The Journal from the Northwest Center for the Study of Correctional Education, 1996.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clare, Warren L., Ed.

1996-01-01

This journal presents a forum for discussion and research related to correctional education programs and their effects on students. This inaugural issue contains the following articles: (1) "The Position of Correctional Education in the Current Crime Dilemma," by the editors, describing problems currently facing correctional administrators and key…

Women, Relationships, and Power: Implications for Counseling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Ellen Piel, Ed.

This document contains a set of readings on the problems and potentials of women's lives, designed to enlighten counselors and counselor educators to the ways that gender shapes women's lives in both positive and negative ways. Included are an introduction by Ellen Piel Cook and the following articles: (1) "No Woman Is an Island: Women and…

Appalachia in an International Context: Cross-National Comparisons of Developing Regions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Obermiller, Phillip J., Ed.; Philliber, William W., Ed.

This book contains 11 essays that compare economic and social conditions in Appalachia to those in rural regions of other countries. These rural, frequently mountainous, regions suffer similar economic problems due to their peripheral position in the national economies of their countries. Among the topics of particular educational interest are the…

Meals without Squeals: Child Care Feeding Guide and Cookbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berman, Christine; Fromer, Jacki

Simple, straightforward information on child nutrition and growth is offered in this child care feeding guide and cookbook. The book contains clear, easy-to-read menus and recipes, provides solutions to common feeding problems, and shows ways to offer children positive learning experiences with food. Chapter 1 gives an overview to important issues…

The Operations of Kentucky Rural School Councils.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Din, Feng S.

1998-01-01

A survey of 127 rural Kentucky school councils found that more parent members than teacher members held positive views about their school-council performance, and more teacher members than principals had such opinions. Members indicated main benefits to the school from council performance and main problems faced by school councils. Contains 22…

The Relationship Between Psychological Distress, Negative Cognitions, and Expectancies on Problem Drinking: Exploring a Growing Problem Among University Students.

PubMed

Obasi, Ezemenari M; Brooks, Jessica J; Cavanagh, Lucia

2016-01-01

Few studies have sought to understand the concurrent relationship between cognitive and affective processes on alcohol use and negative alcohol-related consequences, despite both being identified as predictive risk factors in the college population. More research is needed to understand the relationships between identified factors of problem drinking among this at-risk population. The purpose of this study was to test if the relationship between psychological distress and problem drinking among university students (N = 284; M-age = 19.77) was mediated by negative affect regulation strategies and positive alcohol-related expectancies. Two latent mediation models of problem drinking were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). The parsimonious three-path mediated latent model was supported by the data, as evidenced by several model fit indices. Furthermore, the alternate saturated model provided similar fit to the data, but contained several direct relationships that were not statistically significant. The relationship between psychological distress and problem drinking was mediated by an extended contributory chain, including negative affect regulation and positive alcohol-related expectancies. Implications for prevention and treatment, as well as future directions, are discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.

Do Branch Lengths Help to Locate a Tree in a Phylogenetic Network?

PubMed

Gambette, Philippe; van Iersel, Leo; Kelk, Steven; Pardi, Fabio; Scornavacca, Celine

2016-09-01

Phylogenetic networks are increasingly used in evolutionary biology to represent the history of species that have undergone reticulate events such as horizontal gene transfer, hybrid speciation and recombination. One of the most fundamental questions that arise in this context is whether the evolution of a gene with one copy in all species can be explained by a given network. In mathematical terms, this is often translated in the following way: is a given phylogenetic tree contained in a given phylogenetic network? Recently this tree containment problem has been widely investigated from a computational perspective, but most studies have only focused on the topology of the phylogenies, ignoring a piece of information that, in the case of phylogenetic trees, is routinely inferred by evolutionary analyses: branch lengths. These measure the amount of change (e.g., nucleotide substitutions) that has occurred along each branch of the phylogeny. Here, we study a number of versions of the tree containment problem that explicitly account for branch lengths. We show that, although length information has the potential to locate more precisely a tree within a network, the problem is computationally hard in its most general form. On a positive note, for a number of special cases of biological relevance, we provide algorithms that solve this problem efficiently. This includes the case of networks of limited complexity, for which it is possible to recover, among the trees contained by the network with the same topology as the input tree, the closest one in terms of branch lengths.

Applying Squeaky-Wheel Optimization Schedule Airborne Astronomy Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frank, Jeremy; Kuerklue, Elif

2004-01-01

We apply the Squeaky Wheel Optimization (SWO) algorithm to the problem of scheduling astronomy observations for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, an airborne observatory. The problem contains complex constraints relating the feasibility of an astronomical observation to the position and time at which the observation begins, telescope elevation limits, special use airspace, and available fuel. Solving the problem requires making discrete choices (e.g. selection and sequencing of observations) and continuous ones (e.g. takeoff time and setting up observations by repositioning the aircraft). The problem also includes optimization criteria such as maximizing observing time while simultaneously minimizing total flight time. Previous approaches to the problem fail to scale when accounting for all constraints. We describe how to customize SWO to solve this problem, and show that it finds better flight plans, often with less computation time, than previous approaches.

German Women Today: What Some German Newspapers Say. Inter Nationes Basis-Info 4-2000/Society. In Press.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Born, Sigrid, Ed.

This document contains eight articles from German newspapers that feature women who have achieved career success in very diverse economic sectors, while simultaneously highlighting the discrimination and other problems (including lower income, fewer promotions to executive positions, and smaller pensions) that many other German women continue to…

Tangent Lines without Calculus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rabin, Jeffrey M.

2008-01-01

This article presents a problem that can help high school students develop the concept of instantaneous velocity and connect it with the slope of a tangent line to the graph of position versus time. It also gives a method for determining the tangent line to the graph of a polynomial function at any point without using calculus. (Contains 1 figure.)

Advisory Algorithm for Scheduling Open Sectors, Operating Positions, and Workstations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bloem, Michael; Drew, Michael; Lai, Chok Fung; Bilimoria, Karl D.

2012-01-01

Air traffic controller supervisors configure available sector, operating position, and work-station resources to safely and efficiently control air traffic in a region of airspace. In this paper, an algorithm for assisting supervisors with this task is described and demonstrated on two sample problem instances. The algorithm produces configuration schedule advisories that minimize a cost. The cost is a weighted sum of two competing costs: one penalizing mismatches between configurations and predicted air traffic demand and another penalizing the effort associated with changing configurations. The problem considered by the algorithm is a shortest path problem that is solved with a dynamic programming value iteration algorithm. The cost function contains numerous parameters. Default values for most of these are suggested based on descriptions of air traffic control procedures and subject-matter expert feedback. The parameter determining the relative importance of the two competing costs is tuned by comparing historical configurations with corresponding algorithm advisories. Two sample problem instances for which appropriate configuration advisories are obvious were designed to illustrate characteristics of the algorithm. Results demonstrate how the algorithm suggests advisories that appropriately utilize changes in airspace configurations and changes in the number of operating positions allocated to each open sector. The results also demonstrate how the advisories suggest appropriate times for configuration changes.

Spatial chaos of Wang tiles with two symbols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jin-Yu; Chen, Yu-Jie; Hu, Wen-Guei; Lin, Song-Sun

2016-02-01

This investigation completely classifies the spatial chaos problem in plane edge coloring (Wang tiles) with two symbols. For a set of Wang tiles B , spatial chaos occurs when the spatial entropy h ( B ) is positive. B is called a minimal cycle generator if P ( B ) ≠ 0̸ and P ( B ' ) = 0̸ whenever B ' ⫋ B , where P ( B ) is the set of all periodic patterns on ℤ2 generated by B . Given a set of Wang tiles B , write B = C 1 ∪ C 2 ∪ ⋯ ∪ C k ∪ N , where Cj, 1 ≤ j ≤ k, are minimal cycle generators and B contains no minimal cycle generator except those contained in C1∪C2∪⋯∪Ck. Then, the positivity of spatial entropy h ( B ) is completely determined by C1∪C2∪⋯∪Ck. Furthermore, there are 39 equivalence classes of marginal positive-entropy sets of Wang tiles and 18 equivalence classes of saturated zero-entropy sets of Wang tiles. For a set of Wang tiles B , h ( B ) is positive if and only if B contains a MPE set, and h ( B ) is zero if and only if B is a subset of a SZE set.

Thinking, Feeling, Behaving: An Emotional Education Curriculum for Adolescents. Grades 7-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vernon, Ann

Given the many problems that adolescents face, it is imperative that they be taught coping skills. To aid in this effort, a comprehensive curriculum to help youngsters learn positive mental health concepts is presented here. It contains 90 activities which have been field tested. For each pair of grades (7/8, 9/10, 11/12) activities are grouped…

Thinking, Feeling, Behaving: An Emotional Education Curriculum for Children. Grades 1-6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vernon, Ann

Given the many problems that children face, it is imperative that they be taught coping skills. To aid in this effort, a comprehensive curriculum to help youngsters learn positive mental health concepts is presented here. It contains 90 activities which have been field tested. For each pair of grades (1/2, 3/4, 5/6) activities are grouped into…

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

Møller, Jacob Schach

These notes provide an introduction to the spectral analysis of Pauli-Fierz systems at zero and positive temperature. More precisely, we study finite dimensional quantum systems linearly coupled to a single reservoir, a massless scalar quantum field. We emphasize structure results valid at arbitrary system-reservoir coupling strength. The notes contain a mixture of known, refined, and new results and each section ends with a discussion of open problems.

Analysis for nickel (3 and 4) in positive plates from nickel-cadmium cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, Harlan L.

1994-01-01

The NASA-Goddard procedure for destructive physical analysis (DPA) of nickel-cadmium cells contains a method for analysis of residual charged nickel as NiOOH in the positive plates at complete cell discharge, also known as nickel precharge. In the method, the Ni(III) is treated with an excess of an Fe(II) reducing agent and then back titrated with permanganate. The Ni(III) content is the difference between Fe(II) equivalents and permanganate equivalents. Problems have arisen in analysis at NAVSURFWARCENDIV, Crane because for many types of cells, particularly AA-size and some 'space-qualified' cells, zero or negative Ni(III) contents are recorded for which the manufacturer claims 3-5 percent precharge. Our approach to this problem was to reexamine the procedure for the source of error, and correct it or develop an alternative method.

Statistical mechanics based on fractional classical and quantum mechanics

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

Korichi, Z.; Meftah, M. T., E-mail: mewalid@yahoo.com

2014-03-15

The purpose of this work is to study some problems in statistical mechanics based on the fractional classical and quantum mechanics. At first stage we have presented the thermodynamical properties of the classical ideal gas and the system of N classical oscillators. In both cases, the Hamiltonian contains fractional exponents of the phase space (position and momentum). At the second stage, in the context of the fractional quantum mechanics, we have calculated the thermodynamical properties for the black body radiation, studied the Bose-Einstein statistics with the related problem of the condensation and the Fermi-Dirac statistics.

Learning disabilities, dyslexia, and vision: a subject review--a rebuttal, literature review, and commentary.

PubMed

Bowan, Merrill D

2002-09-01

In 1998, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAP/AAO/AAPOS) published a position paper entitled "Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia And Vision: A Subject Review," intended to support their assertion that there is no relationship between learning disabilities, dyslexia, and vision. The paper presents an unsupported opinion that optometrists (by implication) have said that vision problems cause learning disabilities and/or dyslexia and that visual therapy cures the conditions. The 1998 position paper follows two very similar and discredited papers published in 1972 and 1981. This article critically reviews and comments on the many problems of scholarship, the inconsistencies, and the false allegations the position paper presents. Perhaps the foremost problem is that the authoring committee has ignored a veritable mountain of relevant literature that strongly argues against their assertion that vision does not relate to academic performance. It is for this reason that an overview, drawn from more than 1,400 identified references from Medline and other database sources and pertinent texts that were reviewed, is incorporated into this current article. The AAP/AAO/AAPOS paper is also examined for the Levels of Evidence that their references offer in support of their position. The AAP/AAO/AAPOS paper contains errors and internal inconsistencies. Through highly selective reference choices, it misrepresents the great body of evidence from the literature that supports a relationship between visual and perceptual problems as they contribute to classroom difficulties. The 1998 paper should be retracted because of the errors, bias, and disinformation it presents. The public assigns great trust to authorities for accurate, intellectually honest guidance, which is lacking in this AAP/AAO/AAPOS position paper.

Sampled-data-based consensus and containment control of multiple harmonic oscillators: A motion-planning approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yongfang; Zhao, Yu; Chen, Guanrong

2016-11-01

This paper studies the distributed consensus and containment problems for a group of harmonic oscillators with a directed communication topology. First, for consensus without a leader, a class of distributed consensus protocols is designed by using motion planning and Pontryagin's principle. The proposed protocol only requires relative information measurements at the sampling instants, without requiring information exchange over the sampled interval. By using stability theory and the properties of stochastic matrices, it is proved that the distributed consensus problem can be solved in the motion planning framework. Second, for the case with multiple leaders, a class of distributed containment protocols is developed for followers such that their positions and velocities can ultimately converge to the convex hull formed by those of the leaders. Compared with the existing consensus algorithms, a remarkable advantage of the proposed sampled-data-based protocols is that the sampling periods, communication topologies and control gains are all decoupled and can be separately designed, which relaxes many restrictions in controllers design. Finally, some numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the analytical results.

An exploratory study of recycled sputtering and CsF2- current enhancement for AMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, X.-L.; Charles, C. R. J.; Cornett, R. J.; Kieser, W. E.; MacDonald, C.; Kazi, Z.; St-Jean, N.

2016-01-01

The analysis of 135Cs/Cs ratios at levels below 10-12 by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) would preferably use commonly available negative ion injection systems. The sputter ion sources in these injectors should ideally produce currents of Cs- or Cs-containing molecular anions approaching μA levels from targets containing mg quantities of Cs. However, since Cs is the most electro-positive stable element in nature with a low electron affinity, the generation of large negative atomic, or molecular beams containing Cs, has been very challenging. In addition, the reduction of the interferences from the 135Ba isobar and the primary 133Cs+ beam used for sputtering are also necessary. The measurement of a wide range of the isotope ratios also requires the ion source memory of previous samples be minimized. This paper describes some progresses towards a potential solution of all these problems by recycled sputtering using fluorinating targets of PbF2 with mg CsF mixed in. The problems encountered indicate that considerable further studies and some redesign of the present ion sources will be desirable.

Exploring Proposals for Resolving the Initial Conditions and Multiverse Problems in Inflation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panithanpaisal, Nondh; Steinhardt, Paul

2018-01-01

The theory of cosmic inflation with the plateau-like potentials for the scalar field is very successful in predicting standard cosmological parameters. However, if the quantum effects are included, the theory inherently contains serious problems, namely, the multiverse problem and the initial conditions problem. It has been suggested in Mukhanov 2015 and Deen et al. 2016 to add a potential wall to the potential, so that the field never reaches the self-reproduction point. We examine these two proposals by varying the positions of the potential wall as well as varying the initial ratios of kinetic energy, potential energy and curvature. We demonstrate that both proposals are fine-tuned, at best, as they suffer from the drift in the predictions of the spectral tilt (ns) and the tensor-to-scalar ratio (r).

Allergenicity of casein containing chalk in milk allergic schoolchildren.

PubMed

Larramendi, Carlos H; Marco, Francisco M; Llombart, Mónica; de la Vega, Ana; Chiner, Eusebi; García-Abujeta, José Luis; Sempere, José Miguel

2013-05-01

Nondietary exposure to milk proteins may be a risk for children who do not outgrow milk allergy by school age. To study the allergenicity of casein containing chalk. A 6-year-old, milk allergic child developed asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis while in school. The suspected cause was dust-free chalk containing casein. To study the relationship of dust-free chalk containing casein with asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis, 13 additional milk allergic patients were studied: 3 school-aged children, 8 preschool-aged infants, and 2 children with outgrown milk allergy. Skin tests and/or specific IgE with chalk and casein were performed. A chalk use test was performed in older children. Milk allergens contained in chalk were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, immunoblot, and IgE inhibition experiments. All school-aged, milk allergic children were exposed to chalk and reported symptoms attributed to chalk exposure. The skin test result to chalk was positive in 5 of 12 cases, and the specific IgE test result was positive in all 12 study participants in which it was performed. Casein strongly inhibited the binding of IgE to chalk. Chalk sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed proteins with molecular weight similar to caseins. Immunoblot demonstrated strong binding of IgE to chalk in a blurred pattern and a band at 30 kDa, inhibited by casein. The chalk challenge test result was positive in 2 school-age children who had a positive skin test result to chalk. Their symptoms improved after avoidance of chalk in the school. In 2 other cases in which the challenge test result was negative, chalk was reintroduced without problems. Inhalation of chalk dust containing casein can induce asthma symptoms in milk allergic patients. Hidden and nondietary sources of exposure should always be considered in food allergic patients. Copyright © 2013 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dependency of the apparent contact angle on nonisothermal conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krahl, Rolf; Gerstmann, Jens; Behruzi, Philipp; Bänsch, Eberhard; Dreyer, Michael E.

2008-04-01

The dynamic behavior of liquids in partly filled containers is influenced to a large extend by the angle between the gas-liquid phase boundary and the solid container wall at the contact line. This contact angle in turn is influenced by nonisothermal conditions. In the case of a cold liquid meniscus spreading over a hot solid wall, the contact angle apparently becomes significantly larger. In this paper we want to establish a quantitative equation for this enlargement, both from experimental and numerical data. Our findings can be used to build a subgrid model for computations, where the resolution is not sufficient to resolve the boundary layers. This might be the case for large containers which are exposed to low accelerations and where the contact angle boundary condition determines the position of the free surface. These types of computation are performed, for example, to solve propellant management problems in launcher and satellite tanks. In this application, the knowledge of the position of the free surface is very important for the withdrawal of liquid and the calculation of heat and mass transfer.

Numerical simulation of vessel dynamics in manoeuvrability and seakeeping problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blishchik, A. E.; Taranov, A. E.

2018-05-01

This paper deals with some examples of numerical modelling for ship's dynamics problems and data comparison with corresponding experimental results. It was considered two kinds of simulation: self-propelled turning motion of crude carrier KVLCC2 and changing position of container carrier S 175 due to wave loadings. Mesh generation and calculation were made in STAR-CCM+ package. URANS equations were used as system of equations closed by k-w SST turbulence model. The vessel had several degrees of freedom, which depend on task. Based on the results of this research, the conclusion was made concerning the applicability of used numerical methods.

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION Initial data for the relativistic gravitational N-body problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chruściel, Piotr T.; Corvino, Justin; Isenberg, James

2010-11-01

In general relativity, an initial data set for an isolated gravitational system takes the form of a solution of the Einstein constraint equations which is asymptotically Euclidean on a specified end. Given a collection of N such data sets with a subregion of interest (bounded away from the specified end) chosen in each, we show that there exists a family of new initial data sets, each of which contains exact copies of each of the N chosen subregions, positioned in a chosen array in a single asymptotic end. These composite initial data sets model isolated, relativistic gravitational systems containing N chosen bodies in specified initial configurations.

Vehicle Routing with Three-dimensional Container Loading Constraints—Comparison of Nested and Joint Algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koloch, Grzegorz; Kaminski, Bogumil

2010-10-01

In the paper we examine a modification of the classical Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) in which shapes of transported cargo are accounted for. This problem, known as a three-dimensional VRP with loading constraints (3D-VRP), is appropriate when transported commodities are not perfectly divisible, but they have fixed and heterogeneous dimensions. In the paper restrictions on allowable cargo positionings are also considered. These restrictions are derived from business practice and they extended the baseline 3D-VRP formulation as considered by Koloch and Kaminski (2010). In particular, we investigate how additional restrictions influence relative performance of two proposed optimization algorithms: the nested and the joint one. Performance of both methods is compared on artificial problems and on a big-scale real life case study.

A Conserving Discretization for the Free Boundary in a Two-Dimensional Stefan Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Segal, Guus; Vuik, Kees; Vermolen, Fred

1998-03-01

The dissolution of a disk-likeAl2Cuparticle is considered. A characteristic property is that initially the particle has a nonsmooth boundary. The mathematical model of this dissolution process contains a description of the particle interface, of which the position varies in time. Such a model is called a Stefan problem. It is impossible to obtain an analytical solution for a general two-dimensional Stefan problem, so we use the finite element method to solve this problem numerically. First, we apply a classical moving mesh method. Computations show that after some time steps the predicted particle interface becomes very unrealistic. Therefore, we derive a new method for the displacement of the free boundary based on the balance of atoms. This method leads to good results, also, for nonsmooth boundaries. Some numerical experiments are given for the dissolution of anAl2Cuparticle in anAl-Cualloy.

Fighting infections due to multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens.

PubMed

Cornaglia, G

2009-03-01

Growing bacterial resistance in Gram-positive pathogens means that what were once effective and inexpensive treatments for infections caused by these bacteria are now being seriously questioned, including penicillin and macrolides for use against pneumococcal infections and-in hospitals-oxacillin for use against staphylococcal infections. As a whole, multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-positive pathogens are rapidly becoming an urgent and sometimes unmanageable clinical problem. Nevertheless, and despite decades of research into the effects of antibiotics, the actual risk posed to human health by antibiotic resistance has been poorly defined; the lack of reliable data concerning the outcomes resulting from antimicrobial resistance stems, in part, from problems with study designs and the methods used in resistence determination. Surprisingly little is known, too, about the actual effectiveness of the many types of intervention aimed at controlling antibiotic resistance. New antibiotics active against MDR Gram-positive pathogens have been recently introduced into clinical practice, and the antibiotic pipeline contains additional compounds at an advanced stage of development, including new glycopeptides, new anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) beta-lactams, and new diaminopyrimidines. Many novel antimicrobial agents are likely to be niche products, endowed with narrow antibacterial spectra and/or targeted at specific clinical problems. Therefore, an important educational goal will be to change the current, long-lasting attitudes of both physicians and customers towards broad-spectrum and multipurpose compounds. Scientific societies, such as the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), must play a leading role in this process.

Carbon aerogel electrodes for direct energy conversion

DOEpatents

Mayer, Steven T.; Kaschmitter, James L.; Pekala, Richard W.

1997-01-01

A direct energy conversion device, such as a fuel cell, using carbon aerogel electrodes, wherein the carbon aerogel is loaded with a noble catalyst, such as platinum or rhodium and soaked with phosphoric acid, for example. A separator is located between the electrodes, which are placed in a cylinder having plate current collectors positioned adjacent the electrodes and connected to a power supply, and a pair of gas manifolds, containing hydrogen and oxygen positioned adjacent the current collectors. Due to the high surface area and excellent electrical conductivity of carbon aerogels, the problems relative to high polarization resistance of carbon composite electrodes conventionally used in fuel cells are overcome.

Disposable containers as larval habitats for Aedes aegypti in a city with regular refuse collection: a study in Marília, São Paulo State, Brazil.

PubMed

Mazine, C A; Macoris, M L; Andrighetti, M T; Yasumaro, S; Silva, M E; Nelson, M J; Winch, P J

1996-09-01

In Marília, Brazil, refuse is collected at least every other day, yet non-useful, non-returnable containers such as cans, plastic bottles and tires account for almost half of the container habitats found positive for the Aedes aegypti mosquito. A study was therefore conducted to investigate why these containers exist despite regular refuse collection and a high level of awareness of dengue prevention, and how the control program could most effectively respond. Differing community perceptions as to what constitutes refuse were found to lead people to store a variety of containers in their yard. Other dimensions of the problem include the presence of informal refuse collectors in search of saleable materials, and dumping of refuse in vacant lots and along roads. An intervention based on these data will involve the informal refuse collectors in implementation of a community-based recycling project.

Improved nuclear fuel assembly grid spacer

DOEpatents

Marshall, John; Kaplan, Samuel

1977-01-01

An improved fuel assembly grid spacer and method of retaining the basic fuel rod support elements in position within the fuel assembly containment channel. The improvement involves attachment of the grids to the hexagonal channel and of forming the basic fuel rod support element into a grid structure, which provides a design which is insensitive to potential channel distortion (ballooning) at high fluence levels. In addition the improved method eliminates problems associated with component fabrication and assembly.

Characterization of Mechanical and Bactericidal Properties of Cement Mortars Containing Waste Glass Aggregate and Nanomaterials

PubMed Central

Sikora, Pawel; Augustyniak, Adrian; Cendrowski, Krzysztof; Horszczaruk, Elzbieta; Rucinska, Teresa; Nawrotek, Pawel; Mijowska, Ewa

2016-01-01

The recycling of waste glass is a major problem for municipalities worldwide. The problem concerns especially colored waste glass which, due to its low recycling rate as result of high level of impurity, has mostly been dumped into landfills. In recent years, a new use was found for it: instead of creating waste, it can be recycled as an additive in building materials. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possibility of manufacturing sustainable and self-cleaning cement mortars with use of commercially available nanomaterials and brown soda-lime waste glass. Mechanical and bactericidal properties of cement mortars containing brown soda-lime waste glass and commercially available nanomaterials (amorphous nanosilica and cement containing nanocrystalline titanium dioxide) were analyzed in terms of waste glass content and the effectiveness of nanomaterials. Quartz sand is replaced with brown waste glass at ratios of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% by weight. Study has shown that waste glass can act as a successful replacement for sand (up to 100%) to produce cement mortars while nanosilica is incorporated. Additionally, a positive effect of waste glass aggregate for bactericidal properties of cement mortars was observed. PMID:28773823

Remote quality monitoring in the banana chain

PubMed Central

Jedermann, Reiner; Praeger, Ulrike; Geyer, Martin; Lang, Walter

2014-01-01

Quality problems occurring during or after sea transportation of bananas in refrigerated containers are mainly caused by insufficient cooling and non-optimal atmospheric conditions, but also by the heat generated by respiration activity. Tools to measure and evaluate these effects can largely help to reduce losses along the banana supply chain. The presented green life model provides a tool to predict the effect of deviating temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 and O2 gas concentrations on the storage stability of bananas. A second thermal model allows evaluation of the cooling efficiency, the effect of changes in packaging and stowage and the amount of respiration heat from the measured temperature curves. Spontaneous ripening causes higher respiration heat and CO2 production rate. The resulting risk for creation of hot spots increases in positions in which the respiration heat exceeds the available cooling capacity. In case studies on the transport of bananas from Costa Rica to Europe, we validated the models and showed how they can be applied to generate automated warning messages for containers with reduced banana green life or with temperature problems and also for remote monitoring of the ripening process inside the container. PMID:24797132

Remote quality monitoring in the banana chain.

PubMed

Jedermann, Reiner; Praeger, Ulrike; Geyer, Martin; Lang, Walter

2014-06-13

Quality problems occurring during or after sea transportation of bananas in refrigerated containers are mainly caused by insufficient cooling and non-optimal atmospheric conditions, but also by the heat generated by respiration activity. Tools to measure and evaluate these effects can largely help to reduce losses along the banana supply chain. The presented green life model provides a tool to predict the effect of deviating temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 and O2 gas concentrations on the storage stability of bananas. A second thermal model allows evaluation of the cooling efficiency, the effect of changes in packaging and stowage and the amount of respiration heat from the measured temperature curves. Spontaneous ripening causes higher respiration heat and CO2 production rate. The resulting risk for creation of hot spots increases in positions in which the respiration heat exceeds the available cooling capacity. In case studies on the transport of bananas from Costa Rica to Europe, we validated the models and showed how they can be applied to generate automated warning messages for containers with reduced banana green life or with temperature problems and also for remote monitoring of the ripening process inside the container.

Characterization of Mechanical and Bactericidal Properties of Cement Mortars Containing Waste Glass Aggregate and Nanomaterials.

PubMed

Sikora, Pawel; Augustyniak, Adrian; Cendrowski, Krzysztof; Horszczaruk, Elzbieta; Rucinska, Teresa; Nawrotek, Pawel; Mijowska, Ewa

2016-08-18

The recycling of waste glass is a major problem for municipalities worldwide. The problem concerns especially colored waste glass which, due to its low recycling rate as result of high level of impurity, has mostly been dumped into landfills. In recent years, a new use was found for it: instead of creating waste, it can be recycled as an additive in building materials. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possibility of manufacturing sustainable and self-cleaning cement mortars with use of commercially available nanomaterials and brown soda-lime waste glass. Mechanical and bactericidal properties of cement mortars containing brown soda-lime waste glass and commercially available nanomaterials (amorphous nanosilica and cement containing nanocrystalline titanium dioxide) were analyzed in terms of waste glass content and the effectiveness of nanomaterials. Quartz sand is replaced with brown waste glass at ratios of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% by weight. Study has shown that waste glass can act as a successful replacement for sand (up to 100%) to produce cement mortars while nanosilica is incorporated. Additionally, a positive effect of waste glass aggregate for bactericidal properties of cement mortars was observed.

Problems Relating Mathematics and Science in the High School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrow, Richard; Beard, Earl

This document contains various science problems which require a mathematical solution. The problems are arranged under two general areas. The first (algebra I) contains biology, chemistry, and physics problems which require solutions related to linear equations, exponentials, and nonlinear equations. The second (algebra II) contains physics…

Convolutional neural network guided blue crab knuckle detection for autonomous crab meat picking machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dongyi; Vinson, Robert; Holmes, Maxwell; Seibel, Gary; Tao, Yang

2018-04-01

The Atlantic blue crab is among the highest-valued seafood found in the American Eastern Seaboard. Currently, the crab processing industry is highly dependent on manual labor. However, there is great potential for vision-guided intelligent machines to automate the meat picking process. Studies show that the back-fin knuckles are robust features containing information about a crab's size, orientation, and the position of the crab's meat compartments. Our studies also make it clear that detecting the knuckles reliably in images is challenging due to the knuckle's small size, anomalous shape, and similarity to joints in the legs and claws. An accurate and reliable computer vision algorithm was proposed to detect the crab's back-fin knuckles in digital images. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can localize rough knuckle positions with 97.67% accuracy, transforming a global detection problem into a local detection problem. Compared to the rough localization based on human experience or other machine learning classification methods, the CNN shows the best localization results. In the rough knuckle position, a k-means clustering method is able to further extract the exact knuckle positions based on the back-fin knuckle color features. The exact knuckle position can help us to generate a crab cutline in XY plane using a template matching method. This is a pioneering research project in crab image analysis and offers advanced machine intelligence for automated crab processing.

ADVANCED DESIGNS OF MAGNETIC JACK-TYPE CONTROL ROD DRIVE

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

Young, J.N.

1959-11-01

The magnetic jack is a device for positioning the control rods In a nuclear reactor, especially in a reactor containing water under pressure. Magnetic actuation precludes the need for shaft seals and eliminates the problems associated with mechanisms operating in water. It consists of a pressure shell, four sets of external stationary magnet coils (hold, grip, lift, pull down), and one Internal moving part (ammature) that impants linear motion to a cluster of rods. (W.L.H.)

Synthesis of positively charged hybrid PHMB-stabilized silver nanoparticles: the search for a new type of active substances used in plant protection products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krutyakov, Yurii A.; Kudrinsky, Alexey A.; Gusev, Alexander A.; Zakharova, Olga V.; Klimov, Alexey I.; Yapryntsev, Alexey D.; Zherebin, Pavel M.; Shapoval, Olga A.; Lisichkin, Georgii V.

2017-07-01

Modern agriculture calls for a decrease in pesticide application, particularly in order to decrease the negative impact on the environment. Therefore the development of new active substances and plant protection products (PPP) to minimize the chemical load on ecosystems is a very important problem. Substances based on silver nanoparticles are a promising solution of this problem because of the fact that in correct doses such products significantly increase yields and decrease crop diseases while displaying low toxicity to humans and animals. In this paper we for the first time propose application of polymeric guanidine compounds with varying chain lengths (from 10 to 130 elementary links) for the design and synthesis of modified silver nanoparticles to be used as the basis of a new generation of PPP. Colloidal solutions of nanocrystalline silver containing 0.5 g l-1 of silver and 0.01-0.4 g l-1 of polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride (PHMB) were obtained by reduction of silver nitrate with sodium borohydride in the presence of PHMB. The field experiment has shown that silver-containing solutions have a positive effect on agronomic properties of potato, wheat and apple. Also the increase in activity of such antioxidant system enzymes as peroxidase and catalase in the tissues of plants treated with nanosilver has been registered.

Seeing is believing: video classification for computed tomographic colonography using multiple-instance learning.

PubMed

Wang, Shijun; McKenna, Matthew T; Nguyen, Tan B; Burns, Joseph E; Petrick, Nicholas; Sahiner, Berkman; Summers, Ronald M

2012-05-01

In this paper, we present development and testing results for a novel colonic polyp classification method for use as part of a computed tomographic colonography (CTC) computer-aided detection (CAD) system. Inspired by the interpretative methodology of radiologists using 3-D fly-through mode in CTC reading, we have developed an algorithm which utilizes sequences of images (referred to here as videos) for classification of CAD marks. For each CAD mark, we created a video composed of a series of intraluminal, volume-rendered images visualizing the detection from multiple viewpoints. We then framed the video classification question as a multiple-instance learning (MIL) problem. Since a positive (negative) bag may contain negative (positive) instances, which in our case depends on the viewing angles and camera distance to the target, we developed a novel MIL paradigm to accommodate this class of problems. We solved the new MIL problem by maximizing a L2-norm soft margin using semidefinite programming, which can optimize relevant parameters automatically. We tested our method by analyzing a CTC data set obtained from 50 patients from three medical centers. Our proposed method showed significantly better performance compared with several traditional MIL methods.

Seeing is Believing: Video Classification for Computed Tomographic Colonography Using Multiple-Instance Learning

PubMed Central

Wang, Shijun; McKenna, Matthew T.; Nguyen, Tan B.; Burns, Joseph E.; Petrick, Nicholas; Sahiner, Berkman

2012-01-01

In this paper we present development and testing results for a novel colonic polyp classification method for use as part of a computed tomographic colonography (CTC) computer-aided detection (CAD) system. Inspired by the interpretative methodology of radiologists using 3D fly-through mode in CTC reading, we have developed an algorithm which utilizes sequences of images (referred to here as videos) for classification of CAD marks. For each CAD mark, we created a video composed of a series of intraluminal, volume-rendered images visualizing the detection from multiple viewpoints. We then framed the video classification question as a multiple-instance learning (MIL) problem. Since a positive (negative) bag may contain negative (positive) instances, which in our case depends on the viewing angles and camera distance to the target, we developed a novel MIL paradigm to accommodate this class of problems. We solved the new MIL problem by maximizing a L2-norm soft margin using semidefinite programming, which can optimize relevant parameters automatically. We tested our method by analyzing a CTC data set obtained from 50 patients from three medical centers. Our proposed method showed significantly better performance compared with several traditional MIL methods. PMID:22552333

Genetic algorithm-based multi-objective optimal absorber system for three-dimensional seismic structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Wenjie; Li, Hongnan; Song, Gangbing; Huo, Linsheng

2009-03-01

The problem of optimizing an absorber system for three-dimensional seismic structures is addressed. The objective is to determine the number and position of absorbers to minimize the coupling effects of translation-torsion of structures at minimum cost. A procedure for a multi-objective optimization problem is developed by integrating a dominance-based selection operator and a dominance-based penalty function method. Based on the two-branch tournament genetic algorithm, the selection operator is constructed by evaluating individuals according to their dominance in one run. The technique guarantees the better performing individual winning its competition, provides a slight selection pressure toward individuals and maintains diversity in the population. Moreover, due to the evaluation for individuals in each generation being finished in one run, less computational effort is taken. Penalty function methods are generally used to transform a constrained optimization problem into an unconstrained one. The dominance-based penalty function contains necessary information on non-dominated character and infeasible position of an individual, essential for success in seeking a Pareto optimal set. The proposed approach is used to obtain a set of non-dominated designs for a six-storey three-dimensional building with shape memory alloy dampers subjected to earthquake.

Sensorless control for permanent magnet synchronous motor using a neural network based adaptive estimator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, Chung-Jin; Kim, Sung-Joong; Han, Woo-Young; Min, Won-Kyoung

2005-12-01

The rotor position and speed estimation of permanent-magnet synchronous motor(PMSM) was dealt with. By measuring the phase voltages and currents of the PMSM drive, two diagonally recurrent neural network(DRNN) based observers, a neural current observer and a neural velocity observer were developed. DRNN which has self-feedback of the hidden neurons ensures that the outputs of DRNN contain the whole past information of the system even if the inputs of DRNN are only the present states and inputs of the system. Thus the structure of DRNN may be simpler than that of feedforward and fully recurrent neural networks. If the backpropagation method was used for the training of the DRNN the problem of slow convergence arise. In order to reduce this problem, recursive prediction error(RPE) based learning method for the DRNN was presented. The simulation results show that the proposed approach gives a good estimation of rotor speed and position, and RPE based training has requires a shorter computation time compared to backpropagation based training.

Cis-acting RNA elements in the Hepatitis C virus RNA genome

PubMed Central

Sagan, Selena M.; Chahal, Jasmin; Sarnow, Peter

2017-01-01

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a rapidly increasing global health problem with an estimated 170 million people infected worldwide. HCV is a hepatotropic, positive-sense RNA virus of the family Flaviviridae. As a positive-sense RNA virus, the HCV genome itself must serve as a template for translation, replication and packaging. The viral RNA must therefore be a dynamic structure that is able to readily accommodate structural changes to expose different regions of the genome to viral and cellular proteins to carry out the HCV life cycle. The ∼9600 nucleotide viral genome contains a single long open reading frame flanked by 5′ and 3′ non-coding regions that contain cis-acting RNA elements important for viral translation, replication and stability. Additional cis-acting RNA elements have also been identified in the coding sequences as well as in the 3′ end of the negative-strand replicative intermediate. Herein, we provide an overview of the importance of these cis-acting RNA elements in the HCV life cycle. PMID:25576644

Species identification of processed animal proteins (PAPs) in animal feed containing feed materials from animal origin.

PubMed

Axmann, Sonja; Adler, Andreas; Brandstettner, Agnes Josephine; Spadinger, Gabriela; Weiss, Roland; Strnad, Irmengard

2015-01-01

Since June 2013 the total feed ban of processed animal proteins (PAPs) was partially lifted. Now it is possible to mix fish feed with PAPs from non-ruminants (pig and poultry). To guarantee that fish feed, which contains non-ruminant PAPs, is free of ruminant PAPs, it has to be analysed with a ruminant PCR assay to comply with the total ban of feeding PAPs from ruminants. However, PCR analysis cannot distinguish between ruminant DNA, which originates from proteins such as muscle and bones, and ruminant DNA, which comes from feed materials of animal origin such as milk products or fat. Thus, there is the risk of obtaining positive ruminant PCR signals based on these materials. The paper describes the development of the combination of two analysis methods, micro-dissection and PCR, to eliminate the problem of 'false-positive' PCR signals. With micro-dissection, single particles can be isolated and subsequently analysed with PCR.

Model and algorithm for container ship stowage planning based on bin-packing problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wei-Ying; Lin, Yan; Ji, Zhuo-Shang

2005-09-01

In a general case, container ship serves many different ports on each voyage. A stowage planning for container ship made at one port must take account of the influence on subsequent ports. So the complexity of stowage planning problem increases due to its multi-ports nature. This problem is NP-hard problem. In order to reduce the computational complexity, the problem is decomposed into two sub-problems in this paper. First, container ship stowage problem (CSSP) is regarded as “packing problem”, ship-bays on the board of vessel are regarded as bins, the number of slots at each bay are taken as capacities of bins, and containers with different characteristics (homogeneous containers group) are treated as items packed. At this stage, there are two objective functions, one is to minimize the number of bays packed by containers and the other is to minimize the number of overstows. Secondly, containers assigned to each bays at first stage are allocate to special slot, the objective functions are to minimize the metacentric height, heel and overstows. The taboo search heuristics algorithm are used to solve the subproblem. The main focus of this paper is on the first subproblem. A case certifies the feasibility of the model and algorithm.

Carbon aerogel electrodes for direct energy conversion

DOEpatents

Mayer, S.T.; Kaschmitter, J.L.; Pekala, R.W.

1997-02-11

A direct energy conversion device, such as a fuel cell, using carbon aerogel electrodes is described, wherein the carbon aerogel is loaded with a noble catalyst, such as platinum or rhodium and soaked with phosphoric acid, for example. A separator is located between the electrodes, which are placed in a cylinder having plate current collectors positioned adjacent the electrodes and connected to a power supply, and a pair of gas manifolds, containing hydrogen and oxygen positioned adjacent the current collectors. Due to the high surface area and excellent electrical conductivity of carbon aerogels, the problems relative to high polarization resistance of carbon composite electrodes conventionally used in fuel cells are overcome. 1 fig.

[Percutaneous sensitization to almond oil in infancy and study of ointments in 27 children with food allergy].

PubMed

Guillet, G; Guillet, M H

2000-10-01

A five month old child with atopic dermatitis developed contact dermatitis to almond with positive patch test, positive prick test, and class 4 anti-almond IgE. Focal lesions of persistent eczema were correlated with application of almond oil for 2 month on cheeks and buttocks. The child had not ingested almond and her mother did not report almond intake during her breast-feeding. This observation points to the problems of possible percutaneous sensitisation to food proteins. The study of skin ointments containing components of food origin in 27 food sensitized atopic patients confirm that the choice of an ointment for lesional skin is of importance.

Individualized Math Problems in Fractions. Oregon Vo-Tech Mathematics Problem Sets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosler, Norma, Ed.

This is one of eighteen sets of individualized mathematics problems developed by the Oregon Vo-Tech Math Project. Each of these problem packages is organized around a mathematical topic and contains problems related to diverse vocations. Solutions are provided for all problems. This package contains problems involving computation with common…

Individualized Math Problems in Geometry. Oregon Vo-Tech Mathematics Problem Sets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosler, Norma, Ed.

This is one of eighteen sets of individualized mathematics problems developed by the Oregon Vo-Tech Math Project. Each of these problem packages is organized around a mathematical topic and contains problems related to diverse vocations. Solutions are provided for all problems. The volume contains problems in applied geometry. Measurement of…

The limitations of staggered grid finite differences in plasticity problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pranger, Casper; Herrendörfer, Robert; Le Pourhiet, Laetitia

2017-04-01

Most crustal-scale applications operate at grid sizes much larger than those at which plasticity occurs in nature. As a consequence, plastic shear bands often localize to the scale of one grid cell, and numerical ploys — like introducing an artificial length scale — are needed to counter this. If for whatever reasons (good or bad) this is not done, we find that problems may arise due to the fact that in the staggered grid finite difference discretization, unknowns like components of the stress tensor and velocity vector are located in physically different positions. This incurs frequent interpolation, reducing the accuracy of the discretization. For purely stress-dependent plasticity problems the adverse effects might be contained because the magnitude of the stress discontinuity across a plastic shear band is limited. However, we find that when rate-dependence of friction is added in the mix, things become ugly really fast and the already hard-to-solve and highly nonlinear problem of plasticity incurs an extra penalty.

Applications of elliptic operator theory to the isotropic interior transmission eigenvalue problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakshtanov, E.; Vainberg, B.

2013-10-01

The paper concerns the isotropic interior transmission eigenvalue (ITE) problem. This problem is not elliptic, but we show that, using the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map, it can be reduced to an elliptic one. This leads to the discreteness of the spectrum as well as to certain results on a possible location of the transmission eigenvalues. If the index of refraction \\sqrt{n(x)} is real, then we obtain a result on the existence of infinitely many positive ITEs and the Weyl-type lower bound on its counting function. All the results are obtained under the assumption that n(x) - 1 does not vanish at the boundary of the obstacle or it vanishes identically, but its normal derivative does not vanish at the boundary. We consider the classical transmission problem as well as the case when the inhomogeneous medium contains an obstacle. Some results on the discreteness and localization of the spectrum are obtained for complex valued n(x).

In-house PCR with DNA extracted directly from positive slides to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of tuberculosis: focus on biosafety.

PubMed

de Almeida, Isabela Neves; Aleixo, Agdemir Valéria; Carvalho, Wânia da Silva; de Miranda, Silvana Spindola

2015-01-01

The possibility to obtain DNA from smears is a valuable alternative to remedy the lack of samples when they are totally used for bacilloscopy; this technique solves the biosafety problem related to a possible accident with the transportation of flasks containing potentially transmissible clinical samples. Hence, the purpose of this study was to utilize the insertion sequence IS6110 for amplification of DNA from a smear-positive sample for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis. Among the 52 positive bacilloscopies, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 52.3%, 100%, 100% and 89.7%, respectively whereas accuracy was 90.7%. The IS6110-based PCR for TB diagnosis developed in DNA extracted from a positive smear is a fast, simple, specific, and safe method. Copyright © 2014 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Crack problems for a rectangular plate and an infinite strip

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Civelek, M. B.; Erdogan, F.

1980-01-01

The general plane problem for an infinite strip containing multiple cracks perpendicular to its boundaries is considered. The problem is reduced to a system of singular integral equations. Two specific problems of practical interest are then studied in detail. The first problem explores the interaction effect of multiple edge cracks in a plate or beam under tension or bending. The second problem is that of a rectangular plate containing an arbitrarily oriented crack in the plane of symmetry. Particular emphasis is placed on the problem of a plate containing an edge crack and subjected to concentrated forces.

Individualized Math Problems in Ratio and Proportion. Oregon Vo-Tech Mathematics Problem Sets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosler, Norma, Ed.

This is one of eighteen sets of individualized mathematics problems developed by the Oregon Vo-Tech Math Project. Each of these problem packages is organized around a mathematical topic and contains problems related to diverse vocations. Solutions are provided for all problems. This volume contains problems involving ratio and proportion. Some…

Liquid hydrogen slosh waves excited by constant reverse gravity acceleration of geyser initiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hung, R. J.; Shyu, K. L.; Lee, C. C.

1992-01-01

The requirement to settle or to position liquid fuel over the outlet end of the spacecraft propellant tank before main engine restart poses a microgravity fluid behavior problem. Resettlement or reorientation of liquid propellant can be accomplished by providing the optimal acceleration to the spacecraft such that the propellant is reoriented over the tank outlet. In this study slosh wave excitation induced by the resettling flowfield during the course of liquid reorientation with the initiation of geyser for liquid-filled levels of 30, 50, 65, 70, and 80 percent have been studied. Characteristics of slosh waves with various frequencies excited are discussed. Slosh wave excitations will affect the fluid stress distribution exerted on the container wall and shift the fluid mass distribution inside the container, which imposes the time-dependent variations in the moment of inertia of the container. This information is important for the spacecraft control during the course of liquid reorientation.

Artificial Intelligence Techniques for the Berth Allocation and Container Stacking Problems in Container Terminals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salido, Miguel A.; Rodriguez-Molins, Mario; Barber, Federico

The Container Stacking Problem and the Berth Allocation Problem are two important problems in maritime container terminal's management which are clearly related. Terminal operators normally demand all containers to be loaded into an incoming vessel should be ready and easily accessible in the terminal before vessel's arrival. Similarly, customers (i.e., vessel owners) expect prompt berthing of their vessels upon arrival. In this paper, we present an artificial intelligence based-integrated system to relate these problems. Firstly, we develop a metaheuristic algorithm for berth allocation which generates an optimized order of vessel to be served according to existing berth constraints. Secondly, we develop a domain-oriented heuristic planner for calculating the number of reshuffles needed to allocate containers in the appropriate place for a given berth ordering of vessels. By combining these optimized solutions, terminal operators can be assisted to decide the most appropriated solution in each particular case.

Optical properties of hybrid spherical nanoclusters containing quantum emitters and metallic nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yannopapas, V.; Paspalakis, E.

2018-05-01

We study theoretically the optical response of a hybrid spherical cluster containing quantum emitters and metallic nanoparticles. The quantum emitters are modeled as two-level quantum systems whose dielectric function is obtained via a density matrix approach wherein the modified spontaneous emission decay rate at the position of each quantum emitter is calculated via the electromagnetic Green's tensor. The problem of light scattering off the hybrid cluster is solved by employing the coupled-dipole method. We find, in particular, that the presence of the quantum emitters in the cluster, even in small fractions, can significantly alter the absorption and extinction spectra of the sole cluster of the metallic nanoparticles, where the corresponding electromagnetic modes can have a weak plexcitonic character under suitable conditions.

Assessment Position Affects Problem-Solving Behaviors in a Child With Motor Impairments.

PubMed

OʼGrady, Michael G; Dusing, Stacey C

2016-01-01

The purpose of this report was to examine problem-solving behaviors of a child with significant motor impairments in positions she could maintain independently, in supine and prone positions, as well as a position that required support, sitting. The child was a 22-month-old girl who could not sit independently and had limited independent mobility. Her problem-solving behaviors were assessed using the Early Problem Solving Indicator, while she was placed in supine or prone position, and again in manually supported sitting position. In manually supported sitting position, the subject demonstrated a higher frequency of problem-solving behaviors and her most developmentally advanced problem-solving behavior. Because a child's position may affect cognitive test results, position should be documented at the time of testing.

Direct numerical simulation of sheared turbulent flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harris, Vascar G.

1994-01-01

The summer assignment to study sheared turbulent flow was divided into three phases which were: (1) literature survey, (2) computational familiarization, and (3) pilot computational studies. The governing equations of fluid dynamics or Navier-Stokes equations describe the velocity, pressure, and density as functions of position and time. In principle, when combined with conservation equations for mass, energy, and thermodynamic state of the fluid a determinate system could be obtained. In practice the Navier-Stokes equations have not been solved due to the nonlinear nature and complexity of these equations. Consequently, the importance of experiments in gaining insight for understanding the physics of the problem has been an ongoing process. Reasonable computer simulations of the problem have occured as the computational speed and storage of computers has evolved. The importance of the microstructure of the turbulence dictates the need for high resolution grids in extracting solutions which contain the physical mechanisms which are essential to a successful simulation. The recognized breakthrough occurred as a result of the pioneering work of Orzag and Patterson in which the Navier-Stokes equations were solved numerically utilizing a time saving toggling technique between physical and wave space, known as a spectral method. An equally analytically unsolvable problem, containing the same quasi-chaotic nature as turbulence, is known as the three body problem which was studied computationally as a first step this summer. This study was followed by computations of a two dimensional (2D) free shear layer.

Differences in Visual Attention between Those Who Correctly and Incorrectly Answer Physics Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madsen, Adrian M.; Larson, Adam M.; Loschky, Lester C.; Rebello, N. Sanjay

2012-01-01

This study investigated how visual attention differed between those who correctly versus incorrectly answered introductory physics problems. We recorded eye movements of 24 individuals on six different conceptual physics problems where the necessary information to solve the problem was contained in a diagram. The problems also contained areas…

Making Changes: A Futures-Oriented Course in Inventive Problem Solving. Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, John W.

This 1981 guide is designed to be used with a workbook offering students opportunities to engage in creative problem solving. The book contains four units with 23 lessons. Unit 1 addresses problem solving and contains nine lessons: (1) "New and Different Thinking"; (2) "Open and Closed Problems"; (3) "Stating a Problem"; (4) "Defining a Problem";…

Sensitization of children in the Stockholm area to house dust mites.

PubMed

Nordvall, S L; Eriksson, M; Rylander, E; Schwartz, B

1988-09-01

Atopic sensitization of children in the Stockholm area to house dust mites (HDM) was investigated in a case-control study. Sixty children with and 60 without positive skin prick tests for HDM were matched for age and sex. HDM-sensitized children had previously more often lived in other areas known to be mite infested than the control children. Sensitization to mites was related to dampness in the homes, but no significant relationship was found to the type of residence, frequent visits to a summer house in the archipelago or parental smoking. Dust samples from mattresses of the children with the strongest positive reactions to mites in skin prick tests and the respective controls were subjected to an enzyme immunoassay, to measure the content of the major allergens of the Dermatophagoides (D.) species D. pterinyssinus, D. farinae and D. microceras. Mattress dust samples from the beds of HDM-sensitized children contained significantly higher HDM antigen concentrations than those from the beds of controls. Private houses contained significantly more HDM antigens than flats and 10 of 11 homes in which a dampness problem was recognized contained mite antigens. It is postulated that mite infestation is increasing in the area, energy-saving measures creating improved conditions for HDM survival.

An effective rumor-containing strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Cheng; Yang, Lu-Xing; Yang, Xiaofan; Wu, Yingbo; Tang, Yuan Yan

2018-06-01

False rumors can lead to huge economic losses or/and social instability. Hence, mitigating the impact of bogus rumors is of primary importance. This paper focuses on the problem of how to suppress a false rumor by use of the truth. Based on a set of rational hypotheses and a novel rumor-truth mixed spreading model, the effectiveness and cost of a rumor-containing strategy are quantified, respectively. On this basis, the original problem is modeled as a constrained optimization problem (the RC model), in which the independent variable and the objective function represent a rumor-containing strategy and the effectiveness of a rumor-containing strategy, respectively. The goal of the optimization problem is to find the most effective rumor-containing strategy subject to a limited rumor-containing budget. Some optimal rumor-containing strategies are given by solving their respective RC models. The influence of different factors on the highest cost effectiveness of a RC model is illuminated through computer experiments. The results obtained are instructive to develop effective rumor-containing strategies.

The Relevance of Social Theory in the Practice of Environmental Management.

PubMed

Meissner, Richard

2016-10-01

In this paper I argue that the dominance of certain paradigms and theories on policies can have an influence on the value added by impact assessments. A link exists between paradigms and theories and policies and consequently the practices humans develop to tackle real world problems. I also argue that different types of thinking (contained in paradigms and theories) need to be integrated, at least at the scientific level, to enhance our understanding of social phenomena. This in turn can have a positive influence on policy processes that follow impact assessment recommendations. I am not arguing for the adoption of theoretical positions by practitioners, Instead, I contend that if impact assessments are informed by a variety of paradigms and theories, the policy practitioner might have a better understanding of the issue and the moral choices he or she needs to make. I will highlight the connection between theory and policies with practical examples from the social impact assessment of the De Hoop Dam, which was constructed on the Steelpoort River. I also argue for an integration of different theories to give a deeper understanding of real world problems.

[Questionnaire on parental attitudes and rearing practices (FEPS)].

PubMed

Richter-Appelt, Hertha; Schimmelmann, Benno Graf; Tiefensee, Jutta

2004-01-01

A positive parent-child relationship is one of the most important determinants of a healthy cognitive, emotional and social development. The relationship from parent to child is determined by parenting styles. Parenting styles are characterised by the two dimensions parental attitudes and rearing practices. The development and the psychometric properties of a questionnaire on parental attitudes and rearing practices (FEPS), which contains an extended version of the Parental Bonding Instrument by Parker et al. (PBI, 1979) and two scales on parental reinforcement and punishment behaviour, is presented. In a sample of 457 women and 159 men factorial and item analysis revealed four scales (care, autonomy, low punishment and low material reinforcement). The care dimension contained items of immaterial reinforcement on the positive pole and items of coldness and ignorance as means of punishment on the negative pole. Based on findings from its first application in a clinical study it can be assumed that the FEPS differentiates between clinical and non-clinical populations. Additionally, varying patterns of the four scales may emerge as risk factors for the development of certain psychiatric/psychological problems.

Towards the limiting of health risks associated with tattooing: whitelists for tattoo pigments and preservatives.

PubMed

Blume, Annegret; Platzek, Thomas; Vieth, Bärbel; Hutzler, Christoph; Luch, Andreas

2015-01-01

The number of pigments that could potentially be used in tattoo inks is vast. However, pigments are generally not manufactured for the purpose of being injected into subepidermal layers of the skin. Assuming 100% bioavailability after injection means that pigments can be imminently hazardous to human health. Given the ever-increasing number of pigments being circulated on the market or through the internet, a 'negative list' ('black' list) containing pigments with known adverse effects will never be finalised. If incriminated, substances could easily be replaced by structurally similar pigments that might be even more deleterious to human health. Therefore, we and others suggest the establishment of a whitelist ('positive list') that would only contain pigments that had undergone a risk assessment specifically for their application into the dermis. Some of the problems associated with such a 'positive list' are discussed. Another important issue with regard to tattoo safety is related to the preservatives used in ink preparations. Notwithstanding the demand for sterile tattoo inks, a whitelist for these compounds would be beneficial. At present, many technical preservatives are being used, despite their known detrimental effects to human health. Criteria for the inclusion of preservatives in a 'positive list' are also discussed. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

First-passage time of Brownian motion with dry friction.

PubMed

Chen, Yaming; Just, Wolfram

2014-02-01

We provide an analytic solution to the first-passage time (FPT) problem of a piecewise-smooth stochastic model, namely Brownian motion with dry friction, using two different but closely related approaches which are based on eigenfunction decompositions on the one hand and on the backward Kolmogorov equation on the other. For the simple case containing only dry friction, a phase-transition phenomenon in the spectrum is found which relates to the position of the exit point, and which affects the tail of the FPT distribution. For the model containing as well a driving force and viscous friction the impact of the corresponding stick-slip transition and of the transition to ballistic exit is evaluated quantitatively. The proposed model is one of the very few cases where FPT properties are accessible by analytical means.

Positive affect: phenotypic and etiologic associations with prosocial behaviors and internalizing problems in toddlers

PubMed Central

Wang, Manjie; Saudino, Kimberly J.

