina, Anthony; Gimm, J. Aura

2006-01-01

Scientists often have to observe and study surfaces that are impossible or impractical to see directly, such as the ocean floor or the atomic surfaces of objects. Early in the history of oceanography scientists dropped weighted cables to the bottom of the ocean. By moving across the ocean at regular intervals and keeping track of how deep the…

Using Indices of Fidelity to Intervention Core Components to Identify Program Active Ingredients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abry, Tashia; Hulleman, Chris S.; Rimm-Kaufman, Sara E.

2015-01-01

Identifying the active ingredients of an intervention--intervention-specific components serving as key levers of change--is crucial for unpacking the intervention black box. Measures of intervention fidelity can be used to identify specific active ingredients, yet such applications are rare. We illustrate how fidelity measures can be used to…

Is Traditional Teaching Really All that Bad? A Within-Student Between-Subject Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwerdt, Guido; Wuppermann, Amelie C.

2011-01-01

Recent studies conclude that teachers are important for student learning but it remains uncertain what actually determines effective teaching. This study directly peers into the black box of educational production by investigating the relationship between lecture style teaching and student achievement. Based on matched student-teacher data for the…

A Blackbody Is Not a Blackbox

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smerlak, Matteo

2011-01-01

We discuss carefully the "blackbody approximation", stressing what it is (a limit case of radiative transfer), and what it is not (the assumption that the body is perfectly absorbing, namely "black"). Furthermore, we derive the Planck spectrum without enclosing the field in a box, as is done in most textbooks. Although convenient, this trick…

Inside the Black Box: Revealing the Process in Applying a Grounded Theory Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rich, Peter

2012-01-01

Qualitative research methods have long set an example of rich description, in which data and researchers' hermeneutics work together to inform readers of findings in specific contexts. Among published works, insight into the analytical process is most often represented in the form of methodological propositions or research results. This paper…

Electricity: From Tabletop to Power Plant

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moran, Timothy

2009-01-01

While electricity is central to our daily lives, it remains "black box" technology to most students. They know that electricity is produced somewhere and that it costs money, but they do not have personal experience with the operation and scale of the machines that provide it. Fortunately, electricity generation can be added to the more basic…

Opening the "Black Box": Organizational Differences between Charter Schools and Traditional Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wei, Xin; Patel, Deepa; Young, Viki M.

2014-01-01

Using survey data collected from 2,273 teachers in Texas, this study explores differences in school organization that contribute to the experiences (e.g., working conditions, instruction and student engagement in learning, self-efficacy and job satisfaction, and teacher evaluation) of charter school and traditional public school teachers.…

Opening Up the Black Box: Literacy Instruction in Schools Participating in Three Comprehensive School Reform Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Correnti, Richard; Rowan, Brian

2007-01-01

This study examines patterns of literacy instruction in schools adopting three of America's most widely disseminated comprehensive school reform (CSR) programs (the Accelerated Schools Project, America's Choice, and Success for All). Contrary to the view that educational innovations seldom affect teaching practices, the study found large…

Figure 1 from Integrative Genomics Viewer: Visualizing Big Data | Office of Cancer Genomics

Cancer.gov

A screenshot of the IGV user interface at the chromosome view. IGV user interface showing five data types (copy number, methylation, gene expression, and loss of heterozygosity; mutations are overlaid with black boxes) from approximately 80 glioblastoma multiforme samples. Adapted from Figure S1; Robinson et al. 2011

Conceptualizing Teacher Identity as a Complex Dynamic System: The Inner Dynamics of Transformations during a Practicum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, Alastair

2016-01-01

Currently, the inner dynamics of teacher identity transformations remain a "black box." Conceptualizing preservice teacher identity as a complex dynamic system, and the notion of "being someone who teaches" in dialogical terms as involving shifts between different teacher voices, the study investigates the dynamical processes…

Expansion and improvement of the FORMA system for response and load analysis. Volume 2A: Listings, dense FORMA subroutines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wohlen, R. L.

1976-01-01

A listing of the source deck of each dense FORMA subroutine is given to remove the 'black-box' aura of the subroutines so that the analyst may better understand the detail operations of each subroutine. The FORTRAN 4 programming language is used throughout.

21 CFR 866.6050 - Ovarian adnexal mass assessment score test system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... surgery is planned, is malignant. The test is for adjunctive use, in the context of a negative primary clinical and radiological evaluation, to augment the identification of patients whose gynecologic surgery... § 866.1(e). (c) Black box warning. Under section 520(e) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act...

76 FR 79748 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-22

..., confirming that ``iShares[supreg]'' is a registered trademark of BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A...''), NYSEArca (``Arca''), BATS Global Markets (``BATS''), Boston Options Exchange (``BOX''), Chicago Board... to the applicable ETF option interval standards of other options markets.\\6\\ \\6\\ See, for example...

The Impact of Increased State Regulation of Campus Sexual Assault Practices: Perspectives of Campus Personnel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brubaker, Sarah Jane; Mancini, Christina

2017-01-01

Seeking to improve university accountability and compliance with federal mandates, states are considering new reforms including mandating reporting of campus sexual assault allegations. These new policies remain an empirical "black box." To address these gaps, the current exploratory study draws upon a recent survey that examines the…

Deriving the Regression Line with Algebra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quintanilla, John A.

2017-01-01

Exploration with spreadsheets and reliance on previous skills can lead students to determine the line of best fit. To perform linear regression on a set of data, students in Algebra 2 (or, in principle, Algebra 1) do not have to settle for using the mysterious "black box" of their graphing calculators (or other classroom technologies).…

Unboxing the Black Box of Visual Expertise in Medicine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jarodzka, Halszka; Boshuizen, Henny P. .

2017-01-01

Visual expertise in medicine has been a subject of research since many decades. Interestingly, it has been investigated from two little related fields, namely the field that focused mainly on the visual search aspects whilst ignoring higher-level cognitive processes involved in medical expertise, and the field that mainly focused on these…

77 FR 68831 - Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-16

..., Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation, Black & Decker (U.S.) Inc., Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, LLC, and Winter's Performance Products as defendants. The complaint... payment to: Consent Decree Library, U.S. DOJ--ENRD, P.O. Box 7611, Washington, DC 20044-7611. Please...

3. Photographic copy of photograph dated 1941; Gerald Young, Chicago, ...

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

3. Photographic copy of photograph dated 1941; Gerald Young, Chicago, photographer; Original in Rath collection at Grout Museum, Waterloo, Iowa; Filed under: Rath Parking Company, Box 5; SKINNING CATTLE IN THE OLD BEEF HOUSE - Rath Packing Company, Cooler Building-1929 Beef House, Sycamore Street between Elm & Eighteenth Streets, Waterloo, Black Hawk County, IA

Reopening the Black Box: Toward a Limited Effects Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gans, Herbert J.

1993-01-01

Discusses eight limiting factors on media effects, identifying and raising research questions about agents and structures that limit the potential effects of the mass media on the behavior and attitudes of people and on the actions of institutions. Discusses the ignorance of researchers about how people use, and live with, the mass media. (SR)

Using Calculators in Mathematics 11. Teacher Commentary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rising, Gerald R.; And Others

This teacher's guide is designed to aid in the incorporation of programable calculators in the school mathematics program for pupils in grade 11. Warnings include the need for care in modifying the curriculum so that students are not punished in the process. The concept of "black boxing," of letting the computer or calculator take charge…

Using Calculators in Mathematics 12. Teacher Commentary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rising, Gerald R.; And Others

This teacher's guide is designed to aid in the incorporation of programable calculators in the school mathematics program for pupils in grade 12. Warnings are given, including the need for care in modifying the curriculum so that students are not punished in the process. The concept of "black boxing," of letting the computer or…

Lessons for Australia? Learning from England's Curriculum "Black Box"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Pat

2008-01-01

While all comparisons are difficult, a consideration of the English national curriculum may offer some insights about the Australian version. In this paper, I suggest that there are some important similarities between the two approaches. I query the stated purposes of the Australian national curriculum and its adoption of a notion of equity which…

Micro-computed tomography of pupal metamorphosis in the solitary bee Megachile rotundata

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Insect metamorphosis involves a complex change in form and function, but most of these changes are internal and treated as a black box. In this study, we examined development of the solitary bee, Megachile rotundata, using micro-computed tomography (µCT) and digital volume analysis. We describe deve...

Thule Air Base Airfield White Painting and Permafrost Investigation. Phases I-IV

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

Thaw settlement—fill thickness vs. box section .......................................................... 15  3.2.2  White Pavement ...33 Figure 29. Subsurface temperatures measured at the “White Pavement ” site ................................ 34 Figure 30. Subsurface...temperatures measured at “Black Pavement ” site. ...................................... 34 Figure 31. Subsurface temperatures at a permanent station in fill

Thule Air Base Airfield White Painting and Permafrost Investigation. Phases 1-4

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

Thaw settlement—fill thickness vs. box section .......................................................... 15  3.2.2  White Pavement ...33 Figure 29. Subsurface temperatures measured at the “White Pavement ” site ................................ 34 Figure 30. Subsurface...temperatures measured at “Black Pavement ” site. ...................................... 34 Figure 31. Subsurface temperatures at a permanent station in fill

The White Cube in the Black Box: Assessing Artistic Research Quality in Multidisciplinary Academic Panels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Despite its imperfections, academic peer review has been accepted as a satisfactory process by which assessment panels comprised of different disciplinary representatives arrive at agreement through a system of shared rules and language that respects disciplinary plurality. Artistic researchers, whose output is required to meet both scholarly…

Stability and Change of Mentoring Practices in a Capricious Policy Environment: Opening the "Black Box of Institutionalization"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

März, Virginie; Kelchtermans, Geert; Dumay, Xavier

2016-01-01

This article addresses how institutional logics are translated, maintained, or disrupted by actors and their (inter)actions within schools. The changing policy environment for mentoring beginning teachers in Flanders (Belgium) provides a fertile context for answering this question. Combining neoinstitutional and sensemaking lenses and analyzing…

Inside the Black Box: Examining Mediators and Moderators of a Middle School Science Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Desimone, Laura M.; Hill, Kirsten Lee

2017-01-01

We use data from a randomized controlled trial of a middle school science intervention to explore the causal mechanisms by which the intervention produced previously documented gains in student achievement. Our study finds that implementation fidelity, operationalized as a measure of the frequency of implementation of the cognitive science…

The anaerobic digestion process

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

Rivard, C.J.; Boone, D.R.

1996-01-01

The microbial process of converting organic matter into methane and carbon dioxide is so complex that anaerobic digesters have long been treated as {open_quotes}black boxes.{close_quotes} Research into this process during the past few decades has gradually unraveled this complexity, but many questions remain. The major biochemical reactions for forming methane by methanogens are largely understood, and evolutionary studies indicate that these microbes are as different from bacteria as they are from plants and animals. In anaerobic digesters, methanogens are at the terminus of a metabolic web, in which the reactions of myriads of other microbes produce a very limited rangemore » of compounds - mainly acetate, hydrogen, and formate - on which the methanogens grow and from which they form methane. {open_quotes}Interspecies hydrogen-transfer{close_quotes} and {open_quotes}interspecies formate-transfer{close_quotes} are major mechanisms by which methanogens obtain their substrates and by which volatile fatty acids are degraded. Present understanding of these reactions and other complex interactions among the bacteria involved in anaerobic digestion is only now to the point where anaerobic digesters need no longer be treated as black boxes.« less

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During power-up of the orbiter Discovery in the Orbiter Processing Facility, a technician (left) looks at the circuit breaker lights in the cabin. Discovery has been undergoing Orbiter Major Modifications in the past year, ranging from wiring, control panels and black boxes to gaseous and fluid systems tubing and components. These systems were deserviced, disassembled, inspected, modified, reassembled, checked out and reserviced, as were most other systems onboard. The work includes the installation of the Multifunction Electronic Display Subsystem (MEDS) - a state-of-the-art “glass cockpit.”

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-27

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During power-up of the orbiter Discovery in the Orbiter Processing Facility, a technician (left) looks at the circuit breaker lights in the cabin. Discovery has been undergoing Orbiter Major Modifications in the past year, ranging from wiring, control panels and black boxes to gaseous and fluid systems tubing and components. These systems were deserviced, disassembled, inspected, modified, reassembled, checked out and reserviced, as were most other systems onboard. The work includes the installation of the Multifunction Electronic Display Subsystem (MEDS) - a state-of-the-art “glass cockpit.”

Photographic copy of circa 1934, 10” x 15”, black and ...

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

Photographic copy of circa 1934, 10” x 15”, black and white aerial photograph. Loose in oversized box located at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH OF BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION LOOKING SOUTH FROM EAST BANK TOWARD WEST BANK SHOWING COMPLETED STEEL RAIL SECTION AND PART OF BRIDGE DECK TRUSS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of October 20, 1933, black and white studio ...

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

Photographic copy of October 20, 1933, black and white studio panoramic view. Located in folder 3 of 3 in box 15 of 94 at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C., Charles L. Frank, Photographer, The Billings Studio. STUDIO PANORAMIC VIEW PART TWO OF TWO OF ENTIRE BRIDGE PIERS UNDER CONSTRUCTION LOOKING DOWN STREAM FROM EAST BANK ON LEFT TOWARD WEST BANK ON RIGHT. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of October 20, 1933, black and white studio ...

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

Photographic copy of October 20, 1933, black and white studio panoramic view. Located in folder 3 of 3 in box 15 of 94 at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C., Charles L. Frank, Photographer, The Billings Studio. OCTOBER 20, STUDIO PANORAMIC VIEW PART ONE OF TWO OF ENTIRE BRIDGE PIERS UNDER CONSTRUCTION LOOKING DOWN STREAM FROM EAST BANK ON LEFT TOWARD WEST BANK ON RIGHT. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Photographic copy of circa 1935, black and white, 10” x ...

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

Photographic copy of circa 1935, black and white, 10” x 14” photograph. Located in box 14 of Huey P. Long Bridge folder (Greater New Orleans), at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. PHOTOGRAPH OF COMPLETED BRIDGE TAKEN IN CENTER LOOKING SOUTHEAST AT EAST BANK SINGLE THROUGH TRUSS SPAN SHOWING PERIOD AUTOMOBILE AND WOMAN ON BICYCLE WEST BOUND. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

A framework for optimization and quantification of uncertainty and sensitivity for developing carbon capture systems

DOE PAGES

Eslick, John C.; Ng, Brenda; Gao, Qianwen; ...

2014-12-31

Under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Carbon Capture Simulation Initiative (CCSI), a Framework for Optimization and Quantification of Uncertainty and Sensitivity (FOQUS) has been developed. This tool enables carbon capture systems to be rapidly synthesized and rigorously optimized, in an environment that accounts for and propagates uncertainties in parameters and models. FOQUS currently enables (1) the development of surrogate algebraic models utilizing the ALAMO algorithm, which can be used for superstructure optimization to identify optimal process configurations, (2) simulation-based optimization utilizing derivative free optimization (DFO) algorithms with detailed black-box process models, and (3) rigorous uncertainty quantification throughmore » PSUADE. FOQUS utilizes another CCSI technology, the Turbine Science Gateway, to manage the thousands of simulated runs necessary for optimization and UQ. Thus, this computational framework has been demonstrated for the design and analysis of a solid sorbent based carbon capture system.« less

Modelling formulations using gene expression programming--a comparative analysis with artificial neural networks.

PubMed

Colbourn, E A; Roskilly, S J; Rowe, R C; York, P

2011-10-09

This study has investigated the utility and potential advantages of gene expression programming (GEP)--a new development in evolutionary computing for modelling data and automatically generating equations that describe the cause-and-effect relationships in a system--to four types of pharmaceutical formulation and compared the models with those generated by neural networks, a technique now widely used in the formulation development. Both methods were capable of discovering subtle and non-linear relationships within the data, with no requirement from the user to specify the functional forms that should be used. Although the neural networks rapidly developed models with higher values for the ANOVA R(2) these were black box and provided little insight into the key relationships. However, GEP, although significantly slower at developing models, generated relatively simple equations describing the relationships that could be interpreted directly. The results indicate that GEP can be considered an effective and efficient modelling technique for formulation data. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Conjunction of radial basis function interpolator and artificial intelligence models for time-space modeling of contaminant transport in porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nourani, Vahid; Mousavi, Shahram; Dabrowska, Dominika; Sadikoglu, Fahreddin

2017-05-01

As an innovation, both black box and physical-based models were incorporated into simulating groundwater flow and contaminant transport. Time series of groundwater level (GL) and chloride concentration (CC) observed at different piezometers of study plain were firstly de-noised by the wavelet-based de-noising approach. The effect of de-noised data on the performance of artificial neural network (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) was evaluated. Wavelet transform coherence was employed for spatial clustering of piezometers. Then for each cluster, ANN and ANFIS models were trained to predict GL and CC values. Finally, considering the predicted water heads of piezometers as interior conditions, the radial basis function as a meshless method which solves partial differential equations of GFCT, was used to estimate GL and CC values at any point within the plain where there is not any piezometer. Results indicated that efficiency of ANFIS based spatiotemporal model was more than ANN based model up to 13%.

Enhancing metaproteomics-The value of models and defined environmental microbial systems

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

Herbst, Florian-Alexander; Lünsmann, Vanessa; Kjeldal, Henrik

Metaproteomicsthe large-scale characterization of the entire protein complement of environmental microbiota at a given point in timehas provided new features to study complex microbial communities in order to unravel these black boxes. Some new technical challenges arose that were not an issue for classical proteome analytics before that could be tackled by the application of different model systems. Here, we review different current and future model systems for metaproteome analysis. We introduce model systems for clinical and biotechnological research questions including acid mine drainage, anaerobic digesters, and activated sludge, following a short introduction to microbial communities and metaproteomics. Model systemsmore » are useful to evaluate the challenges encountered within (but not limited to) metaproteomics, including species complexity and coverage, biomass availability, or reliable protein extraction. Moreover, the implementation of model systems can be considered as a step forward to better understand microbial community responses and ecological functions of single member organisms. In the future, improvements are necessary to fully explore complex environmental systems by metaproteomics.« less

Enhancing metaproteomics-The value of models and defined environmental microbial systems

DOE PAGES

Herbst, Florian-Alexander; Lünsmann, Vanessa; Kjeldal, Henrik; ...

