43 CFR 3186.2 - Model collective bond.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Model Forms § 3186.2 Model collective bond. Collective Corporate Surety Bond Know all men by these presents. That we, _________ (Name of unit operator), signing as Principal, for and on behalf of the record owners of unitized substances now or hereafter covered by the unit agreement for the _________ (Name of...

Capacitated vehicle-routing problem model for scheduled solid waste collection and route optimization using PSO algorithm.

PubMed

Hannan, M A; Akhtar, Mahmuda; Begum, R A; Basri, H; Hussain, A; Scavino, Edgar

2018-01-01

Waste collection widely depends on the route optimization problem that involves a large amount of expenditure in terms of capital, labor, and variable operational costs. Thus, the more waste collection route is optimized, the more reduction in different costs and environmental effect will be. This study proposes a modified particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm in a capacitated vehicle-routing problem (CVRP) model to determine the best waste collection and route optimization solutions. In this study, threshold waste level (TWL) and scheduling concepts are applied in the PSO-based CVRP model under different datasets. The obtained results from different datasets show that the proposed algorithmic CVRP model provides the best waste collection and route optimization in terms of travel distance, total waste, waste collection efficiency, and tightness at 70-75% of TWL. The obtained results for 1 week scheduling show that 70% of TWL performs better than all node consideration in terms of collected waste, distance, tightness, efficiency, fuel consumption, and cost. The proposed optimized model can serve as a valuable tool for waste collection and route optimization toward reducing socioeconomic and environmental impacts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extension of the ADC Charge-Collection Model to Include Multiple Junctions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edmonds, Larry D.

2011-01-01

The ADC model is a charge-collection model derived for simple p-n junction silicon diodes having a single reverse-biased p-n junction at one end and an ideal substrate contact at the other end. The present paper extends the model to include multiple junctions, and the goal is to estimate how collected charge is shared by the different junctions.

Modeling Charge Collection in Detector Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hardage, Donna (Technical Monitor); Pickel, J. C.

2003-01-01

A detector array charge collection model has been developed for use as an engineering tool to aid in the design of optical sensor missions for operation in the space radiation environment. This model is an enhancement of the prototype array charge collection model that was developed for the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) program. The primary enhancements were accounting for drift-assisted diffusion by Monte Carlo modeling techniques and implementing the modeling approaches in a windows-based code. The modeling is concerned with integrated charge collection within discrete pixels in the focal plane array (FPA), with high fidelity spatial resolution. It is applicable to all detector geometries including monolithc charge coupled devices (CCDs), Active Pixel Sensors (APS) and hybrid FPA geometries based on a detector array bump-bonded to a readout integrated circuit (ROIC).

Model for the separate collection of packaging waste in Portuguese low-performing recycling regions.

PubMed

Oliveira, V; Sousa, V; Vaz, J M; Dias-Ferreira, C

2018-06-15

Separate collection of packaging waste (glass; plastic/metals; paper/cardboard), is currently a widespread practice throughout Europe. It enables the recovery of good quality recyclable materials. However, separate collection performance are quite heterogeneous, with some countries reaching higher levels than others. In the present work, separate collection of packaging waste has been evaluated in a low-performance recycling region in Portugal in order to investigate which factors are most affecting the performance in bring-bank collection system. The variability of separate collection yields (kg per inhabitant per year) among 42 municipalities was scrutinized for the year 2015 against possible explanatory factors. A total of 14 possible explanatory factors were analysed, falling into two groups: socio-economic/demographic and waste collection service related. Regression models were built in an attempt to evaluate the individual effect of each factor on separate collection yields and predict changes on the collection yields by acting on those factors. The best model obtained is capable to explain 73% of the variation found in the separate collection yields. The model includes the following statistically significant indicators affecting the success of separate collection yields: i) inhabitants per bring-bank; ii) relative accessibility to bring-banks; iii) degree of urbanization; iv) number of school years attended; and v) area. The model presented in this work was developed specifically for the bring-bank system, has an explanatory power and quantifies the impact of each factor on separate collection yields. It can therefore be used as a support tool by local and regional waste management authorities in the definition of future strategies to increase collection of recyclables of good quality and to achieve national and regional targets. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A model of electron collecting plasma contractors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, V. A.; Katz, I.; Mandell, M. J.; Parks, D. E.

1989-01-01

A model of plasma contractors is being developed, which can be used to describe electron collection in a laboratory test tank and in the space environment. To validate the model development, laboratory experiments are conducted in which the source plasma is separated from the background plasma by a double layer. Model calculations show that an increase in ionization rate with potential produces a steep rise in collected current with increasing potential.

Modeling collective cell migration in geometric confinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarle, Victoria; Gauquelin, Estelle; Vedula, S. R. K.; D'Alessandro, Joseph; Lim, C. T.; Ladoux, Benoit; Gov, Nir S.

2017-06-01

Monolayer expansion has generated great interest as a model system to study collective cell migration. During such an expansion the culture front often develops ‘fingers’, which we have recently modeled using a proposed feedback between the curvature of the monolayer’s leading edge and the outward motility of the edge cells. We show that this model is able to explain the puzzling observed increase of collective cellular migration speed of a monolayer expanding into thin stripes, as well as describe the behavior within different confining geometries that were recently observed in experiments. These comparisons give support to the model and emphasize the role played by the edge cells and the edge shape during collective cell motion.

Modeling collective cell migration in geometric confinement.

PubMed

Tarle, Victoria; Gauquelin, Estelle; Vedula, S R K; D'Alessandro, Joseph; Lim, C T; Ladoux, Benoit; Gov, Nir S

2017-05-03

Monolayer expansion has generated great interest as a model system to study collective cell migration. During such an expansion the culture front often develops 'fingers', which we have recently modeled using a proposed feedback between the curvature of the monolayer's leading edge and the outward motility of the edge cells. We show that this model is able to explain the puzzling observed increase of collective cellular migration speed of a monolayer expanding into thin stripes, as well as describe the behavior within different confining geometries that were recently observed in experiments. These comparisons give support to the model and emphasize the role played by the edge cells and the edge shape during collective cell motion.

Toward an Integrative Social Identity Model of Collective Action: A Quantitative Research Synthesis of Three Socio-Psychological Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Zomeren, Martijn; Postmes, Tom; Spears, Russell

2008-01-01

An integrative social identity model of collective action (SIMCA) is developed that incorporates 3 socio-psychological perspectives on collective action. Three meta-analyses synthesized a total of 182 effects of perceived injustice, efficacy, and identity on collective action (corresponding to these socio-psychological perspectives). Results…

The effect of personal and group discrimination on the subjective well-being of people with mental illness: the role of internalized stigma and collective action intention.

PubMed

Pérez-Garín, Daniel; Molero, Fernando; Bos, Arjan E R

2017-04-01

The goal of this study is to test a model in which personal discrimination predicts internalized stigma, while group discrimination predicts a greater willingness to engage in collective action. Internalized stigma and collective action, in turn, are associated to positive and negative affect. A cross-sectional study with 213 people with mental illness was conducted. The model was tested using path analysis. Although the data supported the model, its fit was not sufficiently good. A respecified model, in which a direct path from collective action to internalized stigma was added, showed a good fit. Personal and group discrimination appear to impact subjective well-being through two different paths: the internalization of stigma and collective action intentions, respectively. These two paths, however, are not completely independent, as collective action predicts a lower internalization of stigma. Thus, collective action appears as an important tool to reduce internalized stigma and improve subjective well-being. Future interventions to reduce the impact of stigma should fight the internalization of stigma and promote collective action are suggested.

Three Models of Classroom Collections of Trade Books: A Summary Report of the 1994 Grolier Award Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doiron, Ray

1995-01-01

Describes elementary school classroom trade book collections in the Prince Edward Island (Canada) school district, and explores the relationship between the collections and school library resource center program. The report is based on a survey of 46 classroom teachers, teacher-librarians, and principals. Three models of classroom collections are…

Collective behaviour in vertebrates: a sensory perspective

PubMed Central

Collignon, Bertrand; Fernández-Juricic, Esteban

2016-01-01

Collective behaviour models can predict behaviours of schools, flocks, and herds. However, in many cases, these models make biologically unrealistic assumptions in terms of the sensory capabilities of the organism, which are applied across different species. We explored how sensitive collective behaviour models are to these sensory assumptions. Specifically, we used parameters reflecting the visual coverage and visual acuity that determine the spatial range over which an individual can detect and interact with conspecifics. Using metric and topological collective behaviour models, we compared the classic sensory parameters, typically used to model birds and fish, with a set of realistic sensory parameters obtained through physiological measurements. Compared with the classic sensory assumptions, the realistic assumptions increased perceptual ranges, which led to fewer groups and larger group sizes in all species, and higher polarity values and slightly shorter neighbour distances in the fish species. Overall, classic visual sensory assumptions are not representative of many species showing collective behaviour and constrain unrealistically their perceptual ranges. More importantly, caution must be exercised when empirically testing the predictions of these models in terms of choosing the model species, making realistic predictions, and interpreting the results. PMID:28018616

A concept of a MIABIS based register of biosample collections at the Medical University of Innsbruck.

PubMed

Hofer, Philipp; Fiegl, Heidi; Angerer, Justina; Mueller-Holzner, Elisabeth; Chamson, Martina; Klocker, Helmut; Steiner, Eberhardt; Hauffe, Helga; Zschocke, Johannes; Goebel, Georg

2014-01-01

The knowledge about the quality of samples and associated clinical data in biospecimen collections is a premise of clinical research. An electronic biosample register aims to facilitate the discovery of information about biosample collections in a hospital. Moreover, it might improve scientific collaboration and research quality through a shared access to harmonized sample collection description data. The aim of this paper is to present a concept of a web-based biosample register of the existing biosample collections at the Medical University of Innsbruck. A uniform description model is built based on an analysis of the sample collection data of independent sample management systems from two departments within the hospital. An extended set of attributes of the minimum dataset used by the Swedish sample collection register (MIABIS) has been applied to all biosample collections as a common description model. The results of the analysis and the data model are presented together with a first concept of a sample collection search register.

Collective and non-collective structures in nuclei of mass region A ≈ 125

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

Singh, A. K.; Collaboration: INGA Collaboration; Gammasphere Collaboration

Generation of angular momentum in nuclei is a key question in nuclear structure studies. In single particle model, it is due to alignment of spin of individual nucleon available in the valence space, whereas coherent motion of nucleons are assumed in the collective model. The nuclei near the closed shell at Z = 50 with mass number A ≈ 120-125 represent ideal cases to explore the interplay between these competing mechanisms and the transition from non-collective to collective behavior or vice versa. Recent spectroscopic studies of nuclei in this region reveal several non-collective maximally aligned states representing the first kindmore » of excitation mechanism, where 8-12 particles above the {sup 114}Sn align their spins to generate these states. Deformed rotational bands feeding the non-collective states in the spin range I=20-25 and excitation energies around 10 MeV have also been observed. Structure of the collective and non-collective states are discussed in the framework of Cranked-Nilsson-Strutinsky model.« less

Comparison between collective coordinate models for domain wall motion in PMA nanostrips in the presence of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vandermeulen, J.; Nasseri, S. A.; Van de Wiele, B.; Durin, G.; Van Waeyenberge, B.; Dupré, L.

2018-03-01

Lagrangian-based collective coordinate models for magnetic domain wall (DW) motion rely on an ansatz for the DW profile and a Lagrangian approach to describe the DW motion in terms of a set of time-dependent collective coordinates: the DW position, the DW magnetization angle, the DW width and the DW tilting angle. Another approach was recently used to derive similar equations of motion by averaging the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation without any ansatz, and identifying the relevant collective coordinates afterwards. In this paper, we use an updated version of the semi-analytical equations to compare the Lagrangian-based collective coordinate models with micromagnetic simulations for field- and STT-driven (spin-transfer torque-driven) DW motion in Pt/CoFe/MgO and Pt/Co/AlOx nanostrips. Through this comparison, we assess the accuracy of the different models, and provide insight into the deviations of the models from simulations. It is found that the lack of terms related to DW asymmetry in the Lagrangian-based collective coordinate models significantly contributes to the discrepancy between the predictions of the most accurate Lagrangian-based model and the micromagnetic simulations in the field-driven case. This is in contrast to the STT-driven case where the DW remains symmetric.

Emergence of collective propulsion through cell-cell adhesion.

PubMed

Matsushita, Katsuyoshi

2018-04-01

The mechanisms driving the collective movement of cells remain poorly understood. To contribute toward resolving this mystery, a model was formulated to theoretically explore the possible functions of polarized cell-cell adhesion in collective cell migration. The model consists of an amoeba cell with polarized cell-cell adhesion, which is controlled by positive feedback with cell motion. This model cell has no persistent propulsion and therefore exhibits a simple random walk when in isolation. However, at high density, these cells acquire collective propulsion and form ordered movement. This result suggests that cell-cell adhesion has a potential function, which induces collective propulsion with persistence.

Emergence of collective propulsion through cell-cell adhesion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsushita, Katsuyoshi

2018-04-01

The mechanisms driving the collective movement of cells remain poorly understood. To contribute toward resolving this mystery, a model was formulated to theoretically explore the possible functions of polarized cell-cell adhesion in collective cell migration. The model consists of an amoeba cell with polarized cell-cell adhesion, which is controlled by positive feedback with cell motion. This model cell has no persistent propulsion and therefore exhibits a simple random walk when in isolation. However, at high density, these cells acquire collective propulsion and form ordered movement. This result suggests that cell-cell adhesion has a potential function, which induces collective propulsion with persistence.

Model of Collective Fish Behavior with Hydrodynamic Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filella, Audrey; Nadal, François; Sire, Clément; Kanso, Eva; Eloy, Christophe

2018-05-01

Fish schooling is often modeled with self-propelled particles subject to phenomenological behavioral rules. Although fish are known to sense and exploit flow features, these models usually neglect hydrodynamics. Here, we propose a novel model that couples behavioral rules with far-field hydrodynamic interactions. We show that (1) a new "collective turning" phase emerges, (2) on average, individuals swim faster thanks to the fluid, and (3) the flow enhances behavioral noise. The results of this model suggest that hydrodynamic effects should be considered to fully understand the collective dynamics of fish.

Physical models of collective cell motility: from cell to tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camley, B. A.; Rappel, W.-J.

2017-03-01

In this article, we review physics-based models of collective cell motility. We discuss a range of techniques at different scales, ranging from models that represent cells as simple self-propelled particles to phase field models that can represent a cell’s shape and dynamics in great detail. We also extensively review the ways in which cells within a tissue choose their direction, the statistics of cell motion, and some simple examples of how cell-cell signaling can interact with collective cell motility. This review also covers in more detail selected recent works on collective cell motion of small numbers of cells on micropatterns, in wound healing, and the chemotaxis of clusters of cells.

Forward problem solution as the operator of filtered and back projection matrix to reconstruct the various method of data collection and the object element model in electrical impedance tomography

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

Ain, Khusnul; Physics Department - Airlangga University, Surabaya – Indonesia, khusnulainunair@yahoo.com; Kurniadi, Deddy

2015-04-16

Back projection reconstruction has been implemented to get the dynamical image in electrical impedance tomography. However the implementation is still limited in method of adjacent data collection and circular object element model. The study aims to develop the methods of back projection as reconstruction method that has the high speed, accuracy, and flexibility, which can be used for various methods of data collection and model of the object element. The proposed method uses the forward problem solution as the operator of filtered and back projection matrix. This is done through a simulation study on several methods of data collection andmore » various models of the object element. The results indicate that the developed method is capable of producing images, fastly and accurately for reconstruction of the various methods of data collection and models of the object element.« less

Measuring the efficiency of zakat collection process using data envelopment analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamzah, Ahmad Aizuddin; Krishnan, Anath Rau

2016-10-01

It is really necessary for each zakat institution in the nation to timely measure and understand their efficiency in collecting zakat for the sake of continuous betterment. Pusat Zakat Sabah, Malaysia which has kicked off its operation in early of 2007, is not excused from this obligation as well. However, measuring the collection efficiency is not a very easy task as it usually incorporates the consideration of multiple inputs or/and outputs. This paper sequentially employed three data envelopment analysis models, namely Charnes-Cooper-Rhodes (CCR) primal model, CCR dual model, and slack based model to quantitatively evaluate the efficiency of zakat collection in Sabah across the year of 2007 up to 2015 by treating each year as a decision making unit. The three models were developed based on two inputs (i.e. number of zakat branches and number of staff) and one output (i.e. total collection). The causes for not achieving efficiency and the suggestions on how the efficiency in each year could have been improved were disclosed.

Evaluating data worth for ground-water management under uncertainty

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wagner, B.J.

1999-01-01

A decision framework is presented for assessing the value of ground-water sampling within the context of ground-water management under uncertainty. The framework couples two optimization models-a chance-constrained ground-water management model and an integer-programing sampling network design model-to identify optimal pumping and sampling strategies. The methodology consists of four steps: (1) The optimal ground-water management strategy for the present level of model uncertainty is determined using the chance-constrained management model; (2) for a specified data collection budget, the monitoring network design model identifies, prior to data collection, the sampling strategy that will minimize model uncertainty; (3) the optimal ground-water management strategy is recalculated on the basis of the projected model uncertainty after sampling; and (4) the worth of the monitoring strategy is assessed by comparing the value of the sample information-i.e., the projected reduction in management costs-with the cost of data collection. Steps 2-4 are repeated for a series of data collection budgets, producing a suite of management/monitoring alternatives, from which the best alternative can be selected. A hypothetical example demonstrates the methodology's ability to identify the ground-water sampling strategy with greatest net economic benefit for ground-water management.A decision framework is presented for assessing the value of ground-water sampling within the context of ground-water management under uncertainty. The framework couples two optimization models - a chance-constrained ground-water management model and an integer-programming sampling network design model - to identify optimal pumping and sampling strategies. The methodology consists of four steps: (1) The optimal ground-water management strategy for the present level of model uncertainty is determined using the chance-constrained management model; (2) for a specified data collection budget, the monitoring network design model identifies, prior to data collection, the sampling strategy that will minimize model uncertainty; (3) the optimal ground-water management strategy is recalculated on the basis of the projected model uncertainty after sampling; and (4) the worth of the monitoring strategy is assessed by comparing the value of the sample information - i.e., the projected reduction in management costs - with the cost of data collection. Steps 2-4 are repeated for a series of data collection budgets, producing a suite of management/monitoring alternatives, from which the best alternative can be selected. A hypothetical example demonstrates the methodology's ability to identify the ground-water sampling strategy with greatest net economic benefit for ground-water management.

Modeling Collective Animal Behavior with a Cognitive Perspective: A Methodological Framework

PubMed Central

Weitz, Sebastian; Blanco, Stéphane; Fournier, Richard; Gautrais, Jacques; Jost, Christian; Theraulaz, Guy

2012-01-01

The last decades have seen an increasing interest in modeling collective animal behavior. Some studies try to reproduce as accurately as possible the collective dynamics and patterns observed in several animal groups with biologically plausible, individual behavioral rules. The objective is then essentially to demonstrate that the observed collective features may be the result of self-organizing processes involving quite simple individual behaviors. Other studies concentrate on the objective of establishing or enriching links between collective behavior researches and cognitive or physiological ones, which then requires that each individual rule be carefully validated. Here we discuss the methodological consequences of this additional requirement. Using the example of corpse clustering in ants, we first illustrate that it may be impossible to discriminate among alternative individual rules by considering only observational data collected at the group level. Six individual behavioral models are described: They are clearly distinct in terms of individual behaviors, they all reproduce satisfactorily the collective dynamics and distribution patterns observed in experiments, and we show theoretically that it is strictly impossible to discriminate two of these models even in the limit of an infinite amount of data whatever the accuracy level. A set of methodological steps are then listed and discussed as practical ways to partially overcome this problem. They involve complementary experimental protocols specifically designed to address the behavioral rules successively, conserving group-level data for the overall model validation. In this context, we highlight the importance of maintaining a sharp distinction between model enunciation, with explicit references to validated biological concepts, and formal translation of these concepts in terms of quantitative state variables and fittable functional dependences. Illustrative examples are provided of the benefits expected during the often long and difficult process of refining a behavioral model, designing adapted experimental protocols and inversing model parameters. PMID:22761685

Modeling collective animal behavior with a cognitive perspective: a methodological framework.

PubMed

Weitz, Sebastian; Blanco, Stéphane; Fournier, Richard; Gautrais, Jacques; Jost, Christian; Theraulaz, Guy

2012-01-01

The last decades have seen an increasing interest in modeling collective animal behavior. Some studies try to reproduce as accurately as possible the collective dynamics and patterns observed in several animal groups with biologically plausible, individual behavioral rules. The objective is then essentially to demonstrate that the observed collective features may be the result of self-organizing processes involving quite simple individual behaviors. Other studies concentrate on the objective of establishing or enriching links between collective behavior researches and cognitive or physiological ones, which then requires that each individual rule be carefully validated. Here we discuss the methodological consequences of this additional requirement. Using the example of corpse clustering in ants, we first illustrate that it may be impossible to discriminate among alternative individual rules by considering only observational data collected at the group level. Six individual behavioral models are described: They are clearly distinct in terms of individual behaviors, they all reproduce satisfactorily the collective dynamics and distribution patterns observed in experiments, and we show theoretically that it is strictly impossible to discriminate two of these models even in the limit of an infinite amount of data whatever the accuracy level. A set of methodological steps are then listed and discussed as practical ways to partially overcome this problem. They involve complementary experimental protocols specifically designed to address the behavioral rules successively, conserving group-level data for the overall model validation. In this context, we highlight the importance of maintaining a sharp distinction between model enunciation, with explicit references to validated biological concepts, and formal translation of these concepts in terms of quantitative state variables and fittable functional dependences. Illustrative examples are provided of the benefits expected during the often long and difficult process of refining a behavioral model, designing adapted experimental protocols and inversing model parameters.

Flowing together: a longitudinal study of collective efficacy and collective flow among workgroups.

PubMed

Salanova, Marisa; Rodríguez-Sánchez, Alma M; Schaufeli, Wilmar B; Cifre, Eva

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to extend the Channel Model of Flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975, 1990) at the collective level (workgroups) by including collective efficacy beliefs as a predictor of collective flow based on the Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1997, 2001). A two-wave longitudinal lab study was conducted with 250 participants working in 52 small groups. Longitudinal results from Structural Equation Modeling with data aggregated at the group level showed, as expected, that collective efficacy beliefs predict collective flow over time, both being related reciprocally. Findings and their theoretical and practical implications in the light of Social Cognitive Theory are discussed.

Emergent collective decision-making: Control, model and behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Tian

In this dissertation we study emergent collective decision-making in social groups with time-varying interactions and heterogeneously informed individuals. First we analyze a nonlinear dynamical systems model motivated by animal collective motion with heterogeneously informed subpopulations, to examine the role of uninformed individuals. We find through formal analysis that adding uninformed individuals in a group increases the likelihood of a collective decision. Secondly, we propose a model for human shared decision-making with continuous-time feedback and where individuals have little information about the true preferences of other group members. We study model equilibria using bifurcation analysis to understand how the model predicts decisions based on the critical threshold parameters that represent an individual's tradeoff between social and environmental influences. Thirdly, we analyze continuous-time data of pairs of human subjects performing an experimental shared tracking task using our second proposed model in order to understand transient behavior and the decision-making process. We fit the model to data and show that it reproduces a wide range of human behaviors surprisingly well, suggesting that the model may have captured the mechanisms of observed behaviors. Finally, we study human behavior from a game-theoretic perspective by modeling the aforementioned tracking task as a repeated game with incomplete information. We show that the majority of the players are able to converge to playing Nash equilibrium strategies. We then suggest with simulations that the mean field evolution of strategies in the population resemble replicator dynamics, indicating that the individual strategies may be myopic. Decisions form the basis of control and problems involving deciding collectively between alternatives are ubiquitous in nature and in engineering. Understanding how multi-agent systems make decisions among alternatives also provides insight for designing decentralized control laws for engineering applications from mobile sensor networks for environmental monitoring to collective construction robots. With this dissertation we hope to provide additional methodology and mathematical models for understanding the behavior and control of collective decision-making in multi-agent systems.

Urine sampling and collection system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fogal, G. L.; Mangialardi, J. K.; Reinhardt, C. G.

1971-01-01

This specification defines the performance and design requirements for the urine sampling and collection system engineering model and establishes requirements for its design, development, and test. The model shall provide conceptual verification of a system applicable to manned space flight which will automatically provide for collection, volume sensing, and sampling of urine.

Collective Academic Supervision: A Model for Participation and Learning in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nordentoft, Helle Merete; Thomsen, Rie; Wichmann-Hansen, Gitte

2013-01-01

Supervision of graduate students is a core activity in higher education. Previous research on graduate supervision focuses on individual and relational aspects of the supervisory relationship rather than collective, pedagogical and methodological aspects of the supervision process. In presenting a collective model we have developed for academic…

Predicting Hail Size Using Model Vertical Velocities

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

updrafts from a simple cloud model using forecasted soundings . The models used MM5 model data coinciding with severe hail events collected from the...updrafts from a simple cloud model using forecasted soundings . The models used MM5 model data coinciding with severe hail events collected from the...determine their accuracy. Plus they are based primary on observed upper air soundings . Obtaining upper air soundings in proximity to convective

Operator models for delivering municipal solid waste management services in developing countries. Part A: The evidence base.

PubMed

Wilson, David C; Kanjogera, Jennifer Bangirana; Soós, Reka; Briciu, Cosmin; Smith, Stephen R; Whiteman, Andrew D; Spies, Sandra; Oelz, Barbara

2017-08-01

This article presents the evidence base for 'operator models' - that is, how to deliver a sustainable service through the interaction of the 'client', 'revenue collector' and 'operator' functions - for municipal solid waste management in emerging and developing countries. The companion article addresses a selection of locally appropriate operator models. The evidence shows that no 'standard' operator model is effective in all developing countries and circumstances. Each city uses a mix of different operator models; 134 cases showed on average 2.5 models per city, each applying to different elements of municipal solid waste management - that is, street sweeping, primary collection, secondary collection, transfer, recycling, resource recovery and disposal or a combination. Operator models were analysed in detail for 28 case studies; the article summarises evidence across all elements and in more detail for waste collection. Operators fall into three main groups: The public sector, formal private sector, and micro-service providers including micro-, community-based and informal enterprises. Micro-service providers emerge as a common group; they are effective in expanding primary collection service coverage into poor- or peri-urban neighbourhoods and in delivering recycling. Both public and private sector operators can deliver effective services in the appropriate situation; what matters more is a strong client organisation responsible for municipal solid waste management within the municipality, with stable political and financial backing and capacity to manage service delivery. Revenue collection is also integral to operator models: Generally the municipality pays the operator from direct charges and/or indirect taxes, rather than the operator collecting fees directly from the service user.

A review on the modelling of collection and distribution of blood donation based on vehicle routing problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azezan, Nur Arif; Ramli, Mohammad Fadzli; Masran, Hafiz

2017-11-01

In this paper, we discussed a literature on blood collection-distribution that based on vehicle routing problem. This problem emergence when the process from collection to stock up must be completed in timely manner. We also modified the mathematical model so that it will suited to general collection of blood. A discussion on its algorithm and solution methods are also pointed out briefly in this paper.

Study on intelligent processing system of man-machine interactive garment frame model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shuwang; Yin, Xiaowei; Chang, Ruijiang; Pan, Peiyun; Wang, Xuedi; Shi, Shuze; Wei, Zhongqian

2018-05-01

A man-machine interactive garment frame model intelligent processing system is studied in this paper. The system consists of several sensor device, voice processing module, mechanical parts and data centralized acquisition devices. The sensor device is used to collect information on the environment changes brought by the body near the clothes frame model, the data collection device is used to collect the information of the environment change induced by the sensor device, voice processing module is used for speech recognition of nonspecific person to achieve human-machine interaction, mechanical moving parts are used to make corresponding mechanical responses to the information processed by data collection device.it is connected with data acquisition device by a means of one-way connection. There is a one-way connection between sensor device and data collection device, two-way connection between data acquisition device and voice processing module. The data collection device is one-way connection with mechanical movement parts. The intelligent processing system can judge whether it needs to interact with the customer, realize the man-machine interaction instead of the current rigid frame model.

Quantifying the transport impacts of domestic waste collection strategies.

PubMed

McLeod, Fraser; Cherrett, Tom

2008-11-01

This paper models the effects of three different options for domestic waste collection using data from three Hampshire authorities: (i) joint working between neighbouring waste collection authorities; (ii) basing vehicles at waste disposal sites; and (iii) alternate weekly collection of residual waste and dry recyclables. A vehicle mileage savings of 3% was modelled for joint working, where existing vehicle allocations to depots were maintained, which increased to 5.9% when vehicles were re-allocated to depots optimally. Vehicle mileage was reduced by 13.5% when the collection rounds were based out of the two waste disposal sites rather than out of the existing depots, suggesting that the former could be the most effective place to keep vehicles providing that travel arrangements for the crews could be made. Alternate weekly collection was modelled to reduce vehicle mileage by around 8% and time taken by 14%, when compared with a typical scenario of weekly collection of residual and fortnightly collection of recyclable waste. These results were based on an assumption that 20% of the residual waste would be directly diverted into the dry recyclables waste stream.

Study of data collection platform concepts: Data collection system user requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The overall purpose of the survey was to provide real world data on user requirements. The intent was to assess data collection system user requirements by questioning actual potential users rather than speculating on requirements. The end results of the survey are baseline requirements models for both a data collection platform and a data collection system. These models were derived from the survey results. The real value of these models lies in the fact that they are based on actual user requirements as delineated in the survey questionnaires. Some users desire data collection platforms of small size and light weight. These sizes and weights are beyond the present state of the art. Also, the survey provided a wealth of information on the nature and constituency of the data collection user community as well as information on user applications for data collection systems. Finally, the data sheds light on the generalized platform concept. That is, the diversity of user requirements shown in the data indicates the difficulty that can be anticipated in attempting to implement such a concept.

Limited Bandwidth Recognition of Collective Behaviors in Bio-Inspired Swarms

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-09

collective? Some swarm models exhibit multiple emergent behaviors from the same parameters. This provides increased expressivity at the cost of...swarms, namely, how do you know what the swarm is doing if you can’t ob- serve every agent in the collective? Some swarm models exhibit multiple ...flocking [15, 21, 12] or cyclic behavior [8, 7], and in some cases can exhibit multiple group behaviors depending on the model parameters used [6, 3, 17

Design of artificial neural networks using a genetic algorithm to predict collection efficiency in venturi scrubbers.

PubMed

Taheri, Mahboobeh; Mohebbi, Ali

2008-08-30

In this study, a new approach for the auto-design of neural networks, based on a genetic algorithm (GA), has been used to predict collection efficiency in venturi scrubbers. The experimental input data, including particle diameter, throat gas velocity, liquid to gas flow rate ratio, throat hydraulic diameter, pressure drop across the venturi scrubber and collection efficiency as an output, have been used to create a GA-artificial neural network (ANN) model. The testing results from the model are in good agreement with the experimental data. Comparison of the results of the GA optimized ANN model with the results from the trial-and-error calibrated ANN model indicates that the GA-ANN model is more efficient. Finally, the effects of operating parameters such as liquid to gas flow rate ratio, throat gas velocity, and particle diameter on collection efficiency were determined.

Self-organized energetic model for collective activity on animal tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dos Santos, Michelle C. Varela; Macedo-Filho, Antonio; Dos Santos Lima, Gustavo Zampier; Corso, Gilberto

We construct a self-organized critical (SOC) model to explain spontaneous collective activity in animal tissue without the necessity of a muscular or a central control nervous system. Our prototype model is an epithelial cuboid tissue formed by a single layer of cells as the internal digestive cavity of primitive animals. The tissue is composed by cells that absorb nutrients and store energy, with probability p, to participate in a collective tissue activity. Each cell can be in two states: at high energy and able to became active or at low metabolic energy and remain at rest. Any cell can spontaneously, with a very low probability, spark a collective activity across its neighbors that share a minimal energy. Cells participating in tissue activity consume all their energy. A power-law relation P(s)∝sγ for the probability of having a collective activity with s cells is observed. By construction this model is analogue to the forest fire SOC model. Our approach produces naturally a critical state for the activity in animal tissue, besides it explains self-sustained activity in a living animal tissue without feedback control.

Data collection for cooperative water resources modeling in the Lower Rio Grande Basin, Fort Quitman to the Gulf of Mexico.

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

Passell, Howard David; Pallachula, Kiran; Tidwell, Vincent Carroll

2004-10-01

Water resource scarcity around the world is driving the need for the development of simulation models that can assist in water resources management. Transboundary water resources are receiving special attention because of the potential for conflict over scarce shared water resources. The Rio Grande/Rio Bravo along the U.S./Mexican border is an example of a scarce, transboundary water resource over which conflict has already begun. The data collection and modeling effort described in this report aims at developing methods for international collaboration, data collection, data integration and modeling for simulating geographically large and diverse international watersheds, with a special focus onmore » the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo. This report describes the basin, and the data collected. This data collection effort was spatially aggregated across five reaches consisting of Fort Quitman to Presidio, the Rio Conchos, Presidio to Amistad Dam, Amistad Dam to Falcon Dam, and Falcon Dam to the Gulf of Mexico. This report represents a nine-month effort made in FY04, during which time the model was not completed.« less

Current collection from the space plasma through defects in solar array insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, R. S.; Stillwell, R. P.; Kaufman, H. R.

1985-01-01

Operating high-voltage solar arrays in the space environment can result in anomalously large currents being collected through small insulation defects. Tests simulating the electron collection have shown that there are two major collection modes. The first involves current enhancement by means of a surface phenomenon involving secondary electron emission from the surrounding insulator. In the second mode, the current collection is enhanced by vaporization and ionization of the insulator material, in addition to the surface enhancement of the first mode. The electron collection due to surface enhancement (first mode) has been modeled. Using this model, simple calculations yield realistic predictions.

Acting in solidarity: Testing an extended dual pathway model of collective action by bystander group members.

PubMed

Saab, Rim; Tausch, Nicole; Spears, Russell; Cheung, Wing-Yee

2015-09-01

We examined predictors of collective action among bystander group members in solidarity with a disadvantaged group by extending the dual pathway model of collective action, which proposes one efficacy-based and one emotion-based path to collective action (Van Zomeren, Spears, Fischer, & Leach, 2004). Based on two proposed functions of social identity performance (Klein, Spears, & Reicher, 2007), we distinguished between the efficacy of collective action at consolidating the identity of a protest movement and its efficacy at achieving social change (political efficacy). We expected identity consolidation efficacy to positively predict collective action tendencies directly and indirectly via political efficacy. We also expected collective action tendencies to be positively predicted by moral outrage and by sympathy in response to disadvantaged outgroup's suffering. These hypotheses were supported in two surveys examining intentions to protest for Palestine in Britain (Study 1), and intentions to attend the June 4th vigil in Hong Kong to commemorate the Tiananmen massacre among a sample of Hong Kong citizens (Study 2). The contributions of these findings to research on the dual pathway model of collective action and the different functions of collective action are discussed. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

78 FR 1917 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-09

... support transportation research, capacity building, data collection, planning, travel modeling, and... Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection AGENCY: Federal... information collection, which is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. We published a Federal...

A novel approach to find and optimize bin locations and collection routes using a geographic information system.

PubMed

Erfani, Seyed Mohammad Hassan; Danesh, Shahnaz; Karrabi, Seyed Mohsen; Shad, Rouzbeh

2017-07-01

One of the major challenges in big cities is planning and implementation of an optimized, integrated solid waste management system. This optimization is crucial if environmental problems are to be prevented and the expenses to be reduced. A solid waste management system consists of many stages including collection, transfer and disposal. In this research, an integrated model was proposed and used to optimize two functional elements of municipal solid waste management (storage and collection systems) in the Ahmadabad neighbourhood located in the City of Mashhad - Iran. The integrated model was performed by modelling and solving the location allocation problem and capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) through Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The results showed that the current collection system is not efficient owing to its incompatibility with the existing urban structure and population distribution. Application of the proposed model could significantly improve the storage and collection system. Based on the results of minimizing facilities analyses, scenarios with 100, 150 and 180 m walking distance were considered to find optimal bin locations for Alamdasht, C-metri and Koohsangi. The total number of daily collection tours was reduced to seven as compared to the eight tours carried out in the current system (12.50% reduction). In addition, the total number of required crews was minimized and reduced by 41.70% (24 crews in the current collection system vs 14 in the system provided by the model). The total collection vehicle routing was also optimized such that the total travelled distances during night and day working shifts was cut back by 53%.

Municipal solid waste management in Lahore City District, Pakistan

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

Batool, Syeda Adila; Muhammad Nawaz Ch

2009-06-15

This study deals with generation, composition, collection, transportation, and disposal, as well as the present cost of the waste management on the basis of 60% collection of the total waste and the cost of proposed improved system of management on the basis of 100% waste collection using the IWM-2 LCI model. A GIS map of Data Ganj Bakhsh Town (DGBT) of Lahore City District showing communal storage facilities is also provided. DGBT has a population of 1,624,169 living in 232,024 dwellings. The total waste generated per year is 500,000 tons, or 0.84/kg/cap/day. Presently 60% of the MSW is collected andmore » disposed in open dumps, while 40% is not collected and lies along roadsides, streets railway lines, depressions, vacant plots, drains, storm drains and open sewers. In DGBT, 129 containers of 5-m{sup 3} capacity, 120 containers of 10-m{sup 3} capacity and 380 skips of 2.5-m{sup 3} capacity are placed for waste collection. The overall collection and disposal cost of the MSW of DGBT is $3,177,900/yr, which is $10.29/ton. Modeling was conducted using the IWM-2 model for improved collection and disposal on the basis of 100% service, compared to the current 60% service. The modelled cost is $8.3/per ton, which is 20% less than the present cost, but the overall cost of 100% collection and disposal increases to $4,155,737/yr.« less

Urine sampling and collection system optimization and testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fogal, G. L.; Geating, J. A.; Koesterer, M. G.

1975-01-01

A Urine Sampling and Collection System (USCS) engineering model was developed to provide for the automatic collection, volume sensing and sampling of urine from each micturition. The purpose of the engineering model was to demonstrate verification of the system concept. The objective of the optimization and testing program was to update the engineering model, to provide additional performance features and to conduct system testing to determine operational problems. Optimization tasks were defined as modifications to minimize system fluid residual and addition of thermoelectric cooling.

The Collective Knowledge of Social Tags: Direct and Indirect Influences on Navigation, Learning, and Information Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cress, Ulrike; Held, Christoph; Kimmerle, Joachim

2013-01-01

Tag clouds generated in social tagging systems can capture the collective knowledge of communities. Using as a basis spreading activation theories, information foraging theory, and the co-evolution model of cognitive and social systems, we present here a model for an "extended information scent," which proposes that both collective and individual…

On effective temperature in network models of collective behavior

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

Porfiri, Maurizio, E-mail: mporfiri@nyu.edu; Ariel, Gil, E-mail: arielg@math.biu.ac.il

Collective behavior of self-propelled units is studied analytically within the Vectorial Network Model (VNM), a mean-field approximation of the well-known Vicsek model. We propose a dynamical systems framework to study the stochastic dynamics of the VNM in the presence of general additive noise. We establish that a single parameter, which is a linear function of the circular mean of the noise, controls the macroscopic phase of the system—ordered or disordered. By establishing a fluctuation–dissipation relation, we posit that this parameter can be regarded as an effective temperature of collective behavior. The exact critical temperature is obtained analytically for systems withmore » small connectivity, equivalent to low-density ensembles of self-propelled units. Numerical simulations are conducted to demonstrate the applicability of this new notion of effective temperature to the Vicsek model. The identification of an effective temperature of collective behavior is an important step toward understanding order–disorder phase transitions, informing consistent coarse-graining techniques and explaining the physics underlying the emergence of collective phenomena.« less

From bench to patient: model systems in drug discovery

PubMed Central

Breyer, Matthew D.; Look, A. Thomas; Cifra, Alessandra

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Model systems, including laboratory animals, microorganisms, and cell- and tissue-based systems, are central to the discovery and development of new and better drugs for the treatment of human disease. In this issue, Disease Models & Mechanisms launches a Special Collection that illustrates the contribution of model systems to drug discovery and optimisation across multiple disease areas. This collection includes reviews, Editorials, interviews with leading scientists with a foot in both academia and industry, and original research articles reporting new and important insights into disease therapeutics. This Editorial provides a summary of the collection's current contents, highlighting the impact of multiple model systems in moving new discoveries from the laboratory bench to the patients' bedsides. PMID:26438689

[How does collective violence shape the health status of its victims? Conceptual model and design of the ISAVIC study].

PubMed

Larizgoitia, Itziar; Izarzugaza, Isabel; Markez, Iñaki; Fernández, Itziar; Iraurgi, Ioseba; Larizgoitia, Arantza; Ballesteros, Javier; Fernández-Liria, Alberto; Moreno, Florentino; Retolaza, Ander; Páez, Darío; Martín-Beristaín, Carlos; Alonso, Jordi

2011-01-01

Epidemiologic research on collective violence (violence exerted by and within groups in pursuit of political, social or economic goals) is very scarce despite its growing recognition as a major public health issue. This paper describes the conceptual model and design of one of the first research studies conducted in Spain aiming to assess the impact of collective violence in the health status of its victims (study known as ISAVIC, based on its Spanish title Impacto en la SAlud de la VIolencia Colectiva). Starting with a comprehensive but non-systematic review of the literature, the authors describe the sequelae likely produced by collective violence and propose a conceptual model to explain the nature of the relationships between collective violence and health status. The conceptual model informed the ISAVIC study design and its measurement instruments. The possible sequelae of collective violence, in the physical, emotional and social dimensions of health, are described. Also, the review distinguishes the likely impact in primary and secondary victims, as well as the interplay with the social environment. The mixed methodological design of the ISAVIC study supports the coherence of the conceptual model described. The ISAVIC study suggests that collective violence may affect the main dimensions of the health status of its victims, in intimate relation to the societal factors where it operates. It is necessary to validate these results with new studies. Copyright © 2010 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

A CFD Study on the Prediction of Cyclone Collection Efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gimbun, Jolius; Chuah, T. G.; Choong, Thomas S. Y.; Fakhru'L-Razi, A.

2005-09-01

This work presents a Computational Fluid Dynamics calculation to predict and to evaluate the effects of temperature, operating pressure and inlet velocity on the collection efficiency of gas cyclones. The numerical solutions were carried out using spreadsheet and commercial CFD code FLUENT 6.0. This paper also reviews four empirical models for the prediction of cyclone collection efficiency, namely Lapple [1], Koch and Licht [2], Li and Wang [3], and Iozia and Leith [4]. All the predictions proved to be satisfactory when compared with the presented experimental data. The CFD simulations predict the cyclone cut-off size for all operating conditions with a deviation of 3.7% from the experimental data. Specifically, results obtained from the computer modelling exercise have demonstrated that CFD model is the best method of modelling the cyclones collection efficiency.

New Monte Carlo model of cylindrical diffusing fibers illustrates axially heterogeneous fluorescence detection: simulation and experimental validation

PubMed Central

Baran, Timothy M.; Foster, Thomas H.

2011-01-01

We present a new Monte Carlo model of cylindrical diffusing fibers that is implemented with a graphics processing unit. Unlike previously published models that approximate the diffuser as a linear array of point sources, this model is based on the construction of these fibers. This allows for accurate determination of fluence distributions and modeling of fluorescence generation and collection. We demonstrate that our model generates fluence profiles similar to a linear array of point sources, but reveals axially heterogeneous fluorescence detection. With axially homogeneous excitation fluence, approximately 90% of detected fluorescence is collected by the proximal third of the diffuser for μs'/μa = 8 in the tissue and 70 to 88% is collected in this region for μs'/μa = 80. Increased fluorescence detection by the distal end of the diffuser relative to the center section is also demonstrated. Validation of these results was performed by creating phantoms consisting of layered fluorescent regions. Diffusers were inserted into these layered phantoms and fluorescence spectra were collected. Fits to these spectra show quantitative agreement between simulated fluorescence collection sensitivities and experimental results. These results will be applicable to the use of diffusers as detectors for dosimetry in interstitial photodynamic therapy. PMID:21895311

Emergence of a coherent and cohesive swarm based on mutual anticipation

PubMed Central

Murakami, Hisashi; Niizato, Takayuki; Gunji, Yukio-Pegio

2017-01-01

Collective behavior emerging out of self-organization is one of the most striking properties of an animal group. Typically, it is hypothesized that each individual in an animal group tends to align its direction of motion with those of its neighbors. Most previous models for collective behavior assume an explicit alignment rule, by which an agent matches its velocity with that of neighbors in a certain neighborhood, to reproduce a collective order pattern by simple interactions. Recent empirical studies, however, suggest that there is no evidence for explicit matching of velocity, and that collective polarization arises from interactions other than those that follow the explicit alignment rule. We here propose a new lattice-based computational model that does not incorporate the explicit alignment rule but is based instead on mutual anticipation and asynchronous updating. Moreover, we show that this model can realize densely collective motion with high polarity. Furthermore, we focus on the behavior of a pair of individuals, and find that the turning response is drastically changed depending on the distance between two individuals rather than the relative heading, and is consistent with the empirical observations. Therefore, the present results suggest that our approach provides an alternative model for collective behavior. PMID:28406173

Optimization of municipal waste collection scheduling and routing using vehicle assignment problem (case study of Surabaya city waste collection)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramdhani, M. N.; Baihaqi, I.; Siswanto, N.

2018-04-01

Waste collection and disposal become a major problem for many metropolitan cities. Growing population, limited vehicles, and increased road traffic make the waste transportation become more complex. Waste collection involves some key considerations, such as vehicle assignment, vehicle routes, and vehicle scheduling. In the scheduling process, each vehicle has a scheduled departure that serve each route. Therefore, vehicle’s assignments should consider the time required to finish one assigment on that route. The objective of this study is to minimize the number of vehicles needed to serve all routes by developing a mathematical model which uses assignment problem approach. The first step is to generated possible routes from the existing routes, followed by vehicle assignments for those certain routes. The result of the model shows fewer vehicles required to perform waste collection asa well as the the number of journeys that the vehicle to collect the waste to the landfill. The comparison of existing conditions with the model result indicates that the latter’s has better condition than the existing condition because each vehicle with certain route has an equal workload, all the result’s model has the maximum of two journeys for each route.

Automated detection of radioisotopes from an aircraft platform by pattern recognition analysis of gamma-ray spectra.

PubMed

Dess, Brian W; Cardarelli, John; Thomas, Mark J; Stapleton, Jeff; Kroutil, Robert T; Miller, David; Curry, Timothy; Small, Gary W

2018-03-08

A generalized methodology was developed for automating the detection of radioisotopes from gamma-ray spectra collected from an aircraft platform using sodium-iodide detectors. Employing data provided by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency Airborne Spectral Photometric Environmental Collection Technology (ASPECT) program, multivariate classification models based on nonparametric linear discriminant analysis were developed for application to spectra that were preprocessed through a combination of altitude-based scaling and digital filtering. Training sets of spectra for use in building classification models were assembled from a combination of background spectra collected in the field and synthesized spectra obtained by superimposing laboratory-collected spectra of target radioisotopes onto field backgrounds. This approach eliminated the need for field experimentation with radioactive sources for use in building classification models. Through a bi-Gaussian modeling procedure, the discriminant scores that served as the outputs from the classification models were related to associated confidence levels. This provided an easily interpreted result regarding the presence or absence of the signature of a specific radioisotope in each collected spectrum. Through the use of this approach, classifiers were built for cesium-137 ( 137 Cs) and cobalt-60 ( 60 Co), two radioisotopes that are of interest in airborne radiological monitoring applications. The optimized classifiers were tested with field data collected from a set of six geographically diverse sites, three of which contained either 137 Cs, 60 Co, or both. When the optimized classification models were applied, the overall percentages of correct classifications for spectra collected at these sites were 99.9 and 97.9% for the 60 Co and 137 Cs classifiers, respectively. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

76 FR 67668 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-02

... variety of collection methods, including interviews and research, to inform the design, development and.... For example, information collected from consumers will help the CFPB to design model forms... used for quantitative information collections [[Page 67669

Enabling PBPK model development through the application of ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The creation of Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models for a new chemical requires the selection of an appropriate model structure and the collection of a large amount of data for parameterization. Commonly, a large proportion of the needed information is collected from previously published PBPK models for compounds analogous to the chemical of interest. A key difficulty in quickly developing new models is therefore the identification of appropriate chemical analogs within PBPK model literature. To reduce the burden on researchers of finding the appropriate literature to inform new modeling efforts, we sought to collect a comprehensive listing of chemicals contained in the corpus of PBPK articles and embed them into a chemically searchable database for facile analog identification. To cull the list of chemicals from PBPK literature, we investigated the use of three easily accessible methods: collecting chemicals via MeSH controlled vocabulary processing abstracts using OSCAR4 text-mining software, and annotating abstracts using chemicalize.org. In total, just over 300 unique compounds spanning a variety of chemical classes were identified as having completed PBPK models from over 1700 articles. Additional annotations of PBPK model details including species, lifestage, number of compartments, gender, and exposure routes were tabulated. These data were then imbedded into the Toxicokinetic Knowledge Base (TKKB), an internal website for chemicall

From bench to patient: model systems in drug discovery.

PubMed

Breyer, Matthew D; Look, A Thomas; Cifra, Alessandra

2015-10-01

Model systems, including laboratory animals, microorganisms, and cell- and tissue-based systems, are central to the discovery and development of new and better drugs for the treatment of human disease. In this issue, Disease Models & Mechanisms launches a Special Collection that illustrates the contribution of model systems to drug discovery and optimisation across multiple disease areas. This collection includes reviews, Editorials, interviews with leading scientists with a foot in both academia and industry, and original research articles reporting new and important insights into disease therapeutics. This Editorial provides a summary of the collection's current contents, highlighting the impact of multiple model systems in moving new discoveries from the laboratory bench to the patients' bedsides. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Missing pieces to modeling the Arctic-Boreal puzzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisher, Joshua B.; Hayes, Daniel J.; Schwalm, Christopher R.; Huntzinger, Deborah N.; Stofferahn, Eric; Schaefer, Kevin; Luo, Yiqi; Wullschleger, Stan D.; Goetz, Scott; Miller, Charles E.; Griffith, Peter; Chadburn, Sarah; Chatterjee, Abhishek; Ciais, Philippe; Douglas, Thomas A.; Genet, Hélène; Ito, Akihiko; Neigh, Christopher S. R.; Poulter, Benjamin; Rogers, Brendan M.; Sonnentag, Oliver; Tian, Hanqin; Wang, Weile; Xue, Yongkang; Yang, Zong-Liang; Zeng, Ning; Zhang, Zhen

2018-02-01

NASA has launched the decade-long Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE). While the initial phases focus on field and airborne data collection, early integration with modeling activities is important to benefit future modeling syntheses. We compiled feedback from ecosystem modeling teams on key data needs, which encompass carbon biogeochemistry, vegetation, permafrost, hydrology, and disturbance dynamics. A suite of variables was identified as part of this activity with a critical requirement that they are collected concurrently and representatively over space and time. Individual projects in ABoVE may not capture all these needs, and thus there is both demand and opportunity for the augmentation of field observations, and synthesis of the observations that are collected, to ensure that science questions and integrated modeling activities are successfully implemented.

Models of collective cell spreading with variable cell aspect ratio: a motivation for degenerate diffusion models.

PubMed

Simpson, Matthew J; Baker, Ruth E; McCue, Scott W

2011-02-01

Continuum diffusion models are often used to represent the collective motion of cell populations. Most previous studies have simply used linear diffusion to represent collective cell spreading, while others found that degenerate nonlinear diffusion provides a better match to experimental cell density profiles. In the cell modeling literature there is no guidance available with regard to which approach is more appropriate for representing the spreading of cell populations. Furthermore, there is no knowledge of particular experimental measurements that can be made to distinguish between situations where these two models are appropriate. Here we provide a link between individual-based and continuum models using a multiscale approach in which we analyze the collective motion of a population of interacting agents in a generalized lattice-based exclusion process. For round agents that occupy a single lattice site, we find that the relevant continuum description of the system is a linear diffusion equation, whereas for elongated rod-shaped agents that occupy L adjacent lattice sites we find that the relevant continuum description is connected to the porous media equation (PME). The exponent in the nonlinear diffusivity function is related to the aspect ratio of the agents. Our work provides a physical connection between modeling collective cell spreading and the use of either the linear diffusion equation or the PME to represent cell density profiles. Results suggest that when using continuum models to represent cell population spreading, we should take care to account for variations in the cell aspect ratio because different aspect ratios lead to different continuum models.

An Excel Spreadsheet Model for States and Districts to Assess the Cost-Benefit of School Nursing Services.

PubMed

Wang, Li Yan; O'Brien, Mary Jane; Maughan, Erin D

2016-11-01

This paper describes a user-friendly, Excel spreadsheet model and two data collection instruments constructed by the authors to help states and districts perform cost-benefit analyses of school nursing services delivered by full-time school nurses. Prior to applying the model, states or districts need to collect data using two forms: "Daily Nurse Data Collection Form" and the "Teacher Survey." The former is used to record daily nursing activities, including number of student health encounters, number of medications administered, number of student early dismissals, and number of medical procedures performed. The latter is used to obtain estimates for the time teachers spend addressing student health issues. Once inputs are entered in the model, outputs are automatically calculated, including program costs, total benefits, net benefits, and benefit-cost ratio. The spreadsheet model, data collection tools, and instructions are available at the NASN website ( http://www.nasn.org/The/CostBenefitAnalysis ).

Collective rationality: the integrative model explains it (as) well.

PubMed

Van Lange, Paul A M

2008-06-01

In this commentary, I argue that there is indeed considerable evidence in support of the notion that people tend to reason from a collective (or team) perspective by asking themselves questions such as "What do we want, and what should I do help achieve it?" [Colman, A. M., Pulford, B. D., & Rose, J. (2008). Collective rationality in interactive decisions: Evidence for team reasoning. Acta Psychologica]. As such, in my view, team reasoning -- and thinking, feeling, and acting in terms of collective rationality -- is consistent with a social utility model (or transformational model) which considers the weights that people attach not only to outcomes for self, but also to outcomes for other, and to equality in outcomes [Van Lange, P. A. M. (1999). The pursuit of joint outcomes and equality in outcomes: An integrative model of social value orientation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,77, 337-349]. This commentary provides an illustration demonstrating that the integrative model is well-suited to account for the findings observed by Colman et al. (2008).

Collective thermal transport in pure and alloy semiconductors.

PubMed

Torres, Pol; Mohammed, Amr; Torelló, Àlvar; Bafaluy, Javier; Camacho, Juan; Cartoixà, Xavier; Shakouri, Ali; Alvarez, F Xavier

2018-03-07

Conventional models for predicting thermal conductivity of alloys usually assume a pure kinetic regime as alloy scattering dominates normal processes. However, some discrepancies between these models and experiments at very small alloy concentrations have been reported. In this work, we use the full first principles kinetic collective model (KCM) to calculate the thermal conductivity of Si 1-x Ge x and In x Ga 1-x As alloys. The calculated thermal conductivities match well with the experimental data for all alloy concentrations. The model shows that the collective contribution must be taken into account at very low impurity concentrations. For higher concentrations, the collective contribution is suppressed, but normal collisions have the effect of significantly reducing the kinetic contribution. The study thus shows the importance of the proper inclusion of normal processes even for alloys for accurate modeling of thermal transport. Furthermore, the phonon spectral distribution of the thermal conductivity is studied in the framework of KCM, providing insights to interpret the superdiffusive regime introduced in the truncated Lévy flight framework.

Enabling PBPK model development through the application of freely available techniques for the creation of a chemically-annotatedcollection of literature

EPA Science Inventory

The creation of Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models for a new chemical requires the selection of an appropriate model structure and the collection of a large amount of data for parameterization. Commonly, a large proportion of the needed information is collected ...

Model Preservation Program for a Small University Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robbins, Louise S.

This report proposes a preservation program assuming a model of a university library serving 5,000 or fewer students and 350 or fewer faculty members. The model program is not for a comprehensive university or research institution, and the library's collection is one developed and used as a curriculum-support collection. The goal of the…

Body size affects the strength of social interactions and spatial organization of a schooling fish (Pseudomugil signifer)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romenskyy, Maksym; Herbert-Read, James E.; Ward, Ashley J. W.; Sumpter, David J. T.