2015-01-01

Despite evidence for the associations of positive affect to prosocial behaviors and internalizing problems, relatively little is known about the underlying etiology. The sample comprised over 300 twin pairs at age 3. Positive affect, prosocial behaviors, and internalizing problems were assessed using the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire (Goldsmith, 1996), the Revised Rutter Parent Scale for Preschool Children (Hogg et al., 1997), and the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 1.5–5 (Achenbach, 1991), respectively. Positive affect correlated positively with prosocial behaviors, and negatively with internalizing problems. Prosocial behaviors were negatively associated with internalizing problems. The relations of positive affect to prosocial behaviors and internalizing problems were due to environmental effects (shared and non-shared). In contrast, the link between prosocial behaviors and internalizing problems was entirely explained by genetic effects. The current study has moved beyond prior emphasis on negative affect and elucidated the less understood etiology underlying the associations between positive affect, prosocial behaviors, and internalizing problems. This study could guide the development of programs for promoting prosocial behaviors and alleviating internalizing problems in children. PMID:25914668

Positive affect: phenotypic and etiologic associations with prosocial behaviors and internalizing problems in toddlers.

PubMed

Wang, Manjie; Saudino, Kimberly J

2015-01-01

Despite evidence for the associations of positive affect to prosocial behaviors and internalizing problems, relatively little is known about the underlying etiology. The sample comprised over 300 twin pairs at age 3. Positive affect, prosocial behaviors, and internalizing problems were assessed using the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire (Goldsmith, 1996), the Revised Rutter Parent Scale for Preschool Children (Hogg et al., 1997), and the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 1.5-5 (Achenbach, 1991), respectively. Positive affect correlated positively with prosocial behaviors, and negatively with internalizing problems. Prosocial behaviors were negatively associated with internalizing problems. The relations of positive affect to prosocial behaviors and internalizing problems were due to environmental effects (shared and non-shared). In contrast, the link between prosocial behaviors and internalizing problems was entirely explained by genetic effects. The current study has moved beyond prior emphasis on negative affect and elucidated the less understood etiology underlying the associations between positive affect, prosocial behaviors, and internalizing problems. This study could guide the development of programs for promoting prosocial behaviors and alleviating internalizing problems in children.

Learning class descriptions from a data base of spectral reflectance with multiple view angles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kimes, Daniel S.; Harrison, Patrick R.; Harrison, P. A.

1992-01-01

A learning program has been developed which combines 'learning by example' with the generate-and-test paradigm to furnish a robust learning environment capable of handling error-prone data. The problem is shown to be capable of learning class descriptions from positive and negative training examples of spectral and directional reflectance data taken from soil and vegetation. The program, which used AI techniques to automate very tedious processes, found the sequence of relationships that contained the most important information which could distinguish the classes.

Variable-Force Eddy-Current Damper

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cunningham, R. E.

1986-01-01

Variable damping achieved without problems of containing viscous fluids. Eddy-current damping obtained by moving copper or aluminum conductors through magnetic fields. Position of magnet carrier determines amount of field engagement and, therefore, amount of damping. Three advantages of concept: Magnitudes of stiffness and damping continously varied from maximum to zero without bringing rotor or shaft to stop; used in rotating machines not having viscous fluids available such as lubricating oils; produces sizable damping forces in machines that pump liquid hydrogen at - 246 degrees C and liquid oxygen at - 183 degrees C and are compact in size.

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (16th, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, November 5-8, 1994). Volume 1: Plenary Sessions, Technology Focus Groups, Discussion Groups and Research Papers, Oral Reports and Posters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirshner, David, Ed.

This volume contains the full text of 2 plenary papers and 26 research reports. In addition, brief, usually one-page, reports are provided for 6 discussion groups, 10 technology focus groups, 7 symposiums, 7 oral presentations, and 17 position sessions. The two full plenary reports are: (1) "Problems of Reification: Representations and…

Differential Associations of UPPS-P Impulsivity Traits With Alcohol Problems.

PubMed

McCarty, Kayleigh N; Morris, David H; Hatz, Laura E; McCarthy, Denis M

2017-07-01

The UPPS-P model posits that impulsivity comprises five factors: positive urgency, negative urgency, lack of planning, lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking. Negative and positive urgency are the traits most consistently associated with alcohol problems. However, previous work has examined alcohol problems either individually or in the aggregate, rather than examining multiple problem domains simultaneously. Recent work has also questioned the utility of distinguishing between positive and negative urgency, as this distinction did not meaningfully differ in predicting domains of psychopathology. The aims of this study were to address these issues by (a) testing unique associations of UPPS-P with specific domains of alcohol problems and (b) determining the utility of distinguishing between positive and negative urgency as risk factors for specific alcohol problems. Associations between UPPS-P traits and alcohol problem domains were examined in two cross-sectional data sets using negative binomial regression models. In both samples, negative urgency was associated with social/interpersonal, self-perception, risky behaviors, and blackout drinking problems. Positive urgency was associated with academic/occupational and physiological dependence problems. Both urgency traits were associated with impaired control and self-care problems. Associations for other UPPS-P traits did not replicate across samples. Results indicate that negative and positive urgency have differential associations with alcohol problem domains. Results also suggest a distinction between the type of alcohol problems associated with these traits-negative urgency was associated with problems experienced during a drinking episode, whereas positive urgency was associated with alcohol problems that result from longer-term drinking trends.

Use of Lambda Phage DNA as a Hybrid Internal Control in a PCR-Enzyme Immunoassay To Detect Chlamydia pneumoniae

PubMed Central

Pham, Dien G.; Madico, Guillermo E.; Quinn, Thomas C.; Enzler, Mark J.; Smith, Thomas F.; Gaydos, Charlotte A.

1998-01-01

An inherent problem in the diagnostic PCR assay is the presence of ill-defined inhibitors of amplification which may cause false-negative results. Addition of an amplifiable fragment of foreign DNA in the PCR to serve as a hybrid internal control (HIC) would allow for a simple way to identify specimens containing inhibitors. Two oligonucleotide hybrid primers were synthesized to contain nucleic acid sequences of the Chlamydia pneumoniae 16S rRNA primers in a position flanking two primers that target the sequences of a 650-bp lambda phage DNA segment. By using the hybrid primers, hybrid DNA comprising a large sequence of lambda phage DNA flanked by short pieces of chlamydia DNA was subsequently generated by PCR, cloned into a plasmid vector, and purified. Plasmids containing the hybrid DNA were diluted and used as a HIC by adding them to each C. pneumoniae PCR test. Consequently, C. pneumoniae primers were able to amplify both chlamydia DNA and the HIC DNA. The production of a 689-bp HIC DNA band on an acrylamide gel indicated that the specimen contained no inhibitors and that internal conditions were compatible with PCR. Subsequently, a biotinylated RNA probe for the HIC was transcribed from a nested sequence of the HIC and was used for its hybridization. Detection of the HIC DNA-RNA hybrid was achieved by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). This PCR-EIA system with a HIC was initially tested with 12 previously PCR-positive and 14 previously PCR-negative specimens. Of the 12 PCR-positive specimens, 11 were reconfirmed as positive; 1 had a negative HIC value, indicating inhibition. Of the 14 previously PCR-negative specimens, 13 were confirmed as true negative; 1 had a negative HIC value, indicating inhibition. The assay was then used with 237 nasopharyngeal specimens from patients with pneumonia. Twenty-one of 237 (8.9%) were positive for C. pneumoniae, and 42 (17.7%) were found to inhibit the PCR. Specimens showing inhibitory activity were diluted 1:10 and were retested. Ten specimens were still inhibitory to the PCR and required further DNA purification. No additional positive samples were detected and 3 nasopharyngeal specimens remained inhibitory to PCR. Coamplification of a HIC DNA can help confirm true-negative PCR results by ruling out the presence of inhibitors of DNA amplification. PMID:9650936

Deodorants: an experimental provocation study with hydroxycitronellal.

PubMed

Svedman, C; Bruze, M; Johansen, J D; Andersen, K E; Goossens, A; Frosch, P J; Lepoittevin, J-P; Rastogi, S; White, I R; Menné, T

2003-04-01

Axillary dermatitis is a common problem, particularly in individuals with contact allergy to fragrances. Many individuals suspect their deodorant to be the causal product of their fragrance allergy. It has been shown that deodorants containing cinnamic aldehyde (cinnamal) can elicit axillary dermatitis in patients sensitized to this substance. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the importance of hydroxycitronellal used in deodorants for the development of axillary dermatitis, when applied by individuals with and without contact allergy to this fragrance chemical. Patch tests with deodorants and ethanolic solutions containing hydroxycitronellal, as well as repeated open application tests (ROAT) with roll-on deodorants with and without hydroxycitronellal at different concentrations, were performed in 14 dermatitis patients, 7 with and 7 without contact allergy to hydroxycitronellal. A positive ROAT was noted only in the patients hypersensitive to hydroxycitronellal (P < 0.001) and only in the axilla to which the deodorants containing hydroxycitronellal had been applied (P < 0.001). Deodorants containing hydroxycitronellal in the concentration range of 0.032-0.32% used twice daily on healthy skin in individuals hypersensitive to hydroxycitronellal can elicit axillary dermatitis in a few weeks.

Abate distribution and dengue control in rural Cambodia.

PubMed

Khun, Sokrin; Manderson, Lenore H

2007-02-01

Sustainable public health and community collaboration and partnerships are essential for the effective elimination of vector breeding sites to prevent dengue fever. A prerequisite is that community members appreciate the importance of the infection, understand its transmission and preventive activities, and are able to translate such knowledge to action. In this paper, we draw on an ethnographic study of two villages in the eastern province of Kampong Cham, using data collected from qualitative research methods and entomological surveys to describe community knowledge of the vector, practices related to the reduction of breeding sources, and the effectiveness of temephos to control larvae. During the study period, temephos (distributed as Abate) was applied in water containers only in the rainy season, although these containers were also positive with larvae in the dry season. Discarded containers, ignored in terms of control activities, had twice the number of larvae as water storage containers. The continued reliance on Abate creates financial and technical problems, while its inappropriate distribution raises the possibility of larvicide resistance. Based on research findings, we argue that control strategies emphasizing the use of Abate should be reconsidered.

Chemical and engineering properties of fired bricks containing 50 weight percent of class F fly ash

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chou, I.-Ming; Patel, V.; Laird, C.J.; Ho, K.K.

2001-01-01

The generation of fly ash during coal combustion represents a considerable solid waste disposal problem in the state of Illinois and nationwide. In fact, the majority of the three million tons of fly ash produced from burning Illinois bituminous coals is disposed of in landfills. The purpose of this study was to obtain a preliminary assessment of the technical feasibility of mitigating this solid waste problem by making fired bricks with the large volume of fly ash generated from burning Illinois coals. Test bricks were produced by the extrusion method with increasing amounts (20-50% by weight) of fly ash as a replacement for conventional raw materials. The chemical characteristics and engineering properties of the test bricks produced with and without 50 wt% of fly ash substitutions were analyzed and compared. The properties of the test bricks containing fly ash were at least comparable to, if not better than, those of standard test bricks made without fly ash and met the commercial specifications for fired bricks. The positive results of this study suggest that further study on test bricks with fly ash substitutions of greater than 50wt% is warranted. Successful results could have an important impact in reducing the waste disposal problem related to class F fly ash while providing the brick industry with a new low cost raw material. Copyright ?? 2001 Taylor & Francis.

Superior Performance of a Lithium-Sulfur Battery Enabled by a Dimethyl Trisulfide Containing Electrolyte

DOE PAGES

Chen, Shuru; Wang, Daiwei; Zhao, Yuming; ...

2018-04-26

The lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery offers a high theoretical energy density of ≈2600 Wh/kg -1 and low cost, positioning it as a promising candidate for next-generation battery technology. However, problems including disastrous Li polysulfides dissolution and irreversible Li 2S deposition have severely retarded the development of Li-S batteries. To solve these issues, we recently reported a functional dimethyl disulfide (DMDS)-containing electrolyte that promoted an alternate electrochemical reaction pathway for sulfur cathodes by a formation of dimethyl polysulfides and Li organosulfides as intermediates and reduction products, leading to significantly boosted Li-S cell capacity with improved cycling reversibility and stability. Here in thismore » work, dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS), a primary discharge-charge intermediate in the DMDS-containing electrolyte, which is also a commercially available reagent, was further investigated as a co-solvent in functional electrolytes for Li-S batteries. Due to the higher theoretical capacity of DMTS and its better reactivity with Li 2S than DMDS, a 25 vol% DMTS-containing electrolyte enables Li-S batteries with even higher cell capacity and improved cycling performance than using previous optimal 50 vol% DMDS-containing electrolyte.« less

Superior Performance of a Lithium-Sulfur Battery Enabled by a Dimethyl Trisulfide Containing Electrolyte

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

Chen, Shuru; Wang, Daiwei; Zhao, Yuming

The lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery offers a high theoretical energy density of ≈2600 Wh/kg -1 and low cost, positioning it as a promising candidate for next-generation battery technology. However, problems including disastrous Li polysulfides dissolution and irreversible Li 2S deposition have severely retarded the development of Li-S batteries. To solve these issues, we recently reported a functional dimethyl disulfide (DMDS)-containing electrolyte that promoted an alternate electrochemical reaction pathway for sulfur cathodes by a formation of dimethyl polysulfides and Li organosulfides as intermediates and reduction products, leading to significantly boosted Li-S cell capacity with improved cycling reversibility and stability. Here in thismore » work, dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS), a primary discharge-charge intermediate in the DMDS-containing electrolyte, which is also a commercially available reagent, was further investigated as a co-solvent in functional electrolytes for Li-S batteries. Due to the higher theoretical capacity of DMTS and its better reactivity with Li 2S than DMDS, a 25 vol% DMTS-containing electrolyte enables Li-S batteries with even higher cell capacity and improved cycling performance than using previous optimal 50 vol% DMDS-containing electrolyte.« less

Standardized Definitions for Code Verification Test Problems

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

Doebling, Scott William

This document contains standardized definitions for several commonly used code verification test problems. These definitions are intended to contain sufficient information to set up the test problem in a computational physics code. These definitions are intended to be used in conjunction with exact solutions to these problems generated using Exact- Pack, www.github.com/lanl/exactpack.

Shiftwork in the Norwegian petroleum industry: overcoming difficulties with family and social life – a cross sectional study

PubMed Central

Ljoså, Cathrine Haugene; Lau, Bjørn

2009-01-01

Background Continuous shift schedules are required in the petroleum industry because of its dependency on uninterrupted production. Although shiftwork affects health, less is known about its effects on social and domestic life. Methods Consequently, we studied these relationships in a sample of 1697 (response rate 55.9%) petroleum workers who worked onshore and offshore for a Norwegian oil and gas company. We also examined the roles of coping strategies and locus of control for handling self-reported problems with social and domestic life. A questionnaire containing scales from the Standard Shiftwork Index and Shiftwork Locus of Control was answered electronically. Results In general, only a few participants reported that their shift schedule affected their social and domestic/family life, and several participants had enough time to spend by themselves and with their partner, close family, friends, and children. Despite this general positive trend, differences were found for shift type and individual factors such as locus of control and coping strategies. Internal locus of control was associated positively with all the dependent variables. However, engaging problem-focused coping strategies were associated only slightly with the dependent variables, while disengaging emotion-focused coping strategies were negatively associated with the dependent variables. Conclusion Since most participants reported few problems with social and domestic/family life, the availability of more leisure time may be a positive feature of shiftwork in the Norwegian petroleum industry. Locus of control and the use of coping strategies were important for shiftworkers' social and domestic/family life. PMID:19650903

STS-35 Space Shuttle mission report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Camp, David W.; Germany, D. M.; Nicholson, Leonard S.

1991-01-01

The STS-35 Space Shuttle Program Mission Report contains a summary of the vehicle subsystem activities during this thirty-eighth flight of the Space Shuttle and the tenth flight of the Orbiter vehicle Columbia (OV-102). In addition to the Columbia vehicle, the flight vehicle consisted of an External Tank (ET) (designated as ET-35/LWT-28), three Space Shuttle main engines (SSME's) (serial numbers 2024, 2012, and 2028 in positions 1, 2, and 3, respectively), and two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB's) designated as BI-038. The primary objectives of this flight were to successfully perform the planned operations of the Ultraviolet Astronomy (Astro-1) payload and the Broad-Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT) payload in a 190-nmi. circular orbit which had an inclination of 28.45 degrees. The sequence of events for this mission is shown in tablular form. Summarized are the significant problems that occurred in the Orbiter subsystems during the mission. The official problem tracking list is presented. In addition, each Orbiter subsystem problem is cited in the applicable subsystem discussion.

Optimal design of dampers within seismic structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Wenjie; Qian, Hui; Song, Wali; Wang, Liqiang

2009-07-01

An improved multi-objective genetic algorithm for structural passive control system optimization is proposed. Based on the two-branch tournament genetic algorithm, the selection operator is constructed by evaluating individuals according to their dominance in one run. For a constrained problem, the dominance-based penalty function method is advanced, containing information on an individual's status (feasible or infeasible), position in a search space, and distance from a Pareto optimal set. The proposed approach is used for the optimal designs of a six-storey building with shape memory alloy dampers subjected to earthquake. The number and position of dampers are chosen as the design variables. The number of dampers and peak relative inter-storey drift are considered as the objective functions. Numerical results generate a set of non-dominated solutions.

Pupils' over-reliance on linearity: a scholastic effect?

PubMed

Van Dooren, Wim; De Bock, Dirk; Janssens, Dirk; Verschaffel, Lieven

2007-06-01

From upper elementary education on, children develop a tendency to over-use linearity. Particularly, it is found that many pupils assume that if a figure enlarges k times, the area enlarges k times too. However, most research was conducted with traditional, school-like word problems. This study examines whether pupils also over-use linearity if non-linear problems are embedded in meaningful, authentic performance tasks instead of traditional, school-like word problems, and whether this experience influences later behaviour. Ninety-three sixth graders from two primary schools in Flanders, Belgium. Pupils received a pre-test with traditional word problems. Those who made a linear error on the non-linear area problem were subjected to individual interviews. They received one new non-linear problem, in the S-condition (again a traditional, scholastic word problem), D-condition (the same word problem with a drawing) or P-condition (a meaningful performance-based task). Shortly afterwards, pupils received a post-test, containing again a non-linear word problem. Most pupils from the S-condition displayed linear reasoning during the interview. Offering drawings (D-condition) had a positive effect, but presenting the problem as a performance task (P-condition) was more beneficial. Linear reasoning was nearly absent in the P-condition. Remarkably, at the post-test, most pupils from all three groups again applied linear strategies. Pupils' over-reliance on linearity seems partly elicited by the school-like word problem format of test items. Pupils perform much better if non-linear problems are offered as performance tasks. However, a single experience does not change performances on a comparable word problem test afterwards.

Crack propagation and arrest in pressurized containers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erdogan, F.; Delale, F.; Owczarek, J. A.

1976-01-01

The problem of crack propagation and arrest in a finite volume cylindrical container filled with pressurized gas is considered. It is assumed that the cylinder contains a symmetrically located longitudinal part-through crack with a relatively small net ligament. The net ligament suddenly ruptures initiating the process of fracture propagation and depressurization in the cylinder. Thus the problem is a coupled gas dynamics and solid mechanics problem the exact formulation of which does not seem to be possible. The problem is reduced to a proper initial value problem by introducing a dynamic fracture criterion which relates the crack acceleration to the difference between a load factor and the corresponding strength parameter. The results indicate that generally in gas filled cylinders fracture arrest is not possible unless the material behaves in a ductile manner and the container is relatively long.

ISS method for coordination control of nonlinear dynamical agents under directed topology.

PubMed

Wang, Xiangke; Qin, Jiahu; Yu, Changbin

2014-10-01

The problems of coordination of multiagent systems with second-order locally Lipschitz continuous nonlinear dynamics under directed interaction topology are investigated in this paper. A completely nonlinear input-to-state stability (ISS)-based framework, drawing on ISS methods, with the aid of results from graph theory, matrix theory, and the ISS cyclic-small-gain theorem, is proposed for the coordination problem under directed topology, which can effectively tackle the technical challenges caused by locally Lipschitz continuous dynamics. Two coordination problems, i.e., flocking with a virtual leader and containment control, are considered. For both problems, it is assumed that only a portion of the agents can obtain the information from the leader(s). For the first problem, the proposed strategy is shown effective in driving a group of nonlinear dynamical agents reach the prespecified geometric pattern under the condition that at least one agent in each strongly connected component of the information-interconnection digraph with zero in-degree has access to the state information of the virtual leader; and the strategy proposed for the second problem can guarantee the nonlinear dynamical agents moving to the convex hull spanned by the positions of multiple leaders under the condition that for each agent there exists at least one leader that has a directed path to this agent.

An independent randomized clinical trial of multisystemic therapy with non-court-referred adolescents with serious conduct problems.

PubMed

Weiss, Bahr; Han, Susan; Harris, Vicki; Catron, Thomas; Ngo, Victoria K; Caron, Annalise; Gallop, Robert; Guth, Carol

2013-12-01

Adolescent conduct problems exact serious social as well as personal costs, and effective treatments are essential. One of the most widely disseminated and effective programs for the treatment of serious conduct problems in adolescents is Multisystemic Therapy (MST). However, most evaluations of MST have involved the developers of MST. The purpose of the present study was to conduct an independent evaluation of MST, with non-court-referred adolescents with conduct problems. Participants were 164 adolescents ages 11-18 years who were recruited from self-contained behavior intervention classrooms in public schools. Adolescents and their families were randomly assigned to receive MST or services as usual. Outcome measures assessed conduct problems, school functioning, and court records of criminal behavior. Participants were followed for 18 months after baseline using parent, adolescent, and teacher reports; arrest data were collected for 2.5 years postbaseline. Two of 4 primary outcome measures focused on externalizing problems showed significant treatment effects favoring MST. Several secondary and intervention targets pertaining to family functioning and parent psychopathology showed positive effects of MST, and no negative effects were identified. Results provide some further support for the effectiveness of MST, although smaller effect sizes than previous studies also suggest the complexity of successful dissemination, particularly to non-court-referred populations.

PDR with a Foot-Mounted IMU and Ramp Detection

PubMed Central

Jiménez, Antonio R.; Seco, Fernando; Zampella, Francisco; Prieto, José C.; Guevara, Jorge

2011-01-01

The localization of persons in indoor environments is nowadays an open problem. There are partial solutions based on the deployment of a network of sensors (Local Positioning Systems or LPS). Other solutions only require the installation of an inertial sensor on the person’s body (Pedestrian Dead-Reckoning or PDR). PDR solutions integrate the signals coming from an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), which usually contains 3 accelerometers and 3 gyroscopes. The main problem of PDR is the accumulation of positioning errors due to the drift caused by the noise in the sensors. This paper presents a PDR solution that incorporates a drift correction method based on detecting the access ramps usually found in buildings. The ramp correction method is implemented over a PDR framework that uses an Inertial Navigation algorithm (INS) and an IMU attached to the person’s foot. Unlike other approaches that use external sensors to correct the drift error, we only use one IMU on the foot. To detect a ramp, the slope of the terrain on which the user is walking, and the change in height sensed when moving forward, are estimated from the IMU. After detection, the ramp is checked for association with one of the existing in a database. For each associated ramp, a position correction is fed into the Kalman Filter in order to refine the INS-PDR solution. Drift-free localization is achieved with positioning errors below 2 meters for 1,000-meter-long routes in a building with a few ramps. PMID:22163701

Air traffic management system design using satellite based geo-positioning and communications assets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horkin, Phil

1995-01-01

The current FAA and ICAO FANS vision of Air Traffic Management will transition the functions of Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance to satellite based assets in the 21st century. Fundamental to widespread acceptance of this vision is a geo-positioning system that can provide worldwide access with best case differential GPS performance, but without the associated problems. A robust communications capability linking-up aircraft and towers to meet the voice and data requirements is also essential. The current GPS constellation does not provide continuous global coverage with a sufficient number of satellites to meet the precision landing requirements as set by the world community. Periodic loss of the minimum number of satellites in view creates an integrity problem, which prevents GPS from becoming the primary system for navigation. Furthermore, there is reluctance on the part of many countries to depend on assets like GPS and GLONASS which are controlled by military communities. This paper addresses these concerns and provides a system solving the key issues associated with navigation, automatic dependent surveillance, and flexible communications. It contains an independent GPS-like navigation system with 27 satellites providing global coverage with a minimum of six in view at all times. Robust communications is provided by a network of TDMA/FDMA communications payloads contained on these satellites. This network can support simultaneous communications for up to 30,000 links, nearly enough to simultaneously support three times the current global fleet of jumbo air passenger aircraft. All of the required hardware is directly traceable to existing designs.

[Life satisfaction and related socio-demographic factors during female midlife].

PubMed

Cuadros, José Luis; Pérez-Roncero, Gonzalo R; López-Baena, María Teresa; Cuadros-Celorrio, Angela M; Fernández-Alonso, Ana María

2014-01-01

To assess life satisfaction and related factors in middle-aged Spanish women. This was a cross-sectional study including 235 women aged 40 to 65, living in Granada (Spain), healthy companions of patients visiting the obstetrics and gynecology clinics. They completed the Diener Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Menopause Rating Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Insomnia Severity Index and a sociodemographic questionnaire containing personal and partner data. Internal consistency of each tool was also calculated. Almost two-thirds (61.3%) of the women were postmenopausal, and 43.8% had abdominal obesity, 36.6% had insomnia, 18.7% had poor menopause-related quality of life, 31.9% performed regular exercise, and 5.1% had severe financial problems. Life satisfaction showed significant positive correlations (Spearman's test) with female and male age, and inverse correlations with menopause-related quality of life, perceived stress and insomnia. In the multiple linear regression analysis, high life satisfaction is positively correlated with having a partner who performed exercise, and inversely with having work problems, perceived stress and the suspicion of partner infidelity. These factors explained 40% of the variance of the multiple regression analysis for life satisfaction in middle-aged women. Life satisfaction is a construct related to perceived stress, work problems, and having a partner, while aspects of menopause and general health had no significant influence. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Inverse kinematic-based robot control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolovich, W. A.; Flueckiger, K. F.

1987-01-01

A fundamental problem which must be resolved in virtually all non-trivial robotic operations is the well-known inverse kinematic question. More specifically, most of the tasks which robots are called upon to perform are specified in Cartesian (x,y,z) space, such as simple tracking along one or more straight line paths or following a specified surfacer with compliant force sensors and/or visual feedback. In all cases, control is actually implemented through coordinated motion of the various links which comprise the manipulator; i.e., in link space. As a consequence, the control computer of every sophisticated anthropomorphic robot must contain provisions for solving the inverse kinematic problem which, in the case of simple, non-redundant position control, involves the determination of the first three link angles, theta sub 1, theta sub 2, and theta sub 3, which produce a desired wrist origin position P sub xw, P sub yw, and P sub zw at the end of link 3 relative to some fixed base frame. Researchers outline a new inverse kinematic solution and demonstrate its potential via some recent computer simulations. They also compare it to current inverse kinematic methods and outline some of the remaining problems which will be addressed in order to render it fully operational. Also discussed are a number of practical consequences of this technique beyond its obvious use in solving the inverse kinematic question.

Solid freeform fabrication apparatus and methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taminger, Karen M. (Inventor); Watson, J. Kevin (Inventor); Hafley, Robert A. (Inventor); Petersen, Daniel D. (Inventor)

2007-01-01

An apparatus for formation of a three dimensional object comprising a sealed container; an electron beam subsystem capable of directing energy within said container; a positioning subsystem contained within said container; a wire feed subsystem contained within said container; an instrumentation subsystem electronically connected to said electron beam subsystem, positioning subsystem, and wire feed subsystem; and a power distribution subsystem electrically connected to said electron beam subsystem, positioning subsystem, wire feed subsystem, and said instrumentation subsystem.

Packing Boxes into Multiple Containers Using Genetic Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menghani, Deepak; Guha, Anirban

2016-07-01

Container loading problems have been studied extensively in the literature and various analytical, heuristic and metaheuristic methods have been proposed. This paper presents two different variants of a genetic algorithm framework for the three-dimensional container loading problem for optimally loading boxes into multiple containers with constraints. The algorithms are designed so that it is easy to incorporate various constraints found in real life problems. The algorithms are tested on data of standard test cases from literature and are found to compare well with the benchmark algorithms in terms of utilization of containers. This, along with the ability to easily incorporate a wide range of practical constraints, makes them attractive for implementation in real life scenarios.

Solution of Eshelby's inclusion problem with a bounded domain and Eshelby's tensor for a spherical inclusion in a finite spherical matrix based on a simplified strain gradient elasticity theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, X.-L.; Ma, H. M.

2010-05-01

A solution for Eshelby's inclusion problem of a finite homogeneous isotropic elastic body containing an inclusion prescribed with a uniform eigenstrain and a uniform eigenstrain gradient is derived in a general form using a simplified strain gradient elasticity theory (SSGET). An extended Betti's reciprocal theorem and an extended Somigliana's identity based on the SSGET are proposed and utilized to solve the finite-domain inclusion problem. The solution for the disturbed displacement field is expressed in terms of the Green's function for an infinite three-dimensional elastic body in the SSGET. It contains a volume integral term and a surface integral term. The former is the same as that for the infinite-domain inclusion problem based on the SSGET, while the latter represents the boundary effect. The solution reduces to that of the infinite-domain inclusion problem when the boundary effect is not considered. The problem of a spherical inclusion embedded concentrically in a finite spherical elastic body is analytically solved by applying the general solution, with the Eshelby tensor and its volume average obtained in closed forms. This Eshelby tensor depends on the position, inclusion size, matrix size, and material length scale parameter, and, as a result, can capture the inclusion size and boundary effects, unlike existing Eshelby tensors. It reduces to the classical Eshelby tensor for the spherical inclusion in an infinite matrix if both the strain gradient and boundary effects are suppressed. Numerical results quantitatively show that the inclusion size effect can be quite large when the inclusion is very small and that the boundary effect can dominate when the inclusion volume fraction is very high. However, the inclusion size effect is diminishing as the inclusion becomes large enough, and the boundary effect is vanishing as the inclusion volume fraction gets sufficiently low.

A general framework for complete positivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dominy, Jason M.; Shabani, Alireza; Lidar, Daniel A.

2016-01-01

Complete positivity of quantum dynamics is often viewed as a litmus test for physicality; yet, it is well known that correlated initial states need not give rise to completely positive evolutions. This observation spurred numerous investigations over the past two decades attempting to identify necessary and sufficient conditions for complete positivity. Here, we describe a complete and consistent mathematical framework for the discussion and analysis of complete positivity for correlated initial states of open quantum systems. This formalism is built upon a few simple axioms and is sufficiently general to contain all prior methodologies going back to Pechakas (Phys Rev Lett 73:1060-1062, 1994). The key observation is that initial system-bath states with the same reduced state on the system must evolve under all admissible unitary operators to system-bath states with the same reduced state on the system, in order to ensure that the induced dynamical maps on the system are well defined. Once this consistency condition is imposed, related concepts such as the assignment map and the dynamical maps are uniquely defined. In general, the dynamical maps may not be applied to arbitrary system states, but only to those in an appropriately defined physical domain. We show that the constrained nature of the problem gives rise to not one but three inequivalent types of complete positivity. Using this framework, we elucidate the limitations of recent attempts to provide conditions for complete positivity using quantum discord and the quantum data processing inequality. In particular, we correct the claim made by two of us (Shabani and Lidar in Phys Rev Lett 102:100402-100404, 2009) that vanishing discord is necessary for complete positivity, and explain that it is valid only for a particular class of initial states. The problem remains open, and may require fresh perspectives and new mathematical tools. The formalism presented herein may be one step in that direction.

BayesMotif: de novo protein sorting motif discovery from impure datasets.

PubMed

Hu, Jianjun; Zhang, Fan

2010-01-18

Protein sorting is the process that newly synthesized proteins are transported to their target locations within or outside of the cell. This process is precisely regulated by protein sorting signals in different forms. A major category of sorting signals are amino acid sub-sequences usually located at the N-terminals or C-terminals of protein sequences. Genome-wide experimental identification of protein sorting signals is extremely time-consuming and costly. Effective computational algorithms for de novo discovery of protein sorting signals is needed to improve the understanding of protein sorting mechanisms. We formulated the protein sorting motif discovery problem as a classification problem and proposed a Bayesian classifier based algorithm (BayesMotif) for de novo identification of a common type of protein sorting motifs in which a highly conserved anchor is present along with a less conserved motif regions. A false positive removal procedure is developed to iteratively remove sequences that are unlikely to contain true motifs so that the algorithm can identify motifs from impure input sequences. Experiments on both implanted motif datasets and real-world datasets showed that the enhanced BayesMotif algorithm can identify anchored sorting motifs from pure or impure protein sequence dataset. It also shows that the false positive removal procedure can help to identify true motifs even when there is only 20% of the input sequences containing true motif instances. We proposed BayesMotif, a novel Bayesian classification based algorithm for de novo discovery of a special category of anchored protein sorting motifs from impure datasets. Compared to conventional motif discovery algorithms such as MEME, our algorithm can find less-conserved motifs with short highly conserved anchors. Our algorithm also has the advantage of easy incorporation of additional meta-sequence features such as hydrophobicity or charge of the motifs which may help to overcome the limitations of PWM (position weight matrix) motif model.

Variation in Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) (Diptera, Culicidae) infestation in artificial containers in Caxias, state of Maranhão, Brazil.

PubMed

Soares-da-Silva, Joelma; Ibiapina, Sebastiana Silva; Bezerra, Juliana Maria Trindade; Tadei, Wanderli Pedro; Pinheiro, Valéria Cristina Soares

2012-01-01

Dengue is a serious public health problem worldwide, with cases reported annually in tropical and subtropical regions. Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762), the main vector of dengue, is a domiciliary species with high dispersal and survival capacities and can use various artificial containers as breeding sites. We assessed potential container breeding sites of A. aegypti in the municipality of Caxias, Maranhão, Brazil. In the initial phase, we analyzed 900 properties in 3 neighborhoods during the dry and rainy seasons (August-October 2005 and February-April 2006, respectively). During the second sampling period, September 2006-August 2007, we used 5 assessment cycles for 300 properties in a single neighborhood. During the dry and rainy seasons, water-storage containers comprised 55.7% (n = 1,970) and 48.5% (n = 1,836) of the total containers inspected, and showed the highest productivity of immature A. aegypti; we found 23.7 and 106.1 individuals/container, respectively, in peridomicile sites. In intradomicile sites, water-storage containers were also the most important breeding sites with 86.4% (n = 973) and 85.6% (n = 900) of all containers and a mean of 7.9 and 108.3 individuals/container in the dry and rainy seaso-October 2006 (1,342). The highest number of positives (70) was recorded in May, mostly (94%) in storage containers. Storage containers are the principal and most productive A. aegypti breeding sites and are a major contributing factor to the maintenance of this vector in Caxias.

7 CFR Appendix to Subpart - Imported Fire Ant

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... or plastic containers with drain holes prior to immersion Immerse soil balls and containers, singly... determine the probable source of the problem and to ensure that the problem is resolved. If the problem is... fiberglass, glass, or plastic in such a way that IFA is physically excluded and cannot become established...

Life stressors as mediators of the relation between socioeconomic position and mental health problems in early adolescence: the TRAILS study.

PubMed

Amone-P'Olak, Kennedy; Ormel, Johan; Huisman, Martijn; Verhulst, Frank C; Oldehinkel, Albertine J; Burger, Huibert

2009-10-01

Life stressors and family socioeconomic position have often been associated with mental health status. The aim of the present study is to contribute to the understanding of the pathways from low socioeconomic position and life stressors to mental problems. In a cross-sectional analysis using data from a longitudinal study of early adolescents (N = 2,149, 51% girls; mean age 13.6 years, SD 0.53, range 12-15), we assessed the extent of mediation of the association between family socioeconomic position and mental health problems by different types of life stressors in multiple regression models. Stressors were rated as environment related or person related. Information on socioeconomic position was obtained directly from parents, and internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors were assessed by reports from multiple informants (parents, self, and teachers). Low socioeconomic position was associated with more mental health problems and more life stressors. Both environment-related and person-related stressors predicted mental health problems independently of socioeconomic position. The associations between socioeconomic position and all mental health outcomes were partly mediated by environment-related life stressors. Mediation by environment-related and person-related stressors as assessed by linear regression amounted to 56% (95% confidence interval [CI] 35%-78%) and 7% (95% CI -25% to 38%) for internalizing problems and 13% (95% CI 7%-19%) and 5% (95% CI -2% to 13%) for externalizing problems, respectively. Environment-related, but not person-related, stressors partly mediated the association between socio economic position and adolescent mental problems. The extent of mediation was larger for internalizing than for externalizing problems. Because the effect sizes of the associations were relatively small, targeted interventions to prevent impaired mental health may have only modest benefits to adolescents from low socioeconomic background.

ADEPT, a dynamic next generation sequencing data error-detection program with trimming

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

Feng, Shihai; Lo, Chien-Chi; Li, Po-E

Illumina is the most widely used next generation sequencing technology and produces millions of short reads that contain errors. These sequencing errors constitute a major problem in applications such as de novo genome assembly, metagenomics analysis and single nucleotide polymorphism discovery. In this study, we present ADEPT, a dynamic error detection method, based on the quality scores of each nucleotide and its neighboring nucleotides, together with their positions within the read and compares this to the position-specific quality score distribution of all bases within the sequencing run. This method greatly improves upon other available methods in terms of the truemore » positive rate of error discovery without affecting the false positive rate, particularly within the middle of reads. We conclude that ADEPT is the only tool to date that dynamically assesses errors within reads by comparing position-specific and neighboring base quality scores with the distribution of quality scores for the dataset being analyzed. The result is a method that is less prone to position-dependent under-prediction, which is one of the most prominent issues in error prediction. The outcome is that ADEPT improves upon prior efforts in identifying true errors, primarily within the middle of reads, while reducing the false positive rate.« less

ADEPT, a dynamic next generation sequencing data error-detection program with trimming

DOE PAGES

Feng, Shihai; Lo, Chien-Chi; Li, Po-E; ...

2016-02-29

Illumina is the most widely used next generation sequencing technology and produces millions of short reads that contain errors. These sequencing errors constitute a major problem in applications such as de novo genome assembly, metagenomics analysis and single nucleotide polymorphism discovery. In this study, we present ADEPT, a dynamic error detection method, based on the quality scores of each nucleotide and its neighboring nucleotides, together with their positions within the read and compares this to the position-specific quality score distribution of all bases within the sequencing run. This method greatly improves upon other available methods in terms of the truemore » positive rate of error discovery without affecting the false positive rate, particularly within the middle of reads. We conclude that ADEPT is the only tool to date that dynamically assesses errors within reads by comparing position-specific and neighboring base quality scores with the distribution of quality scores for the dataset being analyzed. The result is a method that is less prone to position-dependent under-prediction, which is one of the most prominent issues in error prediction. The outcome is that ADEPT improves upon prior efforts in identifying true errors, primarily within the middle of reads, while reducing the false positive rate.« less

Investigation of the relative orientation of the system of optical sensors to monitor the technosphere objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrochenko, Andrey; Konyakhin, Igor

2017-06-01

In connection with the development of robotics have become increasingly popular variety of three-dimensional reconstruction of the system mapping and image-set received from the optical sensors. The main objective of technical and robot vision is the detection, tracking and classification of objects of the space in which these systems and robots operate [15,16,18]. Two-dimensional images sometimes don't contain sufficient information to address those or other problems: the construction of the map of the surrounding area for a route; object identification, tracking their relative position and movement; selection of objects and their attributes to complement the knowledge base. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the surrounding space allows you to obtain information on the relative positions of objects, their shape, surface texture. Systems, providing training on the basis of three-dimensional reconstruction of the results of the comparison can produce two-dimensional images of three-dimensional model that allows for the recognition of volume objects on flat images. The problem of the relative orientation of industrial robots with the ability to build threedimensional scenes of controlled surfaces is becoming actual nowadays.

Additional adjoint Monte Carlo studies of the shielding of concrete structures against initial gamma radiation. Final report

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

Beer, M.; Cohen, M.O.

1975-02-01

The adjoint Monte Carlo method previously developed by MAGI has been applied to the calculation of initial radiation dose due to air secondary gamma rays and fission product gamma rays at detector points within buildings for a wide variety of problems. These provide an in-depth survey of structure shielding effects as well as many new benchmark problems for matching by simplified models. Specifically, elevated ring source results were obtained in the following areas: doses at on-and off-centerline detectors in four concrete blockhouse structures; doses at detector positions along the centerline of a high-rise structure without walls; dose mapping at basementmore » detector positions in the high-rise structure; doses at detector points within a complex concrete structure containing exterior windows and walls and interior partitions; modeling of the complex structure by replacing interior partitions by additional material at exterior walls; effects of elevation angle changes; effects on the dose of changes in fission product ambient spectra; and modeling of mutual shielding due to external structures. In addition, point source results yielding dose extremes about the ring source average were obtained. (auth)« less

Outlier Removal in Model-Based Missing Value Imputation for Medical Datasets.

PubMed

Huang, Min-Wei; Lin, Wei-Chao; Tsai, Chih-Fong

2018-01-01

Many real-world medical datasets contain some proportion of missing (attribute) values. In general, missing value imputation can be performed to solve this problem, which is to provide estimations for the missing values by a reasoning process based on the (complete) observed data. However, if the observed data contain some noisy information or outliers, the estimations of the missing values may not be reliable or may even be quite different from the real values. The aim of this paper is to examine whether a combination of instance selection from the observed data and missing value imputation offers better performance than performing missing value imputation alone. In particular, three instance selection algorithms, DROP3, GA, and IB3, and three imputation algorithms, KNNI, MLP, and SVM, are used in order to find out the best combination. The experimental results show that that performing instance selection can have a positive impact on missing value imputation over the numerical data type of medical datasets, and specific combinations of instance selection and imputation methods can improve the imputation results over the mixed data type of medical datasets. However, instance selection does not have a definitely positive impact on the imputation result for categorical medical datasets.

Positive Discipline A to Z: 1001 Solutions to Everyday Parenting Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelsen, Jane; And Others

This book is a parenting reference work that offers background on common disciplinary problems and parenting issues, advice on how to handle problems and issues as they arise, and insight into how to avoid disciplinary problems in the future. The book is divided into three sections: Basic Positive Discipline Parenting Tools, Positive Discipline…

Apparatus for sequentially transporting containers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hudgins, J. L. (Inventor)

1982-01-01

Apparatus for transferring and manipulating a plurality of containers in a sequence is disclosed including a mechanical manipulator arm having a gripping device which automatically picks up a container at a fixed pickup position P and transfers it to a processing station. At a processing station X, the container is loaded with silicon wafers and thereafter returned by the arm to the fixed position P at the pickup and return station Y. A plurality of the containers may be processed in sequence from the fixed pickup position by providing a movable carriage upon which container pedestal platforms are supported, at least one of which is an elevator platform. The platforms include abutments for properly positioning the containers for accurate pickup by the manipulator arm.

Positive and Negative Peer Influence in Residential Care.

PubMed

Huefner, Jonathan C; Smith, Gail L; Stevens, Amy L

2017-10-13

The potential for negative peer influence has been well established in research, and there is a growing interest in how positive peer influence also impacts youth. No research, however, has concurrently examined positive and negative peer influence in the context of residential care. Clinical records for 886 residential care youth were used in a Hierarchical Linear Model analysis to examine the impact of negative and positive peer influence on naturally occurring patterns of serious problem behavior over time. Negative peer influence, where the majority of youth in a home manifested above the average number of serious behavior problems, occurred 13.7% of the time. Positive peer influence, where the majority of youth manifested no serious problem behaviors for the month, occurred 47.7% of the time. Overall, youth problem behavior improved over time. There were significantly lower rates of serious problem behavior in target youth during positive peer influence months. Conversely, there were significantly higher rates of serious problem behaviors in target youth during negative peer influence months. Negative peer influence had a relatively greater impact on target peers' serious behavior problems than did positive peer influence. Caregiver experience significantly reduced the impact of negative peer influence, but did not significantly augment positive peer influence. Months where negative peer influence was combined with inexperienced caregivers produced the highest rates of serious problem behavior. Our results support the view that residential programs for troubled youth need to create circumstances that promote positive and control for negative peer influence.

BOOK REVIEW: The Quantum Mechanics Solver: How to Apply Quantum Theory to Modern Physics, 2nd edition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robbin, J. M.

2007-07-01

he hallmark of a good book of problems is that it allows you to become acquainted with an unfamiliar topic quickly and efficiently. The Quantum Mechanics Solver fits this description admirably. The book contains 27 problems based mainly on recent experimental developments, including neutrino oscillations, tests of Bell's inequality, Bose Einstein condensates, and laser cooling and trapping of atoms, to name a few. Unlike many collections, in which problems are designed around a particular mathematical method, here each problem is devoted to a small group of phenomena or experiments. Most problems contain experimental data from the literature, and readers are asked to estimate parameters from the data, or compare theory to experiment, or both. Standard techniques (e.g., degenerate perturbation theory, addition of angular momentum, asymptotics of special functions) are introduced only as they are needed. The style is closer to a non-specialist seminar rather than an undergraduate lecture. The physical models are kept simple; the emphasis is on cultivating conceptual and qualitative understanding (although in many of the problems, the simple models fit the data quite well). Some less familiar theoretical techniques are introduced, e.g. a variational method for lower (not upper) bounds on ground-state energies for many-body systems with two-body interactions, which is then used to derive a surprisingly accurate relation between baryon and meson masses. The exposition is succinct but clear; the solutions can be read as worked examples if you don't want to do the problems yourself. Many problems have additional discussion on limitations and extensions of the theory, or further applications outside physics (e.g., the accuracy of GPS positioning in connection with atomic clocks; proton and ion tumor therapies in connection with the Bethe Bloch formula for charged particles in solids). The problems use mainly non-relativistic quantum mechanics and are organised into three sections: Elementary Particles, Nuclei and Atoms; Quantum Entanglement and Measurement; and Complex Systems. The coverage is not comprehensive; there is little on scattering theory, for example, and some areas of recent interest, such as topological aspects of quantum mechanics and semiclassics, are not included. The problems are based on examination questions given at the École Polytechnique in the last 15 years. The book is accessible to undergraduates, but working physicists should find it a delight.

Math Problems for Water Quality Control Personnel, Student Workbook. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delvecchio, Fred; Brutsch, Gloria

This document is the student workbook for a course in mathematics for water quality control personnel. This version contains complete problems, answers and references. Problems are arranged alphabetically by treatment process. Charts, graphs, and drawings represent data forms an operator might see in a plant containing information necessary for…

Inferentialism as an alternative to socioconstructivism in mathematics education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noorloos, Ruben; Taylor, Samuel D.; Bakker, Arthur; Derry, Jan

2017-12-01

The purpose of this article is to draw the attention of mathematics education researchers to a relatively new semantic theory called inferentialism, as developed by the philosopher Robert Brandom. Inferentialism is a semantic theory which explains concept formation in terms of the inferences individuals make in the context of an intersubjective practice of acknowledging, attributing, and challenging one another's commitments. The article argues that inferentialism can help to overcome certain problems that have plagued the various forms of constructivism, and socioconstructivism in particular. Despite the range of socioconstructivist positions on offer, there is reason to think that versions of these problems will continue to haunt socioconstructivism. The problems are that socioconstructivists (i) have not come to a satisfactory resolution of the social-individual dichotomy, (ii) are still threatened by relativism, and (iii) have been vague in their characterization of what construction is. We first present these problems; then we introduce inferentialism, and finally we show how inferentialism can help to overcome the problems. We argue that inferentialism (i) contains a powerful conception of norms that can overcome the social-individual dichotomy, (ii) draws attention to the reality that constrains our inferences, and (iii) develops a clearer conception of learning in terms of the mastering of webs of reasons. Inferentialism therefore represents a powerful alternative theoretical framework to socioconstructivism.

Winnowing sequences from a database search.

PubMed

Berman, P; Zhang, Z; Wolf, Y I; Koonin, E V; Miller, W

2000-01-01

In database searches for sequence similarity, matches to a distinct sequence region (e.g., protein domain) are frequently obscured by numerous matches to another region of the same sequence. In order to cope with this problem, algorithms are developed to discard redundant matches. One model for this problem begins with a list of intervals, each with an associated score; each interval gives the range of positions in the query sequence that align to a database sequence, and the score is that of the alignment. If interval I is contained in interval J, and I's score is less than J's, then I is said to be dominated by J. The problem is then to identify each interval that is dominated by at least K other intervals, where K is a given level of "tolerable redundancy." An algorithm is developed to solve the problem in O(N log N) time and O(N*) space, where N is the number of intervals and N* is a precisely defined value that never exceeds N and is frequently much smaller. This criterion for discarding database hits has been implemented in the Blast program, as illustrated herein with examples. Several variations and extensions of this approach are also described.

Marfan's syndrome. A personal perspective.

PubMed

Goodman, T

1986-02-01

Marfan's patients share the same problems as anyone with a lifelong, progressive, hereditary condition. The more knowledgeable an individual is about his disease and the more willing he is to accept the responsibility for his own well-being, the more control he has over his life. Medical and life insurance is not a luxury, but an absolute must. The need for stable insurance coverage impacts career decisions. Medication is a lifelong necessity; the patient must know what medications he takes, for what purpose, and the side effects. For patients with a cardiac prosthesis, most physicians recommend a regimen of prophylactic antibiotics before dental work or any invasive procedure. It is the responsibility of the patient to do this. Craig has cancelled dental appointments because he has forgotten to take antibiotics. Craig also takes an anticoagulant because of his prosthetic valve and fears being in a major accident and bleeding to death. Because of human body contains large amounts of connective tissue, a Marfan's patient will continue to develop problems; hernias, eye problems, joint problems, and further cardiovascular complications are all possibilities. Being realistic and maintaining a positive attitude are important in effective planning and dealing with continued adversity.

The PAC-MAN model: Benchmark case for linear acoustics in computational physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziegelwanger, Harald; Reiter, Paul

2017-10-01

Benchmark cases in the field of computational physics, on the one hand, have to contain a certain complexity to test numerical edge cases and, on the other hand, require the existence of an analytical solution, because an analytical solution allows the exact quantification of the accuracy of a numerical simulation method. This dilemma causes a need for analytical sound field formulations of complex acoustic problems. A well known example for such a benchmark case for harmonic linear acoustics is the ;Cat's Eye model;, which describes the three-dimensional sound field radiated from a sphere with a missing octant analytically. In this paper, a benchmark case for two-dimensional (2D) harmonic linear acoustic problems, viz., the ;PAC-MAN model;, is proposed. The PAC-MAN model describes the radiated and scattered sound field around an infinitely long cylinder with a cut out sector of variable angular width. While the analytical calculation of the 2D sound field allows different angular cut-out widths and arbitrarily positioned line sources, the computational cost associated with the solution of this problem is similar to a 1D problem because of a modal formulation of the sound field in the PAC-MAN model.

Shipping device for heater unit assembly

DOEpatents

Blaushild, Ronald M.; Abbott, Stephan L.; Miller, Phillip E.; Shaffer, Robert

1991-01-01

A shipping device for a heater unit assembly (23), the heater unit assembly (23) including a cylindrical wall (25) and a top plate (31) secured to the cylindrical wall (25) and having a flange portion which projects radially beyond the outer surface of the cylindrical wall (25), and the shipping device including: a cylindrical container (3) having a closed bottom (13); a support member (47) secured to the container (3) and having an inwardly directed flange for supporting the flange portion of the top plate (31); a supplemental supporting system (1) for positioning the heater unit assembly (23) in the container (3) at a spaced relation from the inner surface and bottom wall (13) of the container (3); a cover (15) for closing the top of the container (3); and a container supporting structure (5,7,8) supporting the container (3) in a manner to permit the container (3) to be moved, relative to the supporting structure (5,7,8 ), between a vertical position for loading and unloading the assembly (23) and a horizontal position for transport of the assembly (23). A seal (57) is interposed between the container (3) and the cover (15) for sealing the interior of the container (3) from the environment. An abutment member (41) is mounted on the container supporting structure (5,7,8) for supporting the container bottom (13), when the container (3) is in the vertical position, to prevent the container (3) from moving past the vertical position in the direction away from the horizontal position, and a retainer member (55) is secured within the cover (15) for retaining the assembly top plate (31) in contact with the support member (47) when the cover (15) closes the top of the container (3).

Development and Validation of a POSIT-Short Form: Screening for Problem Behaviors among Adolescents at Risk for Substance Use.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danseco, Evangeline R.; Marques, Paul R.

2002-01-01

The Problem-Oriented Screening Instrument for Teenagers (POSIT) screens for multiple problems among adolescents at risk for substance use. A shortened version of the POSIT was developed, using factor analysis, and correlational and reliability analyses. The POSIT-SF shows potential for a reliable and cost-efficient screen for youth with substance…

Structural optimisation of cage induction motors using finite element analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palko, S.

The current trend in motor design is to have highly efficient, low noise, low cost, and modular motors with a high power factor. High torque motors are useful in applications like servo motors, lifts, cranes, and rolling mills. This report contains a detailed review of different optimization methods applicable in various design problems. Special attention is given to the performance of different methods, when they are used with finite element analysis (FEA) as an objective function, and accuracy problems arising from the numerical simulations. Also an effective method for designing high starting torque and high efficiency motors is presented. The method described in this work utilizes FEA combined with algorithms for the optimization of the slot geometry. The optimization algorithm modifies the position of the nodal points in the element mesh. The number of independent variables ranges from 14 to 140 in this work.

SAHARA: A package of PC computer programs for estimating both log-hyperbolic grain-size parameters and standard moments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christiansen, Christian; Hartmann, Daniel

This paper documents a package of menu-driven POLYPASCAL87 computer programs for handling grouped observations data from both sieving (increment data) and settling tube procedures (cumulative data). The package is designed deliberately for use on IBM-compatible personal computers. Two of the programs solve the numerical problem of determining the estimates of the four (main) parameters of the log-hyperbolic distribution and their derivatives. The package also contains a program for determining the mean, sorting, skewness. and kurtosis according to the standard moments. Moreover, the package contains procedures for smoothing and grouping of settling tube data. A graphic part of the package plots the data in a log-log plot together with the estimated log-hyperbolic curve. Along with the plot follows all estimated parameters. Another graphic option is a plot of the log-hyperbolic shape triangle with the (χ,ζ) position of the sample.

A robot end effector exchange mechanism for space applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gorin, Barney F.

1990-01-01

Efficient robot operation requires the use of specialized end effectors or tools for tasks. In spacecraft applications, the microgravity environment precludes the use of gravitational forces to retain the tools in holding fixture. As a result of this, a retention mechanism which forms a part of the tool storage container is required. A unique approach to this problem has resulted in the development of an end effector exchange mechanism that meets the requirements for spaceflight applications while avoiding the complexity usually involved. This mechanism uses multiple latching cams both on the manipulator and in the tool storage container, combined with a system of catch rings to provide retention in both locations and the required failure tolerance. Because of the cam configuration the mechanism operates passively, requiring no electrical commands except those needed to move the manipulator into position. Similarly, it inherently provides interlocks to prevent the release of one cam before its opposite number is engaged.

Application of Atmospheric Pressure Photoionization H/D-exchange Mass Spectrometry for Speciation of Sulfur-containing Compounds.

PubMed

Acter, Thamina; Kim, Donghwi; Ahmed, Arif; Ha, Ji-Hyoung; Kim, Sunghwan

2017-08-01

Herein we report the observation of atmospheric pressure in-source hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) of thiol group for the first time. The HDX for thiol group was optimized for positive atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) mass spectrometry (MS). The optimized HDX-MS was applied for 31 model compounds (thiols, thiophenes, and sulfides) to demonstrate that exchanged peaks were observed only for thiols. The optimized method has been successfully applied to the isolated fractions of sulfur-rich oil samples. The exchange of one and two thiol hydrogens with deuterium was observed in the thiol fraction; no HDX was observed in the other fractions. Thus, the results presented in this study demonstrate that the HDX-MS method using APPI ionization source can be effective for speciation of sulfur compounds. This method has the potential to be used to access corrosion problems caused by thiol-containing compounds. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Non-perturbative reheating and Nnaturalness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardy, Edward

2017-11-01

We study models in which reheating happens only through non-perturbative processes. The energy transferred can be exponentially suppressed unless the inflaton is coupled to a particle with a parametrically small mass. Additionally, in some models a light scalar with a negative mass squared parameter leads to much more efficient reheating than one with a positive mass squared of the same magnitude. If a theory contains many sectors similar to the Standard Model coupled to the inflaton via their Higgses, such dynamics can realise the Nnaturalness solution to the hierarchy problem. A sector containing a light Higgs with a non-zero vacuum expectation value is dominantly reheated and there is little energy transferred to the other sectors, consistent with cosmological constraints. The inflaton must decouple from other particles and have a flat potential at large field values, in which case the visible sector UV cutoff can be raised to 10 TeV in a simple model.

Ambient temperature secondary lithium cells containing inorganic electrolyte

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlaikjer, Carl R.

The history and current status of rechargeable lithium cells using electrolytes based on liquid sulfur dioxide are reviewed. Three separate approaches currently under development include lithium/lithium dithionite/carbon cells with a supporting electrolyte salt; lithium/cupric chloride cells using sulfur dioxide/lithium tetrachloroaluminate; and several adaptations of a lithium/carbon cell using sulfur dioxide/lithium tetrachloroaluminate in which the discharge reaction involves the incorporation of aluminum into the positive electrode. The latter two chemistries have been studied in prototype hardware. For AA size cells with cupric chloride, 157 Whr/1 at 24 W/1 for 230 cycles was reported. For AA size cells containing 2LiCl-CaCl2-4AlCl3-12SO2, energy densities as high as 265 Whr/liter and 100 Whr/kg have been observed, but, at 26 W/1, for only 10 cycles. The advantages and remaining problems are discussed.