2016-01-21

Metaproteomicsthe large-scale characterization of the entire protein complement of environmental microbiota at a given point in timehas provided new features to study complex microbial communities in order to unravel these black boxes. Some new technical challenges arose that were not an issue for classical proteome analytics before that could be tackled by the application of different model systems. Here, we review different current and future model systems for metaproteome analysis. We introduce model systems for clinical and biotechnological research questions including acid mine drainage, anaerobic digesters, and activated sludge, following a short introduction to microbial communities and metaproteomics. Model systemsmore » are useful to evaluate the challenges encountered within (but not limited to) metaproteomics, including species complexity and coverage, biomass availability, or reliable protein extraction. Moreover, the implementation of model systems can be considered as a step forward to better understand microbial community responses and ecological functions of single member organisms. In the future, improvements are necessary to fully explore complex environmental systems by metaproteomics.« less

Laparoscopic surgical box model training for surgical trainees with no prior laparoscopic experience.

PubMed

Nagendran, Myura; Toon, Clare D; Davidson, Brian R; Gurusamy, Kurinchi Selvan

2014-01-17

Surgical training has traditionally been one of apprenticeship, where the surgical trainee learns to perform surgery under the supervision of a trained surgeon. This is time consuming, costly, and of variable effectiveness. Training using a box model physical simulator - either a video box or a mirrored box - is an option to supplement standard training. However, the impact of this modality on trainees with no prior laparoscopic experience is unknown. To compare the benefits and harms of box model training versus no training, another box model, animal model, or cadaveric model training for surgical trainees with no prior laparoscopic experience. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Science Citation Index Expanded to May 2013. We included all randomised clinical trials comparing box model trainers versus no training in surgical trainees with no prior laparoscopic experience. We also included trials comparing different methods of box model training. Two authors independently identified trials and collected data. We analysed the data with both the fixed-effect and the random-effects models using Review Manager for analysis. For each outcome, we calculated the standardised mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) based on intention-to-treat analysis whenever possible. Twenty-five trials contributed data to the quantitative synthesis in this review. All but one trial were at high risk of bias. Overall, 16 trials (464 participants) provided data for meta-analysis of box training (248 participants) versus no supplementary training (216 participants). All the 16 trials in this comparison used video trainers. Overall, 14 trials (382 participants) provided data for quantitative comparison of different methods of box training. There were no trials comparing box model training versus animal model or cadaveric model training. Box model training versus no training: The meta-analysis showed that the time taken for task completion was significantly shorter in the box trainer group than the control group (8 trials; 249 participants; SMD -0.48 seconds; 95% CI -0.74 to -0.22). Compared with the control group, the box trainer group also had lower error score (3 trials; 69 participants; SMD -0.69; 95% CI -1.21 to -0.17), better accuracy score (3 trials; 73 participants; SMD 0.67; 95% CI 0.18 to 1.17), and better composite performance scores (SMD 0.65; 95% CI 0.42 to 0.88). Three trials reported movement distance but could not be meta-analysed as they were not in a format for meta-analysis. There was significantly lower movement distance in the box model training compared with no training in one trial, and there were no significant differences in the movement distance between the two groups in the other two trials. None of the remaining secondary outcomes such as mortality and morbidity were reported in the trials when animal models were used for assessment of training, error in movements, and trainee satisfaction. Different methods of box training: One trial (36 participants) found significantly shorter time taken to complete the task when box training was performed using a simple cardboard box trainer compared with the standard pelvic trainer (SMD -3.79 seconds; 95% CI -4.92 to -2.65). There was no significant difference in the time taken to complete the task in the remaining three comparisons (reverse alignment versus forward alignment box training; box trainer suturing versus box trainer drills; and single incision versus multiport box model training). There were no significant differences in the error score between the two groups in any of the comparisons (box trainer suturing versus box trainer drills; single incision versus multiport box model training; Z-maze box training versus U-maze box training). The only trial that reported accuracy score found significantly higher accuracy score with Z-maze box training than U-maze box training (1 trial; 16 participants; SMD 1.55; 95% CI 0.39 to 2.71). One trial (36 participants) found significantly higher composite score with simple cardboard box trainer compared with conventional pelvic trainer (SMD 0.87; 95% CI 0.19 to 1.56). Another trial (22 participants) found significantly higher composite score with reverse alignment compared with forward alignment box training (SMD 1.82; 95% CI 0.79 to 2.84). There were no significant differences in the composite score between the intervention and control groups in any of the remaining comparisons. None of the secondary outcomes were adequately reported in the trials. The results of this review are threatened by both risks of systematic errors (bias) and risks of random errors (play of chance). Laparoscopic box model training appears to improve technical skills compared with no training in trainees with no previous laparoscopic experience. The impacts of this decreased time on patients and healthcare funders in terms of improved outcomes or decreased costs are unknown. There appears to be no significant differences in the improvement of technical skills between different methods of box model training. Further well-designed trials of low risk of bias and random errors are necessary. Such trials should assess the impacts of box model training on surgical skills in both the short and long term, as well as clinical outcomes when the trainee becomes competent to operate on patients.

Practice-based evidence: profiling the safety of cilostazol by text-mining of clinical notes.

PubMed

Leeper, Nicholas J; Bauer-Mehren, Anna; Iyer, Srinivasan V; Lependu, Paea; Olson, Cliff; Shah, Nigam H

2013-01-01

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a growing problem with few available therapies. Cilostazol is the only FDA-approved medication with a class I indication for intermittent claudication, but carries a black box warning due to concerns for increased cardiovascular mortality. To assess the validity of this black box warning, we employed a novel text-analytics pipeline to quantify the adverse events associated with Cilostazol use in a clinical setting, including patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). We analyzed the electronic medical records of 1.8 million subjects from the Stanford clinical data warehouse spanning 18 years using a novel text-mining/statistical analytics pipeline. We identified 232 PAD patients taking Cilostazol and created a control group of 1,160 PAD patients not taking this drug using 1:5 propensity-score matching. Over a mean follow up of 4.2 years, we observed no association between Cilostazol use and any major adverse cardiovascular event including stroke (OR = 1.13, CI [0.82, 1.55]), myocardial infarction (OR = 1.00, CI [0.71, 1.39]), or death (OR = 0.86, CI [0.63, 1.18]). Cilostazol was not associated with an increase in any arrhythmic complication. We also identified a subset of CHF patients who were prescribed Cilostazol despite its black box warning, and found that it did not increase mortality in this high-risk group of patients. This proof of principle study shows the potential of text-analytics to mine clinical data warehouses to uncover 'natural experiments' such as the use of Cilostazol in CHF patients. We envision this method will have broad applications for examining difficult to test clinical hypotheses and to aid in post-marketing drug safety surveillance. Moreover, our observations argue for a prospective study to examine the validity of a drug safety warning that may be unnecessarily limiting the use of an efficacious therapy.

Practice-Based Evidence: Profiling the Safety of Cilostazol by Text-Mining of Clinical Notes

PubMed Central

Iyer, Srinivasan V.; LePendu, Paea; Olson, Cliff; Shah, Nigam H.

2013-01-01

Background Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a growing problem with few available therapies. Cilostazol is the only FDA-approved medication with a class I indication for intermittent claudication, but carries a black box warning due to concerns for increased cardiovascular mortality. To assess the validity of this black box warning, we employed a novel text-analytics pipeline to quantify the adverse events associated with Cilostazol use in a clinical setting, including patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Methods and Results We analyzed the electronic medical records of 1.8 million subjects from the Stanford clinical data warehouse spanning 18 years using a novel text-mining/statistical analytics pipeline. We identified 232 PAD patients taking Cilostazol and created a control group of 1,160 PAD patients not taking this drug using 1∶5 propensity-score matching. Over a mean follow up of 4.2 years, we observed no association between Cilostazol use and any major adverse cardiovascular event including stroke (OR = 1.13, CI [0.82, 1.55]), myocardial infarction (OR = 1.00, CI [0.71, 1.39]), or death (OR = 0.86, CI [0.63, 1.18]). Cilostazol was not associated with an increase in any arrhythmic complication. We also identified a subset of CHF patients who were prescribed Cilostazol despite its black box warning, and found that it did not increase mortality in this high-risk group of patients. Conclusions This proof of principle study shows the potential of text-analytics to mine clinical data warehouses to uncover ‘natural experiments’ such as the use of Cilostazol in CHF patients. We envision this method will have broad applications for examining difficult to test clinical hypotheses and to aid in post-marketing drug safety surveillance. Moreover, our observations argue for a prospective study to examine the validity of a drug safety warning that may be unnecessarily limiting the use of an efficacious therapy. PMID:23717437

Aerospace Communications Security Technologies Demonstrated

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griner, James H.; Martzaklis, Konstantinos S.

2003-01-01

In light of the events of September 11, 2001, NASA senior management requested an investigation of technologies and concepts to enhance aviation security. The investigation was to focus on near-term technologies that could be demonstrated within 90 days and implemented in less than 2 years. In response to this request, an internal NASA Glenn Research Center Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance Aviation Security Tiger Team was assembled. The 2-year plan developed by the team included an investigation of multiple aviation security concepts, multiple aircraft platforms, and extensively leveraged datalink communications technologies. It incorporated industry partners from NASA's Graphical Weather-in-the-Cockpit research, which is within NASA's Aviation Safety Program. Two concepts from the plan were selected for demonstration: remote "black box," and cockpit/cabin surveillance. The remote "black box" concept involves real-time downlinking of aircraft parameters for remote monitoring and archiving of aircraft data, which would assure access to the data following the loss or inaccessibility of an aircraft. The cockpit/cabin surveillance concept involves remote audio and/or visual surveillance of cockpit and cabin activity, which would allow immediate response to any security breach and would serve as a possible deterrent to such breaches. The datalink selected for the demonstrations was VDL Mode 2 (VHF digital link), the first digital datalink for air-ground communications designed for aircraft use. VDL Mode 2 is beginning to be implemented through the deployment of ground stations and aircraft avionics installations, with the goal of being operational in 2 years. The first demonstration was performed December 3, 2001, onboard the LearJet 25 at Glenn. NASA worked with Honeywell, Inc., for the broadcast VDL Mode 2 datalink capability and with actual Boeing 757 aircraft data. This demonstration used a cockpitmounted camera for video surveillance and a coupling to the intercom system for audio surveillance. Audio, video, and "black box" data were simultaneously streamed to the ground, where they were displayed to a Glenn audience of senior management and aviation security team members.

Augmented twin-nonlinear two-box behavioral models for multicarrier LTE power amplifiers.

PubMed

Hammi, Oualid

2014-01-01

A novel class of behavioral models is proposed for LTE-driven Doherty power amplifiers with strong memory effects. The proposed models, labeled augmented twin-nonlinear two-box models, are built by cascading a highly nonlinear memoryless function with a mildly nonlinear memory polynomial with cross terms. Experimental validation on gallium nitride based Doherty power amplifiers illustrates the accuracy enhancement and complexity reduction achieved by the proposed models. When strong memory effects are observed, the augmented twin-nonlinear two-box models can improve the normalized mean square error by up to 3 dB for the same number of coefficients when compared to state-of-the-art twin-nonlinear two-box models. Furthermore, the augmented twin-nonlinear two-box models lead to the same performance as previously reported twin-nonlinear two-box models while requiring up to 80% less coefficients.

A framework for sharing and integrating remote sensing and GIS models based on Web service.

PubMed

Chen, Zeqiang; Lin, Hui; Chen, Min; Liu, Deer; Bao, Ying; Ding, Yulin

2014-01-01

Sharing and integrating Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System/Science (GIS) models are critical for developing practical application systems. Facilitating model sharing and model integration is a problem for model publishers and model users, respectively. To address this problem, a framework based on a Web service for sharing and integrating RS and GIS models is proposed in this paper. The fundamental idea of the framework is to publish heterogeneous RS and GIS models into standard Web services for sharing and interoperation and then to integrate the RS and GIS models using Web services. For the former, a "black box" and a visual method are employed to facilitate the publishing of the models as Web services. For the latter, model integration based on the geospatial workflow and semantic supported marching method is introduced. Under this framework, model sharing and integration is applied for developing the Pearl River Delta water environment monitoring system. The results show that the framework can facilitate model sharing and model integration for model publishers and model users.

Secure Obfuscation for Encrypted Group Signatures

PubMed Central

Fan, Hongfei; Liu, Qin

2015-01-01

In recent years, group signature techniques are widely used in constructing privacy-preserving security schemes for various information systems. However, conventional techniques keep the schemes secure only in normal black-box attack contexts. In other words, these schemes suppose that (the implementation of) the group signature generation algorithm is running in a platform that is perfectly protected from various intrusions and attacks. As a complementary to existing studies, how to generate group signatures securely in a more austere security context, such as a white-box attack context, is studied in this paper. We use obfuscation as an approach to acquire a higher level of security. Concretely, we introduce a special group signature functionality-an encrypted group signature, and then provide an obfuscator for the proposed functionality. A series of new security notions for both the functionality and its obfuscator has been introduced. The most important one is the average-case secure virtual black-box property w.r.t. dependent oracles and restricted dependent oracles which captures the requirement of protecting the output of the proposed obfuscator against collision attacks from group members. The security notions fit for many other specialized obfuscators, such as obfuscators for identity-based signatures, threshold signatures and key-insulated signatures. Finally, the correctness and security of the proposed obfuscator have been proven. Thereby, the obfuscated encrypted group signature functionality can be applied to variants of privacy-preserving security schemes and enhance the security level of these schemes. PMID:26167686

3D vs. 2D imaging in laparoscopic surgery-an advantage? Results of standardised black box training in laparoscopic surgery.

PubMed

Buia, A; Stockhausen, F; Filmann, N; Hanisch, E

2017-02-01

3D imaging is an upcoming technology in laparoscopic surgery, and recent studies have shown that the modern 3D technique is superior in an experimental setting. All 14 members of the Asklepios Klinik Langen Department of Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, as well as two gynaecologists, were asked to undertake 2D vs. 3D laparoscopic black box skill training. The black box training was adapted to the "fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery" programme provided by the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES). First, the participants categorised themselves as beginner, advanced or expert in laparoscopic surgery. Then, they were randomised in terms of whether the black box training commenced with 2D or 3D vision. The exercises included peg transfer with the dominant hand and the non-dominant hand (with and without transfer between the graspers), needle capping and cutting a sutured knot. The time taken to complete these exercises was measured. After the training, each participant was asked to describe his/her personal impression of the imaging systems employed. Overall, for the participants in all groups, the time required for all exercises showed a significant advantage for 3D imaging (3D vs. 2D; Wilcoxon matched pair test; mean 68.0 ± 94.9 s (3D) vs. 90.1 ± 69.4 s (2D); p = 0.002). Regarding the subgroups, the experts significantly improved their time in completing the exercises in 3D vs. 2D by a margin of 25.8 % (mean 30.8 ± 20.1 s (3D) vs. 41.5 ± 25.0 s (2D); p = 0.010). In the group of advanced surgeons, the results were similar, showing an improvement of 23.6 % for 3D, but without significance (mean 61.5 ± 41.1 s (3D) vs. 80.4 ± 72.8 s (2D); p = 0.123). The results for the beginner group also showed an improvement in the 3D exercises of 24.8 %; here, the result also showed a trend towards 3D but did not reach significance (mean 93.9 ± 90.7 s (3D) vs. 124.8 ± 118.72 (2D); p = 0.062). In our opinion, 3D imaging could be an advantage in laparoscopic surgery, especially in the surgical education of upcoming surgical generations. To determine whether these ex vivo results can be transferred to the clinical situation, our group has initiated a randomised controlled study.

Augmented Twin-Nonlinear Two-Box Behavioral Models for Multicarrier LTE Power Amplifiers

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

A novel class of behavioral models is proposed for LTE-driven Doherty power amplifiers with strong memory effects. The proposed models, labeled augmented twin-nonlinear two-box models, are built by cascading a highly nonlinear memoryless function with a mildly nonlinear memory polynomial with cross terms. Experimental validation on gallium nitride based Doherty power amplifiers illustrates the accuracy enhancement and complexity reduction achieved by the proposed models. When strong memory effects are observed, the augmented twin-nonlinear two-box models can improve the normalized mean square error by up to 3 dB for the same number of coefficients when compared to state-of-the-art twin-nonlinear two-box models. Furthermore, the augmented twin-nonlinear two-box models lead to the same performance as previously reported twin-nonlinear two-box models while requiring up to 80% less coefficients. PMID:24624047

Wavelet decomposition and radial basis function networks for system monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikonomopoulos, A.; Endou, A.

1998-10-01

Two approaches are coupled to develop a novel collection of black box models for monitoring operational parameters in a complex system. The idea springs from the intention of obtaining multiple predictions for each system variable and fusing them before they are used to validate the actual measurement. The proposed architecture pairs the analytical abilities of the discrete wavelet decomposition with the computational power of radial basis function networks. Members of a wavelet family are constructed in a systematic way and chosen through a statistical selection criterion that optimizes the structure of the network. Network parameters are further optimized through a quasi-Newton algorithm. The methodology is demonstrated utilizing data obtained during two transients of the Monju fast breeder reactor. The models developed are benchmarked with respect to similar regressors based on Gaussian basis functions.

Phase shifts in the stoichiometry of rifamycin B fermentation and correlation with the trends in the parameters measured online.

PubMed

Bapat, Prashant M; Das, Debasish; Dave, Nishant N; Wangikar, Pramod P

2006-12-15

Antibiotic fermentation processes are raw material cost intensive and the profitability is greatly dependent on the product yield per unit substrate consumed. In order to reduce costs, industrial processes use organic nitrogen substrates (ONS) such as corn steep liquor and yeast extract. Thus, although the stoichiometric analysis is the first logical step in process development, it is often difficult to achieve due to the ill-defined nature of the medium. Here, we present a black-box stoichiometric model for rifamycin B production via Amycolatopsis mediterranei S699 fermentation in complex multi-substrate medium. The stoichiometric coefficients have been experimentally evaluated for nine different media compositions. The ONS was quantified in terms of the amino acid content that it provides. Note that the black box stoichiometric model is an overall result of the metabolic reactions that occur during growth. Hence, the observed stoichiometric coefficients are liable to change during the batch cycle. To capture the shifts in stoichiometry, we carried out the stoichiometric analysis over short intervals of 8-16 h in a batch cycle of 100-200 h. An error analysis shows that there are no systematic errors in the measurements and that there are no unaccounted products in the process. The growth stoichiometry shows a shift from one substrate combination to another during the batch cycle. The shifts were observed to correlate well with the shifts in the trends of pH and exit carbon dioxide profiles. To exemplify, the ammonia uptake and nitrate uptake phases were marked by a decreasing pH trend and an increasing pH trend, respectively. Further, we find the product yield per unit carbon substrate to be greatly dependent on the nature of the nitrogen substrate. The analysis presented here can be readily applied to other fermentation systems that employ multi-substrate complex media.