2017-04-01

While a rich variety of self-propelled particle models propose to explain the collective motion of fish and other animals, rigorous statistical comparison between models and data remains a challenge. Plausible models should be flexible enough to capture changes in the collective behaviour of animal groups at their different developmental stages and group sizes. Here, we analyse the statistical properties of schooling fish (Pseudomugil signifer) through a combination of experiments and simulations. We make novel use of a Boltzmann inversion method, usually applied in molecular dynamics, to identify the effective potential of the mean force of fish interactions. Specifically, we show that larger fish have a larger repulsion zone, but stronger attraction, resulting in greater alignment in their collective motion. We model the collective dynamics of schools using a self-propelled particle model, modified to include varying particle speed and a local repulsion rule. We demonstrate that the statistical properties of the fish schools are reproduced by our model, thereby capturing a number of features of the behaviour and development of schooling fish.

A functional model for characterizing long-distance movement behaviour

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buderman, Frances E.; Hooten, Mevin B.; Ivan, Jacob S.; Shenk, Tanya M.

2016-01-01

Advancements in wildlife telemetry techniques have made it possible to collect large data sets of highly accurate animal locations at a fine temporal resolution. These data sets have prompted the development of a number of statistical methodologies for modelling animal movement.Telemetry data sets are often collected for purposes other than fine-scale movement analysis. These data sets may differ substantially from those that are collected with technologies suitable for fine-scale movement modelling and may consist of locations that are irregular in time, are temporally coarse or have large measurement error. These data sets are time-consuming and costly to collect but may still provide valuable information about movement behaviour.We developed a Bayesian movement model that accounts for error from multiple data sources as well as movement behaviour at different temporal scales. The Bayesian framework allows us to calculate derived quantities that describe temporally varying movement behaviour, such as residence time, speed and persistence in direction. The model is flexible, easy to implement and computationally efficient.We apply this model to data from Colorado Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and use derived quantities to identify changes in movement behaviour.

Optimal Number and Allocation of Data Collection Points for Linear Spline Growth Curve Modeling: A Search for Efficient Designs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Wei; Jia, Fan; Kinai, Richard; Little, Todd D.

2017-01-01

Spline growth modelling is a popular tool to model change processes with distinct phases and change points in longitudinal studies. Focusing on linear spline growth models with two phases and a fixed change point (the transition point from one phase to the other), we detail how to find optimal data collection designs that maximize the efficiency…

A Collective Case Study of Secondary Students' Model-Based Inquiry on Natural Selection through Programming in an Agent-Based Modeling Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xiang, Lin

2011-01-01

This is a collective case study seeking to develop detailed descriptions of how programming an agent-based simulation influences a group of 8th grade students' model-based inquiry (MBI) by examining students' agent-based programmable modeling (ABPM) processes and the learning outcomes. The context of the present study was a biology unit on…

Using pairs of physiological models to estimate temporal variation in amphibian body temperature.

PubMed

Roznik, Elizabeth A; Alford, Ross A

2014-10-01

Physical models are often used to estimate ectotherm body temperatures, but designing accurate models for amphibians is difficult because they can vary in cutaneous resistance to evaporative water loss. To account for this variability, a recently published technique requires a pair of agar models that mimic amphibians with 0% and 100% resistance to evaporative water loss; the temperatures of these models define the lower and upper boundaries of possible amphibian body temperatures for the location in which they are placed. The goal of our study was to develop a method for using these pairs of models to estimate parameters describing the distributions of body temperatures of frogs under field conditions. We radiotracked green-eyed treefrogs (Litoria serrata) and collected semi-continuous thermal data using both temperature-sensitive radiotransmitters with an automated datalogging receiver, and pairs of agar models placed in frog locations, and we collected discrete thermal data using a non-contact infrared thermometer when frogs were located. We first examined the accuracy of temperature-sensitive transmitters in estimating frog body temperatures by comparing transmitter data with direct temperature measurements taken simultaneously for the same individuals. We then compared parameters (mean, minimum, maximum, standard deviation) characterizing the distributions of temperatures of individual frogs estimated from data collected using each of the three methods. We found strong relationships between thermal parameters estimated from data collected using automated radiotelemetry and both types of thermal models. These relationships were stronger for data collected using automated radiotelemetry and impermeable thermal models, suggesting that in the field, L. serrata has a relatively high resistance to evaporative water loss. Our results demonstrate that placing pairs of thermal models in frog locations can provide accurate estimates of the distributions of temperatures experienced by individual frogs, and that comparing temperatures from model pairs to direct measurements collected simultaneously on frogs can be used to broadly characterize the skin resistance of a species, and to select which model type is most appropriate for estimating temperature distributions for that species. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adaptive-network models of collective dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zschaler, G.

2012-09-01

Complex systems can often be modelled as networks, in which their basic units are represented by abstract nodes and the interactions among them by abstract links. This network of interactions is the key to understanding emergent collective phenomena in such systems. In most cases, it is an adaptive network, which is defined by a feedback loop between the local dynamics of the individual units and the dynamical changes of the network structure itself. This feedback loop gives rise to many novel phenomena. Adaptive networks are a promising concept for the investigation of collective phenomena in different systems. However, they also present a challenge to existing modelling approaches and analytical descriptions due to the tight coupling between local and topological degrees of freedom. In this work, which is essentially my PhD thesis, I present a simple rule-based framework for the investigation of adaptive networks, using which a wide range of collective phenomena can be modelled and analysed from a common perspective. In this framework, a microscopic model is defined by the local interaction rules of small network motifs, which can be implemented in stochastic simulations straightforwardly. Moreover, an approximate emergent-level description in terms of macroscopic variables can be derived from the microscopic rules, which we use to analyse the system's collective and long-term behaviour by applying tools from dynamical systems theory. We discuss three adaptive-network models for different collective phenomena within our common framework. First, we propose a novel approach to collective motion in insect swarms, in which we consider the insects' adaptive interaction network instead of explicitly tracking their positions and velocities. We capture the experimentally observed onset of collective motion qualitatively in terms of a bifurcation in this non-spatial model. We find that three-body interactions are an essential ingredient for collective motion to emerge. Moreover, we show what minimal microscopic interaction rules determine whether the transition to collective motion is continuous or discontinuous. Second, we consider a model of opinion formation in groups of individuals, where we focus on the effect of directed links in adaptive networks. Extending the adaptive voter model to directed networks, we find a novel fragmentation mechanism, by which the network breaks into distinct components of opposing agents. This fragmentation is mediated by the formation of self-stabilizing structures in the network, which do not occur in the undirected case. We find that they are related to degree correlations stemming from the interplay of link directionality and adaptive topological change. Third, we discuss a model for the evolution of cooperation among self-interested agents, in which the adaptive nature of their interaction network gives rise to a novel dynamical mechanism promoting cooperation. We show that even full cooperation can be achieved asymptotically if the networks' adaptive response to the agents' dynamics is sufficiently fast.

Tailoring periodical collections to meet institutional needs.

PubMed Central

Delman, B S

1984-01-01

A system for tailoring journal collections to meet institutional needs is described. The approach is based on the view that reference work and collection development are variant and complementary forms of the same library function; both tasks have as their objective a literature response to information problems. Utilizing the tools and procedures of the reference search in response to a specific collection development problem topic, the author created a model ranked list of relevant journals. Finally, by linking the model to certain operational and environmental factors in three different health care organizations, he tailored the collection to meet the institutions' respective information needs. PMID:6375775

77 FR 38707 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-28

... includes, but is not limited to, information to support transportation research, capacity building, data collection, planning, travel modeling, and performance management. This also includes information about how... Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection AGENCY: Federal...

lidar change detection using building models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Angela M.; Runyon, Scott C.; Jalobeanu, Andre; Esterline, Chelsea H.; Kruse, Fred A.

2014-06-01

Terrestrial LiDAR scans of building models collected with a FARO Focus3D and a RIEGL VZ-400 were used to investigate point-to-point and model-to-model LiDAR change detection. LiDAR data were scaled, decimated, and georegistered to mimic real world airborne collects. Two physical building models were used to explore various aspects of the change detection process. The first model was a 1:250-scale representation of the Naval Postgraduate School campus in Monterey, CA, constructed from Lego blocks and scanned in a laboratory setting using both the FARO and RIEGL. The second model at 1:8-scale consisted of large cardboard boxes placed outdoors and scanned from rooftops of adjacent buildings using the RIEGL. A point-to-point change detection scheme was applied directly to the point-cloud datasets. In the model-to-model change detection scheme, changes were detected by comparing Digital Surface Models (DSMs). The use of physical models allowed analysis of effects of changes in scanner and scanning geometry, and performance of the change detection methods on different types of changes, including building collapse or subsistence, construction, and shifts in location. Results indicate that at low false-alarm rates, the point-to-point method slightly outperforms the model-to-model method. The point-to-point method is less sensitive to misregistration errors in the data. Best results are obtained when the baseline and change datasets are collected using the same LiDAR system and collection geometry.

A Compatible Hardware/Software Reliability Prediction Model.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-22

machines. In particular, he was interested in the following problem: assu me that one has a collection of connected elements computing and transmitting...software reliability prediction model is desirable, the findings about the Weibull distribution are intriguing. After collecting failure data from several...capacitor, some of the added charge carriers are collected by the capacitor. If the added charge is sufficiently large, the information stored is changed

Catalog of Wargaming and Military Simulation Models.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-05-01

ix War Games and Simulations ............................ 1-823 Functional Index ................................ Appendix A Data Collection Sheet...34AGTM (An Air and Ground Theatre Model); User’s Guide and Program Description," Jan 1974 (NU) TIME REQUIREMENTS: Collection of the data base can be...to exposures. Facilities can be provided in any series to collect and output data on any specific subject, appropriate to the level of the game. 97

75 FR 16840 - Proposed Extension of Information Collection Request Submitted for Public Comment; Model Employer...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-02

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employee Benefits Security Administration Proposed Extension of Information Collection Request Submitted for Public Comment; Model Employer CHIP Notice AGENCY: Employee Benefits... Employee Benefits Security [[Page 16841

An information spreading model based on online social networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tao; He, Juanjuan; Wang, Xiaoxia

2018-01-01

Online social platforms are very popular in recent years. In addition to spreading information, users could review or collect information on online social platforms. According to the information spreading rules of online social network, a new information spreading model, namely IRCSS model, is proposed in this paper. It includes sharing mechanism, reviewing mechanism, collecting mechanism and stifling mechanism. Mean-field equations are derived to describe the dynamics of the IRCSS model. Moreover, the steady states of reviewers, collectors and stiflers and the effects of parameters on the peak values of reviewers, collectors and sharers are analyzed. Finally, numerical simulations are performed on different networks. Results show that collecting mechanism and reviewing mechanism, as well as the connectivity of the network, make information travel wider and faster, and compared to WS network and ER network, the speed of reviewing, sharing and collecting information is fastest on BA network.

The Cell Collective: Toward an open and collaborative approach to systems biology

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Despite decades of new discoveries in biomedical research, the overwhelming complexity of cells has been a significant barrier to a fundamental understanding of how cells work as a whole. As such, the holistic study of biochemical pathways requires computer modeling. Due to the complexity of cells, it is not feasible for one person or group to model the cell in its entirety. Results The Cell Collective is a platform that allows the world-wide scientific community to create these models collectively. Its interface enables users to build and use models without specifying any mathematical equations or computer code - addressing one of the major hurdles with computational research. In addition, this platform allows scientists to simulate and analyze the models in real-time on the web, including the ability to simulate loss/gain of function and test what-if scenarios in real time. Conclusions The Cell Collective is a web-based platform that enables laboratory scientists from across the globe to collaboratively build large-scale models of various biological processes, and simulate/analyze them in real time. In this manuscript, we show examples of its application to a large-scale model of signal transduction. PMID:22871178

Modeling municipal solid waste collection: A generalized vehicle routing model with multiple transfer stations, gather sites and inhomogeneous vehicles in time windows.

PubMed

Son, Le Hoang; Louati, Amal

2016-06-01

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) collection is a necessary process in any municipality resulting in the quality-of-life, economic aspects and urban structuralization. The intrinsic nature of MSW collection relates to the development of effective vehicle routing models that optimize the total traveling distances of vehicles, the environmental emission and the investment costs. In this article, we propose a generalized vehicle routing model including multiple transfer stations, gather sites and inhomogeneous vehicles in time windows for MSW collection. It takes into account traveling in one-way routes, the number of vehicles per m(2) and waiting time at traffic stops for reduction of operational time. The proposed model could be used for scenarios having similar node structures and vehicles' characteristics. A case study at Danang city, Vietnam is given to illustrate the applicability of this model. The experimental results have clearly shown that the new model reduces both total traveling distances and operational hours of vehicles in comparison with those of practical scenarios. Optimal routes of vehicles on streets and markets at Danang are given. Those results are significant to practitioners and local policy makers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring the dynamics of collective cognition using a computational model of cognitive dissonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smart, Paul R.; Sycara, Katia; Richardson, Darren P.

2013-05-01

The socially-distributed nature of cognitive processing in a variety of organizational settings means that there is increasing scientific interest in the factors that affect collective cognition. In military coalitions, for example, there is a need to understand how factors such as communication network topology, trust, cultural differences and the potential for miscommunication affects the ability of distributed teams to generate high quality plans, to formulate effective decisions and to develop shared situation awareness. The current paper presents a computational model and associated simulation capability for performing in silico experimental analyses of collective sensemaking. This model can be used in combination with the results of human experimental studies in order to improve our understanding of the factors that influence collective sensemaking processes.

Optimization of municipal solid waste management in Port Said - Egypt

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

Badran, M.F.; El-Haggar, S.M.

2006-07-01

Optimization of solid waste management systems using operational research methodologies has not yet been applied in any Egyptian governorate. In this paper, a proposed model for a municipal solid waste management system in Port Said, Egypt is presented. It includes the use of the concept of collection stations, which have not yet been used in Egypt. Mixed integer programming is used to model the proposed system and its solution is performed using MPL software V4.2. The results show that the best model would include 27 collection stations of 15-ton daily capacity and 2 collection stations of 10 ton daily capacity.more » Any transfer of waste between the collection station and the landfill should not occur. Moreover, the flow of the district waste should not be confined to the district collection stations. The cost of the objective function for this solution is 10,122 LE/day (equivalent to US$1716). After further calculations, the profit generated by the proposed model is 49,655.8 LE/day (equivalent to US$8418.23)« less

From point process observations to collective neural dynamics: Nonlinear Hawkes process GLMs, low-dimensional dynamics and coarse graining

PubMed Central

Truccolo, Wilson

2017-01-01

This review presents a perspective on capturing collective dynamics in recorded neuronal ensembles based on multivariate point process models, inference of low-dimensional dynamics and coarse graining of spatiotemporal measurements. A general probabilistic framework for continuous time point processes reviewed, with an emphasis on multivariate nonlinear Hawkes processes with exogenous inputs. A point process generalized linear model (PP-GLM) framework for the estimation of discrete time multivariate nonlinear Hawkes processes is described. The approach is illustrated with the modeling of collective dynamics in neocortical neuronal ensembles recorded in human and non-human primates, and prediction of single-neuron spiking. A complementary approach to capture collective dynamics based on low-dimensional dynamics (“order parameters”) inferred via latent state-space models with point process observations is presented. The approach is illustrated by inferring and decoding low-dimensional dynamics in primate motor cortex during naturalistic reach and grasp movements. Finally, we briefly review hypothesis tests based on conditional inference and spatiotemporal coarse graining for assessing collective dynamics in recorded neuronal ensembles. PMID:28336305

From point process observations to collective neural dynamics: Nonlinear Hawkes process GLMs, low-dimensional dynamics and coarse graining.

PubMed

Truccolo, Wilson

2016-11-01

This review presents a perspective on capturing collective dynamics in recorded neuronal ensembles based on multivariate point process models, inference of low-dimensional dynamics and coarse graining of spatiotemporal measurements. A general probabilistic framework for continuous time point processes reviewed, with an emphasis on multivariate nonlinear Hawkes processes with exogenous inputs. A point process generalized linear model (PP-GLM) framework for the estimation of discrete time multivariate nonlinear Hawkes processes is described. The approach is illustrated with the modeling of collective dynamics in neocortical neuronal ensembles recorded in human and non-human primates, and prediction of single-neuron spiking. A complementary approach to capture collective dynamics based on low-dimensional dynamics ("order parameters") inferred via latent state-space models with point process observations is presented. The approach is illustrated by inferring and decoding low-dimensional dynamics in primate motor cortex during naturalistic reach and grasp movements. Finally, we briefly review hypothesis tests based on conditional inference and spatiotemporal coarse graining for assessing collective dynamics in recorded neuronal ensembles. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The effect of dynamic scheduling and routing in a solid waste management system

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

Johansson, Ola M.

2006-07-01

Solid waste collection and hauling account for the greater part of the total cost in modern solid waste management systems. In a recent initiative, 3300 Swedish recycling containers have been fitted with level sensors and wireless communication equipment, thereby giving waste collection operators access to real-time information on the status of each container. In this study, analytical modeling and discrete-event simulation have been used to evaluate different scheduling and routing policies utilizing the real-time data. In addition to the general models developed, an empirical simulation study has been performed on the downtown recycling station system in Malmoe, Sweden. From themore » study, it can be concluded that dynamic scheduling and routing policies exist that have lower operating costs, shorter collection and hauling distances, and reduced labor hours compared to the static policy with fixed routes and pre-determined pick-up frequencies employed by many waste collection operators today. The results of the analytical model and the simulation models are coherent, and consistent with experiences of the waste collection operators.« less

Dynamic response and transfer function of social systems: A neuro-inspired model of collective human activity patterns.

PubMed

Lymperopoulos, Ilias N

2017-10-01

The interaction of social networks with the external environment gives rise to non-stationary activity patterns reflecting the temporal structure and strength of exogenous influences that drive social dynamical processes far from an equilibrium state. Following a neuro-inspired approach, based on the dynamics of a passive neuronal membrane, and the firing rate dynamics of single neurons and neuronal populations, we build a state-of-the-art model of the collective social response to exogenous interventions. In this regard, we analyze online activity patterns with a view to determining the transfer function of social systems, that is, the dynamic relationship between external influences and the resulting activity. To this end, first we estimate the impulse response (Green's function) of collective activity, and then we show that the convolution of the impulse response with a time-varying external influence field accurately reproduces empirical activity patterns. To capture the dynamics of collective activity when the generating process is in a state of statistical equilibrium, we incorporate into the model a noisy input convolved with the impulse response function, thus precisely reproducing the fluctuations of stationary collective activity around a resting value. The outstanding goodness-of-fit of the model results to empirical observations, indicates that the model explains human activity patterns generated by time-dependent external influences in various socio-economic contexts. The proposed model can be used for inferring the temporal structure and strength of external influences, as well as the inertia of collective social activity. Furthermore, it can potentially predict social activity patterns. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Critical Evaluation of Prediction Models for Phosphorus Partition between CaO-based Slags and Iron-based Melts during Dephosphorization Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xue-Min; Li, Jin-Yan; Chai, Guo-Ming; Duan, Dong-Ping; Zhang, Jian

2016-08-01

According to the experimental results of hot metal dephosphorization by CaO-based slags at a commercial-scale hot metal pretreatment station, the collected 16 models of equilibrium quotient k_{{P}} or phosphorus partition L_{{P}} between CaO-based slags and iron-based melts from the literature have been evaluated. The collected 16 models for predicting equilibrium quotient k_{{P}} can be transferred to predict phosphorus partition L_{{P}} . The predicted results by the collected 16 models cannot be applied to be criteria for evaluating k_{{P}} or L_{{P}} due to various forms or definitions of k_{{P}} or L_{{P}} . Thus, the measured phosphorus content [pct P] in a hot metal bath at the end point of the dephosphorization pretreatment process is applied to be the fixed criteria for evaluating the collected 16 models. The collected 16 models can be described in the form of linear functions as y = c0 + c1 x , in which independent variable x represents the chemical composition of slags, intercept c0 including the constant term depicts the temperature effect and other unmentioned or acquiescent thermodynamic factors, and slope c1 is regressed by the experimental results of k_{{P}} or L_{{P}} . Thus, a general approach to developing the thermodynamic model for predicting equilibrium quotient k_{{P}} or phosphorus partition L P or [pct P] in iron-based melts during the dephosphorization process is proposed by revising the constant term in intercept c0 for the summarized 15 models except for Suito's model (M3). The better models with an ideal revising possibility or flexibility among the collected 16 models have been selected and recommended. Compared with the predicted result by the revised 15 models and Suito's model (M3), the developed IMCT- L_{{P}} model coupled with the proposed dephosphorization mechanism by the present authors can be applied to accurately predict phosphorus partition L_{{P}} with the lowest mean deviation δ_{{L_{{P}} }} of log L_{{P}} as 2.33, as well as to predict [pct P] in a hot metal bath with the smallest mean deviation δ_{{[% {{ P}}]}} of [pct P] as 12.31.

Difficult to Document: The History of Physics and Allied Fields in Industrial and Government Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, R. Joseph

2005-01-01

Approximately thirty years ago archivists began formulating new models to guide archival collecting, creating a literature that continues to grow. In the mid-1980s, the introduction of the documentation strategy collection model put new emphasis on cooperation between repositories and among stakeholders. The model initially focused on the history…

Collective Bargaining in Four Year Institutions: A Faculty Perspective Viewed through the Easton Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rockman, Ilene F.

A systems model, developed by David Easton, is used to provide some clarity to many of the issues involved with collective bargaining in American higher education. The model serves as an illustration for understanding how decisions are made, and as a conceptual frame of reference to analyze the political situation. The issues surrounding…

Structural Relations of Personal and Collective Self-Esteem to Subjective Well-Being: Attachment as Moderator

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simsek, Omer Faruk

2013-01-01

A model indicating that the relationship between collective self-esteem and indicators of subjective well-being, happiness and life satisfaction, was mediated by personal self-esteem was tested by structural equation modeling. The model, including all participants, fitted well to the data. The results suggested that the relationship of collective…

Collective Computation of Neural Network

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-15

Sciences, Beijing ABSTRACT Computational neuroscience is a new branch of neuroscience originating from current research on the theory of computer...scientists working in artificial intelligence engineering and neuroscience . The paper introduces the collective computational properties of model neural...vision research. On this basis, the authors analyzed the significance of the Hopfield model. Key phrases: Computational Neuroscience , Neural Network, Model

Collective Labor Supply: A Single-Equation Model and Some Evidence from French Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donni, Olivier; Moreau, Nicolas

2007-01-01

In Chiappori's (1988) collective model of labor supply, hours of work are supposed flexible. In many countries, however, male labor supply does not vary much. In that case, the husband's labor supply is no longer informative about the household decision process and individual preferences. To identify structural components of the model, additional…

Academic Optimism and Collective Responsibility: An Organizational Model of the Dynamics of Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Jason H.

2013-01-01

This study was designed to examine the construct of academic optimism and its relationship with collective responsibility in a sample of Taiwan elementary schools. The construct of academic optimism was tested using confirmatory factor analysis, and the whole structural model was tested with a structural equation modeling analysis. The data were…

Forecasting of municipal solid waste quantity in a developing country using multivariate grey models.

PubMed

Intharathirat, Rotchana; Abdul Salam, P; Kumar, S; Untong, Akarapong

2015-05-01

In order to plan, manage and use municipal solid waste (MSW) in a sustainable way, accurate forecasting of MSW generation and composition plays a key role. It is difficult to carry out the reliable estimates using the existing models due to the limited data available in the developing countries. This study aims to forecast MSW collected in Thailand with prediction interval in long term period by using the optimized multivariate grey model which is the mathematical approach. For multivariate models, the representative factors of residential and commercial sectors affecting waste collected are identified, classified and quantified based on statistics and mathematics of grey system theory. Results show that GMC (1, 5), the grey model with convolution integral, is the most accurate with the least error of 1.16% MAPE. MSW collected would increase 1.40% per year from 43,435-44,994 tonnes per day in 2013 to 55,177-56,735 tonnes per day in 2030. This model also illustrates that population density is the most important factor affecting MSW collected, followed by urbanization, proportion employment and household size, respectively. These mean that the representative factors of commercial sector may affect more MSW collected than that of residential sector. Results can help decision makers to develop the measures and policies of waste management in long term period. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Issues in collecting, processing and storing human tissues and associated information to support biomedical research.

PubMed

Grizzle, William E; Bell, Walter C; Sexton, Katherine C

2010-01-01

The availability of human tissues to support biomedical research is critical to advance translational research focused on identifying and characterizing approaches to individualized (personalized) medical care. Providing such tissues relies on three acceptable models - a tissue banking model, a prospective collection model and a combination of these two models. An unacceptable model is the "catch as catch can" model in which tissues are collected, processed and stored without goals or a plan or without standard operating procedures, i.e., portions of tissues are collected as available and processed and stored when time permits. In the tissue banking model, aliquots of tissues are collected according to SOPs. Usually specific sizes and types of tissues are collected and processed (e.g., 0.1 gm of breast cancer frozen in OCT). Using the banking model, tissues may be collected that may not be used and/or do not meet specific needs of investigators; however, at the time of an investigator request, tissues are readily available as is clinical information including clinical outcomes. In the model of prospective collection, tissues are collected based upon investigator requests including specific requirements of investigators. For example, the investigator may request that two 0.15 gm matching aliquots of breast cancer be minced while fresh, put in RPMI media with and without fetal calf serum, cooled to 4°C and shipped to the investigator on wet ice. Thus, the tissues collected prospectively meet investigator needs, all collected specimens are utilized and storage of specimens is minimized; however, investigators must wait until specimens are collected, and if needed, for clinical outcome. The operation of any tissue repository requires well trained and dedicated personnel. A quality assurance program is required which provides quality control information on the diagnosis of a specimen that is matched specifically to the specimen provided to an investigator instead of an overall diagnosis of the specimen via a surgical pathology report. This is necessary because a specific specimen may not match the diagnosis of the case due to many factors such as necrosis, unsuspected tumor invasion of apparently normal tissue, and areas of fibrosis which are mistaken grossly for tumor. Aliquots for quality control (QC) may or may not be collected at the time of collection and in some cases, QC may not occur until specimens are distributed to investigators. In establishing a tumor repository, multiple issues need to be considered. These include the available resources, long term support, space and equipment. The needs of the potential users need to be identified as to the types of tissues and services needed and the annotation expected. Other specific issues to be considered include collection of specimens potentially infected with blood borne pathogens (e.g., hepatitis B), charge back mechanisms, informatics needs and support, and investigator requirements (e.g., recognition of repository contributions in publications). In general, the repository should not perform the research of the investigators, but should provide the infrastructure necessary to support the research of the investigator. Thus, the goals of the repository must be established. Similarly, ethical and regulatory issues must be evaluated. In general, tissue repositories need ethical (e.g., IRB) and privacy (e.g., HIPAA) review. Also, safety issues need to be considered as well as how biohazards will be addressed by investigator-users. Considerations involving the transfer of specimens to other organization usually require a material transfer agreement (MTA). A MTA should address biohazards as well as indemnification. Thus, many issues must be considered and addressed in order to establish and operate successfully a biorepository.

Methods for using groundwater model predictions to guide hydrogeologic data collection, with application to the Death Valley regional groundwater flow system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tiedeman, C.R.; Hill, M.C.; D'Agnese, F. A.; Faunt, C.C.

2003-01-01

Calibrated models of groundwater systems can provide substantial information for guiding data collection. This work considers using such models to guide hydrogeologic data collection for improving model predictions by identifying model parameters that are most important to the predictions. Identification of these important parameters can help guide collection of field data about parameter values and associated flow system features and can lead to improved predictions. Methods for identifying parameters important to predictions include prediction scaled sensitivities (PSS), which account for uncertainty on individual parameters as well as prediction sensitivity to parameters, and a new "value of improved information" (VOII) method presented here, which includes the effects of parameter correlation in addition to individual parameter uncertainty and prediction sensitivity. In this work, the PSS and VOII methods are demonstrated and evaluated using a model of the Death Valley regional groundwater flow system. The predictions of interest are advective transport paths originating at sites of past underground nuclear testing. Results show that for two paths evaluated the most important parameters include a subset of five or six of the 23 defined model parameters. Some of the parameters identified as most important are associated with flow system attributes that do not lie in the immediate vicinity of the paths. Results also indicate that the PSS and VOII methods can identify different important parameters. Because the methods emphasize somewhat different criteria for parameter importance, it is suggested that parameters identified by both methods be carefully considered in subsequent data collection efforts aimed at improving model predictions.

Multiple model analysis with discriminatory data collection (MMA-DDC): A new method for improving measurement selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kikuchi, C.; Ferre, P. A.; Vrugt, J. A.

2011-12-01

Hydrologic models are developed, tested, and refined based on the ability of those models to explain available hydrologic data. The optimization of model performance based upon mismatch between model outputs and real world observations has been extensively studied. However, identification of plausible models is sensitive not only to the models themselves - including model structure and model parameters - but also to the location, timing, type, and number of observations used in model calibration. Therefore, careful selection of hydrologic observations has the potential to significantly improve the performance of hydrologic models. In this research, we seek to reduce prediction uncertainty through optimization of the data collection process. A new tool - multiple model analysis with discriminatory data collection (MMA-DDC) - was developed to address this challenge. In this approach, multiple hydrologic models are developed and treated as competing hypotheses. Potential new data are then evaluated on their ability to discriminate between competing hypotheses. MMA-DDC is well-suited for use in recursive mode, in which new observations are continuously used in the optimization of subsequent observations. This new approach was applied to a synthetic solute transport experiment, in which ranges of parameter values constitute the multiple hydrologic models, and model predictions are calculated using likelihood-weighted model averaging. MMA-DDC was used to determine the optimal location, timing, number, and type of new observations. From comparison with an exhaustive search of all possible observation sequences, we find that MMA-DDC consistently selects observations which lead to the highest reduction in model prediction uncertainty. We conclude that using MMA-DDC to evaluate potential observations may significantly improve the performance of hydrologic models while reducing the cost associated with collecting new data.

Adaptive collective foraging in groups with conflicting nutritional needs

PubMed Central

Senior, Alistair M.; Lihoreau, Mathieu; Charleston, Michael A.; Buhl, Jerome; Raubenheimer, David; Simpson, Stephen J.

2016-01-01

Collective foraging, based on positive feedback and quorum responses, is believed to improve the foraging efficiency of animals. Nutritional models suggest that social information transfer increases the ability of foragers with closely aligned nutritional needs to find nutrients and maintain a balanced diet. However, whether or not collective foraging is adaptive in a heterogeneous group composed of individuals with differing nutritional needs is virtually unexplored. Here we develop an evolutionary agent-based model using concepts of nutritional ecology to address this knowledge gap. Our aim was to evaluate how collective foraging, mediated by social retention on foods, can improve nutrient balancing in individuals with different requirements. The model suggests that in groups where inter-individual nutritional needs are unimodally distributed, high levels of collective foraging yield optimal individual fitness by reducing search times that result from moving between nutritionally imbalanced foods. However, where nutritional needs are highly bimodal (e.g. where the requirements of males and females differ) collective foraging is selected against, leading to group fission. In this case, additional mechanisms such as assortative interactions can coevolve to allow collective foraging by subgroups of individuals with aligned requirements. Our findings indicate that collective foraging is an efficient strategy for nutrient regulation in animals inhabiting complex nutritional environments and exhibiting a range of social forms. PMID:27152206

Biomimetic water-collecting materials inspired by nature.

PubMed

Zhu, Hai; Guo, Zhiguang; Liu, Weimin

2016-03-11

Nowadays, water shortage is a severe issue all over the world, especially in some arid and undeveloped areas. Interestingly, a variety of natural creatures can collect water from fog, which can provide a source of inspiration to develop novel and functional water-collecting materials. Recently, as an increasingly hot research topic, bioinspired materials with the water collection ability have captured vast scientific attention in both practical applications and fundamental research studies. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms of water collection in various natural creatures and present the fabrications, functions, applications, and new developments of bioinspired materials in recent years. The theoretical basis related to the phenomenon of water collection containing wetting behaviors and water droplet transportations is described in the beginning, i.e., the Young's equation, Wenzel model, Cassie model, surface energy gradient model and Laplace pressure equation. Then, the water collection mechanisms of three typical and widely researched natural animals and plants are discussed and their corresponding bioinspired materials are simultaneously detailed, which are cactus, spider, and desert beetles, respectively. This is followed by introducing another eight animals and plants (butterfly, shore birds, wheat awns, green bristlegrass, the Cotula fallax plant, Namib grass, green tree frogs and Australian desert lizards) that are rarely reported, exhibiting water collection properties or similar water droplet transportation. Finally, conclusions and outlook concerning the future development of bioinspired fog-collecting materials are presented.

Enhancement of B(E2) Collectivity in the sdg-Interacting Boson Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, GuiLu; Ji, HuaYing; Zhu, ShengJiang

1999-12-01

It is pointed out that the difficulty in boson models in explaining the large B(E2) experimental data is not due to the lack of collectivity in boson model wavefunction. This long standing problem of reduction in collectivity of wavefunction in boson models can be solved by choosing an appropriate E2 transition operator in the SU(3) limit of the sdg-interacting boson model. The ratio B(E2, L + 2 → L) / B(E2, 2 → 0) can be almost any large number. The project supported by The Science Fund of China Nuclear Industry under grant No. J95AY5021, National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant No. 19775026, Excellent Young University Teachers Fund of National Education Committee of China

Procedural Documentation and Accuracy Assessment of Bathymetric Maps and Area/Capacity Tables for Small Reservoirs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, Gary L.; Richards, Joseph M.

2006-01-01

Because of the increasing use and importance of lakes for water supply to communities, a repeatable and reliable procedure to determine lake bathymetry and capacity is needed. A method to determine the accuracy of the procedure will help ensure proper collection and use of the data and resulting products. It is important to clearly define the intended products and desired accuracy before conducting the bathymetric survey to ensure proper data collection. A survey-grade echo sounder and differential global positioning system receivers were used to collect water-depth and position data in December 2003 at Sugar Creek Lake near Moberly, Missouri. Data were collected along planned transects, with an additional set of quality-assurance data collected for use in accuracy computations. All collected data were imported into a geographic information system database. A bathymetric surface model, contour map, and area/capacity tables were created from the geographic information system database. An accuracy assessment was completed on the collected data, bathymetric surface model, area/capacity table, and contour map products. Using established vertical accuracy standards, the accuracy of the collected data, bathymetric surface model, and contour map product was 0.67 foot, 0.91 foot, and 1.51 feet at the 95 percent confidence level. By comparing results from different transect intervals with the quality-assurance transect data, it was determined that a transect interval of 1 percent of the longitudinal length of Sugar Creek Lake produced nearly as good results as 0.5 percent transect interval for the bathymetric surface model, area/capacity table, and contour map products.

Subthreshold SPICE Model Optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lum, Gregory; Au, Henry; Neff, Joseph; Bozeman, Eric; Kamin, Nick; Shimabukuro, Randy

2011-04-01

The first step in integrated circuit design is the simulation of said design in software to verify proper functionally and design requirements. Properties of the process are provided by fabrication foundries in the form of SPICE models. These SPICE models contain the electrical data and physical properties of the basic circuit elements. A limitation of these models is that the data collected by the foundry only accurately model the saturation region. This is fine for most users, but when operating devices in the subthreshold region they are inadequate for accurate simulation results. This is why optimizing the current SPICE models to characterize the subthreshold region is so important. In order to accurately simulate this region of operation, MOSFETs of varying widths and lengths are fabricated and the electrical test data is collected. From the data collected the parameters of the model files are optimized through parameter extraction rather than curve fitting. With the completed optimized models the circuit designer is able to simulate circuit designs for the sub threshold region accurately.

Emergence of heterogeneity and political organization in information exchange networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guttenberg, Nicholas; Goldenfeld, Nigel

2010-04-01

We present a simple model of the emergence of the division of labor and the development of a system of resource subsidy from an agent-based model of directed resource production with variable degrees of trust between the agents. The model has three distinct phases corresponding to different forms of societal organization: disconnected (independent agents), homogeneous cooperative (collective state), and inhomogeneous cooperative (collective state with a leader). Our results indicate that such levels of organization arise generically as a collective effect from interacting agent dynamics and may have applications in a variety of systems including social insects and microbial communities.

Mathematical Analysis for Non-reciprocal-interaction-based Model of Collective Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kano, Takeshi; Osuka, Koichi; Kawakatsu, Toshihiro; Ishiguro, Akio

2017-12-01

In many natural and social systems, collective behaviors emerge as a consequence of non-reciprocal interaction between their constituents. As a first step towards understanding the core principle that underlies these phenomena, we previously proposed a minimal model of collective behavior based on non-reciprocal interactions by drawing inspiration from friendship formation in human society, and demonstrated via simulations that various non-trivial patterns emerge by changing parameters. In this study, a mathematical analysis of the proposed model wherein the system size is small is performed. Through the analysis, the mechanism of the transition between several patterns is elucidated.

Emergence of heterogeneity and political organization in information exchange networks.

PubMed

Guttenberg, Nicholas; Goldenfeld, Nigel

2010-04-01

We present a simple model of the emergence of the division of labor and the development of a system of resource subsidy from an agent-based model of directed resource production with variable degrees of trust between the agents. The model has three distinct phases corresponding to different forms of societal organization: disconnected (independent agents), homogeneous cooperative (collective state), and inhomogeneous cooperative (collective state with a leader). Our results indicate that such levels of organization arise generically as a collective effect from interacting agent dynamics and may have applications in a variety of systems including social insects and microbial communities.

Time-domain electromagnetic soundings collected in Dawson County, Nebraska, 2007-09

USGS Publications Warehouse

Payne, Jason; Teeple, Andrew

2011-01-01

Between April 2007 and November 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Central Platte Natural Resources District, collected time-domain electro-magnetic (TDEM) soundings at 14 locations in Dawson County, Nebraska. The TDEM soundings provide information pertaining to the hydrogeology at each of 23 sites at the 14 locations; 30 TDEM surface geophysical soundings were collected at the 14 locations to develop smooth and layered-earth resistivity models of the subsurface at each site. The soundings yield estimates of subsurface electrical resistivity; variations in subsurface electrical resistivity can be correlated with hydrogeologic and stratigraphic units. Results from each sounding were used to calculate resistivity to depths of approximately 90-130 meters (depending on loop size) below the land surface. Geonics Protem 47 and 57 systems, as well as the Alpha Geoscience TerraTEM, were used to collect the TDEM soundings (voltage data from which resistivity is calculated). For each sounding, voltage data were averaged and evaluated statistically before inversion (inverse modeling). Inverse modeling is the process of creating an estimate of the true distribution of subsurface resistivity from the mea-sured apparent resistivity obtained from TDEM soundings. Smooth and layered-earth models were generated for each sounding. A smooth model is a vertical delineation of calculated apparent resistivity that represents a non-unique estimate of the true resistivity. Ridge regression (Interpex Limited, 1996) was used by the inversion software in a series of iterations to create a smooth model consisting of 24-30 layers for each sounding site. Layered-earth models were then generated based on results of smooth modeling. The layered-earth models are simplified (generally 1 to 6 layers) to represent geologic units with depth. Throughout the area, the layered-earth models range from 2 to 4 layers, depending on observed inflections in the raw data and smooth model inversions. The TDEM data collected were considered good results on the basis of root mean square errors calculated after inversion modeling, comparisons with borehole geophysical logging, and repeatability.

Improving Snow Modeling by Assimilating Observational Data Collected by Citizen Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crumley, R. L.; Hill, D. F.; Arendt, A. A.; Wikstrom Jones, K.; Wolken, G. J.; Setiawan, L.

2017-12-01

Modeling seasonal snow pack in alpine environments includes a multiplicity of challenges caused by a lack of spatially extensive and temporally continuous observational datasets. This is partially due to the difficulty of collecting measurements in harsh, remote environments where extreme gradients in topography exist, accompanied by large model domains and inclement weather. Engaging snow enthusiasts, snow professionals, and community members to participate in the process of data collection may address some of these challenges. In this study, we use SnowModel to estimate seasonal snow water equivalence (SWE) in the Thompson Pass region of Alaska while incorporating snow depth measurements collected by citizen scientists. We develop a modeling approach to assimilate hundreds of snow depth measurements from participants in the Community Snow Observations (CSO) project (www.communitysnowobs.org). The CSO project includes a mobile application where participants record and submit geo-located snow depth measurements while working and recreating in the study area. These snow depth measurements are randomly located within the model grid at irregular time intervals over the span of four months in the 2017 water year. This snow depth observation dataset is converted into a SWE dataset by employing an empirically-based, bulk density and SWE estimation method. We then assimilate this data using SnowAssim, a sub-model within SnowModel, to constrain the SWE output by the observed data. Multiple model runs are designed to represent an array of output scenarios during the assimilation process. An effort to present model output uncertainties is included, as well as quantification of the pre- and post-assimilation divergence in modeled SWE. Early results reveal pre-assimilation SWE estimations are consistently greater than the post-assimilation estimations, and the magnitude of divergence increases throughout the snow pack evolution period. This research has implications beyond the Alaskan context because it increases our ability to constrain snow modeling outputs by making use of snow measurements collected by non-expert, citizen scientists.

Collection Directions: The Evolution of Library Collections and Collecting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dempsey, Lorcan; Malpas, Constance; Lavoie, Brian

2014-01-01

This article takes a broad view of the evolution of collecting behaviors in a network environment and suggests some future directions based on various simple models. The authors look at the changing dynamics of print collections, at the greater engagement with research and learning behaviors, and at trends in scholarly communication. The goal is…

A portable MPI-based parallel vector template library

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheffler, Thomas J.

1995-01-01

This paper discusses the design and implementation of a polymorphic collection library for distributed address-space parallel computers. The library provides a data-parallel programming model for C++ by providing three main components: a single generic collection class, generic algorithms over collections, and generic algebraic combining functions. Collection elements are the fourth component of a program written using the library and may be either of the built-in types of C or of user-defined types. Many ideas are borrowed from the Standard Template Library (STL) of C++, although a restricted programming model is proposed because of the distributed address-space memory model assumed. Whereas the STL provides standard collections and implementations of algorithms for uniprocessors, this paper advocates standardizing interfaces that may be customized for different parallel computers. Just as the STL attempts to increase programmer productivity through code reuse, a similar standard for parallel computers could provide programmers with a standard set of algorithms portable across many different architectures. The efficacy of this approach is verified by examining performance data collected from an initial implementation of the library running on an IBM SP-2 and an Intel Paragon.

A Portable MPI-Based Parallel Vector Template Library

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheffler, Thomas J.

1995-01-01

This paper discusses the design and implementation of a polymorphic collection library for distributed address-space parallel computers. The library provides a data-parallel programming model for C + + by providing three main components: a single generic collection class, generic algorithms over collections, and generic algebraic combining functions. Collection elements are the fourth component of a program written using the library and may be either of the built-in types of c or of user-defined types. Many ideas are borrowed from the Standard Template Library (STL) of C++, although a restricted programming model is proposed because of the distributed address-space memory model assumed. Whereas the STL provides standard collections and implementations of algorithms for uniprocessors, this paper advocates standardizing interfaces that may be customized for different parallel computers. Just as the STL attempts to increase programmer productivity through code reuse, a similar standard for parallel computers could provide programmers with a standard set of algorithms portable across many different architectures. The efficacy of this approach is verified by examining performance data collected from an initial implementation of the library running on an IBM SP-2 and an Intel Paragon.

Ensemble LUT classification for degraded document enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obafemi-Ajayi, Tayo; Agam, Gady; Frieder, Ophir

2008-01-01

The fast evolution of scanning and computing technologies have led to the creation of large collections of scanned paper documents. Examples of such collections include historical collections, legal depositories, medical archives, and business archives. Moreover, in many situations such as legal litigation and security investigations scanned collections are being used to facilitate systematic exploration of the data. It is almost always the case that scanned documents suffer from some form of degradation. Large degradations make documents hard to read and substantially deteriorate the performance of automated document processing systems. Enhancement of degraded document images is normally performed assuming global degradation models. When the degradation is large, global degradation models do not perform well. In contrast, we propose to estimate local degradation models and use them in enhancing degraded document images. Using a semi-automated enhancement system we have labeled a subset of the Frieder diaries collection.1 This labeled subset was then used to train an ensemble classifier. The component classifiers are based on lookup tables (LUT) in conjunction with the approximated nearest neighbor algorithm. The resulting algorithm is highly effcient. Experimental evaluation results are provided using the Frieder diaries collection.1

Study on Commercialization of Biogasification Systems in Ishikari Bay New Port Area - Proposal of Estimation Method of Collectable Amount of Food Waste by using Binary Logit Model -

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Sho; Furuichi, Toru; Ishii, Kazuei

This study proposed an estimation method for collectable amount of food waste considering the food waste generator's cooperation ratio ant the amount of food waste generation, and clarified the factors influencing the collectable amount of food waste. In our method, the cooperation ratio was calculated by using the binary logit model which is often used for the traffic multiple choice question. In order to develop a more precise binary logit model, the factors influencing on the cooperation ratio were extracted by a questionnaire survey asking food waste generator's intention, and the preference investigation was then conducted at the second step. As a result, the collectable amount of food waste was estimated to be 72 [t/day] in the Ishikari bay new port area under a condition of current collection system by using our method. In addition, the most critical factor influencing on the collectable amount of food waste was the treatment fee for households, and was the permitted mixture degree of improper materials for retail trade and restaurant businesses

Influence of collective nonideal shielding on fusion reaction in partially ionized classical nonideal plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Myoung-Jae; Jung, Young-Dae

2017-04-01

The collective nonideal effects on the nuclear fusion reaction process are investigated in partially ionized classical nonideal hydrogen plasmas. The effective pseudopotential model taking into account the collective and plasma shielding effects is applied to describe the interaction potential in nonideal plasmas. The analytic expressions of the Sommerfeld parameter, the fusion penetration factor, and the cross section for the nuclear fusion reaction in nonideal plasmas are obtained as functions of the nonideality parameter, Debye length, and relative kinetic energy. It is found that the Sommerfeld parameter is suppressed due to the influence of collective nonideal shielding. However, the collective nonideal shielding is found to enhance the fusion penetration factor in partially ionized classical nonideal plasmas. It is also found that the fusion penetration factors in nonideal plasmas represented by the pseudopotential model are always greater than those in ideal plasmas represented by the Debye-Hückel model. In addition, it is shown that the collective nonideal shielding effect on the fusion penetration factor decreases with an increase of the kinetic energy.

Synchronization and Collective Dynamics of Flagella and Cilia as Hydrodynamically Coupled Oscillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uchida, Nariya; Golestanian, Ramin; Bennett, Rachel R.

2017-10-01

Cooperative motion of flagella and cilia faciliates swimming of microorganisms and material transport in the body of multicellular organisms. Using minimal models, we address the roles of hydrodynamic interaction in synchronization and collective dynamics of flagella and cilia. Collective synchronization of bacterial flagella is studied with a model of bacterial carpets. Cilia and eukaryotic flagella are characterized by periodic modulation of their driving forces, which produces various patterns of two-body synchronization and metachronal waves. Long-range nature of the interaction introduces novel features in the dynamics of these model systems. The flagella of a swimmer synchronize also by a viscous drag force mediated through the swimmer's body. Recent advance in experimental studies of the collective dynamics of flagella, cilia and related artificial systems are summarized.

Comparison of measured and modeled radiation, heat and water vapor fluxes: FIFE pilot study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blad, Blaine L.; Hubbard, Kenneth G.; Verma, Shashi B.; Starks, Patrick; Norman, John M.; Walter-Shea, Elizabeth

1987-01-01

The feasibility of using radio frequency receivers to collect data from automated weather stations to model fluxes of latent heat, sensible heat, and radiation using routine weather data collected by automated weather stations was tested and the estimated fluxes were compared with fluxes measured over wheat. The model Cupid was used to model the fluxes. Two or more automated weather stations, interrogated by radio frequency and other means, were utilized to examine some of the climatic variability of the First ISLSCP (International Satellite Land-Surface Climatology Project) Field Experiment (FIFE) site, to measure and model reflected and emitted radiation streams from various locations at the site and to compare modeled latent and sensible heat fluxes with measured values. Some bidirectional reflected and emitted radiation data were collected from 23 locations throughout the FIFE site. Analysis of these data along with analysis of the measured sensible and latent heat fluxes is just beginning.

Inferential ecosystem models, from network data to prediction

Treesearch

James S. Clark; Pankaj Agarwal; David M. Bell; Paul G. Flikkema; Alan Gelfand; Xuanlong Nguyen; Eric Ward; Jun Yang

2011-01-01

Recent developments suggest that predictive modeling could begin to play a larger role not only for data analysis, but also for data collection. We address the example of efficient wireless sensor networks, where inferential ecosystem models can be used to weigh the value of an observation against the cost of data collection. Transmission costs make observations ‘‘...

Enabling School Structure, Collective Responsibility, and a Culture of Academic Optimism: Toward a Robust Model of School Performance in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Jason H.; Hoy, Wayne K.; Tarter, C. John

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research is twofold: to test a theory of academic optimism in Taiwan elementary schools and to expand the theory by adding new variables, collective responsibility and enabling school structure, to the model. Design/methodology/approach: Structural equation modeling was used to test, refine, and expand an…

Evolution of Collective Behaviour in an Artificial World Using Linguistic Fuzzy Rule-Based Systems

PubMed Central

Lebar Bajec, Iztok

2017-01-01

Collective behaviour is a fascinating and easily observable phenomenon, attractive to a wide range of researchers. In biology, computational models have been extensively used to investigate various properties of collective behaviour, such as: transfer of information across the group, benefits of grouping (defence against predation, foraging), group decision-making process, and group behaviour types. The question ‘why,’ however remains largely unanswered. Here the interest goes into which pressures led to the evolution of such behaviour, and evolutionary computational models have already been used to test various biological hypotheses. Most of these models use genetic algorithms to tune the parameters of previously presented non-evolutionary models, but very few attempt to evolve collective behaviour from scratch. Of these last, the successful attempts display clumping or swarming behaviour. Empirical evidence suggests that in fish schools there exist three classes of behaviour; swarming, milling and polarized. In this paper we present a novel, artificial life-like evolutionary model, where individual agents are governed by linguistic fuzzy rule-based systems, which is capable of evolving all three classes of behaviour. PMID:28045964

Evolution of Collective Behaviour in an Artificial World Using Linguistic Fuzzy Rule-Based Systems.

PubMed

Demšar, Jure; Lebar Bajec, Iztok

2017-01-01

Collective behaviour is a fascinating and easily observable phenomenon, attractive to a wide range of researchers. In biology, computational models have been extensively used to investigate various properties of collective behaviour, such as: transfer of information across the group, benefits of grouping (defence against predation, foraging), group decision-making process, and group behaviour types. The question 'why,' however remains largely unanswered. Here the interest goes into which pressures led to the evolution of such behaviour, and evolutionary computational models have already been used to test various biological hypotheses. Most of these models use genetic algorithms to tune the parameters of previously presented non-evolutionary models, but very few attempt to evolve collective behaviour from scratch. Of these last, the successful attempts display clumping or swarming behaviour. Empirical evidence suggests that in fish schools there exist three classes of behaviour; swarming, milling and polarized. In this paper we present a novel, artificial life-like evolutionary model, where individual agents are governed by linguistic fuzzy rule-based systems, which is capable of evolving all three classes of behaviour.

Advances in the evaluation of wind-induced undercatch using CFD-based simulations of snow gauge performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colli, Matteo; Lanza, Luca; Rasmussen, Roy; Thériault, Julie

2016-04-01

Despite its importance, accurate measurements of precipitation remains a challenge. Measurement errors for solid precipitation, which are often ignored for automated systems, frequently range from 20% to 70% due to undercatch in windy conditions. While solid precipitation measurements have been the subject of many studies, there have been only a limited number of numerical modeling efforts to estimate the collection efficiency of solid precipitation gauges when exposed to the wind, in both shielded and unshielded configurations. The available models use CFD simulations of the airflow pattern generated by the aerodynamic response of the gauge/shield geometry to perform the Lagrangian tracking of solid precipitation particles (Thériault et al., 2012; Colli et al. 2016a and 2016b). Validation of the results against field observations yields similarities in the overall behavior, but the model output only approximately reproduces the dependence of the experimental collection efficiency on wind speed. We present recent developments of such a modelling approach including various gauge/shield configurations, the influence of the drag coefficient calculation on the model performance, and the role of the particle size distribution in explaining the scatter of the collection efficiency observed at any particular wind speed (Colli et al. 2015). Comparison with observations at the Marshall (CO) field test site is used to validate results of the various modelling schemes and to support the analysis of the microphysical characteristics of ice crystals. References: Colli, M., Rasmussen, R.M., Thèriault, J.M., Lanza, L.G., Baker, B.C. and J. Kochendorfer (2015). An improved trajectory model to evaluate the collection performance of snow gauges. J.Appl.Meteor.Climatol., 54(8), pages 1826-1836. Colli, M., Lanza, L.G., Rasmussen, R.M. and J.M. Thèriault (2016a). The collection efficiency of shielded and unshielded precipitation gauges. Part I: CFD airflow modelling. J. of Hydrometeorol., 17(1), pages 231-243. Colli, M., Lanza, L.G., Rasmussen, R.M. and J.M. Thèriault (2016b). The collection efficiency of shielded and unshielded precipitation gauges. Part II: modelling particle trajectories. J. of Hydrometeorol., 17(1), 245-255. Thériault, J. M., R. Rasmussen, K. Ikeda, and S. Landolt, (2012). Dependence of snow gauge collection efficiency on snowflake characteristics. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 51, 745-762.

Forecasting Zakat collection using artificial neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sy Ahmad Ubaidillah, Sh. Hafizah; Sallehuddin, Roselina

2013-04-01

'Zakat', "that which purifies" or "alms", is the giving of a fixed portion of one's wealth to charity, generally to the poor and needy. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, and must be paid by all practicing Muslims who have the financial means (nisab). 'Nisab' is the minimum level to determine whether there is a 'zakat' to be paid on the assets. Today, in most Muslim countries, 'zakat' is collected through a decentralized and voluntary system. Under this voluntary system, 'zakat' committees are established, which are tasked with the collection and distribution of 'zakat' funds. 'Zakat' promotes a more equitable redistribution of wealth, and fosters a sense of solidarity amongst members of the 'Ummah'. The Malaysian government has established a 'zakat' center at every state to facilitate the management of 'zakat'. The center has to have a good 'zakat' management system to effectively execute its functions especially in the collection and distribution of 'zakat'. Therefore, a good forecasting model is needed. The purpose of this study is to develop a forecasting model for Pusat Zakat Pahang (PZP) to predict the total amount of collection from 'zakat' of assets more precisely. In this study, two different Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models using two different learning algorithms are developed; Back Propagation (BP) and Levenberg-Marquardt (LM). Both models are developed and compared in terms of their accuracy performance. The best model is determined based on the lowest mean square error and the highest correlations values. Based on the results obtained from the study, BP neural network is recommended as the forecasting model to forecast the collection from 'zakat' of assets for PZP.

77 FR 36489 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-19

... collection methods, including interviews and research, to inform the design, development, and implementation.... For example, information collected from consumers will help the CFPB to design model forms... used for quantitative information collections that are designed to yield statistically significant...

77 FR 29445 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Extension of a Currently Approved Collection; Training...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-17

... model curriculum (``Truck Safety: Information on Driver Training,'' Report of the U.S. General... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration [Docket No. FMCSA-2012-0129] Agency Information Collection Activities; Extension of a Currently Approved Collection; Training...