Menu-Driven Solver Of Linear-Programming Problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Viterna, L. A.; Ferencz, D.

1992-01-01

Program assists inexperienced user in formulating linear-programming problems. A Linear Program Solver (ALPS) computer program is full-featured LP analysis program. Solves plain linear-programming problems as well as more-complicated mixed-integer and pure-integer programs. Also contains efficient technique for solution of purely binary linear-programming problems. Written entirely in IBM's APL2/PC software, Version 1.01. Packed program contains licensed material, property of IBM (copyright 1988, all rights reserved).

40 CFR Appendix 1 to Subpart A of... - Static Sheen Test

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... spatula used to mix the sample will be the principal sources of contamination problems. These problems... stirring bar. 4.1.7Stainless steel spatula. 4.1.8Test container: Open plastic container whose internal....1Plastic liners for the test container: Oil-free, heavy-duty plastic trash can liners that do not inhibit...

Applying Cases to Solve Ethical Problems: The Significance of Positive and Process-Oriented Reflection

PubMed Central

Antes, Alison L.; Thiel, Chase E.; Martin, Laura E.; Stenmark, Cheryl K.; Connelly, Shane; Devenport, Lynn D.; Mumford, Michael D.

2015-01-01

This study examined the role of reflection on personal cases for making ethical decisions with regard to new ethical problems. Participants assumed the position of a business manager in a hypothetical organization and solved ethical problems that might be encountered. Prior to making a decision for the business problems, participants reflected on a relevant ethical experience. The findings revealed that application of material garnered from reflection on a personal experience was associated with decisions of higher ethicality. However, whether the case was viewed as positive or negative, and whether the outcomes, process, or outcomes and processes embedded in the experience were examined, influenced the application of case material to the new problem. As expected, examining positive experiences and the processes involved in those positive experiences resulted in greater application of case material to new problems. Future directions and implications for understanding ethical decision-making are discussed. PMID:26257506

Predictors of experiences of discrimination and positive treatment in people with mental health problems: findings from an Australian national survey.

PubMed

Reavley, Nicola J; Morgan, Amy J; Jorm, Anthony F

2017-03-01

The aim of the study was to assess the factors predicting experiences of avoidance, discrimination and positive treatment in people with mental health problems. In 2014, telephone interviews were carried out with 5220 Australians aged 18+, 1381 of whom reported a mental health problem or scored highly on a symptom screening questionnaire. Questions covered experiences of avoidance, discrimination and positive treatment by friends, spouse, other family, workplace, educational institution and others in the community; as well as disclosure of mental health problems. Avoidance, discrimination and positive treatment scores were calculated by counting the number of domains in which each occurred. Predictors of avoidance, discrimination and positive treatment were modelled with negative binomial regression analyses. After adjusting for the effects of other predictors in multivariate analyses, symptom severity and a diagnosis of 'any other disorder' (most commonly psychotic disorders or eating disorders) predicted experiences of both avoidance and discrimination but not positive treatment. Disclosing a mental health problem in more settings was also associated with higher rates of avoidance and discrimination, but also with positive treatment. Disclosure of mental health problems to others may increases experiences of discrimination, but may also increase experiences of positive treatment. These findings can help to inform decision making by people with mental health problems about disclosure, particularly in the case of more severe or low-prevalence disorders.

Optimal rail container shipment planning problem in multimodal transportation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Chengxuan; Gao, Ziyou; Li, Keping

2012-09-01

The optimal rail container shipment planning problem in multimodal transportation is studied in this article. The characteristics of the multi-period planning problem is presented and the problem is formulated as a large-scale 0-1 integer programming model, which maximizes the total profit generated by all freight bookings accepted in a multi-period planning horizon subject to the limited capacities. Two heuristic algorithms are proposed to obtain an approximate optimal solution of the problem. Finally, numerical experiments are conducted to demonstrate the proposed formulation and heuristic algorithms.

Do word-problem features differentially affect problem difficulty as a function of students' mathematics difficulty with and without reading difficulty?

PubMed

Powell, Sarah R; Fuchs, Lynn S; Fuchs, Douglas; Cirino, Paul T; Fletcher, Jack M

2009-01-01

This study examined whether and, if so, how word-problem features differentially affect problem difficulty as a function of mathematics difficulty (MD) status: no MD (n = 109), MD only (n = 109), or MD in combination with reading difficulties (MDRD; n = 109). The problem features were problem type (total, difference, or change) and position of missing information in the number sentence representing the word problem (first, second, or third position). Students were assessed on 14 word problems near the beginning of third grade. Consistent with the hypothesis that mathematical cognition differs as a function of MD subtype, problem type affected problem difficulty differentially for MDRD versus MD-only students; however, the position of missing information in word problems did not. Implications for MD subtyping and for instruction are discussed.

Ecology in the information age: Patterns of use and attrition rates of internet-based citations in ESA journals, 1997–2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duda, Jeffrey J.; Camp, Richard J.

2008-01-01

As the amount of information available on the internet has increased, so too has the number of citations to network-accessible information in scholarly research. We searched all papers in four Ecological Society of America journals from 1997 to 2005 for articles containing a citation to material on the internet. We then tested the links to determine whether the information cited in the paper was still accessible. We identified 877 articles that contained at least one link to information on the internet and a total of 2100 unique links. The majority of these citations were based on an object's location (Uniform Resource Locator; 77%), whereas the rest were based on an object's identity (eg Digital Object Identifier, GenBank Accession number). We found that 19–30% of the location-based links were unavailable and that there was a positive relationship between the age of an article and the probability of the link being inactive. Using an internet search engine, we recovered 72–84% of the lost information, leaving a total of 6.2% of the total citations unavailable. Our results highlight the problem of persistence of information stored on the world wide web and we include recommendations for minimizing this problem.

An unmanned ground vehicle for landmine remediation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wasson, Steven R.; Guilberto, Jose; Ogg, Wade; Wedeward, Kevin; Bruder, Stephen; El-Osery, Aly

2004-09-01

Anti-tank (AT) landmines slow down and endanger military advances and present sizeable humanitarian problems. The remediation of these mines by direct human intervention is both dangerous and costly. The Intelligent Systems & Robotics Group (ISRG) at New Mexico Tech has provided a partial solution to this problem by developing an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) to remediate these mines without endangering human lives. This paper presents an overview of the design and operation of this UGV. Current results and future work are also described herein. To initiate the remediation process the UGV is given the GPS coordinates of previously detected landmines. Once the UGV autonomously navigates to an acceptable proximity of the landmine, a remote operator acquires control over a wireless network link using a joystick on a base station. Utilizing two cameras mounted on the UGV, the operator is able to accurately position the UGV directly over the landmine. The UGV houses a self-contained drill system equipped with its own processing resources, sensors, and actuators. The drill system deploys a neutralizing device over the landmine to neutralize it. One such device, developed by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), employs incendiary materials to melt through the container of the landmine and slowly burn the explosive material, thereby safely and remotely disabling the landmine.

It's a kind of magic-what self-reports can reveal about the phenomenology of insight problem solving.

PubMed

Danek, Amory H; Fraps, Thomas; von Müller, Albrecht; Grothe, Benedikt; Öllinger, Michael

2014-01-01

Magic tricks usually remain a mystery to the observer. For the sake of science, we offered participants the opportunity to discover the magician's secret method by repeatedly presenting the same trick and asking them to find out how the trick worked. In the context of insightful problem solving, the present work investigated the emotions that participants experience upon solving a magic trick. We assumed that these emotions form the typical "Aha! experience" that accompanies insightful solutions to difficult problems. We aimed to show that Aha! experiences can be triggered by magic tricks and to systematically explore the phenomenology of the Aha! experience by breaking it down into five previously postulated dimensions. 34 video clips of different magic tricks were presented up to three times to 50 participants who had to find out how the trick was accomplished, and to indicate whether they had experienced an Aha! during the solving process. Participants then performed a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative assessment of their Aha! experiences which was repeated after 14 days to control for its reliability. 41% of all suggested solutions were accompanied by an Aha! experience. The quantitative assessment remained stable across time in all five dimensions. Happiness was rated as the most important dimension. This primacy of positive emotions was also reflected in participants' qualitative self-reports which contained more emotional than cognitive aspects. Implementing magic tricks as problem solving task, we could show that strong Aha! experiences can be triggered if a trick is solved. We could at least partially capture the phenomenology of Aha! by identifying one prevailing aspect (positive emotions), a new aspect (release of tension upon gaining insight into a magic trick) and one less important aspect (impasse).

It's a kind of magic—what self-reports can reveal about the phenomenology of insight problem solving

PubMed Central

Danek, Amory H.; Fraps, Thomas; von Müller, Albrecht; Grothe, Benedikt; Öllinger, Michael

2014-01-01

Magic tricks usually remain a mystery to the observer. For the sake of science, we offered participants the opportunity to discover the magician's secret method by repeatedly presenting the same trick and asking them to find out how the trick worked. In the context of insightful problem solving, the present work investigated the emotions that participants experience upon solving a magic trick. We assumed that these emotions form the typical “Aha! experience” that accompanies insightful solutions to difficult problems. We aimed to show that Aha! experiences can be triggered by magic tricks and to systematically explore the phenomenology of the Aha! experience by breaking it down into five previously postulated dimensions. 34 video clips of different magic tricks were presented up to three times to 50 participants who had to find out how the trick was accomplished, and to indicate whether they had experienced an Aha! during the solving process. Participants then performed a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative assessment of their Aha! experiences which was repeated after 14 days to control for its reliability. 41% of all suggested solutions were accompanied by an Aha! experience. The quantitative assessment remained stable across time in all five dimensions. Happiness was rated as the most important dimension. This primacy of positive emotions was also reflected in participants' qualitative self-reports which contained more emotional than cognitive aspects. Implementing magic tricks as problem solving task, we could show that strong Aha! experiences can be triggered if a trick is solved. We could at least partially capture the phenomenology of Aha! by identifying one prevailing aspect (positive emotions), a new aspect (release of tension upon gaining insight into a magic trick) and one less important aspect (impasse). PMID:25538658

Semantic data association for planar features in outdoor 6D-SLAM using lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulas, C.; Temeltas, H.

2013-05-01

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) is a fundamental problem of the autonomous systems in GPS (Global Navigation System) denied environments. The traditional probabilistic SLAM methods uses point features as landmarks and hold all the feature positions in their state vector in addition to the robot pose. The bottleneck of the point-feature based SLAM methods is the data association problem, which are mostly based on a statistical measure. The data association performance is very critical for a robust SLAM method since all the filtering strategies are applied after a known correspondence. For point-features, two different but very close landmarks in the same scene might be confused while giving the correspondence decision when their positions and error covariance matrix are solely taking into account. Instead of using the point features, planar features can be considered as an alternative landmark model in the SLAM problem to be able to provide a more consistent data association. Planes contain rich information for the solution of the data association problem and can be distinguished easily with respect to point features. In addition, planar maps are very compact since an environment has only very limited number of planar structures. The planar features does not have to be large structures like building wall or roofs; the small plane segments can also be used as landmarks like billboards, traffic posts and some part of the bridges in urban areas. In this paper, a probabilistic plane-feature extraction method from 3DLiDAR data and the data association based on the extracted semantic information of the planar features is introduced. The experimental results show that the semantic data association provides very satisfactory result in outdoor 6D-SLAM.

Maternal Depressive Symptoms and At-Risk Young Children's Internalizing Problems: The Moderating Role of Mothers' Positivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodlett, Benjamin D.; Trentacosta, Christopher J.; McLear, Caitlin; Crespo, Laura; Wheeler, Rebecca; Williams, Alexis; Chaudhry, Kiren; Smith-Darden, Joanne

2017-01-01

Maternal depressive symptoms predict negative child behaviors, including internalizing problems. However, protective factors, such as positive emotionality and positive parenting behaviors, may play an important a role in attenuating associations between maternal depressive symptoms and child behavior problems. This article presents two studies…

Connes' embedding problem and Tsirelson's problem

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

Junge, M.; Palazuelos, C.; Navascues, M.

2011-01-15

We show that Tsirelson's problem concerning the set of quantum correlations and Connes' embedding problem on finite approximations in von Neumann algebras (known to be equivalent to Kirchberg's QWEP conjecture) are essentially equivalent. Specifically, Tsirelson's problem asks whether the set of bipartite quantum correlations generated between tensor product separated systems is the same as the set of correlations between commuting C{sup *}-algebras. Connes' embedding problem asks whether any separable II{sub 1} factor is a subfactor of the ultrapower of the hyperfinite II{sub 1} factor. We show that an affirmative answer to Connes' question implies a positive answer to Tsirelson's. Conversely,more » a positive answer to a matrix valued version of Tsirelson's problem implies a positive one to Connes' problem.« less

When trust is threatened: Qualitative study of parents' perspectives on problematic clinical relationships in child cancer care.

PubMed

Davies, Sarah; Salmon, Peter; Young, Bridget

2017-09-01

We explored parents' accounts of the parent-clinician relationship in childhood cancer to understand how parents who perceive threats to the relationship can be supported. Multicentre longitudinal qualitative study, with 67 UK parents of children (aged 1-12 years) receiving treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Analyses drew on the wider sample but focussed on 50 semistructured interviews with 20 parents and were informed by constant comparison. All 20 parents described problems with clinical care such as inadequate information or mistakes by staff but varied in how much the problems threatened their sense of relationship with clinicians. Some parents saw the problems as having no relevance to the parent-clinician relationship. Others saw the problems as threats to the clinical relationship but worked to "contain" the threat in ways that preserved a trusting relationship with at least one senior clinician. Parents' containment work protected the security they needed from the parent-clinician relationship, but containment was a tenuous process for some. A few parents were unable to contain the problems at all; lacking trust in clinicians, these parents suffered considerably. Given the complexity of childhood cancer care, problems with clinical care are inevitable. By engaging in containment work, parents met their needs to feel secure in the face of these problems, but the extent to which parents should have to do this work is debatable. Parents could benefit from support to seek help when problems arise which threaten their trust in clinicians. Attachment theory can guide clinicians in giving this support. © 2017 The Authors. Psycho-Oncology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Enantioselective remote meta-C-H arylation and alkylation via a chiral transient mediator.

PubMed

Shi, Hang; Herron, Alastair N; Shao, Ying; Shao, Qian; Yu, Jin-Quan

2018-06-18

Enantioselective carbon-hydrogen (C-H) activation reactions by asymmetric metallation could provide new routes for the construction of chiral molecules 1,2 . However, current methods are typically limited to the formation of five- or six-membered metallacycles, thereby preventing the asymmetric functionalization of C-H bonds at positions remote to existing functional groups. Here we report enantioselective remote C-H activation using a catalytic amount of a chiral norbornene as a transient mediator, which relays initial ortho-C-H activation to the meta position. This was used in the enantioselective meta-C-H arylation of benzylamines, as well as the arylation and alkylation of homobenzylamines. The enantioselectivities obtained using the chiral transient mediator are comparable across different classes of substrates containing either neutral σ-donor or anionic coordinating groups. This relay strategy could provide an alternative means to remote chiral induction, one of the most challenging problems in asymmetric catalysis 3,4 .

Bulk Metallic Glasses and Composites for Optical and Compliant Mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hofmann, Douglas C.; Agnes, Gregory S.

2013-01-01

Mechanisms are used widely in engineering applications due to their ability to translate force and movement. They are found in kinematic pairs, gears, cams, linkages, and in flexure mechanisms (also known as compliant mechanisms). Mechanisms and flexures are used widely in spacecraft design, especially in the area of optics, where precise positioning of telescope mirrors requires elastic flexing of elements. A compliant mechanism is generally defined as a flexible mechanism that uses an elastic body deformation to cause a displacement (such as positing a mirror). The mechanisms are usually constructed as a single monolithic piece of material, and contain thin struts to allow for large elastic bending with low input force. This creates the largest problem with developing precise mechanisms; they must be fabricated from a single piece of metal, but are required to have strict accuracy on their dimensions. They are generally required to have high strength, elasticity, and low coefficient of thermal expansion.

What next after determinism in the ontology of technology? Distributing responsibility in the biofuel debate.

PubMed

Boucher, Philip

2011-09-01

This article builds upon previous discussion of social and technical determinisms as implicit positions in the biofuel debate. To ensure these debates are balanced, it has been suggested that they should be designed to contain a variety of deterministic positions. Whilst it is agreed that determinism does not feature strongly in contemporary academic literatures, it is found that they have generally been superseded by an absence of any substantive conceptualisation of how the social shaping of technology may be related to, or occur alongside, an objective or autonomous reality. The problem of determinism emerges at an ontological level and must be resolved in situ. A critical realist approach to technology is presented which may provide a more appropriate framework for debate. In dialogue with previous discussion, the distribution of responsibility is revisited with reference to the role of scientists and engineers.

From positive emotionality to internalizing problems: the role of executive functioning in preschoolers.

PubMed

Ghassabian, Akhgar; Székely, Eszter; Herba, Catherine M; Jaddoe, Vincent W; Hofman, Albert; Oldehinkel, Albertine J; Verhulst, Frank C; Tiemeier, Henning

2014-09-01

Temperament and psychopathology are intimately related; however, research on the prospective associations between positive emotionality, defined as a child's positive mood states and high engagement with the environment, and psychopathology is inconclusive. We examined the longitudinal relation between positive emotionality and internalizing problems in young children from the general population. Furthermore, we explored whether executive functioning mediates any observed association. Within a population-based Dutch birth cohort, we observed positive emotionality in 802 children using the laboratory temperament assessment battery at age 3 years. Child behavior checklist (CBCL) internalizing problems (consisting of Emotionally Reactive, Anxious/Depressed, and Withdrawn scales) were assessed at age 6 years. Parents rated their children's executive functioning at ages 4 years. Children with a lower positive emotionality at age 3 had a higher risk of withdrawn problems at age 6 years (OR = 1.20 per SD decrease in positive emotionality score, 95 % CI: 1.01, 1.42). This effect was not explained by preexisting internalizing problems. This association was partly mediated by more problems in the shifting domain of executive functioning (p < 0.001). We did not find any relation between positive emotionality and the CBCL emotionally reactive or anxious/depressed scales. Although the effect sizes were moderate, our results suggest that low levels of positive emotionality at preschool age can result in children's inflexibility and rigidity later in life. The inflexibility and rigidity are likely to affect the child's drive to engage with the environment, and thereby lead to withdrawn problems. Further research is needed to replicate these findings.

The Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale measures a continuum from well-being to depression: Testing two key predictions of positive clinical psychology.

PubMed

Siddaway, Andy P; Wood, Alex M; Taylor, Peter J

2017-04-15

Two core but untested predictions of Positive Clinical Psychology (PCP) are that (1) Many psychiatric problems can be understood as one end of bipolar continua with well-being, and (2) that reducing psychiatric symptoms will provide an equal (near linear) decrease in risk for several other psychiatric variables, irrespective of position on continua. We test these predictions in relation to a purported well-being/depression continuum, as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D), a popular measure of depressive experiences in research and clinical practice. A large (N=4138), diverse sample completed the CES-D, which contains a mixture of negatively worded and positively worded items (e.g., "I felt sad," "I enjoyed life"). The latter are conventionally reverse scored to compute a total score. We first examined whether purportedly separate well-being and depression CES-D factors can be reconceptualised as a bipolar well-being/depression continuum. We then characterised the (linear or nonlinear) form of the relationship between this continuum and other psychiatric variables. Both predictions were supported. When controlling for shared method bias amongst positively worded items, a single factor well-being/depression continuum underlies the CES-D. Baseline levels on this continuum are found to have near linear relationships with changes in anxiety symptoms, aggression, and substance misuse over time, demonstrating that moving from depression to well-being on the CES-D provides an equal decrease in risk for several other psychological problems irrespective of position on the continuum. The CES-D does not measure well-being as comprehensively as established scales of well-being. Results support calls for mental health services to jointly focus on increasing well-being and reducing distress, and point to the value of early intervention and instilling resilience in order to prevent people moving away from high levels of well-being. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Accuracy and reliability of forensic latent fingerprint decisions

PubMed Central

Ulery, Bradford T.; Hicklin, R. Austin; Buscaglia, JoAnn; Roberts, Maria Antonia

2011-01-01

The interpretation of forensic fingerprint evidence relies on the expertise of latent print examiners. The National Research Council of the National Academies and the legal and forensic sciences communities have called for research to measure the accuracy and reliability of latent print examiners’ decisions, a challenging and complex problem in need of systematic analysis. Our research is focused on the development of empirical approaches to studying this problem. Here, we report on the first large-scale study of the accuracy and reliability of latent print examiners’ decisions, in which 169 latent print examiners each compared approximately 100 pairs of latent and exemplar fingerprints from a pool of 744 pairs. The fingerprints were selected to include a range of attributes and quality encountered in forensic casework, and to be comparable to searches of an automated fingerprint identification system containing more than 58 million subjects. This study evaluated examiners on key decision points in the fingerprint examination process; procedures used operationally include additional safeguards designed to minimize errors. Five examiners made false positive errors for an overall false positive rate of 0.1%. Eighty-five percent of examiners made at least one false negative error for an overall false negative rate of 7.5%. Independent examination of the same comparisons by different participants (analogous to blind verification) was found to detect all false positive errors and the majority of false negative errors in this study. Examiners frequently differed on whether fingerprints were suitable for reaching a conclusion. PMID:21518906

Accuracy and reliability of forensic latent fingerprint decisions.

PubMed

Ulery, Bradford T; Hicklin, R Austin; Buscaglia, Joann; Roberts, Maria Antonia

2011-05-10

The interpretation of forensic fingerprint evidence relies on the expertise of latent print examiners. The National Research Council of the National Academies and the legal and forensic sciences communities have called for research to measure the accuracy and reliability of latent print examiners' decisions, a challenging and complex problem in need of systematic analysis. Our research is focused on the development of empirical approaches to studying this problem. Here, we report on the first large-scale study of the accuracy and reliability of latent print examiners' decisions, in which 169 latent print examiners each compared approximately 100 pairs of latent and exemplar fingerprints from a pool of 744 pairs. The fingerprints were selected to include a range of attributes and quality encountered in forensic casework, and to be comparable to searches of an automated fingerprint identification system containing more than 58 million subjects. This study evaluated examiners on key decision points in the fingerprint examination process; procedures used operationally include additional safeguards designed to minimize errors. Five examiners made false positive errors for an overall false positive rate of 0.1%. Eighty-five percent of examiners made at least one false negative error for an overall false negative rate of 7.5%. Independent examination of the same comparisons by different participants (analogous to blind verification) was found to detect all false positive errors and the majority of false negative errors in this study. Examiners frequently differed on whether fingerprints were suitable for reaching a conclusion.

Positivity results for indefinite sublinear elliptic problems via a continuity argument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaufmann, U.; Ramos Quoirin, H.; Umezu, K.

2017-10-01

We establish a positivity property for a class of semilinear elliptic problems involving indefinite sublinear nonlinearities. Namely, we show that any nontrivial nonnegative solution is positive for a class of problems the strong maximum principle does not apply to. Our approach is based on a continuity argument combined with variational techniques, the sub and supersolutions method and some a priori bounds. Both Dirichlet and Neumann homogeneous boundary conditions are considered. As a byproduct, we deduce some existence and uniqueness results. Finally, as an application, we derive some positivity results for indefinite concave-convex type problems.

Algebraic criteria for positive realness relative to the unit circle.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siljak, D. D.

1973-01-01

A definition is presented of the circle positive realness of real rational functions relative to the unit circle in the complex variable plane. The problem of testing this kind of positive reality is reduced to the algebraic problem of determining the distribution of zeros of a real polynomial with respect to and on the unit circle. Such reformulation of the problem avoids the search for explicit information about imaginary poles of rational functions. The stated algebraic problem is solved by applying the polynomial criteria of Marden (1966) and Jury (1964), and a completely recursive algorithm for circle positive realness is obtained.

Self-closing shielded container for use with radioactive materials

DOEpatents

Smith, Jay E.

1984-01-01

A container for storage of radioactive material comprising a container body nd a closure member. The closure member being coupled to the container body to enable the closure body to move automatically from a first position (e.g., closed) to a second position (open).

Self-closing shielded container for use with radioactive materials

DOEpatents

Smith, J.E.

A container for storage of radioactive material comprises a container body and a closure member. The closure member is coupled to the container body to enable the closure body to move automatically from a first position (e.g., closed) to a second position (open).

Prevalence of genetically modified rice, maize, and soy in Saudi food products.

PubMed

Elsanhoty, Rafaat M; Al-Turki, A I; Ramadan, Mohamed Fawzy

2013-10-01

Qualitative and quantitative DNA-based methods were applied to detect genetically modified foods in samples from markets in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Two hundred samples were collected from Al-Qassim, Riyadh, and Mahdina in 2009 and 2010. GMOScreen 35S and NOS test kits for the detection of genetically modified organism varieties in samples were used. The positive results obtained from GMOScreen 35S and NOS were identified using specific primer pairs. The results indicated that all rice samples gave negative results for the presence of 35S and NOS terminator. About 26 % of samples containing soybean were positive for 35S and NOS terminator and 44 % of samples containing maize were positive for the presence of 35S and/or NOS terminator. The results showed that 20.4 % of samples was positive for maize line Bt176, 8.8 % was positive for maize line Bt11, 8.8 % was positive for maize line T25, 5.9 % was positive for maize line MON 810, and 5.9 % was positive for StarLink maize. Twelve samples were shown to contain <3 % of genetically modified (GM) soy and 6 samples >10 % of GM soy. Four samples containing GM maize were shown to contain >5 % of GM maize MON 810. Four samples containing GM maize were shown to contain >1 % of StarLink maize. Establishing strong regulations and certified laboratories to monitor GM foods or crops in Saudi market is recommended.

Linking attentional processes and conceptual problem solving: visual cues facilitate the automaticity of extracting relevant information from diagrams

PubMed Central

Rouinfar, Amy; Agra, Elise; Larson, Adam M.; Rebello, N. Sanjay; Loschky, Lester C.

2014-01-01

This study investigated links between visual attention processes and conceptual problem solving. This was done by overlaying visual cues on conceptual physics problem diagrams to direct participants’ attention to relevant areas to facilitate problem solving. Participants (N = 80) individually worked through four problem sets, each containing a diagram, while their eye movements were recorded. Each diagram contained regions that were relevant to solving the problem correctly and separate regions related to common incorrect responses. Problem sets contained an initial problem, six isomorphic training problems, and a transfer problem. The cued condition saw visual cues overlaid on the training problems. Participants’ verbal responses were used to determine their accuracy. This study produced two major findings. First, short duration visual cues which draw attention to solution-relevant information and aid in the organizing and integrating of it, facilitate both immediate problem solving and generalization of that ability to new problems. Thus, visual cues can facilitate re-representing a problem and overcoming impasse, enabling a correct solution. Importantly, these cueing effects on problem solving did not involve the solvers’ attention necessarily embodying the solution to the problem, but were instead caused by solvers attending to and integrating relevant information in the problems into a solution path. Second, this study demonstrates that when such cues are used across multiple problems, solvers can automatize the extraction of problem-relevant information extraction. These results suggest that low-level attentional selection processes provide a necessary gateway for relevant information to be used in problem solving, but are generally not sufficient for correct problem solving. Instead, factors that lead a solver to an impasse and to organize and integrate problem information also greatly facilitate arriving at correct solutions. PMID:25324804

Linking attentional processes and conceptual problem solving: visual cues facilitate the automaticity of extracting relevant information from diagrams.

PubMed

Rouinfar, Amy; Agra, Elise; Larson, Adam M; Rebello, N Sanjay; Loschky, Lester C

2014-01-01

This study investigated links between visual attention processes and conceptual problem solving. This was done by overlaying visual cues on conceptual physics problem diagrams to direct participants' attention to relevant areas to facilitate problem solving. Participants (N = 80) individually worked through four problem sets, each containing a diagram, while their eye movements were recorded. Each diagram contained regions that were relevant to solving the problem correctly and separate regions related to common incorrect responses. Problem sets contained an initial problem, six isomorphic training problems, and a transfer problem. The cued condition saw visual cues overlaid on the training problems. Participants' verbal responses were used to determine their accuracy. This study produced two major findings. First, short duration visual cues which draw attention to solution-relevant information and aid in the organizing and integrating of it, facilitate both immediate problem solving and generalization of that ability to new problems. Thus, visual cues can facilitate re-representing a problem and overcoming impasse, enabling a correct solution. Importantly, these cueing effects on problem solving did not involve the solvers' attention necessarily embodying the solution to the problem, but were instead caused by solvers attending to and integrating relevant information in the problems into a solution path. Second, this study demonstrates that when such cues are used across multiple problems, solvers can automatize the extraction of problem-relevant information extraction. These results suggest that low-level attentional selection processes provide a necessary gateway for relevant information to be used in problem solving, but are generally not sufficient for correct problem solving. Instead, factors that lead a solver to an impasse and to organize and integrate problem information also greatly facilitate arriving at correct solutions.

Retractable Visual Indicator Assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hackler, George R. (Inventor); Gamboa, Ronald J. (Inventor); Dominquez, Victor (Inventor)

1998-01-01

A retractable indicator assembly may be mounted on a container which transmits air through the container and removes deleterious gases with an activated charcoal medium in the container. The assembly includes: an elongate indicator housing has a chamber therein; a male adaptor with an external threads is used for sealing engagement with the container; a plug located at the upper end of the housing; a housing that includes a transparent wall portion for viewing at least a portion of the chamber; a litmus indicator, moveable by a retractable rod from a retracted position within the container to an extended position within the chamber of the housing; and an outer housing that is secured to the upper end of the rod, and protects the indicator housing while the litmus indicator is in its normally retracted position. The assembly may be manually manipulated between its extended position wherein the litmus indicator may be viewed through the transparent wall of the indicator housing, and a retracted position wherein the outer housing encloses the indicator housing and engages the exterior of the container.

Positivity and Almost Positivity of Biharmonic Green's Functions under Dirichlet Boundary Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grunau, Hans-Christoph; Robert, Frédéric

2010-03-01

In general, for higher order elliptic equations and boundary value problems like the biharmonic equation and the linear clamped plate boundary value problem, neither a maximum principle nor a comparison principle or—equivalently—a positivity preserving property is available. The problem is rather involved since the clamped boundary conditions prevent the boundary value problem from being reasonably written as a system of second order boundary value problems. It is shown that, on the other hand, for bounded smooth domains {Ω subsetmathbb{R}^n} , the negative part of the corresponding Green’s function is “small” when compared with its singular positive part, provided {n≥q 3} . Moreover, the biharmonic Green’s function in balls {Bsubsetmathbb{R}^n} under Dirichlet (that is, clamped) boundary conditions is known explicitly and is positive. It has been known for some time that positivity is preserved under small regular perturbations of the domain, if n = 2. In the present paper, such a stability result is proved for {n≥q 3}.

Near optimal pentamodes as a tool for guiding stress while minimizing compliance in 3d-printed materials: A complete solution to the weak G-closure problem for 3d-printed materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milton, Graeme W.; Camar-Eddine, Mohamed

2018-05-01

For a composite containing one isotropic elastic material, with positive Lame moduli, and void, with the elastic material occupying a prescribed volume fraction f, and with the composite being subject to an average stress, σ0 , Gibiansky, Cherkaev, and Allaire provided a sharp lower bound Wf(σ0) on the minimum compliance energy σ0 :ɛ0 , in which ɛ0 is the average strain. Here we show these bounds also provide sharp bounds on the possible (σ0 ,ɛ0) -pairs that can coexist in such composites, and thus solve the weak G-closure problem for 3d-printed materials. The materials we use to achieve the extremal (σ0 ,ɛ0) -pairs are denoted as near optimal pentamodes. We also consider two-phase composites containing this isotropic elasticity material and a rigid phase with the elastic material occupying a prescribed volume fraction f, and with the composite being subject to an average strain, ɛ0. For such composites, Allaire and Kohn provided a sharp lower bound W˜f(ɛ0) on the minimum elastic energy σ0 :ɛ0 . We show that these bounds also provide sharp bounds on the possible (σ0 ,ɛ0) -pairs that can coexist in such composites of the elastic and rigid phases, and thus solve the weak G-closure problem in this case too. The materials we use to achieve these extremal (σ0 ,ɛ0) -pairs are denoted as near optimal unimodes.

Machine learning methods applied on dental fear and behavior management problems in children.

PubMed

Klingberg, G; Sillén, R; Norén, J G

1999-08-01

The etiologies of dental fear and dental behavior management problems in children were investigated in a database of information on 2,257 Swedish children 4-6 and 9-11 years old. The analyses were performed using computerized inductive techniques within the field of artificial intelligence. The database held information regarding dental fear levels and behavior management problems, which were defined as outcomes, i.e. dependent variables. The attributes, i.e. independent variables, included data on dental health and dental treatments, information about parental dental fear, general anxiety, socioeconomic variables, etc. The data contained both numerical and discrete variables. The analyses were performed using an inductive analysis program (XpertRule Analyser, Attar Software Ltd, Lancashire, UK) that presents the results in a hierarchic diagram called a knowledge tree. The importance of the different attributes is represented by their position in this diagram. The results show that inductive methods are well suited for analyzing multifactorial and complex relationships in large data sets, and are thus a useful complement to multivariate statistical techniques. The knowledge trees for the two outcomes, dental fear and behavior management problems, were very different from each other, suggesting that the two phenomena are not equivalent. Dental fear was found to be more related to non-dental variables, whereas dental behavior management problems seemed connected to dental variables.

Parallel block schemes for large scale least squares computations

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

Golub, G.H.; Plemmons, R.J.; Sameh, A.

1986-04-01

Large scale least squares computations arise in a variety of scientific and engineering problems, including geodetic adjustments and surveys, medical image analysis, molecular structures, partial differential equations and substructuring methods in structural engineering. In each of these problems, matrices often arise which possess a block structure which reflects the local connection nature of the underlying physical problem. For example, such super-large nonlinear least squares computations arise in geodesy. Here the coordinates of positions are calculated by iteratively solving overdetermined systems of nonlinear equations by the Gauss-Newton method. The US National Geodetic Survey will complete this year (1986) the readjustment ofmore » the North American Datum, a problem which involves over 540 thousand unknowns and over 6.5 million observations (equations). The observation matrix for these least squares computations has a block angular form with 161 diagnonal blocks, each containing 3 to 4 thousand unknowns. In this paper parallel schemes are suggested for the orthogonal factorization of matrices in block angular form and for the associated backsubstitution phase of the least squares computations. In addition, a parallel scheme for the calculation of certain elements of the covariance matrix for such problems is described. It is shown that these algorithms are ideally suited for multiprocessors with three levels of parallelism such as the Cedar system at the University of Illinois. 20 refs., 7 figs.« less

Self-closing shielded container for use with radioactive materials

DOEpatents

Smith, J.E.

1984-10-16

A container is described for storage of radioactive material comprising a container body and a closure member. The closure member being coupled to the container body to enable the closure body to move automatically from a first position (e.g., closed) to a second position (open). 1 fig.

Knowledge and beliefs regarding agricultural pesticides in rural Guatemala

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popper, Roger; Andino, Karla; Bustamante, Mario; Hernandez, Beatriz; Rodas, Luis

1996-03-01

Throughout Central America, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Zamorano Pan-American Agricultural School support a Safe Pesticide Use program. In 1993, a study of results was carried out among farmers and housewives in eastern Guatemala. Aspects of the methodology included: (1) participation of extension workers in all aspects of the study; (2) small, region-focused samples (eight cells, 30 interviews per cell); (3) comparison to control groups of untrained farmers and housewives; (4) a traditional questionnaire for studying acquisition of specific knowledge; and (5) a flexible instrument for building a cognitive map of knowledge and beliefs regarding pesticides. The cognitive map is a step toward applying modern psychocultural scaling, an approach already well developed for medicine and public health, to environmental problems. Positive results detected include progress at learning the meaning of colors on containers that denote toxicity and where to store pesticides. Pesticide application problems detected were mention by farmers of highly toxic, restricted pesticides as appropriate for most pest problems and of insecticides as the correct solution to fungus problems, and the widespread belief that correct pesticide dosage depends on number of pests seen rather than on land or foliage surface. Health-related problems detected were admission by a vast majority of housewives that they apply highly toxic pesticides to combat children's head-lice; low awareness that pesticides cause health problems more serious than nausea, dizziness, and headaches; and a common belief that lemonade and coffee are effective medicines for pesticide poisoning.

The impact of older person's frailty on the care-related quality of life of their informal caregiver over time: results from the TOPICS-MDS project.

PubMed

Oldenkamp, Marloes; Hagedoorn, Mariët; Wittek, Rafael; Stolk, Ronald; Smidt, Nynke

2017-10-01

To examine the impact of changes in an older person's frailty on the care-related quality of life of their informal caregiver. Five research projects in the TOPICS-MDS database with data of both older person and informal caregiver at baseline and after 12 months follow-up were selected. Frailty was measured in five health domains (functional limitations, psychological well-being, social functioning, health-related quality of life, self-rated health). Care-related quality of life was measured with the Care-Related Quality of Life instrument (CarerQoL-7D), containing two positive (fulfilment, perceived support) and five negative dimensions (relational problems, mental health problems, physical health problems, financial problems, problems combining informal care with daily activities). 660 older person/caregiver couples were included. Older persons were on average 79 (SD 6.9) years of age, and 61% was female. Caregivers were on average 65 (SD 12.6) years of age, and 68% was female. Results of the multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses showed that an increase in older person's frailty over time was related to a lower total care-related quality of life of the caregiver, and to more mental and physical health problems, and problems with combining informal care with daily activities at follow-up. A change in the older person's psychological well-being was most important for the caregiver's care-related quality of life, compared to the other health domains. Health professionals observing decreasing psychological well-being of an older person and increasing hours of informal care provision should be aware of the considerable problems this may bring to their informal caregiver, and should tailor interventions to support informal caregivers according to their specific needs and problems.

An episodic specificity induction enhances means-end problem solving in young and older adults.

PubMed

Madore, Kevin P; Schacter, Daniel L

2014-12-01

Episodic memory plays an important role not only in remembering past experiences, but also in constructing simulations of future experiences and solving means-end social problems. We recently found that an episodic specificity induction-brief training in recollecting details of past experiences-enhances performance of young and older adults on memory and imagination tasks. Here we tested the hypothesis that this specificity induction would also positively impact a means-end problem-solving task on which age-related changes have been linked to impaired episodic memory. Young and older adults received the specificity induction or a control induction before completing a means-end problem-solving task, as well as memory and imagination tasks. Consistent with previous findings, older adults provided fewer relevant steps on problem solving than did young adults, and their responses also contained fewer internal (i.e., episodic) details across the 3 tasks. There was no difference in the number of other (e.g., irrelevant) steps on problem solving or external (i.e., semantic) details generated on the 3 tasks as a function of age. Critically, the specificity induction increased the number of relevant steps and internal details (but not other steps or external details) that both young and older adults generated in problem solving compared with the control induction, as well as the number of internal details (but not external details) generated for memory and imagination. Our findings support the idea that episodic retrieval processes are involved in means-end problem solving, extend the range of tasks on which a specificity induction targets these processes, and show that the problem-solving performance of older adults can benefit from a specificity induction as much as that of young adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

An episodic specificity induction enhances means-end problem solving in young and older adults

PubMed Central

Madore, Kevin P.; Schacter, Daniel L.

2014-01-01

Episodic memory plays an important role not only in remembering past experiences, but also in constructing simulations of future experiences and solving means-end social problems. We recently found that an episodic specificity induction- brief training in recollecting details of past experiences- enhances performance of young and older adults on memory and imagination tasks. Here we tested the hypothesis that this specificity induction would also positively impact a means-end problem solving task on which age-related changes have been linked to impaired episodic memory. Young and older adults received the specificity induction or a control induction before completing a means-end problem solving task as well as memory and imagination tasks. Consistent with previous findings, older adults provided fewer relevant steps on problem solving than did young adults, and their responses also contained fewer internal (i.e., episodic) details across the three tasks. There was no difference in the number of other (e.g., irrelevant) steps on problem solving or external (i.e., semantic) details generated on the three tasks as a function of age. Critically, the specificity induction increased the number of relevant steps and internal details (but not other steps or external details) that both young and older adults generated in problem solving compared with the control induction, as well as the number of internal details (but not external details) generated for memory and imagination. Our findings support the idea that episodic retrieval processes are involved in means-end problem solving, extend the range of tasks on which a specificity induction targets these processes, and show that the problem solving performance of older adults can benefit from a specificity induction as much as that of young adults. PMID:25365688

Rejection Sensitivity and Depression: Indirect Effects Through Problem Solving.

PubMed

Kraines, Morganne A; Wells, Tony T

2017-01-01

Rejection sensitivity (RS) and deficits in social problem solving are risk factors for depression. Despite their relationship to depression and the potential connection between them, no studies have examined RS and social problem solving together in the context of depression. As such, we examined RS, five facets of social problem solving, and symptoms of depression in a young adult sample. A total of 180 participants completed measures of RS, social problem solving, and depressive symptoms. We used bootstrapping to examine the indirect effect of RS on depressive symptoms through problem solving. RS was positively associated with depressive symptoms. A negative problem orientation, impulsive/careless style, and avoidance style of social problem solving were positively associated with depressive symptoms, and a positive problem orientation was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. RS demonstrated an indirect effect on depressive symptoms through two social problem-solving facets: the tendency to view problems as threats to one's well-being and an avoidance problem-solving style characterized by procrastination, passivity, or overdependence on others. These results are consistent with prior research that found a positive association between RS and depression symptoms, but this is the first study to implicate specific problem-solving deficits in the relationship between RS and depression. Our results suggest that depressive symptoms in high RS individuals may result from viewing problems as threats and taking an avoidant, rather than proactive, approach to dealing with problems. These findings may have implications for problem-solving interventions for rejection sensitive individuals.

Employing a communication payload on an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) for harbor monitoring and homeland defense

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wells, Jeffrey S.; Wurth, Timothy J.; Manning, Mark C.

2004-09-01

The Homeland Defense community is increasing its focus on port security and harbor protection. Rising to the challenge, the U.S. Coast Guard is tasked with monitoring and protecting our harbors where commercial container ships enter. Tracking of the onboard containers is of great concern to the protectors of the waterfront. A system capable of identifying the number of containers onboard the vessel, when the containers are added or removed, contents of the containers, etc., will significantly reduce the potential for a security problem by providing essential information to the Coast Guard or other port security so that they can decide whether or not pre-boarding is necessary. That is, boarding the ship and inspecting the cargo while still at a safe distance from the harbor. A conceptual pictorial of this concept is shown in Figure 1. This paper presents a system that utilizes transmitters embedded on the containers which incorporate unique ID codes identifying the container, its history, and other information. A Communication/Navigation Aid (C/NA) type vehicle/buoy concept, presently being developed by Sippican (under contract to the Office of Naval Research (ONR) as part of the Autonomous Operations -- Future Naval Capabilities (AO-FNC) program, positioned at sea, would include a payload of NuWaves" communication transceivers able to receive the cargo container"s transmitted ID and forward this information by RF link to a ground station. The Port Authority and/or the Coast Guard would then utilize the information to make an assessment of the vessel prior to port entry. Although, this paper illustrates a scenario applicable to the cargo shipping industry, it is also applicable to other homeland defense areas such as unattended open ocean force protection, drug and law enforcement, and environmental monitoring.

Korean immigrant discipline and children's social competence and behavior problems.

PubMed

Kim, Eunjung; Guo, Yuqing; Koh, Chinkang; Cain, Kevin C

2010-12-01

The goal of this correlational study was to explore the relationship between Korean immigrant discipline (e.g., positive, appropriate, and harsh discipline) and children's social competence and behavior problems. Self-report data were collected from 58 mothers and 20 fathers of children aged from 3 to 8 years. Only paternal harsh discipline was positively correlated with children's behavior problems. Among specific discipline strategies, maternal physical affection, correcting misbehaviors, and reasoning were positively correlated with children's social competence. Paternal physical punishment (e.g., spanking, hitting, and raising arms) was positively correlated with children's behavior problems. Immigrant fathers need to learn alternative ways of managing children's misbehaviors. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Symmetric moment problems and a conjecture of Valent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berg, C.; Szwarc, R.

2017-03-01

In 1998 Valent made conjectures about the order and type of certain indeterminate Stieltjes moment problems associated with birth and death processes which have polynomial birth and death rates of degree {p≥slant 3}. Romanov recently proved that the order is 1/p as conjectured. We prove that the type with respect to the order is related to certain multi-zeta values and that this type belongs to the interval which also contains the conjectured value. This proves that the conjecture about type is asymptotically correct as p\\to∞. The main idea is to obtain estimates for order and type of symmetric indeterminate Hamburger moment problems when the orthonormal polynomials P_n and those of the second kind Q_n satisfy P2n^2(0)∼ c_1n-1/β and Q2n-1^2(0)∼ c2 n-1/α, where 0<α,β<1 may be different, and c_1 and c_2 are positive constants. In this case the order of the moment problem is majorized by the harmonic mean of α and β. Here α_n∼ β_n means that α_n/β_n\\to 1. This also leads to a new proof of Romanov's Theorem that the order is 1/p. Bibliography: 19 titles.

On Takens’ last problem: tangencies and time averages near heteroclinic networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labouriau, Isabel S.; Rodrigues, Alexandre A. P.

2017-05-01

We obtain a structurally stable family of smooth ordinary differential equations exhibiting heteroclinic tangencies for a dense subset of parameters. We use this to find vector fields C 2-close to an element of the family exhibiting a tangency, for which the set of solutions with historic behaviour contains an open set. This provides an affirmative answer to Takens’ last problem (Takens 2008 Nonlinearity 21 T33-6). A limited solution with historic behaviour is one for which the time averages do not converge as time goes to infinity. Takens’ problem asks for dynamical systems where historic behaviour occurs persistently for initial conditions in a set with positive Lebesgue measure. The family appears in the unfolding of a degenerate differential equation whose flow has an asymptotically stable heteroclinic cycle involving two-dimensional connections of non-trivial periodic solutions. We show that the degenerate problem also has historic behaviour, since for an open set of initial conditions starting near the cycle, the time averages approach the boundary of a polygon whose vertices depend on the centres of gravity of the periodic solutions and their Floquet multipliers. We illustrate our results with an explicit example where historic behaviour arises C 2-close of a \\mathbf{SO}(2) -equivariant vector field.

The octapolic ellipsoidal term in magnetoencephalography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dassios, George; Hadjiloizi, Demetra; Kariotou, Fotini

2009-01-01

The forward problem of magnetoencephalography (MEG) in ellipsoidal geometry has been studied by Dassios and Kariotou ["Magnetoencephalography in ellipsoidal geometry," J. Math. Phys. 44, 220 (2003)] using the theory of ellipsoidal harmonics. In fact, the analytic solution of the quadrupolic term for the magnetic induction field has been calculated in the case of a dipolar neuronal current. Nevertheless, since the quadrupolic term is only the leading nonvanishing term in the multipole expansion of the magnetic field, it contains not enough information for the construction of an effective algorithm to solve the inverse MEG problem, i.e., to recover the position and the orientation of a dipole from measurements of the magnetic field outside the head. For this task, the next multipole of the magnetic field is also needed. The present work provides exactly this octapolic contribution of the dipolar current to the expansion of the magnetic induction field. The octapolic term is expressed in terms of the ellipsoidal harmonics of the third degree, and therefore it provides the highest order terms that can be expressed in closed form using long but reasonable analytic and algebraic manipulations. In principle, the knowledge of the quadrupolic and the octapolic terms is enough to solve the inverse problem of identifying a dipole inside an ellipsoid. Nevertheless, a simple inversion algorithm for this problem is not yet known.

Characterization and antimicrobial properties of food packaging methylcellulose films containing stem extract of Ginja cherry.

PubMed

Campos, Débora; Piccirillo, Clara; Pullar, Robert C; Castro, Paula Ml; Pintado, Maria M E

2014-08-01

Food contamination and spoilage is a problem causing growing concern. To avoid it, the use of food packaging with appropriate characteristics is essential; ideally, the packaging should protect food from external contamination and exhibit antibacterial properties. With this aim, methylcellulose (MC) films containing natural extracts from the stems of Ginja cherry, an agricultural by-product, were developed and characterized. The antibacterial activity of films was screened by the disc diffusion method and quantified using the viable cell count assay. The films inhibited the growth of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains (Listeria innocua, methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia coli). For the films with lower extract content, effectiveness against the microorganisms depended on the inoculum concentration. Scanning electron microscope images of the films showed that those containing the extracts had a smooth and continuous structure. UV-visible spectroscopy showed that these materials do not transmit light in the UV. This study shows that MC films containing agricultural by-products, in this case Ginja cherry stem extract, could be used to prevent food contamination by relevant bacterial strains and degradation by UV light. Using such materials in food packaging, the shelf life of food products could be extended while utilizing an otherwise wasted by-product. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Towards a New Theory in School Management: The Theory of Positive Containment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AlMusaileem, Muhammad Y.

2012-01-01

This study argues for a new theory in school management based on the notion of positive containment which benefited from the integration of the main two patterns of leadership, i.e., the democratic and the authoritarian. In this theory, the school principal has to deal with one external and five internal circles of positive containments. The…

What Is Physics Problem-Solving Competency? The Views of Arnold Sommerfeld and Enrico Fermi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niss, Martin

2018-05-01

A central goal of physics education is to teach problem-solving competency, but the description of the nature of this competency is somehwat fragmentary and implicit in the literature. The present article uses recent historical scholarship on Arnold Sommerfeld and Enrico Fermi to identify and characterize two positions on the nature of physics problem-solving competency. The first, Sommerfeld's, is a "theory first, phenomenon second" approach. Here, the relevant problems originate in one of the theories of physics and the goal of the problem-solver is to make a mathematical analysis of the relevant equation(s) and then give a qualitative analysis of the phenomenon that arise from these mathematical results. Fermi's position is a "phenomenon first, theory second" approach, where the starting point is a physical phenomenon that is analyzed and then brought into the realm of a physics theory. The two positions are illustrated with solutions to two problems and it is shown that the two positions are reflected in problem collections of university educations in physics.

Multiplex Identification of Gram-Positive Bacteria and Resistance Determinants Directly from Positive Blood Culture Broths: Evaluation of an Automated Microarray-Based Nucleic Acid Test

PubMed Central

Buchan, Blake W.; Ginocchio, Christine C.; Manii, Ryhana; Cavagnolo, Robert; Pancholi, Preeti; Swyers, Lettie; Thomson, Richard B.; Anderson, Christopher; Kaul, Karen; Ledeboer, Nathan A.

2013-01-01

Background A multicenter study was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) of the Verigene Gram-Positive Blood Culture Test (BC-GP) test to identify 12 Gram-positive bacterial gene targets and three genetic resistance determinants directly from positive blood culture broths containing Gram-positive bacteria. Methods and Findings 1,252 blood cultures containing Gram-positive bacteria were prospectively collected and tested at five clinical centers between April, 2011 and January, 2012. An additional 387 contrived blood cultures containing uncommon targets (e.g., Listeria spp., S. lugdunensis, vanB-positive Enterococci) were included to fully evaluate the performance of the BC-GP test. Sensitivity and specificity for the 12 specific genus or species targets identified by the BC-GP test ranged from 92.6%–100% and 95.4%–100%, respectively. Identification of the mecA gene in 599 cultures containing S. aureus or S. epidermidis was 98.6% sensitive and 94.3% specific compared to cefoxitin disk method. Identification of the vanA gene in 81 cultures containing Enterococcus faecium or E. faecalis was 100% sensitive and specific. Approximately 7.5% (87/1,157) of single-organism cultures contained Gram-positive bacteria not present on the BC-GP test panel. In 95 cultures containing multiple organisms the BC-GP test was in 71.6% (68/95) agreement with culture results. Retrospective analysis of 107 separate blood cultures demonstrated that identification of methicillin resistant S. aureus and vancomycin resistant Enterococcus spp. was completed an average of 41.8 to 42.4 h earlier using the BC-GP test compared to routine culture methods. The BC-GP test was unable to assign mecA to a specific organism in cultures containing more than one Staphylococcus isolate and does not identify common blood culture contaminants such as Micrococcus, Corynebacterium, and Bacillus. Conclusions The BC-GP test is a multiplex test capable of detecting most leading causes of Gram-positive bacterial blood stream infections as well as genetic markers of methicillin and vancomycin resistance directly from positive blood cultures. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary PMID:23843749

Do Sleep Problems Mediate the Relationship between Traumatic Brain Injury and Development of Mental Health Symptoms after Deployment?

PubMed Central

Macera, Caroline A.; Aralis, Hilary J.; Rauh, Mitchell J.; MacGregor, Andrew J.

2013-01-01

Study Objectives: Military members screening positive for blast-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) may subsequently screen positive for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. The role of sleep as a mediating factor in the development of mental health symptoms was explored. Design: Prospective study with symptoms evaluated at two time points. Setting: Postdeployment service in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Kuwait during 2008 and 2009. Participants: There were 29,640 US Navy and Marine Corps men (29,019 who did not screen positive for PTSD at baseline, 27,702 who did not screen positive for depression at baseline, and 27,320 who did not screen positive at baseline for either condition). Measurements and Results: After controlling for sleep problems, the adjusted odds of receiving a positive PTSD screening at follow-up decreased from 1.61 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21–2.14) to 1.32 (95% CI 0.99–1.77) for a subject screening positive for TBI relative to a subject screening negative, suggesting that sleep problems mediated 26% of TBI's effect on development of PTSD. Likewise, after controlling for sleep problems, the adjusted odds of receiving a positive depression screening decreased from 1.41 (95% CI 1.11–1.80) to 1.15 (95% CI 0.90–1.47), suggesting that sleep problems mediated 41% of TBI's effect on development of depression. Results were similar for those with either PTSD or depression (37% mediated). Conclusions: These results suggest that sleep problems mediate the effect of a positive TBI screening on the development of mental health disorders, and sleep problems may be an early indicator of risk for PTSD or depression. Citation: Macera CA; Aralis HJ; Rauh MJ; MacGregor AJ. Do sleep problems mediate the relationship between traumatic brain injury and development of mental health symptoms after deployment? SLEEP 2013;36(1):83–90. PMID:23288974

Negative and positive urgency may both be risk factors for compulsive buying.

PubMed

Rose, Paul; Segrist, Daniel J

2014-06-01

Descriptions of compulsive buying often emphasize the roles of negative moods and trait impulsivity in the development of problematic buying habits. Trait impulsivity is sometimes treated as a unidimensional trait in compulsive buying research, but recent factor analyses suggest that impulsivity consists of multiple components that are probably best treated as independent predictors of problem behavior. In order to draw greater attention to the role of positive moods in compulsive buying, in this study we tested whether negative urgency (the tendency to act rashly while in negative moods) and positive urgency (the tendency to act rashly while in positive moods) account for similar amounts of variance in compulsive buying. North American adults (N = 514) completed an online survey containing the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale (Ridgway, Kukar-Kinney & Monroe, 2008), established measures of positive and negative urgency (Cyders et al., 2007), ad hoc measures of buying-specific positive and negative urgency, measures of extraversion and neuroticism obtained from the International Personality Item Pool (http://ipip.ori.org/), and demographic questions. In several multiple regression analyses, when demographic variables, neuroticism, and extraversion were controlled, positive urgency and negative urgency both emerged as significant predictors of compulsive buying. Whether the two urgency variables were domain-general or buying-specific, they accounted for similar amounts of variance in compulsive buying. Preventing and reducing compulsive buying may require attention not only to the purchasing decisions people make while in negative states, but also to the purchasing decisions they make while in positive states.

Families and Positive Behavior Support: Addressing Problem Behavior in Family Contexts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lucyshyn, Joseph M., Ed.; Dunlap, Glen, Ed.; Albin, Richard W., Ed.

The 19 chapters of this volume address theory, research, and practice concerning positive behavior support with families of children and youth with developmental disabilities and problem behavior. The chapters are: (1) "Positive Behavior Support with Families" (Joseph Lucyshyn and others); (2) "Finding Positive Behavior Support One…

Position-adaptive explosive detection concepts for swarming micro-UAVs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selmic, Rastko R.; Mitra, Atindra

2008-04-01

We have formulated a series of position-adaptive sensor concepts for explosive detection applications using swarms of micro-UAV's. These concepts are a generalization of position-adaptive radar concepts developed for challenging conditions such as urban environments. For radar applications, this concept is developed with platforms within a UAV swarm that spatially-adapt to signal leakage points on the perimeter of complex clutter environments to collect information on embedded objects-of-interest. The concept is generalized for additional sensors applications by, for example, considering a wooden cart that contains explosives. We can formulate system-of-systems concepts for a swarm of micro-UAV's in an effort to detect whether or not a given cart contains explosives. Under this new concept, some of the members of the UAV swarm can serve as position-adaptive "transmitters" by blowing air over the cart and some of the members of the UAV swarm can serve as position-adaptive "receivers" that are equipped with chem./bio sensors that function as "electronic noses". The final objective can be defined as improving the particle count for the explosives in the air that surrounds a cart via development of intelligent position-adaptive control algorithms in order to improve the detection and false-alarm statistics. We report on recent simulation results with regard to designing optimal sensor placement for explosive or other chemical agent detection. This type of information enables the development of intelligent control algorithms for UAV swarm applications and is intended for the design of future system-of-systems with adaptive intelligence for advanced surveillance of unknown regions. Results are reported as part of a parametric investigation where it is found that the probability of contaminant detection depends on the air flow that carries contaminant particles, geometry of the surrounding space, leakage areas, and other factors. We present a concept of position-adaptive detection (i.e. based on the example in the previous paragraph) consisting of position-adaptive fluid actuators (fans) and position-adaptive sensors. Based on these results, a preliminary analysis of sensor requirements for these fluid actuators and sensors is presented for small-UAVs in a field-enabled explosive detection environment. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation software Fluent is used to simulate the air flow in the corridor model containing a box with explosive particles. It is found that such flow is turbulent with Reynolds number greater than 106. Simulation methods and results are presented which show particle velocity and concentration distribution throughout the closed box. The results indicate that the CFD-based method can be used for other sensor placement and deployment optimization problems. These techniques and results can be applied towards the development of future system-of-system UAV swarms for defense, homeland defense, and security applications.