Crash energy absorption of two-segment crash box with holes under frontal load

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choiron, Moch. Agus; Sudjito, Hidayati, Nafisah Arina

2016-03-01

Crash box is one of the passive safety components which designed as an impact energy absorber during collision. Crash box designs have been developed in order to obtain the optimum crashworthiness performance. Circular cross section was first investigated with one segment design, it rather influenced by its length which is being sensitive to the buckling occurrence. In this study, the two-segment crash box design with additional holes is investigated and deformation behavior and crash energy absorption are observed. The crash box modelling is performed by finite element analysis. The crash test components were impactor, crash box, and fixed rigid base. Impactor and the fixed base material are modelled as a rigid, and crash box material as bilinear isotropic hardening. Crash box length of 100 mm and frontal crash velocity of 16 km/jam are selected. Crash box material of Aluminum Alloy is used. Based on simulation results, it can be shown that holes configuration with 2 holes and ¾ length locations have the largest crash energy absorption. This condition associated with deformation pattern, this crash box model produces axisymmetric mode than other models.

High mobility group box-1 is phosphorylated by protein kinase C zeta and secreted in colon cancer cells

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

Lee, Hanna; Park, Minhee; Shin, Nara

2012-07-27

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Specific enzyme for HMGB1 phosphorylation and its secretion is proposed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Inhibition of PKC-{zeta} leads to significant reduction of the secreted HMGB1. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Phosphorylation of specific site of HMGB1 redirects its secretion in cancer cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Activation of PKC-{zeta} in cancers explains the enhanced HMGB1 secretion. -- Abstract: High mobility group box-1 (HMGB1), a nuclear protein, is overexpressed and secreted in cancer cells. Phosphorylation on two different nuclear localization signal regions are known to be important for the nuclear-to-cytoplasmic transport and secretion of HMGB1. However, little is known about the biochemical mechanism of HMGB1 modifications and its subsequentmore » secretion from cancer cells. To identify the specific enzyme and important sites for HMGB1 phosphorylation, we screened the protein kinase C (PKC) family in a colon cancer cell line (HCT116) for HMGB1 binding by pull-down experiments using a 3XFLAG-HMGB1 construct. Strong interactions between atypical PKCs (PKC-{zeta}, {lambda}, and {iota}) and cytoplasmic HMGB1 were observed in HCT116 cells. We further identified the most critical PKC isotype that regulates HMGB1 secretion is PKC-{zeta} by using PKC inhibitors and siRNA experiments. The serine residues at S39, S53 and S181 of HMGB1 were related to enhancing HMGB1 secretion. We also demonstrated overexpression and activation of PKC-{zeta} in colon cancer tissues. Our findings suggest that PKC-{zeta} is involved in the phosphorylation of HMGB1, and the phosphorylation of specific serine residues in the nuclear localization signal regions is related to enhanced HMGB1 secretion in colon cancer cells.« less

Electric Power Distribution System Model Simplification Using Segment Substitution

DOE PAGES

Reiman, Andrew P.; McDermott, Thomas E.; Akcakaya, Murat; ...

2017-09-20

Quasi-static time-series (QSTS) simulation is used to simulate the behavior of distribution systems over long periods of time (typically hours to years). The technique involves repeatedly solving the load-flow problem for a distribution system model and is useful for distributed energy resource (DER) planning. When a QSTS simulation has a small time step and a long duration, the computational burden of the simulation can be a barrier to integration into utility workflows. One way to relieve the computational burden is to simplify the system model. The segment substitution method of simplifying distribution system models introduced in this paper offers modelmore » bus reduction of up to 98% with a simplification error as low as 0.2% (0.002 pu voltage). Finally, in contrast to existing methods of distribution system model simplification, which rely on topological inspection and linearization, the segment substitution method uses black-box segment data and an assumed simplified topology.« less

Generating Models of Infinite-State Communication Protocols Using Regular Inference with Abstraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aarts, Fides; Jonsson, Bengt; Uijen, Johan

In order to facilitate model-based verification and validation, effort is underway to develop techniques for generating models of communication system components from observations of their external behavior. Most previous such work has employed regular inference techniques which generate modest-size finite-state models. They typically suppress parameters of messages, although these have a significant impact on control flow in many communication protocols. We present a framework, which adapts regular inference to include data parameters in messages and states for generating components with large or infinite message alphabets. A main idea is to adapt the framework of predicate abstraction, successfully used in formal verification. Since we are in a black-box setting, the abstraction must be supplied externally, using information about how the component manages data parameters. We have implemented our techniques by connecting the LearnLib tool for regular inference with the protocol simulator ns-2, and generated a model of the SIP component as implemented in ns-2.

Automated chemical kinetic modeling via hybrid reactive molecular dynamics and quantum chemistry simulations.

PubMed

Döntgen, Malte; Schmalz, Felix; Kopp, Wassja A; Kröger, Leif C; Leonhard, Kai

2018-06-13

An automated scheme for obtaining chemical kinetic models from scratch using reactive molecular dynamics and quantum chemistry simulations is presented. This methodology combines the phase space sampling of reactive molecular dynamics with the thermochemistry and kinetics prediction capabilities of quantum mechanics. This scheme provides the NASA polynomial and modified Arrhenius equation parameters for all species and reactions that are observed during the simulation and supplies them in the ChemKin format. The ab initio level of theory for predictions is easily exchangeable and the presently used G3MP2 level of theory is found to reliably reproduce hydrogen and methane oxidation thermochemistry and kinetics data. Chemical kinetic models obtained with this approach are ready-to-use for, e.g., ignition delay time simulations, as shown for hydrogen combustion. The presented extension of the ChemTraYzer approach can be used as a basis for methodologically advancing chemical kinetic modeling schemes and as a black-box approach to generate chemical kinetic models.

A neural-network-based model for the dynamic simulation of the tire/suspension system while traversing road irregularities.

PubMed

Guarneri, Paolo; Rocca, Gianpiero; Gobbi, Massimiliano

2008-09-01

This paper deals with the simulation of the tire/suspension dynamics by using recurrent neural networks (RNNs). RNNs are derived from the multilayer feedforward neural networks, by adding feedback connections between output and input layers. The optimal network architecture derives from a parametric analysis based on the optimal tradeoff between network accuracy and size. The neural network can be trained with experimental data obtained in the laboratory from simulated road profiles (cleats). The results obtained from the neural network demonstrate good agreement with the experimental results over a wide range of operation conditions. The NN model can be effectively applied as a part of vehicle system model to accurately predict elastic bushings and tire dynamics behavior. Although the neural network model, as a black-box model, does not provide a good insight of the physical behavior of the tire/suspension system, it is a useful tool for assessing vehicle ride and noise, vibration, harshness (NVH) performance due to its good computational efficiency and accuracy.

Electric Power Distribution System Model Simplification Using Segment Substitution

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

Reiman, Andrew P.; McDermott, Thomas E.; Akcakaya, Murat

Quasi-static time-series (QSTS) simulation is used to simulate the behavior of distribution systems over long periods of time (typically hours to years). The technique involves repeatedly solving the load-flow problem for a distribution system model and is useful for distributed energy resource (DER) planning. When a QSTS simulation has a small time step and a long duration, the computational burden of the simulation can be a barrier to integration into utility workflows. One way to relieve the computational burden is to simplify the system model. The segment substitution method of simplifying distribution system models introduced in this paper offers modelmore » bus reduction of up to 98% with a simplification error as low as 0.2% (0.002 pu voltage). Finally, in contrast to existing methods of distribution system model simplification, which rely on topological inspection and linearization, the segment substitution method uses black-box segment data and an assumed simplified topology.« less

A Modeling Pattern for Layered System Interfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shames, Peter M.; Sarrel, Marc A.

2015-01-01

Communications between systems is often initially represented at a single, high level of abstraction, a link between components. During design evolution it is usually necessary to elaborate the interface model, defining it from several different, related viewpoints and levels of abstraction. This paper presents a pattern to model such multi-layered interface architectures simply and efficiently, in a way that supports expression of technical complexity, interfaces and behavior, and analysis of complexity. Each viewpoint and layer of abstraction has its own properties and behaviors. System elements are logically connected both horizontally along the communication path, and vertically across the different layers of protocols. The performance of upper layers depends on the performance of lower layers, yet the implementation of lower layers is intentionally opaque to upper layers. Upper layers are hidden from lower layers except as sources and sinks of data. The system elements may not be linked directly at each horizontal layer but only via a communication path, and end-to-end communications may depend on intermediate components that are hidden from them, but may need to be shown in certain views and analyzed for certain purposes. This architectural model pattern uses methods described in ISO 42010, Recommended Practice for Architectural Description of Software-intensive Systems and CCSDS 311.0-M-1, Reference Architecture for Space Data Systems (RASDS). A set of useful viewpoints and views are presented, along with the associated modeling representations, stakeholders and concerns. These viewpoints, views, and concerns then inform the modeling pattern. This pattern permits viewing the system from several different perspectives and at different layers of abstraction. An external viewpoint treats the systems of interest as black boxes and focuses on the applications view, another view exposes the details of the connections and other components between the black boxes. An internal view focuses on the implementation within the systems of interest, either showing external interface bindings and specific standards that define the communication stack profile or at the level of internal behavior. Orthogonally, a horizontal view isolates a single layer and a vertical viewpoint shows all layers at a single interface point between the systems of interest. Each of these views can in turn be described from both behavioral and structural viewpoints.

Parallel Leadership: A Clue to the Contents of the "Black Box" of School Reform.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Dorothy; Crowther, Frank

2002-01-01

Examined a conceptualization of teacher leadership (derived from a 1997 study) in a range of school reform case studies. Focused on the interactivity of teacher leaders and administrator leaders and generated a concept called "parallel leadership," a strategy that appears to illuminate ways in which school-based leadership may contribute to…

Connecting Agents and Artifacts in CSCL: Towards a Rationale of Mutual Shaping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Overdijk, Maarten; van Diggelen, Wouter; Kirschner, Paul A.; Baker, Michael

2012-01-01

Studying how collaborative activity takes shape interactionally in the context of technological settings is one of the main challenges in the field of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL). It requires us, amongst other things, to look into the "black box" of how technical artifacts are brought into use, or rather, how they are attuned…

The Creative Power of Formal Analogies in Physics: The Case of Albert Einstein

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gingras, Yves

2015-01-01

In order to show how formal analogies between different physical systems play an important conceptual work in physics, this paper analyzes the evolution of Einstein's thoughts on the structure of radiation from the point of view of the formal analogies he used as "lenses" to "see" through the "black box" of Planck's…

Understanding the Black Box of Gang Organization: Implications for Involvement in Violent Crime, Drug Sales, and Violent Victimization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Decker, Scott H.; Katz, Charles M.; Webb, Vincent J.

2008-01-01

This article examines the influence of gang organization on several behavioral measures. Using interview data from juvenile detention facilities in three Arizona sites, this article examines the relationship between gang organizational structure and involvement in violent crime, drug sales, victimization, and arrest. The gang literature suggests…

Institutions within School Organizations: Looking inside the Black Box.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMeekin, R. W.; Latorre, Marcela; Celedon, Francisca

This paper uses concepts from New Institutional Economics and subdisciplines within economics to describe factors related to schools' success. It draws on an exploratory study of a small sample of public and private primary schools in Chile to show that it is possible to apply the concepts proposed in the paper and that there is a positive…

Getting Inside the Black Box: Examining How the Operation of Charter Schools Affects Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimmer, Ron; Buddin, Richard

2007-01-01

In recent years, a series of articles have examined the performance of charter schools with mixed results. Some of this research has shown that charter school performance varies by charter type or the age of the school (Bifulco & Ladd, 2006; Buddin & Zimmer, 2005; Hanushek, Kain, & Rivkin, 2002; Sass, 2006). However, this research has…

The Return of the Black Box

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yayon, Malka; Scherz, Zahava

2008-01-01

"If protons, quarks, and other elementary particles are too small to be seen, how do scientists know they exist? And if these particles do exist, how can one estimate their size, structure, and or their arrangement in atoms?" These are some of the most frequently asked questions by students who study atomic theory. Atomic structure is an important…

Software Obfuscation With Symmetric Cryptography

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

of y = a * b + c Against Random Functions ...............84 Appendix C: Black-box Analysis of Fibonacci Against Random Functions...Metric ................... 67 Figure 19. Standard Deviations of All Fibonacci Output Bits by Metric ........................ 67 Figure 20...caveat to encryption strength is that what may be strong presently may not always be strong; the Data Encryption Standard ( DES ) was once considered

Opening the Black Box of Social Cognitive Mapping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neal, Zachary P.; Neal, Jennifer Watling

2013-01-01

This article provides Zachary P. Neal and Jennifer Watling Neal's response to Thomas W. Farmer and Hongling Xie's commentary on Neal and Neal's "Multiple Meanings of Peer Groups in Social Cognitive Mapping." Neal and Neal assert that many of Farmer and Xie's comments highlight the motivation behind their original…

Eye Movements during Multiple Object Tracking: Where Do Participants Look?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fehd, Hilda M.; Seiffert, Adriane E.

2008-01-01

Similar to the eye movements you might make when viewing a sports game, this experiment investigated where participants tend to look while keeping track of multiple objects. While eye movements were recorded, participants tracked either 1 or 3 of 8 red dots that moved randomly within a square box on a black background. Results indicated that…

The Emergence of Innovative Work in School Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vennebo, Kirsten Foshaug; Ottesen, Eli

2015-01-01

In this article, we analyse the school developmental work of a project team in Norwegian upper secondary schools. The team aims to improve teaching and learning by making use of new technologies. The aim of the article is to explore the "black box" of developmental work practices by analysing the interactions between the team members to…

Opening the "Black Box" of Agro-Scientific Expert Knowledge--and Bringing the Perspectives Back into the Agricultural University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaltoft, Pernille; Rasmussen, Jesper

2004-01-01

Quite a few papers in the two journals, The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension and The Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, deal with ideas for future education towards sustainability and extension and advisory service as facilitation. Both subjects include participatory learning and/or farming systems approaches based on systems…

Process Evaluation of HIV Prevention Peer Groups in Malawi: A Look inside the Black Box

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCreary, Linda L.; Kaponda, Chrissie P. N.; Kafulafula, Ursula K.; Ngalande, Rebecca C.; Kumbani, Lily C.; Jere, Diana L. N.; Norr, James L.; Norr, Kathleen F.

2010-01-01

This paper reports the process evaluation of a peer group intervention for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention which had positive outcomes for three target groups in Malawi: rural adults, adolescents and urban hospital workers. The six-session intervention was delivered to small groups of 10-12 participants by 85 trained volunteer peer…

Illuminating the Black Box of Genome Sequence Assembly: A Free Online Tool to Introduce Students to Bioinformatics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, D. Leland; Campbell, A. Malcolm; Heyer, Laurie J.

2013-01-01

Next-generation sequencing technologies have greatly reduced the cost of sequencing genomes. With the current sequencing technology, a genome is broken into fragments and sequenced, producing millions of "reads." A computer algorithm pieces these reads together in the genome assembly process. PHAST is a set of online modules…

Simulating a Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer: A LabView Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marty, Michael T.; Beussman, Douglas J.

2013-01-01

An in-depth understanding of all parameters that affect an instrumental analysis method, allowing students to explore how these instruments work so that they are not just a "black box," is key to being able to optimize the technique and obtain the best possible results. It is, however, impractical to provide such in depth coverage of…

Inside the Black Box of Self-Affirmation: Which Parts of Affirmation Exercises Are Critical for Treatment Efficacy?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rozek, Christopher S.; Hanselman, Paul; Feldman, Rachel C.; Quast, Erin A.; Crawford, Evan P.; Borman, Geoffrey D.

2015-01-01

Steele and Aronson (1995) hypothesized that underperformance in academics by minority students might be partially due to a newly identified phenomenon: "stereotype threat." Stereotype threat is defined as the anxiety or fear that an individual might experience because of the negative stereotypes about a group associated with that…

How and What Do Medical Students Learn in Clerkships? Experience Based Learning (ExBL)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dornan, Tim; Tan, Naomi; Boshuizen, Henny; Gick, Rachel; Isba, Rachel; Mann, Karen; Scherpbier, Albert; Spencer, John; Timmins, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Clerkship education has been called a "black box" because so little is known about what, how, and under which conditions students learn. Our aim was to develop a blueprint for education in ambulatory and inpatient settings, and in single encounters, traditional rotations, or longitudinal experiences. We identified 548 causal links…

Interactions between Individual Differences, Treatments, and Structures in SLA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeKeyser, Robert

2012-01-01

For decades educational psychologists have bemoaned the black box approach of much research on learning, that is, the focus on product rather than process, and the absence of fine-grained analysis of the learning process in the individual. One way that progress has been made on this point in the last couple of decades is through cognitive…

"What's Positive about Positive Rights?" Students' Everyday Understandings and the Challenges of Teaching Political Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ekström, Linda; Lundholm, Cecilia

2018-01-01

A review of research into teaching and learning in political science education concludes that this literature emphasizes student outcomes and "show and tell" descriptions of pedagogical interventions (Craig 2014). The present study instead aims to open the "black box" of conceptual learning in political science, illustrating…

Opening the Black Box: Women's Empowerment and Innovative Secondary Education in Honduras

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy-Graham, Erin

2008-01-01

This article aims to clarify the relationship between education and women's empowerment. Drawing from qualitative data collected in a study of four Garifuna villages on the north coast of Honduras, it argues that education can trigger the empowerment process if it expands women's knowledge and understanding, self-confidence and awareness of gender…

When Antecedents Diverge: Exploring Novelty and Value as Dimensions of Creativity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gruys, Melissa L.; Munshi, Natasha V.; Dewett, Todd C.