Effect of abdominopelvic abscess drain size on drainage time and probability of occlusion

PubMed Central

Rotman, Jessica A.; Getrajdman, George I.; Maybody, Majid; Erinjeri, Joseph P.; Yarmohammadi, Hooman; Sofocleous, Constantinos T.; Solomon, Stephen B.; Boas, F. Edward

2016-01-01

Background The purpose of this study is to determine whether larger abdominopelvic abscess drains reduce the time required for abscess resolution, or the probability of tube occlusion. Methods 144 consecutive patients who underwent abscess drainage at a single institution were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Larger initial drain size did not reduce drainage time, drain occlusion, or drain exchanges (p>0.05). Subgroup analysis did not find any type of collection that benefitted from larger drains. A multivariate model predicting drainage time showed that large collections (>200 ml) required 16 days longer drainage time than small collections (<50 ml). Collections with a fistula to bowel required 17 days longer drainage time than collections without a fistula. Initial drain size and the viscosity of the fluid in the collection had no significant effect on drainage time in the multivariate model. Conclusions 8 F drains are adequate for initial drainage of most serous and serosanguineous collections. 10 F drains are adequate for initial drainage of most purulent or bloody collections. PMID:27634422

Modeling and analysis of collective cell migration in an in vivo three-dimensional environment

PubMed Central

Dai, Wei; Prasad, Mohit; Luo, Junjie; Gov, Nir S.; Montell, Denise J.

2016-01-01

A long-standing question in collective cell migration has been what might be the relative advantage of forming a cluster over migrating individually. Does an increase in the size of a collectively migrating group of cells enable them to sample the chemical gradient over a greater distance because the difference between front and rear of a cluster would be greater than for single cells? We combined theoretical modeling with experiments to study collective migration of the border cells in-between nurse cells in the Drosophila egg chamber. We discovered that cluster size is positively correlated with migration speed, up to a particular point above which speed plummets. This may be due to the effect of viscous drag from surrounding nurse cells together with confinement of all of the cells within a stiff extracellular matrix. The model predicts no relationship between cluster size and velocity for cells moving on a flat surface, in contrast to movement within a 3D environment. Our analyses also suggest that the overall chemoattractant profile in the egg chamber is likely to be exponential, with the highest concentration in the oocyte. These findings provide insights into collective chemotaxis by combining theoretical modeling with experimentation. PMID:27035964

Collection Directions: Some Reflections on the Future of Library Collections and Collecting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dempsey, Lorcan; Malpas, Constance; Lavoie, Brian

2014-01-01

This article takes a broad view of the evolution of collecting behaviors in a network environment and suggests some future directions based on various simple models. The authors look at the changing dynamics of print collections, at the greater engagement with research and learning behaviors, and at trends in scholarly communication. The goal is…

Forecasting of municipal solid waste quantity in a developing country using multivariate grey models

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

Intharathirat, Rotchana, E-mail: rotchana.in@gmail.com; Abdul Salam, P., E-mail: salam@ait.ac.th; Kumar, S., E-mail: kumar@ait.ac.th

Highlights: • Grey model can be used to forecast MSW quantity accurately with the limited data. • Prediction interval overcomes the uncertainty of MSW forecast effectively. • A multivariate model gives accuracy associated with factors affecting MSW quantity. • Population, urbanization, employment and household size play role for MSW quantity. - Abstract: In order to plan, manage and use municipal solid waste (MSW) in a sustainable way, accurate forecasting of MSW generation and composition plays a key role. It is difficult to carry out the reliable estimates using the existing models due to the limited data available in the developingmore » countries. This study aims to forecast MSW collected in Thailand with prediction interval in long term period by using the optimized multivariate grey model which is the mathematical approach. For multivariate models, the representative factors of residential and commercial sectors affecting waste collected are identified, classified and quantified based on statistics and mathematics of grey system theory. Results show that GMC (1, 5), the grey model with convolution integral, is the most accurate with the least error of 1.16% MAPE. MSW collected would increase 1.40% per year from 43,435–44,994 tonnes per day in 2013 to 55,177–56,735 tonnes per day in 2030. This model also illustrates that population density is the most important factor affecting MSW collected, followed by urbanization, proportion employment and household size, respectively. These mean that the representative factors of commercial sector may affect more MSW collected than that of residential sector. Results can help decision makers to develop the measures and policies of waste management in long term period.« less

EMERGENCY COLLECTION SYSTEM FOR SPILLED HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

EPA Science Inventory

A prepackaged pumping and storage system for the collection and temporary containment of hazardous land spills was designed and two models developed. Each model includes a pump, hoses, furled self-deploying 26,500 l (7000 gal) capacity plastic bag array all mounted on a pallet fo...

Developing New Models for Collection Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoffle, Carla J.; Fore, Janet; Allen, Barbara

1999-01-01

Discusses the need to develop new models for collection development in academic libraries, based on experiences at the University of Arizona. Highlights include changes in the organizational chart; focusing on users' information goals and needs; integrative services; shared resources; interlibrary loans; digital technology; and funding. (LRW)

New Consortial Model for E-Books Acquisitions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swindler, Luke

2016-01-01

E-books constitute major challenges for library collections generally and present fundamental problems for consortial collection development specifically. The Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN) and Oxford University Press (OUP) have created a mutually equitable and financially sustainable model for the consortial acquisition of e-books…

Do prevailing societal models influence reports of near-death experiences?: a comparison of accounts reported before and after 1975.

PubMed

Athappilly, Geena K; Greyson, Bruce; Stevenson, Ian

2006-03-01

Transcendental near-death experiences show some cross-cultural variation that suggests they may be influenced by societal beliefs. The prevailing Western model of near-death experiences was defined by Moody's description of the phenomenon in 1975. To explore the influence of this cultural model, we compared near-death experience accounts collected before and after 1975. We compared the frequency of 15 phenomenological features Moody defined as characteristic of near-death experiences in 24 accounts collected before 1975 and in 24 more recent accounts matched on relevant demographic and situational variables. Near-death experience accounts collected after 1975 differed from those collected earlier only in increased frequency of tunnel phenomena, which other research has suggested may not be integral to the experience, and not in any of the remaining 14 features defined by Moody as characteristic of near-death experiences. These data challenge the hypothesis that near-death experience accounts are substantially influenced by prevailing cultural models.

Collective behavior of coupled nonuniform stochastic oscillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Assis, Vladimir R. V.; Copelli, Mauro

2012-02-01

Theoretical studies of synchronization are usually based on models of coupled phase oscillators which, when isolated, have constant angular frequency. Stochastic discrete versions of these uniform oscillators have also appeared in the literature, with equal transition rates among the states. Here we start from the model recently introduced by Wood et al. [K. Wood, C. Van den Broeck, R. Kawai, K. Lindenberg, Universality of synchrony: critical behavior in a discrete model of stochastic phase-coupled oscillators, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96 (2006) 145701], which has a collectively synchronized phase, and parametrically modify the phase-coupled oscillators to render them (stochastically) nonuniform. We show that, depending on the nonuniformity parameter 0≤α≤1, a mean field analysis predicts the occurrence of several phase transitions. In particular, the phase with collective oscillations is stable for the complete graph only for α≤α‧<1. At α=1 the oscillators become excitable elements and the system has an absorbing state. In the excitable regime, no collective oscillations were found in the model.

Modeling Water Temperature in the Yakima River, Washington, from Roza Diversion Dam to Prosser Dam, 2005-06

USGS Publications Warehouse

Voss, Frank D.; Curran, Christopher A.; Mastin, Mark C.

2008-01-01

A mechanistic water-temperature model was constructed by the U.S. Geological Survey for use by the Bureau of Reclamation for studying the effect of potential water management decisions on water temperature in the Yakima River between Roza and Prosser, Washington. Flow and water temperature data for model input were obtained from the Bureau of Reclamation Hydromet database and from measurements collected by the U.S. Geological Survey during field trips in autumn 2005. Shading data for the model were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in autumn 2006. The model was calibrated with data collected from April 1 through October 31, 2005, and tested with data collected from April 1 through October 31, 2006. Sensitivity analysis results showed that for the parameters tested, daily maximum water temperature was most sensitive to changes in air temperature and solar radiation. Root mean squared error for the five sites used for model calibration ranged from 1.3 to 1.9 degrees Celsius (?C) and mean error ranged from ?1.3 to 1.6?C. The root mean squared error for the five sites used for testing simulation ranged from 1.6 to 2.2?C and mean error ranged from 0.1 to 1.3?C. The accuracy of the stream temperatures estimated by the model is limited by four errors (model error, data error, parameter error, and user error).

Model-driven approach to data collection and reporting for quality improvement

PubMed Central

Curcin, Vasa; Woodcock, Thomas; Poots, Alan J.; Majeed, Azeem; Bell, Derek

2014-01-01

Continuous data collection and analysis have been shown essential to achieving improvement in healthcare. However, the data required for local improvement initiatives are often not readily available from hospital Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems or not routinely collected. Furthermore, improvement teams are often restricted in time and funding thus requiring inexpensive and rapid tools to support their work. Hence, the informatics challenge in healthcare local improvement initiatives consists of providing a mechanism for rapid modelling of the local domain by non-informatics experts, including performance metric definitions, and grounded in established improvement techniques. We investigate the feasibility of a model-driven software approach to address this challenge, whereby an improvement model designed by a team is used to automatically generate required electronic data collection instruments and reporting tools. To that goal, we have designed a generic Improvement Data Model (IDM) to capture the data items and quality measures relevant to the project, and constructed Web Improvement Support in Healthcare (WISH), a prototype tool that takes user-generated IDM models and creates a data schema, data collection web interfaces, and a set of live reports, based on Statistical Process Control (SPC) for use by improvement teams. The software has been successfully used in over 50 improvement projects, with more than 700 users. We present in detail the experiences of one of those initiatives, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease project in Northwest London hospitals. The specific challenges of improvement in healthcare are analysed and the benefits and limitations of the approach are discussed. PMID:24874182

Neighborhood Structural Inequality, Collective Efficacy, and Sexual Risk Behavior among Urban Youth

PubMed Central

BROWNING, CHRISTOPHER R.; BURRINGTON, LORI A.; LEVENTHAL, TAMA; BROOKS-GUNN, JEANNE

2011-01-01

We draw on collective efficacy theory to extend a contextual model of early adolescent sexual behavior. Specifically, we hypothesize that neighborhood structural disadvantage—as measured by levels of concentrated poverty, residential instability, and aspects of immigrant concentration—and diminished collective efficacy have consequences for the prevalence of early adolescent multiple sexual partnering. Findings from random effects multinomial logistic regression models of the number of sexual partners among a sample of youth, age 11 to 16, from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (N = 768) reveal evidence of neighborhood effects on adolescent higher-risk sexual activity. Collective efficacy is negatively associated with having two or more sexual partners versus one (but not zero versus one) sexual partner. The effect of collective efficacy is dependent upon age: The regulatory effect of collective efficacy increases for older adolescents. PMID:18771063

A model for the implementation of a two-shift municipal solid waste and recyclable material collection plan that offers greater convenience to residents.

PubMed

Lin, Hung-Yueh; Tsai, Zong-Pei; Chen, Guan-Hwa; Kao, Jehng-Jung

2011-01-01

Separating recyclables from municipal solid waste (MSW) before collection reduces not only the quantity of MSW that needs to be treated but also the depletion of resources. However, the participation of residents is essential for a successful recycling program, and the level of participation usually depends on the degree of convenience associated with accessing recycling collection points. The residential accessing convenience (RAC) of a collection plan is determined by the proximity of its collection points to all residents and its temporal flexibility in response to resident requirements. The degree of proximity to all residents is determined by using a coverage radius that represents the maximum distance residents need to travel to access a recycling point. The temporal flexibility is assessed by the availability of proximal recycling points at times suitable to the lifestyles of all residents concerned. In Taiwan, the MSW collection is implemented at fixed locations and at fixed times. Residents must deposit their garbage directly into the collection vehicle. To facilitate the assignment of collection vehicles and to encourage residents to thoroughly separate their recyclables, in Taiwan MSW and recyclable materials are usually collected at the same time by different vehicles. A heuristic procedure including an integer programming (IP) model and ant colony optimization (ACO) is explored in this study to determine an efficient two-shift collection plan that takes into account RAC factors. The IP model has been developed to determine convenient collection points in each shift on the basis of proximity, and then the ACO algorithm is applied to determine the most effective routing plan of each shift. With the use of a case study involving a city in Taiwan, this study has demonstrated that collection plans generated using the above procedure are superior to current collection plans on the basis of proximity and total collection distance.

Collection Development Policies in Community College Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mesling, Chris Fowler

2003-01-01

Emphasizes the need for collection development policy in community college academic libraries. Highlights areas of resource sharing, community analysis, and collection assessment. Also provides an overview of how to create a collection for development policy, and recommends books on writing such policy. Includes model policy statements. (NB)

How to improve WEEE management? Novel approach in mobile collection with application of artificial intelligence.

PubMed

Król, Aleksander; Nowakowski, Piotr; Mrówczyńska, Bogna

2016-04-01

In global demand of improvement of electrical and electronic waste management systems, stakeholders look for effective collection systems that generate minimal costs. In this study we propose a novel model for application in mobile collection schemes - on demand that waste be taken back from household residents. This type of the waste equipment collection is comfortable for residents as they can indicate day and time windows for the take-back. Collecting companies are interested in lowering operational costs required for service. This lowering includes selection of a sufficient number of vehicles and employees, and then minimising the routes' length in order to achieve savings in fuel consumption, and lowering of emissions. In the proposed model we use a genetic algorithm for optimisation of the route length and number of vehicles and fuzzy logic for representation of the household residents' satisfaction on the take-back service provided by collection companies. Also, modern communication channels like websites or mobile phone applications can be used to send the waste equipment take-back request from the household, so it has the potential to be developed in future applications. The operation of the model has been presented in the case study of a city in southern Poland. The results can be useful for collecting companies and software producers for preparation of new applications to be used in waste collection. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Big data prediction of durations for online collective actions based on peak's timing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nie, Shizhao; Wang, Zheng; Pujia, Wangmo; Nie, Yuan; Lu, Peng

2018-02-01

Peak Model states that each collective action has a life circle, which contains four periods of "prepare", "outbreak", "peak", and "vanish"; and the peak determines the max energy and the whole process. The peak model's re-simulation indicates that there seems to be a stable ratio between the peak's timing (TP) and the total span (T) or duration of collective actions, which needs further validations through empirical data of collective actions. Therefore, the daily big data of online collective actions is applied to validate the model; and the key is to check the ratio between peak's timing and the total span. The big data is obtained from online data recording & mining of websites. It is verified by the empirical big data that there is a stable ratio between TP and T; furthermore, it seems to be normally distributed. This rule holds for both the general cases and the sub-types of collective actions. Given the distribution of the ratio, estimated probability density function can be obtained, and therefore the span can be predicted via the peak's timing. Under the scenario of big data, the instant span (how long the collective action lasts or when it ends) will be monitored and predicted in real-time. With denser data (Big Data), the estimation of the ratio's distribution gets more robust, and the prediction of collective actions' spans or durations will be more accurate.

The Collective Impact Model and Its Potential for Health Promotion: Overview and Case Study of a Healthy Retail Initiative in San Francisco

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flood, Johnna; Minkler, Meredith; Lavery, Susana Hennessey; Estrada, Jessica; Falbe, Jennifer

2015-01-01

As resources for health promotion become more constricted, it is increasingly important to collaborate across sectors, including the private sector. Although many excellent models for cross-sector collaboration have shown promise in the health field, collective impact (CI), an emerging model for creating larger scale change, has yet to receive…

Collective cell migration in development

PubMed Central

Scarpa, Elena

2016-01-01

During embryonic development, tissues undergo major rearrangements that lead to germ layer positioning, patterning, and organ morphogenesis. Often these morphogenetic movements are accomplished by the coordinated and cooperative migration of the constituent cells, referred to as collective cell migration. The molecular and biomechanical mechanisms underlying collective migration of developing tissues have been investigated in a variety of models, including border cell migration, tracheal branching, blood vessel sprouting, and the migration of the lateral line primordium, neural crest cells, or head mesendoderm. Here we review recent advances in understanding collective migration in these developmental models, focusing on the interaction between cells and guidance cues presented by the microenvironment and on the role of cell–cell adhesion in mechanical and behavioral coupling of cells within the collective. PMID:26783298

A review of international biobanks and networks: success factors and key benchmarks.

PubMed

Vaught, Jim; Kelly, Andrea; Hewitt, Robert

2009-09-01

Biobanks and biobanking networks are involved in varying degrees in the collection, processing, storage, and dissemination of biological specimens. This review outlines the approaches that 16 of the largest biobanks and biobanking networks in Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia have taken to collecting and distributing human research specimens and managing scientific initiatives while covering operating costs. Many are small operations that exist as either a single or a few freezers in a research laboratory, hospital clinical laboratory, or pathology suite. Larger academic and commercial biobanks operate to support large clinical and epidemiological studies. Operational and business models depend on the medical and research missions of their institutions and home countries. Some national biobanks operate with a centralized physical biobank that accepts samples from multiple locations. Others operate under a "federated" model where each institution maintains its own collections but agrees to list them on a central shared database. Some collections are "project-driven" meaning that specimens are collected and distributed to answer specific research questions. "General" collections are those that exist to establish a reference collection, that is, not to meet particular research goals but to be available to respond to multiple requests for an assortment of research uses. These individual and networked biobanking systems operate under a variety of business models, usually incorporating some form of partial cost recovery, while requiring at least partial public or government funding. Each has a well-defined biospecimen-access policy in place that specifies requirements that must be met-such as ethical clearance and the expertise to perform the proposed experiments-to obtain samples for research. The success of all of these biobanking models depends on a variety of factors including well-defined goals, a solid business plan, and specimen collections that are developed according to strict quality and operational controls.

Neurodynamical model of collective brain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zak, Michail

1992-01-01

A dynamical system which mimics collective purposeful activities of a set of units of intelligence is introduced and discussed. A global control of the unit activities is replaced by the probabilistic correlations between them. These correlations are learned during a long term period of performing collective tasks, and are stored in the synaptic interconnections. The model is represented by a system of ordinary differential equations with terminal attractors and repellers, and does not contain any man-made digital devices.

Bathymetric Terrain Model of the Puerto Rico Trench and the Northeastern Caribbean Region for Marine Geological Investigations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andrews, Brian D.; ten Brink, Uri S.; Danforth, William W.; Chaytor, Jason D.; Granja-Bruna, J; Carbo-Gorosabel, A

2014-01-01

Multibeam bathymetry data collected in the Puerto Rico Trench and Northeast Caribbean region are compiled into a seamless bathymetric terrain model for broad-scale geological investigations of the trench system. These data, collected during eight separate surveys between 2002 and 2013, covering almost 180,000 square kilometers are published here in large format map sheet and digital spatial data. This report describes the common multibeam data collection, and processing methods used to produce the bathymetric terrain model and corresponding data source polygon. Details documenting the complete provenance of the data are also provided in the metadata in the Data Catalog section.

Modeling the efficiency of a magnetic needle for collecting magnetic cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, Kimberly S.; Adolphi, Natalie L.; Bryant, H. C.; Lovato, Debbie M.; Larson, Richard S.; Flynn, Edward R.

2014-07-01

As new magnetic nanoparticle-based technologies are developed and new target cells are identified, there is a critical need to understand the features important for magnetic isolation of specific cells in fluids, an increasingly important tool in disease research and diagnosis. To investigate magnetic cell collection, cell-sized spherical microparticles, coated with superparamagnetic nanoparticles, were suspended in (1) glycerine-water solutions, chosen to approximate the range of viscosities of bone marrow, and (2) water in which 3, 5, 10 and 100% of the total suspended microspheres are coated with magnetic nanoparticles, to model collection of rare magnetic nanoparticle-coated cells from a mixture of cells in a fluid. The magnetic microspheres were collected on a magnetic needle, and we demonstrate that the collection efficiency versus time can be modeled using a simple, heuristically-derived function, with three physically-significant parameters. The function enables experimentally-obtained collection efficiencies to be scaled to extract the effective drag of the suspending medium. The results of this analysis demonstrate that the effective drag scales linearly with fluid viscosity, as expected. Surprisingly, increasing the number of non-magnetic microspheres in the suspending fluid results increases the collection of magnetic microspheres, corresponding to a decrease in the effective drag of the medium.

Modeling the Efficiency of a Magnetic Needle for Collecting Magnetic Cells

PubMed Central

Butler, Kimberly S; Adolphi, Natalie L.; Bryant, H C; Lovato, Debbie M; Larson, Richard S; Flynn, Edward R

2014-01-01

As new magnetic nanoparticle-based technologies are developed and new target cells are identified, there is a critical need to understand the features important for magnetic isolation of specific cells in fluids, an increasingly important tool in disease research and diagnosis. To investigate magnetic cell collection, cell-sized spherical microparticles, coated with superparamagnetic nanoparticles, were suspended in 1) glycerine-water solutions, chosen to approximate the range of viscosities of bone marrow, and 2) water in which 3, 5, 10 and 100 % of the total suspended microspheres are coated with magnetic nanoparticles, to model collection of rare magnetic nanoparticle-coated cells from a mixture of cells in a fluid. The magnetic microspheres were collected on a magnetic needle, and we demonstrate that the collection efficiency vs. time can be modeled using a simple, heuristically-derived function, with three physically-significant parameters. The function enables experimentally-obtained collection efficiencies to be scaled to extract the effective drag of the suspending medium. The results of this analysis demonstrate that the effective drag scales linearly with fluid viscosity, as expected. Surprisingly, increasing the number of non-magnetic microspheres in the suspending fluid results increases the collection of magnetic microspheres, corresponding to a decrease in the effective drag of the medium. PMID:24874577

Conflicts of interest improve collective computation of adaptive social structures

PubMed Central

Brush, Eleanor R.; Krakauer, David C.; Flack, Jessica C.

2018-01-01

In many biological systems, the functional behavior of a group is collectively computed by the system’s individual components. An example is the brain’s ability to make decisions via the activity of billions of neurons. A long-standing puzzle is how the components’ decisions combine to produce beneficial group-level outputs, despite conflicts of interest and imperfect information. We derive a theoretical model of collective computation from mechanistic first principles, using results from previous work on the computation of power structure in a primate model system. Collective computation has two phases: an information accumulation phase, in which (in this study) pairs of individuals gather information about their fighting abilities and make decisions about their dominance relationships, and an information aggregation phase, in which these decisions are combined to produce a collective computation. To model information accumulation, we extend a stochastic decision-making model—the leaky integrator model used to study neural decision-making—to a multiagent game-theoretic framework. We then test alternative algorithms for aggregating information—in this study, decisions about dominance resulting from the stochastic model—and measure the mutual information between the resultant power structure and the “true” fighting abilities. We find that conflicts of interest can improve accuracy to the benefit of all agents. We also find that the computation can be tuned to produce different power structures by changing the cost of waiting for a decision. The successful application of a similar stochastic decision-making model in neural and social contexts suggests general principles of collective computation across substrates and scales. PMID:29376116

Reforming Prison Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coyle, William J.

1989-01-01

Discusses the current widespread acceptance of the public library model for prison libraries, in which preferences of the inmates are the chief consideration in programing and collection development. It is argued that this model results in recreational programs and collections that fail to fulfill the prison library's role in education and…

MODEL UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS, FIELD DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF CONTAMINATED VAPOR INTRUSION INTO BUILDINGS

EPA Science Inventory

To address uncertainty associated with the evaluation of vapor intrusion problems we are working on a three part strategy that includes: evaluation of uncertainty in model-based assessments; collection of field data and assessment of sites using EPA and state protocols.

Cost effectiveness of recycling: A systems model

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

Tonjes, David J., E-mail: david.tonjes@stonybrook.edu; Waste Reduction and Management Institute, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000; Center for Bioenergy Research and Development, Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center, Stony Brook University, 1000 Innovation Rd., Stony Brook, NY 11794-6044

Highlights: • Curbside collection of recyclables reduces overall system costs over a range of conditions. • When avoided costs for recyclables are large, even high collection costs are supported. • When avoided costs for recyclables are not great, there are reduced opportunities for savings. • For common waste compositions, maximizing curbside recyclables collection always saves money. - Abstract: Financial analytical models of waste management systems have often found that recycling costs exceed direct benefits, and in order to economically justify recycling activities, externalities such as household expenses or environmental impacts must be invoked. Certain more empirically based studies have alsomore » found that recycling is more expensive than disposal. Other work, both through models and surveys, have found differently. Here we present an empirical systems model, largely drawn from a suburban Long Island municipality. The model accounts for changes in distribution of effort as recycling tonnages displace disposal tonnages, and the seven different cases examined all show that curbside collection programs that manage up to between 31% and 37% of the waste stream should result in overall system savings. These savings accrue partially because of assumed cost differences in tip fees for recyclables and disposed wastes, and also because recycling can result in a more efficient, cost-effective collection program. These results imply that increases in recycling are justifiable due to cost-savings alone, not on more difficult to measure factors that may not impact program budgets.« less

Estimating Health-State Utility for Economic Models in Clinical Studies: An ISPOR Good Research Practices Task Force Report.

PubMed

Wolowacz, Sorrel E; Briggs, Andrew; Belozeroff, Vasily; Clarke, Philip; Doward, Lynda; Goeree, Ron; Lloyd, Andrew; Norman, Richard

Cost-utility models are increasingly used in many countries to establish whether the cost of a new intervention can be justified in terms of health benefits. Health-state utility (HSU) estimates (the preference for a given state of health on a cardinal scale where 0 represents dead and 1 represents full health) are typically among the most important and uncertain data inputs in cost-utility models. Clinical trials represent an important opportunity for the collection of health-utility data. However, trials designed primarily to evaluate efficacy and safety often present challenges to the optimal collection of HSU estimates for economic models. Careful planning is needed to determine which of the HSU estimates may be measured in planned trials; to establish the optimal methodology; and to plan any additional studies needed. This report aimed to provide a framework for researchers to plan the collection of health-utility data in clinical studies to provide high-quality HSU estimates for economic modeling. Recommendations are made for early planning of health-utility data collection within a research and development program; design of health-utility data collection during protocol development for a planned clinical trial; design of prospective and cross-sectional observational studies and alternative study types; and statistical analyses and reporting. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cost-effectiveness of an HPV self-collection campaign in Uganda: comparing models for delivery of cervical cancer screening in a low-income setting

PubMed Central

Campos, Nicole G; Tsu, Vivien; Jeronimo, Jose; Njama-Meya, Denise; Mvundura, Mercy; Kim, Jane J

2017-01-01

Abstract With the availability of a low-cost HPV DNA test that can be administered by either a healthcare provider or a woman herself, programme planners require information on the costs and cost-effectiveness of implementing cervical cancer screening programmes in low-resource settings under different models of healthcare delivery. Using data from the START-UP demonstration project and a micro-costing approach, we estimated the health and economic impact of once-in-a-lifetime HPV self-collection campaign relative to clinic-based provider-collection of HPV specimens in Uganda. We used an individual-based Monte Carlo simulation model of the natural history of HPV and cervical cancer to estimate lifetime health and economic outcomes associated with screening with HPV DNA testing once in a lifetime (clinic-based provider-collection vs a self-collection campaign). Test performance and cost data were obtained from the START-UP demonstration project using a micro-costing approach. Model outcomes included lifetime risk of cervical cancer, total lifetime costs (in 2011 international dollars [I$]), and life expectancy. Cost-effectiveness ratios were expressed using incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). When both strategies achieved 75% population coverage, ICERs were below Uganda’s per capita GDP (self-collection: I$80 per year of life saved [YLS]; provider-collection: I$120 per YLS). When the self-collection campaign achieved coverage gains of 15–20%, it was more effective than provider-collection, and had a lower ICER unless coverage with both strategies was 50% or less. Findings were sensitive to cryotherapy compliance among screen-positive women and relative HPV test performance. The primary limitation of this analysis is that self-collection costs are based on a hypothetical campaign but are based on unit costs from Uganda. Once-in-a-lifetime screening with HPV self-collection may be very cost-effective and reduce cervical cancer risk by > 20% if coverage is high. Demonstration projects will be needed to confirm the validity of our logistical, costing and compliance assumptions. PMID:28369405

Cost-effectiveness of an HPV self-collection campaign in Uganda: comparing models for delivery of cervical cancer screening in a low-income setting.

PubMed

Campos, Nicole G; Tsu, Vivien; Jeronimo, Jose; Njama-Meya, Denise; Mvundura, Mercy; Kim, Jane J

2017-09-01

With the availability of a low-cost HPV DNA test that can be administered by either a healthcare provider or a woman herself, programme planners require information on the costs and cost-effectiveness of implementing cervical cancer screening programmes in low-resource settings under different models of healthcare delivery. Using data from the START-UP demonstration project and a micro-costing approach, we estimated the health and economic impact of once-in-a-lifetime HPV self-collection campaign relative to clinic-based provider-collection of HPV specimens in Uganda. We used an individual-based Monte Carlo simulation model of the natural history of HPV and cervical cancer to estimate lifetime health and economic outcomes associated with screening with HPV DNA testing once in a lifetime (clinic-based provider-collection vs a self-collection campaign). Test performance and cost data were obtained from the START-UP demonstration project using a micro-costing approach. Model outcomes included lifetime risk of cervical cancer, total lifetime costs (in 2011 international dollars [I$]), and life expectancy. Cost-effectiveness ratios were expressed using incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). When both strategies achieved 75% population coverage, ICERs were below Uganda's per capita GDP (self-collection: I$80 per year of life saved [YLS]; provider-collection: I$120 per YLS). When the self-collection campaign achieved coverage gains of 15-20%, it was more effective than provider-collection, and had a lower ICER unless coverage with both strategies was 50% or less. Findings were sensitive to cryotherapy compliance among screen-positive women and relative HPV test performance. The primary limitation of this analysis is that self-collection costs are based on a hypothetical campaign but are based on unit costs from Uganda. Once-in-a-lifetime screening with HPV self-collection may be very cost-effective and reduce cervical cancer risk by > 20% if coverage is high. Demonstration projects will be needed to confirm the validity of our logistical, costing and compliance assumptions. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Exploring Evidence Aggregation Methods and External Expansion Sources for Medical Record Search

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-11-01

Equation 3 using Indri in the same way as our previous work [12]. We denoted this model as MRM . A Combined Model We linearly combine MRF and MRM to get...retrieving indexing visits ranking III RbM VRM baseline/MRF/ MRM models ICD, NEG MbR Figure 1: Merging results from two different...retrieval model MRM with one expansion collection at a time to explore the expansion effectiveness of each collection as show in Table 5. As we can

Using the Random Nearest Neighbor Data Mining Method to Extract Maximum Information Content from Weather Forecasts from Multiple Predictors of Weather and One Predictand (Low-Level Turbulence)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-30

Force Weather Agency (AFWA) WRF 15-km atmospheric model forecast data and low-level turbulence. Archives of historical model data forecast predictors...Relationships between WRF model predictors and PIREPS were developed using the new data mining methodology. The new methodology was inspired...convection. Predictors of turbulence were collected from the AFWA WRF 15km model, and corresponding PIREPS (the predictand) were collected between 2013

Forecasting rain events - Meteorological models or collective intelligence?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arazy, Ofer; Halfon, Noam; Malkinson, Dan

2015-04-01

Collective intelligence is shared (or group) intelligence that emerges from the collective efforts of many individuals. Collective intelligence is the aggregate of individual contributions: from simple collective decision making to more sophisticated aggregations such as in crowdsourcing and peer-production systems. In particular, collective intelligence could be used in making predictions about future events, for example by using prediction markets to forecast election results, stock prices, or the outcomes of sport events. To date, there is little research regarding the use of collective intelligence for prediction of weather forecasting. The objective of this study is to investigate the extent to which collective intelligence could be utilized to accurately predict weather events, and in particular rainfall. Our analyses employ metrics of group intelligence, as well as compare the accuracy of groups' predictions against the predictions of the standard model used by the National Meteorological Services. We report on preliminary results from a study conducted over the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 winters. We have built a web site that allows people to make predictions on precipitation levels on certain locations. During each competition participants were allowed to enter their precipitation forecasts (i.e. 'bets') at three locations and these locations changed between competitions. A precipitation competition was defined as a 48-96 hour period (depending on the expected weather conditions), bets were open 24-48 hours prior to the competition, and during betting period participants were allowed to change their bets with no limitation. In order to explore the effect of transparency, betting mechanisms varied across study's sites: full transparency (participants able to see each other's bets); partial transparency (participants see the group's average bet); and no transparency (no information of others' bets is made available). Several interesting findings emerged from this study. First, we found evidence for the emergence of collective intelligence, as the group's mean prediction was superior to individuals' predictions (using the metrics of Collective Intelligence Quality and Win Ratio). Second, we found that overall the group's collective intelligence was not very different from the accuracy of the meteorological model (ECMWF): in 6 out of the 12 competition the results were almost indistinguishable (error differences of less than 2 mm); in 4 cases the model clearly outperformed the group; and in 2 cases the group outperformed the model. Third, the design of the bidding mechanism - namely transparency - seems to affect collective intelligence. Fourth, an analysis of individuals' predictions suggests that local knowledge (measured by the distance between home address and the site of competition) and the level of meteorological knowledge (assessed by a short quiz) were not correlated with prediction accuracy. Although, the findings reported here present only preliminary results from a long-term project and while we acknowledge that it is not possible to draw statistically significant conclusions from a study of 12 cases, our findings do reveal some important insights. Our results inform research on collective intelligence and meteorology, as well as have implications for practice (e.g. possibly incorporating collective intelligence into weather forecasting models).

Space, time, and the third dimension (model error)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moss, Marshall E.

1979-01-01

The space-time tradeoff of hydrologic data collection (the ability to substitute spatial coverage for temporal extension of records or vice versa) is controlled jointly by the statistical properties of the phenomena that are being measured and by the model that is used to meld the information sources. The control exerted on the space-time tradeoff by the model and its accompanying errors has seldom been studied explicitly. The technique, known as Network Analyses for Regional Information (NARI), permits such a study of the regional regression model that is used to relate streamflow parameters to the physical and climatic characteristics of the drainage basin.The NARI technique shows that model improvement is a viable and sometimes necessary means of improving regional data collection systems. Model improvement provides an immediate increase in the accuracy of regional parameter estimation and also increases the information potential of future data collection. Model improvement, which can only be measured in a statistical sense, cannot be quantitatively estimated prior to its achievement; thus an attempt to upgrade a particular model entails a certain degree of risk on the part of the hydrologist.

A simple generative model of collective online behavior.

PubMed

Gleeson, James P; Cellai, Davide; Onnela, Jukka-Pekka; Porter, Mason A; Reed-Tsochas, Felix

2014-07-22

Human activities increasingly take place in online environments, providing novel opportunities for relating individual behaviors to population-level outcomes. In this paper, we introduce a simple generative model for the collective behavior of millions of social networking site users who are deciding between different software applications. Our model incorporates two distinct mechanisms: one is associated with recent decisions of users, and the other reflects the cumulative popularity of each application. Importantly, although various combinations of the two mechanisms yield long-time behavior that is consistent with data, the only models that reproduce the observed temporal dynamics are those that strongly emphasize the recent popularity of applications over their cumulative popularity. This demonstrates--even when using purely observational data without experimental design--that temporal data-driven modeling can effectively distinguish between competing microscopic mechanisms, allowing us to uncover previously unidentified aspects of collective online behavior.

A simple generative model of collective online behavior

PubMed Central

Gleeson, James P.; Cellai, Davide; Onnela, Jukka-Pekka; Porter, Mason A.; Reed-Tsochas, Felix

2014-01-01

Human activities increasingly take place in online environments, providing novel opportunities for relating individual behaviors to population-level outcomes. In this paper, we introduce a simple generative model for the collective behavior of millions of social networking site users who are deciding between different software applications. Our model incorporates two distinct mechanisms: one is associated with recent decisions of users, and the other reflects the cumulative popularity of each application. Importantly, although various combinations of the two mechanisms yield long-time behavior that is consistent with data, the only models that reproduce the observed temporal dynamics are those that strongly emphasize the recent popularity of applications over their cumulative popularity. This demonstrates—even when using purely observational data without experimental design—that temporal data-driven modeling can effectively distinguish between competing microscopic mechanisms, allowing us to uncover previously unidentified aspects of collective online behavior. PMID:25002470

Collective firm bankruptcies and phase transition in rating dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sieczka, P.; Hołyst, J. A.

2009-10-01

We present a simple model of firm rating evolution. We consider two sources of defaults: individual dynamics of economic development and Potts-like interactions between firms. We show that such a defined model leads to phase transition, which results in collective defaults. The existence of the collective phase depends on the mean interaction strength. For small interaction strength parameters, there are many independent bankruptcies of individual companies. For large parameters, there are giant collective defaults of firm clusters. In the case when the individual firm dynamics favors dumping of rating changes, there is an optimal strength of the firm's interactions from the systemic risk point of view. in here

The influence of collective neutrino oscillations on a supernova r process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Huaiyu; Friedland, Alexander; McLaughlin, Gail C.; Surman, Rebecca

2011-03-01

Recently, it has been demonstrated that neutrinos in a supernova oscillate collectively. This process occurs much deeper than the conventional matter-induced Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effect and hence may have an impact on nucleosynthesis. In this paper we explore the effects of collective neutrino oscillations on the r-process, using representative late-time neutrino spectra and outflow models. We find that accurate modeling of the collective oscillations is essential for this analysis. As an illustration, the often-used 'single-angle' approximation makes grossly inaccurate predictions for the yields in our setup. With the proper multiangle treatment, the effect of the oscillations is found to be less dramatic, but still significant. Since the oscillation patterns are sensitive to the details of the emitted fluxes and the sign of the neutrino mass hierarchy, so are the r-process yields. The magnitude of the effect also depends sensitively on the astrophysical conditions—in particular on the interplay between the time when nuclei begin to exist in significant numbers and the time when the collective oscillation begins. A more definitive understanding of the astrophysical conditions, and accurate modeling of the collective oscillations for those conditions, is necessary.

National model for the statewide application of data collection and management technology to improve highway safety

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-01-01

The project involves the enhancement of the statewide crash data reporting with automated collection and data capture tools. To that end the project provided funding for computer hardware and peripherals to expand the use of the national model to mor...

Fundamental Travel Demand Model Example

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanssen, Joel

2010-01-01

Instances of transportation models are abundant and detailed "how to" instruction is available in the form of transportation software help documentation. The purpose of this paper is to look at the fundamental inputs required to build a transportation model by developing an example passenger travel demand model. The example model reduces the scale to a manageable size for the purpose of illustrating the data collection and analysis required before the first step of the model begins. This aspect of the model development would not reasonably be discussed in software help documentation (it is assumed the model developer comes prepared). Recommendations are derived from the example passenger travel demand model to suggest future work regarding the data collection and analysis required for a freight travel demand model.

Efficient Matrix Models for Relational Learning

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-01

74 4.5.3 Comparison to pLSI- pHITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 5 Hierarchical Bayesian Collective...Behaviour of Newton vs. Stochastic Newton on a three-factor model. 4.5.3 Comparison to pLSI- pHITS Caveat: Collective Matrix Factorization makes no guarantees...leads to better results; and another where a co-clustering model, pLSI- pHITS , has the advantage. pLSI- pHITS [24] is a relational clustering technique

Simulation of Boreal Ecosystem Carbon and Water Budgets: Scaling from Local to Regional Extents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, Eric F.

1997-01-01

A coupled water and energy balance model is developed. This model can predict the partitioning of water and energy between major source, sink and storage elements within the Boreal-Ecosystem-Atmospheric Study (BOREAS) areas. The results of testing the model against data collected at BOREAS tower sites during Intensive Field Campaigns and remotely sensed data collected across the BOREAS region are presented.

Information Technology Implementation and Sustainment Model: Data Collection Instrument

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-03-01

users (Wing and Bettinger , 2003). A GIS is a computerized system for spatial (geographically-referenced) data management (Davis and Schultz, 1990:3...AFIT/GEM/ENV/05M-15 Abstract The goal of this research was to develop a data collection instrument for an existing information technology...implementation and sustsinment model. In 2003, a unique system dynamics model was developed at the Air Force Institute of Technology to predict the

A Calibration-Capture-Recapture Model for Inferring Natual Gas Leak Population Characteristics Using Data from Google Street View Cars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weller, Z.; Hoeting, J.; von Fischer, J.

2017-12-01

Pipeline systems that distribute natural gas (NG) within cities can leak, leading to safety hazards and wasted product. Moreover, these leaks are climate-altering because NG is primarily composed of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Scientists have recently developed an innovative method for mapping NG leak locations by installing atmospheric methane analyzers on Google Street View cars. We develop new statistical methodology to answer key inferential questions using data collected by these mobile air monitors. The new calibration-capture-recapture (CCR) model utilizes data from controlled methane releases and data collected by GSV cars to provide inference for several desired quantities, including the number of undetected methane sources and the total methane output rate in a surveyed region. The CCR model addresses challenges associated with using a capture-recapture model to analyze data collected by a mobile detection system including variable sampling effort and lack of physically marking individuals. We develop a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm for parameter estimation and apply the CCR model to methane data collected in two U.S. cities. The CCR model provides a new framework for inferring the total number of leaks in NG distribution systems and offers critical insights for informing intelligent repair policy that is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

Up the Beanstalk: An Evolutionary Organizational Structure for Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoadley, Irene B.; Corbin, John

1990-01-01

Presents a functional organizational model for research libraries consisting of six major divisions and subunits: acquisition (buying, borrowing, leasing); organization (records creation, records maintenance); collections (collections management, selection, preservation, special collections and archives); interpretation (reference, instructional…

Hierarchical models and Bayesian analysis of bird survey information

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sauer, J.R.; Link, W.A.; Royle, J. Andrew; Ralph, C. John; Rich, Terrell D.

2005-01-01

Summary of bird survey information is a critical component of conservation activities, but often our summaries rely on statistical methods that do not accommodate the limitations of the information. Prioritization of species requires ranking and analysis of species by magnitude of population trend, but often magnitude of trend is a misleading measure of actual decline when trend is poorly estimated. Aggregation of population information among regions is also complicated by varying quality of estimates among regions. Hierarchical models provide a reasonable means of accommodating concerns about aggregation and ranking of quantities of varying precision. In these models the need to consider multiple scales is accommodated by placing distributional assumptions on collections of parameters. For collections of species trends, this allows probability statements to be made about the collections of species-specific parameters, rather than about the estimates. We define and illustrate hierarchical models for two commonly encountered situations in bird conservation: (1) Estimating attributes of collections of species estimates, including ranking of trends, estimating number of species with increasing populations, and assessing population stability with regard to predefined trend magnitudes; and (2) estimation of regional population change, aggregating information from bird surveys over strata. User-friendly computer software makes hierarchical models readily accessible to scientists.

A statistical metadata model for clinical trials' data management.

PubMed

Vardaki, Maria; Papageorgiou, Haralambos; Pentaris, Fragkiskos

2009-08-01

We introduce a statistical, process-oriented metadata model to describe the process of medical research data collection, management, results analysis and dissemination. Our approach explicitly provides a structure for pieces of information used in Clinical Study Data Management Systems, enabling a more active role for any associated metadata. Using the object-oriented paradigm, we describe the classes of our model that participate during the design of a clinical trial and the subsequent collection and management of the relevant data. The advantage of our approach is that we focus on presenting the structural inter-relation of these classes when used during datasets manipulation by proposing certain transformations that model the simultaneous processing of both data and metadata. Our solution reduces the possibility of human errors and allows for the tracking of all changes made during datasets lifecycle. The explicit modeling of processing steps improves data quality and assists in the problem of handling data collected in different clinical trials. The case study illustrates the applicability of the proposed framework demonstrating conceptually the simultaneous handling of datasets collected during two randomized clinical studies. Finally, we provide the main considerations for implementing the proposed framework into a modern Metadata-enabled Information System.

Reusable Rocket Engine Operability Modeling and Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christenson, R. L.; Komar, D. R.

1998-01-01

This paper describes the methodology, model, input data, and analysis results of a reusable launch vehicle engine operability study conducted with the goal of supporting design from an operations perspective. Paralleling performance analyses in schedule and method, this requires the use of metrics in a validated operations model useful for design, sensitivity, and trade studies. Operations analysis in this view is one of several design functions. An operations concept was developed given an engine concept and the predicted operations and maintenance processes incorporated into simulation models. Historical operations data at a level of detail suitable to model objectives were collected, analyzed, and formatted for use with the models, the simulations were run, and results collected and presented. The input data used included scheduled and unscheduled timeline and resource information collected into a Space Transportation System (STS) Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) historical launch operations database. Results reflect upon the importance not only of reliable hardware but upon operations and corrective maintenance process improvements.

cStress: Towards a Gold Standard for Continuous Stress Assessment in the Mobile Environment

PubMed Central

Hovsepian, Karen; al’Absi, Mustafa; Ertin, Emre; Kamarck, Thomas; Nakajima, Motohiro; Kumar, Santosh

2015-01-01

Recent advances in mobile health have produced several new models for inferring stress from wearable sensors. But, the lack of a gold standard is a major hurdle in making clinical use of continuous stress measurements derived from wearable sensors. In this paper, we present a stress model (called cStress) that has been carefully developed with attention to every step of computational modeling including data collection, screening, cleaning, filtering, feature computation, normalization, and model training. More importantly, cStress was trained using data collected from a rigorous lab study with 21 participants and validated on two independently collected data sets — in a lab study on 26 participants and in a week-long field study with 20 participants. In testing, the model obtains a recall of 89% and a false positive rate of 5% on lab data. On field data, the model is able to predict each instantaneous self-report with an accuracy of 72%. PMID:26543926

Development of a Model and Computer Code to Describe Solar Grade Silicon Production Processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srivastava, R.; Gould, R. K.

1979-01-01

The program aims at developing mathematical models and computer codes based on these models, which allow prediction of the product distribution in chemical reactors for converting gaseous silicon compounds to condensed-phase silicon. The major interest is in collecting silicon as a liquid on the reactor walls and other collection surfaces. Two reactor systems are of major interest, a SiCl4/Na reactor in which Si(l) is collected on the flow tube reactor walls and a reactor in which Si(l) droplets formed by the SiCl4/Na reaction are collected by a jet impingement method. During this quarter the following tasks were accomplished: (1) particle deposition routines were added to the boundary layer code; and (2) Si droplet sizes in SiCl4/Na reactors at temperatures below the dew point of Si are being calculated.

Collective-efficacy as a mediator of the relationship of leaders' personality traits and team performance: A cross-level analysis.

PubMed

Li, Xiaoshan; Zhou, Mingjie; Zhao, Na; Zhang, Shanshan; Zhang, Jianxin

2015-06-01

The relationship between a leader's personality and his team's performance has been established in organisational research, but the underlying process and mechanism responsible for this effect have not been fully explored. Both the traditional multiple linear regression and the multilevel structural equation model approaches were used in this study to test a proposed mediating model of subordinates' perception of collective efficacy between leader personality and team performance. The results show that the team leader's extraversion and conscientiousness personality traits were related positively to both the team-average (individual) perception of collective efficacy and team performance, and the collective efficacy mediated the relationship of the leader's personality traits and team performance. This study also discusses how Chinese cultural elements play a role in such a mediating model. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

Modeling mechanical interactions in growing populations of rod-shaped bacteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winkle, James J.; Igoshin, Oleg A.; Bennett, Matthew R.; Josić, Krešimir; Ott, William

2017-10-01

Advances in synthetic biology allow us to engineer bacterial collectives with pre-specified characteristics. However, the behavior of these collectives is difficult to understand, as cellular growth and division as well as extra-cellular fluid flow lead to complex, changing arrangements of cells within the population. To rationally engineer and control the behavior of cell collectives we need theoretical and computational tools to understand their emergent spatiotemporal dynamics. Here, we present an agent-based model that allows growing cells to detect and respond to mechanical interactions. Crucially, our model couples the dynamics of cell growth to the cell’s environment: Mechanical constraints can affect cellular growth rate and a cell may alter its behavior in response to these constraints. This coupling links the mechanical forces that influence cell growth and emergent behaviors in cell assemblies. We illustrate our approach by showing how mechanical interactions can impact the dynamics of bacterial collectives growing in microfluidic traps.

Modeling Urban Scenarios & Experiments: Fort Indiantown Gap Data Collections Summary and Analysis

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

Archer, Daniel E.; Bandstra, Mark S.; Davidson, Gregory G.

This report summarizes experimental radiation detector, contextual sensor, weather, and global positioning system (GPS) data collected to inform and validate a comprehensive, operational radiation transport modeling framework to evaluate radiation detector system and algorithm performance. This framework will be used to study the influence of systematic effects (such as geometry, background activity, background variability, environmental shielding, etc.) on detector responses and algorithm performance using synthetic time series data. This work consists of performing data collection campaigns at a canonical, controlled environment for complete radiological characterization to help construct and benchmark a high-fidelity model with quantified system geometries, detector response functions,more » and source terms for background and threat objects. This data also provides an archival, benchmark dataset that can be used by the radiation detection community. The data reported here spans four data collection campaigns conducted between May 2015 and September 2016.« less

Testing projected wild bee distributions in agricultural habitats: predictive power depends on species traits and habitat type.

PubMed

Marshall, Leon; Carvalheiro, Luísa G; Aguirre-Gutiérrez, Jesús; Bos, Merijn; de Groot, G Arjen; Kleijn, David; Potts, Simon G; Reemer, Menno; Roberts, Stuart; Scheper, Jeroen; Biesmeijer, Jacobus C

2015-10-01

Species distribution models (SDM) are increasingly used to understand the factors that regulate variation in biodiversity patterns and to help plan conservation strategies. However, these models are rarely validated with independently collected data and it is unclear whether SDM performance is maintained across distinct habitats and for species with different functional traits. Highly mobile species, such as bees, can be particularly challenging to model. Here, we use independent sets of occurrence data collected systematically in several agricultural habitats to test how the predictive performance of SDMs for wild bee species depends on species traits, habitat type, and sampling technique. We used a species distribution modeling approach parametrized for the Netherlands, with presence records from 1990 to 2010 for 193 Dutch wild bees. For each species, we built a Maxent model based on 13 climate and landscape variables. We tested the predictive performance of the SDMs with independent datasets collected from orchards and arable fields across the Netherlands from 2010 to 2013, using transect surveys or pan traps. Model predictive performance depended on species traits and habitat type. Occurrence of bee species specialized in habitat and diet was better predicted than generalist bees. Predictions of habitat suitability were also more precise for habitats that are temporally more stable (orchards) than for habitats that suffer regular alterations (arable), particularly for small, solitary bees. As a conservation tool, SDMs are best suited to modeling rarer, specialist species than more generalist and will work best in long-term stable habitats. The variability of complex, short-term habitats is difficult to capture in such models and historical land use generally has low thematic resolution. To improve SDMs' usefulness, models require explanatory variables and collection data that include detailed landscape characteristics, for example, variability of crops and flower availability. Additionally, testing SDMs with field surveys should involve multiple collection techniques.

Transforming Monograph Collections with a Model of Collections as a Service

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Way, Doug

2017-01-01

Financial pressures, changes in scholarly communications, the rise of online content, and the ability to easily share materials have provided libraries the opportunity to rethink their collections practices. This article provides an overview of these changes and outlines a framework for viewing collections as a service. It describes how libraries…

Perceived Discrimination and Subjective Well-being in Chinese Migrant Adolescents: Collective and Personal Self-esteem As Mediators

PubMed Central

Jia, Xuji; Liu, Xia; Shi, Baoguo

2017-01-01

This study aimed to examine whether collective and personal self-esteem serve as mediators in the relationship between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being among Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents. Six hundred and ninety-two adolescents completed a perceived discrimination scale, a collective self-esteem scale, a personal self-esteem scale, and a subjective well-being scale. Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediation hypothesis. The analysis indicated that both collective and personal self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being. The final model also revealed a significant path from perceived discrimination through collective and personal self-esteem to subjective well-being. These findings contribute to the understanding of the complicated relationships among perceived discrimination, collective and personal self-esteem, and subjective well-being. The findings suggest that collective and personal self-esteem are possible targets for interventions aimed at improving subjective well-being. Programs to nurture both the personal and collective self-esteem of migrant adolescents may help to weaken the negative relationships between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being. PMID:28769850

Perceived Discrimination and Subjective Well-being in Chinese Migrant Adolescents: Collective and Personal Self-esteem As Mediators.

PubMed

Jia, Xuji; Liu, Xia; Shi, Baoguo

2017-01-01

This study aimed to examine whether collective and personal self-esteem serve as mediators in the relationship between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being among Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents. Six hundred and ninety-two adolescents completed a perceived discrimination scale, a collective self-esteem scale, a personal self-esteem scale, and a subjective well-being scale. Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediation hypothesis. The analysis indicated that both collective and personal self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being. The final model also revealed a significant path from perceived discrimination through collective and personal self-esteem to subjective well-being. These findings contribute to the understanding of the complicated relationships among perceived discrimination, collective and personal self-esteem, and subjective well-being. The findings suggest that collective and personal self-esteem are possible targets for interventions aimed at improving subjective well-being. Programs to nurture both the personal and collective self-esteem of migrant adolescents may help to weaken the negative relationships between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being.

Effect of abdominopelvic abscess drain size on drainage time and probability of occlusion.

PubMed

Rotman, Jessica A; Getrajdman, George I; Maybody, Majid; Erinjeri, Joseph P; Yarmohammadi, Hooman; Sofocleous, Constantinos T; Solomon, Stephen B; Boas, F Edward

2017-04-01

The purpose of this study is to determine whether larger abdominopelvic abscess drains reduce the time required for abscess resolution or the probability of tube occlusion. 144 consecutive patients who underwent abscess drainage at a single institution were reviewed retrospectively. Larger initial drain size did not reduce drainage time, drain occlusion, or drain exchanges (P > .05). Subgroup analysis did not find any type of collection that benefitted from larger drains. A multivariate model predicting drainage time showed that large collections (>200 mL) required 16 days longer drainage time than small collections (<50 mL). Collections with a fistula to bowel required 17 days longer drainage time than collections without a fistula. Initial drain size and the viscosity of the fluid in the collection had no significant effect on drainage time in the multivariate model. 8 F drains are adequate for initial drainage of most serous and serosanguineous collections. 10 F drains are adequate for initial drainage of most purulent or bloody collections. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Model-driven approach to data collection and reporting for quality improvement.

PubMed

Curcin, Vasa; Woodcock, Thomas; Poots, Alan J; Majeed, Azeem; Bell, Derek

2014-12-01

Continuous data collection and analysis have been shown essential to achieving improvement in healthcare. However, the data required for local improvement initiatives are often not readily available from hospital Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems or not routinely collected. Furthermore, improvement teams are often restricted in time and funding thus requiring inexpensive and rapid tools to support their work. Hence, the informatics challenge in healthcare local improvement initiatives consists of providing a mechanism for rapid modelling of the local domain by non-informatics experts, including performance metric definitions, and grounded in established improvement techniques. We investigate the feasibility of a model-driven software approach to address this challenge, whereby an improvement model designed by a team is used to automatically generate required electronic data collection instruments and reporting tools. To that goal, we have designed a generic Improvement Data Model (IDM) to capture the data items and quality measures relevant to the project, and constructed Web Improvement Support in Healthcare (WISH), a prototype tool that takes user-generated IDM models and creates a data schema, data collection web interfaces, and a set of live reports, based on Statistical Process Control (SPC) for use by improvement teams. The software has been successfully used in over 50 improvement projects, with more than 700 users. We present in detail the experiences of one of those initiatives, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease project in Northwest London hospitals. The specific challenges of improvement in healthcare are analysed and the benefits and limitations of the approach are discussed. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modeling of surface tension effects in venturi scrubbing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ott, Robert M.; Wu, Tatsu K. L.; Crowder, Jerry W.

A modified model of venturi scrubber performance has been developed that addresses two effects of liquid surface tension: its effect on droplet size and its effect on particle penetration into the droplet. The predictions of the model indicate that, in general, collection efficiency increases with a decrease in liquid surface tension, but the range over which this increase is significant depends on the particle size and on the scrubber operating parameters. The predictions further indicate that the increases in collection efficiency are almost totally due to the effect of liquid surface tension on the mean droplet size, and that the collection efficiency is not significantly affected by the ability of the particle to penetrate the droplet.

Modeling of venturi scrubber efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowder, Jerry W.; Noll, Kenneth E.; Davis, Wayne T.

The parameters affecting venturi scrubber performance have been rationally examined and modifications to the current modeling theory have been developed. The modified model has been validated with available experimental data for a range of throat gas velocities, liquid-to-gas ratios and particle diameters and is used to study the effect of some design parameters on collection efficiency. Most striking among the observations is the prediction of a new design parameter termed the minimum contactor length. Also noted is the prediction of little effect on collection efficiency with increasing liquid-to-gas ratio above about 2ℓ m-3. Indeed, for some cases a decrease in collection efficiency is predicted for liquid rates above this value.