Group relationships in early and late sessions and improvement in interpersonal problems.

PubMed

Lo Coco, Gianluca; Gullo, Salvatore; Di Fratello, Carla; Giordano, Cecilia; Kivlighan, Dennis M

2016-07-01

Groups are more effective when positive bonds are established and interpersonal conflicts resolved in early sessions and work is accomplished in later sessions. Previous research has provided mixed support for this group development model. We performed a test of this theoretical perspective using group members' (actors) and aggregated group members' (partners) perceptions of positive bonding, positive working, and negative group relationships measured early and late in interpersonal growth groups. Participants were 325 Italian graduate students randomly (within semester) assigned to 1 of 16 interpersonal growth groups. Groups met for 9 weeks with experienced psychologists using Yalom and Leszcz's (2005) interpersonal process model. Outcome was assessed pre- and posttreatment using the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems, and group relationships were measured at Sessions 3 and 6 using the Group Questionnaire. As hypothesized, early measures of positive bonding and late measures of positive working, for both actors and partners, were positively related to improved interpersonal problems. Also as hypothesized, late measures of positive bonding and early measures of positive working, for both actors and partners, were negatively related to improved interpersonal problems. We also found that early actor and partner positive bonding and negative relationships interacted to predict changes in interpersonal problems. The findings are consistent with group development theory and suggest that group therapists focus on group-as-a-whole positive bonding relationships in early group sessions and on group-as-a-whole positive working relationships in later group sessions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Do horses with poor welfare show 'pessimistic' cognitive biases?

PubMed

Henry, S; Fureix, C; Rowberry, R; Bateson, M; Hausberger, M

2017-02-01

This field study tested the hypothesis that domestic horses living under putatively challenging-to-welfare conditions (for example involving social, spatial, feeding constraints) would present signs of poor welfare and co-occurring pessimistic judgement biases. Our subjects were 34 horses who had been housed for over 3 years in either restricted riding school situations (e.g. kept in single boxes, with limited roughage, ridden by inexperienced riders; N = 25) or under more naturalistic conditions (e.g. access to free-range, kept in stable social groups, leisure riding; N = 9). The horses' welfare was assessed by recording health-related, behavioural and postural indicators. Additionally, after learning a location task to discriminate a bucket containing either edible food ('positive' location) or unpalatable food ('negative' location), the horses were presented with a bucket located near the positive position, near the negative position and halfway between the positive and negative positions to assess their judgement biases. The riding school horses displayed the highest levels of behavioural and health-related problems and a pessimistic judgment bias, whereas the horses living under more naturalistic conditions displayed indications of good welfare and an optimistic bias. Moreover, pessimistic bias data strongly correlated with poor welfare data. This suggests that a lowered mood impacts a non-human species' perception of its environment and highlights cognitive biases as an appropriate tool to assess the impact of chronic living conditions on horse welfare.

Do horses with poor welfare show `pessimistic' cognitive biases?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henry, S.; Fureix, C.; Rowberry, R.; Bateson, M.; Hausberger, M.

2017-02-01

This field study tested the hypothesis that domestic horses living under putatively challenging-to-welfare conditions (for example involving social, spatial, feeding constraints) would present signs of poor welfare and co-occurring pessimistic judgement biases. Our subjects were 34 horses who had been housed for over 3 years in either restricted riding school situations ( e.g. kept in single boxes, with limited roughage, ridden by inexperienced riders; N = 25) or under more naturalistic conditions ( e.g. access to free-range, kept in stable social groups, leisure riding; N = 9). The horses' welfare was assessed by recording health-related, behavioural and postural indicators. Additionally, after learning a location task to discriminate a bucket containing either edible food (`positive' location) or unpalatable food (`negative' location), the horses were presented with a bucket located near the positive position, near the negative position and halfway between the positive and negative positions to assess their judgement biases. The riding school horses displayed the highest levels of behavioural and health-related problems and a pessimistic judgment bias, whereas the horses living under more naturalistic conditions displayed indications of good welfare and an optimistic bias. Moreover, pessimistic bias data strongly correlated with poor welfare data. This suggests that a lowered mood impacts a non-human species' perception of its environment and highlights cognitive biases as an appropriate tool to assess the impact of chronic living conditions on horse welfare.

Discrete event simulation model for external yard choice of import container terminal in a port buffer area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusgiyarto, Ferry; Sjafruddin, Ade; Frazila, Russ Bona; Suprayogi

2017-06-01

Increasing container traffic and land acquisition problem for terminal expansion leads to usage of external yard in a port buffer area. This condition influenced the terminal performance because a road which connects the terminal and the external yard was also used by non-container traffic. Location choice problem considered to solve this condition, but the previous research has not taken account a stochastic condition of container arrival rate and service time yet. Bi-level programming framework was used to find optimum location configuration. In the lower-level, there was a problem to construct the equation, which correlated the terminal operation and the road due to different time cycle equilibrium. Container moves from the quay to a terminal gate in a daily unit of time, meanwhile, it moves from the terminal gate to the external yard through the road in a minute unit of time. If the equation formulated in hourly unit equilibrium, it cannot catch up the container movement characteristics in the terminal. Meanwhile, if the equation formulated in daily unit equilibrium, it cannot catch up the road traffic movement characteristics in the road. This problem can be addressed using simulation model. Discrete Event Simulation Model was used to simulate import container flow processes in the container terminal and external yard. Optimum location configuration in the upper-level was the combinatorial problem, which was solved by Full Enumeration approach. The objective function of the external yard location model was to minimize user transport cost (or time) and to maximize operator benefit. Numerical experiment was run for the scenario assumption of two container handling ways, three external yards, and thirty-day simulation periods. Jakarta International Container Terminal (JICT) container characteristics data was referred for the simulation. Based on five runs which were 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 repetitions, operation one of three available external yards (external yard - 3) was the optimum result. Apparently, the model confirmed the hypothesis that there was an optimum configuration of the external yard. Nevertheless, the model needs detail elaboration related to the objective function and the optimization constraint. It requires detail validation, in term of service time value, distribution pattern, and arrival rate in each unit server modeled in the next step of the research. The model gave unique and relatively consistent value of each run. It was indicated that the method has a chance to solve the research problem.

When trust is threatened: Qualitative study of parents' perspectives on problematic clinical relationships in child cancer care

PubMed Central

Davies, Sarah; Salmon, Peter

2017-01-01

Abstract Objective We explored parents' accounts of the parent‐clinician relationship in childhood cancer to understand how parents who perceive threats to the relationship can be supported. Methods Multicentre longitudinal qualitative study, with 67 UK parents of children (aged 1‐12 years) receiving treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Analyses drew on the wider sample but focussed on 50 semistructured interviews with 20 parents and were informed by constant comparison. Results All 20 parents described problems with clinical care such as inadequate information or mistakes by staff but varied in how much the problems threatened their sense of relationship with clinicians. Some parents saw the problems as having no relevance to the parent‐clinician relationship. Others saw the problems as threats to the clinical relationship but worked to “contain” the threat in ways that preserved a trusting relationship with at least one senior clinician. Parents' containment work protected the security they needed from the parent‐clinician relationship, but containment was a tenuous process for some. A few parents were unable to contain the problems at all; lacking trust in clinicians, these parents suffered considerably. Conclusions Given the complexity of childhood cancer care, problems with clinical care are inevitable. By engaging in containment work, parents met their needs to feel secure in the face of these problems, but the extent to which parents should have to do this work is debatable. Parents could benefit from support to seek help when problems arise which threaten their trust in clinicians. Attachment theory can guide clinicians in giving this support. PMID:28494129

Conceptualizing Fraudulent Studies as Viruses: New Models for Handling Retractions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montgomery, Kathleen; Oliver, Amalya L.

2017-01-01

This paper addresses the growing problem of retractions in the scientific literature of publications that contain bad data (i.e., fabricated, falsified, or containing error), also called "false science." While the problem is particularly acute in the biomedical literature because of the life-threatening implications when treatment…

Pre-Engineering Program. Introduction to Engineering. Advanced Engineering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henrico County Public Schools, Glen Allen, VA. Virginia Vocational Curriculum and Resource Center.

This guide contains information and hands-on activities to guide students through the problem-solving process needed in engineering (problem solving, presentation, and impact analysis) and information to help the instructor manage the program or courses in Virginia. Following an introduction, the guide contains a program description that supplies…

VarBin, a novel method for classifying true and false positive variants in NGS data

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Variant discovery for rare genetic diseases using Illumina genome or exome sequencing involves screening of up to millions of variants to find only the one or few causative variant(s). Sequencing or alignment errors create "false positive" variants, which are often retained in the variant screening process. Methods to remove false positive variants often retain many false positive variants. This report presents VarBin, a method to prioritize variants based on a false positive variant likelihood prediction. Methods VarBin uses the Genome Analysis Toolkit variant calling software to calculate the variant-to-wild type genotype likelihood ratio at each variant change and position divided by read depth. The resulting Phred-scaled, likelihood-ratio by depth (PLRD) was used to segregate variants into 4 Bins with Bin 1 variants most likely true and Bin 4 most likely false positive. PLRD values were calculated for a proband of interest and 41 additional Illumina HiSeq, exome and whole genome samples (proband's family or unrelated samples). At variant sites without apparent sequencing or alignment error, wild type/non-variant calls cluster near -3 PLRD and variant calls typically cluster above 10 PLRD. Sites with systematic variant calling problems (evident by variant quality scores and biases as well as displayed on the iGV viewer) tend to have higher and more variable wild type/non-variant PLRD values. Depending on the separation of a proband's variant PLRD value from the cluster of wild type/non-variant PLRD values for background samples at the same variant change and position, the VarBin method's classification is assigned to each proband variant (Bin 1 to Bin 4). Results To assess VarBin performance, Sanger sequencing was performed on 98 variants in the proband and background samples. True variants were confirmed in 97% of Bin 1 variants, 30% of Bin 2, and 0% of Bin 3/Bin 4. Conclusions These data indicate that VarBin correctly classifies the majority of true variants as Bin 1 and Bin 3/4 contained only false positive variants. The "uncertain" Bin 2 contained both true and false positive variants. Future work will further differentiate the variants in Bin 2. PMID:24266885

Parenting and the Family Check-Up: Changes in Observed Parent-Child Interaction Following Early Childhood Intervention

PubMed Central

Sitnick, Stephanie L.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Gill, Anne; Dishion, Thomas; Winter, Charlotte; Waller, Rebecca; Gardner, Frances; Wilson, Melvin

2016-01-01

Coercion theory posits a cyclical relationship between harsh and coercive parent–child interactions and problem behavior beginning in early childhood. As coercive interactions have been theorized and found to facilitate the development and growth of early conduct problems, early interventions often target parenting to prevent or reduce early disruptive problem behavior. This study utilizes direct observations of parent–child interactions from the Early Steps Multisite study (N = 731; 369 boys) to examine the effect of the Family Check-Up, a family-centered intervention program, on measures of parent–child positive engagement and coercion from age 2 through 5, as well as on childhood problem behavior at age 5. Results indicate that high levels of parent–child positive engagement were associated with less parent–child coercion the following year, but dyadic coercion was unrelated to future levels of positive engagement. In addition, families assigned to the Family Check-Up showed increased levels of positive engagement at ages 3 and 5, and the association between positive engagement at age 3 and child problem behavior at age 5 was mediated by reductions in parent–child coercion at age 4. These findings provide longitudinal confirmation that increasing positive engagement in parent–child interaction can reduce the likelihood of coercive family dynamics in early childhood and growth in problem behavior. PMID:25133754

Parenting and the Family Check-Up: Changes in Observed Parent-Child Interaction Following Early Childhood Intervention.

PubMed

Sitnick, Stephanie L; Shaw, Daniel S; Gill, Anne; Dishion, Thomas; Winter, Charlotte; Waller, Rebecca; Gardner, Frances; Wilson, Melvin

2015-01-01

Coercion theory posits a cyclical relationship between harsh and coercive parent-child interactions and problem behavior beginning in early childhood. As coercive interactions have been theorized and found to facilitate the development and growth of early conduct problems, early interventions often target parenting to prevent or reduce early disruptive problem behavior. This study utilizes direct observations of parent-child interactions from the Early Steps Multisite study (N = 731; 369 boys) to examine the effect of the Family Check-Up, a family-centered intervention program, on measures of parent-child positive engagement and coercion from age 2 through 5, as well as on childhood problem behavior at age 5. Results indicate that high levels of parent-child positive engagement were associated with less parent-child coercion the following year, but dyadic coercion was unrelated to future levels of positive engagement. In addition, families assigned to the Family Check-Up showed increased levels of positive engagement at ages 3 and 5, and the association between positive engagement at age 3 and child problem behavior at age 5 was mediated by reductions in parent-child coercion at age 4. These findings provide longitudinal confirmation that increasing positive engagement in parent-child interaction can reduce the likelihood of coercive family dynamics in early childhood and growth in problem behavior.

Korean Immigrant Discipline and Children’s Social Competence and Behavior Problems

PubMed Central

Kim, Eunjung; Guo, Yuqing; Koh, Chinkang; Cain, Kevin C.

2009-01-01

The goal of this correlational study was to explore the relationship between Korean immigrant discipline (e.g., positive, appropriate, harsh discipline) and children’s social competence and behavior problems. Self-report data were collected from 58 mothers and 20 fathers of children aged from three and eight. Only paternal harsh discipline was positively correlated with children’s behavior problems. Among specific discipline strategies, maternal physical affection, correcting misbehaviors, and reasoning were positively correlated with children’s social competence. Paternal physical punishment (e.g., spanking, hitting, raising arms) was positively correlated with children’s behavior problems. Immigrant fathers need to learn alternative ways of managing children’s misbehaviors. PMID:21035016

Effects of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports on Internalizing Problems: Current Evidence and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntosh, Kent; Ty, Sophie V.; Miller, Lynn D.

2014-01-01

School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) has a large evidence base for preventing and addressing externalizing problem behavior, but there is little research examining its effects on internalizing problems, such as anxiety and depression. Given the prevalence of internalizing problems in today's children and youth, it is…

Effects of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support on Internalizing Problems: Current Evidence and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntosh, Kent; Ty, Sophie V.; Miller, Lynn D.

2014-01-01

School-wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) has a large evidence base for preventing and addressing externalizing problem behavior, but there is little research examining its effects on internalizing problems, such as anxiety and depression. Given the prevalence of internalizing problems in today's children and youth, it is worthwhile to examine…

Modular thermal analyzer routine, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oren, J. A.; Phillips, M. A.; Williams, D. R.

1972-01-01

The Modular Thermal Analyzer Routine (MOTAR) is a general thermal analysis routine with strong capabilities for performing thermal analysis of systems containing flowing fluids, fluid system controls (valves, heat exchangers, etc.), life support systems, and thermal radiation situations. Its modular organization permits the analysis of a very wide range of thermal problems for simple problems containing a few conduction nodes to those containing complicated flow and radiation analysis with each problem type being analyzed with peak computational efficiency and maximum ease of use. The organization and programming methods applied to MOTAR achieved a high degree of computer utilization efficiency in terms of computer execution time and storage space required for a given problem. The computer time required to perform a given problem on MOTAR is approximately 40 to 50 percent that required for the currently existing widely used routines. The computer storage requirement for MOTAR is approximately 25 percent more than the most commonly used routines for the most simple problems but the data storage techniques for the more complicated options should save a considerable amount of space.

A pressurized cylindrical shell with a fixed end which contains an axial part-through or through crack

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yahsi, O. S.; Erdogan, F.

1983-01-01

A cylindrical shell having a very stiff and plate or a flange is considered. It is assumed that near the end the cylinder contains an axial flaw which may be modeled as a part through surface crack or a through crack. The effect of the end constraining on the stress intensity factor which is the main fracture mechanics parameter is studied. The applied loads acting on the cylinder are assumed to be axisymmetric. Thus the crack problem under consideration is symmetric with respect to the plane of the crack and consequently only the Mode 1 stress intensity factors are nonzero. With this limitation, the general perturbation problem for a cylinder with a built in end containing an axial crack is considered. Reissner's shell theory is used to formulate the problem. The part through crack problem is treated by using a line spring model. In the case of a crack tip terminating at the fixed end it is shown that the integral equations of the shell problem has the same generalized Cauchy kernel as the corresponding plane stress elasticity problem.

Empathic Responses to Mother’s Emotions Predict Internalizing Problems in Children of Depressed Mothers

PubMed Central

Tully, Erin C.; Donohue, Meghan Rose

2016-01-01

Recent theories posit that empathy, typically an adaptive characteristic, may be associated with internalizing problems when children are chronically exposed to mother’s depression. We tested this postulation in a sample of children (N=82, Mage=5 years). Children witnessed their mothers express sadness, anger, and happiness during a simulated phone conversation, and researchers rated children’s negative affective empathy, positive affective empathy, and information-seeking (cognitive empathy) in response to their mother’s emotions. The chronicity of mother's depression during the child’s lifetime moderated associations between children’s empathy and internalizing problems. As predicted, all three empathy measures were related to greater mother-rated internalizing problems in children of chronically (i.e., 2–3 years) depressed mothers. Greater positive empathy was related to lower internalizing problems in children of nondepressed mothers. Positive empathy may contribute to adaptive processes when mothers are not depressed, and positive, negative, and cognitive empathy may contribute to maladaptive processes when mothers are chronically depressed. PMID:27262565

Positive and Negative Thinking in Tinnitus: Factor Structure of the Tinnitus Cognitions Questionnaire.

PubMed

Handscomb, Lucy E; Hall, Deborah A; Shorter, Gillian W; Hoare, Derek J

Researchers and clinicians consider thinking to be important in the development and maintenance of tinnitus distress, and altering thoughts or thinking style is an object of many forms of psychological therapy for tinnitus. Those working with people with tinnitus require a reliable, psychometrically robust means of measuring both positive and negative thinking related to it. The Tinnitus Cognitions Questionnaire (TCQ) was designed as such a measure and its authors showed it to be reliable, with good psychometric properties. However, no research teams have yet carried out independent validation. This study aimed to use the TCQ to investigate thinking amongst members of the general population with both bothersome and nonbothersome tinnitus and also to verify its factor structure. Three hundred forty-two members of the public with tinnitus completed the TCQ online or on paper. They also rated their tinnitus on a scale as "not a problem," "a small problem," "a moderate problem," "a big problem," or a "very big problem." The authors tested the original factor structure of the TCQ using confirmatory factor analysis and then calculated the mean scores for each item, comparing mean total scores across "problem categories" for the full questionnaire and for the positive and negative subscales. The original two-factor structure of the TCQ was a good fit to the data when the correlation between positive and negative factors was fixed at zero (root mean square error of approximation = 0.064, 90% confidence interval = 0.058 to 0.070). Items pertaining to wishing the tinnitus would go away and despairing that it would ever get better had the highest mean scores. The mean total score for the "no problem" group (M = 31.17, SD = 16.03) was not significantly different from the mean total score for the "small problem" group (M = 34.00, SD = 12.44, p = 0.99). Differences between mean scores for all other groups were statistically significant. For the negative subscale, differences were statistically significant between all problem categories. For the positive subscale, the differences between mean scores were only statistically significant for the "no problem" group (M = 28.40, SD = 17.11) compared with the "moderate problem" group (M = 18.55, SD = 8.64, p = 0.02) and for the "moderate problem" group compared with the "very big problem" group (M = 26.79, SD = 11.66, p = 0.002). Positive and negative factors were uncorrelated (ρ = -0.03.) CONCLUSIONS:: The TCQ is a valid measure of positive and negative thinking in tinnitus, and the authors recommend its use in research and therapeutic settings. Negative thinking appears to be associated with more problematic tinnitus, but positive thinking is not associated with unproblematic tinnitus, suggesting that reducing negative thinking may be more important than teaching positive thinking in therapy.

Individualized Math Problems in Percent. Oregon Vo-Tech Mathematics Problem Sets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosler, Norma, Ed.

This is one of eighteen sets of individualized mathematics problems developed by the Oregon Vo-Tech Math Project. Each of these problem packages is organized around a mathematical topic and contains problems related to diverse vocations. Solutions are provided for all problems. This volume includes problems concerned with computing percents.…

Individualized Math Problems in Algebra. Oregon Vo-Tech Mathematics Problem Sets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosler, Norma, Ed.

This is one of eighteen sets of individualized mathematics problems developed by the Oregon Vo-Tech Math Project. Each of these problem packages is organized around a mathematical topic, and contains problems related to diverse vocations. Solutions are provided for all problems. Problems presented in this package concern ratios used in food…

Individualized Math Problems in Measurement and Conversion. Oregon Vo-Tech Mathematics Problem Sets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosler, Norma, Ed.

This is one of eighteen sets of individualized mathematics problems developed by the Oregon Vo-Tech Math Project. Each of these problem packages is organized around a mathematical topic and contains problems related to diverse vocations. Solutions are provided for all problems. This volume includes problems involving measurement, computation of…

Using the costs of drug therapy to screen patients for a community pharmacy-based medication review program.

PubMed

Krähenbühl, Jean-Marc; Decollogny, Anne; Bugnon, Olivier

2008-12-01

To measure the positive predictive value (PPV) of the cost of drug therapy (threshold = 2000 Swiss francs [CHF], US$1440, 1360) as a screening criterion for identifying patients who may benefit from medication review (MR). To describe identified drug-related problems (DRPs) and expense problems (EPs), and to estimate potential savings if all recommendations were accepted. Five voluntary Swiss community pharmacies. Of 12,680 patients, 592 (4.7%) had drug therapy costs exceeding 2000 CHF over a six-month period from July 1 to December 31, 2002. This threshold limit was set to identify high-risk patients for DRPs and EPs. Three pharmacists consecutively conducted a medication review based on the pharmaceutical charts of 125 sampled patients who met the inclusion criterion. The PPV of a threshold of 2000 CHF for identifying patients who might benefit from a MR: true positives were patients with at least one DRP, while false positives were patients with no DRP. The selection based on this criterion had a PPV of 86% for detecting patients with at least one DRP and 95% if EPs were also considered. There was a mean of 2.64 (SD = 2.20) DRPs per patient and a mean of 2.14 (SD = 1.39) EPs per patient. Of these patients, 90% were over 65 years old or were treated with at least five chronic medications, two common criteria for identifying patients at risk of DRPs. The main types of DRPs were drug-drug interactions, compliance problems and duplicate drugs. Mean daily drug cost per patient was CHF 14.87 (US$10.70, 10.10). A potential savings of CHF 1.67 (US$1.20, 1.14) per day (11%) was estimated if all recommendations to solve DRPs and EPs suggested herein were implemented. Further studies should investigate whether the potential benefit of medication reviews in preventing DRPs and containing costs in this patient group can be confirmed in a real practice environment.

Effective surface and boundary conditions for heterogeneous surfaces with mixed boundary conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Jianwei; Veran-Tissoires, Stéphanie; Quintard, Michel

2016-01-01

To deal with multi-scale problems involving transport from a heterogeneous and rough surface characterized by a mixed boundary condition, an effective surface theory is developed, which replaces the original surface by a homogeneous and smooth surface with specific boundary conditions. A typical example corresponds to a laminar flow over a soluble salt medium which contains insoluble material. To develop the concept of effective surface, a multi-domain decomposition approach is applied. In this framework, velocity and concentration at micro-scale are estimated with an asymptotic expansion of deviation terms with respect to macro-scale velocity and concentration fields. Closure problems for the deviations are obtained and used to define the effective surface position and the related boundary conditions. The evolution of some effective properties and the impact of surface geometry, Péclet, Schmidt and Damköhler numbers are investigated. Finally, comparisons are made between the numerical results obtained with the effective models and those from direct numerical simulations with the original rough surface, for two kinds of configurations.

Common pitfalls in preclinical cancer target validation.

PubMed

Kaelin, William G

2017-07-01

An alarming number of papers from laboratories nominating new cancer drug targets contain findings that cannot be reproduced by others or are simply not robust enough to justify drug discovery efforts. This problem probably has many causes, including an underappreciation of the danger of being misled by off-target effects when using pharmacological or genetic perturbants in complex biological assays. This danger is particularly acute when, as is often the case in cancer pharmacology, the biological phenotype being measured is a 'down' readout (such as decreased proliferation, decreased viability or decreased tumour growth) that could simply reflect a nonspecific loss of cellular fitness. These problems are compounded by multiple hypothesis testing, such as when candidate targets emerge from high-throughput screens that interrogate multiple targets in parallel, and by a publication and promotion system that preferentially rewards positive findings. In this Perspective, I outline some of the common pitfalls in preclinical cancer target identification and some potential approaches to mitigate them.

Anomaly detection for medical images based on a one-class classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Qi; Ren, Yinhao; Hou, Rui; Shi, Bibo; Lo, Joseph Y.; Carin, Lawrence

2018-02-01

Detecting an anomaly such as a malignant tumor or a nodule from medical images including mammogram, CT or PET images is still an ongoing research problem drawing a lot of attention with applications in medical diagnosis. A conventional way to address this is to learn a discriminative model using training datasets of negative and positive samples. The learned model can be used to classify a testing sample into a positive or negative class. However, in medical applications, the high unbalance between negative and positive samples poses a difficulty for learning algorithms, as they will be biased towards the majority group, i.e., the negative one. To address this imbalanced data issue as well as leverage the huge amount of negative samples, i.e., normal medical images, we propose to learn an unsupervised model to characterize the negative class. To make the learned model more flexible and extendable for medical images of different scales, we have designed an autoencoder based on a deep neural network to characterize the negative patches decomposed from large medical images. A testing image is decomposed into patches and then fed into the learned autoencoder to reconstruct these patches themselves. The reconstruction error of one patch is used to classify this patch into a binary class, i.e., a positive or a negative one, leading to a one-class classifier. The positive patches highlight the suspicious areas containing anomalies in a large medical image. The proposed method has been tested on InBreast dataset and achieves an AUC of 0.84. The main contribution of our work can be summarized as follows. 1) The proposed one-class learning requires only data from one class, i.e., the negative data; 2) The patch-based learning makes the proposed method scalable to images of different sizes and helps avoid the large scale problem for medical images; 3) The training of the proposed deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) based auto-encoder is fast and stable.

Identifying well-formed biomedical phrases in MEDLINE® text.

PubMed

Kim, Won; Yeganova, Lana; Comeau, Donald C; Wilbur, W John

2012-12-01

In the modern world people frequently interact with retrieval systems to satisfy their information needs. Humanly understandable well-formed phrases represent a crucial interface between humans and the web, and the ability to index and search with such phrases is beneficial for human-web interactions. In this paper we consider the problem of identifying humanly understandable, well formed, and high quality biomedical phrases in MEDLINE documents. The main approaches used previously for detecting such phrases are syntactic, statistical, and a hybrid approach combining these two. In this paper we propose a supervised learning approach for identifying high quality phrases. First we obtain a set of known well-formed useful phrases from an existing source and label these phrases as positive. We then extract from MEDLINE a large set of multiword strings that do not contain stop words or punctuation. We believe this unlabeled set contains many well-formed phrases. Our goal is to identify these additional high quality phrases. We examine various feature combinations and several machine learning strategies designed to solve this problem. A proper choice of machine learning methods and features identifies in the large collection strings that are likely to be high quality phrases. We evaluate our approach by making human judgments on multiword strings extracted from MEDLINE using our methods. We find that over 85% of such extracted phrase candidates are humanly judged to be of high quality. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Integrative Analysis of Response to Tamoxifen Treatment in ER-Positive Breast Cancer Using GWAS Information and Transcription Profiling.

PubMed

Hicks, Chindo; Kumar, Ranjit; Pannuti, Antonio; Miele, Lucio

2012-01-01

Variable response and resistance to tamoxifen treatment in breast cancer patients remains a major clinical problem. To determine whether genes and biological pathways containing SNPs associated with risk for breast cancer are dysregulated in response to tamoxifen treatment, we performed analysis combining information from 43 genome-wide association studies with gene expression data from 298 ER(+) breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen and 125 ER(+) controls. We identified 95 genes which distinguished tamoxifen treated patients from controls. Additionally, we identified 54 genes which stratified tamoxifen treated patients into two distinct groups. We identified biological pathways containing SNPs associated with risk for breast cancer, which were dysregulated in response to tamoxifen treatment. Key pathways identified included the apoptosis, P53, NFkB, DNA repair and cell cycle pathways. Combining GWAS with transcription profiling provides a unified approach for associating GWAS findings with response to drug treatment and identification of potential drug targets.

Unsteady density-current equations for highly curved terrain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sivakumaran, N. S.; Dressler, R. F.

1989-01-01

New nonlinear partial differential equations containing terrain curvature and its rate of change are derived that describe the flow of an atmospheric density current. Unlike the classical hydraulic-type equations for density currents, the new equations are valid for two-dimensional, gradually varied flow over highly curved terrain, hence suitable for computing unsteady (or steady) flows over arbitrary mountain/valley profiles. The model assumes the atmosphere above the density current exerts a known arbitrary variable pressure upon the unknown interface. Later this is specialized to the varying hydrostatic pressure of the atmosphere above. The new equations yield the variable velocity distribution, the interface position, and the pressure distribution that contains a centrifugal component, often significantly larger than its hydrostatic component. These partial differential equations are hyperbolic, and the characteristic equations and characteristic directions are derived. Using these to form a characteristic mesh, a hypothetical unsteady curved-flow problem is calculated, not based upon observed data, merely as an example to illustrate the simplicity of their application to unsteady flows over mountains.

Using electrokinetic phenomena and electrical resistance tomography to characterize the movement of subsurface fluids

DOEpatents

Ramirez, Abelardo L.; Cooper, John F.; Daily, William D.

1996-01-01

This invention relates generally to the remote detections of subsurface liquid contaminants using in combination a geophysical technique known as ERT and an EKS. Electrokinetic transport is used to enhance the ability of electrical resistance tomography (ERT) to detect position and movement of subsurface contaminant liquids, particles or ions. ERT images alone are difficult to interpret because of natural inhomogeneities in soil composition and electrical properties. By subtracting two or more ERT images obtained before and after field induced movement, a high contrast image of a plume of distinct electrokinetic properties can be seen. The invention is applicable to important subsurface characterization problems including, as examples, (1) detection of liquid-saturated plumes of contaminants such as those associated with leaks from underground storage tanks containing hazardous concentrated electrolytes, (2) detection and characterization of soils contaminated with organic pollutants such as droplets of gasoline; and (3) monitoring the progress of electrokinetic containment or clean up of underground contamination.

Using electrokinetic phenomena and electrical resistance tomography to characterize the movement of subsurface fluids

DOEpatents

Ramirez, A.L.; Cooper, J.F.; Daily, W.D.

1996-02-27

This invention relates generally to the remote detections of subsurface liquid contaminants using in combination a geophysical technique known as ERT and an EKS. Electrokinetic transport is used to enhance the ability of electrical resistance tomography (ERT) to detect position and movement of subsurface contaminant liquids, particles or ions. ERT images alone are difficult to interpret because of natural inhomogeneities in soil composition and electrical properties. By subtracting two or more ERT images obtained before and after field induced movement, a high contrast image of a plume of distinct electrokinetic properties can be seen. The invention is applicable to important subsurface characterization problems including, as examples, (1) detection of liquid-saturated plumes of contaminants such as those associated with leaks from underground storage tanks containing hazardous concentrated electrolytes, (2) detection and characterization of soils contaminated with organic pollutants such as droplets of gasoline; and (3) monitoring the progress of electrokinetic containment or clean up of underground contamination. 1 fig.

Parents' Attributions for Negative and Positive Child Behavior in Relation to Parenting and Child Problems.

PubMed

Park, Joanne L; Johnston, Charlotte; Colalillo, Sara; Williamson, David

2016-04-12

Previous research has stressed the importance of parents' attributions and parenting for child problems. Based on social cognitive models, studies have focused on the interrelations among parents' child-responsibility attributions for negative behavior, harsh parenting, and child problems. Little is known about the extent to which child-responsibility attributions for positive behavior and other types of parenting play a role in these models. The purpose of this study was to examine whether parents' child-responsibility attributions for positive and negative child behaviors are related to child problems, and whether these relations are mediated by harsh, lax, and positive parenting. Mothers' and fathers' attributions and parenting were examined separately. A community sample of 148 couples and their 9- to 12-year-old child (50% boys) participated in the study. Mothers and children participated by completing questionnaires and a laboratory interaction task. Fathers participated by completing the same questionnaires as mothers. Harsh parenting was the only parenting variable that uniquely mediated the relations between more child-responsibility attributions for (a) negative child behaviors and child problems for both parents and (b) the inverse relation between attributions for positive child behaviors and child problems for fathers. Findings confirm the importance of harsh parenting and demonstrate the importance of parents' attributions for positive child behaviors in relation to decreasing harsh parenting and child problems. Clinically, it may be useful not only to reduce child-responsibility attributions for negative behaviors but also to increase the extent to which parents give their child credit for positive behaviors.

Numerical study of the impact of a drop containing a bubble

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Yu; Thoraval, Marie-Jean

2017-11-01

The impact of a drop has many applications from inkjet printing to the spreading of crops diseases. This fundamental phenomenon has therefore attracted a lot of interest from different fields. However, they have mostly focused on the simplest case of a drop containing a single fluid. In inkjet printing and in the deposition process of thermal barrier coatings, some bubbles can be present in the drop when it impacts on the solid surface. The presence of the bubble can produce some additional splashing, and affect the quality of the deposited material. Only a few studies have looked at this problem, and many questions still need to be investigated. Generally, there are three possibilities when a drop containing a bubble impacts onto a solid surface, namely the bubble stays in drop, the bubble bursts and a counter jet forms. We have performed axisymmetric numerical simulations with the open source code Gerris to study this vertical jet. We have systematically varied several parameters, including the impact velocity, the bubble size, the vertical position of the bubble, and the liquid properties. We were thus able to characterize under which condition the bubble leads to splashing and the velocity of the produced jet.

Sex differences on the judgment of line orientation task: a function of landmark presence and hormonal status.

PubMed

Goyette, Sharon Ramos; McCoy, John G; Kennedy, Ashley; Sullivan, Meghan

2012-02-28

It has been well-established that men outperform women on some spatial tasks. The tools commonly used to demonstrate this difference (e.g. The Mental Rotations Task) typically involve problems and solutions that are presented in a context devoid of referents. The study presented here assessed whether the addition of referents (or "landmarks") would attenuate the well-established sex difference on the judgment of line orientation task (JLOT). Three versions of the JLOT were presented in a within design. The first iteration contained the original JLOT (JLOT 1). JLOT 2 contained three "landmarks" or referents and JLOT 3 contained only one landmark. The sex difference on JLOT 1 was completely negated by the addition of three landmarks on JLOT 2 or the addition of one landmark on JLOT3. In addition, salivary testosterone was measured. In men, gains in performance on the JLOT due to the addition of landmarks were positively correlated with testosterone levels. This suggests that men with the highest testosterone levels benefited the most from the addition of landmarks. These data help to highlight different strategies used by men and women to solve spatial tasks. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Wet oxidation of real coke wastewater containing high thiocyanate concentration.

PubMed

Oulego, Paula; Collado, Sergio; Garrido, Laura; Laca, Adriana; Rendueles, Manuel; Díaz, Mario

2014-01-01

Coke wastewaters, in particular those with high thiocyanate concentrations, represent an important environmental problem because of their very low biodegradability. In this work, the treatment by wet oxidation of real coke wastewaters containing concentrations of thiocyanate above 17 mM has been studied in a 1-L semi-batch reactor at temperatures between 453 and 493 K, with total oxygen pressures in the range of 2.0-8.0 MPa. A positive effect of the matrix of real coke wastewater was observed, resulting in faster thiocyanate degradation than was obtained with synthetic wastewaters. Besides, the effect of oxygen concentration and temperature on thiocyanate wet oxidation was more noticeable in real effluents than in synthetic wastewaters containing only thiocyanate. It was also observed that the degree of mineralization of the matrix organic compounds was higher when the initial thiocyanate concentration increased. Taking into account the experimental data, kinetic models were obtained, and a mechanism implying free radicals was proposed for thiocyanate oxidation in the matrix considered. In all cases, sulphate, carbonates and ammonium were identified as the main reaction products of thiocyanate wet oxidation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using documentaries for Earth science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hooper, Richard; Lilienfeld, Linda; Arrigo, Jennifer

2011-10-01

With the success of An Inconvenient Truth, a movie about former U.S. vice president Al Gore's campaign to educate the public on global climate change, long-form documentaries, particularly those concerning environmental issues, are enjoying a renaissance. These films can be a powerful educational tool because they create teachable moments by heightening students' interest in environmental topics. Successful documentaries engage the audience emotionally and tell a compelling story, with heroes and villains. Often films touch on some scientific concepts and may even contain graphics and animations that are useful in explaining processes. However, they generally do not provide a balanced exposition of the science and technical issues that underlie the environmental problems described. Documentaries may advocate a particular policy position.

Microcontroller-based underwater acoustic ECG telemetry system.

PubMed

Istepanian, R S; Woodward, B

1997-06-01

This paper presents a microcontroller-based underwater acoustic telemetry system for digital transmission of the electrocardiogram (ECG). The system is designed for the real time, through-water transmission of data representing any parameter, and it was used initially for transmitting in multiplexed format the heart rate, breathing rate and depth of a diver using self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA). Here, it is used to monitor cardiovascular reflexes during diving and swimming. The programmable capability of the system provides an effective solution to the problem of transmitting data in the presence of multipath interference. An important feature of the paper is a comparative performance analysis of two encoding methods, Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) and Pulse Position Modulation (PPM).

Some aspects of the stability of the plane deformation mode of filaments of finite stiffness beyond the elasticity limits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimanovskii, A. V.

A method for calculating the plane bending of elastic-plastic filaments of finite stiffness is proposed on the basis of plastic flow theory. The problem considered is shown to reduce to relations similar to Kirchhoff equations for elastic work. Expressions are obtained for determining the normalized stiffness characteristics for the cross section of a filament with plastic regions containing beam theory equations as a particular case. A study is made of the effect of the plastic region size on the position of the elastic deformation-unloading interface and on the normalized stiffness of the filament cross section. Calculation results are presented in graphic form.

Patients subject to high levels of coercion: staff's understanding.

PubMed

Bowers, Len; Wright, Steve; Stewart, Duncan

2014-05-01

Measures to keep staff and patients safe (containment) frequently involve coercion. A small proportion of patients is subject to a large proportion of containment use. To reduce the use of containment, we need a better understanding of the circumstances in which it is used and the understandings of patients and staff. Two sweeps were made of all the wards, spread over four hospital sites, in one large London mental health organization to identify patients who had been subject to high levels of containment in the previous two weeks. Data were then extracted from their case notes about their past history, current problem behaviours, and how they were understood by the patients involved and the staff. Nurses and consultant psychiatrists were interviewed to supplement the information from the case records. Twenty-six heterogeneous patients were identified, with many ages, genders, diagnoses, and psychiatric specialities represented. The main problem behaviours giving rise to containment use were violence and self-harm. The roots of the problem behaviours were to be found in severe psychiatric symptoms, cognitive difficulties, personality traits, and the implementation of the internal structure of the ward by staff. Staff's range and depth of understandings was limited and did not include functional analysis, defence mechanisms, specific cognitive assessment, and other potential frameworks. There is a need for more in-depth assessment and understanding of patients' problems, which may lead to additional ways to reduce containment use.

Positions in doctors' questions during psychiatric interviews.

PubMed

Ziółkowska, Justyna

2009-11-01

In this article I apply the concept of positioning to the analysis of 15 initial psychiatric interviews. I argue that through their questions the psychiatrists-in-training impose positions requiring the patients to gaze at themselves and their actual problems from particular perspectives. I point to three such positions: (a) the position of the observing assessor, from which it is expected that the patients will make a detached assessment of themselves or their problems, (b) the position of the informing witness, which requires the patients only to verify the information about themselves, and (c) the marginal one, the position of the experiencing narrator, from which talk about experiences and problems is expected. I explore the roots and consequences of the positions, with particular attention toward objectivization of the patients' experiences in the dominant witness and assessor positions. I conclude with a discussion about the medical model in psychiatry.

Tumor containing fragment number influences immunohistochemistry positive rate of HER2 in biopsy specimens of gastric cancer.

PubMed

Xu, Chen; Liu, Yalan; Ge, Xiaowen; Jiang, Dongxian; Zhang, Ying; Ji, Yuan; Hou, Jun; Huang, Jie; Su, Jieakesu; Zeng, Haiying; Qin, Jing; Hou, Yingyong

2017-05-26

HER2 assessment in biopsy specimens of gastric cancer (GC) is challenging because of the intratumoral heterogeneity. False negative results may be get because of limited biopsy material. The aim of this study is to explore how tumor-containing fragment number and biopsy specimen number affect HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) positive rate. Eight hundred and ninety biopsy specimens and 459 paired resected specimens were collected. IHC staining of HER2 was performed. HER2 IHC positive (scored 3+) rate was compared based on tumor-containing fragment number, biopsy specimen number, average size and tumor tissue proportion of tumor-containing fragments. The positive predictability of biopsy specimens to resected specimens was analyzed based on tumor fragment number. HER2 IHC positive rates were 2.0, 3.5, 7.0, 13.2, 17.1, and 15.9% when tumor fragment numbers were 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 respectively. The rate rose with the increase of tumor fragment number (P = 0.004). ROC curve analysis showed that biopsy specimens exhibited positive predictability when tumor fragment number reached 3, but showed better performance when the number was ≥4 (P < 0.05). After fragment number reached 4, no statistic differences were reached in either HER2 IHC positive rate or positive predictability with further increase of the number (P > 0.05). HER2 IHC positive rate was not associated with biopsy number (P = 0.127), average size of tumor fragments (P = 0.397), and tumor tissue proportion of tumor fragments (P = 0.825) directly. The number of tumor-containing fragments influences HER2 IHC positive (scored 3+) rate. Greater than or equal to 4 (≥4) tumor fragments give better results in the positive rate as well as positive predictability. We recommend the number of tumor containing fragments be described in the HER2 IHC pathology reports for clinical reference in endoscopic biopsy specimens of GC.

A chance-constrained stochastic approach to intermodal container routing problems.

PubMed

Zhao, Yi; Liu, Ronghui; Zhang, Xi; Whiteing, Anthony

2018-01-01

We consider a container routing problem with stochastic time variables in a sea-rail intermodal transportation system. The problem is formulated as a binary integer chance-constrained programming model including stochastic travel times and stochastic transfer time, with the objective of minimising the expected total cost. Two chance constraints are proposed to ensure that the container service satisfies ship fulfilment and cargo on-time delivery with pre-specified probabilities. A hybrid heuristic algorithm is employed to solve the binary integer chance-constrained programming model. Two case studies are conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed model and to analyse the impact of stochastic variables and chance-constraints on the optimal solution and total cost.

A chance-constrained stochastic approach to intermodal container routing problems

PubMed Central

Zhao, Yi; Zhang, Xi; Whiteing, Anthony

2018-01-01

We consider a container routing problem with stochastic time variables in a sea-rail intermodal transportation system. The problem is formulated as a binary integer chance-constrained programming model including stochastic travel times and stochastic transfer time, with the objective of minimising the expected total cost. Two chance constraints are proposed to ensure that the container service satisfies ship fulfilment and cargo on-time delivery with pre-specified probabilities. A hybrid heuristic algorithm is employed to solve the binary integer chance-constrained programming model. Two case studies are conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed model and to analyse the impact of stochastic variables and chance-constraints on the optimal solution and total cost. PMID:29438389

Internalized Homophobia and Drug Use in a National Cohort of Gay and Bisexual Men: Examining Depression, Sexual Anxiety, and Gay Community Attachment as Mediating Factors.

PubMed

Moody, Raymond L; Starks, Tyrel J; Grov, Christian; Parsons, Jeffrey T

2018-05-01

The minority stress process of internalized homophobia (IH) has been associated with a range of adverse health outcomes among gay and bisexual men (GBM). However, evidence is mixed regarding the effect of IH on drug use, suggesting the potential role of multiple mediated pathways. Researchers have linked depression, sexual anxiety, and gay community attachment with IH. Depression, sexual anxiety, and gay community attachment have also been linked with drug use and drug-related problems suggesting potential mediating roles. A U.S. national sample of 1071 HIV-negative GBM completed at-home surveys, including measures of sociodemographic characteristics, IH, depression, sexual anxiety, gay community attachment, and drug use and associated problems. Adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, depression mediated the association between IH and recent drug use. IH was positively associated with depression, and depression was positively associated with recent drug use. Gay community attachment partially mediated drug-related problems. IH had a positive direct association with drug-related problems and a negative direct association with gay community attachment. Gay community attachment had a positive association with drug-related problems. IH was positively associated with sexual anxiety, but sexual anxiety was not associated with either drug outcome. Efforts to reduce IH among HIV-negative GBM are likely to have a positive impact on mental health problems, as well as reduce risk for drug use and drug-related problems. Gay communities could provide the social support necessary for reducing IH; however, emphasis on community level interventions that address factors that increase risk for drug-related problems remains important.

The Quality of Life in Pregnant Women Conceiving Through in Vitro Fertilization.

PubMed

Globevnik Velikonja, Vislava; Lozej, Tina; Leban, Gaja; Verdenik, Ivan; Vrtačnik Bokal, Eda

2016-03-01

The aim was to determine whether pregnant women conceiving through in vitro fertilization (IVF) differ from those conceiving spontaneously in terms of psychological well-being and the quality of life. In a prospective study we included 75 women conceived after IVF and 78 who conceived spontaneously in the same time period (control group). All the women were sent a self-report questionnaire about demographic and reproductive history, health, pregnancy concerns, containing Subjective Quality of Life Scale (QLS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWB), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Zung Self-Assessment Anxiety Scale (SAS); obstetric and newborn's data were obtained from medical records. Response rate was 66.6% in the IVF and 83.3% in control group. The mean women's age was 33.8 years in the IVF, and 32.5 years in the control group (NS). There were no significant differences between groups on the most of the outcome measures assessing psychological status. IVF mothers were just less satisfied in "friend/acquaintances" (P=0.03), a higher percentage had sexual problems prior to conception (P=0.03); the length of hospitalization during pregnancy was longer (P=0.02), and the preterm delivery rate was higher (P=0.01). Withingroup changes over gestation time indicated that IVF women, not controls, showed an increase in positive affect (P=0.04) and purpose in life (P=0.05). IVF women are inclined to social isolation. Despite more medical problems during pregnancy, they reported improved positive emotions and purpose in life as the pregnancy progressed.

The Quality of Life in Pregnant Women Conceiving Through in Vitro Fertilization

PubMed Central

GLOBEVNIK VELIKONJA, Vislava; LOZEJ, Tina; LEBAN, Gaja; VERDENIK, Ivan; VRTAČNIK BOKAL, Eda

2016-01-01

Objective The aim was to determine whether pregnant women conceiving through in vitro fertilization (IVF) differ from those conceiving spontaneously in terms of psychological well-being and the quality of life. Methods In a prospective study we included 75 women conceived after IVF and 78 who conceived spontaneously in the same time period (control group). All the women were sent a self-report questionnaire about demographic and reproductive history, health, pregnancy concerns, containing Subjective Quality of Life Scale (QLS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWB), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Zung Self-Assessment Anxiety Scale (SAS); obstetric and newborn’s data were obtained from medical records. Response rate was 66.6% in the IVF and 83.3% in control group. Results The mean women’s age was 33.8 years in the IVF, and 32.5 years in the control group (NS). There were no significant differences between groups on the most of the outcome measures assessing psychological status. IVF mothers were just less satisfied in “friend/acquaintances” (P=0.03), a higher percentage had sexual problems prior to conception (P=0.03); the length of hospitalization during pregnancy was longer (P=0.02), and the preterm delivery rate was higher (P=0.01). Withingroup changes over gestation time indicated that IVF women, not controls, showed an increase in positive affect (P=0.04) and purpose in life (P=0.05). Conclusions IVF women are inclined to social isolation. Despite more medical problems during pregnancy, they reported improved positive emotions and purpose in life as the pregnancy progressed. PMID:27647083

Can-out hatch assembly with magnetic retention means

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

Frank, R.C.; Hoh, J.C.

1985-07-03

A can-out hatch assembly may be positioned in sealed engagement about aperture within a chamber and is adapted to engage a cover on a container positioned over the aperture to allow the transfer of a contaminant from the chamber to the container while maintaining the contaminant as well as internal portions of the chamber and container isolated from the surrounding environment. With the container's cover engaged by the can-out hatch assembly, the hatch assembly as well as the cover may be pivotally displaced from the aperture with the cover maintaining the exterior portion of the hatch assembly isolated from themore » contaminant. After the contaminant is transferred from the chamber to the container, the hatch assembly and cover are again positioned in sealed engagement about the aperture. The hatch assembly then positions the cover upon the open end of the container in a sealed manner allowing the container to be removed while maintaining the chamber sealed relative to the surrounding environment. The can-out hatch assembly is particularly adapted for operation by remote control means within the sealed chamber.« less

Can-out hatch assembly with magnetic retention means

DOEpatents

Frank, R.C.; Hoh, J.C.

1985-07-03

A can-out hatch assembly may be positioned in sealed engagement about aperture within a chamber and is adapted to engage a cover on a container positioned over the aperture to allow the transfer of a contaminant from the chamber to the container while maintaining the contaminant as well as internal portions of the chamber and container isolated from the surrounding environment. With the container's cover engaged by the can-out hatch assembly, the hatch assembly as well as the cover may be pivotally displaced from the aperture with the cover maintaining the exterior portion of the hatch assembly isolated from the contaminant. After the contaminant is transferred from the chamber to the container, the hatch assembly and cover are again positioned in sealed engagement about the aperture. The hatch assembly then positions the cover upon the open end of the container in a sealed manner allowing the container to be removed while maintaining the chamber sealed relative to the surrounding environment. The can-out hatch assembly is particularly adapted for operation by remote control means within the sealed chamber.

Can-out hatch assembly with magnetic retention means

DOEpatents

Frank, Robert C.; Hoh, Joseph C.

1986-01-07

A can-out hatch assembly may be positioned in sealed engagement about an aperture within a chamber and is adapted to engage a cover on a container positioned over the aperture to allow the transfer of a contaminant from the chamber to the container while maintaining the contaminant as well as internal portions of the chamber and container isolated from the surrounding environment. With the container's cover engaged by the can-out hatch assembly, the hatch assembly as well as the cover may be pivotally displaced from the aperture with the cover maintaining the exterior portion of the hatch assembly isolated from the contaminant. After the contaminant is transferred from the chamber to the container, the hatch assembly and cover are again positioned in sealed engagement about the aperture. The hatch assembly then positions the cover upon the open end of the container in a sealed manner allowing the container to be removed while maintaining the chamber sealed relative to the surrounding environment. The can-out hatch assembly is particularly adapted for operation by remote control means within the sealed chamber.

Can-out hatch assembly with magnetic retention means

DOEpatents

Frank, Robert C.; Hoh, Joseph C.

1986-01-01

A can-out hatch assembly may be positioned in sealed engagement about an aperture within a chamber and is adapted to engage a cover on a container positioned over the aperture to allow the transfer of a contaminant from the chamber to the container while maintaining the contaminant as well as internal portions of the chamber and container isolated from the surrounding environment. With the container's cover engaged by the can-out hatch assembly, the hatch assembly as well as the cover may be pivotally displaced from the aperture with the cover maintaining the exterior portion of the hatch assembly isolated from the contaminant. After the contaminant is transferred from the chamber to the container, the hatch assembly and cover are again positioned in sealed engagement about the aperture. The hatch assembly then positions the cover upon the open end of the container in a sealed manner allowing the container to be removed while maintaining the chamber sealed relative to the surrounding environment. The can-out hatch assembly is particularly adapted for operation by remote control means within the sealed chamber.

The influence of home-rearing environment on children's behavioral problems 3 years' later.

PubMed

Chen, Wencan; Tanaka, Emiko; Watanabe, Kumi; Tomisaki, Etuko; Watanabe, Taeko; Wu, Bailiang; Anme, Tokie

2016-10-30

Reduction of children's behavioral problems has the potential to ameliorate parental stress, mental health problems, and family dysfunction. The current study was designed as a 3-year longitudinal study with secondary data. A total of 99 caregivers with preschool aged children were required to complete two self-reported questionnaires: the Index of Child Care Environment and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. It demonstrated that a positive home-rearing environment had a positive influence on children's behavioral problem 3 years' later. Our study suggests that we may reduce behavioral problems in children's later development by providing a positive home rearing environment. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Criteria for Formation of Active Personal Position of Schoolchildren

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kunanbayeva, Magziya Sh.

2016-01-01

The article considers the problem and the importance of formation of the active personal position of schoolchildren. Active personal position is a complex concept, which includes the ability to a problem solution, the ability to work in a team, the ability to express his or her views. The formation of an active personal position at school is…

Single Machine Scheduling and Due Date Assignment with Past-Sequence-Dependent Setup Time and Position-Dependent Processing Time

PubMed Central

Zhao, Chuan-Li; Hsu, Hua-Feng

2014-01-01

This paper considers single machine scheduling and due date assignment with setup time. The setup time is proportional to the length of the already processed jobs; that is, the setup time is past-sequence-dependent (p-s-d). It is assumed that a job's processing time depends on its position in a sequence. The objective functions include total earliness, the weighted number of tardy jobs, and the cost of due date assignment. We analyze these problems with two different due date assignment methods. We first consider the model with job-dependent position effects. For each case, by converting the problem to a series of assignment problems, we proved that the problems can be solved in O(n 4) time. For the model with job-independent position effects, we proved that the problems can be solved in O(n 3) time by providing a dynamic programming algorithm. PMID:25258727

An ILP based memetic algorithm for finding minimum positive influence dominating sets in social networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Geng; Guan, Jian; Feng, Huibin

2018-06-01

The positive influence dominating set problem is a variant of the minimum dominating set problem, and has lots of applications in social networks. It is NP-hard, and receives more and more attention. Various methods have been proposed to solve the positive influence dominating set problem. However, most of the existing work focused on greedy algorithms, and the solution quality needs to be improved. In this paper, we formulate the minimum positive influence dominating set problem as an integer linear programming (ILP), and propose an ILP based memetic algorithm (ILPMA) for solving the problem. The ILPMA integrates a greedy randomized adaptive construction procedure, a crossover operator, a repair operator, and a tabu search procedure. The performance of ILPMA is validated on nine real-world social networks with nodes up to 36,692. The results show that ILPMA significantly improves the solution quality, and is robust.

Single machine scheduling and due date assignment with past-sequence-dependent setup time and position-dependent processing time.

PubMed

Zhao, Chuan-Li; Hsu, Chou-Jung; Hsu, Hua-Feng

2014-01-01

This paper considers single machine scheduling and due date assignment with setup time. The setup time is proportional to the length of the already processed jobs; that is, the setup time is past-sequence-dependent (p-s-d). It is assumed that a job's processing time depends on its position in a sequence. The objective functions include total earliness, the weighted number of tardy jobs, and the cost of due date assignment. We analyze these problems with two different due date assignment methods. We first consider the model with job-dependent position effects. For each case, by converting the problem to a series of assignment problems, we proved that the problems can be solved in O(n(4)) time. For the model with job-independent position effects, we proved that the problems can be solved in O(n(3)) time by providing a dynamic programming algorithm.

Individualized Math Problems in Whole Numbers. Oregon Vo-Tech Mathematics Problem Sets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosler, Norma, Ed.

This is one of eighteen sets of individualized mathematics problems developed by the Oregon Vo-Tech Math Project. Each of these problem packages is organized around a mathematical topic and contains problems related to diverse vocations. Solutions are provided for all problems. Problems in this set require computations involving whole numbers.…

Individualized Math Problems in Graphs and Tables. Oregon Vo-Tech Mathematics Problem Sets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosler, Norma, Ed.

This is one of eighteen sets of individualized mathematics problems developed by the Oregon Vo-Tech Math Project. Each of these problem packages is organized around a mathematical topic and contains problems related to diverse vocations. Solutions are provided for all problems. Problems involving the construction and interpretation of graphs and…

Individualized Math Problems in Simple Equations. Oregon Vo-Tech Mathematics Problem Sets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosler, Norma, Ed.