2011-01-01

Though an ongoing debate exists concerning how creativity should be defined and measured, it is generally agreed upon that creativity is the generation of ideas that are novel and of value (Amabile, 1996; Hennessey & Amabile, 2010). Yet most studies treat creativity as a black box in regards to the nature of the relationships between some commonly…

24. Photographic copy of undated photo; Photographer unknown; Original in ...

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

24. Photographic copy of undated photo; Photographer unknown; Original in Rath collection at Iowa State University Libraries, Ames, Iowa; Filed under: Rath Packing Company, Printed Photographs, Symbol M, Box 2; REMOVING HIDES ON THE MOVING SKINNING TABLE; LOOKING NORTH - Rath Packing Company, Beef Killing Building, Sycamore Street between Elm & Eighteenth Streets, Waterloo, Black Hawk County, IA

Inside the Black Box: An Exploration of Service Delivery in a Family Reunification Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Staff, Ilene; Fein, Edith

1994-01-01

Describes a three-month study of a family reunification program for abused and neglected children that explored the process and outcomes of service delivery. The coding scheme measured both the time used in and purposes of activities of the service workers. Discusses the implications of this method for practice, planning, and research. (TM)

Peeking inside the "Black Box" of the Flynn Effect: Evidence from Three Wechsler Instruments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhou, Xiaobin; Zhu, Jianjun; Weiss, Lawrence G.

2010-01-01

This study investigated the Wechsler Performance IQ (PIQ) or Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI)/ Perceptual Organization Index (POI) change over time and its relation to ability levels. PIQ or PRI/ POI was analyzed because of the known sensitivity of nonverbal scales to the Flynn effect. Scores were analyzed using two methods. First, analysis of…

The Biographical Inventory in Naval Aviation Selection: Inside the Black Box. Research Report. RR-04-08

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stricker, Lawrence J.

2004-01-01

A biographical inventory has been used in the selection of students for naval aviation training since World War II, and its validity in predicting their retention-attrition in this training has been well established. This study investigated the constructs underlying the inventory and their relations to students' retention-attrition. A factor…

Black Boxing Restraints: The Need for Full Disclosure and Consent

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohr, Wanda K.; Nunno, Michael A.

2011-01-01

In this article we discuss the necessity of fully informing patients and their families of what constitutes physical interventions and their attendant risks under the established principles and obligations of informed consent. After a brief review of the elements of informed consent and the nature of the duty to advise patients and their families…

Unlocking the Black Box: Exploring the Link between High-Performance Work Systems and Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Messersmith, Jake G.; Patel, Pankaj C.; Lepak, David P.

2011-01-01

With a growing body of literature linking systems of high-performance work practices to organizational performance outcomes, recent research has pushed for examinations of the underlying mechanisms that enable this connection. In this study, based on a large sample of Welsh public-sector employees, we explored the role of several individual-level…

Off-Label Prescribing, Polypharmacy, and Black-Box Warnings: A Primer for School Psychologists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shahidullah, Jeffrey D.

2012-01-01

Psychotropic medications are increasingly used to treat children and adolescents with mental health conditions. Between the years 1994 and 2001, there was a 191.7% increase in number of office visits resulting in a psychotropic medication prescription among children and adolescents. Many drugs are prescribed to children "off-label", whereby they…

Cognitive Processes at Work in CALL

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vinther, Jane

2005-01-01

The seminal work by Ericsson and Simon established verbal reports as a genuine way to get a glimpse into the "black box" of the workings of the human mind, and it is now recognised as a method of value in the pursuit of new knowledge relating to, for instance, learner strategies, cognitive strategies, human-computer interaction, and functionality…

ED07-0210-3

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-09-13

The instruments that make up the Ames Autonomous Module Scanner (AMS) that provided precise thermal-infrared imaging during the Western States Fire Mission in 2007 are detailed in this photo of the AMS as mounted on Ikhana's pod tray. The large foil-covered foam-insulated box at left covers the pressure vessel containing the data system computers and other electronics. The round white-topped assembly is the scan head, including the scan mirror, folded telescope, blackbody references, spectrometer and detectors. Two pressure boxes visible at the forward end of the tray contain the Applanix POS/AV precision navigation subsystem (black) and the power distributor including circuit breakers and ancillary wiring, scan motor controller and the blackbody reference temperature controller (blue).

An Isopycnal Box Model with predictive deep-ocean structure for biogeochemical cycling applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodwin, Philip

2012-07-01

To simulate global ocean biogeochemical tracer budgets a model must accurately determine both the volume and surface origins of each water-mass. Water-mass volumes are dynamically linked to the ocean circulation in General Circulation Models, but at the cost of high computational load. In computationally efficient Box Models the water-mass volumes are simply prescribed and do not vary when the circulation transport rates or water mass densities are perturbed. A new computationally efficient Isopycnal Box Model is presented in which the sub-surface box volumes are internally calculated from the prescribed circulation using a diffusive conceptual model of the thermocline, in which upwelling of cold dense water is balanced by a downward diffusion of heat. The volumes of the sub-surface boxes are set so that the density stratification satisfies an assumed link between diapycnal diffusivity, κd, and buoyancy frequency, N: κd = c/(Nα), where c and α are user prescribed parameters. In contrast to conventional Box Models, the volumes of the sub-surface ocean boxes in the Isopycnal Box Model are dynamically linked to circulation, and automatically respond to circulation perturbations. This dynamical link allows an important facet of ocean biogeochemical cycling to be simulated in a highly computationally efficient model framework.

Analysis of the phase transition in the two-dimensional Ising ferromagnet using a Lempel-Ziv string-parsing scheme and black-box data-compression utilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melchert, O.; Hartmann, A. K.

2015-02-01

In this work we consider information-theoretic observables to analyze short symbolic sequences, comprising time series that represent the orientation of a single spin in a two-dimensional (2D) Ising ferromagnet on a square lattice of size L2=1282 for different system temperatures T . The latter were chosen from an interval enclosing the critical point Tc of the model. At small temperatures the sequences are thus very regular; at high temperatures they are maximally random. In the vicinity of the critical point, nontrivial, long-range correlations appear. Here we implement estimators for the entropy rate, excess entropy (i.e., "complexity"), and multi-information. First, we implement a Lempel-Ziv string-parsing scheme, providing seemingly elaborate entropy rate and multi-information estimates and an approximate estimator for the excess entropy. Furthermore, we apply easy-to-use black-box data-compression utilities, providing approximate estimators only. For comparison and to yield results for benchmarking purposes, we implement the information-theoretic observables also based on the well-established M -block Shannon entropy, which is more tedious to apply compared to the first two "algorithmic" entropy estimation procedures. To test how well one can exploit the potential of such data-compression techniques, we aim at detecting the critical point of the 2D Ising ferromagnet. Among the above observables, the multi-information, which is known to exhibit an isolated peak at the critical point, is very easy to replicate by means of both efficient algorithmic entropy estimation procedures. Finally, we assess how good the various algorithmic entropy estimates compare to the more conventional block entropy estimates and illustrate a simple modification that yields enhanced results.

Prising open the 'black box': An epistemological critique of discursive constructions of scaling up the provision of mental health care in Africa.

PubMed

Cooper, Sara

2015-09-01

Global mental health research is increasingly highlighting the high levels of untreated mental illness in Africa and calling for the scaling-up of services in order to redress this situation. A particular model of care is being strongly advocated for such scale-up, and a recent explosion of research is providing guidelines for its implementation. This article seeks to open up the 'black box' of international research on scaling up the provision of mental health care in Africa, unearthing the hidden assumptions and power dynamics underpinning the knowledge produced. It insists that gaining a better understanding of care provision demands that we not only fill the gaps in knowledge but also problematize the assumptions upon which existing knowledge is based. This article demonstrates how two interrelated paradigms are strongly mediating research in this area - those of 'scientific evidence' and 'human rights'. Drawing on recent research within the sociology of scientific knowledge, and strands of postcolonial thought, it demonstrates how these paradigms are both underpinned by several contentious epistemological assumptions, assumptions which are deeply inserted within the epistemological order of Western modernity. The main argument is that through their shared ideological undertones of 'objectivity', 'universalism' and 'rationalism', these paradigms are potentially marginalizing other possibly important ways of thinking about care in Africa, ways which might not originate from modernist forms of consciousness. This article makes a plea for a more inclusive and plural archive of knowledge on scaling up mental health care in Africa, one which is more hospitable to diverse epistemological politics and moral landscapes. © The Author(s) 2014.

Crash energy absorption of two-segment crash box with holes under frontal load

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

Choiron, Moch Agus, E-mail: agus-choiron@ub.ac.id; Sudjito,; Hidayati, Nafisah Arina

Crash box is one of the passive safety components which designed as an impact energy absorber during collision. Crash box designs have been developed in order to obtain the optimum crashworthiness performance. Circular cross section was first investigated with one segment design, it rather influenced by its length which is being sensitive to the buckling occurrence. In this study, the two-segment crash box design with additional holes is investigated and deformation behavior and crash energy absorption are observed. The crash box modelling is performed by finite element analysis. The crash test components were impactor, crash box, and fixed rigid base.more » Impactor and the fixed base material are modelled as a rigid, and crash box material as bilinear isotropic hardening. Crash box length of 100 mm and frontal crash velocity of 16 km/jam are selected. Crash box material of Aluminum Alloy is used. Based on simulation results, it can be shown that holes configuration with 2 holes and ¾ length locations have the largest crash energy absorption. This condition associated with deformation pattern, this crash box model produces axisymmetric mode than other models.« less

Photographic copy of circa 1935, black and white, 10” x ...

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

Photographic copy of circa 1935, black and white, 10” x 14” photograph. Located loose in oversized box at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Archives Center, Work and Industry Division, Washington, D.C. Original Photographer unknown. Obtained from Rochester, New York, Mrs. (Not Legible) Hagan Bentz, National Librarian Home, Washington, D.C., March 1967. CIRCA 1935 PHOTOGRAPH OF THE FIRST PASSENGER TRAIN TO CROSS THE BRIDGE FROM WEST BANK APPROACH LOOKING NORTH TOWARD EAST BANK. - Huey P. Long Bridge, Spanning Mississippi River approximately midway between nine & twelve mile points upstream from & west of New Orleans, Jefferson, Jefferson Parish, LA

Application of ANN and fuzzy logic algorithms for streamflow modelling of Savitri catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kothari, Mahesh; Gharde, K. D.

2015-07-01

The streamflow prediction is an essentially important aspect of any watershed modelling. The black box models (soft computing techniques) have proven to be an efficient alternative to physical (traditional) methods for simulating streamflow and sediment yield of the catchments. The present study focusses on development of models using ANN and fuzzy logic (FL) algorithm for predicting the streamflow for catchment of Savitri River Basin. The input vector to these models were daily rainfall, mean daily evaporation, mean daily temperature and lag streamflow used. In the present study, 20 years (1992-2011) rainfall and other hydrological data were considered, of which 13 years (1992-2004) was for training and rest 7 years (2005-2011) for validation of the models. The mode performance was evaluated by R, RMSE, EV, CE, and MAD statistical parameters. It was found that, ANN model performance improved with increasing input vectors. The results with fuzzy logic models predict the streamflow with single input as rainfall better in comparison to multiple input vectors. While comparing both ANN and FL algorithms for prediction of streamflow, ANN model performance is quite superior.

ChemTS: an efficient python library for de novo molecular generation

PubMed Central

Yang, Xiufeng; Zhang, Jinzhe; Yoshizoe, Kazuki; Terayama, Kei; Tsuda, Koji

2017-01-01

Abstract Automatic design of organic materials requires black-box optimization in a vast chemical space. In conventional molecular design algorithms, a molecule is built as a combination of predetermined fragments. Recently, deep neural network models such as variational autoencoders and recurrent neural networks (RNNs) are shown to be effective in de novo design of molecules without any predetermined fragments. This paper presents a novel Python library ChemTS that explores the chemical space by combining Monte Carlo tree search and an RNN. In a benchmarking problem of optimizing the octanol-water partition coefficient and synthesizability, our algorithm showed superior efficiency in finding high-scoring molecules. ChemTS is available at https://github.com/tsudalab/ChemTS. PMID:29435094

ATV reentry

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-03

ISS033-E-009232 (3 Oct. 2012) --- This still photo taken by the Expedition 33 crew members aboard the International Space Station shows evidence of the fiery plunge through Earth?s atmosphere and the destructive re-entry of the European Automated Transfer Vehicle-3 (ATV-3) spacecraft, also known as ?Edoardo Amaldi.? The end of the ATV took place over a remote swath of the Pacific Ocean where any surviving debris safely splashed down a short time later, at around 1:30 a.m. (GMT) on Oct. 3, thus concluding the highly successful ATV-3 mission. Aboard the craft during re-entry was the Re Entry Breakup Recorder (REBR), a spacecraft ?black box? designed to gather data on vehicle disintegration during re-entry in order to improve future spacecraft re-entry models.

Students' explanations in complex learning of disciplinary programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieira, Camilo

Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) has been denominated as the third pillar of science and as a set of important skills to solve the problems of a global society. Along with the theoretical and the experimental approaches, computation offers a third alternative to solve complex problems that require processing large amounts of data, or representing complex phenomena that are not easy to experiment with. Despite the relevance of CSE, current professionals and scientists are not well prepared to take advantage of this set of tools and methods. Computation is usually taught in an isolated way from engineering disciplines, and therefore, engineers do not know how to exploit CSE affordances. This dissertation intends to introduce computational tools and methods contextualized within the Materials Science and Engineering curriculum. Considering that learning how to program is a complex task, the dissertation explores effective pedagogical practices that can support student disciplinary and computational learning. Two case studies will be evaluated to identify the characteristics of effective worked examples in the context of CSE. Specifically, this dissertation explores students explanations of these worked examples in two engineering courses with different levels of transparency: a programming course in materials science and engineering glass box and a thermodynamics course involving computational representations black box. Results from this study suggest that students benefit in different ways from writing in-code comments. These benefits include but are not limited to: connecting xv individual lines of code to the overall problem, getting familiar with the syntax, learning effective algorithm design strategies, and connecting computation with their discipline. Students in the glass box context generate higher quality explanations than students in the black box context. These explanations are related to students prior experiences. Specifically, students with low ability to do programming engage in a more thorough explanation process than students with high ability. This dissertation concludes proposing an adaptation to the instructional principles of worked-examples for the context of CSE education.

Laparoscopic surgical box model training for surgical trainees with limited prior laparoscopic experience.

PubMed

Gurusamy, Kurinchi Selvan; Nagendran, Myura; Toon, Clare D; Davidson, Brian R

2014-03-01

Surgical training has traditionally been one of apprenticeship, where the surgical trainee learns to perform surgery under the supervision of a trained surgeon. This is time consuming, costly, and of variable effectiveness. Training using a box model physical simulator is an option to supplement standard training. However, the value of this modality on trainees with limited prior laparoscopic experience is unknown. To compare the benefits and harms of box model training for surgical trainees with limited prior laparoscopic experience versus standard surgical training or supplementary animal model training. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Science Citation Index Expanded to May 2013. We planned to include all randomised clinical trials comparing box model trainers versus other forms of training including standard laparoscopic training and supplementary animal model training in surgical trainees with limited prior laparoscopic experience. We also planned to include trials comparing different methods of box model training. Two authors independently identified trials and collected data. We analysed the data with both the fixed-effect and the random-effects models using Review Manager 5. For each outcome, we calculated the risk ratio (RR), mean difference (MD), or standardised mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) based on intention-to-treat analysis whenever possible. We identified eight trials that met the inclusion criteria. One trial including 17 surgical trainees did not contribute to the meta-analysis. We included seven trials (249 surgical trainees belonging to various postgraduate years ranging from year one to four) in which the participants were randomised to supplementary box model training (122 trainees) versus standard training (127 trainees). Only one trial (50 trainees) was at low risk of bias. The box trainers used in all the seven trials were video trainers. Six trials were conducted in USA and one trial in Canada. The surgeries in which the final assessments were made included laparoscopic total extraperitoneal hernia repairs, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, laparoscopic tubal ligation, laparoscopic partial salpingectomy, and laparoscopic bilateral mid-segment salpingectomy. The final assessments were made on a single operative procedure.There were no deaths in three trials (0/82 (0%) supplementary box model training versus 0/86 (0%) standard training; RR not estimable; very low quality evidence). The other trials did not report mortality. The estimated effect on serious adverse events was compatible with benefit and harm (three trials; 168 patients; 0/82 (0%) supplementary box model training versus 1/86 (1.1%) standard training; RR 0.36; 95% CI 0.02 to 8.43; very low quality evidence). None of the trials reported patient quality of life. The operating time was significantly shorter in the supplementary box model training group versus the standard training group (1 trial; 50 patients; MD -6.50 minutes; 95% CI -10.85 to -2.15). The proportion of patients who were discharged as day-surgery was significantly higher in the supplementary box model training group versus the standard training group (1 trial; 50 patients; 24/24 (100%) supplementary box model training versus 15/26 (57.7%) standard training; RR 1.71; 95% CI 1.23 to 2.37). None of the trials reported trainee satisfaction. The operating performance was significantly better in the supplementary box model training group versus the standard training group (seven trials; 249 trainees; SMD 0.84; 95% CI 0.57 to 1.10).None of the trials compared box model training versus animal model training or versus different methods of box model training. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether laparoscopic box model training reduces mortality or morbidity. There is very low quality evidence that it improves technical skills compared with standard surgical training in trainees with limited previous laparoscopic experience. It may also decrease operating time and increase the proportion of patients who were discharged as day-surgery in the first total extraperitoneal hernia repair after box model training. However, the duration of the benefit of box model training is unknown. Further well-designed trials of low risk of bias and random errors are necessary. Such trials should assess the long-term impact of box model training on clinical outcomes and compare box training with other forms of training.

Low-order black-box models for control system design in large power systems

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

Kamwa, I.; Trudel, G.; Gerin-Lajoie, L.