Computational and Theoretical Study of the Physical Constraints on Chemotaxis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varennes, Julien

Cell chemotaxis is crucial to many biological functions including development, wound healing, and cancer metastasis. Chemotaxis is the process in which cells migrate in response to chemical concentration gradients. Recent experiments show that cells are capable of detecting shallow gradients as small as a 1% concentration difference, and multicellular groups can improve on this by an additional order of magnitude. Examples from morphogenesis and metastasis demonstrate collective response to gradients equivalent to a 1 molecule difference in concentration across a cell body. While the physical constraints to cell gradient sensing are well understood, how the sensory information leads to cell migration, and coherent multicellular movement in the case of collectives, remains poorly understood. Here we examine how extrinsic sensory noise leads to error in chemotactic performance. First, we study single cell chemotaxis and use both simulations and analytical models to place physical constraints on chemotactic performance. Next we turn our attention to collective chemotaxis. We examine how collective cell interactions can improve chemotactic performance. We develop a novel model for quantifying the physical limit to chemotactic precision for two stereotypical modes of collective chemotaxis. Finally, we conclude by examining the effects of intercellular communication on collective chemotaxis. We use simulations to test how well collectives can chemotax through very shallow gradients with the help of communication. By studying these computational and theoretical models of individual and collective chemotaxis, we address the gap in knowledge between chemical sensing and directed migration.

Flocking and Turning: a New Model for Self-organized Collective Motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavagna, Andrea; Del Castello, Lorenzo; Giardina, Irene; Grigera, Tomas; Jelic, Asja; Melillo, Stefania; Mora, Thierry; Parisi, Leonardo; Silvestri, Edmondo; Viale, Massimiliano; Walczak, Aleksandra M.

2015-02-01

Birds in a flock move in a correlated way, resulting in large polarization of velocities. A good understanding of this collective behavior exists for linear motion of the flock. Yet observing actual birds, the center of mass of the group often turns giving rise to more complicated dynamics, still keeping strong polarization of the flock. Here we propose novel dynamical equations for the collective motion of polarized animal groups that account for correlated turning including solely social forces. We exploit rotational symmetries and conservation laws of the problem to formulate a theory in terms of generalized coordinates of motion for the velocity directions akin to a Hamiltonian formulation for rotations. We explicitly derive the correspondence between this formulation and the dynamics of the individual velocities, thus obtaining a new model of collective motion. In the appropriate overdamped limit we recover the well-known Vicsek model, which dissipates rotational information and does not allow for polarized turns. Although the new model has its most vivid success in describing turning groups, its dynamics is intrinsically different from previous ones in a wide dynamical regime, while reducing to the hydrodynamic description of Toner and Tu at very large length-scales. The derived framework is therefore general and it may describe the collective motion of any strongly polarized active matter system.

Sensitivity Analysis Reveals Critical Factors that Affect Wetland Methane Emissions using Soil Biogeochemistry Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alonso-Contes, C.; Gerber, S.; Bliznyuk, N.; Duerr, I.

2017-12-01

Wetlands contribute approximately 20 to 40 % to global sources of methane emissions. We build a Methane model for tropical and subtropical forests, that allows inundated conditions, following the approaches used in more complex global biogeochemical emission models (LPJWhyMe and CLM4Me). The model was designed to replace model formulations with field and remotely sensed collected data for 2 essential drivers: plant productivity and hydrology. This allows us to directly focus on the central processes of methane production, consumption and transport. One of our long term goals is to make the model available to a scientists interested in including methane modeling in their location of study. Sensitivity analysis results help in focusing field data collection efforts. Here, we present results from a pilot global sensitivity analysis of the model order to determine which parameters and processes contribute most to the model's uncertainty of methane emissions. Results show that parameters related to water table behavior, carbon input (in form of plant productivity) and rooting depth affect simulated methane emissions the most. Current efforts include to perform the sensitivity analysis again on methane emissions outputs from an updated model that incorporates a soil heat flux routine and to determine the extent by which the soil temperature parameters affect CH4 emissions. Currently we are conducting field collection of data during Summer 2017 for comparison among 3 different landscapes located in the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station in Melrose, FL. We are collecting soil moisture and CH4 emission data from 4 different wetland types. Having data from 4 wetland types allows for calibration of the model to diverse soil, water and vegetation characteristics.

Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) Model Research: Current State of the Science and a Call to Action.

PubMed

Hunter, Christopher L; Funderburk, Jennifer S; Polaha, Jodi; Bauman, David; Goodie, Jeffrey L; Hunter, Christine M

2018-06-01

The Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model of service delivery is being used increasingly as an effective way to integrate behavioral health services into primary care. Despite its growing popularity, scientifically robust research on the model is lacking. In this article, we provide a qualitative review of published PCBH model research on patient and implementation outcomes. We review common barriers and potential solutions for improving the quantity and quality of PCBH model research, the vital data that need to be collected over the next 10 years, and how to collect those data.

Analysis of topological relationships and network properties in the interactions of human beings

PubMed Central

Chen, Xuebo; Sun, Qiubai; Huang, Tianyun

2017-01-01

In the animal world, various kinds of collective motions have been found and proven to be efficient ways of carrying out some activities such as searching for food and avoiding predators. Many scholars research the interactions of collective behaviors of human beings according to the rules of collective behaviors of animals. Based on the Lennard-Jones potential function and a self-organization process, our paper proposes a topological communication model to simulate the collective behaviors of human beings. In the results of simulations, we find various types of collective behavior and fission behavior and discover the threshold for the emergence of collective behavior, which is the range five to seven for the number of topology K. According to the analysis of network properties of the model, the in-degree of individuals is always equal to the number of topology. In the stable state, the out-degrees of individuals distribute around the value of the number of topology K, except that the out-degree of a single individual is approximately double the out-degrees of the other individuals. In addition, under different initial conditions, some features of different kinds of networks emerge from the model. We also find the leader and herd mentality effects in the characteristics of the behaviors of human beings in our model. Thus, this work could be used to discover how to promote the emergence of beneficial group behaviors and prevent the emergence of harmful behaviors. PMID:28832629

Perceived collective burnout: a multilevel explanation of burnout.

PubMed

González-Morales, M Gloria; Peiró, José M; Rodríguez, Isabel; Bliese, Paul D

2012-01-01

Building up on the socially induced model of burnout and the job demands-resources model, we examine how burnout can transfer without direct contagion or close contact among employees. Based on the social information processing approach and the conservation of resources theory, we propose that perceived collective burnout emerges as an organizational-level construct (employees' shared perceptions about how burned out are their colleagues) and that it predicts individual burnout over and above indicators of demands and resources. Data were gathered during the first term and again during the last term of the academic year among 555 teachers from 100 schools. The core dimensions of burnout, exhaustion, and cynicism were measured at the individual and collective level. Random coefficient models were computed in a lagged effects design. Results showed that perceived collective burnout at Time 1 was a significant predictor of burnout at Time 2 after considering previous levels of burnout, demands (workload, teacher-student ratio, and absenteeism rates), and resources (quality of school facilities). These findings suggest that perceived collective burnout is an important characteristic of the work environment that can be a significant factor in the development of burnout.

Mutant power: using mutant allele collections for yeast functional genomics.

PubMed

Norman, Kaitlyn L; Kumar, Anuj

2016-03-01

The budding yeast has long served as a model eukaryote for the functional genomic analysis of highly conserved signaling pathways, cellular processes and mechanisms underlying human disease. The collection of reagents available for genomics in yeast is extensive, encompassing a growing diversity of mutant collections beyond gene deletion sets in the standard wild-type S288C genetic background. We review here three main types of mutant allele collections: transposon mutagen collections, essential gene collections and overexpression libraries. Each collection provides unique and identifiable alleles that can be utilized in genome-wide, high-throughput studies. These genomic reagents are particularly informative in identifying synthetic phenotypes and functions associated with essential genes, including those modeled most effectively in complex genetic backgrounds. Several examples of genomic studies in filamentous/pseudohyphal backgrounds are provided here to illustrate this point. Additionally, the limitations of each approach are examined. Collectively, these mutant allele collections in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the related pathogenic yeast Candida albicans promise insights toward an advanced understanding of eukaryotic molecular and cellular biology. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A strategy for optimizing staffing to improve the timeliness of inpatient phlebotomy collections.

PubMed

Morrison, Aileen P; Tanasijevic, Milenko J; Torrence-Hill, Joi N; Goonan, Ellen M; Gustafson, Michael L; Melanson, Stacy E F

2011-12-01

The timely availability of inpatient test results is a key to physician satisfaction with the clinical laboratory, and in an institution with a phlebotomy service may depend on the timeliness of blood collections. In response to safety reports filed for delayed phlebotomy collections, we applied Lean principles to the inpatient phlebotomy service at our institution. Our goal was to improve service without using additional resources by optimizing our staffing model. To evaluate the effect of a new phlebotomy staffing model on the timeliness of inpatient phlebotomy collections. We compared the median time of morning blood collections and average number of safety reports filed for delayed phlebotomy collections during a 6-month preimplementation period and 5-month postimplementation period. The median time of morning collections was 17 minutes earlier after implementation (7:42 am preimplementation; interquartile range, 6:27-8:48 am; versus 7:25 am postimplementation; interquartile range, 6:20-8:26 am). The frequency of safety reports filed for delayed collections decreased 80% from 10.6 per 30 days to 2.2 per 30 days. Reallocating staff to match the pattern of demand for phlebotomy collections throughout the day represents a strategy for improving the performance of an inpatient phlebotomy service.

Using Community Arts Events to Enhance Collective Efficacy and Community Engagement toAddress Depression in an African American Community

PubMed Central

Jones, Loretta; Jones, Andrea; Corbett, Charles E.; Booker, Theodore; Wells, Kenneth B.; Collins, Barry

2009-01-01

Objectives. We used community-partnered participatory research (CPPR) to measure collective efficacy and its role as a precursor of community engagement to improve depression care in the African American community of South Los Angeles. Methods. We collected survey data from participants at arts events sponsored by a CPPR workgroup. Both exploratory (photography exhibit; n = 747) and confirmatory (spoken word presentations; n = 104) structural equation models were developed to examine how knowledge and attitudes toward depression influenced community engagement. Results. In all models, collective efficacy to improve depression care independently predicted community engagement in terms of addressing depression (B = 0.64–0.97; P < .001). Social stigma was not significantly associated with collective efficacy or community engagement. In confirmatory analyses, exposure to spoken word presentations and previous exposure to CPPR initiatives increased perceived collective efficacy to improve depression care (B = 0.19–0.24; P < .05). Conclusions. Enhancing collective efficacy to improve depression care may be a key component of increasing community engagement to address depression. CPPR events may also increase collective efficacy. Both collective efficacy and community engagement are relevant constructs in the South Los Angeles African American community. PMID:19059844

Optical potentials for nuclear level structures and nucleon interactions data of tin isotopes based on the soft-rotator model

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

Lee, Jeong-Yeon; Hahn, Insik; Kim, Yeongduk

2009-06-15

The soft-rotator model is applied to self-consistent analyses of the nuclear level structures and the nucleon interaction data of the even-even Sn isotopes, {sup 116}Sn, {sup 118}Sn, {sup 120}Sn, and {sup 122}Sn. The model successfully describes low-lying collective levels of these isotopes, which exhibit neither typical rotational nor harmonic vibrational structures. The experimental nucleon interaction data--total neutron cross sections, proton reaction cross sections, and nucleon elastic and inelastic scattering data--are well described up to 200 MeV in a coupled-channels optical model approach. For the calculations, nuclear wave functions for the Sn isotopes are taken from the nonaxial soft-rotator model withmore » the model parameters adjusted to fit the measured low-lying collective level structures. We find that the {beta}{sub 2} and {beta}{sub 3} deformations for incident protons are larger than those for incident neutrons by {approx}15%, which is clear evidence of the deviation from the pure collective model for these isotopes.« less

EVALUATION OF SEVERAL PM 2.5 FORECAST MODELS USING DATA COLLECTED DURING THE ICARTT/NEAQS 2004 FIELD STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

Real-time forecasts of PM_2.5 aerosol mass from seven air-quality forecast models (AQFMs) are statistically evaluated against observations collected in the northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada from two surface networks and aircraft data during the summer of 2004 IC...

Building and Sustaining Digital Collections: Models for Libraries and Museums.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council on Library and Information Resources, Washington, DC.

In February 2001, the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) and the National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage (NINCH) convened a meeting to discuss how museums and libraries are building digital collections and what business models are available to sustain them. A group of museum and library senior executives met with…

Research and Evaluation in Operational Competency-Based Teacher Education Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickson, George E., Ed.

1975-01-01

This is a collection of papers presented at a 1974 conference on research and evaluation in operational competency-based teacher education (CBTE) programs. Two conceptual models for research and evaluation of CBTE activities were presented at the conference and the presentations of these models are the first two chapters of this collection: "A…

MODEL FROM COLLECTION OF DR. TIMOTHY L. FLINN, OF HOWE ...

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

MODEL FROM COLLECTION OF DR. TIMOTHY L. FLINN, OF HOWE PIPE TRUSS BRIDGE (NO LONGER EXTANT) SPANNING DEEP CREEK, SHACKELFORD COUNTY, TEXAS, CONSTRUCTED BY FLINN-MOYER COMPANY IN 1896. 3/4 VIEW. - Clear Fork of Brazos River Suspension Bridge, Spanning Clear Fork of Brazos River at County Route 179, Albany, Shackelford County, TX

MODEL FROM COLLECTION OF DR. TIMOTHY L. FLINN, OF HOWE ...

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

MODEL FROM COLLECTION OF DR. TIMOTHY L. FLINN, OF HOWE PIPE TRUSS BRIDGE (NO LONGER EXTANT) SPANNING DEEP CREEK, SHACKELFORD COUNTY, TEXAS, CONSTRUCTED BY FLINN-MOYER COMPANY IN 1896. BARREL VIEW. - Clear Fork of Brazos River Suspension Bridge, Spanning Clear Fork of Brazos River at County Route 179, Albany, Shackelford County, TX

MODEL FROM COLLECTION OF DR. TIMOTHY L. FLINN, OF HOWE ...

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

MODEL FROM COLLECTION OF DR. TIMOTHY L. FLINN, OF HOWE PIPE TRUSS BRIDGE (NO LONGER EXTANT) SPANNING DEEP CREEK, SHACKELFORD COUNTY, TEXAS, CONSTRUCTED BY FLINN-MOYER COMPANY IN 1896. ELEVATION VIEW. - Clear Fork of Brazos River Suspension Bridge, Spanning Clear Fork of Brazos River at County Route 179, Albany, Shackelford County, TX

The evolution of process-based hydrologic models: historical challenges and the collective quest for physical realism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Martyn P.; Bierkens, Marc F. P.; Samaniego, Luis; Woods, Ross A.; Uijlenhoet, Remko; Bennett, Katrina E.; Pauwels, Valentijn R. N.; Cai, Xitian; Wood, Andrew W.; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.

2017-07-01

The diversity in hydrologic models has historically led to great controversy on the correct approach to process-based hydrologic modeling, with debates centered on the adequacy of process parameterizations, data limitations and uncertainty, and computational constraints on model analysis. In this paper, we revisit key modeling challenges on requirements to (1) define suitable model equations, (2) define adequate model parameters, and (3) cope with limitations in computing power. We outline the historical modeling challenges, provide examples of modeling advances that address these challenges, and define outstanding research needs. We illustrate how modeling advances have been made by groups using models of different type and complexity, and we argue for the need to more effectively use our diversity of modeling approaches in order to advance our collective quest for physically realistic hydrologic models.

The evolution of process-based hydrologic models: historical challenges and the collective quest for physical realism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, M. P.; Nijssen, B.; Wood, A.; Mizukami, N.; Newman, A. J.

2017-12-01

The diversity in hydrologic models has historically led to great controversy on the "correct" approach to process-based hydrologic modeling, with debates centered on the adequacy of process parameterizations, data limitations and uncertainty, and computational constraints on model analysis. In this paper, we revisit key modeling challenges on requirements to (1) define suitable model equations, (2) define adequate model parameters, and (3) cope with limitations in computing power. We outline the historical modeling challenges, provide examples of modeling advances that address these challenges, and define outstanding research needs. We illustrate how modeling advances have been made by groups using models of different type and complexity, and we argue for the need to more effectively use our diversity of modeling approaches in order to advance our collective quest for physically realistic hydrologic models.

Multidisciplinary approaches to understanding collective cell migration in developmental biology.

PubMed

Schumacher, Linus J; Kulesa, Paul M; McLennan, Rebecca; Baker, Ruth E; Maini, Philip K

2016-06-01

Mathematical models are becoming increasingly integrated with experimental efforts in the study of biological systems. Collective cell migration in developmental biology is a particularly fruitful application area for the development of theoretical models to predict the behaviour of complex multicellular systems with many interacting parts. In this context, mathematical models provide a tool to assess the consistency of experimental observations with testable mechanistic hypotheses. In this review, we showcase examples from recent years of multidisciplinary investigations of neural crest cell migration. The neural crest model system has been used to study how collective migration of cell populations is shaped by cell-cell interactions, cell-environmental interactions and heterogeneity between cells. The wide range of emergent behaviours exhibited by neural crest cells in different embryonal locations and in different organisms helps us chart out the spectrum of collective cell migration. At the same time, this diversity in migratory characteristics highlights the need to reconcile or unify the array of currently hypothesized mechanisms through the next generation of experimental data and generalized theoretical descriptions. © 2016 The Authors.

Utilizing a language model to improve online dynamic data collection in P300 spellers.

PubMed

Mainsah, Boyla O; Colwell, Kenneth A; Collins, Leslie M; Throckmorton, Chandra S

2014-07-01

P300 spellers provide a means of communication for individuals with severe physical limitations, especially those with locked-in syndrome, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, P300 speller use is still limited by relatively low communication rates due to the multiple data measurements that are required to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of event-related potentials for increased accuracy. Therefore, the amount of data collection has competing effects on accuracy and spelling speed. Adaptively varying the amount of data collection prior to character selection has been shown to improve spelling accuracy and speed. The goal of this study was to optimize a previously developed dynamic stopping algorithm that uses a Bayesian approach to control data collection by incorporating a priori knowledge via a language model. Participants ( n = 17) completed online spelling tasks using the dynamic stopping algorithm, with and without a language model. The addition of the language model resulted in improved participant performance from a mean theoretical bit rate of 46.12 bits/min at 88.89% accuracy to 54.42 bits/min ( ) at 90.36% accuracy.

Conceptual data modeling of wildlife response indicators to ecosystem change in the Arctic

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walworth, Dennis; Pearce, John M.

2015-08-06

Large research studies are often challenged to effectively expose and document the types of information being collected and the reasons for data collection across what are often a diverse cadre of investigators of differing disciplines. We applied concepts from the field of information or data modeling to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Changing Arctic Ecosystems (CAE) initiative to prototype an application of information modeling. The USGS CAE initiative is collecting information from marine and terrestrial environments in Alaska to identify and understand the links between rapid physical changes in the Arctic and response of wildlife populations to these ecosystem changes. An associated need is to understand how data collection strategies are informing the overall science initiative and facilitating communication of those strategies to a wide audience. We explored the use of conceptual data modeling to provide a method by which to document, describe, and visually communicate both enterprise and study level data; provide a simple means to analyze commonalities and differences in data acquisition strategies between studies; and provide a tool for discussing those strategies among researchers and managers.

Assessment of driver stopping prediction models before and after the onset of yellow using two driving simulator datasets.

PubMed

Ghanipoor Machiani, Sahar; Abbas, Montasir

2016-11-01

Accurate modeling of driver decisions in dilemma zones (DZ), where drivers are not sure whether to stop or go at the onset of yellow, can be used to increase safety at signalized intersections. This study utilized data obtained from two different driving simulator studies (VT-SCORES and NADS datasets) to investigate the possibility of developing accurate driver-decision prediction/classification models in DZ. Canonical discriminant analysis was used to construct the prediction models, and two timeframes were considered. The first timeframe used data collected during green immediately before the onset of yellow, and the second timeframe used data collected during the first three seconds after the onset of yellow. Signal protection algorithms could use the results of the prediction model during the first timeframe to decide the best time for ending the green signal, and could use the results of the prediction model during the first three seconds of yellow to extend the clearance interval. It was found that the discriminant model using data collected during the first three seconds of yellow was the most accurate, at 99% accuracy. It was also found that data collection should focus on variables that are related to speed, acceleration, time, and distance to intersection, as opposed to secondary variables, such as pavement conditions, since secondary variables did not significantly change the accuracy of the prediction models. The results reveal a promising possibility for incorporating the developed models in traffic-signal controllers to improve DZ-protection strategies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamic Method for Identifying Collected Sample Mass

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carson, John

2008-01-01

G-Sample is designed for sample collection missions to identify the presence and quantity of sample material gathered by spacecraft equipped with end effectors. The software method uses a maximum-likelihood estimator to identify the collected sample's mass based on onboard force-sensor measurements, thruster firings, and a dynamics model of the spacecraft. This makes sample mass identification a computation rather than a process requiring additional hardware. Simulation examples of G-Sample are provided for spacecraft model configurations with a sample collection device mounted on the end of an extended boom. In the absence of thrust knowledge errors, the results indicate that G-Sample can identify the amount of collected sample mass to within 10 grams (with 95-percent confidence) by using a force sensor with a noise and quantization floor of 50 micrometers. These results hold even in the presence of realistic parametric uncertainty in actual spacecraft inertia, center-of-mass offset, and first flexibility modes. Thrust profile knowledge is shown to be a dominant sensitivity for G-Sample, entering in a nearly one-to-one relationship with the final mass estimation error. This means thrust profiles should be well characterized with onboard accelerometers prior to sample collection. An overall sample-mass estimation error budget has been developed to approximate the effect of model uncertainty, sensor noise, data rate, and thrust profile error on the expected estimate of collected sample mass.

Research on Orbital Plasma-Electrodynamics (ROPE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, S. T.; Wright, K.

1994-01-01

Since the development of probe theory by Langmuir and Blodgett, the problem of current collection by a charged spherically or cylindrically symmetric body has been investigated by a number of authors. This paper overviews the development of a fully three-dimensional particle simulation code which can be used to understand the physics of current collection in three dimensions and can be used to analyze data resulting from the future tethered satellite system (TSS). According to the TSS configurations, two types of particle simulation models were constructed: a simple particle simulation (SIPS) and a super particle simulation (SUPS). The models study the electron transient response and its asymptotic behavior around a three dimensional, highly biased satellite. The potential distribution surrounding the satellite is determined by solving Laplace's equation in the SIPS model and by solving Poisson's equation in the SUPS model. Thus, the potential distribution in space is independent of the density distribution of the particles in the SUPS model but it does depend on the density distribution of the particles in the SUPS model. The evolution of the potential distribution in the SUPS model is described. When the spherical satellite is charged to a highly positive potential and immersed in a plasma with a uniform magnetic field, the formation of an electron torus in the equatorial plane (the plane in perpendicular to the magnetic field) and elongation of the torus along the magnetic field are found in both the SIPS and the SUPS models but the shape of the torus is different. The areas of high potential that exist in the polar regions in the SUPS model exaggerate the elongation of the electron torus along the magnetic field. The current collected by the satellite for different magentic field strengths is investigated in both models. Due to the nonlinear effects present in SUPS, the oscillating phenomenon of the current collection curve during the first 10 plasma periods can be seen (this does not appear in SIPS). From the parametric studies, it appears that the oscillating phenomenon of the current collection curve occurs only when the magnetic field strength is less than 0.2 gauss for the present model.

Collection of Calibration and Validation Data for An Airport Landside Dynamic Simulation Model

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-04-01

The report summarizes the airport data collection procedures employed to obtain the necessary calibration and validation information. The preparation for the data collection effort is explained. A description is presented of the initial work tasks, w...

A groundwater-flow model for the Treasure Valley and surrounding area, southwestern Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bartolino, James R.; Vincent, Sean

2017-04-17

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in partnership with the Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) and Idaho Water Resource Board (IWRB), will construct a numerical groundwater-flow model of the Treasure Valley and surrounding area. Resource managers will use the model to simulate potential anthropogenic and climatic effects on groundwater for water-supply planning and management. As part of model construction, the hydrogeologic understanding of the aquifer system will be updated with information collected during the last two decades, as well as new data collected for the study.

The neurobiology of collective action

PubMed Central

Zak, Paul J.; Barraza, Jorge A.

2013-01-01

This essay introduces a neurologically-informed mathematical model of collective action (CA) that reveals the role for empathy and distress in motivating costly helping behaviors. We report three direct tests of model with a key focus on the neuropeptide oxytocin as well as a variety of indirect tests. These studies, from our lab and other researchers, show support for the model. Our findings indicate that empathic concern, via the brain's release of oxytocin, is a trigger for CA. We discuss the implications from this model for our understanding why human beings engage in costly CA. PMID:24311995

Illustrating the practice of statistics

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

Hamada, Christina A; Hamada, Michael S

2009-01-01

The practice of statistics involves analyzing data and planning data collection schemes to answer scientific questions. Issues often arise with the data that must be dealt with and can lead to new procedures. In analyzing data, these issues can sometimes be addressed through the statistical models that are developed. Simulation can also be helpful in evaluating a new procedure. Moreover, simulation coupled with optimization can be used to plan a data collection scheme. The practice of statistics as just described is much more than just using a statistical package. In analyzing the data, it involves understanding the scientific problem andmore » incorporating the scientist's knowledge. In modeling the data, it involves understanding how the data were collected and accounting for limitations of the data where possible. Moreover, the modeling is likely to be iterative by considering a series of models and evaluating the fit of these models. Designing a data collection scheme involves understanding the scientist's goal and staying within hislher budget in terms of time and the available resources. Consequently, a practicing statistician is faced with such tasks and requires skills and tools to do them quickly. We have written this article for students to provide a glimpse of the practice of statistics. To illustrate the practice of statistics, we consider a problem motivated by some precipitation data that our relative, Masaru Hamada, collected some years ago. We describe his rain gauge observational study in Section 2. We describe modeling and an initial analysis of the precipitation data in Section 3. In Section 4, we consider alternative analyses that address potential issues with the precipitation data. In Section 5, we consider the impact of incorporating additional infonnation. We design a data collection scheme to illustrate the use of simulation and optimization in Section 6. We conclude this article in Section 7 with a discussion.« less

Development of model for analysing respective collections of intended hematopoietic stem cells and harvests of unintended mature cells in apheresis for autologous hematopoietic stem cell collection.

PubMed

Hequet, O; Le, Q H; Rodriguez, J; Dubost, P; Revesz, D; Clerc, A; Rigal, D; Salles, G; Coiffier, B

2014-04-01

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) required to perform peripheral hematopoietic autologous stem cell transplantation (APBSCT) can be collected by processing several blood volumes (BVs) in leukapheresis sessions. However, this may cause granulocyte harvest in graft and decrease in patient's platelet blood level. Both consequences may induce disturbances in patient. One apheresis team's current purpose is to improve HSC collection by increasing HSC collection and prevent increase in granulocyte and platelet harvests. Before improving HSC collection it seemed important to know more about the way to harvest these types of cells. The purpose of our study was to develop a simple model for analysing respective collections of intended CD34+ cells among HSC (designated here as HSC) and harvests of unintended platelets or granulocytes among mature cells (designated here as mature cells) considering the number of BVs processed and factors likely to influence cell collection or harvest. For this, we processed 1, 2 and 3 BVs in 59 leukapheresis sessions and analysed corresponding collections and harvests with a referent device (COBE Spectra). First we analysed the amounts of HSC collected and mature cells harvested and second the evolution of the respective shares of HSC and mature cells collected or harvested throughout the BV processes. HSC collections and mature cell harvests increased globally (p<0.0001) and their respective shares remained stable throughout the BV processes (p non-significant). We analysed the role of intrinsic (patient's features) and extrinsic (features before starting leukapheresis sessions) factors in collections and harvests, which showed that only pre-leukapheresis blood levels (CD34+cells and platelets) influenced both cell collections and harvests (CD34+cells and platelets) (p<0.001) and shares of HSC collections and mature unintended cells harvests (p<0.001) throughout the BV processes. Altogether, our results suggested that the main factors likely to influence intended HSC collections or unintended mature cell harvests were pre-leukapheresis blood cell levels. Our model was meant to assist apheresis teams in analysing shares of HSC collected and mature cells harvested with new devices or with new types of HSC mobilization. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current collection from the space plasma through defects in high voltage solar array insulation. Ph.D. Thesis. Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stillwell, R. P.

1983-01-01

For spacecraft operation in the near Earth environment, solar cell arrays constitute the major source of reliable long term power. Optimization of mass and power efficiency results in a general requirement for high voltage solar arrays. The space plasma environment, though, can result in large currents being collected by exposed solar cells. The solution of a protective covering of transparent insulation is not a complete solution, inasmuch as defects in the insulation result in anomalously large currents being collected through the defects. Tests simulating the electron collection from small defects in an insulation have shown that there are two major collection modes. The first mode involves current enhancement by means of a surface phenomenon involving the surrounding insulator. In the second mode the current collection is enhanced by vaporization and ionization of the insulators materials, in addition to the surface enhancement of the first mode. A model for the electron collection is the surface enhanced collection mode was developed. The model relates the secondary electron emission yield to the electron collection. It correctly predicts the qualitative effects of hole size, sample temperature and roughening of sample surface. The theory was also shown to predict electron collection within a factor of two for the polymers teflon and polyimide.

Connecting to Collections in Florida: Current Conditions and Critical Needs in Libraries, Archives, and Museums

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jorgensen, Corinne; Marty, Paul F.; Braun, Kathy

2012-01-01

This article presents results from an IMLS-funded project to evaluate the current state of collections in Florida's libraries, archives, and museums, current practices to preserve and conserve these collections, and perceived needs to maintain and improve these collections for future generations. The survey, modeled after the Heritage Health Index…

Proposal and work plan to calibrate and verify a water-quality model to simulate effects of wastewater discharges to the Red River of the North at drought streamflow near Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wesolowski, Edwin A.

2000-01-01

This report presents a proposal for conducting a water-quality modeling study at drought streamflow, a detailed comprehensive plan for collecting the data, and an annual drought-formation monitoring plan. A 30.8 mile reach of the Red River of the North receives treated wastewater from plants at Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, Minnesota, and streamflow from the Sheyenne River. The water-quality modeling study will evaluate the effects of continuous treated-wastewater discharges to the study reach at drought streamflow. The study will define hydraulic characteristics and reaeration and selected reaction coefficients and will calibrate and verity a model.The study includes collecting synoptic water-quality samples for various types of analyses at a number of sites in the study reach. Dye and gas samples will be collected for traveltime and reaeration measurements. Using the Lagrangian reference frame, synoptic water-quality samples will be collected for analysis of nutrients, chlorophyll a, alkalinity, and carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand. Field measurements will be made of specific conductance, pH, air and water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and sediment oxygen demand. Two sets of water-quality data will be collected. One data set will be used to calibrate the model, and the other data set will be used to verity the model.The DAFLOW/BLTM models will be used to evaluate the effects of the treated wastewater on the water quality of the river. The model will simulate specific conductance, temperature, dissolved oxygen, carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen (organic, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate), total orthophosphorus, total phosphorus, and phytoplankton as chlorophyll a.The work plan identifies and discusses the work elements needed for accomplishing the data collection for the study. The work elements specify who will provide personnel, vehicles, instruments, and supplies needed during data collection. The work plan contains instructions for data collection; inventory lists of needed personnel, vehicles, instruments, and supplies; and examples of computations for determining quantities of tracer to be injected into the stream. The work plan also contains an annual drought-formation monitoring plan that includes a 9-month time line that specifies when essential planning actions must occur before actual project start up. Drought streamflows are rare. The annual drought-formation monitoring plan is presented to assist project planning by providing early warning that conditions are favorable to produce drought streamflow. The plan to monitor drought-forming conditions discusses the drought indices to be monitored. To establish a baseline, historic values for some of the drought indices for selected years were reviewed. An annual review of the drought indices is recommended.

Comparative study of the requantization of the time-dependent mean field for the dynamics of nuclear pairing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Fang; Nakatsukasa, Takashi

2018-04-01

To describe quantal collective phenomena, it is useful to requantize the time-dependent mean-field dynamics. We study the time-dependent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (TDHFB) theory for the two-level pairing Hamiltonian, and compare results of different quantization methods. The one constructing microscopic wave functions, using the TDHFB trajectories fulfilling the Einstein-Brillouin-Keller quantization condition, turns out to be the most accurate. The method is based on the stationary-phase approximation to the path integral. We also examine the performance of the collective model which assumes that the pairing gap parameter is the collective coordinate. The applicability of the collective model is limited for the nuclear pairing with a small number of single-particle levels, because the pairing gap parameter represents only a half of the pairing collective space.

Developing Collections With Get It Now: A Pilot Project for a Hybrid Collection.

PubMed

Hendler, Gail Y; Gudenas, Jean

2016-01-01

As health sciences libraries transition from print to online journal collections that require significant institutional funding, librarians are investigating the use of on demand services in order to meet customer need and contain costs. In 2014 a three-year pilot project to determine if unmediated access to the Copyright Clearance Center's Get It Now service would expand access to needed content and provide usage data to inform collections decision making. The service provides rapid, automated delivery of unsubscribed, high-quality journal articles directly to the customer. The three-year pilot project aims to compare the cost of Get It Now to the traditional subscription model to learn if the service is a cost-effective and sustainable alternative that improves customer satisfaction and that can transform collection development with a hybrid model for journal acquisitions.

Vehicle routing for the eco-efficient collection of household plastic waste.

PubMed

Bing, Xiaoyun; de Keizer, Marlies; Bloemhof-Ruwaard, Jacqueline M; van der Vorst, Jack G A J

2014-04-01

Plastic waste is a special category of municipal solid waste. Plastic waste collection is featured with various alternatives of collection methods (curbside/drop-off) and separation methods (source-/post-separation). In the Netherlands, the collection routes of plastic waste are the same as those of other waste, although plastic is different than other waste in terms of volume to weight ratio. This paper aims for redesigning the collection routes and compares the collection options of plastic waste using eco-efficiency as performance indicator. Eco-efficiency concerns the trade-off between environmental impacts, social issues and costs. The collection problem is modeled as a vehicle routing problem. A tabu search heuristic is used to improve the routes. Collection alternatives are compared by a scenario study approach. Real distances between locations are calculated with MapPoint. The scenario study is conducted based on real case data of the Dutch municipality Wageningen. Scenarios are designed according to the collection alternatives with different assumptions in collection method, vehicle type, collection frequency and collection points, etc. Results show that the current collection routes can be improved in terms of eco-efficiency performance by using our method. The source-separation drop-off collection scenario has the best performance for plastic collection assuming householders take the waste to the drop-off points in a sustainable manner. The model also shows to be an efficient decision support tool to investigate the impacts of future changes such as alternative vehicle type and different response rates. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Swarms, phase transitions, and collective intelligence

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

Millonas, M.M.

1992-01-01

A model of the collective behavior of a large number of locally acting organisms is proposed. The model is intended to be realistic, but turns out to fit naturally into the category of connectionist models, Like all connectionist models, its properties can be divided into the categories of structure, dynamics, and learning. The space in which the organisms move is discretized, and is modeled by a lattice of nodes, or cells. Each cell hag a specified volume, and is connected to other cells in the space in a definite way. Organisms move probabilistically between local cells in this space, butmore » with weights dependent on local morphogenic substances, or morphogens. The morphogens are in turn are effected by the passage of an organism. The evolution of the morphogens, and the corresponding constitutes of the organisms constitutes the collective behavior of the group. The generic properties of such systems are analyzed, and a number of results are obtained. The model has various types of phase transitions and self-organizing properties controlled both by the level of the noise, and other parameters. It is hoped that the present mode; might serve as a paradigmatic example of a complex cooperative system in nature. In particular this model can be used to explore the relation of phase transitions to at least three important issues encountered in artificial life. Firstly, that of emergence as complex adaptive behavior. Secondly, as an exploration of second order phase transitions in biological systems. Lastly, to derive behavioral criteria for the evolution of collective behavior in social organisms. The model is then applied to the specific case of ants moving on a lattice. The local behavior of the ants is inspired by the actual behavior observed in the laboratory, and analytic results for the collective behavior are compared to the corresponding laboratory results. Monte carlo simulations are used as illustrations.« less

Swarms, phase transitions, and collective intelligence

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

Millonas, M.M.

1992-12-31

A model of the collective behavior of a large number of locally acting organisms is proposed. The model is intended to be realistic, but turns out to fit naturally into the category of connectionist models, Like all connectionist models, its properties can be divided into the categories of structure, dynamics, and learning. The space in which the organisms move is discretized, and is modeled by a lattice of nodes, or cells. Each cell hag a specified volume, and is connected to other cells in the space in a definite way. Organisms move probabilistically between local cells in this space, butmore » with weights dependent on local morphogenic substances, or morphogens. The morphogens are in turn are effected by the passage of an organism. The evolution of the morphogens, and the corresponding constitutes of the organisms constitutes the collective behavior of the group. The generic properties of such systems are analyzed, and a number of results are obtained. The model has various types of phase transitions and self-organizing properties controlled both by the level of the noise, and other parameters. It is hoped that the present mode; might serve as a paradigmatic example of a complex cooperative system in nature. In particular this model can be used to explore the relation of phase transitions to at least three important issues encountered in artificial life. Firstly, that of emergence as complex adaptive behavior. Secondly, as an exploration of second order phase transitions in biological systems. Lastly, to derive behavioral criteria for the evolution of collective behavior in social organisms. The model is then applied to the specific case of ants moving on a lattice. The local behavior of the ants is inspired by the actual behavior observed in the laboratory, and analytic results for the collective behavior are compared to the corresponding laboratory results. Monte carlo simulations are used as illustrations.« less

Collective efficacy, group potency, and group performance: meta-analyses of their relationships, and test of a mediation model.

PubMed

Stajkovic, Alexander D; Lee, Dongseop; Nyberg, Anthony J

2009-05-01

The authors examined relationships among collective efficacy, group potency, and group performance. Meta-analytic results (based on 6,128 groups, 31,019 individuals, 118 correlations adjusted for dependence, and 96 studies) reveal that collective efficacy was significantly related to group performance (.35). In the proposed nested 2-level model, collective efficacy assessment (aggregation and group discussion) was tested as the 1st-level moderator. It showed significantly different average correlations with group performance (.32 vs. .45), but the group discussion assessment was homogeneous, whereas the aggregation assessment was heterogeneous. Consequently, there was no 2nd-level moderation for the group discussion, and heterogeneity in the aggregation group was accounted for by the 2nd-level moderator, task interdependence (high, moderate, and low levels were significant; the higher the level, the stronger the relationship). The 2nd and 3rd meta-analyses indicated that group potency was related to group performance (.29) and to collective efficacy (.65). When tested in a structural equation modeling analysis based on meta-analytic findings, collective efficacy fully mediated the relationship between group potency and group performance. The authors suggest future research and convert their findings to a probability of success index to help facilitate practice. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Crop modeling applications in agricultural water management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kisekka, Isaya; DeJonge, Kendall C.; Ma, Liwang; Paz, Joel; Douglas-Mankin, Kyle R.

2017-01-01

This article introduces the fourteen articles that comprise the “Crop Modeling and Decision Support for Optimizing Use of Limited Water” collection. This collection was developed from a special session on crop modeling applications in agricultural water management held at the 2016 ASABE Annual International Meeting (AIM) in Orlando, Florida. In addition, other authors who were not able to attend the 2016 ASABE AIM were also invited to submit papers. The articles summarized in this introductory article demonstrate a wide array of applications in which crop models can be used to optimize agricultural water management. The following section titles indicate the topics covered in this collection: (1) evapotranspiration modeling (one article), (2) model development and parameterization (two articles), (3) application of crop models for irrigation scheduling (five articles), (4) coordinated water and nutrient management (one article), (5) soil water management (two articles), (6) risk assessment of water-limited irrigation management (one article), and (7) regional assessments of climate impact (two articles). Changing weather and climate, increasing population, and groundwater depletion will continue to stimulate innovations in agricultural water management, and crop models will play an important role in helping to optimize water use in agriculture.

Reliability-Based Model to Analyze the Performance and Cost of a Transit Fare Collection System.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1985-06-01

The collection of transit system fares has become more sophisticated in recent years, with more flexible structures requiring more sophisticated fare collection equipment to process tickets and admit passengers. However, this new and complex equipmen...

Culturicon model: A new model for cultural-based emoticon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zukhi, Mohd Zhafri Bin Mohd; Hussain, Azham

2017-10-01

Emoticons are popular among distributed collective interaction user in expressing their emotion, gestures and actions. Emoticons have been proved to be able to avoid misunderstanding of the message, attention saving and improved the communications among different native speakers. However, beside the benefits that emoticons can provide, the study regarding emoticons in cultural perspective is still lacking. As emoticons are crucial in global communication, culture should be one of the extensively research aspect in distributed collective interaction. Therefore, this study attempt to explore and develop model for cultural-based emoticon. Three cultural models that have been used in Human-Computer Interaction were studied which are the Hall Culture Model, Trompenaars and Hampden Culture Model and Hofstede Culture Model. The dimensions from these three models will be used in developing the proposed cultural-based emoticon model.

A conceptual hydrogeologic model for the hydrogeologic framework, geochemistry, and groundwater-flow system of the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers in the Pecos County region, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, Jonathan V.; Stanton, Gregory P.; Bumgarner, Johnathan R.; Pearson, Daniel K.; Teeple, Andrew; Houston, Natalie A.; Payne, Jason; Musgrove, MaryLynn

2013-01-01

Several previous studies have been done to compile or collect physical and chemical data, describe the hydrogeologic processes, and develop conceptual and numerical groundwater-flow models of the Edwards-Trinity aquifer in the Trans-Pecos region. Documented methods were used to compile and collect groundwater, surface-water, geochemical, geophysical, and geologic information that subsequently were used to develop this conceptual model.

Pre-fire and post-fire surface fuel and cover measurements collected in the southeastern United States for model evaluation and development - RxCADRE 2008, 2011 and 2012

Treesearch

Roger D. Ottmar; Andrew T. Hudak; Susan J. Prichard; Clinton S. Wright; Joseph C. Restaino; Maureen C. Kennedy; Robert E. Vihnanek

2016-01-01

A lack of independent, quality-assured data prevents scientists from effectively evaluating predictions and uncertainties in fire models used by land managers. This paper presents a summary of pre-fire and post-fire fuel, fuel moisture and surface cover fraction data that can be used for fire model evaluation and development. The data were collected in the...

Use of Nuclepore filters for ambient and workplace nanoparticle exposure assessment-Spherical particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Sheng-Chieh; Wang, Jing; Fissan, Heinz; Pui, David Y. H.

2013-10-01

Nuclepore filter collection with subsequent electron microscopy analysis for nanoparticles was carried out to examine the feasibility of the method to assess the nanoparticle exposure. The number distribution of nanoparticles collected on the filter surface was counted visually and converted to the distribution in the air using existing filtration models for Nuclepore filters. To search for a proper model, this paper studied the overall penetrations of three different nanoparticles (PSL, Ag and NaCl), covering a wide range of particle sizes (20-800 nm) and densities (1.05-10.5 g cm-3), through Nuclepore filters with two different pore diameters (1 and 3 μm) and different face velocities (2-15 cm s-1). The data were compared with existing particle deposition models and modified models proposed by this study, which delivered different results because of different deposition processes considered. It was found that a parameter associated with flow condition and filter geometry (density of fluid medium, particle density, filtration face velocity, filter porosity and pore diameter) should be taken into account to verify the applicability of the models. The data of the overall penetration were in very good agreement with the properly applied models. A good agreement of filter surface collection between the validated model and the SEM analysis was obtained, indicating a correct nanoparticle number distribution in the air can be converted from the Nuclepore filter surface collection and this method can be applied for nanoparticle exposure assessment.

Cognitive Task Analysis of En Route Air Traffic Control: Model Extension and Validation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redding, Richard E.; And Others

Phase II of a project extended data collection and analytic procedures to develop a model of expertise and skill development for en route air traffic control (ATC). New data were collected by recording the Dynamic Simulator (DYSIM) performance of five experts with a work overload problem. Expert controllers were interviewed in depth for mental…

A Multivariate Multilevel Approach to the Modeling of Accuracy and Speed of Test Takers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein Entink, R. H.; Fox, J. P.; van der Linden, W. J.

2009-01-01

Response times on test items are easily collected in modern computerized testing. When collecting both (binary) responses and (continuous) response times on test items, it is possible to measure the accuracy and speed of test takers. To study the relationships between these two constructs, the model is extended with a multivariate multilevel…

Measuring Multidimensional Latent Growth. Research Report. ETS RR-10-24

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rijmen, Frank

2010-01-01

As is the case for any statistical model, a multidimensional latent growth model comes with certain requirements with respect to the data collection design. In order to measure growth, repeated measurements of the same set of individuals are required. Furthermore, the data collection design should be specified such that no individual is given the…

Educational Personnel Needs Assessment: CSPD Technical Manual, 1989. Critical Areas of Data Collection.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lauritzen, Paul

This manual addresses the Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) requirement of Public Law 94-142. It presents model procedures for the collection of data necessary to project personnel needs in special education. Implementation of the model will identify: areas of education which show need for additional teachers as well as areas of…

Supporting Collaborative Learning and Problem-Solving in a Constraint-Based CSCL Environment for UML Class Diagrams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baghaei, Nilufar; Mitrovic, Antonija; Irwin, Warwick

2007-01-01

We present COLLECT-UML, a constraint-based intelligent tutoring system (ITS) that teaches object-oriented analysis and design using Unified Modelling Language (UML). UML is easily the most popular object-oriented modelling technology in current practice. While teaching how to design UML class diagrams, COLLECT-UML also provides feedback on…

CAN A MODEL TRANSFERABILITY FRAMEWORK IMPROVE ECOSYSTEM SERVICE ESTIMATES? A CASE STUDY OF SOIL FOREST CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN TILLAMOOK BAY, OR, USA

EPA Science Inventory

Budget constraints and policies that limit primary data collection have fueled a practice of transferring estimates (or models to generate estimates) of ecological endpoints from sites where primary data exists to sites where little to no primary data were collected. Whereas bene...

Modeling the Relationship between Pre-Service Teachers' TPACK and Digital Nativity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kabakci Yurdakul, Isil

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study is to build a structural equation model that predicts the relationship between Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) competencies and digital nativity. The data was collected from 1493 Turkish pre-service teachers. Two instruments were used in the data collection; a TPACK-deep scale and a Turkish adaptation…

A Collective Locus of Leadership: Exploring Leadership in Higher Education through a Paradigm of Collaborative Effort

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Kendra E.

2010-01-01

This single-case qualitative study examines leadership in an institution of higher education using the Responsible Leadership for Performance (RLP) model (Lynham & Chermack, 2006) as a framework. The study explores how using a paradigm of collective leadership as an alternative to models of individual leadership could inform understanding of…

EVALUATION OF THE CMB AND PMF MODELS USING ORGANIC MOLECULAR MARKERS IN FINE PARTICULATE MATTER COLLECTED DURING THE PITTSBURGH AIR QUALITY STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

This research investigated different strategies for source apportionment of airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) collected as part of the Pittsburgh Air Quality Study. Two source receptor models were used, the EPA Chemical Mass Balance 8.2 (CMB) and EPA Positive Matrix Facto...

MODEL FROM COLLECTION OF DR. TIMOTHY L. FLINN, OF HOWE ...

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

MODEL FROM COLLECTION OF DR. TIMOTHY L. FLINN, OF HOWE PIPE TRUSS BRIDGE (NO LONGER EXTANT) SPANNING DEEP CREEK, SHACKELFORD COUNTY, TEXAS, CONSTRUCTED BY FLINN-MOYER COMPANY IN 1896. 3/4 VIEW FROM ABOVE. - Clear Fork of Brazos River Suspension Bridge, Spanning Clear Fork of Brazos River at County Route 179, Albany, Shackelford County, TX

Flavor instabilities in the neutrino line model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Huaiyu; Shalgar, Shashank

2015-07-01

A dense neutrino medium can experience collective flavor oscillations through nonlinear neutrino-neutrino refraction. To make this multi-dimensional flavor transport problem more tractable, all existing studies have assumed certain symmetries (e.g., the spatial homogeneity and directional isotropy in the early universe) to reduce the dimensionality of the problem. In this work we show that, if both the directional and spatial symmetries are not enforced in the neutrino line model, collective oscillations can develop in the physical regimes where the symmetry-preserving oscillation modes are stable. Our results suggest that collective neutrino oscillations in real astrophysical environments (such as core-collapse supernovae and black-hole accretion discs) can be qualitatively different from the predictions based on existing models in which spatial and directional symmetries are artificially imposed.

The evolution of process-based hydrologic models: historical challenges and the collective quest for physical realism

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

Clark, Martyn P.; Bierkens, Marc F. P.; Samaniego, Luis

The diversity in hydrologic models has historically led to great controversy on the correct approach to process-based hydrologic modeling, with debates centered on the adequacy of process parameterizations, data limitations and uncertainty, and computational constraints on model analysis. Here, we revisit key modeling challenges on requirements to (1) define suitable model equations, (2) define adequate model parameters, and (3) cope with limitations in computing power. We outline the historical modeling challenges, provide examples of modeling advances that address these challenges, and define outstanding research needs. We also illustrate how modeling advances have been made by groups using models of different type and complexity,more » and we argue for the need to more effectively use our diversity of modeling approaches in order to advance our collective quest for physically realistic hydrologic models.« less

The evolution of process-based hydrologic models: historical challenges and the collective quest for physical realism

DOE PAGES

Clark, Martyn P.; Bierkens, Marc F. P.; Samaniego, Luis; ...

2017-07-11

The diversity in hydrologic models has historically led to great controversy on the correct approach to process-based hydrologic modeling, with debates centered on the adequacy of process parameterizations, data limitations and uncertainty, and computational constraints on model analysis. Here, we revisit key modeling challenges on requirements to (1) define suitable model equations, (2) define adequate model parameters, and (3) cope with limitations in computing power. We outline the historical modeling challenges, provide examples of modeling advances that address these challenges, and define outstanding research needs. We also illustrate how modeling advances have been made by groups using models of different type and complexity,more » and we argue for the need to more effectively use our diversity of modeling approaches in order to advance our collective quest for physically realistic hydrologic models.« less

Neutrino flavor instabilities in a time-dependent supernova model

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

Abbar, Sajad; Duan, Huaiyu

2015-10-19

In this study, a dense neutrino medium such as that inside a core-collapse supernova can experience collective flavor conversion or oscillations because of the neutral-current weak interaction among the neutrinos. This phenomenon has been studied in a restricted, stationary supernova model which possesses the (spatial) spherical symmetry about the center of the supernova and the (directional) axial symmetry around the radial direction. Recently it has been shown that these spatial and directional symmetries can be broken spontaneously by collective neutrino oscillations. In this letter we analyze the neutrino flavor instabilities in a time-dependent supernova model. Our results show that collectivemore » neutrino oscillations start at approximately the same radius in both the stationary and time-dependent supernova models unless there exist very rapid variations in local physical conditions on timescales of a few microseconds or shorter. Our results also suggest that collective neutrino oscillations can vary rapidly with time in the regimes where they do occur which need to be studied in time-dependent supernova models.« less

The implementation of assessment model based on character building to improve students’ discipline and achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusijono; Khotimah, K.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of implementing the assessment model based on character building to improve discipline and student’s achievement. Assessment model based on character building includes three components, which are the behaviour of students, the efforts, and student’s achievement. This assessment model based on the character building is implemented in science philosophy and educational assessment courses, in Graduate Program of Educational Technology Department, Educational Faculty, Universitas Negeri Surabaya. This research used control group pre-test and post-test design. Data collection method used in this research were observation and test. The observation was used to collect the data about the disciplines of the student in the instructional process, while the test was used to collect the data about student’s achievement. Moreover, the study applied t-test to the analysis of data. The result of this research showed that assessment model based on character building improved discipline and student’s achievement.

Modeling keratinocyte wound healing dynamics: Cell-cell adhesion promotes sustained collective migration.

PubMed

Nardini, John T; Chapnick, Douglas A; Liu, Xuedong; Bortz, David M

2016-07-07

The in vitro migration of keratinocyte cell sheets displays behavioral and biochemical similarities to the in vivo wound healing response of keratinocytes in animal model systems. In both cases, ligand-dependent Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) activation is sufficient to elicit collective cell migration into the wound. Previous mathematical modeling studies of in vitro wound healing assays assume that physical connections between cells have a hindering effect on cell migration, but biological literature suggests a more complicated story. By combining mathematical modeling and experimental observations of collectively migrating sheets of keratinocytes, we investigate the role of cell-cell adhesion during in vitro keratinocyte wound healing assays. We develop and compare two nonlinear diffusion models of the wound healing process in which cell-cell adhesion either hinders or promotes migration. Both models can accurately fit the leading edge propagation of cell sheets during wound healing when using a time-dependent rate of cell-cell adhesion strength. The model that assumes a positive role of cell-cell adhesion on migration, however, is robust to changes in the leading edge definition and yields a qualitatively accurate density profile. Using RNAi for the critical adherens junction protein, α-catenin, we demonstrate that cell sheets with wild type cell-cell adhesion expression maintain migration into the wound longer than cell sheets with decreased cell-cell adhesion expression, which fails to exhibit collective migration. Our modeling and experimental data thus suggest that cell-cell adhesion promotes sustained migration as cells pull neighboring cells into the wound during wound healing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simulation-optimization model for production planning in the blood supply chain.

PubMed

Osorio, Andres F; Brailsford, Sally C; Smith, Honora K; Forero-Matiz, Sonia P; Camacho-Rodríguez, Bernardo A

2017-12-01

Production planning in the blood supply chain is a challenging task. Many complex factors such as uncertain supply and demand, blood group proportions, shelf life constraints and different collection and production methods have to be taken into account, and thus advanced methodologies are required for decision making. This paper presents an integrated simulation-optimization model to support both strategic and operational decisions in production planning. Discrete-event simulation is used to represent the flows through the supply chain, incorporating collection, production, storing and distribution. On the other hand, an integer linear optimization model running over a rolling planning horizon is used to support daily decisions, such as the required number of donors, collection methods and production planning. This approach is evaluated using real data from a blood center in Colombia. The results show that, using the proposed model, key indicators such as shortages, outdated units, donors required and cost are improved.

Model-free inference of direct network interactions from nonlinear collective dynamics.

PubMed

Casadiego, Jose; Nitzan, Mor; Hallerberg, Sarah; Timme, Marc

2017-12-19

The topology of interactions in network dynamical systems fundamentally underlies their function. Accelerating technological progress creates massively available data about collective nonlinear dynamics in physical, biological, and technological systems. Detecting direct interaction patterns from those dynamics still constitutes a major open problem. In particular, current nonlinear dynamics approaches mostly require to know a priori a model of the (often high dimensional) system dynamics. Here we develop a model-independent framework for inferring direct interactions solely from recording the nonlinear collective dynamics generated. Introducing an explicit dependency matrix in combination with a block-orthogonal regression algorithm, the approach works reliably across many dynamical regimes, including transient dynamics toward steady states, periodic and non-periodic dynamics, and chaos. Together with its capabilities to reveal network (two point) as well as hypernetwork (e.g., three point) interactions, this framework may thus open up nonlinear dynamics options of inferring direct interaction patterns across systems where no model is known.

Source apportion of atmospheric particulate matter: a joint Eulerian/Lagrangian approach.

PubMed

Riccio, A; Chianese, E; Agrillo, G; Esposito, C; Ferrara, L; Tirimberio, G

2014-12-01

PM2.5 samples were collected during an annual monitoring campaign (January 2012-January 2013) in the urban area of Naples, one of the major cities in Southern Italy. Samples were collected by means of a standard gravimetric sampler (Tecora Echo model) and characterized from a chemical point of view by ion chromatography. As a result, 143 samples together with their ionic composition have been collected. We extend traditional source apportionment techniques, usually based on multivariate factor analysis, interpreting the chemical analysis results within a Lagrangian framework. The Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model (HYSPLIT) model was used, providing linkages to the source regions in the upwind areas. Results were analyzed in order to quantify the relative weight of different source types/areas. Model results suggested that PM concentrations are strongly affected not only by local emissions but also by transboundary emissions, especially from the Eastern and Northern European countries and African Saharan dust episodes.