This is one of eighteen sets of individualized mathematics problems developed by the Oregon Vo-Tech Math Project. Each of these problem packages is organized around a mathematical topic and contains problems related to diverse vocations. Solutions are provided for all problems. Problems in this volume require solution of linear equations, systems…

Individualized Math Problems in Trigonometry. Oregon Vo-Tech Mathematics Problem Sets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosler, Norma, Ed.

This is one of eighteen sets of individualized mathematics problems developed by the Oregon Vo-Tech Math Project. Each of these problem packages is organized around a mathematical topic and contains problems related to diverse vocations. Solutions are provided for all problems. Problems in this volume require the use of trigonometric and inverse…

Individualized Math Problems in Decimals. Oregon Vo-Tech Mathematics Problem Sets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosler, Norma, Ed.

THis is one of eighteen sets of individualized mathematics problems developed by the Oregon Vo-Tech Math Project. Each of these problem packages is organized around a mathematical topic and contains problems related to diverse vocations. Solutions are provided for all problems. Problems in this volume concern use of decimals and are related to the…

Individualized Math Problems in Volume. Oregon Vo-Tech Mathematics Problem Sets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosler, Norma, Ed.

This is one of eighteen sets of individualized mathematics problems developed by the Oregon Vo-Tech Math Project. Each of these problem packages is organized around a mathematical topic and contains problems related to diverse vocations. Solutions are provided for all problems. Problems in this booklet require the computation of volumes of solids,…

Effects of lead-contaminated sediment and nutrition on mallard duckling behavior and growth

USGS Publications Warehouse

Douglas-Stroebel, E.; Brewer, G.L.; Hoffman, D.J.

2005-01-01

Sediment ingestion has become a recognized exposure route for toxicants in waterfowl. The effects of lead-contaminated sediment from the Coeur d?Alene River Basin (CDARB) in Idaho were evaluated on mallard (Anas platyryhnchos) duckling behavior and growth over a five-week period using time-activity budgets. Day-old ducklings received either a clean sediment (24%) supplemented control diet, CDARB sediment (3,449 ug/g lead) supplemented diets at 12% or 24%, or a positive control diet (24% clean sediment with equivalent lead acetate to the 24% CDARB diet). Ten different behaviors were monitored for time spent, including resting, standing, moving, drinking, dabbling, feeding, pecking, preening, bathing and swimming. Contaminated sediment (24% CDARB ) and lead acetate significantly decreased the proportion of time spent swimming. There were also problems with balance and mobility in the 24% CDARB and the lead acetate groups. With a less optimal diet (mixture of two thirds corn and one third standard diet) containing 24% clean sediment, nutrient level alone affected six different behaviors including feeding, pecking, swimming, preening, standing, and dabbling. Nutrient level also significantly decreased the growth rate and delayed the initial time of molt. When the corn diet contained CDARB sediment, the proportion of time spent bathing in the 24% CDARB group significantly decreased with marginal effects on resting and feeding. There were also instances of imbalance with 24% CDARB and corn diet, and duckling weights were significantly lower than in corn diet controls. The decreased time spent swimming or bathing, coupled with problems of balance and mobility, decreased growth, histopathological lesions and altered brain biochemistry (reported elsewhere) illustrate a potential threat to the survival of ducklings in the wild that are exposed to lead-containing sediments within the CDARB or elsewhere.

The existence of semiregular solutions to elliptic spectral problems with discontinuous nonlinearities

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

Pavlenko, V N; Potapov, D K

2015-09-30

This paper is concerned with the existence of semiregular solutions to the Dirichlet problem for an equation of elliptic type with discontinuous nonlinearity and when the differential operator is not assumed to be formally self-adjoint. Theorems on the existence of semiregular (positive and negative) solutions for the problem under consideration are given, and a principle of upper and lower solutions giving the existence of semiregular solutions is established. For positive values of the spectral parameter, elliptic spectral problems with discontinuous nonlinearities are shown to have nontrivial semiregular (positive and negative) solutions. Bibliography: 32 titles.

The elasticity problem for a thick-walled cylinder containing a circumferential crack

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nied, H. F.; Erdogan, F.

1983-01-01

The elasticity problem for a long hollow circular cylinder containing an axisymmetric circumferential crack subjected to general nonaxisymmetric external loads is considered. The problem is formulated in terms of a system of singular integral equations with the Fourier coefficients of the derivative of the crack surface displacement as density functions. The stress intensity factors and the crack opening displacement are calculated for a cylinder under uniform tension, bending by end couples, and self-equilibrating residual stresses.

The elasticity problem for a thick-walled cylinder containing a circumferential crack

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nied, H. F.; Erdogan, F.

1982-01-01

The elasticity problem for a long hollow circular cylinder containing an axisymmetric circumferential crack subjected to general nonaxisymmetric external loads is considered. The problem is formulated in terms of a system of singular integral equations with the Fourier coefficients of the derivative of the crack surface displacement as density functions. The stress intensity factors and the crack opening displacement are calculated for a cylinder under uniform tension, bending by end couples, and self-equilibrating residual stresses.

The gas-chromatographic and gas-chromatographic-mass-spectrometric identification of halogen-containing organic compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gidaspov, B. V.; Zenkevich, I. G.; Rodin, A. A.

1989-09-01

The problem of identifying halogen-containing organic compounds in their gas-chromatographic and gas-chromatographic-mass-spectrometric (GC-MS) determination in different materials has been examined. Particular attention has been paid not to the complete characterisation of methods for carrying out this analysis but to the most important problem of increasing the selectivity at the stages of sampling, separation, and interpretation of the gas-chromatographic and GC-MS information. The bibliography contains 292 references.

A proposal to improve e-waste collection efficiency in urban mining: Container loading and vehicle routing problems - A case study of Poland.

PubMed

Nowakowski, Piotr

2017-02-01

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), also known as e-waste, is one of the most important waste streams with high recycling potential. Materials used in these products are valuable, but some of them are hazardous. The urban mining approach attempts to recycle as many materials as possible, so efficiency in collection is vital. There are two main methods used to collect WEEE: stationary and mobile, each with different variants. The responsibility of WEEE organizations and waste collection companies is to assure all resources required for these activities - bins, containers, collection vehicles and staff - are available, taking into account cost minimization. Therefore, it is necessary to correctly determine the capacity of containers and number of collection vehicles for an area where WEEE need to be collected. There are two main problems encountered in collection, storage and transportation of WEEE: container loading problems and vehicle routing problems. In this study, an adaptation of these two models for packing and collecting WEEE is proposed, along with a practical implementation plan designed to be useful for collection companies' guidelines for container loading and route optimization. The solutions are presented in the case studies of real-world conditions for WEEE collection companies in Poland. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seventh Grade Students' Problem Solving Success Rates on Proportional Reasoning Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pelen, Mustafa Serkan; Artut, Perihan Dinç

2016-01-01

This research was conducted to investigate 7th grade students' problem solving success rates on proportional reasoning problems and whether these success rates change with different problem types. 331 randomly selected students of grade seven participated in this study. A problem test which contains three different types of missing value (direct…

Collection of solved problems in physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koupilová, ZdeÅka; Mandíková, Dana; Snětinová, Marie

2017-01-01

To solve physics problems is a key ability which students should reach during their physics education. Ten years ago we started to develop a Collection of fully solved problems. The structure of problems' solutions is specially designed to substitute tutor's help during lesson and encourage students to solve at least some parts of a problem independently. Nowadays the database contains about 770 fully solved problems in physics in Czech, more than 100 problems in Polish and more than 140 problems in English. Other problems are still being translated. Except for physics problems, the Collection has also a mathematical part, which contains more than 300 fully solved problems in mathematics. This paper follows the presentation of the Collection of solved problems from previous years and introduces a new interface of the Collection, its enhanced functionality, new topics, newly created interface for teachers, user feedback and plans for future development. The database is placed at the website of the Department of Physics Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague, the links are: http://reseneulohy.cz/fyzika (Czech version); http://www.physicstasks.eu/ (English version).

Exposure to alcohol advertisements and teenage alcohol-related problems.

PubMed

Grenard, Jerry L; Dent, Clyde W; Stacy, Alan W

2013-02-01

This study used prospective data to test the hypothesis that exposure to alcohol advertising contributes to an increase in underage drinking and that an increase in underage drinking then leads to problems associated with drinking alcohol. A total of 3890 students were surveyed once per year across 4 years from the 7th through the 10th grades. Assessments included several measures of exposure to alcohol advertising, alcohol use, problems related to alcohol use, and a range of covariates, such as age, drinking by peers, drinking by close adults, playing sports, general TV watching, acculturation, parents' jobs, and parents' education. Structural equation modeling of alcohol consumption showed that exposure to alcohol ads and/or liking of those ads in seventh grade were predictive of the latent growth factors for alcohol use (past 30 days and past 6 months) after controlling for covariates. In addition, there was a significant total effect for boys and a significant mediated effect for girls of exposure to alcohol ads and liking of those ads in 7th grade through latent growth factors for alcohol use on alcohol-related problems in 10th grade. Younger adolescents appear to be susceptible to the persuasive messages contained in alcohol commercials broadcast on TV, which sometimes results in a positive affective reaction to the ads. Alcohol ad exposure and the affective reaction to those ads influence some youth to drink more and experience drinking-related problems later in adolescence.

Exposure to Alcohol Advertisements and Teenage Alcohol-Related Problems

PubMed Central

Dent, Clyde W.; Stacy, Alan W.

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE: This study used prospective data to test the hypothesis that exposure to alcohol advertising contributes to an increase in underage drinking and that an increase in underage drinking then leads to problems associated with drinking alcohol. METHODS: A total of 3890 students were surveyed once per year across 4 years from the 7th through the 10th grades. Assessments included several measures of exposure to alcohol advertising, alcohol use, problems related to alcohol use, and a range of covariates, such as age, drinking by peers, drinking by close adults, playing sports, general TV watching, acculturation, parents’ jobs, and parents’ education. RESULTS: Structural equation modeling of alcohol consumption showed that exposure to alcohol ads and/or liking of those ads in seventh grade were predictive of the latent growth factors for alcohol use (past 30 days and past 6 months) after controlling for covariates. In addition, there was a significant total effect for boys and a significant mediated effect for girls of exposure to alcohol ads and liking of those ads in 7th grade through latent growth factors for alcohol use on alcohol-related problems in 10th grade. CONCLUSIONS: Younger adolescents appear to be susceptible to the persuasive messages contained in alcohol commercials broadcast on TV, which sometimes results in a positive affective reaction to the ads. Alcohol ad exposure and the affective reaction to those ads influence some youth to drink more and experience drinking-related problems later in adolescence. PMID:23359585

A novel model-based evolutionary algorithm for multi-objective deformable image registration with content mismatch and large deformations: benchmarking efficiency and quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouter, Anton; Alderliesten, Tanja; Bosman, Peter A. N.

2017-02-01

Taking a multi-objective optimization approach to deformable image registration has recently gained attention, because such an approach removes the requirement of manually tuning the weights of all the involved objectives. Especially for problems that require large complex deformations, this is a non-trivial task. From the resulting Pareto set of solutions one can then much more insightfully select a registration outcome that is most suitable for the problem at hand. To serve as an internal optimization engine, currently used multi-objective algorithms are competent, but rather inefficient. In this paper we largely improve upon this by introducing a multi-objective real-valued adaptation of the recently introduced Gene-pool Optimal Mixing Evolutionary Algorithm (GOMEA) for discrete optimization. In this work, GOMEA is tailored specifically to the problem of deformable image registration to obtain substantially improved efficiency. This improvement is achieved by exploiting a key strength of GOMEA: iteratively improving small parts of solutions, allowing to faster exploit the impact of such updates on the objectives at hand through partial evaluations. We performed experiments on three registration problems. In particular, an artificial problem containing a disappearing structure, a pair of pre- and post-operative breast CT scans, and a pair of breast MRI scans acquired in prone and supine position were considered. Results show that compared to the previously used evolutionary algorithm, GOMEA obtains a speed-up of up to a factor of 1600 on the tested registration problems while achieving registration outcomes of similar quality.

Mental health problem in HIV/AIDS patients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camellia, V.

2018-03-01

People with HIV positive have risk increased mental health problem than the general population. It associated with psychosocial factors, direct neurological effects of the HIV infection and medication. Overall it can make increased morbidity and mortality in HIV positive patients. The more common mental problem in HIV/AIDS people is dementia, delirium, depression, and mania, suicide, psychotic, sleep problem. Both psychopharmacologic and psychotherapeutic treatment strategies often indicate.

Ending up with Less: The Role of Working Memory in Solving Simple Subtraction Problems with Positive and Negative Answers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robert, Nicole D.; LeFevre, Jo-Anne

2013-01-01

Does solving subtraction problems with negative answers (e.g., 5-14) require different cognitive processes than solving problems with positive answers (e.g., 14-5)? In a dual-task experiment, young adults (N=39) combined subtraction with two working memory tasks, verbal memory and visual-spatial memory. All of the subtraction problems required…

Lightweight scheduling of elastic analysis containers in a competitive cloud environment: a Docked Analysis Facility for ALICE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berzano, D.; Blomer, J.; Buncic, P.; Charalampidis, I.; Ganis, G.; Meusel, R.

2015-12-01

During the last years, several Grid computing centres chose virtualization as a better way to manage diverse use cases with self-consistent environments on the same bare infrastructure. The maturity of control interfaces (such as OpenNebula and OpenStack) opened the possibility to easily change the amount of resources assigned to each use case by simply turning on and off virtual machines. Some of those private clouds use, in production, copies of the Virtual Analysis Facility, a fully virtualized and self-contained batch analysis cluster capable of expanding and shrinking automatically upon need: however, resources starvation occurs frequently as expansion has to compete with other virtual machines running long-living batch jobs. Such batch nodes cannot relinquish their resources in a timely fashion: the more jobs they run, the longer it takes to drain them and shut off, and making one-job virtual machines introduces a non-negligible virtualization overhead. By improving several components of the Virtual Analysis Facility we have realized an experimental “Docked” Analysis Facility for ALICE, which leverages containers instead of virtual machines for providing performance and security isolation. We will present the techniques we have used to address practical problems, such as software provisioning through CVMFS, as well as our considerations on the maturity of containers for High Performance Computing. As the abstraction layer is thinner, our Docked Analysis Facilities may feature a more fine-grained sizing, down to single-job node containers: we will show how this approach will positively impact automatic cluster resizing by deploying lightweight pilot containers instead of replacing central queue polls.

[Updating the larval habitats of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Camagüey, Cuba].

PubMed

Diéguez, Lorenzo; Pino, Rafael; Andrés, Julio; Hernández, Arturo; Alarón-Elbal, Pedro Mª; San Martín, José L

2016-12-01

Several illnesses of vectorial origin have a great medical and veterinary relevance, due to the adaptations developed by the species involved in their transmission. To support preventive programs with updated ecological information of Ae. aegypti populations, an entomological survey was carried out in three Health Areas of Camagüey, Cuba, during low and high rain seasons of 2013. For this, we assessed the type and number of positive containers, quantified larvae and pupae in positive containers, according to the container location in or outside the house. Both the container representativeness percentage and the pupal index by specific containers were calculated (PIsC). The total of houses as well as the positive habitual-use and non-disposable containers were compared among weather seasons, using the non parametric Chi2 test. The existent relationship between the total of positive houses and the habitual-use and non-disposable container was explored through the test of proportions hypothesis, with a level of significance of P ≤ 0.05. Ae. aegypti colonized 73 different types of containers, being habitual-use and non-disposable a 23.2 %. This number included 76 % of the positive containers. The greatest larvae collections were obtained in exterior water tanks and barrels, with important pupal production (PIsC = 3.04 and 1.75, respectively), and as well as significant differences towards the rainy season respect to positive houses (PUIA: Chi2 = 32.89; P = 0.00; PUE: Chi2 = 127.44; P = 0.00 and PUJAM: Chi2 = 127.44; P = 0.00), and the habitual-use and non-disposable container (PUIA: Chi2 = 30.37; P = 0.00; PUE: Chi2 = 37.26; P = 0.00 and PUJAM: Chi2 = 81.82; P = 0.00). These data reinforce the priority given to the control and surveillance actions conducted by the community in their respective houses.

An exploration of antecedents of positive affect among the elderly: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Abstract Background: Positive affect contributes to the healthy life style, which, in turn, explains life satisfaction and psychological well-being among the elderly. Existent literature has reinforced that physical activity participation influences development of positive affect for the elderly. Because of the increased life constraints and physical problems, however, maintenance of positive affect might be challenging for elderly people. Methods : Data were drawn from a sample of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. A total sample of 3845 males and 3912 females aged between 65 and 103 years from 16 European countries was analyzed. Perception of life constraints, health problems, physical activity engagement and positive affect were measured by a structured questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis and a technique of structural equation modelling were employed using Amos 18 to examine the hypothesized relationships between study variables. Results: Perceived life constraints and physical problems significantly affected the acquisition of positive affect among the elderly. Physical activity was found to have a significant path coefficient towards the measure of positive attitude and emotion. Physical activity was also a significant mediator between physical problems and positive affect. Conclusions: This study extended our understanding of how the perception of life constraints and health problems influence the elderly’s daily experience. Study finding reinforced the goodness of physical activity participation to enhance positive affect among the elderly. We should administer sustainable and evidence-based physical activity including interventions and infrastructure to improve positive affect and psychological well-bing among the elderly. PMID:25829500

An exploration of antecedents of positive affect among the elderly: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Lee, Sunwoo

2016-02-01

Positive affect contributes to the healthy life style, which, in turn, explains life satisfaction and psychological well-being among the elderly. Existent literature has reinforced that physical activity participation influences development of positive affect for the elderly. Because of the increased life constraints and physical problems, however, maintenance of positive affect might be challenging for elderly people. Data were drawn from a sample of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. A total sample of 3845 males and 3912 females aged between 65 and 103 years from 16 European countries was analyzed. Perception of life constraints, health problems, physical activity engagement and positive affect were measured by a structured questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis and a technique of structural equation modelling were employed using Amos 18 to examine the hypothesized relationships between study variables. Perceived life constraints and physical problems significantly affected the acquisition of positive affect among the elderly. Physical activity was found to have a significant path coefficient towards the measure of positive attitude and emotion. Physical activity was also a significant mediator between physical problems and positive affect. This study extended our understanding of how the perception of life constraints and health problems influence the elderly's daily experience. Study finding reinforced the goodness of physical activity participation to enhance positive affect among the elderly. We should administer sustainable and evidence-based physical activity including interventions and infrastructure to improve positive affect and psychological well-bing among the elderly. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Understanding Positive Play: An Exploration of Playing Experiences and Responsible Gambling Practices.

PubMed

Wood, Richard T A; Griffiths, Mark D

2015-12-01

This study is one of the first to explore in detail the behaviors, attitudes and motivations of players that show no signs of at-risk or problem gambling behavior (so-called 'positive players'). Via an online survey, 1484 positive players were compared with 209 problem players identified using the Lie/Bet screen. The study identified two distinct groups of positive players defined according to their motivations to play and their engagement with responsible gambling (RG) practices. Those positive players that played most frequently employed the most personal RG strategies. Reasons that positive players gave for gambling were focused on leisure (e.g., playing for fun, being entertained, and/or winning a prize). By contrast, problem gamblers were much more focused upon modifying mood states (e.g., excitement, relaxation, depression and playing when bored or upset). The present study also suggests that online gambling is not, by default, inherently riskier than gambling in more traditional ways, as online gambling was the most popular media by which positive players gambled. Furthermore, most positive players reported that it was easier to stick to their limits when playing the National Lottery online compared to traditional retail purchasing of tickets. Problem players were significantly more likely than positive players to gamble with family and friends, suggesting that, contrary to a popular RG message, social play may not be inherently safer than gambling alone. It is proposed that players (generally) may identify more with the term 'positive play' than the term 'RG' which is frequently interpreted as being aimed at people with gambling problems, rather than all players.

Understanding Depressive Symptoms and Psychosocial Stressors on Twitter: A Corpus-Based Study.

PubMed

Mowery, Danielle; Smith, Hilary; Cheney, Tyler; Stoddard, Greg; Coppersmith, Glen; Bryan, Craig; Conway, Mike

2017-02-28

With a lifetime prevalence of 16.2%, major depressive disorder is the fifth biggest contributor to the disease burden in the United States. The aim of this study, building on previous work qualitatively analyzing depression-related Twitter data, was to describe the development of a comprehensive annotation scheme (ie, coding scheme) for manually annotating Twitter data with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Edition 5 (DSM 5) major depressive symptoms (eg, depressed mood, weight change, psychomotor agitation, or retardation) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Edition IV (DSM-IV) psychosocial stressors (eg, educational problems, problems with primary support group, housing problems). Using this annotation scheme, we developed an annotated corpus, Depressive Symptom and Psychosocial Stressors Acquired Depression, the SAD corpus, consisting of 9300 tweets randomly sampled from the Twitter application programming interface (API) using depression-related keywords (eg, depressed, gloomy, grief). An analysis of our annotated corpus yielded several key results. First, 72.09% (6829/9473) of tweets containing relevant keywords were nonindicative of depressive symptoms (eg, "we're in for a new economic depression"). Second, the most prevalent symptoms in our dataset were depressed mood and fatigue or loss of energy. Third, less than 2% of tweets contained more than one depression related category (eg, diminished ability to think or concentrate, depressed mood). Finally, we found very high positive correlations between some depression-related symptoms in our annotated dataset (eg, fatigue or loss of energy and educational problems; educational problems and diminished ability to think). We successfully developed an annotation scheme and an annotated corpus, the SAD corpus, consisting of 9300 tweets randomly-selected from the Twitter application programming interface using depression-related keywords. Our analyses suggest that keyword queries alone might not be suitable for public health monitoring because context can change the meaning of keyword in a statement. However, postprocessing approaches could be useful for reducing the noise and improving the signal needed to detect depression symptoms using social media. ©Danielle Mowery, Hilary Smith, Tyler Cheney, Greg Stoddard, Glen Coppersmith, Craig Bryan, Mike Conway. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 28.02.2017.

Understanding Depressive Symptoms and Psychosocial Stressors on Twitter: A Corpus-Based Study

PubMed Central

Smith, Hilary; Cheney, Tyler; Stoddard, Greg; Coppersmith, Glen; Bryan, Craig; Conway, Mike

2017-01-01

Background With a lifetime prevalence of 16.2%, major depressive disorder is the fifth biggest contributor to the disease burden in the United States. Objective The aim of this study, building on previous work qualitatively analyzing depression-related Twitter data, was to describe the development of a comprehensive annotation scheme (ie, coding scheme) for manually annotating Twitter data with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Edition 5 (DSM 5) major depressive symptoms (eg, depressed mood, weight change, psychomotor agitation, or retardation) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Edition IV (DSM-IV) psychosocial stressors (eg, educational problems, problems with primary support group, housing problems). Methods Using this annotation scheme, we developed an annotated corpus, Depressive Symptom and Psychosocial Stressors Acquired Depression, the SAD corpus, consisting of 9300 tweets randomly sampled from the Twitter application programming interface (API) using depression-related keywords (eg, depressed, gloomy, grief). An analysis of our annotated corpus yielded several key results. Results First, 72.09% (6829/9473) of tweets containing relevant keywords were nonindicative of depressive symptoms (eg, “we’re in for a new economic depression”). Second, the most prevalent symptoms in our dataset were depressed mood and fatigue or loss of energy. Third, less than 2% of tweets contained more than one depression related category (eg, diminished ability to think or concentrate, depressed mood). Finally, we found very high positive correlations between some depression-related symptoms in our annotated dataset (eg, fatigue or loss of energy and educational problems; educational problems and diminished ability to think). Conclusions We successfully developed an annotation scheme and an annotated corpus, the SAD corpus, consisting of 9300 tweets randomly-selected from the Twitter application programming interface using depression-related keywords. Our analyses suggest that keyword queries alone might not be suitable for public health monitoring because context can change the meaning of keyword in a statement. However, postprocessing approaches could be useful for reducing the noise and improving the signal needed to detect depression symptoms using social media. PMID:28246066

Condom Use Errors and Problems: A Comparative Study of HIV-Positive Versus HIV-Negative Young Black MSM

PubMed Central

Crosby, Richard; Mena, Leandro; Yarber, William L.; Graham, Cynthia A.; Sanders, Stephanie A.; Milhausen, Robin R.

2015-01-01

Objective To describe self-reported frequencies of selected condom use errors and problems among young (ages 15–29) Black MSM (YBMSM) and to compare the observed prevalence of these errors/problems by HIV serostatus. Methods Between September 2012 October 2014, electronic interview data were collected from 369 YBMSM attending a federally supported STI clinic located in the southern U.S. Seventeen condom use errors and problems were assessed. Chi-square tests were used to detect significant differences in the prevalence of these 17 errors and problems between HIV-negative and HIV-positive men. Results The recall period was the past 90 days. The overall mean number of errors/problems was 2.98 (sd=2.29). The mean for HIV-negative men was 2.91 (sd=2.15) and the mean for HIV-positive men was 3.18 (sd=2.57). These means were not significantly different (t=1.02, df=367, P=.31). Only two significant differences were observed between HIV-negative and HIV-positive men. Breakage (P = .002) and slippage (P = .005) were about twice as likely among HIV-positive men. Breakage occurred for nearly 30% of the HIV-positive men compared to about 15% among HIV-negative men. Slippage occurred for about 16% of the HIV-positive men compared to about 9% among HIV-negative men. Conclusion A need exists to help YBMSM acquire the skills needed to avert breakage and slippage issues that could lead to HIV transmission. Beyond these two exceptions, condom use errors and problems were ubiquitous in this population regardless of HIV serostatus. Clinic-based intervention is warranted for these young men, including education about correct condom use and provision of free condoms and long-lasting lubricants. PMID:26462188

High temperature sealed electrochemical cell

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

Valentin Chung, Brice Hoani; Burke, Paul J.; Sadoway, Donald R.

2015-10-06

A cell for high temperature electrochemical reactions is provided. The cell includes a container, at least a portion of the container acting as a first electrode. An extension tube has a first end and a second end, the extension tube coupled to the container at the second end forming a conduit from the container to said first end. A second electrode is positioned in the container and extends out of the container via the conduit. A seal is positioned proximate the first end of the extension tube, for sealing the cell.

Positioning and locking apparatus

DOEpatents

Hayward, Milton L.; Harper, William H.

1987-01-01

A positioning and locking apparatus including a fixture having a rotatable torque ring provided with a plurality of cam segments for automatically guiding a container into a desired location within the fixture. Rotation of the ring turns the container into a final position in pressure sealing relation against a hatch member.

Positioning and locking apparatus

DOEpatents

Hayward, M.L.; Harper, W.H.

1985-06-19

A positioning and locking apparatus including a fixture having a rotatable torque ring provided with a plurality of cam segments for automatically guiding a container into a desired location within the fixture. Rotation of the ring turns the container into a final position in pressure sealing relation against a hatch member.

Negative and positive urgency may both be risk factors for compulsive buying

PubMed Central

ROSE, PAUL; SEGRIST, DANIEL J.

2014-01-01

Background and aims: Descriptions of compulsive buying often emphasize the roles of negative moods and trait impulsivity in the development of problematic buying habits. Trait impulsivity is sometimes treated as a unidimensional trait in compulsive buying research, but recent factor analyses suggest that impulsivity consists of multiple components that are probably best treated as independent predictors of problem behavior. In order to draw greater attention to the role of positive moods in compulsive buying, in this study we tested whether negative urgency (the tendency to act rashly while in negative moods) and positive urgency (the tendency to act rashly while in positive moods) account for similar amounts of variance in compulsive buying. Methods: North American adults (N = 514) completed an online survey containing the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale (Ridgway, Kukar-Kinney & Monroe, 2008), established measures of positive and negative urgency (Cyders et al., 2007), ad hoc measures of buying-specific positive and negative urgency, measures of extraversion and neuroticism obtained from the International Personality Item Pool (http://ipip.ori.org/), and demographic questions. Results: In several multiple regression analyses, when demographic variables, neuroticism, and extraversion were controlled, positive urgency and negative urgency both emerged as significant predictors of compulsive buying. Whether the two urgency variables were domain-general or buying-specific, they accounted for similar amounts of variance in compulsive buying. Conclusions: Preventing and reducing compulsive buying may require attention not only to the purchasing decisions people make while in negative states, but also to the purchasing decisions they make while in positive states. PMID:25215224

Development of a Multiplexed Microsphere PCR for Culture-Free Detection and Gram-Typing of Bacteria in Human Blood Samples.

PubMed

Liang, Fang; Browne, Daniel J; Gray, Megan J; Gartlan, Kate H; Smith, David D; Barnard, Ross T; Hill, Geoffrey R; Corrie, Simon R; Markey, Kate A

2018-05-11

Bloodstream infection is a significant clinical problem, particularly in vulnerable patient groups such as those undergoing chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation. Clinical diagnostics for suspected bloodstream infection remain centered around blood culture (highly variable timing, in the order of hours to days to become positive), and empiric use of broad-spectrum antibiotics is therefore employed for patients presenting with febrile neutropenia. Gram-typing provides the first opportunity to target therapy (e.g., combinations containing vancomycin or teicoplanin for Gram-positives; piperacillin-tazobactam or a carbapenem for Gram-negatives); however, current approaches require blood culture. In this study, we describe a multiplexed microsphere-PCR assay with flow cytometry readout, which can distinguish Gram-positive from Gram-negative bacterial DNA in a 3.5 h time period. The combination of a simple assay design (amplicon-dependent release of Gram-type specific Cy3-labeled oligonucleotides) and the Luminex-based readout (for quantifying each specific Cy3-labeled sequence) opens opportunities for further multiplexing. We demonstrate the feasibility of detecting common Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms after spiking whole bacteria into healthy human blood prior to DNA extraction. Further development of DNA extraction methods is required to reach detection limits comparable to blood culture.

Ideas and Problems Contained in the Astronomical Manuscripts Kept in Bosnia and Herzegovina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadzibegovic, Zalkida

2007-04-01

This paper is a summary of dissertation research regarding the ideas and problems contained in the astronomical manuscripts written in the Arabic alphabet and in Oriental languages, which are kept in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main aim of this paper is to show the role and development of the astronomical ideas contained in the manuscripts and the methods explaining the highlighted problems. According to the analyzed manuscripts, ideas in Bosnian science were mainly influenced by Arabic-Islamic countries, while European influence was less important. Even in the time of Copernican heliocentric ideas, the old Arabic astronomy was still current in Bosnia and Herzegovina, primarily for satisfying religious needs of Muslims, such as prayer timekeeping and sacred direction location, by scientific methods.

Archaeal phylogeny: reexamination of the phylogenetic position of Archaeoglobus fulgidus in light of certain composition-induced artifacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woese, C. R.; Achenbach, L.; Rouviere, P.; Mandelco, L.

1991-01-01

A major and too little recognized source of artifact in phylogenetic analysis of molecular sequence data is compositional difference among sequences. The problem becomes particularly acute when alignments contain ribosomal RNAs from both mesophilic and thermophilic species. Among prokaryotes the latter are considerably higher in G + C content than the former, which often results in artificial clustering of thermophilic lineages and their being placed artificially deep in phylogenetic trees. In this communication we review archaeal phylogeny in the light of this consideration, focusing in particular on the phylogenetic position of the sulfate reducing species Archaeoglobus fulgidus, using both 16S rRNA and 23S rRNA sequences. The analysis shows clearly that the previously reported deep branching of the A. fulgidus lineage (very near the base of the euryarchaeal side of the archaeal tree) is incorrect, and that the lineage actually groups with a previously recognized unit that comprises the Methanomicrobiales and extreme halophiles.

The Use of D-Optimal Mixture Design in Optimizing Development of Okara Tablet Formulation as a Dietary Supplement.

PubMed

Zen, Nur Izzati Mohamad; Abd Gani, Siti Salwa; Shamsudin, Rosnah; Masoumi, Hamid Reza Fard

2015-01-01

The usage of soy is increasing year by year. It increases the problem of financial crisis due to the limited sources of soybeans. Therefore, production of oral tablets containing the nutritious leftover of soymilk production, called okara, as the main ingredient was investigated. The okara tablets were produced using the direct compression method. The percentage of okara, guar gum, microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel PH-101), and maltodextrin influenced tablets' hardness and friability which are analyzed using a D-optimal mixture design. Composition of Avicel PH-101 had positive effects for both hardness and friability tests of the tablets. Maltodextrin and okara composition had a significant positive effect on tablets' hardness, but not on percentage of friability of tablets. However, guar gum had a negative effect on both physical tests. The optimum tablet formulation was obtained: 47.0% of okara, 2.0% of guar gum, 35.0% of Avicel PH-101, and 14.0% of maltodextrin.

On the holographic 3D tracking of in vitro cells characterized by a highly-morphological change.

PubMed

Memmolo, Pasquale; Iannone, Maria; Ventre, Maurizio; Netti, Paolo Antonio; Finizio, Andrea; Paturzo, Melania; Ferraro, Pietro

2012-12-17

Digital Holography (DH) in microscopic configuration is a powerful tool for the imaging of micro-objects contained into a three dimensional (3D) volume, by a single-shot image acquisition. Many studies report on the ability of DH to track particle, microorganism and cells in 3D. However, very few investigations are performed with objects that change severely their morphology during the observation period. Here we study DH as a tool for 3D tracking an osteosarcoma cell line for which extensive changes in cell morphology are associated to cell motion. Due to the great unpredictable morphological change, retrieving cell's position in 3D can become a complicated issue. We investigate and discuss in this paper how the tridimensional position can be affected by the continuous change of the cells. Moreover we propose and test some strategies to afford the problems and compare it with others approaches. Finally, results on the 3D tracking and comments are reported and illustrated.

The Use of D-Optimal Mixture Design in Optimizing Development of Okara Tablet Formulation as a Dietary Supplement

PubMed Central

Mohamad Zen, Nur Izzati; Shamsudin, Rosnah

2015-01-01

The usage of soy is increasing year by year. It increases the problem of financial crisis due to the limited sources of soybeans. Therefore, production of oral tablets containing the nutritious leftover of soymilk production, called okara, as the main ingredient was investigated. The okara tablets were produced using the direct compression method. The percentage of okara, guar gum, microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel PH-101), and maltodextrin influenced tablets' hardness and friability which are analyzed using a D-optimal mixture design. Composition of Avicel PH-101 had positive effects for both hardness and friability tests of the tablets. Maltodextrin and okara composition had a significant positive effect on tablets' hardness, but not on percentage of friability of tablets. However, guar gum had a negative effect on both physical tests. The optimum tablet formulation was obtained: 47.0% of okara, 2.0% of guar gum, 35.0% of Avicel PH-101, and 14.0% of maltodextrin. PMID:26171418

Kernel Temporal Differences for Neural Decoding

PubMed Central

Bae, Jihye; Sanchez Giraldo, Luis G.; Pohlmeyer, Eric A.; Francis, Joseph T.; Sanchez, Justin C.; Príncipe, José C.

2015-01-01

We study the feasibility and capability of the kernel temporal difference (KTD)(λ) algorithm for neural decoding. KTD(λ) is an online, kernel-based learning algorithm, which has been introduced to estimate value functions in reinforcement learning. This algorithm combines kernel-based representations with the temporal difference approach to learning. One of our key observations is that by using strictly positive definite kernels, algorithm's convergence can be guaranteed for policy evaluation. The algorithm's nonlinear functional approximation capabilities are shown in both simulations of policy evaluation and neural decoding problems (policy improvement). KTD can handle high-dimensional neural states containing spatial-temporal information at a reasonable computational complexity allowing real-time applications. When the algorithm seeks a proper mapping between a monkey's neural states and desired positions of a computer cursor or a robot arm, in both open-loop and closed-loop experiments, it can effectively learn the neural state to action mapping. Finally, a visualization of the coadaptation process between the decoder and the subject shows the algorithm's capabilities in reinforcement learning brain machine interfaces. PMID:25866504

Exploration of acetanilide derivatives of 1-(ω-phenoxyalkyl)uracils as novel inhibitors of Hepatitis C Virus replication

PubMed Central

Magri, Andrea; Ozerov, Alexander A.; Tunitskaya, Vera L.; Valuev-Elliston, Vladimir T.; Wahid, Ahmed; Pirisi, Mario; Simmonds, Peter; Ivanov, Alexander V.; Novikov, Mikhail S.; Patel, Arvind H.

2016-01-01

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is a major public health problem worldwide. While highly efficacious directly-acting antiviral agents have been developed in recent years, their high costs and relative inaccessibility make their use limited. Here, we describe new 1-(ω-phenoxyalkyl)uracils bearing acetanilide fragment in 3 position of pyrimidine ring as potential antiviral drugs against HCV. Using a combination of various biochemical assays and in vitro virus infection and replication models, we show that our compounds are able to significantly reduce viral genomic replication, independently of virus genotype, with their IC50 values in the nanomolar range. We also demonstrate that our compounds can block de novo RNA synthesis and that effect is dependent on a chemical structure of the compounds. A detailed structure-activity relationship revealed that the most active compounds were the N3-substituted uracil derivatives containing 6-(4-bromophenoxy)hexyl or 8-(4-bromophenoxy)octyl fragment at N1 position. PMID:27406141

Exploration of acetanilide derivatives of 1-(ω-phenoxyalkyl)uracils as novel inhibitors of Hepatitis C Virus replication.

PubMed

Magri, Andrea; Ozerov, Alexander A; Tunitskaya, Vera L; Valuev-Elliston, Vladimir T; Wahid, Ahmed; Pirisi, Mario; Simmonds, Peter; Ivanov, Alexander V; Novikov, Mikhail S; Patel, Arvind H

2016-07-12

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is a major public health problem worldwide. While highly efficacious directly-acting antiviral agents have been developed in recent years, their high costs and relative inaccessibility make their use limited. Here, we describe new 1-(ω-phenoxyalkyl)uracils bearing acetanilide fragment in 3 position of pyrimidine ring as potential antiviral drugs against HCV. Using a combination of various biochemical assays and in vitro virus infection and replication models, we show that our compounds are able to significantly reduce viral genomic replication, independently of virus genotype, with their IC50 values in the nanomolar range. We also demonstrate that our compounds can block de novo RNA synthesis and that effect is dependent on a chemical structure of the compounds. A detailed structure-activity relationship revealed that the most active compounds were the N(3)-substituted uracil derivatives containing 6-(4-bromophenoxy)hexyl or 8-(4-bromophenoxy)octyl fragment at N(1) position.

Social-Emotional Problems in Preschool-Aged Children

PubMed Central

Brown, Courtney M.; Copeland, Kristen A.; Sucharew, Heidi; Kahn, Robert S.

2013-01-01

Objectives To estimate the prevalence of positive screens for social-emotional problems among preschool-aged children in a low-income clinical population and to explore the family context and receptivity to referrals to help guide development of interventions. Design Observational, cross-sectional study. Setting Two urban primary care clinics. Participants A total of 254 parents of 3- and 4-year-old children at 2 urban primary care clinics. Main Outcome Measures Score on a standardized screen for social-emotional problems (Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional) and answers to additional survey questions about child care arrangements, parental depressive symptoms, and attitudes toward preschool and behavioral health referrals. Results Twenty-four percent (95% CI, 16.5%-31.5%) of children screened positive for social-emotional problems. Among those screening positive, 45% had a parent with depressive symptoms, and 27% had no nonparental child care. Among parents of children who screened positive for social-emotional problems, 79% reported they would welcome or would not mind a referral to a counselor or psychologist; only 16% reported a prior referral. Conclusions In a clinical sample, 1 in 4 low-income preschool-aged children screened positive for social-emotional problems, and most parents were amenable to referrals to preschool or early childhood mental health. This represents an opportunity for improvement in primary prevention and early intervention for social-emotional problems. PMID:22926145

Dental equipment test during zero-gravity flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, John; Gosbee, John; Billica, Roger

1991-01-01

The overall objectives of this program were to establish performance criteria and develop prototype equipment for use in the Health Maintenance Facility (HMF) in meeting the needs of dental emergencies during space missions. The primary efforts during this flight test were to test patient-operator relationships, patent (manikin) restraint and positioning, task lighting systems, use and operation of dental rotary instruments, suction and particle containment system, dental hand instrument delivery and control procedures, and the use of dental treatment materials. The initial efforts during the flight focused on verification of the efficiency of the particle containment system. An absorptive barrier was also tested in lieu of the suction collector. To test the instrument delivery system, teeth in the manikin were prepared with the dental drill to receive restorations, some with temporary filling materials and another with definitive filling material (composite resin). The best particle containment came from the combination use of the laminar-air/suction collector in concert with immediate area suction from a surgical high-volume suction tip. Lighting in the treatment area was provided by a flexible fiberoptic probe. This system is quite effective for small areas, but for general tasks ambient illumination is required. The instrument containment system (elastic cord network) was extremely effective and easy to use. The most serious problem with instrument delivey and actual treatment was lack of time during the microgravity sequences. The restorative materials handled and finished well.

Survey of Technologies for Monitoring Containment Liners and Covers

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The report provides information on innovative long-term monitoring technologies to detect contaminant releases beneath a liner containment system and identify potential problems with the integrity of final containment covers.

Positioning and locking apparatus

DOEpatents

Hayward, M.L.; Harper, W.H.

1987-06-30

A positioning and locking apparatus are disclosed including a fixture having a rotatable torque ring provided with a plurality of cam segments for automatically guiding a container into a desired location within the fixture. Rotation of the ring turns the container into a final position in pressure sealing relation against a hatch member. 6 figs.

Cathode composition for electrochemical cell

DOEpatents

Steunenberg, Robert K.; Martin, Allan E.; Tomczuk, Zygmunt

1976-01-01

A high-temperature, secondary electrochemical cell includes a negative electrode containing an alkali metal such as lithium, an electrolyte of molten salt containing ions of that alkali metal and a positive electrode containing a mixture of metallic sulfides. The positive electrode composition is contained within a porous structure that permits permeation of molten electrolyte and includes a mixture of about 5% to 30% by weight Cu.sub.2 S in FeS.

The Environmental Assessment and Management (TEAM) Guide: South Dakota Supplement

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

Nonpermanent Bulk Pesticide Storage Containers - mobile containers positioned on or part of movable equipment, such as trucks, trailers , and tank cars...Storage Containers - containers which are not positioned on or a part of movable equipment, such as trucks, trailers , and tank cars (SDAR 12:56:01:01...premises such as houses, trailer courts, commercial buildings, and institutions (SDAR 74:53:01:01) [Citation Revised April 1998]. • Domestic Water

Comparing Students' Attitudes in Problem-Based and Conventional Curricula.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, David M.; Mann, Karen V.

1996-01-01

A survey of 2 medical school classes at Dalhousie University (Canada) compared student attitudes toward the conventional (n=57 students) and problem-based (n=73) curricula. Students in the problem-based group had more positive attitudes toward the learning environment and curriculum, but were less positive on a student-interaction scale. No…

Effects of Signaled Positive Reinforcement on Problem Behavior Maintained by Negative Reinforcement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schieltz, Kelly M.; Wacker, David P.; Romani, Patrick W.

2017-01-01

We evaluated the effects of providing positive reinforcement for task completion, signaled via the presence of a tangible item, on escape-maintained problem behavior displayed by three typically developing children during one-time 90-min outpatient evaluations. Brief functional analyses of problem behavior, conducted within a multielement design,…

Tongue Disorders

MedlinePlus

... of many muscles. The upper surface contains your taste buds. Problems with the tongue include Pain Swelling Changes in color or texture Abnormal movement or difficulty moving the tongue Taste problems These problems can have many different causes. ...

Psychological functioning of siblings in families of children with chronic health conditions: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Vermaes, Ignace P R; van Susante, Anna M J; van Bakel, Hedwig J A

2012-03-01

The aim of this meta-analysis was to provide an up-to-date review of the literature to enhance our understanding of how chronic health conditions (CHCs) affect siblings, both positively and negatively. PsycINFO and Medline were systematically searched. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (a) peer-reviewed, empirical research report; (b) sample n ≥ 10; and (c) reports statistics on siblings' internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and/or positive self-attributes. Overall, there was a significant small negative effect of CHCs on siblings (d(+) = -.10). Siblings of children with CHCs had more internalizing problems (d(+) = .17), more externalizing problems (d(+) = .08), and less positive self-attributes (d(+) = -.09) than comparisons. Older siblings and siblings of children with life-threatening and/or highly intrusive CHCs were more at risk for psychological problems. This study identified several mechanisms through which CHCs affect siblings. Future research should focus on parent-child dynamics and the longitudinal development of positive self-attributes and internalizing problems as well as on identifying what works in services for siblings of children with CHCs.

Effect of virtual memory on efficient solution of two model problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambiotte, J. J., Jr.

1977-01-01

Computers with virtual memory architecture allow programs to be written as if they were small enough to be contained in memory. Two types of problems are investigated to show that this luxury can lead to quite an inefficient performance if the programmer does not interact strongly with the characteristics of the operating system when developing the program. The two problems considered are the simultaneous solutions of a large linear system of equations by Gaussian elimination and a model three-dimensional finite-difference problem. The Control Data STAR-100 computer runs are made to demonstrate the inefficiencies of programming the problems in the manner one would naturally do if the problems were indeed, small enough to be contained in memory. Program redesigns are presented which achieve large improvements in performance through changes in the computational procedure and the data base arrangement.

[Bioecological studies of Aedes (St) aegypti in an urban area with low vector density in Camagüey province].

PubMed

Diéguez Fernández, Lorenzo; Cabrera Fernández, Sonia María; Prada Noy, Yasnaya; González Larrinaga, Eddy; Rodríguez de la Vega, Ricardo

2011-01-01

The control of the breeding sites of mosquitoes of medical importance is essential for the anti-vector fighting programs; however, the efforts made so far have not great enough since the confirmed dengue fever cases gradually increase. To provide information on the main breeding sites of Aedes aegypti in an urban area with low vector density in Camagüey province. The urban universe was fully surveyed from January to December 2007. The collection procedure in the positive containers followed the National Vector Control program methodology. The characteristics of each container were written in a customized study form of positive blocks. The representative percentage of each positive container, as well as the proportion of larvae per container were determined. Aedes aegypti formed colonies in 44 different containers, being the artificial reservoirs the predominant ones (97.73%). The majority were permanent, useful and unchangeable. Following the population's criteria, the combination of permanent plus useful is valid in 17 types of containers accounting for 38.36% and contributing 180 positive containers for 81.08% of the total number. The tanks placed on the ground reached 36.03% positivity. The high number of mosquito-positive tanks demands greater individual responsibility in improving domestic sanitation and thus, the increase of awareness in order to achieve more active community involvement in this regard. The latter together with the strengthening of transectoriality will allow having an impact on the elimination and final disposal of all the useless materials that may serve as possible breeding sites of mosquitoes.

Maximum likelihood estimation in calibrating a stereo camera setup.

PubMed

Muijtjens, A M; Roos, J M; Arts, T; Hasman, A

1999-02-01

Motion and deformation of the cardiac wall may be measured by following the positions of implanted radiopaque markers in three dimensions, using two x-ray cameras simultaneously. Regularly, calibration of the position measurement system is obtained by registration of the images of a calibration object, containing 10-20 radiopaque markers at known positions. Unfortunately, an accidental change of the position of a camera after calibration requires complete recalibration. Alternatively, redundant information in the measured image positions of stereo pairs can be used for calibration. Thus, a separate calibration procedure can be avoided. In the current study a model is developed that describes the geometry of the camera setup by five dimensionless parameters. Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimates of these parameters were obtained in an error analysis. It is shown that the ML estimates can be found by application of a nonlinear least squares procedure. Compared to the standard unweighted least squares procedure, the ML method resulted in more accurate estimates without noticeable bias. The accuracy of the ML method was investigated in relation to the object aperture. The reconstruction problem appeared well conditioned as long as the object aperture is larger than 0.1 rad. The angle between the two viewing directions appeared to be the parameter that was most likely to cause major inaccuracies in the reconstruction of the 3-D positions of the markers. Hence, attempts to improve the robustness of the method should primarily focus on reduction of the error in this parameter.

A method and implementation for incorporating heuristic knowledge into a state estimator through the use of a fuzzy model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swanson, Steven Roy

The objective of the dissertation is to improve state estimation performance, as compared to a Kalman filter, when non-constant, or changing, biases exist in the measurement data. The state estimation performance increase will come from the use of a fuzzy model to determine the position and velocity gains of a state estimator. A method is proposed for incorporating heuristic knowledge into a state estimator through the use of a fuzzy model. This method consists of using a fuzzy model to determine the gains of the state estimator, converting the heuristic knowledge into the fuzzy model, and then optimizing the fuzzy model with a genetic algorithm. This method is applied to the problem of state estimation of a cascaded global positioning system (GPS)/inertial reference unit (IRU) navigation system. The GPS position data contains two major sources for position bias. The first bias is due to satellite errors and the second is due to the time delay or lag from when the GPS position is calculated until it is used in the state estimator. When a change in the bias of the measurement data occurs, a state estimator will converge on the new measurement data solution. This will introduce errors into a Kalman filter's estimated state velocities, which in turn will cause a position overshoot as it converges. By using a fuzzy model to determine the gains of a state estimator, the velocity errors and their associated deficiencies can be reduced.

Accuracy of self-report in detecting taste dysfunction.

PubMed

Soter, Ana; Kim, John; Jackman, Alexis; Tourbier, Isabelle; Kaul, Arti; Doty, Richard L

2008-04-01

To determine the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value of responses to the following questionnaire statements in detecting taste loss: "I can detect salt in chips, pretzels, or salted nuts," "I can detect sourness in vinegar, pickles, or lemon," "I can detect sweetness in soda, cookies, or ice cream," and "I can detect bitterness, in coffee, beer, or tonic water." Responses to an additional item, "I can detect chocolate in cocoa, cake or candy," was examined to determine whether patients clearly differentiate between taste loss and flavor loss secondary to olfactory dysfunction. A total of 469 patients (207 men, mean age = 54 years, standard deviation = 15 years; and 262 women, mean age = 54 years, standard deviation = 14 years) were administered a questionnaire containing these questions with the response categories of "easily," "somewhat," and "not at all," followed by a comprehensive taste and smell test battery. The questionnaire items poorly detected bona fide taste problems. However, they were sensitive in detecting persons without such problems (i.e., they exhibited low positive but high negative predictive value). Dysfunction categories of the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) were not meaningfully related to subjects' responses to the questionnaire statements. Both sex and age influenced performance on most of the taste tests, with older persons performing more poorly than younger ones and women typically outperforming men. Although it is commonly assumed that straight-forward questions concerning taste may be useful in detecting taste disorders, this study suggests this is not the case. However, patients who specifically report having no problems with taste perception usually do not exhibit taste dysfunction. The difficulty in detecting true taste problems by focused questionnaire items likely reflects a combination of factors. These include the relatively low prevalence of taste deficits in the general population and the tendency of patients to confuse loss of olfaction-related flavor sensations with taste-bud mediated deficits.

A program to compute the soft Robinson-Foulds distance between phylogenetic networks.

PubMed

Lu, Bingxin; Zhang, Louxin; Leong, Hon Wai

2017-03-14

Over the past two decades, phylogenetic networks have been studied to model reticulate evolutionary events. The relationships among phylogenetic networks, phylogenetic trees and clusters serve as the basis for reconstruction and comparison of phylogenetic networks. To understand these relationships, two problems are raised: the tree containment problem, which asks whether a phylogenetic tree is displayed in a phylogenetic network, and the cluster containment problem, which asks whether a cluster is represented at a node in a phylogenetic network. Both the problems are NP-complete. A fast exponential-time algorithm for the cluster containment problem on arbitrary networks is developed and implemented in C. The resulting program is further extended into a computer program for fast computation of the Soft Robinson-Foulds distance between phylogenetic networks. Two computer programs are developed for facilitating reconstruction and validation of phylogenetic network models in evolutionary and comparative genomics. Our simulation tests indicated that they are fast enough for use in practice. Additionally, the distribution of the Soft Robinson-Foulds distance between phylogenetic networks is demonstrated to be unlikely normal by our simulation data.

An approach to functionally relevant clustering of the protein universe: Active site profile‐based clustering of protein structures and sequences

PubMed Central

Knutson, Stacy T.; Westwood, Brian M.; Leuthaeuser, Janelle B.; Turner, Brandon E.; Nguyendac, Don; Shea, Gabrielle; Kumar, Kiran; Hayden, Julia D.; Harper, Angela F.; Brown, Shoshana D.; Morris, John H.; Ferrin, Thomas E.; Babbitt, Patricia C.

2017-01-01

Abstract Protein function identification remains a significant problem. Solving this problem at the molecular functional level would allow mechanistic determinant identification—amino acids that distinguish details between functional families within a superfamily. Active site profiling was developed to identify mechanistic determinants. DASP and DASP2 were developed as tools to search sequence databases using active site profiling. Here, TuLIP (Two‐Level Iterative clustering Process) is introduced as an iterative, divisive clustering process that utilizes active site profiling to separate structurally characterized superfamily members into functionally relevant clusters. Underlying TuLIP is the observation that functionally relevant families (curated by Structure‐Function Linkage Database, SFLD) self‐identify in DASP2 searches; clusters containing multiple functional families do not. Each TuLIP iteration produces candidate clusters, each evaluated to determine if it self‐identifies using DASP2. If so, it is deemed a functionally relevant group. Divisive clustering continues until each structure is either a functionally relevant group member or a singlet. TuLIP is validated on enolase and glutathione transferase structures, superfamilies well‐curated by SFLD. Correlation is strong; small numbers of structures prevent statistically significant analysis. TuLIP‐identified enolase clusters are used in DASP2 GenBank searches to identify sequences sharing functional site features. Analysis shows a true positive rate of 96%, false negative rate of 4%, and maximum false positive rate of 4%. F‐measure and performance analysis on the enolase search results and comparison to GEMMA and SCI‐PHY demonstrate that TuLIP avoids the over‐division problem of these methods. Mechanistic determinants for enolase families are evaluated and shown to correlate well with literature results. PMID:28054422

An approach to functionally relevant clustering of the protein universe: Active site profile-based clustering of protein structures and sequences.

PubMed

Knutson, Stacy T; Westwood, Brian M; Leuthaeuser, Janelle B; Turner, Brandon E; Nguyendac, Don; Shea, Gabrielle; Kumar, Kiran; Hayden, Julia D; Harper, Angela F; Brown, Shoshana D; Morris, John H; Ferrin, Thomas E; Babbitt, Patricia C; Fetrow, Jacquelyn S

2017-04-01

Protein function identification remains a significant problem. Solving this problem at the molecular functional level would allow mechanistic determinant identification-amino acids that distinguish details between functional families within a superfamily. Active site profiling was developed to identify mechanistic determinants. DASP and DASP2 were developed as tools to search sequence databases using active site profiling. Here, TuLIP (Two-Level Iterative clustering Process) is introduced as an iterative, divisive clustering process that utilizes active site profiling to separate structurally characterized superfamily members into functionally relevant clusters. Underlying TuLIP is the observation that functionally relevant families (curated by Structure-Function Linkage Database, SFLD) self-identify in DASP2 searches; clusters containing multiple functional families do not. Each TuLIP iteration produces candidate clusters, each evaluated to determine if it self-identifies using DASP2. If so, it is deemed a functionally relevant group. Divisive clustering continues until each structure is either a functionally relevant group member or a singlet. TuLIP is validated on enolase and glutathione transferase structures, superfamilies well-curated by SFLD. Correlation is strong; small numbers of structures prevent statistically significant analysis. TuLIP-identified enolase clusters are used in DASP2 GenBank searches to identify sequences sharing functional site features. Analysis shows a true positive rate of 96%, false negative rate of 4%, and maximum false positive rate of 4%. F-measure and performance analysis on the enolase search results and comparison to GEMMA and SCI-PHY demonstrate that TuLIP avoids the over-division problem of these methods. Mechanistic determinants for enolase families are evaluated and shown to correlate well with literature results. © 2017 The Authors Protein Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Protein Society.

Effectiveness and safety of imipenem/clavulanate and linezolid to treat multidrug and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis at a referral hospital in Brazil.

PubMed

Arbex, M A; Bonini, E H; Kawakame Pirolla, G; D'Ambrosio, L; Centis, R; Migliori, G B

Evidence on effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of imipenem/clavulanate (IC) and linezolid containing regimens to treat multidrug-resistant (MDR-) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) is scarce. The aim of this observational study is to evaluate the therapeutic contribution of IC and linezolid to manage MDR/XDR-TB cases at the reference centre of São Paulo state, Brazil. Twelve patients (9 males, 1 HIV positive in antiretroviral treatment, 4 MDR, 8 XDR) were treated with IC, 11 of them within linezolid-containing regimens. They all were previously treated with treatment failure, for a median (IQR, interquartile range) of 4.5 (2-6.5) times, having a severe resistance pattern (median number of resistances: 7 (5-8)) and being sputum smear and culture positive. IC and linezolid were prescribed at the dose of 1000mg/day and 600mg/day, respectively. The overall exposure was (median (IQR)) 419 (375.5-658) days for IC and 678 (392-720) days for linezolid. All of them converted their sputum (time to sputum conversion; 60 (37.5-90) days) and culture (75 (60-135) days), and 7 were cured while 5 are still on treatment with a gradually improving clinical picture. While no adverse events were reported for IC, 2 minor side effects, only, were attributed to linezolid (17%); in both cases the drug was re-started without further problems. Our study suggests that IC and linezolid-containing regimens can be used safely and with satisfactory outcomes in reference centres to treat MDR/XDR-TB patients. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Portuguesa de Pneumologia. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Collis-Romberg Mathematical Problem Solving Profiles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collis, K. F.; Romberg, T. A.