1996-02-01

The paper studies two multi-input multi-output (MIMO) procedures for the identification of low-order state-space models of power systems, by probing the network in open loop with low-energy pulses or random signals. Although such data may result from actual measurements, the development assumes simulated responses from a transient stability program, hence benefiting from the existing large base of stability models. While pulse data is processed using the eigensystem realization algorithm, the analysis of random responses is done by means of subspace identification methods. On a prototype Hydro-Quebec power system, including SVCs, DC lines, series compensation, and more than 1,100 buses, itmore » is verified that the two approaches are equivalent only when strict requirements are imposed on the pulse length and magnitude. The 10th-order equivalent models derived by random-signal probing allow for effective tuning of decentralized power system stabilizers (PSSs) able to damp both local and very slow inter-area modes.« less

Low-order black-box models for control system design in large power systems

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

Kamwa, I.; Trudel, G.; Gerin-Lajoie, L.

1995-12-31

The paper studies two multi-input multi-output (MIMO) procedures for the identification of low-order state-space models of power systems, by probing the network in open loop with low-energy pulses or random signals. Although such data may result from actual measurements, the development assumes simulated responses from a transient stability program, hence benefiting form the existing large base of stability models. While pulse data is processed using the eigensystem realization algorithm, the analysis of random responses is done by means of subspace identification methods. On a prototype Hydro-Quebec power system, including SVCs, DC lines, series compensation, and more than 1,100 buses, itmore » is verified that the two approaches are equivalent only when strict requirements are imposed on the pulse length and magnitude. The 10th-order equivalent models derived by random-signal probing allow for effective tuning of decentralized power system stabilizers (PSSs) able to damp both local and very slow inter-area modes.« less

Virtual Sensors for Designing Irrigation Controllers in Greenhouses

PubMed Central

Sánchez, Jorge Antonio; Rodríguez, Francisco; Guzmán, José Luis; Arahal, Manuel R

2012-01-01

Monitoring the greenhouse transpiration for control purposes is currently a difficult task. The absence of affordable sensors that provide continuous transpiration measurements motivates the use of estimators. In the case of tomato crops, the availability of estimators allows the design of automatic fertirrigation (irrigation + fertilization) schemes in greenhouses, minimizing the dispensed water while fulfilling crop needs. This paper shows how system identification techniques can be applied to obtain nonlinear virtual sensors for estimating transpiration. The greenhouse used for this study is equipped with a microlysimeter, which allows one to continuously sample the transpiration values. While the microlysimeter is an advantageous piece of equipment for research, it is also expensive and requires maintenance. This paper presents the design and development of a virtual sensor to model the crop transpiration, hence avoiding the use of this kind of expensive sensor. The resulting virtual sensor is obtained by dynamical system identification techniques based on regressors taken from variables typically found in a greenhouse, such as global radiation and vapor pressure deficit. The virtual sensor is thus based on empirical data. In this paper, some effort has been made to eliminate some problems associated with grey-box models: advance phenomenon and overestimation. The results are tested with real data and compared with other approaches. Better results are obtained with the use of nonlinear Black-box virtual sensors. This sensor is based on global radiation and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) measurements. Predictive results for the three models are developed for comparative purposes. PMID:23202208

An intermediate-complexity model for simulating marine biogeochemistry in deep time: Validation against the modern global ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romaniello, Stephen J.; Derry, Louis A.

2010-08-01

We present a new high-resolution 1-D intermediate-complexity box model (ICBM) of ocean biogeochemical processes for paleoceanographic applications. The model contains 79 reservoirs in three regions that should be generally applicable throughout much of Earth history: (1) a stratified gyre region, (2) a high-latitude convective region, and (3) an upwelling region analogous to those found associated with eastern boundary currents. Transport processes are modeled as exchange fluxes between boxes and by eddy diffusion terms. Significant improvement in the representation of middepth oxygen budgets was achieved by implementing nonlocal mixing between the high-latitude surface and gyre thermocline reservoirs. The biogeochemical submodel simulates coupled C, N, P, O, and S systematics with explicit representation of microbial populations, using a process-based approach. Primary production follows Redfield stoichiometry, while water column remineralization is depth- and redox couple-dependent. Settling particulate organic matter is incorporated into a benthic submodel that accounts for burial and remineralization. The C/P ratio of burial depends on bottom water oxygen. Denitrification takes place both by classical and anammox pathways. The ICBM was tested against modern oceanographic observations from the Global Ocean Data Analysis Project, Joint Global Ocean Flux Study, and other databases. Comparisons of model output with circulation tracers including θ, salinity, CFC-12, and radiocarbon permit a test of the physical exchange scheme. Vertical profiles of biogeochemically reactive components in each of the three regions are in good agreement with observations. Under modern conditions the upwelling zone displays a pronounced oxygen minimum zone and water column denitrification, while these are not present in the high-latitude or gyre regions. Model-generated global fluxes also compare well to independent estimates of primary production, burial, and phosphorous and nitrogen cycling. The ICBM appears to adequately simulate the long-term (kyr) evolution of several biogeochemical cycles and improves on previous box models in several important ways. In a companion paper, the model's performance under euxinic conditions is tested against modern Black Sea data. The simple and adaptable structure of the model should make it applicable to a wide range of paleoceanographic problems. The model source code is available in MATLABTM 7 m-files provided as auxiliary material.

Time-Dependent Traveling Wave Tube Model for Intersymbol Interference Investigations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kory, Carol L.; Andro, Monty; Downey, Alan (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

For the first time, a computational model has been used to provide a direct description of the effects of the traveling wave tube (TWT) on modulated digital signals. The TWT model comprehensively takes into account the effects of frequency dependent AM/AM and AM/PM conversion, gain and phase ripple; drive-induced oscillations; harmonic generation; intermodulation products; and backward waves. Thus, signal integrity can be investigated in the presence of these sources of potential distortion as a function of the physical geometry of the high power amplifier and the operational digital signal. This method promises superior predictive fidelity compared to methods using TWT models based on swept-amplitude and/or swept-frequency data. The fully three-dimensional (3D), time-dependent, TWT interaction model using the electromagnetic code MAFIA is presented. This model is used to investigate assumptions made in TWT black-box models used in communication system level simulations. In addition, digital signal performance, including intersymbol interference (ISI), is compared using direct data input into the MAFIA model and using the system level analysis tool, SPW.

Intersymbol Interference Investigations Using a 3D Time-Dependent Traveling Wave Tube Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kory, Carol L.; Andro, Monty; Downey, Alan (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

For the first time, a physics based computational model has been used to provide a direct description of the effects of the TWT (Traveling Wave Tube) on modulated digital signals. The TWT model comprehensively takes into account the effects of frequency dependent AM/AM and AM/PM conversion; gain and phase ripple; drive-induced oscillations; harmonic generation; intermodulation products; and backward waves. Thus, signal integrity can be investigated in the presence of these sources of potential distortion as a function of the physical geometry of the high power amplifier and the operational digital signal. This method promises superior predictive fidelity compared to methods using TWT models based on swept amplitude and/or swept frequency data. The fully three-dimensional (3D), time-dependent, TWT interaction model using the electromagnetic code MAFIA is presented. This model is used to investigate assumptions made in TWT black box models used in communication system level simulations. In addition, digital signal performance, including intersymbol interference (ISI), is compared using direct data input into the MAFIA model and using the system level analysis tool, SPW (Signal Processing Worksystem).

A "Black-and-White Box" Approach to User Empowerment with Component Computing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kynigos, C.

2004-01-01

The paper discusses three aspects central to the 10 year-old process of design, development and use of E-slate, a construction kit for educational software. These are: (1) the design of computational media for user empowerment, (2) the socially-grounded approach to the building of user communities and (3) the issue of long-term sustainability as…

The Front and Back Stages of Swedish School Inspection: Opening the Black Box of Judgment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindgren, Joakim

2015-01-01

This article provides results from a study of the hidden processes of consensus formation that precede and make possible official judgments and decisions of the Swedish Schools Inspectorate (SI). The research question for the study was: How is knowledge negotiated on the back stage of school inspection and presented on the front stage? The article…

Refugee Education in Countries of First Asylum: Breaking Open the Black Box of Pre-Resettlement Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dryden-Peterson, Sarah

2016-01-01

The number of refugees who have fled across international borders due to conflict and persecution is at the highest level in recorded history. The vast majority of these refugees find exile in low-income countries neighboring their countries of origin. The refugee children who are resettled to North America, Europe, and Australia arrive with…

Communicating Knowing through Communities of Practice: Exploring Internal Communicative Processes and Differences among CoPs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iverson, Joel O.; McPhee, Robert D.

2008-01-01

Knowing is an enacted, communicated process that is difficult to observe, let alone manage, in organizations. Communities of practice (CoPs) offer a productive solution for improving knowledge and knowledge management, but the communicative processes that enact CoPs have not been explored, leaving CoPs as an organizational black box. This research…

Opening the Black Box and Searching for Smoking Guns: Process Causality in Qualitative Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Elisabeth E.; McWhorter, Rochell R.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of qualitative research in causality, with particular emphasis on process causality. In one paper, it is not possible to discuss all the issues of causality, but the aim is to provide useful ways of thinking about causality and qualitative research. Specifically, a brief overview of the…

Cryptology Management in a Quantum Computing Era

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

HOW IT WORKS (BLACK BOX) ...........................7 1. Schrodinger’s Cat Theory ......................7 2. Multiverse Theory...the macroscopic scale of an animal through the mechanism of a hammer activated by the decay of the radioactive substance. 2. Multiverse Theory...quantum mechanics is the multiverse theory. This theory states that at every decision, the universe splits into multiple copies; the number of copies is

Investigating the "Black Box" of Effective Teaching: The Relationship between Teachers' Perception and Student Achievement in a Large Urban District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muñoz, Marco A.; Scoskie, Julie R.; French, Diana L.

2013-01-01

Given the international need to improve student learning, there is nothing more important than classroom teachers. Obtaining a deeper understanding of effective classrooms is a priority if educational reform efforts are to succeed in any educational system around the world. In the last decade, educational researchers have expanded the knowledge…

Inside the Black Box: What Happens on a One-Time Field Trip?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraybill, Anne

2014-01-01

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opened on November 11, 2011. Located in Bentonville, Arkansas, it was the first art museum of its size in the region. Since few students had ever been to a museum, this situation provided an opportunity to causally measure the impact of a one-time art museum field trip upon student outcomes through the…

A Qualitative Analysis Framework Using Natural Language Processing and Graph Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tierney, Patrick J.

2012-01-01

This paper introduces a method of extending natural language-based processing of qualitative data analysis with the use of a very quantitative tool--graph theory. It is not an attempt to convert qualitative research to a positivist approach with a mathematical black box, nor is it a "graphical solution". Rather, it is a method to help qualitative…

Expansion and improvement of the FORMA system for response and load analysis. Volume 2C: Listings, finite element FORMA subroutines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wohlen, R. L.

1976-01-01

A listing of the source deck of each finite element FORMA subroutine is given to remove the 'black-box' aura of the subroutines so that the analyst may better understand the detailed operations of each subroutine. The FORTRAN 4 programming language is used in all finite element FORMA subroutines.

Opening the Black Box of ICT4D: Advancing Our Understanding of ICT4D Partnerships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Sung Jin

2013-01-01

The term, Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D), pertains to programs or projects that strategically use ICTs (e.g. mobile phones, computers, and the internet) as a means toward the socio-economic betterment for the poor in developing contexts. Gaining the political and financial support of the international community…

The Rating System of the Rural School Pupils' Assessment of the Republic of Kazakhstan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bibigul, Almurzayeva; Orynkul, Shunkeyeva; Lyudmila, Karavanova; Aelita, Sagiyeva

2015-01-01

Currently, comprehensive school teachers of the Republic of Kazakhstan pay special attention to assessment system of pupils' knowledge based on personally oriented approach. In work "A black box: what there inside? An assessment of knowledge of pupils as a way of increase of efficiency of teaching and educational process" P. Blek and D.…

External Aiding Methods for IMU-Based Navigation

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-26

Carlo simulation and particle filtering . This approach allows for the utilization of highly complex systems in a black box configuration with minimal...alternative method, which has the advantage of being less computationally demanding, is to use a Kalman filtering -based approach. The particular...Kalman filtering -based approach used here is known as linear covariance analysis. In linear covariance analysis, the nonlinear systems describing the

Optimization and Design of an Absorbance Spectrometer Controlled Using a Raspberry Pi to Improve Analytical Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bougot-Robin, Kristelle; Paget, Jack; Atkins, Stephen C.; Edel, Joshua B.

2016-01-01

It is not uncommon for students to view laboratory instruments as black boxes. Unfortunately, this can often result in poor experimental results and interpretation. To tackle this issue, a laboratory course was designed to enable students not only to critically think about operating principles of the instrument but also to improve interpretation…

Does the Organization of Instruction Differ in Charter Schools? Ability Grouping and Students' Mathematics Gains

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berends, Mark; Donaldson, Kristi

2016-01-01

Background: Although we have learned a good deal from lottery-based and quasi-experimental studies of charter schools, much of what goes on inside of charter schools remains a "black box" to be unpacked. Grounding our work in neoclassical market theory and institutional theory, we examine differences in the social organization of schools…

Excerpts from inside the Black Box School District Spending on Professional Development in Education: Lessons from Five Urban Districts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miles, Karen Hawley; Odden, Allan; Fermanich, Mark; Archibald, Sarah

2005-01-01

As districts struggle to meet the demands of standards-based reform and requirements for "highly qualified" teachers in the face of increasing fiscal constraints, professional development has the potential to be a significant part of a district's improvement strategy. To use dollars effectively, districts need to think about how to best integrate…

25. Photographic copy of undated photo; Photographer unknown; Original in ...

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

25. Photographic copy of undated photo; Photographer unknown; Original in Rath collection at Iowa State University Libraries, Ames, Iowa; Filed under: Rath Packing Company, Printed Photographs, Symbol M, Box 2; REMOVING HIDES ON THE SKINNING TABLE; CARCASSES IN HALF-HOIST POSITION; LOOKING SOUTH - Rath Packing Company, Beef Killing Building, Sycamore Street between Elm & Eighteenth Streets, Waterloo, Black Hawk County, IA

Inside the "Black-Box" of Schools: Empirical Evidence on the Different Dimensions of Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boccardo, Jessica

2013-01-01

An emerging body of research has underscored the key role of factors other than academic scores, which influence students' learning. Small schools have been championed as a solution to the apparent dichotomy between an academic or non-academic focus. In Chapters 2 and 3, I use a rigorous research design to answer the question of whether small…

Unpacking the Black Box of the Chicago School Readiness Project Intervention: The Mediating Roles of Teacher-Child Relationship Quality and Self-Regulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Stephanie M.; Bub, Kristen L.; Raver, C. Cybele

2013-01-01

Research Findings: This study examines the theory of change of the Chicago School Readiness Project (CSRP), testing a sequence of theory-derived mediating mechanisms that include the quality of teacher-child relationships and children's self-regulation. The CSRP is a multicomponent teacher and classroom-focused intervention, and its…

Pathfinders: A Life History Study of 10 Academically Successful Latinos from San Antonio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castillo, Victor Anthony

2012-01-01

With the study rise of the Hispanic population in the United States over the last 25-years there has been a languished progression of this populations' educational attainment. The purpose of this qualitative study was to tap into the "black-box" of ten academically successful Latino students from San Antonio by capturing the life history…

Getting into the Black Box: How Do Low-Income Parents Make Choices about Early Care and Education in Maryland? Publication #2012-42

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forry, Nicole; Wessel, Julia; Simkin, Shana; Rodrigues, Katherine

2012-01-01

Existing literature highlights the positive influence of high-quality early care and education on the development of young children, and particularly young children in impoverished or low-income families. Reflecting the promising influence of high-quality early care and education on children's developmental outcomes, policy makers and state…

76 FR 82129 - Medical Devices; Ovarian Adnexal Mass Assessment Score Test System; Labeling; Black Box Restrictions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-30

... plasma. It yields a single result for the likelihood that an adnexal pelvic mass in a woman for whom... that measures one or more proteins in serum to yield a single result for the likelihood that an adnexal pelvic mass in a woman is malignant. Such a test would identify women whose planned gynecologic surgery...

Delving Deeper into the Black Box: Formative Assessment, Inclusion and Learners on the Autism Spectrum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ravet, Jackie

2013-01-01

This paper explores the implementation of formative assessment through the "autism lens" in order to analyse why the process can be exclusionary for some learners on the autism spectrum. The central thesis of the paper is that, where teachers have no understanding of the autism learning style, they are likely to revert to a normative,…

Latina/o Student Success at an Emerging Hispanic Serving Community College: Understanding the Heuristics at Work in the Black Box

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brandes, Derek R.

2013-01-01

Like many colleges across the United States, Pipe Lake Community College (PLCC), (a pseudonym) has experienced a dramatic increase in enrollment of Latina/o students and is considered an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Other than Santiago & Andrade's (2010) survey, little research has been conducted on emerging HSIs. Also, little…

Perspectives on the policy 'black box': a comparative case study of orthopaedics services in England.

PubMed

McLeod, Hugh; Millar, Ross; Goodwin, Nick; Powell, Martin

2014-10-01

There has been much recent debate on the impact of competition on the English National Health Service (NHS). However, studies have tended to view competition in isolation and are controversial. This study examines the impact of programme theories associated with the health system reforms, which sought to move from a dominant target-led 'central control' programme theory, to one based on 'market forces', on orthopaedics across six case-study local health economies. It draws on a realistic evaluation approach to open up the policy 'black box' across different contexts using a mixed methods approach: analysis of 152 interviews with key informants and analysis of waiting times and admissions. We find that the urban health economies were more successful in reaching the access targets than the rural health economies, although the gap in performance closed over time. Most interviewees were aware of the policies to increase choice and competition, but their role appeared comparatively weak. Local commissioners' ability to influence demand appeared limited with providers' incentives dominating service delivery. Looking forward, it is clear that the role of competition in the NHS has to be considered alongside, rather than in isolation from, other policy mechanisms.