75 FR 66097 - Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Being Submitted for Review and Approval to the Office...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-27

... small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of... of a currently approved collection. Respondents: Business or other for-profit. Number of Respondents... Commission is allowing companies offering one or two handset models over the GSM air interface, if they would...

Proposal of a new model to improve the collection of small WEEE: a pilot project for the recovery and recycling of toys.

PubMed

Solé, Miquel; Watson, Jenna; Puig, Rita; Fullana-i-Palmer, Pere

2012-11-01

A new collection model was designed and tested in Catalonia (Spain) to foster the separate collection and recycling of electrical and electronic toys, with the participation of selected primary and secondary schools, as well as waste collection points and municipalities. This project approach is very original and important because small household WEEE has low rates of collection (16-21% WEEE within the EU or 5-7% WEEE in Spain) and no research on new approaches to enhance the collection of small WEEE is found in the literature. The project was successful in achieving enhanced toys collection and recycling rates, which went up from the national Spanish average of 0.5% toys before the project to 1.9 and 6% toys during the two project years, respectively. The environmental benefits of the campaign were calculated through a life-cycle approach, accounting for the avoided impact afforded by the reuse of the toys and the recycling of the valuable materials contained therein (such as metals, batteries and circuit boards) and subtracting the additional environmental burdens associated with the establishment of the collection campaign.

A stochastic vision-based model inspired by zebrafish collective behaviour in heterogeneous environments

PubMed Central

Collignon, Bertrand; Séguret, Axel; Halloy, José

2016-01-01

Collective motion is one of the most ubiquitous behaviours displayed by social organisms and has led to the development of numerous models. Recent advances in the understanding of sensory system and information processing by animals impels one to revise classical assumptions made in decisional algorithms. In this context, we present a model describing the three-dimensional visual sensory system of fish that adjust their trajectory according to their perception field. Furthermore, we introduce a stochastic process based on a probability distribution function to move in targeted directions rather than on a summation of influential vectors as is classically assumed by most models. In parallel, we present experimental results of zebrafish (alone or in group of 10) swimming in both homogeneous and heterogeneous environments. We use these experimental data to set the parameter values of our model and show that this perception-based approach can simulate the collective motion of species showing cohesive behaviour in heterogeneous environments. Finally, we discuss the advances of this multilayer model and its possible outcomes in biological, physical and robotic sciences. PMID:26909173

Collective decision making in cohesive flocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, K.; Vicsek, Tamás

2010-09-01

Most of us must have been fascinated by the eye-catching displays of collectively moving animals. Schools of fish can move in a rather orderly fashion and then change direction amazingly abruptly. There are a large number of further examples both from the living and the non-living world for phenomena during which the many interacting, permanently moving units seem to arrive at a common behavioural pattern taking place in a short time. As a paradigm of this type of phenomena we consider the problem of how birds arrive at a decision resulting in their synchronized landing. We introduce a simple model to interpret this process. Collective motion prior to landing is modelled using a simple self-propelled particle (SPP) system with a new kind of boundary condition, while the tendency and the sudden propagation of the intention of landing are introduced through rules analogous to the random field Ising model in an external field. We show that our approach is capable of capturing the most relevant features of collective decision making in a system of units with variance of individual intentions and being under an increasing level of pressure to switch states. We find that as a function of the few parameters of our model the collective switching from the flying to the landing state is indeed much sharper than the distribution of individual landing intentions. The transition is accompanied by a number of interesting features discussed in this paper.

Minimally Invasive Lumbar Port System for the Collection of Cerebrospinal Fluid from Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta)

PubMed Central

MacAllister, Rhonda Pung; Lester McCully, Cynthia M; Bacher, John; Thomas, Marvin L; Cruz, Rafael; Wangari, Solomon; Warren, Katherine E

2016-01-01

Biomedical translational research frequently incorporates collection of CSF from NHP, because CSF drug levels are used as a surrogate for CNS tissue penetration in pharmacokinetic and dynamic studies. Surgical placement of a CNS ventricular catheter reservoir for CSF collection is an intensive model to create and maintain and thus may not be feasible or practical for short-term studies. Furthermore, previous NHP lumbar port models require laminectomy for catheter placement. The new model uses a minimally invasive technique for percutaneous placement of a lumbar catheter to create a closed, subcutaneous system for effective, repeated CSF sample collection. None of the rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta; n = 10) implanted with our minimally invasive lumbar port (MILP) system experienced neurologic deficits, postoperative infection of the surgical site, or skin erosion around the port throughout the 21.7-mo study. Functional MILP systems were maintained in 70% of the macaques, with multiple, high-quality, 0.5- to 1.0-mL samples of CSF collected for an average of 3 mo by using aspiration or gravitational flow. Among these macaques, 57% had continuous functionality for a mean of 19.2 mo; 50% of the cohort required surgical repair for port repositioning and replacement during the study. The MILP was unsuccessful in 2 macaques, at an average of 9.5 d after surgery. Nonpatency in these animals was attributed to the position of the lumbar catheter. The MILP system is an appropriate replacement for temporary catheterization and previous models requiring laminectomy and is a short-term alternative for ventricular CSF collection systems in NHP. PMID:27538866

The Protective Effects of Neighborhood Collective Efficacy on Adolescent Substance Use and Violence Following Exposure to Violence

PubMed Central

Wright, Emily M.; Pinchevsky, Gillian M.

2013-01-01

Research has demonstrated that exposure to violence can result in many negative consequences for youth, but the degree to which neighborhood conditions may foster resiliency among victims is not well understood. This study tests the hypothesis that neighborhood collective efficacy attenuates the relationship between adolescent exposure to violence, substance use, and violence. Data were collected from 1,661–1,718 adolescents participating in the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN), who were diverse in terms of sex (51% male, 49% female), race/ethnicity (48% Hispanic, 34% African American, 14% Caucasian, and 4% other race/ethnicity), and age (mean age 12 years; range: 8–16). Information on neighborhood collective efficacy was obtained from adult residents, and data from the 1990 U.S. Census were used to control for neighborhood disadvantage. Based on hierarchical modeling techniques to adjust for the clustered data, Bernoulli models indicated that more exposure to violence was associated with a greater likelihood of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use and perpetration of violence. Poisson models suggested that victimization was also related to a greater variety of substance use and violent behaviors. A moderating effect of collective efficacy was found in models assessing the variety of substance use; the relationship between victimization and substance use was weaker for youth in neighborhoods with higher versus lower levels of collective efficacy. These findings are consistent with literature indicating that social support can ameliorate the negative impact of victimization. This investigation extends this research to show that neighborhood social support can also help to promote resiliency among adolescents. PMID:24170438

Population pharmacokinetic analysis of clopidogrel in healthy Jordanian subjects with emphasis optimal sampling strategy.

PubMed

Yousef, A M; Melhem, M; Xue, B; Arafat, T; Reynolds, D K; Van Wart, S A

2013-05-01

Clopidogrel is metabolized primarily into an inactive carboxyl metabolite (clopidogrel-IM) or to a lesser extent an active thiol metabolite. A population pharmacokinetic (PK) model was developed using NONMEM(®) to describe the time course of clopidogrel-IM in plasma and to design a sparse-sampling strategy to predict clopidogrel-IM exposures for use in characterizing anti-platelet activity. Serial blood samples from 76 healthy Jordanian subjects administered a single 75 mg oral dose of clopidogrel were collected and assayed for clopidogrel-IM using reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. A two-compartment (2-CMT) PK model with first-order absorption and elimination plus an absorption lag-time was evaluated, as well as a variation of this model designed to mimic enterohepatic recycling (EHC). Optimal PK sampling strategies (OSS) were determined using WinPOPT based upon collection of 3-12 post-dose samples. A two-compartment model with EHC provided the best fit and reduced bias in C(max) (median prediction error (PE%) of 9.58% versus 12.2%) relative to the basic two-compartment model, AUC(0-24) was similar for both models (median PE% = 1.39%). The OSS for fitting the two-compartment model with EHC required the collection of seven samples (0.25, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 12 h). Reasonably unbiased and precise exposures were obtained when re-fitting this model to a reduced dataset considering only these sampling times. A two-compartment model considering EHC best characterized the time course of clopidogrel-IM in plasma. Use of the suggested OSS will allow for the collection of fewer PK samples when assessing clopidogrel-IM exposures. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Provision of hearing aids to children in Bangladesh: costs and cost-effectiveness of a community-based and a centre-based approach.

PubMed

Ekman, Björn; Borg, Johan

2017-08-01

The aim of this study is to provide evidence on the costs and health effects of two alternative hearing aid delivery models, a community-based and a centre-based approach. The study is set in Bangladesh and the study population is children between 12 and 18 years old. Data on resource use by participants and their caregivers were collected by a household survey. Follow-up data were collected after two months. Data on the costs to providers of the two approaches were collected by means of key informant interviews. The total cost per participant in the community-based model was BDT 6,333 (USD 79) compared with BDT 13,718 (USD 172) for the centre-based model. Both delivery models are found to be cost-effective with an estimated cost per DALY averted of BDT 17,611 (USD 220) for the community-based model and BDT 36,775 (USD 460) for the centre-based model. Using a community-based approach to deliver hearing aids to children in a resource constrained environment is a cost-effective alternative to the traditional centre-based approach. Further evidence is needed to draw conclusions for scale-up of approaches; rigorous analysis is possible using well-prepared data collection tools and working closely with sector professionals. Implications for Rehabilitation Delivery models vary by resources needed for their implementation. Community-based deliver models of hearing aids to children in low-income countries are a cost-effective alternative. The assessment of costs and effects of hearing aids delivery models in low-income countries is possible through planned collaboration between researchers and sector professionals.

BRIEF REPORT: Beyond Clinical Experience: Features of Data Collection and Interpretation That Contribute to Diagnostic Accuracy

PubMed Central

Nendaz, Mathieu R; Gut, Anne M; Perrier, Arnaud; Louis-Simonet, Martine; Blondon-Choa, Katherine; Herrmann, François R; Junod, Alain F; Vu, Nu V

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND Clinical experience, features of data collection process, or both, affect diagnostic accuracy, but their respective role is unclear. OBJECTIVE, DESIGN Prospective, observational study, to determine the respective contribution of clinical experience and data collection features to diagnostic accuracy. METHODS Six Internists, 6 second year internal medicine residents, and 6 senior medical students worked up the same 7 cases with a standardized patient. Each encounter was audiotaped and immediately assessed by the subjects who indicated the reasons underlying their data collection. We analyzed the encounters according to diagnostic accuracy, information collected, organ systems explored, diagnoses evaluated, and final decisions made, and we determined predictors of diagnostic accuracy by logistic regression models. RESULTS Several features significantly predicted diagnostic accuracy after correction for clinical experience: early exploration of correct diagnosis (odds ratio [OR] 24.35) or of relevant diagnostic hypotheses (OR 2.22) to frame clinical data collection, larger number of diagnostic hypotheses evaluated (OR 1.08), and collection of relevant clinical data (OR 1.19). CONCLUSION Some features of data collection and interpretation are related to diagnostic accuracy beyond clinical experience and should be explicitly included in clinical training and modeled by clinical teachers. Thoroughness in data collection should not be considered a privileged way to diagnostic success. PMID:17105525

Further Studies of the NRL Collective Particle Accelerator VIA Numerical Modeling with the MAGIC Code.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-08-01

COLLFCTIVF PAPTTCLE ACCELERATOR VIA NUMERICAL MODFLINC WITH THF MAGIC CODE Robert 1. Darker Auqust 19F4 Final Report for Period I April. qI84 - 30...NUMERICAL MODELING WITH THE MAGIC CODE Robert 3. Barker August 1984 Final Report for Period 1 April 1984 - 30 September 1984 Prepared for: Scientific...Collective Final Report Particle Accelerator VIA Numerical Modeling with April 1 - September-30, 1984 MAGIC Code. 6. PERFORMING ORG. REPORT NUMBER MRC/WDC-R

Collisions of deformable cells lead to collective migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löber, Jakob; Ziebert, Falko; Aranson, Igor S.

2015-03-01

Collective migration of eukaryotic cells plays a fundamental role in tissue growth, wound healing and immune response. The motion, arising spontaneously or in response to chemical and mechanical stimuli, is also important for understanding life-threatening pathologies, such as cancer and metastasis formation. We present a phase-field model to describe the movement of many self-organized, interacting cells. The model takes into account the main mechanisms of cell motility - acto-myosin dynamics, as well as substrate-mediated and cell-cell adhesion. It predicts that collective cell migration emerges spontaneously as a result of inelastic collisions between neighboring cells: collisions lead to a mutual alignment of the cell velocities and to the formation of coherently-moving multi-cellular clusters. Small cell-to-cell adhesion, in turn, reduces the propensity for large-scale collective migration, while higher adhesion leads to the formation of moving bands. Our study provides valuable insight into biological processes associated with collective cell motility.

Smartphone-based distributed data collection enables rapid assessment of shorebird habitat suitability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thieler, E. Robert; Zeigler, Sara; Winslow, Luke; Hines, Megan K.; Read, Jordan S.; Walker, Jordan I.

2016-01-01

Understanding and managing dynamic coastal landscapes for beach-dependent species requires biological and geological data across the range of relevant environments and habitats. It is difficult to acquire such information; data often have limited focus due to resource constraints, are collected by non-specialists, or lack observational uniformity. We developed an open-source smartphone application called iPlover that addresses these difficulties in collecting biogeomorphic information at piping plover (Charadrius melodus) nest sites on coastal beaches. This paper describes iPlover development and evaluates data quality and utility following two years of collection (n = 1799 data points over 1500 km of coast between Maine and North Carolina, USA). We found strong agreement between field user and expert assessments and high model skill when data were used for habitat suitability prediction. Methods used here to develop and deploy a distributed data collection system have broad applicability to interdisciplinary environmental monitoring and modeling.

Smartphone-Based Distributed Data Collection Enables Rapid Assessment of Shorebird Habitat Suitability

PubMed Central

Zeigler, Sara L.; Winslow, Luke A.; Hines, Megan K.; Read, Jordan S.; Walker, Jordan I.

2016-01-01

Understanding and managing dynamic coastal landscapes for beach-dependent species requires biological and geological data across the range of relevant environments and habitats. It is difficult to acquire such information; data often have limited focus due to resource constraints, are collected by non-specialists, or lack observational uniformity. We developed an open-source smartphone application called iPlover that addresses these difficulties in collecting biogeomorphic information at piping plover (Charadrius melodus) nest sites on coastal beaches. This paper describes iPlover development and evaluates data quality and utility following two years of collection (n = 1799 data points over 1500 km of coast between Maine and North Carolina, USA). We found strong agreement between field user and expert assessments and high model skill when data were used for habitat suitability prediction. Methods used here to develop and deploy a distributed data collection system have broad applicability to interdisciplinary environmental monitoring and modeling. PMID:27828974

Optical modeling of an ultrathin scanning fiber endoscope, a preliminary study of confocal versus non-confocal detection.

PubMed

Barhoum, Erek; Johnston, Richard; Seibel, Eric

2005-09-19

An optical model of an ultrathin scanning fiber endoscope was constructed using a non-sequential ray tracing program and used to study the relationship between fiber deflection and collection efficiency from tissue. The problem of low collection efficiency of confocal detection through the scanned single-mode optical fiber was compared to non-confocal cladding detection. Collection efficiency is 40x greater in the non-confocal versus the confocal geometry due to the majority of rays incident on the core being outside the numerical aperture. Across scan angles of 0 to 30o, collection efficiency decreases from 14.4% to 6.3% for the non-confocal design compared to 0.34% to 0.10% for the confocal design. Non-confocality provides higher and more uniform collection efficiencies at larger scan angles while sacrificing the confocal spatial filter.

75 FR 59261 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Asbestos...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-27

... affected by this ICR are local education agencies (LEAs, e.g., elementary or secondary public school... Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Asbestos-Containing Materials in Schools Rule and Revised... (OMB). This ICR, entitled: ``Asbestos-Containing Materials in Schools Rule and Revised Asbestos Model...

Child Support Collection: A Stick-and-Carrot Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cullen, Francis T.; And Others

1980-01-01

New York State's attempt to reduce welfare expenditures by collecting the child support payments of defaulting parents reinforces federal incentives containing penalties for localities operating ineffective collection programs. The state's program may serve as a model for the more effective implementation of legislation in other jurisdictions.…

Quantifying the Workload of Subject Bibliographers in Collection Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metz, Paul

1991-01-01

Discussion of the role of subject bibliographers in collection development activities focuses on an approach developed at Virginia Polytechnic and State Institute to provide a formula for estimating the collection development workload of subject bibliographers. Workload standards and matrix models of organizational structures are discussed, and…

A Hydrostratigraphic Framework Model and Alternatives for the Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport Model of Corrective Action Unit 98: Frenchman Flat, Clark, Lincoln and Nye Counties, Nevada

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

Bechtel Nevada

2005-09-01

A new, revised three-dimensional (3-D) hydrostratigraphic framework model for Frenchman Flat was completed in 2004. The area of interest includes Frenchman Flat, a former nuclear testing area at the Nevada Test Site, and proximal areas. Internal and external reviews of an earlier (Phase I) Frenchman Flat model recommended additional data collection to address uncertainties. Subsequently, additional data were collected for this Phase II initiative, including five new drill holes and a 3-D seismic survey.

Computational Psychometrics for Modeling System Dynamics during Stressful Disasters.

PubMed

Cipresso, Pietro; Bessi, Alessandro; Colombo, Desirée; Pedroli, Elisa; Riva, Giuseppe

2017-01-01

Disasters can be very stressful events. However, computational models of stress require data that might be very difficult to collect during disasters. Moreover, personal experiences are not repeatable, so it is not possible to collect bottom-up information when building a coherent model. To overcome these problems, we propose the use of computational models and virtual reality integration to recreate disaster situations, while examining possible dynamics in order to understand human behavior and relative consequences. By providing realistic parameters associated with disaster situations, computational scientists can work more closely with emergency responders to improve the quality of interventions in the future.

Positive Voltage Hazard to EMU Crewman from Currents through Plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koontz, Steven L.; Kramer, Leonard; Hamilton, Doug; Mikatarian, Ronald

2010-01-01

This paper describes the model of the EMU with a human body in the circuit that has been used by NASA to evaluate the low positive voltage hazard. The model utilizes the electron collection characterization from on orbit Langmuir probe data as representative of electron collection to a positive charged surface with a wide range of on orbit plasma temperature and density conditions. The data has been unified according to non-linear theoretical temperature and density variation of the electron saturated probe current collection theory and used as a model for the electron collection at EMU surfaces. Vulnerable paths through the EMU connecting through the crewman s body have been identified along with electrical impedance of the exposed body parts. The body impedance information is merged with the electron collection characteristics in circuit simulation software (SPICE). The assessment shows that currents can be on the order of 20 mA for a 15 V exposure and of order 4 mA at 3V. These currents formally violate NASA protocol for electric current exposures however the human factors associated with subjective consequences of noxious stimuli from low voltage exposure during the stressful conditions of EVA are an area of active inquiry.

Learning to make collective decisions: the impact of confidence escalation.

PubMed

Mahmoodi, Ali; Bang, Dan; Ahmadabadi, Majid Nili; Bahrami, Bahador

2013-01-01

Little is known about how people learn to take into account others' opinions in joint decisions. To address this question, we combined computational and empirical approaches. Human dyads made individual and joint visual perceptual decision and rated their confidence in those decisions (data previously published). We trained a reinforcement (temporal difference) learning agent to get the participants' confidence level and learn to arrive at a dyadic decision by finding the policy that either maximized the accuracy of the model decisions or maximally conformed to the empirical dyadic decisions. When confidences were shared visually without verbal interaction, RL agents successfully captured social learning. When participants exchanged confidences visually and interacted verbally, no collective benefit was achieved and the model failed to predict the dyadic behaviour. Behaviourally, dyad members' confidence increased progressively and verbal interaction accelerated this escalation. The success of the model in drawing collective benefit from dyad members was inversely related to confidence escalation rate. The findings show an automated learning agent can, in principle, combine individual opinions and achieve collective benefit but the same agent cannot discount the escalation suggesting that one cognitive component of collective decision making in human may involve discounting of overconfidence arising from interactions.

Cleanliness Policy Implementation: Evaluating Retribution Model to Rise Public Satisfaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dailiati, Surya; Hernimawati; Prihati; Chintia Utami, Bunga

2018-05-01

This research is based on the principal issues concerning the evaluation of cleanliness retribution policy which has not been optimally be able to improve the Local Revenue of Pekanbaru City and has not improved the cleanliness of Pekanbaru City. It was estimated to be caused by the performance of Garden and Sanitation Department are not in accordance with the requirement of society of Pekanbaru City. The research method used in this study is a mixed method with sequential exploratory strategy. The data collection used are observation, interview and documentation for qualitative research as well as questionnaires for quantitative research. The collected data were analyzed with interactive model of Miles and Huberman for qualitative research and multiple regression analysis for quantitative research. The research result indicated that the model of cleanliness policy implementation that can increase of PAD Pekanbaru City and be able to improve people’s satisfaction divided into two (2) which are the evaluation model and the society satisfaction model. The evaluation model influence by criteria/variable of effectiveness, efficiency, adequacy, equity, responsiveness, and appropriateness, while the society satisfaction model influence by variables of society satisfaction, intentions, goals, plans, programs, and appropriateness of cleanliness retribution collection policy.

Collecting Protein Biomarkers in Breath Using Electret Filters: A Preliminary Method on New Technical Model and Human Study.

PubMed

Li, Wang; Pi, Xitian; Qiao, Panpan; Liu, Hongying

2016-01-01

Biomarkers in exhaled breath are useful for respiratory disease diagnosis in human volunteers. Conventional methods that collect non-volatile biomarkers, however, necessitate an extensive dilution and sanitation processes that lowers collection efficiencies and convenience of use. Electret filter emerged in recent decade to collect virus biomarkers in exhaled breath given its simplicity and effectiveness. To investigate the capability of electret filters to collect protein biomarkers, a model that consists of an atomizer that produces protein aerosol and an electret filter that collects albumin and carcinoembryonic antigen-a typical biomarker in lung cancer development- from the atomizer is developed. A device using electret filter as the collecting medium is designed to collect human albumin from exhaled breath of 6 volunteers. Comparison of the collecting ability between the electret filter method and other 2 reported methods is finally performed based on the amounts of albumin collected from human exhaled breath. In conclusion, a decreasing collection efficiency ranging from 17.6% to 2.3% for atomized albumin aerosol and 42% to 12.5% for atomized carcinoembryonic antigen particles is found; moreover, an optimum volume of sampling human exhaled breath ranging from 100 L to 200 L is also observed; finally, the self-designed collecting device shows a significantly better performance in collecting albumin from human exhaled breath than the exhaled breath condensate method (p<0.05) but is not significantly more effective than reported 3-stage impactor method (p>0.05). In summary, electret filters are potential in collecting non-volatile biomarkers in human exhaled breath not only because it was simpler, cheaper and easier to use than traditional methods but also for its better collecting performance.

Membership in a Devalued Social Group and Emotional Well-Being: Developing a Model of Personal Self-Esteem, Collective Self-Esteem, and Group Socialization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katz, Jennifer; Joiner, Thomas E., Jr.; Kwon, Paul

2002-01-01

Tested a theoretical model that linked membership in a devalued social group to emotional health. Surveyed white, middle-to-upper-class undergraduate students regarding personal and collective self-esteem (by gender), attitudes and behaviors associated with female socialization, and emotional distress. Results supported the direct effect of each…

Irregular Collective Behavior of Heterogeneous Neural Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luccioli, Stefano; Politi, Antonio

2010-10-01

We investigate a network of integrate-and-fire neurons characterized by a distribution of spiking frequencies. Upon increasing the coupling strength, the model exhibits a transition from an asynchronous regime to a nontrivial collective behavior. Numerical simulations of large systems indicate that, at variance with the Kuramoto model, (i) the macroscopic dynamics stays irregular and (ii) the microscopic (single-neuron) evolution is linearly stable.

Using semi-automated curation workflows to collect, organize, and curate the data and models necessary to support the EPA CompTox chemical dashboard (ACS Spring meeting)

EPA Science Inventory

With the increasing need to leverage data and models to perform cutting edge analyses within the environmental science community, collection and organization of that data into a readily accessible format for consumption is a pressing need. The EPA CompTox chemical dashboard is i...

Integrating citizen-science data with movement models to estimate the size of a migratory golden eagle population

Treesearch

Andrew J. Dennhardt; Adam E. Duerr; David Brandes; Todd E. Katzner

2015-01-01

Estimating population size is fundamental to conservation and management. Population size is typically estimated using survey data, computer models, or both. Some of the most extensive and often least expensive survey data are those collected by citizen-scientists. A challenge to citizen-scientists is that the vagility of many organisms can complicate data collection....

Three models of community mental health services In low-income countries

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Objective To compare and contrast three models of community mental health services in low-income settings. Data Sources/Study Setting Primary and secondary data collected before, during, and after site visits to mental health programs in Nigeria, the Philippines, and India. Study Design Qualitative case study methodology. Data Collection Data were collected through interviews and observations during site visits to the programs, as well as from reviews of documentary evidence. Principal Findings A set of narrative topics and program indicators were used to compare and contrast three community mental health programs in low-income countries. This allowed us to identify a diversity of service delivery models, common challenges, and the strengths and weaknesses of each program. More definitive evaluations will require the establishment of data collection methods and information systems that provide data about the clinical and social outcomes of clients, as well as their use of services. Conclusions Community mental health programs in low-income countries face a number of challenges. Using a case study methodology developed for this purpose, it is possible to compare programs and begin to assess the effectiveness of diverse service delivery models. PMID:21266051

Economic reforms and health insurance in China.

PubMed

Du, Juan

2009-08-01

During the 1990s, Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and collective enterprises continually decreased coverage of public health insurance to their employees. This paper investigates this changing pattern of health insurance coverage in China using panel data from the China Nutrition and Health Survey (1991-2000). It is the first attempt in this literature that tries to identify precisely the effects of specific policies and reforms on health insurance coverage in the transitional period of China. The fixed effects linear model clustering at the province level is used for estimation, and results are compared to alternative models, including pooled OLS, random effects GLS model and fixed effects logit model. Strong empirical evidence is found that unemployment as a side effect of the Open Door Policy, and the deregulation of SOE and collective enterprises were the main causes for the decreasing trend. For example, urban areas that were highly affected by the Open Door Policy were associated with 17 percentage points decrease in the insurance coverage. Moreover, I found evidence that the gaps between SOE and non-SOE employees, collective and non-collective employees, urban and rural employees have considerably decreased during the ten years.

Incorporating institutions and collective action into a sociohydrological model of flood resilience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, David J.; Sangwan, Nikhil; Sung, Kyungmin; Chen, Xi; Merwade, Venkatesh

2017-02-01

Stylized sociohydrological models have mainly used social memory aspects such as community awareness or sensitivity to connect hydrologic change and social response. However, social memory alone does not satisfactorily capture the details of how human behavior is translated into collective action for water resources governance. Nor is it the only social mechanism by which the two-way feedbacks of sociohydrology can be operationalized. This study contributes toward bridging of this gap by developing a sociohydrological model of a flood resilience that includes two additional components: (1) institutions for collective action, and (2) connections to an external economic system. Motivated by the case of community-managed flood protection systems (polders) in coastal Bangladesh, we use the model to understand critical general features that affect long-term resilience of human-flood systems. Our findings suggest that occasional adversity can enhance long-term resilience. Allowing some hydrological variability to enter into the polder can increase its adaptive capacity for resilience through the preservation of social norm for collective action. Further, there are potential trade-offs associated with optimization of flood resistance through structural measures. By reducing sensitivity to floods, the system may become more fragile under the double impact of floods and economic change.

Shell model description of heavy nuclei and abnormal collective motions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Chong

2018-05-01

In this contribution I present systematic calculations on the spectroscopy and electromagnetic transition properties of intermediate-mass and heavy nuclei around 100Sn and 208Pb. We employed the large-scale configuration interaction shell model approach with realistic interactions. Those nuclei are the longest isotopic chains that can be studied by the nuclear shell model. I will show that the yrast spectra of Te isotopes show a vibrational-like equally spaced pattern but the few known E2 transitions show rotational-like behaviour. These kinds of abnormal collective behaviors cannot be reproduced by standard collective models and provide excellent background to study the competition of single-particle and various collective degrees of freedom. Moreover, the calculated B(E2) values for neutron-deficient and heavier Te isotopes show contrasting different behaviours along the yrast line, which may be related to the enhanced neutron-proton correlation when approaching N=50. The deviations between theory and experiment concerning the energies and E2 transition properties of low-lying 0+ and 2+ excited states and isomeric states in those nuclei may provide a constraint on our understanding of nuclear deformation and intruder configuration in that region.

Can the vector space model be used to identify biological entity activities?

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Biological systems are commonly described as networks of entity interactions. Some interactions are already known and integrate the current knowledge in life sciences. Others remain unknown for long periods of time and are frequently discovered by chance. In this work we present a model to predict these unknown interactions from a textual collection using the vector space model (VSM), a well known and established information retrieval model. We have extended the VSM ability to retrieve information using a transitive closure approach. Our objective is to use the VSM to identify the known interactions from the literature and construct a network. Based on interactions established in the network our model applies the transitive closure in order to predict and rank new interactions. Results We have tested and validated our model using a collection of patent claims issued from 1976 to 2005. From 266,528 possible interactions in our network, the model identified 1,027 known interactions and predicted 3,195 new interactions. Iterating the model according to patent issue dates, interactions found in a given past year were often confirmed by patent claims not in the collection and issued in more recent years. Most confirmation patent claims were found at the top 100 new interactions obtained from each subnetwork. We have also found papers on the Web which confirm new inferred interactions. For instance, the best new interaction inferred by our model relates the interaction between the adrenaline neurotransmitter and the androgen receptor gene. We have found a paper that reports the partial dependence of the antiapoptotic effect of adrenaline on androgen receptor. Conclusions The VSM extended with a transitive closure approach provides a good way to identify biological interactions from textual collections. Specifically for the context of literature-based discovery, the extended VSM contributes to identify and rank relevant new interactions even if these interactions occcur in only a few documents in the collection. Consequently, we have developed an efficient method for extracting and restricting the best potential results to consider as new advances in life sciences, even when indications of these results are not easily observed from a mass of documents. PMID:22369514

77 FR 2340 - Occupational Information Development Advisory Panel

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-17

... testing of an OIS content model and taxonomy, work analysis instrumentation, sampling, and data collection... economics, sampling, data collection and analyses; (b) disability evaluation, vocational rehabilitation...

Volume 4 - Mobile Sources

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Mobile source reference material for activity data collection from the Emissions Inventory Improvement Program (EIIP). Provides complete methods for collecting key inputs to onroad mobile and nonroad mobile emissions models.

Collective neutrino oscillations and r-process nucleosynthesis in supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Huaiyu

2012-10-01

Neutrinos can oscillate collectively in a core-collapse supernova. This phenomenon can occur much deeper inside the supernova envelope than what is predicted from the conventional matter-induced Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effect, and hence may have an impact on nucleosynthesis. The oscillation patterns and the r-process yields are sensitive to the details of the emitted neutrino fluxes, the sign of the neutrino mass hierarchy, the modeling of neutrino oscillations and the astrophysical conditions. The effects of collective neutrino oscillations on the r-process will be illustrated using representative late-time neutrino spectra and outflow models.

Flavor instabilities in the neutrino line model

DOE PAGES

Duan, Huaiyu; Shalgar, Shashank

2015-05-27

A dense neutrino medium can experience collective flavor oscillations through nonlinear neutrino-neutrino refraction. To make this multi-dimensional flavor transport problem more tractable, all existing studies have assumed certain symmetries (e.g., the spatial homogeneity and directional isotropy in the early universe) to reduce the dimensionality of the problem. In this article we show that, if both the directional and spatial symmetries are not enforced in the neutrino line model, collective oscillations can develop in the physical regimes where the symmetry-preserving oscillation modes are stable. Our results suggest that collective neutrino oscillations in real astrophysical environments (such as core-collapse supernovae and black-holemore » accretion discs) can be qualitatively different from the predictions based on existing models in which spatial and directional symmetries are artificially imposed.« less

Synthetic Training Data Generation for Activity Monitoring and Behavior Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monekosso, Dorothy; Remagnino, Paolo

This paper describes a data generator that produces synthetic data to simulate observations from an array of environment monitoring sensors. The overall goal of our work is to monitor the well-being of one occupant in a home. Sensors are embedded in a smart home to unobtrusively record environmental parameters. Based on the sensor observations, behavior analysis and modeling are performed. However behavior analysis and modeling require large data sets to be collected over long periods of time to achieve the level of accuracy expected. A data generator - was developed based on initial data i.e. data collected over periods lasting weeks to facilitate concurrent data collection and development of algorithms. The data generator is based on statistical inference techniques. Variation is introduced into the data using perturbation models.

Modeling of urban solid waste management system: The case of Dhaka city

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

Sufian, M.A.; Bala, B.K.

2007-07-01

This paper presents a system dynamics computer model to predict solid waste generation, collection capacity and electricity generation from solid waste and to assess the needs for waste management of the urban city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Simulated results show that solid waste generation, collection capacity and electricity generation potential from solid waste increase with time. Population, uncleared waste, untreated waste, composite index and public concern are projected to increase with time for Dhaka city. Simulated results also show that increasing the budget for collection capacity alone does not improve environmental quality; rather an increased budget is required for both collectionmore » and treatment of solid wastes of Dhaka city. Finally, this model can be used as a computer laboratory for urban solid waste management (USWM) policy analysis.« less

Neighborhood Structural Inequality, Collective Efficacy, and Sexual Risk Behavior among Urban Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Browning, Christopher R.; Burrington, Lori A.; Leventhal, Tama; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne

2008-01-01

We draw on collective efficacy theory to extend a contextual model of early adolescent sexual behavior. Specifically, we hypothesize that neighborhood structural disadvantage--as measured by levels of concentrated poverty, residential instability, and aspects of immigrant concentration--and diminished collective efficacy have consequences for the…

Management Strategies for Promoting Teacher Collective Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Eric C. K.

2011-01-01

This paper aims to validate a theoretical model for developing teacher collective learning by using a quasi-experimental design, and explores the management strategies that would provide a school administrator practical steps to effectively promote collective learning in the school organization. Twenty aided secondary schools in Hong Kong were…

Alternative Fuel Light-Duty Vehicles: Summary of Results From the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Vehicle Evaluation Data Collection Efforts

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-05-01

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory conducted : a data collection project for light-duty, alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) for : about 4 years. The project has collected data on 10 vehicle models (from the : original ...

Role of contact inhibition of locomotion and junctional mechanics in epithelial collective responses to injury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coburn, Luke; Lopez, Hender; Schouwenaar, Irin-Maya; Yap, Alpha S.; Lobaskin, Vladimir; Gomez, Guillermo A.

2018-03-01

Epithelial tissues form physically integrated barriers against the external environment protecting organs from infection and invasion. Within each tissue, epithelial cells respond to different challenges that can potentially compromise tissue integrity. In particular, cells collectively respond to injuries by reorganizing their cell-cell junctions and migrating directionally towards the sites of damage. Notwithstanding, the mechanisms that drive collective responses in epithelial aggregates remain poorly understood. In this work, we develop a minimal mechanistic model that is able to capture the essential features of epithelial collective responses to injuries. We show that a model that integrates the mechanics of cells at the cell-cell and cell-substrate interfaces as well as contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL) correctly predicts two key properties of epithelial response to injury as: (1) local relaxation of the tissue and (2) collective reorganization involving the extension of cryptic lamellipodia that extend, on average, up to 3 cell diameters from the site of injury and morphometric changes in the basal regions. Our model also suggests that active responses (like the actomyosin purse string and softening of cell-cell junctions) are needed to drive morphometric changes in the apical region. Therefore, our results highlight the importance of the crosstalk between junctional biomechanics, cell substrate adhesion, and CIL, as well as active responses, in guiding the collective rearrangements that are required to preserve the epithelial barrier in response to injury.

Identifying the key factors in increasing recycling and reducing residual household waste: a case study of the Flemish region of Belgium.

PubMed

Gellynck, X; Jacobsen, R; Verhelst, P

2011-10-01

The competent waste authority in the Flemish region of Belgium created the 'Implementation plan household waste 2003-2007' and the 'Implementation plan sustainable management 2010-2015' to comply with EU regulation. It incorporates European and regional requirements and describes strategies, goals, actions and instruments for the collection and treatment of household waste. The central mandatory goal is to reduce and maintain the amount of residual household waste to 150 kg per capita per year between 2010-2015. In literature, a reasonable body of information has been published on the effectiveness and efficiency of a variety of policy instruments, but the information is complex, often contradictory and difficult to interpret. The objective of this paper is to identify, through the development of a binary logistic regression model, those variables of the waste collection scheme that help municipalities to reach the mandatory 150 kg goal. The model covers a number of variables for household characteristics, provision of recycling services, frequency of waste collection and charging for waste services. This paper, however, is not about waste prevention and reuse. The dataset originates from 2003. Four out of 12 variables in the model contributed significantly: income per capita, cost of residual waste collection, collection frequency and separate curbside collection of organic waste. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Swarming and pattern formation due to selective attraction and repulsion.

PubMed

Romanczuk, Pawel; Schimansky-Geier, Lutz

2012-12-06

We discuss the collective dynamics of self-propelled particles with selective attraction and repulsion interactions. Each particle, or individual, may respond differently to its neighbours depending on the sign of their relative velocity. Thus, it is able to distinguish approaching (coming closer) and retreating (moving away) individuals. This differentiation of the social response is motivated by the response to looming visual stimuli and may be seen as a generalization of the previously proposed escape and pursuit interactions motivated by empirical evidence for cannibalism as a driving force of collective migration in locusts and Mormon crickets. The model can account for different types of behaviour such as pure attraction, pure repulsion or escape and pursuit, depending on the values (signs) of the different response strengths. It provides, in the light of recent experimental results, an interesting alternative to previously proposed models of collective motion with an explicit velocity-alignment interaction. We discuss the derivation of a coarse-grained description of the system dynamics, which allows us to derive analytically the necessary condition for emergence of collective motion. Furthermore, we analyse systematically the onset of collective motion and clustering in numerical simulations of the model for varying interaction strengths. We show that collective motion arises only in a subregion of the parameter space, which is consistent with the analytical prediction and corresponds to an effective escape and/or pursuit response.

unmarked: An R package for fitting hierarchical models of wildlife occurrence and abundance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fiske, Ian J.; Chandler, Richard B.

2011-01-01

Ecological research uses data collection techniques that are prone to substantial and unique types of measurement error to address scientific questions about species abundance and distribution. These data collection schemes include a number of survey methods in which unmarked individuals are counted, or determined to be present, at spatially- referenced sites. Examples include site occupancy sampling, repeated counts, distance sampling, removal sampling, and double observer sampling. To appropriately analyze these data, hierarchical models have been developed to separately model explanatory variables of both a latent abundance or occurrence process and a conditional detection process. Because these models have a straightforward interpretation paralleling mechanisms under which the data arose, they have recently gained immense popularity. The common hierarchical structure of these models is well-suited for a unified modeling interface. The R package unmarked provides such a unified modeling framework, including tools for data exploration, model fitting, model criticism, post-hoc analysis, and model comparison.

Modeling species-abundance relationships in multi-species collections

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peng, S.; Yin, Z.; Ren, H.; Guo, Q.

2003-01-01

Species-abundance relationship is one of the most fundamental aspects of community ecology. Since Motomura first developed the geometric series model to describe the feature of community structure, ecologists have developed many other models to fit the species-abundance data in communities. These models can be classified into empirical and theoretical ones, including (1) statistical models, i.e., negative binomial distribution (and its extension), log-series distribution (and its extension), geometric distribution, lognormal distribution, Poisson-lognormal distribution, (2) niche models, i.e., geometric series, broken stick, overlapping niche, particulate niche, random assortment, dominance pre-emption, dominance decay, random fraction, weighted random fraction, composite niche, Zipf or Zipf-Mandelbrot model, and (3) dynamic models describing community dynamics and restrictive function of environment on community. These models have different characteristics and fit species-abundance data in various communities or collections. Among them, log-series distribution, lognormal distribution, geometric series, and broken stick model have been most widely used.

Citizen observations contributing to flood modelling: opportunities and challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Assumpção, Thaine H.; Popescu, Ioana; Jonoski, Andreja; Solomatine, Dimitri P.

2018-02-01

Citizen contributions to science have been successfully implemented in many fields, and water resources is one of them. Through citizens, it is possible to collect data and obtain a more integrated decision-making process. Specifically, data scarcity has always been an issue in flood modelling, which has been addressed in the last decades by remote sensing and is already being discussed in the citizen science context. With this in mind, this article aims to review the literature on the topic and analyse the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. The literature on monitoring, mapping and modelling, was evaluated according to the flood-related variable citizens contributed to. Pros and cons of the collection/analysis methods were summarised. Then, pertinent publications were mapped into the flood modelling cycle, considering how citizen data properties (spatial and temporal coverage, uncertainty and volume) are related to its integration into modelling. It was clear that the number of studies in the area is rising. There are positive experiences reported in collection and analysis methods, for instance with velocity and land cover, and also when modelling is concerned, for example by using social media mining. However, matching the data properties necessary for each part of the modelling cycle with citizen-generated data is still challenging. Nevertheless, the concept that citizen contributions can be used for simulation and forecasting is proved and further work lies in continuing to develop and improve not only methods for collection and analysis, but certainly for integration into models as well. Finally, in view of recent automated sensors and satellite technologies, it is through studies as the ones analysed in this article that the value of citizen contributions, complementing such technologies, is demonstrated.

Authentic scientific data collection in support of an integrative model-based class: A framework for student engagement in the classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorensen, A. E.; Dauer, J. M.; Corral, L.; Fontaine, J. J.

2017-12-01

A core component of public scientific literacy, and thereby informed decision-making, is the ability of individuals to reason about complex systems. In response to students having difficulty learning about complex systems, educational research suggests that conceptual representations, or mental models, may help orient student thinking. Mental models provide a framework to support students in organizing and developing ideas. The PMC-2E model is a productive tool in teaching ideas of modeling complex systems in the classroom because the conceptual representation framework allows for self-directed learning where students can externalize systems thinking. Beyond mental models, recent work emphasizes the importance of facilitating integration of authentic science into the formal classroom. To align these ideas, a university class was developed around the theme of carnivore ecology, founded on PMC-2E framework and authentic scientific data collection. Students were asked to develop a protocol, collect, and analyze data around a scientific question in partnership with a scientist, and then use data to inform their own learning about the system through the mental model process. We identified two beneficial outcomes (1) scientific data is collected to address real scientific questions at a larger scale and (2) positive outcomes for student learning and views of science. After participating in the class, students report enjoying class structure, increased support for public understanding of science, and shifts in nature of science and interest in pursuing science metrics on post-assessments. Further work is ongoing investigating the linkages between engaging in authentic scientific practices that inform student mental models, and how it might promote students' systems-thinking skills, implications for student views of nature of science, and development of student epistemic practices.

Generating self-organizing collective behavior using separation dynamics from experimental data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dieck Kattas, Graciano; Xu, Xiao-Ke; Small, Michael

2012-09-01

Mathematical models for systems of interacting agents using simple local rules have been proposed and shown to exhibit emergent swarming behavior. Most of these models are constructed by intuition or manual observations of real phenomena, and later tuned or verified to simulate desired dynamics. In contrast to this approach, we propose using a model that attempts to follow an averaged rule of the essential distance-dependent collective behavior of real pigeon flocks, which was abstracted from experimental data. By using a simple model to follow the behavioral tendencies of real data, we show that our model can exhibit a wide range of emergent self-organizing dynamics such as flocking, pattern formation, and counter-rotating vortices.

Generating self-organizing collective behavior using separation dynamics from experimental data.

PubMed

Dieck Kattas, Graciano; Xu, Xiao-Ke; Small, Michael

2012-09-01

Mathematical models for systems of interacting agents using simple local rules have been proposed and shown to exhibit emergent swarming behavior. Most of these models are constructed by intuition or manual observations of real phenomena, and later tuned or verified to simulate desired dynamics. In contrast to this approach, we propose using a model that attempts to follow an averaged rule of the essential distance-dependent collective behavior of real pigeon flocks, which was abstracted from experimental data. By using a simple model to follow the behavioral tendencies of real data, we show that our model can exhibit a wide range of emergent self-organizing dynamics such as flocking, pattern formation, and counter-rotating vortices.

Simulation of dynamic magnetic particle capture and accumulation around a ferromagnetic wire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choomphon-anomakhun, Natthaphon; Ebner, Armin D.; Natenapit, Mayuree; Ritter, James A.

2017-04-01

A new approach for modeling high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS)-type systems during the time-dependent capture and accumulation of magnetic particles by a ferromagnetic wire was developed. This new approach assumes the fluid (slurry) viscosity, comprised of water and magnetic particles, is a function of the magnetic particle concentration in the fluid, with imposed maxima on both the particle concentration and fluid viscosity to avoid unrealistic limits. In 2-D, the unsteady-state Navier-Stokes equations for compressible fluid flow and the unsteady-state continuity equations applied separately to the water and magnetic particle phases in the slurry were solved simultaneously, along with the Laplace equations for the magnetic potential applied separately to the slurry and wire, to evaluate the velocities and concentrations around the wire in a narrow channel using COMSOL Multiphysics. The results from this model revealed very realistic magnetically attractive and repulsive zones forming in time around the wire. These collection zones formed their own impermeable viscous phase during accumulation that was also magnetic with its area and magnetism impacting locally both the fluid flow and magnetic fields around the wire. These collection zones increased with an increase in the applied magnetic field. For a given set of conditions, the capture ability peaked and then decreased to zero at infinite time during magnetic particle accumulation in the collection zones. Predictions of the collection efficiency from a steady-state, clean collector, trajectory model could not show this behavior; it also agreed only qualitatively with the dynamic model and then only at the early stages of collection and more so at a higher applied magnetic field. Also, the collection zones decreased in size when the accumulation regions included magnetic particle magnetization (realistic) compared to when they excluded it (unrealistic). Overall, this might be the first time a mathematical model was shown to be capable of realistically predicting the dynamic nature of magnetic particle capture and accumulation around a wire in HGMS-type systems.

Performance Analysis of Garbage Collection and Dynamic Reordering in a Lisp System. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Llames, Rene Lim

1991-01-01

Generation based garbage collection and dynamic reordering of objects are two techniques for improving the efficiency of memory management in Lisp and similar dynamic language systems. An analysis of the effect of generation configuration is presented, focusing on the effect of a number of generations and generation capabilities. Analytic timing and survival models are used to represent garbage collection runtime and to derive structural results on its behavior. The survival model provides bounds on the age of objects surviving a garbage collection at a particular level. Empirical results show that execution time is most sensitive to the capacity of the youngest generation. A technique called scanning for transport statistics, for evaluating the effectiveness of reordering independent of main memory size, is presented.

[Phantoms for the collection of genital secretions in stallions].

PubMed

Klug, E; Brinkhoff, D; Flüge, A; Scherbarth, R; Essich, G; Kienzler, M

1977-10-05

Practical experiences of the phantom method for collection of genital secretions from stallions are reported. Taking a phantom used in the Richard-Götze-Haus Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover as a prototype two further models slightly modified have been constructed, baring a flat hollow in the right side of the caudal phantom body for manual inserting of the Artificial Vagina. These three models fulfill four important conditions for routine use: (1) sufficient sexual attractivity for the stallions; 80-85% successful collections of presecretions out of a total of 1050 using the dummy and 70% successful semen collections from more than 240 in total; (2) solid and resistant construction; (3) easy cleaning and desinfection of the surface of the phantom to get representative samples; (4) firm installation on a hygienic floor.

Fake News, Conspiracy Theories, and Lies: An Information Laundering Model for Homeland Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-03-01

THEORIES, AND LIES: AN INFORMATION LAUNDERING MODEL FOR HOMELAND SECURITY by Samantha M. Korta March 2018 Co-Advisors: Rodrigo Nieto...for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing...data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information . Send comments regarding this burden

Adaptive Sampling of Time Series During Remote Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, David R.

2012-01-01

This work deals with the challenge of online adaptive data collection in a time series. A remote sensor or explorer agent adapts its rate of data collection in order to track anomalous events while obeying constraints on time and power. This problem is challenging because the agent has limited visibility (all its datapoints lie in the past) and limited control (it can only decide when to collect its next datapoint). This problem is treated from an information-theoretic perspective, fitting a probabilistic model to collected data and optimizing the future sampling strategy to maximize information gain. The performance characteristics of stationary and nonstationary Gaussian process models are compared. Self-throttling sensors could benefit environmental sensor networks and monitoring as well as robotic exploration. Explorer agents can improve performance by adjusting their data collection rate, preserving scarce power or bandwidth resources during uninteresting times while fully covering anomalous events of interest. For example, a remote earthquake sensor could conserve power by limiting its measurements during normal conditions and increasing its cadence during rare earthquake events. A similar capability could improve sensor platforms traversing a fixed trajectory, such as an exploration rover transect or a deep space flyby. These agents can adapt observation times to improve sample coverage during moments of rapid change. An adaptive sampling approach couples sensor autonomy, instrument interpretation, and sampling. The challenge is addressed as an active learning problem, which already has extensive theoretical treatment in the statistics and machine learning literature. A statistical Gaussian process (GP) model is employed to guide sample decisions that maximize information gain. Nonsta tion - ary (e.g., time-varying) covariance relationships permit the system to represent and track local anomalies, in contrast with current GP approaches. Most common GP models are stationary, e.g., the covariance relationships are time-invariant. In such cases, information gain is independent of previously collected data, and the optimal solution can always be computed in advance. Information-optimal sampling of a stationary GP time series thus reduces to even spacing, and such models are not appropriate for tracking localized anomalies. Additionally, GP model inference can be computationally expensive.

Collective choice in ants: the role of protein and carbohydrates ratios.

PubMed

Arganda, S; Nicolis, S C; Perochain, A; Péchabadens, C; Latil, G; Dussutour, A

2014-10-01

In a foraging context, social insects make collective decisions from individuals responding to local information. When faced with foods varying in quality, ants are known to be able to select the best food source using pheromone trails. Until now, studies investigating collective decisions have focused on single nutrients, mostly carbohydrates. In the environment, the foods available are a complex mixture and are composed of various nutrients, available in different forms. In this paper, we explore the effect of protein to carbohydrate ratio on ants' ability to detect and choose between foods with different protein characteristics (free amino acids or whole proteins). In a two-choice set up, Argentine ants Linepithema humile were presented with two artificial foods containing either whole protein or amino acids in two different dietary conditions: high protein food or high carbohydrate food. At the collective level, when ants were faced with high carbohydrate foods, they did not show a preference between free amino acids or whole proteins, while a preference for free amino acids emerged when choosing between high protein foods. At the individual level, the probability of feeding was higher for high carbohydrates food and for foods containing free amino acids. Two mathematical models were developed to evaluate the importance of feeding probability in collective food selection. A first model in which a forager deposits pheromone only after feeding, and a second model in which a forager always deposits pheromone, but with greater intensity after feeding. Both models were able to predict free amino acid selection, however the second one was better able to reproduce the experimental results suggesting that modulating trail strength according to feeding probability is likely the mechanism explaining amino acid preference at a collective level in Argentine ants. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ThermoFit: A Set of Software Tools, Protocols and Schema for the Organization of Thermodynamic Data and for the Development, Maintenance, and Distribution of Internally Consistent Thermodynamic Data/Model Collections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghiorso, M. S.

2013-12-01

Internally consistent thermodynamic databases are critical resources that facilitate the calculation of heterogeneous phase equilibria and thereby support geochemical, petrological, and geodynamical modeling. These 'databases' are actually derived data/model systems that depend on a diverse suite of physical property measurements, calorimetric data, and experimental phase equilibrium brackets. In addition, such databases are calibrated with the adoption of various models for extrapolation of heat capacities and volumetric equations of state to elevated temperature and pressure conditions. Finally, these databases require specification of thermochemical models for the mixing properties of solid, liquid, and fluid solutions, which are often rooted in physical theory and, in turn, depend on additional experimental observations. The process of 'calibrating' a thermochemical database involves considerable effort and an extensive computational infrastructure. Because of these complexities, the community tends to rely on a small number of thermochemical databases, generated by a few researchers; these databases often have limited longevity and are universally difficult to maintain. ThermoFit is a software framework and user interface whose aim is to provide a modeling environment that facilitates creation, maintenance and distribution of thermodynamic data/model collections. Underlying ThermoFit are data archives of fundamental physical property, calorimetric, crystallographic, and phase equilibrium constraints that provide the essential experimental information from which thermodynamic databases are traditionally calibrated. ThermoFit standardizes schema for accessing these data archives and provides web services for data mining these collections. Beyond simple data management and interoperability, ThermoFit provides a collection of visualization and software modeling tools that streamline the model/database generation process. Most notably, ThermoFit facilitates the rapid visualization of predicted model outcomes and permits the user to modify these outcomes using tactile- or mouse-based GUI interaction, permitting real-time updates that reflect users choices, preferences, and priorities involving derived model results. This ability permits some resolution of the problem of correlated model parameters in the common situation where thermodynamic models must be calibrated from inadequate data resources. The ability also allows modeling constraints to be imposed using natural data and observations (i.e. petrologic or geochemical intuition). Once formulated, ThermoFit facilitates deployment of data/model collections by automated creation of web services. Users consume these services via web-, excel-, or desktop-clients. ThermoFit is currently under active development and not yet generally available; a limited capability prototype system has been coded for Macintosh computers and utilized to construct thermochemical models for H2O-CO2 mixed fluid saturation in silicate liquids. The longer term goal is to release ThermoFit as a web portal application client with server-based cloud computations supporting the modeling environment.

2014 Assessment of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-23

for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of...take several more years to collect the test data needed to adequately VV&A the BMDS M&S required to perform such assessments. As data are collected ...Accreditation is possible only if a sufficient quantity and quality of flight test data have been collected to support model verification and

Risk adjustment model of credit life insurance using a genetic algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saputra, A.; Sukono; Rusyaman, E.

2018-03-01

In managing the risk of credit life insurance, insurance company should acknowledge the character of the risks to predict future losses. Risk characteristics can be learned in a claim distribution model. There are two standard approaches in designing the distribution model of claims over the insurance period i.e, collective risk model and individual risk model. In the collective risk model, the claim arises when risk occurs is called individual claim, accumulation of individual claim during a period of insurance is called an aggregate claim. The aggregate claim model may be formed by large model and a number of individual claims. How the measurement of insurance risk with the premium model approach and whether this approach is appropriate for estimating the potential losses occur in the future. In order to solve the problem Genetic Algorithm with Roulette Wheel Selection is used.

Geo-Semantic Framework for Integrating Long-Tail Data and Model Resources for Advancing Earth System Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elag, M.; Kumar, P.

2014-12-01

Often, scientists and small research groups collect data, which target to address issues and have limited geographic or temporal range. A large number of such collections together constitute a large database that is of immense value to Earth Science studies. Complexity of integrating these data include heterogeneity in dimensions, coordinate systems, scales, variables, providers, users and contexts. They have been defined as long-tail data. Similarly, we use "long-tail models" to characterize a heterogeneous collection of models and/or modules developed for targeted problems by individuals and small groups, which together provide a large valuable collection. Complexity of integrating across these models include differing variable names and units for the same concept, model runs at different time steps and spatial resolution, use of differing naming and reference conventions, etc. Ability to "integrate long-tail models and data" will provide an opportunity for the interoperability and reusability of communities' resources, where not only models can be combined in a workflow, but each model will be able to discover and (re)use data in application specific context of space, time and questions. This capability is essential to represent, understand, predict, and manage heterogeneous and interconnected processes and activities by harnessing the complex, heterogeneous, and extensive set of distributed resources. Because of the staggering production rate of long-tail models and data resulting from the advances in computational, sensing, and information technologies, an important challenge arises: how can geoinformatics bring together these resources seamlessly, given the inherent complexity among model and data resources that span across various domains. We will present a semantic-based framework to support integration of "long-tail" models and data. This builds on existing technologies including: (i) SEAD (Sustainable Environmental Actionable Data) which supports curation and preservation of long-tail data during its life-cycle; (ii) BrownDog, which enhances the machine interpretability of large unstructured and uncurated data; and (iii) CSDMS (Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System), which "componentizes" models by providing plug-and-play environment for models integration.