Problem solving has become a focus of mathematics programs in Australia in recent years, necessitating the assessment of students' problem-solving abilities. This manual provides a problem-solving assessment and teaching resource package containing four elements: (1) profiles assessment items; (2) profiles diagnostic forms for recording individual…

Apparatus and method for inspecting a sealed container

DOEpatents

Harmon, J Frank [Pocatello, ID; Jones, James L [Idaho Falls, ID; Hunt, Alan W [Pocatello, ID; Spaulding, Randy J [Pocatello, ID; Smith, Michael [Phoenix, AZ

2009-03-24

An apparatus for inspecting a sealed container is disclosed and which includes a pulsed electron accelerator which is positioned in spaced relation relative to a first side of the sealed container, and which produces a pulsed beam of photons which passes through the sealed container and any contents enclosed within the sealed container; a detector positioned in spaced relation relative to a second, opposite side of the sealed container, and which receives the pulsed beam of photons which passes through the contents of the sealed container, and which produces an output signal; and a computer for developing a visible image from the output signal of the detector which depicts the contents of the sealed container.

Maglev crude oil pipeline

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knolle, Ernst G.

1994-01-01

This maglev crude oil pipeline consists of two conduits guiding an endless stream of long containers. One conduit carries loaded containers and the other empty returns. The containers are levitated by permanent magnets in repulsion and propelled by stationary linear induction motors. The containers are linked to each other in a manner that allows them, while in continuous motion, to be folded into side by side position at loading and unloading points. This folding causes a speed reduction in proportion to the ratio of container diameter to container length. While in side by side position, containers are opened at their ends to be filled or emptied. Container size and speed are elected to produce a desired carrying capacity.

Stress intensity factors in two bonded elastic layers containing cracks perpendicular to and on the interface. Part 2: Solution and results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lu, M. C.; Erdogan, F.

1980-01-01

The numerical method is given for solving the plane problem for two bonded infinite dissimilar elastic strips which contain cracks of various configurations. The problem is intended to approximate a composite beam or a plate having cracks perpendicular to and on the interface of the two layers.

Alternating method applied to edge and surface crack problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartranft, R. J.; Sih, G. C.

1972-01-01

The Schwarz-Neumann alternating method is employed to obtain stress intensity solutions to two crack problems of practical importance: a semi-infinite elastic plate containing an edge crack which is subjected to concentrated normal and tangential forces, and an elastic half space containing a semicircular surface crack which is subjected to uniform opening pressure. The solution to the semicircular surface crack is seen to be a significant improvement over existing approximate solutions. Application of the alternating method to other crack problems of current interest is briefly discussed.

Stratospheric CCN sampling program. [volcanology, Mount Saint Helens

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, C. F.; Hudson, J. G.

1982-01-01

Two one liter grab samples of stratospheric aerosol were returned from each of six U-2 sampling missions. Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) spectra from each sample were obtained. Interest was centered on the effects of volcanic activity. Spurious particle generation was found to be a serious problem in container 9 LFT and a much smaller problem in container 9 RT. Initial studies of an option for improved sample containers and values were completed. A CCN spectrometer, able to operate at an internal pressure of 300 mb, was designed.

Experiences of discrimination and positive treatment in people with mental health problems: Findings from an Australian national survey.

PubMed

Reavley, Nicola J; Jorm, Anthony F

2015-10-01

Stigma and discrimination are central concerns for people with mental health problems. The aim of the study was to carry out a national survey in order to assess experiences of avoidance, discrimination and positive treatment in people with mental health problems. In 2014, telephone interviews were carried out with 5220 Australians aged 18+, 1381 of whom reported a mental health problem or scored highly on a symptom screening questionnaire. Questions covered experiences of avoidance, discrimination and positive treatment by friends, spouse, other family, workplace, educational institution and others in the community. In most domains, respondents reported more positive treatment experiences than avoidance or discrimination. Friends and family were more likely to avoid the person than to discriminate. The results can provide input into the design of anti-discrimination interventions and further empower people with mental health problems as they advocate for change in the area of discrimination. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

A Linear Programming Approach to Routing Control in Networks of Constrained Nonlinear Positive Systems with Concave Flow Rates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arneson, Heather M.; Dousse, Nicholas; Langbort, Cedric

2014-01-01

We consider control design for positive compartmental systems in which each compartment's outflow rate is described by a concave function of the amount of material in the compartment.We address the problem of determining the routing of material between compartments to satisfy time-varying state constraints while ensuring that material reaches its intended destination over a finite time horizon. We give sufficient conditions for the existence of a time-varying state-dependent routing strategy which ensures that the closed-loop system satisfies basic network properties of positivity, conservation and interconnection while ensuring that capacity constraints are satisfied, when possible, or adjusted if a solution cannot be found. These conditions are formulated as a linear programming problem. Instances of this linear programming problem can be solved iteratively to generate a solution to the finite horizon routing problem. Results are given for the application of this control design method to an example problem. Key words: linear programming; control of networks; positive systems; controller constraints and structure.

Recasting Problems as Potentials in Group Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laursen, Erik K.; Oliver, Vernon

2003-01-01

Problem-solving groups can become preoccupied with deficit and deviance, while overlooking potential and resources. This article describes methods for using problems as an entree into the development of strengths and solutions. (Contains 1 table.)

Youth Sport Programs: An Avenue to Foster Positive Youth Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser-Thomas, Jessica L.; Cote, Jean; Deakin, Janice

2005-01-01

Concern about the growth in adolescent problem behaviours (e.g. delinquency, drug use) has led to increased interest in positive youth development, and a surge in funding for "after school programs." We evaluate the potential of youth sport programs to foster positive development, while decreasing the risk of problem behaviours.…

A comparison of positive and negative reinforcement for compliance to treat problem behavior maintained by escape.

PubMed

Slocum, Sarah K; Vollmer, Timothy R

2015-09-01

Previous research has shown that problem behavior maintained by escape can be treated using positive reinforcement. In the current study, we directly compared functional (escape) and nonfunctional (edible) reinforcers in the treatment of escape-maintained problem behavior for 5 subjects. In the first treatment, compliance produced a break from instructions. In the second treatment, compliance produced a small edible item. Neither treatment included escape extinction. Results suggested that the delivery of a positive reinforcer for compliance was effective for treating escape-maintained problem behavior for all 5 subjects, and the delivery of escape for compliance was ineffective for 3 of the 5 subjects. Implications and future directions related to the use of positive reinforcers in the treatment of escape behavior are discussed. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

49 CFR 174.85 - Position in train of placarded cars, transport vehicles, freight containers, and bulk packagings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Position in train of placarded cars, transport... TRANSPORTATION HAZARDOUS MATERIALS REGULATIONS CARRIAGE BY RAIL Handling of Placarded Rail Cars, Transport Vehicles and Freight Containers § 174.85 Position in train of placarded cars, transport vehicles, freight...

49 CFR 174.85 - Position in train of placarded cars, transport vehicles, freight containers, and bulk packagings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Position in train of placarded cars, transport... TRANSPORTATION HAZARDOUS MATERIALS REGULATIONS CARRIAGE BY RAIL Handling of Placarded Rail Cars, Transport Vehicles and Freight Containers § 174.85 Position in train of placarded cars, transport vehicles, freight...

Apparatus for remote handling of materials. [mixing or analyzing dangerous chemicals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kimball, R. B.; Hodder, D. T.; Wrinkle, W. W. (Inventor)

1974-01-01

Apparatus for remote handling of materials are described. A closed housing is provided with first and second containers and first and second reservoirs for holding materials to be mixed. The materials are transferable from the reservoirs to the first container where they are mixed. The mixed materials are then conveyed from the first container to the second container preferably by dumping the mixed materials into a funnel positioned over the second container. The second container is then moved to a second position for analysis of the mixed materials. For example, the materials may be ignited and the flame analyzed. Access, such as a sight port, is provided in the housing at the analysis position. The device provides a simple and inexpensive apparatus for safely mixing a pyrophoric material and an oxidizer which together form a thermite type mixture that burns to produce a large quantity of heat and light.

Understanding Adult Age Differences in the Frequency of Problems With Friends.

PubMed

Schlosnagle, Leo; Strough, JoNell

2017-01-01

We investigated characteristics of younger and older adults' friendships. Younger (N = 39) and older (N = 39) adults completed measures pertaining to a specific friend they had (i.e., contact frequency, positive friendship quality, and negative friendship quality) and their frequency of problems with friends in general. Older adults reported fewer problems with friends in general, and fewer negative friendship qualities, less frequent contact, and more positive friendship qualities with a specific friend than younger adults. Contact frequency, positive friendship quality, and negative friendship quality with a specific friend were related to frequency of problems with friends in general, but only contact frequency was a significant mediator of the relation between age and frequency of problems with friends in general. Results show that characteristics of a specific friendship relate to problems with friends in general, and that contact frequency with a specific friend mediates the relation between age and problems with friends in general. Implications are discussed. © The Author(s) 2016.

Applying behavior analysis to school violence and discipline problems: Schoolwide positive behavior support

PubMed Central

Anderson, Cynthia M.; Kincaid, Donald

2005-01-01

School discipline is a growing concern in the United States. Educators frequently are faced with discipline problems ranging from infrequent but extreme problems (e.g., shootings) to less severe problems that occur at high frequency (e.g., bullying, insubordination, tardiness, and fighting). Unfortunately, teachers report feeling ill prepared to deal effectively with discipline problems in schools. Further, research suggests that many commonly used strategies, such as suspension, expulsion, and other reactive strategies, are not effective for ameliorating discipline problems and may, in fact, make the situation worse. The principles and technology of behavior analysis have been demonstrated to be extremely effective for decreasing problem behavior and increasing social skills exhibited by school children. Recently, these principles and techniques have been applied at the level of the entire school, in a movement termed schoolwide positive behavior support. In this paper we review the tenets of schoolwide positive behavior support, demonstrating the relation between this technology and applied behavior analysis. PMID:22478439

A study of sediment transport and erosion in the Fourchon area of south Louisiana

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Self, R. P.

1973-01-01

Aerial photography in the form of color infrared and color positive transparencies were used as aids in evaluating the rate and effect of erosion and sediment transport in Bay Champagne, a coastal marshland of Louisiana. Problems were found in the aerial photography method used. Vegetational differences do not always reflect sediment differences. Only areas containing different soils and sediments are easily defined with aerial photography. The shoreline erosion rate is 75 to 100 ft/yr. Areas which are undergoing erosion shift due to changes in wave refraction. In canals and channels with strong currents, erosion also occurs at a rapid rate. It is recommended that drainage patterns be studied carefully before breaches are made as man-made breaches could reverse drainage.

Anomalous Diffraction in Crystallographic Phase Evaluation

PubMed Central

Hendrickson, Wayne A.

2014-01-01

X-ray diffraction patterns from crystals of biological macromolecules contain sufficient information to define atomic structures, but atomic positions are inextricable without having electron-density images. Diffraction measurements provide amplitudes, but the computation of electron density also requires phases for the diffracted waves. The resonance phenomenon known as anomalous scattering offers a powerful solution to this phase problem. Exploiting scattering resonances from diverse elements, the methods of multiwavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) and single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD) now predominate for de novo determinations of atomic-level biological structures. This review describes the physical underpinnings of anomalous diffraction methods, the evolution of these methods to their current maturity, the elements, procedures and instrumentation used for effective implementation, and the realm of applications. PMID:24726017

Characterising Learning Interactions: A Study of University Students Solving Physics Problems in Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berge, Maria; Danielsson, Anna T.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this article is to explore how a group of four university physics students addressed mechanics problems, in terms of student direction of attention, problem solving strategies and their establishment of and ways of interacting. Adapted from positioning theory, the concepts "positioning" and "storyline" are used to describe and to…

The axisymmetric elasticity problem for a laminated plate containing a circular hole

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delale, F.; Erdogan, F.

1981-01-01

The elasticity problem for a laminated thick plate which consists of two bonded dissimilar layers and which contains a circular hole is considered. The problem is formulated for arbitrary axisymmetric tractions on the hole surface by using the Love strain function. Through the expansion of the boundary conditions into Fourier series the problem is reduced to an infinite system of algebraic equations which is solved by the method of reduction. Of particular interest in the problem are the stresses along the interface as they relate to the question of delamination failure of the composite plate. These stresses are calculated and are observed to become unbounded at the hole boundary. An approximate treatment of the singular behavior of the stress state is presented and the stress intensity factors are calculated.

Campylobacter spp., Giardia spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Noroviruses, and Indicator Organisms in Surface Water in Southwestern Finland, 2000-2001

PubMed Central

Hörman, Ari; Rimhanen-Finne, Ruska; Maunula, Leena; von Bonsdorff, Carl-Henrik; Torvela, Niina; Heikinheimo, Annamari; Hänninen, Marja-Liisa

2004-01-01

A total of 139 surface water samples from seven lakes and 15 rivers in southwestern Finland were analyzed during five consecutive seasons from autumn 2000 to autumn 2001 for the presence of various enteropathogens (Campylobacter spp., Giardia spp., Cryptosporidium spp., and noroviruses) and fecal indicators (thermotolerant coliforms, Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, and F-RNA bacteriophages) and for physicochemical parameters (turbidity and temperature); this was the first such systematic study. Altogether, 41.0% (57 of 139) of the samples were positive for at least one of the pathogens; 17.3% were positive for Campylobacter spp. (45.8% of the positive samples contained Campylobacter jejuni, 25.0% contained Campylobacter lari, 4.2% contained Campylobacter coli, and 25.0% contained Campylobacter isolates that were not identified), 13.7% were positive for Giardia spp., 10.1% were positive for Cryptosporidium spp., and 9.4% were positive for noroviruses (23.0% of the positive samples contained genogroup I and 77.0% contained genogroup II). The samples were positive for enteropathogens significantly (P < 0.05) less frequently during the winter season than during the other sampling seasons. No significant differences in the prevalence of enteropathogens were found when rivers and lakes were compared. The presence of thermotolerant coliforms, E. coli, and C. perfringens had significant bivariate nonparametric Spearman's rank order correlation coefficients (P < 0.001) with samples that were positive for one or more of the pathogens analyzed. The absence of these indicators in a logistic regression model was found to have significant predictive value (odds ratios, 1.15 × 108, 7.57, and 2.74, respectively; P < 0.05) for a sample that was negative for the pathogens analyzed. There were no significant correlations between counts or count levels for thermotolerant coliforms or E. coli or the presence of F-RNA phages and pathogens in the samples analyzed. PMID:14711629

Two hybrid compaction algorithms for the layout optimization problem.

PubMed

Xiao, Ren-Bin; Xu, Yi-Chun; Amos, Martyn

2007-01-01

In this paper we present two new algorithms for the layout optimization problem: this concerns the placement of circular, weighted objects inside a circular container, the two objectives being to minimize imbalance of mass and to minimize the radius of the container. This problem carries real practical significance in industrial applications (such as the design of satellites), as well as being of significant theoretical interest. We present two nature-inspired algorithms for this problem, the first based on simulated annealing, and the second on particle swarm optimization. We compare our algorithms with the existing best-known algorithm, and show that our approaches out-perform it in terms of both solution quality and execution time.

Benign positional vertigo

MedlinePlus

Vertigo - positional; Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo; BPPV: dizziness- positional ... Benign positional vertigo is also called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). It is caused by a problem in the inner ear. ...

Problems of teaching students to use the featured technologies in the area of semantic web

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimov, V. V.; Chernyshov, A. A.; Balandina, A. I.; Kostkina, A. D.

2017-01-01

The following paper contains the description of up-to-date technologies in the area of web-services development, service-oriented architecture and the Semantic Web. The paper contains the analysis of the most popular and widespread technologies and methods in the semantic web area which are used in the developed educational course. In the paper, we also describe the problem of teaching students to use these technologies and specify conditions for the creation of the learning and development course. We also describe the main exercise for personal work and skills, which all the students learning this course have to gain. Moreover, in the paper we specify the problem with software which students are going to use while learning this course. In order to solve this problem, we introduce the developing system which will be used to support the laboratory works. For this moment this system supports only the fourth work execution, but our following plans contain the expansion of the system in order to support the leftover works.

GARLIC, A SHIELDING PROGRAM FOR GAMMA RADIATION FROM LINE- AND CYLINDER- SOURCES

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

Roos, M.

1959-06-01

GARLlC is a program for computing the gamma ray flux or dose rate at a shielded isotropic point detector, due to a line source or the line equivalent of a cylindrical source. The source strength distribution along the line must be either uniform or an arbitrary part of the positive half-cycle of a cosine function The line source can be orierted arbitrarily with respect to the main shield and the detector, except that the detector must not be located on the line source or on its extensionThe main source is a homogeneous plane slab in which scattered radiation is accountedmore » for by multiplying each point element of the line source by a point source buildup factor inside the integral over the point elements. Between the main shield and the line source additional shields can be introduced, which are either plane slabs, parallel to the main shield, or cylindrical rings, coaxial with the line source. Scattered radiation in the additional shields can only be accounted for by constant build-up factors outside the integral. GARLlC-xyz is an extended version particularly suited for the frequently met problem of shielding a room containing a large number of line sources in diHerent positions. The program computes the angles and linear dimensions of a problem for GARLIC when the positions of the detector point and the end points of the line source are given as points in an arbitrary rectangular coordinate system. As an example the isodose curves in water are presented for a monoenergetic cosine-distributed line source at several source energies and for an operating fuel element of the Swedish reactor R3, (auth)« less

Tobacco Road Finland - how did an accepted pleasure turn into an avoidable risk behaviour?

PubMed

Hakkarainen, Pekka

2013-12-01

Smoking was once defined as an appropriate recreational substance or life comfort, but is now understood as a serious health risk and a public health problem important enough to be controlled by society. In this article the changed social position and development of tobacco regulations in Finland are studied from a perspective of social constructionism. The emergence of recent tobacco controls can be seen as a process whereby tobacco came to be defined as a social problem. I will argue that there were three primary definitions which played a decisive role in this process. Put in historical order, these three definitions contained (1) claims about harms to smokers, (2) claims about harms to others, and (3) claims about tobacco as a highly addictive drug. These conceptions together drove a complementary and mutually reinforcing re-conception of tobacco harms. Consequently, the emergence of these definitions led to the founding of new institutions, practices, and treatments. The leading value in the claim-making process was public health, which transferred the state's interest away from fiscal revenues towards lowering the costs caused by tobacco diseases. Correspondingly, medical science and medical doctors gained a position as the leading authority in the defining the tobacco issue. The latest conceptual innovation is the idea of a tobacco-free Finland by 2040, representing a strategy of 'de-normalising' tobacco use. The reversal in the social and cultural position of tobacco, which in Finland went from one extreme to another, was not based on pressure created by any wider social movements or organised tobacco-specific citizens groups, as in some other countries, but rather by a state health administration supported by a relatively small network of tobacco control advocates. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Constructing a Coherent Problem Model to Facilitate Algebra Problem Solving in a Chemistry Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngu, Bing Hiong; Yeung, Alexander Seeshing; Phan, Huy P.

2015-01-01

An experiment using a sample of 11th graders compared text editing and worked examples approaches in learning to solve dilution and molarity algebra word problems in a chemistry context. Text editing requires students to assess the structure of a word problem by specifying whether the problem text contains sufficient, missing, or irrelevant…

Positive and Negative Affect During Sexual Activity: Differences Between Homosexual and Heterosexual Men and Women, With and Without Sexual Problems.

PubMed

Peixoto, Maria Manuela; Nobre, Pedro

2016-01-02

Empirical research suggests that emotional response during sexual activity discriminates between sexually functional and dysfunctional heterosexual men and women, with clinics presenting lower positive and higher negative affect. However, there is no evidence about the role of emotions in gay men and lesbian women with sexual problems. The present study analyzed affective states during sexual activity in homosexual and heterosexual men and women, with and without sexual problems. Participants in this study were 156 men and 168 women. A 2 (group) × 2 (sexual orientation) multivariate analysis of variance was performed. Participants completed a web-survey assessing sexual functioning and the Positive Affect-Negative Affect Scale. Findings indicated a main effect of group, with groups with sexual problems reporting significantly more negative and lower positive affect compared with men and women without sexual problems, regardless of sexual orientation. However, findings have also shown an interaction effect in the male sample with gay men, contrary to heterosexual men, reporting similar affective responses regardless of having a sexual dysfunction or not. Overall, findings emphasize the role of affective responses during sexual activity in men and women with sexual problems, suggesting the importance of addressing emotional responses in assessment and treatment of sexual problems in individuals with different sexual orientations.

On the Competition Problems of IPhO 39 in Vietnam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khoi, Nguyen The; Tu, Pham Quy; Don, Dam Trung

2009-01-01

We report on the competition problems given at the 39th International Physics Olympiad held in Hanoi, Vietnam, which consist of three theoretical and one experimental problems. The abbreviated solutions are presented. The distribution of marks for the problems is also shown. (Contains 2 tables and 8 figures.)

A Preliminary Language Validity Analysis of the Problem Oriented Screening Instrument for Teenagers (POSIT).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Michael J.

1995-01-01

The Problem Oriented Screening Inventory for Teenagers (POSIT) was analyzed in a Hispanic majority school district to determine the test/retest correlation of the English and Spanish versions of the instrument. Data analysis indicated fairly weak agreement between the English and Spanish POSIT version results for this sample of bilingual…

Consumption of Soft Drinks and Hyperactivity, Mental Distress, and Conduct Problems Among Adolescents in Oslo, Norway

PubMed Central

Lien, Lars; Lien, Nanna; Heyerdahl, Sonja; Thoresen, Magne; Bjertness, Espen

2006-01-01

Objectives. We examined whether high levels of consumption of sugar-containing soft drinks were associated with mental distress, hyperactivity, and conduct problems among adolescents. Methods. A cross-sectional population-based survey was conducted with 10th-grade students in Oslo, Norway (n = 5498). We used the Hopkins Symptom Checklist and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to assess mental health outcomes. Results. There was a J-shaped dose–response relationship between soft drink consumption and mental distress, conduct problems, and total mental health difficulties score; that is, adolescents who did not consume soft drinks had higher scores (indicating worse symptoms) than those who consumed soft drinks at moderate levels but lower scores than those with high consumption levels. The relationship was linear for hyperactivity. In a logistic regression model, the association between soft drink consumption and mental health problems remained significant after adjustment for behavioral, social, and food-related variables. The highest adjusted odds ratios were observed for conduct problems among boys and girls who consumed 4 or more glasses of sugar-containing soft drinks per day. Conclusions. High consumption levels of sugar-containing soft drinks were associated with mental health problems among adolescents even after adjustment for possible confounders. PMID:17008578

Can-out hatch assembly and positioning system

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

Basnar, P.J.; Frank, R.C.; Hoh, J.C.

1985-07-03

A can-out hatch assembly is adapted to engage in a sealed manner the upper end of a covered sealed container around an aperture in a sealed chamber and to remove the cover from the container permitting a contaminant to be transferred between the container and the chamber while isolating internal portions of the container and chamber from the surrounding environment. A swing bracket is coupled at a first end thereof to the inner, lower wall of the sealed container adjacent to the aperture therein. To a second end of the swing bracket is mounted a hatch cover which may bemore » positioned in sealed engagement about the chamber's aperture by rotating the hatch cover in a first direction when the swing bracket is in the full down position. Rotation of the hatch cover in a second direction release it from sealed engagement with the chamber's aperture. A lid support rod also coupled to the second end of the swing bracket and inserted through an aperture in the center of the hatch cover may be rotated for theadably engaging the container's cover whereupon the cover may be removed from the container and the hatch cover displaced from the aperture by pivoting displacement of the swing bracket. The contaminant may then be either removed from the container and placed within the sealed chamber, or vice versa, followed by positioning of the cover upon the container and the hatch cover over the aperture in a sealed manner.« less

Can-out hatch assembly and positioning system

DOEpatents

Basnar, P.J.; Frank, R.C.; Hoh, J.C.

1985-07-03

A can-out hatch assembly is adapted to engage in a sealed manner the upper end of a covered sealed container around an aperture in a sealed chamber and to remove the cover from the container permitting a contaminant to be transferred between the container and the chamber while isolating internal portions of the container and chamber from the surrounding environment. A swing bracket is coupled at a first end thereof to the inner, lower wall of the sealed container adjacent to the aperture therein. To a second end of the swing bracket is mounted a hatch cover which may be positioned in sealed engagement about the chamber's aperture by rotating the hatch cover in a first direction when the swing bracket is in the full down position. Rotation of the hatch cover in a second direction release it from sealed engagement with the chamber's aperture. A lid support rod also coupled to the second end of the swing bracket and inserted through an aperture in the center of the hatch cover may be rotated for theadably engaging the container's cover whereupon the cover may be removed from the container and the hatch cover displaced from the aperture by pivoting displacement of the swing bracket. The contaminant may then be either removed from the container and placed within the sealed chamber, or vice versa, followed by positioning of the cover upon the container and the hatch cover over the aperture in a sealed manner.

Can-out hatch assembly and positioning system

DOEpatents

Basnar, Paul J.; Frank, Robert C.; Hoh, Joseph C.

1986-01-01

A can-out hatch assembly is adapted to engage in a sealed manner the upper end of a covered sealed container around an aperture in a sealed chamber and to remove the cover from the container permitting a contaminant to be transferred between the container and the chamber while isolating internal portions of the container and chamber from the surrounding environment. A swing bracket is coupled at a first end thereof to the inner, lower wall of the sealed container adjacent to the aperture therein. To a second end of the swing bracket is mounted a hatch cover which may be positioned in sealed engagement about the chamber's aperture by rotating the hatch cover in a first direction when the swing bracket is in the full down position. Rotation of the hatch cover in a second direction releases it from sealed engagement with the chamber's aperture. A lid support rod also coupled to the second end of the swing bracket and inserted through an aperture in the center of the hatch cover may be rotated for threadably engaging the container's cover whereupon the cover may be removed from the container and the hatch cover displaced from the aperture by pivoting displacement of the swing bracket. The contaminant may then be either removed from the container and placed within the sealed chamber, or vice versa, followed by positioning of the cover upon the container and the hatch cover over the aperture in a sealed manner.

Can-out hatch assembly and positioning system

DOEpatents

Basnar, Paul J.; Frank, Robert C.; Hoh, Joseph C.

1986-01-07

A can-out hatch assembly is adapted to engage in a sealed manner the upper end of a covered sealed container around an aperture in a sealed chamber and to remove the cover from the container permitting a contaminant to be transferred between the container and the chamber while isolating internal portions of the container and chamber from the surrounding environment. A swing bracket is coupled at a first end thereof to the inner, lower wall of the sealed container adjacent to the aperture therein. To a second end of the swing bracket is mounted a hatch cover which may be positioned in sealed engagement about the chamber's aperture by rotating the hatch cover in a first direction when the swing bracket is in the full down position. Rotation of the hatch cover in a second direction releases it from sealed engagement with the chamber's aperture. A lid support rod also coupled to the second end of the swing bracket and inserted through an aperture in the center of the hatch cover may be rotated for threadably engaging the container's cover whereupon the cover may be removed from the container and the hatch cover displaced from the aperture by pivoting displacement of the swing bracket. The contaminant may then be either removed from the container and placed within the sealed chamber, or vice versa, followed by positioning of the cover upon the container and the hatch cover over the aperture in a sealed manner.

49 CFR 173.187 - Pyrophoric solids, metals or alloys, n.o.s.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... positive (not friction) means of closure and contain not more than 15 kg (33 pounds) each. (c) In fiberboard boxes (4G) with inner metal receptacles which have a positive (not friction) means of closure and... (1D) with inner metal receptacles which have a positive (not friction) means of closure and contain...

49 CFR 173.187 - Pyrophoric solids, metals or alloys, n.o.s.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... positive (not friction) means of closure and contain not more than 15 kg (33 pounds) each. (c) In fiberboard boxes (4G) with inner metal receptacles which have a positive (not friction) means of closure and... (1D) with inner metal receptacles which have a positive (not friction) means of closure and contain...

A relational extension of the notion of motifs: application to the common 3D protein substructures searching problem.

PubMed

Pisanti, Nadia; Soldano, Henry; Carpentier, Mathilde; Pothier, Joel

2009-12-01

The geometrical configurations of atoms in protein structures can be viewed as approximate relations among them. Then, finding similar common substructures within a set of protein structures belongs to a new class of problems that generalizes that of finding repeated motifs. The novelty lies in the addition of constraints on the motifs in terms of relations that must hold between pairs of positions of the motifs. We will hence denote them as relational motifs. For this class of problems, we present an algorithm that is a suitable extension of the KMR paradigm and, in particular, of the KMRC as it uses a degenerate alphabet. Our algorithm contains several improvements that become especially useful when-as it is required for relational motifs-the inference is made by partially overlapping shorter motifs, rather than concatenating them. The efficiency, correctness and completeness of the algorithm is ensured by several non-trivial properties that are proven in this paper. The algorithm has been applied in the important field of protein common 3D substructure searching. The methods implemented have been tested on several examples of protein families such as serine proteases, globins and cytochromes P450 additionally. The detected motifs have been compared to those found by multiple structural alignments methods.

From Quantum Fields to Local Von Neumann Algebras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borchers, H. J.; Yngvason, Jakob

The subject of the paper is an old problem of the general theory of quantized fields: When can the unbounded operators of a Wightman field theory be associated with local algebras of bounded operators in the sense of Haag? The paper reviews and extends previous work on this question, stressing its connections with a noncommutive generalization of the classical Hamburger moment problem. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a local net of von Neumann algebras corresponding to a given Wightman field are formulated in terms of strengthened versions of the usual positivity property of Wightman functionals. The possibility that the local net has to be defined in an enlarged Hilbert space cannot be ruled out in general. Under additional hypotheses, e.g., if the field operators obey certain energy bounds, such an extension of the Hilbert space is not necessary, however. In these cases a fairly simple condition for the existence of a local net can be given involving the concept of “central positivity” introduced by Powers. The analysis presented here applies to translationally covariant fields with an arbitrary number of components, whereas Lorentz covariance is not needed. The paper contains also a brief discussion of an approach to noncommutative moment problems due to Dubois-Violette, and concludes with some remarks on modular theory for algebras of unbounded operators.

Seismic reflection imaging, accounting for primary and multiple reflections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wapenaar, Kees; van der Neut, Joost; Thorbecke, Jan; Broggini, Filippo; Slob, Evert; Snieder, Roel

2015-04-01

Imaging of seismic reflection data is usually based on the assumption that the seismic response consists of primary reflections only. Multiple reflections, i.e. waves that have reflected more than once, are treated as primaries and are imaged at wrong positions. There are two classes of multiple reflections, which we will call surface-related multiples and internal multiples. Surface-related multiples are those multiples that contain at least one reflection at the earth's surface, whereas internal multiples consist of waves that have reflected only at subsurface interfaces. Surface-related multiples are the strongest, but also relatively easy to deal with because the reflecting boundary (the earth's surface) is known. Internal multiples constitute a much more difficult problem for seismic imaging, because the positions and properties of the reflecting interfaces are not known. We are developing reflection imaging methodology which deals with internal multiples. Starting with the Marchenko equation for 1D inverse scattering problems, we derived 3D Marchenko-type equations, which relate reflection data at the surface to Green's functions between virtual sources anywhere in the subsurface and receivers at the surface. Based on these equations, we derived an iterative scheme by which these Green's functions can be retrieved from the reflection data at the surface. This iterative scheme requires an estimate of the direct wave of the Green's functions in a background medium. Note that this is precisely the same information that is also required by standard reflection imaging schemes. However, unlike in standard imaging, our iterative Marchenko scheme retrieves the multiple reflections of the Green's functions from the reflection data at the surface. For this, no knowledge of the positions and properties of the reflecting interfaces is required. Once the full Green's functions are retrieved, reflection imaging can be carried out by which the primaries and multiples are mapped to their correct positions, with correct reflection amplitudes. In the presentation we will illustrate this new methodology with numerical examples and discuss its potential and limitations.

Alternative mathematical programming formulations for FSS synthesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reilly, C. H.; Mount-Campbell, C. A.; Gonsalvez, D. J. A.; Levis, C. A.

1986-01-01

A variety of mathematical programming models and two solution strategies are suggested for the problem of allocating orbital positions to (synthesizing) satellites in the Fixed Satellite Service. Mixed integer programming and almost linear programming formulations are presented in detail for each of two objectives: (1) positioning satellites as closely as possible to specified desired locations, and (2) minimizing the total length of the geostationary arc allocated to the satellites whose positions are to be determined. Computational results for mixed integer and almost linear programming models, with the objective of positioning satellites as closely as possible to their desired locations, are reported for three six-administration test problems and a thirteen-administration test problem.

Human amygdala response to dynamic facial expressions of positive and negative surprise.

PubMed

Vrticka, Pascal; Lordier, Lara; Bediou, Benoît; Sander, David

2014-02-01

Although brain imaging evidence accumulates to suggest that the amygdala plays a key role in the processing of novel stimuli, only little is known about its role in processing expressed novelty conveyed by surprised faces, and even less about possible interactive encoding of novelty and valence. Those investigations that have already probed human amygdala involvement in the processing of surprised facial expressions either used static pictures displaying negative surprise (as contained in fear) or "neutral" surprise, and manipulated valence by contextually priming or subjectively associating static surprise with either negative or positive information. Therefore, it still remains unresolved how the human amygdala differentially processes dynamic surprised facial expressions displaying either positive or negative surprise. Here, we created new artificial dynamic 3-dimensional facial expressions conveying surprise with an intrinsic positive (wonderment) or negative (fear) connotation, but also intrinsic positive (joy) or negative (anxiety) emotions not containing any surprise, in addition to neutral facial displays either containing ("typical surprise" expression) or not containing ("neutral") surprise. Results showed heightened amygdala activity to faces containing positive (vs. negative) surprise, which may either correspond to a specific wonderment effect as such, or to the computation of a negative expected value prediction error. Findings are discussed in the light of data obtained from a closely matched nonsocial lottery task, which revealed overlapping activity within the left amygdala to unexpected positive outcomes. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Epidemiological Comparisons of Problems and Positive Qualities Reported by Adolescents in 24 Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rescorla, Leslie; Achenbach, Thomas M.; Ivanova, Masha Y.; Dumenci, Levent; Almqvist, Fredrik; Bilenberg, Niels; Bird, Hector; Broberg, Anders; Dobrean, Anca; Dopfner, Manfred; Erol, Nese; Forns, Maria; Hannesdottir, Helga; Kanbayashi, Yasuko; Lambert, Michael C.; Leung, Patrick; Minaei, Asghar; Mulatu, Mesfin S.; Novik, Torunn S.; Oh, Kyung-Ja; Roussos, Alexandra; Sawyer, Michael; Simsek, Zeynep; Steinhausen, Hans-Christoph; Weintraub, Sheila; Metzke, Christa Winkler; Wolanczyk, Tomasz; Zilber, Nelly; Zukauskiene, Rita; Verhulst, Frank

2007-01-01

In this study, the authors compared ratings of behavioral and emotional problems and positive qualities on the Youth Self-Report (T. M. Achenbach & L. A. Rescorla, 2001) by adolescents in general population samples from 24 countries (N = 27,206). For problem scales, country effect sizes (ESs) ranged from 3% to 9%, whereas those for gender and age…

The heterogeneity of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and conduct problems: Cognitive inhibition, emotion regulation, emotionality, and disorganized attachment.

PubMed

Forslund, Tommie; Brocki, Karin C; Bohlin, Gunilla; Granqvist, Pehr; Eninger, Lilianne

2016-09-01

This study examined the contributions of several important domains of functioning to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and conduct problems. Specifically, we investigated whether cognitive inhibition, emotion regulation, emotionality, and disorganized attachment made independent and specific contributions to these externalizing behaviour problems from a multiple pathways perspective. The study included laboratory measures of cognitive inhibition and disorganized attachment in 184 typically developing children (M age = 6 years, 10 months, SD = 1.7). Parental ratings provided measures of emotion regulation, emotionality, and externalizing behaviour problems. Results revealed that cognitive inhibition, regulation of positive emotion, and positive emotionality were independently and specifically related to ADHD symptoms. Disorganized attachment and negative emotionality formed independent and specific relations to conduct problems. Our findings support the multiple pathways perspective on ADHD, with poor regulation of positive emotion and high positive emotionality making distinct contributions to ADHD symptoms. More specifically, our results support the proposal of a temperamentally based pathway to ADHD symptoms. The findings also indicate that disorganized attachment and negative emotionality constitute pathways specific to conduct problems rather than to ADHD symptoms. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

MARS-MD: rejection based image domain material decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bateman, C. J.; Knight, D.; Brandwacht, B.; McMahon, J.; Healy, J.; Panta, R.; Aamir, R.; Rajendran, K.; Moghiseh, M.; Ramyar, M.; Rundle, D.; Bennett, J.; de Ruiter, N.; Smithies, D.; Bell, S. T.; Doesburg, R.; Chernoglazov, A.; Mandalika, V. B. H.; Walsh, M.; Shamshad, M.; Anjomrouz, M.; Atharifard, A.; Vanden Broeke, L.; Bheesette, S.; Kirkbride, T.; Anderson, N. G.; Gieseg, S. P.; Woodfield, T.; Renaud, P. F.; Butler, A. P. H.; Butler, P. H.

2018-05-01

This paper outlines image domain material decomposition algorithms that have been routinely used in MARS spectral CT systems. These algorithms (known collectively as MARS-MD) are based on a pragmatic heuristic for solving the under-determined problem where there are more materials than energy bins. This heuristic contains three parts: (1) splitting the problem into a number of possible sub-problems, each containing fewer materials; (2) solving each sub-problem; and (3) applying rejection criteria to eliminate all but one sub-problem's solution. An advantage of this process is that different constraints can be applied to each sub-problem if necessary. In addition, the result of this process is that solutions will be sparse in the material domain, which reduces crossover of signal between material images. Two algorithms based on this process are presented: the Segmentation variant, which uses segmented material classes to define each sub-problem; and the Angular Rejection variant, which defines the rejection criteria using the angle between reconstructed attenuation vectors.

Object permanence in orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), and children (Homo sapiens).

PubMed

Call, J

2001-06-01

Juvenile and adult orangutans (n = 5; Pongo pygmaeus), chimpanzees (n = 7; Pan troglodytes), and 19- and 26-month-old children (n = 24; Homo sapiens) received visible and invisible displacements. Three containers were presented forming a straight line, and a small box was used to displace a reward under them. Subjects received 3 types of displacement: single (the box visited 1 container), double adjacent (the box visited 2 contiguous containers), and double nonadjacent (the box visited 2 noncontiguous containers). All species performed at comparable levels, solving all problems except the invisible nonadjacent displacements. Visible displacements were easier than invisible, and single were easier than double displacements. In a 2nd experiment, subjects saw the baiting of either 2 adjacent or 2 nonadjacent containers with no displacements. All species selected the empty container more often when the baited containers were nonadjacent than when they were adjacent. It is hypothesized that a response bias and inhibition problem were responsible for the poor performance in nonadjacent displacements.

A proposal for a problem-oriented pharmacobiochemistry course in dental education.

PubMed

Guven, Y; Bal, F; Issever, H; Can Trosala, S

2014-02-01

Problem-oriented learning is an effective method of learning that increases students' learning motivation, improves the relationship amongst students and results in open-minded discussions. In this study, a new problem-oriented pharmacobiochemistry course related to 'oxidative metabolism of drugs by cytochrome P450 (CYP450) systems' was designed. Students were divided into seven groups. Three keywords related to drug interaction through CYP450 were provided to each group in order for them to conduct research on the information given. After 1 month, the groups attended a session under the supervision of a tutor to solve a simulated problem case that was designed using the keywords. At the end of the integrated course, a multiple-choice examination was given. The success rate of 76 students who attended the course was found to be significantly higher than the success rate of the students who received the lecture-based course only (P < 0.0001). A questionnaire containing 20 items (Cronbach's alpha: 0.92) was administered to the students to learn about their perception regarding this educational model. The questionnaire was evaluated using the Likert scale. Student feedback was very positive, with fourteen answers rated as 'agree' and the remaining six rated as 'strongly agree'. Students thought that the problem-oriented model was very enjoyable and useful in regard to dental education. Based on these results, we conclude that this course model may help achieve an integrated curriculum for dental school programmes. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

42 CFR 84.33 - Approval labels and markings; approval of contents; use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... position on the harness, container, canister, cartridge, filter, or other component, together with... Respirator container and filter container. Abbreviated Filters. Chemical-cartridge respirator Entire Respirator container, cartridge container, and filter containers (where applicable). Abbreviated Cartridges...

42 CFR 84.33 - Approval labels and markings; approval of contents; use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... position on the harness, container, canister, cartridge, filter, or other component, together with... Respirator container and filter container. Abbreviated Filters. Chemical-cartridge respirator Entire Respirator container, cartridge container, and filter containers (where applicable). Abbreviated Cartridges...

42 CFR 84.33 - Approval labels and markings; approval of contents; use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... position on the harness, container, canister, cartridge, filter, or other component, together with... Respirator container and filter container. Abbreviated Filters. Chemical-cartridge respirator Entire Respirator container, cartridge container, and filter containers (where applicable). Abbreviated Cartridges...

42 CFR 84.33 - Approval labels and markings; approval of contents; use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... position on the harness, container, canister, cartridge, filter, or other component, together with... Respirator container and filter container. Abbreviated Filters. Chemical-cartridge respirator Entire Respirator container, cartridge container, and filter containers (where applicable). Abbreviated Cartridges...

42 CFR 84.33 - Approval labels and markings; approval of contents; use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... position on the harness, container, canister, cartridge, filter, or other component, together with... Respirator container and filter container. Abbreviated Filters. Chemical-cartridge respirator Entire Respirator container, cartridge container, and filter containers (where applicable). Abbreviated Cartridges...

Mental health associations with eczema, asthma and hay fever in children: a cross-sectional survey

PubMed Central

Hammer-Helmich, Lene; Linneberg, Allan; Obel, Carsten; Thomsen, Simon Francis; Tang Møllehave, Line; Glümer, Charlotte

2016-01-01

Objective This study aimed to examine the association of eczema, asthma and hay fever with mental health in a general child population and to assess the influence of parental socioeconomic position on these associations. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional health survey of children aged 3, 6, 11 and 15 years in the City of Copenhagen, Denmark. Individual questionnaire data on eczema, asthma, and hay fever and mental health problems assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was linked to register data on demographics and parental socioeconomic position. 9215 (47.9%) children were included in the analyses. Results Linear regression analyses showed that children with current eczema symptoms had higher SDQ scores (mean difference, 95% CI) of emotional problems (0.26, 0.12 to 0.39), conduct problems (0.19, 0.09 to 0.29) and hyperactivity problems (0.32, 0.16 to 0.48); children with current asthma symptoms had higher SDQ scores of emotional problems (0.45, 0.32 to 0.58), conduct problems (0.28, 0.18 to 0.38) and hyperactivity problems (0.52, 0.35 to 0.69); and children with current hay fever symptoms had higher SDQ scores of emotional problems (0.57, 0.42 to 0.72), conduct problems (0.22, 0.11 to 0.33), hyperactivity problems (0.44, 0.26 to 0.61) and peer problems (0.14, 0.01 to 0.26), compared with children without current symptoms of the relevant disease. For most associations, parental socioeconomic position did not modify the effect. Conclusions Children with eczema, asthma or hay fever had more emotional, conduct and hyperactivity problems, but not peer problems, compared with children without these diseases. Atopic diseases added equally to the burden of mental health problems independent of socioeconomic position. PMID:27742629

Mental health associations with eczema, asthma and hay fever in children: a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Hammer-Helmich, Lene; Linneberg, Allan; Obel, Carsten; Thomsen, Simon Francis; Tang Møllehave, Line; Glümer, Charlotte

2016-10-14

This study aimed to examine the association of eczema, asthma and hay fever with mental health in a general child population and to assess the influence of parental socioeconomic position on these associations. We conducted a cross-sectional health survey of children aged 3, 6, 11 and 15 years in the City of Copenhagen, Denmark. Individual questionnaire data on eczema, asthma, and hay fever and mental health problems assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was linked to register data on demographics and parental socioeconomic position. 9215 (47.9%) children were included in the analyses. Linear regression analyses showed that children with current eczema symptoms had higher SDQ scores (mean difference, 95% CI) of emotional problems (0.26, 0.12 to 0.39), conduct problems (0.19, 0.09 to 0.29) and hyperactivity problems (0.32, 0.16 to 0.48); children with current asthma symptoms had higher SDQ scores of emotional problems (0.45, 0.32 to 0.58), conduct problems (0.28, 0.18 to 0.38) and hyperactivity problems (0.52, 0.35 to 0.69); and children with current hay fever symptoms had higher SDQ scores of emotional problems (0.57, 0.42 to 0.72), conduct problems (0.22, 0.11 to 0.33), hyperactivity problems (0.44, 0.26 to 0.61) and peer problems (0.14, 0.01 to 0.26), compared with children without current symptoms of the relevant disease. For most associations, parental socioeconomic position did not modify the effect. Children with eczema, asthma or hay fever had more emotional, conduct and hyperactivity problems, but not peer problems, compared with children without these diseases. Atopic diseases added equally to the burden of mental health problems independent of socioeconomic position. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Apparatus for inspecting a group of containers and method of using same

DOEpatents

Lee, Jr., James H.; Salton, Jonathan R [Albuquerque, NM; Spletzer, Barry L [Albuquerque, NM

2012-02-28

An apparatus and method for inspecting a plurality of containers are provided. Each container has an outer surface for housing at least one material therein. The techniques provided involve at least one inspection vehicle and at least one detector. Each inspection vehicle has a plurality of wheels for movably positioning about the plurality of containers. The wheels may have at least one magnet for selectively adhering to the outer surface of at least one of the containers whereby the inspection vehicle traverses the container(s). The detector is positionable proximate at least one of the containers. The detector may be deployable from the inspection vehicle to a position adjacent the container(s). The detector has at least one sensor for measuring at least one characteristic of the plurality of containers. At least one base station may be provided for communicating with the inspection vehicle(s) and/or detector(s).

Stress intensity factors in bonded half planes containing inclined cracks and subjected to antiplane shear loading

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bassani, J. L.; Erdogan, F.

1979-01-01

The antiplane shear problem for two bonded dissimilar half planes containing a semi-infinite crack or two arbitrarily located collinear cracks is considered. For the semi-infinite crack the problem is solved for a concentrated wedge load and the stress intensity factor and the angular distribution of stresses are calculated. For finite cracks the problem is reduced to a pair of integral equations. Numerical results are obtained for cracks fully imbedded in a homogeneous medium, one crack tip touching the interface, and a crack crossing the interface for various crack angles.

Final Report---Optimization Under Nonconvexity and Uncertainty: Algorithms and Software

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

Jeff Linderoth

2011-11-06

the goal of this work was to develop new algorithmic techniques for solving large-scale numerical optimization problems, focusing on problems classes that have proven to be among the most challenging for practitioners: those involving uncertainty and those involving nonconvexity. This research advanced the state-of-the-art in solving mixed integer linear programs containing symmetry, mixed integer nonlinear programs, and stochastic optimization problems. The focus of the work done in the continuation was on Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programs (MINLP)s and Mixed Integer Linear Programs (MILP)s, especially those containing a great deal of symmetry.

Stress intensity factors in bonded half planes containing inclined cracks and subjected to antiplane shear loading

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bassani, J. L.; Erdogan, F.

1978-01-01

The antiplane shear problem for two bonded dissimilar half planes containing a semi-infinite crack or two arbitrarily located collinear cracks was considered. For the semi-infinite crack the problem was solved for a concentrated wedge load and the stress intensity factor and the angular distribution of stresses were calculated. For finite cracks the problem was reduced to a pair of integral equations. Numerical results were obtained for cracks fully imbedded in a homogeneous medium, one crack tip touching the interface, and a crack crossing the interface for various crack angles.

High prevalence of bovine cysticercosis found during evaluation of different post-mortem detection techniques in Belgian slaughterhouses.

PubMed

Jansen, Famke; Dorny, Pierre; Berkvens, Dirk; Van Hul, Anke; Van den Broeck, Nick; Makay, Caroline; Praet, Nicolas; Eichenberger, Ramon Marc; Deplazes, Peter; Gabriël, Sarah

2017-09-15

Bovine cysticercosis (BCC), caused by the helminth Taenia saginata, is currently diagnosed solely by official meat inspection (MI) based on macroscopic detection of viable cysticerci or typical lesions of degenerated larvae. MI has a known low sensitivity (<16%), leading to a large proportion of infected cattle carcasses entering the human food chain and posing a risk to public health. Prevalence in Belgium based on MI results is estimated at around 0.22%. Due to the low sensitivity of MI, alternative techniques to detect BCC should be considered. This study evaluates MI, MI with additional incisions in the heart, specific antibody detection against excretory/secretory (E/S) in the Ab-ELISA and circulating antigens in the B158/B60 Ag-ELISA on 715 (101 MI-positive and 614 MI-negative) samples collected from carcasses at slaughterhouses in Belgium. Full dissection of the predilection sites was considered the reference test. During the study, mostly carcasses with (very) light infections were detected containing predominantly degenerated or calcified cysticerci and only few viable cysticerci. Dissection of the predilection sites detected 144 (23%) additional infections in the 614 MI-negative carcasses. When sequentially performing first the dissection of the predilection sites, followed by the Ag-ELISA and the Ab-ELISA, an additional 36% of MI-negative carcasses were found positive for BCC, resulting in a prevalence very much higher than the above mentioned 0.22%. The B158/B60 Ag-ELISA showed a sensitivity of 40% for the detection of carcasses containing viable cysticerci and a specificity of 100%, and detected 70 positive carcasses of which only 14 had been identified as positive during MI. If Ag-ELISA were implemented as a detection technique for BCC in the slaughterhouses, many infected carcasses would still not be detected due to the sensitivity of 40%. But as sensitivity increases with increasing number of cysticerci in the carcass, the infected carcasses passing inspection will be the ones containing only a few viable cysticerci and thus posing a smaller food safety problem. Ag-ELISA is preferred over the ES Ab-ELISA in this study, which had a sensitivity of 13.3% and a specificity of 91.7% in a population with overall low infection burdens. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Energy-efficient container handling using hybrid model predictive control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, Jianbin; Negenborn, Rudy R.; Lodewijks, Gabriel

2015-11-01

The performance of container terminals needs to be improved to adapt the growth of containers while maintaining sustainability. This paper provides a methodology for determining the trajectory of three key interacting machines for carrying out the so-called bay handling task, involving transporting containers between a vessel and the stacking area in an automated container terminal. The behaviours of the interacting machines are modelled as a collection of interconnected hybrid systems. Hybrid model predictive control (MPC) is proposed to achieve optimal performance, balancing the handling capacity and energy consumption. The underlying control problem is hereby formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming problem. Simulation studies illustrate that a higher penalty on energy consumption indeed leads to improved sustainability using less energy. Moreover, simulations illustrate how the proposed energy-efficient hybrid MPC controller performs under different types of uncertainties.

Liquid Sloshing Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, Raouf A.

2005-06-01

The problem of liquid sloshing in moving or stationary containers remains of great concern to aerospace, civil, and nuclear engineers; physicists; designers of road tankers and ship tankers; and mathematicians. Beginning with the fundamentals of liquid sloshing theory, this book takes the reader systematically from basic theory to advanced analytical and experimental results in a self-contained and coherent format. The book is divided into four sections. Part I deals with the theory of linear liquid sloshing dynamics; Part II addresses the nonlinear theory of liquid sloshing dynamics, Faraday waves, and sloshing impacts; Part III presents the problem of linear and nonlinear interaction of liquid sloshing dynamics with elastic containers and supported structures; and Part IV considers the fluid dynamics in spinning containers and microgravity sloshing. This book will be invaluable to researchers and graduate students in mechanical and aeronautical engineering, designers of liquid containers, and applied mathematicians.

Vertical drying of a suspension of sticks: Monte Carlo simulation for continuous two-dimensional problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebovka, Nikolai I.; Tarasevich, Yuri Yu.; Vygornitskii, Nikolai V.

2018-02-01

The vertical drying of a two-dimensional colloidal film containing zero-thickness sticks (lines) was studied by means of kinetic Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. The continuous two-dimensional problem for both the positions and orientations was considered. The initial state before drying was produced using a model of random sequential adsorption with isotropic orientations of the sticks. During the evaporation, an upper interface falls with a linear velocity in the vertical direction, and the sticks undergo translational and rotational Brownian motions. The MC simulations were run at different initial number concentrations (the numbers of sticks per unit area), pi, and solvent evaporation rates, u . For completely dried films, the spatial distributions of the sticks, the order parameters, and the electrical conductivities of the films in both the horizontal, x , and vertical, y , directions were examined. Significant evaporation-driven self-assembly and stratification of the sticks in the vertical direction was observed. The extent of stratification increased with increasing values of u . The anisotropy of the electrical conductivity of the film can be finely regulated by changes in the values of pi and u .

Sensor-based auto-focusing system using multi-scale feature extraction and phase correlation matching.

PubMed

Jang, Jinbeum; Yoo, Yoonjong; Kim, Jongheon; Paik, Joonki

2015-03-10

This paper presents a novel auto-focusing system based on a CMOS sensor containing pixels with different phases. Robust extraction of features in a severely defocused image is the fundamental problem of a phase-difference auto-focusing system. In order to solve this problem, a multi-resolution feature extraction algorithm is proposed. Given the extracted features, the proposed auto-focusing system can provide the ideal focusing position using phase correlation matching. The proposed auto-focusing (AF) algorithm consists of four steps: (i) acquisition of left and right images using AF points in the region-of-interest; (ii) feature extraction in the left image under low illumination and out-of-focus blur; (iii) the generation of two feature images using the phase difference between the left and right images; and (iv) estimation of the phase shifting vector using phase correlation matching. Since the proposed system accurately estimates the phase difference in the out-of-focus blurred image under low illumination, it can provide faster, more robust auto focusing than existing systems.

Sensor-Based Auto-Focusing System Using Multi-Scale Feature Extraction and Phase Correlation Matching

PubMed Central

Jang, Jinbeum; Yoo, Yoonjong; Kim, Jongheon; Paik, Joonki

2015-01-01

This paper presents a novel auto-focusing system based on a CMOS sensor containing pixels with different phases. Robust extraction of features in a severely defocused image is the fundamental problem of a phase-difference auto-focusing system. In order to solve this problem, a multi-resolution feature extraction algorithm is proposed. Given the extracted features, the proposed auto-focusing system can provide the ideal focusing position using phase correlation matching. The proposed auto-focusing (AF) algorithm consists of four steps: (i) acquisition of left and right images using AF points in the region-of-interest; (ii) feature extraction in the left image under low illumination and out-of-focus blur; (iii) the generation of two feature images using the phase difference between the left and right images; and (iv) estimation of the phase shifting vector using phase correlation matching. Since the proposed system accurately estimates the phase difference in the out-of-focus blurred image under low illumination, it can provide faster, more robust auto focusing than existing systems. PMID:25763645

Alcohol consumption, beverage prices and measurement error.

PubMed

Young, Douglas J; Bielinska-Kwapisz, Agnieszka

2003-03-01

Alcohol price data collected by the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association (ACCRA) have been widely used in studies of alcohol consumption and related behaviors. A number of problems with these data suggest that they contain substantial measurement error, which biases conventional statistical estimators toward a finding of little or no effect of prices on behavior. We test for measurement error, assess the magnitude of the bias and provide an alternative estimator that is likely to be superior. The study utilizes data on per capita alcohol consumption across U.S. states and the years 1982-1997. State and federal alcohol taxes are used as instrumental variables for prices. Formal tests strongly confim the hypothesis of measurement error. Instrumental variable estimates of the price elasticity of demand range from -0.53 to -1.24. These estimates are substantially larger in absolute value than ordinary least squares estimates, which sometimes are not significantly different from zero or even positive. The ACCRA price data are substantially contaminated with measurement error, but using state and federal taxes as instrumental variables mitigates the problem.

Progress in building a cognitive vision system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benjamin, D. Paul; Lyons, Damian; Yue, Hong

2016-05-01

We are building a cognitive vision system for mobile robots that works in a manner similar to the human vision system, using saccadic, vergence and pursuit movements to extract information from visual input. At each fixation, the system builds a 3D model of a small region, combining information about distance, shape, texture and motion to create a local dynamic spatial model. These local 3D models are composed to create an overall 3D model of the robot and its environment. This approach turns the computer vision problem into a search problem whose goal is the acquisition of sufficient spatial understanding for the robot to succeed at its tasks. The research hypothesis of this work is that the movements of the robot's cameras are only those that are necessary to build a sufficiently accurate world model for the robot's current goals. For example, if the goal is to navigate through a room, the model needs to contain any obstacles that would be encountered, giving their approximate positions and sizes. Other information does not need to be rendered into the virtual world, so this approach trades model accuracy for speed.

Assessment of preclinical problem-based learning versus lecture-based learning.