Using a biased qubit to probe complex systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollock, Felix A.; Checińska, Agata; Pascazio, Saverio; Modi, Kavan

2016-09-01

Complex mesoscopic systems play increasingly important roles in modern science, from understanding biological functions at the molecular level to designing solid-state information processing devices. The operation of these systems typically depends on their energetic structure, yet probing their energy landscape can be extremely challenging; they have many degrees of freedom, which may be hard to isolate and measure independently. Here, we show that a qubit (a two-level quantum system) with a biased energy splitting can directly probe the spectral properties of a complex system, without knowledge of how they couple. Our work is based on the completely positive and trace-preserving map formalism, which treats any unknown dynamics as a "black-box" process. This black box contains information about the system with which the probe interacts, which we access by measuring the survival probability of the initial state of the probe as function of the energy splitting and the process time. Fourier transforming the results yields the energy spectrum of the complex system. Without making assumptions about the strength or form of its coupling, our probe could determine aspects of a complex molecule's energy landscape as well as, in many cases, test for coherent superposition of its energy eigenstates.

Data Mining and Machine Learning in Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ball, Nicholas M.; Brunner, Robert J.

We review the current state of data mining and machine learning in astronomy. Data Mining can have a somewhat mixed connotation from the point of view of a researcher in this field. If used correctly, it can be a powerful approach, holding the potential to fully exploit the exponentially increasing amount of available data, promising great scientific advance. However, if misused, it can be little more than the black box application of complex computing algorithms that may give little physical insight, and provide questionable results. Here, we give an overview of the entire data mining process, from data collection through to the interpretation of results. We cover common machine learning algorithms, such as artificial neural networks and support vector machines, applications from a broad range of astronomy, emphasizing those in which data mining techniques directly contributed to improving science, and important current and future directions, including probability density functions, parallel algorithms, Peta-Scale computing, and the time domain. We conclude that, so long as one carefully selects an appropriate algorithm and is guided by the astronomical problem at hand, data mining can be very much the powerful tool, and not the questionable black box.

The Development of Web-GIS to support Resort Based Management for Conservation and Biodiversity in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vatresia, A.; Regen, R.

2016-12-01

Biodiversity loss is a global issue, but it is the pressing concern in mega-diverse countries, such as Indonesia. The lack of the data standardisation and remote area spread on 17.504 islands made it hard to organise and to manage without the aid of any technology on it. In this paper, we develop an application for forest rangers to capture the data of biodiversity and conservation in Indonesia that will integrate with web technology to manage the data. All of the processes was supported by the Ministry of Environmental and Forestry in Indonesia as the user of the system. This development was based on the latest law and policy in Indonesia to monitor the performance of conservation activity and biodiversity in Indonesia. It was developed by using Java and PHP programming language. The method we used is System Development Life Cycling (SDLC) and Unified Modelling Language (UML) 2.0 as the design model and the guidance to perform the system. The application was tested by using the method of the black box and the white box methodology that showed the system was rated as a GOOD application by the user. The result of the testing was also showed that all of the function in the system could be use for improving the performance of the user.

Impact of FDA Actions, DTCA, and Public Information on the Market for Pain Medication.

PubMed

Bradford, W David; Kleit, Andrew N

2015-07-01

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most important classes of prescription drugs used by primary care physicians to manage pain. The NSAID class of products has a somewhat controversial history, around which a complex regulatory and informational environment has developed. This history includes a boxed warning mandated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for all NSAIDs in 2005. We investigate the impact that various information shocks have had on the use of prescription medications for pain in primary care in the USA. We accomplish this by extracting data on nearly 600,000 patients from a unique nationwide electronic medical record database and estimate the probability of any active prescription for the four types of pain medications as a function of FDA actions, advertising, media coverage, and patient characteristics. We find that even after accounting for multiple sources of information, the FDA label changes and boxed warnings had a significant effect on pain medication prescribing. The boxed warning did not have the same impact on the use of all NSAID inhibitors. We find that the boxed warning reduced the use of NSAID COX-2 inhibitor use, which was the focus of much of the press attention. In contrast, however, the warning actually increased the use of non-COX-2 NSAID inhibitors. Thus, the efficacy of the FDA's black box warning is clearly mixed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Global and Local Stress Analyses of McDonnell Douglas Stitched/RFI Composite Wing Stub Box

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, John T.

1996-01-01

This report contains results of structural analyses performed in support of the NASA structural testing of an all-composite stitched/RFI (resin film infusion) wing stub box. McDonnell Douglas Aerospace Company designed and fabricated the wing stub box. The analyses used a global/local approach. The global model contains the entire test article. It includes the all-composite stub box, a metallic load-transition box and a metallic wing-tip extension box. The two metallic boxes are connected to the inboard and outboard ends of the composite wing stub box, respectively. The load-transition box was attached to a steel and concrete vertical reaction structure and a load was applied at the tip of the extension box to bend the wing stub box upward. The local model contains an upper cover region surrounding three stringer runouts. In that region, a large nonlinear deformation was identified by the global analyses. A more detailed mesh was used for the local model to obtain more accurate analysis results near stringer runouts. Numerous analysis results such as deformed shapes, displacements at selected locations, and strains at critical locations are included in this report.

Observations of black hole candidate GRS 1758-258 by the GRATIS balloon-borne telescope and other observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keck, John William

2001-08-01

The Gamma Ray Arcminute Telescope Imaging System (GRATIS) was flown from Alice Springs, Australia on October 17-18, 1995. The experiment consists of 35 individual one-dimensional coded-aperture telescopes with a field of view of 40 arcminutes in the imaging direction. We review the basic design of GRATIS, concentrating on the electronics critical to data acquisition. We survey the origins and types of background radiation that contaminate the data of GRATIS. We review previous work attempting to characterize the atmospheric gamma-ray background and combine the most dependable experimental results to model it. We calculate approximate magnitudes for all background components, and give the results of Monte Carlo simulations of the cosmic diffuse and atmospheric components using the COG radiation transport package. Finally, we combine GRATIS data with previously published and archival data from GRANAT, ROSAT, CGRO, RXTE, BeppoSAX, ASCA, and the VLA to produce a long-term multi-wavelength light curve of Galactic black hole candidate GRS 1758-258. In light of divergent analyses of the 1991-1993 ROSAT observations, we have re-analyzed these data; we find the soft x-rays track the hard x-rays, and that the fits require no black-body component-indicating that GRS 1758-258 did not go to the high state in 1993. We offer two standard corona-disk interpretations of the emission and an interpretation based on the ADAF model for a system with m˙ <~ m˙crit. We find the 1990-1993 co-eval hard and soft observations support the ADAF predictions. We discuss a new way to constrain black-hole mass with spectral data and the ADAF theory, and apply this technique to GRS 1758-258 to find MBH >~ 8-9 Msolar at an assumed distance of 8.5 kpc. Further investigations of the ADAF model allow us to critically evaluate the model against the data and flux- flux diagram of Barret, McClintock, & Grindlay (1996) and to understand the limits of the latter's ``X-ray burster box.''

ePMV embeds molecular modeling into professional animation software environments.

PubMed

Johnson, Graham T; Autin, Ludovic; Goodsell, David S; Sanner, Michel F; Olson, Arthur J

2011-03-09

Increasingly complex research has made it more difficult to prepare data for publication, education, and outreach. Many scientists must also wade through black-box code to interface computational algorithms from diverse sources to supplement their bench work. To reduce these barriers we have developed an open-source plug-in, embedded Python Molecular Viewer (ePMV), that runs molecular modeling software directly inside of professional 3D animation applications (hosts) to provide simultaneous access to the capabilities of these newly connected systems. Uniting host and scientific algorithms into a single interface allows users from varied backgrounds to assemble professional quality visuals and to perform computational experiments with relative ease. By enabling easy exchange of algorithms, ePMV can facilitate interdisciplinary research, smooth communication between broadly diverse specialties, and provide a common platform to frame and visualize the increasingly detailed intersection(s) of cellular and molecular biology. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Underwater energy harvesting from a turbine hosting ionic polymer metal composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cellini, Filippo; Pounds, Jason; Peterson, Sean D.; Porfiri, Maurizio

2014-08-01

In this study, we explore the possibility of energy harvesting from fluid flow through a turbine hosting ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs). Specifically, IPMC harvesters are embedded in the blades of a small-scale vertical axis water turbine to convert flow kinetics into electrical power via low-frequency flow-induced IPMC deformations. An in-house fabricated Savonius-Darrieus hybrid active turbine with three IPMCs is tested in a laboratory water tunnel to estimate the energy harvesting capabilities of the device as a function of the shunting electrical load. The turbine is shown to harvest a few nanowatt from a mean flow of 0.43\\;m\\;{{s}^{-1}} for shunting resistances in the range 100-1000\\;\\Omega . To establish a first understanding of the energy harvesting device, we propose a quasi-static hydroelastic model for the bending of the IPMCs and we utilize a black-box model to study their electromechanical response.

ePMV Embeds Molecular Modeling into Professional Animation Software Environments

PubMed Central

Johnson, Graham T.; Autin, Ludovic; Goodsell, David S.; Sanner, Michel F.; Olson, Arthur J.

2011-01-01

SUMMARY Increasingly complex research has made it more difficult to prepare data for publication, education, and outreach. Many scientists must also wade through black-box code to interface computational algorithms from diverse sources to supplement their bench work. To reduce these barriers, we have developed an open-source plug-in, embedded Python Molecular Viewer (ePMV), that runs molecular modeling software directly inside of professional 3D animation applications (hosts) to provide simultaneous access to the capabilities of these newly connected systems. Uniting host and scientific algorithms into a single interface allows users from varied backgrounds to assemble professional quality visuals and to perform computational experiments with relative ease. By enabling easy exchange of algorithms, ePMV can facilitate interdisciplinary research, smooth communication between broadly diverse specialties and provide a common platform to frame and visualize the increasingly detailed intersection(s) of cellular and molecular biology. PMID:21397181

CONORBIT: constrained optimization by radial basis function interpolation in trust regions

DOE PAGES

Regis, Rommel G.; Wild, Stefan M.

2016-09-26

Here, this paper presents CONORBIT (CONstrained Optimization by Radial Basis function Interpolation in Trust regions), a derivative-free algorithm for constrained black-box optimization where the objective and constraint functions are computationally expensive. CONORBIT employs a trust-region framework that uses interpolating radial basis function (RBF) models for the objective and constraint functions, and is an extension of the ORBIT algorithm. It uses a small margin for the RBF constraint models to facilitate the generation of feasible iterates, and extensive numerical tests confirm that such a margin is helpful in improving performance. CONORBIT is compared with other algorithms on 27 test problems, amore » chemical process optimization problem, and an automotive application. Numerical results show that CONORBIT performs better than COBYLA, a sequential penalty derivative-free method, an augmented Lagrangian method, a direct search method, and another RBF-based algorithm on the test problems and on the automotive application.« less

Conjugating binary systems for spacecraft thermal control. Appendix C: Aeroassist Flight Experiment Carrier Vehicle preliminary stress analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ingram, J. E.; Murray, T. O.

1989-01-01

An assessment of the static strength of the Aeroassist Flight Experiment (AFE) Carrier Vehicle is presented. The Carrier Vehicle is the structural component which provides the mounting platform for the experiments, on-board computers, batteries, and other black boxes. In addition, the Solid Rocket Motor (SRM), the Thrusters, and the Aerobrake are all attached directly to the Carrier Vehicle. The basic approach in this analysis was to develop a NASTRAN Finite Element Model as a parallel effort to the preliminary design, and to use the internal loads from this model to perform the stress analysis. The NASTRAN method of Inertial Relief was employed. This method involves either specifying a set of CG (center of gravity) accelerations or applying forces at the CG and representing the Carrier Vehicle and all its mounted devices with the proper stiffness and mass properties.

Transforming the advanced lab: Part I - Learning goals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwickl, Benjamin; Finkelstein, Noah; Lewandowski, H. J.

2012-02-01

Within the physics education research community relatively little attention has been given to laboratory courses, especially at the upper-division undergraduate level. As part of transforming our senior-level Optics and Modern Physics Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder we are developing learning goals, revising curricula, and creating assessments. In this paper, we report on the establishment of our learning goals and a surrounding framework that have emerged from discussions with a wide variety of faculty, from a review of the literature on labs, and from identifying the goals of existing lab courses. Our goals go beyond those of specific physics content and apparatus, allowing instructors to personalize them to their contexts. We report on four broad themes and associated learning goals: Modeling (math-physics-data connection, statistical error analysis, systematic error, modeling of engineered "black boxes"), Design (of experiments, apparatus, programs, troubleshooting), Communication, and Technical Lab Skills (computer-aided data analysis, LabVIEW, test and measurement equipment).

Long-Term Multiwavelength Observations of GRS 1758-258 and the Advection-dominated Accretion Flow Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keck, John W.; Craig, William W.; Hailey, Charles J.; Harrison, Fiona; Hong, Jae Sub; Kahn, Steven M.; Lubin, Philip M.; McLean, Ryan; Pivovaroff, Michael J.; Seiffert, Michael; Wurtz, Ron; Ziock, Klaus P.

2001-12-01

We present a long-term multiwavelength light curve of Galactic black hole candidate GRS 1758-258 by combining previously published and archival data from Granat, ROSAT, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer, BeppoSAX, ASCA, EXOSAT, and the Very Large Array. In addition, we include the first spectral results from the balloon-borne Gamma-Ray Arcminute Telescope Imaging System (GRATIS). In light of divergent analyses of the 1991-1993 ROSAT observations, we have reanalyzed these data; we find that the soft X-rays track the hard X-rays and that the fits require no blackbody component-indicating that GRS 1758-258 did not go to the high state in 1993. We offer an interpretation of these long-baseline data based on the advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF) model for a system with m<~mcrit. We find that the 1990-1993 coeval hard and soft X-ray observations support the ADAF predictions. We discuss a new way to constrain black hole mass with spectral data and the ADAF theory and apply this technique to GRS 1758-258 to find M1>~8-9 Msolar at an assumed distance of 8.5 kpc. Further investigations of the ADAF model allow us to evaluate the model critically against the 1996 data and flux-flux diagram of Barret, McClintock, & Grindlay and to understand the limits of the latter's ``X-ray burster box.''

Radiocarbon chronology of Black Sea sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Glenn A.; Gagnon, Alan R.

1994-03-01

Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (AMS) radiocarbon analyses have been made on 102 samples from 12 sediment cores and 23 samples from two water column profiles. These materials, collected during the first leg of the 1988 joint U.S.-Turkish Black Sea Expedition, provide the most comprehensive radiocarbon chronology of Black Sea sediments yet attempted. Radiocarbon analyses from carefully collected box cores and a mollusc shell collected live in 1931 suggest the prebomb surface waters had a Δ 14C value of -55% (460 years) and that the maximum detrital correction for radiocarbon ages of Unit I sediments is 580 years for the organic carbon and 260 years for the carbonate fractions. Evidence does not support the 1430-2000 years pre-bomb surface water and/or detrital corrections argued for in past studies. The best estimates for the age of the beginning of the final invasion of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi (Unit 1/2 boundary of Ross and DEGENS, 1974, The Black Sea—geology, chemistry and biology, pp. 183-199) and the age of the first invasion of E. huxeleyi (Unit I/II boundary of HAYet al., 1991, Deep-Sea Research, 38, S1211-S1235) are 1635 ± 60 and 2720 ± 160 years BP, respectively. Sapropel formation began at approximately 7540 ± 130 years BP at all depths in the basin, a pattern in disagreement with those predicted by existing time-evolution models of sapropel formation for this basin. Our data suggest that the oxic-anoxic interface has remained relatively stable throughout the Holocene, is controlled largely by the physical oceanography of the basin, and has not evolved as assumed by previous workers.

Does box model training improve surgical dexterity and economy of movement during virtual reality laparoscopy? A randomised trial.

PubMed

Clevin, Lotte; Grantcharov, Teodor P

2008-01-01

Laparoscopic box model trainers have been used in training curricula for a long time, however data on their impact on skills acquisition is still limited. Our aim was to validate a low cost box model trainer as a tool for the training of skills relevant to laparoscopic surgery. Randomised, controlled trial (Canadian Task Force Classification I). University Hospital. Sixteen gynaecologic residents with limited laparoscopic experience were randomised to a group that received a structured box model training curriculum, and a control group. Performance before and after the training was assessed in a virtual reality laparoscopic trainer (LapSim and was based on objective parameters, registered by the computer system (time, error, and economy of motion scores). Group A showed significantly greater improvement in all performance parameters compared with the control group: economy of movement (p=0.001), time (p=0.001) and tissue damage (p=0.036), confirming the positive impact of box-trainer curriculum on laparoscopic skills acquisition. Structured laparoscopic skill training on a low cost box model trainer improves performance as assessed using the VR system. Trainees who used the box model trainer showed significant improvement compared to the control group. Box model trainers are valid tools for laparoscopic skills training and should be implemented in the comprehensive training curricula in gynaecology.

A Calculus for Boxes and Traits in a Java-Like Setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bettini, Lorenzo; Damiani, Ferruccio; de Luca, Marco; Geilmann, Kathrin; Schäfer, Jan

The box model is a component model for the object-oriented paradigm, that defines components (the boxes) with clear encapsulation boundaries. Having well-defined boundaries is crucial in component-based software development, because it enables to argue about the interference and interaction between a component and its context. In general, boxes contain several objects and inner boxes, of which some are local to the box and cannot be accessed from other boxes and some can be accessible by other boxes. A trait is a set of methods divorced from any class hierarchy. Traits can be composed together to form classes or other traits. We present a calculus for boxes and traits. Traits are units of fine-grained reuse, whereas boxes can be seen as units of coarse-grained reuse. The calculus is equipped with an ownership type system and allows us to combine coarse- and fine-grained reuse of code by maintaining encapsulation of components.

Model-Based Reasoning in Upper-division Lab Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewandowski, Heather

2015-05-01

Modeling, which includes developing, testing, and refining models, is a central activity in physics. Well-known examples from AMO physics include everything from the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom to the Bose-Hubbard model of interacting bosons in a lattice. Modeling, while typically considered a theoretical activity, is most fully represented in the laboratory where measurements of real phenomena intersect with theoretical models, leading to refinement of models and experimental apparatus. However, experimental physicists use models in complex ways and the process is often not made explicit in physics laboratory courses. We have developed a framework to describe the modeling process in physics laboratory activities. The framework attempts to abstract and simplify the complex modeling process undertaken by expert experimentalists. The framework can be applied to understand typical processes such the modeling of the measurement tools, modeling ``black boxes,'' and signal processing. We demonstrate that the framework captures several important features of model-based reasoning in a way that can reveal common student difficulties in the lab and guide the development of curricula that emphasize modeling in the laboratory. We also use the framework to examine troubleshooting in the lab and guide students to effective methods and strategies.

Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, Lake Darling Flood Control Project, Souris River, North Dakota and Final Feature Environmental Impact Statement, Velva Flood Control, Velva, North Dakota.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-11-01

plant species found in the floodplain forest are elm, green ash, box elder, bur oak, willow, cottonwood, hawthorn, chokecherry , dogwood, wolfberry, and...understory of grape, sorrel, meadow rue, poison ivy, rose, and cocklebur. These species plus chokecherry and black currant grow in some of the upland

The use of computers in a materials science laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neville, J. P.

1990-01-01

The objective is to make available a method of easily recording the microstructure of a sample by means of a computer. The method requires a minimum investment and little or no instruction on the operation of a computer. An outline of the setup involving a black and white TV camera, a digitizer control box, a metallurgical microscope and a computer screen, printer, and keyboard is shown.

Digitizing Sound: How Can Sound Waves Be Turned into Ones and Zeros?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vick, Matthew

2010-01-01

From MP3 players to cell phones to computer games, we're surrounded by a constant stream of ones and zeros. Do we really need to know how this technology works? While nobody can understand everything, digital technology is increasingly making our lives a collection of "black boxes" that we can use but have no idea how they work. Pursuing…

Is Identification with School the Key Component in the "Black Box" of Education Outcomes? Evidence from a Randomized Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fletcher, Jason M.

2009-01-01

In this paper, we follow up the important class size reduction randomized experiment in Tennessee in the mid 1980s (Project STAR) to attempt to further understand the long-lasting influences of early education interventions. While STAR led to large test score benefits during the intervention, these benefits quickly faded at its conclusion.…

Inside the Black Box: Exploring the Metacognitive Strategies Used by Principals in Border Community Schools When Making Ethical Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faddis, Toni Osborn

2017-01-01

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the individual experiences of elementary principals' in Southern San Diego County when making ethical decisions that are unique to schools near the United States/Mexico border. Ethical decision-making, in this case, is the term used to depict an incident that calls for a…

Cost, Price and Public Policy: Peering into the Higher Education Black Box. New Agenda Series[TM], Volume 1, Number 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stringer, William L.; Cunningham, Alisa F.

This report contains a conceptual framework for analyzing costs and prices by evaluating the higher education production function and the determinants of both prices and costs. The framework can be used to strengthen understanding of costs and prices within individual institutions and to inform macro level investments at state and national levels.…

Looking inside the Black Box: The Value Added by Career and Technical Student Organizations to Students' High School Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alfeld, Corinne; Stone, James R., III; Aragon, Steven R.; Hansen, David M.; Zirkle, Christopher; Connors, James; Spindler, Matt; Romine, Rebecca Swinburne; Woo, Hui-Jeong

2007-01-01

In addition to hands-on learning in classrooms and work-related activities such as co-op, many CTE programs offer a career-focused student organization, known as a Career and Technical Student Organization, or CTSO. CTSOs have been touted as developing such characteristics as leadership and employability skills in students; however, there is…

Improving Achievement and Student Satisfaction through Criteria-Based Evaluation: Checklists and Rubrics in Educational Research Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Vicki A.; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J.

The traditional "black box" approach to evaluation of assignments in educational research courses has at least two effects: (1) products that fail to meet the expectations of the instructor; and (2) frustration on the part of students who do not know exactly what is expected, and who are consequently confused about or disappointed in the grades…

The brain is not an isolated "black box," nor is its goal to become one.

PubMed

Froese, Tom; Ikegami, Takashi

2013-06-01

In important ways, Clark's "hierarchical prediction machine" (HPM) approach parallels the research agenda we have been pursuing. Nevertheless, we remain unconvinced that the HPM offers the best clue yet to the shape of a unified science of mind and action. The apparent convergence of research interests is offset by a profound divergence of theoretical starting points and ideal goals.

15. Photographic copy of photograph dated ca. 1929; Photographer unknown; ...

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

15. Photographic copy of photograph dated ca. 1929; Photographer unknown; Original in Rath collection at Grout Museum, Waterloo, Iowa; Filed under: Rath Packing Company, Box 4; THE RATH COMPLEX IN THE LATE 1920S; LOOKING WEST FROM 18TH STREET; LARGE BUILDING AT CENTER IS HOG KILL (BUILDING 40) - Rath Packing Company, Sycamore Street between Elm & Eighteenth Streets, Waterloo, Black Hawk County, IA

Opening the Black Box of NOS: Or Knowing How to Go on with Science Education, Wittgenstein, and STS in a Precarious World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alsop, Steve; Gardner, Sam

2017-01-01

In this response essay we offer some critical comments on the nature of science (NOS) and thereby hopefully extend Hodson and Wong's (2017, this issue) argument concerning "understanding scientific practice." Drawing on selected theorising in science and technology studies (STS), we argue that NOS needs to take much more seriously…

How to be Green and Stay in the Black: Environmental Guideline Document.

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-10-01

of the studies were within the American Society of Heating, Refrigera- tion, and Air conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Guidelines. Polaroid plans to...Whitney, Texas Instru- ments-Defense Group, Hughes Missile Systems, Boeing Defense Systems, and General Electric Air - craft Engines . The methodology...boxes, and the need to install space air thermostats. Description For Polaroid’s needs, engineers installed inte- grated, self-contained, thermally

Demystifying a Black Box: A Grounded Theory of How Travel Experiences Impact the Jewish Identity Development of Jewish Emerging Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aaron, Scott

2015-01-01

The positive impact on the Jewish Identity Development of Jewish Emerging Adults of both the 10 day trips to Israel popularly known as Birthright trips and the service learning trips commonly known as Alternative Spring Breaks has been well-documented. However, the mechanics of how this positive impact occurs has not been well-understood. This…

76 FR 16350 - Medical Devices; Ovarian Adnexal Mass Assessment Score Test System; Labeling; Black Box Restrictions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-23

... yield a single result for the likelihood that an adnexal pelvic mass in a woman is malignant. Such a... test system measures one or more analytes in serum and combines the values into a single score that is then used to determine the likelihood that the pre-surgical adnexal mass in a woman not yet referred to...

Twelve years' experience with direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs in Canada: a cautionary tale.

PubMed

Mintzes, Barbara; Morgan, Steve; Wright, James M

2009-05-27

Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs is illegal in Canada as a health protection measure, but is permitted in the United States. However, in 2000, Canadian policy was changed to allow 'reminder' advertising of prescription drugs. This is a form of advertising that states the brand name without health claims. 'Reminder' advertising is prohibited in the US for drugs that have 'black box' warnings of serious risks. This study examines spending on DTCA in Canada from 1995 to 2006, 12 years spanning this policy shift. We ask how annual per capita spending compares to that in the US, and whether drugs with Canadian or US regulatory safety warnings are advertised to the Canadian public in reminder advertising. Prescription drug advertising spending data were extracted from a data set on health sector spending in Canada obtained from a market research company, TNS Media Inc. Spending was adjusted for inflation and compared with US spending. Inflation-adjusted spending on branded DTCA in Canada grew from under CAD$2 million per year before 1999 to over $22 million in 2006. The major growth was in broadcast advertising, accounting for 83% of spending in 2006. US annual per capita spending was on average 24 times Canadian levels. Celebrex (celecoxib), which has a US black box and was subject to three safety advisories in Canada, was the most heavily advertised drug on Canadian television in 2005 and 2006. Of 8 brands with >$500,000 spending, which together accounted for 59% of branded DTCA in all media, 6 were subject to Canadian safety advisories, and 4 had US black box warnings. Branded 'reminder' advertising has grown rapidly in Canada since 2000, mainly due to a growth in television advertising. Although DTCA spending per capita is much lower in Canada than in the US, there is no evidence of safer content or product choice; many heavily-advertised drugs in Canada have been subject to safety advisories. For governments searching for compromise solutions to industry pressure for expanded advertising, Canada's experience stands as a stark warning.

Optimization of black-box models with uncertain climatic inputs—Application to sunflower ideotype design

PubMed Central

Picheny, Victor; Trépos, Ronan; Casadebaig, Pierre

2017-01-01

Accounting for the interannual climatic variations is a well-known issue for simulation-based studies of environmental systems. It often requires intensive sampling (e.g., averaging the simulation outputs over many climatic series), which hinders many sequential processes, in particular optimization algorithms. We propose here an approach based on a subset selection in a large basis of climatic series, using an ad-hoc similarity function and clustering. A non-parametric reconstruction technique is introduced to estimate accurately the distribution of the output of interest using only the subset sampling. The proposed strategy is non-intrusive and generic (i.e. transposable to most models with climatic data inputs), and can be combined to most “off-the-shelf” optimization solvers. We apply our approach to sunflower ideotype design using the crop model SUNFLO. The underlying optimization problem is formulated as a multi-objective one to account for risk-aversion. Our approach achieves good performances even for limited computational budgets, outperforming significantly standard strategies. PMID:28542198

Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) Instrument Thermal Subsystem Design and Lessons Learned

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otero, Veronica; Mosier, Carol; Neuberger, David

2013-01-01

The Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) is one of two instruments on the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM), which is scheduled to launch in February of 2013. The TIRS instrument was officially added to the mission later in the flow, which led to a highly aggressive schedule that became one of the main drivers during instrument development. The thermal subsystem design of the TIRS Sensor Unit is comprised of five thermal zones which range in temperature from less than 43 Kelvin to 330 Kelvin. Most zones are proportional heater controlled, and all are within a volume of 35 cu.ft. A two-stage cryocooler is used to cool the "cold stage" including three QWIP detectors to less than 43 Kelvin, and cool the "warm stage" to 105 Kelvin. The excess power dissipation from the cryocooler is rejected via ammonia transport heat pipes to a dedicated Cryocooler Radiator with embedded ammonia heat pipes. The cryogenic subsystem includes a series of shells used to radiatively and conductively isolate the cold stage from the warmer surroundings. The Optical System (telescope) is passively cooled to 180-190 Kelvin using a "thermal link" (comprised of a Flexible Conductive Thermal Strap and an APG Bar) which couples the telescope stage to a dedicated radiator with embedded ethane heat pipes. The Scene Select Mechanism, which is responsible for moving the Scene Select Mirror to three distinct positions (including Nadir, Space, and On-board Black Body Calibrator pointing), runs nominally at 278 Kelvin and is thermally isolated from the cryogenic thermal zones. The On-board Black Body Calibrator requires a dedicated radiator which allows for a temperature range of 260-330 Kelvin at the Source. The detectors are powered by the FPE Box, which is mounted to the nadir external surface of the composite honeycomb structure. There are two additional electronics boxes which are wet-mounted directly to the spacecraft shear panel, the Main Electronics Box and Cryocooler Electronics Box; thermal control of these boxes is the responsibility of Orbital Sciences Corporation, the spacecraft developer. The TIRS thermal subsystem design was successfully verified during months of testing campaign, from component & subsystem level to two instrument-level thermal vacuum tests. The Instrument, despite an aggressive schedule, was delivered to the spacecraft vendor in February of 2012 and is currently undergoing the final stages of spacecraft environmental testing in preparation for launch.

Alteration of Box-Jenkins methodology by implementing genetic algorithm method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ismail, Zuhaimy; Maarof, Mohd Zulariffin Md; Fadzli, Mohammad

2015-02-01

A time series is a set of values sequentially observed through time. The Box-Jenkins methodology is a systematic method of identifying, fitting, checking and using integrated autoregressive moving average time series model for forecasting. Box-Jenkins method is an appropriate for a medium to a long length (at least 50) time series data observation. When modeling a medium to a long length (at least 50), the difficulty arose in choosing the accurate order of model identification level and to discover the right parameter estimation. This presents the development of Genetic Algorithm heuristic method in solving the identification and estimation models problems in Box-Jenkins. Data on International Tourist arrivals to Malaysia were used to illustrate the effectiveness of this proposed method. The forecast results that generated from this proposed model outperformed single traditional Box-Jenkins model.

AAV-mediated delivery of the transcription factor XBP1s into the striatum reduces mutant Huntingtin aggregation in a mouse model of Huntington's disease

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

Zuleta, Amparo; Center for Molecular Studies of the Cell, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago; Vidal, Rene L.

2012-04-13

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The contribution of ER stress to HD has not been directly addressed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Expression of XBP1s using AAVs decreases Huntingtin aggregation in vivo. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We describe a new in vivo model of HD based on the expression of a large fragment of mHtt-RFP. -- Abstract: Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by mutations that expand a polyglutamine region in the amino-terminal domain of Huntingtin (Htt), leading to the accumulation of intracellular inclusions and progressive neurodegeneration. Recent reports indicate the engagement of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress responses in human HD post mortem samples and animal models of the disease. Adaptationmore » to ER stress is mediated by the activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR), an integrated signal transduction pathway that attenuates protein folding stress by controlling the expression of distinct transcription factors including X-Box binding protein 1 (XBP1). Here we targeted the expression of XBP1 on a novel viral-based model of HD. We delivered an active form of XBP1 locally into the striatum of adult mice using adeno-associated vectors (AAVs) and co-expressed this factor with a large fragment of mutant Htt as a fusion protein with RFP (Htt588{sup Q95}-mRFP) to directly visualize the accumulation of Htt inclusions in the brain. Using this approach, we observed a significant reduction in the accumulation of Htt588{sup Q95}-mRFP intracellular inclusion when XBP1 was co-expressed in the striatum. These results contrast with recent findings indicating a protective effect of XBP1 deficiency in neurodegeneration using knockout mice, and suggest a potential use of gene therapy strategies to manipulate the UPR in the context of HD.« less

Simple Deterministically Constructed Recurrent Neural Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodan, Ali; Tiňo, Peter

A large number of models for time series processing, forecasting or modeling follows a state-space formulation. Models in the specific class of state-space approaches, referred to as Reservoir Computing, fix their state-transition function. The state space with the associated state transition structure forms a reservoir, which is supposed to be sufficiently complex so as to capture a large number of features of the input stream that can be potentially exploited by the reservoir-to-output readout mapping. The largely "black box" character of reservoirs prevents us from performing a deeper theoretical investigation of the dynamical properties of successful reservoirs. Reservoir construction is largely driven by a series of (more-or-less) ad-hoc randomized model building stages, with both the researchers and practitioners having to rely on a series of trials and errors. We show that a very simple deterministically constructed reservoir with simple cycle topology gives performances comparable to those of the Echo State Network (ESN) on a number of time series benchmarks. Moreover, we argue that the memory capacity of such a model can be made arbitrarily close to the proved theoretical limit.

Opening Pandora's Box: The impact of open system modeling on interpretations of anoxia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hotinski, Roberta M.; Kump, Lee R.; Najjar, Raymond G.

2000-06-01

The geologic record preserves evidence that vast regions of ancient oceans were once anoxic, with oxygen levels too low to sustain animal life. Because anoxic conditions have been postulated to foster deposition of petroleum source rocks and have been implicated as a kill mechanism in extinction events, the genesis of such anoxia has been an area of intense study. Most previous models of ocean oxygen cycling proposed, however, have either been qualitative or used closed-system approaches. We reexamine the question of anoxia in open-system box models in order to test the applicability of closed-system results over long timescales and find that open and closed-system modeling results may differ significantly on both short and long timescales. We also compare a scenario with basinwide diffuse upwelling (a three-box model) to a model with upwelling concentrated in the Southern Ocean (a four-box model). While a three-box modeling approach shows that only changes in high-latitude convective mixing rate and character of deepwater sources are likely to cause anoxia, four-box model experiments indicate that slowing of thermohaline circulation, a reduction in wind-driven upwelling, and changes in high-latitude export production may also cause dysoxia or anoxia in part of the deep ocean on long timescales. These results suggest that box models must capture the open-system and vertically stratified nature of the ocean to allow meaningful interpretations of long-lived episodes of anoxia.

Conventional box model training improves laparoscopic skills during salpingectomy on LapSim: a randomized trial.

PubMed

Akdemir, Ali; Ergenoğlu, Ahmet Mete; Yeniel, Ahmet Özgür; Sendağ, Fatih

2013-01-01

Box model trainers have been used for many years to facilitate the improvement of laparoscopic skills. However, there are limited data available on box trainers and their impact on skill acquisition, assessed by virtual reality systems. Twenty-two Postgraduate Year 1 gynecology residents with no laparoscopic experience were randomly divided into one group that received structured box model training and a control group. All residents performed a salpingectomy on LapSim before and after the training. Performances before and after the training were assessed using LapSim and were recorded using objective parameters, registered by a computer system (time, damage, and economy of motion scores). There were initially no differences between the two groups. The box trainer group showed significantly greater improvement in time (p=0.01) and economy of motion scores (p=0.001) compared with the control group post-training. The present study confirmed the positive effect of low cost box model training on laparoscopic skill acquisition as assessed using LapSim. Novice surgeons should obtain practice on box trainers and teaching centers should make efforts to establish training laboratories.

Alumoxanes: Rationalization of Black Box Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-05-18

complexes for the synthesis of polyketones , ICH2CH(R)C(O)in. The activity observed is comparable to commercial systems but without the instability issues...see below). Commercial samples of polyketones suffer from severe thermal decomposition during melt processing. The Patent literature describes the...as well as the structure and molecular weight of the polymer. We intend to further our work with the catalytic synthesis of polyketones . We will

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1964-09-01

This image depicts a high angle view of technicians working on the instrument unit (IU) component assembly for the SA-8 mission in Marshall Space Flight Center's building 4705. A thin, circular structure, only 1-meter high and 7.6 meters in diameter, the IU was sandwiched between the S-IV and Apollo spacecraft. Packed inside were the computers, gyroscopes, and assorted black boxes necessary to keep the launch vehicle properly functioning and on its course.

Impact of simulated herbivory on water relations of aspen (Populus tremuloides) seedlings: the role of new tissue in the hydraulic conductivity recovery cycle

Treesearch

David A. Galvez; M.T. Tyree

2009-01-01

Physiological mechanisms behind plant-herbivore interactions are commonly approached as input-output systems where the role of plant physiology is viewed as a black box. Studies evaluating impacts of defoliation on plant physiology have mostly focused on changes in photosynthesis while the overall impact on plant water relations is largely unknown. Stem hydraulic...