Investigating the effects of methodological expertise and data randomness on the robustness of crowd-sourced SfM terrain models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratner, Jacqueline; Pyle, David; Mather, Tamsin

2015-04-01

Structure-from-motion (SfM) techniques are now widely available to quickly and cheaply generate digital terrain models (DTMs) from optical imagery. Topography can change rapidly during disaster scenarios and change the nature of local hazards, making ground-based SfM a particularly useful tool in hazard studies due to its low cost, accessibility, and potential for immediate deployment. Our study is designed to serve as an analogue to potential real-world use of the SfM method if employed for disaster risk reduction purposes. Experiments at a volcanic crater in Santorini, Greece, used crowd-sourced data collection to demonstrate the impact of user expertise and randomization of SfM data on the resultant DTM. Three groups of participants representing variable expertise levels utilized 16 different camera models, including four camera phones, to collect 1001 total photos in one hour of data collection. Datasets collected by each group were processed using the free and open source software VisualSFM. The point densities and overall quality of the resultant SfM point clouds were compared against each other and also against a LiDAR dataset for reference to the industry standard. Our results show that the point clouds are resilient to changes in user expertise and collection method and are comparable or even preferable in data density to LiDAR. We find that 'crowd-sourced' data collected by a moderately informed general public yields topography results comparable to those produced with data collected by experts. This means that in a real-world scenario involving participants with a diverse range of expertise levels, topography models could be produced from crowd-sourced data quite rapidly and to a very high standard. This could be beneficial to disaster risk reduction as a relatively quick, simple, and low-cost method to attain a rapidly updated knowledge of terrain attributes, useful for the prediction and mitigation of many natural hazards.

Travelling waves in somitogenesis: Collective cellular properties emerge from time-delayed juxtacrine oscillation coupling.

PubMed

Tomka, Tomas; Iber, Dagmar; Boareto, Marcelo

2018-04-24

The sculpturing of the vertebrate body plan into segments begins with the sequential formation of somites in the presomitic mesoderm (PSM). The rhythmicity of this process is controlled by travelling waves of gene expression. These kinetic waves emerge from coupled cellular oscillators and sweep across the PSM. In zebrafish, the oscillations are driven by autorepression of her genes and are synchronized via Notch signalling. Mathematical modelling has played an important role in explaining how collective properties emerge from the molecular interactions. Increasingly more quantitative experimental data permits the validation of those mathematical models, yet leads to increasingly more complex model formulations that hamper an intuitive understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Here, we review previous efforts, and design a mechanistic model of the her1 oscillator, which represents the experimentally viable her7;hes6 double mutant. This genetically simplified system is ideally suited to conceptually recapitulate oscillatory entrainment and travelling wave formation, and to highlight open questions. It shows that three key parameters, the autorepression delay, the juxtacrine coupling delay, and the coupling strength, are sufficient to understand the emergence of the collective period, the collective amplitude, and the synchronization of neighbouring Her1 oscillators. Moreover, two spatiotemporal time delay gradients, in the autorepression and in the juxtacrine signalling, are required to explain the collective oscillatory dynamics and synchrony of PSM cells. The highlighted developmental principles likely apply more generally to other developmental processes, including neurogenesis and angiogenesis. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

How social information can improve estimation accuracy in human groups.

PubMed

Jayles, Bertrand; Kim, Hye-Rin; Escobedo, Ramón; Cezera, Stéphane; Blanchet, Adrien; Kameda, Tatsuya; Sire, Clément; Theraulaz, Guy

2017-11-21

In our digital and connected societies, the development of social networks, online shopping, and reputation systems raises the questions of how individuals use social information and how it affects their decisions. We report experiments performed in France and Japan, in which subjects could update their estimates after having received information from other subjects. We measure and model the impact of this social information at individual and collective scales. We observe and justify that, when individuals have little prior knowledge about a quantity, the distribution of the logarithm of their estimates is close to a Cauchy distribution. We find that social influence helps the group improve its properly defined collective accuracy. We quantify the improvement of the group estimation when additional controlled and reliable information is provided, unbeknownst to the subjects. We show that subjects' sensitivity to social influence permits us to define five robust behavioral traits and increases with the difference between personal and group estimates. We then use our data to build and calibrate a model of collective estimation to analyze the impact on the group performance of the quantity and quality of information received by individuals. The model quantitatively reproduces the distributions of estimates and the improvement of collective performance and accuracy observed in our experiments. Finally, our model predicts that providing a moderate amount of incorrect information to individuals can counterbalance the human cognitive bias to systematically underestimate quantities and thereby improve collective performance. Copyright © 2017 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

How social information can improve estimation accuracy in human groups

PubMed Central

Jayles, Bertrand; Kim, Hye-rin; Cezera, Stéphane; Blanchet, Adrien; Kameda, Tatsuya; Sire, Clément; Theraulaz, Guy

2017-01-01

In our digital and connected societies, the development of social networks, online shopping, and reputation systems raises the questions of how individuals use social information and how it affects their decisions. We report experiments performed in France and Japan, in which subjects could update their estimates after having received information from other subjects. We measure and model the impact of this social information at individual and collective scales. We observe and justify that, when individuals have little prior knowledge about a quantity, the distribution of the logarithm of their estimates is close to a Cauchy distribution. We find that social influence helps the group improve its properly defined collective accuracy. We quantify the improvement of the group estimation when additional controlled and reliable information is provided, unbeknownst to the subjects. We show that subjects’ sensitivity to social influence permits us to define five robust behavioral traits and increases with the difference between personal and group estimates. We then use our data to build and calibrate a model of collective estimation to analyze the impact on the group performance of the quantity and quality of information received by individuals. The model quantitatively reproduces the distributions of estimates and the improvement of collective performance and accuracy observed in our experiments. Finally, our model predicts that providing a moderate amount of incorrect information to individuals can counterbalance the human cognitive bias to systematically underestimate quantities and thereby improve collective performance. PMID:29118142

Insights from socio-hydrology modelling on dealing with flood risk - Roles of collective memory, risk-taking attitude and trust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viglione, Alberto; Di Baldassarre, Giuliano; Brandimarte, Luigia; Kuil, Linda; Carr, Gemma; Salinas, José Luis; Scolobig, Anna; Blöschl, Günter

2014-10-01

The risk coping culture of a community plays a major role in the development of urban floodplains. In this paper we analyse, in a conceptual way, the interplay of community risk coping culture, flooding damage and economic growth. We particularly focus on three aspects: (i) collective memory, i.e., the capacity of the community to keep risk awareness high; (ii) risk-taking attitude, i.e., the amount of risk the community is collectively willing to be exposed to; and (iii) trust of the community in risk reduction measures. To this end, we use a dynamic model that represents the feedback between the hydrological and social system components. Model results indicate that, on the one hand, by under perceiving the risk of flooding (because of short collective memory and too much trust in flood protection structures) in combination with a high risk-taking attitude, community development is severely limited because of high damages caused by flooding. On the other hand, overestimation of risk (long memory and lack of trust in flood protection structures) leads to lost economic opportunities and recession. There are many scenarios of favourable development resulting from a trade-off between collective memory and trust in risk reduction measures combined with a low to moderate risk-taking attitude. Interestingly, the model gives rise to situations in which the development of the community in the floodplain is path dependent, i.e., the history of flooding may lead to community growth or recession.

Models in animal collective decision-making: information uncertainty and conflicting preferences

PubMed Central

Conradt, Larissa

2012-01-01

Collective decision-making plays a central part in the lives of many social animals. Two important factors that influence collective decision-making are information uncertainty and conflicting preferences. Here, I bring together, and briefly review, basic models relating to animal collective decision-making in situations with information uncertainty and in situations with conflicting preferences between group members. The intention is to give an overview about the different types of modelling approaches that have been employed and the questions that they address and raise. Despite the use of a wide range of different modelling techniques, results show a coherent picture, as follows. Relatively simple cognitive mechanisms can lead to effective information pooling. Groups often face a trade-off between decision accuracy and speed, but appropriate fine-tuning of behavioural parameters could achieve high accuracy while maintaining reasonable speed. The right balance of interdependence and independence between animals is crucial for maintaining group cohesion and achieving high decision accuracy. In conflict situations, a high degree of decision-sharing between individuals is predicted, as well as transient leadership and leadership according to needs and physiological status. Animals often face crucial trade-offs between maintaining group cohesion and influencing the decision outcome in their own favour. Despite the great progress that has been made, there remains one big gap in our knowledge: how do animals make collective decisions in situations when information uncertainty and conflict of interest operate simultaneously? PMID:23565335

Optimisation of MSW collection routes for minimum fuel consumption using 3D GIS modelling.

PubMed

Tavares, G; Zsigraiova, Z; Semiao, V; Carvalho, M G

2009-03-01

Collection of municipal solid waste (MSW) may account for more than 70% of the total waste management budget, most of which is for fuel costs. It is therefore crucial to optimise the routing network used for waste collection and transportation. This paper proposes the use of geographical information systems (GIS) 3D route modelling software for waste collection and transportation, which adds one more degree of freedom to the system and allows driving routes to be optimised for minimum fuel consumption. The model takes into account the effects of road inclination and vehicle weight. It is applied to two different cases: routing waste collection vehicles in the city of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, and routing the transport of waste from different municipalities of Santiago Island to an incineration plant. For the Praia city region, the 3D model that minimised fuel consumption yielded cost savings of 8% as compared with an approach that simply calculated the shortest 3D route. Remarkably, this was true despite the fact that the GIS-recommended fuel reduction route was actually 1.8% longer than the shortest possible travel distance. For the Santiago Island case, the difference was even more significant: a 12% fuel reduction for a similar total travel distance. These figures indicate the importance of considering both the relief of the terrain and fuel consumption in selecting a suitable cost function to optimise vehicle routing.

Leader-based and self-organized communication: modelling group-mass recruitment in ants.

PubMed

Collignon, Bertrand; Deneubourg, Jean Louis; Detrain, Claire

2012-11-21

For collective decisions to be made, the information acquired by experienced individuals about resources' location has to be shared with naïve individuals through recruitment. Here, we investigate the properties of collective responses arising from a leader-based recruitment and a self-organized communication by chemical trails. We develop a generalized model based on biological data drawn from Tetramorium caespitum ant species of which collective foraging relies on the coupling of group leading and trail recruitment. We show that for leader-based recruitment, small groups of recruits have to be guided in a very efficient way to allow a collective exploitation of food while large group requires less attention from their leader. In the case of self-organized recruitment through a chemical trail, a critical value of trail amount has to be laid per forager in order to launch collective food exploitation. Thereafter, ants can maintain collective foraging by emitting signal intensity below this threshold. Finally, we demonstrate how the coupling of both recruitment mechanisms may benefit to collectively foraging species. These theoretical results are then compared with experimental data from recruitment by T. caespitum ant colonies performing group-mass recruitment towards a single food source. We evidence the key role of leaders as initiators and catalysts of recruitment before this leader-based process is overtaken by self-organised communication through trails. This model brings new insights as well as a theoretical background to empirical studies about cooperative foraging in group-living species. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accounting for exhaust gas transport dynamics in instantaneous emission models via smooth transition regression.

PubMed

Kamarianakis, Yiannis; Gao, H Oliver

2010-02-15

Collecting and analyzing high frequency emission measurements has become very usual during the past decade as significantly more information with respect to formation conditions can be collected than from regulated bag measurements. A challenging issue for researchers is the accurate time-alignment between tailpipe measurements and engine operating variables. An alignment procedure should take into account both the reaction time of the analyzers and the dynamics of gas transport in the exhaust and measurement systems. This paper discusses a statistical modeling framework that compensates for variable exhaust transport delay while relating tailpipe measurements with engine operating covariates. Specifically it is shown that some variants of the smooth transition regression model allow for transport delays that vary smoothly as functions of the exhaust flow rate. These functions are characterized by a pair of coefficients that can be estimated via a least-squares procedure. The proposed models can be adapted to encompass inherent nonlinearities that were implicit in previous instantaneous emissions modeling efforts. This article describes the methodology and presents an illustrative application which uses data collected from a diesel bus under real-world driving conditions.

Stress transmission through a model system of cohesionless elastic grains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Da Silva, Miguel; Rajchenbach, Jean

2000-08-01

Understanding the mechanical properties of granular materials is important for applications in civil and chemical engineering, geophysical sciences and the food industry, as well as for the control or prevention of avalanches and landslides. Unlike continuous media, granular materials lack cohesion, and cannot resist tensile stresses. Current descriptions of the mechanical properties of collections of cohesionless grains have relied either on elasto-plastic models classically used in civil engineering, or on a recent model involving hyperbolic equations. The former models suggest that collections of elastic grains submitted to a compressive load will behave elastically. Here we present the results of an experiment on a two-dimensional model system-made of discrete square cells submitted to a point load-in which the region in which the stress is confined is photoelastically visualized as a parabola. These results, which can be interpreted within a statistical framework, demonstrate that the collective response of the pile contradicts the standard elastic predictions and supports a diffusive description of stress transmission. We expect that these findings will be applicable to problems in soil mechanics, such as the behaviour of cohesionless soils or sand piles.

Simulating Flying Insects Using Dynamics and Data-Driven Noise Modeling to Generate Diverse Collective Behaviors

PubMed Central

Ren, Jiaping; Wang, Xinjie; Manocha, Dinesh

2016-01-01

We present a biologically plausible dynamics model to simulate swarms of flying insects. Our formulation, which is based on biological conclusions and experimental observations, is designed to simulate large insect swarms of varying densities. We use a force-based model that captures different interactions between the insects and the environment and computes collision-free trajectories for each individual insect. Furthermore, we model the noise as a constructive force at the collective level and present a technique to generate noise-induced insect movements in a large swarm that are similar to those observed in real-world trajectories. We use a data-driven formulation that is based on pre-recorded insect trajectories. We also present a novel evaluation metric and a statistical validation approach that takes into account various characteristics of insect motions. In practice, the combination of Curl noise function with our dynamics model is used to generate realistic swarm simulations and emergent behaviors. We highlight its performance for simulating large flying swarms of midges, fruit fly, locusts and moths and demonstrate many collective behaviors, including aggregation, migration, phase transition, and escape responses. PMID:27187068

Marangoni-driven chemotaxis, chemotactic collapse, and the Keller-Segel equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shelley, Michael; Masoud, Hassan

2013-11-01

Almost by definition, chemotaxis involves the biased motion of motile particles along gradients of a chemical concentration field. Perhaps the most famous model for collective chemotaxis in mathematical biology is the Keller-Segel model, conceived to describe collective aggregation of slime mold colonies in response to an intrinsically produced, and diffusing, chemo-attractant. Heavily studied, particularly in 2D where the system is ``super-critical'', it has been proved that the KS model can develop finite-time singularities - so-called chemotactic collapse - of delta-function type. Here, we study the collective dynamics of immotile particles bound to a 2D interface above a 3D fluid. These particles are chemically active and produce a diffusing field that creates surface-tension gradients along the surface. The resultant Marangoni stresses create flows that carry the particles, possibly concentrating them. Remarkably, we show that this system involving 3D diffusion and fluid dynamics, exactly yields the 2D Keller-Segel model for the surface-flow of active particles. We discuss the consequences of collapse on the 3D fluid dynamics, and generalizations of the fluid-dynamical model.

From behavioural analyses to models of collective motion in fish schools

PubMed Central

Lopez, Ugo; Gautrais, Jacques; Couzin, Iain D.; Theraulaz, Guy

2012-01-01

Fish schooling is a phenomenon of long-lasting interest in ethology and ecology, widely spread across taxa and ecological contexts, and has attracted much interest from statistical physics and theoretical biology as a case of self-organized behaviour. One topic of intense interest is the search of specific behavioural mechanisms at stake at the individual level and from which the school properties emerges. This is fundamental for understanding how selective pressure acting at the individual level promotes adaptive properties of schools and in trying to disambiguate functional properties from non-adaptive epiphenomena. Decades of studies on collective motion by means of individual-based modelling have allowed a qualitative understanding of the self-organization processes leading to collective properties at school level, and provided an insight into the behavioural mechanisms that result in coordinated motion. Here, we emphasize a set of paradigmatic modelling assumptions whose validity remains unclear, both from a behavioural point of view and in terms of quantitative agreement between model outcome and empirical data. We advocate for a specific and biologically oriented re-examination of these assumptions through experimental-based behavioural analysis and modelling. PMID:24312723

Dynamic social networks based on movement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scharf, Henry; Hooten, Mevin B.; Fosdick, Bailey K.; Johnson, Devin S.; London, Joshua M.; Durban, John W.

2016-01-01

Network modeling techniques provide a means for quantifying social structure in populations of individuals. Data used to define social connectivity are often expensive to collect and based on case-specific, ad hoc criteria. Moreover, in applications involving animal social networks, collection of these data is often opportunistic and can be invasive. Frequently, the social network of interest for a given population is closely related to the way individuals move. Thus, telemetry data, which are minimally invasive and relatively inexpensive to collect, present an alternative source of information. We develop a framework for using telemetry data to infer social relationships among animals. To achieve this, we propose a Bayesian hierarchical model with an underlying dynamic social network controlling movement of individuals via two mechanisms: an attractive effect and an aligning effect. We demonstrate the model and its ability to accurately identify complex social behavior in simulation, and apply our model to telemetry data arising from killer whales. Using auxiliary information about the study population, we investigate model validity and find the inferred dynamic social network is consistent with killer whale ecology and expert knowledge.

From Collectives to Collective Decision-Making and Action: Farmer Field Schools in Vietnam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van de Fliert, Elske; Dung, Ngo Tien; Henriksen, Ole; Dalsgaard, Jens Peter Tang

2007-01-01

In 1992, even before a formalized agricultural extension system existed, the Farmer Field School was introduced in Vietnam as a farmer education methodology aiming at enhancing farmers' agroecological knowledge, critical skills and collective action to support sustainable agricultural development. Over the years, the model saw a wide range of…

Hierarchy of the Collective Effects in Water Clusters.

PubMed

Bakó, Imre; Mayer, István

2016-02-04

The results of dipole moment as well as of intra- and intermolecular bond order calculations indicate the big importance of collective electrostatic effects caused by the nonimmediate environment in liquid water models. It is also discussed how these collective effects are built up as consequences of the electrostatic and quantum chemical interactions in water clusters.

Navigating the Parallel Universe: Education for Collection Management in the Electronic Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blake, Virgil L. P.; Surprenant, Thomas T.

2000-01-01

Focuses on the selection and decision-making aspects of the Edelmen model of collection development. Reviews challenges facing library/information studies education and the place of collection development within that context. Considers implications for the library/information center of the rise of a new class of resources. Suggests that a more…

Collective Learning: A Way over the Ridge to a New Organizational Attractor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Backstrom, Tomas

2004-01-01

A theoretical model of collective learning has been developed based on complex systems theory. The need for collective learning is illustrated by an empirical study of an "unsuccessful" organizational-renewal project in a Swedish Telecom firm. The conclusion, using chaordic systems thinking as a diagnostic framework, is that its interior…

Collective Trust: A Social Indicator of Instructional Capacity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Curt M.

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to test the validity of using collective trust as a social indicator of instructional capacity. Design/methodology/approach: A hypothesized model was advanced for the empirical investigation. Collective trust was specified as a latent construct with observable indicators being principal trust in faculty (PTF),…

Computational Psychometrics for Modeling System Dynamics during Stressful Disasters

PubMed Central

Cipresso, Pietro; Bessi, Alessandro; Colombo, Desirée; Pedroli, Elisa; Riva, Giuseppe

2017-01-01

Disasters can be very stressful events. However, computational models of stress require data that might be very difficult to collect during disasters. Moreover, personal experiences are not repeatable, so it is not possible to collect bottom-up information when building a coherent model. To overcome these problems, we propose the use of computational models and virtual reality integration to recreate disaster situations, while examining possible dynamics in order to understand human behavior and relative consequences. By providing realistic parameters associated with disaster situations, computational scientists can work more closely with emergency responders to improve the quality of interventions in the future. PMID:28861026

Development of a Conceptual Chum Salmon Emergence Model for Ives Island

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

Murray, Christopher J.; Geist, David R.; Arntzen, Evan V.

2011-02-09

The objective of the study described herein was to develop a conceptual model of chum salmon emergence that was based on empirical water temperature of the riverbed and river in specific locations where chum salmon spawn in the Ives Island area. The conceptual model was developed using water temperature data that have been collected in the past and are currently being collected in the Ives Island area. The model will be useful to system operators who need to estimate the complete distribution of chum salmon emergence (first emergence through final emergence) in order to balance chum salmon redd protection andmore » power system operation.« less

Key data elements for use in cost-utility modeling of biological treatments for rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Ganz, Michael L; Hansen, Brian Bekker; Valencia, Xavier; Strandberg-Larsen, Martin

2015-05-01

Economic evaluation is becoming more common and important as new biologic therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are developed. While much has been published about how to design cost-utility models for RA to conduct these evaluations, less has been written about the sources of data populating those models. The goal is to review the literature and to provide recommendations for future data collection efforts. This study reviewed RA cost-utility models published between January 2006 and February 2014 focusing on five key sources of data (health-related quality-of-life and utility, clinical outcomes, disease progression, course of treatment, and healthcare resource use and costs). It provided recommendations for collecting the appropriate data during clinical and other studies to support modeling of biologic treatments for RA. Twenty-four publications met the selection criteria. Almost all used two steps to convert clinical outcomes data to utilities rather than more direct methods; most did not use clinical outcomes measures that captured absolute levels of disease activity and physical functioning; one-third of them, in contrast with clinical reality, assumed zero disease progression for biologic-treated patients; little more than half evaluated courses of treatment reflecting guideline-based or actual clinical care; and healthcare resource use and cost data were often incomplete. Based on these findings, it is recommended that future studies collect clinical outcomes and health-related quality-of-life data using appropriate instruments that can convert directly to utilities; collect data on actual disease progression; be designed to capture real-world courses of treatment; and collect detailed data on a wide range of healthcare resources and costs.

The limitation of the proposed collection efficiency for fiber probes on the visible and near-infrared diffuse spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Linna; Ding, Hongyan; Lin, Ling; Wang, Yimin; Guo, Xin

2017-12-01

A fiber is usually used as a probe in visible and near-infrared diffuse spectra measurement. However, the use of different fiber probes in the same measurement may cause data mismatch problems. Our group has researched the influence of the parameters of fiber probe, including the aperture angle, on the diffuse spectrum by a modified Monte Carlo model. To eliminate the influence of the aperture angle, we proposed a fitted equation of correction coefficient to correct its difference in practical range. However, we did not discuss the limitation of this method. In this work, we explored the collection efficiency in different optical environment with Monte Carlo simulation method, and find the suitable conditions-weak absorbing and strong scattering media, for the proposed collection efficiency. Furthermore, we tried to explain the stability of the collection efficiency in this condition. This work gives suitable conditions for the collection efficiency. The use of collection efficiency can help reduce the influence of different measurement systems and is also helpful to the model translation.

Development and Calibration of Two-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Model of the Tanana River near Tok, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conaway, Jeffrey S.; Moran, Edward H.

2004-01-01

Bathymetric and hydraulic data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey on the Tanana River in proximity to Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities' bridge number 505 at mile 80.5 of the Alaska Highway. Data were collected from August 7-9, 2002, over an approximate 5,000- foot reach of the river. These data were combined with topographic data provided by Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to generate a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model. The hydrodynamic model was calibrated with water-surface elevations, flow velocities, and flow directions collected at a discharge of 25,600 cubic feet per second. The calibrated model was then used for a simulation of the 100-year recurrence interval discharge of 51,900 cubic feet per second. The existing bridge piers were removed from the model geometry in a second simulation to model the hydraulic conditions in the channel without the piers' influence. The water-surface elevations, flow velocities, and flow directions from these simulations can be used to evaluate the influence of the piers on flow hydraulics and will assist the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities in the design of a replacement bridge.

Hydrologic Process-oriented Optimization of Electrical Resistivity Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinnell, A.; Bechtold, M.; Ferre, T. A.; van der Kruk, J.

2010-12-01

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is commonly used in hydrologic investigations. Advances in joint and coupled hydrogeophysical inversion have enhanced the quantitative use of ERT to construct and condition hydrologic models (i.e. identify hydrologic structure and estimate hydrologic parameters). However the selection of which electrical resistivity data to collect and use is often determined by a combination of data requirements for geophysical analysis, intuition on the part of the hydrogeophysicist and logistical constraints of the laboratory or field site. One of the advantages of coupled hydrogeophysical inversion is the direct link between the hydrologic model and the individual geophysical data used to condition the model. That is, there is no requirement to collect geophysical data suitable for independent geophysical inversion. The geophysical measurements collected can be optimized for estimation of hydrologic model parameters rather than to develop a geophysical model. Using a synthetic model of drip irrigation we evaluate the value of individual resistivity measurements to describe the soil hydraulic properties and then use this information to build a data set optimized for characterizing hydrologic processes. We then compare the information content in the optimized data set with the information content in a data set optimized using a Jacobian sensitivity analysis.

Massive metrology using fast e-beam technology improves OPC model accuracy by >2x at faster turnaround time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Qian; Wang, Lei; Wang, Jazer; Wang, ChangAn; Shi, Hong-Fei; Guerrero, James; Feng, Mu; Zhang, Qiang; Liang, Jiao; Guo, Yunbo; Zhang, Chen; Wallow, Tom; Rio, David; Wang, Lester; Wang, Alvin; Wang, Jen-Shiang; Gronlund, Keith; Lang, Jun; Koh, Kar Kit; Zhang, Dong Qing; Zhang, Hongxin; Krishnamurthy, Subramanian; Fei, Ray; Lin, Chiawen; Fang, Wei; Wang, Fei

2018-03-01

Classical SEM metrology, CD-SEM, uses low data rate and extensive frame-averaging technique to achieve high-quality SEM imaging for high-precision metrology. The drawbacks include prolonged data collection time and larger photoresist shrinkage due to excess electron dosage. This paper will introduce a novel e-beam metrology system based on a high data rate, large probe current, and ultra-low noise electron optics design. At the same level of metrology precision, this high speed e-beam metrology system could significantly shorten data collection time and reduce electron dosage. In this work, the data collection speed is higher than 7,000 images per hr. Moreover, a novel large field of view (LFOV) capability at high resolution was enabled by an advanced electron deflection system design. The area coverage by LFOV is >100x larger than classical SEM. Superior metrology precision throughout the whole image has been achieved, and high quality metrology data could be extracted from full field. This new capability on metrology will further improve metrology data collection speed to support the need for large volume of metrology data from OPC model calibration of next generation technology. The shrinking EPE (Edge Placement Error) budget places more stringent requirement on OPC model accuracy, which is increasingly limited by metrology errors. In the current practice of metrology data collection and data processing to model calibration flow, CD-SEM throughput becomes a bottleneck that limits the amount of metrology measurements available for OPC model calibration, impacting pattern coverage and model accuracy especially for 2D pattern prediction. To address the trade-off in metrology sampling and model accuracy constrained by the cycle time requirement, this paper employs the high speed e-beam metrology system and a new computational software solution to take full advantage of the large volume data and significantly reduce both systematic and random metrology errors. The new computational software enables users to generate large quantity of highly accurate EP (Edge Placement) gauges and significantly improve design pattern coverage with up to 5X gain in model prediction accuracy on complex 2D patterns. Overall, this work showed >2x improvement in OPC model accuracy at a faster model turn-around time.

76 FR 15004 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-18

... computer software-based models or applications, termed under the rule as ``interactive websites.'' These... information; (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) Ways...

A software engineering perspective on environmental modeling framework design: The object modeling system

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The environmental modeling community has historically been concerned with the proliferation of models and the effort associated with collective model development tasks (e.g., code generation, data provisioning and transformation, etc.). Environmental modeling frameworks (EMFs) have been developed to...

Theory of collective opinion shifts: from smooth trends to abrupt swings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michard, Q.; Bouchaud, J.-P.

2005-09-01

We unveil collective effects induced by imitation and social pressure by analyzing data from three different sources: birth rates, sales of cell phones and the drop of applause in concert halls. We interpret our results within the framework of the Random Field Ising Model, which is a threshold model for collective decisions accounting both for agent heterogeneity and social imitation. Changes of opinion can occur either abruptly or continuously, depending on the importance of herding effects. The main prediction of the model is a scaling relation between the height h of the speed of variation peak and its width w of the form h ˜w-κ, with κ= 2/3 for well connected populations. Our three sets of data are compatible with such a prediction, with κ≈0.62 for birth rates, κ≈0.71 for cell phones and κ≈0.64 for clapping. In this last case, we in fact observe that some clapping samples end discontinuously (w=0), as predicted by the model for strong enough imitation.

Modeling the Emergence of Modular Leadership Hierarchy During the Collective Motion of Herds Made of Harems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozogány, Katalin; Vicsek, Tamás

2015-02-01

Gregarious animals need to make collective decisions in order to keep their cohesiveness. Several species of them live in multilevel societies, and form herds composed of smaller communities. We present a model for the development of a leadership hierarchy in a herd consisting of loosely connected sub-groups (e.g. harems) by combining self organization and social dynamics. It starts from unfamiliar individuals without relationships and reproduces the emergence of a hierarchical and modular leadership network that promotes an effective spreading of the decisions from more capable individuals to the others, and thus gives rise to a beneficial collective decision. Our results stemming from the model are in a good agreement with our observations of a Przewalski horse herd (Hortobágy, Hungary). We find that the harem-leader to harem-member ratio observed in Przewalski horses corresponds to an optimal network in this approach regarding common success, and that the observed and modeled harem size distributions are close to a lognormal.

Optimization of municipal solid waste transportation by integrating GIS analysis, equation-based, and agent-based model.

PubMed

Nguyen-Trong, Khanh; Nguyen-Thi-Ngoc, Anh; Nguyen-Ngoc, Doanh; Dinh-Thi-Hai, Van

2017-01-01

The amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) has been increasing steadily over the last decade by reason of population rising and waste generation rate. In most of the urban areas, disposal sites are usually located outside of the urban areas due to the scarcity of land. There is no fixed route map for transportation. The current waste collection and transportation are already overloaded arising from the lack of facilities and insufficient resources. In this paper, a model for optimizing municipal solid waste collection will be proposed. Firstly, the optimized plan is developed in a static context, and then it is integrated into a dynamic context using multi-agent based modelling and simulation. A case study related to Hagiang City, Vietnam, is presented to show the efficiency of the proposed model. From the optimized results, it has been found that the cost of the MSW collection is reduced by 11.3%. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing New GRAV-D Airborne Gravimetry Collected over the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmes, S. A.; Li, X.; Roman, D. R.

2013-12-01

The U.S. National Geodetic Survey [NGS], through their Gravity for the Redefinition of the American Vertical Datum [GRAV-D] program, is updating its terrestrial gravimetry holdings by flying new airborne gravity surveys over a large fraction of the USA and its territories. By 2020, NGS intends that all orthometric heights in the USA will be determined in the field by using a reliable national gravimetric geoid model to transform from geodetic heights obtained from GPS. Towards this end, the newly-collected airborne-gravimety is repeatedly evaluated by using it to support experimental gravitational models and gravimetric geoids, and then comparing these against independent data sets, such as ';satgrav' models (GRACE/GOCE), GPS/Leveling, astronomical vertical defections, and others. Here we show some results from these tests for GRAV-D airborne gravimetry collected over 2012/2013.

Deformed Calogero-Sutherland model and fractional quantum Hall effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atai, Farrokh; Langmann, Edwin

2017-01-01

The deformed Calogero-Sutherland (CS) model is a quantum integrable system with arbitrary numbers of two types of particles and reducing to the standard CS model in special cases. We show that a known collective field description of the CS model, which is based on conformal field theory (CFT), is actually a collective field description of the deformed CS model. This provides a natural application of the deformed CS model in Wen's effective field theory of the fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE), with the two kinds of particles corresponding to electrons and quasi-hole excitations. In particular, we use known mathematical results about super-Jack polynomials to obtain simple explicit formulas for the orthonormal CFT basis proposed by van Elburg and Schoutens in the context of the FQHE.

Performability modeling based on real data: A case study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsueh, M. C.; Iyer, R. K.; Trivedi, K. S.

1988-01-01

Described is a measurement-based performability model based on error and resource usage data collected on a multiprocessor system. A method for identifying the model structure is introduced and the resulting model is validated against real data. Model development from the collection of raw data to the estimation of the expected reward is described. Both normal and error behavior of the system are characterized. The measured data show that the holding times in key operational and error states are not simple exponentials and that a semi-Markov process is necessary to model system behavior. A reward function, based on the service rate and the error rate in each state, is then defined in order to estimate the performability of the system and to depict the cost of apparent types of errors.

Performability modeling based on real data: A casestudy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsueh, M. C.; Iyer, R. K.; Trivedi, K. S.

1987-01-01

Described is a measurement-based performability model based on error and resource usage data collected on a multiprocessor system. A method for identifying the model structure is introduced and the resulting model is validated against real data. Model development from the collection of raw data to the estimation of the expected reward is described. Both normal and error behavior of the system are characterized. The measured data show that the holding times in key operational and error states are not simple exponentials and that a semi-Markov process is necessary to model the system behavior. A reward function, based on the service rate and the error rate in each state, is then defined in order to estimate the performability of the system and to depict the cost of different types of errors.

Photogrammetry using Apollo 16 orbital photography, part B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, S. S. C.; Schafer, F. J.; Jordan, R.; Nakata, G. M.

1972-01-01

Discussion is made of the Apollo 15 and 16 metric and panoramic cameras which provided photographs for accurate topographic portrayal of the lunar surface using photogrammetric methods. Nine stereoscopic models of Apollo 16 metric photographs and three models of panoramic photographs were evaluated photogrammetrically in support of the Apollo 16 geologic investigations. Four of the models were used to collect profile data for crater morphology studies; three models were used to collect evaluation data for the frequency distributions of lunar slopes; one model was used to prepare a map of the Apollo 16 traverse area; and one model was used to determine elevations of the Cayley Formation. The remaining three models were used to test photogrammetric techniques using oblique metric and panoramic camera photographs. Two preliminary contour maps were compiled and a high-oblique metric photograph was rectified.

Collective behavior in animal groups: theoretical models and empirical studies

PubMed Central

Giardina, Irene

2008-01-01

Collective phenomena in animal groups have attracted much attention in the last years, becoming one of the hottest topics in ethology. There are various reasons for this. On the one hand, animal grouping provides a paradigmatic example of self-organization, where collective behavior emerges in absence of centralized control. The mechanism of group formation, where local rules for the individuals lead to a coherent global state, is very general and transcends the detailed nature of its components. In this respect, collective animal behavior is a subject of great interdisciplinary interest. On the other hand, there are several important issues related to the biological function of grouping and its evolutionary success. Research in this field boasts a number of theoretical models, but much less empirical results to compare with. For this reason, even if the general mechanisms through which self-organization is achieved are qualitatively well understood, a quantitative test of the models assumptions is still lacking. New analysis on large groups, which require sophisticated technological procedures, can provide the necessary empirical data. PMID:19404431

Consent process for US-based family reference DNA samples.

PubMed

Katsanis, Sara H; Snyder, Lindsey; Arnholt, Kelly; Mundorff, Amy Z

2018-01-01

DNA collection from family members of the missing is a tenet for missing persons' and mass fatality investigations. Procedures for consenting family members are disparate, depending on the context supporting the reason for sample collection. While guidelines and best practices have been developed for handling mass fatalities and for identification of the missing, these guidelines do not address standard consent practices for living family members of potential victims. We examined the relevant U.S. laws, international guidelines and best practices, sampled consent forms currently used for DNA collection of family members, and drafted model language for a consent form to communicate the required and recommended information. We modeled the consent form on biobank consenting practices and tested the consent language among students and the general population for constructive feedback and readability. We also asked respondents to consider the options for DNA collection and either hypothetically agree or disagree. The model language presented here highlights information important to relay in consent processes and can serve as a foundation for future consent practices in mass fatalities and missing persons' investigations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Shall We Go for a Ride? A Conversation about the Role of the Staten Island Historical Society's Model T

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedman, Maxine

2011-01-01

This article, which focuses on a 1913 Model T touring car in the permanent collection of the Staten Island Historical Society, looks at the challenges faced by historic sites in attempting to care for and preserve their artifact collections while still making them accessible to the public. It documents the step-by-step process undertaken by the…

A Demonstration Pilot Project of Comprehensive Library Services for the Aged in Selected Communities in Kentucky (NRTA/AARP Kentucky Library Project). Final Report, Phase 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Lawrence O.

The project, intended to design and field test models of specialized library services for older adults, was conducted in two parts. Phase 1 consisted of collecting and evaluating data for use in designing models in Louisville, Lexington, Somerset, and Hazard, Kentucky. Data was collected by search of the literature, personal interviews, a…

Physics of fashion fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donangelo, R.; Hansen, A.; Sneppen, K.; Souza, S. R.

2000-12-01

We consider a market where many agents trade different types of products with each other. We model development of collective modes in this market, and quantify these by fluctuations that scale with time with a Hurst exponent of about 0.7. We demonstrate that individual products in the model occasionally become globally accepted means of exchange, and simultaneously become very actively traded. Thus collective features similar to money spontaneously emerge, without any a priori reason.

Conceptual Model on Application of Chi-Square Test in Education and Social Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onchiri, Sureiman

2013-01-01

Whenever you think you have an idea of how something works, you have a mental model. That is, in effect, a layman's way of talking about having an hypothesis. The hypothesis needs to be tested for how closely it fits reality--and reality is the data collected from an experiment. So the data is collected on the few and compared with a few…

Adaptive Control of a Utility-Scale Wind Turbine Operating in Region 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frost, Susan A.; Balas, Mark J.; Wright, Alan D.

2009-01-01

Adaptive control techniques are well suited to nonlinear applications, such as wind turbines, which are difficult to accurately model and which have effects from poorly known operating environments. The turbulent and unpredictable conditions in which wind turbines operate create many challenges for their operation. In this paper, we design an adaptive collective pitch controller for a high-fidelity simulation of a utility scale, variable-speed horizontal axis wind turbine. The objective of the adaptive pitch controller in Region 3 is to regulate generator speed and reject step disturbances. The control objective is accomplished by collectively pitching the turbine blades. We use an extension of the Direct Model Reference Adaptive Control (DMRAC) approach to track a reference point and to reject persistent disturbances. The turbine simulation models the Controls Advanced Research Turbine (CART) of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. The CART is a utility-scale wind turbine which has a well-developed and extensively verified simulator. The adaptive collective pitch controller for Region 3 was compared in simulations with a bas celliansesical Proportional Integrator (PI) collective pitch controller. In the simulations, the adaptive pitch controller showed improved speed regulation in Region 3 when compared with the baseline PI pitch controller and it demonstrated robustness to modeling errors.

Hierarchical Surface Architecture of Plants as an Inspiration for Biomimetic Fog Collectors.

PubMed

Azad, M A K; Barthlott, W; Koch, K

2015-12-08

Fog collectors can enable us to alleviate the water crisis in certain arid regions of the world. A continuous fog-collection cycle consisting of a persistent capture of fog droplets and their fast transport to the target is a prerequisite for developing an efficient fog collector. In regard to this topic, a biological superior design has been found in the hierarchical surface architecture of barley (Hordeum vulgare) awns. We demonstrate here the highly wettable (advancing contact angle 16° ± 2.7 and receding contact angle 9° ± 2.6) barbed (barb = conical structure) awn as a model to develop optimized fog collectors with a high fog-capturing capability, an effective water transport, and above all an efficient fog collection. We compare the fog-collection efficiency of the model sample with other plant samples naturally grown in foggy habitats that are supposed to be very efficient fog collectors. The model sample, consisting of dry hydrophilized awns (DH awns), is found to be about twice as efficient (fog-collection rate 563.7 ± 23.2 μg/cm(2) over 10 min) as any other samples investigated under controlled experimental conditions. Finally, a design based on the hierarchical surface architecture of the model sample is proposed for the development of optimized biomimetic fog collectors.

Multiagency Urban Search Experiment Detector and Algorithm Test Bed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicholson, Andrew D.; Garishvili, Irakli; Peplow, Douglas E.; Archer, Daniel E.; Ray, William R.; Swinney, Mathew W.; Willis, Michael J.; Davidson, Gregory G.; Cleveland, Steven L.; Patton, Bruce W.; Hornback, Donald E.; Peltz, James J.; McLean, M. S. Lance; Plionis, Alexander A.; Quiter, Brian J.; Bandstra, Mark S.

2017-07-01

In order to provide benchmark data sets for radiation detector and algorithm development, a particle transport test bed has been created using experimental data as model input and validation. A detailed radiation measurement campaign at the Combined Arms Collective Training Facility in Fort Indiantown Gap, PA (FTIG), USA, provides sample background radiation levels for a variety of materials present at the site (including cinder block, gravel, asphalt, and soil) using long dwell high-purity germanium (HPGe) measurements. In addition, detailed light detection and ranging data and ground-truth measurements inform model geometry. This paper describes the collected data and the application of these data to create background and injected source synthetic data for an arbitrary gamma-ray detection system using particle transport model detector response calculations and statistical sampling. In the methodology presented here, HPGe measurements inform model source terms while detector response calculations are validated via long dwell measurements using 2"×4"×16" NaI(Tl) detectors at a variety of measurement points. A collection of responses, along with sampling methods and interpolation, can be used to create data sets to gauge radiation detector and algorithm (including detection, identification, and localization) performance under a variety of scenarios. Data collected at the FTIG site are available for query, filtering, visualization, and download at muse.lbl.gov.

Modeling human-flood interactions: Collective action and community resilience.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, D. J.; Sangwan, N.; Sung, K.

2016-12-01

Stylized models of socio-hydrology have mainly used social memory aspects such as community awareness or sensitivity to connect hydrologic change and social response. However, social memory alone does not satisfactorily capture the details of how human behavior is translated into collective action for water resources governance. Nor is it the only mechanism by which the two-way feedbacks of socio-hydrology can be operationalized. This study contributes towards bridging of this gap by developing a stylized model of a human-flood system that includes two additional drivers of change: (1) institutions for collective action, and (2) connections to an external economic system. Motivated by the case of community-managed flood protection systems (polders) in coastal Bangladesh, we use the model to understand critical general features that affect long-term resilience of human-flood systems. Our findings suggest that occasional adversity can enhance long-term resilience. Allowing some hydrological variability to enter into the polder can increase its adaptive capacity and resilience through the preservation of social memory and institutions for collective action. Further, there are potential tradeoffs associated with optimization of flood resilience through structural measures. By reducing sensitivity to flooding, the system may become more fragile under the double impact of flooding and economic change

Comparisons of a Constrained Least Squares Model versus Human-in-the-Loop for Spectral Unmixing to Determine Material Type of GEO Debris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abercromby, Kira J.; Rapp, Jason; Bedard, Donald; Seitzer, Patrick; Cardona, Tommaso; Cowardin, Heather; Barker, Ed; Lederer, Susan

2013-01-01

Spectral reflectance data through the visible regime was collected at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile using an imaging spectrograph on one of the twin 6.5-m Magellan telescopes. The data were obtained on 1-2 May 2012 on the 'Landon Clay' telescope with the LDSS3 (Low Dispersion Survey Spectrograph 3). Five pieces of Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO) or near-GEO debris were identified and observed with an exposure time of 30 seconds on average. In addition, laboratory spectral reflectance data was collected using an Analytical Spectral Device (ASD) field spectrometer at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo on several typical common spacecraft materials including solar cells, circuit boards, various Kapton materials used for multi-layer insulation, and various paints. The remotely collected data and the laboratory-acquired data were then incorporated in a newly developed model that uses a constrained least squares method to unmix the spectrum in specific material components. The results of this model are compared to the previous method of a human-in-the-loop (considered here the traditional method) that identifies possible material components by varying the materials and percentages until a spectral match is obtained. The traditional model was found to match the remotely collected spectral data after it had been divided by the continuum to remove the space weathering effects, or a reddening of the materials. The constrained least-squares model also used the de-reddened spectra as inputs and the results were consistent with those obtained through the traditional method. For comparison, a first-order examination of including reddening effects into the constrained least-squares model will be explored and comparisons to the remotely collected data will be examined. The identification of each object s suspected material component will be discussed herein.

Comparisons of a Constrained Least Squares Model Versus Human-in-the-Loop for Spectral Unmixing to Determine Material Type of GEO Debris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rapp, Jason; Abercromby, Kira J.; Bedard, Donald; Seitzer, Patrick; Cardona, Tommaso; Cowardin, Heather; Barker, Ed; Lederer, Susan

2012-01-01

Spectral reflectance data through the visible regime was collected at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile using an imaging spectrograph on one of the twin 6.5-m Magellan telescopes. The data were obtained on 1-2 May 2012 on the 'Landon Clay' telescope with the LDSS3 (Low Dispersion Survey Spectrograph 3). Five pieces of Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO) or near-GEO debris were identified and observed with an exposure time of 30 seconds on average. In addition, laboratory spectral reflectance data was collected using an Analytical Spectral Device (ASD) field spectrometer at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo on several typical common spacecraft materials including solar cells, circuit boards, various Kapton materials used for multi-layer insulation, and various paints. The remotely collected data and the laboratory-acquired data were then incorporated in a newly developed model that uses a constrained least squares method to unmix the spectrum in specific material components. The results of this model are compared to the previous method of a human-in-the-loop (considered here the traditional method) that identifies possible material components by varying the materials and percentages until a spectral match is obtained. The traditional model was found to match the remotely collected spectral data after it had been divided by the continuum to remove the space weathering effects, or a "reddening" of the materials. The constrained least-squares model also used the de-reddened spectra as inputs and the results were consistent with those obtained through the traditional method. For comparison, a first-order examination of including reddening effects into the constrained least-squares model will be explored and comparisons to the remotely collected data will be examined. The identification of each object's suspected material component will be discussed herein.

Anthropometric data reduction using confirmatory factor analysis.

PubMed

Rohani, Jafri Mohd; Olusegun, Akanbi Gabriel; Rani, Mat Rebi Abdul

2014-01-01

The unavailability of anthropometric data especially in developing countries has remained a limiting factor towards the design of learning facilities with sufficient ergonomic consideration. Attempts to use anthropometric data from developed countries have led to provision of school facilities unfit for the users. The purpose of this paper is to use factor analysis to investigate the suitability of the collected anthropometric data as a database for school design in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Anthropometric data were collected from 288 male students in a Federal Polytechnic in North-West of Nigeria. Their age is between 18-25 years. Nine vertical anthropometric dimensions related to heights were collected using the conventional traditional equipment. Exploratory factor analysis was used to categorize the variables into a model consisting of two factors. Thereafter, confirmatory factor analysis was used to investigate the fit of the data to the proposed model. A just identified model, made of two factors, each with three variables was developed. The variables within the model accounted for 81% of the total variation of the entire data. The model was found to demonstrate adequate validity and reliability. Various measuring indices were used to verify that the model fits the data properly. The final model reveals that stature height and eye height sitting were the most stable variables for designs that have to do with standing and sitting construct. The study has shown the application of factor analysis in anthropometric data analysis. The study highlighted the relevance of these statistical tools to investigate variability among anthropometric data involving diverse population, which has not been widely used for analyzing previous anthropometric data. The collected data is therefore suitable for use while designing for Nigerian students.

3D Visualization of Urban Area Using Lidar Technology and CityGML

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popovic, Dragana; Govedarica, Miro; Jovanovic, Dusan; Radulovic, Aleksandra; Simeunovic, Vlado

2017-12-01

3D models of urban areas have found use in modern world such as navigation, cartography, urban planning visualization, construction, tourism and even in new applications of mobile navigations. With the advancement of technology there are much better solutions for mapping earth’s surface and spatial objects. 3D city model enables exploration, analysis, management tasks and presentation of a city. Urban areas consist of terrain surfaces, buildings, vegetation and other parts of city infrastructure such as city furniture. Nowadays there are a lot of different methods for collecting, processing and publishing 3D models of area of interest. LIDAR technology is one of the most effective methods for collecting data due the large amount data that can be obtained with high density and geometrical accuracy. CityGML is open standard data model for storing alphanumeric and geometry attributes of city. There are 5 levels of display (LoD0, LoD1, LoD2, LoD3, LoD4). In this study, main aim is to represent part of urban area of Novi Sad using LIDAR technology, for data collecting, and different methods for extraction of information’s using CityGML as a standard for 3D representation. By using series of programs, it is possible to process collected data, transform it to CityGML and store it in spatial database. Final product is CityGML 3D model which can display textures and colours in order to give a better insight of the cities. This paper shows results of the first three levels of display. They consist of digital terrain model and buildings with differentiated rooftops and differentiated boundary surfaces. Complete model gives us a realistic view of 3D objects.

Hierarchical modeling of population stability and species group attributes from survey data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sauer, J.R.; Link, W.A.

2002-01-01

Many ecological studies require analysis of collections of estimates. For example, population change is routinely estimated for many species from surveys such as the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), and the species are grouped and used in comparative analyses. We developed a hierarchical model for estimation of group attributes from a collection of estimates of population trend. The model uses information from predefined groups of species to provide a context and to supplement data for individual species; summaries of group attributes are improved by statistical methods that simultaneously analyze collections of trend estimates. The model is Bayesian; trends are treated as random variables rather than fixed parameters. We use Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods to fit the model. Standard assessments of population stability cannot distinguish magnitude of trend and statistical significance of trend estimates, but the hierarchical model allows us to legitimately describe the probability that a trend is within given bounds. Thus we define population stability in terms of the probability that the magnitude of population change for a species is less than or equal to a predefined threshold. We applied the model to estimates of trend for 399 species from the BBS to estimate the proportion of species with increasing populations and to identify species with unstable populations. Analyses are presented for the collection of all species and for 12 species groups commonly used in BBS summaries. Overall, we estimated that 49% of species in the BBS have positive trends and 33 species have unstable populations. However, the proportion of species with increasing trends differs among habitat groups, with grassland birds having only 19% of species with positive trend estimates and wetland birds having 68% of species with positive trend estimates.

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

Ehleringer, James; Randerson, James; Lai, Chun-Ta

The objective of the proposed research was to collect data and develop models to improve our understanding of the role of drought and fire impacts on the terrestrial carbon cycle in the western US, including impacts associated with urban systems as they impacted regional carbon cycles. Using data we collected and a synthesis of other measurements, we developed new ways (a) to evaluate the representation of drought stress and fire emissions in the Community Land Model, (b) to model net ecosystem exchange combining ground level atmospheric observations with boundary layer theory, (c) to model upstream impacts of fire and fossilmore » fuel emissions on atmospheric carbon dioxide observations, and (d) to model carbon dioxide observations within urban systems and at the urban-wildland interfaces of forest ecosystems.« less

Models of Charity Donations and Project Funding in Social Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojciechowski, Adam

One of the key fundaments of building a society is common interest or shared aims of the group members. This research work is a try to analyze web-based services oriented towards money collection for various social and charity projects. The phenomenon of social founding is worth a closer look at because its success strongly depends on the ability to build an ad-hoc or persistent groups of people sharing their believes and willing to support external institutions or individuals. The paper presents a review of money collection sites, various models of donation and money collection process as well as ways how the projects' results are reported to their founders. There is also a proposal of money collection service, where donators are not charged until total declared help overheads required resources to complete the project. The risk of missing real donations for declared payments, after the collection is closed, can be assessed and minimized by building a social network.

Collisions of deformable cells lead to collective migration

DOE PAGES

Löber, Jakob; Ziebert, Falko; Aranson, Igor S.

2015-03-17

Collective migration of eukaryotic cells plays a fundamental role in tissue growth, wound healing and immune response. The motion, arising spontaneously or in response to chemical and mechanical stimuli, is also important for understanding life-threatening pathologies, such as cancer and metastasis formation. We present a phase-field model to describe the movement of many self-organized, interacting cells. The model takes into account the main mechanisms of cell motility – acto-myosin dynamics, as well as substrate-mediated and cell-cell adhesion. It predicts that collective cell migration emerges spontaneously as a result of inelastic collisions between neighboring cells: collisions lead to a mutual alignmentmore » of the cell velocities and to the formation of coherently-moving multi-cellular clusters. Small cell-to-cell adhesion, in turn, reduces the propensity for large-scale collective migration, while higher adhesion leads to the formation of moving bands. Our study provides valuable insight into biological processes associated with collective cell motility.« less

Collisions of deformable cells lead to collective migration

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

Löber, Jakob; Ziebert, Falko; Aranson, Igor S.

Collective migration of eukaryotic cells plays a fundamental role in tissue growth, wound healing and immune response. The motion, arising spontaneously or in response to chemical and mechanical stimuli, is also important for understanding life-threatening pathologies, such as cancer and metastasis formation. We present a phase-field model to describe the movement of many self-organized, interacting cells. The model takes into account the main mechanisms of cell motility – acto-myosin dynamics, as well as substrate-mediated and cell-cell adhesion. It predicts that collective cell migration emerges spontaneously as a result of inelastic collisions between neighboring cells: collisions lead to a mutual alignmentmore » of the cell velocities and to the formation of coherently-moving multi-cellular clusters. Small cell-to-cell adhesion, in turn, reduces the propensity for large-scale collective migration, while higher adhesion leads to the formation of moving bands. Our study provides valuable insight into biological processes associated with collective cell motility.« less

Operational environmental satellite archives in the 21st Century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barkstrom, Bruce R.; Bates, John J.; Privette, Jeff; Vizbulis, Rick

2007-09-01

NASA, NOAA, and USGS collections of Earth science data are large, federated, and have active user communities and collections. Our experience raises five categories of issues for long-term archival: *Organization of the data in the collections is not well-described by text-based categorization principles *Metadata organization for these data is not well-described by Dublin Core and needs attention to data access and data use patterns *Long-term archival requires risk management approaches to dealing with the unique threats to knowledge preservation specific to digital information *Long-term archival requires careful attention to archival cost management *Professional data stewards for these collections may require special training. This paper suggests three mechanisms for improving the quality of long-term archival: *Using a maturity model to assess the readiness of data for accession, for preservation, and for future data usefulness *Developing a risk management strategy for systematically dealing with threats of data loss *Developing a life-cycle cost model for continuously evolving the collections and the data centers that house them.

Simulation of effects of wastewater discharges on Sand Creek and lower Caddo Creek near Ardmore, Oklahoma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wesolowski, Edwin A.

1999-01-01

A streamflow and water-quality model was developed for reaches of Sand and Caddo Creeks in south-central Oklahoma to simulate the effects of wastewater discharge from a refinery and a municipal treatment plant.The purpose of the model was to simulate conditions during low streamflow when the conditions controlling dissolved-oxygen concentrations are most severe. Data collected to calibrate and verify the streamflow and water-quality model include continuously monitored streamflow and water-quality data at two gaging stations and three temporary monitoring stations; wastewater discharge from two wastewater plants; two sets each of five water-quality samples at nine sites during a 24-hour period; dye and propane samples; periphyton samples; and sediment oxygen demand measurements. The water-quality sampling, at a 6-hour frequency, was based on a Lagrangian reference frame in which the same volume of water was sampled at each site. To represent the unsteady streamflows and the dynamic water-quality conditions, a transport modeling system was used that included both a model to route streamflow and a model to transport dissolved conservative constituents with linkage to reaction kinetics similar to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency QUAL2E model to simulate nonconservative constituents. These model codes are the Diffusion Analogy Streamflow Routing Model (DAFLOW) and the branched Lagrangian transport model (BLTM) and BLTM/QUAL2E that, collectively, as calibrated models, are referred to as the Ardmore Water-Quality Model.The Ardmore DAFLOW model was calibrated with three sets of streamflows that collectively ranged from 16 to 3,456 cubic feet per second. The model uses only one set of calibrated coefficients and exponents to simulate streamflow over this range. The Ardmore BLTM was calibrated for transport by simulating dye concentrations collected during a tracer study when streamflows ranged from 16 to 23 cubic feet per second. Therefore, the model is expected to be most useful for low streamflow simulations. The Ardmore BLTM/QUAL2E model was calibrated and verified with water-quality data from nine sites where two sets of five samples were collected. The streamflow during the water-quality sampling in Caddo Creek at site 7 ranged from 8.4 to 20 cubic feet per second, of which about 5.0 to 9.7 cubic feet per second was contributed by Sand Creek. The model simulates the fate and transport of 10 water-quality constituents. The model was verified by running it using data that were not used in calibration; only phytoplankton were not verified.Measured and simulated concentrations of dissolved oxygen exhibited a marked daily pattern that was attributable to waste loading and algal activity. Dissolved-oxygen measurements during this study and simulated dissolved-oxygen concentrations using the Ardmore Water-Quality Model, for the conditions of this study, illustrate that the dissolved-oxygen sag curve caused by the upstream wastewater discharges is confined to Sand Creek.