PubMed

Login, G R; Ransil, B J; Meyer, M; Truong, N T; Donoff, R B; McArdle, P J

1997-06-01

Academic performance on a standardized oral comprehensive exam (OCE) was compared for students taught basic science in a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum and a lecture-based learning (LBL) curriculum. The OCE was administered to the graduating classes of 1991-1994 (n approximately 20/class) six months after completion of their basic science courses. The OCE contained six components including: Organization and Thoroughness, Diagnosis, Primary Treatment Plan, Alternate Treatment Plan, Science and Medical Knowledge, and Dental Knowledge. Six to eight examiners graded each of the students by using a standardized scoring system and by subjective comments. The class of 1991 was taught by LBL, classes of 1993 and 1994 by PBL, and the class of 1992 by an incomplete PBL teaching method. Mean OCE scores were not significantly different between classes; however, the Science and Medical Knowledge component score was significantly better for the class of 1994 than for 1991 (p < 0.05). There was a non-significant 40 percent increase (p = 0.07) in honors and a 269 percent (p < 0.001) increase in cumulative positive examiner comments between 1991 and 1994.

Multilayered co-electrospun scaffold containing silver sulfadiazine as a prophylactic against osteomyelitis: Characterization and biological in vitro evaluations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heo, Min; Lee, Sang Jin; Heo, Dong Nyoung; Lee, Donghyun; Lim, Ho-Nam; Moon, Ji-Hoi; Kwon, Il Keun

2018-02-01

Bone related-bacterial diseases including wound infections and osteomyelitis (OM) still remain a serious problem. In this study, a hybrid co-electrospun membrane consisting of gelatin (GE) and Poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) fibrous sheets containing different concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.5, and 1 wt%) of silver sulfadiazine (AgSD) was designed to provide for improved antimicrobial effect and biocompatibility. Well-defined products were characterized by physicochemical analyses. For biological in vitro assessments, mouse osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured on the scaffolds. This test was done in order to assay for cytotoxicity by measuring cell proliferation. Antibacterial activity against gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was also tested. These biological tests showed that GE/PLGA-AgSD scaffolds had good cell viability, as well as effective antimicrobial activity. These remarkable results suggest that GE/PLGA-AgSD scaffolds possess great potential for the treatment of OM and can find many uses in the field of bone tissue engineering.

A Cation-containing Polymer Anion Exchange Membrane based on Poly(norbornene)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beyer, Frederick; Price, Samuel; Ren, Xiaoming; Savage, Alice

Cation-containing polymers are being studied widely for use as anion exchange membranes (AEMs) in alkaline fuel cells (AFCs) because AEMs offer a number of potential benefits including allowing a solid state device and elimination of the carbonate poisoning problem. The successful AEM will combine high performance from several orthogonal properties, having robust mechanical strength even when wet, high hydroxide conductivity, and the high chemical stability required for long device lifetimes. In this study, we have synthesized a model cationic polymer that combines three of the key advantages of Nafion. The polymer backbone based on semicrystalline atactic poly(norbornene) offers good mechanical properties. A flexible, ether-based tether between the backbone and fixed cation charged species (quaternary ammonium) should provide the low-Tg, hydrophilic environment required to facilitate OH- transport. Finally, methyl groups have been added at the beta position relative to the quaternary ammonium cation to prevent Hoffman elimination, one mechanism by which AEMs are neutralized in a high pH environment. In this poster, we will present our findings on mechanical properties, morphology, charge transport, and chemical stability of this material.

Knowledge-based graphical interfaces for presenting technical information

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feiner, Steven

1988-01-01

Designing effective presentations of technical information is extremely difficult and time-consuming. Moreover, the combination of increasing task complexity and declining job skills makes the need for high-quality technical presentations especially urgent. We believe that this need can ultimately be met through the development of knowledge-based graphical interfaces that can design and present technical information. Since much material is most naturally communicated through pictures, our work has stressed the importance of well-designed graphics, concentrating on generating pictures and laying out displays containing them. We describe APEX, a testbed picture generation system that creates sequences of pictures that depict the performance of simple actions in a world of 3D objects. Our system supports rules for determining automatically the objects to be shown in a picture, the style and level of detail with which they should be rendered, the method by which the action itself should be indicated, and the picture's camera specification. We then describe work on GRIDS, an experimental display layout system that addresses some of the problems in designing displays containing these pictures, determining the position and size of the material to be presented.

Characterization and recognition of mixed emotional expressions in thermal face image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, Priya; Bhattacharjee, Debotosh; De, Barin K.; Nasipuri, Mita

2016-05-01

Facial expressions in infrared imaging have been introduced to solve the problem of illumination, which is an integral constituent of visual imagery. The paper investigates facial skin temperature distribution on mixed thermal facial expressions of our created face database where six are basic expressions and rest 12 are a mixture of those basic expressions. Temperature analysis has been performed on three facial regions of interest (ROIs); periorbital, supraorbital and mouth. Temperature variability of the ROIs in different expressions has been measured using statistical parameters. The temperature variation measurement in ROIs of a particular expression corresponds to a vector, which is later used in recognition of mixed facial expressions. Investigations show that facial features in mixed facial expressions can be characterized by positive emotion induced facial features and negative emotion induced facial features. Supraorbital is a useful facial region that can differentiate basic expressions from mixed expressions. Analysis and interpretation of mixed expressions have been conducted with the help of box and whisker plot. Facial region containing mixture of two expressions is generally less temperature inducing than corresponding facial region containing basic expressions.

Port-O-Sim Object Simulation Application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lanzi, Raymond J.

2009-01-01

Port-O-Sim is a software application that supports engineering modeling and simulation of launch-range systems and subsystems, as well as the vehicles that operate on them. It is flexible, distributed, object-oriented, and realtime. A scripting language is used to configure an array of simulation objects and link them together. The script is contained in a text file, but executed and controlled using a graphical user interface. A set of modules is defined, each with input variables, output variables, and settings. These engineering models can be either linked to each other or run as standalone. The settings can be modified during execution. Since 2001, this application has been used for pre-mission failure mode training for many Range Safety Scenarios. It contains range asset link analysis, develops look-angle data, supports sky-screen site selection, drives GPS (Global Positioning System) and IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) simulators, and can support conceptual design efforts for multiple flight programs with its capacity for rapid six-degrees-of-freedom model development. Due to the assembly of various object types into one application, the application is applicable across a wide variety of launch range problem domains.

Numerical-graphical method for describing the creep of damaged highly filled polymer materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bykov, D. L.; Martynova, E. D.; Mel'nikov, V. P.

2015-09-01

A method for describing the creep behavior until fracture of a highly filled polymer material previously damaged in preliminary tests is proposed. The constitutive relations are the relations of nonlinear endochronic theory of aging viscoelastic materials (NETAVEM) [1]. The numerical-graphical method for identifying the functions occurring in NETAVEM, which was proposed in [2] for describing loading processes at a constant strain rate, is used here for the first time in creep theory. We use the results of experiments with undamaged and preliminary damaged specimens under the action of the same constant tensile loads. The creep kernel is determined in experiments with an undamaged specimen. The reduced time function contained in NETAVEM is determined from the position of points corresponding to the same values of strain on the creep curves of the damaged and undamaged specimens. An integral equation is solved to obtain the aging function, and then the viscosity function is determined. The knowledge of all functions contained in the constitutive relations permits solving the creep problem for products manufactured from a highly filled polymer material.

[Allergy to cosmetics. I. Fragrances].

PubMed

Kieć-Swierczyńska, Marta; Krecisz, Beata; Swierczyńska-Machura, Dominika

2004-01-01

The authors report current information on allergy to aromatic agents present in cosmetics and products of household chemistry. In the perfume industry, about 3000 aromas are used. Single products may contain from 10 to 300 compounds. The problem of difficulties encountered in the diagnosis of hypersensitivity to odors is addressed. The mixture of 8 such products used in diagnostic screening is able to detect allergy only in about 30% of patients who do not tolerate cosmetics. Changing frequency of allergy to individual aromas is discussed. It has been now observed that cinnamon products are less allergic than chemical compounds present in oak moss. Since the 1990s of the last century, allergy to a synthetic aromatic agent, Lyral is the subject of interest in many research centers involved in studies of contact allergy. Half the cosmetics present in European markets, especially deodorants, after shave cosmetics, hand and body lotions contain this agent. It induces positive reactions in about 10% of patients allergic to aromatic agents. Detection of allergy to Lyral is difficult as it is not included in the set of commercial allergens used to diagnose hypersensitivity to aromatic agents.

Prevention of hospital-acquired pneumonia: European perspective.

PubMed

Bonten, Marc J M

2003-12-01

Several preventive measures for VAP have been empirically tested. There is clear evidence that antibiotic-containing preventive strategies, such as SDD and oropharyngeal decontamination, are very effective in different patient populations. Selection of antibiotic resistance remains the major disadvantage of these strategies, however, limiting its applicability in settings with high levels of antibiotic resistance. This probably precludes the use of these strategies in many American settings, but may allow their use in European countries with much lower endemic levels of resistance. There is little evidence that systemic prophylaxis is effective for the prevention of VAP, and initial studies were associated with resistance problems. Of the non antibiotic-containing preventive strategies, subglottic aspiration was effective in several studies, whereas other strategies, such as immunonutrition with glutamine or the semirecumbent patient position, were effective in single studies. All these studies were executed in European ICUs. For these interventions, more data are needed on the generalizability, feasibility, and cost effectiveness. Few data support the use of sucralfate for stress ulcer prophylaxis and modulation of enteral nutrition practices as preventive measures for VAP.

Positive parenting for positive parents: HIV/AIDS, poverty, caregiver depression, child behavior, and parenting in South Africa.

PubMed

Lachman, Jamie M; Cluver, Lucie D; Boyes, Mark E; Kuo, Caroline; Casale, Marisa

2014-01-01

Families affected by HIV/AIDS in the developing world experience higher risks of psychosocial problems than nonaffected families. Positive parenting behavior may buffer against the negative impact of child AIDS-orphanhood and caregiver AIDS-sickness on child well-being. Although there is substantial literature regarding the predictors of parenting behavior in Western populations, there is insufficient evidence on HIV/AIDS as a risk factor for poor parenting in low- and middle-income countries. This paper examines the relationship between HIV/AIDS and positive parenting by comparing HIV/AIDS-affected and nonaffected caregiver-child dyads (n=2477) from a cross-sectional survey in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (27.7% AIDS-ill caregivers; 7.4% child AIDS-orphanhood). Multiple mediation analyses tested an ecological model with poverty, caregiver depression, perceived social support, and child behavior problems as potential mediators of the association of HIV/AIDS with positive parenting. Results indicate that familial HIV/AIDS's association to reduced positive parenting was consistent with mediation by poverty, caregiver depression, and child behavior problems. Parenting interventions that situate positive parenting within a wider ecological framework by improving child behavior problems and caregiver depression may buffer against risks for poor child mental and physical health outcomes in families affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty.

Electromagnetism; Problems and solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilie, Carolina C.; Schrecengost, Zachariah S.

2016-11-01

Electromagnetism: Problems and solutions is an ideal companion book for the undergraduate student-sophomore, junior, or senior-who may want to work on more problems and receive immediate feedback while studying. Each chapter contains brief theoretical notes followed by the problem text with the solution and ends with a brief bibliography. Also presented are problems more general in nature, which may be a bit more challenging.

Some Solved Problems with the SLAC PEP-II B-Factory Beam-Position Monitor System

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

Johnson, Ronald G.

2000-05-05

The Beam-Position Monitor (BPM) system for the SLAC PEP-II B-Factory has been in operation for over two years. Although the BPM system has met all of its specifications, several problems with the system have been identified and solved. The problems include errors and limitations in both the hardware and software. Solutions of such problems have led to improved performance and reliability. In this paper the authors report on this experience. The process of identifying problems is not at an end and they expect continued improvement of the BPM system.

Training in positivity for stroke? A qualitative study of acceptability of use of Positive Mental Training (PosMT) as a tool to assist stroke survivors with post-stroke psychological problems and in coping with rehabilitation.

PubMed

Mavaddat, Nahal; Ross, Sheila; Dobbin, Alastair; Williams, Kate; Graffy, Jonathan; Mant, Jonathan

2017-01-01

Post-stroke psychological problems predict poor recovery, while positive affect enables patients to focus on rehabilitation and may improve functional outcomes. Positive Mental Training (PosMT), a guided self-help audio shows promise as a tool in promoting positivity, optimism and resilience. To assess acceptability of training in positivity with PosMT for prevention and management of post-stroke psychological problems and to help with coping with rehabilitation. A modified PosMT tool consisted of 12 audio tracks each lasting 18 minutes, one listened to every day for a week. Survivors and carers were asked to listen for 4 weeks, but could volunteer to listen for more. Interviews took place about experiences of the tool after 4 and 12 weeks. 10 stroke survivors and 5 carers from Stroke Support Groups in the UK. Three stroke survivors did not engage with the tool. The remainder reported positive physical and psychological benefits including improved relaxation, better sleep and reduced anxiety after four weeks. Survivors who completed the programme gained a positive outlook on the future, increased motivation, confidence and ability to cope with rehabilitation. No adverse effects were reported. The PosMT shows potential as a tool for coping with rehabilitation and overcoming post-stroke psychological problems including anxiety and depression.

Test-specific control conditions for functional analyses.

PubMed

Fahmie, Tara A; Iwata, Brian A; Querim, Angie C; Harper, Jill M

2013-01-01

Most functional analyses of problem behavior include a common condition (play or noncontingent reinforcement) as a control for both positive and negative reinforcement. However, test-specific conditions that control for each potential source of reinforcement may be beneficial occasionally. We compared responding during alone, ignore, play, and differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) control conditions for individuals whose problem behavior was maintained by positive or negative reinforcement. Results showed that all of the conditions were effective controls for problem behavior maintained by positive reinforcement; however, the DRO condition was consistently ineffective as a control for problem behavior maintained by negative reinforcement. Implications for the design of functional analyses and future research are discussed. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Prevalence and Predictors of Video Game Addiction: A Study Based on a National Representative Sample of Gamers.

PubMed

Wittek, Charlotte Thoresen; Finserås, Turi Reiten; Pallesen, Ståle; Mentzoni, Rune Aune; Hanss, Daniel; Griffiths, Mark D; Molde, Helge

Video gaming has become a popular leisure activity in many parts of the world, and an increasing number of empirical studies examine the small minority that appears to develop problems as a result of excessive gaming. This study investigated prevalence rates and predictors of video game addiction in a sample of gamers, randomly selected from the National Population Registry of Norway ( N  = 3389). Results showed there were 1.4 % addicted gamers, 7.3 % problem gamers, 3.9 % engaged gamers, and 87.4 % normal gamers. Gender (being male) and age group (being young) were positively associated with addicted-, problem-, and engaged gamers. Place of birth (Africa, Asia, South- and Middle America) were positively associated with addicted- and problem gamers. Video game addiction was negatively associated with conscientiousness and positively associated with neuroticism. Poor psychosomatic health was positively associated with problem- and engaged gaming. These factors provide insight into the field of video game addiction, and may help to provide guidance as to how individuals that are at risk of becoming addicted gamers can be identified.

Oxygen-producing inert anodes for SOM process

DOEpatents

Pal, Uday B

2014-02-25

An electrolysis system for generating a metal and molecular oxygen includes a container for receiving a metal oxide containing a metallic species to be extracted, a cathode positioned to contact a metal oxide housed within the container; an oxygen-ion-conducting membrane positioned to contact a metal oxide housed within the container; an anode in contact with the oxygen-ion-conducting membrane and spaced apart from a metal oxide housed within the container, said anode selected from the group consisting of liquid metal silver, oxygen stable electronic oxides, oxygen stable crucible cermets, and stabilized zirconia composites with oxygen stable electronic oxides.

The Drift toward Problem Behavior during the Transition to Adolescence: The Contributions of Youth Disclosure, Parenting, and Older Siblings.

PubMed

Low, Sabina; Snyder, James; Shortt, Joann Wu

2012-03-01

Prospective associations of mothers' parenting processes, youth disclosure and youth problem behavior were examined in a longitudinal design following 244 adolescent sibling dyads over a three year period. For both siblings, authoritative parenting was positively associated with youth disclosure and negatively related to problem behavior, and coercive parenting was negatively associated with youth disclosure and positively related to problem behavior. When the influence of older sibling problem behavior on younger sibling problem behavior was modeled, younger sibling disclosure accounted for the relationship of maternal parenting processes to problem behavior. Findings indicate the important role of sibling influence in the development of problem behavior, contextualizing the relative roles of maternal parenting and youth disclosure in the transmission of risk.

The Drift toward Problem Behavior during the Transition to Adolescence: The Contributions of Youth Disclosure, Parenting, and Older Siblings

PubMed Central

Low, Sabina; Snyder, James; Shortt, Joann Wu

2013-01-01

Prospective associations of mothers’ parenting processes, youth disclosure and youth problem behavior were examined in a longitudinal design following 244 adolescent sibling dyads over a three year period. For both siblings, authoritative parenting was positively associated with youth disclosure and negatively related to problem behavior, and coercive parenting was negatively associated with youth disclosure and positively related to problem behavior. When the influence of older sibling problem behavior on younger sibling problem behavior was modeled, younger sibling disclosure accounted for the relationship of maternal parenting processes to problem behavior. Findings indicate the important role of sibling influence in the development of problem behavior, contextualizing the relative roles of maternal parenting and youth disclosure in the transmission of risk. PMID:23667299

Elementary School Teacher Candidates' Perceptions of Good Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Ji-Eun; Kim, Kyoung-Tae

2005-01-01

This study describes a classroom action research activity regarding a group of elementary school teacher candidates' perceptions of good mathematics problems. A questionnaire containing 20 problems was given, and the candidates were asked to rate the quality of each problem on a 5-point scale. The results revealed that the majority of the teacher…

Children's Strategies for Solving Two- and Three-Dimensional Combinatorial Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

English, Lyn D.

1993-01-01

Investigated strategies that 7- to 12-year-old children (n=96) spontaneously applied in solving novel combinatorial problems. With experience in solving two-dimensional problems, children were able to refine their strategies and adapt them to three dimensions. Results on some problems indicated significant effects of age. (Contains 32 references.)…

Soft Systems Methodology and Problem Framing: Development of an Environmental Problem Solving Model Respecting a New Emergent Reflexive Paradigm.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gauthier, Benoit; And Others

1997-01-01

Identifies the more representative problem-solving models in environmental education. Suggests the addition of a strategy for defining a problem situation using Soft Systems Methodology to environmental education activities explicitly designed for the development of critical thinking. Contains 45 references. (JRH)

A Contingency View of Problem Solving in Schools: A Case Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanson, E. Mark; Brown, Michael E.

1977-01-01

Gives definition to the problem-solving process as a cycle of events. The cycle contains numerous stages at which the problem can be deflected in any number of directions depending on the various contingencies surrounding the situation. As a result, problem solving is often an unpredictable process. (Author/IRT)

Modeling containment of large wildfires using generalized linear mixed-model analysis

Treesearch

Mark Finney; Isaac C. Grenfell; Charles W. McHugh

2009-01-01

Billions of dollars are spent annually in the United States to contain large wildland fires, but the factors contributing to suppression success remain poorly understood. We used a regression model (generalized linear mixed-model) to model containment probability of individual fires, assuming that containment was a repeated-measures problem (fixed effect) and...

Hydraulic drill string breakdown and bleed off unit

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

Zeringue, F.J. Jr.

1987-02-17

An apparatus is described for use within an oil well rig for decoupling a tubing string into pipe segments comprising, in combination: rotary tong means for applying an unthreading torque to a first, upper pipe segment within the tubing string; torque resisting means for securing a second, lower pipe segment within the tubing string against the unthreading torque; containing means, intermediate the rotary tong means and the torque resisting means, enclosing a threaded joint of the tubing string, adapted for containing pressurized gases, liquids, and particulates, released from the threaded joint upon the decoupling; fluid communicating means for allowing fluidmore » communication between the containing means and a receiving point adapted for receiving the pressurized gases, liquids, and particulates; means for moving the rotary tong means, the torque resisting means and the containing means between a closed, engaging position with the tubing string and an open position; and means for horizontally moving the rotary tong means, the torque resisting means and the containing means between a position adjacent the tubing string and a position away from the tubing string.« less

The Relations of Temperament Reactivity and Effortful Control to Children’s Adjustment Problems in China and the United States

PubMed Central

Zhou, Qing; Lengua, Liliana J.; Wang, Yun

2014-01-01

The relations of parents’ and teachers’ reports of temperament anger-irritability, positive emotionality, and effortful control (attention focusing and inhibitory control) to children’s externalizing and internalizing problems were examined in Chinese (N = 382) and U.S. (N = 322) samples of school-age children. Results suggested that in both cultures, low effortful control and high anger–irritability were associated with high externalizing problems, although the relations were stronger in the Chinese sample than in the U.S. sample. Low positive emotionality was associated with high internalizing problems in both cultures. However, high positive emotionality was associated with noncomorbid externalizing problems (teachers’ reports) in the Chinese sample but not in the U.S. sample. These findings suggest that there are considerable cross-cultural similarities in the temperament-adjustment associations, although some cross-cultural differences might exist. Implications of the findings for the detection and intervention of adjustment problems in Chinese children are discussed. PMID:19413428

[Regulation of Positive and Negative Emotions as Mediator between Maternal Emotion Socialization and Child Problem Behavior].

PubMed

Fäsche, Anika; Gunzenhauser, Catherine; Friedlmeier, Wolfgang; von Suchodoletz, Antje

2015-01-01

The present study investigated five to six year old children's ability to regulate negative and positive emotions in relation to psychosocial problem behavior (N=53). It was explored, whether mothers' supportive and nonsupportive strategies of emotion socialization influence children's problem behavior by shaping their emotion regulation ability. Mothers reported on children's emotion regulation and internalizing and externalizing problem behavior via questionnaire, and were interviewed about their preferences for socialization strategies in response to children's expression of negative affect. Results showed that children with more adaptive expression of adequate positive emotions had less internalizing behavior problems. When children showed more control of inadequate negative emotions, children were less internalizing as well as externalizing in their behavior. Furthermore, results indicated indirect relations of mothers' socialization strategies with children's problem behavior. Control of inadequate negative emotions mediated the link between non-supportive strategies on externalizing problem behavior. Results suggest that emotion regulatory processes should be part of interventions to reduce the development of problematic behavior in young children. Parents should be trained in dealing with children's emotions in a constructive way.

Children's appraisals of conflict, beliefs about aggression, and externalizing problems in families characterized by severe intimate partner violence.

PubMed

Jouriles, Ernest N; Vu, Nicole L; McDonald, Renee; Rosenfield, David

2014-12-01

This research examined whether children's threat and self-blame appraisals regarding interparental conflict and their beliefs about the justifiability of aggression predicted children's externalizing problems in families in which there had been recent severe intimate partner violence (IPV). Participants were 106 children (62 boys, 44 girls) aged 7 to 10 and their mothers. Families in which there had been recent severe IPV were recruited during their stay at a domestic violence shelter. Children completed measures of threat, self-blame, beliefs about the justifiability of aggression, and externalizing problems. Mothers completed a measure of children's externalizing problems. Measures were completed at 3 time points, spaced 6 months apart. In multilevel modeling analyses, threat appraisals and beliefs about the justifiability of aggression were positively associated with children's reports of externalizing problems concurrently, and self-blame appraisals were positively associated with mothers' reports of externalizing problems concurrently. In prospective analyses, beliefs about the justifiability of aggression at 1 time point were positively associated with children's reports of externalizing problems 6 months later. The results provide partial support for the modified cognitive-contextual framework.

Sample introduction apparatus for a flow cytometer

DOEpatents

Van den Engh, Ger

1998-01-01

A sample introduction system for a flow cytometer allows easy change of sample containers such as test tubes and facilitates use in high pressure environments. The sample container includes a cap having a pressure supply chamber and a sample container attachment cavity. A sample container may be automatically positioned into the attachment cavity so as to sealably engage the end of the sample container as its outer surface. This positioning may be accomplished through some sample introduction mechanism. To facilitate cleaning HPLC tubing and fittings may be used in a manner which facilitates removable of the entire tubing from both the nozzle container and other sample container cap to permit its replacement to avoid contamination. The sample container support may include horizontal stops which loosely limit the movement of the sample container and thus avoid further stresses upon it.

Sample introduction system for a flow cytometer

DOEpatents

Van den Engh, Ger

1997-01-01

A sample introduction system for a flow cytometer allows easy change of sample containers such as test tubes and facilitates use in high pressure environments. The sample container includes a cap having a pressure supply chamber and a sample container attachment cavity. A sample container may be automatically positioned into the attachment cavity so as to sealably engage the end of the sample container as its outer surface. This positioning may be accomplished through some sample introduction mechanism. To facilitate cleaning, HPLC tubing and fittings may be used in a manner which facilitates removing of the entire tubing from both the nozzle container and other sample container cap to permit its replacement to avoid contamination. The sample container support may include horizontal stops which loosely limit the movement of the sample container and thus avoid further stresses upon it.

Sample introduction apparatus for a flow cytometer

DOEpatents

Van den Engh, G.

1998-03-10

A sample introduction system for a flow cytometer allows easy change of sample containers such as test tubes and facilitates use in high pressure environments. The sample container includes a cap having a pressure supply chamber and a sample container attachment cavity. A sample container may be automatically positioned into the attachment cavity so as to sealably engage the end of the sample container as its outer surface. This positioning may be accomplished through some sample introduction mechanism. To facilitate cleaning HPLC tubing and fittings may be used in a manner which facilitates removable of the entire tubing from both the nozzle container and other sample container cap to permit its replacement to avoid contamination. The sample container support may include horizontal stops which loosely limit the movement of the sample container and thus avoid further stresses upon it. 3 figs.

Sample introduction system for a flow cytometer

DOEpatents

Engh, G. van den

1997-02-11

A sample introduction system for a flow cytometer allows easy change of sample containers such as test tubes and facilitates use in high pressure environments. The sample container includes a cap having a pressure supply chamber and a sample container attachment cavity. A sample container may be automatically positioned into the attachment cavity so as to sealably engage the end of the sample container as its outer surface. This positioning may be accomplished through some sample introduction mechanism. To facilitate cleaning, HPLC tubing and fittings may be used in a manner which facilitates removing of the entire tubing from both the nozzle container and other sample container cap to permit its replacement to avoid contamination. The sample container support may include horizontal stops which loosely limit the movement of the sample container and thus avoid further stresses upon it. 3 figs.

Social problem-solving in Chinese baccalaureate nursing students.

PubMed

Fang, Jinbo; Luo, Ying; Li, Yanhua; Huang, Wenxia

2016-11-01

To describe social problem solving in Chinese baccalaureate nursing students. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with a cluster sample of 681 Chinese baccalaureate nursing students. The Chinese version of the Social Problem-Solving scale was used. Descriptive analyses, independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance were applied to analyze the data. The final year nursing students presented the highest scores of positive social problem-solving skills. Students with experiences of self-directed and problem-based learning presented significantly higher scores in Positive Problem Orientation subscale. The group with Critical thinking training experience, however, displayed higher negative problem solving scores compared with nonexperience group. Social problem solving abilities varied based upon teaching-learning strategies. Self-directed and problem-based learning may be recommended as effective way to improve social problem-solving ability. © 2016 Chinese Cochrane Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

An Ideological Framework in Adult Education: Poverty and Social Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jo-Anne

1981-01-01

Posits that the basic system of values and beliefs held by adult educators influences their stance on social problems. Examples of responses to the problem of poverty illustrate four basic ideological positions: liberalism, conservatism, liberal radicalism, and Marxism. (JOW)

Class 2 Integrons Dissemination Among Multidrug Resistance (MDR) Clones of Acinetobacter baumannii

PubMed Central

Ramírez, María Soledad; Morales, Amanda; Vilacoba, Elisabet; Márquez, Carolina

2014-01-01

Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a serious problem in the hospital environment at a global scale. Previous results from our laboratory showed a high frequency of class 2 integrons in A. baumannii strains from Argentina regarding the low rate of this element in A. baumannii isolates from the rest of the world. To reveal the current epidemiology of class 2 integrons, a molecular surveillance analyzing 78 multidrug resistant (MDR) A. baumannii isolates from Argentina and Uruguay was performed, exposing the presence of class 2 integron in the 36.61% of the isolates. Class 2 integron characterization showed that the typical Tn7::In2-7 array was present in 26 out of 27 intI2 positive isolates. All intI2 positive isolates contained at least one of the Tn7 transposition genes. In addition, we identified that 18 intI2 positive isolates possessed the Tn7::In2-7 within the attTn7 site. The molecular typing evidenced that clones I and IV that do not belong to widespread European clones I and II were found among the intI2 positive isolates. Our results exposed the widely dissemination of class 2 integron among MDR A. baumannii isolates from Argentina and Uruguay, also showing the persistence of two novel clones in our region, which could explain in part the high frequency of class 2 integron found in our region. PMID:22198473

Control system of hexacopter using color histogram footprint and convolutional neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruliputra, R. N.; Darma, S.

2017-07-01

The development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) has been growing rapidly in recent years. The use of logic thinking which is implemented into the program algorithms is needed to make a smart system. By using visual input from a camera, UAV is able to fly autonomously by detecting a target. However, some weaknesses arose as usage in the outdoor environment might change the target's color intensity. Color histogram footprint overcomes the problem because it divides color intensity into separate bins that make the detection tolerant to the slight change of color intensity. Template matching compare its detection result with a template of the reference image to determine the target position and use it to position the vehicle in the middle of the target with visual feedback control based on Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller. Color histogram footprint method localizes the target by calculating the back projection of its histogram. It has an average success rate of 77 % from a distance of 1 meter. It can position itself in the middle of the target by using visual feedback control with an average positioning time of 73 seconds. After the hexacopter is in the middle of the target, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) classifies a number contained in the target image to determine a task depending on the classified number, either landing, yawing, or return to launch. The recognition result shows an optimum success rate of 99.2 %.

The role of temperament by family environment interactions in child maladjustment.

PubMed

Chen, Nan; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Bell, Martha Ann

2014-11-01

In order to advance our understanding of the etiology of individual differences in child maladjustment (i.e., conduct and emotional problems), we tested hypotheses about the statistical interactions between child temperament and two aspects of the family environment: maternal negativity and positivity, and household chaos (e.g., crowding, noise, lack of routines). Mothers (n = 149) reported on their child's effortful control, negative affect, surgency, and behavioral/emotional problems. The age range of the children was 3 to 7 years old and half of the sample was girls. Observers rated maternal negativity and positivity based on brief structured interaction tasks in the laboratory. Child temperament moderated the association between maternal negativity/positivity and child maladjustment. Maternal negativity and child problem behavior were associated only for those children who also were high in surgency or negative affectivity. Maternal positivity was associated with less child problem behavior for those high in surgency. Child effortful control interacted with both maternal negativity and chaos. Maternal negativity and child problem behavior were most strongly associated for children who were low in effortful control and living in chaotic homes. The results point to distinct transactions between child temperament and maternal negativity/positivity that depend in part on the dimensions of temperament and parenting behavior in question.

The Role of Temperament by Family Environment Interactions in Child Maladjustment

PubMed Central

Chen, Nan; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Bell, Martha Ann

2014-01-01

In order to advance our understanding of the etiology of individual differences in child maladjustment (i.e., conduct and emotional problems), we tested hypotheses about the statistical interactions between child temperament and two aspects of the family environment: maternal negativity and positivity, and household chaos (e.g., crowding, noise, lack of routines). Mothers (n = 149) reported on their child’s effortful control, negative affect, surgency, and behavioral/emotional problems. The age range of the children was 3 to 7 years old and half of the sample was girls. Observers rated maternal negativity and positivity based on brief structured interaction tasks in the laboratory. Child temperament moderated the association between maternal negativity/positivity and child maladjustment. Maternal negativity and child problem behavior were associated only for those children who also were high in surgency or negative affectivity. Maternal positivity was associated with less child problem behavior for those high in surgency. Child effortful control interacted with both maternal negativity and chaos. Maternal negativity and child problem behavior were most strongly associated for children who were low in effortful control and living in chaotic homes. The results point to distinct transactions between child temperament and maternal negativity/positivity that depend in part on the dimensions of temperament and parenting behavior in question. PMID:24691836

Emotional Reactivity and Regulation in Head Start Children: Links to Ecologically-Valid Behaviors and Internalizing Problems

PubMed Central

Morgan, Judith K.; Izard, Carroll E.; Hyde, Christopher

2013-01-01

Children’s emotional reactivity may interact with their regulatory behaviors to contribute to internalizing problems and social functioning even early in development. Ninety-one preschool children participated in a longitudinal project examining children’s reactivity and regulatory behaviors as predictors of internalizing problems and positive and negative social behavior in the classroom. Children who paired negative emotion expression with disengagement during a laboratory task showed higher levels of internalizing problems and more negative social behavior in the classroom six months later. Positive emotion expression paired with engagement during a laboratory task predicted more positive social behavior in the classroom six months later. Physiological reactivity and regulation also predicted children’s social behavior in the classroom. Findings suggest that preschool children with maladaptive reactivity and regulatory patterns may be at greater risk for internalizing problems even in early childhood. PMID:25067866

Motivational predictors of coping with academic examination.

PubMed

Doron, Julie; Stephan, Yannick; Maiano, Christophe; Le Scanff, Christine

2011-01-01

The present study focused on the motivational predictors of coping with academic examination through the test of the contribution of self-determination for academic studies and achievement goals. Coping strategies, academic motivation and achievement goals were assessed among 199 undergraduate students. Regression analysis revealed that problem-focused coping is positively predicted by identified regulation and negatively by amotivation, whereas emotion-focused coping is positively predicted by introjected regulation and amotivation. Mastery approach goals contributed positively to problem-focused coping. Identified regulation and mastery approach goals made a unique positive contribution to problem-focused coping, and amotivation was negatively related. Students' coping actions may vary according to both the reasons why they engage in academic studies and the goals they pursue in this setting.

[Parenting practices and internalizing and externalizing problems in Spanish adolescents].

PubMed

García Linares, Ma Cruz; Cerezo Rusillo, Ma Teresa; de la Torre Cruz, Manuel Jesús; de la Villa Carpio Fernández, Ma; Casanova Arias, Pedro Félix

2011-11-01

The goal of this study was to analyze the relationship between parenting practices and internalizing and externalizing problems presented by a group of adolescents according to their gender. Four hundred and sixty-nine secondary school students (aged between 12 and 18) participated in this study. The adolescents presented differences in perception of the educational practices of both parents as a function of their gender. Negative parenting practices were positively related to adolescents' internalizing and externalizing problems, whereas positive practices were negatively related to externalizing problems. Moreover, differences between boys and girls were found in predictor variables of problems, and the predictive power of the variables was higher for externalizing problems.

Existence and non-uniqueness of similarity solutions of a boundary-layer problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hussaini, M. Y.; Lakin, W. D.

1986-01-01

A Blasius boundary value problem with inhomogeneous lower boundary conditions f(0) = 0 and f'(0) = - lambda with lambda strictly positive was considered. The Crocco variable formulation of this problem has a key term which changes sign in the interval of interest. It is shown that solutions of the boundary value problem do not exist for values of lambda larger than a positive critical value lambda. The existence of solutions is proven for 0 lambda lambda by considering an equivalent initial value problem. It is found however that for 0 lambda lambda, solutions of the boundary value problem are nonunique. Physically, this nonuniqueness is related to multiple values of the skin friction.

Existence and non-uniqueness of similarity solutions of a boundary layer problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hussaini, M. Y.; Lakin, W. D.

1984-01-01

A Blasius boundary value problem with inhomogeneous lower boundary conditions f(0) = 0 and f'(0) = - lambda with lambda strictly positive was considered. The Crocco variable formulation of this problem has a key term which changes sign in the interval of interest. It is shown that solutions of the boundary value problem do not exist for values of lambda larger than a positive critical value lambda. The existence of solutions is proven for 0 lambda lambda by considering an equivalent initial value problem. It is found however that for 0 lambda lambda, solutions of the boundary value problem are nonunique. Physically, this nonuniqueness is related to multiple values of the skin friction.

Reduction of wobble-position GC bases in Corynebacteria genes and enhancement of PCR and heterologous expression.

PubMed

Sanli, G; Blaber, S I; Blaber, M

2001-01-01

Corynebacteria codon usage exhibits an overall GC content of 67%, and a wobble-position GC content of 88%. Escherichia coli, on the other hand has an overall GC content of 51%, and a wobble-position GC content of 55%. The high GC content of Corynebacteria genes results in an unfavorable codon preference for heterologous expression, and can present difficulties for polymerase-based manipulations due to secondary-structure effects. Since these characteristics are due primarily to base composition at the wobble-position, synthetic genes can, in principle, be designed to eliminate these problems and retain the wild-type amino acid sequence. Such genes would obviate the need for special additives or bases during in vitro polymerase-based manipulation and mutant host strains containing uncommon tRNA's for heterologous expression. We have evaluated synthetic genes with reduced wobble-position G/C content using two variants of the enzyme 2,5-diketo-D-gluconic acid reductase (2,5-DKGR A and B) from Corynebacterium. The wild-type genes are refractory to polymerase-based manipulations and exhibit poor heterologous expression in enteric bacteria. The results indicate that a subset of codons for five amino acids (alanine, arginine, glutamate, glycine and valine) contribute the greatest contribution to reduction in G/C content at the wobble-position. Furthermore, changes in codons for two amino acids (leucine and proline) enhance bias for expression in enteric bacteria without affecting the overall G/C content. The synthetic genes are readily amplified using polymerase-based methodologies, and exhibit high levels of heterologous expression in E. coli.

Lyral is an important sensitizer in patients sensitive to fragrances.

PubMed

Frosch, P J; Johansen, J D; Menné, T; Rastogi, S C; Bruze, M; Andersen, K E; Lepoittevin, J P; Giménez Arnau, E; Pirker, C; Goossens, A; White, I R

1999-12-01

Contact allergy to fragrances is a common problem world-wide. The currently used fragrance mix (FM) for patch testing has only eight constituents and does not identify all fragrance-allergic patients. As perfumes may contain 100 or more substances, the search for markers for allergy continues. The synthetic fragrance 4-(4-hydroxy-4-methylpentyl)-3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde (Lyral) was tested together with the FM and 11 other fragrance substances on consecutive patients in six European departments of dermatology. All patients were carefully questioned regarding a history of reactions to scented products in the past and were grouped into four categories: 'certain', 'probable', 'questionable' and 'none'. Lyral (5% in petrolatum) gave a positive reaction in 2.7% of 1855 patients (range 1.2-17%) and ranked next to 11.3% with FM allergy. Twenty-four patients reacted to both Lyral and FM, but 21 (1.1%) reacted positively only to Lyral. Of 124 patients with a 'certain' history, 53.2% reacted to the FM and a further 7.2% to Lyral only. If any kind of history of fragrance intolerance was given, 80% (40 of 50) of Lyral positive patients had a 'positive' history while only 58.6% (123 of 210) of FM positive patients had such a history; this difference was significant at P < 0.01. Lyral was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in some products which had caused an allergic contact dermatitis in four typical patients who showed a patch test positive to Lyral and negative or doubtful to FM. In conclusion, we recommend the testing of 5% Lyral (in petrolatum) in patients suspected of contact dermatitis.

Control or involvement? Relationship between authoritative parenting style and adolescent depressive symptomatology.

PubMed

Piko, B F; Balázs, M A

2012-03-01

Among factors predicting adolescent mood problems, certain aspects of the parent-adolescent relationship play an important role. In previous studies, children whose parents had an authoritative style of parenting reported the best behavioral and psychological outcomes. Therefore, the main goal of this paper was to investigate the role of authoritative parenting style and other family variables (negative family interactions and positive identification with parents) in adolescents' depressive symptomatology. The study was carried out in all primary and secondary schools in Mako and the surrounding region in Hungary in the spring of 2010, students of grades 7-12 (N = 2,072): 49.2% of the sample were males; 38.1% primary school pupils; and 61.9% high school students. Self-administered questionnaires contained items of measuring depressive symptoms (CDI) and parental variables beyond sociodemographics. Beyond descriptive statistics and calculation of correlation coefficients, multiple linear regression analyses were applied to detect relationships between parental variables and depressive scores by gender. Overall, our data support a negative association between authoritative parenting style and adolescent mood problems, particularly among girls. Among boys, only mother's responsiveness was a significant predictor. Among girls, father's parenting played a decisive role; not only his responsiveness but also demandingness. Interestingly, mother's demandingness went together with an elevated depressive score for girls. Prevention programs cannot guarantee success without taking into account the role of parents. Teaching positive parenting seems to be a part of these prevention programs that may include facilitating intimate yet autonomous relationships.

Modern Role of Architectural Style Category in Russian Practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chudinova, V. G.

2017-11-01

The article examines the functional aspects of architectural style use as an instrument for communication, self-positioning, representation and commercial attractiveness. The modern Russian practice is marked by a predominance of decorating methods rather than architectural ones used to create an artistic image. Specific examples illustrate stylistic trends that are indicative of an identity crisis. The problem goes beyond the scope of a custom or corporate design. This is especially evident in the former Soviet Union republics. The style issue is inherent in the advertising and commercial sphere of interior design and furnishing promotion. One can state that the category of art studies has been introduced into the collective consciousness but in some extrinsic way. Marketing managers and designers who have a very vague idea of the fundamental scientific concepts form a new language and market demand not only for a design work product but also for its positioning. This leads to a semantic distortion of the architectural style characteristic and a misconception. At the same time, there is a growing need for new definitions and verbalizations of perceptual experience. The conclusions contain an assumption on a reversible scientific and practical process when the theory is forced to accept and attend to a spontaneously formed and deep-rooted system of meanings. The need to develop the architectural theory in the communication language realm is brought up. The research problem is stated both for social science and anthropology as well as for culturology and art history.

The Physics Workbook: A Needed Instructional Device.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brekke, Stewart E.

2003-01-01

Points out the importance of problem solving as a fundamental skill and how students struggle with problem solving in physics courses. Describes a workbook developed as a solution to students' struggles that features simple exercises and advanced problem solving. (Contains 12 references.) (Author/YDS)

Asessing for Structural Understanding in Childrens' Combinatorial Problem Solving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

English, Lyn

1999-01-01

Assesses children's structural understanding of combinatorial problems when presented in a variety of task situations. Provides an explanatory model of students' combinatorial understandings that informs teaching and assessment. Addresses several components of children's structural understanding of elementary combinatorial problems. (Contains 50…

Global Container Management Process Improvements

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-19

Salesman Problem . Retrieved December 31, 2014, from TSP: http://www.math.uwaterloo.ca/tsp/ Department of Defense. (2002, January 1). MIL-HDBK-138B...6 Problem Statement... Problem Statement SDDC has a fragmented GCM policy caused by horizontal levels of authority, conflicting mission and metrics, incomplete

Introducing the MCHF/OVRP/SDMP: Multicapacitated/Heterogeneous Fleet/Open Vehicle Routing Problems with Split Deliveries and Multiproducts

PubMed Central

Yilmaz Eroglu, Duygu; Caglar Gencosman, Burcu; Cavdur, Fatih; Ozmutlu, H. Cenk

2014-01-01

In this paper, we analyze a real-world OVRP problem for a production company. Considering real-world constrains, we classify our problem as multicapacitated/heterogeneous fleet/open vehicle routing problem with split deliveries and multiproduct (MCHF/OVRP/SDMP) which is a novel classification of an OVRP. We have developed a mixed integer programming (MIP) model for the problem and generated test problems in different size (10–90 customers) considering real-world parameters. Although MIP is able to find optimal solutions of small size (10 customers) problems, when the number of customers increases, the problem gets harder to solve, and thus MIP could not find optimal solutions for problems that contain more than 10 customers. Moreover, MIP fails to find any feasible solution of large-scale problems (50–90 customers) within time limits (7200 seconds). Therefore, we have developed a genetic algorithm (GA) based solution approach for large-scale problems. The experimental results show that the GA based approach reaches successful solutions with 9.66% gap in 392.8 s on average instead of 7200 s for the problems that contain 10–50 customers. For large-scale problems (50–90 customers), GA reaches feasible solutions of problems within time limits. In conclusion, for the real-world applications, GA is preferable rather than MIP to reach feasible solutions in short time periods. PMID:25045735

A pressurized cylindrical shell with a fixed end which contains an axial part-through or through crack

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yahsi, O. S.; Erdogan, F.

1985-01-01

In this paper a cylindrical shell having a very stiff end plate or a flange is considered. It is assumed that near the end the cylinder contains an axial flow which may be modeled as a part-through surface crack or through crack. The primary objective is to study the effect of the end constraining on the stress intensity factor which is the main fracture mechanics parameter. The applied loads acting on the cylinder are assumed to be axisymmetric. Thus the crack problem under consideration is symmetric with respect to the plane of the crack and consequently only the mode I stress intensity factors are nonzero. With this limitation, the general perturbation problem for a cylinder with a built-in end containing an axial crack is considered. Reissner's shell theory is used to formulate the problem. The part-through crack problem is treated by using a line-spring model. In the case of a crack tip terminating at the fixed end it is shown that the integral equation of the shell problem has the same generalized Cauchy kernel as the corresponding plane stress elasticity problem. Even though the problem is formulated for a general surface crack profile and arbitrary crack surface tractions, the numerical results are obtained only for a semielliptic part-through axial crack located at the inside or outside surface of the cylinder and for internal pressure acting on the cylinder. The stress intensity factors are calculated and presented for a relatively wide range of dimensionless length parameters of the problem.

Life Stressors as Mediators of the Relation between Socioeconomic Position and Mental Health Problems in Early Adolescence: The TRAILS Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amone-P'Olak, Kennedy; Ormel, Johan; Huisman, Martijn; Verhulst, Frank C.; Oldehinkel, Albertine J.; Burger, Huibert

2009-01-01

Objective: Life stressors and family socioeconomic position have often been associated with mental health status. The aim of the present study is to contribute to the understanding of the pathways from low socioeconomic position and life stressors to mental problems. Method: In a cross-sectional analysis using data from a longitudinal study of…

Expression of keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and its receptor in a middle-ear cavity problem.

PubMed

Yamamoto-Fukuda, Tomomi; Takahashi, Haruo; Koji, Takehiko

2012-01-01

To investigate the pathogenesis of one of the most troublesome conditions following ear surgery, a middle-ear cavity problem. Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and its receptor (KGFR), the ratio of proliferating epithelial cells using Ki-67, and the extent of infiltration of B cells and T cells were examined immunohistochemically in 10 ears with a cavity problem, 70 ears with cholesteatoma and 8 ears with normal skin at the retroauricular incision. KGF was positive in 40% of cavity problem specimens, 37.5% of normal skin specimens, and was positive in 88% of cholesteatoma specimens (cavity problem vs. cholesteatoma, p=0.0004). The positive rate of KGFR in the cavity problem group (33.3%) was between those in cholesteatoma (60%) and normal skin (0%). In contrast to the cholesteatoma specimens, a significantly smaller number of Ki-67 labeling index (LI) was detected in the cavity problem specimens. B cell LI was significantly higher but T cell LI was significantly lower in the cavity problem specimens than in the cholesteatoma group. Our present study indicated that the discordance of paracrine action between stromal KGF and epithelial KGFR with a large number of infiltrating B cells may play an important role in the pathogenesis of a cavity problem. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using Problem-solving Therapy to Improve Problem-solving Orientation, Problem-solving Skills and Quality of Life in Older Hemodialysis Patients.

PubMed

Erdley-Kass, Shiloh D; Kass, Darrin S; Gellis, Zvi D; Bogner, Hillary A; Berger, Andrea; Perkins, Robert M

2017-08-24

To determine the effectiveness of Problem-Solving Therapy (PST) in older hemodialysis (HD) patients by assessing changes in health-related quality of life and problem-solving skills. 33 HD patients in an outpatient hemodialysis center without active medical and psychiatric illness were enrolled. The intervention group (n = 15) received PST from a licensed social worker for 6 weeks, whereas the control group (n = 18) received usual care treatment. In comparison to the control group, patients receiving PST intervention reported improved perceptions of mental health, were more likely to view their problems with a positive orientation and were more likely to use functional problem-solving methods. Furthermore, this group was also more likely to view their overall health, activity limits, social activities and ability to accomplish desired tasks with a more positive mindset. The results demonstrate that PST may positively impact mental health components of quality of life and problem-solving coping among older HD patients. PST is an effective, efficient, and easy to implement intervention that can benefit problem-solving abilities and mental health-related quality of life in older HD patients. In turn, this will help patients manage their daily living activities related to their medical condition and reduce daily stressors.

Coherence and content of conflict-based narratives: associations to family risk and maladjustment.

PubMed

Müller, Eva; Perren, Sonja; Wustmann Seiler, Corina

2014-10-01

This study examined the role of structural and content characteristics of children's conflict-based narratives (coherence, positive and aggressive themes) in the association between early childhood family risk and children's internalizing and externalizing problems in a sample of 193 children (97 girls, 96 boys) aged 3 to 5 years (M = 3.85, SD = .48). Parents participated in an interview on family related risk factors; teachers and parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; children completed conflict-based narratives based on the MacArthur Story Stem Battery (MSSB). We specifically investigated the mediating and moderating role of narrative coherence and content themes in the association between family risk and children's internalizing and externalizing problems. Children's narrative coherence was associated with better adjustment, and had a buffering effect on the negative relation between family risk on children's internalizing problems. Positive themes were negatively associated with externalizing problems. Telling narratives with many positive and negative themes buffered the negative association of family risk and teacher-reported externalizing problems. In sum, the findings suggest that in children, being able to tell coherent and enriched narratives may buffer the impact of family risk on their symptoms, and being able to produce positive themes rather than aggressive themes is associated with lower externalizing problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

A genetic algorithm for dynamic inbound ordering and outbound dispatching problem with delivery time windows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Byung Soo; Lee, Woon-Seek; Koh, Shiegheun

2012-07-01

This article considers an inbound ordering and outbound dispatching problem for a single product in a third-party warehouse, where the demands are dynamic over a discrete and finite time horizon, and moreover, each demand has a time window in which it must be satisfied. Replenishing orders are shipped in containers and the freight cost is proportional to the number of containers used. The problem is classified into two cases, i.e. non-split demand case and split demand case, and a mathematical model for each case is presented. An in-depth analysis of the models shows that they are very complicated and difficult to find optimal solutions as the problem size becomes large. Therefore, genetic algorithm (GA) based heuristic approaches are designed to solve the problems in a reasonable time. To validate and evaluate the algorithms, finally, some computational experiments are conducted.

From Snowballs to ICBM's.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scherr, Charles W.

1979-01-01

Shows that the elementary ballistic range problem solution, when scaled by the reciprocal of the eccentricity, contains in itself a good description of the more general Keplerian ballistic problem. (Author/GA)

An Analysis of Diagram Modification and Construction in Students' Solutions to Applied Calculus Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bremigan, Elizabeth George

2005-01-01

In the study reported here, I examined the diagrams that mathematically capable high school students produced in solving applied calculus problems in which a diagram was provided in the problem statement. Analyses of the diagrams contained in written solutions to selected free-response problems from the 1996 BC level Advanced Placement Calculus…

Algebra Word Problem Solving Approaches in a Chemistry Context: Equation Worked Examples versus Text Editing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngu, Bing Hiong; Yeung, Alexander Seeshing

2013-01-01

Text editing directs students' attention to the problem structure as they classify whether the texts of word problems contain sufficient, missing or irrelevant information for working out a solution. Equation worked examples emphasize the formation of a coherent problem structure to generate a solution. Its focus is on the construction of three…

Making Changes: A Futures-Oriented Course in Inventive Problem Solving. Lesson Book.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, John W.

This textbook/workbook for secondary school students is designed to stimulate inventive problem solving of future world problems. It is organized into four units and contains 23 lessons. Unit I defines the nature of the course and provides methods for stating and defining problems, brainstorming, working in groups, and judging ideas. Unit II…

Math Ties: Problem Solving, Logic Teasers, and Math Puzzles All "Tied" to the Math Curriculum. Book A1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santi, Terri

This book contains a classroom-tested approach to the teaching of problem solving to all students in Grades 4-6, regardless of ability. Information on problem solving in general is provided, then mathematical problems on logic, whole numbers, number theory, fractions, decimals, geometry, ratio, proportion, percent, probability, sets, and…

Gender Differences in Solution of Algebraic Word Problems Containing Irrelevant Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Low, Renae; Over, Ray

1993-01-01

Female tenth graders (n=217) were less likely than male tenth graders (n=219) to identify missing or irrelevant information in algebra problems. Female eleventh graders (n=234) were less likely than male eleventh graders (n=287) to solve problems with irrelevant information. Results indicate sex differences in knowledge of problem structure. (SLD)

Positively Biased Processing of Mother's Emotions Predicts Children's Social and Emotional Functioning.

PubMed

Donohue, Meghan Rose; Goodman, Sherryl H; Tully, Erin C

Risk for internalizing problems and social skills deficits likely emerges in early childhood when emotion processing and social competencies are developing. Positively biased processing of social information is typical during early childhood and may be protective against poorer psychosocial outcomes. We tested the hypothesis that young children with relatively less positively biased attention to, interpretations of, and attributions for their mother's emotions would exhibit poorer prosocial skills and more internalizing problems. A sample of 4- to 6-year-old children ( N =82) observed their mothers express happiness, sadness and anger during a simulated emotional phone conversation. Children's attention to their mother when she expressed each emotion was rated from video. Immediately following the phone conversation, children were asked questions about the conversation to assess their interpretations of the intensity of mother's emotions and misattributions of personal responsibility for her emotions. Children's prosocial skills and internalizing problems were assessed using mother-report rating scales. Interpretations of mother's positive emotions as relatively less intense than her negative emotions, misattributions of personal responsibility for her negative emotions, and lack of misattributions of personal responsibility for her positive emotions were associated with poorer prosocial skills. Children who attended relatively less to mother's positive than her negative emotions had higher levels of internalizing problems. These findings suggest that children's attention to, interpretations of, and attributions for their mother's emotions may be important targets of early interventions for preventing prosocial skills deficits and internalizing problems.

Positively Biased Processing of Mother’s Emotions Predicts Children’s Social and Emotional Functioning

PubMed Central

Donohue, Meghan Rose; Goodman, Sherryl H.; Tully, Erin C.

2016-01-01

Risk for internalizing problems and social skills deficits likely emerges in early childhood when emotion processing and social competencies are developing. Positively biased processing of social information is typical during early childhood and may be protective against poorer psychosocial outcomes. We tested the hypothesis that young children with relatively less positively biased attention to, interpretations of, and attributions for their mother’s emotions would exhibit poorer prosocial skills and more internalizing problems. A sample of 4- to 6-year-old children (N=82) observed their mothers express happiness, sadness and anger during a simulated emotional phone conversation. Children’s attention to their mother when she expressed each emotion was rated from video. Immediately following the phone conversation, children were asked questions about the conversation to assess their interpretations of the intensity of mother’s emotions and misattributions of personal responsibility for her emotions. Children’s prosocial skills and internalizing problems were assessed using mother-report rating scales. Interpretations of mother’s positive emotions as relatively less intense than her negative emotions, misattributions of personal responsibility for her negative emotions, and lack of misattributions of personal responsibility for her positive emotions were associated with poorer prosocial skills. Children who attended relatively less to mother’s positive than her negative emotions had higher levels of internalizing problems. These findings suggest that children’s attention to, interpretations of, and attributions for their mother’s emotions may be important targets of early interventions for preventing prosocial skills deficits and internalizing problems. PMID:28348456

A Forward Glimpse into Inverse Problems through a Geology Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winkel, Brian J.

2012-01-01

This paper describes a forward approach to an inverse problem related to detecting the nature of geological substrata which makes use of optimization techniques in a multivariable calculus setting. The true nature of the related inverse problem is highlighted. (Contains 2 figures.)

The Relationship Between Problem Gambling and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

PubMed

Waluk, O R; Youssef, G J; Dowling, N A

2016-06-01

Recent studies indicate that treatment-seeking problem gamblers display elevated rates of ADHD and that adolescents who screen positive for ADHD are more likely to engage in gambling, develop gambling problems, and experience a greater severity in gambling problems. This study aimed to (a) compare the prevalence of ADHD in treatment-seeking problem gamblers to the general population; (b) investigate the relationships between ADHD and problem gambling severity, cluster B personality disorders, motor impulsivity, alcohol use, substance use, gender, and age; and (c) investigate the degree to which these factors moderate the relationship between ADHD and problem gambling severity. Participants included 214 adults (154 males, 58 females, 2 unspecified) who sought treatment for their gambling problems at a specialist gambling agency in Melbourne, Australia. Almost one-quarter (24.9 %) of treatment-seeking problem gamblers screened positively for ADHD, which was significantly higher than the 14 % prevalence in a community sample. ADHD was significantly positively correlated with problem gambling severity, motor impulsivity, and cluster B personality disorders, but was not associated with alcohol and substance use, gender or age. None of the factors significantly moderated the relationship between ADHD and problem gambling severity. These findings suggest that a considerable proportion of treatment-seeking problem gamblers report ADHD and that their clinical profile is complicated by the presence of high impulsivity and cluster B personality disorders. They highlight the need for specialist gambling agencies to develop screening, assessment, and management protocols for co-occurring ADHD to enhance the effectiveness of treatment.

Implementation of Hybrid V-Cycle Multilevel Methods for Mixed Finite Element Systems with Penalty

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lai, Chen-Yao G.