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

Aldrich, Robb; Butterfield, Karla

With funding from the Building America Program, part of the U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office, the Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB) worked with BrightBuilt Home (BBH) to evaluate and optimize building systems. CARB’s work focused on a home built by Black Bros. Builders in Lincolnville, Maine (International Energy Conservation Code Climate Zone 6). As with most BBH projects to date, modular boxes were built by Keiser Homes in Oxford, Maine.

Inside the Black Box, with apologies to Pandora. A review of Ulric Neisser's Cognitive Psychology1

PubMed Central

Salzinger, Kurt

1973-01-01

It behooves us, as good citizens of the science of psychology, to shirk no area of psychology as long as we can apply scientific method to it. The research in cognitive psychology is certainly interesting, on the whole well executed, and very challenging. It is well within the scope of a behavioristic approach. It merely awaits more attention from behaviorists.

Into the Black Box: Using Data Mining of In-Game Actions to Draw Inferences from Educational Technology about Students' Math Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerr, Deirdre Song

2014-01-01

Educational video games have the potential to be used as assessments of student understanding of complex concepts. However, the interpretation of the rich stream of complex data that results from the tracking of in-game actions is so difficult that it is one of the most serious blockades to the use of educational video games or simulations to…

Opening the Black Box: Toward Classifying Care and Treatment for Children and Adolescents with Behavioral and Emotional Problems within and across Care Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evenboer, K. E.; Huyghen, A. M. N.; Tuinstra, J.; Reijneveld, S. A.; Knorth, E. J.

2016-01-01

Objective: The Taxonomy of Care for Youth was developed to gather information about the care offered to children and adolescents with behavioral and emotional problems in various care settings. The aim was to determine similarities and differences in the content of care and thereby to classify the care offered to these children and youth within…

NRH Neuroscience Research Center

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-01

liii ED ED ED EDPet Therapy: 30. Use or dog 47. Platform (parallel bars Co- Treat : or FWW) No. ofminutes: F IT ] Disciplines: 31. Use of other... s . Pneumonia: examine relationship with feeding tube use , diet types, and swallowing descriptions and interventions from SLP. Examine tube placement...Gassaway J, Dijkers M, Slavin S . Toward a taxonomy of rehabilitation interventions: using an inductive approach to examine the ’black box’ of rehabilitation

Opening the Black Box: The Experiences and Lessons From the Public Hospitals Autonomy Policy in Iran.

PubMed

Doshmangir, Leila; Rashidian, Arash; Jafari, Mehdi; Takian, Amirhossein; Ravaghi, Hamid

2015-07-01

Policy formulation and adoption often happen in a black box. Implementation challenges affect and modify the nature of a policy. We analyzed hospitals' autonomy policy in Iran that was intended to reduce hospitals' financial burden on government and improve their efficiency. We followed a retrospective case-study methodology, involving inductive and deductive analyses of parliamentary proceedings, policy documents, gray literature, published papers and interview transcripts. We analyzed data to develop a policy map that included important dates and events leading to the policy process milestones. We identified four time-periods with distinctive features: 'moving toward the policy' (1989 - 1994), disorganized implementation' (1995 - 1997), 'continuing challenges and indecisiveness in hospitals financing' (1998 - 2003), and 'other structural and financial policies in public hospitals' (2004 to date). We found that stakeholders required different and conflicting objectives, which certainly resulted in an unsatisfactory implementation process. The policy led to long-lasting and often negative changes in the hospital sector and the entire Iranian health system. Hospital autonomy appeared to be an ill-advised policy to remedy the inefficiency problems in low socioeconomic areas of the country. The assumption that hospital autonomy reforms would necessarily result in a better health system, may be a false assumption as their success relies on many contextual, structural and policy implementation factors.

Trends in anti-D immune globulin for childhood immune thrombocytopenia: Usage, response rates, and adverse effects

PubMed Central

Long, Michelle; Kalish, Leslie A.; Neufeld, Ellis J.; Grace, Rachael F.

2013-01-01

In 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added a black box warning to anti-D immune globulin (Rho(D) immune globulin, anti-D) for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) to warn of the complications related to severe hemolysis. The objective of this retrospective medical record review was to examine recent trends in anti-D use to treat ITP and rates of adverse events in a single large pediatric hematology program. Over a 7-year period, 176 (35%) of 502 ITP patients at our center received anti-D. Anti-D was the second most commonly prescribed drug for ITP from 2003 to 2010 overall and was given first most frequently (41%). Sixty-four percent of patients responded to anti-D, but 36% had adverse effects, including five patients requiring hospitalization. From 2003 to 2010, the use of anti-D as an initial therapy for ITP significantly decreased (P < 0.001). This trend preceded the 2010 FDA black box warning. In our experience, anti-D was associated with a significant number of adverse effects when used as a treatment for ITP, although none were life-threatening. Despite recent guidelines suggesting anti-D therapy for initial treatment for ITP, anti-D therapy for ITP has significantly decreased over the past 7 years. PMID:22190130

Bioinformatics: indispensable, yet hidden in plain sight?

PubMed

Bartlett, Andrew; Penders, Bart; Lewis, Jamie

2017-06-21

Bioinformatics has multitudinous identities, organisational alignments and disciplinary links. This variety allows bioinformaticians and bioinformatic work to contribute to much (if not most) of life science research in profound ways. The multitude of bioinformatic work also translates into a multitude of credit-distribution arrangements, apparently dismissing that work. We report on the epistemic and social arrangements that characterise the relationship between bioinformatics and life science. We describe, in sociological terms, the character, power and future of bioinformatic work. The character of bioinformatic work is such that its cultural, institutional and technical structures allow for it to be black-boxed easily. The result is that bioinformatic expertise and contributions travel easily and quickly, yet remain largely uncredited. The power of bioinformatic work is shaped by its dependency on life science work, which combined with the black-boxed character of bioinformatic expertise further contributes to situating bioinformatics on the periphery of the life sciences. Finally, the imagined futures of bioinformatic work suggest that bioinformatics will become ever more indispensable without necessarily becoming more visible, forcing bioinformaticians into difficult professional and career choices. Bioinformatic expertise and labour is epistemically central but often institutionally peripheral. In part, this is a result of the ways in which the character, power distribution and potential futures of bioinformatics are constituted. However, alternative paths can be imagined.

Photosynthesis: 1900-1930.

PubMed

Pennazio, Sergio

2007-01-01

During the second half of the 19th century Julius von Sachs established the main principles of the photosynthetic production of sugars. From then, a growing number of biochemists and physiologists attended to the process, that appeared like a "black box", in order to detect what came in and what went out of it. The English group of Frederick Blackman gave a remarkable contribution in individuating the close connection between temperature, light and CO2 concentration. Later, the great importance of light was stressed by Otto Warburg, who evaluated the radiant energy necessary to the process in terms of quantum theory. The biochemical mechanism of photosynthesis was interpreted by the main European schools on the basis of Adolf Baeyer's suggestion which posed formaldehyde as the core of the process. Formaldehyde's theory hold engaged the biochemists for about fifty years although some voices rose up against it. However, nobody could put forward more coherent theories until the 1940s, when Sam Ruben and Martin Kamen individuated the cyclic pattern of the process. Ultimately, the first thirty years of the 20th century must be seen as a preliminary stage studded with light and shade even if, in spite of controversial trends, several findings of remarkable interest became to disclose that "black box" as we know today chlorophyll photosynthesis.

Upgrade to the Cryogenic Hydrogen Gas Target Monitoring System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Michael; Tribble, Robert

2013-10-01

The cryogenic hydrogen gas target at Texas A&M is a vital component for creating a secondary radioactive beam that is then used in experiments in the Momentum Achromat Recoil Spectrometer (MARS). A stable beam from the K500 superconducting cyclotron enters the gas cell and some incident particles are transmuted by a nuclear reaction into a radioactive beam, which are separated from the primary beam and used in MARS experiments. The pressure in the target chamber is monitored so that a predictable isotope production rate can be assured. A ``black box'' received the analog pressure data and sent RS232 serial data through an outdated serial connection to an outdated Visual Basic 6 (VB6) program, which plotted the chamber pressure continuously. The black box has been upgraded to an Arduino UNO microcontroller [Atmel Inc.], which can receive the pressure data and output via USB to a computer. It has been programmed to also accept temperature data for future upgrade. A new computer program, with updated capabilities, has been written in Python. The software can send email alerts, create audible alarms through the Arduino, and plot pressure and temperature. The program has been designed to better fit the needs of the users. Funded by DOE and NSF-REU Program.

The Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation Safeguards and Separations Reprocessing Plant Toolkit

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

McCaskey, Alex; Billings, Jay Jay; de Almeida, Valmor F

2011-08-01

This report details the progress made in the development of the Reprocessing Plant Toolkit (RPTk) for the DOE Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program. RPTk is an ongoing development effort intended to provide users with an extensible, integrated, and scalable software framework for the modeling and simulation of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plants by enabling the insertion and coupling of user-developed physicochemical modules of variable fidelity. The NEAMS Safeguards and Separations IPSC (SafeSeps) and the Enabling Computational Technologies (ECT) supporting program element have partnered to release an initial version of the RPTk with a focus on software usabilitymore » and utility. RPTk implements a data flow architecture that is the source of the system's extensibility and scalability. Data flows through physicochemical modules sequentially, with each module importing data, evolving it, and exporting the updated data to the next downstream module. This is accomplished through various architectural abstractions designed to give RPTk true plug-and-play capabilities. A simple application of this architecture, as well as RPTk data flow and evolution, is demonstrated in Section 6 with an application consisting of two coupled physicochemical modules. The remaining sections describe this ongoing work in full, from system vision and design inception to full implementation. Section 3 describes the relevant software development processes used by the RPTk development team. These processes allow the team to manage system complexity and ensure stakeholder satisfaction. This section also details the work done on the RPTk ``black box'' and ``white box'' models, with a special focus on the separation of concerns between the RPTk user interface and application runtime. Section 4 and 5 discuss that application runtime component in more detail, and describe the dependencies, behavior, and rigorous testing of its constituent components.« less

Anticounterfeiting Quick Response Code with Emission Color of Invisible Metal-Organic Frameworks as Encoding Information.

PubMed

Wang, Yong-Mei; Tian, Xue-Tao; Zhang, Hui; Yang, Zhong-Rui; Yin, Xue-Bo

2018-06-21

Counterfeiting is a global epidemic that is compelling the development of new anticounterfeiting strategy. Herein, we report a novel multiple anticounterfeiting encoding strategy of invisible fluorescent quick response (QR) codes with emission color as information storage unit. The strategy requires red, green, and blue (RGB) light-emitting materials for different emission colors as encrypting information, single excitation for all of the emission for practicability, and ultraviolet (UV) excitation for invisibility under daylight. Therefore, RGB light-emitting nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (NMOFs) are designed as inks to construct the colorful light-emitting boxes for information encrypting, while three black vertex boxes were used for positioning. Full-color emissions are obtained by mixing the trichromatic NMOFs inks through inkjet printer. The encrypting information capacity is easily adjusted by the number of light-emitting boxes with the infinite emission colors. The information is decoded with specific excitation light at 275 nm, making the QR codes invisible under daylight. The composition of inks, invisibility, inkjet printing, and the abundant encrypting information all contribute to multiple anticounterfeiting. The proposed QR codes pattern holds great potential for advanced anticounterfeiting.

Solar project description for First Baptist Church, Aberdeen, South Dakota

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

Not Available

1979-05-01

The solar energy system at the First Baptist Church in Aberdeen, South Dakota is described. The solar energy system was built into the new 12,350 square foot church to heat the church and to provide domestic hot water. The 1404 square foot collector array of Solaron double glazed, flat black, flat plate collectors is mounted to the roof at a tilt angle of 30/sup 0/ from the horizontal. Thermal energy is stored in an 1100 cubic foot rock box that is located underground beneath the church. The box is filled with 35 tons of cleaned, washed rocks ranging in sizemore » from 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches. Solar space heating is provided by either the collector array directly or by rock box. Auxiliary space heating is provided by a 1,375,000 Btu electric boiler. Domestic hot water is preheated through a coil in the collector supply duct and stored in a 120 gallon tank. Auxiliary heating of the domestic hot water is provided by a 119 gallon electric water heater.« less

Performance characterization of image and video analysis systems at Siemens Corporate Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramesh, Visvanathan; Jolly, Marie-Pierre; Greiffenhagen, Michael

2000-06-01

There has been a significant increase in commercial products using imaging analysis techniques to solve real-world problems in diverse fields such as manufacturing, medical imaging, document analysis, transportation and public security, etc. This has been accelerated by various factors: more advanced algorithms, the availability of cheaper sensors, and faster processors. While algorithms continue to improve in performance, a major stumbling block in translating improvements in algorithms to faster deployment of image analysis systems is the lack of characterization of limits of algorithms and how they affect total system performance. The research community has realized the need for performance analysis and there have been significant efforts in the last few years to remedy the situation. Our efforts at SCR have been on statistical modeling and characterization of modules and systems. The emphasis is on both white-box and black box methodologies to evaluate and optimize vision systems. In the first part of this paper we review the literature on performance characterization and then provide an overview of the status of research in performance characterization of image and video understanding systems. The second part of the paper is on performance evaluation of medical image segmentation algorithms. Finally, we highlight some research issues in performance analysis in medical imaging systems.

SimpleBox 4.0: Improving the model while keeping it simple….

PubMed

Hollander, Anne; Schoorl, Marian; van de Meent, Dik

2016-04-01

Chemical behavior in the environment is often modeled with multimedia fate models. SimpleBox is one often-used multimedia fate model, firstly developed in 1986. Since then, two updated versions were published. Based on recent scientific developments and experience with SimpleBox 3.0, a new version of SimpleBox was developed and is made public here: SimpleBox 4.0. In this new model, eight major changes were implemented: removal of the local scale and vegetation compartments, addition of lake compartments and deep ocean compartments (including the thermohaline circulation), implementation of intermittent rain instead of drizzle and of depth dependent soil concentrations, adjustment of the partitioning behavior for organic acids and bases as well as of the value for enthalpy of vaporization. In this paper, the effects of the model changes in SimpleBox 4.0 on the predicted steady-state concentrations of chemical substances were explored for different substance groups (neutral organic substances, acids, bases, metals) in a standard emission scenario. In general, the largest differences between the predicted concentrations in the new and the old model are caused by the implementation of layered ocean compartments. Undesirable high model complexity caused by vegetation compartments and a local scale were removed to enlarge the simplicity and user friendliness of the model. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of postbuckling model and finite element model with compression strength of corrugated boxes

Treesearch

Thomas J. Urbanik; Edmond P. Saliklis

2002-01-01

Conventional compression strength formulas for corrugated fiberboard boxes are limited to geometry and material that produce an elastic postbuckling failure. Inelastic postbuckling can occur in squatty boxes and trays, but a mechanistic rationale for unifying observed strength data is lacking. This study employs a finite element model, instead of actual experiments, to...

Analysis of key technologies for virtual instruments metrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Guixiong; Xu, Qingui; Gao, Furong; Guan, Qiuju; Fang, Qiang

2008-12-01

Virtual instruments (VIs) require metrological verification when applied as measuring instruments. Owing to the software-centered architecture, metrological evaluation of VIs includes two aspects: measurement functions and software characteristics. Complexity of software imposes difficulties on metrological testing of VIs. Key approaches and technologies for metrology evaluation of virtual instruments are investigated and analyzed in this paper. The principal issue is evaluation of measurement uncertainty. The nature and regularity of measurement uncertainty caused by software and algorithms can be evaluated by modeling, simulation, analysis, testing and statistics with support of powerful computing capability of PC. Another concern is evaluation of software features like correctness, reliability, stability, security and real-time of VIs. Technologies from software engineering, software testing and computer security domain can be used for these purposes. For example, a variety of black-box testing, white-box testing and modeling approaches can be used to evaluate the reliability of modules, components, applications and the whole VI software. The security of a VI can be assessed by methods like vulnerability scanning and penetration analysis. In order to facilitate metrology institutions to perform metrological verification of VIs efficiently, an automatic metrological tool for the above validation is essential. Based on technologies of numerical simulation, software testing and system benchmarking, a framework for the automatic tool is proposed in this paper. Investigation on implementation of existing automatic tools that perform calculation of measurement uncertainty, software testing and security assessment demonstrates the feasibility of the automatic framework advanced.

Why performance-based contracting failed in Uganda--an "open-box" evaluation of a complex health system intervention.

PubMed

Ssengooba, Freddie; McPake, Barbara; Palmer, Natasha

2012-07-01

Performance-based contracting (PBC) is a tool that links rewards to attainment of measurable performance targets. Significant problems remain in the methods used to evaluate this tool. The primary focus of evaluations on the effects of PBC (black-box) and less attention to how these effects arise (open-box) generates suboptimal policy learning. A black-box impact evaluation of PBC pilot by the Development Research Group of the World Bank (DRG) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) concluded that PBC was ineffective. This paper reports a theory-based case study intended to clarify how and why PBC failed to achieve its objectives. To explain the observed PBC implementation and responses of participants, this case study employed two related theories i.e. complex adaptive system and expectancy theory respectively. A prospective study trailed the implementation of PBC (2003-2006) while collecting experiences of participants at district and hospital levels. Significant problems were encountered in the implementation of PBC that reflected its inadequate design. As problems were encountered, hasty adaptations resulted in a de facto intervention distinct from the one implied at the design stage. For example, inadequate time was allowed for the selection of service targets by the health centres yet they got 'locked-in' to these poor choices. The learning curve and workload among performance auditors weakened the validity of audit results. Above all, financial shortfalls led to delays, short-cuts and uncertainty about the size and payment of bonuses. The lesson for those intending to implement similar interventions is that PBC should not be attempted 'on the cheap'. It requires a plan to boost local institutional and technical capacities of implementers. It also requires careful consideration of the responses of multiple actors - both insiders and outsiders to the intended change process. Given the costs and complexity of PBC implementation, strengthening conventional approaches that are better attuned to low income contexts (financing resource inputs and systems management) remains a viable policy option towards improving health service delivery. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.