Sustainable Operation of Arterial Networks

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-07-14

This report describes operational data analysis and modeling of arterial networks with signalized intersections as follows: The setup for data collection, analysis and simulation is presented in Section 2.1. Detailed analysis of collected signal phas...

Relating ground truth collection to model sensitivity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amar, Faouzi; Fung, Adrian K.; Karam, Mostafa A.; Mougin, Eric

1993-01-01

The importance of collecting high quality ground truth before a SAR mission over a forested area is two fold. First, the ground truth is used in the analysis and interpretation of the measured backscattering properties; second, it helps to justify the use of a scattering model to fit the measurements. Unfortunately, ground truth is often collected based on visual assessment of what is perceived to be important without regard to the mission itself. Sites are selected based on brief surveys of large areas, and the ground truth is collected by a process of selecting and grouping different scatterers. After the fact, it may turn out that some of the relevant parameters are missing. A three-layer canopy model based on the radiative transfer equations is used to determine, before hand, the relevant parameters to be collected. Detailed analysis of the contribution to scattering and attenuation of various forest components is carried out. The goal is to identify the forest parameters which most influence the backscattering as a function of frequency (P-, L-, and C-bands) and incident angle. The influence on backscattering and attenuation of branch diameters, lengths, angular distribution, and permittivity; trunk diameters, lengths, and permittivity; and needle sizes, their angular distribution, and permittivity are studied in order to maximize the efficiency of the ground truth collection efforts. Preliminary results indicate that while a scatterer may not contribute to the total backscattering, its contribution to attenuation may be significant depending on the frequency.

An analysis of household waste management policy using system dynamics modelling.

PubMed

Inghels, Dirk; Dullaert, Wout

2011-04-01

This paper analyses the Flemish household waste management policy. Based on historical data from the period 1991-2006, literature reviews and interviews, both mathematical and descriptive relationships are derived that describe Flemish waste collection, reuse, recycling and disposal behaviour. This provides insights into how gross domestic product (GDP), population and selective collection behaviour have influenced household waste production and collection over time. These relationships are used to model the dynamic relationships underlying household waste management in Flanders by using a system dynamics (SD) modelling approach. Where most SD models in literature are conceptual and descriptive, in the present study a real-life case with both correlational and descriptive relationships was modelled for Flanders, a European region with an outstanding waste management track record. This model was used to evaluate the current Flemish household waste management policy based on the principles of the waste hierarchy, also referred as the Lansink ranking. The results show that Flemish household waste targets up to 2015 can be achieved by the current waste policy measures. It also shows the sensitivity of some key policy parameters such as prevention and reuse. Given the general nature of the model and its limited data requirements, the authors believe that the approach implemented in this model can also assist waste policy makers in other regions or countries to meet their policy targets by simulating the effect of their current and potential household waste policy measures.

Joint Intelligence Operations Center (JIOC) Baseline Business Process Model & Capabilities Evaluation Methodology

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

Targeting Review Board OPLAN Operations Plan OPORD Operations Order OPSIT Operational Situation OSINT Open Source Intelligence OV...Analysis Evaluate FLTREPs MISREPs Unit Assign Assets Feedback Asset Shortfalls Multi-Int Collection Political & Embasy Law Enforcement HUMINT OSINT ...Embassy Information OSINT Manage Theater HUMINT Law Enforcement Collection Sort Requests Platform Information Agency Information M-I Collect

Achieving Collective Impact: Reflections on Ten Years of the University of Georgia Archway Partnership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garber, Mel; Adams, Katherine R.

2017-01-01

Collective impact is a model for achieving tangible change and improvement in communities through a series of well-defined parameters of collaboration. This article provides a 10-year reflection on the University of Georgia Archway Partnership, a university-community collaboration, in the context of the parameters of collective impact. Emphasis is…

Higher Education Collective Bargaining: Beyond the Boundaries. Proceedings of the Annual Conference (23rd, New York, NY, April 24-25, 1995).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Annunziato, Frank R., Ed.; Johnson, Beth H., Ed.

This collection of 17 papers addresses current issues related to collective bargaining in higher education and the professions. The papers include: (1) "The American Academic Model Abroad" (Irwin H. Polishook); (2) "The European Perspective" (Gerd Kohler); (3) "Economic Integration in the North American Region:…

Microwave Signatures of Melting/Refreezing Snow: Observations and Modeling Using Dense Medium Radiative Transfer Theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tedesco, Marco; Kim, Edward J.; England, Anthony; deRoo, Roger; Hardy, Janet

2005-01-01

Microwave brightness temperatures of snow covered terrains can be modeled by means of the Dense Radiative Transfer Medium Theory (DMRT). In a dense medium, such as snow, the assumption of independent scattering is no longer valid and the scattering of correlated scatterers must be considered. In the DMRT, this is done considering a pair distribution function of the particles position. In the electromagnetic model, the snowpack is simulated as a homogeneous layer having effective permittivity and albedo calculated through the DMRT. In order to account for clustering of snow crystals, a model of cohesive particles can be applied, where the cohesion between the particles is described by means of a dimensionless parameters called stickiness (z), representing a measure of the inversion of the attraction of the particles. The lower the z the higher the stickiness. In this study, microwave signatures of melting and refreezing cycles of seasonal snowpacks at high altitudes are studied by means of both experimental and modeling tools. Radiometric data were collected 24 hours per day by the University of Michigan Tower Mounted Radiometer System (TMRS). The brightness temperatures collected by means of the TMRS are simulated by means of a multi-layer electromagnetic model based on the dense medium theory with the inputs to the model derived from the data collected at the snow pits and from the meteorological station. The paper is structured as follows: in the first Section the temperature profiles recorded by the meteorological station and the snow pit data are presented and analyzed; in the second Section, the characteristics of the radiometric system used to collect the brightness temperatures are reported together with the temporal behavior of the recorded brightness temperatures; in the successive Section the multi-layer DMRT-based electromagnetic model is described; in the fourth Section the comparison between modeled and measured brightness temperatures is discussed. We dedicate the last Section to the conclusions and future works.

Unmarked: An R package for fitting hierarchical models of wildlife occurrence and abundance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fiske, I.J.; Chandler, R.B.

2011-01-01

Ecological research uses data collection techniques that are prone to substantial and unique types of measurement error to address scientic questions about species abundance and distribution. These data collection schemes include a number of survey methods in which unmarked individuals are counted, or determined to be present, at spatially- referenced sites. Examples include site occupancy sampling, repeated counts, distance sampling, removal sampling, and double observer sampling. To appropriately analyze these data, hierarchical models have been developed to separately model explanatory variables of both a latent abundance or occurrence process and a conditional detection process. Because these models have a straightforward interpretation paralleling mecha- nisms under which the data arose, they have recently gained immense popularity. The common hierarchical structure of these models is well-suited for a unied modeling in- terface. The R package unmarked provides such a unied modeling framework, including tools for data exploration, model tting, model criticism, post-hoc analysis, and model comparison.

Development of a Human Motor Model for the Evaluation of an Integrated Alerting and Notification Flight Deck System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daiker, Ron; Schnell, Thomas

2010-01-01

A human motor model was developed on the basis of performance data that was collected in a flight simulator. The motor model is under consideration as one component of a virtual pilot model for the evaluation of NextGen crew alerting and notification systems in flight decks. This model may be used in a digital Monte Carlo simulation to compare flight deck layout design alternatives. The virtual pilot model is being developed as part of a NASA project to evaluate multiple crews alerting and notification flight deck configurations. Model parameters were derived from empirical distributions of pilot data collected in a flight simulator experiment. The goal of this model is to simulate pilot motor performance in the approach-to-landing task. The unique challenges associated with modeling the complex dynamics of humans interacting with the cockpit environment are discussed, along with the current state and future direction of the model.

A review of the ionospheric model for the long wave prediction capability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferguson, J. A.

1992-11-01

The Naval Command, Control, and Ocean Surveillance Center's Long Wave Prediction Capability (LWPC) has a built-in ionospheric model. The latter was defined after a review of the literature comparing measurements with calculations. Subsequent to this original specification of the ionospheric model in the LWPC, a new collection of data were obtained and analyzed. The new data were collected aboard a merchant ship named the Callaghan during a series of trans-Atlantic trips over a period of a year. This report presents a detailed analysis of the ionospheric model currently in use by the LWPC and the new model suggested by the shipboard measurements. We conclude that, although the fits to measurements are almost the same between the two models examined, the current LWPC model should be used because it is better than the new model for nighttime conditions at long ranges. This conclusion supports the primary use of the LWPC model for coverage assessment that requires a valid model at the limits of a transmitter's reception.

Wavelet Analysis Used for Spectral Background Removal in the Determination of Glucose from Near-Infrared Single-Beam Spectra

PubMed Central

Wan, Boyong; Small, Gary W.

2010-01-01

Wavelet analysis is developed as a preprocessing tool for use in removing background information from near-infrared (near-IR) single-beam spectra before the construction of multivariate calibration models. Three data sets collected with three different near-IR spectrometers are investigated that involve the determination of physiological levels of glucose (1-30 mM) in a simulated biological matrix containing alanine, ascorbate, lactate, triacetin, and urea in phosphate buffer. A factorial design is employed to optimize the specific wavelet function used and the level of decomposition applied, in addition to the spectral range and number of latent variables associated with a partial least-squares calibration model. The prediction performance of the computed models is studied with separate data acquired after the collection of the calibration spectra. This evaluation includes one data set collected over a period of more than six months. Preprocessing with wavelet analysis is also compared to the calculation of second-derivative spectra. Over the three data sets evaluated, wavelet analysis is observed to produce better-performing calibration models, with improvements in concentration predictions on the order of 30% being realized relative to models based on either second-derivative spectra or spectra preprocessed with simple additive and multiplicative scaling correction. This methodology allows the construction of stable calibrations directly with single-beam spectra, thereby eliminating the need for the collection of a separate background or reference spectrum. PMID:21035604

Wavelet analysis used for spectral background removal in the determination of glucose from near-infrared single-beam spectra.

PubMed

Wan, Boyong; Small, Gary W

2010-11-29

Wavelet analysis is developed as a preprocessing tool for use in removing background information from near-infrared (near-IR) single-beam spectra before the construction of multivariate calibration models. Three data sets collected with three different near-IR spectrometers are investigated that involve the determination of physiological levels of glucose (1-30 mM) in a simulated biological matrix containing alanine, ascorbate, lactate, triacetin, and urea in phosphate buffer. A factorial design is employed to optimize the specific wavelet function used and the level of decomposition applied, in addition to the spectral range and number of latent variables associated with a partial least-squares calibration model. The prediction performance of the computed models is studied with separate data acquired after the collection of the calibration spectra. This evaluation includes one data set collected over a period of more than 6 months. Preprocessing with wavelet analysis is also compared to the calculation of second-derivative spectra. Over the three data sets evaluated, wavelet analysis is observed to produce better-performing calibration models, with improvements in concentration predictions on the order of 30% being realized relative to models based on either second-derivative spectra or spectra preprocessed with simple additive and multiplicative scaling correction. This methodology allows the construction of stable calibrations directly with single-beam spectra, thereby eliminating the need for the collection of a separate background or reference spectrum. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

77 FR 39711 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-05

... support these goals. The HCCN model focuses on the integration of certain functions and the sharing of... efficiencies and economies of scale. Through this grant, HCCNs will provide support for the adoption...

Environmental and economic trade-offs in a watershed when using corn stover for bioenergy.

PubMed

Gramig, Benjamin M; Reeling, Carson J; Cibin, Raj; Chaubey, Indrajeet

2013-02-19

There is an abundant supply of corn stover in the United States that remains after grain is harvested which could be used to produce cellulosic biofuels mandated by the current Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). This research integrates the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) watershed model and the DayCent biogeochemical model to investigate water quality and soil greenhouse gas flux that results when corn stover is collected at two different rates from corn-soybean and continuous corn crop rotations with and without tillage. Multiobjective watershed-scale optimizations are performed for individual pollutant-cost minimization criteria based on the economic cost of each cropping practice and (individually) the effect on nitrate, total phosphorus, sediment, or global warming potential. We compare these results with a purely economic optimization that maximizes stover production at the lowest cost without taking environmental impacts into account. We illustrate trade-offs between cost and different environmental performance criteria, assuming that nutrients contained in any stover collected must be replaced. The key finding is that stover collection using the practices modeled results in increased contributions to atmospheric greenhouse gases while reducing nitrate and total phosphorus loading to the watershed relative to the status quo without stover collection. Stover collection increases sediment loading to waterways relative to when no stover is removed for each crop rotation-tillage practice combination considered; no-till in combination with stover collection reduced sediment loading below baseline conditions without stover collection. Our results suggest that additional information is needed about (i) the level of nutrient replacement required to maintain grain yields and (ii) cost-effective management practices capable of reducing soil erosion when crop residues are removed in order to avoid contributions to climate change and water quality impairments as a result of using corn stover to satisfy the RFS.

Digital Elevation Models of the Pre-Eruption 2000 Crater and 2004-07 Dome-Building Eruption at Mount St. Helens, Washington, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Messerich, J.A.; Schilling, S.P.; Thompson, R.A.

2008-01-01

Presented in this report are 27 digital elevation model (DEM) datasets for the crater area of Mount St. Helens. These datasets include pre-eruption baseline data collected in 2000, incremental model subsets collected during the 2004-07 dome building eruption, and associated shaded-relief image datasets. Each dataset was collected photogrammetrically with digital softcopy methods employing a combination of manual collection and iterative compilation of x,y,z coordinate triplets utilizing autocorrelation techniques. DEM data points collected using autocorrelation methods were rigorously edited in stereo and manually corrected to ensure conformity with the ground surface. Data were first collected as a triangulated irregular network (TIN) then interpolated to a grid format. DEM data are based on aerotriangulated photogrammetric solutions for aerial photograph strips flown at a nominal scale of 1:12,000 using a combination of surveyed ground control and photograph-identified control points. The 2000 DEM is based on aerotriangulation of four strips totaling 31 photographs. Subsequent DEMs collected during the course of the eruption are based on aerotriangulation of single aerial photograph strips consisting of between three and seven 1:12,000-scale photographs (two to six stereo pairs). Most datasets were based on three or four stereo pairs. Photogrammetric errors associated with each dataset are presented along with ground control used in the photogrammetric aerotriangulation. The temporal increase in area of deformation in the crater as a result of dome growth, deformation, and translation of glacial ice resulted in continual adoption of new ground control points and abandonment of others during the course of the eruption. Additionally, seasonal snow cover precluded the consistent use of some ground control points.

Hydrodynamic assessment data associated with the July 2010 line 6B spill into the Kalamazoo River, Michigan, 2012–14

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reneau, Paul C.; Soong, David T.; Hoard, Christopher J.; Fitzpatrick, Faith A.

2015-12-07

Hydrodynamic-assessment data for the Kalamazoo River were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) during 2012–14 to augment other hydrodynamic data-collection efforts by Enbridge Energy L.P. and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency associated with the 2010 Enbridge Line 6B oil spill. Specifically, the USGS data-collection efforts were focused on additional background data needed for 2013–14 updates to Enbridge’s 2012 hydrodynamic and sediment-transport models for simulating resuspension and deposition of submerged oil. The main data-collection activities consisted of the following along the Kalamazoo River: (1) a survey done by use of a Real-Time Network Global Navigation Satellite System, (2) water-level measurements in impounded sections, (3) velocity, discharge, and bathymetry measurements at transects and stationary points along the oil-affected reach of the river and in Morrow Delta and Lake, (4) estimates of tributary inflows, and (5) suspended-sediment concentrations and particle-size data at USGS streamgages along the Kalamazoo River. The method used to estimate bed shear stress from stationary velocity data is described. Averaged transect-based velocity data that were processed to match model grids also are included. In addition to model inputs and checks, these hydrodynamic-related data were used in submerged oil containment and recovery operations focused in impoundments and designated sediment traps. This report contains a description of the scope and methods associated with the hydrodynamic data collection and supplementary files of the USGS data that were used in modeling activities.

Predictive modeling of EEG time series for evaluating surgery targets in epilepsy patients.

PubMed

Steimer, Andreas; Müller, Michael; Schindler, Kaspar

2017-05-01

During the last 20 years, predictive modeling in epilepsy research has largely been concerned with the prediction of seizure events, whereas the inference of effective brain targets for resective surgery has received surprisingly little attention. In this exploratory pilot study, we describe a distributional clustering framework for the modeling of multivariate time series and use it to predict the effects of brain surgery in epilepsy patients. By analyzing the intracranial EEG, we demonstrate how patients who became seizure free after surgery are clearly distinguished from those who did not. More specifically, for 5 out of 7 patients who obtained seizure freedom (= Engel class I) our method predicts the specific collection of brain areas that got actually resected during surgery to yield a markedly lower posterior probability for the seizure related clusters, when compared to the resection of random or empty collections. Conversely, for 4 out of 5 Engel class III/IV patients who still suffer from postsurgical seizures, performance of the actually resected collection is not significantly better than performances displayed by random or empty collections. As the number of possible collections ranges into billions and more, this is a substantial contribution to a problem that today is still solved by visual EEG inspection. Apart from epilepsy research, our clustering methodology is also of general interest for the analysis of multivariate time series and as a generative model for temporally evolving functional networks in the neurosciences and beyond. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2509-2531, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Assessing women's willingness to collect their own cervical samples for HPV testing as part of the ASPIRE cervical cancer screening project in Uganda.

PubMed

Mitchell, Sheona; Ogilvie, Gina; Steinberg, Malcolm; Sekikubo, Musa; Biryabarema, Christine; Money, Deborah

2011-08-01

To assess women's willingness to collect their own samples for HPV testing as the first part of a screening program for cervical cancer in Uganda. In March and April 2010, trained assistants from Kisenyi interviewed 300 women aged 30 to 65 years who lived and/or worked in this community. Descriptive data and multivariate modeling were used to identify the predictors of the women's willingness to collect their own cervical samples. More than 80% of the 300 participants were willing to collect their own samples. In multivariate modeling, factors positively associated with this willingness were agreement to let outreach workers deliver the necessary swab at their homes (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 4.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.83-9.18) and willingness to undergo a pelvic examination if the sample was abnormal (AOR, 3.91; 95% CI,1.03-14.90). Factors negatively associated were embarrassment at collecting the sample at home where they lacked privacy (AOR, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.03-0.29) and concern of not collecting the sample properly (AOR, 0.1; 95% CI, 0.05-0.3). Self-collection is an option in impoverished settings in Africa. To improve acceptability, women should be taught how to properly collect their own cervical sample and encouraged to find ways to make the collection less embarrassing. Copyright © 2011 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Greenhouse gas contribution of municipal solid waste collection: A case study in the city of Istanbul, Turkey.

PubMed

Korkut, Nafiz E; Yaman, Cevat; Küçükağa, Yusuf; Jaunich, Megan K; Demir, İbrahim

2018-02-01

This article estimates greenhouse gas emissions and global warming factors resulting from collection of municipal solid waste to the transfer stations or landfills in Istanbul for the year of 2015. The aim of this study is to quantify and compare diesel fuel consumption and estimate the greenhouse gas emissions and global warming factors associated with municipal solid waste collection of the 39 districts of Istanbul. Each district's greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the provision and combustion of diesel fuel was estimated by considering the number of collection trips and distances to municipal solid waste facilities. The estimated greenhouse gases and global warming factors for the districts varied from 61.2 to 2759.1 t CO 2 -eq and from 4.60 to 15.20 kg CO 2 -eq t -1 , respectively. The total greenhouse gas emission was estimated as 46.4E3 t CO 2 -eq. Lastly, the collection data from the districts was used to parameterise a collection model that can be used to estimate fuel consumption associated with municipal solid waste collection. This mechanistic model can then be used to predict future fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with municipal solid waste collection based on projected population, waste generation, and distance to transfer stations and landfills. The greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by decreasing the trip numbers and trip distances, building more transfer stations around the city, and making sure that the collection trucks are full in each trip.

Application of the Fractions Skill Score for Tracking the Effectiveness of Improvements Made to Weather Research and Forecasting Model Simulations

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-11-22

Weather Research and Forecasting Model Simulations by John W Raby and Huaqing Cai Computational and Information Sciences Directorate, ARL...burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching...existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection information . Send comments regarding this

Aspects of Shape Coexistence in the Geometric Collective Model of Nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgoudis, P. E.; Leviatan, A.

2018-02-01

We examine the coexistence of spherical and γ-unstable deformed nuclear shapes, described by an SO(5)-invariant Bohr Hamiltonian, along the critical-line. Calculations are performed in the Algebraic Collective Model by introducing two separate bases, optimized to accommodate simultaneously different forms of dynamics. We demonstrate the need to modify the β-dependence of the moments of inertia, in order to obtain an adequate description of such shape-coexistence.

M1 transitions between low-lying states in the sdg-IBM-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casperson, Robert; Werner, Volker

2006-10-01

The interplay between collective and single-particle degrees of freedom for nuclei in the A=90 region have recently been under investigation. In Molybdenum and Ruthenium nuclei, collective symmetric and mixed-symmetric structures have been identified, while in Zirconium, underlying shell-structure plays an enhanced role. Collective symmetric structures appear when protons and neutrons are in phase, whereas mixed-symmetric structures occur when they are not. The one-phonon 2^+ mixed-symmetric state was identified from strong M1 transitions to the 2^+1 state. Similar transitions were observed between higher-spin states, and are predicted by the shell model. These phenomena will be investigated within the sdg Interacting Boson Model 2 in order to obtain a better understanding about the structure of the states involved, and results from first model calculations will be presented. Work supported by US DOE under grant number DE-FG02-91ER-40609.

Climate collective risk dilemma with feedback of real-time temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Jinming; Wu, Bin; Wang, Long

2014-09-01

Controlling global warming through collective cooperation is a non-optional threshold public goods game. Previous models assume that the disaster is a sudden event and it happens with a given probability. It is shown that high risk can pave the way for reaching the cooperative target. These models, however, neglect the temperature dynamics, which is influenced by the collective behaviours. Here, we establish a temperature dynamics, and introduce the feedback between human strategy updating and the temperature change: high temperature will discount individuals' payoffs; while sufficient public goods may decrease the ever-rising temperature. We investigate how the temperature is affected by human behaviour and vice versa. It is found that, on the one hand, the temperature can be stabilized to a relatively safe level in the long run. On the other hand, the cooperation can be promoted and be maintained at a higher level, compared with public goods game models with no such feedback.

DEVA: An extensible ontology-based annotation model for visual document collections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jelmini, Carlo; Marchand-Maillet, Stephane

2003-01-01

The description of visual documents is a fundamental aspect of any efficient information management system, but the process of manually annotating large collections of documents is tedious and far from being perfect. The need for a generic and extensible annotation model therefore arises. In this paper, we present DEVA, an open, generic and expressive multimedia annotation framework. DEVA is an extension of the Dublin Core specification. The model can represent the semantic content of any visual document. It is described in the ontology language DAML+OIL and can easily be extended with external specialized ontologies, adapting the vocabulary to the given application domain. In parallel, we present the Magritte annotation tool, which is an early prototype that validates the DEVA features. Magritte allows to manually annotating image collections. It is designed with a modular and extensible architecture, which enables the user to dynamically adapt the user interface to specialized ontologies merged into DEVA.

Report to DHS on Summer Internship 2006

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

Beckwith, R H

2006-07-26

This summer I worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in a bioforensics collection and extraction research group under David Camp. The group is involved with researching efficiencies of various methods for collecting bioforensic evidence from crime scenes. The different methods under examination are a wipe, swab, HVAC filter and a vacuum. The vacuum is something that has particularly gone uncharacterized. My time was spent mostly on modeling and calculations work, but at the end of the summer I completed my internship with a few experiments to supplement my calculations. I had two major projects this summer. My first major projectmore » this summer involved fluid mechanics modeling of collection and extraction situations. This work examines different fluid dynamic models for the case of a micron spore attached to a fiber. The second project I was involved with was a statistical analysis of the different sampling techniques.« less

Loyal deviance: testing the normative conflict model of dissent in social groups.

PubMed

Packer, Dominic J; Chasteen, Alison L

2010-01-01

The normative conflict model predicts that expressions of dissent within groups can be motivated by the collective interest and that strongly identified members may dissent from group norms if and when they are perceived to be harmful to the collective. We present convergent evidence from four studies in support of the model. Study 1 investigated retrospective reports of disagreements and found that strongly identified members reported collectively oriented motives for expressing disagreement within their groups. Studies 2a and 2b provided experimental tests of the prediction that strongly identified group members are willing to dissent when they reflect on how a norm could harm their group but not when they reflect on negative individualistic consequences of the same norm. Finally, Study 3 replicated these effects using a correlational design that measured actual opinion expression in an ostensible online chat room.

Replicates in high dimensions, with applications to latent variable graphical models.

PubMed

Tan, Kean Ming; Ning, Yang; Witten, Daniela M; Liu, Han

2016-12-01

In classical statistics, much thought has been put into experimental design and data collection. In the high-dimensional setting, however, experimental design has been less of a focus. In this paper, we stress the importance of collecting multiple replicates for each subject in this setting. We consider learning the structure of a graphical model with latent variables, under the assumption that these variables take a constant value across replicates within each subject. By collecting multiple replicates for each subject, we are able to estimate the conditional dependence relationships among the observed variables given the latent variables. To test the null hypothesis of conditional independence between two observed variables, we propose a pairwise decorrelated score test. Theoretical guarantees are established for parameter estimation and for this test. We show that our proposal is able to estimate latent variable graphical models more accurately than some existing proposals, and apply the proposed method to a brain imaging dataset.

A theoretical model for the collective motion of proteins by means of principal component analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamberaj, Hiqmet

2011-02-01

A coarse grained model in the frame work of principal component analysis is presented. We used a bath of harmonic oscillators approach, based on classical mechanics, to derive the generalized Langevin equations of motion for the collective coordinates. The dynamics of the protein collective coordinates derived from molecular dynamics simulations have been studied for the Bovine Pancreatic Trypsin Inhibitor. We analyzed the stability of the method by studying structural fluctuations of the C a atoms obtained from a 20 ns molecular dynamics simulation. Subsequently, the dynamics of the collective coordinates of protein were characterized by calculating the dynamical friction coefficient and diffusion coefficients along with time-dependent correlation functions of collective coordinates. A dual diffusion behavior was observed with a fast relaxation time of short diffusion regime 0.2-0.4 ps and slow relaxation time of long diffusion about 1-2 ps. In addition, we observed a power law decay of dynamical friction coefficient with exponent for the first five collective coordinates varying from -0.746 to -0.938 for the real part and from -0.528 to -0.665 for its magnitude. It was found that only the first ten collective coordinates are responsible for configuration transitions occurring on time scale longer than 50 ps.

Is there an environmentally optimal separate collection rate?

PubMed

Haupt, M; Waser, E; Würmli, J C; Hellweg, S

2018-04-20

Material recycling often leads to environmental benefits when compared to thermal treatments or landfilling and is therefore positioned in the waste hierarchy as the third priority after waste prevention and reuse. To assess the environmental impacts of recycling and the related substitution of primary material, linear steady-state models of physical flows are typically used. In reality, the environmental burdens of collection and recycling are likely to be a non-linear function of the collection rate. This short communication aims at raising awareness of the non-linear effects in separate collection systems and presents the first non-linear quantitative model for PET bottle recycling. The influence of collection rates on the material quality and the transport network is analyzed based on the data collected from industrial partners. The results highlight that in the present Swiss recycling system a very high collection rate close to 100% yields optimum environmental benefits with respect to global warming. The empirical data, however, provided indications for a decrease in the marginal environmental benefit of recycling. This can be seen as an indication that tipping points may exist for other recycling systems, in which the environmental benefits from substituting primary materials are less pronounced than they are for PET. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental Evaluation of Equivalent-Fluid Models for Melamine Foam

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Albert R.; Schiller, Noah H.

2016-01-01

Melamine foam is a soft porous material commonly used in noise control applications. Many models exist to represent porous materials at various levels of fidelity. This work focuses on rigid frame equivalent fluid models, which represent the foam as a fluid with a complex speed of sound and density. There are several empirical models available to determine these frequency dependent parameters based on an estimate of the material flow resistivity. Alternatively, these properties can be experimentally educed using an impedance tube setup. Since vibroacoustic models are generally sensitive to these properties, this paper assesses the accuracy of several empirical models relative to impedance tube measurements collected with melamine foam samples. Diffuse field sound absorption measurements collected using large test articles in a laboratory are also compared with absorption predictions determined using model-based and measured foam properties. Melamine foam slabs of various thicknesses are considered.

Bootstrap data methodology for sequential hybrid model building

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Volponi, Allan J. (Inventor); Brotherton, Thomas (Inventor)

2007-01-01

A method for modeling engine operation comprising the steps of: 1. collecting a first plurality of sensory data, 2. partitioning a flight envelope into a plurality of sub-regions, 3. assigning the first plurality of sensory data into the plurality of sub-regions, 4. generating an empirical model of at least one of the plurality of sub-regions, 5. generating a statistical summary model for at least one of the plurality of sub-regions, 6. collecting an additional plurality of sensory data, 7. partitioning the second plurality of sensory data into the plurality of sub-regions, 8. generating a plurality of pseudo-data using the empirical model, and 9. concatenating the plurality of pseudo-data and the additional plurality of sensory data to generate an updated empirical model and an updated statistical summary model for at least one of the plurality of sub-regions.

Measurement-based reliability/performability models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsueh, Mei-Chen

1987-01-01

Measurement-based models based on real error-data collected on a multiprocessor system are described. Model development from the raw error-data to the estimation of cumulative reward is also described. A workload/reliability model is developed based on low-level error and resource usage data collected on an IBM 3081 system during its normal operation in order to evaluate the resource usage/error/recovery process in a large mainframe system. Thus, both normal and erroneous behavior of the system are modeled. The results provide an understanding of the different types of errors and recovery processes. The measured data show that the holding times in key operational and error states are not simple exponentials and that a semi-Markov process is necessary to model the system behavior. A sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate the significance of using a semi-Markov process, as opposed to a Markov process, to model the measured system.

On-Road Validation of a Simplified Model for Estimating Real-World Fuel Economy: Preprint

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

Wood, Eric; Gonder, Jeff; Jehlik, Forrest

On-road fuel economy is known to vary significantly between individual trips in real-world driving conditions. This work introduces a methodology for rapidly simulating a specific vehicle's fuel economy over the wide range of real-world conditions experienced across the country. On-road test data collected using a highly instrumented vehicle is used to refine and validate this modeling approach. Model accuracy relative to on-road data collection is relevant to the estimation of 'off-cycle credits' that compensate for real-world fuel economy benefits that are not observed during certification testing on a chassis dynamometer.

Emergent user behavior on Twitter modelled by a stochastic differential equation.

PubMed

Mollgaard, Anders; Mathiesen, Joachim

2015-01-01

Data from the social-media site, Twitter, is used to study the fluctuations in tweet rates of brand names. The tweet rates are the result of a strongly correlated user behavior, which leads to bursty collective dynamics with a characteristic 1/f noise. Here we use the aggregated "user interest" in a brand name to model collective human dynamics by a stochastic differential equation with multiplicative noise. The model is supported by a detailed analysis of the tweet rate fluctuations and it reproduces both the exact bursty dynamics found in the data and the 1/f noise.

On-Road Validation of a Simplified Model for Estimating Real-World Fuel Economy

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

Wood, Eric; Gonder, Jeffrey; Jehlik, Forrest

On-road fuel economy is known to vary significantly between individual trips in real-world driving conditions. This work introduces a methodology for rapidly simulating a specific vehicle's fuel economy over the wide range of real-world conditions experienced across the country. On-road test data collected using a highly instrumented vehicle is used to refine and validate this modeling approach. Here, model accuracy relative to on-road data collection is relevant to the estimation of 'off-cycle credits' that compensate for real-world fuel economy benefits that are not observed during certification testing on a chassis dynamometer.

Journal selection decisions: a biomedical library operations research model. I. The framework.

PubMed Central

Kraft, D H; Polacsek, R A; Soergel, L; Burns, K; Klair, A

1976-01-01

The problem of deciding which journal titles to select for acquisition in a biomedical library is modeled. The approach taken is based on cost/benefit ratios. Measures of journal worth, methods of data collection, and journal cost data are considered. The emphasis is on the development of a practical process for selecting journal titles, based on the objectivity and rationality of the model; and on the collection of the approprate data and library statistics in a reasonable manner. The implications of this process towards an overall management information system (MIS) for biomedical serials handling are discussed. PMID:820391

Emergent User Behavior on Twitter Modelled by a Stochastic Differential Equation

PubMed Central

Mollgaard, Anders; Mathiesen, Joachim

2015-01-01

Data from the social-media site, Twitter, is used to study the fluctuations in tweet rates of brand names. The tweet rates are the result of a strongly correlated user behavior, which leads to bursty collective dynamics with a characteristic 1/f noise. Here we use the aggregated "user interest" in a brand name to model collective human dynamics by a stochastic differential equation with multiplicative noise. The model is supported by a detailed analysis of the tweet rate fluctuations and it reproduces both the exact bursty dynamics found in the data and the 1/f noise. PMID:25955783

On-Road Validation of a Simplified Model for Estimating Real-World Fuel Economy

DOE PAGES

Wood, Eric; Gonder, Jeffrey; Jehlik, Forrest

2017-03-28

On-road fuel economy is known to vary significantly between individual trips in real-world driving conditions. This work introduces a methodology for rapidly simulating a specific vehicle's fuel economy over the wide range of real-world conditions experienced across the country. On-road test data collected using a highly instrumented vehicle is used to refine and validate this modeling approach. Here, model accuracy relative to on-road data collection is relevant to the estimation of 'off-cycle credits' that compensate for real-world fuel economy benefits that are not observed during certification testing on a chassis dynamometer.

Assessment of environmental impacts part one. Intervention analysis

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

Hipel, Keith William; Lettenmaier, Dennis P.; McLeod, A. Ian

The use of intervention analysis as a statistical method of gauging the effects of environmental changes is discussed. The Box-Jenkins model, serves as the basis for the intervention analysis methodology. Environmental studies of the Aswan Dam, the South Saskatchewan River, and a forest fire near the Pipers Hole River, Canada, are included as case studies in which intervention analysis was employed. Methods of data collection for intervention analysis are found to have a significant impact on model reliability; effective data collection processes for the Box-Jenkins model are provided. (15 graphs, 27 references, 2 tables)

Development of a cerebrospinal fluid lateral reservoir model in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

PubMed

Lester McCully, Cynthia M; Bacher, John; MacAllister, Rhonda P; Steffen-Smith, Emilie A; Saleem, Kadharbatcha; Thomas, Marvin L; Cruz, Rafael; Warren, Katherine E

2015-02-01

Rapid, serial, and humane collection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in nonhuman primates (NHP) is an essential element of numerous research studies and is currently accomplished via two different models. The CSF reservoir model (FR) combines a catheter in the 4th ventricle with a flexible silastic reservoir to permit circulating CSF flow. The CSF lateral port model (LP) consists of a lateral ventricular catheter and an IV port that provides static access to CSF and volume restrictions on sample collection. The FR model is associated with an intensive, prolonged recovery and frequent postsurgical hydrocephalus and nonpatency, whereas the LP model is associated with an easier recovery. To maximize the advantages of both systems, we developed the CSF lateral reservoir model (LR), which combines the beneficial features of the 2 previous models but avoids their limitations by using a reservoir for circulating CSF flow combined with catheter placement in the lateral ventricle. Nine adult male rhesus monkeys were utilized in this study. Pre-surgical MRI was performed to determine the coordinates of the lateral ventricle and location of choroid plexus (CP). The coordinates were determined to avoid the CP and major blood vessels. The predetermined coordinates were 100% accurate, according to MRI validation. The LR system functioned successfully in 67% of cases for 221 d, and 44% remain functional at 426 to 510 d postoperatively. Compared with established models, our LR model markedly reduced postoperative complications and recovery time. Development of the LR model was successful in rhesus macaques and is a useful alternative to the FR and LP methods of CSF collection from nonhuman primates.

The 1995 revision of the joint US/UK geomagnetic field models. II: Main field

USGS Publications Warehouse

Quinn, J.M.; Coleman, R.J.; Macmillan, S.; Barraclough, D.R.

1997-01-01

This paper presents the 1995 main-field revision of the World Magnetic Model (WMM-95). It is based on Project MAGNET high-level (??? 15,000 ft.) vector aeromagnetic survey data collected between 1988 and 1994 and on scalar total intensity data collected by the Polar Orbiting Geomagnetic Survey (POGS) satellite during the period 1991 through 1993. The spherical harmonic model produced from these data describes that portion of the Earth's magnetic field generated internal to the Earth's surface at the 1995.0 Epoch. When combined with the spherical harmonic model of the Earth's secular variation described in paper I, the Earth's main magnetic field is fully characterized between the years 1995 and 2000. Regional magnetic field models for the conterminous United States, Alaska and, Hawaii were generated as by-products of the global modeling process.

Modeling Soot Oxidation and Gasification with Bayesian Statistics

DOE PAGES

Josephson, Alexander J.; Gaffin, Neal D.; Smith, Sean T.; ...

2017-08-22

This paper presents a statistical method for model calibration using data collected from literature. The method is used to calibrate parameters for global models of soot consumption in combustion systems. This consumption is broken into two different submodels: first for oxidation where soot particles are attacked by certain oxidizing agents; second for gasification where soot particles are attacked by H 2O or CO 2 molecules. Rate data were collected from 19 studies in the literature and evaluated using Bayesian statistics to calibrate the model parameters. Bayesian statistics are valued in their ability to quantify uncertainty in modeling. The calibrated consumptionmore » model with quantified uncertainty is presented here along with a discussion of associated implications. The oxidation results are found to be consistent with previous studies. Significant variation is found in the CO 2 gasification rates.« less

Modeling Soot Oxidation and Gasification with Bayesian Statistics

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

Josephson, Alexander J.; Gaffin, Neal D.; Smith, Sean T.

This paper presents a statistical method for model calibration using data collected from literature. The method is used to calibrate parameters for global models of soot consumption in combustion systems. This consumption is broken into two different submodels: first for oxidation where soot particles are attacked by certain oxidizing agents; second for gasification where soot particles are attacked by H 2O or CO 2 molecules. Rate data were collected from 19 studies in the literature and evaluated using Bayesian statistics to calibrate the model parameters. Bayesian statistics are valued in their ability to quantify uncertainty in modeling. The calibrated consumptionmore » model with quantified uncertainty is presented here along with a discussion of associated implications. The oxidation results are found to be consistent with previous studies. Significant variation is found in the CO 2 gasification rates.« less

Dual-cycle dielectrophoretic collection rates for probing the dielectric properties of nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Bakewell, David J; Holmes, David

2013-01-01

A new DEP spectroscopy method and supporting theoretical model is developed to systematically quantify the dielectric properties of nanoparticles using continuously pulsed DEP collection rates. Initial DEP collection rates, that are dependent on the nanoparticle dielectric properties, are an attractive alternative to the crossover frequency method for determining dielectric properties. The new method introduces dual-cycle amplitude modulated and frequency-switched DEP (dual-cycle DEP) where the first collection rate with a fixed frequency acts as a control, and the second collection rate frequency is switched to a chosen value, such that, it can effectively probe the dielectric properties of the nanoparticles. The application of the control means that measurement variation between DEP collection experiments is reduced so that the frequency-switched probe collection is more effective. A mathematical model of the dual-cycle method is developed that simulates the temporal dynamics of the dual-cycle DEP nanoparticle collection system. A new statistical method is also developed that enables systematic bivariate fitting of the multifrequency DEP collection rates to the Clausius–Mossotti function, and is instrumental for determining dielectric properties. A Monte-Carlo simulation validates that collection rates improve estimation of the dielectric properties, compared with the crossover method, by exploiting a larger number of independent samples. Experiments using 200 nm diameter latex nanospheres suspended in 0.2 mS/m KCl buffer yield a nanoparticle conductivity of 26 mS/m that lies within 8% of the expected value. The results show that the dual-frequency method has considerable promise particularly for automated DEP investigations and associated technologies. PMID:23172363

Ability of matrix models to explain the past and predict the future of plant populations.

USGS Publications Warehouse

McEachern, Kathryn; Crone, Elizabeth E.; Ellis, Martha M.; Morris, William F.; Stanley, Amanda; Bell, Timothy; Bierzychudek, Paulette; Ehrlen, Johan; Kaye, Thomas N.; Knight, Tiffany M.; Lesica, Peter; Oostermeijer, Gerard; Quintana-Ascencio, Pedro F.; Ticktin, Tamara; Valverde, Teresa; Williams, Jennifer I.; Doak, Daniel F.; Ganesan, Rengaian; Thorpe, Andrea S.; Menges, Eric S.

2013-01-01

Uncertainty associated with ecological forecasts has long been recognized, but forecast accuracy is rarely quantified. We evaluated how well data on 82 populations of 20 species of plants spanning 3 continents explained and predicted plant population dynamics. We parameterized stage-based matrix models with demographic data from individually marked plants and determined how well these models forecast population sizes observed at least 5 years into the future. Simple demographic models forecasted population dynamics poorly; only 40% of observed population sizes fell within our forecasts' 95% confidence limits. However, these models explained population dynamics during the years in which data were collected; observed changes in population size during the data-collection period were strongly positively correlated with population growth rate. Thus, these models are at least a sound way to quantify population status. Poor forecasts were not associated with the number of individual plants or years of data. We tested whether vital rates were density dependent and found both positive and negative density dependence. However, density dependence was not associated with forecast error. Forecast error was significantly associated with environmental differences between the data collection and forecast periods. To forecast population fates, more detailed models, such as those that project how environments are likely to change and how these changes will affect population dynamics, may be needed. Such detailed models are not always feasible. Thus, it may be wiser to make risk-averse decisions than to expect precise forecasts from models.

Ability of matrix models to explain the past and predict the future of plant populations.

PubMed

Crone, Elizabeth E; Ellis, Martha M; Morris, William F; Stanley, Amanda; Bell, Timothy; Bierzychudek, Paulette; Ehrlén, Johan; Kaye, Thomas N; Knight, Tiffany M; Lesica, Peter; Oostermeijer, Gerard; Quintana-Ascencio, Pedro F; Ticktin, Tamara; Valverde, Teresa; Williams, Jennifer L; Doak, Daniel F; Ganesan, Rengaian; McEachern, Kathyrn; Thorpe, Andrea S; Menges, Eric S

2013-10-01

Uncertainty associated with ecological forecasts has long been recognized, but forecast accuracy is rarely quantified. We evaluated how well data on 82 populations of 20 species of plants spanning 3 continents explained and predicted plant population dynamics. We parameterized stage-based matrix models with demographic data from individually marked plants and determined how well these models forecast population sizes observed at least 5 years into the future. Simple demographic models forecasted population dynamics poorly; only 40% of observed population sizes fell within our forecasts' 95% confidence limits. However, these models explained population dynamics during the years in which data were collected; observed changes in population size during the data-collection period were strongly positively correlated with population growth rate. Thus, these models are at least a sound way to quantify population status. Poor forecasts were not associated with the number of individual plants or years of data. We tested whether vital rates were density dependent and found both positive and negative density dependence. However, density dependence was not associated with forecast error. Forecast error was significantly associated with environmental differences between the data collection and forecast periods. To forecast population fates, more detailed models, such as those that project how environments are likely to change and how these changes will affect population dynamics, may be needed. Such detailed models are not always feasible. Thus, it may be wiser to make risk-averse decisions than to expect precise forecasts from models. © 2013 Society for Conservation Biology.

Linguistic Extensions of Topic Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd-Graber, Jordan

2010-01-01

Topic models like latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) provide a framework for analyzing large datasets where observations are collected into groups. Although topic modeling has been fruitfully applied to problems social science, biology, and computer vision, it has been most widely used to model datasets where documents are modeled as exchangeable…

Near-shore and off-shore habitat use by endangered juvenile Lost River and Shortnose Suckers in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon: 2006 data summary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burdick, Summer M.; Wilkens, Alexander X.; VanderKooi, Scott P.

2008-01-01

We continued sampling juvenile suckers in 2006 as part of an effort to develop bioenergetics models for juvenile Lost River and shortnose suckers. This study required us to collect fish to determine growth rates and energy content of juvenile suckers. We followed the sampling protocols and methods described by Hendrixson et al. (2007b) to maintain continuity and facilitate comparisons with data collected in recent years, but sampled at a reduced level of effort compared to previous years (approximately one-third) due to limited funding. Here we present a summary of catch data collected in 2006. Bioenergetics models will be reported separately

Collective cell migration: a physics perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hakim, Vincent; Silberzan, Pascal

2017-07-01

Cells have traditionally been viewed either as independently moving entities or as somewhat static parts of tissues. However, it is now clear that in many cases, multiple cells coordinate their motions and move as collective entities. Well-studied examples comprise development events, as well as physiological and pathological situations. Different ex vivo model systems have also been investigated. Several recent advances have taken place at the interface between biology and physics, and have benefitted from progress in imaging and microscopy, from the use of microfabrication techniques, as well as from the introduction of quantitative tools and models. We review these interesting developments in quantitative cell biology that also provide rich examples of collective out-of-equilibrium motion.

How do generalized jamming transitions affect collective migration in confluent tissues?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manning, M. Lisa

Recent experiments have demonstrated that tissues involved in embryonic development, lung function, wound healing, and cancer progression are close to fluid-to-solid, or ``jamming'' transitions. Theoretical models for confluent 2D tissues have also been shown to exhibit continuous rigidity transitions. However, in vivobiological systems can differ in significant ways from the simple 2D models. For example, many tissues are three-dimensional, mechanically heterogeneous, and/or composed of mechanosensitive cells interspersed with extracellular matrix. We have extended existing models for confluent tissues to capture these features, and we find interesting predictions for collective cell motion that are ultimately related to an underlying generalized jamming transition. For example, in 2D, we find that heterogeneous mixtures of cells spontaneously self-organize into rigid regions of stiffer cells interspersed with string-like groups of soft cells, reminiscent of cellular streaming seen in cancer. We also find that alignment interactions (of the sort often explored in self-propelled particle models) alter the transition and generate interesting flocked liquid and flocked solid collective migration patterns. Our model predicts that 3D tissues also exhibit a jamming transition governed by cell shape, as well as history-dependent aging, and we are currently exploring whether ECM-like interactions in 3D models might help explain compressional stiffening seen in experiments on human tissue.

Using the SIRDE model of social change to examine the vote of Scottish teenagers in the 2014 independence referendum.

PubMed

Grant, Peter R; Bennett, Mark; Abrams, Dominic

2017-09-01

Five hundred and seventy-three Scottish high school students were surveyed in the 2 months following the 2014 referendum on Scotland's independence. We used the Social Identity, Relative Deprivation, collective Efficacy (SIRDE) model of social change to examine the social psychological factors that should have influenced the voting choices of these teenagers. Structural equation modelling indicated that the SIRDE model fit the data and largely supported four sets of hypotheses derived from the model. Specifically, (1) those with a stronger Scottish identity, (2) those who felt frustrated and angry that Scottish people are discriminated against in British society, and (3) those who believed that Scottish people are not able to improve their relatively poor social conditions within the United Kingdom (a lack of collective efficacy) were more likely to hold separatist beliefs. Further, the relationships between identity, relative deprivation, and collective efficacy, on the one hand, and voting for Scotland's independence, on the other, were fully mediated by separatist social change beliefs. Consistent with the specificity of the model, neither political engagement nor personal relative deprivation were associated with voting choice, whereas the latter was associated with lower life satisfaction. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

A unifying framework for quantifying the nature of animal interactions.

PubMed

Potts, Jonathan R; Mokross, Karl; Lewis, Mark A

2014-07-06

Collective phenomena, whereby agent-agent interactions determine spatial patterns, are ubiquitous in the animal kingdom. On the other hand, movement and space use are also greatly influenced by the interactions between animals and their environment. Despite both types of interaction fundamentally influencing animal behaviour, there has hitherto been no unifying framework for the models proposed in both areas. Here, we construct a general method for inferring population-level spatial patterns from underlying individual movement and interaction processes, a key ingredient in building a statistical mechanics for ecological systems. We show that resource selection functions, as well as several examples of collective motion models, arise as special cases of our framework, thus bringing together resource selection analysis and collective animal behaviour into a single theory. In particular, we focus on combining the various mechanistic models of territorial interactions in the literature with step selection functions, by incorporating interactions into the step selection framework and demonstrating how to derive territorial patterns from the resulting models. We demonstrate the efficacy of our model by application to a population of insectivore birds in the Amazon rainforest. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Quantifying Variation in Gait Features from Wearable Inertial Sensors Using Mixed Effects Models

PubMed Central

Cresswell, Kellen Garrison; Shin, Yongyun; Chen, Shanshan

2017-01-01

The emerging technology of wearable inertial sensors has shown its advantages in collecting continuous longitudinal gait data outside laboratories. This freedom also presents challenges in collecting high-fidelity gait data. In the free-living environment, without constant supervision from researchers, sensor-based gait features are susceptible to variation from confounding factors such as gait speed and mounting uncertainty, which are challenging to control or estimate. This paper is one of the first attempts in the field to tackle such challenges using statistical modeling. By accepting the uncertainties and variation associated with wearable sensor-based gait data, we shift our efforts from detecting and correcting those variations to modeling them statistically. From gait data collected on one healthy, non-elderly subject during 48 full-factorial trials, we identified four major sources of variation, and quantified their impact on one gait outcome—range per cycle—using a random effects model and a fixed effects model. The methodology developed in this paper lays the groundwork for a statistical framework to account for sources of variation in wearable gait data, thus facilitating informative statistical inference for free-living gait analysis. PMID:28245602

Oxygen transport in a cross section of the rat inner medulla: Impact of heterogeneous distribution of nephrons and vessels

PubMed Central

Fry, Brendan C.; Layton, Anita T.

2014-01-01

We have developed a highly detailed mathematical model of oxygen transport in a cross section of the upper inner medulla of the rat kidney. The model is used to study the impact of the structured organization of nephrons and vessels revealed in anatomic studies, in which descending vasa recta are found to lie distant from clusters of collecting ducts. Specifically, we formulated a two-dimensional oxygen transport model, in which the positions and physical dimensions of renal tubules and vessels are based on an image obtained by immunochemical techniques (Pannabecker and Dantzler, Am J Physiol Renal Physiol, 2006). The model represents oxygen diffusion through interstitium and other renal structures, oxygen consumption by the Na+/K+-ATPase activities of the collecting ducts, and basal metabolic consumption. Model simulations yield marked variations in interstitial PO2, which can be attributed, in large part, to the heterogeneities in the position and physical dimensions of the collecting ducts. Further, results of a sensitivity study suggest that medullary oxygenation is highly sensitive to medullary blood flow, and that, at high active consumption rates, localized patches of tissue may be vulnerable to hypoxic injury. PMID:25260928

Modeling Human Behavior with Fuzzy and Soft Computing Methods

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-13

REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1...completing and reviewing the collection of information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of... information , including suggestions for reducing the burden, to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information

School Collective Efficacy and Bullying Behaviour: A Multilevel Study.

PubMed

Olsson, Gabriella; Låftman, Sara Brolin; Modin, Bitte

2017-12-20

As with other forms of violent behaviour, bullying is the result of multiple influences acting on different societal levels. Yet the majority of studies on bullying focus primarily on the characteristics of individual bullies and bullied. Fewer studies have explored how the characteristics of central contexts in young people's lives are related to bullying behaviour over and above the influence of individual-level characteristics. This study explores how teacher-rated school collective efficacy is related to student-reported bullying behaviour (traditional and cyberbullying victimization and perpetration). A central focus is to explore if school collective efficacy is related similarly to both traditional bullying and cyberbullying. Analyses are based on combined information from two independent data collections conducted in 2016 among 11th grade students ( n = 6067) and teachers ( n = 1251) in 58 upper secondary schools in Stockholm. The statistical method used is multilevel modelling, estimating two-level binary logistic regression models. The results demonstrate statistically significant between-school differences in all outcomes, except traditional bullying perpetration. Strong school collective efficacy is related to less traditional bullying perpetration and less cyberbullying victimization and perpetration, indicating that collective norm regulation and school social cohesion may contribute to reducing the occurrence of bullying.

School Collective Efficacy and Bullying Behaviour: A Multilevel Study

PubMed Central

Olsson, Gabriella; Låftman, Sara Brolin; Modin, Bitte

2017-01-01

As with other forms of violent behaviour, bullying is the result of multiple influences acting on different societal levels. Yet the majority of studies on bullying focus primarily on the characteristics of individual bullies and bullied. Fewer studies have explored how the characteristics of central contexts in young people’s lives are related to bullying behaviour over and above the influence of individual-level characteristics. This study explores how teacher-rated school collective efficacy is related to student-reported bullying behaviour (traditional and cyberbullying victimization and perpetration). A central focus is to explore if school collective efficacy is related similarly to both traditional bullying and cyberbullying. Analyses are based on combined information from two independent data collections conducted in 2016 among 11th grade students (n = 6067) and teachers (n = 1251) in 58 upper secondary schools in Stockholm. The statistical method used is multilevel modelling, estimating two-level binary logistic regression models. The results demonstrate statistically significant between-school differences in all outcomes, except traditional bullying perpetration. Strong school collective efficacy is related to less traditional bullying perpetration and less cyberbullying victimization and perpetration, indicating that collective norm regulation and school social cohesion may contribute to reducing the occurrence of bullying. PMID:29261114

Neighborhood Predictors of Dating Violence Victimization and Perpetration in Young Adulthood: A Multilevel Study

PubMed Central

Buka, Stephen L.; Subramanian, S. V.; Molnar, Beth E.

2010-01-01

Objectives. We examined whether social processes of neighborhoods, such as collective efficacy, during individual's adolescent years affect the likelihood of being involved in physical dating violence during young adulthood. Methods. Using longitudinal data on 633 urban youths aged 13 to 19 years at baseline and data from their neighborhoods (collected by the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods), we ran multilevel linear regression models separately by gender to assess the association between collective efficacy and physical dating violence victimization and perpetration, controlling for individual covariates, neighborhood poverty, and perceived neighborhood violence. Results. Females were significantly more likely than were males to be perpetrators of dating violence during young adulthood (38% vs 19%). Multilevel analyses revealed some variation in dating violence at the neighborhood level, partly accounted for by collective efficacy. Collective efficacy was predictive of victimization for males but not females after control for confounders; it was marginally associated with perpetration (P = .07). The effects of collective efficacy varied by neighborhood poverty. Finally, a significant proportion (intraclass correlation = 14%–21%) of the neighborhood-level variation in male perpetration remained unexplained after modeling. Conclusions. Community-level strategies may be useful in preventing dating violence. PMID:20634470

Data Collection for Mobile Group Consumption: An Asynchronous Distributed Approach.