1996-01-01

The goal of this paper is the implementation of hybrid V-cycle hierarchical multilevel methods for the indefinite discrete systems which arise when a mixed finite element approximation is used to solve elliptic boundary value problems. By introducing a penalty parameter, the perturbed indefinite system can be reduced to a symmetric positive definite system containing the small penalty parameter for the velocity unknown alone. We stabilize the hierarchical spatial decomposition approach proposed by Cai, Goldstein, and Pasciak for the reduced system. We demonstrate that the relative condition number of the preconditioner is bounded uniformly with respect to the penalty parameter, the number of levels and possible jumps of the coefficients as long as they occur only across the edges of the coarsest elements.

[Tobacco and health in the view of univerity students].

PubMed

Silva, Antonia Oliveira; Sousa, Cristina Maria Miranda de; Gaspar, Maria Filomena Mendes; Paredes, Maria Adelaide Silva; Tura, Luiz Fernando Rangel; Jesuíno, Jorge Correia

2008-01-01

Smoking is a serious public health problem. This study aims at understanding how social representation about smoke/tobacco and health are shared by young university students through the impact of figures contained in cigarettes package in heath. This exploratory study was carried with 63 nursing students in Lisboa, Portugal. Data were collected by the technique of free association of words that were submitted to the software Tri-Deux Mots. Students associate "tobacco" like pleasure but also as cancer, disrespect, bad smell, something mean; the health, happiness, joy and self and sickness. Health is represented by hospital but also as something good positive and energetic. "Tobacco/smoking" for the subjects concerned disease as the cancer in addition to causing bad smell and be unpleasant configuring itself as a bad and associated with father.

Neutron detection using a crystal ball calorimeter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martem'yanov, M. A.; Kulikov, V. V.; Krutenkova, A. P.

2015-12-01

The program of experiments of the A2 Collaboration performed on a beam of tagged photons of the MAMI electron microtron in Mainz (Germany) includes precision measurements of the total and differential cross sections of the pion photoproduction on neutrons of a deuterium target. The determination of the detector ability to detect neutrons is undoubtedly one of the important problems of the experiment. The calorimetric system of the detector contains a segmented NaI Crystal Ball detector, which gives information about the position, energy, and detection time of neutral and charged particles in a wide angular range. In this work, we describe the measurement of the neutron detection efficiency in the energy range from 20 to 400MeV. The results are compared with BNL data obtained on a pion beam and proton target.

Theory of Mind: A Neural Prediction Problem

PubMed Central

Koster-Hale, Jorie; Saxe, Rebecca

2014-01-01

Predictive coding posits that neural systems make forward-looking predictions about incoming information. Neural signals contain information not about the currently perceived stimulus, but about the difference between the observed and the predicted stimulus. We propose to extend the predictive coding framework from high-level sensory processing to the more abstract domain of theory of mind; that is, to inferences about others’ goals, thoughts, and personalities. We review evidence that, across brain regions, neural responses to depictions of human behavior, from biological motion to trait descriptions, exhibit a key signature of predictive coding: reduced activity to predictable stimuli. We discuss how future experiments could distinguish predictive coding from alternative explanations of this response profile. This framework may provide an important new window on the neural computations underlying theory of mind. PMID:24012000

An automatic editing algorithm for GPS data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blewitt, Geoffrey

1990-01-01

An algorithm has been developed to edit automatically Global Positioning System data such that outlier deletion, cycle slip identification, and correction are independent of clock instability, selective availability, receiver-satellite kinematics, and tropospheric conditions. This algorithm, called TurboEdit, operates on undifferenced, dual frequency carrier phase data, and requires the use of P code pseudorange data and a smoothly varying ionospheric electron content. TurboEdit was tested on the large data set from the CASA Uno experiment, which contained over 2500 cycle slips.Analyst intervention was required on 1 percent of the station-satellite passes, almost all of these problems being due to difficulties in extrapolating variations in the ionospheric delay. The algorithm is presently being adapted for real time data editing in the Rogue receiver for continuous monitoring applications.

Quantum connectivity optimization algorithms for entanglement source deployment in a quantum multi-hop network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Zhen-Zhen; Yu, Xu-Tao; Zhang, Zai-Chen

2018-04-01

At first, the entanglement source deployment problem is studied in a quantum multi-hop network, which has a significant influence on quantum connectivity. Two optimization algorithms are introduced with limited entanglement sources in this paper. A deployment algorithm based on node position (DNP) improves connectivity by guaranteeing that all overlapping areas of the distribution ranges of the entanglement sources contain nodes. In addition, a deployment algorithm based on an improved genetic algorithm (DIGA) is implemented by dividing the region into grids. From the simulation results, DNP and DIGA improve quantum connectivity by 213.73% and 248.83% compared to random deployment, respectively, and the latter performs better in terms of connectivity. However, DNP is more flexible and adaptive to change, as it stops running when all nodes are covered.

Child sex rings.

PubMed

Wild, N J; Wynne, J M

1986-07-19

Details of 11 child sex rings identified in one working class community were obtained by interviewing investigating police officers and examining health and social services records. The rings contained 14 adult male perpetrators and 175 children aged 6-15 years. Most perpetrators used child ringleaders to recruit victims; others became a "family friend" or obtained a position of authority over children. Secrecy was encouraged and bribery, threats, and peer pressure used to induce participation in sexual activities. Offences reported included fondling, masturbation, pornography, and oral, vaginal, and anal intercourse. Eleven perpetrators were successfully prosecuted; all but one received a sentence of three years or less. Behavioural problems were common among those children who had participated for a long time. Child sex rings are difficult to detect and may be common. Many children are seriously abused as a consequence of them.

iSignIT - Communication App and Concept for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

PubMed

Albrecht, Urs-Vito; Jungnicke, Tobias; von Jan, Ute

2015-01-01

In medical settings, those who are deaf or hard of hearing and have to rely on sign language are often at a disadvantage when they want to communicate with doctors or other caretakers. Professional translators are not always available. To alleviate the problems, a mobile phrasebook for communication between affected patients and their caretakers was designed and implemented in form of the iSignIT-app. All of the phrases it contains are also available as videos recorded from native speakers of sign language. Based on the positive feedback received so far, we are now in the process of taking further steps to ensure continuing development and obtaining sustainable financing of the project; here, we will outline some of the steps to be taken.

Market fallacies in health economics.

PubMed

Grant, R J

1991-12-07

Serious methodological errors that plague studies in health economics are examined with the focus on misconceptions about the nature and functions of markets. The belief that market economics do not apply to the medical marketplace involves circular reasoning that treats man-made laws and regulations as though they were unchangeable laws of nature. Arguments against the market provision of health care are questioned and the 'information gap' problem is shown to be aggravated, if not caused, by regulations that prevent normal information flows in the market. Similarly, the contention that health care insurance pushes up costs is criticised on the basis of both theory and empirical evidence. The apparent failure to contain costs may be blamed on legal restrictions, government spending and pressure from medical associations. Confusion between normative theory and positive theory is also examined.

Optimization techniques applied to spectrum management for communications satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ottey, H. R.; Sullivan, T. M.; Zusman, F. S.

This paper describes user requirements, algorithms and software design features for the application of optimization techniques to the management of the geostationary orbit/spectrum resource. Relevant problems include parameter sensitivity analyses, frequency and orbit position assignment coordination, and orbit position allotment planning. It is shown how integer and nonlinear programming as well as heuristic search techniques can be used to solve these problems. Formalized mathematical objective functions that define the problems are presented. Constraint functions that impart the necessary solution bounds are described. A versatile program structure is outlined, which would allow problems to be solved in stages while varying the problem space, solution resolution, objective function and constraints.

Battery paste compositions and electrochemical cells for use therewith

DOEpatents

Olson, J.B.

1999-02-16

An improved battery paste composition and a lead-acid electrochemical cell which incorporates the composition are disclosed. The cell includes a positive current collector and a negative current collector which are each coated with a paste containing one or more lead-containing compositions and a paste vehicle to form a positive plate and a negative plate. An absorbent electrolyte-containing separator member may also be positioned between the positive and negative plates. The paste on the positive current collector, the negative current collector, or both further includes a special additive consisting of polyvinyl sulfonic acid or salts thereof which provides many benefits including improved battery cycle life, increased charge capacity, and enhanced overall stability. The additive also makes the pastes smoother and more adhesive, thereby improving the paste application process. The paste compositions of interest may be used in conventional flat-plate cells or in spirally wound batteries with equal effectiveness. 2 figs.

Battery paste compositions and electrochemical cells for use therewith

DOEpatents

Olson, John B.

1999-12-07

An improved battery paste composition and a lead-acid electrochemical cell which incorporates the composition. The cell includes a positive current collector and a negative current collector which are each coated with a paste containing one or more lead-containing compositions and a paste vehicle to form a positive plate and a negative plate. An absorbent electrolyte-containing separator member may also be positioned between the positive and negative plates. The paste on the positive current collector, the negative current collector, or both further includes a special additive consisting of polyvinylsulfonic acid or salts thereof which provides many benefits including improved battery cycle life, increased charge capacity, and enhanced overall stability. The additive also makes the pastes smoother and more adhesive, thereby improving the paste application process. The paste compositions of interest may be used in conventional flat-plate cells or in spirally wound batteries with equal effectiveness.

Battery paste compositions and electrochemical cells for use therewith

DOEpatents

Olson, John B.

1999-02-16

An improved battery paste composition and a lead-acid electrochemical cell which incorporates the composition. The cell includes a positive current collector and a negative current collector which are each coated with a paste containing one or more lead-containing compositions and a paste vehicle to form a positive plate and a negative plate. An absorbent electrolyte-containing separator member may also be positioned between the positive and negative plates. The paste on the positive current collector, the negative current collector, or both further includes a special additive consisting of polyvinylsulfonic acid or salts thereof which provides many benefits including improved battery cycle life, increased charge capacity, and enhanced overall stability. The additive also makes the pastes smoother and more adhesive, thereby improving the paste application process. The paste compositions of interest may be used in conventional flat-plate cells or in spirally wound batteries with equal effectiveness.

Fusion of Positive Energy Representations of LSpin(2n)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toledano-Laredo, V.

2004-09-01

Building upon the Jones-Wassermann program of studying Conformal Field Theory using operator algebraic tools, and the work of A. Wassermann on the loop group of LSU(n) (Invent. Math. 133 (1998), 467-538), we give a solution to the problem of fusion for the loop group of Spin(2n). Our approach relies on the use of A. Connes' tensor product of bimodules over a von Neumann algebra to define a multiplicative operation (Connes fusion) on the (integrable) positive energy representations of a given level. The notion of bimodules arises by restricting these representations to loops with support contained in an interval I of the circle or its complement. We study the corresponding Grothendieck ring and show that fusion with the vector representation is given by the Verlinde rules. The computation rests on 1) the solution of a 6-parameter family of Knizhnik-Zamolodchikhov equations and the determination of its monodromy, 2) the explicit construction of the primary fields of the theory, which allows to prove that they define operator-valued distributions and 3) the algebraic theory of superselection sectors developed by Doplicher-Haag-Roberts.

Two-dimensional shape recognition using oriented-polar representation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Neng-Chung; Yu, Kuo-Kan; Hsu, Yung-Li

1997-10-01

To deal with such a problem as object recognition of position, scale, and rotation invariance (PSRI), we utilize some PSRI properties of images obtained from objects, for example, the centroid of the image. The corresponding position of the centroid to the boundary of the image is invariant in spite of rotation, scale, and translation of the image. To obtain the information of the image, we use the technique similar to Radon transform, called the oriented-polar representation of a 2D image. In this representation, two specific points, the centroid and the weighted mean point, are selected to form an initial ray, then the image is sampled with N angularly equispaced rays departing from the initial rays. Each ray contains a number of intersections and the distance information obtained from the centroid to the intersections. The shape recognition algorithm is based on the least total error of these two items of information. Together with a simple noise removal and a typical backpropagation neural network, this algorithm is simple, but the PSRI is achieved with a high recognition rate.

Convergence analysis of directed signed networks via an M-matrix approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Deyuan

2018-04-01

This paper aims at solving convergence problems on directed signed networks with multiple nodes, where interactions among nodes are described by signed digraphs. The convergence analysis is achieved by matrix-theoretic and graph-theoretic tools, in which M-matrices play a central role. The fundamental digon sign-symmetry assumption upon signed digraphs can be removed with the proposed analysis approach. Furthermore, necessary and sufficient conditions are established for semi-positive and positive stabilities of Laplacian matrices of signed digraphs, respectively. A benefit of this result is that given strong connectivity, a directed signed network can achieve bipartite consensus (or state stability) if and only if the signed digraph associated with it is structurally balanced (or unbalanced). If the interactions between nodes are described by a signed digraph only with spanning trees, a directed signed network can achieve interval bipartite consensus (or state stability) if and only if the signed digraph contains a structurally balanced (or unbalanced) rooted subgraph. Simulations are given to illustrate the developed results by considering signed networks associated with digon sign-unsymmetric signed digraphs.

Preparation of porphyrins and their metal complexes

DOEpatents

Ellis, Jr., Paul E.; Langdale, Wayne A.

1997-01-01

A hydroxyl-containing pyrrolic compound having a hydroxyl group or a hydroxyl-containing group in the 2-position, optionally substituted in the beta positions, is condensed in an acidified two immiscible phase solvent system to produce excellent yields of the corresponding porphyrin or metal porphyrin.

Preparation of porphyrins and their metal complexes

DOEpatents

Ellis, P.E. Jr.; Langdale, W.A.

1997-08-19

A hydroxyl-containing pyrrolic compound having a hydroxyl group or a hydroxyl-containing group in the 2-position, optionally substituted in the beta positions, is condensed in an acidified two immiscible phase solvent system to produce excellent yields of the corresponding porphyrin or metal porphyrin.

The relationship between somatostatin, epidermal growth factor, and steroid hormone receptors in breast cancer

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

Reubi, J.C.; Torhorst, J.

1989-09-15

The somatostatin (SS) and the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor content have been established in 36 primary breast cancers by receptor autoradiography on adjacent tissue sections. Iodine 125 (125I)-EGF was used as radioligand for EGF receptor visualization whereas an iodinated SS-28 analogue or an octapeptide SS analogue were used to measure SS receptors. Six of 36 tumors contained SS receptors, whereas ten of the 36 tumors were shown to contain EGF receptors. None of the tumor samples containing SS receptors were simultaneously EGF receptor positive. In contrast, all SS receptor-positive tumors simultaneously contained steroid receptors. The positive correlation between SSmore » receptors and steroid receptors as well as the negative correlation between SS receptors and EGF receptors therefore suggest that the small percentage of SS receptor-positive breast tumors are a group of differentiated breast tumors with a good prognosis. In these cases, combined hormonetherapy including SS analogs may be of potential interest.« less

A stochastic discrete optimization model for designing container terminal facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zukhruf, Febri; Frazila, Russ Bona; Burhani, Jzolanda Tsavalista

2017-11-01

As uncertainty essentially affect the total transportation cost, it remains important in the container terminal that incorporates several modes and transshipments process. This paper then presents a stochastic discrete optimization model for designing the container terminal, which involves the decision of facilities improvement action. The container terminal operation model is constructed by accounting the variation of demand and facilities performance. In addition, for illustrating the conflicting issue that practically raises in the terminal operation, the model also takes into account the possible increment delay of facilities due to the increasing number of equipment, especially the container truck. Those variations expectantly reflect the uncertainty issue in the container terminal operation. A Monte Carlo simulation is invoked to propagate the variations by following the observed distribution. The problem is constructed within the framework of the combinatorial optimization problem for investigating the optimal decision of facilities improvement. A new variant of glow-worm swarm optimization (GSO) is thus proposed for solving the optimization, which is rarely explored in the transportation field. The model applicability is tested by considering the actual characteristics of the container terminal.

Maternal education preferences moderate the effects of mandatory employment and education programs on child positive and problem behaviors

PubMed Central

Gassman-Pines, Anna; Godfrey, Erin B.; Yoshikawa, Hirokazu

2012-01-01

Grounded in Person-Environment Fit Theory, this study examined whether low-income mothers' preferences for education moderated the effects of employment- and education-focused welfare programs on children's positive and problem behaviors. The sample included 1,365 families with children between ages 3 and 5 at study entry. Results 5 years after random assignment, when children were ages 8 to 10, indicated that mothers' education preferences did moderate program impacts on teacher-reported child behavior problems and positive behavior. Children whose mothers were assigned to the education program were rated by teachers to have less externalizing behavior and more positive behavior than children whose mothers were assigned to the employment program, but only when mothers had strong preferences for education. PMID:22861169

Predictors of child functioning and problem behaviors for children diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder and externalizing problems.

PubMed

Nabors, Laura; Baker-Phibbs, Christina; Burbage, Michelle

2016-01-01

Posttraumatic stress disorder and behavioral disorders are related to problems in emotional functioning for young children. Factors related to child functioning are important to understand in order to develop interventions and assess their impact. This study examined clinician and parent reports of child functioning and behavior problems and factors related to each of these outcome variables. Results indicated that parental acceptance was inversely related to child behavior problems. Increased parental supervision of the child was related to high total problems scores. Parental acceptance was positively related to child functioning. Future research is needed to examine relations among interventions to improve parental supervision and interactions with the child and child functioning, in terms of both positive and negative behaviors.

Evaluation of the LightCycler Staphylococcus MGRADE Kits on Positive Blood Cultures That Contained Gram-Positive Cocci in Clusters

PubMed Central

Shrestha, Nabin K.; Tuohy, Marion J.; Padmanabhan, Ravindran A.; Hall, Gerri S.; Procop, Gary W.

2005-01-01

We evaluated the Roche LightCycler Staphylococcus MGRADE kits to differentiate between Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci in blood cultures growing clusters of gram-positive cocci. Testing 100 bottles (36 containing S. aureus), the assay was 100% sensitive and 98.44% specific for S. aureus and 100% sensitive and specific for coagulase-negative staphylococci. PMID:16333115

Evaluation of the LightCycler Staphylococcus M GRADE kits on positive blood cultures that contained gram-positive cocci in clusters.

PubMed

Shrestha, Nabin K; Tuohy, Marion J; Padmanabhan, Ravindran A; Hall, Gerri S; Procop, Gary W

2005-12-01

We evaluated the Roche LightCycler Staphylococcus M(GRADE) kits to differentiate between Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci in blood cultures growing clusters of gram-positive cocci. Testing 100 bottles (36 containing S. aureus), the assay was 100% sensitive and 98.44% specific for S. aureus and 100% sensitive and specific for coagulase-negative staphylococci.

Taphonomic problems in reconstructing sea-level history from the late Quaternary marine terraces of Barbados

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhs, Daniel; Simmons, Kathleen R.

2017-01-01

Although uranium series (U-series) ages of growth-position fossil corals are important to Quaternary sea-level history, coral clast reworking from storms can yield ages on a terrace dating to more than one high-sea stand, confounding interpretations of sea-level history. On northern Barbados, U-series ages corals from a thick storm deposit are not always younger with successively higher stratigraphic positions, but all date to the last interglacial period (~127 ka to ~112 ka), Marine Isotope Substage (MIS) 5.5. The storm deposit ages are consistent with the ages of growth-position corals found at the base of the section and at landward localities on this terrace. Thus, in this case, analysis of only a few corals would not have led to an error in interpreting sea-level history. In contrast, a notch cut into older Pleistocene limestone below the MIS 5.5 terrace contains corals that date to both MIS 5.5 (~125 ka) and MIS 5.3 (~108 ka). We infer that the notch formed during MIS 5.3 and the MIS 5.5 corals are reworked. Similar multiple ages of corals on terraces have been reported elsewhere on Barbados. Thus, care must be taken in interpreting U-series ages of corals that are reported without consideration of taphonomy.

Containing U.S. health care costs: What bullet to bite?

PubMed Central

Jencks, Stephen F.; Schieber, George J.

1992-01-01

In this article, the authors provide an overview of the problem of health care cost containment. Both the growth of health care spending and its underlying causes are discussed. Further, the authors define cost containment, provide a framework for describing cost-containment strategies, and describe the major cost-containment strategies. Finally, the role of research in choosing such a strategy for the United States is examined. PMID:25372928

Effects of problem-based learning vs. traditional lecture on Korean nursing students' critical thinking, problem-solving, and self-directed learning.

PubMed

Choi, Eunyoung; Lindquist, Ruth; Song, Yeoungsuk

2014-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a method widely used in nursing education to develop students' critical thinking skills to solve practice problems independently. Although PBL has been used in nursing education in Korea for nearly a decade, few studies have examined its effects on Korean nursing students' learning outcomes, and few Korean studies have examined relationships among these outcomes. The objectives of this study are to examine outcome abilities including critical thinking, problem-solving, and self-directed learning of nursing students receiving PBL vs. traditional lecture, and to examine correlations among these outcome abilities. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent group pretest-posttest design was used. First-year nursing students (N=90) were recruited from two different junior colleges in two cities (GY and GJ) in South Korea. In two selected educational programs, one used traditional lecture methods, while the other used PBL methods. Standardized self-administered questionnaires of critical thinking, problem-solving, and self-directed learning abilities were administered before and at 16weeks (after instruction). Learning outcomes were significantly positively correlated, however outcomes were not statistically different between groups. Students in the PBL group improved across all abilities measured, while student scores in the traditional lecture group decreased in problem-solving and self-directed learning. Critical thinking was positively associated with problem-solving and self-directed learning (r=.71, and r=.50, respectively, p<.001); problem-solving was positively associated with self-directed learning (r=.75, p<.001). Learning outcomes of PBL were not significantly different from traditional lecture in this small underpowered study, despite positive trends. Larger studies are recommended to study effects of PBL on critical student abilities. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: Conduct Problems, Interventions, and Partner Contact With the Child.

PubMed

Jouriles, Ernest N; Rosenfield, David; McDonald, Renee; Vu, Nicole L; Rancher, Caitlin; Mueller, Victoria

2018-01-01

Children's contact with their mother's violent partner is a potentially important variable for understanding conduct problems among children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV). Within the context of a treatment study evaluating a parenting intervention (Project Support) for families exiting a domestic violence shelter, this study tested four hypotheses regarding children's postshelter contact with their mother's violent partner: (1) participation in Project Support decreases the frequency of children's contact with their mother's violent partner; (2) postshelter contact is positively associated with children's conduct problems and is associated more strongly for girls than boys; (3) frequency of contact mediates Project Support's effects on children's conduct problems; and (4) frequency of contact is positively associated with IPV and partner-child aggression, and these latter associations help explain effects of contact on children's conduct problems. Participants were 66 women (26 White) with a child (32 girls) between 4 and 9 years. Families were assessed every 4 months for 20 months after departure from a domestic violence shelter. Project Support reduced the extent of partner-child contact. In addition, within-subject changes in contact over time were associated with girls', but not boys', conduct problems, and it partially mediated effects of Project Support on girls' conduct problems. Higher average levels of contact over time were also positively associated with further incidents of IPV and partner-child aggression, and partner-child aggression helped explain effects of contact on children's conduct problems. Children's postshelter contact with the mother's violent partner relates positively to several negative family outcomes.

Separation of metal ions from aqueous solutions

DOEpatents

Almon, Amy C.

1994-01-01

A process and apparatus for quantitatively and selectively separating metal ions from mixtures thereof in aqueous solution. The apparatus includes, in combination, a horizontal electrochemical flow cell containing flow bulk electrolyte solution and an aqueous, metal ion-containing solution, the cell containing a metal mesh working electrode, a counter electrode positioned downstream from the working electrode, an independent variable power supply/potentiostat positioned outside of the flow cell and connected to the electrodes, and optionally a detector such as a chromatographic detector, positioned outside the flow cell. This apparatus and its operation has significant application where trace amounts of metal ions are to be separated.

In situ clinical effects of new dentifrices containing 1.5% arginine and fluoride on enamel de- and remineralization and plaque metabolism.

PubMed

Cantore, R; Petrou, I; Lavender, S; Santarpia, P; Liu, Z; Gittins, E; Vandeven, M; Cummins, D; Sullivan, R; Utgikar, N

2013-01-01

The primary objective of the three studies reported in this paper was to evaluate the effects of new dentifrices containing 1.5% arginine, an insoluble calcium compound, and fluoride for their ability to promote remineralization of demineralized enamel, and to prevent mineral loss from sound enamel specimens. A secondary objective was to determine the effects on plaque metabolism with respect to the conversion of arginine to ammonia and sucrose to lactic acid. In Study 1, an intraoral remineralization/demineralization clinical model was used to assess the ability to promote remineralization of enamel of two dentifrices containing 1.5% arginine and 1450 ppm fluoride, as sodium monofluorophosphate (MFP), relative to a positive control with dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (Dical) and 1450 ppm fluoride, and a negative control with Dical and 250 ppm fluoride. One of the arginine-containing dentifrices contained Dical, and the other contained calcium carbonate as the source of insoluble calcium. Microradiography and image analysis were used to measure mineral changes. The study used a double-blind crossover design with a two-week treatment period. Each treatment period was preceded by a one-week washout period. Each product was used twice a day for two weeks. In the two other studies, the ability of dentifrices containing 1.5% arginine and fluoride to prevent demineralization of sound enamel blocks was assessed using an intraoral demineralization/remineralization clinical model and a double-blind crossover design with a five-day treatment period. A one-week minimum washout period preceded each treatment phase. Microhardness was used to assess mineral changes. Cariogenic challenges were administered by dipping each intraoral retainer into a 10% sucrose solution four times per day. Each product was used twice per day during the treatment period. Plaque was harvested from the specimens to measure the ability of the plaque to convert arginine to ammonia (Studies 2 and 3) and sucrose to lactic acid (Study 3) at the end of each treatment period. In Study 2, a dentifrice containing 1.5% arginine, Dical, and 1450 ppm fluoride as MFP was compared to a matched positive control containing 1450 ppm fluoride and to a matched negative control containing 250 ppm fluoride. In Study 3, a dentifrice containing 1.5% arginine, calcium carbonate, and 1000 ppm fluoride as MFP was compared to a matched positive control containing 1000 ppm fluoride and to a matched negative control containing 0 ppm fluoride. In Study 1, the percent mineral changes were +18.64, +16.77, +4.08, and -24.95 for the 1.5% arginine/Dical/1450 ppm fluoride, the 1.5% arginine/calcium carbonate/1450 ppm fluoride, the positive control, and negative control dentifrices, respectively. Study validation was successfully achieved by showing that the positive control was statistically significantly better that the negative control in promoting remineralization (p = 0.0001). The two arginine-containing test products were statistically significantly better than the positive control (p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed in efficacy between the two arginine-containing products, indicating that efficacy in promoting remineralization was independent of the choice of Dical or calcium carbonate as the source of insoluble calcium. In Study 2, the percent demineralization values were -8.50, +1.67, and +12.64 for the 1.5% arginine/Dical/1450 ppm fluoride, the positive control, and negative control dentifrices, respectively. Study validation was successfully achieved by showing that the positive control was statistically significantly better at preventing demineralization than the negative control (p < 0.0001). The arginine-containing dentifrice was shown to be statistically significantly better at preventing enamel demineralization than the positive control (p < 0.0001). Plaque metabolism measures for plaque exposed to the three treatments gave the following values for ammonia production after an arginine-sucrose challenge, expressed in nanomoles per milligram plaque: 162.7; 105.4; and 115.9 for the 1.5% arginine/Dical/1450 ppm fluoride, positive control, and negative control dentifrices, respectively. No statistically significant differences were observed between the three treatments, but the arginine-based dentifrice showed directionally higher ammonia production than both the positive and negative controls In Study 3, the percent demineralization values were +1.16, +4.96, and +15.34, for the 1.5% arginine/calcium carbonate/1 000 ppm fluoride, the positive control, and negative control dentifrices, respectively. Study validation was successfully achieved by showing that the positive control was statistically significantly better at preventing demineralization than the negative control (p < 0.0001). The arginine-containing dentifrice was shown to be statistically significantly better at preventing enamel demineralization than the positive control (p < 0.05). Plaque metabolism measures for plaque exposed to the three treatments gave the following values for ammonia production after an arginine-sucrose challenge, expressed in nanomoles per milligram plaque: 99.6; 56.2; and 42.2 for the 1.5% arginine/calcium carbonate/1000 ppm fluoride, the positive control, and negative control dentifrices, respectively. Plaque treated with the arginine- containing dentifrice produced significantly more ammonia than the positive and negative control dentifrices (p < 0.05). No significant difference in ammonia production was observed between the two controls. Lactic acid production after a sucrose challenge gave the following values, expressed as nanomoles per milligram plaque: 4.06; 5.12; and 4.64 for the 1.5% arginine/calcium carbonate/1000 ppm fluoride, the positive control, and negative control dentifrices, respectively. No significant difference was observed between the three treatments, but the arginine-based treatment showed directionally lower lactic acid production. The results of these three studies show that dentifrices containing 1.5% arginine, an insoluble calcium compound, and fluoride have a significantly improved ability to promote remineralization and prevent demineralization of enamel relative to dentifrices containing the same level of fluoride alone. Two different sources of insoluble calcium were evaluated, Dical and calcium carbonate. Dentifrices with Dical and with calcium carbonate, each in combination with 1.5% arginine and fluoride, provided superior efficacy as compared to matched dentifrices with fluoride alone, and the two products demonstrated comparable efficacy in promoting remineralization. The results of these studies demonstrate that the addition of 1.5% arginine to Dical-and calcium carbonate-based fluoride dentifrices provides superior efficacy in preventing demineralization and promoting remineralization, and, further, indicate that he arginine-containing dentifrices enhance the ability of plaque to metabolize arginine to ammonia.

A clamped rectangular plate containing a crack

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tang, R.; Erdogan, F.

1985-01-01

The general problem of a rectangular plate clamped along two parallel sides and containing a crack parallel to the clamps is considered. The problem is formulated in terms of a system of singular integral equations and the asymptotic behavior of the stress state near the corners is investigated. Numerical examples are considered for a clamped plate without a crack and with a centrally located crack, and the stress intensity factors and the stresses along the clamps are calculated.

Bonded half planes containing an arbitrarily oriented crack

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erdogan, F.; Aksogan, O.

1973-01-01

The plane elastostatic problem for two bonded half planes containing an arbitrarily oriented crack in the neighborhood of the interface is considered. Using Mellin transforms, the problem is formulated as a system of singular integral equations. The equations are solved for various crack orientations, material combinations, and external loads. The numerical results given include the stress intensity factors, tHe strain energy release rates, and tHe probable cleavage angles giving the direction of crack propagation.

Math Ties: Problem Solving, Logic Teasers, and Math Puzzles All "Tied" To the Math Curriculum. Book B1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santi, Terri

This book contains a classroom-tested approach to the teaching of problem solving to all students in Grades 6-8, regardless of ability. Information on problem solving in general is provided, then mathematical problems on logic, exponents, fractions, pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, number theory, set theory, ratio, proportion, percent, probability,…

Arithmetic Problems at School: When There Is an Apparent Contradiction between the Situation Model and the Problem Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coquin-Viennot, Daniele; Moreau, Stephanie

2007-01-01

Background: Understanding and solving problems involves different levels of representation. On the one hand, there are logico-mathematical representations, or problem models (PMs), which contain information such as "the size of the flock changed from 31 sheep to 42" while, on the other hand, there are more qualitative representations, or…

Storage of platelets: effects associated with high platelet content in platelet storage containers.

PubMed

Gulliksson, Hans; Sandgren, Per; Sjödin, Agneta; Hultenby, Kjell

2012-04-01

A major problem associated with platelet storage containers is that some platelet units show a dramatic fall in pH, especially above certain platelet contents. The aim of this study was a detailed investigation of the different in vitro effects occurring when the maximum storage capacity of a platelet container is exceeded as compared to normal storage. Buffy coats were combined in large-volume containers to create primary pools to be split into two equal aliquots for the preparation of platelets (450-520×10(9) platelets/unit) in SSP+ for 7-day storage in two containers (test and reference) with different platelet storage capacity (n=8). Exceeding the maximum storage capacity of the test platelet storage container resulted in immediate negative effects on platelet metabolism and energy supply, but also delayed effects on platelet function, activation and disintegration. Our study gives a very clear indication of the effects in different phases associated with exceeding the maximum storage capacity of platelet containers but throw little additional light on the mechanism initiating those negative effects. The problem appears to be complex and further studies in different media using different storage containers will be needed to understand the mechanisms involved.

TEMPERAMENT, FAMILY ENVIRONMENT, AND BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN WITH NEW-ONSET SEIZURES

PubMed Central

Baum, Katherine T.; Byars, Anna W.; deGrauw, Ton J.; Johnson, Cynthia S.; Perkins, Susan M.; Dunn, David W.; Bates, John E.; Austin, Joan K.

2007-01-01

Children with epilepsy, even those with new-onset seizures, exhibit relatively high rates of behavior problems. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among early temperament, family adaptive resources, and behavior problems in children with new-onset seizures. Our major goal was to test whether family adaptive resources moderated the relationship between early temperament dimensions and current behavior problems in 287 children with new-onset seizures. Two of the three temperament dimensions (difficultness and resistance to control) were positively correlated with total, internalizing, and externalizing behavior problems (all p < 0.0001). The third temperament dimension, unadaptability, was positively correlated with total and internalizing problems (p < 0.01). Family adaptive resources moderated the relationships between temperament and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems at school. Children with a difficult early temperament who live in a family environment with low family mastery are at the greatest risk for behavior problems. PMID:17267291

Usefulness of multiple chalk-based food colorings for inducing better gene silencing by feeding RNA interference in planarians.

PubMed

Hattori, Miki; Miyamoto, Mai; Hosoda, Kazutaka; Umesono, Yoshihiko

2018-01-01

Planarians have become widely recognized as one of the major animal models for regeneration studies in invertebrates. To induce RNA interference (RNAi) by feeding in planarians, the widely accepted protocol is one in which animals undergo two or three feedings of food containing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) plus visible food coloring (e.g., blood) for confirmation of feeding by individual animals. However, one possible problem is that incorporated food coloring is often retained within the gut for several days, which makes it difficult to confirm the success of each round of dsRNA feeding based on the difference of the color density within the gut before and after feeding. As a consequence, the difference of appetite levels among individuals undergoing dsRNA feeding leads to phenotypic variability among them due to insufficient knockdown. In our attempts to overcome this problem, we have developed a novel method for achieving robust confirmation of the success of dsRNA feeding in individuals fed multiple times by means of including a combination of three different colored chalks (pink, yellow and blue) as food coloring. Notably, we found that this method is superior to the conventional method for positively marking individuals that actively consumed the dsRNA-containing food during four times of once-daily feeding. Using these selected animals, we obtained stable and sufficiently strong RNAi-induced phenotypes. We termed this improved multi-colored chalk-spiked method of feeding RNAi "Candi" and propose its benefits for gene function analysis in planarians. © 2017 Japanese Society of Developmental Biologists.

Relationship between psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance and internet addiction: Mediating effects of mental health problems.

PubMed

Chou, Wei-Po; Lee, Kun-Hua; Ko, Chih-Hung; Liu, Tai-Ling; Hsiao, Ray C; Lin, Hsiu-Fen; Yen, Cheng-Fang

2017-11-01

Internet addiction became a major mental health problem in college student. Our objective was to examine the relationship between psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance (PIEA) and Internet addiction (IA) and the mediating effects of mental health problem indicators. 500 college students (238 men and 262 women) participated in this study. The level of PIEA was examined using the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II. The severity of IA was assessed using the Chen Internet Addiction Scale. The levels of depression, anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity, and hostility were evaluated using the Symptom Checklist-90 item-Revised Scale. The relationship among PIEA, mental health problems, and IA was examined using structural equation modeling. The severity of PIEA was positively associated with the severity of IA as well as positively associated with the severity of mental health problems. In addition, the severity of mental health problem indicators was positively associated with the severity of IA. These results provide the severity of PIEA is directly related to the severity of IA and indirectly related to the severity of IA through increasing the severity of mental health problems. The PIEA should be one of the target objectives when administer cognitive-behavioral therapy to college students with IA and mental health problems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Dreaded "Work" Problems Revisited: Connections through Problem Solving from Basic Fractions to Calculus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shore, Felice S.; Pascal, Matthew

2008-01-01

This article describes several distinct approaches taken by preservice elementary teachers to solving a classic rate problem. Their approaches incorporate a variety of mathematical concepts, ranging from proportions to infinite series, and illustrate the power of all five NCTM Process Standards. (Contains 8 figures.)

Some Problems of Extremes in Geometry and Construction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yanovsky, Levi

2008-01-01

Two original problems in geometry are presented with solutions utilizing to differential calculus: (a) rectangle inscribed in a sector; (b) point on the ray of the angle. The possibility of applying mathematics in general and differential calculus in particular for solution of practical problems is discussed. (Contains 8 figures.)

Instructional Qualities of a Successful Mathematical Problem-Solving Class.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santos-Trigo, Manuel

1998-01-01

Describes activities that have been successfully implemented by an expert during a mathematical problem-solving course. Focuses on the identification of the qualities of these problems used to promote the development of student strategies and values that reflect mathematical practice in the classroom. Contains 17 references. (ASK)

Students Do Not Overcome Conceptual Difficulties after Solving 1000 Traditional Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Eunsook; Pak, Sung-Jae

2002-01-01

Investigates the relationship between traditional physics textbook problem solving and conceptual understanding. Reports that students had many of the well-known conceptual difficulties with basic mechanics and that there was little correlation between the number of problems solved and conceptual understanding. (Contains 21 references.)…

Simulation, Gaming, and Conventional Instruction: An Experimental Comparison.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fennessey, Gail M.; And Others

An environmental problems unit was organized to be taught with three approaches. One approach contained two simulation exercises, one contained a simulation game and a simulation exercise, and one contained no simulations. These approaches were compared for their effectiveness for teaching facts and relationships and for producing favorable…

Interim Guidelines for Growing Longleaf Seedlings in Containers

Treesearch

James P. Barnett; Mark J. Hainds; George A. Hernandez

2002-01-01

The demand for container longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) planting stock continues to increase each year. A problem facing both producers and users of container seedlings is the lack of target seedling specifications. Outplanting and evaluating performance of seedlings with a range of physiological and morphological characteristics, over a...

Externalizing symptoms moderate associations among interpersonal skills, parenting, and depressive symptoms in adolescents seeking mental health treatment.

PubMed

Rodriguez, Erin M; Donenberg, Geri R; Emerson, Erin; Wilson, Helen W; Javdani, Shabnam

2015-04-01

Adolescents' interpersonal skills are associated with fewer teen depressive symptoms and more positive parenting, but little is known about how teens' externalizing problems moderate these relationships. This study examines links among teens' interpersonal skills, parenting, and withdrawn-depressed symptoms in adolescents seeking outpatient psychiatric treatment with elevated or non-elevated externalizing problems. Adolescents (N = 346; 42 % female; 61 % African-American) ages 12-19 years old (M = 14.9; SD = 1.8) and parents completed assessments at baseline and 6 months. At baseline parents and teens reported on teen withdrawn-depressed and externalizing symptoms, and were observed interacting to assess teen interpersonal skills. At 6 months adolescents reported on parenting, and parents and teens reported on teen withdrawn-depressed symptoms. Structural equation modeling tested two models (one with teen reported symptoms and one with parent reported symptoms). Model fit was better for youth with elevated externalizing problems regardless of reporter. For youth with elevated externalizing problems, baseline teen positive interpersonal skills were not directly associated with 6-month withdrawn-depressed symptoms, but more positive parenting was associated with fewer withdrawn-depressed symptoms. In the teen report model, more positive teen interpersonal skills were associated with more positive parenting, and there was a trend for parenting to indirectly account for the relationship between interpersonal skills and withdrawn-depressed symptoms. The findings extend research on the role of externalizing problems in teens' depression risk. Interventions for depression that target interpersonal skills may be particularly effective in youth with elevated externalizing problems.

Influence of photon beam energy on the dose enhancement factor caused by gold and silver nanoparticles: An experimental approach

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

Guidelli, Eder José, E-mail: ederguidelli@pg.ffclrp.usp.br; Baffa, Oswaldo

Purpose: Noble metal nanoparticles have found several medical applications in the areas of radiation detection; x-ray contrast agents and cancer radiation therapy. Based on computational methods, many papers have reported the nanoparticle effect on the dose deposition in the surrounding medium. Here the authors report experimental results on how silver and gold nanoparticles affect the dose deposition in alanine dosimeters containing several concentrations of silver and gold nanoparticles, for five different beam energies, using electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR). Methods: The authors produced alanine dosimeters containing several mass percentage of silver and gold nanoparticles. Nanoparticle sizes were measured by dynamicmore » light scattering and by transmission electron microscopy. The authors determined the dose enhancement factor (DEF) theoretically, using a widely accepted method, and experimentally, using ESR spectroscopy. Results: The DEF is governed by nanoparticle concentration, size, and position in the alanine matrix. Samples containing gold nanoparticles afford a DEF higher than 1.0, because gold nanoparticle size is homogeneous for all gold concentrations utilized. For samples containing silver particles, the silver mass percentage governs the nanoparticles size, which, in turns, modifies nanoparticle position in the alanine dosimeters. In this sense, DEF decreases for dosimeters containing large and segregated particles. The influence of nanoparticle size-position is more noticeable for dosimeters irradiated with higher beam energies, and dosimeters containing large and segregated particles become less sensitive than pure alanine (DEF < 1). Conclusions: ESR dosimetry gives the DEF in a medium containing metal nanoparticles, although particle concentration, size, and position are closely related in the system. Because this is also the case as in many real systems of materials containing inorganic nanoparticles, ESR is a valuable tool for investigating DEF. Moreover, these results alert to the importance of controlling the size-position of nanoparticles to enhance DEF.« less

The Family Check-Up With High-Risk Indigent Families: Preventing Problem Behavior by Increasing Parents’ Positive Behavior Support in Early Childhood

PubMed Central

Dishion, Thomas J.; Connell, Arin; Weaver, Chelsea; Shaw, Daniel; Gardner, Frances; Wilson, Melvin

2009-01-01

Seven hundred thirty-one income-eligible families in 3 geographical regions who were enrolled in a national food supplement program were screened and randomized to a brief family intervention. At child ages 2 and 3, the intervention group caregivers were offered the Family Check-Up and linked parenting support services. Latent growth models on caregiver reports at child ages 2, 3, and 4 revealed decreased behavior problems when compared with the control group. Intervention effects occurred predominantly among families reporting high levels of problem behavior at child age 2. Families in the intervention condition improved on direct observation measures of caregivers’ positive behavior support at child ages 2 and 3; improvements in positive behavior support mediated improvements in children's early problem behavior. PMID:18826532

Weighted LCS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amir, Amihood; Gotthilf, Zvi; Shalom, B. Riva

The Longest Common Subsequence (LCS) of two strings A and B is a well studied problem having a wide range of applications. When each symbol of the input strings is assigned a positive weight the problem becomes the Heaviest Common Subsequence (HCS) problem. In this paper we consider a different version of weighted LCS on Position Weight Matrices (PWM). The Position Weight Matrix was introduced as a tool to handle a set of sequences that are not identical, yet, have many local similarities. Such a weighted sequence is a 'statistical image' of this set where we are given the probability of every symbol's occurrence at every text location. We consider two possible definitions of LCS on PWM. For the first, we solve the weighted LCS problem of z sequences in time O(zn z + 1). For the second, we prove \\cal{NP}-hardness and provide an approximation algorithm.

Exposure to Violence and Socioemotional Adjustment in Low-Income Youth: An Examination of Protective Factors

PubMed Central

Hardaway, Cecily R.; McLoyd, Vonnie C.; Wood, Dana

2014-01-01

Using a sample of 391 low-income youth ages 13 to 17, this study investigated the potential moderating effects of school climate, participation in extracurricular activities, and positive parent-child relations on associations between exposure to violence (i.e., witnessing violence and violent victimization) and adolescent socioemotional adjustment (i.e., internalizing and externalizing problems). Exposure to violence was related to both internalizing and externalizing problems. High levels of participation in extracurricular activities and positive parent-child relations appeared to function as protective factors, weakening the positive association between exposure to violence and externalizing problems. Contrary to prediction, school climate did not moderate associations between exposure to violence and socioemotional adjustment. Further, none of the hypothesized protective factors moderated the association between exposure to violence and internalizing problems. PMID:21607826

Parenting Children with Developmental Delays: The Role of Positive Beliefs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paczkowski, Emilie; Baker, Bruce L.

2008-01-01

Parents of children with developmental delays consistently report higher levels of child behavior problems and also parenting stress than parents of typically developing children. This study examined how mothers' positive beliefs influence the relation between children's behavior problems and mothers' parenting stress among families of children…

Positive Strategies for Students with Behavior Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crimmins, Daniel; Farrell, Anne F.; Smith, Philip W.; Bailey, Alison

2007-01-01

When a student's challenging behavior can not be resolved through either traditional disciplinary approaches or schoolwide positive behavior support (PBS), what can a teacher do next? This manual has effective solutions for educators from grades K-12. Developed specifically for use with children with persistent or severe behavior problems, this…

Eliminating Problem Behaviors with Positive Controls.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoi, Margaret

A teacher describes her efforts to deal with an 11-year-old severely emotionally impaired girl in a classroom with other acting out, aggressive students. The girl's behavior problems included breaking, tearing, spitting, swearing, running, and sexual aggression. A positive reinforcedment system was found to be primarily responsible for success in…

Logo's Problem-Solving Potential.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dale, Evelyn J.

Given the uncertainty of the future and the rapidity with which computer technology is changing, a generalist position on the objectives of educational computing is desirable. This position insists that learning how to think and solve problems is the foundation of education and suggests that basic learning needs to be an integral part of the…

Cloud Absorption Radiometer Autonomous Navigation System - CANS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahle, Duncan; Gatebe, Charles; McCune, Bill; Hellwig, Dustan

2013-01-01

CAR (cloud absorption radiometer) acquires spatial reference data from host aircraft navigation systems. This poses various problems during CAR data reduction, including navigation data format, accuracy of position data, accuracy of airframe inertial data, and navigation data rate. Incorporating its own navigation system, which included GPS (Global Positioning System), roll axis inertia and rates, and three axis acceleration, CANS expedites data reduction and increases the accuracy of the CAR end data product. CANS provides a self-contained navigation system for the CAR, using inertial reference and GPS positional information. The intent of the software application was to correct the sensor with respect to aircraft roll in real time based upon inputs from a precision navigation sensor. In addition, the navigation information (including GPS position), attitude data, and sensor position details are all streamed to a remote system for recording and later analysis. CANS comprises a commercially available inertial navigation system with integral GPS capability (Attitude Heading Reference System AHRS) integrated into the CAR support structure and data system. The unit is attached to the bottom of the tripod support structure. The related GPS antenna is located on the P-3 radome immediately above the CAR. The AHRS unit provides a RS-232 data stream containing global position and inertial attitude and velocity data to the CAR, which is recorded concurrently with the CAR data. This independence from aircraft navigation input provides for position and inertial state data that accounts for very small changes in aircraft attitude and position, sensed at the CAR location as opposed to aircraft state sensors typically installed close to the aircraft center of gravity. More accurate positional data enables quicker CAR data reduction with better resolution. The CANS software operates in two modes: initialization/calibration and operational. In the initialization/calibration mode, the software aligns the precision navigation sensors and initializes the communications interfaces with the sensor and the remote computing system. It also monitors the navigation data state for quality and ensures that the system maintains the required fidelity for attitude and positional information. In the operational mode, the software runs at 12.5 Hz and gathers the required navigation/attitude data, computes the required sensor correction values, and then commands the sensor to the required roll correction. In this manner, the sensor will stay very near to vertical at all times, greatly improving the resulting collected data and imagery. CANS greatly improves quality of resulting imagery and data collected. In addition, the software component of the system outputs a concisely formatted, high-speed data stream that can be used for further science data processing. This precision, time-stamped data also can benefit other instruments on the same aircraft platform by providing extra information from the mission flight.

Positive Attributes Buffer the Negative Associations Between Low Intelligence and High Psychopathology With Educational Outcomes.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Mauricio Scopel; Leibenluft, Ellen; Stringaris, Argyris; Laporte, Paola Paganella; Pan, Pedro Mario; Gadelha, Ary; Manfro, Gisele Gus; Miguel, Eurípedes Constantino; Rohde, Luis Augusto; Salum, Giovanni Abrahão

2016-01-01

This study examines the extent to which children's positive attributes are distinct from psychopathology. We also investigate whether positive attributes change or "buffer" the impact of low intelligence and high psychopathology on negative educational outcomes. In a community sample of 2,240 children (6-14 years of age), we investigated associations among positive attributes, psychopathology, intelligence, and negative educational outcomes. Negative educational outcomes were operationalized as learning problems and poor academic performance. We tested the discriminant validity of psychopathology versus positive attributes using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and propensity score matching analysis (PSM), and used generalized estimating equations (GEE) models to test main effects and interactions among predictors of educational outcomes. According to both CFA and PSM, positive attributes and psychiatric symptoms were distinct constructs. Positive attributes were associated with lower levels of negative educational outcomes, independent of intelligence and psychopathology. Positive attributes buffer the negative effects of lower intelligence on learning problems, and higher psychopathology on poor academic performance. Children's positive attributes are associated with lower levels of negative school outcomes. Positive attributes act both independently and by modifying the negative effects of low intelligence and high psychiatric symptoms on educational outcomes. Subsequent research should test interventions designed to foster the development of positive attributes in children at high risk for educational problems. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. All rights reserved.

Positive Attributes Buffer the Negative Associations Between Low Intelligence and High Psychopathology With Educational Outcomes

PubMed Central

Hoffmann, Mauricio Scopel; Leibenluft, Ellen; Stringaris, Argyris; Laporte, Paola Paganella; Pan, Pedro Mario; Gadelha, Ary; Manfro, Gisele Gus; Miguel, Eurípedes Constantino; Rohde, Luis Augusto; Salum, Giovanni Abrahão

2016-01-01

Objective This study examines the extent to which children’s positive attributes are distinct from psychopathology. We also investigate whether positive attributes change or “buffer” the impact of low intelligence and high psychopathology on negative educational outcomes. Method In a community sample of 2,240 children (6–14 years of age), we investigated associations among positive attributes, psychopathology, intelligence, and negative educational outcomes. Negative educational outcomes were operationalized as learning problems and poor academic performance. We tested the discriminant validity of psychopathology versus positive attributes using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and propensity score matching analysis (PSM), and used generalized estimating equations (GEE) models to test main effects and interactions among predictors of educational outcomes. Results According to both CFA and PSM, positive attributes and psychiatric symptoms were distinct constructs. Positive attributes were associated with lower levels of negative educational outcomes, independent of intelligence and psychopathology. Positive attributes buffer the negative effects of lower intelligence on learning problems, and higher psychopathology on poor academic performance. Conclusion Children’s positive attributes are associated with lower levels of negative school outcomes. Positive attributes act both independently and by modifying the negative effects of low intelligence and high psychiatric symptoms on educational outcomes. Subsequent research should test interventions designed to foster the development of positive attributes in children at high risk for educational problems. PMID:26703909

Syndemic vulnerability, sexual and injection risk behaviors, and HIV continuum of care outcomes in HIV-positive injection drug users

PubMed Central

Mizuno, Yuko; Purcell, David W.; Knowlton, Amy R.; Wilkinson, James D.; Gourevitch, Marc N.; Knight, Kelly R.

2015-01-01

Limited investigations have been conducted on syndemics and HIV continuum of care outcomes. Using baseline data from a multi-site, randomized controlled study of HIV-positive injection drug users (n=1052), we examined whether psychosocial factors co-occurred, and whether these factors were additively associated with behavioral and HIV continuum of care outcomes. Experiencing one type of psychosocial problem was significantly (p<0.05) associated with an increased odds of experiencing another type of problem. Persons with 3 or more psychosocial problems were significantly more likely to report sexual and injection risk behaviors and were less likely to be adherent to HIV medications. Persons with 4 or more problems were less likely to be virally suppressed. Reporting any problems was associated with not currently taking HIV medications. Our findings highlight the association of syndemics not only with risk behaviors, but also with outcomes related to the continuum of care for HIV-positive persons. PMID:25249392

The molecular matching problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kincaid, Rex K.

1993-01-01

Molecular chemistry contains many difficult optimization problems that have begun to attract the attention of optimizers in the Operations Research community. Problems including protein folding, molecular conformation, molecular similarity, and molecular matching have been addressed. Minimum energy conformations for simple molecular structures such as water clusters, Lennard-Jones microclusters, and short polypeptides have dominated the literature to date. However, a variety of interesting problems exist and we focus here on a molecular structure matching (MSM) problem.

Optimism and positive and negative feelings in parents of young children with developmental delay.

PubMed

Kurtz-Nelson, E; McIntyre, L L

2017-07-01

Parents' positive and negative feelings about their young children influence both parenting behaviour and child problem behaviour. Research has not previously examined factors that contribute to positive and negative feelings in parents of young children with developmental delay (DD). The present study sought to examine whether optimism, a known protective factor for parents of children with DD, was predictive of positive and negative feelings for these parents. Data were collected from 119 parents of preschool-aged children with developmental delay. Two separate hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted to determine if optimism significantly predicted positive feelings and negative feelings and whether optimism moderated relations between parenting stress and parent feelings. Increased optimism was found to predict increased positive feelings and decreased negative feelings after controlling for child problem behaviour and parenting stress. In addition, optimism was found to moderate the relation between parenting stress and positive feelings. Results suggest that optimism may impact how parents perceive their children with DD. Future research should examine how positive and negative feelings impact positive parenting behaviour and the trajectory of problem behaviour specifically for children with DD. © 2017 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from epoxy resin in a golf club repairman.

PubMed

Isaksson, Marléne; Möller, Halvor; Pontén, Ann

2008-01-01

A golfer presented with facial and hand eczema. He had exacerbations of his hand eczema prior to golf tournaments. Being an authorized golf club repairman, he had been working with a two-part glue containing an epoxy resin (ER) based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and the hardener diethylenetriamine (DETA) for approximately 4 years before he developed any skin problems. He was patch-tested with the standard, which contains an ER based on DGEBA (DGEBA-R), epoxy (containing DETA), and rubber glove series and had positive reactions to DGEBA-R only. Other work materials (a latex glove, a golf glove made of leather, and part of the handle of his own golf club "as is" and in a methyl tert-butyl ether extract) were tested, with negative results. Allergic contact dermatitis from ER affects the skin by direct contact; the dermatitis is usually localized to the hands and forearms. If the face and eyelids are involved, the dermatitis may be due to exposure to airborne hardeners or reactive diluents, exposure to airborne dust from residual monomers, or ectopic allergic reactions. Our repairman had sandpapered an old glued surface, which may have led to possible airborne dust formation, thus explaining the facial eczema. Therefore, a worker with contact allergy to ER may continue working provided the skin is protected from contamination.

Lignocellulolytic enzyme activity, substrate utilization, and mushroom yield by Pleurotus ostreatus cultivated on substrate containing anaerobic digester solids.

PubMed

Isikhuemhen, Omoanghe S; Mikiashvilli, Nona A

2009-11-01

Solid waste from anaerobic digestion of litter from the commercial production of broiler chickens has limited use as fertilizer. Its disposal is a major problem for digester operators who are seeking alternative use for anaerobic digester solids, also referred to as solid waste (SW). The use of SW as substrates for the cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus strain MBFBL400 was investigated. Lignocellulolytic enzymes activity, substrate utilization, and mushroom yield were evaluated in ten different substrate combinations (SCs) containing varying amounts of solid waste, wheat straw, and millet. Nutritional content of mushrooms produced on the different substrates was also determined. Substrates containing 70-80% wheat straw, 10-20% SW, and 10-20% millet were found to produce the highest mushroom yield (874.8-958.3 g/kg). Loss of organic matter in all SCs tested varied from 45.8% to 56.2%, which had positive correlation with the biological efficiency. Laccase, peroxidase, and carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) activities were higher before fruiting, whereas xylanase showed higher activities after mushroom fruiting. SW increased the nutritional content in mushrooms harvested, and the combination of wheat straw and SW with millet significantly improved mushroom yield. Our findings demonstrated the possibility of utilizing anaerobic digester solids in mushroom cultivation. The application of SW as such could improve the financial gains in the overall economy of anaerobic digester plants.

Tolerance to a Hair Dye Product Containing 2-Methoxymethyl-P-Phenylenediamine in an Ethnically Diverse Population of P-Phenylenediamine-Allergic Individuals.

PubMed

Zahir, Amir; Kindred, Chesahna; Blömeke, Brunhilde; Goebel, Carsten; Gaspari, Anthony A

Allergic contact dermatitis after exposure to p-phenylenediamine (PPD)-containing hair dye products is a common and important clinical problem. Because there is a high rate of cross-elicitation of allergic contact dermatitis to other important hair dye products (such as p-toluene diamine and other aminophenol hair dyes) in PPD-allergic patients, safer alternative dyes with excellent hair coloring options are needed. This study aimed to study tolerance to Me-PPD in a PPD-allergic cohort. Twenty ethnically diverse volunteers with a history of contact dermatitis to hair dyes or other PPD-containing chemicals and positive patch test results to 1% PPD in petrolatum were recruited to study their immediate and delayed skin reactivity to PPD, vehicle control, and 2-methoxy-methyl-PPD (Me-PPD) using the allergy alert test (simulating hair dyeing conditions) on volar forearm skin. This test is a short-contact open patch test. The Me-PPD may offer a safer alternative for PPD-allergic patients with an absent or reduced elicitation response in the allergy alert test simulating hair dye use conditions. The absent or reduced response to Me-PPD diagnosed using the allergy alert test has been shown to help reduce the possibility of moderate to severe cross-elicitation reactions among consumers during hair dyeing.