PubMed

Zhu, Weiping; Chen, Weiran; Hu, Zhejie; Li, Zuoyou; Liang, Yue; Chen, Jiaojiao

2016-04-06

Mobile group consumption refers to consumption by a group of people, such as a couple, a family, colleagues and friends, based on mobile communications. It differs from consumption only involving individuals, because of the complex relations among group members. Existing data collection systems for mobile group consumption are centralized, which has the disadvantages of being a performance bottleneck, having single-point failure and increasing business and security risks. Moreover, these data collection systems are based on a synchronized clock, which is often unrealistic because of hardware constraints, privacy concerns or synchronization cost. In this paper, we propose the first asynchronous distributed approach to collecting data generated by mobile group consumption. We formally built a system model thereof based on asynchronous distributed communication. We then designed a simulation system for the model for which we propose a three-layer solution framework. After that, we describe how to detect the causality relation of two/three gathering events that happened in the system based on the collected data. Various definitions of causality relations based on asynchronous distributed communication are supported. Extensive simulation results show that the proposed approach is effective for data collection relating to mobile group consumption.

Data Collection for Mobile Group Consumption: An Asynchronous Distributed Approach †

PubMed Central

Zhu, Weiping; Chen, Weiran; Hu, Zhejie; Li, Zuoyou; Liang, Yue; Chen, Jiaojiao

2016-01-01

Mobile group consumption refers to consumption by a group of people, such as a couple, a family, colleagues and friends, based on mobile communications. It differs from consumption only involving individuals, because of the complex relations among group members. Existing data collection systems for mobile group consumption are centralized, which has the disadvantages of being a performance bottleneck, having single-point failure and increasing business and security risks. Moreover, these data collection systems are based on a synchronized clock, which is often unrealistic because of hardware constraints, privacy concerns or synchronization cost. In this paper, we propose the first asynchronous distributed approach to collecting data generated by mobile group consumption. We formally built a system model thereof based on asynchronous distributed communication. We then designed a simulation system for the model for which we propose a three-layer solution framework. After that, we describe how to detect the causality relation of two/three gathering events that happened in the system based on the collected data. Various definitions of causality relations based on asynchronous distributed communication are supported. Extensive simulation results show that the proposed approach is effective for data collection relating to mobile group consumption. PMID:27058544

Effects of Heterogeneous Social Interactions on Flocking Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miguel, M. Carmen; Parley, Jack T.; Pastor-Satorras, Romualdo

2018-02-01

Social relationships characterize the interactions that occur within social species and may have an important impact on collective animal motion. Here, we consider a variation of the standard Vicsek model for collective motion in which interactions are mediated by an empirically motivated scale-free topology that represents a heterogeneous pattern of social contacts. We observe that the degree of order of the model is strongly affected by network heterogeneity: more heterogeneous networks show a more resilient ordered state, while less heterogeneity leads to a more fragile ordered state that can be destroyed by sufficient external noise. Our results challenge the previously accepted equivalence between the static Vicsek model and the equilibrium X Y model on the network of connections, and point towards a possible equivalence with models exhibiting a different symmetry.

Comparison of measured and modeled radiation, heat and water vapor fluxes: FIFE pilot study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blad, Blaine L.; Verma, Shashi B.; Hubbard, Kenneth G.; Starks, Patrick; Hays, Cynthia; Norman, John M.; Waltershea, Elizabeth

1988-01-01

The primary objectives of the 1985 study were to test the feasibility of using radio frequency receivers to collect data from automated weather stations and to evaluate the use of the data collected by the automated weather stations for modeling the fluxes of latent heat, sensible heat, and radiation over wheat. The model Cupid was used to calculate these fluxes which were compared with fluxes of these entities measured using micrometeorological techniques. The primary objectives of the 1986 study were to measure and model reflected and emitted radiation streams at a few locations within the First International Satellite Land-Surface Climatology Project Field Experiment (FIFE) site and to compare modeled and measured latent heat and sensible heat fluxes from the prairie vegetation.

Application of crowd-sourced data to multi-scale evolutionary exposure and vulnerability models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pittore, Massimiliano

2016-04-01

Seismic exposure, defined as the assets (population, buildings, infrastructure) exposed to earthquake hazard and susceptible to damage, is a critical -but often neglected- component of seismic risk assessment. This partly stems from the burden associated with the compilation of a useful and reliable model over wide spatial areas. While detailed engineering data have still to be collected in order to constrain exposure and vulnerability models, the availability of increasingly large crowd-sourced datasets (e. g. OpenStreetMap) opens up the exciting possibility to generate incrementally evolving models. Integrating crowd-sourced and authoritative data using statistical learning methodologies can reduce models uncertainties and also provide additional drive and motivation to volunteered geoinformation collection. A case study in Central Asia will be presented and discussed.

A Corrosion Risk Assessment Model for Underground Piping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Datta, Koushik; Fraser, Douglas R.

2009-01-01

The Pressure Systems Manager at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) has embarked on a project to collect data and develop risk assessment models to support risk-informed decision making regarding future inspections of underground pipes at ARC. This paper shows progress in one area of this project - a corrosion risk assessment model for the underground high-pressure air distribution piping system at ARC. It consists of a Corrosion Model of pipe-segments, a Pipe Wrap Protection Model; and a Pipe Stress Model for a pipe segment. A Monte Carlo simulation of the combined models provides a distribution of the failure probabilities. Sensitivity study results show that the model uncertainty, or lack of knowledge, is the dominant contributor to the calculated unreliability of the underground piping system. As a result, the Pressure Systems Manager may consider investing resources specifically focused on reducing these uncertainties. Future work includes completing the data collection effort for the existing ground based pressure systems and applying the risk models to risk-based inspection strategies of the underground pipes at ARC.

Collected software engineering papers, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

Topics addressed include: summaries of the software engineering laboratory (SEL) organization, operation, and research activities; results of specific research projects in the areas of resource models and software measures; and strategies for data collection for software engineering research.

COSTS OF URBAN STORMWATER CONTROL

EPA Science Inventory

This report presents information on the cost of stormwater pollution control facilities in urban areas, including collection, control, and treatment systems. Information on prior cost studies of control technologies and cost estimating models used in these studies was collected,...

COSTS OF URBAN STORMWATER CONTROL

EPA Science Inventory

This paper presents information on the cost of stormwater pollution control facilities in urban areas, including collection, control, and treatment systems. Information on prior cost studies of control technologies and cost estimating models used in these studies was collected, r...

Collective Action by Women in Community-Based Program Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Sue M.; Schmitt-Boshnick, Margo

1996-01-01

The Candora women's collective uses a participatory model in developing community-based programming for women. Such grassroots organizations are faced with ethical dilemmas in negotiating the interests of funding agencies, organizations, and the women served. (SK)

Minnesota's Tech Prep Outcome Evaluation Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, James M.; Pucel, David; Twohig, Cathy; Semler, Steve; Kuchinke, K. Peter

1998-01-01

Describes the Minnesota Tech Prep Consortia Evaluation System, which collects outcomes data on enrollment, retention, related job placement, higher education, dropouts, and diplomas/degrees awarded. Explains outcome measures, database development, data collection and analysis methods, and remaining challenges. (SK)

Long-Term Pavement Performance Program falling weight deflectometer maintenance manual

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-12-01

The Federal Highway Administrations (FHWA) Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program operates eight Dynatest Model 8000 FWDs to collect deflection data on in-service pavement test sections across North America. LTPP has collected pavement defl...

Smart Swarms of Bacteria-Inspired Agents with Performance Adaptable Interactions

PubMed Central

Shklarsh, Adi; Ariel, Gil; Schneidman, Elad; Ben-Jacob, Eshel

2011-01-01

Collective navigation and swarming have been studied in animal groups, such as fish schools, bird flocks, bacteria, and slime molds. Computer modeling has shown that collective behavior of simple agents can result from simple interactions between the agents, which include short range repulsion, intermediate range alignment, and long range attraction. Here we study collective navigation of bacteria-inspired smart agents in complex terrains, with adaptive interactions that depend on performance. More specifically, each agent adjusts its interactions with the other agents according to its local environment – by decreasing the peers' influence while navigating in a beneficial direction, and increasing it otherwise. We show that inclusion of such performance dependent adaptable interactions significantly improves the collective swarming performance, leading to highly efficient navigation, especially in complex terrains. Notably, to afford such adaptable interactions, each modeled agent requires only simple computational capabilities with short-term memory, which can easily be implemented in simple swarming robots. PMID:21980274

Smart swarms of bacteria-inspired agents with performance adaptable interactions.

PubMed

Shklarsh, Adi; Ariel, Gil; Schneidman, Elad; Ben-Jacob, Eshel

2011-09-01

Collective navigation and swarming have been studied in animal groups, such as fish schools, bird flocks, bacteria, and slime molds. Computer modeling has shown that collective behavior of simple agents can result from simple interactions between the agents, which include short range repulsion, intermediate range alignment, and long range attraction. Here we study collective navigation of bacteria-inspired smart agents in complex terrains, with adaptive interactions that depend on performance. More specifically, each agent adjusts its interactions with the other agents according to its local environment--by decreasing the peers' influence while navigating in a beneficial direction, and increasing it otherwise. We show that inclusion of such performance dependent adaptable interactions significantly improves the collective swarming performance, leading to highly efficient navigation, especially in complex terrains. Notably, to afford such adaptable interactions, each modeled agent requires only simple computational capabilities with short-term memory, which can easily be implemented in simple swarming robots.

The dynamics of meaningful social interactions and the emergence of collective knowledge

PubMed Central

Dankulov, Marija Mitrović; Melnik, Roderick; Tadić, Bosiljka

2015-01-01

Collective knowledge as a social value may arise in cooperation among actors whose individual expertise is limited. The process of knowledge creation requires meaningful, logically coordinated interactions, which represents a challenging problem to physics and social dynamics modeling. By combining two-scale dynamics model with empirical data analysis from a well-known Questions & Answers system Mathematics, we show that this process occurs as a collective phenomenon in an enlarged network (of actors and their artifacts) where the cognitive recognition interactions are properly encoded. The emergent behavior is quantified by the information divergence and innovation advancing of knowledge over time and the signatures of self-organization and knowledge sharing communities. These measures elucidate the impact of each cognitive element and the individual actor’s expertise in the collective dynamics. The results are relevant to stochastic processes involving smart components and to collaborative social endeavors, for instance, crowdsourcing scientific knowledge production with online games. PMID:26174482

A cluster phase analysis for collective behavior in team sports.

PubMed

López-Felip, Maurici A; Davis, Tehran J; Frank, Till D; Dixon, James A

2018-06-01

Collective behavior can be defined as the ability of humans to coordinate with others through a complex environment. Sports offer exquisite examples of this dynamic interplay, requiring decision making and other perceptual-cognitive skills to adjust individual decisions to the team self-organization and vice versa. Considering players of a team as periodic phase oscillators, synchrony analyses can be used to model the coordination of a team. Nonetheless, a main limitation of current models is that collective behavior is context independent. In other words, players on a team can be highly synchronized without this corresponding to a meaningful coordination dynamics relevant to the context of the game. Considering these issues, the aim of this study was to develop a method of analysis sensitive to the context for evidence-based measures of collective behavior. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The dynamics of meaningful social interactions and the emergence of collective knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dankulov, Marija Mitrović; Melnik, Roderick; Tadić, Bosiljka

2015-07-01

Collective knowledge as a social value may arise in cooperation among actors whose individual expertise is limited. The process of knowledge creation requires meaningful, logically coordinated interactions, which represents a challenging problem to physics and social dynamics modeling. By combining two-scale dynamics model with empirical data analysis from a well-known Questions & Answers system Mathematics, we show that this process occurs as a collective phenomenon in an enlarged network (of actors and their artifacts) where the cognitive recognition interactions are properly encoded. The emergent behavior is quantified by the information divergence and innovation advancing of knowledge over time and the signatures of self-organization and knowledge sharing communities. These measures elucidate the impact of each cognitive element and the individual actor’s expertise in the collective dynamics. The results are relevant to stochastic processes involving smart components and to collaborative social endeavors, for instance, crowdsourcing scientific knowledge production with online games.

Twitter classification model: the ABC of two million fitness tweets.

PubMed

Vickey, Theodore A; Ginis, Kathleen Martin; Dabrowski, Maciej

2013-09-01

The purpose of this project was to design and test data collection and management tools that can be used to study the use of mobile fitness applications and social networking within the context of physical activity. This project was conducted over a 6-month period and involved collecting publically shared Twitter data from five mobile fitness apps (Nike+, RunKeeper, MyFitnessPal, Endomondo, and dailymile). During that time, over 2.8 million tweets were collected, processed, and categorized using an online tweet collection application and a customized JavaScript. Using the grounded theory, a classification model was developed to categorize and understand the types of information being shared by application users. Our data show that by tracking mobile fitness app hashtags, a wealth of information can be gathered to include but not limited to daily use patterns, exercise frequency, location-based workouts, and overall workout sentiment.

Collective and decentralized management model in public hospitals: perspective of the nursing team.

PubMed

Bernardes, Andrea; Cecilio, Luiz Carlos de Oliveira; Evora, Yolanda Dora Martinez; Gabriel, Carmen Silvia; Carvalho, Mariana Bernardes de

2011-01-01

This research aims to present the implementation of the collective and decentralized management model in functional units of a public hospital in the city of Ribeirão Preto, state of São Paulo, according to the view of the nursing staff and the health technical assistant. This historical and organizational case study used qualitative thematic content analysis proposed by Bardin for data analysis. The institution started the decentralization of its administrative structure in 1999, through collective management, which permitted several internal improvements, with positive repercussion for the care delivered to users. The top-down implementation of the process seems to have jeopardized workers adherence, although collective management has intensified communication and the sharing of power and decision. The study shows that there is still much work to be done to concretize this innovative management proposal, despite the advances regarding the quality of care.

The dynamics of meaningful social interactions and the emergence of collective knowledge.

PubMed

Dankulov, Marija Mitrović; Melnik, Roderick; Tadić, Bosiljka

2015-07-15

Collective knowledge as a social value may arise in cooperation among actors whose individual expertise is limited. The process of knowledge creation requires meaningful, logically coordinated interactions, which represents a challenging problem to physics and social dynamics modeling. By combining two-scale dynamics model with empirical data analysis from a well-known Questions &Answers system Mathematics, we show that this process occurs as a collective phenomenon in an enlarged network (of actors and their artifacts) where the cognitive recognition interactions are properly encoded. The emergent behavior is quantified by the information divergence and innovation advancing of knowledge over time and the signatures of self-organization and knowledge sharing communities. These measures elucidate the impact of each cognitive element and the individual actor's expertise in the collective dynamics. The results are relevant to stochastic processes involving smart components and to collaborative social endeavors, for instance, crowdsourcing scientific knowledge production with online games.

Using Unified Modelling Language (UML) as a process-modelling technique for clinical-research process improvement.

PubMed

Kumarapeli, P; De Lusignan, S; Ellis, T; Jones, B

2007-03-01

The Primary Care Data Quality programme (PCDQ) is a quality-improvement programme which processes routinely collected general practice computer data. Patient data collected from a wide range of different brands of clinical computer systems are aggregated, processed, and fed back to practices in an educational context to improve the quality of care. Process modelling is a well-established approach used to gain understanding and systematic appraisal, and identify areas of improvement of a business process. Unified modelling language (UML) is a general purpose modelling technique used for this purpose. We used UML to appraise the PCDQ process to see if the efficiency and predictability of the process could be improved. Activity analysis and thinking-aloud sessions were used to collect data to generate UML diagrams. The UML model highlighted the sequential nature of the current process as a barrier for efficiency gains. It also identified the uneven distribution of process controls, lack of symmetric communication channels, critical dependencies among processing stages, and failure to implement all the lessons learned in the piloting phase. It also suggested that improved structured reporting at each stage - especially from the pilot phase, parallel processing of data and correctly positioned process controls - should improve the efficiency and predictability of research projects. Process modelling provided a rational basis for the critical appraisal of a clinical data processing system; its potential maybe underutilized within health care.

Comparison of Field Measurements to Methane Emissions ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Due to both technical and economic limitations, estimates of methane emissions from landfills rely primarily on models. While models are easy to implement, there is uncertainty due to the use of parameters that are difficult to validate. The objective of this research was to compare modeled emissions using several greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reporting protocols including: (1) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); (2) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (EPA GHGRP); (3) California Air Resources Board (CARB); (4) Solid Waste Industry for Climate Solutions (SWICS); and (5) an industry model from the Dutch waste company Afvalzorg, with measured data collected over 3 calendar years from a young landfill with no gas collection system. By working with whole landfill measurements of fugitive methane emissions and methane oxidation, the collection efficiency could be set to zero, thus eliminating one source of parameter uncertainty. The models consistently overestimated annual methane emissions by a factor ranging from 4 – 32.Varying input parameters over reasonable ranges reduced this range to 1.3 - 8. Waste age at the studied landfill was less than four years and the results suggest the need for measurements at additional landfills to evaluate the accuracy of the tested models to young landfills. This is a submission to a peer reviewed journal. The paper discusses landfill emission measurements and models for a new la

Not of One Mind: Mental Models of Clinical Practice Guidelines in the Veterans Health Administration

PubMed Central

Hysong, Sylvia J; Best, Richard G; Pugh, Jacqueline A; Moore, Frank I

2005-01-01

Objective The purpose of this paper is to present differences in mental models of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) among 15 Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities throughout the United States. Data Sources Two hundred and forty-four employees from 15 different VHA facilities across four service networks around the country were invited to participate. Participants were selected from different levels throughout each service setting from primary care personnel to facility leadership. Study Design This qualitative study used purposive sampling, a semistructured interview process for data collection, and grounded theory techniques for analysis. Data Collection A semistructured interview was used to collect information on participants' mental models of CPGs, as well as implementation strategies and barriers in their facility. Findings Analysis of these interviews using grounded theory techniques indicated that there was wide variability in employees' mental models of CPGs. Findings also indicated that high-performing facilities exhibited both (a) a clear, focused shared mental model of guidelines and (b) a tendency to use performance feedback as a learning opportunity, thus suggesting that a shared mental model is a necessary but not sufficient step toward successful guideline implementation. Conclusions We conclude that a clear shared mental model of guidelines, in combination with a learning orientation toward feedback are important components for successful guideline implementation and improved quality of care. PMID:15960693

INTEGRATION OF FACILITY MODELING CAPABILITIES FOR NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION ANALYSIS

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

Gorensek, M.; Hamm, L.; Garcia, H.

2011-07-18

Developing automated methods for data collection and analysis that can facilitate nuclear nonproliferation assessment is an important research area with significant consequences for the effective global deployment of nuclear energy. Facility modeling that can integrate and interpret observations collected from monitored facilities in order to ascertain their functional details will be a critical element of these methods. Although improvements are continually sought, existing facility modeling tools can characterize all aspects of reactor operations and the majority of nuclear fuel cycle processing steps, and include algorithms for data processing and interpretation. Assessing nonproliferation status is challenging because observations can come frommore » many sources, including local and remote sensors that monitor facility operations, as well as open sources that provide specific business information about the monitored facilities, and can be of many different types. Although many current facility models are capable of analyzing large amounts of information, they have not been integrated in an analyst-friendly manner. This paper addresses some of these facility modeling capabilities and illustrates how they could be integrated and utilized for nonproliferation analysis. The inverse problem of inferring facility conditions based on collected observations is described, along with a proposed architecture and computer framework for utilizing facility modeling tools. After considering a representative sampling of key facility modeling capabilities, the proposed integration framework is illustrated with several examples.« less

An Abstract Systolic Model and Its Application to the Design of Finite Element Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-01-01

networks as a collection of communicating. parallel :.,’-.processes, some of the techniques for the verification of distributed systems ,.woi (see for...item must be collected . even If there is no Interest In its value. In this case. the collection of the data is simply achieved by changing the state of...the appropriate data as well as for collecting the output data and performing some additional tasks that we will discuss later. A basic functional

Collective Motion of Humans in Mosh and Circle Pits at Heavy Metal Concerts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silverberg, Jesse L.; Bierbaum, Matthew; Sethna, James P.; Cohen, Itai

2013-05-01

Human collective behavior can vary from calm to panicked depending on social context. Using videos publicly available online, we study the highly energized collective motion of attendees at heavy metal concerts. We find these extreme social gatherings generate similarly extreme behaviors: a disordered gaslike state called a mosh pit and an ordered vortexlike state called a circle pit. Both phenomena are reproduced in flocking simulations demonstrating that human collective behavior is consistent with the predictions of simplified models.

The Relationships between Modelling and Argumentation from the Perspective of the Model of Modelling Diagram

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mendonça, Paula Cristina Cardoso; Justi, Rosária

2013-01-01

Some studies related to the nature of scientific knowledge demonstrate that modelling is an inherently argumentative process. This study aims at discussing the relationship between modelling and argumentation by analysing data collected during the modelling-based teaching of ionic bonding and intermolecular interactions. The teaching activities…

Water quality of storm runoff and comparison of procedures for estimating storm-runoff loads, volume, event-mean concentrations, and the mean load for a storm for selected properties and constituents for Colorado Springs, southeastern Colorado, 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Von Guerard, Paul; Weiss, W.B.

1995-01-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires that municipalities that have a population of 100,000 or greater obtain National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits to characterize the quality of their storm runoff. In 1992, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Springs City Engineering Division, began a study to characterize the water quality of storm runoff and to evaluate procedures for the estimation of storm-runoff loads, volume and event-mean concentrations for selected properties and constituents. Precipitation, streamflow, and water-quality data were collected during 1992 at five sites in Colorado Springs. Thirty-five samples were collected, seven at each of the five sites. At each site, three samples were collected for permitting purposes; two of the samples were collected during rainfall runoff, and one sample was collected during snowmelt runoff. Four additional samples were collected at each site to obtain a large enough sample size to estimate storm-runoff loads, volume, and event-mean concentrations for selected properties and constituents using linear-regression procedures developed using data from the Nationwide Urban Runoff Program (NURP). Storm-water samples were analyzed for as many as 186 properties and constituents. The constituents measured include total-recoverable metals, vola-tile-organic compounds, acid-base/neutral organic compounds, and pesticides. Storm runoff sampled had large concentrations of chemical oxygen demand and 5-day biochemical oxygen demand. Chemical oxygen demand ranged from 100 to 830 milligrams per liter, and 5.-day biochemical oxygen demand ranged from 14 to 260 milligrams per liter. Total-organic carbon concentrations ranged from 18 to 240 milligrams per liter. The total-recoverable metals lead and zinc had the largest concentrations of the total-recoverable metals analyzed. Concentrations of lead ranged from 23 to 350 micrograms per liter, and concentrations of zinc ranged from 110 to 1,400 micrograms per liter. The data for 30 storms representing rainfall runoff from 5 drainage basins were used to develop single-storm local-regression models. The response variables, storm-runoff loads, volume, and event-mean concentrations were modeled using explanatory variables for climatic, physical, and land-use characteristics. The r2 for models that use ordinary least-squares regression ranged from 0.57 to 0.86 for storm-runoff loads and volume and from 0.25 to 0.63 for storm-runoff event-mean concentrations. Except for cadmium, standard errors of estimate ranged from 43 to 115 percent for storm- runoff loads and volume and from 35 to 66 percent for storm-runoff event-mean concentrations. Eleven of the 30 concentrations collected during rainfall runoff for total-recoverable cadmium were censored (less than) concentrations. Ordinary least-squares regression should not be used with censored data; however, censored data can be included with uncensored data using tobit regression. Standard errors of estimate for storm-runoff load and event-mean concentration for total-recoverable cadmium, computed using tobit regression, are 247 and 171 percent. Estimates from single-storm regional-regression models, developed from the Nationwide Urban Runoff Program data base, were compared with observed storm-runoff loads, volume, and event-mean concentrations determined from samples collected in the study area. Single-storm regional-regression models tended to overestimate storm-runoff loads, volume, and event-mean con-centrations. Therefore, single-storm local- and regional-regression models were combined using model-adjustment procedures to take advantage of the strengths of both models while minimizing the deficiencies of each model. Procedures were used to develop single-stormregression equations that were adjusted using local data and estimates from single-storm regional-regression equations. Single-storm regression models developed using model- adjustment proce

Modeling vehicle fuel consumption and emissions at signalized intersection approaches : integrating field-collected data into microscopic simulation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-07-01

Microscopic models produce emissions and fuel consumption estimates with higher temporal resolution than other scales of : models. Most emissions and fuel consumption models were developed with data from dynamometer testing which are : sufficiently a...

Diurnal variations in CO2 flux from peatland floodplains: Implications for models of ecosystem respiration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goulsbra, Claire; Rickards, Nathan; Brown, Sarah; Evans, Martin; Boult, Stephen; Alderson, Danielle

2016-04-01

Peatlands are important terrestrial carbon stores, and within these environments, floodplains have been identified as hotspots of carbon processing, potentially releasing substantial amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. Previous monitoring campaigns have shown that such CO2 release from ecosystem respiration is linked not only to soil temperature and water table depth, but also to CO2 sequestration via primary productivity, thought to be because the root exudates produced during photosynthesis stimulate microbial activity. This suggests that extrapolation models that are parameterised on data collected during day light hours, when vegetation is photosynthesising, may overestimate ecosystem respiration rates at night, which has important implications for estimates of annual CO2 flux and carbon budgeting. To investigate this hypothesis, monitoring data is collected on the CO2 flux from UK peatland floodplains over the full diurnal cycle. This is done via ex-situ manual data collection from mesocosms using an infra-red gas analyser, and the in-situ automated collection of CO2 concentration data from boreholes within the peat using GasClams®. Preliminary data collected during the summer months suggest that night time respiration is suppressed compared to that during the day, and that the significant predictors of respiration are different when examining day and night time data. This highlights the importance of incorporating diurnal variations into models of ecosystem respiration.

Geographic information system-based healthcare waste management planning for treatment site location and optimal transportation routeing.

PubMed

Shanmugasundaram, Jothiganesh; Soulalay, Vongdeuane; Chettiyappan, Visvanathan

2012-06-01

In Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), a growth of healthcare centres, and the environmental hazards and public health risks typically accompanying them, increased the need for healthcare waste (HCW) management planning. An effective planning of an HCW management system including components such as the treatment plant siting and an optimized routeing system for collection and transportation of waste is deemed important. National government offices at developing countries often lack the proper tools and methodologies because of the high costs usually associated with them. However, this study attempts to demonstrate the use of an inexpensive GIS modelling tool for healthcare waste management in the country. Two areas were designed for this study on HCW management, including: (a) locating centralized treatment plants and designing optimum travel routes for waste collection from nearby healthcare facilities; and (b) utilizing existing hospital incinerators and designing optimum routes for collecting waste from nearby healthcare facilities. Spatial analysis paved the way to understand the spatial distribution of healthcare wastes and to identify hotspots of higher waste generating locations. Optimal route models were designed for collecting and transporting HCW to treatment plants, which also highlights constraints in collecting and transporting waste for treatment and disposal. The proposed model can be used as a decision support tool for the efficient management of hospital wastes by government healthcare waste management authorities and hospitals.

Collective multipartite Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering: more secure optical networks.

PubMed

Wang, Meng; Gong, Qihuang; He, Qiongyi

2014-12-01

Collective multipartite Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) steering is a type of quantum correlation shared among N parties, where the EPR paradox of one party can only be realized by performing local measurements on all the remaining N-1 parties. We formalize the collective tripartite steering in terms of local hidden state model and give the steering inequalities that act as signatures and suggest how to optimize collective tripartite steering in specific optical schemes. The special entangled states with property of collective multipartite steering may have potential applications in ultra-secure multiuser communication networks where the issue of trust is critical.

External validation of the Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre (ICNARC) risk prediction model in critical care units in Scotland.

PubMed

Harrison, David A; Lone, Nazir I; Haddow, Catriona; MacGillivray, Moranne; Khan, Angela; Cook, Brian; Rowan, Kathryn M

2014-01-01

Risk prediction models are used in critical care for risk stratification, summarising and communicating risk, supporting clinical decision-making and benchmarking performance. However, they require validation before they can be used with confidence, ideally using independently collected data from a different source to that used to develop the model. The aim of this study was to validate the Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre (ICNARC) model using independently collected data from critical care units in Scotland. Data were extracted from the Scottish Intensive Care Society Audit Group (SICSAG) database for the years 2007 to 2009. Recoding and mapping of variables was performed, as required, to apply the ICNARC model (2009 recalibration) to the SICSAG data using standard computer algorithms. The performance of the ICNARC model was assessed for discrimination, calibration and overall fit and compared with that of the Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II model. There were 29,626 admissions to 24 adult, general critical care units in Scotland between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2009. After exclusions, 23,269 admissions were included in the analysis. The ICNARC model outperformed APACHE II on measures of discrimination (c index 0.848 versus 0.806), calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow chi-squared statistic 18.8 versus 214) and overall fit (Brier's score 0.140 versus 0.157; Shapiro's R 0.652 versus 0.621). Model performance was consistent across the three years studied. The ICNARC model performed well when validated in an external population to that in which it was developed, using independently collected data.

Compilation of a near-infrared library for the construction of quantitative models of amoxicillin and potassium clavulanate oral dosage forms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Wen-bo; Chong, Xiao-meng; Wang, Yan; Hu, Chang-qin

2018-05-01

The accuracy of NIR quantitative models depends on calibration samples with concentration variability. Conventional sample collecting methods have some shortcomings especially the time-consuming which remains a bottleneck in the application of NIR models for Process Analytical Technology (PAT) control. A study was performed to solve the problem of sample selection collection for construction of NIR quantitative models. Amoxicillin and potassium clavulanate oral dosage forms were used as examples. The aim was to find a normal approach to rapidly construct NIR quantitative models using an NIR spectral library based on the idea of a universal model [2021]. The NIR spectral library of amoxicillin and potassium clavulanate oral dosage forms was defined and consisted of spectra of 377 batches of samples produced by 26 domestic pharmaceutical companies, including tablets, dispersible tablets, chewable tablets, oral suspensions, and granules. The correlation coefficient (rT) was used to indicate the similarities of the spectra. The samples’ calibration sets were selected from a spectral library according to the median rT of the samples to be analyzed. The rT of the samples selected was close to the median rT. The difference in rT of those samples was 1.0% to 1.5%. We concluded that sample selection is not a problem when constructing NIR quantitative models using a spectral library versus conventional methods of determining universal models. The sample spectra with a suitable concentration range in the NIR models were collected quickly. In addition, the models constructed through this method were more easily targeted.

Ground water flow modeling with sensitivity analyses to guide field data collection in a mountain watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Raymond H.

2007-01-01

In mountain watersheds, the increased demand for clean water resources has led to an increased need for an understanding of ground water flow in alpine settings. In Prospect Gulch, located in southwestern Colorado, understanding the ground water flow system is an important first step in addressing metal loads from acid-mine drainage and acid-rock drainage in an area with historical mining. Ground water flow modeling with sensitivity analyses are presented as a general tool to guide future field data collection, which is applicable to any ground water study, including mountain watersheds. For a series of conceptual models, the observation and sensitivity capabilities of MODFLOW-2000 are used to determine composite scaled sensitivities, dimensionless scaled sensitivities, and 1% scaled sensitivity maps of hydraulic head. These sensitivities determine the most important input parameter(s) along with the location of observation data that are most useful for future model calibration. The results are generally independent of the conceptual model and indicate recharge in a high-elevation recharge zone as the most important parameter, followed by the hydraulic conductivities in all layers and recharge in the next lower-elevation zone. The most important observation data in determining these parameters are hydraulic heads at high elevations, with a depth of less than 100 m being adequate. Evaluation of a possible geologic structure with a different hydraulic conductivity than the surrounding bedrock indicates that ground water discharge to individual stream reaches has the potential to identify some of these structures. Results of these sensitivity analyses can be used to prioritize data collection in an effort to reduce time and money spend by collecting the most relevant model calibration data.

A Comparison of Volume Scattering Strength Data with Model Calculations based on Quasisynoptically Collected Fishery Data

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-06-03

personal communication , Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway (1990). fishery sense although they could be major contributors to 7"Report of the...volume scattering strength data with model calculations based or, Program Element No. quasisynoptically collected fishery data Pjfect No. 6. Author(s...and 5000 Hz in the Norwegian Sea in August 1988 and west of Great Britain in April 1989. Coincidentally, extensive fishery surveys were conducted at

Collaborative Metadata Curation in Support of NASA Earth Science Data Stewardship

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sisco, Adam W.; Bugbee, Kaylin; le Roux, Jeanne; Staton, Patrick; Freitag, Brian; Dixon, Valerie

2018-01-01

Growing collection of NASA Earth science data is archived and distributed by EOSDIS’s 12 Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs). Each collection and granule is described by a metadata record housed in the Common Metadata Repository (CMR). Multiple metadata standards are in use, and core elements of each are mapped to and from a common model – the Unified Metadata Model (UMM). Work done by the Analysis and Review of CMR (ARC) Team.

Waste collection multi objective model with real time traceability data.

PubMed

Faccio, Maurizio; Persona, Alessandro; Zanin, Giorgia

2011-12-01

Waste collection is a highly visible municipal service that involves large expenditures and difficult operational problems, plus it is expensive to operate in terms of investment costs (i.e. vehicles fleet), operational costs (i.e. fuel, maintenances) and environmental costs (i.e. emissions, noise and traffic congestions). Modern traceability devices, like volumetric sensors, identification RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) systems, GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) and GPS (Global Positioning System) technology, permit to obtain data in real time, which is fundamental to implement an efficient and innovative waste collection routing model. The basic idea is that knowing the real time data of each vehicle and the real time replenishment level at each bin makes it possible to decide, in function of the waste generation pattern, what bin should be emptied and what should not, optimizing different aspects like the total covered distance, the necessary number of vehicles and the environmental impact. This paper describes a framework about the traceability technology available in the optimization of solid waste collection, and introduces an innovative vehicle routing model integrated with the real time traceability data, starting the application in an Italian city of about 100,000 inhabitants. The model is tested and validated using simulation and an economical feasibility study is reported at the end of the paper. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Collective motion of active Brownian particles with polar alignment.

PubMed

Martín-Gómez, Aitor; Levis, Demian; Díaz-Guilera, Albert; Pagonabarraga, Ignacio

2018-04-04

We present a comprehensive computational study of the collective behavior emerging from the competition between self-propulsion, excluded volume interactions and velocity-alignment in a two-dimensional model of active particles. We consider an extension of the active brownian particles model where the self-propulsion direction of the particles aligns with the one of their neighbors. We analyze the onset of collective motion (flocking) in a low-density regime (10% surface area) and show that it is mainly controlled by the strength of velocity-alignment interactions: the competition between self-propulsion and crowding effects plays a minor role in the emergence of flocking. However, above the flocking threshold, the system presents a richer pattern formation scenario than analogous models without alignment interactions (active brownian particles) or excluded volume effects (Vicsek-like models). Depending on the parameter regime, the structure of the system is characterized by either a broad distribution of finite-sized polar clusters or the presence of an amorphous, highly fluctuating, large-scale traveling structure which can take a lane-like or band-like form (and usually a hybrid structure which is halfway in between both). We establish a phase diagram that summarizes collective behavior of polar active brownian particles and propose a generic mechanism to describe the complexity of the large-scale structures observed in systems of repulsive self-propelled particles.

Role of spatial heterogeneity in the collective dynamics of cilia beating in a minimal one-dimensional model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dey, Supravat; Massiera, Gladys; Pitard, Estelle

2018-01-01

Cilia are elastic hairlike protuberances of the cell membrane found in various unicellular organisms and in several tissues of most living organisms. In some tissues such as the airway tissues of the lung, the coordinated beating of cilia induces a fluid flow of crucial importance as it allows the continuous cleaning of our bronchia, known as mucociliary clearance. While most of the models addressing the question of collective dynamics and metachronal wave consider homogeneous carpets of cilia, experimental observations rather show that cilia clusters are heterogeneously distributed over the tissue surface. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of spatial heterogeneity on the coherent beating of cilia using a very simple one-dimensional model for cilia known as the rower model. We systematically study systems consisting of a few rowers to hundreds of rowers and we investigate the conditions for the emergence of collective beating. When considering a small number of rowers, a phase drift occurs, hence, a bifurcation in beating frequency is observed as the distance between rower clusters is changed. In the case of many rowers, a distribution of frequencies is observed. We found in particular the pattern of the patchy structure that shows the best robustness in collective beating behavior, as the density of cilia is varied over a wide range.

Leveraging the Value of Human Relationships to Improve Health Outcomes. Lessons learned from the OpenMRS Electronic Health Record System.

PubMed

Kasthurirathne, Suranga N; Mamlin, Burke W; Cullen, Theresa

2017-02-01

Despite significant awareness on the value of leveraging patient relationships across the healthcare continuum, there is no research on the potential of using Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems to store structured patient relationship data, or its impact on enabling better healthcare. We sought to identify which EHR systems supported effective patient relationship data collection, and for systems that do, what types of relationship data is collected, how this data is used, and the perceived value of doing so. We performed a literature search to identify EHR systems that supported patient relationship data collection. Based on our results, we defined attributes of an effective patient relationship model. The Open Medical Record System (OpenMRS), an open source medical record platform for underserved settings met our eligibility criteria for effective patient relationship collection. We performed a survey to understand how the OpenMRS patient relationship model was used, and how it brought value to implementers. The OpenMRS patient relationship model has won widespread adoption across many implementations and is perceived to be valuable in enabling better health care delivery. Patient relationship information is widely used for community health programs and enabling chronic care. Additionally, many OpenMRS implementers were using this feature to collect custom relationship types for implementation specific needs. We believe that flexible patient relationship data collection is critical for better healthcare, and can inform community care and chronic care initiatives across the world. Additionally, patient relationship data could also be leveraged for many other initiatives such as patient centric care and in the field of precision medicine.

Loading, electromyograph, and motion during exercise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Todd, Beth A.

1993-01-01

A bicycle ergometer system has been developed to determine forces acting in specific muscles and muscle groups for both cycling and isometric exercise. The bicycle has been instrumented with encoders, accelerometers, and load cells. A harnessing system has been developed to keep subjects in place during isometric exercise. EMG data will also be collected with electrodes attached to various muscles on the subject's leg. Data has been collected for static loading and will be collected for cycling in both an earth-based laboratory and on the KC-135. Once the data is analyzed, the forces will be entered into finite element models of bones of the lower extremities. A finite element model of the tibia-fibula has been generated from the experimental subject's MRI data. The linear elastic isoparametric brick elements representing the bones are connected by linear elastic isoparametric shell elements placed at the locations of ligaments. Models will be generated for the calcaneus and the femur. Material properties for the various tissues will be taken from the literature. The experimentally determined muscle forces will be applied to the models to determine the stress distribution which is created in the bones.

Measurement and modeling of intrinsic transcription terminators

PubMed Central

Cambray, Guillaume; Guimaraes, Joao C.; Mutalik, Vivek K.; Lam, Colin; Mai, Quynh-Anh; Thimmaiah, Tim; Carothers, James M.; Arkin, Adam P.; Endy, Drew

2013-01-01

The reliable forward engineering of genetic systems remains limited by the ad hoc reuse of many types of basic genetic elements. Although a few intrinsic prokaryotic transcription terminators are used routinely, termination efficiencies have not been studied systematically. Here, we developed and validated a genetic architecture that enables reliable measurement of termination efficiencies. We then assembled a collection of 61 natural and synthetic terminators that collectively encode termination efficiencies across an ∼800-fold dynamic range within Escherichia coli. We simulated co-transcriptional RNA folding dynamics to identify competing secondary structures that might interfere with terminator folding kinetics or impact termination activity. We found that structures extending beyond the core terminator stem are likely to increase terminator activity. By excluding terminators encoding such context-confounding elements, we were able to develop a linear sequence-function model that can be used to estimate termination efficiencies (r = 0.9, n = 31) better than models trained on all terminators (r = 0.67, n = 54). The resulting systematically measured collection of terminators should improve the engineering of synthetic genetic systems and also advance quantitative modeling of transcription termination. PMID:23511967

Toward the Darwinian transition: Switching between distributed and speciated states in a simple model of early life.

PubMed

Arnoldt, Hinrich; Strogatz, Steven H; Timme, Marc

2015-01-01

It has been hypothesized that in the era just before the last universal common ancestor emerged, life on earth was fundamentally collective. Ancient life forms shared their genetic material freely through massive horizontal gene transfer (HGT). At a certain point, however, life made a transition to the modern era of individuality and vertical descent. Here we present a minimal model for stochastic processes potentially contributing to this hypothesized "Darwinian transition." The model suggests that HGT-dominated dynamics may have been intermittently interrupted by selection-driven processes during which genotypes became fitter and decreased their inclination toward HGT. Stochastic switching in the population dynamics with three-point (hypernetwork) interactions may have destabilized the HGT-dominated collective state and essentially contributed to the emergence of vertical descent and the first well-defined species in early evolution. A systematic nonlinear analysis of the stochastic model dynamics covering key features of evolutionary processes (such as selection, mutation, drift and HGT) supports this view. Our findings thus suggest a viable direction out of early collective evolution, potentially enabling the start of individuality and vertical Darwinian evolution.

Named Data Networking in Climate Research and HEP Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shannigrahi, Susmit; Papadopoulos, Christos; Yeh, Edmund; Newman, Harvey; Jerzy Barczyk, Artur; Liu, Ran; Sim, Alex; Mughal, Azher; Monga, Inder; Vlimant, Jean-Roch; Wu, John

2015-12-01

The Computing Models of the LHC experiments continue to evolve from the simple hierarchical MONARC[2] model towards more agile models where data is exchanged among many Tier2 and Tier3 sites, relying on both large scale file transfers with strategic data placement, and an increased use of remote access to object collections with caching through CMS's AAA, ATLAS' FAX and ALICE's AliEn projects, for example. The challenges presented by expanding needs for CPU, storage and network capacity as well as rapid handling of large datasets of file and object collections have pointed the way towards future more agile pervasive models that make best use of highly distributed heterogeneous resources. In this paper, we explore the use of Named Data Networking (NDN), a new Internet architecture focusing on content rather than the location of the data collections. As NDN has shown considerable promise in another data intensive field, Climate Science, we discuss the similarities and differences between the Climate and HEP use cases, along with specific issues HEP faces and will face during LHC Run2 and beyond, which NDN could address.

mHealth Series: Measuring maternal newborn and child health coverage by text messaging – a county–level model for China

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yanfeng; Chen, Li; van Velthoven, Michelle H. M. M. T.; Wang, Wei; Liu, Li; Du, Xiaozhen; Wu, Qiong; Li, Ye; Car, Josip

2013-01-01

Background Effective interventions in maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH), if achieving high level of population coverage, could prevent most of deaths in children under five years of age. High–quality measurements of MNCH coverage are essential for tracking progress and making evidence–based decisions. Methods MNCH coverage data are mainly collected through fieldworkers’ interview with preselected households in standard programs of Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) or Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) in most low– and middle–income countries. Household surveys will continue to be the major data source for MNCH coverage in the foreseeable future. However, face–to–face data collection broadly used in household surveys is labor–intensive, time–consuming and expensive. Mobile phones are drawing more and more interest in medical research with the rapid increase in usage and text messaging could be an innovative way of data collection, that is, we could collect DHS data through mHealth method. We refer to it as “mDHS”. Finding We propose in this paper a conceptual model for measuring MNCH coverage by text messaging in China. In developing this model, we considered resource constraints, sample representativeness, sample size and survey bias. The components of the model are text messaging platform, routine health information system, health facilities, communities and households. Conclusions Measuring MNCH interventions coverage by text messaging could be advantageous in many ways and establish a much larger evidence–base for MNCH health policies in China. Before mDHS could indeed be launched, research priorities would include a systematic assessment of routine health information systems and exploring feasibility to collect name lists, mobile phone numbers and general demographic and socio–economic data; qualitative interviews with health workers and caregivers; assessment of data validity of all indicators to be collected by text messaging; and exploring approaches to increase participation rate. PMID:24363920

Further Refinement of the LEWICE SLD Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, William B.

2006-01-01

A research project is underway at NASA Glenn Research Center to produce computer software that can accurately predict ice growth for any meteorological conditions for any aircraft surface. This report will present results from version 3.2 of this software, which is called LEWICE. This version differs from previous releases in that it incorporates additional thermal analysis capabilities, a pneumatic boot model, interfaces to external computational fluid dynamics (CFD) flow solvers and has an empirical model for the supercooled large droplet (SLD) regime. An extensive comparison against the database of ice shapes and collection efficiencies that have been generated in the NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel (IRT) has also been performed. The complete set of data used for this comparison will eventually be available in a contractor report. This paper will show the differences in collection efficiency and ice shape between LEWICE 3.2 and experimental data. This report will first describe the LEWICE 3.2 SLD model. A semi-empirical approach was used to incorporate first order physical effects of large droplet phenomena into icing software. Comparisons are then made to every two-dimensional case in the water collection database and the ice shape database. Each collection efficiency condition was run using the following four assumptions: 1) potential flow, no splashing; 2) potential flow, with splashing; 3) Navior-Stokes, no splashing; 4) Navi r-Stokes, with splashing. All cases were run with 21 bin drop size distributions and a lift correction (angle of attack adjustment). Quantitative comparisons are shown for impingement limit, maximum water catch, and total collection efficiency. Due to the large number of ice shape cases, comprehensive comparisons were limited to potential flow cases with and without splashing. Quantitative comparisons are shown for horn height, horn angle, icing limit, area, and leading edge thickness. The results show that the predicted results for both ice shape and water collection are within the accuracy limits of the experimental data for the majority of cases.

Innovative travel data collection recommendations : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-12-06

This study had the following objectives: : 1. To identify and clarify these two emerging effects real time data and changing culture, : 2. To identify the shifts in data collection and transportation modeling that must take place to : assist in i...

77 FR 50550 - Agency Information Collection: Emergency Submission for OMB Review (PACT: Clinical Innovation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-21

... COPE (Carver, 1997) 10-0532h. j. Depression and Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond... the impact of PCM on depression and anxiety relative to usual care. This data collection's model has...

Integrating real-time GIS and social media for qualitative transportation data collection.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-12-26

New technologies such as global positioning system, smartphone, and social media are changing the way we move around. Traditional : transportation research has overwhelmingly emphasized the collection of quantitative data for modeling, without much c...

Evaluation of undergraduate geologists' problem solving and cognition during field exams using a mixed methods approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balliet, Russell N.

Understanding how geologists conduct fieldwork through analysis of problem solving has significant potential impact on field instruction methods. Recent progress has been made in this area but the problem solving behaviors displayed by geologists during fieldwork and the associated underlying cognition remains poorly understood. We present research showing how geology students initiate and develop geologic models as part of the problem solving process. We qualitatively analyzed field notes and interview data from 36 undergraduate geoscientists engaged in field exams while enrolled in a six-week advanced field camp. Eight cognitive frameworks grouped in two broad categories emerged from the data that show how students develop geologic models. Students employ both single and multiple model approaches with varying degrees of success and frequency. The success of any given approach is dependent on the level of students' geologic situational awareness. The development of multiple geologic models leads to a higher rate of success in general, because of the inherent flexibility to accommodate newly collected data. Instructors should continue to teach a multiple model approach until students have the proper geologic skills to ensure a high level of situational awareness and exhibit expert characteristics in the field. In addition, we collected GPS navigation data from students during these field exams in order to understand the relationship between navigation, cognition, and performance. From the analysis of this data we found that over half of all stops are 1-4 minutes long, while very few of students' stops are longer than 9 minutes as the frequency of stops decreases as the duration increases. Regardless of performance or framework, there is an increase in shorter stops and decrease in longer stops from exam one to three, indicating that students changed the way they investigated as the field course progressed. Temporal signatures categorized by performance only show slight differences, but do indicate that there is an increase in very short and longer stops with declining performance. In contrast, higher performance is linked to an increase in short and medium length stops, suggesting that stops 4-14 minutes long are a "sweet spot" for investigation. We speculate that a high percentage of very short stops involve basic field tasks such as locating or data collection and that the decreasing frequency of long stops indicates that there is a relationship between the length of the stop and the complexity of the activities performed during that stop. Students increased experience leads to more efficient stops as they become more competent with field tasks and more versed in the regional geology. The GPS data we collected from these students while they took these notes allowing us to connect the duration of a stop to the types of notes produced during that stop. Note taking species occurred in various frequencies with the most common type being those that focused on lithologic, or lithologic & structural data collection. Stops that produced geologic models, specifically structural models, were much less frequent. The more frequent data collection stops are very short in length (typically 1-4 minutes), while the more complex stops tend to be longer in duration as the note taking gets more complex. Poor performing students had a high proportion of stops where they only collect lithologic data or stops where they don't generate any hypotheses. In contrast, successful students have more structural data and hypothesis generation in their notes. From this analysis we conclude that too much effort spent on stops with only basic data collection leaves less time for the cognitive effort required for model development, eventually leading to poor exam performance. Specifically, a higher frequency of lithologic data stops and lack of structural data leads to the development of incomplete geologic models or lack of comprehensive models altogether. Field instructors often educate their students on good note taking practices and critique the content of their students' field notebooks, and these findings can inform the content of that critique. Students' utilize many different problem solving approaches in the field, but we suggest that instructors continue to advocate a multiple model approach until students are capable of using a single model approach. In this approach students should decrease the number of geologic models they are using as the day progresses to avoid overwhelming themselves with data and hypothesis. Furthermore, field instructors need to work with students on developing their geologic investigation skills further and improving their efficiency. Specifically students need to collect a higher proportion of structural data and develop complete geologic models earlier in the day. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Elementary Teacher Training Models.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blewett, Evelyn J., Ed.

This collection of articles contains descriptions of nine elementary teacher training program models conducted at universities throughout the United States. The articles include the following: (a) "The University of Toledo Model Program," by George E. Dickson; (b) "The Florida State University Model Program," by G. Wesley Sowards; (c) "The…

Chemistry Teachers' Knowledge and Application of Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Zuhao; Chi, Shaohui; Hu, Kaiyan; Chen, Wenting

2014-01-01

Teachers' knowledge and application of model play an important role in students' development of modeling ability and scientific literacy. In this study, we investigated Chinese chemistry teachers' knowledge and application of models. Data were collected through test questionnaire and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The result indicated…

Small Body GN and C Research Report: G-SAMPLE - An In-Flight Dynamical Method for Identifying Sample Mass [External Release Version

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carson, John M., III; Bayard, David S.

2006-01-01

G-SAMPLE is an in-flight dynamical method for use by sample collection missions to identify the presence and quantity of collected sample material. The G-SAMPLE method implements a maximum-likelihood estimator to identify the collected sample mass, based on onboard force sensor measurements, thruster firings, and a dynamics model of the spacecraft. With G-SAMPLE, sample mass identification becomes a computation rather than an extra hardware requirement; the added cost of cameras or other sensors for sample mass detection is avoided. Realistic simulation examples are provided for a spacecraft configuration with a sample collection device mounted on the end of an extended boom. In one representative example, a 1000 gram sample mass is estimated to within 110 grams (95% confidence) under realistic assumptions of thruster profile error, spacecraft parameter uncertainty, and sensor noise. For convenience to future mission design, an overall sample-mass estimation error budget is developed to approximate the effect of model uncertainty, sensor noise, data rate, and thrust profile error on the expected estimate of collected sample mass.

Data for calibrating unsteady-flow sediment-transport models, East Fork River, Wyoming, 1975

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mahoney, Holly A.; Andrews, Edmund D.; Emmett, William W.; Leopold, Luna Bergere; Meade, Robert H.; Myrick, Robert M.; Nordin, Carl F.

1976-01-01

In 1975, data to calibrate a one-dimensional unsteady-flow and sediment-transport routing model were collected on a reach of the East Fork River of western Wyoming. The reach, 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) in length, wan immediately upstream from a previously established bedload sampling station. Nineteen channel cross sections were sounded at regular intervals during the spring-runoff period. Four stage recorders provided continuous records of water-surface elevations. Samples of bed material at most of the cross sections were obtained prior to high water. Streamflow and sediment-discharge measurements were collected at four of the sections.The physiography and hydrology of the contributing watershed, the study reach, and the equipment and techniques used in data collection are described briefly. The bulk of the report is a presentation of data for the several-week period of late May to early June 1975, for which concurrent water discharge data, bedload transport and size data, and cross-section depth measurements were collected. In addition, some data collected in 1973 and 1974 and before and after the calibration period in 1975 are included for completeness.

Adaptive 3D Face Reconstruction from Unconstrained Photo Collections.

PubMed

Roth, Joseph; Tong, Yiying; Liu, Xiaoming

2016-12-07

Given a photo collection of "unconstrained" face images of one individual captured under a variety of unknown pose, expression, and illumination conditions, this paper presents a method for reconstructing a 3D face surface model of the individual along with albedo information. Unlike prior work on face reconstruction that requires large photo collections, we formulate an approach to adapt to photo collections with a high diversity in both the number of images and the image quality. To achieve this, we incorporate prior knowledge about face shape by fitting a 3D morphable model to form a personalized template, following by using a novel photometric stereo formulation to complete the fine details, under a coarse-to-fine scheme. Our scheme incorporates a structural similarity-based local selection step to help identify a common expression for reconstruction while discarding occluded portions of faces. The evaluation of reconstruction performance is through a novel quality measure, in the absence of ground truth 3D scans. Superior large-scale experimental results are reported on synthetic, Internet, and personal photo collections.

Learning planar Ising models

DOE PAGES

Johnson, Jason K.; Oyen, Diane Adele; Chertkov, Michael; ...

2016-12-01

Inference and learning of graphical models are both well-studied problems in statistics and machine learning that have found many applications in science and engineering. However, exact inference is intractable in general graphical models, which suggests the problem of seeking the best approximation to a collection of random variables within some tractable family of graphical models. In this paper, we focus on the class of planar Ising models, for which exact inference is tractable using techniques of statistical physics. Based on these techniques and recent methods for planarity testing and planar embedding, we propose a greedy algorithm for learning the bestmore » planar Ising model to approximate an arbitrary collection of binary random variables (possibly from sample data). Given the set of all pairwise correlations among variables, we select a planar graph and optimal planar Ising model defined on this graph to best approximate that set of correlations. Finally, we demonstrate our method in simulations and for two applications: modeling senate voting records and identifying geo-chemical depth trends from Mars rover data.« less

Learning planar Ising models

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

Johnson, Jason K.; Oyen, Diane Adele; Chertkov, Michael

Inference and learning of graphical models are both well-studied problems in statistics and machine learning that have found many applications in science and engineering. However, exact inference is intractable in general graphical models, which suggests the problem of seeking the best approximation to a collection of random variables within some tractable family of graphical models. In this paper, we focus on the class of planar Ising models, for which exact inference is tractable using techniques of statistical physics. Based on these techniques and recent methods for planarity testing and planar embedding, we propose a greedy algorithm for learning the bestmore » planar Ising model to approximate an arbitrary collection of binary random variables (possibly from sample data). Given the set of all pairwise correlations among variables, we select a planar graph and optimal planar Ising model defined on this graph to best approximate that set of correlations. Finally, we demonstrate our method in simulations and for two applications: modeling senate voting records and identifying geo-chemical depth trends from Mars rover data.« less

Multivariate longitudinal data analysis with mixed effects hidden Markov models.

PubMed

Raffa, Jesse D; Dubin, Joel A

2015-09-01

Multiple longitudinal responses are often collected as a means to capture relevant features of the true outcome of interest, which is often hidden and not directly measurable. We outline an approach which models these multivariate longitudinal responses as generated from a hidden disease process. We propose a class of models which uses a hidden Markov model with separate but correlated random effects between multiple longitudinal responses. This approach was motivated by a smoking cessation clinical trial, where a bivariate longitudinal response involving both a continuous and a binomial response was collected for each participant to monitor smoking behavior. A Bayesian method using Markov chain Monte Carlo is used. Comparison of separate univariate response models to the bivariate response models was undertaken. Our methods are demonstrated on the smoking cessation clinical trial dataset, and properties of our approach are examined through extensive simulation studies. © 2015, The International Biometric Society.

The Effects of Science Models on Students' Understanding of Scientific Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berglin, Riki Susan

This action research study investigated how the use of science models affected fifth-grade students' ability to transfer their science curriculum to a deeper understanding of scientific processes. This study implemented a variety of science models into a chemistry unit throughout a 6-week study. The research question addressed was: In what ways do using models to learn and teach science help students transfer classroom knowledge to a deeper understanding of the scientific processes? Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-science interest inventories, observations field notes, student work samples, focus group interviews, and chemistry unit tests. These data collection tools assessed students' attitudes, engagement, and content knowledge throughout their chemistry unit. The results of the data indicate that the model-based instruction program helped with students' engagement in the lessons and understanding of chemistry content. The results also showed that students displayed positive attitudes toward using science models.